Prepare to let me make you feel old: Gmail, Google's much-celebrated email service, is already in its tenth year, and although we did get ourselves in a bit of a tizzy when the Big G first launched Gmail on April 1st, 2004 as a beta-only service, it has continued to go from strength to strength ever since. Google has, quite naturally, done a little reflecting of its own as the 9-year mark passes, and couldn't resist a little self-congratulation to boot. Below, Gmail's biggest achievements and landmark occasions since April Fool's in 2004 are illustrated in a rather pretty infographic, but if you thought the search giant was about to rest on its laurels, you've another thing coming!
The Samsung Galaxy S4 is due to hit the market later on this month, but already, iOS developers have begun the task of offering Apple device users some alternatives to the new, S4-specific features. Earlier on this week we featured DuoCam app which introduces the Dual Shot feature for iPhone, an app which seeks to replicate one of Galaxy S4's most applauded features, and today, an iPhone-made take on the Smart Pause feature has just emerged over at the App Store. With so many different applications making up Sammy's "Smart" range, it's difficult to keep track of them all, but Smart Pause, which automatically pauses media when a user looks away from their device, has somewhat manifested itself on iOS in the form of LookAway Player.
The iPad mini is largely considered to be the better looking of the two iPad variants currently on the market, and with the fourth-gen iPad appearing almost identical to the iPad 2 (only heavier and thicker), it is strongly suspected Apple will beautify its flagship tablet with a touch of the anodized aluminum. Whilst it's still unknown whether this will in fact be the case, a leaked image of a purported 'iPad 5' bezel seems to indicate that, at least from the front, the next iPad could borrow a few design points from its scaled-down counterpart.
Samsung is just a couple of weeks away from releasing its flagship Galaxy S4 to the public, and although things have been a little quiet on the ad front since the announcement on the 14th of last month, the Korean company is back with quite a few clips reminding us why the handset is anticipated by so many. The YouTube videos, which were brought to our attention, comprise of very short commercials highlighting some of the marquee features of the upcoming device, including Sound Shot, Group Play, and S Translator. Check them out right after the break!
With services such as Instagram and Facebook being so popular, it's strange to think that before the day of the smartphone and its umpteen megapixel cameras, we used to place images in physical photo albums and flick through them from time-to-time. Although times have changed considerably in the photography industry, plenty still regard actual photos and albums as part of the 'real' experience, and as such, we've seen a growing number of apps offer the shipping of images on canvas, in a frame, and even on fridge magnets. KeepShot for iPad is another following a similar trend, and allows you to easily create your own Photo Book in-app which is then subsequently shipped right to your door.
T-Mobile, the United States' fourth largest mobile carrier, recently revealed its intention to officially carry the Apple iPhone. Since then, PR mode has been in full flow, and as well as already offering one of the best deals around - particularly with the flagship iPhone 5 - T-Mo has now begun a trade-in program hoped to entice consumers into making the switch.
Further to the earlier reports from an analyst that the next-gen iPhone could arrive with as many as three different sizes of display, Japanese blog Macotakara has also waded into the debate, suggesting the so-called "iPhone 5S" may retail in three colorways. Citing a trusted source, the report alludes to a third color joining the current black and white variants, although doesn't offer an insight as to what this color might be.
You'd struggle to find any group of people more aware of Instagram's popularity than those stranded on the currently-unsupported Windows Phone platform, and although we've heard murmurings that an official version for Microsoft's fledgling platform could be forthcoming, said users have had to make the best of the scores of third-party apps offering very limited functionality. While the Instagram API has prevented any WP developer from creating an app with direct uploading capabilities, an interesting attempt to circumvent this (using a middleman server) has been devised by the folks at Venetasoft, and having already garnered a sneak peek at what the company's Instagraph app could offer to Instagram fans, the app is now officially available for download.
Like many jailbreakers, one of the very first tweaks I install upon jailbreaking a device for the first time is SBSettings. Its effortless toggling of any and every major setting within iOS is a commodity that cannot be enjoyed at stock level, but it's certainly something quite a few of us would love to see right off the bat. Designer Ran Avni certainly seems to concur, and has dared to dream with a very elegant design bringing toggles for alarm, orientation, Wi-Fi and others right to the home / lock screen.
It has been a rather busy past couple of months for Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook. With the News Feed revamp last month followed-up swiftly by the announcement of the Facebook Home for Android launcher late last week, the social network has just begun rolling out a brand new emotion feature to some users in the United States. Having initially run some tests back in January for the feature, which makes it easy for users to divulge their feelings, it looks as though it is ready for the public's consumption, and should begin to reach nations outside of The States before too long.
