When Android users take their phone out of the box for the first time, things gnenerally work; average users don’t really customize their Android experience but enthusiasts like to hunt for the perfect third-party alternatives to things that they think don’t work. The browser on Gingerbread and below is a good case in point: it’s a lackluster offering that is slow and not customizable at all. Searching for the best alternative browser on Android through Market can be gargantuan task, but if you do your homework you’ll find that Dolphin Browser and Opera Mobile are fan-favorites.
Whether you call it a play toy or a useful utility, Siri is undoubtedly one of iPhone 4S’ hottest features. While its popularity among iPhone 4S users is decreasing, demand for a strong Siri alternative for Android remains as strong as ever. This is evidenced by the countless number of Siri-like apps available in the Android Market, which we cover from time to time.
The media, consumers, Apple fans and retail staff workers are all counting the days until Apple’s media event, of which we are still confident will bring us some new product goodness, obviously it will. We have been hearing rumors over the last few weeks about possible technical specifications of the new iPad tablet, as well as the possibility that Apple could announce a second product during the event, possibly a new Apple TV set top box.
Samsung's iMessage, Gtalk and other IM service competitor, ChatON, is already available for Bada, BlackBerry, Android and iOS but now it has gained a new platform - the desktop.
Whenever we talk about jailbreaking an iOS device, we invariably mention the Cydia platform in the same paragraph. Whenever a jailbreak is processed using one of the main development tools, Cydia is a by-product and installed upon the device, allowing users to browse through all of the packages contained within. Even though users generally use Cydia on a daily basis, I would imagine that due to the fact that it contains a very simple to use front end, people would be unaware of the processes which take place behind the scenes.
I can't remember the last time I opened Cydia and felt genuinely excited about a tweak or modification that had been uploaded to one of the repositories. The platform contains so many packages these days, with more and more being added or updated everyday that it sometimes becomes a bit of a chore to filter through the recent changes and actually find something worth downloading or purchasing. However, this does not apply to a recently submitted tweak from a developer known as K3A which adds a whole new dimension to incoming application notifications.
With the invites to the Apple media event expected to be issued in the next few days, we are drawing ever closer to what we believe will be the official unveiling of the third generation Apple iPad. Speculation from people in the know is still pointing to an announcement on March 7th which, if historical behavior is anything to go by means that we should be seeing official invites hitting the inboxes of the lucky few in the coming days.
I have said it before, I am saying it now and no doubt I will say it time and time again, but the most popular tweaks in my personal opinion are the ones that provide either a much needed enhancement to the operating system or an actual real world benefit to users. Aesthetic modifications are all well and good, but tastes change over time and they will no doubt be downloaded, used for a brief time frame and then pushed into obscurity whereas a tweak or modification which provides an actual tangible benefit will stand the test of time.
Sony's PlayStation Vita is on its way to becoming an impressive mobile gaming system, but could apps potentially be where its strengths really lie?
I personally feel that Android needs a strong, unified syncing solution that harmonizes your desktop computer with your smartphone and tablet. Apple has got this nailed with iTunes and iCloud but Android is severely lacking in this department; users have to install a bunch of different apps that sync different kinds of files: you have Dropbox for photos/videos, Google Docs for documents, doubletwist’s excellent AirSync app or Google Music for your music library etc. etc. Android enthusiasts tend to see this as a plus on Android’s part but I don’t.
