One of major reasons why smartphone enthusiasts opt for Android over other mobile OSes like iOS and Windows Phone 8 is because of Android’s relatively open nature. It allows users to customize every facet of their phone while iOS doesn’t, even with powerful theming systems like DreamBoard and WinterBoard in place. Android enthusiasts are often heard installing “Custom ROMs” on their devices; these modified versions of Android OS are cooked up by passionate and dedicated developers in their free time and we’ve mentioned some of the most popular ones after the break.
Windows operating systems have seen additions of several highly useful features throughout the evolution cycle of the OS. From Windows XP to Windows 7 was the most major leap that the Redmond company ever made, both in aesthetics and in the feature set that the operating system had to offer. Jump lists, aero Snap and dynamic search are just some examples that one can quote in this context. However, that doesn’t mean that highly revered features didn’t exist prior to that. Windows XP was the first operating system to introduce Hibernation, and beyond doubt, that was one of the most useful power features that the operating system came with, allowing the user to save the state of the whole machine when powering it down, and consequently resuming work much faster than a cold start.
Thanks to services like Valve's Steam and EA's Origin, accessing new and exciting games is easier than it's ever been. Not only do these online portals make everything just that tad bit more convenient and streamlined, but it's also cheaper, and to offer even more value to customers, EA has kicked off a new monthly giveaway of popular titles. The free-game-a-month extravaganza commences with Dead Space, and if you're interested, you'll have to hurry since the deal will only run for the next couple of days.
The iPhone 5s and 5c have managed to capture the attention and affection of millions of users since launch in the third quarter of last year. However, while both models are powerful devices in their own right, they both represent only slight evolutionary improvements over the previous iPhone 5. The iPhone 6 is Apple's chance to change things. To once again try and invigorate and pump some innovation into the smartphone industry. As expected, interest in the purported iPhone 6 is extremely high, with a number of designers putting together the obligatory concept designs of what we could be about to receive.
The great thing about owning iOS, OS X and Apple-powered gadgets in general is the seamless manner in which they tend to integrate with one another. AirPlay, in particular, makes it very easy for content to be beamed to separate Apple devices, but the major hitch for most folks is the proprietary nature of this connectivity. An intriguing new app, created by AirSquirrels - looks to bridge the gap between Apple products and those created by other companies by allowing an iOS devices screen to be streamed to Windows, OS X and - get this - Google's Android.
As Apple's annual Worldwide Developer Conference fast approaches the speculation and rumor mill surrounding potential future products and updates goes into overdrive. The iPhone 6 could potentially prove to be one of the most important product launches in Apple's recent history meaning that interest is at an all time high. With that interest comes leak after leak claiming to show the actual form factor of the device. One of the most credible leaks of the last few weeks is now back, this time showing the "iPhone 6" side-by-side with what will be its main rival; the Samsung Galaxy S5.
The introduction of iOS 7 brought, among other changes, a greatly revamped user interface, but despite a fairly positive critical reception, jailbreakers appear to have jumped at the opportunity to make some alterations of their own. Since Evasi0n7 landed, we've featured dozens of great themes here, but today's, which completely transforms your iPhone, iPad and iPod touch home screen icons in giving them an elegant diamond-shaped finish, is easily among the most intriguing.
Windows Phone might not be as popular as the contemporary iOS and Android platforms, but that doesn’t mean that Microsoft has given up on it already. In fact, they keep making efforts to improve the overall experience for users of the Windows Phone platform. However, when something is missing the most basic elements, we see little to no hope there. A part of it - no, a fraction of it - might change since Joe Belfiore’s confirmation of a File Manager app around the corner for Windows Phone 8.1. In fact, he had some screenshots to back up his claim as well.
Gestures make the world of touch-based devices just that little bit nicer. In fact, gestures not only promote better functionality and generally enable us to get done things quicker, but also, they're pretty cool with it too. On no occasion has the cool factor of gestures been better exemplified than with SmartTap, a new tweak authored by seasoned developer Elias Limneos that allows you to perform gestures even when your display is turned off and in sleep mode.
Just when you think you've heard it all, a company comes with through with a new mobile case that helps to deal with the issue of "selfie arm." If you've never heard of this recently-coined phrase, it's used to describe the visible arm in self-shots, or selfies, taken with a mobile device, and the Selfy case looks to, ahem, arm you against this unsightly intruder with the assistance of a remote Bluetooth shutter control.
