Apple's ongoing patent spat with Samsung has been particularly interesting over the past week due to the involvement of HTC. The Cupertino company reached a licensing agreement with the Taiwanese outfit ten days ago, but Samsung has since demanded Apple hand over details of said agreement, claiming they could be relevant to its own case with Apple.
Siri has been around for longer than a year now, and while some consumers - particularly those residing in North America - have found the voice-recognition software to be of some use, many other nations and continents haven't had such enjoyable experiences. Here in the UK, I still have to "put-on" an American accent in order for Siri to understand me first time, every time, but considering how little support there is in other places across the world, I count myself among the lucky few that can still have a little fun with the relatively new implementation.
The iPad is quickly staking its claim as one of the most capable gaming devices on the market. With quad-core graphics and an A6X processor, it already has the PS Vita in its pocket in the graphic performance benchmarks, but whilst titles are becoming more realistic and gameplay is improving year on year, the iPad itself isn't getting any easier to hold.
In the world of Android, rooting a device is what jailbreak is to Apple’s iOS creations, although the former is much easier compared to the latter, thanks to Android’s open source nature and direct Linux-based kernel base. Nevertheless, it does take quite some skill to achieve that for all the new devices that are released, and here, we owe thanks to the highly dedicated and active developer community that exists for Android, putting in tireless hours to make lives easier for us. This is symbolized in many cases. Take Google’s Nexus 4, for example, that got rooted just a few hours after its release, showing how much potential the platform has for community support and developers’ love.
Over the years, the want lists of children have gotten more and more gadgetry, and according to a recent study by Nielsen, it's those of the Apple variety kids looking to receive this year. It's not a new trend, either. Over the past few years, it's become increasingly clear the devices most sought by American youngsters between the ages of six and twelve are those Designed by Apple in California, with half of those studied pining for the larger Apple iPad.
Samsung's Galaxy series has taken to Google's Android platform like a duck to water, and the release of the Galaxy S III earlier this year was by far the biggest Android release of the year. With that in mind, it should come as no surprise that, after just a few months, the rumor mill is now picking up tidbits on its eventual successor - the Galaxy S IV.
Mozilla's popular Firefox brings a new release almost every month, and following the October release of Firefox 16 and the subsequent Firefox 17 beta, the latest version has crept out of beta stage and is ready to rock. Available on the official download page, those keen to get the update as soon as possible can grab it right now via 17 Mozilla’s FTP servers - download details at the bottom of the page.
In the age of the internet that is packed full of inquisitive minds, it is extremely difficult for companies to keep things a secret or hide their intentions away from eager prying eyes and ears. Over the last week or so, we have been hearing murmurings that Apple were planning on opening up an official online eBay outlet store to gain some additional exposure for their officially refurbished products, and it looks like that additional sales channel is now in full swing, although there remains some question over whether it is actually operated and controlled officially by Apple or whether or not it is just an Apple sanctioned and approved reseller offering the refurbished goods.
Apple's market-leading iPad is becoming increasingly difficult for consumers to keep up with. At the beginning of this year, we were up to the iPad 2, but as 2012 draws to a close, we are already - rather extraordinarily - talking about the iPad 5. Apple dropped a bombshell on iPad 3 owners by announcing the iPad 4 last month, but ever since the tear-downs of the A6X device concluded Apple's rather wasteful design techniques, it has seemed only a matter of time before a thinner, lighter iPad emerged.
Google has a knack for doing things other companies have already done, but doing them better, or cheaper, or in an easier manner to understand; or any number of the above. Android took the iOS format and made it accessible for everybody; Chrome delivered a faster and more efficient and dynamic browsing experience than most; the list is endless. Every company fears Google when it decides to sink its teeth into a new project, and in news that is sure to have the head honchos over at Apple on red alert, it looks as though the search giant may be about to implement its own AirPlay-esque local streaming service.
