When the Samsung Galaxy Note first arrived last year, quite a few people didn't really know what to make of it. I mean, it looked a great deal like a smartphone, and operated as such, but the sheer size of the device categorized it as something different. The unofficially dubbed "phablet" device has, despite lacking conformity, been a rousing success, and consumers are now looking forward to its successor, set to be announced later this month at Samsung's IFA conference.
A new release of a mobile operating system is always met with a frenzy, and as well as giving the new firmware the once over, consumers are always anxious to learn whether their device will be getting an update, and when.
The introduction of app markets like the iOS App Store and Google's Play Store have undoubtedly been a fantastic addition to the mobile space and have allowed developers to have their software housed and showcased with minimal effort. One of the underlying issues of having so many apps in one place is the visibility, or lack of it, of certain products, meaning it can be extremely difficult for users to find what they are looking for in some cases even though the store is broken down into a set of categories.
If you happen to be one of those people who keep abreast with technology and open-source projects, or additionally just love movies and media in general, then the chances are; you will already be familiar with the extremely popular XBMC application. Over the last few years, XBMC has dramatically risen in popularity, with users loving the fact that it is not only free and open-source, but also cross-platform and extremely powerful. The project itself is supported by a host of volunteers from around the world, and although it is popular on things like the jailbroken Apple TV, it really comes into its own when installed and used on a high-end media PC.
Instagram has managed to make itself one of the most popular and well-known apps on the App Store and Google Play Store, notching up over 80 million registered members on its extremely eventful journey. The Instagram story hasn't been without its set backs, as you might expect from a team of developers venturing into the unknown on a relatively new platform, but with the membership-base growing everyday and the relatively recent acquisition by Facebook, Kevin Systrom and his twelve man team are now able to relax a little as they continue to build the app and grow the Instagram name.
Just a day after it was reported that Android 4.1 Jelly Bean would be coming to Galaxy S III by the end of the month, a completely legit leaked build has been released by the folks over at SamMobile who were, if you remember, responsible for the numerous Ice Cream Sandwich leaks back in the days of the Galaxy S II. For those of you who are willing to risk the safety of their device for the sake of trying out new features, we’ve prepared a guide for flashing the ROM after the jump.
If you’re without a credit card and need to buy apps from Google Play, you’re pretty much out of luck. The lack of gift cards on Google Play forces many young teenagers to adopt alternative methods of getting their paid apps, if you know what I mean. It’s terrible for developers, especially when people want to pay for apps but just can’t.
Of the major mobile operating systems, Android is undoubtedly the most customizable, and as such, there's a large collective of individuals creating apps and showing others how to modify certain aspects of a device. XDA Developers is a great place where the most knowledgeable Android folk gather to share ideas and brainstorm, and some of the most useful apps for Google's mobile operating system have emerged courtesy of the site.
Let me get this out of the way first: the Nexus 7 is not a smartphone, nor is it a tablet designed for incoming / outgoing calls like the original Galaxy Tab from Samsung. The Nexus 7 is a very basic tablet that is meant for doing tasks like surfing the web, socializing on Facebook, Twitter, sending / receiving email, play games, video chat via Skype or Google Talk etc. i.e. nothing to do with phone calls.
Adobe's Flash has come under a lot of scrutiny over the past few years, notably from Apple, whose then-CEO Steve Jobs wrote an open letter outlining his reasons for not implementing it on any of his company's iOS devices. Things have gone downhill from there, and with HTML5 becoming more and more widely-utilized, Flash is most certainly being phased out from our devices.
