Google Flight Search now available in Europe

Previously limited to journeys starting in the U.S., Google Flight Search is making its European debut this morning. Starting today users in UK, France, Italy, Spain or the Netherlands can use Flight Search to compare trips to the hundreds of supported destinations. As well as searching the most affordable travel times and airlines, Flight Search allows you to compare alternative airports in the same country or region, and there's a handy map view to make this a little easier.

Sure, there are many other sites offering this kind of functionality, but Google's implementation is clean and functional. And interestingly, Google seems to use your search and location history to pre-populate the list of "destinations for you," which could be either pretty awesome or pretty creepy depending on your perspective.

Google Flight Search is live now at google.com/flights on the web, and there are full-sized and mobile versions of the site available.

[Source: AndroidCentral]

LG Optimus L9 gets updated to Jelly Bean across Europe

LG's Optimus L9 is getting the jump to Android Jelly Bean. The phone launched last year, running Ice Cream Sandwich. Jelly Bean will mean anyone using an L9 can take advantage of features like Google Now and Google's Advanced Voice Search.

According to the XDA Developers Forum, the update is available now in Australia, Thailand, Germany, the Baltic countries, Spain, Italy, France, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Greece and Hungary. The UK isn't mentioned, but given how many European countries are, I reckon we Brits should have the update imminently.

If you're using an L9, hit the update button and let me know if anything happens.

The L9 leaked over the summer, but didn't go on sale until near the end of the year. It's good to see LG not leaving its more affordable devices out of updates, as Jelly Bean will give the device a new lease of life. It'll also save you upgrading to a phone that runs the latest version of Android out of the box.

The L9 is the flagship of LG's budget L range, sitting above the L7, L5 and L3. It's powered by a dual-core 1GHz processor, with 1GB of RAM and a 2,150mAh battery. It also totes a 4.7-inch screen.

Keen to steal Samsung's thunder, LG announced some new eye-tracking smart phone tech this week, though it won't come to the L9. This pauses videos when you look away, and starts them playing again when it detects you're watching, much like on the Galaxy S4. Pretty nifty. The feature is called Smart Video, and will debut on the super-sized LG Optimus G Pro.

LG also employed some other techniques to try and steal some of Samsung's limelight this week.

[Source: CNET]

Samsung rumored to be launching enormous smartphone with ridiculous name in Europe

Leak season continues, and we're back with Samsung this time around. Sammobile, a usually reliable source of all things Samsung, claims to have received word of a 5.8 inch smartphone from the Korean OEM destined for Europe. The reported name is, ready for this? The Samsung Galaxy Fonblet. 

The device is said to be loosely based around the Samsung Galaxy Player 5.8 PMP that was launched in Korea, only with cellular capabilities. The Galaxy Player 5.8 has a qHD display, and a 3MP rear camera. The bad news is that Sammobile claims the Fonblet is supposed to have the same display. So we're not looking at a high-end, Note 2 beating device. Additionally, it's expected to have dual-sim capabilities -- suggesting emerging European markets might be the target here -- and will come in white. Feels a lot like parts recycling though, if we're honest.

[Source: AndroidCentral]