Lollipop update for Xperia Z2 and Z3 coming soon

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BY Unknown 20:22 0

Lollipop update for Xperia Z2 and Z3 coming soon

Sony has regularly been criticized for its support policies, leaving behind mid-range models and taking its time with flagship updates. The entire Xperia Z lineup has been promised the Lollipop update, though, and the company is slowly delivering.

Vodafone Australia has confirmed that the Android 5.0 update for the Xperia Z3 and Z2 is nearing, with the carrier awaiting the software for testing later this month. That would likely push the actual release to March for Vodafone branded devices. Stock firmware Xperias should receive the update somewhat earlier.

The HTC One (M8) update, mentioned in the Vodafone document, is no headline news to us, as we've already witnessed it seeding in India and Europe among other countries. Still, Aussie folks should expect it anytime soon, as it's already in the testing phase.

Android 5.0 has finally worked its way to the OS distribution chart this month, and with more manufacturers catching up, we should see it climb up the ranks in following releases of the chart.

Galaxy Note 4 Lollipop update will be delayed due to compatibility with Gear VR

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BY Unknown 23:04 0

Galaxy Note 4 Lollipop update will be delayed due to compatibility with Gear VR

With the Lollipop craze in full steam and the Galaxy Note 3 already up for a soak test in Russia it is only natural to expect that Samsung will give an equal share of attention to the Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy Note Edge.

We already saw a leaked manual for Android 5 with the device model on it so the OTA is getting closer, but no official news is available as of yet. Faryaab Sheikh, Editor-in-Chief of SamMobile might have just shed some light on the issue with a recent Twitter post. According to him the Galaxy Note 4 ROM is still in the hands of Oculus VR who are "tweaking the kernel" to ensure compatibility with the Samsung Gear VR.

For anyone unfamiliar with the device it is Samsung's current take on virtual reality headset based on the popular Oculus Rift. Gear VR however takes the experience one step beyond by using a wireless setup. This is achieved with the help of a mobile display, in particular the 5.7-inch QHD Super AMOLED panel of the Galaxy Note 4.

While compatibility issues might explain the delay the question still stands why this can't be achieved in a later update. This is supposedly what occurred on the Verizon version of the phone last month.

Delivering Gear VR compatibility is most definitely a huge deal in terms of marketing strategy, but the fact of the matter is that a very miniscule percentage of all Samsung Galaxy Note 4 devices will ever be put inside a VR headset. So why make everybody wait for what is essentially a niche feature?

EE's Nokia lumia 930 will get denim update soon

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BY Unknown 22:59 0

EE's Nokia lumia 930 will get denim update soon

The Lumia Denim update started rolling out last year, but it reached the Nokia Lumia 930 flagship only recently.

Some 930's get it sooner than others, among the unlucky users were those on EE in the UK. The update has been arriving on 930's in other regions for two weeks now, but those on UK's largest carrier are only now joining the fun.

Lumia Denim incorporates WP8.1 Update 1 and adds exclusive goodies like 4K video recording (at 24fps), Rich Capture and improvements to the image processing algorithm.

By the way, the Lumia 930 will be one of the phones to get Windows 10 eventually.

If you have a Nokia Lumia 930 from EE you can check for updates on your phone. If you're using the Developer Preview you may need to leave it in order to update.

Microsoft launches Office for Android, Outlook for iOS and Android, updates OneDrive

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BY Unknown 03:55 0

Microsoft launches Office for Android, Outlook for iOS and Android, updates OneDrive

Under its new leadership, Microsoft has embraced other Mobile platforms and Office for Android is officially available starting today (having gone through a preview stage). Also, it’s bringing Outlook to Android and iOS and updating the OneDrive apps to handle photos better.

Word, Excel and PowerPoint for Android tablets offer an “unmistakably Office experience”, which means the Ribbon UI.

The apps support what you’ve grown to expect from their desktop counterparts, including Track changes and comments in Word, formulas and PivotTables in Excel and transitions and embedded video in PowerPoint.

The requirements for the apps are – a tablet with a 7″ screen or more, an ARM processor with 1GB or more RAM and Android 4.4 KitKat. Lollipop is not officially supported yet though the apps should still work. If you have one of the few 10+ inch Android tablets, you’ll need an Office 365 license to create and edit.

Outlook for iOS and Android is a rebadged Acompli (which Microsoft acquired in December). The app became popular for its swipe interface – a left/right swipe can schedule an email, archive it, delete it, move it or flag it. The app also sorts emails into Focused and Other tabs and learns from your reading habits which email goes where.

Next up is OneDrive. Until now it treated files the same, but now it’s taking special care of photos. It will aggregate photos from your computer, phone and email inbox so they are easy to browse. With the help of Bing tech you can search photos by location and content – people, beach, sunset, dogs, all automatically tagged.

Meanwhile, OneDrive for Business is landing on Mac and iOS.