Android 4.4 KitKat for two weeks: A detailed review

A Whole New Look

The moment you first see the new home screen in KitKat, the improvements are apparent. The fonts appear smaller and more slender, while several newly redesigned app icons have grown a bit in size.

The biggest visual change for most users, while still subtle, is likely to be the addition of a more fully transparent background to the top status bar, the on-screen buttons on the bottom of the home screen, and the app drawer.

The result is a user experience that seems a little more unified and grounded in the home screen(s) and is somehow warmer – it's kind of nice not to be launching apps from the black void of a background-less app drawer.

This line of thought also carries over to the revamped lock screen in KitKat, which now offers more complete control over media that's playing without having to go through the unlocking process, and also displays album art attractively in another nice visual touch.

Other small aesthetic tweaks can be found throughout KitKat, notably a new look for the clock app and the download manager, which now comes with an optional grid view.

Another change that might make sense from a holistic design perspective but needlessly removes some handy bits of functionality is the move to "de-blue" a number of icons throughout KitKat. For example, in the status bar, the Wi-Fi and cell network activity icons no longer turn blue to indicate the presence of data connectivity. Instead, they're always gray when present and there's no longer a means of checking your network data status at a glance. Previous actions like keyboard presses that may have previously resulted in blue highlights have also gone gray in KitKat.

The new lock screen displays album art of
currently playing media

A few other features are newly hidden in this update, which caused a little confusion for me. The widget drawer in KitKat has been divorced from the app drawer and is accessed by long-pressing on any blank area of a home screen, which will bring up Google settings, wallpapers and widgets.

There's also no immediately obvious way to add home screens. It has to be done by selecting and dragging an app, either from an existing home screen or the app drawer, to the right edge of the screen, which then either scrolls to the next screen to the right, or creates a new one. But what if you want to add a new home screen all the way to the left, you ask? No dice, and here's why:

Google Now Has A New Home

From the home screen, if you swipe left, you'll always eventually land on the Google Now screen displaying all your personalized cards and the search bar.

KitKat has baked Google Now, search and voice control deeper into Android than ever before. On the Nexus 5, once you're past your lock screen you can say "OK, Google" at any point to trigger Google Now's voice control and start barking out commands and searches.

If you've got a Moto X, which is just beginning to get the KitKat update as of this writing, you'll be able to activate voice control without even touching the device, so long as it's powered on.

As mentioned earlier, you can also adjust settings for Google Now, search and voice control by simply long-pressing on any home screen empty space.

While the left-most Google Now home screen can't be removed, KitKat does allow for management of any home screen replacements that you might install. You switch between them in the "Home" section of Settings.

Revamped Apps

A number of native Android apps get new treatments in KitKat, starting with Hangouts, which has swallowed text messaging in the process. This is probably my least favorite "improvement" in Android 4.4 – combining SMS and Google Hangouts (which itself had already swallowed Google Talk and Chat in earlier versions) isn't intuitive at first and it can be confusing to know which method of communication you're actually using to contact someone.

Did you just SMS or IM your cousin about the movie that starts in five minutes? In Hangouts it's easy to confuse the two, leading to potential headaches. Combining these functions into one app isn't necessarily a bad idea, but it's not well-executed in the current iteration.

The next big change is seen in the phone app, which attempts to shift the focus away from the dialpad, encouraging you instead to search for contacts and businesses via both the web and locally on your device. The dialpad is still there, but it's just not the first thing you see, and when you click on its icon, it overlays itself over the search window instead of taking the full screen.

When you receive a call that isn't in your local contacts, Google now introduces its own form of caller ID by cross-checking the incoming call number with Google Places. So if the call is coming from an existing business, it's likely that you'll be able to see which one is calling you in KitKat, which is a nice little bonus.

The email app in KitKat has also been refreshed with nested folders and better navigation, and there's also a new app for Photos, which is actually kind of strange because it's basically the same as the old Gallery app, but with the updated KitKat look. What's strange is that the old Gallery app is also still here in 4.4, but the camera app has been broken out to stand on its own. So enjoy the extra place to browse your photos, I guess.

Other notable apps and app changes include the inclusion of Quickoffice, which is quite a nice little add as a native app. Android Device Manager provides the ability to find or wipe your device should it be lost, and you'll also find a full-screen "immersive mode" (like that already seen on lots of Samsung devices), a new emoji keyboard and printer support using Google cloud print for apps.

More Support

The new look and apps are the big news in KitKat, but there's also some added support for certain uses that don't make headlines on their own, starting with Bluetooth Message Access Profiles that are frequently used to connect a smartphone to the head unit of a vehicle.

Infrared blasting is also now supported to turn your phone into a remote control for certain devices like set-top boxes.

For fitness freaks, step counting is now built in to Android to allow your phone to act as a pedometer and interface with apps like Moves on the Nexus 5.

Finally, some new power-saving features allow KitKat to be less demanding on devices. On the Nexus 5, a special low-power mode can allow for up to 60 hours of continuous audio playback, and new location modes allow you to keep track of your whereabouts when you need it and without having to manually toggle GPS and network settings to save battery when you don't.

Final Thoughts

KitKat is an iterative update for the most part. It doesn't introduce anything revolutionary, but it is an interesting next step in the evolution of Android. The aesthetics of the mobile OS are much improved, and we get a glimpse at where Google is heading with integrating core services like search and Google Now.

Perhaps most impressive is that the improvements were made while also making Android leaner than its predecessors. KitKat is optimized to run on devices with as little as 512 MB of RAM to help facilitate expansion into emerging markets where flagship phones with top-of-the-line specs are less common.

With a point update as impressive as this, it shall be exciting to see what's in store for Android 5.0.

Review: Samsung Galaxy Round (SM-G910S)

The Galaxy Round looks like the Galaxy Note III quite a lot. As said before, the handset uses a screen with a slight curve – the curve is almost not noticeable is certainly minimal. The screen type is the same as the Note 3’s, namely a 5.68-inch Full HD 1080p Super AMOLED display. What’s striking about the Round is how nice it feels when held in the hand. That’s a result of Samsung hang bent the back of the device along with the screen – oh, and the back is the same as the Galaxy Note 3’s, a plastic cover but with a leather pattern with faux stitching that makes it feel more premium than any other Samsung smartphone in recent years. Elsewhere, the Galaxy Round remains basically the same as the Note 3, but lacks S Pen functionality.

Here are some pictures of the design from the Galaxy Round plus some comparison pictures with the Galaxy Note 3.

More on: Sammoblie

Fast & Furious mini version!

Post by Interesting Things.

What happens when you ask international architects to redesign the bus stop?

Consult the English-language branch of Wikipedia as to the whats and whereabouts of Krumbach, and you will discover that it is a small Austrian market town nestled in a region of some archaeological interest, that it was beset by plague and cholera in the 16- and 1700s, and that its first fire station was founded in 1884 (disclaimer: citations needed). What you won't learn, though surely it is only now a matter of time, is that the town has been the focus of seven architectural practices who were invited to submit bold new takes on the humble bus stop.

Local association kultur kumbrach invited architects from Belgium, Chile, China, Japan, Norway, Russia and Spain, all of whom responded within four weeks, Der Spiegel reports. The resulting designs, curated by Austrian architect Dietmar Steiner under the banner Bus:Stop vary from practical shelters to avant-garde sculptures. One, a design nearer the useful end of the spectrum from Chilean architect Smiljan Radic, has been built already. His enclosed design is more like a minimalist take on a railway station waiting room, though with a birdhouse on the roof.

It's unclear whether the remaining designs, depicted in both visualizations and 1:7.5 models, will be built. Health and safety advisors may have something to say about the submission from Japan's Sou Fujimoto, which appears to comprise an exposed stairway to nowhere surrounded by a thicket of narrow vertical uprights.

The remaining submissions, from Belgium's dvvt, Russia's Alexander Brodsky, Spain's Ensamble Studio, Norway's Rintala Eggertsson, and China's Wang Shu, can be seen in the gallery.

via: gizmag

La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona

Magic Tube!!!

Tooth paste as a hand sanitizer
Want to make your hands germ free? Take a drop of toothpaste and mix it with a little water, apply this mixture to your hands. The mixture would not only work as a disinfectant but would also help you get rid of the dreadful smell of the onions and garlic if you have diced one.

Piano Cleaner
Constant tickling on the ivory piano keys can turn them dirty. You can clean them up, the same way you clean your teeth. All you need is a brush and toothpaste, brush the keys of the piano well and then rub them with a damp cloth. If toothpaste can work on human teeth, it can also work well on elephant’s teeth (ivory). Toothpaste is equally good as a cleaner for modern pianos with plastic keys.

Fix Nail Holes
We know nail holes make your walls look bad and you might need some professional help to fix them. Wait! Try toothpaste. You can easily fill the nail holes with toothpaste, let it dry and touch it up with paint. Problem solved!

Excellent Stain Remover for Clothes
Ink, lipstick, ketchup! Dropped them on clothes? Don’t worry! Toothpaste will make these stains vanish in a minute. Just apply some tooth paste on these tough stains, scrub them, rinse well and poof! They are gone.

Quick Remedy for Pimples
Need a quick remedy to treat those pimples? Simple! Apply toothpaste on the pimple at night and wash it in the morning. By morning, it will be gone. Toothpaste effectively absorbs the oil from the pimples, making them dry and flattens them. Keep in mind that this remedy shouldn’t be used more than once a week as it can make your skin over dry. Also do a patch test before applying as some people might get skin irritation by using it.

Makes your CDs Scratch less
Oops! There’s a scratch on your important CD. No problem! Put some toothpaste on it and wipe it off with a piece of clean cloth.

Tooth paste as Jewelry and Cutlery Cleaner
Now you don’t need to take your gold and diamond jewelry to the jewelry store to get them polished when you have toothpaste at your home. Take some toothpaste and brush your piece of jewelry with an old tooth brush, rinse with water. It will make them sparkling clean. You can clean up your silver cutlery in the similar way.

Can serve as your shoe polish
Toothpaste can serve as your shoe polish. It can help remove scuffs from your leather shoes. Apply some of it on the area that has been scuffed and rub it with a soft piece of cloth, then wipe off with a clean damp cloth. Your shoes will turn good as new. It can also clean the rubber area of your fleets or sneakers.

Works as crayon remover from walls
Your little one has been showing his art skills by drawing on the walls? Now you don’t need to cover that with paint. Just apply a little toothpaste on the area where crayons have been used and rub it with a damp rag.

Deodorize Baby Bottles
Baby bottles develop sour milk smell after being used constantly. To deodorize your baby’s bottle use a little toothpaste and scrub it really well with the bottle brush. Make sure you rinse it thoroughly afterwards.

Effective for Burns and Insect Bites
People working in kitchen usually get their fingers or hands burnt. Unfortunately, if it happens next time, put some toothpaste on the affected area. The key component, Eucalyptus found in toothpastes will soothe the burns. (Personal experience)

Nail Cleaner
Next time you can do your manicure at home. At least you won’t need a professional help to fix your nails. The teeth and nails are made up of similar material. So just the way you clean your teeth you can clean your nails as well. Just switch your tooth brush with a nail brush and clean up those nails thoroughly.

Works as a Defogger
Professional swimmers use toothpaste to defog their swimming goggles. Just apply some toothpaste and rub with a clean damp cloth, they will turn clear.

Sticks Posters
Can’t find glue to paste those posters on the wall? No worries. Stick them up with toothpaste; it won’t even damage your walls.

Removes water marks
Need to get rid of those water mark rings that have spoiled your furniture? Use toothpaste. Rub the mark with soft cloth and it’ll be gone in a few seconds.

World's Largest Umbrella In China