Thursday, 28 June 2012


Google Announces Android 4.1 Jelly Bean


As well as introducing its brand new Nexus 7 tablet and the Nexus Q, an Apple TV competitor, Google also announced the new version of Android, 4.1 Jelly Bean at its I/O conference, Tech Crunch reports.



The new version of the mobile operating system features Project Butter, making the user experience ‘buttery smooth’, as well as improved voice typing, with an internet connection no longer a necessity to make it work. Notifications and the Camera app have also been updated, while Google Now “gets to the right information at the right time… automatically”.
It’s not a significant update by any means, but it’s something to compete against the upcoming release of iOS 6 in the fall, with the Nexus 7 also at the core of Android 4.1. We’ll have to see if it takes off and which manufacturers start using it, but regardless, it’s uphill battle for Google and it will be hoping that sales of its next tablet make up the lost ground on the iPad.
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Wednesday, 27 June 2012


iOS Users More Loyal to Apps Than Android Users:



In the early days of the App Store and Android Market (Google Play) publishers focused on developing an initial presence and, with the limited data available, could only measure success by the total number of downloads. However, many of those downloads were poorly acquired and never turned into long-term customers.
In March 2011, Localytics published research showing that 26% of downloaded apps were only used one time. However, another 26% of customers used new apps more than 10 times.
Localytics: “Among customers who first downloaded a phone or tablet app in 3Q 2011, compared to 3Q 2010, both one-time usage and long-term retention numbers improved. One-time usage of apps dropped over 15%, from 26% to 22%. More importantly, those who used an app more than 10 times in the following months improved 19%, growing from 26% to 31%.”
The average number of apps on a smartphone increased from 32 to 41 apps, and the apps share of internet usage increased from 73% to 81% in the last year. (Nielsen)



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Monday, 25 June 2012


Google I/O webpage updated with streaming portal, new events, live blogging gadget and more




Aside from providing easy access to remotely viewing all the exciting announcements and insightful developer panels, Google is also making it easy for those attending and following the show to share their thoughts on new developments to the Android ecosystem and other Google products. A live blogging gadget can be customized and embedded to your website, interfacing directly with G+ to make things nice and simple.
Finally, Google has updated their events listing with a series of community-oriented gatherings, including a cardboard tube battle hosted by the Cardboard Tube Fighting League. Pretty extreme. Also scheduled are a laser etching and welding workshop, Sony Google TV party, and a chance for folks to pitch the next big idea to a panel of entrepreneurial experts.
Check it all out by heading over to the Google I/O site now and be sure to stay tuned to Phandroid for complete coverage of the week’s happening live from Mountain View, California. Also, don’t forget to enter for your chance to take home some Google I/O swag, including all the goodies Big G feels fit to giveaway during their keynote presentations.
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RIM to be Split and Sold Off?

 



The Sunday Times reports today that RIM is considering a plan that will split its handset division and messaging network into two separate companies, and will then sell off the struggling BlackBerry hardware business.


The British paper doesn’t cite any sources in the report, but it says that Facebook and Amazon are both “potential buyers.” As part of this plan, RIM could keep its enterprise-friendly messaging and data network (including BBM and BIS) in-house and license them out.
RIM has been working with RBC and JP Morgan since earlier in the year to conduct a strategic review. Another option would be to sell a large stake in the company to a corporation such as Microsoft.
According to the Times, RIM’s final plan is set to be revealed sometime this summer, which would be before it launches BlackBerry 10. It’s unknown where that would leave the new operating system, which is key to the company’s attempted turnaround.
The phone maker hasn’t provided any guidance for its 1st quarter earnings (which are to be revealed on June 28th), but the CEO has said that it will “likely have an operating loss.”
After five years of the iPhone, are we seeing the end of BlackBerry as we know it?
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Wednesday, 20 June 2012


Chevrolet Will Become First Company To Implement Siri’s ‘Eyes Free’ Feature


One of the perhaps slightly less discussed features at the WWDC keynote was ‘Siri Eyes Free’, a button that will be installed into cars of cooperating car manufacturers to allow easy Siri use without having to hold the handset itself.
It was unclear at the time which car companies and cars would be the first to benefit, however it now seems that the first to get it will be the Chevrolet Sonic and Spark, GM Authority reports (via 9to5Mac).
Other companies who have apparently been working with Apple include Toyota, BMW and Mercedes, with Land Rover and Audi also collaborating.
Buyers of the new Spark or Sonic cars will be able to send a text, find restaurants or check sports scores via Siri in their at the touch of the button on the steering wheel, and will be therefore able to keep their eyes on the road at all time. It’s pretty cool, and if you have an iPhone 4S and are looking for a car, this might just be a factor in your decision.
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Microsoft Takes On the iPad With New Windows-Powered Surface Tablet



Microsoft unveiled a brand new line of tablets yesterday to compete with Apple’s iPad (via The Verge). The new Surface tablets will come in two separate versions: An ARM processor powered version which will run Windows RT, and an Intel version which will run Windows 8.

The 10.6″ Surface tablets are extremely thin and light, with the ARM version coming in at 9.3mm in thickness, and weighing just 1.5 pounds. They also feature a built-in kickstand, a magnesium case, and capacities up to 128GB (64GB for the ARM version).
The Intel version is significantly thicker and heavier, coming in at 13.5mm and 1.9 lbs, although the Intel version will feature USB 3. The Intel version will also include a stylus pen with “digital ink” support. The specs of the two Surface tablets can be compared in the table below (click to expand).
Alongside the tablets themselves, Microsoft also unveiled a pair of Smart Cover-like devices called the Touch Cover and Type Cover. Both of these will feature a full-sized keyboard with a built-in trackpad. The Touch Cover features low-profile keys, while the Type Cover features traditional clicky laptop-like keys.
It will be interesting to see how well this competes with the iPad. At first glance, it strikes me as more of a touch-enabled netbook than an actual tablet, and the fact that Microsoft has introduced fragmentation within a single product line (ARM vs Intel) doesn’t seem to bode well.
For more information, visit Microsoft’s Surface website.
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Tuesday, 12 June 2012

iOS 6 Beta 1 and OS X Mountain Lion Developer Preview 4 Seeded to Developers:





The Apple Developer Center has been updated, adding the first iOS 6 beta, and OS X Mountain Lion Developer Preview 4! In addition to these two main previews, Apple has also released new beta versions of Find my iPhone and Find my Friends for iOS.


As usual the Mountain Lion Developer Preview comes by way of a Mac App Store redeem code, while the remaining betas and previews are available for direct download for registered developers. The updates are available now through Apple’s developer portal, and we’ve got the direct links below!



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