Announced back in mid 2011 and publicly previewed earlier this year, Windows Phone 8 is the next major release of Microsoft’s Windows Phone platform. We’ve seen a smorgasbord of new features demoed and exciting new smartphones announced from companies like Nokia, Samsung, and HTC, but until now we didn’t have a confirmed release date for the OS or the new phones that come based on it.
The fifth-generation iPod touch was announced alongside the iPhone 5 at the September 12th media event in San Francisco, but while Tim Cook proudly proclaimed that the new smartphone would begin shipping just over a week later, there was no such news about the rather colorful new iPod touch range. Rather than lavish us with all of the necessary launch details for the new iPod touch, Apple deemed it acceptable to give a vague October deadline instead of a proper date.
Apple’s very own Maps app which comes as a part of iOS 6 has been under fire for quite a while, but the decision to build their own vector-based mapping system definitely has some distinct advantages for iOS users. By using vector graphics to form the map imagery, Apple is able to hold a fairly large area of territory in memory that can be extremely beneficial to those using turn-by-turn navigation in areas where cellular connectivity is poor.
Productivity apps are aplenty on the iOS App Store, with new apps being added daily to allow users to squeeze the most out of their days. Some of us are able to knuckle down and whizz through growing workloads while others need a more structured layout with the required tasks and chores being clearly defined for the day ahead. There are many different time management philosophies, but there is only one of which I'm aware of, and it is based on the methodologies of a former U.S. President.
Invitations for a special iPad Mini event are expected to be handed out on the 10th of this month, with the official launch coming as soon as the 17th according to some reports, and as tends to be the case in the run-up to a new Apple product, the new snippets of information are coming through on a daily basis.
The launch of the Windows 8 operating system from Microsoft, along with all the associated devices, has always been at the back of the mind of the tech enthusiast. In the height of a summer which has seen the release of many fantastic products, October 26th has always seemed like such a long way away, but halfway through the first week of this monumentally-significant month for the software maker and tech as a whole, everything has started to become just that little bit more real.
Whether product releases are out of season or at full-blown launch phase, seldom a week goes by where Apple doesn't see at least one new patent approved, and although it can often be difficult to keep track of them, a new one - United States Patent Application 20120250914 - is of particular interest.
Although there's little doubt Apple has delivered the goods on countless occasions with regards to its product ranges, it's fair to say that at times, the Apple brand / logo has carried a sizeable chunk of total sales. Brand power is certainly not infallible, but it is a real reflection on a company's marketing ability, and although Steve Jobs - one of the best sellers / marketers of Apple-branded products - unfortunately passed away an year ago, the brand of the company he left behind is as strong as ever, with an estimated value now eclipsing that of every other company in the world bar Coca-Cola.
Although the iOS 6 Apple Maps fiasco wouldn't have directly affected the Android platform or any of its users (unless, of course, they also own an iOS device), it seems every company pushing out mapping or navigation software have been dropping significant updates, making big price cuts, or both. With that in mind, it should come as little surprise to see TomTom finally deliver an app for users of Google's mobile OS, and after years of catering to the Cupertino company's ecosystem, the release certainly isn't before time.
The advances in technology mean the boundaries of what we can expect to achieve are constantly being tested, and while our smartphones and tablets are already capable of things we could only have dreamed of five or six years ago, it seems the creative folk among us aren't content to rest on their laurels.
