If you aren't familiar with the Parrot AR. Drone then you've been missing out on a treat. The radio-controlled quadcopter is a third-party product manufactured by Parrot in France that stands in a category of its own. The whole design of the quadcopter relies on a smartphone or tablet to provide the control input for the device, which is something that pretty much meant it had to be placed into its own product category when it was originally unveiled at the International CES in 2010. In an attempt to keep the product fresh and in our minds, Parrot has announced the Elite Edition of the A.R.Drone 2.0, just in time for the holiday shopping season.
It seems rather strange to design and manufacture a smartphone called the G Flex and then not advertise anywhere that is has the ability to bend and flex. It's perfectly understandable not forcing your consumer to put unnecessary pressure on the device and attempt to bend or flex it beyond its physical capabilities, but when the unique selling point of a product is its curved form it seems like a missed opportunity to promote that fact. LG, for some reason has decided to not openly advertise the G Flex's malleable properties, although it has been proven that consumers can manipulate the frame of the device if they see fit.
Remember back in 1999 when Sony released the bizarre looking PocketStation accessory to accompany the original PlayStation? The creative little device featured an LCD display and was intended to be a combination based product that offered storage and personal digital assistant based functionality. The device never actually managed to see the light of day in the United States or Europe, partly because Sony used all available stock to satisfy demand in Japan and partly because it was killed off after three years. It seems that the PocketStation memory lives on not only in the thoughts of Sony but also in a second-generation form as a native app for Sony's PlayStation Vita handheld.
Nike promised at their FuelBand SE launch event that their current FuelBand app will be getting a drastic makeover, and today, they’ve fulfilled that promised and have released the updated FuelBand app for iPhone, taking it to version 2.0. Accompanied with the update is the release of the brand new Nike+ Move app, which got stage time at the iPhone 5s event back in September. More details as well as direct download links can be found right here.
The iPad Air just launched a few days ago, and the general consensus is that it is quite simply a cut above any Apple tablet released hitherto. Everything about the design simply oozes class, and although the iPhone 5s definitely still abides by Apple's stylish design motif, it's hard to deny that the iPad Air is a beauty. Ciccarese Design has taken this on board and come through with an iPhone concept created in the image of the all-new iPad Air. Check it out after the leap.
If you have spent time in the Games category of the iOS App Store looking for a fast-paced, adrenaline fuelled racing game then the chances are that you've at least tried Asphalt 8: Airborne. The arcade racing game is undoubtedly one of the most addictive offerings that we've had the pleasure of getting to grips with and has certainly managed to take mobile racing games to the next level. If the gorgeous graphics and nitrous fuelled fun wasn't quite enough for you then the fact that the game has gone free-to-play should hopefully convince a hoard of new users to get in on the Asphalt action.
iOS 7 may only have been around for six or so weeks, but already, some are looking ahead towards its eventual successor, iOS 8. There's no doubt that, at least in terms of design, iOS 7 has been the biggest jump in the operating system's lifespan, but like any piece of software, there's still plenty of room for improvement both to looks and general functionality. With this in mind, designer Sangam Bhandari has come up with a rather beautiful concept of iOS 8, and even though we do like the changes Apple and Jony Ive have made with 2013's release, it's hard to pick holes in this elegant, ingenious figment of Bhandari's imagination.
Google's Nexus 7 tablet made waves when released last year, and the refreshed model dropped back in the summer brought a whole host of improvements. Naturally, there has been some speculation regarding its eventual successor, and for the first time, we may have caught a good glimpse of the Nexus 8. With an altogether more stylish aesthetic, the unidentified slate seen in a snap released by a Google promoter could well be next in line as the search giant's flagship.
Google Street View is an invaluable resource in certain situations. If you're dashing out to meet a client, or visiting the new home of a friend or family member then Street View is fantastic for getting a real-world look of the address that you're heading to before actually setting off. Even if you're just the inquisitive type who is sitting in the comfort of your own home looking eagerly at streets in your local area then you can easily lose countless hours to the wonder that is Street View. If you're bored of looking at terraced streets or local parks then maybe you should cast your eyes over the internals of the HMS Ocelot, which is now fully documented thanks to the power of Google Street View.
The holiday shopping season is undoubtedly one of the most lucrative period for any company. Consumers who are usually very stringent with the way they spend their hard-earned cash generally loosen the purse strings a little at this time of year and grab the latest piece of technology either for themselves or a loved one. Apple's CEO, Tim Cook, has already stated his belief that the end-of-year shopping period will be very important for the Californian giants. Keeping that in mind, it seems like app marketing company Fiksu have some great news for Apple and the iPad Air that derives from their own product adoption tracking service.
