The previous-gen iPod nano certainly whet the appetites of those dreaming an iWatch. For some reason, the idea of the wearable iOS device is something people seem to really yearn for, and although said nano was little more than a trumped-up, iOS-ified iPod nano with a separately-sold wrist strap, it gave us a glimpse, perhaps, into the future. Today, the iWatch rumors have been reignited once more, and as well as the possibility of a release in the first half of 2013, the speculators are touting a possible 1.5-inch OLED display, Bluetooth 4.0, and - get this - the involvement of chip-making extraordinaire Intel.
First Tweets From Newly Purchased Tablets Reveal iPad At Top Of The 2012 Holiday Gift Charts [IMAGE]
We probably all expected that a lot of individuals would be receiving some type of 7 or 10-inch tablet as their main festive gift this year, but there has been a lot of talk about whether or not the iPad would continue to reign as the most popular tablet or whether the competition would gather traction in the market as part of the Christmas shopping rush. It may not go down in history as one of the most scientific polls ever, but a collection of 'first tweets' gathered from Twitter show that the iPad remains the most popular tablet out there - at least for those who have a Twitter account and took the time to send out a tweet announcing their device.
Samsung’s Galaxy Camera is a truly remarkable device. To begin with, it’s the first of its kind, offering a truly powerful and capable camera running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. The connectivity options on board are truly a tech-enthusiast’s dream come true. Then, you can do a lot more on the device than you’d be able to on any traditional point and shoot camera. Despite being priced rather steep, there’s a lot of love that the unorthodox Android device has received. You have root access on the Galaxy Camera whilst running Android Jelly Bean, and then there’s an unlocked boot loader, too. Is there more to wish for? Yes, you certainly can, because XDA member Adam Outler has discovered some neat Samsung internal codes that can be executed even on the Galaxy Camera to gain access to hidden menus and secret areas.
We have all been there: relaxing at home, perhaps about to complete a level of your favorite videogame, when your manager rings you up asking for a report that was due the day before. Instead of interrupting the game, or take the call and give a half-apology, wouldn’t it be great if certain places were off-limits for calls by selected groups of people? Call Bliss is an app for iOS 6 that makes this a reality.
Samsung’s Galaxy Note and Galaxy Note II were two devices that redefined how the world viewed smartphones. The Dell Streak had been perhaps one of the original phablets (phone + tablet), but the Note lineup’s revolutionary design, hardware specifications, and the exclusive S Pen stylus made it something much more than any of its predecessors. Add to the fact that the device was produced by the famous Korean manufacturer that had already made for itself a towering reputation with droids, didn’t hurt the device’s success in any way. If you think about it, the Galaxy Note is a complete winner in almost all aspects, except for the large size (which is completely a matter of preference and opinion, by the way).
While most people would argue that tablets are actually an entirely different breed of portable, mobile personal computers (PCs), even the smartphones of today are not merely communication devices anymore. They’re much more than that; combining features from an internet device, a portable media player, a handheld gaming console, a personal information manager (PIM), to a lot more other features. I remember when Steve Jobs introduced the original iPhone back in 2007, saying that Apple was releasing three devices, all combined into one. This holds true today for any smartphone, whether it be on iOS, Android, webOS, Windows Phone, or any other operating system. For this very reason, you cannot treat any area of the device as less important than others, and among the top critical features is connectivity.
Considering how much an impact the internet has on our lives and how many hours the majority of us spent browsing through our favorite sites and social networks, it makes perfect sense that we would benefit from a great lightweight mobile browser that packs a punch not only through the deliverance of great online content, but also through our favorite social channels. Thankfully, it would seem that Rockmelt could be that browser for those who have an iOS powered device, with the app promising to allow its users to explore the best of the web from the palm of their hands.
Windows has evolved into a pretty stable operating system with time, especially when Windows 7 had entered the arena. Then, even with Windows 8, although I did run into a lot of issues with the release and consumer previews, I haven’t regretted making the switch once I installed the retail version. It was pretty necessary, too, that Microsoft made Windows stable the way it has become now, considering that the operating system is the most used in the world for desktop computers and notebook PCs.
One of the biggest reasons I, and a lot of other Android users, would want to root their smartphones and tablets, and install a custom recovery, is the ability to take nandroid backups. The stock Android recovery console allows you to only either wipe data/factory reset, or to install legitimate, signed ZIP updates for the Android operating system. Custom recoveries offer you so much more, one of which is the ability to back up all the partitions – system, data, cache et al – which lets you restore the device to the state it was originally in.
Like so many other companies, Apple relies on the festive season to be one of their most lucrative financial periods during the year, and the chances are high that people all over the world will be waking up to an iPad, iPhone, Apple TV or some other fantastic Apple gift. If the magic of the present isn't enough, iSimon - the digital sleight-of-hand magician - is back to bring some festive trickery into our lives.
