We're so heavily reliant on our smartphones nowadays when out-and-about, that when we're stuck somewhere with limited or no connectivity, it's almost as if the rug has been pulled from beneath us.
The release of GTA V has proved that despite the small matter of the next-gen console battle upcoming, there's still life in both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 yet. Sales of the current generation machines may have spiked slightly in light of Rockstar's record-breaking title, but with little under a month to go before we see the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 hit the retail market, it's high time we focused our attentions on these two major releases. Infinity Ward's Mark Rubin has just delivered some stonking news for Call of Duty fans by noting that Ghosts, the latest addition to the popular franchise, will run natively at 1080p on the PlayStation 4, and will be upscaled from 720p to full HD on Xbox One.
Apple's iOS includes a wide range of stock apps to help users get through their digital day, and many iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users swear by the likes of the Calendar and Reminders apps. But despite the native utilities doing the job for a large portion of iDevice owners, third-party offerings have still continued to thrive, and one such app -- Fantastical -- has been downloaded many thousands of times thanks to its slick user interface and well thought-out features. Today, maker Flexibits has come through with the sequel to the popular first release, and as you might expect, Fantastical 2 is packed to the gills with great features and general improvements.
Whenever a company updates a successful and well used product line with a new model it generally causes consumers to consider their position. Will their existing hardware and software combination become redundant? Will the company in question continue to offer support and period updates going forward, or will they need to bite the bullet and invest in the new product? All of those questions must have been going through the head of existing Nike FuelBand users when the newer FuelBand SE model was announced not that long ago. Nike has now confirmed that existing original FuelBand users will not be left behind and will indeed get a host of new features when the second-generation wristband launches on November 6.
We think it's pretty fair to say that Apple's recent announcement of the iPad Air didn't exactly blow everyone's mind when it comes to technological innovation. The unveiling of the next-generation full-sized iPad pretty much fell in line with what the majority were expecting in the fact that it offers an improved but evolutionary upgrade from its predecessor. The introduction of the Apple A7 chipset and the improved engineering principles mean that the device will ultimately be faster, lighter and thinner than all other iPads to date, but the Primate Labs Geekbench 3 tests give us a pre-release indication of just how capable the iPad Air is.
Apple is no stranger to catastrophic clangers when it comes to hardware. Can anyone ever forget the debacle that was lovingly named 'antennagate' by journalists after the iPhone 4 suffered from what we can only call a debatable antenna flaw. For a company that prides itself in the details, Apple can have some pretty woeful slips when it comes to quality control.
It generally goes without saying that if you are using any type of medium to connect to an unknown network or public Wi-Fi then the greatest of care should be taken at all times. Not only are these types of networks extremely insecure because they’re available to the masses at popular points-of-interest, but they can also be a breeding ground for countless unseen and unnamed threats lurking in the digital darkness. A recent investigation from Skycure has shown that insecure public networks can also provide stealth access to our iOS apps to potential attackers using HTTP request hijacking methods.
Facebook's Messenger app has come along in leaps and bounds over the past twelve months, and today, the Menlo Park-based social company has announced a substantial update to the Android version of the app, with the iOS version being in the pipeline for an update as well. As well as affording the IM app a few aesthetic touch-ups, it would seem as though Mark Zuckerberg's team is seeking to further differentiate it from the standard Facebook app by placing more emphasis on messaging itself.
Google has wrapped up its Morning with Google+ event, and the Internet is abuzz with news and reviews surrounding the announcements. Amongst several other features, Google’s social network is getting a slew of new photo and video enhancement features, that intend on not just making the sharing experience better, but put Google in a position where the Mountain View company can compete directly with dedicated filter and photo-enhancement apps that are available for Android and iOS. Let’s take a look at what they announced for Google+ today.
In the grand scheme of Android releases, 4.4 KitKat mightn't be a great deal to write home about, but with the Nexus 5 also a part of the deal, we've reason to be somewhat excited. Today, the official KitKat YouTube channel has been given an update with a new video entitled "magic," and although it doesn't give too much away regarding the software's features, it does serve to whet the appetites of Android users far and wide. Check it out after the break.
