If there’s one thing that iOS hasn’t changed at all since its very inception, starting with version 1.0 and now to 6.1, it’s the look and feel of the interface. Granted, there have been various feature enhancements, and with iOS 6, there were some visual uplifts as well, such as the color-sensitive status bar and others, the overall feel of the operating system has remained the same. To be honest, this wasn’t a feel that was very catchy, either, so it’s not like Apple deserves any praise here either.
The power of voice recognition technology is being utilized by many companies across the globe, as it has been for quite some time. Siri (along with similar implementations of other platforms) has helped bring such technology to the forefront, and although the initial hype surrounding Apple's voice assistant has petered out somewhat, Honda has just announced its intention to bring Siri support to a fleet of its automobiles in the coming months.
Earlier this month, Activision announced that a 'Revolution' DLC pack would be arriving for those on Xbox 360, and, as promised, the pack is now available for 1200 Microsoft Points. Announced via the blog of Larry Hryb - better known as Microsoft's very own Major Nelson - Revolution offers four new multiplayer maps, a new weapon in the Peacekeeper hybrid SMG-Assault Rifle, and the eagerly-awaited Zombies Co-op Map - Die Rise - which puts the player in the role of Zombie rather than the traditional position as Zombie slayer.
If you're the kind of person hoarding thousands of contacts in your smartphone's address book, you will be more than aware of how difficult it can be to keep up with them. Not only that, but when someone you've spoken to only once or twice rings up after a prolonged amount of time, you could be forgiven for completely forgetting who they are.
A new app from the audio/visual geniuses at THX promises to help budding home cinema enthusiasts to make the most out of the kit they've got, potentially taking their movie watching experiences to new heights in the process.
If you cast your minds back a couple of weeks, you may remember my tentative pledge to take on the challenge of using a Windows Phone 8 device for an entire two weeks, in place of my beloved iPhone. This, on its own, is not much to shout about, but considering I had never previously acquainted myself with Windows Phone in any way, shape or form, I suspected my fortnight with the Nokia Lumia 820 would be one of trials and tribulations.
Redmond-based Microsoft is today launching its Office 2013 and new Office 365 subscriptions, bringing an end to the speculation of exactly when the new Office was going to land. Having taken to Twitter yesterday to tease an event in Bryant Park, NYC occurring today, a banner plastered across the Office website, which read: "Coming January 29th. More time to do the things you want," left us in no doubt. The big launch is a significant date in the Windows maker's calendar, especially with the Surface Pro just around the corner, it also spells the beginning of the end of the preview grace period, which will expire 60 days from now.
Google's Nexus 7, built in collaboration with consumer electronics giant ASUS, has been a great success, having almost reached six million units sold since its release last Summer. Citing the usual sources familiar with upstream supply chains, the famously hit-and-miss Digitimes seems to think Google will team up with the very same manufacturing partner to bring a second-generation iteration of the popular slate, complete with a thinner bezel, full HD 1080p display, along with the Jelly Bean operating system.
XBMC is the most popular open-source media center app known to man. It's the reason many seek to jailbreak their Apple TVs, for example, but since one has to jailbreak any Apple device in order to use such software, support for Android has been much more progressive. XBMC 12, otherwise known as 'Frodo', has just been released officially, and among a slew of features and improvements such as Live TV and PVR support, offers what's being described as "initial" Android support.
The iPad mini may have proven somewhat divisive thanks to its lack of Retina display and high price, but once thing most seem to agree upon, is that its design is a cut above. So pleased is Apple with the shape and materials used with its smaller tablet, that it would appear the next major iPad release - dubbed the iPad 5 - will adopt some of the design traits of its smaller counterpart. A purported leak of the back cover of the next-gen iPad borrows most of its design from the iPad mini, and, having been unearthed by the guys over at 9to5Mac, looks to include a thinner side bezel.

