HTC One (M8) for T-Mobile gets updated to Android 4.4.3

HTC One (M8) for T-Mobile in the United States got treated to an update to Android 4.4.3. Software build number 2.22.531.5 is now seeding to the Big Magenta-flavored handset.

As expected, the update brings a host of improvements to the metal clad smartphone. They include improved network and Bluetooth connectivity, as well as a number of HTC Sense tweaks. The latter include improved Camera, Gallery, Quick Settings menu, and BoomSound.

Most importantly, the security updates from Android 4.4.4 have been baked into the latest update for the handset. The new firmware size is a tad over 582MB.

HTC One (M8) for T-Mobile joins its siblings in Europe and India as the latest version of the flagship to get updated to Android 4.4.3.

Microsoft and Samsung discuss ending their patent feud

According to a report in The Korea Times, Microsoft and Samsung have begun discussions to end their patent feud. Earlier this month, the Redmond-based company took its Korean counterpart to court over patent royalty payments.

The main reason behind the two companies’ desire to avoid going to court is their willingness to continue their partnership. Microsoft needs Samsung to be a player in the Windows Phone field, while the Korean manufacturer aims for better licensing terms from Redmond.

The report goes on further to point that Samsung aims to cut a “comprehensive cross-licensing deal” with Microsoft. Such a scenario will not be the first time two industry heavyweights solve their issuer in such fashion – in 2012 HTC and Apple resolved their differences in similar fashion.

Meizu MX4 will be officially announced on September 2

Meizu hasn't announced the MX4 today as we thought it would, but the Chinese company has at least made the unveiling date for its next flagship smartphone official. It's September 2, so the first couple of weeks of next month are due to be very, very crowded in terms of new device launches.The MX4 will run Flyme OS 4.0, the latest incarnation of Meizu's interpretation of Android. The phone has been rumored to come in at least two different versions, a 'base model' and a higher-end version.The latter should sport a 5.4" or 5.5" touchscreen with 2560x1536 resolution, and a 20.7 MP rear camera (supposedly the exact same unit that Sony uses on its Xperia Z2). 3GB of RAM will be in at least one MX4 model, as well as Samsung's octa-core Exynos 5433 SoC.The 'normal' MX4 will retail for CNY 2,499 ($406 or €303), but the top of the line SKU will obviously be more expensive than that. It's also been rumored that all of the MX4 variations will come with support for 4G LTE, though that will probably only work for Chinese networks.

Mid-range Huawei smartphone with fingerprint sensor pictured

Earlier today, we told you that Huawei started sending out invites for its September 4 pre-IFA event in Berlin. These feature a fingerprint on them, a not so subtle hint that the handset (or handsets) that will be announced early next month will feature a fingerprint scanner.

Now one of those devices (or the only one) has been photographed in the wild over in China, Huawei's home country.

  

Huawei Ascend G7 in the wild

As you can see, the smartphone is enclosed in a protective case that doesn't give out its looks, but the fingerprint sensor on the back, along with the camera and the flash, have special cutouts made for them.

The design of that arrangement on the back is identical to what was featured on a leaked back plate from a while ago, but at that moment we thought we were looking at a part for a flagship offering.

This handset, though, is not that, as the final picture in the set proves. It's going to have a 720p touchscreen, a 1.6 GHz CPU, and just 1GB of RAM (with 16GB of built-in storage). With those specs, it becomes clear that what we're looking at here is nothing more than a mid-ranger, perhaps one that will get official as the Ascend G7.

This might get unveiled as the successor to the Ascend G6 that was released in May. The G6 aped the looks of the higher-end Ascend P6, so the G7 may do the same to the P7.

All this said, we're still hoping to see some higher-end gear too in Huawei's presentation on September 4.

Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact leaks through Sony document

At Sony's IFA press event at the beginning of September, we were so far expecting to see the Xperia Z3debut alongside the smaller Xperia Z3 Compact. These smartphones have been leaked a few times already, so they're definitely coming - and given Sony's usual release cycle, the IFA event fits for their announcement.

Now though it looks like a new tablet may join those two in Berlin next month. A Sony support document for an accessory (a Bluetooth speaker with a charging dock, in fact) lists the Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact as being compatible.

So it seems like Sony may finally be entering the small tablet space, after a few iterations of 10.1-inch flagship slates (the latest being the Z2 Tablet).

Although no information is known about the Z3 Tablet Compact just yet, we assume it will come with a 7" or 8" Full HD touchscreen and specs very similar, if not identical, to those of the Xperia Z3 and Z3 Compact smartphones.

Hence, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 chipset could be running the show, aided by no less than 3GB of RAM. The rear camera of the tablet may very well be downgraded, though, as a 20.7 MP snapper on such a device makes little sense.

The incredible success in terms of sales that small tablets have enjoyed over the past few years have already forced Apple into the realm, and now Sony may be preparing to follow suit.

Microsoft wants its smartphone screens to touch you back

While your fingers are in firmly in control of hand-held devices, they're guided strictly by your eyes -- and Microsoft thinks that's a waste of your sense of touch. Researcher Hong Tan found that using so-called haptics to add tactile sensations to screens can have some concrete benefits. For instance, by adding a keyboard-like "click" feeling to a Surface keyboard cover, one study showed that subjects could type faster and more accurately on it. Other potential uses include enhanced interfaces that let you feel resistance when you move a folder on the screen, or the ability to feel "textures" like rough cloth on a screen.Several methods can be used to create such feedback. One way is to put a material that bends when charged under a screen to simulate a click, while another uses electrostatic vibration to put a cushion of air under your finger, making a surface feel smooth or sticky. I've experienced such haptic feedback myself, and while some sensations are accurate, others are just weird. There's also the question of extra cost, weight and power consumption to consider. Still, Tan thinks it could find a place in specialized applications like devices for the blind -- and Fujitsu even plans to launch a tablet using the tech as early as next year.

BLU Products' candy-toned Android phones are still cheap and unlocked

It might take a while before BLU Products (makers of affordable and unlockedphones for North America) comes out with Windows Phone devices like it promised. Until then, we'll likely see it launch more Android phones first -- like these four KitKat devices from its new Studio C series line. Since C stands for "color," the phones comes in different hues, with the HD version boasting the most number of variants. As its name implies, Studio 5.0 C HD has a 5.0-inch, 720 x 1080 IPS screen with a 294 ppi density. It also has an 8-megapixel rear camera, a 2-megapixel front cam and a 64GB microSD card slot. The device runs on a 1.3GHz Quad Core MT6582 processor with a 2,000 mAH battery. Next comes the Studio C Mini, which shares many of the 5.0 C HD's specs, 'cept it has a 4.7-inch 480 x 800 IPS screen, a 5-megapixel rear camera and 512MB of RAM.