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.
A Brazilian electronics company by the name of IGB Electronica SA has revealed its intention to release a fleet of Android smartphones under brand "IPHONE", a trademark the company originally applied for all the way back in 2000 in Brazil.
Viber, the extremely popular VoIP application is used by countless iOS users around the world to make calls, start instant message conversations and generally keep in touch with the people that matter most to them directly from the palm of their hands. Version 2.3.0 of Viber is live in the App Store now, and features a number of notable improvements that makes using the app a whole lot more fun and social.
Battery life is undoubtedly one of the most important commodities on any mobile device. Jailbroken devices are often said to use up a lot more power than a stock iOS device, due to the number of MobileSubstrate tweaks running on top, but the new akAuto3G package attempts to actually preserve battery life by shutting down the 3G radio when the device is put to sleep.
As is always the case with beta releases of Apple's mobile operating system, the update is only available to registered developers who are enrolled in the iOS development program. But the additional good news that goes hand-in-hand with the release is that those same developers can also enjoy a tethered jailbreak on iOS 6.1 beta 4 thanks to the always reliable Redsn0w.
Throughout most of the year, the price of most iGadgets scarcely move beyond the occasional $10 or $20 saving at most retail outlets, and even then, said offer usually requires you to grab a gift card for that store. But with the holiday season upon us, the big retailers have come out fighting with some aggressive pricing, and following the discounts offered by Walmart and Target on Apple's coveted iPhone 5, Fry's has sought one-upmanship by offering the handset for just $126.
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.
Cydia is constantly being updated with new packages and enhancements that change the way how iOS devices operate, but it's always nice to see a new tweak land in the store that actually enhances the iOS software. The Speaking Keyboard package is one of those that pretty much does exactly what it says in the title, by bringing text-to-speech functionality directly to the keyboard on the device. The package requires iOS 5 or above and integrates with the built-in keyboard to bring audible letters, words and sentences as the user presses the keys.
There are plenty of iOS device owners out there who love nothing more than jailbreaking their device in order to customize it to its full potential. On the other hand, there is a huge demand for tweaks and enhancements that offer a certain set of functionality without the user really having to do anything. The Fade tweak that has just landed on the BigBoss repository is definitely one of the latter types that requires absolutely no setup whatsoever and just makes itself at home when the user invokes Notification Center.
