For those that believe that Apple's industry leading smartphone is impervious to viral or spyware infections then it would be the right time to brace yourself for some bad news that it just isn't the case. A mobile variant of the commercial FinFisher spyware, produced by the United Kingdom-based Gamma Group, is capable of assuming control of a range of popular smartphones, including those made by Cupertino-based Apple and struggling technology company, Research In Motion (RIM).
If you took the time to sift through Cydia and see what developers have actually released for liberated iOS devices, then you would be amazed at the ingenuity and level of thought that actually goes into producing a tweak. As more and more packages are released, and Apple continues to update iOS, it becomes increasingly difficult to imagine what developers are going to come up with next, but somehow they always manage to find something.
As we all know, despite constant pleas of innocence, Samsung was judged to have indeed infringed on several Apple patents, and a jury - overseen by Judge Lucy Koh - ordered the South Korean company to compensate its Cupertino rival to the tune of over one billion dollars.
When it comes to music discovery, services like Last.fm and Pandora was often the first that come to mind. They are very popular in countries like the U.S., Canada or Europe, but suffer outside them because of the strict licensing rules that they have to follow. Users from outside these countries have to resort to methods like using proxies or VPNs to access and enjoy them.
As we edge ever-closer to the announcement of the next-gen Apple smartphone, the shock value and general interest in leaked hardware has naturally died down, since the form factor of the device - dubbed the iPhone 5 - appears to be a done deal. That said, when some high-quality images surface comparing old and new, it's certainly worth taking a look, and Shenzhen-based parts company via NoWhereWlse.fr has some high-quality images which allegedly show the front plate of the sixth-gen device.
What is it about robots that makes them so darn cool? I believe it is the idea of imparting human-like intelligence (artificial intelligence) to a bunch of electrical and mechanical parts and then controlling it (or letting it do what it is programmed to do) that makes us feel powerful. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes and features: from basic one trick ponies like a toy Transformer to one of those awesome ASIMO robots from Honda.
It doesn't seem to matter where you turn at the minute, it seems pretty much impossible to get away from the Apple vs. Samsung patent trial that has been going on over the last few weeks in a San Jose courtroom. The main trial has come to an end with Apple notching up a pretty astronomical win over their Korean rivals, but even though the overseeing jury have reached and announced their final verdict, it doesn't mean the final word has been spoken on the matter. Additional courtroom dates have already been set for Samsung to attempt to have the injunction on their Galaxy Tab 10.1 overturned, as well as a date in early December for Apple to ask for eight Samsung handsets to be removed from sale.
We all know how powerful mobile smartphones are, a trait that not only applies to the advanced hardware which companies like Samsung, Apple and HTC ship to the public, but also the advanced operating systems that are installed onto that hardware. Apple's iOS has to be one of the most advanced operating systems available for mobile devices, but although the software itself comes bundled with multiple features and options, it is essentially third-party installations that make the devices what they are.
The wild success of the iPhone isn't any secret anymore. The sales figures speak for themselves, the unprecedented interest level in the next iPhone paints its own picture, and the fact that iPhone sales generate more cash than all of Microsoft's products and services put together proves just how big of a smash hit Apple has on their hands with their iOS-powered smartphone. It isn't just one thing that captures the imagination of users when it comes to the iPhone, the whole package manages to pull the punters in and that doesn't seem to end any time soon.
The word innovation is something that is being thrown around the mobile computing and smartphone industries at the moment. Although it generally has an extremely positive meaning, it is currently being used in a rather negative context in discussions, or the lack thereof, within Samsung HQ. Not wanting to get bogged down by recent events between Apple and the Korean electronic giants in San Jose, it's probably time to step away from that trial and concentrate on the wonderful things which both companies are attempting to bring to the marketplace.
