Hasta La Gadget!

It goes without saying that millions of Samsung Galaxy S4 owners around the world are waiting on the manufacturer to roll out Android 4.4 KitKat. Google released KitKat late last year, and so far it has been released for a handful of devices. Samsung recently rolled out Android 4.4 KitKat for the international LTE variant of Galaxy Note 3, but the Galaxy S4 is yet to receive the same treatment, though its expected to in the near future. Yet another Android 4.4.2 build for Galaxy S4 has now leaked online.

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Another Galaxy S4 Android 4.4 KitKat Build Leaks original content from Ubergizmo.

MediaTest Digital happens to be a company that tests out the security of mobile devices as well as their corresponding software, and they were able to obtain sensitive user data from Samsung accounts, including names, email addresses, and passwords – which leads to the question; just how safe is all of our data stored online? Well, Samsung is now particularly aware of this security hole, and taking 5 days since the first report, Samsung has managed to respond accordingly – and in the best manner possible, by fixing the security hole to make sure that such a breach will not be able to happen again sometime down the road.

There is no further information on whether follow up tests will be held in order to verify as to whether the patch has been made, though. MediaTest’s findings saw that should someone access somebody else’s Samsung account, they too would be able to record and track a user’s movements while going through the entire list of locations that one has visited recently. Apart from that, they are also able to lock someone out out of their device and redirect calls. Creepy, and it sends a chill down your spine, doesn’t it? If you are a Galaxy S4 user, it might be better to reset your password just to be on the safe side via the Samsung Account website.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Security Hole Patched original content from Ubergizmo.

For those who like the Samsung Galaxy S4’s hardware but wanted a more stock experience and timely updates, the Google Play Edition was probably the ideal choice and unsurprisingly so, especially given that the handset has recently received its Android 4.4.2 KitKat update. Well the good news is that if you own the regular Samsung Galaxy S4 or the Galaxy Note 3 and you’re wondering when your KitKat update would arrive, perhaps a release sometime in January 2014 could be a possibility.

This timeframe is according to French carrier, SFR, who states that the Android 4.4 KitKat update for both the Galaxy S4 and the Galaxy Note 3 are scheduled to arrive towards the end of January 2014. This coincides with a schedule that was leaked not too long ago although we’re not sure if the release of the update will only be for Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note 3 units in France, or if they were speaking in general. Best case scenario would be the latter, although we should note that over in the US, carriers require OEMs to seed the updates to them for approval first before it is released to the masses, so even if this was true, those tied to US carriers might have to wait a tad longer.

Either way we’ll be keeping our eyes and ears peeled for more information regarding the availability of Android 4.4 KitKat for the Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note 3, so be sure to check back with us later for updates!

Galaxy S4, Note 3 Could Receive KitKat Update By End Of January 2014 original content from Ubergizmo.

Google rolled out the Android 4.4.2 update recently shortly after it had rolled out Android 4.4.1 for Nexus devices. Updates such as these are first rolled out for Nexus devices before they gradually make their way to devices manufactured by other OEMs. The benefit of owning a Google Play Edition device is that you’re much higher up the list, meaning that updates are rolled out for these variants soon after the Nexus devices have received their fix. The first two GPE smartphones released earlier this year, the Galaxy S4 and HTC One, have both received the latest release of KitKat, Android 4.4.2.

These incremental updates don’t bring any major features, however they do fix various bugs, including device specific bugs. Furthermore, a SMS related security exploit that was discovered recently has also been patched in Android 4.4.2. The updates have started rolling out over-the-air for both Google Play Edition smartphones, alternatively, users can download the firmware files from Google and flash their devices manually. Just recently a couple of new GPE devices were released, including the first ever GPE LG G Pad 8.3 tablet and a similar edition of the Sony Xperia Z Ultra. Both of these devices, the smartphone and the tablet, come with Android 4.4 KitKat preinstalled.

Galaxy S4 And HTC One Google Play Edition Receive Android 4.4.2 Update original content from Ubergizmo.

If there is one particular flagship smartphone in the world that has received its fair share of different variations and special editions, this specific award would go to the Samsung Galaxy S4. After all, we have seen our fair share of Galaxy S4 variants, and even the variants themselves do come with a couple of models where there are variations underneath the hood, such as a faster processor and the ilk. The Samsung Galaxy S4 will now be made available in Thailand in the form of the Samsung Galaxy S4 Crystal Edition, and there will only be 3,500 units of this blinged out mobile device available, so you might want to make a beeline for it if you happen to live in that region and love all things sparkling and shiny.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 Crystal Edition will be based on the white colored I9500 (which happens to run on the Exynos 5 chipset), and as its name suggests, the back of the smartphone is unique in a sense that it comes studded with Swarovski crystals. The asking price stands at around $630 for an unlocked device, and it will only be made available from the Samsung Shop. In contrast, a stock Samsung I9500 Galaxy S4 would knock you back by around $540, which means one would have to fork out nearly $100 more for the Crystal Edition.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Crystal Edition Hits Thailand original content from Ubergizmo.