BlackBerry demos OTA updates for IoT and connected car solutions

BlackBerry is demonstrating its next-generation over-the-air (OTA) update solution for connected cars as well as Internet of Things applications. Enabling these connected devices to remotely receive software updates and fixes, just like how smartphones and tablets get updated today, is a promising move forward for IoT.

BlackBerry says this solution will help automakers cut maintenance costs, reduce expensive recalls, improve customer satisfaction, and keep vehicles up to date with compelling new features long after they have rolled off the assembly line. The OTA update solution is part of the BlackBerry(R) IoT Platform and is designed to deliver secure, globally scalable update services for maintaining and enhancing the software in infotainment systems, telematics units, and other end-points in the vehicle. 

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Google planning to fix Nexus 5 camera with an OTA Android 4.4.1 update

By Corey Herscu

And boom goes the dynamite.

When Google launched the Nexus 5 just over a month ago, there were two key love/hate features: Android 4.4 KitKat was loved, the poor camera functionality was not. From my usage of the device, as much as I adored the new features that came with KitKat, I couldn't get over how unusable the camera was (this isn't to say hacks aren't available to fix the issue. I am talking about out of box experience), that's why I swapped out to a different device for an improved cameraphone experience.

Well, friends, the gaping camera issue has finally been acknowledged. According to Dave Burke, Director of Engineering at Google, the issue came down to "tweaking how long the shutter stayed open in different lighting scenarios. The team initially thought the optical image stabilization, which is built into the Nexus 5′s hardware, would prevent blurriness, but it didn’t compensate enough for the software’s tendency to force the shutter to overstay its welcome."

According to The Verge, Google plans a 4.4.1 rollout to address these concerns with an almost exclusive focus improving the overall camera performance. 

Via TheVerge

BlackBerry 10 software updated to 10.0.10.85, improves functionality and battery life

The BlackBerry Z10 gets some update love today with a new 150mb software update that improves the ability to tkae photos even without the flash, improvments to calendars specifically when used with GMail, better browser performance and video playback and a huge battery update that involves over 60 battery saving improvements to make the Z10 as long lasting as the BlackBerries of old. Hit jump for instructions on how to get the update.

Software is available over the air (OTA). Typically, you’ll get a notification about new updates, but you can manually check to see if it has been made available by your service provider and install it in a few simple steps.
Settings> Software Updates> Check for Updates> — then follow the on screen steps to install.

The download is approximately 150MB in size, so I recommend updating when connected to Wi-Fi.

Source: BlackBerry Blog

Update on Saturday, March 2, 2013 at 2:26PM by Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

Just downloaded and installed the update this morning. 155 MB of download and it took around one hour via WiFi to download and install (long!), another 5 minutes to reboot the Z10. Will put it through its paces and see just how different the performance and battery life is.