Mobile phone users in some areas of the UK will soon be receiving text messages when emergency situations develop in their locale, as part of a new government trial.

The Cabinet Office says it is working with the UK big three mobile networks, EE, O2 and Vodafone to test a US-style alert system, which will warn of severe weather, industrial incidents and other emergencies.

The scheme will be tested in on up to 50,000 mobile users in parts of Yorkshire, Suffolk and Glasgow via text and CB messages delivered directly to the handset. Alerts will be marked as 'test' during the trial.

Countries like the US, The Netherlands and Australia already have measures in place to notify users to be on the look out for cars suspected in kidnappings, escaped felons, wanted fugitives,

Other nations, such as Japan and Chile, which are more susceptible to natural disasters, are also in the process of implementing their own mechanisms.

Potential lifesaver?

The idea is that hopefully, the early alert system will keep mobile users vigilant and could even safe lives during emergency situations.

If you're interested, you can check out a list of those potential scenarios in the rather ominous sounding National Risk Register of Civil Emergencies 2013 government report.

• Did you hear about the US town that banned texting while walking last year?

Amidst all the hubbub over Twitter's recent IPO filing, word on the 'net is that the not-so-little birdie may be releasing a series of mobile updates.

A new app rollout isn't too far off though, especially since Twitter recently asked users to sign up for its Android beta program to squash out bugs.

Twitter will release a small app update following Apple's Sept. 17 iOS 7 release with sources at All Things D claiming the newly designed app will be available a bit after in a larger update.

With the Facebook interface always morphing, Yahoo's recent logo switch and Google's own purportedly impending logo change, it's not surprising Twitter feels the need for a refresh to stay current.

Pictures, pictures, pictures

According the The New York Times, the Twitter app will update the tweet stream to be more visually appealing.

All those pictures and videos in your Twitter stream will be displayed automatically without the need to click and expand, much like the Discover tab, for an image-heavy experience.

Additionally, the Times says Twitter will be taking cues from iOS 7 and aim for a more crisp and clean look to "feel more alive."

The mobile update will also include the ability to swipe from stream to stream, and do away with the four buttons on the bottom, for seamlessness that allows for more content and less interface.

• Will we be seeing a new iPad 5 and iPad mini 2 soon?

Samsung just announced its Galaxy Gear smartwatch, but a second-gen successor is reportedly already in the works.

The Galaxy Gear 2 will feature improvements like greater device compatibility and GPS capabilities, Korean site media.daum.net (via Tech Kiddy) reported today.

Rumor (and logic) has it that the Galaxy Gear 2 could launch next year at CES or MWC, two of the biggest tech conferences out there.

But besides the much-appreciated addition of a GPS chip, other possible improvements in the Galaxy Gear 2 are the stuff of speculation.

To-do list

The current Galaxy Gear will only be compatible with the Galaxy Note 3 at launch, though future Android updates like the Android 4.3 release for the Galaxy S4 will add more devices to that list.

To improve on that the Galaxy Gear 2 will need to launch with full Android device compatibility, which seems perfectly reasonable to us.

In addition, the first-gen Gear reportedly comes with a battery life of about 25 hours, so users who wear it all day will probably need to charge it overnight.

In comparison Sony's Smartwatch 2 can supposedly go three to four days between charges, so an improvement in battery life for the Gear 2 would help catch it up to its competition.

Beyond that we're just guessing, but from where we're standing it seems Samsung would do well to take that $299/£299 (about AU$320) price point down a few notches as well.

Pre-orders for the Galaxy Gear kick off tonight at midnight on AT&T.

• It's a battle of the wearables: Samsung Galaxy Gear vs Sony SmartWatch 2 vs Pebble vs Qualcomm Toq

The Samsung Galaxy S5 is one of life's inevitabilities, and it seems like the wheels are well in motion. First we heard that it will most likely come packing a 64-bit processor chip and now it sounds like the phone may offer up both Android and Tizen variations.

Samsung is clearly keen to push Tizen OS but will be keeping a grip on the popular Android interface for the time being, with Android 4.4 KitKat expected to go live October.

Co-CEO of Samsung, Boo-Keun Yoon, said that the plan is to use Tizen on future phones and tablets, with the S5 likely to come in both a Tizen and Android version.

Eye of the Tizen

Other rumoured features of the phone include an optical image stabilisation camera and a body built from aluminium and magnesium.

We even saw some patent images surface recently, pointing to what might be a less nature-inspired look found on the Samsung Galaxy S4.

Right now we're expecting Samsung to stick to its cycles and release the Galaxy S5 in March 2015.

Finnish start-up Jolla announced today that its Sailfish OS is now compatible with Android software and hardware, an achievement it hopes will help Sailfish speed into the global market.

In a press release Jolla said that Sailfish users will now be able to "take full advantage of the Android application ecosystem," naming specific Android apps, like Instagram, WhatsApp, Spotify and popular Chinese messaging app WeChat, that are compatible with Sailfish.

Sailfish users can download Android apps directly from "various app stores globally," the release said, though which ones exactly is unclear (GigaOM says the Google Play Store is not in the cards - we reached out to Jolla to find out for sure).

In addition, the Sailfish OS is now compatible with common Android hardware, "particularly smartphones and tablets."

Break on through

This makes it easier for existing Android hardware manufacturers to develop Sailfish-based devices, since they can put the OS on the same hardware they're already using for Android - but will it be enough for the OS to make inroads into the global market?

The mobile market is dominated by a disproportionately small number of operating systems, making it difficult for new options to make a dent.

But Android is already in global use, and Jolla might just be able to ride its coattails to success.

"We believe Sailfish with Android compatibility is a highly relevant mobile operating system option for major mobile companies in Europe and in Asia," Jolla CEO Tomi Pienimäki said in today's press release.

He added that they are "already in discussions with several major Asian vendors."

All aboard

Jolla was formed by ship jumpers from Nokia who left after the company ditched its Linux-based MeeGo OS in favor of Microsoft's Windows Phone platform.

Sailfish was built from the ashes of MeeGo, and Jolla's been sailing that schooner ever since.

Now that Microsoft has officially taken control of Nokia devices and services division, Jolla believes that "the strategic position of Jolla and Sailfish OS has strengthened significantly," according to its announcement.

And in response to "positive feedback and increased demand" Jolla through its website this week will offer a second batch of Sailfish phone pre-orders aimed at "Finnish customers who want to express their passion for the Finnish mobile industry."

We've asked Jolla to clarify some points, like what app stores and apps Sailfish is compatible with, and we'll update this story when we hear back.

• Google's next version of Android will be called KitKat. Yes, like the chocolate-covered wafer.