Archive for April, 2010
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29
Apr
2010
Samsung’s Wave and Galaxy On Pre Order: Coming This June
eXpansys is pretty fast when it comes to getting devices announced ahead of time, and while the previous announcement about the Wave and Galaxy S smart phones coming earlier than expected turning out to be wrong, they still managed to be the first to offer the device to customers.
According to the eXpansys website, they are now offering both Samsung smart phones for pre-orders and that the first batch of shipments will be coming in by the first day of June. The announcement is great news to anyone who has been waiting to try out and see what the new super AMOLED touch screen displays are really like.
The new screen technology was first seen during the Mobile World Congress last February when the Samsung Wave phone was first brought out to the public. The smart phone had two main features –the new display screen and the new open source mobile platform by Samsung, Bada. The new OS has gotten plenty of developer support and has a slowly growing app library. According to Samsung, the Bada OS will be used mainly on their mid level range handsets. The company is expected to continue development and support of high end smart phones that use other operating systems.
Speaking of which, the i9000 Galaxy S is an Android smart phone that also comes with the new super AMOLED screen display. The device runs on a 1GHz CPU and has a 5 mega pixel snapper. It is a great device for those who liked the style of the Galaxy handsets (which only recently made it to the UK).
With both phones now available on pre-order, eXpansys is officially the first to offer the new Samsung devices in the UK.
Get to know more about the specs and full details about the Samsung Wave and Galaxy S smart phones at Mobile Choice UK.
28
Apr
2010
Apps Get Vetoed for Having “Pad” in their Name
Guess what, Apple developers. There is now another issue that may just force you to shell out for brand new marketing. More specifically, if you are a developer that has the term “Pad” in one of your existing apps, you better go for a name change. Apple has just claimed dibs on the term and it is now theirs. Now any dev who will be submitting an app would have the door slammed to their faces.
Those who have previously filed an application and even those who have already sold their app in the Apple Store will most probably receive a notice from Apple informing them of the major change in plans. Well, more specifically, a change that may just cost “tens of thousands of dollars”. This was the case for ContactPad’s creator Jesse Waites as well as Chris Ostmo, the guy who gave the world JournalPad (and of course the JournalPad Bible Edition).
The letter told them to refrain from the use of Apple’s trademark terms. Which is a bit confusing since it is not really found in the official “Apple Trademark List”. The only terms that came contained the Pad term were iPad and MacPAD.
It is also not included in the official Guidelines for Using Apple Trademarks and Copyrights, which was a page referred to in the notice.
When the JournalPad dev and APPideas founder Chris Ostmo sent an inquiry regarding the new rule, Steve Jobs only had this to say:
“It’s just common sense to not use another company’s trademarks in your app name.”
This is very interesting, considering the fact that the trademark is nowhere to be found in their legal lists. How are app developers supposed to anticipate rule changes now? Apple really needs to be transparent, because unlike them, these guys do not think a marketing overhaul is a snap of the finger.
27
Apr
2010
Do We Need a Panic Button?
As a response to the many reports of cyber-bullying of children on Facebook (and worse), many people are starting to press their anger towards the social networking site for ‘failing’ to provide means for children to report abusers of the online service.
Facebook has taken a very solid stand on the matter, not only refusing to give in to the demands for a panic button but also stating that the function would be detrimental to the social networking website, as it would confuse and intimidate many users. While arguments on both sides have points, the bottom line here is that ultimately, Facebook is not responsible for the many burdens being placed upon the site’s shoulders.
Such is the nature of bad parenting. As parents would rather pretend that the problem stems from the faults of other people than their inability to discipline and educate their children properly.
There is no way for a child to be ‘groomed’ discreetly by a pedophile or a stalker if a child has been educated properly to recognize ill motives and behavior. While some parents are claiming foul, it is simply their reluctance to discuss such delicate matters with their children that prevents them from properly preparing their child for the world.
As rare as innocence may be, it is a given fact that in television alone, there is enough references to sexual activities to make children confused. This possibility is escalated to an exponential degree on the internet. As such, today’s parents cannot afford to shelter their children from the world.
For now, with all the rage pointed towards Facebook’s stand against the panic button feature, focus on the real problem is bound to be spun around in pointless arguments –when will people actually start thinking about the children?
Read more about the Facebook panic button story at the Telegraph UK.
15
Apr
2010
Sketch Nation Shooter for the iPhone brings Out the Game Artist in You
Good news to app freaks and iPhone gamers alike! Sketch Nation Shooter is now available for the iPhone, iPod Touch and the iPad. Yes, it is even on Facebook so nobody has to miss out on the zany action.
For those who remember Sketch Fighter, a game for the OS X, this midget version uses a similar concept. It allows users to design their own games by letting them draw all the level elements (meaning, the character design, enemies, level background, bullets, zombies, you name it) and integrates it into the game via a picture taken with the iPhone.
For iPod Touch faithful, an image may be imported from the device’s Photo Library. When the user is done transferring the images to the game app, they will now be able to use the user-friendly game editor in order to make their 2D creations live on the screen.
The level editor is comprehensive, giving the user total freedom to make customizations depending on the setting they have chosen. There is a “Simple” mode which gives casual users a self-explanatory editor to play around with and an “Advanced” mode which gives the more hardcore much more space to move and play around in.
This also gives people the advantage of being able to make games on the fly so they can share (and show off) their awesome creations to their friends.
The app also comes with default levels courtesy of its developers. The levels do not look like they are easy to replicate, but there are surely a number of talented individuals out there who want to try their hand at making something better.
With its uniqueness and the level of detail that went into its level editor, no wonder it is topping the charts. It is in second place as the most downloaded paid app in Poland and is at the sixth rank in Italy as well.
For more about this awesome app, head over to Gizmodo.
15
Apr
2010
4.0 SDK Hints at iPhone 4G Features
Let us get straight to the point, the new SDK for the iPhone 4.0 has an iChat feature that hints at a very strong possibility that the new Apple handset will come equipped with a secondary front facing camera that would enable users to engage in video calls and possibly, web chat –could an Apple app for Chatroulette be somewhere in the future?
Right now, everything is still in the speculation stage. It has yet to be determined whether the controversial iChatAgent truly makes use of video functions or is simply an embedded Java chat applet. With the whole details about the new iPhone 4G still tightly under wraps, Apple will have us guessing for months to come.
Anyway, this latest tidbit bumps up the number of rumored iPhone 4G features with the addition of a front facing camera. While the hardware function has been rumored before, this is the first time any supporting evidence has been given.
The iPhone 4G is rumored to have a significantly larger screen than its predecessor, which means that we might be expecting anywhere starting from 4 inches diagonally. The casing is reported to be touch-sensitive, allowing for even more phone functions with its new user input system.
Going back to the newly launched SDK, there has been a bit of controversy surrounding the license agreement for developers as it clearly states that the use of third party applications has been completely disallowed by Apple. While many consider as a move against Adobe (since Flash Professional is often used by app developers), Apple states that the reason for the rule is to maintain the quality of apps being made for the iPhone. Many developers do not share the same sentiment and are looking for loopholes in the rule.
Read more about the possibility of a front facing camera on the iPhone 4G at Mobile Choice UK.
13
Apr
2010
Apple iPhone to Run More than One App
If you own an Apple iPhone and have managed to avoid reading all the big news in the past couple of weeks, then you might be happy to know that Apple has finally enabled multitasking with the new iPhone operating system version 4.0. It is a big change for Apple who has consistently avoided not giving the feature to its devices. Even the recently launch Apple iPad touch screen tablet lacks multitasking capabilities.
The new feature can be accessed by tapping the home button twice to bring up a list of running applications. Up to four programs can be run at the same time –many believe that the limit was imposed in order to keep the device running at an optimum speed despite the hardware resources being split up. In any cases, users are advised to expect some slowdown due to the change.
Apple also announced that they will be adding in several new features as well. The icon limit has been increased from less than two hundred to over two thousand. If the thought of having to scroll over hundreds of icons scares you, fear not. The expansion is achieved by the use of folders which will be where the additional icons (or existing ones) can be stored.
Another major change is with the iPhone’s all black background. Background image changing is a simple feature, but it is still something that Apple users have been begging for.
Among all the new features, there is one addition that does make users a little wary –iAds. According to Steve Jobs, the new feature will change the way ads are used in mobile phones. Of course, anything that incorporates advertising content in apps is hardly a welcome thing for consumers.
Read the rest of the story about multitasking and other new iPhone features at Times Online UK.
12
Apr
2010
Next iPhone OS to Cater Advertising and More New Features
Technically, the biggest thing about the new iPhone operating system (version 4.0) would be the fact that Apple has finally put in multitasking. There is however, one new feature that has caught our attention and while it is hard to give out an initial judgment on whether it is good or bad, there is something about the new iAds feature that simply feels foreboding.
On a side note, that chill that went up the tech industry’s collective spine has nothing to do with iAds, it is because the Digital Bill just pushed through.
Back to the iPhone, Steve Jobs has unveiled the new iAds feature. According to him, this will revolutionize the concept of advertising on mobile devices and will get more businesses to see the advantage of placing ads for mobile. Generating more revenue is all well and good, but just how much bandwidth are these extra ads going to use?
As it is, ads already take ages to load and are often loaded into the browser before any important content is seen. The new feature is talking about integrating ads into existing apps and features, which means that the addition of the new multitasking option is not just for the users, but also for Apple to run its advertising application in the background as well.
Anyway, as we stated above, it is too early to cast judgment, but things are certainly not looking as good as they are.
Multitasking is finally available. For good or for bad, users will now be able to run more than one app on the iPhone. According to some reports, this would enable location based apps and similar features to sync with other phone functions. The feature will allow up to 4 tasks running at the same time.
Read more about the new features for the Apple iPhone 4.0 OS at GSM Arena.
9
Apr
2010
Apple Block Out UK Access to the iPad
The Apple iPad has had a very successful launch last weekend. The US-only launch saw thousands of buyers lining up to purchase the device on the first day of sales. Add in everyone who pre-ordered the touch screen tablet and you have got a very successful gadget launch that has surpassed the predicted sale figures.
Anyway, if you have been itching to get your hands on the iPad and cannot wait for the international launch of the tablet this coming April 24, then you might be considering having an iPad shipped over as soon as possible.
Well, this will indeed get you the brand new tablet from Apple, but you will not be able to download applications unless you create a dummy account with a US based address and zip code. The reason for this is that Apple has been pretty keen on making the early-launch a US-only thing, which means that access of iPads to the iTunes site from outside the country will not be possible. This means accessing apps will be a feature you will have to do without for a while. Purchasing an app would not only require a US based address, but a US credit card as well.
Considering that the iPad is launching worldwide in a span of a few weeks, the lack of store access is not that big of a problem. The device still functions great as a web browser if that is your main thing. For eBook reading however, the apps are still locked out.
Speaking of the iPad, it turns out that the device has been having some WiFi connectivity issues. While Apple has identified the source of the problem and has laid out a quick fix, they have yet to release an official patch that would make things okay for everyone.
Read more about the Appstore region lock at Pocket Lint.
8
Apr
2010
Apple’s iPad WiFi Fix: Change Your Router
Apple has decided to act fast in terms of dealing with early reported issues for the iPad touch screen tablet. According to many buyers of the device, the iPad has problems connecting to routers that use dual band technology.
Some routers are able to handle both 2.4GHz and 5.4GHz channels, while other WiFi devices are compatible with these routers, some devices like the iPad are not able to connect to the network (or in some cases, maintain a connection).
Sadly, instead of delivering a patch that would allow the iPad to connect to the network, the folks at Cupertino decided that this is one problem that the customers should fix by changing their router settings. Now that is juts unfair, considering how expensive the Pad is, Apple should show their supporters a little sense of after-sales support by actually coming up with a real solution instead of having buyers deal with the issue.
Sure, fixing up your router settings to separate the two bands into two network names would allow the iPad to connect, but if this solution will affect other devices in your network, then you would have to change the settings on those other devices too. With the iPad relying heavily on its internet access functionality, there is no doubt that this is not a problem that Apple can walk away from.
Aside from the WiFi issue, iPad buyers have also reported that the device has problems charging unless it is turned off –an issue that many USB charging devices face. There are also reports that some iPhone applications crash when used on the iPad (though it is expected that some apps would have compatibility problems –we can expect a small patch for these to pop out soon enough).
Read more about Apple’s solution to the WiFi problem on the iPad at the Telegraph UK.
7
Apr
2010
Apple iPad coming to the UK
We already know that it will be hitting UK shores within this month, and considering how much excitement that the iPad tablet is drumming up in the United States, it comes as to no surprise that the folks at Apple are very happy, so happy that they finally announced the official date for the UK and international release of the touch screen tablet: April 24.
Despite the fact that the launch is a good three weeks after the US release, it gives Apple plenty of time to either sort out initial problems with the device or at the very least, warn us about possible things that we will have to put up with.
Take the case of the iPad WiFi capabilities. So far, it turns out that there are a significant number of people who are complaining about their iPad’s inability to stay logged into a network or in some cases, have problems connecting at all. The situation for many has been isolated to being a problem with the iPad device and not the network or WiFi router as other devices in the vicinity are able to stay connected without any problems (and coincidentally, the other devices used were also Apple gadgets).
On the other hand, there is an avalanche of positive reviews in regards to the iPad. Many are praising the device’s touch screen user interface as the best thing that has happened to the internet. Combining large screen resolution (1024 x 768 pixels) with touch screen controls turns web browsing into a very intuitive experience even for people unfamiliar with computers. Other functions such as eBook reading, media playback, games, maps and even photo browsing function great despite the device lacking basic features such as Flash support, multitasking and a USB slot.
Find out more about the Apple iPad’s UK launch date at V3 UK.
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