Notebook computers have been around in one form or another ever since the launch of the IBM 5100 back in 1975, and although the portable and compact machines that we have in modern times like the MacBook Air or ultrabook are far more advanced, light and mobile than that original IBM machine, the concept of a portable computer has been around for more than thirty-five years. Although laptop computers have developed significantly in the last three decades, we still have that need to protect and look after our large investment, which is where the designer of the VIVAX notebook case is hoping to become relevant through Kickstarter.
Back in June, Apple unveiled iOS 6 with much fan fair: the release included great long-expected additions, which included the big surprise of ditching Google Maps for Apple’s own system. While great additions were brought to the table, Maps in sixth generation iOS has had its own share of post-launch issues and inaccuracies (for London users, as an example, all of the Underground stations magically disappeared from an iOS version to another). Google has seized this opportunity to bring back its Maps to the iPhone, this time as a standalone map. Overall, we think you should give it a look.
For those of you that like to be frugal and shop only when the deals are rolling in, the holiday season is as good a time as any to take advantage of the many price drops and savings available on the market. While many of you will undoubtedly be meeting up with friends and relatives during the course of the coming weeks, time, financial and practical constraints mean it is not always possible to arrange face-to-face meetings, but in these instances, we've long since leaned on Skype for a helping hand. Microsoft acquired the telecommunications company some time ago, and in an effort to turn occasional or would-be users into regular, paying customers, the Redmond company is running a great promotional deal.
The holiday season is well and truly upon us, and with so many sought-after gadgets on the market, finding best offer can be somewhat bamboozling. Each of the major retailers will be grappling for the attentions of consumers, and two of the largest - Walmart and Target - have kicked things off with some great savings on iOS devices.
Google finally delivered the release everybody (on iOS 6) had been waiting for by unleashing its sorely-missed Maps app to the App Store, and having used it a little myself, it's as if the native offering never went away. For those jailbroken, a little tweak has been made to help truly brand that feeling of native-ness, by allowing you to open maps links automatically with the new app. Similar to the tweak that allows you to make Chrome for iOS your default browser, MapsOpener helps you truly do away with Apple's sketchy Maps app, by making the third-party download version the go-to for all map links.
Thanks to its ability to run custom launchers at the drop of a hat, the Android experience is one of very few limits. If you don't like the look or functionality of your stock Android ROM, you can completely alter the experience to suit your needs by means of a home screen alternative. If you've always had your eye on the unique software quirks of the Sony Xperia range, but haven't been as taken by the devices themselves, you can now enjoy the Xperia launcher on your device running Ice Cream Sandwich or above, thanks to the stellar work of the folks over at XDA Developers.
The Nexus line up of devices has always received the prime cut of all that is Android, be it OTA updates, developer attention, mods and custom recoveries, root procedures and whatnot, and that, too, before the rest of the Android lot. This holds true not just for the smartphone showcase, but the tablets, too, since Google decided to enter that market itself. Generally, all the Nexus devices have been at the top of the Android food chain, as it was at the times of their respective releases. Their Achilles’ Heel, however, has always been their cameras, where the units mounted atop the Nexus devices were either inadequate or low performing, resulting in a loss of the battle in the mobile photography arena. Indeed, even mid-range droids had a better camera sensor as compared to the one built into, say, Galaxy Nexus.
Google Maps for iOS is officially here, and aside from the fact that it brings a rather pleasant and powerful mapping experience to iOS built on top of Google's wonderful data, it also brings some goodness in the form of URL schemes that not only allow developers, but also standard users to invoke the Maps app with different functionality at will. URL schemes are nothing new, but one of the benefits to users using the Google Maps for example is that they allow users to launch the Maps app directly into different views or to begin using different aspects of the software without having to jump through hoops to get to where they want to be.
It may be one of Apple's newest product lines that has only been publicly available for a matter of weeks, but that hasn't stopped the rumors about the potential specifications of the second-generation iPad mini from circulating extremely early. Reports from hit-and-miss rumor site DigiTimes are suggesting that Apple already has one eye on the future of the new mini iPad and could potentially have plans to introduce a higher-resolution display to the mid-range tablet as well as making changes to the standard sized iPad to make it lighter.
Scarcely a week goes by without some mention of a patent dispute within the tech industry, and while we're used to catching up on the latest in the wave of disputes concerning Samsung and Apple, today's installment of The Patent Files concerns only the latter. The Cupertino-residing outfit is often a focal point of copyright infringement squabbles, and according to a report by Bloomberg, the company's iPhone has been found to violate three patents held by MobileMedia.
