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

YouTube streaming music service might come out in Q1 2014

Looks like we’ll have to wait until the first quarter of next year before we catch a glimpse of YouTube’s take on Spotify. All Things D reported that YouTube wants to work on the product more despite having the necessary licensing deals done. The Verge cited some of the rumoured features including background playback, offline syncing and “no ads on millions of songs.” It will supposedly come with a free version or a premium version that would cost around US$10.

Review: Withings Pulse fitness tracker

By Jared DiPane

Over the course of the last year we have seen a number of fitness trackers come to the market and each of them seems to promise something a little different. The problem for consumers becomes that each of these does one thing and not another, and it becomes overly confusing. Withings has been around in fitness accessories for a few years mainly with their WiFI enabled scales that did more than just track weight and this year they introduced the Withings Pulse.

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Microsoft Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone gain Mint banking app

Mint has finally arrived on Microsoft Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone. The banking app comes with Live Tile integration and access to over 20,000 bank, loan, credit card and investment accounts. It allows you to track, categorize and organize your accounts and transactions.