Apr 13
It is a simple feature, but Apple fans are very happy to finally have it. Multitasking has been a long deprived capability that iPhone users have learned to live without for more than two years. Just like cut and paste, it appears that Apple really has a tendency for leaving out simple features that users really need.
Anyway, the new iPhone OS brings in multitasking (just like the previous major change which enabled cut and paste), and while the process is simple –double tap the home screen to bring up the list of programs, it is something that many iPhone users have been hoping to get.
Of course, even the new feature has its limits; only up to 4 programs can be running at the same time. No word yet as to why this is the limit but many believe that this is the maximum number of apps that can run while keeping phone performance at its most tolerable slowdown rates. Many believe that the mere inclusion of multitasking, even without running more than one app, would slow down the device’s performance albeit insignificantly.
Aside from the switching active programs, Apple announced that the OS update will be changing almost 100 new things for the iPhone. While we have yet to see a list, a couple of the more prominent additions are the inclusion of folders for menu icons (which allows icons to be stored and grouped) as well as the ability to change the black background.
For many, while the new features are welcome, they are hardly anything to be excited about; after all, multitasking, changing the background wallpaper and icon folders are pretty common features in basic smart phones.
Read the rest of the article and see the new multitasking video demo of the iPhone 4.0 OS at Know Your Mobile.
Apr 09
Bad news for all Apple fans who had an iPad shipped from the US. According to recent reports, it turns out that the Apple app store cannot be accessed by users outside of the US. While the iTunes store would accept users that log in through an account with a fake American address, purchasing apps is a completely different problem since the store would also require the use of a US based credit card.
In any case, the worldwide release of the iPad is slated for April 24, which many believe would be the time that everyone would be able to access to store. Apple has yet to make an official statement regarding the lockout but many believe that this is part of having the device exclusively released in the US for a couple of weeks.
Anyway, the iPad had a very successful launch as it grossed about 300,000 units in the first day of sales alone. Reports are now placing current sales figures at 700,000 devices and many believe that the device will hit the 1 million mark pretty soon. This comes as to no surprise considering how well made the iPad is and how it turns the internet into something that everyone can truly enjoy.
All is not good news for Apple however. Recent accounts from early iPad buyers have revealed that the device has problems connecting to WiFi routers that support dual band technology. As a result, some public access WiFi hotspots cannot be used by the device. While changing the setup in a home environment is easy, it will affect other devices rely on very specific settings. Apple has formally recognized the problem and has announced that they are working on a solution.
Get to know more about the Apple store lock out at Pocket Lint.
Apr 06
Well, now this is news.
Just a short while before the launch of the Apple iPad, it seems like apple is dropping hints of potential Multitasking features. Not on the touch screen tablet mind you, but on the Apple iPhone.
According to reports, the Expose type multitasking feature we saw on the Mac Os will be making an appearance on the iPhone by clicking the home button twice. This will prompt a list of currently active programs that users can switch to. This little addition is often taken for granted on other smart phones, but for the Apple iPhone, the wait has been almost as long and arduous as the wait for the cut and paste patch update.
Whether this update will also be reflected in the iPod Touch and the Apple iPad remains to be seen. After all, the operating system on the three devices are completely different and just because the feature appears on one device, it does not necessarily mean that it will be present in another.
For the iPad, having multitasking would be a great boon. Being able to listen to your favorite music while reading your favorite music might not seem like much of a change, but it can do wonders for many others.
Anyway, this turns the upcoming iPhone 4G handset into a smart phone we can truly look forward to. Despite the initial specification rumors still not being confirmed, there is plenty of faith going around that the 4G device will not only live up to the hype, but deliver even more than expected.
With the Apple iPhone 4G expected to be announced or even launched this coming June, we will finally get a solid confirmation on all the rumors than have been flying about recently.
Get to know more about the iPhone 4.0 rumors at Mobile Choice UK.
Apr 01
The people behind the first Command & Conquer game have been busy developing a game for Apple. To be more specific, Jet Set Games has just announced that they have made a title meant for the iPhone, iPod Touch and the iPad. The game is called “Highborn” and the creators claim that it is the pioneer turn-based social strategy game in that platform.
Being turn-based means that the player chooses how fast or how slow the pace of the combat is. The game can be played in short lengths of time or it can be extended to long play times depending on what the user prefers.
Highborn is a multiplayer game meant for casual audiences. The round-based title is accessed via Facebook and the multiplayer mode spans across the multi-platforms. Facebook Connect is used to power the game’s social system and it allows players to challenge their friends anytime, on the go. As expected of Facebook games, match results can also be posted on the user’s profile and wall.
Jet Set Games is a game studio that was started by three developers. The three founders have had over fifty years of experience developing games in studios such as Sony, Activision, EA and Westwood studios. Brett W. Sperry, founder and CEO of Jet Set Games had this to say about Highborn:
“Highborn is fast, fun strategy gaming on the go. It’s a whimsical game that’s easy to get into when you have a few moments to play, but still provides a great strategic experience that you can enjoy alone or share with friends.”
Being a casual title, Highborn will have simple controls but will have enough content to satisfy even strategy game buffs. The graphics look to be leaning towards a mix of 2D backgrounds and 3D-looking sprites that bring Playstation graphics of yore into mind.
More information about the title can be found at Geek.
Mar 24
According to many experts, the Digital Economy Bill is being rushed through without following the normal procedures. With the elections coming in, the bill would be rushed and not be handled with the proper debate that would justify its passing into legislature.
It is possible.
Pointing fingers at this very crucial time is a dangerous thing to do, and there is no certainty that the Bill was strategically scheduled at such a time when properly debating it is out of the question. But proponents are obviously taking advantage of the position.
Companies such as UK Music are heavily backing the Bill –with the promises of the Digital Economy Bill being a solution to piracy, it comes as to no surprise that many would want to back it up. And taking into consideration recently acquired surveys that point at piracy as a major cause of monetary deficit as well as the loss of jobs in the UK, and you would have commerce groups and worker’s unions rallied up to your side.
But will the Digital Economy Bill protect media? Will they stop piracy? And does piracy actually cause the loss of jobs? Some might say that given enough financial losses, companies would have to start cutting down on operation costs –but are media companies and creative industries really losing money?
They are actually growing.
The secret here is that no matter how predominant piracy is, consumers will still buy original products. Art sells, music sells, games sells, movies sells –as long as they are good. They are also downloaded and illegally spread, but ultimately they are bought. Bad creations never get past the piracy stage. The only way to stop financial losses is stop making bad quality work and start making good products.
Get to know more about the Digital Economy Bill and read about the 10,000 protesters against it at the Telegraph UK.
Mar 19
It is an already established fact that despite its many flaws, the Apple iPhone OS is one of the most successful mobile platforms to date. This is partly due to the fact that the OS is a well designed platform that is both innovative for its time and also because the iPhone itself simply sells so much. But despite the immense success of the iPhone, its flaws are anything but insignificant. Many still feel that Apple’s closed system work is too restrictive; no memory card support, unable to remove batteries. Apple eventually had to give in to some of the software demands of the public such as providing basic functions such as copy and paste.
Anyway, the Windows Phone 7 series is pretty much on the same track as the iPhone OS. Not that we are happy to say this. After all, while the good things are present (pre-set hardware specifics, dynamic OS), it has also emulated many of the things that people find troublesome with the iPhone.
The most obvious case of this is the lack of cut and paste on WP7.
Seriously, Microsoft is not adding it? This is a bad joke considering the fact that Word will be one of the apps present of the device –unless Office apps gets their own version of cut and paste. There is bizarre form of copy pasting that involves users being able to copy phone numbers and addresses. But that hardly answers for all the needs that cut and paste fills in.
Cut and paste is not the only thing missing. Multitasking support will also be unavailable. In terms of hardware, any chassis type for WP7 can handle multitasking, which means that it is the OS itself that restricts the function.
Learn more about the cut and paste problem with WP7 at Mobile Choice UK.
Mar 16
Okay, so we know that things are not exactly rolling so smoothly for the biggest mobile network operator in the UK. With 6 stores just closed and 375 redundancies recently removed, the folks at the big V are not exactly jumping for joy at the moment.
But that does not mean that their device launches have been affected in anyway. In fact, everything they announced to be coming this April are still getting the green light which means that next month will be one of the most exciting ones for the mobile phone industry.
April will open with the release of the HTC Desire, Legend and the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10. These three impressive Android smart phones have been in the news reports quite a lot thanks to their high end hardware.
The XPERIA X10 may be Sony’s first attempt to make an Android device but considering the excellent mix of hardware they put in (the Snapdragon processor and the 8 mega pixel camera) along with the software (the new Timescape UI), it will certainly be a phone to watch out for.
The HTC Desire and Legend smart phones are currently the to-have devices for the Android fan community. The Desire is a perfect retail-accessible alternative to the Nexus One which can only be obtained online, while the Legend is the best mid range device available on the market.
Mid April will have Vodafone offering the Nexus One to their clients, but with Google still stern about its online-only rule, the Vodafone promotion may not do much for the smart phone.
The network will be finishing big with the launch of the Apple iPad by the end of April. Both the 3G and non-3G versions will be available and the tablet will be available on various plans.
For more info about Vodafone and their launch of the HTC Desire and Legend, go to Tech Radar.
Mar 11
It has recently come to our attention that Vodafone has already begun the removal of over 300 employees from their positions at the mobile network operator. It was announced that the jobs to be removed were redundant and that the action was part of a major cost cutting plan in order to streamline company processes.
While all this may sound like understandable news, reports of how many employees were removed paint a very bleak and dismal picture. According to certain reports, employees from within Vodafone have voiced their complaints and disapproval at how their colleagues were treated.
One comment even stated that the personal belongings of the staff were taken to a reception area without their prior knowledge. This was done while they were being told in a different room that they were being let go of –certainly, there would be some serious problems by Vodafone’s methods here, and touching their employee’s properties without prior permission is bound to cause troubles.
Details of the whole event are still sketchy without any official statements, but many have testified that the employees who were fired were “escorted” out of the building premises and that the offices were full of teary eyed employees who have spent many years working loyally in the company.
Union representatives have already begun a move to help support the employees who were removed. They have also expressed dissatisfaction at the way Vodafone handled the process and the simple fact that the company failed to consult with the employees prior to the job removal. Many claim that Vodafone should have warned the employees in advance to allow them enough time to adjust and find new jobs prior to losing their work.
Read more about the major job cut for mobile network operator Vodafone UK at Mobile Today UK.
Mar 10
The Apple iPad is a touch screen device that many describe as a cross between a net book and a smart phone. While this is a bit true, it is also misleading. First off, unlike the Apple iPhone, the iPad cannot make or receive calls. And unlike net books, the tablet is not a mini-computer, but more of an internet reader –it even lacks multi tasking which is a basic and obvious necessity for net books.
Talks about potential exclusive deals for the iPad have been going around but many believe the possibility of another situation like the O2 iPhone lockdown is quite unlikely. While the iPhone is a product for an already existing smart phone market, the tablet market has yet to be established. In fact, it is believed that the iPad would be the device that establishes the demand and make people realize the need for such a device.
Exclusivity to a single operator for a month or two would be definitely disadvantageous to Apple; a move that they cannot risk if they want their tablet to succeed. As expected, Apple is currently in talks with both UK based mobile network operators and gadget retailers regarding the marketing of the iPad. More options would definitely mean better choices for consumers.
The Apple iPad is expected to arrive late this coming April and it will be available in both the 3G and non-3G versions. The US release of the tablet will be held much earlier by April 3, but only the 3G version will be available to the market. According to reports, the reason for the delay in the UK release could be linked to the recently announced problems with China-based manufacturers for Apple.
Get to know more about Apple’s plans for the UK release of the iPad at Mobile Today UK.
Mar 04
Text messaging is a great way to share your thoughts and opinions with your friends and family. But when your thoughts include heavily emotional bouts of sadness or dissatisfaction with your current job or relationship, these very same honest messages could become the source of your own undoing.
After all, would you really want your officemates to know that you see them as a bunch of lazy douche bags? Obviously not; and TigerText will help keep it that way. We all know how much of an effort it takes to make sure that our messages on our mobile phones private. People tend to get nosy with sniffing out stuff in places where they should not be. Concerns about officemates and strangers checking your device when you are not looking are pretty valid. It is one of the main reasons why so many scandalous phone videos get spread, and text messages are no different.
TigerText is a brand new application for the Apple iPhone. The service is simple; it replaces your current text messaging software with the TigerText app. With this, you control message expiry dates, deletion methods and enables you to hide or delete messages according to your needs.
People with plenty to hide would obviously benefit from this app as it makes hiding footprints a whole lot easier. Threaded conversations are easily managed with the app’s ability to simply delete specific portions of the conversation.
Of course, not everyone who uses the app is a bad person with secrets; there are simply those who need privacy such as colleagues sending crucial business updates and other forms of internal business communication that have to be relayed ASAP. The app is now available online and is available for purchase and is best when both sender and recipient have TigerText.
Read more about the TigerText app at the Telegraph UK.
