Predicting the weather is a notoriously difficult affair. While the technology used to predict what the weather will do has improved greatly over the years, as has the end result, it is a well known fact that trusting the weatherman is still not the easiest thing in the world to do.
Camera-based apps for Apple's iPhone aren't exactly in short supply, and while they all use the same quality of camera, the results from app to app can differ greatly. Some of the more popular ones can yield fantastic results, but the indifference of many image and photo apps mean it's always good to do a little research before parting with any money.
More legal shenanigans today, with the news that Motorola is on the receiving end of some bad news with regards to an existing spat with Microsoft over the use of technology inside Android tablets and smartphones.
Regardless of how much Apple improve iOS - their mobile operating system - there are always going to be parts of the software that just don't sit right with users. Unfortunately, you can't please everyone all the time, but the technology giants could do a little bit more to implement certain features and capabilities that seem like a glaringly obvious omission from the OS.
Cydia is overflowing with packages, tweaks and extensions relating to pretty much every part of iOS, but one area that hasn't really received a great deal of third-party developer attention is the Mobile Safari web browser that ships as part of the OS. Granted, it is a pretty decent web browser by default, but nothing is perfect, and like a lot of other parts of Apple's mobile operating system, it needs some work.
In my opinion, iOS developers who exist within the jailbreak community should be placed high up on a pedestal and praised for their efforts in making Apple's mobile operating system a nicer and more functional piece of software to use. Don't get me wrong, a stock installation of iOS is still an iconic piece of work, but with the help of a few carefully chosen tweaks and packages, it becomes almost perfect.
Although Microsoft has born the brunt of much criticism throughout the tech industry over the years, the Redmond-based software maker has had a comparatively good last couple of years. The Xbox 360 is the number one console, Windows Phone is growing steadily, and the Windows 8 Consumer Preview dropped earlier this year to widespread critical acclaim.
Remember when Apple first introduced the FaceTime video calling service in 2010, causing quite a big stir? Video calling on a mobile device wasn't anything new or revolutionary, after all, one of the core services when networks started pushing out UMTS connectivity was the ability to make device-to-device video calls. As usual, Apple somehow managed to make this feature seem exclusive to iOS devices and was made even more palatable to users due to the fact that it was free over a wireless connection.
Anyone who is familiar with the comings and goings of the consumer technology industry will be more than au fait with Microsoft's Kinect sensor and its associated attachments. What started out as a motion sensing accessory for Xbox 360 gamers has grown to be so much more, with people adapting the technology to be used in a number of different innovative and exciting situations.
If you cast your minds back a few months, you might remember the Raspberry Pi USB dongle, which one intuitive chap had turned into a fully-functional PC running Android. Enthusiasts will be pleased to learn that an equally tasty alternative has now gone on general sale, and can be bought for the unbelievably cheap price of just $74!
