Among the first things hardcore Android enthusiasts do after unboxing their shiny new smartphone or tablet is to look for ways of gaining root access to it. “Rooting” is the Android equivalent of “jailbreaking” (an iOS term) which lets users run apps that can make changes to or access system level data and resources.
One of the possible reasons why Apple shifted to their own mapping solution in iOS 6, besides reports suggesting that their five year long Maps license from Google had expired, is the company’s general preference to having complete and absolute control over how user’s use their products. In addition to that, data from users of maps is very valuable; data that Apple would like to keep to itself rather than hand it to a third party.
Despite the shockingly-bad Maps app upsetting a vast number of iOS 6 users, the Cupertino company's latest and greatest mobile firmware has been downloaded and installed in record numbers. Fuelled by the frenzied consumer rush for the new iPhone 5, the new operating system has been adopted at a rate 122 percent faster than iOS 5, which released last October.
Yes, the new iPhone 5 is thinner, lighter, and generally more aesthetically-pleasing than its predecessor and, in fact, any iPhone before it. Aside from those three key improvements, the other noticeable alteration is that of the new display. In terms of pixel density, it's the same as both the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S, but that is where the similarities end. As well as being more vibrant than any previous Apple smartphone display, it's noticeably larger, and while the width remains the same, the additional block of real-estate at the top of the device pushes the diameter up to the 4-inch mark.
Fans of Microsoft's Xbox Music Pass appear to be in luck, if they also plan on picking up one of the new Windows Phone 8 devices that will be hitting the streets shortly. The Windows Phone 8 hype is beginning to reach a whole new level of, well, hype. We're not too far away from new smartphones packing Windows Phone 8 reaching stores, and we're still learning new and somewhat interesting things about what features will and will not make their way into those handsets.
Apple really brought forth some significant changes with the iPhone 5, and one of the most obvious is the new, larger display. Having stuck faithfully by its 3.5-inch configuration since day one, the Cupertino-based company finally felt it time to offer users of its iconic smartphone a little bit more real estate to play around with. However, breaking from the mold of many rivaling vendors, the fruit company opted to maintain the same width of the display, instead adding a sizeable block of pixels along the top.
Twitter may be in the midst of a rather dramatic fall from grace amongst the technology community, but the company has announced at least one piece of news which is certain to bring a smile to the faces of the Technorati.
Concept ideas are dreamed up, worked on, and scrapped by companies all the time, but when a project has a certain unique quirk or charm, it’s always worth going back for a second look. At least, that’s what members of Microsoft’s C++ team have done in creating Project Austin – an app designed and heavily influenced by the old codename: Courier.
With all the talk focused around the iPhone 5 lately, it is easy to lose sight of all those individuals who are running devices like the iPhone 4 or 4S on earlier versions of iOS and are still enjoying their untethered jailbreak. The jailbreak dev teams will be looking for ways to liberate the iPhone 5 that's for certain, but in the mean time, the show must go on, and thankfully the release of yet another great little package from Elias Limneos is ensuring that it goes on in great style.
The first drop tests have already compared the iPhone 5 against the Galaxy S III, and have shown that Apple has superior build quality which can withstand multiple falls without too much problem, but what about the technical and overall performance of the iPhone 5 during everyday use? The guys over at AnandTech ran some comprehensive tests on the new iPhone to determine the levels of performance that it provides, utilizing tests such as the Geekbench as well as SunSpider and BrowserMark analysis.
