Whenever a new and improved mobile software is released nowadays, there's always that moment in which owners of certain devices discover theirs will be left out in the cold. In the case of Windows Phone 7.x, that was everybody, and although Microsoft has delivered Windows Phone 7.8 in something of a watered-down edition of Windows Phone 8, it's still lacking many of the key new features of Windows Phone 8. The advantage of using old software, however, is that, more often than not, it's a lot more mod-able, and thanks to a new app, those running Windows Phone 7.x can enjoy a slick Notification Center feature with the aptly-entitled Notifications app.
Opinions are clearly divided on the need to have applications like the new Facebook Poke offering hanging around the iOS App Store, but regardless of individual opinion on the topic it would seem that users seem to enjoy having the ability to send short messages with attached media to friends that then later self-destructs into oblivion. Although the core functionality of the app is to send these types of messages that do disappear a few seconds after being viewed, it is entirely possible to permanently save whatever the sender has sent to your devices.
If you have an iPhone or iPod touch and love the power and functionality which Google has brought back to iOS with the launch of their official Maps app, then it’s worth considering whether or not it would be worthwhile jailbreaking that device to get your hands on the latest tweak to come from Ryan Petrich. It would appear that one of the hardest working developers in the jailbreak community has discovered the hidden topography mode in the new Google Maps app for iPhone. Although Google has obviously chosen to have this feature lie dormant for now, Petrich has made it available through a tweak on his official repository.
Despite having been around for considerably less time than the App Store, Google Play has grown to house almost as many apps as its Cupertino rival. With 2012's conclusion nigh, the Big G has released a list pertaining its favorite apps and games released this year in two separate lists. "Games We Love" focuses on those addictive, exciting, and thought-provoking releases this year, while "App Focus" gives an insight into the rich, diverse quantity of apps available.
Apple's vast product line may have helped it to reach the dizzy heights of world's most expensive company, but as long-time followers of the Cupertino company will know, it hasn't always been iPhones, iPads and MacBook Airs. This is no more apparent than if we take a look back a few decades to some of the earlier designs, and one particular German designer has unveiled some never-before-seen treasures from the Apple archives. Hartmut Esslinger, assigned by Steve Jobs on a $2 million a year contract to come up with a signature look for a new Macintosh line back in the 1980s, has showcased a number of his eventually-scrapped computer and tablet designs in a new book, called "Design Forward".
It is being reported that the Samsung Galaxy S IV, the next generation of Samsung’s flagship smartphone, will hit the shelves in April 2013 and include features from the Samsung’s mini-tablet, the Galaxy Note, such as the infamous ‘S Pen’.
Want to see Windows RT on a smartphone? We know you do, that's why we're fairly sure this latest news will excite you just as much as it does us. Windows RT has been ported to the HTC HD2 smartphone. Honest!
In the Android ecosystem, the first ever tablets (other than the first experimental builds like original Galaxy Tab and HTC Flyer) ran on Honeycomb, Android 3.0, which was tailor-made to suit the tablet devices’ larger screens. Unfortunately (or not), Android 3.0 didn’t really see much glory for two reasons. One, it was rather buggy in itself, and two, when Ice Cream Sandwich was released, it unified both tablet and smartphone versions of the Android ecosystem, making it redundant to have a separate OS in the first place. For the same reasons, the said Android version didn’t see much developer love, either.
Android is constantly a target for those looking to spread malware, and the latest - discovered by Russian security outfit Doctor Web - is probably one of the more significant to date. Arriving in the form of a trojan, it can aid the loathed Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, while also housing the ability to send spam SMS messages and receive commands from the criminals behind them.
Every now and then, an app for the iPhone will come along and leave us totally speechless, making it something that we have to own and have to use as many times as possible in front of friends or family. Thankfully, this year is coming to a nice end with one of those apps that appears to be somewhat of a gimmick that provides great entertainment at social gatherings or dinner parties, but at $0.99, we really don't mind. Cycloramic allows all iPhone 5 owners to capture a Street View-esque video of their surroundings without even touching the device.
