LG G3 Gets Small Android 4.4.2 KitKat OTA Update at T-Mobile

Android 4.4.2 KitKat is now live for the LG G3 smartphone at T-Mobile. Starting today you should expect the official OTA Update notification to be sent your way.

The Android 4.4.2 update might not be the final KitKat build that the T-Mobile LG G3 users will receive as there are still some Android 4.4.3 and Android 4.4.4 builds to arrive. This new firmware build comes only with several tweaks and improvements that should make the T-Mobile Wi-Fi Calling work smoothly. Previously, the LG G3 was running the Android 4.4 build, this new KitKat 4.4.2 release doesn’t feature way too many changes but, you should still install it on your device if you wish to run the latest build possible.

For the installation of Android 4.4.2 on your LG G3 T-Mobile recommends you to have at 50% battery left and use a Wi-Fi connection in order to successfully download it. The D85110m Android 4.4.2 firmware OTA Update download size is 156MB and it adds T-Mobile Free Inflight Texting support along with several small bug fixes and security patches.

After the update notification is sent your way you simply need to confirm the process and your phone will take care of the rest by completing installation automatically. If the update doesn’t arrive today, then you shouldn’t panic as the Android 4.4.2 KK is rolling out for your T-MO LG G3 until September 30 and if you didn’t modify any part of your smartphone’s memory nor installed any custom ROMs, then there is no reason for you not to get the latest firmware files.

Tell us in comments if you’ve got the update and make sure to list any changes that T-Mobile failed to list on their Support web page. Also, in case the update fails to install or you’re getting any errors during installation, then you should contact customer care.

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What Toshiba’s $99 Encore Mini Means For Android and Windows RT

Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT  ) and Toshiba (NASDAQOTH: TOSBF  ) recently unveiled the Encore Mini, a 7-inch Windows 8.1 tablet, at IFA 2014 in Berlin. Toshiba expects the device to be discounted from $120 to $99 the moment it hits retail, making it the cheapest Windows 8.1 tablet on the market. The final release date hasn't been set yet, but it is expected to arrive by the end of the year.

The 12.5-ounce Encore Mini -- which has a 1024x600 display, 1GB of RAM, and 16GB of storage -- is powered by a quad-core Intel (NASDAQ: INTC  ) Atom Z3735G processor. It has a microSD slot which supports up to 128GB of additional storage, a 2-megapixel rear camera, and a 0.3-megapixel front-facing camera. The tablet also comes with a one-year subscription to Office 365 Personal and 1TB of cloud storage from Microsoft's OneDrive, which would normally cost $100 if purchased separately.

Can Toshiba's low-end Windows 8.1 tablet help Microsoft finally gain a foothold in the tablet market, and what could that mean for Android and Windows RT devices?

Cheap Windows tablets vs. Android tablets

Gartner expects the global tablets market to grow from 271 million shipments this year to 349 million shipments next year. Google (NASDAQ: GOOG  ) (NASDAQ: GOOGL  ) Android tablets accounted or 62% of all tablets in 2013, compared to 36% for Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL  ) iPads. Windows devices only accounted for 2% of the market.

The Encore Mini and Acer's $150 upcoming Iconia Tab 8 W, which also runs Windows 8.1, could help Microsoft expand its tiny sliver of the market. Earlier this year, Microsoft dropped Windows license fees for all devices under 9 inches to encourage hardware makers to launch more Windows Phones, phablets, and tablets.

However, Android has remained in the lead for three main reasons -- plenty of hardware support, tight integration with Google's app ecosystem, and much lower prices than iPads. These three factors caused Microsoft's biggest allies during the PC era -- Hewlett-Packard,Lenovo, Acer, Asus, and Dell -- to launch Android tablets. Back in May, HP launched one of the cheapest Android tablets ever, the $100 HP 7 Plus, which had similar specs as the Encore Mini but only 8GB of internal storage.

The HP 7 Plus. Source: HP.

Microsoft believes that if given the choice between a comparably priced Windows 8.1 and Android tablet, consumers will prefer the former over the latter, since Windows tablets can run both full desktop applications and tablet-optimized apps. This is a clever move because it tethers the tablets to the Microsoft-dominated desktop ecosystem instead of the mobile one, which is controlled by Google and Apple.

The cannibalization of Windows RT

That strategy could help Microsoft gain ground in the low-end tablet market, but it could also mean that the company is finally giving up on Windows RT.

Microsoft introduced Windows RT in 2012 because it believed that it needed an ARM-based operating system. That seemed like a sound strategy, because the majority of smartphones and tablets were powered by ARM-licensed CPUs. The trade-off, however, was that Windows RT couldn't run traditional Windows applications written for Intel and AMD's x86 chips. Therefore, RT-powered tablets could only run apps downloaded from the Windows Store.

By last September, Microsoft was the only company still manufacturing RT tablets, which include the Surface RT, Surface 2, and Nokia Lumia 2520. The new Windows 8.1 tablets, by comparison, run on Intel Atom processors, which allows them to run x86-based software as well as Windows Store apps.

The Surface 2 running Windows RT. Source: Microsoft.

If the Encore Mini and Iconia Tab 8 W sell well, Microsoft won't need RT anymore, since it proves that x86 processors are power-efficient enough to handle both low-end devices and high-end ones like the Surface Pro 3, which is powered by Intel's i3, i5, and i7 processors.

A Foolish final word

Toshiba and Microsoft clearly made the right play by launching a low-end Windows 8.1 tablet. It proves that Windows 8.1 can replace RT as a tablet OS, that x86 CPUs have a future in mobile devices, and that full desktop software can be delivered to tablets.

While this doesn't mean that Microsoft's market share in tablets will surge overnight, it's a step in the right direction which could eventually win back more Wintel era allies.

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Microsoft is killing the Nokia and Windows Phone brands

Microsoft is planning to stop using the Nokia and Windows Phone brands this holiday season in its marketing materials. GeeksOnGadgets has obtained an internal Microsoft document that details the company's guidelines for its own brands, and The Verge can confirm the material is authentic and accurate. "As part of our phased transition, we will drop the manufacturer name [Nokia] from product references during the Holiday campaign," reads one of the slides. Microsoft is also planning not to use the Windows Phone logo in promotions and commercials, instead it will be replaced with just Windows.

Although the death of the Nokia brand is understandable given that Microsoft only acquired the phone business from the Finnish company, a move to shy away from the Windows Phone brand marks a strategy shift. It's not exactly surprising given some of the company's recent moves though. Microsoft’s latest commercials for the Lumia 930 don’t even mention Windows Phone at all. In fact, Microsoft refers to Windows Phone simply as Windows. HTC’s new One M8 for Windows also drops the Windows Phone name in favor of just Windows. Likewise, Microsoft’s latest Cortana ads don’t even mention Windows Phone apart from a small URL during the entire 30-second spots. Promotional videos for the latest Lumia 530, Lumia 730, and Lumia 830 handsets also fail to mention Windows Phone.
All this recent evidence led us to speculate whether Microsoft is simply planning to just use Windows for its brand in the future, and that appears to be the case. The Windows Phone to Windows shift is clearly underway now, and it's likely related to the upcoming combined version of Windows RT and Windows Phone which is expected to debut in spring 2015. Microsoft is gradually executing on its one Windows vision with universal apps across phone, PC, and Xbox, and one way to communicate that is by dropping the Windows Phone brand for marketing purposes. That doesn't mean the Windows Phone operating system is dead, just that Microsoft won't be using it as a brand in marketing materials in future. The Verge reached out to Microsoft for comment, but a spokesperson says the company has "nothing to share" about the Nokia and Windows Phone rebranding efforts.

Why Is Making Apps For Android Different From iOS?

We've all heard about iOS being the first and foremost target of most software owners and developers. The reasons may be different, for example, high opportunities of app monetization. Yet Android dominates worldwide in numbers, and can hardly be called something second to iOS. These two are completely different mobile platforms with completely different philosophies and approaches to software development.

1. Android is an open-source platform, based on Linux kernel, which boasts a multitude of devices. They are not limited to smartphones and tablets. Android can run TV sets, cameras, smartwatches (and wearable tech in general), laptops, and even refrigerators. As opposed to iOS, which runs a very limited set of consumer devices, Android has a broader range of possible use. It's an open platform for innovative apps, some of which would be clearly restricted by Apple's guidelines.

2. Android is truly open in every sense of the word: it works with a number of instruction set architectures (such as ARM, x86, MIPS), and can be tailored and forked to specific needs and tasks. There are such firmware replacements for Android devices as CyanogenMod, and such forked Android versions as Fire OS. This one is produced by Amazon for their popular Kindle Fire tablet line. Owners of these tablets are a specific audience, and Amazon provides them with a separate application store. There are many ways of getting Android apps on a device, other alternative stores (e.g. Samsung Apps or GetJar), and other facts stating the openness of the platform.

3. More about Android customization: this can be done for specialized tasks that, for example, can disable certain native device functions to make the device securely serve one peculiar task. This is neither easy nor cheap, but Android makes it possible.

4. Although the main programming language for Android is Java, Android allows to use the code written in C and C++. This means that millions of lines of code written and tested before by numerous developers, can be used for Android apps.

5. The downside to this nature of Android begins with the diversity of devices. Manufacturers are enabled to build mobile devices with different performance capabilities, specs in general, as well as screen sizes and resolutions. What does it lead to? This is called fragmentation of devices and versions.

6. While Apple's iOS device range is limited to iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, Android runs thousands of gadget models, which provide completely different experience. Cheap Android devices tend to have limited resources, and both main flaws of weak performance and low-resolution screens. User experience on high-end Androids differs drastically. Depending on the devices a software owner wants to build for, there is much work for designers: adjusting UI for different screen sizes and resolutions. As a result, it takes more time to create an Android app.

7. Android version updates are tasty for users, especially for the fact that now Android gets at least as tasty as iOS. For developers, there is a line of API levels and old versions (e.g. Gingerbread) still occupying a large share of the market. This fragmentation adds problems for developers who start building for Android, while experienced ones pay due attention to interface development. Then it goes back to the choice of the software owner: target devices and versions.

8. Android is also differently implemented by device manufacturers in order to suit their hardware and their own branded apps. This must be taken into account when making an app compatible with the interface of Android (for example, with HTC's Sense and Samsung's TouchWiz).

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