BlindSquare, Launch Center Pro, GV Connect and Wordbox, updated and become the first Apps for iOS to offer Fleksy predictive touch keyboard instead of iOS default

Close on the heels of announcement by Syntellia that it would be making it’s Fleksy predictive touch keyboard SDK available to other developers to incorporate in their own iOS apps, the first 4 apps to take advantage of this have now hit the App Store.  

They are BlindSquare, Launch Center Pro, GV Connect - Call & SMS client for Google Voice and Wordbox - Simple Beautiful Text Editor.  These Apps have been updated as of today to give you a option of either using native iOS keyboard or the Fleksy predictive touch keyboard.

A little bit about the Fleksy, It is a stand alone keyboard App for iOS and Android and only today it announced that it introduced a new SDK for its gesture-based keyboard with the aim of convincing developers to bake it into their Apps.  The Fleksy blog stated that 

 “That means any developer can incorporate Fleksy into his app, giving his users the choice to type with our award-winning keyboard.” 

You can download the stand alone Fleksy keyboard App for your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch from Apple Store here.  

You can download the updated Apps for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch by clicking on the link below

 

BlindSquare

Launch Center Pro

GV Connect - Call & SMS client for Google Voice

Wordbox - Simple Beautiful Text Editor

VSCO Cam, the ultimate Camera App for your Android smart phones and tablets comes to Google Play for free

After months of waiting the ultimate camera App finally comes to Android smart phones and tablets.  VSCO Cam, a FREE camera App is now available on Google Play.  

VSCO Cam published by Visual Supply Co allows you to do what a normal camera does like capture, edit and share images, but with a nice touch.  Those of you who dont like the native Camera Apps on your Android smart phones and tablets are going to like this one. VSCO Cam has the ability to choose the strength of the Presets and Tools using the Precision Slider as well as the ability to edit the exposure, temperature, contrast and more.  You can also preview the image before finalizing it along with all the crops and rotations. 

VSCO Cam App is also very good in organisation.  You can use the App to organize and browse your library of images and also view the image data which includes geolocation, date, presets used and other details.

The VSCO Cam App released today supports all Android devices running Android 4.0 and up.  There are additional premium features which you can purchase in-App.  You can download the VSCO Cam App for your Android smart phones and tablets from Google Play here.

FIFA World Cup Fever : FREE iOS and Android Apps launched, will stream the final draw live to your mobile screens

“From the Bundesliga to the Barclays Premier League, MLS to La Liga, the World Match Centre provides unrivalled coverage of 197 leagues across the globe,” this is what the description of the App launched by FIFA for Android smart phones and iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch  says.  And what it says is true, this FREE App offers you complete information of anything related to football right across from the Americas to Asia. 

A must have App for football fanatics and fans the App also has a packed gallery of images powered by Getty Images.  It has a breaking news feature which gives you latest interesting news in the world of football or soccer.  The App also has videos from FIFA TV studio and archives.  

Additionally, FIFA will stream the FINAL DRAW to be held next week on December 6th, live on the App.  If you have booked your place at the biggest sporting spectacle of 2014, the App will keep you updated with information with the schedule, some exclusive destination guides, FIFA Coca-Cola world rankings, team rankings of both men's and women's teams.

Keeping in mind the popularity of football in the European continent, FIFA has released the App in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese in addition to the default English. You can download the FIFA app for your Android smart phones and tablets from the Google Play Store and for your iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch from the Apple Store. 

Time to say Fooooobaaaall!!

Mega App for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch released, comes with a whopping 50GB FREE cloud storage

Only months after it was launched for Android smart phones and tablets, Mega Ltd. of Megaupload today launched its Mega App for iOS devices.    Megaupload's Kim Dotcom had promised the Apple App in month of July 2013 so this shouldnt come as a surprise.  

The Mega for iOS device is a FREE download and comes with a cloud storage of whopping 50GB.   The Mega App also has a pro version if you are a avid megauploader.  The pro version which gives you 500GB cloud storage space and 1000GB bandwidth costs $10.99 (Rs.682.00) per month and $119.99 (Rs.7440.00) per year. While the Free App with free 50GB storage should be enough for any avid iOS user, in case you want to upgrade to the pro verion you can do so from in-App purchase.

The Mega App for iOS allows you to preview and stream supported media files as well as let you send file and folder links directly within the App. The only condition is that you should have a iOS device running on iOS 6.0 and up.  The other downside of this App and megaupload in particular is that no one can be pretty sure for how long it will last.  Kim Dotcom has run afoul with the authorities time and again so use this one as a temporary backup rather than a permanent one.

Interested You can download Mega for your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch from Apple iTunes Store here. 

In case you own a Android smart phone or tablet a similar App is available, kindly read about it here.

SMS vulnerability all Nexus phones including your newly acquired Nexus 5 lets anybody make it go crazy or stop functioning, check out the fix here

Security researcher Bogdan Alecu has found out very high risk and new SMS vulnerability in the Nexus phones.  This vulnerability can be used by any hacker or attacker to force your Nexus smart phone to overide whatever you are doing and malfunction, restart, freeze or even lose network. 

Bogdan's finding were brought to light in the PCWorld and all Nexus phones right upto the latest Nexus 5 are affected.  The attack operation is simple and easy to execute.  Any potential attacker has to just send 30 flash SMS messages to your Android 4.0 above based Nexus phones.  This messages get displayed immediately on your screen and cause the the phone malfunction.  

The report further adds that the loophole exists because the Nexus phones do not automatically alert users with an audio tone on receiving a flash message.  This allows the potential hacker to send several messages one after another which causes the Nexus to go mad due to radio failure or a full system reboot.  

Alecu added that he found the vulnerability in all the three latest Nexus smart phones running on Android v4.0 to v4.4 but it didnt work on other phone models he tested, concluding that this vulnerability exists only in Nexus devices.  

On his part he has reported the issue to Google but Google is yet to take any action.  Therefore Alecu has build a Android firewall App to stop this exploitation through rapid Flash SMS bombardment. 

The App called Class0Firewall is available in Google Play Store here and provides a workaround to you.  You can install the App and set a threshold for the number of flash messages (called Class0 messages) you can receive successively.  This negates the vulnerability completely. To avoid your precious Nexus from being attacked you can also set how long the messages will stay blocked till Google comes up with a patch or fix for this issue.

Samsung ChatON with instant Chat, SMS and MMS integration for Android smart phones and tablets

Follow the leader has always been the mantra of tech firms. Close on the heels of Google merging its Hangout with SMS and MMS Samsung has updated its popular chatting App ChatON to support for SMS and MMS on the Android platform. With a new update, Samsung ChatON users will be able to see their phone’s native messaging combined with ChatON messages now. 

This update now takes Samsung ChatON to version 3.2.115 and is mainly for bringing the SMS and MMS integration to the App.   The users in Brazil and Germany get a bonus, ChatON users there will even see contacts on ChatON buddy list in addition to a combined stream for messages and chat. The update also brings a new notification badge indicating the number of unread messages on the ChatON.

The ChatON update for Android tablets brings far more changes then the smart phone update.  ChatON will get a new UI design and you will also be able to change the background of “My page” and upload multimedia contents such as images, videos and location information on PostON. 

Reader may note that ChatON is installable on any Android smart phone and tablet running on Android version 4.4 Ice Cream Sandwich and up. If you are interested in getting the newly updated ChatON for your Android smart phone and tablet you can download Samsung ChatON from the Google PlayStore here.

Facebook Messenger gets Indian twist with Chumbak stickers, buy them and communicate in true Indian street style lingo

Facebook is setting up a new trend in the stickers world from today and it will have a nice Indian twist to it.  The company today launched new stickers which are designed by a Indian company and are called Chumbak stickers.  You can use them on both Facebook on PC as well as your smart phone and tablets.  

Over the years we had been seeing the same stickers over and over again up until WeChat entered the seen with its nicely designed stickers.  A new sticker messaging phenomena started all over the world with the launch of these stickers.  Not to be left behind Facebook too came up with its own version of stickers but they did not have the desired impact.

With a aim of changing the sticker messaging scene with these lovely Chumbak stickers Facebook hopes to do what WeChat did with its stickers.   The sticker characters are pretty cute, colourful and spew Indian catch phrases. You can say “Heppy Budday”, “Fully fed up”, “Louve is coming” and  “Wanna Fraanship,” 

The Bangalore based Chumbak simply put up a Facebook post on its page saying, “We’ve been working on some really fun stuff for the past couple of months,” promising to reveal the story behind how this partnership came to be. 

If you want to communicate in true Indian street lingo style you should head over to the Facebook Messenger Sticker Store from either the Messenger app on your phone or from the web and add it to your messages.  You can visit the Chumbak's Facebook page here to know more about it

Nokia to give free WhatsApp App through OTA update next week for Nokia Asha 501

Nokia Asha 501 users in India can be a part of the most popular cross-platform messaging app WhatsApp when Nokia releases a Over the Air update for Nokia Asha 501.  This was revealed by Nokia on its official blog.  The update will be released in next week as per the blog.

If you own a Nokia Asha 501 all you have to do is download the update and install the WhatsApp App.  When you log into WhatsApp for the first time on the Asha 501, WhatsApp will automatically be able to find and add contacts from your contacts list of the people who are already using the service. 

WhatsApp also allows all the features which are available to other phones to Asha 501 users like you can add emoticons to messages or add photographs and video files as well as record and send voice messages. You will also be able to see all the WhatsApp activity via Fastlane, the second home screen on the handset that acts as a short cut to favourite apps and content.

In another news, Nokia also announced that WhatsApp will come pre-insta1lled on the recently announced Asha 500, Asha 502 and the Asha 503 which will be available in India shortly.

Instagram finally comes to Windows Phone 8 in beta avatar, but it lacks all the Instagram essentials options

After promising users about Instagram for Windows Phone since May 2013, the publishers of Instagram today finally published the Beta version of Instagram on Windows Phone store.  The App was made available almost after three years since it landed on Apple Store.

The beta version is free to download and works on all Windows Phone 8 devices like the Lumia 520, Lumia 620 etal but there are some serious issues with the all new Instagram beta App.  For starters you can take any photos with the App.  For some peculiar reason the worlds most popular and famous photography sharing App can not take snaps from within the App rather you have to use the default or the native camera to snap pictures and import them into the Instagram and share them on the Instagram social engine. This is not the only anomaly, the new beta App cant be used for the video feature.  Yes, you cant use the Instagrams video feature too with this App.

The publishers say this is a beta version hence it is being run for a testing purpose.  The publishers also add that the new features will be available as soon as the beta testing is over but know one knows when.  

"We wanted to make Instagram available to people with Windows Phones as quickly as possible, so we focused on creating an awesome experience with Instagram's core features. We're not finished, and our team will continue developing the Windows Phone app to keep releasing features and bringing you the best Instagram possible."

A rather meek App but a must have if you are a avid photographer and would like to reach out to the millions of Instagramers online. You can download the App for your Windows Phone 8 from Windows Phone Store here.

Learn while playing with PICS QUIZ free for Android smart phones and tablets, good for Kids 3 years and above

A nice little Quiz game from Mob in Life for kids, the Pics Quiz is a free game which throws up pictures which you have to identify. The game is very simple and if you download it today, you get 500 coins worth $1.99 free.  

The game works on Android 2.3.3 and above and is particularly good for kids by making them understand different animals, birds, fruits etc.  The features of the game are

- easy to play: 1 premium pic to guess, a few letters and 2 jokers. No complicated rules, just an easy and fun thinking game!

- hundreds of challenges to solve. Will you need hints to reveal letters and solve the riddles?

- solo mode: guess 3 words per pic on over 400 levels.

- multiplayer quiz: guess more words than your friends in 80 seconds. 

- play with your friends: send each other hints to find the right letters and guess the photos!

- an addictive game for everyone

- new premium pics added frequently.

- multilingual thinking game.

- online and offline brain game.

You can download this game for your Android smart phone and tablet from Google Play here

Star Wars : Tiny Death Star FREE game for Android and iOS devices, help the Federation build a deadly Death Star brick by brick

If you have seen the Star Wars movies you did know the huge death star that the rebels destroyed.  Well the Federation now needs your help to build an indestructible death star brick by brick.  You are the 'Bitizens' in this Star Wars enterprise and you will have to build and expand the Death Star as if it were your own.  Fear not, the dark side is with you to help you in your endeavour.

The game has been published by LucasArts though the company has been brought over by Disney Inc and is seen to be a amalgamation of the Star Wars franchise with the NimbleBit's Tiny Tower game.  If you have already played the Tiny Tower this game should be a cakewalk for you.  

The idea of the game is that the Empire has run out of money and in order to fund completion of the Death Star the Emperor decides to fill its growing levels with rentable accommodation, gift shops, and Mos Eisley style bars. The game’s sense of humour and gorgeous 8-bit style presentation is definitely its most appealing feature, with a clear love for the original movies and a great line in cheesy remixes of the Star Wars soundtrack.

Leaving that aside this is a marvellous FREE game which is entertaining as well as a good way to pass your time.  The gameplay involves is creating one of several types of level, say a retail one, and filling it with employee.  You then order these employees goods they can sell.  The game is a simple one at start but get a little jarring as you start on the special Imperial levels.  Therefore the first thing to do when you reach this level is build a Elevator so that the Imperial Officers can be pleased and you get extra points. There is a bit of action too, you get to capture the Rebel spies like Luke Skywalker  and co when they try to break into the Death Star. 

You can download the game for your Android smart phones and tablets from Google Play here

iPhone and iPad users can download the game from Apple Store here.
A few pointers for maximising the benefits from the game play
1. Convert your BUX into currency near the start of your Elevator upgrading practices
2. Produce some nice apartments within your first couple of floors
3. Split up your Bitizens (you employees) for all the jobs on the deck
4. Always keep an Extra room for the Super Great Visitors  (Imperial Guests)
5.  Upgrade you Elevator at the first instance
6. Stack up some Imperial Bux (currency) so that you can buy the extra characters for your game play
7. To pass your time be sure to stock up lower tier items.
8. You can earn extra BUX by killing the Rebels
9. Always make your Bitizens do more beneficial work which get you maximum BUX
and finally
10. Constantly upgrading your Death Star will get you the most of your Imperial Bux
Have fun playing the game

Need a simple music player without any frills, get the FREE Clean Music Player for Android Smart Phones and Tablets

How often when you want to hear your favourite song, you have to wait for the native Android music player or the 3rd party Apps to finish scanning, indexing the contents and show you the cumbersome icons and the place holder album artwork.  You sometimes yearn for the PowerMp3 player of yore which just played the music without any hassles.

Publisher Michael Howell has tried to come up with a similar idea with the Clean Music Player for Android smart phones and tablets. The free version is easy to use and gives you best possible music to listen, but if you did rather have all the fancy artwork, I would not advise you to buy the pro version.

Clean Music Player is just what like it is called 'clean'  You have to just go the the directory contain your music content and tap on the music you want to listen to and the music starts.

The free version also comes with Gapless playback and notification controls if you have Android 4.1 and above.  The Android 4.0 version and above will give you lockscreen controls and an equalizer.  

☆ Specify exactly what you want to play by long-click selecting songs and folders. For example, loop a single song by long clicking it, clicking the play button, and turning repeat on. And/or shuffle all your music by long-clicking your music folder, tapping play, and shuffling.

☆ In a long song or audiobook, keep your place with Remember Position, and move around by tapping the numbers next to the seek bar.

☆ If order is important, and the file names are not already sorted, MetaSort them.

☆ Go to sleep to your music using the Sleep Timer.

☆ And search (even using Google Now's "listen to" command).

You can download the free version for your Android smart phones and tablets from Google Play here.

GT Racing 2, a FREE car racing game featuring real cars for Android smart phones and tablets; iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch from Gameloft

If you are racing game addict and like the look of real cars on your smart phones, this is the game to have on your device.  The games publisher, Gameloft today released the latest addition to their GT Racing 2: The Real Car Experience.  The game was made available a little while back for Android smart phones where iOS version was already made available before.  

The GT Racing 2 is all about real cars and real driving pleasure.  As is usual from Gameloft,  you get rich textured graphics, nice physics engine and above all real cars to play with.  Among the real life models of the cars (unbelievable 67 models to choose from) which will be available are Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Mercedes-Benz, Ferrari, Dodge, Nissan, Audi, Ford and many more.

The game will have over 1,400 racing events like good old  Classic Races or Duels, Knockouts and Overtakes to hone your driving skills.  Among the other things, Gameloft plans to introduce 28 new challenges within the game, every week.  The game is designed on totally revamped physics engine which the publishers claim will offer you best very simulated car dynamics ever to the real driving. The maps include day and night challenges in all weather conditions.  

You get to choose 4 camera angles from which you can race to your chequered flag.  There is also a multiplayer option available with GT Racing 2.  To download the game for your Android smart phones and tablets, visit Google Play now.

iOS users if you already not raced your way into glory, download the game now from Apple Store.

Watch the video below to understand the beautiful graphics and the new physics engine from Gameloft

Goolge Play Music for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch launched, download now and get 1 month free access to all programs in 21 countries

Google had been planning this from a long time since the announcement of the same was made at the Google I/O in May 2013.  Now the efforts of Google engineers have borne fruit and the Google Play Music App was today successfully launched on Apple Store.

The Google Play Music as a introductory offer will give you free access to all programs and radio channels in 21 countries across the world.  The following countries will receive the Musical content on Google Play Music : Australia, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States.  India is sorely missed from the list but it is to be added soon.

A little about the Google Play Music App for iOS devices.   The App will give you programs on a subscription of $9.99 (Rs.609.00) per month (the first month is free)  which comes with music from all the major and minor labels (new as well as old) which you can either listen online or download to listen to, in your spare time.   Google Play Music also offers you a option of 3 different quality level, keeping in mind your bandwith needs.   So if you are on a poor network/costly network you can select the low quality/small size version if you wish so.

Another refreshing part is that Google Play Music App will be totally ads free.  You can also queue your music or arrange it as you want it. There is also a option to delete the music from the queue. Like every Google App, the Google Play Music also has a astounding algorithm which will first study the kind of music you like and throw up everything that is similar to your choice.  

The features of the Google Play Music App include :

All Access features:

* Listen to unlimited songs

* Create custom radio stations from any song, artist or album

* Enjoy radio without skip limits

* Get smart recommendations based on your tastes

* Enjoy handcrafted playlists from music experts

* Add up to 20,000 of your own songs from your personal music collection using your Mac, Windows or Linux computer

* Listen on all your devices and our web player at play.google.com/music

* Access your music anywhere without syncing, and save your favorites for offline playback

* Experience all your music without ads

To download the Google Play Music App for your iOS devices please visit Apple Store here.  

SuperSU for Android smart phones updated to fix two exploits, download the updated version if you use rooted smart phones

This news is a must read news and this update is a must update version if you're a root user.  The maker of SuperSu, Chainfire yesterday updated the SuperSU App for Android smart phones and tablets.  

The latest version now bumps up number to v1.69.  Chainfire said that the update was necessitated because there were two exploits in the earlier version which could be exploited by potential attacker to use your smart phones root privileges without asking you permissions.  The update will fix this two exploits details fo which will be released by Chainfire on Monday.

The update also brings about some other minor bug fixes.  The change log of the update is given below

- XBIN mode (some new roots need this)

- Slightly adjusted binary installer

- Backup script installation now available for all backuptool-capable ROMs

- Fixed su-ing to a non-root user not working on some 4.3+ firmwares

- Fixed BOOTCLASSPATH vulnerability (CVE-2013-6774) - Fixed notification sanitization vulnerability (CVE-2013-6775) - Fixed possible closed special files vulnerability

- Updated language files

Download the latest SuperSu V 1.69 from Google Play for your Android smart phones and tablets

Sony PlayStation App available for Android smart phones and iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch made to oder for the new PlayStation 4

If you have read this post, you will know that the PlayStation 4 is being released by Sony and will reach the American shores on 15th November, 2013.  In view of monopolising the hype and the curiosity generated with the proposed release, Sony today launched a specialised Android and iOS App called the PlayStation App. If you have already bought, have placed an pre-order or are thinking of buying the Sony's latest PlayStation 4 gaming console, you will require this App.

First and foremost use of the App is that now you can use your iOS or Android device as a second screen and remote control to display and manage the action from compatible PS4 games though Sony has not said which games will be compatible.  Besides watching and controlling the games, you can also visit the PlayStation Store from within the App to buy and download games and add-ons for your PS4 console. 

As a added incentive you can quick fix any possible glitches that the PlayStation 4 may offer with the help of the PlayStation manuals and system guides.  The App will also offer you chat via the Sony Entertainment Network which you can use for realtime conversation with your friends and loved ones.  Do remember that you will require a PS4 gaming console to make full use of this App. Also for the chat, you will require a full fledged Sony Entertainment Network account.

And to end the article with some good news for all the PS4 fans out there, the two of finest PC-only indie games, Don't Starve and The Binding of Isaac will come free of cost to PlayStation 4 in January 2013.  Staying on the subject of Apps for iOS and Android, to download the App for Android smart phones kindly visit Google Play here and iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch users can visit Apple Store here and get their App.

The five Most Compatible and useful Messenger Apps for your Android smart phones and tablets

Many developers across the globe are developing applications to support compatible messengers for android systems. Such are crucial in fostering effective communication between the developed applications following the innovations in the mobile communications. To be able to have steady flow of information from one application to another and match up with evolving technological changes compatible messenger are critical in realizing this ideology. Android is known for its cross platform performance which makes it possible to develop many compatible applications. Some of the most recently developed compatible messengers for Android systems include;

Palringo

This is an instant mobile messenger which is capable of running across multiple platforms such as iPhone, pocket pc, java, Android, Symbian and blackberry based mobiles. Palringo is in fact a freeware available for download by ne without paying a single penny. With this package you can be able to chat with family members and friends on Facebook, Google talk, jabber, MSN/ windows live, iChat as well as QQ all under the same roof.

Mundu 

This is a newly developed application which extends the capability of mundu. With compatibility with android systems, mundu messenger for android mobile comes equipped with great features to the benefit of users and developers as well. Android in its parts avails a complete package of operating system, significant mobile applications and middleware software. You can now link up and join your friends in Google talk, yahoo, jabber, MSN, and ICQ among others at the comfort of your android mobile. Keep up with the trend and expand the performance of your handset by simply downloading mundu messenger for Android and enjoy great features.

Agilemobile.com

This is an incredible package developed to offer support in Android applications. It’s also available for free download at least for 30 trial days after which you can acquire a full package of agilemobile.com for android mobiles. This gives you a better chance to link up with friends in AOL, ICQ, Google talk, MSN among others and share up ideas, news feed, pictures among others for free!

ebuddy for Android 

By enabling vibration and sounds you are able to be signaled once a new message arrives. It’s one of the greatest application platforms for chatting in Android mobiles. The fact that it runs in the background gives you an opportunity to continue doing your activities without any external disruption.

Facebook for Android

This is an easy platform to stay connected with friends across different social sites. It enables you to share status information, news feed, pictures, upload photos as well as sharing experiences all over the globe. You can be able to integrate with both native and potential people and even become friends thanks to Facebook for Android messenger platform. Media is embracing such technology for example contacting sky contact for their advancement in developing and support this technological move.

About Me:

Linda Swan is a blogger and a writer from UK (LONDON) having interest in writing technology related topics. She is a gadget geek tries to maintain resistivity in tech knowledge. She prefers sky contact to clear her doubts on technology.   

Fun Platform running game Rayman Fiesta Runnow available for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Android smart phones and tablets

Ubisoft has just released the twin version, iOS and Android, of a fun platform game called Rayman Fiesta Run. Priced at $2.99 (Rs.225.00) it may seem a bit costly but if you are a real fan of Platform games, you should give this one a try.

In this running game you play the veteran Rayman.  And as the title suggests, you have to run across the toons filled world tapping on your screen to jump and collecting glowing critters as you go.  The game has a whopping 76 individual levels to keep you occupied for hours together.  It has comes with a nice little 'invasion mode' which you have to unlock by beating 3 bosses on the way to the level end.

Packed with fun visuals and colourful graphics this is a must play game for platform game lovers.  Rayman Jungle Run is available now on Google Play and the Amazon Appstore, priced at $2.99 in the U.S. and £1.99 in the UK and Rs.223.82 in India.  While the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch version can be download from Apple Store here.  

Get the Google Hangout v2.0 and other Android 4.4 KIT KAT APKs for your non Android 4.4 phones courtesy Android Pit

Ron Amadeo of Android Authority has ported some nice APKs from Google Nexus 4 Android 4.4 KIT KAT for non Android 4.4 smart phones.  First of the APKs is Google Hangouts v2.0 with SMS/MMS integration into the one messaging App which will combine Google Hangout Chats, SMS, MMS and IM into one.

You can download the Google Hangouts v2.0 APK here.  After installing it turn on SMS in the settings you will have both the Google Hangout Chats and SMS in one place.  A small icon on each conversation's profile picture will alert you if the message is an SMS. Swiping to the side will archive messages (retrievable from the Settings menu). 

The other APKs posted by RON Amadeo are as follows :

Nexus 5 Email 6.0 APK

Google Keep

Google Camera

Google Calendar

Nexus 5 Wallpapers 

Google Keyboard

Gmail

Google TTS

DeskClock 3.0

Remember all these APKs are ported from Nexus 5 running on Android 4.4 KIT KAT so some of them might not work as smoothly as you think but you can always uninstall them. Comboupdates does not take any responsibility for any averse situation that may arise.

Via Android Pit / Android Authority

Get Google's Launcher App free without having a Android 4.4 KIT KAT on your Android smart phone or tablet

Two things struck me with Android 4.4 KIT KAT release.  One is its reverse compatibility upto Android 2.3 and the other is the FREE Launcher it will be featuring on it.  Upto most of the Android updates starting from Gingerbread were not compatible with each other due to the resources used by the later versions of Android. However with Android 4.4 KIT KAT, Google has been able to keep a check on the resource usage and which ultimately means that any smart phone or tablet with a 512MB RAM will be able to run the KIT KAT on its system.  This way Google's dream of having a universal OS will come true and all users will now get the top of the line features like Google Now (Personal Digital Assistant) on their smart phone.

I will write a full review of Android 4.4 KIT KAT where I will cover the full OS piece by piece and feature by feature.  As of now KIT KAT is only available for Google Nexus 5 manufactured by LG of Korea.  One of the few features that have been successfully ported to other devices is the free LAUNCHER that will come with Android 4.4 KITKAT.  Now you dont have to download third party launchers for your smart phone and be worried about rooting, permissions and access as Google's default Free Launcher is a nice feature to have.

XDA Forums publisher Geoworld_200 has ported this App to his LG Optimus Pro running on Android 4.3.  He has also successfully tested the Launcher on devices running of Android 4.2 and they came out ok.  Some users have successfull run the App on Android 4.1 as well but be warned that you may have to uninstall the App if its unsuccessful.

You can download the APK from here or here and try it out at your own risk.  The instructions for installing the zip file are as follows :

1. Download the zip file from below.

2. Extract the zip and place the apks on your phone

3. Install PrebuiltGmsCore.apk

4. Install Velvet.apk

5. Install GoogleHome.apk

6. Press home button, select the launcher and enjoy!

I am leaving you with a nice video of Android 4.4 Kit Kat released by Android Authority.