The technology industry seems to be overflowing at the moment with discussions related to whether or not smart watches are a particularly good idea and feasible piece of consumer tech that will stand the test of time. The Pebble E-Paper watch managed to raise a staggering $10 million through its Kickstarter funding, a total that all but confirms consumers are ready for an intelligent watch that can adapt and change depending on the owner and the devices that they own. Although we have subsequently seen a number of smart watches appearing in recent months, we now have a Google inspired concept design coming from design Adrian Maciburko.
If big stories in tech are your forté, 2012 will have been a real treat. This year has had it all - buyouts, lawsuits, great releases, and of course, great fails. Here, we round up these past twelve months with a quick look back at the revelations that had us all fixated.
Android is constantly a target for those looking to spread malware, and the latest - discovered by Russian security outfit Doctor Web - is probably one of the more significant to date. Arriving in the form of a trojan, it can aid the loathed Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, while also housing the ability to send spam SMS messages and receive commands from the criminals behind them.
Remember when Google blindsided most of the mobile industry with their $12.5 billion acquisition of Motorola Mobility? Well, it seems like they are actually in the process of putting their extremely expensive purchase to good use, with The Wall Street Journal reporting that they are working hard on an advanced smartphone that is referred to internally as the “X Phone”.
The fact that the Google Maps app is sitting at the top of the iOS download charts, it shows that iOS users definitely have a need for a fully-functional maps app that is built on top of extensive and accurate location data. Despite its somewhat insane popularity, iOS still uses the stock Apple Maps app for all direction requirements that are passed through to it via Siri.
As with Apple and the 12 Days of Christmas app, Google has launched its own festive goodie bag for those running its flagship Android mobile operating system. Today arrives the very first in a series of savings and giveaways on things like apps, games, books, TV shows, music and movies, and the surprise calendar countdown begins with a $35 credit for Hotel Tonight.
The Nexus line up of devices has always received the prime cut of all that is Android, be it OTA updates, developer attention, mods and custom recoveries, root procedures and whatnot, and that, too, before the rest of the Android lot. This holds true not just for the smartphone showcase, but the tablets, too, since Google decided to enter that market itself. Generally, all the Nexus devices have been at the top of the Android food chain, as it was at the times of their respective releases. Their Achilles’ Heel, however, has always been their cameras, where the units mounted atop the Nexus devices were either inadequate or low performing, resulting in a loss of the battle in the mobile photography arena. Indeed, even mid-range droids had a better camera sensor as compared to the one built into, say, Galaxy Nexus.
Although Google is responsible for the upkeep, maintenance and development of the Android operating system, they have been making serious waves in the iOS world over the last 24-four hours with the expected release of their brand new Maps app for the iPhone and iPod touch. Users have been expecting Google to release their own iOS based mapping solution ever since it was announced that Apple would be rolling their own Maps application as part of iOS 6, but Google has taken things a little step further by also making their Maps SDK publicly available for iOS developers to include in their projects.
The wait is over. Months after Google Maps found itself unceremoniously kicked off of iOS 6 devices, Google's mapping software is back with a vengeance.
If you’re an Android user and at all interested in modding your device, playing around with custom firmware, trying different recoveries, manipulating your device’s bootloader, or anything that falls under the umbrella of advanced usage, you are bound to have come across the term “ADB”. Abbreviation for Android Debug Bridge, ADB for the uninitiated, provides a terminal/command-line-based interface for interaction between your computer and Linux-based Android device. Packaged as a part of the platform tools in Android Software Development Kit (SDK), ADB allows app developers to tamper the internal components of the operating system; ones that are not available to the user otherwise. Since modding a firmware often deals with changing parts of the system, ADB is essential to gain those abilities.
