If you’ve been reading Redmond Pie for the past few days, you’ll know that there is a certain Apple event set to kick off tomorrow morning where the company will, quite likely, introduce a handful of exciting new products and services.
Released a couple of days before the iPhone 5, iOS 6 has seen its fair share of criticism from technology enthusiasts but the way general consumers have upgraded to it so quickly to it is a shining example for the Android camp where users have to wait months for their smartphone manufacturer to be updated to the latest version of Android.
I’m quite certain HTC One X users might be able to recall the leaked Jelly Bean ROM which was doing it’s rounds around the internet quite some time ago. The HTC variant of the leak came during a time when we were seeing various versions of Jelly Bean being leaked for the Samsung Galaxy S III, but unfortunately, the fact that it was classified as being for developers only was enough to stop the majority from going down the route of flashing it to their own HTC devices.
Although Cydia is full of packages that bring exceptional additional functionality to Apple's mobile operating system, it also plays home to multiple tweaks that exist simply to change a small portion of the way iOS works. One aspect of the system that developers love to change and tinker with is Apple's slide to unlock feature that allows users to slide their finger across a banner to gain access to the device. The Pinch to Unlock Cydia package is one such jailbreak tweak that amends that method.
Some of the largest players in the game are all holding scheduled press events over the course of the next seven days in an attempt to get their products and services noticed by the tech hungry public. Apple will be taking to the stage first on October 23rd to introduce us to the new miniature iPad, followed closely by Microsoft on October 25th to refresh our memories on Windows 8 and the Surface tablet. To end the month, Google will be holding their own Android event in New York that looks likely to bring some very interesting announcements, on the same day, Microsoft is holding a Windows Phone 8 launch event too.
The TwelveSouth BookBook range of cases have proven themselves to be some of the most popular iOS and OS X accessories available on the market. Uniquely imagined and beautifully styled, the BookBook case is basically a rather gorgeous looking wallet and iPhone case combo that is manufactured to look like a vintage book on the outside. The quality of the product speaks for itself but with current versions only being compatible with the iPhone 4 and 4S, TwelveSouth have found themselves issuing a statement about the imminent availability of a BookBook case made specifically for the iPhone 5.
Windows 8 is just five days away from being publicly released, but those of you with access to MSDN or TechNet, like me, are probably already running the final “RTM” build of the new OS from the Redmond-based software company.
Experienced and hardcore gamers on the Windows platform will more than likely have used, or at least be familiar with, tools that integrate with the system to provide a visual outlet showing how many frames-per-second the running software is achieving. To a lot of people, and the average user in general, the information is irrelevant, but to developers and those who take things a little more seriously; it is extremely useful to see the real-world performance levels that are being reached. The FPS Meter app on the Play Store now mimics that functionality on Android devices.
The Nexus 7 has been fairly successful for Google and their manufacturing partners, with Android lovers and tablet aficionados loving the premium experience that the product provides with the budget price-tag which Google has slapped on it. The 8GB and 16GB variants have been in the marketplace since the original launch in June of this year, and although Google has obviously been trying to keep it under wraps, it looks like the 32GB Nexus 7 tablet will be available to purchase sooner rather than later.
The iPhone 5 may have been out for a number of weeks now, but accessories and peripherals for the new device - at least from Apple - have been at something of a premium. As has been documented numerous times, there's no official dock for the new Lightning-connected device as yet, and perhaps surprisingly, no iPhone 5 cases retailing in any of Apple's Stores. While there's not likely to be a Lightning dock anytime soon, the Cupertino company's official retail stores have begun stocking cases for the brand new smartphone.
