Even though the smartphone industry is always bubbling away nicely with plenty of issues and controversies, there has been little to talk about in the last few months about the things that really matter. Putting the court cases, internal disputes and platform arguments aside, the thing that consumers really care about is the hardware and software that is being developed to offer the maximum power and choice to purchasers. After all, the ones who buy and use the products are the people who actually matter the most in any industry.
Microsoft has put a great deal of development blood and sweat into creating the Metro interface of Windows 8, and whilst many have taken something of a shining to the new look of the title, others have been less than impressed with some of the features being removed (or added) over previous releases of Windows.
Grand Theft Auto, or GTA, is one of the most popular franchises known to man and console, and with publisher Rockstar Games having already dropped a couple of beautiful screenshots of the upcoming GTA V, fans of the series are increasingly anxious for news regarding availability.
If you happen to be a fan of the Marvel Comics range of characters, as well as throwing yourself into the rather impressive shoes of one of the world’s most legendary protectors, then assuming the role of a Norse god might just be right up your street. Even better, you can now become the mighty Thor free of charge if you happen to own an iPhone, iPod touch or iPad, as Marvel Entertainment has made their fantastic and fast-paced Thor: Son of Asgard game free of charge on the App Store for a limited time.
The iPod was the catalyst for Apple's initial transcendence towards becoming the world's most valuable company, and although the MacBook, iPhone and iPad devices dominate most column (and shelf) space throughout the digital world, we should never forget where each of those aforementioned innovations originated from.
Another year, another new iPhone arrives from Apple, and even though we should be used to it by now, the amount of hype, rumor and speculation always seems to increase with every new release. With only five days to go until the event at the Yerba Buena Center, we have a relatively good idea of what to expect, although quite a few features still remain up in the air.
According to Fox, Apple is planning to release a refreshed batch of its iMac desktop computer in time for Christmas, and the news and entertainment giant's Clayton Morris reckons the new iMacs could launch as soon as next week. He also speculates Apple could instead drop the new iMacs range at next month's special event for the iPad Mini, but reckons they'll be available in time for the all-important holiday season.
Apple showcased many new and intriguing features with the grand unveiling of iOS 6, the sixth edition of the company's famed mobile operating system, and one of the ones we're looking forward to the most is the Passbook feature. Apple et al have done a stellar job in reducing general pocket fodder over the years, and Passbook will only aid the progression further by allowing vouchers, boarding passes, loyalty cards, coupons and the like to be stored away digitally, and utilized with minimal fuss.
With the well documented patent infringement court case between two mobile industry titans - Apple and Samsung - it's easy to forget amongst the bickering and finger-pointing, that the two companies share a pretty rich business relationship.
If we told you that Apple was planning on launching a service that allows users to search for, select and then stream music across multiple iOS and OS X devices, then it probably shouldn’t come as a great surprise. After all, Apple pretty much pioneered the shift in music and paved the way for digital downloads and the like, so the surprise would be that it has taken them this long to adopt the strategy and actually come up with a service similar to that offered by the likes of Pandora and Spotify.
