Google Play isn’t the only place where you can pick up the new Nexus 5 without a contract, but if you decide to shop elsewhere, you’re likely to pay a lot more for it. In the U.K., for example, the 16GB variant costs £299 ($481) direct from Google, but some stores are charging as much as £400 ($643).

This isn’t just a bid to make a quick buck while the handset is sold out on Google Play. The reason for these high prices is that the cost of the Nexus 5 on Google Play actually undercuts the prices retailers must pay to wholesalers.

Google’s text-to-speech engine is now available as a dedicated app on Android, allowing those with devices from third-party manufacturers (with third-party interfaces) to install use the company’s own technology if they choose to. The app will also allow Google to issue text-to-speech updates more easily, without having to bake them into Android system updates.

Last week we reported that Google updated its case offerings for its flagship tablet for 2013, the Nexus 7, by adding two new color variants to its official lineup of neoprene sleeves, but, unfortunately, the company gave us no indication of a launch date for these new accessories.

A mysterious new Nexus tablet, believed to be a Nexus 8, has been spotted on the official Android.com website. The discovery comes after Google updated the page for its new Android 4.4 KitKat release last week, but it seems unlikely this was an accidental leak.

If you have a newer Nexus device, or the Google Edition Galaxy S4 or HTC One, then you won’t have to wait too long for the Android 4.4 KitKat update. But it’s safe to say everyone else is in for a lengthy wait. If you’re already feeling impatient and you want a bite of that KitKat early, then you may be interested to hear you can download and install the new launcher now.