This week's Technology Observatory brings you the following stories:

• Windows Phone 8.1 rollout to begin on June 24
• Gmail Android app the first to reach 1 billion downloads on Google Play
• Shut up! Twitter finally offers native mute
• LG G3 launch set for May 27
• Apple to introduce multitasking feature in the next iOS 8
• Google Glass now available for purchase by anyone in the United States
• Samsung to unveil its new tablets on June 12
• Google Play now accepts PayPal
• Amazon's virtual coins now available to users in Spain
• Google acquires Word Lens, the popular camera-based real-time translator, and offers it free of charge
• Google almost certain to kill off the Nexus family and replace it with the Android Silver program

 

Microsoft has announced the date when the Windows Phone 8.1 update will be available for users of the device. The platform's support website states June 24 as the "lifecycle start date" for the new version that has already been available as a preview to developers for some time. The update will be available for all Windows Phone 8 terminals and all subsequent updates for the system will remain available for (at least) three years in the lifecycle traditionally associated with Microsoft solutions, which means that Windows Phone 8.1 will be supported until July 11, 2017. The platform update brings significant improvements with features like the notifications center and the integration of Cortana, the voice assistant that competes with Google Now in Android and Siri en iOS. However, if you don't want to wait that long and have a smartphone based on Windows 8, you can sign in to the preview program and access the update from there. The procedure is quite simple and means that your device will have the latest version of a platform that slowly but surely is gaining ground over its rivals.

Who doesn't use Gmail in their Android smartphone? Or rather, who hasn't downloaded it? Of all the mail services around, Gmail is undoubtedly the most popular one. So much so that it's become the Android app with the most downloads from Google Play, having just passed the 1-billion mark. Mind-blowing! The actual number of active Gmail users is considerably smaller as many people will have downloaded the app several times, but it's still an impressive figure. Technically, Google Play Services were the first to pass the 1-billion mark but only because they are pre-installed in every Android device. Gmail is the Android app with the most clicks on the download button, and officially it's only two years old. That merits a hearty slap on the back from us for an excellent mail service for which Google still seems determined to create a new look. There's still a lot of mileage in Gmail. Will it cross the 2 billion mark? Which mail manager do you think comes closest to it?

 

Wouldn't it feel good to be able to silence certain people on Twitter? Well here's some good news: the little blue bird will finally let you do just that on its social media site. Up to now, only certain third-party Twitter clients have been able to mute the people they follow, but today the company announced that it was making the feature available in its native web client and official apps for iOS and Android. To mute someone, all you have to do is locate the option in the "More" menu of the Tweet that's driving you crazy, although if you're really determined you can always go to the person's profile and click on the settings icon (the little gear). 

There was little doubt that the LG G3 was about to be unveiled. A lot has been written about it (we've read about its characteristics in great detail, seen a few pictures, know something about its new interface) and there have been rumors about the date, but now it's official: it will be unveiled to the public on May 27. LG has announced the release date with a video offering a quick peek at some of the star features we can expect from the new terminal. For example, it has a metallic body, presumably aluminum, and the camera seems to be key as well. And don't forget that it's also going to come with a 2K display, making the G3 one of the first terminals to use this technology. The information comes straight from the horse's mouth, so in London next May 27, at 6 pm local time (7 pm in Spain), the device will be unveiled and the few remaining mysteries will be revealed. The new flagship for which LG has great expectations will finally be unwrapped in a couple of weeks.

 

One of the features most demanded by the community of iPad users may be about to become a reality with the next iOS update. A split screen multitasking feature will reportedly be one of the so-called novelties —"so-called" because Android users discovered it years ago—presented at the upcoming WWDC in a few weeks. If the rumors turn out to be true, other competitors like the Microsoft Surface could see their chances of conquering the tablet market confounded. The recent announcement of 27 million downloads of Office for iPad will be seen as a victory for Redmond's company, or confirmation that consumers always win in the end and Satya Nadella had his arm twisted over this decision. In any case, we'll have to keep a close eye on the developers’ conference to confirm this rumor from the 9to5mac guys, though they're never far off the mark about these things. Last year they hit the nail on the head with their predictions about the future design of iOS7 and they'll probably do the same this year. 

One month and a couple of days have passed since Google Glass went on sale to US residents for one day only. Well, as from today it's on sale indefinitely but with the same geographical restrictions for its purchase, and of course while supplies last. However, this is not the real launch for end consumers, for the public at large, simply the expansion of the Glass Explorer Program aimed at finding the largest possible number of beta testers, especially ordinary people willing to test them and share their comments (just as useful as developers' remarks) prior to the universal launch expected at the end of this year. Regarding the purchase process, the official Google Glass website contains information about the program and the virtual store where the basic glasses can be acquired for $1,500 (in any of the five available colors), plus a selection of accessories for an additional cost. For a limited time only, buyers can either choose complimentary frames (there are four types available, usually priced at $225 each) or one of three types of shades ($150 each).

It already has 3G connectivity and as from this summer Metro de Madrid will also have free Wi-Fi connectivity, courtesy of Gowex. The Spanish firm, which is committed to free universal Wi-Fi access and already manages the Wi-Fi network for the EMT, Madrid's municipal transport company, has been chosen by Metro de Madrid to gradually introduce Wi-Fi connectivity in its main stations and platforms. The company already offers a similar service for the Paris underground system. The initiative will begin at the Nuevos Ministerios station this July and will take three months to implement and another 12 to put into operation. The offer consists of a basic free Wi-Fi package with a connection speed of 512 kbps and no long term contract. There are other plans with a faster connection speed but for a fee. Under the terms of the agreement reached with Metro de Madrid, the service will also use geolocalized content, advertising and analytical data.

Samsung unveils umpteen products throughout the year and therefore hosts plenty of launch events. We thought it had already unveiled all its major novelties for this first half of the year, but it turns out that the Korean firm was holding something back for early June: a new collection of tablets. With the Pro range and the new-look Galaxy Tabs already on the market, Samsung has sent an invitation to the media for a June 12 event at Madison Square Garden in New York. Tab into color, reads the virtual card sent out. Samsung is obviously going to be talking about color tablets in June, and the fact that the event will take place at an iconic venue like Madison Square Garden suggests that it will be taking the wraps off a new range of products. The Galaxy Tab S perhaps? There have certainly been rumors for some time. Given the colors, it's our guess that Samsung is going to go beyond black and white. But no doubt that won't be the only major novelty in these new tablets from the Korean company.

Sales of apps, games and other content on Google Play couldn't be better. They're already up by 300 percent since last year and now, to persuade more and more users to shop at Android's official store, the company has finally added PayPal. As from today, PayPal is one of the payment options offered to users who buy apps, games, music, movies and books from Google Play. However, the new payment method is not available for purchases of devices or accessories. For the moment, PayPal will be accepted in 12 countries: Austria, Belgium, Canada, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, United Kingdom and United States. Users can already pay for Google Play contents with credit and debit cards, through direct carrier billing, with pre-paid or gift cards, and now with PayPal. In Spain the direct carrier billing option is available to Movistar and Orange customers. Google is clearly offering more facilities to ensure that no one experiences any problems when buying Android apps and games or music, movies and books. The PayPal payment option will be phased in gradually for users in the selected countries.

This week Amazon Coins finally reached Spain. The virtual currency can be used to buy apps, games and other in-app content either via the Amazon website or from a Kindle. Introduced in the U.S. more than a year ago, this option lets you save a little money on your purchases—it obviously had to have some merit—as when you buy the currency (100 Coins = 1 euro) you receive a discount of up to 10%. To celebrate the launch in Spain, Amazon has decided to give away to every Kindle Fire owner, or anyone who buys one, 500 Coins (equivalent to €5), which should already have appeared automatically in your Amazon account. Besides, everyone who downloads the latest version of Amazon Appstore to their Android smartphone or tablet and uses it to download an app will qualify for another gift of 500 Coins, though in this case the special promotion expires on May 26. Naturally, this is an additional option and the current payment methods are still available for users to choose which they prefer. Buying with Coins is very simple: simply go to the app or game you want to purchase and among the payment methods offered you will see the swap coins option (as long as you have enough in your account, obviously). Select the device you want your software for and, hey presto, purchase made.

Google has taken out its checkbook again to acquire a new company. For an unspecified sum, the company has purchased the developer Quest Visual, famous for its popular translator Word Lens, an app for mobile devices that translates texts instantaneously using the device's camera in real time. The Quest Visual team, as announced on their official website, will join forces with the Google team to integrate their real-time translation technology into Google Translate. Furthermore, Word Lens will now be completely free, as will all of its language packages. Users will no longer have to pay nearly €4, the retail price up to now, or buy any of the languages separately, though the app will only be available for a limited time as it will disappear when the transition to Google Translate is complete. This acquisition of the popular Word Lens, which instantaneously translates printed texts viewed through the device's camera, will undoubtedly improve Google Translate in the future.

 

The Nexus family of devices is probably one of the oldest on the Android platform. It all started back in 2010 with the rollout of the Google Nexus One, the device made by HTC to Google specifications which launched Android 2.1 and, as I've already said, was the first member of the Nexus family. Then in 2012 Google introduced a slight change in its strategy with the Nexus range. Up to that point, only smartphones had been released under the Nexus name, but in view of the need to stimulate the Android tablet market Google launched its Nexus 7. At the same time, in order to compete with and steal market share from the iPad (the sector leader), it hit back with a very aggressive price while maintaining quality technical specifications. That same strategy was repeated a few months later with the LG Nexus 4 and the Samsung Nexus 10, which completed the family of Nexus products in 2012. At the Google I/O 2013, the U.S. company took many of us unawares with the release of "Google Play Editions", high-end devices from key manufacturers on the Android platform which instead of classic software with customization layers (TouchWiz, Sense, etc.) incorporated a pure version of Android, like the one found in the Nexus family. In all probability, it was this move that gave rise to the idea of Android Silver. Although for many people it's just another device, the Nexus family has played a crucial role in the development of the Android platform. Right from the beginning, Google has always claimed that the Nexus family is the benchmark, the mirror that other manufacturers should look to when creating devices for the Android operating system. The Nexus family was where Google saw the Android platform headed and the model for all smartphones based on this operating system. Unfortunately, though, it seems that Google will kill off the Nexus family this year. At least in smartphones. Eldar Murtazin said so at the beginning of the year, The Information repeated it a few weeks ago, and the famous @evleaks put the last nail in the truth of the theory just a few days ago. The Nexus program is to be replaced by Android Silver, a new program which, as already reported in Celularis, is likely to consist of a series of high-end devices (made by different companies) according to a set of specifications imposed by Google. The U.S. company will reportedly also offer these devices a similar type of after-sales support as that provided by Apple for its iPhones. The goal? To strengthen ties with manufacturers by creating these devices, to exercise more control over some of the devices that reach the market (don't forget that the Nexus family, the only one in which Google played a part, is reserved for very specific user groups, not for the public in general), and, as seems evident, to attack Apple in one of the few areas where it still beats the Android platform: user support.