| AOSP code commits hint at Linux kernel 3.10 in the near future Oct 28th 2013, 03:58, by Juan Carlos Torres The Android Open Source Project (AOSP) is showing some movement in the android-3.10 branch of its source code repository. While nothing it definite for now, it could be signs that Android will soon be moving towards a more recent Linux kernel version and away from the year-old 3.4 kernel currently in use. 
As the Linux kernel is the very heart of the Android system, replacing is not as simple as updating an app or even something like Google Play Services. The process gets even trickier considering Google applies its own set of patches and tweaks to the source code. Although Google tries to keep the kernel updated as much as possible, there hasn’t been any major change ever since Android 4.2 was released with Linux kernel 3.4 in tow. There were some talk of the Linux kernel being bumped to version 3.10 back in August, when the next Android version was still thought to be Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie. Now that we know Android 4.4 will be coming soon, when exactly that will happen is anyone’s guess. It might be possible that Android 4.4 KitKat could be running a 3.10 kernel. However, almost all leaks still point to a 3.4 version. Given the gravity of switching to a different major kernel release, it is highly unlikely that more recent and final Android 4.4 builds would suddenly be using a substantially different kernel. The new 3.10 kernel is expected to bring, aside from the usual security fixes and improvements, better ext4 filesystem support, 64-bit architecture, and, perhaps more relevant, better big.LITTLE ARM architecture support. It is no wonder then that Andorid users and developers, then, would be eagerly anticipating this change. Still, the code commits don’t really tell us when the switch will take place, only that it is currently already being actively worked on. While this could still take one or two major Android releases, it is just one of those changes that will really need time to be prepared and tested slowly and surely. VIA: Android Police |  | LG G Flex "true curved smartphone" now official, to launch in Korea next month Oct 28th 2013, 03:27, by Juan Carlos Torres LG sure took its time but the not-so-secret curved smartphone is finally here, and a bit early even. The LG G Flex, which the company is boldly claiming as the “true curved smartphone”, has just been announced and sports a mix of both interesting and amusing features that will at least pique your curiosity. 
The LG G Flex, according to the company, is a product of the Korean manufacturer’s core competencies, namely, its display and battery technologies. The G Flex does sport LG’s largest smartphone display so far, reaching a good 6 inches, compared to the 5.2-inch of the LG G2. Quite sadly, the G Flex wasn’t gifted with the G2′s 1080p resolution and is stuck with 1280×720 pixels instead. LG has also been quite busy in researching various non-conventional battery shapes, and the fruits of that labor have been applied to this curved device using what it calls a “Stack and Folding” technology. The battery capacity is set to 3500 mAh, which is plenty higher than the 3000 mAh on the G2. 
Of course, the LG G Flex’s most notable feature is not exactly in its specs, but in its form. By now, almost everyone is familiar with how LG took the curved form factor differently from the Samsung Galaxy Round. This type of curvature is more ergonomic, more portable, and better suited for immersive multimedia experience, at least according to them. LG also threw in some features that would make the device, which is arguably a hard sell, more enticing. The famous, or infamous, depending on your take, rear buttons also make an appearance on the G Flex. The back cover supposedly features self-healing technology that removes light scratches within minutes, likening it to Wolverine’s famous mutant powers. The smartphone also has a fancy dynamic lockscreen showing the sea and the sky. The proportion of the sea and the sky change depending on the slope of the device. Swiping the finger on the sky to unlock the G Flex produces an eclipse, while the same gesture on the sea will produce waves.   The rest of the LG G Flex’s hardware includes a 2.3 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800, an whooping 3 GB of RAM, 32 GB of data storage with a microSD slot for expansion, USB 2.0, WiFi, NFC, and Bluetooth 4.0. Popular features such as the KnockOn screen locking/unlocking, multitasking, and guest mode are also present on the device. The LG G Flex will be available in a Titan Silver color option and will launch in Korean in November for a yet undisclosed price. SOURCE: LG | |
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