With Microsoft officially ceasing support for the antiquated Windows XP early next month, the company has been making some last-ditch attempts to get customers running the software to switch to something a bit more contemporary, pushing a series of very attractive trade-in programs. In the latest, those on Windows XP machines looking to upgrade to Windows 8.1 will, in return for lugging their old rig to their local Microsoft Store, be the recipient of a $100 savings voucher against a purchase of a computer over the $599 mark, and if you've been meaning to grab yourself a new computer and still find yourself languishing on XP, now's the best time to take the plunge.
The announcement of the Galaxy S5 seems like an age ago, but with almost one month having passed since Samsung took the wraps off its latest Android humdinger, we're now just a couple of weeks from retail. During the past few days, UK carriers Three and Vodafone have offered the all-important details regarding the S5's pricing and availability on British shores, and now, US-based AT&T has done likewise. For those wishing to tether themselves to a contract with North America's foremost mobile operator, the Galaxy S5 will be available from April 8th with an up-front cost of $199, and pre-orders are being taken as of now.
BlackBerry, a company that, not so long ago, was a superpower in the mobile industry, has been in free-fall for some time, and despite an executive shake-up that has seen the Canadian outfit appoint a new CEO, things don't look to be getting any better. One area that BlackBerry still clutches on to is enterprise, with many businesses still in favor of using the company's products for their robust security features, but according to the Wall Street Journal, one of its foremost clients - The White House - is assessing the possibility of switching to LG or Samsung.
The introduction of the radically-redesigned iOS 7 brought a shock to the system of many everyday iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users back in September, but after the previous year's Maps fiasco and the subsequent shake-up this led to in the iOS design team, the techies among us saw it coming. With Jony Ive's influence now apparent throughout the company's mobile OS, we fully expect OS X to follow suit given Apple's craving for uniformity, and designer Danny Giebe has presented us with a concept idea of what this may look like.
The life and times of Steve Jobs is a pretty interesting story for those who have yet to read the Walter Isaacson biography, and even though the only officially authorized book on the late Apple co-founder and former CEO has its fair share of critics, we're still very much enthused by the prospect of the upcoming Sony Pictures movie, based heavily upon the Isaacson biog. No less, of course, because scriptwriter Aaron Sorkin, of The Social Network fame, has a credible track record for turning tech stories into Hollywood blockbusters, and as the search for an actor to play Jobs continues, Christian Bale has emerged as a front-runner.
Apple’s recent introduction of iOS 7.1 plugged jailbreak exploits that made the previous Evasi0n untethered jailbreak possible, and as such, jailbreakers have had to either stick with a preceding iOS 7.0.x release, or upgrade and forgo their access to Cydia. However, even though the pre-iOS 7.1 efforts by the Evad3rs team were commendable, it doesn’t mean that the hard work has ceased, and seasoned hacker Winocm has just posted a video of iOS 7.1 booting untethered.
Apple has always been extremely keen to show the world some of the amazing and innovative ways how an iPhone or iPad can be used. The Cupertino based company is rightly proud of the fact that the iPad is used extensively in the education sector by teachers and students. Tim Cook and his marketing team are also willing to wax lyrical about the fact that the likes of NASA and multiple airlines across the world have found a great way to introduce the award-winning tablet into their daily routines. A group of researchers at Stanford University have now created a simple iPhone accessory that thrusts Apple's smartphone into the medical world by allowing almost anyone to get a greater insight into the human eye.
Android KitKat 4.4, introduced by Google late on last year, brought with it an abundance of useful features, but due to the fragmented nature of the ecosystem, not everybody on Android has been able to enjoy its numerous perks. In fact, only a very small fraction of the Droid-wielding faithful have tasted the chocolatey, delicious new flavor, but thanks to the dedication of a wider community, those on older firmware needn't miss out on all of the new features. The Immersive Mode, for example, turns the process of using any one of you favorite apps into a full-screen experience, and now, thanks to a third-party app, you don't need to be on KitKat 4.4 to take advantage.
Save the Sony Smartwatch and the rather disastrous launch of the Galaxy Gear from Samsung, Pebble has had a fairly easy ride in the smartwatch industry, but with Google announcing Android Wear recently, the company knows that it has a big fight on its hands in order to remain relevant. Already this year, though, Pebble has made several key announcements and releases, and allied to the big software update and roll-out of the Pebble appstore, introduced the very stylish Pebble Steel. Now, those looking for the higher-end finish but who aren't too bothered about the fittings can pick up the Pebble Steel - sans the metal band - for a reduced price.
Twitter is today celebrating its eighth birthday, and to mark the occasion, has introduced a new feature allowing users to find their first ever tweet. As the regular Twitter users among you will know, going back in time through your feed can be a cumbersome experience, and often, going right back to the beginning requires the intervention of a third-party utility. No more, though, for the new tool not only lets you check your own very first Twitter musing, but will also track down the first tweet of any other user of The Twitters, and we think it's pretty cool.
