It's rather strange that, even in this day and age where technologies seem to be advancing at an exponential rate, we still have time to consider something as menial as the choice of wallpaper. Whenever a new version of Windows arrives, for example, much is often made of the design choices of the supplementary backdrop selection, and when it comes to smartphones, similar rules apply. HTC's One offers many great features, and with the aftermarket Sense 5 preloaded atop Android Jelly Bean, there's yet another varied selection of wallpapers on offer. HTC's One may not yet have hit the market, but already, its wallpapers have been pulled and upped to the interwebs, and you can download them right now.
Google Now looks set to become integrated into the company’s Chrome browser and Chrome OS platform, if the findings of one Chromium user are to be believed. The Big G's engineers have reportedly referenced such a feature in the most recent Chromium release, and Chromium enthusiast François Beaufort quickly latched onto the news.
With Apple being the world’s most valuable company, it’s hardly surprising that bootleggers dedicate their time and efforts to creating fake versions of its revered product range. The term knockoff has even been coined to describe these devices and their makers, and watching these attempts slip through the net and into the market has become something of a spectator sport. With the Cupertino company rumored to be plotting the ‘iPhone 5S’ for release in the near future, resident rip-off merchant Goophone has come through with its ‘i5S’ handset, and although we wouldn’t be tempted by a copycat device perhaps ourselves, it’s not hard to see how the company stays in business.
Yesterday, an alleged sighting of the Samsung Galaxy S IV in the wild was spread via Chinese forum. But while yesterday's leaked images gave very little away, the same source has come through with a hands-on video. It looks very legitimate indeed, and the handset, which is supposedly the China Unicom variant, bears striking similarities to the Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note II.
The technology loving world is currently counting down the days until the March 14th Samsung Galaxy S IV announcement. The South Korean company will be more than well aware of the excitement surrounding the next-generation Galaxy S device, and in an attempt to raise that interest to unprecedented levels, have posted an official teaser image of the hardware through their US based Twitter account.
The soon-to-be announced Samsung Galaxy S IV has fairly large shoes to fill when it comes to following in the footsteps of the previous Galaxy S smartphones. Although we have seen a number of so-called leaks of the S IV that show what the hardware could potentially look like, it has long been speculated that Samsung could be planning on introducing a totally unexpected feature that could set the device apart from anything else released this year. Until the phone is actually announced and shown off, it is anyone's guess what that could be, but a recently discovered trademark filing in Samsung's name could point to the next flagship Android device coming with some kind of 3D camera functionality.
The fact that Windows Phone is far, far behind the likes of iOS and Android in terms of numbers of apps is one thing, but the fact that many "core" apps are missing only serves to amplify the problem. Instagram is one app which, for some, has hindered potential migration from the aforementioned big two platforms, and love or loathe the filter-laden network, its popularity is undeniable. For Windows Phone to take a decent cut of the market share, apps such as Instagram will need to materialize sooner rather than later, and whether it be wishful thinking or a legitimate claim, a screenshot has emerged depicting the Facebook-owned app on the Windows Phone Store.
Since releasing iOS 6.1, Apple has slowly but surely been working on improvements. iOS 6.1.1 beta was seeded shortly after iOS 6.1 had reached the public domain, but because iOS 6.1.1 and 6.1.2 had to be hurriedly released to the public to see to a number of bugs and security flaws, the next beta was renamed iOS 6.1.3 beta 2, in an attempt to restore some kind of order. Today, rather than releasing iOS 6.1.3 beta 3, the Cupertino company has instead pushed out the update to Maps for those boasting an iOS device - the same updates first seen in those earlier betas.
Peekly For iPhone Gives The iOS Lock Screen A Much-Needed Overhaul, Here’s How To Install It [VIDEO]
With the omni-present iOS Vice President Scott Forstall having been given his marching orders following the disastrous iOS 6 Maps app (among other things), there's a real feeling that iOS 7 will - with Jony Ive at the helm - actually address some of the long-standing issues with Apple's mobile software. Thus, designers have been doubly busy over the past few months in lending their skills and creativity to dreaming up news ways iOS 7 can offer a significantly enhanced user experience, and following the revamped Weather app concept from a couple of days back, a new jailbreak tweak / theme by the name of Peekly adds a beautiful, slide-to-reveal element to the inherently dull iOS lock screen.
If you are an iOS developer who has been looking for the next project to undertake that involves something unique and innovative, then Philips might have what you are looking for. The Philips hue LED lighting system, which has been proven to be extremely popular with consumers, has now been opened up to external developers in the hope of seeing some great accompanying apps hitting the iOS App Store.
