The consumer electronics industry has always represented a huge business sector for companies, but with devices like smartphones and tablet PCs being such big news, around the world it has never seen as a big a growth as it is currently seeing. It seems that a day can't go by without a new Apple or Samsung product being talked about or speculated on, with the Cupertino and Korea-based companies leading the way when it comes to smartphone and tablet production.
JoinedDecember 18, 2011
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A technology enthusiast, former software developer, and current Head of Quality and Testing at a leading SaaS company. A developer of multiple apps. A lover of pleasing people and a believer in being your authentic self.
I imagined that when Apple first started developing the Siri software to be distributed with the iPhone 4S handset, they would have hoped that the intelligent voice assistant would be taken to the hearts of users and quickly become an integral part of their mobile lives. After all, this isn't just some bonus feature or application which offers a small amount of entertainment before being discarded in the never-to-be-used-again pile. Siri is deeply integrated into the operating system, meaning that going forward; we are likely to see enhanced abilities as well as inclusion on all new devices brining Siri to a much wider audience.
It seems that if you are the type of person who has a particular interest in watching competing technology companies go head to head in a legal battle, then Germany, or more specifically, Munich Regional Courts is the place where you should be. It is no secret that patent infringement cases have been sprouting up all over the place, with companies like Motorola Mobility, Apple and Samsung all trying desperately to get one up on each other through the legal system and strike a victory blow in the tense battle for smartphone domination.
We have recently seen quite a lot of excitement being created over the release of Google Chrome in beta for Android smartphones, with users experiencing genuine delight at the thought of being able to use one of the world’s most popular browsers on their mobile device. Owners of the Apple iPhone haven't been lucky enough to get a feature packed browser like Chrome, but for the most part, Mobile Safari does an excellent job of offering a very rich browsing experience which keeps users relatively happy.
It was only yesterday morning that the Microsoft team held an event at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and announced that the Windows 8 Consumer Preview, essentially a prerelease version of Windows 8, would be made available immediately for public download. Windows 8 was described by Microsoft was "Windows reimagined", which sounds awfully familiar to the "Inspired by iPad, reimagined for Mac" tagline that Apple are muttering with their Mountain Lion OS.
The guys over at OnLive Inc. have been a busy bunch of individuals, bringing us the iPad launch of their OnLive Desktop application a few days ago, and today releasing the Android version of the software which is now available in the Android Market. A lot of you may hear OnLive and relate it to the ability to stream video games without the need for a PlayStation 3 or an Xbox 360, and you'd be right. The company are also responsible for that gaming platform but have also extended their cloud services further in recent months.
We can all sit back comfortably knowing that in the next few days the Apple rumor train, which has been rife recently, will soon descend back into the station, at least until we start nearing another product launch. In the last few days we were treated to reports which surrounded a leaked photograph of what was believed to be the front glass and digitizer for the soon to be announced third generation iPad. If the images found on the Sina Weibo, the Chinese Twitter equivalent, do represent the front panel for the new Apple tablet then it would appear that not a great deal has changed aesthetically other than the connection ribbon.
The majority of iOS device owners who choose to go down the root of jailbreaking, do so because of the functionality enhancements that it can provide. By installing Cydia as a byproduct of the jailbreak process, users are presented with a near endless supply of tweaks and modifications which can dramatically improve the already excellent user experience of an iPhone or iPad. One such tweak that can provide this enhanced experience is the one that we are pretty sure most community members have heard of, comes from developer Grant Paul (chpwn)and goes by the name of 'Zephyr'.
All eyes have been firmly fixed on the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona over the last few days as consumers watch eagerly to see what technology-related goodness is set to hit the shelves in the coming weeks and months. So far we have seen Symbian smartphones with whopping 41-megapixel cameras, a tablet device which comes equipped with a stylus, and a Samsung Beam smartphone which has the ability to project images, videos and presentations onto any surface. Exciting stuff.
The media, consumers, Apple fans and retail staff workers are all counting the days until Apple’s media event, of which we are still confident will bring us some new product goodness, obviously it will. We have been hearing rumors over the last few weeks about possible technical specifications of the new iPad tablet, as well as the possibility that Apple could announce a second product during the event, possibly a new Apple TV set top box.
