Mobile Mobile

When the HTC Butterfly (better known as the Droid DNA here in the US) launched in China several months ago, it was soon followed by a companion device called the HTC Mini. This accessory -- not to be confused with HTC's One mini -- is basically designed to be a Bluetooth handset and remote control for the larger smartphone. It features NFC for pairing, plus a numeric keypad and monochrome LCD. What's more intriguing, however, is that UK retailer Clove recently outed an update to the product -- the HTC Mini+ -- which gains an IR blaster and the ability to remote control a variety of TVs, along with HTC's Media Link HD. The companion device is expected to be available soon fort £54.16 (about $83) before taxes.

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Sure, LG's set to unveil the G2 tomorrow, but the firm's handset has made a surprise appearance on the eve of its official coming out party. @evleaks has snagged a press shot of a device that matches the reported G2 we've seen in covert photos and video, a leaked manual and promotional shots. The image doesn't bring any revelations, but it does give us an even clearer view of the hardware we'll see in just a few hours. Soon enough, we'll get to know the smartphone better than its case.

Update: @evleaks has dished out another picture of the phone, giving us an unobstructed view of its face. Head past the break for the photo.

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Got an itchy update trigger finger? If so, your Windows Phone is patiently awaiting. Skype for WP8 just been refreshed to version 2.9, which offers up a couple UI enhancements that should be pretty useful. First, you'll now be able to filter your People list so that you can choose to view only Skype contacts if you prefer; there's also a new contact layout within the app that lets you see more people on one screen. On top of this, you'll also benefit from the obligatory bug fixes and speed improvements -- after all, who doesn't love fewer bugs and getting things done faster? If you do, head straight for the Store and get up to date.

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Say what you will about Microsoft's ecosystem struggles, but no one can fault it for trying. In an effort to get more developers to give Windows Phone 8 more than a passing glance, the outfit has just launched a beta version of Windows Phone App Studio -- a web-based dev environment that's "designed to help anyone quickly bring an idea to life by applying text, web content, imagery, and design concepts to any one of a rich set of customizable templates." Moreover, Microsoft is now allowing any dev to unlock and register a single phone to use with up to two apps, and it's also offering a $19 "Summer Break" Dev Center registration offer for those looking to actually publish software to the store. Finally, a new "Click To Chat" support program is being instituted to help those who can't quite seem to overcome a programming hurdle. Take a look at the company's blog post for the full skinny.

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Generally Vertu phones are much flashier in real life than in basic diagrams, but we'll take what we can get -- especially when it comes to phones that haven't actually been officially announced (or rumored) yet. The set of lines, boxes and numbers you see above is the Vertu Constellation V, a device we actually haven't heard anything about. But here it is, receiving FCC approval; the phone sports AT&T and T-Mobile HSPA+ and GSM / EDGE, dual-band WiFi (802.11a/b/g/n), NFC and Bluetooth 4.0. We'd wager that this is the luxury phone company's next Android handset (second after the Ti), and it'll probably cost more than the monthly rent.

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iOS and Android users should be seeing an update to the official Twitter app on their devices today, and there are a few enhancements to the app's login verification process as well as a few feature changes. First, the security-based improvements: you're able to enroll in login verification and approve login requests directly from the app, with no SMS messages required. It all revolves around push notifications, so your phone number isn't even necessary; you'll also enjoy international support, details about location and browser, backup codes and more. Additionally, social context is now included with the search menu, which allows you to see how you're connected to various users, and there's also a new photo gallery in search that can be accessed by pressing "view more photos" in your search results. Lastly, the iOS app has a few tweaks of its own: you'll be able to see the same photo gallery UI on user profiles so you can see all of a specific account's images, and you can also manage lists within the app itself. Check out the official blog for more details.

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It seems like Apple just rolled out its iOS 7 beta 4 -- and its bevy of bug fixes -- to developers, but Cupertino is already seeding the next build. The iOS 7 beta 5 is available as an OTA download via Software Update, and we imagine it will bring even more performance tweaks this time around. Registered devs can hit up the source link to learn more, while the rest of us will have to be content with knowing the mobile OS must be getting pretty close to a public release.

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The HTC One has seen a few different colors in its days -- silver, black and "glamour red" come to mind -- but we haven't actually seen one of the company's flagships in blue until now. It appears that this rumored blue variant is about to get official, though: that press render up there comes courtesy of leakster @evleaks, who claims the phone should be showing up sometime this year. We're not seeing any carrier branding, which indicates that it would likely be released in other parts of the world besides the US, such as Europe, but we certainly don't want to rule out a possible appearance on this side of the Atlantic either.

Update: PhoneArena is reporting that the blue-colored One has been seen in Verizon's internal systems, so it's possible we will indeed see this particular color option here in the states. [Thanks all!]

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When you set up your Android phone with a secure unlock mode, it often means giving up app shortcuts. You won't have to make that sacrifice if Google implements a newly granted US patent, however. The technique lets device owners complement a basic pattern unlock with multiple customizable patterns that launch specific apps, such as the camera or dialer. It's a simple concept. The question is whether or not Google will ever use it -- when Android 4.3 still relies on a conventional pattern unlock, it's clear that the company isn't in a big rush.

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Considering how popular Nokia's Series 40 handsets are worldwide, it should come as no surprise that the platform is finally getting a dedicated LinkedIn client. The app, which is available on the Nokia Store for free, is designed specifically for Series 40 touch phones like the sexy new Asha 501 (it also supports the Asha 305, 306, 308, 309, 310 and 311). Existing users can update their LinkedIn stream, manage their inbox, search their network and check their profile, while new users can sign up right from the login screen. LinkedIn for Series 40 comes hot on the heels of last month's Foursquare client and joins the existing Symbian and Windows Phone apps. Check the source links below for more info.

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Like to tempt fate? Then you might want to check out Send Me To Heaven, the Android app that uses your phone's accelerometers to track how high it travels when thrown upward. Assuming you don't fumble your handset on its return trip, its distance will join that of other daredevils on the game's leaderboards. That's all there is to it. Really. According to Kotaku, Apple pulled the game from iTunes because it encourages "behavior that could result in damage to the user's device." We've reached out to developer Carrot Pop for comment on Apple's actions and will update this post if we hear back. In the meantime, do you feel lucky?

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The evidence keeps piling up for a Samsung smartwatch that has yet to materialize. Most recently, Dutch site Galaxy Club uncovered a US trademark filing for "Samsung Galaxy Gear" that was published at the end of July. Though a separate application for "Samsung Gear" was submitted in late June, the latest paperwork manages to be a bit more concise and potentially revealing. The documents submitted to Uncle Sam describe an object using the "Gear" moniker as such:

Wearable digital electronic devices in the form of a wristwatch, wrist band or bangle capable of providing access to the Internet and for sending and receiving phone calls, electronic mails and messages; wearable electronic handheld devices in the form of a wristwatch, wrist band or bangle for the wireless receipt, storage and/or transmission of data and messages and for keeping track of or managing personal information; smart phones; tablet computers; portable computers

Sure, the language focuses largely on a high-tech, wrist-worn device, but hardware bearing the "Gear" name could just as likely be a phone or tablet. Of course, JK Shin and Co. could even be staking claim to the alias without concrete plans for a particular product. Maybe we'll be able to put all this guessing behind us after the South Korean manufacturer's September 4th event -- but we wouldn't bet on it.

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