As time progresses, we are moving closer and closer to the eventual announcement and launch of the next-generation iPhone, Apple's much anticipated update to their industry leading smartphone. As is usually the case with hardware evolution from the Cupertino giants, the rumor mill is starting to kick into overdrive with speculation flying around the world wide web about every aspect of the new device, ranging from its physical dimensions to the processors and camera units that will be embedded within.
With the impressive embedded cameras, beautiful Retina multi-touch displays and large internal storage capacities, iOS devices are pretty powerful and portable solutions for photography fans who want to snap images and be able to edit them on the fly before uploading or emailing them for the world to see.
We are all involved in a modern world that is connected through social media and made smaller by gadgets like the iPhone and iPad which allow us all to remain in constant contact with each other. Apple has provided us with the technology to stay connected, but the development community also has a responsibility to provide us with apps that want us to connect to one another and share our interactions.
Anyone who is an avid user of the top of the range smartphone or tablet such as the iPhone 4S, iPad or the new Google Nexus 7 tablet will appreciate the difference that a beautiful looking app can bring. Functional apps are all well and good, after all, we expect a purchase or download to fulfill its purpose but an app that does what it says on the tin while looking beautiful pushes the user-experience to a new level.
Of all the features that arrived when iOS 5 reached the end-user back in October of last year, iMessage has been arguably the most significant, and by now allowing messages to be sent and received in a faster, more secure manner across a variety of platforms, it has to go down as one of the best in the business. Granted, it has its occasional downtime, but it's not bad as is, and with the service also arriving to the Mac with OS X Mountain Lion, it will almost certainly become the sole mode of quick communication to many Apple enthusiasts.
Touch is a now the dominant method of input for mobile devices. Although touchscreen based devices have existed for a long time, they were popularized and made user friendly with the introduction of the iPhone in 2007 and iPad in 2010. In his original iPhone keynote, Steve Jobs categorically stated that if the device requires a stylus, you’re doing something wrong. And we tend to agree with him to some extent, emphasis on extent.
With the on-going development of iOS 6, the production of the next generation iPhone and the rumored smaller iPad, as well as the imminent release of OS X Mountain Lion, Apple has been really scrutinized lately be a Russian researcher who found a way to bypass the in-app purchase process in apps available via the official App Store. The bypass procedure, involving an intermediary server and two iPhone certificates undoubtedly caused an internal headache at Apple and prompted almost immediate action.
Sparrow, the creator of those very popular iOS and OS X applications, has just been acquired by Google, in a move which will certainly raise more than a few eyebrows. Sparrow has dedicated its existence on making some altogether great apps for Apple's platforms, but it is the Big G that has decided to swoop for the start-up, and Sparrow will now join the Gmail team to "accomplish a bigger vision."
When it comes to the world of jailbreaking and the associated tweaks that are housed within Cydia, history has shown us that small and easy to use packages can sometimes be the best and most fun to use and interact with. There are always exceptions to this and there might come an instance when a little depth is required, but the tweaks that offer a quick and fun solution to something generally have a lot of mileage in them.
Apart from having a sense of glee and excitement every time we unlock the device, one thing all iOS device owners have in common is the fact that we have to contend with the environmental elements on a daily basis. Once upon a time, we used to gauge the weather based on the time of year and what season we were in, but those days are long gone with mother nature becoming increasingly erratic over what weather conditions she dishes out.
