iOS, as most of you will be more than aware, doesn't allow for custom launchers, and having enjoyed several when using Android, it's a great shame that Apple's ecosystem doesn't offer any kind of native support to manipulate the way the home screen looks and functions. However, Launch Center Pro for iPhone, formerly known as App Cubby, offers something resembling the functionality of your traditional Android launcher, and thanks to an update pushing the version number up to 2.0, it's now very much in-keeping with the simplistic beauty of the Cupertino's all-new iOS 7.
The rumor mill never ceases to be more and more interesting now, does it? According to the latest on the grapevine, Google’s Android 4.4 KitKat - the latest version of Android - running on the Google branded Nexus 5, might make an appearance as soon as Oct. 15, 2013. That puts the launch of the new device and the new Android version merely days away, not even a full week! Exciting, isn’t it?
The fierce competition in the mobile industry is a definite win for the consumer, however, it is particularly annoying that choice of product is almost always defined by the region in which one resides. Some nations seem to have all the luck at times (looks at the United States), but with the Asian OEMs continuing to command large chunks of the smartphone market, more and more devices are built with exclusivity for the likes of Japan, Korea and China. The Samsung Galaxy J, which has just made an appearance in Japan, is like the Galaxy S4, in that it has been given a spectacular spec upgrade on what was supposed to be, or at least what we all thought was the "new" flagship.
One of the primary concerns of mobile users is security, and when there is ever a suspicion that this particular quality is under threat, all hell can, and invariably does, break loose. Enter the Quasar IV, an Android handset that promises unprecedented security to the point of being "hack-proof," and you may begin to understand why there's a certain buzz about this particular smartphone. We first heard about the maker QSAlpha's intentions were outlined some months ago, but now, the device has been given the green light, and the process of creating the world's first fully hack-proof smartphone has well and truly begun.
When it comes to RPGs, Final Fantasy may not be considered among the best like it once was, but the engrossing, almost iconic nature of the original Final Fantasy VII on the PlayStation continues to live on today. In what must go down as the most exciting news for FF fans in a good while now, Square Enix has announced that Final Fantasy VI will be heading to iOS and Android later this year. Perhaps not surprising, especially given that Final Fantasy IV and V took their respective mobile bows not so long ago, but if you enjoy playing games on your iOS or Android smartphones and tablets, then you won't have to wait too long for Final Fantasy VI to arrive.
If you want to get your hands on that shiny new iPhone 5s or iPhone 5c but just don't want to stump up the cash required, then trading in your existing iPhone is always going to be one of the best ways to get what you're pining for without breaking the bank. Starting this past August, the iPhone trade-in program has made it possible for people to swap out an old iPhone for a new one at an Apple Store across the United States, simply paying the difference between the price Apple pays for their old hardware and the new handset they want to buy. It has always seemed popular amongst those talking about the program on social networking sites, and now it seems that Apple is set to launch the program outside the US.
So at this point it's no secret that iOS 7 on the iPad isn't exactly as well baked as it could be. Apple started the beta process for the iPad version of iOS 7 later than it did on the iPhone and iPod touch, and many had expected it to launch later too. Instead, Apple brought iOS 7 into the public domain across all its mobile devices simultaneously, leaving those running the software on a tablet with plenty of bugs to work with.
In what must go down as the best news for Iron Man fans since the release of the last movie, the U.S. military has just commissioned the Tactical Assault Light Operator Suit, which would essentially bring the idea of playing Iron Man to real life. Those wearing the suit would be able to enjoy the specialist powers we always associate with Iron Man, such as night vision and armored protection from guns, and besides all that, wouldn't it be awesome?
Hot on the heels of the news that Microsoft would be bringing a touch-ready version of Office to iPad at some unspecified time in the near future, the Redmond company has just announced that Remote Desktop is also about to hit the iTunes App Store and the Google Play Store. Unlike Office for iPad, which didn't really get much of an ETA from Steve Ballmer, the software maker has issued an indirect press release on the state of RDP, noting that it will become available to those on iOS and Android by the end of the month.
Even after a lengthy push-back that saw the initial Spring release wind up being delayed until September, we always knew Grand Theft Auto 5 was going to be a success story. What we were not perhaps aware of, however, was just how successful, and in counting up some of the numbers just a few weeks after the initial launch, we can now say unequivocally that GTA 5 is by far the biggest title to launch on any digital platform. Ever.
