Apple has unleashed iOS 7.1 into the wild, bringing a number of changes and additions to iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users.
Chief among the features riding along with the update is CarPlay, Apple's "iOS experience designed for the car." Partner car makers are limited for now, but those who are in the market for something like a new Ferrari this year will be able to integrate their iPhone with their roadster.
Users will also notice a few UI changes, squished bugs and faster animations and transitions.
Just because Google plans to make its own smartwatch, that's no reason for developers to avoid the Android platform when making their own - a task that will be far easier in just a couple of short weeks.
The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday that Google is planning to release a software development kit (SDK) later this month that will make it easier for manufacturers to power their future smartwatches with Android.
During his South by Southwest conference speech yesterday, Google Senior Vice President Sundar Pichai announced the search giant's intentions to dominate the wearables market much in the same way they have smartphones.
To accomplish this task, Google plans to borrow from its own Android playbook by making a free SDK available to manufacturers and developers, part of the company's "vision" for a wearables market where its mobile OS is on everyone's wrist.
Feedback welcome
Google is reportedly working on its own smartwatch to be manufactured by LG Electronics that could debut in June, but Pichai calls the early release of an SDK based on Android an opportunity to get "plenty of feedback" in advance of the annual Google I/O conference.
But smartwatches may be only the beginning, as Pichai teased the possibility of other wearables such as a "smart jacket," which could incorporate a variety of sensors for a variety of unspecified uses.
Pichai also told SXSW attendees that Google's Chromecast will soon branch out to countries other than the US after racking up sales "in the millions" there.
The Android, Chrome and apps executive also answered a query about Google's recent Nest Labs acquisition, which could deliver a future "mesh layer" of software designed to make devices interact with each other.
Check out our review of the first wearable from Mountain View, Google Glass!
Smartphone newcomer Oppo arrived from nowhere to win the hearts of Android enthusiasts last year, with the Oppo Find 5 offering decent performance and selling for an impressive price. It was a good start for the previously unknown firm.
Now Oppo's gunning for the more glamorous, barn-door sized phone end of the market with the Oppo N1, an enormous 5.9-inch model with a full HD 1080p display and relatively high-end Snapdragon 600 series chipset.
It's an audacious, slightly bonkers, Galaxy Note 3 or Sony Xperia Z Ultra competitor, but with an RRP of €449 (around £370, or $615, AU$680) it seriously undercuts both Sony and Samsung's rival phablets.
Plus it has a mad swivelling camera, a touchpad around the back and a lean Android OS heavy on motion and touch gestures. It's innovative and cheaper than its peers. Back of the net, right?
What immediately sets the N1 apart from other phones of its size is the innovative rotating camera mount. This houses a fast and impressive 13MP sensor, one that you can rotate through 180 degrees to capture your own gurning face at a resolution unprecedented for a front-facing camera.
And it's a nicely built, sturdy mount, locking into place when it's facing backwards and automatically flipping the on-screen viewfinder image when you rotate it. It's no novelty, it's a super idea.
Oppo's also blowing the traditional phone-selling model apart by including an extremely nice flip case in the box, which is smart enough to automatically activate and deactivate the phone's display when you open and close it - like the world's most technically advanced fridge light.
It's a smooth, stylish case that you'd expect to pay a fair few quid for, so many big-ups to the Oppo team for bunging it in as a freebie.
This case also has a soft area around the back, where there's no padding, like the delicate soft spot on a baby's head.
This is so you can use the Oppo N1's other unique feature - the rear-mounted trackpad. Oppo calls this the O-Touch panel, an additional input method, albeit one that's not hugely useful in the N1's current software setup.
And there's more. There's also a tiny keyfob-size remote control called the O-Click included with the Oppo N1, letting you take photos using the swivelling lens while a short distance away from the phone. It's the ultimate 'selfie' device, no doubt about that.
It's a bit of a shame to see hardware capacitive buttons beneath the huge display, though, as many of today's newest Android models feature the more versatile on-screen software buttons that can pop themselves into and out of existence when the OS deems it necessary.
And it's not what you'd call thrilling to look at.
The LG G3 is now being tipped to sport a dust- and waterproof body as the rugged features make their way onto more flagship smartphones.
According to Korean site ETNews, a source has revealed that LG believes the waterproof features on the likes of the Galaxy S5 and Xperia Z2 are key for smartphones in 2014.
We already know that we'll see the LG G3 later this year, but in terms of specs the trail is still pretty cold.
LG will have to get shift on with the launch of the G3 though, as we've already seen Samsung's and Sony's efforts this year and HTC has lined up an event on March 25 for the all new One.
The G3 may be about to be left behind before it's even jumped in the pool.
We'd already seen various leaks suggesting the new HTC One is unlikely to drop the ultrapixel camera technology which adorned its predecessor and now the Taiwanese firm's latest teaser for the handset has confirmed just that.
The video highlights the ultrapixel camera on the HTC One was able to reduce the loss of dynamic range and sensitivity while allowing it to capture 300% more light than other high-end smartphones.
HTC is adding to this on the new One, but the video doesn't go as far as to say what those additions might actually be.
Double trouble
If you believe the plethora of rumours the big addition on the new HTC One appears to be the inclusion of a second camera lens on the rear of the handset.
This means the new HTC One should be a decent candidate for a low-light snapper - a selling point which Nokia currently prides itself on.
We'll find out for sure what the new HTC One is rocking on March 25, where the phone will be unveiled at a special launch event.
