Windows 8 has just been released to manufacturing, as expected; Microsoft recently revealed that this would happen at the beginning of August. What does this mean? Well, the OS has been finalized, and the final build is being sent out to OEMs/partners as we speak.
As is always the case a month or two prior to a new iDevice release, the next-generation iPhone is currently the talk of the tech world, with analysts, bloggers, fans and insiders speculating what Apple has up its sleeve this time around.
As many of you already know, Android 4.1 Jelly on the Google / ASUS Nexus 7 uses a mix of tablet and phone user interfaces. The home screen launcher is fixed in portrait mode with virtual buttons at the bottom like the Galaxy Nexus, but when you go into landscape mode for landscape-oriented apps / games like Dead Trigger, the virtual buttons are placed at the bottom unlike the Galaxy Nexus. This is a completely new mix for UI (with respect to placement of virtual buttons) that has never been seen before on Android tablets; Google developed this specifically for the 7” tablet form factor.
Apple and Samsung’s trial is well under way folks, and we’re seeing plenty of juicy information come out of it. We’ve seen iPhone and iPad prototype from Apple, plans for an upcoming higher-than-Full-HD resolution tablet from Samsung, and now one of Apple’s design team members has discussed the design process that Apple goes through for new products.
If you happened to walk into a store and saw the Nexus Q sitting on the shelf for sale, you might want to consult a salesperson to actually find out what the elegant black orb does. Unlike smartphones or tablets that lend their visuals to their functionality, or the Apple TV unit that gives away its function in the name, the Nexus Q is a visual enigma that hasn't really gotten the consumer technology world convinced.
It isn't really a great secret that some of the most popular apps for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad live within the Photography section on the App Store. Browsing through that particular category always manages to bring up multiple appealing apps with new offerings landing on Apple's servers on a daily basis. Apple has put a lot of effort into creating the iPhone, it has a beautiful Retina display and a great camera, something which developers have recognized by producing functioning apps that make use of the photographs taken with the device.
It may come as a surprise given the handset's rip-roaring success, but Apple's iPhone very nearly didn't make it out of the company's development labs, according to a man who would know; Apple Senior VP of Design, Jony Ive.
Joshua Hill, better known throughout the jailbreak community as Chronic-Dev Team member p0sixninja, has announced via Twitter that he's left the group. He hasn't offered any real reasons for his departure, aside from stating that he's "no longer associated" with the team, adding, "it was never about the money for me."
I can imagine anyone who owns an iOS device has found themselves muttering the odd crossword under their breath whenever they click a link or an image in an app only for it to completely kick you out of the running app and decide to take itself off to a new page within Mobile Safari. I can understand why this issue occurs and unfortunately for the most part, it is a necessary evil if the user wants to visit or view information that hasn't been handled by the app developer.
The smartphone industry is one of the most fiercely contested in tech space, and although Windows Phone 8 will bring Microsoft well and truly into the fold, the battle is currently fought between Google's Android and Apple's iOS platforms.
