When the Apple iPhone first launched in 2007 it came with pretty much the same Messages application that we all know and use so frequently on a daily basis. Apple have obviously come to the conclusion that the current app is powerful enough as the Messages app hasn't really changed much in the six iterations of iOS and although we have seen a few visual changes and the introduction of iMessaging, the app has stayed fairly true to the original release all those years ago. The jailbroken Cydia store does play home to a number of SMS based tweaks and enhancements, with one of the newest being the SMSOptions Pro package.
There is no denying that music plays an extremely important part in a lot of people's lives and is something that is only made better and enhanced by the fact that most of us carry around a mobile smartphone in our pockets that is capable to playing music wherever we are. The iOS App Store is already home to a large number of music based applications, but for those that are a little tired of listening to the same playlist on their device or continuously skipping between the same few tracks then the Figure universal iOS app could provide the perfect solution.
Our lives have become so constantly connected that any given time, we could be using one of multiple devices or computers, all of which are capable of allowing us to complete different tasks. Our smartphones and tablets are probably the most likely candidates for being the hardware that we carry around with us on a day-to-day basis, and although they are extremely powerful pieces of kit, using an iPhone or iPad does come with its limitations. For those that have ever found themselves browsing passionately through the web on their iPhones and coming across a great URL that links to a must-have download, then you will know the pain of not being able to get it right at that point in time. Thankfully, there is a solution in the form of Transloader for iOS and OS X.
The luxury house of the X Factor's Savan Kotecha illustrated just how much of the world we now have at our fingertips. A music producer for the hit TV talent show, he's really kitted his pad out, and a large portion of his gadgets - including electric blinds, cameras and door locks - are all controlled from the comfort of his iPad. Although he spent a fair wad, these kinds of technologies are becoming more and more available to the average consumer, and as Samsung is now demonstrating with its Smart Air Conditioning systems, if it's electronic, it can be controlled by a mobile device.
Apple's iPhone 5 was predicted to be the biggest smartphone release of the year, and so has proven to be the case. The first weekend sales eclipsed that of any other handset released in 2012, but despite high demand, yield issues have prevented the Cupertino company from producing the numbers to adequately meet demand. Initially, those looking to order the iPhone 5 from Apple's online Store were met with a wait of up to four weeks, but with that wait having recently been slashed to one week, the latest and greatest Apple smartphone is now listing as "in stock" in a handful of countries.
As those of you well-travelled will be more than aware, the business of checking in, collecting luggage, waiting around and dealing with cancellations, gate changes and unforeseen delays tends to be part and parcel of the whole experience of catching a flight. To make things easier, there are an abundance of helpful apps purporting to keep us as informed as we need to be, and one of the most popular - FlightBoard - has just gone free for a very limited time only.
As well as creating exciting new titles for gaming fans on smartphones and tablets to enjoy, developers and publishers are seeing more and more value in simply porting old classics through to mobile devices. Not only does a re-release / port press on the nostalgic buttons of those who previously enjoyed said title, but it also forges an all-new army of fans, and the news of Final Fantasy IV arriving soon on iOS and Android will do exactly that once more.
If you've been using your jailbroken iPhone or iPod touch, but needed to get quick access to important information such as the time, date, battery status of the device or just some network based information like what the SSID the phone is connected to, then you will realize the annoyance caused by having to pause or exit the game just to get this relatively simple information. Sure, it isn't life's greatest problem, but the whole point of advanced mobile devices is to make things easier for us, so maybe the Cydia based HUD Pro tweak could be the answer for some people.
Apple's iOS 6 may have enjoyed record levels of adoption in its first couple of months in existence, but one area of the new mobile software sticks in everybody's mind - that dreadful Maps app. Tim Cook apologized for it, iOS SVP Scott Forstall was ousted due (in part) to its shortcomings, and other mapping apps have benefitted greatly as a result. But whilst Cook assures us that his company is doing everything they can to rectify the issue, we perhaps underestimated just how dedicated the Cupertino are to have the best mapping app around. Rather than fix the inaccurate street names and landmark locations within the app, staff have been spotted attempting to change the world's geographical traits to fall in line with iOS Maps!
It's coming up to that time of year again, and to spread a little festive cheer, Apple has updated its 12 Days of Christmas app internationally for 2012. The app, which works on the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, will kick into action from December 26th, delivering a new gift every day until the twelfth day - January 8th.
