Titanium Backup Adds Support for ART Runtime on Android 4.4 KitKat

An updated flavor of the Titanium Backup is now available for download for the owners of Android-based devices, namely version 6.1.4.1.

The new application release brings along initial support for ART runtime on Android 4.4 KitKat, while also packing a series of updated translations. Titanium Backup was made available for Android devices as a simple to use tool for backing up and restoring applications, user data, and Google Play links.

“This includes all protected apps & system apps, plus external data on your SD card. You can do 0-click batch & scheduled backups,” the application’s description reads. However, users will need to be rooted to enjoy the features of this application. The software works with all devices running under Android 1.5 or higher.

Titanium Backup for Android
Image credits to Google Play Store

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Jolla's Sailfish OS Smartphone Launches Today

Today, the first Jolla smartphones become available for purchase in Finland, at a launch event set to kick off at 7pm in Helsinki.

Jolla, a Finnish startup that has designed its smartphone around Sailfish OS, a brand new platform based on Nokia’s MeeGo OS, has partnered with wireless carrier DNA for the launch, and also plans on bringing the phone to more markets in the near future. Today, the first 450 Jolla phones will be handed to users who pre-ordered the device, at a pop-up store in central Helsinki, ZDNet notes in a recent article. The smartphone was put up for pre-order with a price tag of €399 attached to it, and should start shipping to users who reserved it in the not too distant future. For those out of the loop, we should note that the handset packs a 4.5-inch IPS qHD display that is protected by Gorilla Glass 2.

Furthermore, it arrives on shelves with 1GB of RAM inside, 16GB of internal memory, and a microSD memory card slot for expansion purposes. On the back, the new device features an 8-megapixel camera with LED Flash, while packing a 2-megapixel front camera. The specs list of the device also includes GSM/3G/4G LTE connectivity, and a battery that can deliver up to 10 hours of talk time on 3G. The phone measures 131 x 68 x 9.9 mm and weighs 141 grams. As mentioned above, Jolla’s device runs under the Sailfish OS, which should prove to be a truly open platform, different from what other mobile operating systems out there have to offer.

The fast and intuitive UI that Sailfish comes with is complemented by the availability of a wide range of applications for the platform, either designed specifically for the OS, or developed for Android. This is possible courtesy of a partnership that Jolla signed with Yandex.Store Android apps portal for the distribution of software to Sailfish OS devices.

Jolla's Sailfish OS phone
Image credits to Jolla

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Lenovo Vibe Z Confirmed to Arrive on November 28

Unveiled two weeks ago, Lenovo Vibe Z is about to go on sale in China. The smartphone’s specs sheet has already been revealed and judging by what’s on the paper, this should appeal Android fans looking for a high-end device.

According to GizChina, Lenovo is expected to release the Vibe Z in China on November 28. However, no details on the phone’s price have emerged yet, though the latest rumors point to a price tag between 3000 yuan ($490/€365) and 3700 Yuan ($605/€450) outright.

Lenovo Vibe Z, also known as K910, will ship with Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean operating system out of the box and a powerful 2.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor inside. The smartphone also boasts a vibrant 5.5-inch capacitive touchscreen display that supports full HD (1080p) resolution, as well as an impressive 13-megapixel rear-facing camera with autofocus and LED flash.

Lenovo Vibe Z
Image credits to Lenovo

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Kingston HyperX Predator DDR3 Memory Operates at 2800 MHz

The normal frequency for mobile RAM (laptop DDR3) is 1333 MHz, and the one for desktops is 1600 MHz, both most people can make do with less too. So memory at 2800 MHz will stand out any day.

That goes doubly for the new HyperX kits from Kingston, even though some might say that the opposite is true. After all, HyperX has always been associated, as a brand, with high performance, so a clock of 2000 MHz or more shouldn't raise too many eyebrows. Still, 2800 MHz is a lot no matter what anyone says. It's no wonder Kingston is so gung ho about the HyperX Predator and the many overclockers and “extreme system builders” it is supposed to sell to. “We are proud to offer our flagship 2800MHz memory kits to overclockers, benchmarkers and extreme system builders throughout the world,” said Krystian Jaroszynski, European product marketing manager, HyperX and Server, Kingston.

“Our HyperX engineers will continue working hard to improve high-speed yields to get faster product in the hands of our customers.” There are eight kits in the new line total, with capacities of 8 or 16 GB and varying latencies. They all should start showing up in stores soon, if they haven't already. Here is the list (you'll note than only one works at the vaunted 2.8 GHz though).

8GB 1866MHz DDR3 Non-ECC CL9 DIMM (Kit of 2) XMP Predator Series

16GB 1866MHz DDR3 Non-ECC CL9 DIMM (Kit of 4) XMP Predator Series 

16GB 1866MHz DDR3 Non-ECC CL10 DIMM (Kit of 2) XMP Predator Series

8GB 2133MHz DDR3 Non-ECC CL11 DIMM (Kit of 2) XMP Predator Series

16GB 2133MHz DDR3 Non-ECC CL11 DIMM (Kit of 2) XMP Predator Series 

8GB 2400MHz DDR3 Non-ECC CL11 DIMM (Kit of 2) XMP Predator Series

8GB 2666MHz DDR3 Non-ECC CL11 DIMM (Kit of 2) XMP Predator Series 

8GB 2800MHz DDR3 Non-ECC CL12 DIMM (Kit of 2) XMP Predator Series

As you can see, they all have XMP certification (Intel Extreme Memory Profile) and come in the standard, full-height DIMM form factors, normal for desktops.

Kingston HyperX Predator
Image credits to Kingston

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BBM Will Come Pre-Installed on Select Android Devices

We’ve heard it before from various OEMs in India and other emerging market, but now it’s confirmed by BlackBerry as well. The Canadian company has just announced that BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) will come pre-installed on a wide range of Android devices.

Well-known OEMs from Africa, India, Indonesia, Latin America and the Middle East will be allowed to pre-load BBM for Android on their devices. BlackBerry has confirmed that, starting next month, the following devices will have the popular instant messaging application pre-installed: Be, Brightstar, Celkon, EVERCOSS, IMO, Micromax, Mito, Snexian, Spice, TECNO, TiPhone and Zen. Furthermore, BlackBerry has reiterated the fact that BBM will continue to be available as a free download from Android app stores, including Google Play. “It is clear that smartphone customers see BBM as a must have app for active conversations. The uptake we have seen for BBM since the launch on Android and iPhone is amazing.

“We're thrilled to be working with leading Android smartphone manufacturers from across the globe to help bring their customers the best out-of-the-box experience with BBM preinstalled,” said Andrew Bocking, executive vice president for BBM at BlackBerry. BBM for Android comes with only a handful of the features that are now available on BlackBerry version, but the Canadian company has promised that it will continue to improve the application and add these features in the future via major updates. The last update for BBM arrived on Android platform less than two weeks ago and added support for BBM Contact Categories, more options for sharing BBM PIN Barcode and more.

BBM proved to be more popular on Android and iOS operating systems than on BlackBerry, which is understandable if we take into consideration the fact that these platforms have well above 75% market share combined on the smartphone market. Hopefully, BlackBerry will add more important features like BBM Voice and BBM Video, which are currently missing from the Android application. Stay tuned for more updates on the matter.

BlackBerry Messenger logo
Image credits to BlackBerry

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Dual-SIM ZTE Grand S II Dual Spotted in AnTuTu Benchmarks

It looks like Chinese handset maker ZTE plans to launch a sequel to the Grand S, but this time, the name of the device suggests that it will offer dual-SIM support.

GSMInsider reports that an unannounced ZTE Grand S II Dual has been recently spotted on AnTuTu Benchmark database. The smartphone scored 33,357, but other than that, there aren’t any additional details available for the moment. If ZTE plans to launch an improved version of the current ZTE Grand S, which comes equipped with a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro, then it will add a more powerful Snapdragon 800 chipset into the mix.

Hopefully, the ZTE Grand S II Dual will not be limited to the Chinese market and Android fans in other regions will be able to take advantage of the smartphone’s dual-SIM capability. Stay tuned for more updates on this one.

ZTE Grand S II Dual listing at AnTuTu
Image credits to GSMInsider

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BlackBerry’s COO and CMO Leave, CFO Gets Replaced

Today, Canadian mobile phone maker BlackBerry has announced new changes in the executive team, as the company’s chief operating officer and chief marketing officer will leave the company.

As part of the re-organization plans that the handset vendor is undergoing, Kristian Tear, BlackBerry CFO, and Frank Boulben, the company’s CMO, will leave BlackBerry. Furthermore, the smartphone designer has announced that Brian Bidulka, currently chief financial officer at the company, will be replaced by James Yersh, but that he will remain with the vendor as a special advisor to the CEO for the remainder of the fiscal year. "I thank Kristian and Frank for their efforts on behalf of BlackBerry. I look forward to working more directly with the talented teams of engineers, and the sales and marketing teams around the world to facilitate the BlackBerry turn-around and to drive innovation," said John Chen, executive chair and CEO of BlackBerry. "I also thank Brian for his eight years of dedicated service to BlackBerry. I look forward to working with James and his Finance team as we move forward, execute on our plans and deliver long-term value for our shareholders."

Chen has also noted that BlackBerry enjoys a strong cash position at the moment, and that it will continue to deliver trusted and secure mobile device management solutions to enterprises around the world. He has also noted that, moving forth, the company will work hard “to deliver the best devices, mobile security and device management through BES 10, provide multi-platform messaging solutions with BBM, and expand adoption of QNX embedded systems.” James Yersh, the next BlackBerry CFO, has been with the company since 2008. He served as senior vice president, controller and head of compliance for the vendor, and enjoys over 15 years of expertise in the telecoms industry.

Roger Martin, a board member at the mobile phone maker since 2007, has resigned, the company also announced. Furthermore, the vendor unveiled plans to reveal its financial results for the third quarter of its fiscal year 2014 on December 20.

BlackBerry logo
Image credits to BlackBerry

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HTC M8 Specs Unveiled via AnTuTu Benchmark: Android 4.4 KitKat, 5-Inch Full HD Display

Earlier today, information regarding an unannounced HTC smartphone leaked online via AnTuTu and judging by the benchmark results, we though the device in question was the previously rumored M8.

Well, it looks like the information was accurate, as Pocket-lint reports that the HTC M8 specs sheet leaked on the same AnTuTu benchmark database. However, until HTC comes forward with an official statement on the M8’s availability, we can’t be sure that these details are legit, so take them with a grain of salt. The first thing that pops up is the fact that HTC M8 is powered by Android 4.4 KitKat operating system. We’re pretty sure this is just a prototype that’s being tested on AnTuTu, so it’s hard to believe that Google and HTC have already adjusted the latest Android platform for the M8. Anyway, the leak from AnTuTu also suggests that the HTC M8 will be equipped with a 2.3 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, which is not that hard to believe. Moreover, the phone’s CPU is complemented by an Adreno 330 graphics processing unit and 2GB of RAM.

HTC M8 is also said to pack 16GB of internal memory, but there’s no mention of microSD card slot for memory expansion. Hopefully, the Taiwanese handset maker will allow users to physically expand storage even further. Another strong point of the M8 would be the stunning 5-inch capacitive touchscreen display that supports full HD (1080p) resolution. Last but not least, the smartphone is rumored to boast the usual 4-UltraPixel rear-facing camera, along with a 2.1-megapixel front-facing camera for video calls.

There’s no telling if these are the final specs for the HTC M8, so we can only wait for more details to surface in the coming weeks. We suspect that HTC will announce the M9 early next year at Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2014, but stay tuned for more on this.

HTC M8
Image credits to ePrice

HTC M8 leaked specs
Image credits to Pocket-Lint

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Intel Atom Tablet SoC Roadmap, 64-Bit Android Tablets Revealed

Right now, the Intel Atom system-on-chip line is at the Bay Trail generation, but the company is, of course, working on the next range, and preparing for what will come after. A roadmap for 2014 and 2015 has emerged actually.

Not too many years ago, it was doubtful that Intel would ever really get heavily involved in the system-on-chip market, but here we are. The Atom line already includes some platforms of that sort, even though they don't measure up well against ARM-based chips, marketing-wise. Intel isn't letting that deter it. In fact, it is quite determined to power many tablets in the coming two years. Moreover, it hopes to boost CPU prowess by a factor of five by 2016, and improve GPU performance by 15 times during the same time frame. The latter is especially important since NVIDIA's Tegra line is integrating Kepler graphics already, putting it in the same league as game consoles (Xbox, PS3, etc.).

According to the new roadmap that made its way to the web, Bay Trail will be succeeded by Cherry Trail in 2014. Cherry Trail is an atom range based on the 14nm manufacturing process and designed with next-generation graphics, plus Airmont CPU cores. There will be a dual-core Merrifield Atom chip for smartphones too, near the beginning of 2014, and a quad-core is scheduled for the second half too. 

Furthermore, an Atom SoC codenamed Sofie is being prepared for late 2014, for entry-level devices. The HSPA+ communications chip will be replaced by LTE in 2015 (ARM-based and, eventually, x86 as well). As for 2015, it will herald the Broxton chip, also based on 14nm manufacturing technology but with Goldmont CPU cores, plus Skylake graphics. Not much is known about them, but that's expected since it's not like Intel has much more than blueprints at this point. Even if prototypes exist, we won't get to see them any time soon, as they're doubtlessly a far cry from the intended, final product.

Intel Atom roadmap
Images credits to PC World

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Microsoft Wants to Buy and Save Winamp

AOL recently announced that it would discontinue Winamp on December 20, 2013, but it turns out that the media player could get a chance to live on.

In a pretty unexpected twist of the story, Microsoft is reportedly interested in acquiring AOL’s media player and the Shoutcast service, even though no confirmation from Redmond has until now been released. TechCrunch is reporting via unnamed sources that Microsoft and AOL are already talking of a potential deal that could be announced by December 20, the date when Winamp is set to go dark. While it’s hard to tell what Microsoft would actually do with Winamp, this could really be the only way to see the media player living on beyond the AOL era, as millions of users across the world are still running it on either Windows or Android right now. We’ve asked for a confirmation from Microsoft on this, so we’re going to update the article when and if we get an answer.

The same source is adding that AOL is gearing up to announce the retirement of the Shoutcast media streaming service next week, so a potential Microsoft deal could include not only Winamp, but also the adjacent products. Of course, it’s hard to imagine that Microsoft would actually do something really good with Winamp, especially because the company already invests a fortune to make Xbox Music successful. Xbox Music is already available on several platforms, including Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1, Windows Phone, iOS, and Xbox, while Winamp is only offered to Windows and Android users. At the same time, Microsoft already has some bad memories with music services, as the company developed and then killed Zune in an unfortunate story that’s probably still causing nightmares to Steve Ballmer.

On the other hand, seeing Winamp survive would indeed be great news for users across the world, as the media player is reportedly being used by millions of consumers on desktop computers.

Winamp download page
Image credits to Winamp

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