Facebook is already the biggest social network on the planet, but that doesn't mean it has everything its own way. For every user that actively updates their feeds with new content for their friends to read, there must be many, many more that simply visit Facebook in order to keep up with what their old school pals are doing.
It may have taken the Cupertino based company a while to get there, but Apple has officially rolled out two-step verification for those users who have an active Apple ID (iTunes, App Store, iCloud etc). The initiative is essentially a process that makes it a lot more difficult for those with scrupulous morals to get access to someone else's Apple ID by implementing an additional security element. Those who are keen to implement an additional security layer will find that making purchases or logging into the ID on a new device will trigger an authentication process that takes the shape of a four-digit code entry.
As a music fanatic, I am always looking for new ways to enjoy my favorite artists on my mobile devices. For me, it's all about minimalism and functionality, and it's a motif to which the awesomely-named developer WhazCool also appears to subscribe. Its MorningTunes app is not only striking in terms of UI, but actually proposes a very intuitive system which purports to understand your collection of music.
Final Fantasy V is headed to iOS and Android devices in Japan before the end of the month, and although there's no word on the official release for fans residing in the United States, it would seem likely to follow shortly thereafter.
Making phone calls, checking emails and browsing the web are some of the more useful features of Apple's range of iOS powered gadgets, but the introduction of iMessage meant that even iPod touch and iPad owners can send and receive messages to users who are running iOS 5 and above.
If you take a second to launch the iOS App Store and check out the top paid and free charts, it becomes immediately apparent how successful mobile based gaming has become on Apple's range of iOS devices. We've seen time and time again that some of the biggest app launches that attract the most attention come from established and independent game developers and have managed to thrust mobile based gaming directly into the limelight.
For some, the natural progression from the standalone camera has been to utilize the ever-improving shooters of their smartphones. Tablets, while considered principally similar to their smaller counterparts, are seen as less ideal for taking pictures and shooting video, for obvious reasons (hint: awkwardness in public). This is understandable really, since they're less convenient to carry around, and vendors tend to favor smartphones when it comes to the quality of snapper. However, with its new YouTube Capture app for the iPad, Google is looking to buck this trend, instead seeking to encourage users to use their tablets in order to create videos.
Apple is a company which rarely takes the easy route and conforms to trends in the market just for the sake of keeping up an appearance. This individual approach to the design and development of new products and services has served them well in the past, but has also meant they have come under fire from investors and analysts who believe they may get left behind as they look for the next big innovation. One of the latest key features that is set to be introduced in the next wave of smartphones and tablets is wireless charging, and although Apple have spoken out about this in the past, it looks like they could be in the process of coming up with a solution of their own for future iPad tablets.
Since releasing iOS 6.1, Apple has slowly but surely been working on improvements. iOS 6.1.1 beta was seeded shortly after iOS 6.1 had reached the public domain, but because iOS 6.1.1 and 6.1.2 had to be hurriedly released to the public to see to a number of bugs and security flaws, the next beta was renamed iOS 6.1.3 beta 2, in an attempt to restore some kind of order. Today, rather than releasing iOS 6.1.3 beta 3, the Cupertino company has instead pushed out the update to Maps for those boasting an iOS device - the same updates first seen in those earlier betas.
Throughout the history of iOS, several third-party browsers have made it to the platform, although the built-in Safari browser is the only one that can be integrated deeply into the system. At a panel at SXSW, a conference taking place in Texas, Mozilla Vice-President of Product Jay Sullivan made it clear that Firefox will not be making its way to iOS until Apple opens up to third-party browsers.
