Whichever side of the Android / iOS debate you consider yourself, there's no denying that each has its fair share of advantages over the other. The lack of support for widgets is something many iOS users have bemoaned since the very first iPhone back in 2007, but thanks to the marvel of jailbreaking, these individuals seldom need lament Apple's restrictions for too long. Although the HTC One X was only a moderately successful device, it did have a nice weather and clock widget typical of the company's Sense software. Over the years, a number of Sense UI inspired themes have been made available on Cydia for jailbroken devices, and now, the latest version from HTC One X has been ported too for those running jailbroken iPhones.
In the current age of GPS and satnav dependency, smartphone users rarely consult the compass feature native to nearly all the major ecosystems. However, the ability to familiarize oneself with the functions and features of a compass is an integral part of orienteering, and a tweak by the name of DirectionBar brings the compass to your iOS device's status bar.
As well as establishing a vast inventory of impressive Web-based apps, Google has also developed a great number of mobile apps for smartphone and tablet users. While Android, being its own outlet, is naturally favored when it comes to priority and overall feature set of any given app, the search giant does eventually treat iOS users to some of its better apps. It should come as little surprise, then, that the Mountain View-based company has ported its Field Trip app through to those on iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.
For the longest of time, Facebook’s most prominent feature has been the News Feed, which is now the default way that many of us stay in touch with our friends and acquaintances over the Internet. At an event on Thursday, from Facebook’s headquarters in Menlo Park, California, Mark Zuckerberg took the stage and announced a major redesign to this well-known feature in order to adapt to make pictures, places, third-party apps and more much more prominent.
For a long time, many comic book lovers have been trying to bring all of their comic books onto their iPhones, iPod touches or iPads while preserving their quality. If you have $10 per month to spare, Marvel may have just come up with the perfect solution for you: a comic book subscription which gives users access to 13,000 back issues of Marvel’s comic books, with the promise of more to come.
The reason why so many commentators (including myself) have had mostly good things to say with regards to the HTC One, is because, well, it's beautiful. We're used to Android flagships packing in high-end specs (see HTC's previous two efforts), but with almost every top handset running Google's mobile platform, the build quality has always been a let-down. Frequently laden in shiny plastic, no significant Android device has really challenged the iPhone in the quality stakes, but with a beautiful aluminum unibody, Droidsters finally have a gadget to savor. In an attempt to ramp up anticipation for the One, HTC has released a video detailing just how it's all pieced together, with every hole and concave etched to precision. Check out the video after the break.
Forget about the seventh-generation iPhone. Forget about the rumored Retina iPad mini and forget about the potential for any so-called "iPad killers" that may stem from the next-generation of tablet devices released by Google and their partners. If the speculation is to be believed, the next consumer technology battle could be fought by companies who are prepared to hit the market with some kind of advanced wearable technology. Google has already thrown their hat into the ring with the Glass project and it looks like Apple could be next if the iOS-powered iWatch becomes reality, but where would consumer allegiance lie?
For almost as long as there have been casual iPhone and iPad games, Angry Birds has been one of the titles that every iOS user generally downloads almost immediately after purchasing a new device. For the first time, however, the original version of Angry Birds is now available free of charge for the iPod touch, iPhone and iPad, and you can download it today if the price tag was putting you off.
Over the last few years, “phablets”, the new product category defining devices that are too large to be considered smartphones but still too small to be considered tablets, has become increasingly popular. One of the most popular players in the field, Samsung, is said to be readying the release of the Galaxy Note III, which is expected to sport a 5.9-inch screen opposed to a 6.3-inch one as previously reported, according to a Korean newspaper.
The issue of security is something consumers take very seriously, particularly when it comes to digital devices. In recent weeks, however, some of the biggest names in mobile space have been publicly flogged for their shortcomings, and following the Apple issues on iOS 6.1, Samsung outdone its bitter rival with two security alerts in space of a couple of days. Following the revelation that the Note II's locking mechanism could be bypassed (albeit momentarily), an Android enthusiast by the name of Sean McMillan (Full Disclosure) has discovered that the lock screen of the Galaxy S III on Android 4.1.2 can be bypassed using a method he has tested on three separate devices.
