As well as making any tech fan shudder, the drop tests of our much loved gadgets serve an educational purpose, because despite most consumers getting carried away with nice displays, sharp cameras and other great hardware features, few actually take into consideration how quickly it can all be lost with one spillage or drop on the floor.
Apart from having a sense of glee and excitement every time we unlock the device, one thing all iOS device owners have in common is the fact that we have to contend with the environmental elements on a daily basis. Once upon a time, we used to gauge the weather based on the time of year and what season we were in, but those days are long gone with mother nature becoming increasingly erratic over what weather conditions she dishes out.
As important as the hardware specification of a smartphone or tablet may be, it's not necessarily the end-all, be-all, and the software it runs can be an even more significant factor in the overall quality and popularity of a device.
Earlier on this week, we learned European carriers were stockpiling nano-SIM cards in anticipation for the launch of the next-generation iPhone. For those who missed the previous report, the nano-SIM removes all needless plastic from the micro-SIM, saving those precious extra millimeters within a mobile device for more important hardware.
The next phase of the continual trials between Samsung and Apple are expected to kick off in the US on July 30th, but as has been the case previously, no-nonsense Judge Lucy Koh ordered both parties to try and resolve their differences by means of a mediation meeting. According to an article previously accessible over at The Korea Times, Apple head honcho Tim Cook met with Samsung execs Choi Gee-sung and Shin Jong-Kyun on July 16th, but no agreement could be reached.
HTC completely refreshed their whole lineup earlier this year with the One series of smartphones. The aim was to focus on a minimum number of phones so as to increase their overall quality, provide quick software updates and generally just reduce customer confusion that was created as a result of HTC releasing new smartphones every few weeks.
Personally speaking, I have been a user of iOS since the launch of the first iPhone back in 2007 and during that time I have always let Mobile Safari take care of my web browsing requirements. There has always been the temptation of fraternizing with some of the third-party browsers available on the App Store such as Apollo or SkyFire, but it always felt a little like cheating to move away from Apple's own offering.
Earlier today, we informed you of a UK Judge's decision to force Apple into issuing written clarification on both its website and a British newspaper, stating rival Samsung did not copy design features of its iPad in making the Samsung Galaxy Tab. In a rather predictable next move, the Cupertino company has almost immediately appealed against the ruling, and Apple's case will be heard by the court of appeal.
Angry Birds, a title which started out on iOS, is one of the simplest physics-based puzzlers around, yet has transcended into a billion dollar franchise available on pretty much any platform. As well as selling the title to pretty much every consumer in some way, shape or form, makers Rovio have sold a plethora of Angry Birds branded merchandise, including plush toys, smartphone and tablet covers, and other such peripherals, and it's by far the biggest success story to emerge from any mobile platform.
Microsoft's Windows 8 marks a significant change in direction for the Redmond company's landmark operating system, and although the software maker had previously offered a release bracket, Steven Sinosfky has put minds and speculation to rest by announcing it will begin retailing on Friday 26th October.
