We all remember when Apple introduced their Siri digital assistant software with the iPhone 4S and iOS 5 back in October of last year. The immediate aftermath of that announcement saw a number of voice activated/guided apps landing on the iOS App Store as well as the Google Play Store for Android devices, but nothing really came close to matching Siri. If anyone could produce software to rival Apple’s offering then it was going to be Nuance Communications Inc. and that is exactly what they have tried to do with the initial beta release of Dragon Mobile Assistant.
This last week of October is jam-packed with really exciting media events from the personal computing industry. Apple revealed awesome new products like the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display, all-new iMacs, “iPad 4” and, of course, the iPad mini at their event yesterday. Microsoft’s Windows 8 and Surface RT launch event is set for tomorrow and Google’s event is scheduled for October 29th.
Linux is, believe it or not, at the core of our digital world, and many everyday products feature some form of Linux kernel. At desktop level, there are many variations, but the most commonly utilized as an operating system is Ubuntu. Renowned for its ease of use, it has become popular for those who like something a little bit more "bare bones" than the likes of OS X and Windows, and now, those in ownership of Google's Nexus 7 tablet can also join the party.
Google's NFC payment system has historically been an Android-only affair. In fact, not all Android devices can take advantage of the service thanks to the reliance on that NFC chip, as well as the requirement for smartphone carriers to sign off on the technology before it is implemented. Things may be changing though, with the news that a new version of Google Wallet is in the offing.
I’m quite certain HTC One X users might be able to recall the leaked Jelly Bean ROM which was doing it’s rounds around the internet quite some time ago. The HTC variant of the leak came during a time when we were seeing various versions of Jelly Bean being leaked for the Samsung Galaxy S III, but unfortunately, the fact that it was classified as being for developers only was enough to stop the majority from going down the route of flashing it to their own HTC devices.
Some of the largest players in the game are all holding scheduled press events over the course of the next seven days in an attempt to get their products and services noticed by the tech hungry public. Apple will be taking to the stage first on October 23rd to introduce us to the new miniature iPad, followed closely by Microsoft on October 25th to refresh our memories on Windows 8 and the Surface tablet. To end the month, Google will be holding their own Android event in New York that looks likely to bring some very interesting announcements, on the same day, Microsoft is holding a Windows Phone 8 launch event too.
If you love the power and portability of the iPod but sit firmly on the Android side of the fence when it comes to smartphone or tablet usage, then the price reduction that has been placed on the iSyncr app on the Amazon Appstore will definitely be of interest. Rather than having to carry multiple pieces of kit and switch between devices, iSyncr allows a library of music to be synced to an Android device over USB or Wi-Fi directly from iTunes.
The Nexus 7 has been fairly successful for Google and their manufacturing partners, with Android lovers and tablet aficionados loving the premium experience that the product provides with the budget price-tag which Google has slapped on it. The 8GB and 16GB variants have been in the marketplace since the original launch in June of this year, and although Google has obviously been trying to keep it under wraps, it looks like the 32GB Nexus 7 tablet will be available to purchase sooner rather than later.
When Mozilla first brought Firefox to the scene, adoption rates were phenomenal thanks to the lackluster performance of Microsoft's Internet Explorer. Alternative browsers were there, but none seemed to generate the hype and critical acclaim as Firefox did. Things have changed significantly since the days of Firefox 3, though, and with Google looking to dominate every technological field involving software, Mozilla has done pretty will to remain relevant.
The Galaxy Nexus may now be a bit of a relic in comparison to the Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note II, but it still generates quite a bit of discussion amongst Android fans. The recent Jelly Bean 4.1.2 update, which has slowly but surely been trickling through to a large portion of Galaxy Nexus owners, has seen the once Ice Cream Sandwich-inclined smartphone thrust back into the news, and in the latest, those running "takju" iterations of the handset can now get their fill of 4.1.2.
