iOS users have been tripping over themselves to pour scorn on Apple's lackluster Maps offering, and even though Tim Cook released a public apology for the disastrous native app, consumers are still waiting to see most of the promised improvements bear fruit. Many have pined for Google to bring a app that at least gives the same functionality as the pre-iOS 6 version of iOS Maps to iOS 6, and although that may seem a simple enough concept, Google has been dragging its heels somewhat. Now though, it has emerged that a native Google Maps app could reach the App Store by the end of the year, and as the Wall Street Journal reports, the Mountain View-based search giant is applying the finishing touches before submitting.
The rumor and speculation with regards to the future direction of Apple TV has been somewhat quiet recently, but James Kisner, analyst at Jefferies & Co., has reignited the debate by suggesting the release of a new device is imminent. Citing "discussions with industry contacts," Kisner believes a new Apple TV is just around the corner, with “at least one major N. American MSO” currently trying to ascertain how much network space it would need to free up in order to accommodate the new product.
Although preceded by Windows Phone 7.x, the perception is that Windows Phone 8 is Microsoft's first real stab at today's mobile market. The experimental phase has now passed, and the Redmond company is all set to launch its assault on Android and iOS with its new improved ecosystem and to begin with, the Surface. Naturally, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has stepped out and criticized his two main rivals, and while he calls the Android ecosystem "wild" and "uncontrolled," he also states Apple's iOS is is as highly-priced as it is controlled.
Aside from the issue with Maps not quite living up to the high standards of consumers, the iOS 6 has been fairly incident-free thus far, but while it may have been adopted in record numbers, a major bug has been discovered with the new Apple mobile software. Although it is said to have been amended in iOS 6.0.1, those on 6.0 could be susceptible to a bug in the AV Framework which causes podcasts and audio streams to download more than once, potentially leading to significant data overages for those downloading over a cellular connection.
Apple and Samsung may require the help of a courtroom, judge and jury settle many of their differences, but when you consider what is at stake, perhaps the number of court cases and lawsuits isn't so disproportionately high after all. The two titans of the smartphone market now account for a whopping 46.5 percent of global smartphone sales according to a quarterly report by analytics firm Gartner, and in bad news for rivals, it doesn't look as though the dominance is about to plateau any time soon.
Although the fourth-gen iPad has been on sale for a couple of weeks now, the Wi-Fi + Cellular model has yet to surface. As is often the case, the fruit company has readied the Wi-Fi model and already sold countless units of the iPad 4, but the 3G / 4G LTE version has been slightly delayed. If you've been waiting on the cellular iteration, you'll be pleased to learn that some Apple Stores have just started stocking up, and although nothing has been officially uttered with regards to when they'll be available for purchase, they could feasibly go on sale at any point as of now.
The iPad mini is a highly sought-after device, and if you thought the $329 starting price was a little steep, things just got a whole lot more expensive. London-based Gold and Co. has released a limited edition set of 250 24kt gold iPad minis, so if you have lots of disposable cash and want to offload it somewhere, this looks like a viable avenue.
In terms of holiday season gifts, those of generations past may have received little more than an orange in a sock, but nowadays, electronic gadgets are at the very top of most people's "want lists." In anticipation of this, Apple puts out its "perfect gift guide" annually to help consumers decide which iPhone, iPad, iPod, or MacBook to purchase, and today, that day has arrived once again.
Scott Forstall was recently relieved of his post as Senior Vice President of iOS software at Apple, and will now serve in an advisory role until his eventual departure from the Cupertino in early 2013. While exact details as to why Forstall has been deemed surplus to requirements have yet to be properly revealed, it's widely believed he had a fiery personality which didn't sit well with some of his colleagues, and after allegedly refusing to apologize for the dire Maps app of iOS 6, it's thought Apple felt it better to remove Forstall from the executive team.
Whenever a new iOS device releases into the wild, Apple works hard to ensure its software its up to scratch, and any lingering bugs are identified and eradicated post-haste. Aside from the obvious issue of iOS 6 Maps, the release of the latest and greatest mobile firmware from Apple has been relatively incident-free, and having released iOS 6 beta 1 to developers only ten days ago, iOS 6 beta 2 has now been released.
