Tuesday, June 7, 2011

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Everything You Need To Know About iOS 5

Posted: 06 Jun 2011 01:16 PM PDT


The WWDC 2011 keynote has just wrapped up, and Steve Jobs and company have announced some very interesting features for the iOS family of devices, including improvements to browsing, rich reminders, and a slightly Android-esque Notification Center.

Apple has its own page with many of these features, but here are the big ones as we see them, and links to further coverage on the network.

Notification Center – iOS has always been deficient in the notifications department, something Android hit hard on from its first release. Apple has finally updated with a rich, powerful notifications screen that, like Android, you swipe down from the top of the screen. Paging Google Legal! The new notifications won’t pop up and interrupt you, either, but slide down from the top. SMS, Mail, and any app that’s qualified to alert you will show up here.

Improved lockscreen – the stark but iconic iOS lock screen has also received a major update. It now shows any missed notifications, and you can swipe directly to the related app without having to unlock first.

Newsstand – a unified sub-category in the app store where all subscription magazines are placed. Download any of them, and they’re placed in the newsstand app. Each subscription app will do background downloads and update the cover of the magazine to show the latest. (read more)

Safari update: Tabbed browsing, finally! Tabs are always visible and switch instantly. The new reading list functionality is interesting, as well:

Reader/Reading List – This is a desktop/mobile thing. In Desktop Safari, it’ll gather all the pages of a story and reformat to make it “pretty.” You can also add items to be read later to your “reading list,” which is like a tightly-integrated version of Instapaper. It’ll sync those items with all your iOS devices, and any computer with Safari on it.

Reminders – Lists of items, times, and locations that can be set to remind you or brought up at any time. You can associate contacts and such, very helpful, though if I’m not mistaken another thing Google has done pretty well for a while. Not to be hard on iOS or anything, but it’s a direct competition thing now, not a big jump over what’s out there.

Camera – The iOS native camera app has been improved with a great number of features. It’s “way faster” now, which is reassuring, and you can also now take pictures directly from the lock screen, whether there is a password or not. While this may lead to increased pranking, it’s excellent for snapshots and amateur journalism, where every second matters. There are UI enhancements within the app now; you can lock focus and exposure, pinch and zoom the live view, and enhance the photos with the iPhoto optimization techniques. A hard trigger (volume up elsewhere) rounds out the features. (read more)

Mail updates – Some small but meaningful tweaks to Mail. S/MIME and better secure enterprise support, for one thing, which should help with business uptake of iPads. Better UI gestures for navigating between messages and inbox. Rich text formatting, control over indentation, and better search indexing – all content is now searchable. You can now drag addresses around, which may or may not be useful.

Thumb keyboard – A new keyboard option, with the keys split and placed on either side of the screen for easy thumbing. Some people love this, some hate it, but it’s good to have it as an option. Windows 8 demonstrated this recently, though I seriously doubt this was a last-minute activation on Apple’s part; there are plenty of similar usability improvements.

“PC Free” – Apple is emphasizing the independence of the mobile and tablet platforms. They’ve been tied to a PC for the most part, but iOS 5 will enable better OTA updates and no device will require a Mac or PC to activate or set up. Updates have been shrunk to “delta” updates (i.e. just the difference between files and binaries, etc) so they’re quicker. New emphasis on on-device editing of content and things like contacts or calendar events.

Twitter better integrated - Simple, in-OS sign-in, then context-sensitive pop-up tweeting with attachments and location data. (read more)

Game Center update – After an update on the popularity of the platform (100,000 games, 50 million users), some new social features were announced: game and friend recommendations, achievement points, photo sharing, and (my favorite) turn-based gaming support built right into the OS. Hopefully this means games like Worms 2 will get play-by-mail and enhanced multiplayer options.

iMessages – an all-inclusive (text, photos, videos, meta-info like contacts) messaging platform by which any two iOS 5 users can chat and trade files securely, over WiFi or 3G. Advanced features like read receipts, live typing indicators, etc. Tight integration with notifications, and non-invasive pop-in of incoming messages. Multi-tasking friendly.

Wireless sync to iTunes – Does what it says on the tin.

AirPlay mirroring - Mirror your entire iPad 2 (not iPad, not enough processing power I assume) on your TV wirelessly. Assuming you have a new Apple TV with an A4 inside, that is. Great for “big” games, though lag could be an issue.

Improved multitouch multitasking – better gestures for getting around between apps, returning home, etc.

Improved iPad iPod – mostly glossed over, but the iPad’s music app should be better now.

There were also a number of small things: alternate routes in maps, new emoji, hourly updates to weather, etc. iCloud integration as well, though there’s still much to learn about how all that will work.

The developer seed is available now, and consumers will have it in the Fall. Consumers, that is, with any of the following devices: iPhone 3GS & 4, iPad 1 or 2, 3rd generation iPod touch.

Want to watch the whole keynote where these things were announced? Head on over to Apple.

Android Malware Rears Its Ugly Head… Yet Again

Posted: 06 Jun 2011 12:48 PM PDT

It's been about a week since the last Android malware attack, DroidDreamLight, and yet another malicious program has infiltrated Google's platform. According to the North Carolina State University blog, the malware is being dubbed "DroidKungFu," and has yet to be detected by mobile anti-virus software programs.

The blog claims that DroidKungFu installs a "backdoor that gives hackers full control of your phone." Through that backdoor, the hackers can access all the user data stored on the phone. What's worse, according to the NCSU blog, "they can turn your phone into a bot – and basically make your smartphone do anything they want."

Most affected by the malware are phones running Android 2.2 Froyo or earlier, which are susceptible to attacks from at least two of the known DroidKungFu-infected applications. These applications have been spread on Chinese forums and third-party software markets. Those of you who've been bumped up to Gingerbread should have less issues, but DroidKungFu can still collect some information on Gingerbread phones and send it off to a remote server.

[via PocketNow]

iOS 5 Camera App Gets Editing, Dedicated Shutter Button, And More

Posted: 06 Jun 2011 11:27 AM PDT

Today at Apple's WWDC event, we got a chance to preview some of the upcoming features of the iOS 5 camera application, and from what we're seeing, there's plenty to get excited about. First off, and most importantly, the shutter button is "WAY FASTER," according to MG Siegler who is live-blogging the event.

New features include:

  • Lock screen camera short-cut button
  • Volume Up button becomes shutter button
  • Pinch-to-zoom
  • One-click Enhance (just like in iPhoto)
  • Photo Editing: crop, rotate, red-eye reduction
  • Lockable auto-focus and auto-exposure

I can’t speak for everyone but these upgrades are certainly nothing to scoff at. I am personally excited to try taking pictures with the volume up button, instead of the crappy centered touchscreen button, which seems to always miss the most perfect Kodak moments. However, I’d gladly trade in every extra feature for the one that matters the most: “WAY FASTER!”


Leaked Photo Promises June 22 Launch For Samsung Exhibit 4G, Gravity Smart

Posted: 06 Jun 2011 10:30 AM PDT

Last week, T-Mo squashed rumors of a June 8 launch for its forthcoming Gingerbread-powered Samsung Exhibit 4G and Froyo-topped Gravity Smart, opting to give a much more vague release date of… "June." However, this freshly leaked photo, if accurate, promises that both phones will hit T-Mobile shelves on June 22.

The Samsung Exhibit 4G will enjoy a speedy 4G connection to T-Mobile's 21 Mbps HSPA+ network, and should sport black and violet finishes. The Gravity Smart, on the other hand, is an entry-level slider phone with a QWERTY keyboard. Still no official word on pricing, but we know both phones will run for less than $100, after a $50 rebate.

[via TmoNews]

Walmart Lists iPhone 4 For $147 On-Contract

Posted: 06 Jun 2011 09:21 AM PDT

We're just moments away from Apple's WWDC event, where we usually get to hear about Apple's latest model of the iPhone. This time around, Apple has promised we won't get a peak at any new hardware, so perhaps to cheer up all those Apple fanbois out there, Walmart is putting the iPhone 4 on sale for $147.

You read right, a brand new iPhone 4 in either white or black will cost just $147 from Walmart with a new or renewed two-year agreement. The sale lasts from June 6 to June 30. Here's the email from Walmart's PR team:

Hi Matt,

Walmart today announced a price reduction on the iPhone 4 which will be available for $147 today, June 6 through June 30 at select stores.

These savings apply to both the AT&T and Verizon versions of the iPhone 4 in both black and white colors. Pricing requires a new two-year wireless and data agreement or qualified upgrade.

Please let us know if you are interested in covering this announcement. We look forward to hearing from you!

Best,
Claire

Walmart's site has yet to catch up to Claire, and the rest of the PR team, with all versions of the iPhone 4 listed as out of stock, with a price tag of $197. There's no telling what this means in the way of forthcoming Apple products, but I guess it can't hurt to hope against hope that Walmart's price cuts have something to do with the next-gen iPhone, right?


Live From Apple’s WWDC 2011 Keynote

Posted: 06 Jun 2011 08:40 AM PDT

We’re live in not-so-sunny San Francisco, where Apple is hosting their annual Worldwide Developer Conference — and, more directly important to the masses of Apple fans around the world, the WWDC Keynote.

We already know some of what Apple’s announcing: OS X Lion, iOS 5, and a new, mostly-mysterious product called iCloud. From what we’re seeing, though, they’ve still got at least one secret up their sleeve. Join us after the jump for all of our up-to-the-second updates.
Read the rest at MobileCrunch >>

ComScore: Android Keeps Growing, Apple iOS Slides By RIM’s BlackBerry OS

Posted: 06 Jun 2011 08:25 AM PDT

Recent figures from ComScore pretty much reflect what we already know: Google's Android OS continues to grow, while RIM's BlackBerry platform has fallen behind Apple's iOS to the number three spot. Based on just how many Android handsets are currently in the market, it's no surprise that Android takes the cake for this quarter.

From January 31 to the end of April, the U.S. smartphone market grew a whopping 13 percent, with Google controlling the majority 36.4 percent, up 5 percent from last quarter. With RIM falling by nearly 5 percent this quarter to a 25.7 percent market share, Apple snuck in to take the second place spot. Meanwhile, HP's webOS, Microsoft's WP7, and Nokia's Symbian are way behind. At 6.7 percent market share, Windows Mobile lost some turf this quarter, down 1.3 percent from last quarter. HP's webOS holds just 2.6 percent of the market, and Symbian didn't even make ComScore's top five platforms.

As far as manufacturer's are concerned, Samsung still takes the top spot with a 24.5 percent market share, despite a tiny loss this quarter of 0.4 percent. LG and Motorola keep their second and third place ranks, respectively, while Apple managed to slip by RIM on the hardware side of things, as well, to take the fourth place spot.

[via ComScore]

To Play Or To Eat? Swedish McDonalds Lets You Do Both

Posted: 06 Jun 2011 08:12 AM PDT

Thirty or forty years ago, when I had yet to grace a womb, commercials were five minutes long, and went into great detail explaining to us the joys of cigarettes, red meat, and alcohol (or so I'm told). Without a remote, I assume that most people just sat back and watched, but things aren't so simple for marketers today, what with A.D.D.-plagued Millennials and Generation Z. There are all kinds of new devices out there to market on, but most of us have grown totally immune to any form of marketing. Unless, of course, it's super fun and nearly effortless, which pretty accurately describes McDonalds’ most recent campaign in Sweden.

Basically, if you own and iPhone and are near this particular McDonald's in Stockholm, Sweden, you have the chance to get a digital coupon for a McD's treat of your choice, after some intense virtual ping-pong play, of course. A massive interactive billboard in the center of the square teases pedestrians to test their table-tennis skills for a McDonald's snack, and the best part is: no app download necessary.

That's right. You simply have to type in a URL to the iPhone browser and after GPS confirms you're near the billboard, it's you versus the computer in a heated game of pong, broadcasting live to the entire square on the billboard. Those who last for 30 seconds in the increasingly difficult game, get a digital coupon sent straight to the phone, and directions to McDonald's.

[via CNET]

Motorola Droid 3 Gets Leaked In Tutorial Video

Posted: 06 Jun 2011 07:02 AM PDT

Rumors of a potential Motorola Droid 3 have been circulating for quite a while now, but after a tutorial video surfaced on YouTube, posted by German site PhonePads.com, it's pretty safe to say that this beautiful third-gen iteration of the Original Droid will be gracing our pockets sooner rather than later.

The video still leaves a bit to the imagination, and Verizon claims that the hardware featured in the leaked tutorial isn't a final version, but viewers will get a chance to peak at a five-row keyboard with Swype and a 8-megapixel camera with LED flash on the back.

The video quickly runs through the new model's hardware, showing the volume rocker on the right side and a larger display than that of its Droid predecessors. The nice tutorial lady also pointed to a micro-USB and mini-HDMI output port.

Some have speculated that the Droid 3 may not be a 4G-LTE compatible device. Unfortunately, the video does nothing to either confirm or deny those rumors, nor does it help satisfy the question of whether the smartphone will run Android 2.2 Froyo or 2.3 Gingerbread.

[via Unwired View]

“Michael’s King Of Pop”: Michael Jackson Stars In New Japanese Mobile Social Game

Posted: 06 Jun 2011 06:40 AM PDT

Michael Jackson may have passed away two years ago, but he has always been especially big in Japan. So big, in fact, that he now gets his own social game. Dubbed “Michael’s King Of Pop” [JP], the title is exclusively available on Japanese mobile social gaming platform Mobage.

The goal of the game is to make Michael Jackson the No. 1 entertainer on the planet. Players manage Jacko’s career, but they can also take dancing lessons as him, organize concerts, complete missions etc.

By battling it out on the dance floor with other Mobage players, it’s possible to learn up to 80 different dancing skills, including the Moonwalk. The final goal of the game is to have Michael “perform a concert in outer space” (I don’t know why).

Maker Entercrews [JP] is offering the Flash Lite 2.0-based pop star simulation for users of feature phone (only in Japan). Michael’s King of Pop is free to play and monetized via virtual item sales (for example if users want to decorate their Jacko avatar).

HTC EVO 3D, EVO View 4G Get Price Tags, Hit Sprint Shelves June 24

Posted: 06 Jun 2011 06:04 AM PDT

Glasses-free 3D on a smartphone is hitting U.S. shelves for the first time ever in the form of the HTC EVO 3D smartphone, so if you're one of those people who just has to "have it first," mark June 24 in your calendar. Sprint today announced the release dates for the two newest members of its EVO line of products, the HTC EVO 3D smartphone and HTC EVO View 4G tablet, set to go on sale June 24.

The EVO 3D, which feature's a 4.3-inch qHD glasses-free 3D display, a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor running underneath Android 2.3 Gingerbread, has a price tag of $199.99 on contract. What's more, this highly anticipated Android smartphone will also be compatible with Sprint's 4G WiMAX network. The HTC View 4G tablet has specs very similar to its cousin, the HTC Flyer, but adds a 4G WiMAX for extra connectivity when out of WiFi range.

Priced at $399.99 on-contract, the HTC EVO View 4G is powered by a single-core 1.5 GHz processor, Android 3.0 Honeycomb runs the show, with HTC's Sense for tablets UI on top. The smallest monthly data plan gets you 3GB for $34.99.


HTC Sensation Suffers Through iPhone 4-Esque “Death Grip” Issues

Posted: 06 Jun 2011 01:21 AM PDT

So remember that one time when you had to hold your iPhone 4 just right or else you lost the signal and dropped your call? Apparently a similar problem has befallen the
HTC Sensation: if you hold the phone a certain way, aka "death grip," the phone loses its signal, its Bluetooth connection, and its Wi-Fi connection, all in one foul swoop.

The problem seems to be stemming from the phone's back cover, according to Nordic Hardware's tests. The purported unibody design is actually a glorified removable battery cover, made mostly of metal with a few plastic patches that act as antennae. If one of those patches is covered by your hand, the radio units within the device perform at a much lower level, particularly the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi radios. With the Bluetooth radio, you can see in the video below that laying the device on the palm of your hand stops audio playback. A death grip will also stop weaker hotspots from showing up on the Sensation's list of available networks, since the connection can't penetrate through your hands.

A first reaction is to solve the problem the same way iPhone owners did: by slapping a cover on that bad boy. Unfortunately, the iPhone case was meant to stop users from bridging the gap on the antennae and thus, shorting them. On the HTC Sensation, however, the signal is lost because the user is physically blocking the antenna. If that is in fact the case, a phone case can only make matters worse.

Bluetooth:

Wi-Fi:

[via Nordic Hardware]


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