And just like that, white Nexus 4 (8GB and 16GB) removed from Google Play

It was only last week the white Nexus 4 8GB was listed as “no longer for sale,” on Google Play and just like that, both versions of the white Nexus 4 have been completely removed from the Google’s device section. Jumping onto Google Play and clicking on Nexus 4 now only shows the black version of the device, still listed as currently “in stock.”
While old links for the 8GB and 16GB versions will still take you to the appropriate listing, both are listed as “no longer available for sale.” This news doesn’t come as much of a surprise. The white version of the device was always listed as a “limited edition.” Those of you that had your hopes set on the white version might wanna start checking out 3rd party methods like Craigslist.

“New” security hole affects 99 percent of Android users

 

A newly discovered security hole could affect as much as 99 percent of the Android userbase. According to security researchers at Bluebox Labs, a bug that has existed since Android 1.6 allows for third-party sources to modify an application without breaking its cryptographic signature. Translated, this means a hacker could theoretically push malware to a device in the form of an update to an app legitimately installed on a handset.
There would still be a few hurdles to clear to make this a reality, such as devising a means to deliver the update to a user’s handset. It would not be possible through the Google Play Store, but could possibly be achieved through a third-party app store or bogus website. If a hacker could trick users into installing the disguised malware, they would have free reign to deploy any number of existing or new Android trojans.
Bluebox has already alerted Google, but it seems there is little being done. The Android maker is leaving it to device manufacturers to address the issue, which is apparently the case with Samsung. Word is they have patched the issue with the Galaxy S4. Google’s Nexus 4, on the other hand, remains vulnerable.

FCC gave the go-ahead for Japan’s SoftBank

On Wednesday the FCC gave the go-ahead for Japan’s SoftBank to complete a deal that will see the company merge with Sprint. Worth $21.6 billion, the deal will bring in new stream of cash for the third-ranked US carrier as the company continues to expand its high-speed cellular network. Unlike other major telecom deals (AT&T’s attempt to buy T-Mobile comes to mind), there was little reason to believe the FCC would block the acquisition.
To round things out, the FCC has also approved the Sprint buyout of Clearwire, which means that company will now fall under SoftBank’s chain of command as well. Dish Network had entered competing bids for both Sprint and Clearwire, but it became clear that they were not forerunners to win either.
SoftBank’s mission is not to simply sit back and put Sprint on autopilot. Rather, the hope is to see a turnaround that will put some heat on the heels of top US carriers AT&T and Verizon. Look for the company to make some aggressive moves early once the ink dries.

Study says Galaxy S4 is the ‘most loved’ handset on the market

If you were to take sum up the sentiments of folks across the internet following the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S4, the consensus would be that individuals far and wide are enamored with the handset. That’s what the findings of We Are Social suggest, anyway. Trawling the depths of social media, the blogosphere, and forums, the group found that only 11 percent registered as complaints, according to The Daily Mail.
Compare that to the iPhone 5, which actually ranked as the “most hated” handset on the market. 20 percent of posts about the phone were complaints. That goes for 18 percent of posts pertaining to the BlackBerry Z10 and 15 percent of those for the Nokia Lumia 920.
We’d say the study is far from conclusive, but it provides a glimpse into popular reaction to the launch of four major smartphones for four major platforms. But the internet has spoken. They love the Galaxy S4.

New Google Now: More of the information you need, at just the right time.

When computers do the hard work, you can get on with the things that matter in life. Google Now helps you do just that, giving you the information you need, before you even have to ask. Like updating you with flight times, pulling up your boarding pass when you arrive at the airport, or showing you the weather at your next travel destination. Today, we’re making Google Now even more useful by integrating new partners and making all your information even easier to access.

Going to the movies? Movie cards now include the latest ratings from Rotten Tomatoes, so you can pick the right movie. Purchase your tickets through Fandango, and Google Now will remind you when you need to leave for the theater, and pull up your tickets once you arrive.

In the market for a new home? Google Now can provide you with nearby real estate listings from Zillow. Plus, when you are checking out that remodeled kitchen at the open house, Now will automatically pull up more information about the listing.

Of course, all of this information is most helpful when it’s front and center and ready when you are. The new Google Now widget brings all your important Now cards to your home or lock screen, so you don’t even have to open the app.

Celebrating Google Play’s first birthday

Accessing digital entertainment should be simple, whether you like to read books on your tablet, listen to music on your phone and computer, or watch movies on all three. That’s why one year ago today we launched Google Play, where you can find and enjoy your favorite music, movies, books and apps on your Android phone and tablet, or on the web.

Google Play has grown rapidly in the last year, bringing you more content in more languages and places around the globe. In addition to offering more than 700,000 apps and games, we’ve partnered with all of the major music companies, movie studios and publishers to bring you the music, movies, TV shows, books and magazines you love. And we’ve added more ways for you to buy them, including paying through your phone bill and gift cards, which we're beginning to roll out in the U.K. this week.

Since no birthday is complete without presents, we’re celebrating with a bunch of special offers across the store on songs, TV shows, movies and books. We’re even offering a collection of games with some fun birthday surprises created by developers.

It’s been a busy year, but we’re just getting started. We look forward to many more years of bringing you the best in entertainment!

Google Keep--Save what’s on your mind

Every day we all see, hear or think of things we need to remember. Usually we grab a pad of sticky-notes, scribble a reminder and put it on the desk, the fridge or the relevant page of a magazine. Unfortunately, if you’re like me you probably often discover that the desk, fridge or magazine wasn’t such a clever place to leave the note after all...it’s rarely where you need it when you need it.

To solve this problem we’ve created Google Keep. With Keep you can quickly jot ideas down when you think of them and even include checklists and photos to keep track of what’s important to you. Your notes are safely stored in Google Drive and synced to all your devices so you can always have them at hand.

If it’s more convenient to speak than to type that’s fine—Keep transcribes voice memos for you automatically. There’s super-fast search to find what you’re looking for and when you’re finished with a note you can archive or delete it.

Changing priorities isn’t a problem: just open Keep on your Android phone or tablet (there’s a widget so you can have Keep front and center all the time) and drag your notes around to reflect what matters. You can choose the color for each note too.

Pro tip: for adding thoughts quickly without unlocking your device there's a lock screen widget (on devices running Android 4.2+).

Google Keep is available on Google Play for devices running Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich and above. You can access, edit and create new notes on the web at http://drive.google.com/keep and in the coming weeks you'll be able to do the same directly from Google Drive.