It shouldn't really come as a great shock to anyone by now that any device running iOS 6 no longer comes with Google Maps installed as the default mapping platform. In fact, it doesn't come as part of iOS 6 in any shape or form. The removal of the tried and tested Maps app as well as Apple's decision to roll their own vector-based mapping solution has been the discussion of the week so far due to the fact that users have managed to find some rather large inadequacies with Apple's own creation.
App updates are consistently being talked about at the moment, more often than not in the context of developers pushing out updates on the iOS platform to support iOS 6 and the new iPhone 5 which Apple released last week. The official YouTube app have probably been cropping up in conversation more than Google would like, especially as users are wondering where the native iPad app is and when it will be launched, but that hasn't distracted them from pushing out a fairly sizeable update to the official Android YouTube app today.
iFixit's teardown of the iPhone 5 answered many questions unanswerable until one has had a good look inside a new device, and gave the true techies something to ogle over.
The iPhone 5 brought many new features and changes to the table, and along with a slightly-improved snapper, faster processor, doubled-up RAM and a smoother all-round design, the latest and greatest Apple smartphone also brought with it an increased display size.
HTC, despite producing solid smartphones, is finding itself swamped in a sea of solid Samsung devices at this point in time, with its flagship, quad-core One X having sold millions less than the Korean company's own quad-core powerhouse, the S III.
Microsoft's Xbox 360 console has established itself as a gaming console, but in line with the changing face of technology, the Redmond company has been pushing it towards the all-round entertainment market. As well as the Kinect, which sold at the kind of speeds only Apple's iPhone can relate to, various Dashboard updates have seen the gamers' paradise morph into something of a set-top box.
The iPhone 4 / 4S’ design was always hailed as being among the best-looking in the smartphone market, but because of the glass front / back design, it wasn’t all that durable; people I know have had their device’s glass completely shattered from innocent 3-4ft drops. Samsung’s Galaxy S series of smartphones, on the other hand, were always plasticky but a whole lot more durable. This was the case for the years 2010-2011.
One of the great things about mobile devices like the iPhone and iPad is that they allow professionals to conduct their day-to-day business from pretty much anywhere that has a data connection. That comes as a great help for those who are constantly on the move and are unable to whip out a notebook to access mails or other work related documents. That is partly one of the reason why iOS and OS X productivity apps are so popular, with DocuSign Ink being one of the current hits on the App Store.
When Apple announced its very own Maps app for iOS 6, featuring turn-by-turn navigation and sumptuous 3D maps, companies behind some of the biggest sat-nav apps must have been quite concerned about future business. As it turns out, now is a pretty good time for said companies to plug their map-centric software, since the iOS Maps offering by Apple hasn’t been particularly popular, to put it mildly.
There's little doubt the new Lightning dock connector for iOS devices is a step in the right direction. It's much more compact than its 30-pin predecessor, which saves room within the device for more pressing hardware like the new A6 processor, and also, it's reversible, meaning no more irritating jams and unnecessary damage when attempting to plug in the wrong way.
