It's been a busy day for Dropbox by all accounts, with the cloud storage company having earlier on released an Android version of the Mailbox app it acquired for $100 million last year. Underlining its intention to mix it with the major players in mobile space, Dropbox has released a new photo and image gallery app called Carousel for both Android and iOS, which makes it very easy for users to share their memories with friends and family.
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Siri may have become something of a modern cult figure since its introduction alongside the iPhone 4s back in 2011, but with the big announcement of Windows Phone 8.1 last week, Microsoft also took the wraps off Cortana, its very own Siri alternative. Given the very nature of the mobile market, we know that competition will be fierce, and as per a very funny, mocked-up parade of the respective voice assistants on an American chat show, the blue touchpaper has already been well and truly lit.
The fact that Dropbox forked out a cool $100 million to acquire Mailbox last year is a testament to how highly regarded the app is, but while it's now seen as the go-to email solution for those rocking an iOS device, the fact that it's only available on the iTunes App Store is very limiting. But when a company pays such vast sums of money to acquire something, expansion is generally forthcoming, and as such, it shouldn't come as a surprise that Dropbox has released the Mailbox app for Android, as well as announcing a desktop version.
Microsoft finally released its long-awaited update to the Windows 8.1 operating system on Tuesday, and while the original Windows 8 build was very much focused around the touch-based future of the OS, Windows 8.1 Update 1 has brought quite a few optimizations for those on the traditional desktop. As has been discussed quite a lot during the past couple of days, Windows 8.1 Update 1 makes it much easer for keyboard and mouse users to navigate their way around, and to help ease consumers into the new software, Microsoft has released a series of walkthrough videos.
Even though Apple doesn't tend to announce new iPhones until the fall of each year, we've already heard a lot of information with regards to the so-called iPhone 6. Notably, the consensus seems to be that the Cupertino will deliver two variants of the forthcoming handset - one packing a 4.7-inch display, and a further model boasting a panel in excess of 5.5 inches. We've also heard, however, that the larger of these two releases will be delayed until next year, and a new report out of Taiwan also appears to suggest that only one will be available in time for the purported September release bracket.
Towards the end of March, a few schematic leaks emerged detailing 4.7-inch and 5.7-inch iPhone models. At the time, it was reckoned that said documents outlined supposed lower-end, 'iPhone 6c' devices, but now, one designer has put together some renders of what these handsets might look like if treated to the premium, flagship design language.
The Samsung Galaxy S5 is just a few days from releasing, but some lucky individuals have managed to get their hands on the device earlier than billed. But while many of those with early access have given us a run-through of the numerous features that Samsung has bundled into the new handset - something we are certainly grateful for - others have used their privileged access to the new hardware to satisfy an appetite for destruction. It's certainly arguable that the videos that invent elaborate ways to destroy gleaming new devices are the most enjoyable of all, and a couple of new clips showing a hammer and a boiling water tests only further emphasize this point.
When it comes to the promotion of a new product, manufacturers seem obsessed by the idea of paid celebrity endorsements, but while this has proven problematic on many occasions, HTC has once again drafted in actor Robert Downey Jr. to help with the promotion push of its new One M8 smartphone. The rather humorous ad spot sees Downey talk briefly about how great the device is, before strongly advising - in a little bit of Old English - that you should go out and grab your very own as soon as possible.
Samsung is not a company that you'd say is unfamiliar with litigation, but while the Korean outfit tends to find itself in court accused by Apple of patent infringement, the Galaxy S5 maker has reportedly sued a newspaper of its native tongue for posting some unflattering coverage of its upcoming flagship. Given that the Galaxy S4 didn't sell as well as the company had hoped, there's added pressure on its successor to make amends, but while negative reviews certainly don't help matters, Samsung's decision to respond by means of a lawsuit does seem a tad extreme.
After well over a decade of service, Microsoft has officially ended support for Windows XP, meaning that no further updates will be released from here on in.
