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December 1st, 2011, 23:30 Posted By: wraggster
Results achieved over 30 day period.
Research firm Nielsen says Apple's iPhone and Google's Android OS account for 71 per cent of smartphones in the US.
The stronghold has led to the two platforms driving 83 per cent of all app downloads in the last 30 days, according to the report.
Results show that 44 per cent of US subscribers own smartphones. The devices also represented 56 per cent of all mobile phone purchases during the last quarter.
The report says Android continues to dominate the US smartphone market with 42.8 per cent with HTC devices leading the way for Q3 with 15 per cent, while Samsung and Motorola snag 10.4 per cent each.
Further results show iOS holds 28.3 per cent of the market and RIM holds 17.8 per cent ahead of Windows Phone and Symbian.
http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...wnloads/016353
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December 1st, 2011, 23:32 Posted By: wraggster
Video calling services such as Skype and FaceTime are driving the growth of the still young mobile platform. Skype recently revamped its mobile services with new technology to boost its 60 million iOS users.
With results like this, US-based analyst NPD In-Stat believes active video calling users will pass 380 million in 2015.
That's a growth of approximately 320 million in five years when compared to the 63 million users in 2010.
Amy Cravens, senior analyst, said: "While the mobile arena is relatively nascent, it has fuelled much of the growth in usage over the course of 2011. The entry of players with significant market presence has been critical in pushing mass adoption in mobile video calling.
"Currently, the living room market is still quite small; however, In-Stat expects to see significant developments in this market in the coming years."
http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...by-2015/016341
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December 1st, 2011, 23:36 Posted By: wraggster
Nokia has denied claims its phones are loaded with controversial keystroke logging software, which allegedly has the ability to spy on users activities.
It follows claims that software from app maker Carrier IQ has been secretly logging location, keystrokes, and messages on smartphones from a number of vendors.
"Nokia is aware of inaccurate reports which state that software from Carrier IQ has been found on Nokia devices. Carrier IQ does not ship products for any Nokia devices, so these reports are wrong," Nokia spokesman James Etheridge told Dow Jones Newswires.
The story broke when handset security researcher Trevor Eckhart posted a video online, claiming to expose the snooping practices of Carrier IQ.
For its part, the company denies it is involved in such nefarious affairs at all, saying in statement: "Our software is designed to help mobile network providers diagnose critical issues that lead to problems such as dropped calls and battery drain."
http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...-claims/027598
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December 1st, 2011, 23:47 Posted By: wraggster
Remember OpenMoko's first free and open source phones, the GTA-01 and GTA-02 (also called FreeRunner)? There is a new project called Phoenux. The German company Golden Delicous is building a new main board (called GTA-04) for the GTA01/02 case. The new hardware features a DM3730 (800 MHz) processor, a GTM601W UMTS (HSPA) module, and lots more."Would you pay extra for a phone that comes with a Debian build?
http://mobile.slashdot.org/story/11/...from-the-ashes
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December 1st, 2011, 23:58 Posted By: wraggster
Mobile telecom trade group CTIA and the Entertainment Software Rating Board will roll out a rating system for mobile applications similar to ratings on other electronic games, the groups announced Tuesday. Six mobile application storefronts will support the rating system and will roll out the ratings in the coming months, CTIA said. AT&T, Microsoft, Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile USA, U.S. Cellular and Verizon Wireless are the founding members of the rating system."An opinion piece at Gamasutra points out that this initiative falls a bit flat without Apple or Google on board, since iOS and Android are so vital to the current mobile gaming industry. "In the long run, the ESRB/CTIA announcement could be another sign of shifting power in the gaming industry. Normally, the ESRB gets what it wants. But it has no leverage against Apple and Google.
http://games.slashdot.org/story/11/1...-rating-system
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December 2nd, 2011, 00:21 Posted By: wraggster
Atari is bringing a new version of Breakout to iOS devices. Titled Breakout Boost, it adds plenty of modern features to the classic brick-breaker, including power-ups, special bricks and – the most modern feature of all – in-app purchases.
Yes, in addition to grenade balls, exploding bricks and the like, Breakout Boostwill contain five (five) free levels and "over 200 more unique brick layouts available via in-app purchase." Specific prices and levels aren't mentioned, but here's hoping Atari opts for the popular "here's a ton of stuff for 99 cents" model.
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/01/at...boost-for-ios/
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December 2nd, 2011, 00:32 Posted By: wraggster
The next version of each smartphone's operating system is always the best. We impatiently wait for the latest and greatest firmware to come around, expecting it to liberate us from the shackles of last year's code and features that haven't shown up yet. This happens incessantly with Google's Android OS, andversion 4.0 -- unveiled at this year's I/O conference in May -- is no different. Known as Ice Cream Sandwich (referred to henceforth as ICS), the last word in the title indicates the merging of Gingerbread, the most recent phone platform, and Honeycomb, the version optimized for use on tablets. We knew this much, but were otherwise left with conjecture as to how the company planned to accomplish such a feat -- and what else the new iteration had in store.
But now the time of reckoning is upon us, and the Samsung Galaxy Nexus -- Android 4.0's mother ship -- is slowly spreading across the globe, its users being treated to this year's smartphone dessert. ICS is one of the largest and most important upgrades we've witnessed from Android since its humble beginnings, making a huge change in user experience as well as a massive number of bullet points on the list of features. Now that we've had the opportunity to take it for a spin, where does it stand in the ranks of mobile operating systems? Follow us beneath as we dig into the layers of this sweet sandwich.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/01/a...ndwich-review/
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December 2nd, 2011, 23:51 Posted By: wraggster
If true, the device could be no.2 to Apple's iPad.
Amazon's Kindle Fire is the talk of the town and while the general consensus is positive, some believe the device won't be able to go the distance.
Digitimes says Amazon's manufacturer Quanta will has shipped between three and four million units already since last month's release.
If the sources are to be believed it's likely that Black Friday and Cyber Monday will have contributed significantly to device sales.
In a marketplace where the likes of Apple's iPad retails at $499, the Kindle Fire costs just $199, which has become the key USP for the device. Presumably that's why the device is expected to sell five million units by 2012.
In September, we reported tablet shipments for the year, which predicted Apple would ship 39.2 million units, Samsung would ship seven million and RIM would ship 1.5 million.
http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...m-units/016367
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December 2nd, 2011, 23:52 Posted By: wraggster
Online marketplace predicts $5bn in sales via mobile for 2011.
The e-retailer's payment platform PayPal experienced its largest ever Cyber Monday for mobile payments with a six-fold growth to hit 552 per cent.
With results like that, it's no surprise eBay feels confident about its mobile payments reaching $5 billion by the end of the year.
In 2010, worldwide eBay sales via mobile notched up $2 billion in sales, which more than triples the $600 million made in 2009.
eBay has said more than one million item listings are made each week through the mobile platform. That sounds reasonable, given that the firm has had it's app downloaded over 50 million times globally.
600,000 new eBay customers made their first buy via an app during the first half of the year, having never used the site before demonstrating the vast adoption of the service.
http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...wnloads/016363
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December 2nd, 2011, 23:55 Posted By: wraggster
Chair Entertainment’s latest becomes most popular game; Highest grossing app
Infinity Blade 2 has shot to the summit of the App Store’s top-grossing chart, just one day since its release.
At the time of going to press, the title is also the most popular paid-for app in the games category. Its predecessor was said to have made more than $20 million in gross sales for owning company Epic Games.
Infinity Blade 2 was built in what was said to be an intense seven-month production period.
Donald Mustard, the co-founder of the game’s developer Chair, said that completing the Infinity Blade 2 project required “to just death march kill ourselves” during its final three months.
“I mean guys are just working so many hours, doing so much, and that's not really good, I think, for the longevity of our studio,” he said.
http://www.develop-online.net/news/3...ough-App-Store
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December 2nd, 2011, 23:56 Posted By: wraggster
Nvidia’s upcoming Tegra 3 mobile chip is faster than the iPad 2 processor, according to new benchmark tests.
Carried out by AnandTech and Hothardware, the tests showed that the five-core chip designed for Android scored better than Apple’s A5 processor in web browsing and JavaScript applications.
When it came to graphics rendering, the Tegra 3 also had a much greater GLBenchmark FPS than the A5 chip.
The tests also revealed that Nvidia’s new processor is a substantial improvement over its previous incarnation the Tegra 2.
The iPad 2 however fared far better in OpenGL texture performance, scoring twice as high as the Tegra 3, whilst also showing excellent power efficiency.
http://www.develop-online.net/news/3...er-than-iPad-2
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December 3rd, 2011, 00:03 Posted By: wraggster
Researchers at North Carolina State University have uncovered a variety of vulnerabilities in the standard configurations of popular Android smartphones from Motorola, HTC, and Samsung, finding that they don't properly protect privileged permissions from untrusted applications (PDF). In a paper just published by researchers Michael Grace, Yajin Zhou, Zhi Wang, and Xuxian Jiang, the four outlined how the vulnerabilities could be used by an untrusted application to send SMS messages, record conversations, or even wipe all user data from the handset without needing the user's permission. The researchers evaluated the security of eight phones: the HTC Legend, EVO 4G, and Wildfire S; the Motorola Droid and Droid X; the Samsung Epic 4G; and the Google Nexus One and Nexus S. While the reference implementations of Android used on Google's handsets had relatively minor security issues, the researchers were 'surprised to find out these stock phone images [on the devices tested] do not properly enforce [Android's] permission-based security model.' The team shared the results with Google and handset vendors, and have received confirmation of the vulnerabilities from Google and Motorola. However, the researchers have 'experienced major difficulties' in trying to report issues to HTC and Samsung.
http://mobile.slashdot.org/story/11/...d-android-apps
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December 3rd, 2011, 23:03 Posted By: wraggster
Times are tough in Syria right now, but that isn't stopping the Assad government from making things a whole lot worse. The nation's customs department, a branch of the Syrian Finance Ministry, has officially banned the iPhone in an attempt to curb citizens from sharing news and videos of the massive protests and violent crackdowns throughout the nation. For those not keeping score, foreign press have been largely barred from the nation since March, which necessitated the use of citizen journalism as a means to report news from the streets. As Syrians come to grips with new economic sanctions against the country, the banning of the iPhone is, sadly, certain to escalate the unrest.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/03/s...ilence-citize/
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December 3rd, 2011, 23:04 Posted By: wraggster
Remember Samsung's second-gen dual-screen Android clamshell we spotted about a month ago? Well, here it is at last: announced in partnership with China Telecom, this SCH-W999 flip phone packs two 3.5-inch 480 x 800 Super AMOLED panels back to back, along with a 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm MSM8660, Android 2.3 with TouchWiz, HyperSkin back cover (as featured on the Galaxy Nexus for grip plus anti-smear), five megapixel camera, Bluetooth 3.0, WiFi and WAPI (China's not-so-successful take on WiFi, basically).
Like many phones on China Telecom, the W999 comes with dual SIM slots and dual-mode connectivity (GSM and CDMA2000, with the latter offering EV-DO 3G), but with the additional support for penta-band radio for globetrotters. Want to nab one? We're looking at a 2012 launch, though there's no word on prices just yet -- well, just so you know, the predecessor W899 starts from ¥8990 ($1,410), so good luck with your garage sale. We got you some pictures from the China launch event after the break, courtesy of Samsung Mobile.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/03/s...l-core-dual-s/
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December 3rd, 2011, 23:05 Posted By: wraggster
As the legal drama between Apple and Samsung drags on around the world, US District Court Judge has rejected Apple's request to block the sales of Galaxy devices. Reuters reports the ruling came out late Friday, with the judge deciding "It is not clear that an injunction on Samsung's accused devices would prevent Apple from being irreparably harmed,". This isn't the first rejection for the folks from Cupertino either, after a request to speed up the trial was also denied back in July. The case itself will of course go on, but this means you'll still be able to get your hands on those Galaxy Tabs, Galaxy S IIs, and the like in the meantime.
Update: While Apple has yet to comment on the ruling, Samsung has issued an official statement which you can check out after the break.
Update 2: Feel like thumbing through the entire 65 page ruling? FOSS Patents has posted the entire document on Scribd, you'll find it embedded after the break.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/03/a...ne-sales-in-t/
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December 3rd, 2011, 23:07 Posted By: wraggster
Eight Android phones, including the Motorola Droid X and Samsung Epic 4G, were found to house major permission flaws according to a research team at North Carolina State University. Their study revealed untrusted applications could send SMS messages, record conversations and execute other potentially malicious actions without user consent. Eleven of the thirteen areas analyzed (includes geo-location and access to address books) showed privileges were exposed by pre-loaded applications. Interestingly, Nexus devices were less vulnerable, suggesting that the other phone manufacturers may have failed to properly implement Android's security permissions model. Google and Motorola confirm the present flaws while HTC and Samsung remain silent. Exerting caution when installing applications should keep users on their toes until fixes arrive.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/02/s...posed-to-unau/
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December 3rd, 2011, 23:09 Posted By: wraggster
A Cornell University professor is calling the controversial Carrier IQ smartphone software revelations a privacy disaster. 'This is my worst nightmare,' says Stephen Wicker, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Cornell. 'As a professor who studies electronic security, this is everything that I have been working against for the last 10 years. It is an utterly appalling invasion of privacy with immense potential for manipulation and privacy theft that requires immediate federal intervention.'"Read on for a grab-bag of other news about the ongoing story of Carrier IQ's spyware.
http://yro.slashdot.org/story/11/12/...rama-continues
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December 5th, 2011, 21:37 Posted By: wraggster
ComScore's latest research says Android and Apple are still dominating the lead among smartphone users as their rivals lose share.
Android grew its share from from 41.9 per cent to 46.3 per cent from the quarter ending July to the quarter ending, according to the report.
That, combined with Apple's growth of one per cent to 28.1 per cent has dented RIM's share pushing it down to 17.2 per cent, losing 4.5 per cent.
With Apple's introduction of the iPhone 4S back in October, it's plausible the figures will change over the next quarter following rapid sales despite negativity from analysts.
Microsoft will also be watching carefully, as the share held by its Windows OS was largely static (5.7 per cent to 5.4 per cent). It launched with Nokia this quarter, although to be fair Americans historically ignore Nokia devices so the impact will be greater in Europe.
http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...er-cent/016380
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December 5th, 2011, 21:40 Posted By: wraggster
Revelations that several smartphone brands contain a secret usage tracking software from Carrier IQ has resulted in a storm of controversy and at least two class action law suits against the firm.
Carrier IQ is essential a third-party metrics service or quality-of-service application, which the firm admits has been installed in up to 140 million handsets. Not one person asked for it, nor even knew it was installed.
So when security researcher Trevor Eckhart uncovered the application and showed that it had been given the ultimate access to log everything including location and key presses, alarm bells began to ring worldwide. Not the least since Carrier IQ issued a Cease and Desist letter against Eckhart. As the PR disaster spiraled out of control, Carrier IQ issued a retraction and said issuing the letter was 'misguided'.
Carrier IQ moved to downplay the controversy, saying that key presses were not logged, saying online that: "We measure and summarize performance of the device to assist Operators in delivering better service." Eckhart then that demonstrated the key logging explicitly.
Hooks for the software were even in Apple's iPhone although Apple quickly moved to say that Carrier IQ is not used in iOS 5 and will be completely removed in the future but the firm is the subject of at least one lawsuit regardless.
US class action lawsuits have since been filed against Carrier IQ and handset makers HTC and Samsung, alleging violations of the US Wiretap Act. Another lawsuit is targeting US network operators AT&T, Sprint, Apple and T-Mobile.
Without a mobile operator enabling Carrier IQ, the software may never be activated on phones or not installed in the first place. The Telegraph said that no British carrier currently used Carrier IQ.
The Register was also apparently shown technical details as part of an interview with Carrier IQ marketing chief Andrew Coward which apparently convinced El Reg that the software "doesn't represent a privacy threat to handset owners."
As evidence of the sensitivity to privacy issues within the smartphone industry, Apple, Nokia and RIM have all moved to distance themselves from Carrier IQ.
Android users, however, may not be so easily convinced that Carrier IQ is a benign presence on their phone.Several apps have appeared on the Android Market which claim to detect whether the phone has Carrier IQ installed.
http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...-furore/027609
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December 5th, 2011, 21:44 Posted By: wraggster
A judge in the US has denied Apple's move to block the sale of a range of Samsung Android devices in the ongoing patent infringement dispute.
The ruling is particularly important because is means that the latest Samsung devices including the Galaxy Tab 10.1 will be available for sale in the large American market during the peak shopping period.
California district judge Lucy Koh failed to be swayed by Apple's argument that the Samsung devices would cause irreparable harm if they were introduced onto the American market.
Judge Koh seemed to be put more stock in Samsung's own evidence that granting an injunction to Apple would benefit more of Samsung's other Android rivals rather than Apple.
The ruling also placed in doubt Apple's continued pursuit of so-called design related patents with the court making the rather obvious point that handheld sizes and screen sizes and speaker grills on the top of the phone were entirely practical in nature.
In a lengthy deconstruction of the ruling, oft-times pro-Apple patent analyst Florian Meuller said that design patterns are "not the answer" for Apple's dispute with the Korean rival.
"If Apple wants to defend market share against Samsung (and other Android device makers), it really needs to focus on solid technical patents instead," said Meuller who also noted that the late Steve Job's own patents were overwhelmingly design related.
The ruling means that Samsung will be free to sell the disputed devices in the US at least until the full court case in the middle of next year.
http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...-market/027607
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December 5th, 2011, 22:00 Posted By: wraggster
Just as we were geeking out to the Jaguar 7's Ice Cream Sandwich demo and anxiously awaiting theTransformer Prime, Ingenic and MIPS completely took us by surprise by announcing the Ainol-brandedNOVO7, the very first commercially available tablet with Ice Cream Sandwich officially loaded. To be specific, the device isn't brand new -- it's been previously available as a Honeycomb tablet and is now shipping with ICS pre-loaded. It's packing an Ingenic JZ4770 mobile applications processor and 1GHz MIPS-based XBurst CPU, which means this Android 4.0 slab isn't going to be the toughest workhorse in the market. What more would you expect from a $99 tablet? The Novo7 also comes with a 7-inch capacitive touchscreen, a Vivante GC860 GPU clocked at 444MHz, 1080p video decoding, rear 2MP camera with VGA front-facing cam, USB 2.0, HDMI 1.3, microSD slot and an endorsement from Andy Rubin himself. If temptation is just too much to overcome, you can head over to the More Coverage link to order one. However, if you'd rather wait a while to save a few bucks in shipping -- it's over half the cost of the tablet itself -- MIPS informed us that it'll be coming to the States and other parts of the world over "the next several months," and 8- and 9-inch versions of the NOVO are in the works as well. Head below for a video and press release. Oh, and existing NOVO7 customers may be wondering why their tablet hasn't received ICS yet; MIPS assured us that there's an upgrade path for those customers as well, though no announcements have been made.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/05/a...id-4-0-tablet/
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December 5th, 2011, 22:02 Posted By: wraggster
In the game of Apple versus the jailbreakers, Cupertino threw the community a curveball with iOS 5's newly restricted downgrade system which blocks devices from restoring to old 5.x firmware. With the help of his noble steed iFaith (a custom Windows tool), hacker iH8sn0w has found a way around the firmware block, making it possible for dumped iOS 5 signature hash blobs (SHSH blobs) to permit unsigned restores. Why all the fuss about downgrading to prohibited firmware? Prominent iOS hackers MuscleNerd and pod2g have stated that the first untethered jailbreak will arrive on iOS 5.0 and, as such, may require iFaith's downgrade process to facilitate user restores. While the jailbreak is still under construction, iFaith should assure disheartened users in the community that all is not lost. Want to learn about blobs, blobs, and more blobs? Continue past the break to view iH8sn0w's informative video.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/05/i...ers-dream-com/
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December 6th, 2011, 00:03 Posted By: wraggster
Next week will mark the one-year anniversary of Microsoft's declaration that Windows Phone 7 would come to China during the second half of 2011, but the company has officially stated that it's not going to make the December 31st deadline. Instead, phones with the OS are now expected to hit the nation sometime in the first half of 2012. Microsoft mentioned that the delay is at least in part due to trying to ensure that Chinese citizens will have a good experience using the platform (Nokia mentioned that localization is needed in certain aspects of its phones to keep in line with the government's media censorship policy); it wouldn't come as much of a surprise if we see the first batch of phones -- likely to be made by Nokia, Huawei and / or ZTE, at least -- come with a fresh install of Windows Phone Tango on them, but that's mere speculation for now.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/05/m...til-next-year/
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December 6th, 2011, 00:33 Posted By: wraggster
Just how far can EA push the freemium model on smartphones?
Last week MCV revealed that the publisher had released a new version of Tetris on iOS that offered the option of subscribing to the game for extra perks and content.
Now AOL reports that a new version of RTS pioneer ThemePark is on the way which also tries to push the boundaries of what gamers are willing to spend money on.
Many of the game’s ‘attractions’ – that is, additional rides that can be added to a user’s park – can only be accessed as the player levels up.
This itself is normal, of course, but the speed of levelling is said to be extremely slow. Which is where in-game purchases come in. And they’re not cheap.
The Skull-Train roller coaster, for instance, costs the equivalent of $60 to buy outright for those not willing to put in the hours to purchase it
Titles such as Capcom’s Smurf’s Village has proven that, if pitched correctly, microtransaction based games can be hugely profitable on iOS. Whether EA’s aggressive new approach can match this remains to be seen.
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/ea-pu...-on-ios/088123
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December 6th, 2011, 01:38 Posted By: wraggster
[Travis Goodspeed] wrote in to tell us about his work reverse engineering the Bluetooth communications on this SPOT module. He’s targeted the post as a general guide to sniffing Bluetooth transmissions, but was inspired to use the SPOT as an example after seeing this other SPOT hack. We know he’s a fan of getting things to work with his Nokia N900, and that’s exactly where he ended up with the project.
This module was manufactured to be controlled by an Android phone. But there’s no control app available for the Nokia handset. Since Android uses the open-source Bluez package for the Bluetooth protocol, it’s actually pretty easy to get your hands on the packets. After grabbing a few test sets he shows how he deciphered the packets, then wrote a quick Python script to test out his findings. After working his way through the various commands available (grabbing the SPOT serial number, getting position data from it, etc) [Travis] wrote up a frontend in QT mobility for use on the N900.
http://hackaday.com/2011/12/05/rever...as-an-example/
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December 6th, 2011, 02:00 Posted By: wraggster
As the video gaming juggernaut rumbles tirelessly onwards, one might assume that the past is in danger of being forgotten. Games like Gears of War 3, Rage and Uncharted 3 are pushing the graphical standard into hitherto unknown realms, while titles like Skyrim boast gameplay so engrossing that previous efforts seem almost simplistic in comparison. Surely then, no one could possibly be interested in dusty old retro titles when such aesthetic splendour is available right here, right now?
Mercifully, that couldn't be further from the truth. Despite the massive strides being made in terms of both visuals and depth, more and more people are casting their gaze into the past, looking to reacquaint themselves with classic titles or discover vintage experiences with a fresh pair of eyes.
While services such as the Wii Virtual Console, Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network are allowing us to enjoy drip-fed classics from yesteryear, the rapid expansion of the smart phone arena has also played a huge part in keeping retro gaming alive. The average handset is comfortably capable of replicating the performance of 8 and 16-bit machines, with some even tentatively dipping a toe into 32 and 64-bit waters. Astonishingly, consoles that were once considered cutting edge only a decade and a half ago can now be carried around in your pocket.
 MD.emu is a fantastic emulator for Sega's Mega Drive and Master System, and Mega CD support is promised in the future.
Google's Android operating system is arguably at the forefront of this retro revival. This is largely thanks to the platform's open nature; while Apple's iPhone is locked down and its App Store diligently policed, the Android Market is slightly more lax - which is both a blessing a curse, if you look at the sheer volume of dodgy downloads available.
Emulators do occasionally get taken down due to copyright infringements, but for every one Google removes, five more seem to sprout up in its place. Such moves are futile anyway; Android supports multiple marketplaces, and also allows users to to 'side-load' applications downloaded from sources other than the official Android Market. On the iPhone, such functionality is only possible if you jailbreak your device, thereby invalidating your warranty.
If you're reading this and wondering just how it's possible to transform what appears to be a fairly standard Android handset into a dream ticket to some of the finest games from the past thirty years of video gaming, then rest easy. The purpose of this feature is to not only to inform but also to educate. We're going to showcase the best retro gaming applications, where to source games and how you can use proper controllers to create the ultimate portable gaming platform.
[h=3]Step 1: Preparation[/h] Sony Ericsson's Xperia Play (AKA: The PlayStation Phone) offers the perfect interface for retro gaming.
You may assume that you'll be able to source all of your emulators from the officialAndroid Market. Sadly, due to Google's inconsistent policies on such programs, many of the best and most established emulators are no longer available for download there, while poorly-programmed substitutes appear on an almost daily basis as opportunist coders look to make a quick buck. With that in mind, one of the first things you'll want to download is the SlideMe 'SAM' app. This is an alternative app market for Android which has provided a safe haven for developers locked out from the official market.
To install SAM - as well as any other applications you download - you'll need to make sure you phone is configured to allow side-loading. In your phone's 'Settings' menu, selection the 'Applications' option and ensure that the 'Unknown Sources' box is ticked.
[h=3]Step 2: Choosing your Emulators[/h]Between the Android Market and the SlideMe Market, there's no shortage of emulators to download. It pays to be wary, however - many of these programs are based on the same code, and crafty developers charge exorbitant prices for apps that are readily available for free elsewhere. Here we present a selection of the best downloads, saving you the bother of having to find out the hard way.
SNES9X EX
 The iconic SNES console is faithfully represented by SNES9X EX, which is so good that Nintendo took action forced it underground.
Nintendo's SNES needs little in the way of introduction, and its lofty reputation is sure to place it at the top of many would-be emulation enthusiast's wish list. Thankfully, Android is served well by the sublimeSNES9X EX, which offers a highly accurate replication of the 16-bit powerhouse. Must-have classics such as Super Castlevania IV, Zelda: A Link to the Past and Chrono Trigger all play perfectly. So comprehensive is this particular emulator that it even supports Super FX games like Star Fox and Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. Sadly, due to a recent complaint (presumably by Nintendo itself), SNES9X EX has been removed from the official Android Market, but it can be downloaded free of charge direct from theSNES9X developer's website. While you're at it, check out MD.emu, PCE.emu andGBC.emu, all from the same developer.
Tiger Arcade
While Tiger Arcade doesn't emulate every single coin-op game, it's capable of handling some surprisingly complex titles and will happily play the vast majority of Neo Geo MVS games and Capcom CPS2 releases. This means you can enjoy Metal Slug, King of Fighters, Street Fighter Alpha and DoDonPachi on your phone's screen. The recent launch of anAndroid port of MAME4All could endanger Tiger Arcade's position as the number one choice for coin-op classics, but for now it remains the king of the hill. You can grab it from the SlideMe Market.
FPse for Android
 The iControlPad not only works on Android, but also on jail-broken iPhones, too.
While Sony is busy working on its PlayStation Suite for Android devices, you can get a taster of what authentic 32-bit gaming is like by downloading this accomplished emulator.FPse offers near-flawless performance and is compatible with a staggering range of PlayStation titles. Even demanding games like Gran Turismo run at full speed, although you'll need a phone with at least a 1GHz processor to achieve such wonders.
N64oid
Arguably the most advanced machine to currently be emulated on Android, the Nintendo 64 is host to such seminal classics as Super Mario 64, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and F-Zero X. N64oid allows you to emulate these stunning games, as well as many others. The only snag is that performance and compatibility are patchy - some games work better than others, while many refuse to load. Still, if you pick wisely you'll be able to enjoy some of the finest video games ever created, all from the comfort of your Android device. N64oid is available on the SlideMe Market.
[h=3]Step 3: Getting the perfect interface[/h]If you're lucky enough to own a Sony Ericsson Xperia Play then you have our permission to feel very smug indeed. The Xperia Play's physical gaming controls make it ideal for retro gaming, and many emulators now automatically support the handset's button layout without the player having to change a single setting in the options menu.
For those of you with less well-equipped Android devices, you'll either have to make do with imprecise touch-screen controls or you can opt for a more appealing alternative: a proper pad.
 Apps like Emulator ROMs may be legally dubious, but they make populating your phone's memory with classic games so much easier.
Thanks to the fact that both the Nintendo Wii Remote and the Sony PlayStation 3 pad use Bluetooth to communicate with their respective consoles, they can also be linked to your Android phone using apps such asBluez IME, Wii Controller IME and Sixaxis Controller. Many emulators - such as SNES9X EX - actually include Bluetooth pad support from within the app itself, but those of you hoping to use a Dual Shock 3 will need to make sure that your phone is rootedfirst - a process which varies in complexity from device to device and isn't for the fainthearted.
If you want the authentic PlayStation experience without having to root your phone, you can try the Phonejoy pad. Shamelessly derived from the iconic Dual Shock design, this pad boasts analogue sticks and plenty of buttons. Using Bluez IME, you can pair it with your phone and map the inputs to various Android keys. It even comes with a little kick-stand which allows you to rest your phone on a flat surface for optimal viewing.
Another option is the iControlPad, a wireless gaming controller produced by the industrious team behind the Pandora open source handheld. The iControlPad boasts a fantastic D-pad and twin analogue sliders, as well as a multitude of buttons.
When you consider that many Android phones - such as the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S and Samsung Galaxy S2 - come with HDMI-out capability, the prospect of bringing life to old software becomes even more interesting. Using wireless pads like the iControlPad and Phonejoy, you can hook your phone up to your LCD TV and enjoy a near-perfect console experience.
[h=3]The future of retro gaming on Android[/h]Being able to carry around hundreds of classic games in your pocket is a truly amazing experience for anyone who has lived through the 8, 16 and 32-bit eras. However, technology rarely remains static. We've recently seen the Asus Transformer Prime introduce quad-core power to the Android tablet market, and companies like Samsung, HTC and LG are feverishly working on incorporating the same processors in their phones. This will herald a new era of mobile power, and that means a whole new generation of retro consoles will be potentially up for grabs.
The 128-bit Sega Dreamcast has already been emulated on Android () and one has to wonder what doors a quad-core 2.5GHz CPU will open; could we be playing PlayStation 2 and Xbox titles on our phones in a year or two? With the rapid advancement of mobile tech, it's certainly possible - but as we've hopefully illustrated, there's still plenty of enjoyment to be had emulating less advanced hardware.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...rhouse-article
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December 6th, 2011, 02:03 Posted By: wraggster
We fear some surprise charges turning up on the bills of young iPhone games when EA launches its new Theme Park game on iOS.
 Theme Park is a classic managerial sim that's making a return as a 'freemium' iOS game, but it doesn't sound like the game we know and love. Users will be able to download the game for free but will find many of the game's more attractive features locked.Reviews from Canada, where the game has just released, report that the game's better park attractions are unlocked as the player increases in level - something that is apparently overly time-consuming.
The seemingly intentional monotony of a drawn out level system helps to push users to the game's other unlocking option - purchasing 'Tickets' with real money to exchange for rides.
According to AOL's Games Blog (via Shacknews), one ride - "a Skull-Train roller coaster" - will cost an impatient gamer a massive $60 worth of Tickets to unlock.
EA, it seems, is taking iOS gamers for a ride.
A number of PS Vita games have recently shown signs of taking queues from iOS games with pricing structures. Let's hope it never gets this ridiculous on Sony's handhelds.
http://www.computerandvideogames.com...me-has-60-dlc/
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December 6th, 2011, 13:08 Posted By: wraggster
Welcome all to what will be a series of articles covering all consoles, basically we will give you the best 5 buys this Christmas for your console of choice, the gifts will be anything from consoles to games and onto accessories.
Enough talking heres the list, with links to both USA and UK versions of Amazon to compare prices etc:
Heres the top 5 list this Xmas for Android Devices - remember that http://android.dcemu.co.uk/ is your main destination for Android News and much more:
1)
A good phone that supports the android OS, well worth a try
http://www.amazon.co.uk/HTC-Wildfire...3172417&sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/HTC-Wildfire-U...3172621&sr=8-1
2)
The biggest threat to the Ipad and the cheapest and best Android tablet at this time, sadly US Only.
http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Color-M...3172666&sr=8-1
3)
Android phone from Samsung thats cheap and cheerful a good intro into Android devices.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-I550...3172768&sr=8-5
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Galaxy...3172864&sr=8-1
4)
A low priced android tablet that has sold well in the UK, archos have a great reputation too:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/ARCHOS-Home-...172891&sr=1-16
http://www.amazon.com/Archos-Home-Ta...3173056&sr=8-1
5)
Hi spec tablet from motorola, more pricey but better quality:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Motorola-Xoo...172891&sr=1-17
http://www.amazon.com/MOTOROLA-XOOM-...3173149&sr=8-1
Thats it for our Android devices Christmas Gift List. Follow the Homebrew scene for Android in our Forums.
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December 7th, 2011, 03:13 Posted By: wraggster
Before Niko Bellic, there was a man who was known as Claude, who was just as willing to terrorize Liberty City back in Grand Theft Auto III. If fond memories of carjackings and Flashback 95.6 are starting to rush back, know that Rockstar plans to sell you a fresh copy for your iOS or Android devices come December 15th. And just so we're clear, the $4.99 redux is a full re-release -- not some watered-down version with an alternate story line. Already counting the days? Peep the list of compatible devices after the break so it's not all for naught. Go on, we've left you a surprise.
Apple iOS Devices: iPad 1 & 2, iPhone 4 & 4S, iPod touch 4th Generation
Android Phones: HTC Rezound, LG Optimus 2x, Motorola Atrix 4G, Motorola Droid X2, Motorola Photon 4G, Samsung Galaxy R, T-Mobile G2x
Android Tablets: Acer Iconia, Asus Eee Pad Transformer, Dell Streak 7, LG Optimus Pad, Motorola Xoom, Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 and 10.1, Sony Tablet S, Toshiba Thrive
http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/06/g...d-android-exa/
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December 7th, 2011, 03:16 Posted By: wraggster
Happy milestone, Android Market! It's a busy place, full of hustle and bustle -- so much so, in fact, that the applications plaza for Google's mobile OS just had its ten billionth app downloaded. In honor of hitting this mark, it's passing the savings on to you, placing (at least) ten apps on sale for ten cents. The sale will last for ten days (notice a theme?), so procrastinators will have a little extra time to decide which ones are worth a dime. There's a few classics on the list, such as SwiftKey X, Minecraft, Asphalt 6 and SoundHound. Check the source link (or glance at the screenshot above) to see what else is available, as well as a press release straight from SwiftKey below the break.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/06/a...lls-minecraft/
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December 7th, 2011, 03:18 Posted By: wraggster
While US viewers continue to wait for the expat-edition Global BBC iPlayer app, BBC Worldwide has announced a new version launching December 8th specifically for iPhones and iPod Touches. Like its big brother app for the iPad, this free download lets subscribers stream or download shows for offline viewing, as well as stream video to the Apple TV via AirPlay. Whole new categories of programming are coming online soon including music, arts and culture, and radio, and now it can all fit in one's pocket. Check the gallery for a couple more screenshots, or after the break for a press release with all the applicable pricing and regional information that's available.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/06/g...ne-ipod-touch/
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December 7th, 2011, 03:28 Posted By: wraggster
TechCrunch features an article (the first of three, actually) outlining the development of a clever hardware keyboard for the iPad. It's hard to write about Kickstarter projects, because there are so many cool ideas that seem to deserve funding it's simply overwhelming. The TouchFire keyboard is one of those cool ideas, too, but it's far surpassed the founders' original funding goals and is nearing production. The TouchFire isn't wired, but it isn't wireless, either, in the conventional sense, because it provides no signal of its own: it's a transparent overlay that provides a tactile interface to the iPad's on-screen keyboard, and — the tricky part — is thin enough to actually swipe through when you're not using it for text-entry. The keyboard takes advantage of the iPad 2's built-in magnets for stability, though it works with the original iPad, too. (Hopefully an Android version will come soon, but the variety of screen resolutions and on-screen keyboard shapes makes that harder.) I talked with co-creator Steve Isaac (it's his account at TechCrunch, too) a few weeks back, and he said that the hardest part of the development work has been producing the complex mold shapes that form each collapsible key. The resulting tablet-with-keyboard reminds me superficially, and pleasantly, of the TRS-80 Model 100. (The Tandy actually had much better battery life than an iPad, but could do far less. It also weighed 3.1 pounds and cost more than a thousand dollars in 1983, which means nearly $2400 today; such is progress.) Prototypes are tight (and I don't have an iPad), but I hope to give an in-person report on the TouchFire soon.
http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/1...-swipe-through
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December 7th, 2011, 03:47 Posted By: wraggster
Part of me wonders why EA even bothered showing off Battlefield 3: Aftershockat a recent event in San Francisco, a planned universal app for iOS devices. It's in a pre-alpha state, with just three different maps and placeholder graphics, and some very rough gameplay on offer during my time with it.
But the potential places Battlefield 3: Aftershock could go have me genuinely excited for what might be.
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/06/ba...sights-on-ios/
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December 7th, 2011, 22:41 Posted By: wraggster
Loss of phone "would cause huge disruption" to their lives.
Tennesse-based technology protection firm Asurion found that 32 per cent of mobile phone users aged 60-64 are very reliant on their devices.
The consumers said that their mobile was the primary means of contact and its loss "would cause tremendous disruption to my life", according to the report.
The results will likely come as a surprise to many as trends dictate that it's mostly the younger generation that can't go without their phones.
Bettie Colombo, spokesperson for Asurion, said: "When we envision the 'cell phone generation' most of us think about the teenage through college-age groups that have grown-up with cell phones.
"But our research disproves that assumption. As a nation, we're all coming to see the cell phone as an indispensable part of our lives."
http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...-mobile/016411
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December 7th, 2011, 22:43 Posted By: wraggster
The BBC has released new iPhone and iPod touch versions of the global iPlayer app where previously only an iPad version was available.
The worldwide service targets 'millions' of potential viewers of BBC content in outside of the UK including: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, The Republic of Ireland, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
"Moving to iPhone and iPod Touch allows us to take the service to a significant new potential audience and deliver fantastic programme content from the BBC and the UK's creative industry," said BBC worldwide boss John Smith.
"We also want the global BBC iPlayer to be truly representative of the whole gamut of British creative output," said Global BBC iPlayer boss Jana Bennett during a keynote speech at the Digital TV Summit.
"Not just the Best of British TV but the Best of British Culture," she added.
The smaller iOS version extend's the BBC's love affair with the Apple platform. No mention was made of a tablet or smartphone version for Android.
http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...-iphone/027617
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December 7th, 2011, 23:04 Posted By: wraggster
We already knew a much-needed update to Facebook's Android app was close at hand, but we finally have the confirmation from the horse's mouth that the upcoming refresh will go live at some point today. The new version of the app will offer photos and albums at double the speed, a new menu on the left-hand side, and the ability for messages to "float" above the rest of the screen rather than exiting the page you're currently viewing. And while the social networking app technically works on devices running Ice Cream Sandwich, plenty of concerns have arisen regarding its lack of integration with the new OS; fortunately, it shows the update as it would look on a Samsung Galaxy Nexus -- which we're hoping means we'll see contact syncing for Android 4.0 included as part of the download. We'll keep you posted if it does.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/07/f...sts-android-4/
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December 7th, 2011, 23:06 Posted By: wraggster
Big news from Bellevue, as T-Mobile and Nokia have just announced that a special event will be held the evening of December 14th, promising something "special in the works." The companies were too smart for us this time, choosing not to reveal any code names via the image file; however, the tiled design of the invite seems to be a rather strong indication that Windows Phone is in the mix here. Could it be anexisting Lumia device, or will it be something completely new? We have precisely one week to mull over the prospects.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/07/t...ndows-phone-c/
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December 7th, 2011, 23:09 Posted By: wraggster
Eric Schmidt was addressing the crowd at Le Web in Paris and recounted a tale when an Android user asked why apps were often written for iOS first, and then ported over to Google's OS. His response? "My prediction is that six months from now, you'll say the opposite." After the uncomfortable silence had died down, he added that Android's "open" model meant the company had volume on its side -- and volume is what he feels will attract developers. He added that Ice Cream Sandwich would redress Android's device fragmentation and the sheer number of hardware makers would ensure that 2012 would be Google's year. At which point, everyone in the audience probably went back to their iPads to read Twitter.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/07/e...gger-than-ios/
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December 7th, 2011, 23:12 Posted By: wraggster
Kindle Fire owners are becoming increasingly spoilt for choice when it comes to developmental OS releases. Sidling up alongside CyanogenMod 7, Android's latest and greatest version has made an appearance: the Ice Cream Sandwich is on Fire. XDA-Developers forum member g1011999 has been kind enough to offer up the shot you see above, with the promise of a kernel release in the near future. As is often the case with these works in progress, it's not perfect just yet. While hardware acceleration and touch input are ticking along, both audio and WiFi are proving trickier to pin down, so we'd recommend interested non-tinkerers hold out a little longer. You can, however, whet your appetite with a brief video rundown after the break.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/07/k...t-mixes-tempe/
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December 7th, 2011, 23:20 Posted By: wraggster
Before starting to sell the iPad in China last year Apple attempted to trademark the name in the country, but that request was rejected since it was already owned by Shenzhen-based Proview Technology. Apple reached an agreement with the Taiwanese arm of the company for global rights to the moniker, but the Chinese unit, which owns the trademark in that particular country, wasn't so willing to hand over the deed. Apple sued, but the Shenzhen Intermediate People's Court rejected Cupertino's claim to ownership earlier this week and now the iPad manufacturer finds itself on the wrong side of a battle over intellectual property rights. Proview Technology has targeted resellers in Shenzhen and Huizhou, demanding an immediate halt to the selling of the iOS tablet. If successful the company plans to expand its quest for an iPad ban to the rest of China. Obviously, Apple can (and likely will) appeal the decision, but we're interested to see how this one shapes up.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/07/c...me-faces-pote/
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December 8th, 2011, 00:19 Posted By: wraggster
Sega has announced Football Manager Handheld 2012, due out around midnight tonight for iPod Touch, iPhone and iPad (with iOS 3.0 or above).The game launches in a single package, meaning you can play it on multiple devices, should you own them.If you have Apple TV and iOS 5 you can mirror Football Manager Handheld 2012 from your iPhone or iPad to your TV screen while controlling it with the handheld device.Miles Jacobson, boss of developer Sports Interactive, took to the Football Manager forumto make the announcement and outline the game's features.It includes updates leagues and competitions, an improved user interface and the addition of Facebook and social networking options.It also includes the new Challenge mode, which allows players to take on pre-defined scenarios. You select the challenge, your team and take it on.It's "similar to the challenges that were in International Superstar Soccer all those years ago," Jacobson said. "But then that really shows my age...""So as well as the main management game mode, and the free car/station finder that helps you get to and from football stadiums, you now have another game mode. For no extra price."
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...dheld-2012-app
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December 8th, 2011, 22:26 Posted By: wraggster
Google's rumored Flipboard competitor is finally here, and it's ditched the Propeller codename for something a little more appropriate: Currents. The app is available for both Android and iOS -- in tablet and phone-friendly formats -- and delivers a more magazine like reading experience for perusing your consumable content. The free app offers you a swipeable, graphics-heavy way to read material from partners like AllThingsD, PBS, Huffington Post and Fast Company, as well public Google+ feeds and RSS. You can even import your Google Reader subscriptions -- and it all gets cached for offline viewing. Of course, the whole thing is integrated with Google+ too, for quick and easy sharing. For publishers, Google is providing self-service tools for customizing how their content is displayed in the app. You can go download it now in the Android Market and in the iTunes App Store for free but, before you go, check out the video after the break to see it in action.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/08/g...er-for-androi/
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December 8th, 2011, 22:28 Posted By: wraggster
Apparently it's time for the French to deliver Apple's tit for Samsung's tatwon in US courts last week. Sammy's request for an injunction against the sale of the iPhone 4S was rejected by a court in France, which called the reaction out of proportion with its claims of intellectual property theft. And, as if to rub salt in the wound, the judge ordered Samsung to pay €100,000 (about $134,000) to cover Cupertino's legal fees. Of course, €100,000 is mere pocket change for these companies which probably spend more than that every day just to keep each other tied up inprotracted legal battles.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/08/f...iphone-4s-ban/
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December 8th, 2011, 22:34 Posted By: wraggster
Nokia is pretty busy at the moment. Alongside clandestine events with T-Mobile, the first update for the Lumia 800 has now begun to roll out. As is the case with most WinPho upgrades, you'll have to plug the polycarbonate slab into Zune to pull down several new performance enhancements and features. These will include charging and audio quality improvements, as well as improved display switching in bright light. Don't panic if you're unable to grab the update immediately; the phone manufacturer told us that it will be gradually rolled out across all of the initial launch countries over the next two weeks.
But Nokia didn't stop there -- it has also added more functionality to its impressive -- and free -- web-based maps. Its 3D Maps, available in 25 cities, have been given new navigation functions, sharing and search options. You'll have to install a browser plugin to get your hit of pop-up cartography, but Google Earth addicts should be suitably impressed. Click the source below to judge for yourself, or hold on after the break for a quick intro video.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/08/n...up-new-featur/
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December 8th, 2011, 22:37 Posted By: wraggster
Look, games like Fruit Ninja can be addicting and all, but we've many times pondered what playing a proper title -- the kind intended for the latest consoles and PCs -- would be like on a tablet or smartphone. Of course, we've seen some fantastic results from Tegra 3 and been notably impressed byInfinity Blade 2 on iOS, but starting today, OnLive is set to one-up the limitations of locally run mobile games with its new app. Whether you're using an Android, iOS device or even a Kindle Fire, you'll now be able to play games from the OnLive ecosystem while you're on the move over 3G, LTE or WiFi, rather than merely spectating in OnLive Viewer. Better yet, the OnLive app itself is completely free and any games purchased can be used across devices, and currently, 25 titles have been optimized for touch-based controls, including a tweaked version of L.A. Noire. However, if you're more inclined to use tactile controls you'll be pleased to know that the company also has a soon to be released, revised version of its wireless controller.
Outwardly, the updated controller is looks identical to the outgoing MicroConsole pack-in model, but this one connects to Macs, PCs and just about any mobile device thanks to new "adaptive wireless" technology. Those seeking extra low latency can use its bundled USB dongle to link up to four of the controllers and a single Bluetooth headset for voice chat with one PC. The gamepad's media controls can also navigate iTunes in addition to playback of Brag Clips within OnLive. When it debuts, you can expect to pick one up for about $50 (£39.99 in the UK). OnLive CEO Steve Perlman was kind enough to walk us through using this new bit of kit, so head on past the break for our full impressions and to see the controller in action.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/07/o...ts-wireless-c/
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December 8th, 2011, 23:49 Posted By: wraggster
anks as top free and paid iPad app, and best paid iPhone game.
At this time every year, Apple releases 'Rewind', its annual year-end lists for music, movies, TV shows, podcasts and apps.
Last year, Rovio's phenomenon of a game was best paid app – and it's repeated the trick in 2011. It didn't figure in the iPad stakes as it wasn't out for the tablet at the time, but now it's dominating that space too.
The only app to break the avian clean sweep was Facebook, which was top free download.
Those were the best by quantity, but Apple also chose its favourites – selecting Instagram as its overall best app for iPhone, and photo app Snapseed for the iPad. R
Game of the year went to Tiny Tower (iPhone) and Dead Space for iPad.
Top Paid iPhone Apps
1. Angry Birds
2. Fruit Ninja
3. Angry Birds Seasons
4. Cut the Rope
5. Tiny Wings
6. Angry Birds Rio
7. Words With Friends
8. Camera+
9. Doodle Jump
10. Plants vs. Zombies
Top Free iPhone Apps
1. Facebook
2. Pandora Radio
3. Words with Friends Free
4. Angry Birds Free
5. Skype
6. Netflix
7. Angry Birds Rio Free
8. Groupon
9. Fruit Ninja Lite
10. Twitter
Top Paid iPad Apps:
1. Angry Birds HD
2. Pages
3. Angry Birds Seasons
4. GarageBand
5. Angry Birds Rio HD
6. Penultimate
7. Fruit Ninja HD
8. Cut the Rope HD
9. SCRABBLE for iPad
10. Keynote
Top Free iPad Apps
1. Angry Birds HD Free
2. The Weather Channel for iPad
3. Netflix
4. CNN App for iPad
5. Angry Birds Rio HD Free
6. Kindle
7. Skype for iPad
8. Calculator for iPad Free
9. Pandora Radio
10. Calculator Pro for iPad Free
Top-Selling Songs
1. "Rolling in the Deep," ADELE
2. "Party Rock Anthem, LMFAO
3. "Firework," Katy Perry
4. "Grenade," Bruno Mars
5. "Forget You," Cee-Lo Green
6. "Give Me Everything", Pitbull
7. "E.T.," Katy Perry
8. "Moves Like Jagger Maroon 5
9. "Pumped Up Kicks," Foster the People
10. "Super Bass," Nicki Minaj
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December 8th, 2011, 23:59 Posted By: wraggster
The online retailer's debut tablet has caused quite the stir already and is reported to have shipped as many as four million devices since its US launch last month.
The Kindle Fire is also rumoured to have become the number two to Apple's leading iPad 2.
Now, an analyst from Evercore Partners has informed CNN Money, the Kindle Fire is poised to become the most popular Android tablet ever.
Robert Chira, said: "While Amazon's Kindle Fire has come out of the gates strong, as expected, we see Apple maintaining its competitive lead, if anything accentuated by what now looks like the only tablet to so far mount any credible iPad challenge apparently needing to do so by selling at cost; not to mention Amazon's success may just vaporise other "for profit" Android tablet OEM roadmaps (e.g. we est Amazon 50% of all Android tablets in CY12).
"Meanwhile Apple goes on as the only vendor able to cream off the most profitable segment of each market it targets, whether tablet, smartphone or PC."
http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...in-2012/016423
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December 9th, 2011, 00:02 Posted By: wraggster
The glut of dirt cheap and poor quality 'white box' Android tablets may be coming to an end as Chinese firms dump inventory and exit the market according to a DigiTimes report.
While initially attracted to the market by the high prices typical of the earlier generation of tablets, big name brands such as Amazon and Lenovo have devices on the market which eat into the typical cheap Android tablet market.
The next generation of hardware and Android 4.0 OS has also motivated some firms such as Lenovo to dump stock in the Far Eastern markets in order to clear inventory ahead of new product launches.
While there's a solid market for cheap tablets, if the choice is between a no-name knock-off and something with a warranty and 'basic quality', as the DigiTimes put it, then it's no wonder the white box brigade are feeling the pinch.
The DigiTimes revealed that Chinese ODMs had seen a sharp fall in orders from the white-box tablet firms, claiming that prices were being slashed to clear inventory before exiting the market.
The ODMs have the expectation that more than 70 per cent of the cheap tablet firms will get out of the category by early next year.
http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...-market/027626
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December 9th, 2011, 23:02 Posted By: wraggster
Soccer sim studio scouts tablets, cloud tech and microtransactions
Sports Interactive is currently swept in a fever of brainstorming and experimentation, the London studio’s manager has said, with numerous future platforms and technologies under consideration.
Miles Jacobson (pictured) said the group’s lucrative Football Manager series could in the future support tablets, cloud game tech and microtransactions, but the only idea off the table at the moment is console ports.
“We’re looking to hire six to ten engineers to work for us, particularly on next generation tech. And when I talk about next generation technology I’m not talking about consoles,” he told Develop.
“I’m talking more about mobile platforms and what’s happening in the PC and Mac world as well. We’re not looking at coming back to console.”
Sports Interactive, whose FM series has claimed more weeks atop the charts than Irish rockers U2, had a less than stellar success when the game arrived on Xbox 360.
http://www.develop-online.net/news/3...le-not-console
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December 9th, 2011, 23:57 Posted By: wraggster
Love to jailbreak but hate to tether every time you reboot? Then help could soon be at hand courtesy of hacker Pod2g. He just put out a video showing off a new exploit that continues to work on an iPod Touch even after it has been switched off and on. It appears to be running on iOS 5.0 rather than 5.0.1, so somedowngrading might be called for. We don't know when it'll be released to the masses, or how long it'll last once Apple catches wind, but in the meantime there are of course various alternatives if you can stomach the risks and don't mind a bit of USB tomfoolery.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/09/u...ed-on-youtube/
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December 10th, 2011, 23:36 Posted By: wraggster
Glutton for punishment? If you actually LIKE playing hard-as-nails Mega Man games with touch screen controls, you'll be pleased to know another one in the classic series is on it's way to iPhone.
 Mega Man X - the brilliant Super NES game - has been confirmed for release on iOS this month in Japan.Based on the 'feature phone' version rather than the Super NES original, the iOS version will feature Game Center support and a new 80-level challenge mode which will apparently hove you "showing off your (touch screen) Mega Man skills to the rest of the world", which we assume means the inclusion of leaderboards.
The included screen (via Famitsu) looks like an iPad shot.
Capcom admitted this week that it will take some time for it to 'rebuild bridges' with Mega Man fans let down by this year's major Mega Man cancellations.
http://www.computerandvideogames.com...-heads-to-ios/
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December 11th, 2011, 01:14 Posted By: wraggster
You'll forgive us, but we're banking on the concept of Aunt Eileen stuffing your stocking with iTunes gift cards rather than, say, a Zune Marketplace one. Perhaps that depends on if you've been naughty or nice? We're not quite sure how this holiday stuff works, but we're trying our best here.
Anyway, below the break we've compiled another year's worth of great games on both iPhone and iPad platforms that we hope you'll love as well. Even if you don't get those gift cards, these games should still be affordable -- even after buying all those presents. Good luck with the relatives!
Jetpack Joyride - $0.99 [iTunes]
The ultimate iOS game concept -- perma-running -- gets deeper than ever before in Jetpack Joyride. This game is a new standard alongside Angry Birds and Flight Control that you'd be silly to miss.
Tiny Wings - $0.99 [iTunes]
Artistically styled, engaging, simple, Tiny Wings is about a bird on a journey. That journey, unfortunately for him, involves many ups and downs. In the literal sense. We're also pretty sure this game was inspiration for the hit song (Okay, it probably wasn't.)
Infinity Blade 2 - $6.99 [iTunes]
"It's like Punch-Out, but with giant swords and God Kings, and it's way prettier," we're told of the first Infinity Blade. So, what of its sequel? "[Infinity Blade 2] takes everything that was good and right about its predecessor and expands on it," Justin McElroy cooed over the sequel back in late November. That sure sounds like approval to us!
Another World 20th Anniversary - $4.99 [iTunes]
Another World may not be a brand new game, but its incarnation on iOS devices felt just as brand new as it did 20 years ago when we wrote about it earlier this year. It may still rely on (occasionally frustrating) trial-and-error gameplay, but it more than overcomes that by giving players a thrilling sense of adventure. Also, it's gorgeous, so there's that.
Quarrel Deluxe - $2.99 [iTunes]
Throw a rock on the App Store these days and you'll hit a word game, but Quarrel stands out -- partly because it uses spelling as the combat mechanic for a really solid strategy battle game, and partly because it's just so darn polished. Players' avatars make faces, cry, and cheer as the battle goes on, and all of the action stays clear and fun to follow along with (even when it's not your turn, you're given a chance to spell and earn rewards). The one big omission is multiplayer, but the developers have promised it's on the way in an update, so grab it now or try the free trial first.
[Contributed by Mike Schramm]
Dead Space - $4.99 iPad ($2.99 iPhone) [iTunes]
"Isaac Clarke's mobile adventure may be small on screen, but it's not short on scares!" is what we'd say if we were writing a goofy commercial for Dead Space. But EA deserves credit for taking the HD horror game and translating it very well to the small screen, with new weapons, a new Survival mode, and quality touch gameplay that earned it Apple's title of iPad Game of the Year.
[Contributed by Mike Schramm]
Scribblenauts Remix - $2.99 [iTunes]
5th Cell's iOS adaptation of the terrific DS title took a while to show up, but it was worth the wait: This is the best way to play with Maxwell and all of his objects yet. There are new levels to play with, iCloud syncing across devices in a universal build for iPhone and iPad, and a recent update allows the iPhone 4S to let you speak what you want to create. And at the cheapest price ever? You're a "blue pregnant antelope" if you pass this one up.
[Contributed by Mike Schramm]
Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery EP - $4.99 [iTunes]
There may be no more sublime mobile gaming experience this year than exploring the weird world of Sworcery, developed by Capy, with art and story by Canadian artist Superbrothers, Inc., all based on music by composer Jim Guthrie. Playing this game on an iPad with headphones will show you very clearly just why iOS has become one of the most fertile breeding grounds for really incredible indie development.
[Contributed by Mike Schramm]
VidRhythm - $1.99 [iTunes]
VidRhythm isn't, strictly speaking, a "game," as much as it is a music/video application. More aptly, it's a bizarre music/video application, the likes of which we've yet to see duplicated on smart phones. It's also perfect for family gatherings -- what better way to freak out Aunt Eileen than with a terrifying video? Exactly.
Tiny Tower - Free [iTunes]
"Freemium" is a bad word for many gamers, usually conjuring up images of horse armor DLC and paying for health potions. But Apple's iPhone Game of the Year proves it can be done right, when a company like the two-person NimbleBit puts the gameplay experience front and center, and lets the in-app purchases prop things up behind. A great pixel art style and an addictive set of game loops means you'll be building and growing your Tiny Tower long after its little residents have posted on the in-game Facebook (cutely called "BitBook") that they're heading off to bed.
[Contributed by Mike Schramm]
Mage Gauntlet - $2.99 [iTunes]
We don't know where Rocketcat Games found a time machine that also transported them to an alternate universe, but that's really the only explanation for how they could have found a pitch-perfect action RPG from the 16-bit era like this one. With a charming story of a girl who can't do magic in a world full of it, excellent hack-and-slash combat, and a long and intriguing progression system (With hats! And pets!), Mage Gauntlet seems like a much-loved Super Nintendo game that never actually existed. Currently, it's only on the iPhone, but an update will bring universal compatibility with the iPad soon.
[Contributed by Mike Schramm]
Contre Jour HD - $2.99 [iTunes]
"Against the day" is what this title translates into, and it fits. This is an innovative and beautiful physics-based platform starring Petit, a little rolly protagonist who can move around a world you reshape and attach to eyestalks growing out of the gorgeous landscape. An amazing soundtrack makes this one extra immersive, and three chapters of sixty levels each, with their own unique aesthetic, mean there's a lot of content here, too.
[Contributed by Mike Schramm]
Gem Keeper - $.99 [iTunes]
NCSoft usually publishes PC MMOs, but this extremely polished and well-made tower defense game might just be enough evidence to convince them to switch platforms and genres. Tower defense itself is a pretty tired genre, but Gem Keeper makes it fun again, with colorful graphics, tons of levels, and a lot of really smart innovations in both level design and game balance. Whether you've built tons of frost cannons in your time or never upgraded a single tower, this is the TD game you've been looking for.
[Contributed by Mike Schramm]
iBlast Moki 2 HD - $4.99 [iTunes]
Don't let the name scare you away -- this is one of the most accessible and most innovative puzzle titles on iOS. Your goal in this one is to get "Mokis" home to a level exit portal, but you do that by putting bombs of various kinds in certain places, and then scheduling them out to explode at just the right time. The interface is complex but a thing of beauty, and the "paint bombs" (that lay down speedy or bouncy paint) make the puzzles akin to Portal. Plus, a make-your-own-level feature gives this one LittleBigPlanet-scale replayability. It's definitely one of iOS' best.
[Contributed by Mike Schramm]
Ascension: Chronicle of the Godslayer - $4.99 [iTunes]
Despite the lack of Magic: The Gathering on iOS, there are still a lot of quality card-based games, including Hothead's great Kard Combat. But Ascension edges the others out in both production quality and game design. It's based on a real-life deckbuilding card game, so the goal is to use production and attack points to slay monsters, build your deck, and eventually earn more victory points than your opponent. There's a bit of a learning curve, especially if you've never played a deckbuilding game before, but once you figure it out (and play a few asynchronous games over multiplayer), there's lots of card-based fun to be had.
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/09/20...ers-guide-ios/
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December 11th, 2011, 01:16 Posted By: wraggster
Not prepared to pony up for the ICS-readyTransformer Prime? No worries, Coby has five alternative flavors, each offering its own helping of Android 4.0. The quintet of tablets bear the same model number format as the outfit's Kyros tablets, and all share the same 1GHz ARM Cortex A8 CPU. Coby plans to debut the slates at CES 2012, making them available to consumers within the first quarter. The slabs range between seven and ten inches, and will offer up to 1GB of RAM with up to 32GB of expandable memory -- WiFi radio and HDMI-out come standard. Want to see the official details? Hit the break, we've got a good 'ol fashion press release just waiting for your peepers.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/10/c...s-satiate-you/
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December 11th, 2011, 22:17 Posted By: wraggster
The latest version of Spark 360 v4.30 is now out on Android Market. It includes all the changes I mentioned earlier, as well as a fix for the updated Live System Status.
The latest version is a considerable jump, as it’s now compiled for the Honeycomb (Android 3.0), with compatibility provisions for Donut (1.6) and higher (earlier releases were always compiled for 1.6). As a result, you may encounter problems when you upgrade to 4.30 – if you do, please uninstall, then install Spark 360 again (this happens occasionally whenever platform targets change).
If you receive network errors please sign in to http://live.xbox.com/ to review and agree to the latest Xbox Live Terms of Service – for once, it appears that the shoe is on the other foot  .
http://0xff.akop.org/2011/12/07/spar...-4-30-out-now/
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December 12th, 2011, 22:37 Posted By: wraggster
Users downloading more than 1bn apps a month across iOS devices.
Just last week Google revealed Android Market has passed the 10 billion download milestone.
This may have speededup this dosclosure by Apple, which also says its Mac App Store – launched earlier this year – has now achieved more than 100 million app downloads.
With the help of the Mac App Store, Apple has now reached over 18 billion app downloads.
The iTunes App store boasts over 500,000 apps across iPhone, iPad, iPod and Touch and attracts more than one billion downloads per month from customers, according to the firm.
While the company revealed overall stats, it didn't reveal specific downloads for individual platforms such as the iPhone.
http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...wnloads/016460
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December 12th, 2011, 22:40 Posted By: wraggster
Amazon sells over 3m items in one day and e-book is the most desired.
The online retailer says this year's Cyber Monday provided its biggest one day sales ever. It received over three million orders, up from 2.3 million in 2010.
Amazon says the most popular device among the sales was it's £89 Kindle e-book, although the firm hasn't revealed exact sales figures.
Earlier in the year, Amazon claimed it was selling 105 e-books for every 100 printed books.
Christopher North, MD, Amazon UK, said: "History tells us that the busiest online shopping day is the first Monday in December and this year has followed that trend.
"This year, Cyber Monday saw the most items ever ordered in a single day with Kindle being the stand-out product that looks set to appear under the most Christmas trees this festive season."
http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...-monday/016457
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December 12th, 2011, 22:44 Posted By: wraggster
"Dinner's ready" among the most common messages to avoid spoken communication.
Retailer Asda's Pulse of the Nation survey found 20 per cent of parents regularly use mobile phones, tablets, laptops and PCs to reach their children within the home.
The report says most of the messages sent are requests, such as "clean your room", "do your homework" and presumably "remove your skateboard from the top of the stairs". However, the most popular message parents send to their offspring is "dinner's ready" with 13 per cent.
Nathan Mills, Asda’s technology expert, said: "The fact is that technology puts us in touch with more people more often than ever before – and this is as true at home as it is when we’re out and about.
"Communicating with teens, for example, has never been the easiest thing for parents, and now low-cost gadgets are giving us a hotline to their rooms."
Results also show that the most popular form of in-house communication was texting with 55 per cent. This, was followed by Facebook with 20 per cent of parents choosing the social network and 16 per cent making a phone call.
http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...uilding/016456
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December 12th, 2011, 22:48 Posted By: wraggster
Apple's iPad 2 is outselling all its competition at present, as Q3 sales reached 11 million units to dwarf the likes of the BlackBerry PlayBook.
Supply chain sources say the next generation iPad isn't far off as new parts and components have started to be shipped to manufacturers, according to Digitimes.
The sources claim the new shipments have resulted in a reduction of iPad 2 parts being delivered, which means the iPad 3 could arrive within three to four months.
However, they go on to say that iPad 2 production will stay at 14-15 million units for Q4 but will fall down to 4-5 million units in Q1 of 2012 to make way for the new devices.
This, will see production for the third iPad reach up to 9.8 million units in Q1 2012, according to the sources.
http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...ly-2012/016451
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December 12th, 2011, 22:50 Posted By: wraggster
Analysts who slagged off the 4S are now adding millions on to their projections.
Investment bank UBS upped its estimate from 28 million to take account of buoyant sales of the device, which was launched in October. Specifically, it was responding to AT&T's announcement that it expects its best smartphone quarter ever.
UBS also raised its revenue projection to $38.5 billion, from $37.2 billion.
There is a consensus growing around the sales estimates, with Sterne Agee analyst Shaw Wu also looking at 28 million based on checks with Apple's global supply chain.
He sees iPhone remaining strong across the board, including the older iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS. J.P. Morgan also recently revised its forecasts to predict Apple as shipping 28 million iPhones this quarter.
http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...ecember/016450
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December 12th, 2011, 22:56 Posted By: wraggster
Apple has transferred a set of mobile phone related patents to a 'patent troll' via a shell company in order to pursue claims against most smartphone vendors according to a new TechCrunch report.
In what is most likely an attempt to batter rivals while attempting to escape the tarnished image of yet more courtroom competition in the mobile industry, TechCrunch said that Apple has transferred a dozen patents to a firm known as Cliff Island LLC.
Cliff Island then transferred at least two to Digitude, in a move which TechCrunch speculated could be "using Digitude as a hired gun of sorts in its patent offensive, giving the company valuable patents to wield against its opponents while avoiding the waves of press that are spurred by each new lawsuit."
Digitude Innovations, or perhaps more accurately "Acquisitions", filed suit with the ITC alleging the usual patent infringement against a raft of mobile firms including HTC, LG, Motorola, RIM, Samsung, Sony, Amazon and Nokia.
The ITC has the power to block imports in the US so favorable outcomes are usually a meal ticket for large settlements at the very least.
http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...-report/027636
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December 12th, 2011, 23:03 Posted By: wraggster
Apple says customers will not be affected and will appeal decision
Motorola Mobility has won an injunction against Apple in Germany over the import of new iPhones and 3G-capable iPads using an unlicensed wireless intellectual property.
The case concerns copyright infringement by Apple over a Motorola patent “method for performing a countdown function during a mobile-originated transfer for a packet radio system”.
It is not known whether Motorola will enforce the ban, with the possibility of the decision being overturned at a later date on appeal.
The ruling was made on Friday after the US company failed to attend the case.
Motorola said after the case: “We will continue to take all necessary steps to protect our intellectual property, as the company's patent portfolio and licensing agreements with companies both in the U.S. and around the world are critical to our business.
http://www.develop-online.net/news/3...iPhone-imports
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December 12th, 2011, 23:09 Posted By: wraggster
When HP announced it would release webOS as open source, it added a competitor to a narrow niche: there's already Tizen, the descendant of MeeGo, which is, like webOS, an open source Linux-based operating system for smartphones. Can they co-exist, or will one come out on top? One built-in advantage for webOS is that already has hardware, in the form of all those $99 TouchPad's being snapped up on eBay
http://mobile.slashdot.org/story/11/...le-open-source
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December 12th, 2011, 23:19 Posted By: wraggster
Students and teachers in grade school through higher education are using the iPad to augment their lessons or to replace textbooks. Jennifer Kohn's third grade class at Millstone Elementary School in Millstone, New Jersey, mastered the iPad with minimal training. For the most part, the students didn't need to be taught how to use their apps, Kohn says. College students are also turning to the iPad to do what they do instinctively well: saving themselves money. Marianne Petit, a New York University staff member, recently began taking credits in pursuit of another certification, and uses her iPad in place of textbooks. 'The price of the iPad pays for itself after a single semester,' Petit said. 'iPad books cost so much less it's a legal alternative for students who are using BitTorent [to pirate books].' Like the PC before it, Kohn noted that the iPad isn't a panacea for educators: It has its appropriate time and place. 'I don't use them with every lesson or even day. It's not always appropriate to lesson or objective of what I'm trying to teach,' Kohn noted
http://apple.slashdot.org/story/11/1...oks-hello-ipad
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December 13th, 2011, 00:01 Posted By: wraggster
Ready to kick off Monday with some iOS flashing? Excellent, because Apple's just released the second beta of iOS 5.1, lovingly christened 9B5127c. No Cupertino devices at Engadget HQ have taken the plunge, but as noted by MacRumors, the beta enables individual picture deletion from Photo Stream -- which differs from the existing delete all or nothing implementation. Too early to tell if it'll finally squash any lingering battery bugs once and for all, but you can hit Apple's developer website to get your download on -- just be ready for the next one in two weeks, cool?
http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/12/i...r-consumption/
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December 13th, 2011, 00:02 Posted By: wraggster
We've seen a fair share of Kindle Jailbreaks over the past few years, but Yifan Lu's (evidently the first) for the Kindle Touch is certainly novel in its approach. As The Digital Reader points out, a sizeable chunk of the Touch's software is essentially a string of pseudo HTML5 and JavaScript webpages -- differentiating it from Kindles prior -- which led Lu to notice an exploit rooted in its browser. It's there where he found a function titlednativeBridge.dbgCmd(), which'll run any ol' shell command as root. Armed with that knowledge, Lu crafted the jailbreak by cramming his payload of HTML and JavaScript into the ID3 tags of an easily downloadable MP3 file. There isn't much to be gained from "playing" that MP3 just yet, but Lu's looking forward to developers using the tools needed to write programs for the device. Full details about the jailbreak can be found at source link below, but before you head off, you can catch the video proof after the break.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/12/y...p3-file-to-do/
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December 13th, 2011, 23:24 Posted By: wraggster
Social gaming specialist teams up with Best Buy and others to reward app makers with distribution and exposure.
The "Get Discovered!" contest gives developers access to Best Buy's App Discovery Center, seed funding from Trinity Ventures and an online ads package from VentureBeat.
It's open to firms that make their games compatible with Hooked Media's discovery platform, which will track metrics including user rating, play-time and installations based on recommendations. The metrics will be used to determine the finalists.
The contest will feature two tracks – one for companies that have secured Series A financing and one for companies still seeking Series A financing.
Every game entered into the contest will use Hooked Media Groups' SDK and be integrated into the recently launched Hooked App, which is available for free in the Android Marketplace.
"The Android Marketplace has a wide array of undiscovered content and we are proud to team with Best Buy, Trinity Venture and VentureBeat to provide developers with a new way of reaching a wider audience," said Prita Uppal, CEO of Hooked Media Group.
http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...contest/016471
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December 13th, 2011, 23:27 Posted By: wraggster
And 9,000 will do it on the Chinese chart.
New stats from Distimo have revealed how many downloads it takes to get into the various Apple App Store 'free to download' charts.
It found that the ten largest countries in terms of download volume among the top 300 most popular free apps are; Australia, Canada, China, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, South Korea, UK and US.
The US is the biggest market, requiring 80,000 for a top ten hit, 45, top get in the top 25, and 25,000 to hit the top 50.
Markets like Italy and Australia are far easier to penetrate, requiring 2,000 downloads for a top 50 slot.
http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...p-store/016470
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December 13th, 2011, 23:30 Posted By: wraggster
Sources claim production to begin soon after components delivered to contractors
The next generation iPad 3 will be launched in three to four months, according to reports.
“Sources in the supply chain” have reportedly told DigiTimes that the latest Apple tablet can be expected early next year, with parts and components being delivered to OEM contractors to begin production.
The sources added that manufacturing of the iPad 2 will remain high for the fourth quarter of 2011 at 14-15 million units, but will greatly decrease to four to five million units in the first quarter of 2012.
The website also reports that Foxconn Electronics will start production of the iPad 3 in January, citing a market analyst speaking to the Chinese-based Commercial Times.
If the rumours are true 2012 looks set to be another big year for Apple, with production expected to start soon on the Apple iTV for a late 2012 launch.
http://www.develop-online.net/news/3...in-four-months
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December 14th, 2011, 00:51 Posted By: wraggster
Microsoft's love affair with iOS isn't over yet. Hot on the heels of an iPad-supporting OneNote update and the App Store debut of Kinectimals, comes an official SkyDrive app for the iPhone. Of course, the Redmond crew isn't leaving its own handsets out in the cold. Windows Phone 7 is also getting an app to compliment its already rather deep integration with cloud storage service. Both apps sport, more or less, the same feature set: the ability to browse all of your files, share them with others, delete them and create new folders. When sharing links you can even choose whether or not a person can edit a document or simply view it. At least for now it appears that Android users who also happen to be SkyDrive fans will have to make do with the mobile web site. To see both the iPhone and WP7 versions of the app in action head on after the break.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/13/m...and-iphone-fo/
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December 14th, 2011, 01:03 Posted By: wraggster
With the recent launch of "My Xbox Live" on Apple's iOS platform, not to mention Halo Waypoint, Microsoft seems to have officially embraced the ubiquity of its competition's devices. And with today's release of Kinectimals for iOS (a port of the already released Windows Phone 7 version), that relationship is further solidified, but in a softer, furrier way.
Kinectimals for iOS puts you back on the adorably named island of "Lemuria," on which you raise virtual feline cubs. According to the game's iTunes description, it works on both iPad and iPhone/iPod Touch devices, and costs $2.99. Purchasing the game will also net you "five brand new cubs" for the Xbox 360 game (presumably of the feline variety), if you're in the market for some brand new animal cubs.
And for those asking, no, we're not exactly clear on how you get the "Cub Handler" certificate pictured above. We have some guesses, but they're all waylurid.
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/13/cr...its-mobile-ro/
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December 14th, 2011, 23:49 Posted By: wraggster
Google has pulled 27 applications from the Android Marketplace following the discovery that the apps contained premium SMS toll fraud malware.
Mobile security outfit Lookout described a new SMS toll fraud scam dubbed RuFraud, first appearing as a range of horoscope apps which aimed to hide mention of premium rate charges deeply inside a ToS statement with no option to exit.
Later a number of other applications appeared including wallpaper apps and fake popular apps such as Angry Birds. 13 in total were uploaded overnight, each masquerading as free versions of popular games and garnering 14,000 downloads, Lookout said.
Following the reports Google quickly moved to pull the apps from the Market. If anything the latest episode illustrates how important it is to take note of the permissions requested when installing a new app. A horoscope app requesting SMS access should be enough to raise suspicion.
http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...ms-scam/027651
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December 14th, 2011, 23:52 Posted By: wraggster
GPS software specialist Satsports has unveiled an Android-powered portable GPS device called the All Sports GPS in a form factor which looks a lot like a mobile phone.
In what is perhaps such an obvious move it's a wonder it wasn't done sooner, SatSport's All Sports GPS amounts to a budget Android smartphone without the cellular radio.
The device comes with a third party Android market called Nexva which enabling the owner to install a range of GPS navigation software and have them updated wirelessly without the usual necessity of connecting to a dock and running host software on a PC.
As the name implies, Satsports specialises in GPS for sporting applications and one of the apps for the All Sports GPS device is Satski which the firm says will "revolutionise skiing holidays."
If there's a weakness it's that full featured car navigation software for Android is somewhat thin on the ground. TomTom have yet to produce an Android app while apps like CoPilot have decidedly mixed reviews.
What's more the lack of a cell radio and therefore the Android market means that there's no Google Maps.
The All Sports GPS is listed as 'coming soon' with no pricing yet announced.
Of course you could just pick up a cheap and perfectly serviceable Android smartphone for less than sixty quid. At least then you'd have Google Maps complete with Google's turn-by-turn car navigation.
http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...s-wi-fi/027650
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December 15th, 2011, 00:55 Posted By: wraggster
The Kindle Touch has been rooted! There’s a proof video embedded after the break, but the best part about this discovery is that [Yifan Lu] wrote in-depth about how he discovered and exploited a security hole in the device.
The process begins by getting a dump of the firmware. If you remove the case it’s not hard to find the serial port on the board, which he did. But by that time someone else had already dumped the image and uploaded it. We guess you could say that [Yifan] was shocked by what he found in the disassembly. This a ground-up rewrite compared to past Kindle devices and it seems there’s a lot to be hacked. The bootloader is not locked, but messing around with that is a good way to brick the device. The Javascript, which is the language used for the UI, is not obfuscated and Amazon included many hooks for later plugins. Long story short, hacks for previous Kindles won’t work here, but it should be easy to reverse engineer the software and write new ones.
Gaining access to the device is as easy as injecting some HTML code into the UI. It is then run by the device as root (no kidding!). [Yifan] grabbed an MP3 file, changed its tag information to the HTML attack code, then played the file on the device to exploit the flaw. How long before malicious data from illegally downloaded MP3 files ends up blanking the root file system on one of these?
http://hackaday.com/2011/12/14/how-t...as-discovered/
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December 15th, 2011, 01:04 Posted By: wraggster
We've already seen Netflix's more tablet-optimized interface in the latest version of its Android app and now, as promised, the company has brought much the same UI to its iOS app. In addition to giving iPad users the ability to view more content at a glance, version 2.0 of the app also brings with it support for Netflix users in Latin America, as well as a number of stability fixes. As always, it remains free for Netflix members -- hit up the App Store to download it now.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/14/n...zed-interface/
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December 16th, 2011, 00:27 Posted By: wraggster
UK communications regulator Ofcom has just released its annual Communications Market Report, which looks at worldwide usage trends in various media areas such as web, TV, radio, music and social media.
It's a huge bit of work and it's available as a PDF here. Be aware that some of the stats measure trends up to the end of 2010 only.
There are interesting snippets about mobile web, with the report suggesting that 46 per cent of consumers in the UK are using smartphones, giving it the highest smartphone penetration in Europe, with Spain in second position at 45 per cent.
Mind you Japan is in another league, with 93 per cent of its consumers using devices with 3G connections.
http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...r-phone/016507
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December 16th, 2011, 00:37 Posted By: wraggster
Security fault allows hackers to send text messages that can reboot device and damage software.
Windows Phone 7.5 otherwise known as Mango, was launched a couple of months ago boasting more than 500 new features.
However, it's probably safe to assume that the bug wasn't supposed to be one of them.
The flaw was revealed by WinRumours when a reader unearthed the potential threat and alerted the site of the dangers.
WinRumors proceeded to test the glitch across devices including HTCs and Samsungs to find that malicious text messages can reboot the handset to damage the messaging hub feature.
As this happened to both handsets, it means the bug isn't down to the device but the way that Windows Phone handles messages. The site confirmed that Facebook chat messages and Windows Liver Messenger can also receive the bug.
http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...7-5-bug/016498
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December 16th, 2011, 00:48 Posted By: wraggster
Google Chariman Eric Schmidt recently addressed an Android user lamenting the fact that that mobile apps are often released on Apple's iOS platform well before they finally reach Android. Schmidt cooly and curiously explained that this dynamic will change in just 6 months. Here's why he's wrong. Though Google brags about the total number of Android users, developers care about certain kinds of users (those that pay for apps). A similar dynamic can be found in television advertising, where advertisers will more money for ad spots on less popular shows in order to reach desirable demographics, even though other programs may have many millions of more viewers.
http://apple.slashdot.org/story/11/1...ios-to-android
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December 16th, 2011, 01:42 Posted By: wraggster
Rockstar's classic open-world game Grand Theft Auto III is now available on iOS and Android devices.
The anniversary edition of the game celebrates ten years since it was originally released on PS2 in 2001, and costs £2.99 ($4.99).
Rockstar promises optimised controls for touch-screen play, and has included two thoughtful - and much needed - additions: mission retry and autosave mode.
Despite the initial announcement stating that the game would only be available to 4S and iPad 2 owners at first, Grand Theft Auto IIIhas launched with support for iPhone 4, 4S, 4th generation iPod touches and iPad 1 and 2.
Android users can play the game on a long list of devices which includes HTC Rezound, LG Optimus 2x, Motorola Atrix 4G, Motorola Droid X2, Motorola Photon 4G, Samsung Galaxy R and T-Mobile G2x.
You might like to read our in-depth look at how, with GTA III,Rockstar changed gaming forever.
http://www.next-gen.biz/news/grand-t...ailable-mobile
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December 16th, 2011, 02:06 Posted By: wraggster
We’ve already seen the success of FarmVille and CityVille – now Zynga has launched ForestVille on iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.
The free-to-play building simulation game follows other iOS App Store titles from the casual games giant including Mafia Wars Shakedown, CityVille Holidaytown and Dream Zoo.
Players of ForestVille can create their own forest, connect with friends and decorate their in-game land. They can pay to speed up their progress and access additional in-game content.
FarmVille launched on Facebook in 2009 before hitting the App Store last year. It has 31.7m monthly active users on Facebook. CityVille – which has almost 49m monthly active users – was released one year ago.
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/zynga...-on-ios/088717
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December 16th, 2011, 02:12 Posted By: wraggster
Now that Ice Cream Sandwich is rolling out officially in the US on Verizon, it appears at least a few developers have seen the need to roll out Android 4.0-friendly versions of their software. Just as promised a (final?) version of Flash Player of Android has hit the market specifically to make sure ICS devices can get the "full" web. Meanwhile, in a less melancholy update, Netflix also updated its Watch Instantly app to work on Android 4.0, something we're sure on-the-go movie watchers will appreciate. If you've been lucky enough to get your hands on a Galaxy Nexus LTE, let us know if you're seeing any other apps that either have received or need to get an update to keep things working smoothly.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/15/a...for-ice-cream/
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December 16th, 2011, 23:34 Posted By: wraggster
Could spell bad news for the Kindle Fire. If it proves to be true, of course.
Not content with revealing Apple is making moves to develop theiPad 3 for a Q1 2012 release, Digtimes now says that the firm is developing a small-screened iPad.
The report says 70 per cent of the 60m tablet shipments this year will be iPads and quotes supply chain sources that claim Apple has decided to develop 7.85-inch iPads, in order to give it the edge over the likes of the seven-inch Kindle Fire, which is already rumoured to be the number two tablet to the 9.7-inch iPad 2.
The panels will reportedly be bought from LG Display and AU Optronics (AUO) and the sources say production is expected to start in Q2 2012.
Furthermore, the 7.85-inch iPad is expected to be released towards the end of 2012 in the fourth quarter. A strategy that Amazon adopted for the Fire, which has received a huge response from press and consumers alike.
It might all be smoke and mirrors, however. Apple has a habit of misdirecting the market – and it's certainly true that after many years of rumours about a small screen 'Nano' iPhone, for example, no such device seems anywhere close to a release.
http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...in-2012/016517
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December 17th, 2011, 00:06 Posted By: wraggster
Merely a day after Verizon's version of the Galaxy Nexus was gifted with v4.0.2, Google itself is announcing Android 4.0.3, a so-called " incremental release of the Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) platform." We're told that the new release includes a variety of optimizations and bug fixes for phones and tablets, as well as a small number of new APIs for developers. For those curious, the new API level is 15, and some of those new ones include social stream API in Contacts provider, Calendar provider enhancements, newfangled camera capabilities (apps can now check and manage video stabilization and use QVGA resolution profiles where needed) and accessibility refinements (improved content access for screen readers and new status and error reporting for text-to-speech engines). Moreover, we're promised minute improvements in "graphics, database, spell-checking, Bluetooth, and more." Finally, the company makes clear that going forward, it'll be "focusing its partners on Android 4.0.3 as the base version of Ice Cream Sandwich," with rollouts expected for both phones and tablets in "the weeks ahead."
http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/16/a...ations-and-bu/
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December 17th, 2011, 00:12 Posted By: wraggster
While the Android tablets continue to roll in, Apple can still lay claim to the lion's share of the tablet market according to IDC's latest report. Its research suggests that the iPad holds onto 61.5 percent of the worldwide market share, down from 63.3 percent last quarter. Android devices in total also saw a slight contraction, down from 33.2 percent to 32.4 percent. This is partly explained by the HP TouchPad'sfinal hurrah, which rocketed the ill-fated webOS tablet up to third place with a 5 percent of share of tablet sales and an estimated 903,354 devices sold. Samsung maintained its Honeycomb tablet crown, nabbing 5.6 percent of all tablet sales. The Korean manufacturer was closely tailed by Barnes and Noble's Nook Color with 4.5 percent and Asus, arriving at fifth place with a four percent share. Tablets in total sold less than the analysts had predicted, although growth has still exploded 264 percent compared to this time last year. Meanwhile, E-readers outperformed estimates, with 6.5 million E-readers sold in the third quarter, up 165.9 percent from last year. IDC expects some disruptive new tablets will spice up the fourth quarter results and you can take a look at its findings and predictions at the full press release below.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/16/i...-fire-sale-bu/
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December 17th, 2011, 01:19 Posted By: wraggster
New Call of Cthulhu game The Wasted Land launches on iPhone and iPod on 30th January 2012, Bristol-based indie developer Red Wasp Design has announced.The Lovecraftian turn-based strategy RPG is co-developed by Chaosium, the US publisher of the table-top RPG Call of Cthulhu. iPad, Android, PC and console versions will follow the iPhone and iPod launch, Red Wasp said.Red Wasp Design is made up of staff who worked on the Buzz! franchise, Savage Moon and the Conflict series.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...d-january-2012
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December 19th, 2011, 00:11 Posted By: wraggster
MAME4droid is a version of iMAME4all (iPhone, iPad) for Android, developed also by David Valdeita (Seleuco).
They emulates arcade games supported by original MAME 0.37b5 plus some additional games from newer MAME versions.
This version emulates over 2000 different romsets.
Please, try to understand that that with that amount of games, some will run better than others and some might not even run with iMAME4all. Please, don´t email me asking for a specific game to run.
Although the performance is very good with modern devices (all games I tested on iPad run practically perfect), owners of older devices should not expect a good performance; please turn off sound because that's very helpful.
After installing, place your MAME-titled zipped roms in /var/mobile/Media/ROMs/iMAME4all/roms (iMAME4all) or /sdcard/ROMs/MAME4all/roms (MAME4droid) folder.
MAME4droid & iMAME4all uses only '0.37b5', 'GP2X, WIZ 0.37b11 mame romset'. Use "clrmame.dat" file included in '/var/mobile/Media/ROMs/iMAME4all' or /sdcard '/ROMs/MAME4all/' to convert romsets from other MAME versions to the ones used by this version, using ClrMAME Pro utility, available in next webpage:
http://mamedev.emulab.it/clrmamepro/
MAME4droid 1.5 added new landscape customizable button layout control, added tilt sensor as left/right.
http://code.google.com/p/imame4all/
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December 19th, 2011, 21:53 Posted By: wraggster
5,000 of RIM's tablets go missing along with the lorry they were loaded on.
It would seem the BlackBerry maker's run of bad luck is showing no sign of slowing down. Feeble sales, lawsuits, power outages and now Ofcom interrogations, are all a day in the life of RIM.
A lorry containing almost $2 million worth of PlayBooks was stolen in Indiana, USA, which is slightly surprising considering the trouble the firm has had shifting them recently.
RIM sold just 150,000 units in Q3, down from 200,000 in Q2 and 490,000 in Q1. The unpopularity of the PlayBook forced RIM to perform a $485 million write-off due to the copious amounts of unsold units.
It is though the lorry has no tracking technology installed, however the FBI are in pursuit and their intelligence has led them to believe the vehicle is on the way to Miami. Presumably to sell the goods on and make a quick buck in time for Christmas.
http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...-stolen/016532
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December 20th, 2011, 22:23 Posted By: wraggster
Browser firm Opera revealed the most popular websites on its Opera Mini mobile browser in its latest State of the Mobile Web report.
While Google.com came in first, Facebook was in second and YouTube jumped up one space to come in third, according to the report.
Results show that Opera has 144.6 million users worldwide accessing the Mini browser, which is up 3.3 per cent month-on-month and 247 per cent year-on-year.
The total number of pages viewed has almost doubled since November 2010 to pass 88.5 billion.
Russian social networks Vkontakte and Odnoklassniki took the fourth and fifth spots, Russian search engine Yandex was sixth, followed by Wikipedia, My.Opera.com, Yahoo.com and Twitter finishing off the top ten.
http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...in-2011/016545
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December 20th, 2011, 22:31 Posted By: wraggster
OS upgrade expected in Q1 2012.
Thus far, the Galaxy Nexus is the only device operating Android's newest operating system.
Samsung plans to change that by introducing Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0) to the Galaxy S II and Galaxy Note in the first quarter of 2012.
The Korean phone maker says other devices will "soon follow", but didn't elaborate when 'soon' is.
Other Ice Cream Sandwich-upgradeable devices will include:
* Galaxy R
* Galaxy Tab 10.1
* Galaxy Tab 8.9
* GalaxyTab 7.7
* Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus
Samsung added that update availability will vary according to region and carrier requirements.
http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...devices/016543
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December 20th, 2011, 22:32 Posted By: wraggster
Classes designed to guide innovators to Google OS greatness.
AndroidDevelopers announced the study sessions, which will teach app developers how to overcome common obstacles that are found when creating for the OS.
Training will allow students to get acquainted with features such as navigation design, audio management and battery optimisation.
The blog says each class will also provide code samples for experimentation and trials.
While this phase is only a beta launch, its expected to expand over the course of 2012 with more classes, courses and test apps.
Additionally, the blog says: "Helping developers build great apps is what the Android Developer Relations team is all about, so we’re excited to see how you use these classes to make your apps even better."
http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...elopers/016542
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December 20th, 2011, 23:45 Posted By: wraggster
While fragmentation is a rare(r) problem on iOS there's still quite a few users rocking older versions on their devices. Unfortunately for them, ever since a recent update on the 16th they haven't been able to download any new apps from the App Store straight to their devices. While users of older iPod Touches and iPhones stuck on3.1.3 by choice or incompatibility with newer OSes can still update the apps they already have and transfer software from iTunes on a computer, they can't buy or install new ones directly from the device. We were able to confirm the issue on one of our own devices, while there's a pretty lengthy thread in Apple's support forum about the issue, but no official response yet. We'll keep you posted if word comes that this is just a glitch or if the company has decided to leave those old versions on the outside looking in.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/20/i...load-new-apps/
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December 21st, 2011, 23:27 Posted By: wraggster
Google has put the brakes on a software upgrade for Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus smartphones to the latest version of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich following reports of unusually high battery usage.
While many owners of the Google Nexus S have already received the update, the internet giant has apparently paused rolling out the upgrade.
Google Community Manager Paul Wilcox said that the update was being "paused" while the firm continued to "monitor feedback", presumably into the many reports surfacing of very high battery drain.
Even though the recently released Galaxy Nexus superphone shipped with Android 4.0, a minor update to Android 4.0.3 has also resulted in many reports of very high CPU consumption even with no applications installed and the phone in 'airplane mode'.
An Android bug filed has 764 people 'starring' the issue and a great many possible explanations have appeared on enthusiast forums such as XDA Dev and Android Central conducted their own investigation.
For now though, it seems Nexus S owners will need to wait and those unfortunate enough to be experiencing the battery drain issue will be anxiously awaiting a fix.
http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...-owners/027695
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December 21st, 2011, 23:38 Posted By: wraggster
The security of Android devices has come under scrutiny in recent months. Android Market has been plagued with a number of trojaned apps, and researchers have identified various root exploits and permission leaks that can be exploited, for example, to send premium rate SMSs. Now researcher Thomas Cannon of ViaForensics is demonstrating a method for setting up remote shell on an Android device without using any exploits or vulnerabilities. The security hole is not new, and it has been pointed out for a number of years, but Google has yet to fix it. The method works on various versions of Android, up to and including the newest Ice Cream Sandwich."
http://tech.slashdot.org/story/11/12...ell-on-android
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December 22nd, 2011, 00:04 Posted By: wraggster
Some of you may have noticed, when perusing the interwebs on your Kindle Fire, that a certain Google-branded Market refused to load in the slate's Silk browser. In fact, it automatically redirected you to the Amazon App store in an unsettling bit of URL hijacking. Well, with the latest update to the tablet, that slightly befuddling restriction has been lifted and the questionable behavior rectified. Presumably this was originally intended to save customers confusion and support staff headaches when trying to install an app from the Android Market failed. But, actually intercepting and redirecting a user isn't becoming of a company that expects us to trust it with our data -- especially our browsing and financial info. Thankfully now, you can visit the Market in all its glory on your Fire, just don't expect to install apps from it any time soon (...at least not without some hacking).
http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/21/k...acking-your-b/
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December 22nd, 2011, 00:13 Posted By: wraggster
 If you thought using the iPad's camera -- or any other tablet, for that matter -- was an awkward way to do mobile photography... well, you were right. But, this mind-boggling AppClix ($60) is about to take things to a new level. The bizarre external shooter gives you access to all of its 7.1 megapixels via Apple's proprietary connector, and you also get an SD card slot, 4X zoom for distant shots and a 1.5-inch LCD display for "previews." As if the souped-up specs weren't enough, the portable camera comes in a variety of flavors, so if Mickey or Minnie Mouse aren't your characters of preference, you'll be glad to know that you can also choose between Phineas and Ferb, Princes and Tinkerbell. Oh, and did we mention the Disney Pix editing app? If you're silly enough to buy this thing, we're told it's a must-download.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/20/d...nto-the-world/
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December 22nd, 2011, 01:20 Posted By: wraggster
A massive list of Sega games are only 69p ($.99) on the iOS Store from now til January 9. Offerings include Sonic The Hedgehog 4, Monkey Ball and Virtua Fighter to name a few. Unfortunately the newly-released Sonic CD isn't a part of the sale, but you can't complain.EA is running a similar 69p sale on a huge list of its titles too. Get on it.
Here's a complete list of Sega's reduced games, courtesy of Pocket Gamer:
iPhone:
Chu Chu Rocket
Golden Axe 2
Golden Axe 3
Gunstar Heroes
Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing
Sonic Spinball
Sonic The Hedgehog
Sonic The Hedgehog 2
Sonic The Hedgehog 4: Episode 1
Streets of Rage 2
Streets of Rage 3
Super Monkey Ball
Super Monkey Ball 2
Super Monkey Ball 2: Sakura Edition
Virtua Fighter 2
iPad:
Chu Chu Rocket HD
Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing
Super Monkey Ball 2: Sakura Edition
http://www.computerandvideogames.com...os-sales-rush/
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December 22nd, 2011, 22:18 Posted By: wraggster
The juggernaut keeps on accelerating, after 550,000 activations reported in summer.
Google's mobile chief Andy Rubin made the announcement through hit Google Plus account. And mindful of previous controversy over the veracity of these statements, he added: " …and for those wondering, we count each device only once (ie, we don’t count re-sold devices), and “activations” means you go into a store, buy a device, put it on the network by subscribing to a wireless service."
In July Google confirmed 550,000 devices a day were being activated, but its claim was rubbished by Apple, which insinuated that the stats could include upgrades by existing users.
Either way, the new 700,000 figure equates to 21 million a month, or 250 million a year.
This stacks up against estimates which suggest iPhone will sell around 105m and iPad 40m this year. But then that's just two devices against dozens of Androids - and iOS users are far more active and spend more on their devices.
http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...d-a-day/016559
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December 22nd, 2011, 22:20 Posted By: wraggster
Early stats suggest titanic struggle ahead for Nokia in the WinPho era.
Mobile phone comparison site Mobilesplease audited 5,377 UK mobile phones sold online across major UK retailers and networks in November 2011, and put the Lumia in a distant ninth place.
The figures will make uncomfortable reading for Nokia, although to be fair to the Finns, the Lumia 800 wasn't launched until halfway through the month, and it was up against a hype-drenched relatively new launch for iPhone 4S (with consequent price reductions on earlier iPhone models).
Here are the top sellers, showing Galaxy S in first place and four different iPhone models in the top group.
http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...-market/016558
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December 22nd, 2011, 22:21 Posted By: wraggster
Huge and not unsurprising install figures for the catch-up TV product.
The Guardian has reported that 500,000 of these downloads were by users who had never installed the app before, which should delight the Beeb.
The launch of apps for iOS this year gave users a more friendly option for viewing (previously the option was a mobile site).
Daniel Danker, the broadcaster's general manager of programmes and on demand, said: "Last week, 20 per cent of all requests on iPhone were on 3G. That's amazing in such a short period of time. And yet when we look at the audience feedback, nobody has really reported streaming problems over 3G."
Overall, it's been a big year for the iPlayer viewing on mobile and tablet. The Guardian also reported that, in October, 16.5m programmes were watched on these devices, that's up 129 per cent year-on-year. Overall, ten per cent of all viewing is on mobile devices.
It's now possible there have been 3m overall downloads for the mobile app in the UK, with 1.5m times on iPad and 1.2m times on Android.
http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...ios-app/016557
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December 22nd, 2011, 22:22 Posted By: wraggster
New data from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech showed yet again that the lukewarm reception for the iPhone 4S from the experts has not affected consumer demand one jot. Well, not in the UK.
iOS bagged market share from Symbian and RIM in the 12 weeks to the end of November 2011, and Android also increased its share - moving from 34.8 per cent to 44.6 per cent in a year.
O2, which had the original iPhone exclusive, still sells the most even now. It had 36.1 per cent of all iPhone sales in the past 12 weeks. 3UK is the fastest growing network in the UK, with a smartphone share of 11.1 per cent.
Android has the biggest market share in all the major territories covered by the report, and is highest in Spain where it has 58.6 per cent of the smartphone market.
iOS was highest in Australia, just five points behind Android at 41.3 per cent.
http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...e-share/016556
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December 22nd, 2011, 23:35 Posted By: wraggster
Round a few corners, a bit of nip-tuck and a tossed-on N. Oh, and probably just being sick and tired of the whole ordeal. We're assuming that's the recipe for getting the Cupertino-sourced gorilla off of Samsung's back, as a judge at the district court in Düsseldorf, Germany just issued a preliminary ruling that effectively clears the Galaxy Tab 10.1N from claims that it too mimics the iconic iPad. If you'll recall, the courtblocked German sales of the original Tab 10.1 back in September, following Apple's arguments that Sammy's tab just looked too much like the iPad. Not surprisingly, thesubtly-redesigned Tab 10.1N still drew fire from Apple's lawyers, but it's looking like they'll be riding home on the losing train this go 'round. A final verdict is expected on February 9th, of which we're sure you'll be resting uneasily on the edge of your seat to hear the result of. Courtroom fever -- catch it!
http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/22/g...laxy-tab-10-1/
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December 22nd, 2011, 23:38 Posted By: wraggster
No interest in snapping up an iCade? No sweat. Jim VanDeventer has just pushed today's app-to-end-all-apps into Apple's App Store, and while it's only been live for a few hours, iMAME is already on a mission to change the world. Built-in titles include Circus, Crash, Hard Hat, Fire One, Robot Bowl, Side Track, Spectar, Star Fire and Targ, and while it's not officially endorsed by Nicola Salmoria or the MAME Team, you can certainly pretend. It's available now in the source link for precisely nothing, and yes, both the iPhone and iPad (and iPod touch!) are supported. Get it while the gettin' is good.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/21/i...eers-in-uniso/
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December 22nd, 2011, 23:43 Posted By: wraggster
The top 200 apps on the iPhone App Store generated four times as much revenue last month as those on the Android Market, according to a new study.
The report, by mobile analytics firm Distmo, also found that iPad apps made twice as much money as their Android Market equivalent. It also shows a dramatic shift towards freemium, with half of the top 200 iPhone apps, and 65 per cent of Android apps, are free-to-play and supported by in-app purchasing.
Distmo also reports that there are a total of 79,077 games available for iPhone, ahead of Android's 46,045 and iPad's 26,683, withWindows Phone 7 and the Amazon Appstore in fourth and fifth place. Across all platforms the most downloaded app was, of course, Angry Birds.
http://www.next-gen.biz/news/app-sto...android-market
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December 23rd, 2011, 00:50 Posted By: wraggster
Given that you're out on Christmas break and all, isn't it about time you finally tried out that whole "unlocking" thing you've been hearing about? A new build of ultrasn0w just hit the Cydia app store, with v1.2.5 adding more support for iOS 5.0.1. Of note, novice jailbreakers may want to reach out to more experienced pals before embarking, as you'll need a a compatible baseband in order for the unlock to work. The iPhone 3GS (running iOS 5.0.1.) is supported with the following basements: 04.26.08 – 05.11.07 – 05.12.01 – 05.13.04 – 06.15.00. The iPhone 4 is supported if your baseband checks in as 01.59.00. If you're looking to upgrade from a dustier firmware, make sure you preserve your baseband before unlocking. Hit the source link for a few tips, and remember: friends don't let friends jailbreak before completing a backup.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/21/u...en-more-ios-5/
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December 24th, 2011, 23:13 Posted By: wraggster
To put annual sales total on target for 111.4m.
Analysts at Susquehanna Financial Group have revised their numbers up following the bigger than expected success of the iPhone 4S, which was launched in October
They are chiming with the projection by UBS analyst Maynard Um a few weeks back that Apple would sell as many as 30 million iPhones in the quarter to end of December.
The previous estimate was for 104.4 million units.
“Demand appears solid as iPhone 4S continues to ship in one to two weeks online and stores are generally sold out for in-store reservation and pickup (still hoping Santa has a few left),” said Susquehanna analyst Jeffrey Fidacaro.
“These factors, combined with positive color from Best Buy and AT&T, led us to increase our iPhone shipment forecast for North America and modestly for Western Europe and Asia Pacific.”
http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...quarter/016561
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December 24th, 2011, 23:19 Posted By: wraggster
Amazon's entry into the tablets market has gone probably even better than they expected. And now the Kindle Fire is quickly becoming a viable games platform. Developers have come out in force to lavish praise on the Fire for its price and ease of use. 'People are fired up about Fire because they know it's part of a service they already use and trust,' said Josh Tsui, president of Robomodo. 'It becomes effortless to buy and use because it does not make them break their usual buying patterns. It enhances it.' Added Igor Pusenjak, president of Lima Sky: 'In many ways, the best thing about Fire is that you barely feel it's an Android device. Amazon built its own closed-system OS on top of Android.
http://games.slashdot.org/story/11/1...ng-kindle-fire
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December 24th, 2011, 23:42 Posted By: wraggster
Amazon's latest attempt to lock down root access on its Kindle Fire has been, well, routed. It took the tinkerers mere days to catch up and the new root file is now up for grabs, courtesy of Android Police and a few good devs. The method is app-based and looks to be disarmingly simple, but the usual warnings apply; mess up those software internals and bam, you've voided your warranty. Those still willing to dabble can find the full details at the source link below.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/23/k...-6-2-1-update/
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December 24th, 2011, 23:44 Posted By: wraggster
It's a story as old as, well, 8-bit video gaming itself: man creates robots, 99 percent go rogue, the other 1 percent valiantly fights back and future world order is (temporarily) restored. Sound familiar? It should if you've logged any time with Mega Man X, Capcom's mega-popular series from console gaming's halcyon days. That SNES classic has just been ported over to iOS and is now available on the App Store for your thumb-smashing amusement. At $5 it's certainly cheaper than that other recent 16-bit retread, though nowhere near as awesomely epic.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/23/m...ing-with-free/
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December 24th, 2011, 23:47 Posted By: wraggster
Remember that curious $100, ICS-touting, Novo 7 tablet we saw back at the beginning of the month? Until now, the Ainovo (aka Ainol) branded device was a bit of a gambler's punt, with some Chinese sites charging a suspicion-arousing $60 shipping fee. Now, however, the odds are looking slightly better, with some US-centric retailers listing the 1GHz MIPS-based XBurst CPU slate as available for pre-order. With Gingerbread and Honeycomb versions still out there, you'll want to keep your eyes peeled and check exactly what you're getting. But, if you still really want some of the seven inch Android 4.0 budget-slab goodness (albeit for $19 more than initially thought), check the source links for more info.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/23/a...le-us-pockets/
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December 24th, 2011, 23:53 Posted By: wraggster
People have lots of free time with their iOS devices over the holidays -- a fact already recognized by EA and Sega. 2K has now joined the bandwagon, offering a holiday sale on several of its iOS titles. The deepest discounts have been applied to the iPhone and iPad versions of Civilization Revolution, which can be had for $0.99 or $1.99, respectively.
The publishers has also marked down Sid Meier's Pirates for the iPad, as well as both iPhone and iPad versions of NBA 2K12 and NHL 2K11. Check out all the discounts, which run until January 2, after the break.
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/23/ci...on-sale-on-io/
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December 26th, 2011, 21:39 Posted By: wraggster
It's time to show your iPad who's boss -- your iPhone, naturally. The Tizi Remote app is presently available for free via iTunes, letting you use your iPhone to change channels, record shows and pause live TV on iPads connected to the Tizi or Tizi Go TV receivers -- and if you happen to have a 4S, you can harness the power of Siri to change channels for you. Sadly, neither of the aforementioned pieces of hardware are available stateside at the moment, so for now, you'll just have to watch TV shows on your iPad the old fashioned way.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/26/t...te-enlists-si/
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December 27th, 2011, 23:28 Posted By: wraggster
[Chris'] family made the mistake of giving him a hackable Christmas gift. We’d bet they didn’t see much of him for the rest of the day as he set about rooting this Android wristwatch.
This thing has some pretty powerful hardware under the hood. It’s sporting an OMAP3 processor running at 600 MHz along with 256 MB of RAM. [Chris] needed to get his hands on a firmware image in order to look for security holes. He found a way to spoof the update application in order to intercept an upgrade image from the Internet.
He dumped the firmware locations and got to work searching for a way to exploit the device. Details are a bit scarce about want exactly he did, but you can download his modified image, letting you root your own Motorola Actv using the Android Debug Bridge.
We’ve embedded a demo video after the break. The OS is pretty snappy on the tiny device. We’re not sure what will come of this functionality, but we assume [Chris] was really only interested in the challenge of rooting process itself.
http://hackaday.com/2011/12/27/rooti...id-wristwatch/
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December 27th, 2011, 23:35 Posted By: wraggster
Apple Italia has been fined a total of 900,000 euros for failing to inform its customers that products purchased were already covered by two years of free assistance under national law. It appears that Apple employees encouraged the extra purchase of its own AppleCare plans. With the European court's continued investigation of possible e-book price-fixing and ongoing legal jousting with Samsung unlikely to end any time soon, it looks like Apple will be busy in the courts next year too.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/27/i...-customers-on/
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December 27th, 2011, 23:37 Posted By: wraggster
It's just a few weeks since pod2g revealed his untethered jailbreak for iOS 5 and -- boom -- all of a sudden it's up for the DL. The exploit has been incorporated into redsn0w 0.9.10, the Pwnage Tool and Chronic Devteam's Cydia package, and it works on the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 (including the CDMA version), iPad 1, iPod Touch 3G and iPod Touch 4G, so long as they've been updated to iOS 5.0.1. Meanwhile, pod2g is reportedly now looking for a way to snap the shackles on A5-based devices too, but hopefully only after he's taken some rest -- a burned-out jailbreaker is no good to anybody. Full instructions are at the source link.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/27/u...nes-ipads-and/
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December 27th, 2011, 23:45 Posted By: wraggster
If you're going to steal, steal from the best. JXD has just released its S7100, a fairly conspicuous 7-inch Android-powered gaming tablet marketed towards playing old-school arcade games. The device features a D-pad, face buttons, an 800 x 480 capacitive touchsceen, ARM Cortex A9 CPU, Mali 400 GPU, 512MB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, 0.3 megapixel front camera, 2.0 megapixel rear camera and HDMI-out. A video trailer shows the unit playing a variety of touchscreen games and classic ROMs including Metal Slug, Mario Kart 64, Angry Birds, Plants Vs. Zombies and Fruit Ninja HD. Not to be undone, the device also features the actual PlayStation button icons on its own buttons (sound familiar?), while the marketing website for the device sports icons from Apple, Google, Microsoft and others. If you're thus far undeterred, there's a must-watch promotional vid hosted just after the break -- nothing justifies a $140 price tag like Bieber, right?
http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/27/j...ages-to-steal/
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December 27th, 2011, 23:47 Posted By: wraggster
A few months of work by iOS hackers Grant Paul (aka chpwn), Steven Troughton-Smith and Ryan Petrich has culminated in the release of Spire, a new installer that will easily set up Siri on your jailbroken iOS 5 device. While Apple has kept its little helper exclusively constrained to the iPhone 4S, it now runs on iPads, iPhone 4, iPod touches and the iPhone 3GS, and while that's been done before they claim the other new trick is that it's legal, avoiding the copyright infringement inherent in previous hacks. When installed it will initiate a 100MB download of Siri directly from Apple so watch your bandwidth limits, and also be prepared to set up your own proxy server with donated info from an iPhone 4S to hold the line between Apple's backend and yourself. It's available on Cydia now so if you've been waiting for a way to get this feature for yourself it's not far away, however Troughton-Smith tells9to5 Mac that the next major step may not come until the iPhone 4S is jailbroken and they can avoid the proxy server issues altogether.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/26/s...-ios-5-device/
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December 27th, 2011, 23:49 Posted By: wraggster
The developer known as Jaxbot is becoming quite familiar around these parts, who's known for bringing instant app resuming and multitasking to Windows Phone -- long before these features had gone mainstream. Now, he's back at it with WindowBreak, a project that seeks to deliver an interop unlock tool that can be used on any Windows Phone. As you can see in the video after the break, his tool already works on Samsung phones, and now, Jaxbot needs the help of like-minded hackers to perform similar feats with HTC and Nokia handsets. If you're willing to give 'er a go during the holiday weekend, just check the source links below.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/26/w...k-tool-for-wi/
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December 28th, 2011, 01:00 Posted By: wraggster
MAME4droid is a version of iMAME4all (iPhone, iPad) for Android, developed also by David Valdeita (Seleuco).
They emulates arcade games supported by original MAME 0.37b5 plus some additional games from newer MAME versions.
This version emulates over 2000 different romsets.
Please, try to understand that that with that amount of games, some will run better than others and some might not even run with iMAME4all. Please, don´t email me asking for a specific game to run.
Although the performance is very good with modern devices (all games I tested on iPad run practically perfect), owners of older devices should not expect a good performance; please turn off sound because that's very helpful.
After installing, place your MAME-titled zipped roms in /var/mobile/Media/ROMs/iMAME4all/roms (iMAME4all) or /sdcard/ROMs/MAME4all/roms (MAME4droid) folder.
MAME4droid & iMAME4all uses only '0.37b5', 'GP2X, WIZ 0.37b11 mame romset'. Use "clrmame.dat" file included in '/var/mobile/Media/ROMs/iMAME4all' or /sdcard '/ROMs/MAME4all/' to convert romsets from other MAME versions to the ones used by this version, using ClrMAME Pro utility, available in next webpage:
http://mamedev.emulab.it/clrmamepro/
iMAME4ll & MAME4droid will never have "save states" since it is based on a MAME version that does not support it.
I am releasing everything for free, in keeping with the licensing MAME terms, which is free for non-commercial use only. This is strictly something I made because I wanted to play with it and have the skills to make it so. That said, if you are thinking on ways to support my development I suggest you to check my other free works for the community.
MAME4droid 1.5 added new landscape customizable button layout control, added tilt sensor as left/right.
http://code.google.com/p/imame4all/
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December 28th, 2011, 01:40 Posted By: wraggster
via http://www.aep-emu.de/
Marat Fayzullin has ported his (commercial) MasterSystem, GameGear, SG-1000, SC-3000 and SF-7000 emulator MasterGear to the Android platform: MasterGear for Android
Quote:
New in 2.6.10: - Added new portrait mode virtual joystick.
- Added configurable custom key mappings.
- Added optional haptic feedback.
- Application now defaults to "auto" screen orientation.
- Finally fixed Samsung Galaxy S2 issues.
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December 28th, 2011, 01:41 Posted By: wraggster
via http://www.aep-emu.de/
2600.emu is a commercial Android port of the Atari 2600 emulator Stella 3.5-svn.
Quote:- Minor bugfixes to the config file and turbo code
- On-screen controls auto-hide when Xperia Play gamepad slides out
- Added paddle control support via the existing joystick controls
- Added support for internal ROM database to detect parameters (fixes games like Dig Dug NTSC)
- Fixed Galaxian graphics
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December 28th, 2011, 01:43 Posted By: wraggster
via http://www.aep-emu.de/
Marat Fayzullin has ported his (commercial) GameBoy Advance emulator VGBA to the Android platform: VGBA for Android
Quote:
New in 3.6.12: - Enabled sampled sound channels.
- Added configurable custom key mappings.
- Added optional haptic feedback.
- Restored MENU button on Android Honeycomb.
- Finger joystick now shows up on tablets in portrait orientation.
- Optimized joystick drawing routines.
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December 28th, 2011, 01:44 Posted By: wraggster
via http://www.aep-emu.de/
Marat Fayzullin has ported his (commercial) Game Boy / Game Boy Color and Super Game Boy emulator VGB to the Android platform: VGB for Android
Quote:
New in 3.5.10: - Made new portrait mode virtual joystick
- Set default screen orientation setting to "auto".
- Finally fixed the crashes on Samsung Galaxy S2.
- Added optional haptic feedback, using vibration feature.
- Added customizable button assignments.
- Restored MENU button on Android Honeycomb.
- Optimized joystick drawing routines.
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December 28th, 2011, 01:45 Posted By: wraggster
via http://www.aep-emu.de/
Marat Fayzullin has ported his (commercial) NES emulator iNES to the Android platform: iNES for Android
Quote:
New in 3.6.11: - Made new, better visible virtual joystick for the portrait orientation.
- Set default screen orientation setting to "auto".
- Finally fixed the crashes on Samsung Galaxy S2.
- Added optional haptic feedback, using vibration feature.
- Added customizable button assignments.
- Restored MENU button on Android Honeycomb.
- Optimized joystick drawing routines.
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December 28th, 2011, 23:21 Posted By: wraggster
Just approximately 600,000 more apps needed to catch up with Android and Apple.
It was just last month when the platform hit the milestone for 40,000 apps. It seems plausible that the new adoption of Windows Phone to Nokia devices has spurred developers on to adapt to the OS.
All About Windows Phone claims the Microsoft milestone has been hit as a result of around 265 new items being added to the Marketplace each day.
However, while this may be a peak number of apps for the OS, it pales in comparison to Apple's App Store, which has around 600,000 apps and Google's Android Market, with around 500,000 apps.
On the other hand, WinPho reached the milestone in 14 months, while it took Android 19 months to get to 50,000. They were both outdone by iOS though, which achieved the milestone in 12 months.
http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...00-apps/016570
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December 28th, 2011, 23:28 Posted By: wraggster
Android gains market share, Microsoft struggles and Apple loses its talismanic CEO - our review of the year in smartphones.
iOS
The year began with news that the App Store had hosted its ten billionth download, the milestone reached in just two and a half years with the download by Gail Davis, of Orpington, Kent, of Paper Glider. Apple said 70 per cent of the total had been downloaded in the preceding 12 months, with senior VP of worldwide product marketing Philip Schiller admitting: "The App Store has surpassed our wildest dreams." The following month, app functionality - and Apple's revenue potential - were given a significant boost by the addition of subscriptions, from which Apple takes its usual 30 per cent cut.
In March, iPad 2 was revealed, and the second generation of Apple's tablet was on shelves within ten days. Thirty-three per cent thinner than its predecessor, with a dual-core A5 processor and front and rear cameras, nearly a million iPad 2s were sold in the US on its debut weekend. In the three months to 26 March Apple's net profit rose by over 95 per cent, to $5.99 billion.
By July, App Store downloads had reached 15 billion, Schiller hailing the store as "the most exciting and successful software marketplace the world has ever seen." The company marked the occasion by amending App Store pricing in line with changes in exchange rates, with the cheapest apps on the UK store rising in cost from 59p to 69p. It didn't matter: less than a week later a report claimed that App Store purchases were up 61 per cent year on year. There followed another record financial quarter - profit this time reaching $7.31 billion - and Apple greatly increased its reach by launching the App Store in 33 more countries.
In August, talismanic CEO and co-founder Steve Jobs announced he was stepping down after 15 years for health reasons, his board of directors agreeing with his recommendation that COO Tim Cook should be his replacement. Cook insisted Apple, which he called "the most innovative company in the world," was not going to change, and on October 4 he unveiled iPhone 4S, a revision of the iPhone 4 with the same A5 processor found in iPad 2, and iOS 5.
The following day, Jobs died aged just 56 after losing his long battle with pancreatic cancer. Tributes poured in from across the videogame industry for a man who was famously no big fan of the medium, Sony chairman Howard Stringer saying: "The digital age has lost its leading light." EA's John Riccitiello added: "Steve was one of a kind ... the best role model for a leader that aspires to be great." Jobs' passing could have changed everything.
It didn't. The launch of iPhone 4S was the most successful mobile phone launch in history, with four million units sold in a single weekend. Its share price reached a record high. Despite the rise of Android, a report in December found that the App Store is still where the money is: the top 200 apps on the iPhone App Store generate four times the revenue of their Android equivalents.
Android
While Apple's mobile ecosystem is a walled garden, Google's is very much the opposite, and early in 2011 online retailer Amazon launched its own Android download store. The Amazon Appstore drew criticism from the IGDA over its developer terms, and a lawsuit from Apple over its name, but the retailer was just the first big company to take advantage of, and seek to profit from, Android's open nature. And its reach, too: in February Android was named the leading smartphone platform after 33.3 million handsets running the OS were shipped in the final three months of 2010.
http://www.next-gen.biz/news/2011-round-mobile
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December 28th, 2011, 23:58 Posted By: wraggster
[Ytai Ben-Tsvi] wrote in to share a little holiday project that he and friend [Al Linke] put together, a dynamic light display that takes its cues from his Android-powered smartphone.
The display fits in a vase that sits in [Ytai’s] family room, and while it wasn’t exactly cheap to build, it sure looks nice. The vase is full of feathery decorative bits which help hide an addressable RGB LED strip. The lights are controlled by an IOIO board which the pair tucked away inside the vase as well.
The IOIO board was also fitted with a USB Bluetooth dongle, allowing it to communicate with just about any handset running a relatively recent flavor of the Android OS. When connected, the phone samples its surroundings with the onboard camera, commanding the vase to mix the colors seen by the phone into its twinkling display.
As you can see in the video below it works pretty well when used with solid, brightly colored objects. While just a fun toy in its current form, [Ytai] and [Al] have more than a few ideas on how to expand its usability.
http://hackaday.com/2011/12/28/phone...imple-and-fun/
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December 29th, 2011, 00:05 Posted By: wraggster
The French game publisher already sprinkled 99¢ allspice on its iOS and Amazon Appstore titles, plus a two-for-one deal on the Xperia Play, but soon it'll bring that volume-not-margin recipe to the Android Market too. Almost all of its paid titles will reportedly go for less than a dollar between December 26th and January 5th, so if you're about to click 'Buy' on a premium purchase like Asphalt 6: Adrenalin, 9mm or The Adventures of Tintin, then it might be worth relaxing your trigger finger. The notable exception is Modern Combat 3: Fallen Nation, which will apparently only be discounted for a single day sometime around New Year's Weekend -- though hopefully not while you're still preoccupied with running around in yesterday's clothes and hugging random strangers.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/28/g...-android-mark/
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December 29th, 2011, 00:10 Posted By: wraggster
The current state of performing backups for Windows Phone is far from ideal, although a new job posting from Microsoft suggests that a better solution may be coming to the smartphone platform in its next major software release. According to a job posting from the monolith in Redmond, the company is seeking a talented employee to join its Windows Phone Backup, Migrate and Restore team. The listing goes on to state, "Our goal is to ensure that no matter if someone loses their phone, drops their phone in a lake ... a user can quickly and seamlessly get their phone back to a good state." Whether this involvesbackup to the cloud, or simply more robust features within the Zune software is never explicitly stated, although Microsoft does suggest it aims to leapfrog the competition in this arena. Not a moment too soon, either.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/28/m...-restore-feat/
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December 29th, 2011, 00:35 Posted By: wraggster
They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery -- what do they say about straight-up theft? A lot of the S7100 Android gaming tablet from JXD is taken from other gaming companies: the form factor and general look of the S7100 is clearly inspired by the Wii U, and the characters on the d-pad are the iconic PlayStation button icons. Heck, the manufacturer's website looks like iTunes!
The S7100 is moderately priced at $140 and sports an 800 x 480 capacitive touch-screen, ARM Cortex A9 CPU, Mali 400 GPU, 512MB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, a 0.3 megapixel front camera and a 2.0 megapixel rear camera, plus HDMI-out. See it in action in the video above.
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/28/jx...station-wii-u/
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December 29th, 2011, 00:37 Posted By: wraggster
Apple has officially pulled iMame, the free, ROM-playing arcade unit emulator, from its App Store, killing one of the very few venues for getting old arcade games onto your iOS device of choice. The move is presumably due to Apple's long-standing policy of not allowing applications running on its devices to play emulated software (despite a few exceptions in Capcom and Atari).
As with other emulators to have somehow sneaked past Apple's App approvals process, it wasn't long before Apple got wind of iMame's uses and shut it down. That said, if you already snagged yourself a copy of the free App, it can't be taken away, though it can't exactly receive updates either. Unfortunate, yes, but at least you've got a few months of unadulterated, portable, emulated gaming ahead of you!
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/28/im...rt-days-of-fr/
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December 29th, 2011, 23:25 Posted By: wraggster
Tablets set to target mid-range and high-end markets.
Loose-lipped supply chain sources claim the devices are set to arrive on January 26th 2012 at the iWorld event in San Francisco, according to Digitimes.
However, this isn't the first talk of the successor to the dominating iPad 2. We recently reported on the rumours of a 7.85-inch iPad, which was thought to be designed to compete with Amazon's Kindle Fire.
The sources have now quashed the discussion of smaller screens, saying that the imminent Apple tablets will still come with 9.7-inch screens, but will receive dual-LED light bars to strengthen the brightness.
While the iPad 2 is powered by dual-core A5 processors, Samsung has been contracted to provide the devices with quad-core A6 processors, according to the sources.
Some users have been less than impressed with the iPad 2's camera quality. Based on this, it's no surprise that Apple is expected to give its new devices a 5MP lens and an 8MP lens, provided by Samsung and Sony respectively.
http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...d-event/016571
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December 30th, 2011, 00:03 Posted By: wraggster
Your momma always said your handsome mug would take you places. Now it might allow you to access your iPad. An Apple patent application released today describes a facial recognition system that requires minimal computing power, and works whether you're indoors or out -- we don't use our tablets and phones in a photo booth, after all. The technology works by comparing a current image of your mug to a reference model user profile made using "high information" portions of the human face, like eyes and mouths. Translation: it'll take a picture, compare it against the pictures associated with various user accounts on the device and decide if the two images are similar enough to grant you access. Because this is just an application, it's safe to say we won't be seeing this kind of facial recognition in iOS anytime soon, but let's hope it works better than the ICS version if it does.
Update: An important thing to note is that Apple applied for this patent long before Android's Face Unlock debuted a few months back. The paper work was first submitted on June 29th, 2010 -- it's just now being disclosed to the public.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/29/a...to-let-idevic/
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December 30th, 2011, 00:30 Posted By: wraggster
GameStop's iOS device trade-in program has been "successful," according to the company. The program, which began in September, allows customers to trade iDevices for hundreds in company credit. GameStop claims customers can receive up to $180 for an iPod Touch, up to $300 for an iPhone and up to $400 for an iPad.
"The velocity of this trade program has exceeded our expectations," said GameStop president Tony Bartel.
The company was unwilling to provide specific sales numbers or details on the program, but informed us it will have more to share with its holiday sales release, which regularly arrives during the first week of the new year. The company also expects to see more iDevice trade-ins as consumers upgrade their Apple products over the holiday.
GameStop is moving ahead and expanding the availability of "refurbished devices" in more stores and online in the coming year.
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/29/ga...-expectations/
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January 1st, 2012, 01:11 Posted By: wraggster
Google bought Motorola, Nokia tried to regain its mojo, fake Apple stores were discovered in China..
20. NFC - coming whether you want it or not
The history of mobile can be carved up into three eras: voice, messaging, data. And after data, well who knows? But if the combined will of Google, Mastercard, Visa and the world’s operators has any bearing on it, it could be contactless payments. This year has seen a series of remarkable announcements in the field of NFC-based mobile wallets. In the US, the big three operators unveiled their own project, called Isis. In the UK, after Barclaycard and Orange rolled out a service, the big three networks unveiled a cross-operator collaboration. And then, in September, Google actually went live with its own Google Wallet service. Remarkable, given that NFC is present in just a single mainstream Western handset, the Nexus S. To be fair, the emphasis isn’t entirely on payments – Google and the UK opcos are more interested in coupons and advertising – but it’s still bold future-gazing stuff given that one survey in 2011 showed that 91 per cent of consumers have never heard of NFC.
19. The Cloud – coming whether you want it or not
When did server farms in remote Nordic locations become the cloud? And, er, what is the cloud anyway? This year saw two huge announcements bring the cloud into the mainstream. Well, the B2B mainstream anyway. Because it’s pretty obvious the punters haven’t got a clue. Apple confirmed its plan to press ahead with the iCloud system that lets users keep all their music in cyberspace (the stuff they’ve purchased anyway) and have a copy locally too. Then Google did the same, but letting users upload their collections. Then there’s the DNLA consortium, which is trying to give OEMs one standard through which to offer ‘access anywhere’ media on TVs, in-car etc etc. Then there’s Spotify. All are slightly different, and all have distinct business models. Yet they’re all the cloud. It was so much easier when we had external hard drives.
18. Did we all dream the Nokia N9 MeeGo phone?
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In the first series of Happy Days, Richie Cunningham had an older brother called Chuck. The makers soon realised that Chuck wasn’t interesting, and that Fonzie was ‘the one’. So one day Chuck went to his room and was never seen again. In the mobile world, the Nokia N9 is Chuck Cunningham. It’s the lonely MeeGo device deemed surplus to requirements. A handset with no narrative purpose when set against the Arthur Fonzerelli that is WinPho 7. Get an N9 now. Keep it in the box. And save it for Antiques Roadshow.
17. If you've got one I want one too: social gaming
There’s money in coins. Well, of course there’s money in coins. That’s the whole point. This year it was the virtual coinage offered by various social gaming platforms that lit up the M&A columns. As micro-payment surged (app analytics firm Distimo found 49 per cent of the revenue on iPhone apps in 2010 came from in-app purchases), these firms suddenly looked very tempting. After DeNa bought ngmoco in 2010, RIM swooped for Scoreloop and Gree bought OpenFeint.
16. There are other tablets beside iPad. It's just that no one buys them.
When Apple launched the iPad in 2010, people said ‘oh tablets, that’s been tried before. No one will buy them.” They were right. No one would buy tablets. They’d just buy iPads. It’s an exaggeration of course, but the truth is that rivals have tried smaller tablets, cheaper tablets, tablets with 3D – and still Apple rules. Analysts put iPads share as high as 75 per cent. In October, ComScore revealed that 97 per cent of tablet data traffic in the US comes from iPads.
15. Never mind fake iPhones, let's fake an entire Apple Store
China eh? It’s like a foreign country or something. They certainly do things differently there, as one US blogger discovered when she felt there was something weird about the Apple Store in Kunming. There was. It wasn’t one. Your heart bled for the cheery staff who thought Steve Jobs was their boss, not some bloke who could also do you dodgy D&G belts. A month later the BBC unveiled 22 more fake stores. It’s not funny.
14. Barcodes may not be shit
Designers hate the way they look on adverts. Most consumers don’t know what they are. Barcodes are rubbish, aren’t they? Not so fast. In June, 14m Americans scanned mobile barcodes (says Scanbuy), and overall global scans grew 88 per cent in the quarter to May (says I-nigma). Barcodes are everywhere and they are converging around a single (QR) standard. The public is catching on. And when the first codes hit the peachy backsides of Olympic Beach Volleyball players, the mainstream may beckon.
13. Spotify streams into the US
After protracted legal negotiations Spotify finally hit the US this year, and then pulled off a coup by tying up with Facebook. The results were impressive, which must have royally annoyed Real, Napster et al. Spotify now has 2.5m premium subs, roughly half of which come from the US.
12. Here you go, InMobi. Have $200m.
Over the years, we’ve become accustomed to large VC rounds in mobile. And why not? If you’re going to invest in tech firms, then damn right you should be looking at mobile media players. But the $200m thrown at ad network InMobi by Softbank and others in September took the breath away. $200m! Easily the biggest ever in our space (although others have chalked up huge sums in increments – MobiTV’s $115 million for example). But it was only the biggest of a series of investments in mobile ad players, including £4.7m for Adfonic and $25m each for JumpTap and Mojiva to name but three.
11. Lawyers reluctantly fight multiple mobile IP wars
The world’s beleaguered IP attorneys were given a lift by mobile handset makers this year when they all decided, in legal parlance, to sue the arses off each other. Infographics spread across the web showing the spaghetti soup of lawsuits, most of which revolved around who invented icons, touch interface, tablet form factor and more very basic stuff. They involve Microsoft, HTC, Motorola, Qualcomm and many more. But the bitterest battle of the lot is between Samsung and Apple, which variously saw the Galaxy and the iPhone banned from various countries round the world.
10. Galaxy II – someone took on iPhone
It’s always a little unfair to compare Android sales with those of iPhone. It’s like saying the football teams in the Championship, and Divs 1 and 2 have more supporters than Liverpool. Not like for like. But this year something interesting happened. One device – the Samsung Galaxy S – seemed to establish itself as a genuine iPhone alternative rather than just an acceptable ‘second best’. The S II sold 10m in five months while its predecessor, the Galaxy S took seven months to reach the same milestone.
9. Everywhere you look people are using BlackBerrys. So why is RIM in the toilet?
Even the most die-hard Nokian would conceded that you just don’t see people using their phones any more. Not in Europe and the US anyway. But BlackBerrys are everywhere. So why has the (financial) world got it in for RIM? Well, the devil is in the detail. BlackBerrys fly off the shelves, but mostly the cheap ones that teenagers like. The far more profitable enterprise users are looking elsewhere. So the company shipped around 10.6 million phones in its Q2, but revenues of $4.2 billion were down 15 per cent year-on-year. Problems were confounded by the inability to get new devices out with a new OS better configured for apps, browsing and touchscreen. And then there was PlayBook. Just 200,000 shipped.
8. How the avian flew: 500m Angry Birds downloads
Angry Birds should be the app that’s encouraging other creative developers into the space. In reality, it’s probably ruining their chances: users don’t have time for their products – they’re too busy on Angry Birds. In November Rovio’s game passed 350m downloads. The firm was also selling one million plush toys and t-shirts every month.
7. Android – It can't be bargained with. It can't be reasoned with. It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop
Without doubt, 2011 has been the year of Android. We’re a long way from the rather ugly G1 that kicked things off in 2008. Every week, new research is published that testifies to the dominance of the platform. By September, Millennial looked at its metrics and revealed 54 per cent of its ad impressions are on Android devices. In most markets, Android now has between 45 and 55 per cent of all smartphones. Earlier this month, Google revealed there are 700,000 new activations every day, equating to 21 million a month, or 250 million a year.
6. The world’s most interesting hardware manufacturer is… Amazon.
Amazon used to sell books. Paper ones. Then it was music, then clothes, electricals, lawn mowers. Then it started selling digital content. Then cloud services for other businesses. Was there anything left? Oh yes, an e-reader. Step forward the Kindle, which everyone loved because it was a single-purpose device, just for reading. Black and white. Battery lasted forever. And buying books on it was so so easy. The Kindle worked because it wasn’t trying to be the iPad. Then came the Kindle Fire. Which was – well, almost. Kindle Fire is small and cheap and, unlike its predecessor, it has a touchscreen colour display for running movies and other video content. If the Kindle process is anything to go by, Amazon will make content downloading/streaming easy. And in so doing it may make Amazon a bigger threat to Apple than Samsung, Motorola, HTC, LG…
5. Apple's 'disastrous' 4S launch turns into a triumph
Even by previous standards, there was immense excitement before the October Apple press event. This was Tim Cook's debut as CEO and there was a lovely new iPhone 5 to be unveiled. In the event, Cook was lacklustre and the new phone was just the old one with some voice search thrown in. Worst Apple Event Ever. But the public didn't think so. it went crazy for iPhone 4S, buying 4m in a weekend and an expected 30.3m this quarter to put the annual iPhone total on target for 111.4m.
4. Google buys Motorola, terrifies its partners
Who would buy the ailing Motorola Mobility? Surely not Google. Why worry its many Android OEMs with the idea that it might slip all its platform secrets first to its new hardware division. Too bad, because in August Moto became a Google company for (gulp) £12.5 billion. Google says this is all about 17,000 patents. Samsung, HTC, LG et al say they’re cool with that. Let’s see what Motorola’s Jellybean devices are like before rushing to judgement.
3. HP murders its own child
You can accuse HP of lots of things, but indecisiveness is not one of them. On August 18th, it announced it was to kill its webOS-based TouchPad tablet – just 49 days after it went on sale. Stunning. That beat the previous record for brevity set by Microsoft’s disastrous Kin (55 days). HP had paid $1.2 billion for Palm in 2010. $1.2 billion for a software platform with apparently limited appeal to OEMs and the developer community.
2. Nokia aligns its with the underdog – Microsoft
Nokia’s decision to jettison decades of self-determination and become an OEM for Microsoft. It’s not just the magnitude of the decision, it’s what it says about the speed of change in mobile. Nokia was a firm that utterly ruled the space (with 40 per cent plus market share, and 1m phones sold a day) just three years ago. Now mobile lives in Silicon Valley, kept in the handbags of Apple and Google. So Nokia had three choices – Android, Microsoft or death. It chose the plucky outsider. The Lumia devices got a decent reception, but it's too early to say whether WinPho has turned round Nokia in smartphones. In 2012 we’ll see whether Nokia can help make Microsoft the evil overlord in mobile it so wants to be.
1. RIP Steve Jobs
The mobile story of the year is not a tech story at all. It's the death of a human being. We all knew he was very ill. But none of us could imagine waking up to find that Steve Jobs had finally succumbed. He was without doubt the man of the century so far, a man whose creative vision and relentless desire to dominate transformed the way the world listens to music, accesses the web, communicates. A lot of lachrymose nonsense followed Jobs' death. But the subsequent biography of Jobs spelled out what we all knew – that Jobs was no saint. He could be ruthless and unpleasant. Why? Because he was driven to make things better. Well, he did that alright. I'm writing this on a MacBook Air. It's wonderful.
http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...of-2011/016568
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January 1st, 2012, 01:15 Posted By: wraggster
Back in October, we discussed news that India had launched a $35 tablet. Now, JohnWiney writes with a story in the Globe and Mail about the device's development. Quoting:"Part of the difficulty in engineering such a device is that the underlying goal—that its final price should be within the means of those who can’t afford high-priced tablets—dictates crucial engineering and component decisions. A piece of high-impact-resistant glass, such as the touchscreen face of an iPad, can cost upward of $20. Datawind’s touchscreen glass, which the company had engineered down the street, costs less than $2, though it won’t allow for luxuries like pinch-and-zoom finger swiping. There were also compromises on processing power: Datawind’s 366 megahertz processor costs less than $5, a fraction of the $15-plus price tag on the chips that power iPads and other comparable tablets. And while the decision to run Google’s free Android mobile operating system on the gadget saves money, it requires coders to dig deep into the Linux kernel that underpins the software, tweaking it until it runs smoothly on Datawind’s weaker processor."
http://tech.slashdot.org/story/11/12...heapest-tablet
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January 1st, 2012, 01:18 Posted By: wraggster
For the last six months, orangutans — those great, hairy, orange apes that go 'ook' a lot — at Milwaukee Zoo have been playing games and watching videos on Apple's iPad, but now their keepers and the charity Orangutan Outreach want to go one step further and enable ape-to-ape video chat via Skype or FaceTime. 'The orangutans loved seeing videos of themselves — so there is a little vanity going on — and they like seeing videos of the orangutans who are in the other end of the enclosure,' Richard Zimmerman of Orangutan Outreach said. 'So if we incorporate cameras, they can watch each other.' And thus the idea of WiFi video chat between orangutans — and eventually between zoos — was born. It might seem like folly, but putting (ruggedized!) iPads into the hands of apes could really revolutionize our understanding of great ape behavior
http://idle.slashdot.org/story/11/12...oos-with-ipads
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