As part of the plan to bring the full-sized 9.7-inch iPad in line with the recently released iPad mini, Apple is reportedly planning to announce and release the fifth-generation of their popular tablet in March of 2013. The speculated release date is notable due to the fact that it would come only five months after the current model iPad was introduced, and would effectively mean that the Cupertino based company will have launched the third, fourth and fifth-generation models in one twelve month cycle.
I think we all understand the emotive human desire to spend the holiday season with our loved ones and the people that are closest to us but unfortunately it isn't always possible to share the festive season in person with those who matter most. Apple's latest iPad and iPad mini TV ad that has just surfaced today shows that the company not only understands that we can't always connect in person with the important people but that the 9.7 and 7.9-inch tablets make great digital companions that can act as a gateway to the people we love through the FaceTime protocols.
WhatsApp messenger is considered the de facto instant messaging app for many mobile device users, but since its mystical powers don't yet - if indeed they ever will - stretch to the Apple iPad, many users of the Cupertino slab utilized the array of alternatives out there. One such app is imo Messenger, and today, it has been updated, offering a whole host of new and exciting features.
Once upon a time, it was extremely easy to gift an app to a loved one directly from the iOS App Store. It was a simple case of selecting the Gift App button, and then passing in the relevant details of the recipient. Payment would then be removed from the registered payment method held against the account and everyone would go on their way, happy in the knowledge that the gift of giving had been accomplished satisfactorily. For some reason, Apple changed the giving game with the introduction of iOS 6, and actually removed the facility entirely from the App Store for a while, but thankfully it is now back.
Electronic Arts and Gameloft are big developers in the gaming industry, and as veterans of many a great title, many of us look forward to the holiday period in the hope that the company will deliver another wave of great savings on some of its best. That has once more proven to be the case, as most of EA's and Gameloft's best titles are now free or down to just $0.99. Details - and a list of those games available on the cheap - can be found after the break.
Microsoft may be planning to bring its revered Office productivity suite to a bunch of new devices in the near future, but hitherto, a service by the name of CloudOn has allowed consumers to use the software on their mobile devices. Today, CloudOn has been updated to version 3.0, and among the refinements in usability, it now boasts support for the iPhone, iPad mini, as well as the Google / ASUS Nexus 7.
The iPhone, iPod touch and iPad are fantastic and powerful devices. We get that, we really do. However, we should all know by now that smartphones like the iPhone have transcended from just being a typical mobile phone, and act more as portable mini computers when we can't be near our laptop or desktop computer. Having that power with us all the time to be able to browse the web, play games or instantly check email is fantastic, but unfortunately, it also brings computer-related issues like locking up, becoming unresponsiveness or getting stuck with a troublesome app on the screen.
In its efforts to continue updating and improving iOS, Apple has just released iOS 6.0.2 exclusively for the iPhone 5 and iPad mini. Unlike other earlier versions of 6th-gen iOS, this one is tailored especially to the new iPhone 5 and iPad mini. More details after the break.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City was one of the most eagerly-anticipated releases this holiday for iOS, and with good reason. The tenth anniversary re-release of the iconic original title was teased on numerous occasion by Rockstar, and when it finally made an appearance on December 6th, I - like many Vice City fans - excitedly went over to the App Store and parted with the cash. Unfortunately, unlike the remake of GTA III last year, the launch has left many users noting of numerous bugs, and so instead of spending the past ten days celebrating the landmark launch, Rockstar has been working hard to iron out the lingering bugs. Today, version 1.1 of Vice City has been released to the App Store, and as per the changelog, most of the problems should now have been solved.
Considering we are right in the middle of the festive season, it shouldn't really come as any great surprise when developers take the plunge and reduce the price of some of their wares for a limited period of time. Australian based Halfbrick Studios has been hit with a fairly large dose of festive spirit, much to the benefit of iPhone and iPad owners. For the next 24-hours, the development outfit from down under have made all of their fantastic iOS games entirely free of charge as their gift to the Apple hardware owning community.
