The official launch of Windows 8 may still be weeks away but that hasn't stopped developers from getting themselves and their apps ready in time for the big launch, with the fantastic MetroTwit Twitter app being the latest to get an update. A number of online and physical retailers are starting to offer pre-order discounts for those who get their Windows 8 upgrade orders in early as well as multiple hardware manufacturers starting to take initial orders for Windows 8-based PCs and notebooks.
Although there has been a great deal of speculation surrounding the specifications and possible launch date of the purported iPad Mini, we are still waiting on official confirmation from Apple itself related to the device. With that said, we are pretty sure that Apple will remain on track to officially introduce us to the new baby iPad this month, and it is being reported that the very media event that will be held for the iPad Mini could also focus heavily on the company's iBooks platform as part of the presentation.
Anyone who happens to own a Mac will more than likely be familiar with The Unarchiver application that seems to be the de facto standard for uncompressing zip and other archived files. Other apps obviously exist but The Unarchiver seems to be able to handle any type of file that is thrown at it with minimal fuss. The Archives iOS application for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad has been created based on that OS X application and offers the same functionality, power and handling capabilities of its Mac based sibling.
When it comes to mobile apps, we are used to large companies being way behind the game and playing by their own rules in terms of releasing updates and software to support new firmware, platforms and device specifications. You can forgive the lax attitude from indie developers who may not have as many resources to throw into development as large organizations have, but you would kind of expect the bigger companies to update their apps ahead of time. We definitely can't put Netflix in that bracket as they have already launched their Windows 8 compatible app ahead of time.
Although a lot of developers are yet to accept it, it isn't a coincidence that the most popular and well-received apps for mobile devices are ones that look great and are simple and intuitive to use. Smartphones and tablets generally provide a limited landscape and usage area, and it is important that the user-interface lends itself well to the functionality of the app to provide a great experience for the user. After all, they are the ones who matter most. The HoloNotes note-taking app for Android-powered devices is one such example on Google's mobile platform that definitely ticks those boxes.
When iOS 5 was launched with the iPhone 4S during the last quarter of 2012; one of the most notable and popular feature was Siri, the virtual digital assistant. Siri was extremely well-received but also spun some arguments as to why Apple only bundled the software on the iPhone 4S and not on older iOS devices. Step forward the jailbreak scene with a number of Siri GUI ports as well as the setting up of proxy servers that allowed older generation devices to connect to Siri.
The Windows steam train is definitely in full flight and with Microsoft looking forward to the October 26th launch date of Windows 8 and their new Surface tablets, the time has officially come when consumers can start pre-ordering upgrade copies of Windows 8 Pro from a variety of selected retail outlets for $69.99.
Apple's sixth iteration of iOS has been out in the wild for over two weeks now and although it offers a number of new and impressive features and improvements for users, it appears that it also brings with it a new way for Apple to track users and their activity levels on the device. We should all remember the uproar that was caused last year when it became common knowledge that hidden files were stored on iOS devices that contained user location data, so this latest activity monitoring is sure to ruffle some feathers.
It’s been two days since October 10th – the day CNN Fortune claimed that Apple would be sending out invites to press members for their announcement event for the iPad mini. Now, a new report has emerged online on a related topic: the day Apple will actually be holding the event itself.
Microsoft has taken the opportunity to announce that the development phase of Office 2013 is complete and the engineering teams involved have signed off the Release to Manufacturing (RTM) build of the suite. Now that the coding, design and development phases of the process are complete; the main focus of the Redmond company is to now concentrate on releasing the new build of Office to consumer and business customers via selected channels.
