President Barack Obama has called for an overhaul to how the US National Security Agency collects and uses citizens' phone records and an end to eavesdropping on foreign heads of state.

In the second speech addressing the controversial NSA policies that have come to light from documents in the hands of Edward Snowden, Obama said Friday that he's "ordering a transition," one that will end "[the] bulk metadata program as it currently exists and establish a mechanism that preserves the capabilities we need without the government holding this bulk metadata."

He maintained that the NSA's data collection program is an important tool in identifying and preventing terrorist threats. While he hasn't seen any cases of abuse in the agency's phone collection activities, Obama said he recognizes the potential for abuse.

So what will change?

Obama has asked US Attorney General Eric Holder and intelligence officials to hand in a plan by March 28 that outlines how phone record data will change from the hands of the government to a third-party agency.

Who that third-party record keeper will be has not yet been determined.

Starting now, the government will only investigate phone calls "that are two steps removed from a number associated with a terrorist organization instead of the three," the president said.

Also effective immediately, the NSA will need a court order to obtain phone records.

Holder has been asked to reform the use of national security letters, used as a subpoena to obtain business and other records, so that the gag order usually tacked on doesn't last indefinitely.

The president plans to consult Congress on appropriate boundaries for phone records collection, and has tasked the legislative branch with forming a panel of public advocates to represent privacy interests to the FISC.

Looking off shore

Obama also ordered a cease to the eavesdropping on foreign leaders and governments considered friends or allies. In October 2013, German Chancellor Angela Merkel called Obama after information arose the US had tapped her private mobile phone.

Pending a significant national security reason, the US "will not monitor the communications of heads of state and government of our close friends and allies."

Foreign citizens were also granted more privacy protections against NSA surveillance.

The president's speech comes after months of revelations of how the NSA collects and keeps information, raising alarms from those within the US government, global governments, private citizens, the tech community and privacy advocates.

On January 16, new claims arose that the agency indiscriminately gathers up to 200,000,000 text messages daily. The UK's GCHQ reportedly has access to the texts.

While steps forward, Obama's NSA reforms are likely unsatisfying to the agency and government's harshest critics.

Some code squirreled away somewhere in the Android OS hints that a future version will come with souped up fitness tracking.

While KitKat already features pedometer tech for counting your steps, future versions perhaps beginning with Android 5.0 will allow the software to harness "fitness data from sensors on your Android device."

These could be built into future Android phones and tablets, but it's also likely that the API will play nicely with Android-based smartwatches and even Google Glass.

Get fit quick

A 'more info' pop up says the API should let you "view and edit your fitness tracking, health and activities data" - the fact that it allows both reading and writing of data means that it might store your vital stats on your Google account for access by other apps - you could potentially generate a fitness graph in Google Drive, for instance.

As it's an API, it means that app makers will be able to use more biometric data in their software - alongside the pedometer, they could monitor your heart rate for instance.

It's worth noting that this may not be code intended for Android itself though; it could also be part of a Google Play Services update.

• What do we know about Android 5.0 so far?

Know any Nokia fans? Noticed that they seem giddy, like their dreams are finally coming true? It's because the Finns could FINALLY be making an Android handset.

This is bad news.

The NokDroid project has been up and down more than a demented see saw. First, Nokia was developing an Android handset, fulfilling the liquid fantasy of geeks everywhere.

Then the project was off. How could Nokia even consider such a thing? It's (sort of) owned by MICROSOFT for Gawd's sake. And now, it looks like it's back on. I can't keep up with this.

I've never been the biggest fan of Windows Phone. Don't get me wrong. It's very nice. It has tiles. TILES. Who needs widgets? But I personally find it to have too many nuances.

On one side, there's Android, which will let you customise to the hilt. On the other, there's iOS, which will barely let you change more than the wallpaper.

Tell me I'm wrong

Logically, Windows Phone should fall into the gap in the middle. But for me, it doesn't work. Hell, that's me. And I know the vehement fans of said OS will tell me I'm wrong. Go for it.

But despite that opinion, I'm all for competition, so Windows Phone needs to be given a chance. It needs to develop more if it is to become a credible competitor to Apple and Google. And Nokia needs to concentrate its efforts there. Be a master of one trade, not a jack of them all.

How would Windows Phone feel if it had emotions? Like its husband is constantly looking at others to see if they'd be a better partner. That's how.

• Read our Windows Phone 8 review

Nokia is supposed to be the faithful hubby. The company looked like it was on its deathbed until boss Stephen Elop announced that he was flogging the family silver and taking WP as the provider's OS. Which looks like it's paid off, as the company doesn't appear to be on the brink of bankruptcy anymore (partly helped by the billions slung into the coffers by Microsoft).

Cool again

Nokia phones are actually cool devices that many want to own again. That's pretty good in terms of reinvention.

But this apparent renewed interest in just trying to keep another project on the boil seems to be eating away into what should be a 110% commitment to Windows and nothing else.

Just look at the screenshots. Android's beauty is that it can be skinned easily. It can look like anything you like. So what is Nokia doing? It's making an Android UI that looks like Windows! What's the point?! Do you want to confuse your buyers, Nokia? You're going the right way about it.

By calling it a 'project', it makes it sound all Google Labs. You know, fun. Inventive… cheeky even. But it's not, it's just giving the critics another reason to beat you when it comes to nothing.

You can't hope to become a key player here, Nokia. Samsung, HTC and Google themselves pretty much have Android sewn up. Sony and LG are on the periphery. How are you going to take them on when your dedication is really to Microsoft?

A far better strategy would have been to continue with MeeGo. Geeks worldwide sobbed to themselves when that bit the dust. The only MeeGo handset became a bit of a collector's item.

Going forward with a half hearted attempt makes you look weak. And you're not – you're the bastion of our phone world. Don't go changing!

Panasonic will apparently re-enter the smartphone market for a second time at MWC 2014 as fresh reports suggest the firm is working on a new, rugged handset.

Remember the Panasonic Eluga? Launched at MWC 2012 as Panasonic's return to the mobile game the waterproof phone sunk without a trace, resulting in the firm pulling out of the smartphone market completely in 2013.

According to Japanese site Asahi it won't be gone for long, as reports now point towards a shock proof handset being readied for the Barcelona show at the end of February.

When the going gets tough

There's not a huge amount of detail on the mystery Panasonic smartphone, but the unnamed sources do reveal that it will sport a 5-inch screen.

Apparently Panasonic is targeting users such as construction site workers for its next handset, suggesting that this may not be a particularly mainstream device.

TechRadar will be out in force at MWC 2014 to bring you all the latest from the show, including any possible return to form from Panasonic.

• Find out what else you can expect from MWC this year

The ZTE Blade Q Mini has been officially launched in the UK, exclusively on Virgin Media, as the Chinese brand looks to snaffle the first time smartphone user market.

Setting you back just £59.99, the Blade Q Mini is one of the most affordable smartphones on the market, and while the specs won't blow you away, they certainly don't look too shoddy for the price.

The Blade Q Mini sports a 4-inch 480 x 800 display, 1.3GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage, 5MP rear camera and Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.

All good on paper

On paper at least the Blade Q Mini is going toe-to-toe with handsets more than double its price - with the likes of the Sony Xperia M and HTC Desire 500 for company.

You also get a 1500mAh battery, microSD slot, Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth 4.0 and a FM radio in the 125.5 x 63.9 x 9mm chassis.

As well as Virgin Media, the ZTE Blade Q Mini is also available in Sainsbury's and Argos from today.

Everything sounds promising then for the Blade Q Mini but some of the previous ZTE handsets we've used have been let down by a poor user experience, so keep an eye out for our Blade Q Mini review to see how this one fares.

• Check out the best cheap phones around