The Tech News Blog
Galaxy S 4 Update Reportedly Addresses Storage Issue
Samsung is reportedly rolling out a software update to the Galaxy S 4 in an effort to patch early issues that have cropped up since the phone's April launch.
SamMobile published the list of improvements, enhancements, and fixes, the most notable of which should ease some discontent for those with the 16GB version of the smartphone.
The 16GB version of Samsung's flagship device allows for only 9.15GB of actual accessible memory, so the new firmware update provides the ability to push app installs onto the SD card, and boosts available storage to 9.23GB.
Other enhancements include new camera software, a smart pause toggle, HDR video recording, a semi-transparent status bar, new Settings icons, a secure boot status, increased display legibility, and a fix to the purple smearing effect while scrolling.
So far, the 365.67MB update has reached only German customers, SamMobile said, with other countries to follow soon; it is currently available only for the Snapdragon-powered Galaxy S 4.
Microsoft Readying for New Xbox With August Xbox 360 Dashboard Update
Not news: Microsoft is prepping a successor to its Xbox 360 console, and eager gamers have but two days to wait until the company pulls the big curtain off its new system – whatever it's ultimately going to be called.
News: Microsoft hasn't yet abandoned the trusty ol' Xbox 360, not by a longshot. According to a new report from The Verge's Tom Warren, the company is allegedly prepping another dashboard update for its soon-to-be-legacy system. The laundry list of changes include major updates to the console's traditional user interface, which should bring smaller-sized Live Tiles – borrowed from Microsoft's upcoming Windows Blue update for Windows 8 – into the mix.
And in a welcome bit of relief for gamers who have had to endure Microsoft's pointless points system for Xbox purchases over the past eight years or so, the company will officially kill off Xbox Points once the new dashboard update hits consoles. While Microsoft hasn't mentioned what, exactly, will happen to any points that gamers currently have accumulated, it's likely that they'll simply convert the value of each individual "point" over to cold, hard cash, which gamers will be able to use to make transactions going forward.
Gift cards for Microsoft Store items – covering all of Microsoft's properties, not just the Xbox – will start popping up in retail stores once Microsoft makes the big transition. Additionally, gamers will be able to make standard purchases using their credit or debit cards. Wave goodbye to the arduous process of having to exchange cash for points, and then purchase items with said points.
Nintendo Launches Wii U ’3.0.0′ Firmware Update
For the three of you who own one of the company's latest consoles, Nintendo has officially released a new "major system update" for the Wii U. The 3.0.0 update brings a slew of tweaks to the system, including Nintendo's promise of "faster load times" when gamers switch between different apps on the Wii U as well as some general performance and stability updates.
Depending on the prowess of your Wii U wireless connection, it should take around an hour for the full update to transfer over to your system. The installation will kick up your unit to version 3.0.0 U, assuming that you get the automatic prompt to update your console. If not, you'll want to manually kickstart the update by hitting up your System Settings menu, selecting "System Update," and starting the process that way.
So, what else has changed?
Nintendo officially added a new "standby" feature to the Wii U that will allow the console to perform background downloads and installations while the system is powered off. Similarly, anything you purchase from Nintendo's eShop will now automatically start downloading in the background while you do various other things on your console. You'll also be able to prioritize any downloads you have queued up, just in case you really, really want to get your hands on a particular game before any others.
Big SimCity Patch Arrives Monday: Is Version 2.0 Enough?
Raise your hand if you're still playing SimCity. That is, Electronic Arts' modern retrofit of its decades-old city-building simulation PC title that earned as much vitriol from reviewers as your game's SimCitizens (theoretically) earned from their daily-changing jobs.
We digress.
Electronics Arts is finally set to roll out the game's first major content update – patch 2.0 – this coming Monday. There's a laundry list of issues that the update will be addressing, including the oddities of the game's tourism feature, the lackluster cash-generating capabilities of its Casino specialization, and some of the jacked-up traffic issues that plague a typical city's service vehicle-stuffed roads.
But is it enough to pacify hacked-off SimCity mayors?
"It seems like we're collectively just picking on the game now, but SimCity is so incredibly messed up that it's no wonder that the programmers and designers are losing sleep trying to get their game right as their PR wing continues to say all the wrong things," writes Flesh Eating Zipper's Nick.
"To their credit, Maxis is fixing the infamous Recycling Center bug. On the flipside, all of the game's broken major systems are still really broken. Your traffic will remain jammed, your water table will still eventually exhaust and your Sims will still seek jobs in other towns before putting the Industrial zones in your own city to work. The wait to 3.0 begins," he adds.
Microsoft Updates Default Windows 8 Apps
If you've dipped your toes in the Windows 8 waters at all, you know that Microsoft's new operating system includes a new class of lightweight, Web-connected, full-screen apps, to rival the tablet style apps we've come to know and love on the iPad. Like iOS, Windows 8 throws in a few essential apps to take care of basic computing needs—email, calendar, social networking, photos, music, and more. Today, Microsoft announced updates to three of those apps - Mail, Calendar, and People - which, prior to this overhaul, were not particularly robust.
The Windows 8 Mail app gets the most updates, and that's as it should be, considering its weaknesses. Maybe the biggest add for me is the ability to search for mail on the server, rather than just in the already-downloaded mail, which by default only includes the past two weeks' worth of messages. Before this update, the other option was to download the last month's worth (usually not enough) or all past mail, which was overkill when you're just trying to find one older email. Other super useful additions in this update include the ability to create new mail folders, mark mail as junk, see contact suggestions when composing an email, and add senders to your contact list.
iOS 6.1.3 Update Fixes Lock-Screen Glitch
Apple today rolled out iOS 6.1.3, which fixes a glitch that allowed scammers to circumvent the lock screen on iOS gadgets.
The general notes on the 18.2MB update say that iOS 6.1.3 "contains improvements and bug fixes," but drill down and Apple admits that the update "fixes a bug that could allow someone to bypass the passcode and access the iPhone app."
The glitch cropped up in January when YouTube user videosdebarraquito posted a video that demonstrated how anyone with iOS 6.1 could bypass the password lock and access the Phone app, view or modify contacts, check voicemail, and browse photos.
The hack directed users to open the emergency call functionality available on locked iPhones, push down the power button, and tap cancel. Users were then directed to dial 112, tap green and then immediately red before returning to the passcode screen.
First BlackBerry 10 Update Targets Battery Life, More
BlackBerry is already doling out updates to its new BB10 operating system.
Based on user feedback, the phone maker issued a software update for BlackBerry 10 smartphones to some service providers, while the company continues to work with other carriers to provide the fixes.
"It's almost been a month since we officially unveiled the new BlackBerry 10 smartphones and many of you already have a BlackBerry Z10 in hand," Michael Clewley, senior product manager in the handheld software product department, wrote in a blog post. "You've been using it for weeks, and we've been listening to your feedback."
Most notably, the company took heed of fans' complaints over battery life by extending more than 60 battery-saving improvements, designed especially for heavy phone users who should see longer average usage per charge cycle, Clewley said.
The updated software also includes improved performance for third-party apps (with new launches this month), fixes for Gmail calendars, and enhancements to the BlackBerry Hub's call log. The company also optimized its camera for better-quality photos in low-light situations. "You'll love the different this makes for photos where you don't use a flash," Clewley said, citing the Time Shift Camera feature.
Apple Rolls Out iOS 6.1.1 to Fix iPhone 4S Bugs
Apple today released an iOS update for the iPhone 4S that fixes a connectivity problem users were experiencing.
The iOS 6.1.1 update "fixes an issue that could impact cellular performance and reliability for iPhone 4S," Apple said.
The 86.8MB update comes after Vodafone warned iPhone 4S users not to update to iOS 6.1 because of battery and connectivity problems.
"Some customers may occasionally experience difficulty in connecting to the network to make or receive calls or texts or to connect to the Internet," Vodafone said in a statement. "Apple is working on a solution to their software issue. These connection problems are intermittent."
That solution is now ready for download. To check if your iPhone 4S is ready to update, select Settings > General > Software Update or connect your phone to your PC and check via iTunes. At PCMag, the update had rolled out to co-workers with the iPhone 4S; iPhone 5 users did not receive any updates.
Apple released iOS 6.1 on Jan. 28, which added LTE support for more carriers and the ability to purchase Fandango movie tickets via Siri, among other things.
Apple Boosts LTE Support With iOS 6.1
Apple today released iOS 6.1, which adds LTE support for more carriers and the ability to purchase Fandango movie tickets via Siri, among other things.
"iOS 6 is the world's most advanced mobile operating system, and with nearly 300 million iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices on iOS 6 in just five months, it may be the most popular new version of an OS in history," Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing, said in a Monday statement. "iOS 6.1 brings LTE support to more markets around the world, so even more users can enjoy ultrafast Safari browsing, FaceTime video calls, iCloud services, and iTunes and App Store downloads."
The update adds 36 iPhone carriers and 23 iPad carriers to the list of those that support LTE, something Apple CEO Tim Cook first tipped during an earnings call last week. LTE is available on iPhone 5 and the cellular versions of the iPad mini and fourth-generation iPad.
LTE will now be available from carriers in regions like Italy, Denmark, Finland, Switzerland, the Philippines, and several Middle Eastern countries, Cook said last week. A full list of those carriers is available on Apple's website.
Watch Out! Malware Posing as Java Update
Following the recent zero-day exploit, the rush is on to download the latest patch for Java. Unfortunately, some users are falling prey to malware disguised as a legitimate Java update. As always: DOWNLOADER BEWARE.
According to Trend Micro, victims are being directed to a malicious website which informs them that they need to update their version of Java. The attack is subtle, displaying what appears to be a news site related to cybercrime and prompting the user to accept an automatic download of "javaupdate11."
The attack isn't too subtle, though. For instance, the malicious website has the misspelled message "A newer version of Java is require" in large, red letters.
"The use of fake software updates is an old social engineering tactic," writes Trend Micro. "This is not the first time that cybercriminals took advantage of software updates."