The global smartphone industry is an extremely competitive and tough industry to be a part of, and is one that takes constant innovation in order to stay ahead of the pack. Out of all the smaller segments that make up the global industry, the United States based market is probably one of the most lucrative for companies, and therefore one of the most important to be successful in. For the first time in their smartphone selling history, Apple has breezed passed Korean based LG Electronics to become the second largest mobile device supplier in the US according to recent figures from comScore.
In a few earlier posts of mine as well, I have stated the biggest challenge that I faced when I jumped ship from iOS to Android – the terrible battery life of the phone, and the quest to improve it. It’s not really a particular device’s fault, either; the way Android is coded, it’s bound to eat more battery. Nevertheless, there were quite a few tips and tricks that I came across, along with apps like JuiceDefender that worked wonders as per masses, and perhaps rightly so. However, then I came across another reliable source that advised against using the said app, since that actually contributed to poor battery life, according to them. Beyond that, JuiceDefender is paid if you want total control, so that’s another caveat.
After being unveiled last September, and subsequently delayed, the long-awaited overhaul of iTunes was finally released to the general public on Thursday. Over 10 years ago, Apple unveiled its jukebox software to the world: innovative at the time, it has become more bloated and complicated over the years.
If you are one of those who fondly remembers the when Nokia sat at the top of the mobile phone food chain, then it is probably warming to see the Finnish company in the spotlight once again and getting a lot of well-deserve praise for the stunning Lumia 920 smartphone. Unfortunately for Nokia, they shot themselves in the foot a little with the launch of the rather terrible HERE Maps app for iOS devices, but it seems they are having another stab at the app market with the release of their PhotoBeamer app that is designed purely for their Lumia range of handsets.
Although Facebook currently holds the title as the world's largest social network with over one billion active monthly members, it doesn't mean that success is guaranteed. The face of companies such as Facebook and Twitter are constantly evolving to meet the demands of their user base, so it stands to reason that Facebook will be continuously trying to innovate and add new technologies and services to their social experience, one of which is the Photo Syncing feature we reported on last week. Although Photo Syncing was initially in a private beta stage with a select few iOS users, Facebook have now rolled the service out on a large scale to all compatible iOS and Android devices using the official Facebook app.
The amount of apps that are available to download for Android and iOS is growing every single day, but it seems that some of the most successful and universally praised apps available are ones that are used to access social networks such as Twitter and Facebook. It has already been proven that developers who manage to create a stunning and functional Twitter client will almost guarantee themselves success, which could be one of the reasons behind the release of the new Falcon Pro Twitter app for the Android platform.
One of the biggest freedoms of wielding an Android device is the choice of ROMs that you get. Unlike almost all other smartphone and tablet platforms, having an Android means you do not have to always stick to whatever the manufacturer has packaged with your device in its factory state, and much like a computer, you can choose to have your own OS, some with their own specialties and enhancements, while others built from ground up based on the Android Open Source Project (AOSP). Power users always prefer AOSP ROMs over stock or stock-based offerings, because of the broader freedom of customization and tailoring that they entail. Among those, CyanogenMod needs least of an introduction – the first ever AOSP ROM to hit the Android world has now taken another hatchling under its wings – the mighty droid, Google Nexus 4.
Flash has been one of the largest building blocks of the internet. Maybe not fundamental, but it’s hard to argue that Flash didn’t play a very vital role in creating and shaping the web as we’re used to it now. From Macromedia to Adobe, and from MiniClip games to catchy animations on websites, Flash technology outlived its days of glory when Steve Jobs declared a war on the platform by not supporting it on iOS – so much so that Adobe, the curators of Flash, finally decided to pull the plug on it, themselves.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is almost ready to make its tenth anniversary appearance on mobile devices, and in anticipation for the launch on December 6th, Rockstar has released a teaser video. By the looks of things, the game will look and run like the classic version on console, and since the release of GTA III to the small screen went down a treat, we'd expect the controls to have been adapted in a similar way for optimal gaming performance.
China may be the nucleus of Apple's very being in terms of manufacturing, but in terms of product releases, still generally has to wait until the United States, Europe, and much of the world has gotten its fill before seeing the likes of the iPhone and iPad. Today, the Cupertino company has released an official press statement, detailing the release of the iPhone 5 and iPad mini to the increasingly lucrative Chinese market, set to arrive in December.
