There hasn’t been much news coming out of San Jose in the last few days, but that doesn't mean that the Apple vs. Samsung case isn't still bubbling away like a hot cauldron behind those large doors that stand so proudly in front of Judge Lucy Koh's courtroom. Apple has already had their turn in the legal spotlight with their appointed counsel presenting the fundamentals of their case to the judge and overseeing jury, and now it's time for Samsung's legal eagles to step into the limelight, it seems that they are taking a rather bizarre approach to defending themselves.
Instagram has managed to make itself one of the most popular and well-known apps on the App Store and Google Play Store, notching up over 80 million registered members on its extremely eventful journey. The Instagram story hasn't been without its set backs, as you might expect from a team of developers venturing into the unknown on a relatively new platform, but with the membership-base growing everyday and the relatively recent acquisition by Facebook, Kevin Systrom and his twelve man team are now able to relax a little as they continue to build the app and grow the Instagram name.
Just a day after it was reported that Android 4.1 Jelly Bean would be coming to Galaxy S III by the end of the month, a completely legit leaked build has been released by the folks over at SamMobile who were, if you remember, responsible for the numerous Ice Cream Sandwich leaks back in the days of the Galaxy S II. For those of you who are willing to risk the safety of their device for the sake of trying out new features, we’ve prepared a guide for flashing the ROM after the jump.
Android introduced a very different kind of entry protection in 2008. Named Pattern Lock, it allowed users to swipe in a specific way across 9 dots to unlock their smartphone. It is arguably easier to input and technically much more secure than a 4 digit PIN code. But, as time goes by, people found ways to bypass it. The first method I’ve heard of is actually pretty simple: if your fingers are the least bit oily, they will be leave smudges in line with pattern you use to unlock. If an intruder, then, observes the smudges, they may be able to gain access to your phone. The second method is to just go by trial and error as, in my own personal experience, I’ve noticed a lot of people use letters of the alphabet (such as V, D, U, O, etc. alphabets that can be easily recreated in the pattern lock).
Of the major mobile operating systems, Android is undoubtedly the most customizable, and as such, there's a large collective of individuals creating apps and showing others how to modify certain aspects of a device. XDA Developers is a great place where the most knowledgeable Android folk gather to share ideas and brainstorm, and some of the most useful apps for Google's mobile operating system have emerged courtesy of the site.
In the gaming world, Assassin's Creed is kind of a big deal, and if you like your stealth/action adventure titles, then it's more than likely you're a fan of the series. Sure, it doesn't manage to garner the same kind of following as your Halos and Call of Duty(s) of the world, but it's certainly not far off, and naturally, Assassin's Creed III is one of the most hotly anticipated future titles on the horizon.
As a person who has recently purchased his first ever Android device, one of the main issues I have experienced is finding the limitations of the native apps that ship with Android and then finding alternative solutions through the Play Store that combat those limitations. As an experienced iOS user, I know exactly what I need from my iPhone and iPad and can always pull the right apps from the App Store that perfectly compliment my usage patterns and plug the gaps which Apple have missed.
Microsoft is now offering a 90-day trial of Windows 8 Enterprise edition for development and evaluation purposes. Earlier today, Microsoft released the final bits of Windows 8 RTM to MSDN and TechNet subscribers.
Windows 8's October 26th release date has been confirmed, and in the meantime, Redmond-based Microsoft has been preparing all the associated bits and pieces usually associated with a major OS release, including Visual Studio 2012 and .NET Framework 4.5 which have both been released to MSDN and TechNet today.
Let me get this out of the way first: the Nexus 7 is not a smartphone, nor is it a tablet designed for incoming / outgoing calls like the original Galaxy Tab from Samsung. The Nexus 7 is a very basic tablet that is meant for doing tasks like surfing the web, socializing on Facebook, Twitter, sending / receiving email, play games, video chat via Skype or Google Talk etc. i.e. nothing to do with phone calls.

