Android 4.4 Kit-Kat: Focus On Supporting TVs, Wearable Tech, Low-End Phones and Fragmentation

Kit Kat is more than just a favorite among candy lovers, and Android is more than just an operating software for smartphones. Both favorites of their respective fans, and now the two favorites are no longer mutually exclusive. As Google’s newest version of the Android OS (Android 4.4 Kit-Kat)comes closer and closer to release, we can begin to see how they are attempting to reach more users with fresh features and even integrate further with the user on a more personal day-to-day basis.

As tech nerds, new features and new designs tend to tug on our heartstrings just a little, and all the speculation and rumors about what’s to come in this latest iteration of Android has plenty of people salivating to say the least. It’s important to remember that while many of the talked about features are exciting, they are still just rumors and we won’t really know for sure what Android 4.4 holds until the release of the Nexus 5, which will more than likely be the window to everything we’ve eagerly been waiting for with this update.

Let’s start with a commonly talked about subject when it comes to Android. Fragmentation. Could you hear it as you read the word? The sound of nails on a chalkboard. The topic of fragmentation is very much a dead horse that has been beaten many times over, however it’s still a very real issue across the array of the devices that are out there. We know that Google is going to attempt to tackle this issue harder and more head on with the release of Kit-Kat, and make it easier for manufacturers and developers alike to get the latest version of the software and apps that support it, into the hands of users on a more timely basis.
A big problem with many lower end devices is they simply just don’t have enough memory to support newer versions of software. This leaves manufacturers that make less costly, and lower end devices with baking in older version of the Android OS due to the hardware limitations. Kit-Kat will attempt to utilize lower end specs more efficiently by optimizing memory use in every major component. Above that, it should prove easier for app developers to make more memory efficient apps when using the tools within the new OS release. If this holds true, than we may start to see larger and larger percentages of Android users who are on the newest version of software.

Closing the gap on device fragmentation isn’t the only trick up Kit-Kat’s sleeve though. Android 4.4 seems to be geared towards wearable technology in some way as well, which is something Google is already venturing in. Kit-Kat is expected to support three new types of sensors (geomagnetic rotation vector, step detector, and step counter)which all point directly to things like Google Glass and the rumored Google smartwatch. There are potentially plenty of applications for these types of tech but most notably could benefit all sorts of fitness based apps as well as Google’s own maps services.

As most of us may already know, NFC has been around for a couple of years. Google wallet is where most of us may be familiar with it which to say the least, didn’t really take off. Inside Kit-Kat, this may change as developers should have an easier time creating a service that emulates a user’s physical card to pay for goods and services, as well as potentially open locks and enter secure locations all with the tap of your phone. Time will tell whether or not the increased NFC support from Kit-Kat will make a difference, but it’s certainly a welcome change if it does.

Aside from updating your phone or tablet with all sorts of new on-device features, it seems that Google wants to make it easier for you to interact with other devices you use every day, and using your android device to do so. it’s rumored that Kit-Kat will supposedly make it possible for developers to build applications that utilize infrared sensors, which opens up plenty of possibilities to controlling your TV, to turning off your home stereo and the like. With Android 4.4, developers may have an easy time embedding features that activate IR blasters that are built-in to the other electronics we use. How many times have you lost your TV remote or just can’t simply use it because it’s broken. Use my Nexus 7 as a TV remote? I’d love to.

Another way for us to talk to other devices we use every day is Bluetooth. It’s virtually baked into everything now and our android devices can act as a conduit to control it all. Bluetooth gamepads, Bluetooth keyboards, headsets, mice, vehicle consoles.. the list goes on. The arrival of Android 4.4 Kit-Kat brings with it support for Bluetooth HID over GATT and Bluetooth Message Access Profile. It’s still unclear what those will do, but we can pretty much chalk it up to letting us connect to more things and having a deeper Bluetooth experience with our Android devices.
Most of this pretty tech heavy and a lot of it won’t matter to the average user, but that doesn’t mean its unimportant. Kit-Kat undoubtedly has quite a bit more to offer, and you can rest assured when we know more about what Android 4.4 will do for us, we’ll keep you updated.

Source: android headline

Finally! An UNBREAKABLE phone screen: LG unveils a flexible display ahead of its rumoured mobile launch next month

• Display is made of bendy plastic substrates attached to a curved device
• It is expected to feature on the South Korean firm's upcoming G Flex phone
• The six-inch screen is set to be the world's first flexible OLED display
• LG Chem also set to launch a bendable battery prototype for its devices

In a world first, phone maker LG has confirmed it will start selling flexible screens for smartphones and tablets - and they could be launched as early as next month. 

The 6-inch display will be made of bendy plastic substrates, rather than glass, and the panel can be attached to any curved device. 

LG Chem, the South Koren firm's research arm, has additionally said it is ready to unveil its curved battery prototype ahead of the rumoured launch of the company's G Flex handset in November. 

Phone maker LG has confirmed it will start selling flexible screens for smartphones and tablets, and they could be launched as early as next month. The 6-inch display, pictured, will be made of bendy plastic substrates, rather than glass, and the panel can be attached to any curved device

LG Chem, the South Koren firm's research arm, has additionally said it is ready to unveil its curved battery prototype. The team has been testing its 'cable battery', pictured, on LCD screens and it is so bendy it can be tied in knots

HOW DOES THE BATTERY WORK?

LG Chem used thin strands of copper wire, coated with nickel-tin, which are then spun into a 'metal yarn' and wrapped around a rod.
The rod is then removed, leaving a strong spring which can be tucked into tight and small spaces.
The team said: 'In our experiments we found that our prototype was exceptionally flexible and could suffer large strain without malfunction.'
They added that, when designing new devices, 'the limiting factor is often the shape of the battery' and that their battery could be 'a disruptive technology that could open up a path for design innovation.' 

Although rival Samsung similarly announced plans to launch its own flexible display last month, LG is expected to beat the company to making the technology available to consumers. 

The G Flex phone is rumoured to launch next month.

Although the handset isn't expected to be bendy, the use of a flexible screen could mean it has a more curved display than current phones.

Samsung's Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus phones have slightly curved, OLED screens, but they both use curved glass, not flexible plastic.

However, the first truly curved devices may not be available to customers until next year. 

'LG Display is launching a new era of flexible displays for smartphones with its industry-leading technology,' said Dr. Sang Deog Yeo, executive vice president and chief technology officer of LG Display. 

'The flexible display market is expected to grow quickly as this technology is expected to expand further into diverse applications including automotive displays, tablets and wearable devices. 

'Our goal is to take an early lead in the flexible display market by introducing new products with enhanced performance and differentiated designs next year.'

Although rival Samsung announced plans to launch a flexible display last month, LG is expected to be the first to bring it to market on the G Flex phone, rumoured to launch next month. Although the handset isn't expected to be bendy, the use of the screen, pictured, could mean it has a more curved display than current phones

The design is made of 0.44mm-thin plastic and has a protective film attached to the back, making it 'bendable and unbreakable.'

It is vertically concave from top to bottom, has a radius of 7cm and weighs 7.2g.

LG Display's technology could also be fitted to smart watches, and other devices, that can be wrapped around items, pictured

LG Display claims the flexible OLED panel is the 'world's slimmest among existing mobile device panels.'

The company's new battery technology could also revolutionise smartphones because it is so bendy it can be tied in knots. 

This means it can be shaped around other components. 

It could even improve the battery life of phones because manufacturers could add more power into the batteries, if they're not restricted by size or shape.

LG Chem's cable-type lithium-ion battery can even woven into textiles. 

This means the technology could also be fitted to clothes, and users could end up 'wearing' phone chargers. 

Both LG and Samsung have already produced curved 55-inch OLED TVs on sale for around £8,500. 

It is unsure how much the 6-inch display or the G Flex phone will cost, but the technology is expected to come at a premium.  

Sony was the first company to unveil flexible display technology back in 2010, pictured, but it has not been made available to customers yet. Sony's prototype screen was so flexible it could be rolled around a pencil

WHAT IS OLED TECHNOLOGY?

Both LG and Samsung have already produced curved 55-inch OLED TVs on sale for around £8,500.
OLED's (organic light-emitting diodes) are used to create digital displays in TVs, computer monitors, phones, tablets and games consoles.
An OLED display works without a backlight, which means it can display deep black levels and can be thinner and lighter than a liquid crystal display (LCD).
In low lighting, an OLED screen can produce a higher contrast ratio than an LCD, too. 

In March last year, LG Display also developed the world's first 6-inch Electronic Paper Display (EPD) based on e-ink that had a plastic back panel. 

However, Sony was the first company to unveil flexible display technology back in 2010, but it has not been made available to customers.

Sony's prototype screen was so flexible it could be rolled around a pencil.

Rumours before Samsung launched its Galaxy Gear smartwatch in August believed it would have with a flexible display, however, the device has a solid 2-inch screen fitted to a traditional watch strap.

This was said to be because technology firms have yet to figure out how to mass produce the parts cheaply and come up with display panels that can be as thin as a sheet and highly heat resistant.

Cambridge-based Plastic Logic is an expert on flexible displays and has created a number of prototypes and devices, including the 10.7-inch PaperTab tablet and the PocketBook CoverReader that is set to be a thin and light flip cover for HTC, Sony and Samsung phones

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