It's bad enough that, at least on most commercial flights, there's no hope of any Web access, and yet, whenever we board a plane ready to take-off or prepare ourselves to land, we're always urged to switch our devices off by the captain. Of course, this is rather a minor annoyance compared with the potential ramifications of interfering with any of the plane's essential equipment, and through what most would deem a very remote fear of crashing should we not abide by the rules, most of us oblige, and simply turn our devices off. But now, the FAA has approved the use of electronics during the entire duration of a flight, and with Delta Airlines looking to put the new motion into action as of tomorrow, you'll be able to enjoy Candy Crush and Lady Gaga uninterrupted through your journey.
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Android 4.4 KitKat is, according to the general consensus, almost ready for prime time, and as such, we're hearing new snippets of information at regular intervals. Today, it has emerged that version 4.4 of Google's mobile software will not only bring support for the lower-end of the mobile market, but also offer compatibility to wearable gadgets, such as the search company's purported smartwatch effort.
We're so heavily reliant on our smartphones nowadays when out-and-about, that when we're stuck somewhere with limited or no connectivity, it's almost as if the rug has been pulled from beneath us.
The release of GTA V has proved that despite the small matter of the next-gen console battle upcoming, there's still life in both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 yet. Sales of the current generation machines may have spiked slightly in light of Rockstar's record-breaking title, but with little under a month to go before we see the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 hit the retail market, it's high time we focused our attentions on these two major releases. Infinity Ward's Mark Rubin has just delivered some stonking news for Call of Duty fans by noting that Ghosts, the latest addition to the popular franchise, will run natively at 1080p on the PlayStation 4, and will be upscaled from 720p to full HD on Xbox One.
Apple's iOS includes a wide range of stock apps to help users get through their digital day, and many iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users swear by the likes of the Calendar and Reminders apps. But despite the native utilities doing the job for a large portion of iDevice owners, third-party offerings have still continued to thrive, and one such app -- Fantastical -- has been downloaded many thousands of times thanks to its slick user interface and well thought-out features. Today, maker Flexibits has come through with the sequel to the popular first release, and as you might expect, Fantastical 2 is packed to the gills with great features and general improvements.
Facebook's Messenger app has come along in leaps and bounds over the past twelve months, and today, the Menlo Park-based social company has announced a substantial update to the Android version of the app, with the iOS version being in the pipeline for an update as well. As well as affording the IM app a few aesthetic touch-ups, it would seem as though Mark Zuckerberg's team is seeking to further differentiate it from the standard Facebook app by placing more emphasis on messaging itself.
In the grand scheme of Android releases, 4.4 KitKat mightn't be a great deal to write home about, but with the Nexus 5 also a part of the deal, we've reason to be somewhat excited. Today, the official KitKat YouTube channel has been given an update with a new video entitled "magic," and although it doesn't give too much away regarding the software's features, it does serve to whet the appetites of Android users far and wide. Check it out after the break.
The iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c may only have been around for a short time, but already, the rumor mill is abuzz with talk of the iPhone 6. In the run-up to the release of the last few iPhones, we've heard that Apple would be going with a larger display, and although the iPhone 5 did somewhat break the long-standing mold, it's yet to compete with the many 5-inch+ Android devices and soon, Windows Phone devices on the market. This could be all about to change with the next iPhone, though, with a new report suggesting that the device, which will probably be launched next September, will include a larger, 1080p display.
Windows 8.1 and OS X Mavericks may be the two foremost operating systems available at desktop level, but they weren't always as slick, intuitive and feature-rich as they appear in the present day. Over the past 30+ years, the respective OSes for PC and Mac have seen many changes, and although we certainly couldn't go through a day using the old software from the eighties, nostalgic heads will probably want to check out an interesting Web-based emulator that runs both Windows 1.01 And Mac OS System 7. It's certainly a bit of a throwback, and even if you're not perhaps old enough to remember either of these vintage release, it's definitely worth taking a peek.
The great thing about Google's Android, is that it's inherently hackable, and even those bits of exclusive software specific to one device invariably wind up dissected and ported through to other smartphones and tablets on the market. The Galaxy Note 3 may well be Samsung's latest premium handset, but the Galaxy S4 remains the flagship, and with so many more consumers in ownership of this summer's blockbuster, it's good to see work being done to bring the Note 3's exclusives over to the main event. The latest feature to make its way to the S4 is the camera app, and thanks to the work of the guys at XDA-Developers, installing it on your own handset is fairly painless. Details, as ever, can be found after the break.
