BlackBerry is out to build a better messaging system through BBM on Android and iOS devices, and to do that it's helping users build their contacts with an easier method of adding friends.

Today's update adds a much-needed Find Friends feature to the BBM app that's available through the Google Play Store and Apple's App Store.

Previously, new contacts had to exchange annoying eight-digit PINs through texts, emails or a slightly more convenient QR codes.

BlackBerry had previously said it valued this method for message-controlling privacy reasons, according to the BBM app's previous release notes.

BBM could grow

There's no need for extra-stringent privacy controls if no one is using your app in the first place.

Although BBM launched to some success, it still faces competition from the popular What'sApp client and native messaging services like iMessages and Google Hangouts.

The Find Friends feature could not only connect more people who are currently using BBM, but it could also lure more unregistered users to the BlackBerry service.

BBM has an unmissable "Invite to Download" list of all of your phone or tablet's contacts that haven't signed up for the messenger.

Clicking on a name gives you the option to invite them by email and text, which means BBM could quickly grow from its current loyal confines and give us less depressing BlackBerry news one day.

The LG G Pro 2 is all set to be unveiled at MWC 2014, but the rumors keep pouring in ahead of its official reveal.

The latest concerns the new LG flagship's bezel - or lack thereof, to be exact.

Apparently the G Pro 2 will feature a razor-thin 0.4mm bezel, making its large display look ever larger, according to Korean site FNNews.

And a rumor reported by http://techradar.com/CNET says that screen will measure in at 5.7 inches - slightly smaller than our previous expectation of a full 6 inches, but enormous nonetheless.

Because why not?

The original LG Optimus G Pro rocked a 5.2-inch screen, but we're expecting significantly more from its successor the G Pro 2.

Whatever its size, that display will cover over three quarters of the LG G Pro 2's face, if the rumor about the 04.mm bezel is accurate.

Other expected specs include a Snapdragon 800 processor, 3GB of RAM, and Android 4.4 KitKat.

What's not a rumor is that the G Pro 2 will sport a 13-megapixel camera with optical image stabilization and 4K, slow-mo video capabilities.

Watch out for the phone's official announcement at Mobile World Congress this month.

• Find out what TechRadar thought of the LG G2

A German court has handed yet another patent victory to Nokia, and this one will force Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC to redesign many of its devices, even as the company's attorneys pursue an appeal.

ZDNet reported Tuesday that HTC plans to sidestep a fourth patent infringement defeat handed down in Germany last week by modifying what the company refers to as "redundant technology."

Nokia argued HTC had infringed on its patent EP1579613, which provides a "method and apparatus for enabling a mobile station to adapt its revision level based on network protocol revision level" - and the District Court of Mannheim agreed.

The January 31 ruling protects Nokia's wireless technology used for backwards compatibility between new devices and older networks, but is not considered a standards essential patent, according to the Focus Taiwan News Channel.

Redesign and conquer

Nokia first began lobbing patent infringement claims in HTC's direction back in 2012, claiming the Taiwanese company violated more than 50 patents worldwide.

Since then, the Finnish company has scored victories in England and Wales, with the US International Trade Commission and now regional courts in both Munich and Mannheim, Germany.

But even as Nokia attorneys patted themselves on the back for a job well done, HTC divulged plans to leapfrog the ruling by redesigning the infringing technology, which is apparently no longer used in Germany anyway.

"We are investigating modifications for our handsets to remove this redundant technology," HTC elaborated in a weekend filing with the Taiwan Stock Exchange, adding that it plans to appeal the court's decision.

• TechRadar weighs in on the best tablet in our exhaustive roundup!

It's looking ever more likely that Samsung will be showing off the new Galaxy S5 and Galaxy Gear 2 at the Mobile World Congress later this month.

The NY Times printed a fresh report Samsung plans a relatively low-key event for the Galaxy S5. According to a smartphone industry informant, when the South Korean smart device maker introduced the Galaxy S4 with Broadway bombast the performance fell to deaf ears.

The same source said Samsung is opting for a much more business oriented "Unpacked 5" event at MWC 2014. At the same tradeshow, the upgrade to the Samsung Galaxy Gear is expected to make a showing.

Function over form

Along with a lower key event, the Galaxy S5 is shaping to introduce less gimmicky features as the Galaxy S4 did with Air Gestures' Kinect-like motion detection control the phone without touching the screen.

A new source briefed on the phone's specifications says Galaxy S5 will play it safe by skipping out on the earlier reported Ultra HD 4K screen. Instead the new phone is purported to have more useful upgrades including a better 16-megapixel camera and a higher-performance 64-bit processor.

It seems that new handset is also being skewed to business users with an updated version of Samsung's Knox security software.

Meanwhile, the Korean electronics firm is eager to split away from Android with a new Windows 8.1 Huron smartphone in the pipe and it will demonstrate the new Tizen mobile operating system at a separate event.

Excitement for the Samsung Galaxy S5 has been an up and down roller coaster ride, but we'll have all the finalized details on the handset when it shows on Feburary 24.

• Find out what the Samsung Galaxy S4 was like in our review.

We've just taken another significant step towards Spike Jonze's world of human-like AI.

Apple has pushed out its iOS 7.1 beta 5 firmware, and with it comes some more natural-sounding Siri voices for the UK, Australia and Japan. Go check them out over on AppleInsider.

Still no word on when 7.1 will be available for public download but we're hearing that we're close to the final build.

More blips!

"Hey Siri, show me some more blips"

• Panasonic, Aliens called and it wants its Power Loader exosuit back
• Xbox Kinect is keeping peace on the Korean border
• Oculus Rift gets the star treatment with Sundance debut

The Apple iPen has popped up again showing off more features that will help it become smarter than the average stylus.

Whilst it won't be out to steal picnic baskets the latest patents, picked up by Patently Apple, show that an Apple stylus could be a modular device (in a similar way to Motorola's Project Ara smartphone) so users can pick and choose what they want as well as upgrading features.

Amongst these features are the abilities to project images, work as a laser pointer or transform into a Dictaphone.

Another example suggests a built in camera allowing the stylus to detect movement in the same way as an optical mouse or double up as a scanner.

Want more?

In-air gestures could also be supported but the use of gyro/accelerometers; the swipe could see the turn of a page or move to a next slide or double as a mouse replacement.

Wireless charging is apparently set to feature in any upcoming iPen, as well as the ability to use standard non-rechargeable alkaline or zinc-carbon batteries. Don't go expecting a 9-volt or D battery though.

The leaked iPen might not be enough to signal an upcoming 12.9-inch iPad Pro, but with each of these features coming with a very heavy professional slant we're not going to bet against an Apple stylus launching alongside a larger iPad.

Either way with the iPhone 6, iPad Pro, and iWatch all set to make their debuts in 2014, we could be about to see Apple's biggest year yet.

• What can we expect from Apple this year?

It has been 3 months since the launch of Google's latest mobile OS, Android 4.4 KitKat, and current figures show that it is now on just under 2% of all Android devices.

This shows a rise of 0.4% since January, taking KitKat up to a total of 1.8% devices that logged into the Google Play Store during the week ending February 4 2014.

Owners of even the latest flagships like the HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4 are still waiting for their updates, although both handsets are expected to see the upgrade in the next few weeks.

That 1.8% then is made up solely of Google's Nexus line such as the Nexus 7, Nexus 5 and the ageing Nexus 4, Motorola's Moto G and Moto X, and the Google Play editions of the HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4 which are only available in the US.

Its all Google at the moment

Faces may be left a little red at Mountain View given the superfast uptake of iOS updates on the iPhone and iPad, but Google's working with multiple manufacturers and devices, whereas Apple controls the whole iOS show.

At this stage in Android 4.1 Jelly Bean's life uptake was still languishing on 1.2%. Interestingly though, Jelly Bean still seems to be growing thanks to the launches of recent handsets that hadn't been able to get their hands on the latest OS before launch.

With MWC 2014 just around the corner you can expect Android 4.4 KitKat to grow rapidly as all manner of devices made for Android 4.4 KitKat are launched, including the Samsung Galaxy S5.

Hopefully it won't be too long before we see KitKat as the dominant Android force given its ability to run on handsets with as low as 512MB RAM. Maybe that means we'll finally see the death of Gingerbread - the three-year-old OS still commands 20% of Android users.

• The HTC M8 will definitely come with Android 4.4 KitKat.

Apple may be about to resurrect the iPhone 4 which it finally killed off last year after the launch of the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C.

According to Indian site The Economic Times, Apple is planning on bringing its fourth generation smartphone back to life - but only for developing markets.

The news apparently comes from three senior executives, but there's no firm indication of who they are.

They claim Apple has already produced new iPhone 4 stock, with handsets sporting a December 2013 build date and estimates suggesting 50,000 to 60,000 units have already entered India.

Already on sale?

Brazil, India and Indonesia are apparently the three territories in line for some iPhone 4 love - although a quick look on the Brazilian Apple store reveals that the phone is on sale.

It's not clear if this iPhone 4 listing has always been on the site and Brazil still has some stock left, or if it has been recently re-added to the site in light of the phone going back into production.

We have approached Apple for more information, and we'll update this article if we hear back from the Cupertino firm.

If Apple really is rebooting the iPhone 4, does this mean we could see other iDevices brought back from the dead? Perhaps the iPhone 5 will re-emerge to challenge the 5C - we can but dream.

• Never mind the past, what does the iPhone 6 hold for us?

With the HTC One 2 launch expected in the coming weeks, the stage has been set for a whole raft of leaks to start making their way onto the world wide web.

We've not heard of Twitter tipster HTCFamily_RU before but they have managed to get themselves a pretty convincing looking photo of the back of the upcoming HTC One successor.

Just a reminder though, until HTC officially launch the HTC M8 things are still open to change so we're still advising a pinch of salt.

The photo matches previous leaks giving away the second sensor as well as matching leaks from fellow leak artist evleaks who tweeted that the HTC M8 will look "strikingly similar" to the One.

But what is that sensor?

Unfortunately the image isn't clear enough to give away what the second sensor will work as although our best guesses have it as a secondary camera for image refocusing or a fingerprint scanner (like on the HTC One Max).

Included in the image is also a dual LED flash that will give the HTC M8 increased night time photography capabilities in the same way as the iPhone 5S.

Unfortunately there is no photographs of the front of the HTC M8 (or HTC One Two, HTC Two or One+), although HTCFamily_RU does have a rather simple line sketch showing the front looking identical to the HTC One with capacitive buttons.

• Which will win the battle to be number one next year, the HTC One 2, Samsung Galaxy S5 or iPhone 6?