The Likely State of Mobile App Development in 2011

In an interesting snapshot into mobile platform development, it looks like there will be some serious changes in 2011. If 2010 was the year of the iPhone and iPad, then 2011 is going to be much less of a monoculture, with Android and Windows Phone 7 devices both on the rise.

Millenial Media, together with technology analysis site Digiday and Jordan Rohan from Stifel Nicolaus have released the results of their study into the current and likely future state of mobile app development. In a detailed survey, developers, publishers, and advertisers were asked just how they would be spending their time in 2011.

They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, and the chart above illustrating 2010 and 2011 is mostly self explanatory with regard to how the industry is likely to change. Mobile innovators Apple are likely to feel the pressure more than anyone else, as consumers seek out alternatives to the iPhone and iPad.

Devices using the Android OS have already experienced massive growth in 2010, and this is only likely to accelerate in the next 12 months. However, perhaps the biggest mover and shaker will be Windows Phone 7, which is somewhat surprising when you consider that it’s not yet a tested platform. Perhaps the big and trusted Microsoft name is enough to inspire confidence in developers.

Based on these figures, the amount of developer attention going into RIM BlackBerry applications is likely to stay much the same, with bit players Palm and Symbian both on the decrease. The Apple iPad looks like it will receive roughly the same amount of attention from developers, while the iPhone will only see about a third.

While this is just a single study and only time will tell the exact impact that multiple OSs will have in the mobile marketplace, 2011 looks like it will be much more diverse and interesting than 2010 in terms of mobile app development.

Read More...

Wat ch Full Length : High Definition

World first floating virtually indestructible mobile phone launched

I’m sure there are more than a few of you out there who have broken their mobiles by dropping them in the sink, down the toilet or on the floor, including me. In fact I know some people who unintentionally are making a habit of it and they may be interested in this.

Possibly the hardiest mobile phone ever produced was launched earlier this week. The JCB Toughphone Tradesman is an upgraded version of the original Toughphone which was launched a couple of years ago and now it can even float on water and is apparently the first mobile phone in the world that can do that.

The mobile was still fully functional after being completely submerged in water before making its way the surface where it was then left to float for six hours.

The phone can also survive being dragged along by a JCB at no less than 120 miles per hour, and it still worked after being buried in 2 tonnes of rubble. Incredible!

Part of its rigorous testing involved a blasting with a high velocity jet of water as well as being thrown into a lake where it sunk to a depth of 5 metres before rising again.

A company known as Data Select which is owned by Peter Jones of Dragon’s Den, together with JCB, worked together to produce the virtually indestructible phone.

“The Tradesman is the perfect phone for people working outdoors, in the rain, sailing or just accident prone” said Jason Kemp, Marketing Director of Data Select.

“Its rugged design means it will also take a hammering that would see lesser phones destroyed.

“Alternatively, it also makes the perfect second phone for those with an active, outdoor lifestyle that don’t want to take their smartphone mountain biking.”

Around 50,000 original Toughphones were sold and apparently the company has already had over 4,000 advance orders for the upgraded floating version since its launch earlier this week.

“We’ve seen huge and rapid growth in the mobile phone market with ‘smart’ phone devices, but if you lead an outdoor lifestyle or work in a particularly rugged environment, these aren’t always suitable” said Mr Jones, who also said…

“These phones operate fine in tough working conditions, and are ideal for people who lead outdoor lifestyle, such as mountain climbing, skiing and sailing”.

The phone won’t break the bank either as the most basic model costs around £75 and is available from the JCBphone website.

Cool or what!

Read More...

Wat ch Full Length : High Definition

Binatone HomeSurf 8 Hits FCC, Notion Ink Adam Site Live, Advent Vega Shipping

Tablet Tuesday kicks off with the Notion Ink Adam’s website going live, but much like the promotional video we saw released for the tablet yesterday, it doesn’t give us a whole lot about the device itself

Read More...

Wat ch Full Length : High Definition

NOOK for Android Updated to 2.4

Barnes & Noble may have their NOOKcolor eReader out and ready to impress, but they aren’t going to leave their Android application for all devices out of the mix, just as promised. The NOOK eReading application has just been upgraded to version 2.4 and brings three important features: the ability to highlight within a book,

Read More...

Wat ch Full Length : High Definition

Android Gingerbread coming this week

At the moment there’s an exciting rumour doing the rounds on tech news sites. The word is that the next version of Android aka Gingerbread, will be hitting the Nexus One phones within a few days.

It all started when Android Police spotted a tweet from Alvaro Fuentes Vasquez via his Twitter account saying as much.

According to this guy’s LinkedIn profile, he’s a member of the Open Handset Alliance team so he’s surely got to know something about it.

The tweet was in Spanish of course and for those familiar with the language here’s what it said:

“Preparen sus Nexus One (Developer version) para la actualización vía OTA de Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) para los próximos días ”

A rough translation goes like this: “Prepare your Nexus One (Developer version) for Android OTA update 2.3 (Gingerbread) for the next few days:-D”

Not that it matters much but the first thing we notice is that the tweet didn’t refer to Gingerbread as update 3.0 but as update 2.3.

Now we’ve no way of knowing if it’s actually true but bear in mind that there have already been unsubstantiated reports that Gingerbread would made an appearance on November 11th it looks pretty compelling.

Also, a number of sites are reporting that an imminent update to Adobe Flash 10.1, which is supposedly going to fix a security problem, also points to an imminent Gingerbread release.

The Flash update description says “ATTENTION: Please install the upcoming 11/9 update (ver. 10.1.105.x) to ensure that Flash Player loads properly with future OS updates”.

Could the future operating system updates be referring to Android 2.3?

We haven’t had an update to Android 2.2 (Froyo) since May and there’s quite a bit of eager anticipation surrounding the next generation of Android and here’s why.

It’s supposedly going to speed things up quite a bit which is always good. There’s also talk that we’ll see a much improved user interface with more colour (Android Green), there’s kinetic scrolling with animations on the cards, possibly built in video chat, more ways to communicate including being able to receive calls via Wi-Fi or 3G, a better gaming experience and much more.

However, until Gingerbread arrives we’ve no way of knowing exactly what to expect but by all accounts it doesn’t look like we’re going to have to wait much longer to find out.

Read More...

Wat ch Full Length : High Definition

Tablet Friday

Black Friday? Pssh. More like Tablet Friday. Today, some very interesting pieces of information have come out of Notion Ink’s new website thanks to the easter eggs they’ve been putting up. Firstly, a daily binary counter in the upper-right corner of the site has been counting down, and through countless man hours of scientific experiments

Read More...

Wat ch Full Length : High Definition

AppCast 5 Chase Mobile, FlightTrack 4.0, ThickButtons, and More VIDEO

Today’s AppCast coincidentally features apps for those who travel: games to keep you busy, a banking app for members of a particular blue bank, a flight tracker, and a keyboard to help you type on those bumpy takeoffs and landings. (Ok, that last one is a bit of a reach but I had to stick

Read More...

Wat ch Full Length : High Definition

Speculation around Apple iPad2

If analysts are correct, we may see a new Apple iPad in April next year, with the iPad2 release likely to occur one year after the launch of the original. The iPad has been one of the biggest – if not the biggest success story of 2010, so lots of people are interested in just how Apple are planning to improve on the original.

Brian Marshall from Wall Street firm Gleacher & Co says it is likely Apple will follow the same refresh path for the iPad as it has for the iPhone over the last three years. “I think April is the proper time-frame for an iPad 2,” said Marshall, adding “Since I’m projecting that Apple will release a CDMA iPhone in March, both will help to equalize Apple’s seasonality.”

Just how the next generation iPad will differ from the original is still a matter of speculation, however it seems that Apple themselves have already left us with a few clues. Most analysts, including Marshall, seem to think that the next generation iPad will have the same form factor as the original, with the major inclusion of a front facing camera.

Aaron Vronko from Rapid Repair has noted how Apple may have built the original iPad with an upgrade already in mind. “It looks like it’s all ready for the camera, even including a hole in the glass for the lens,” said Vronko. This provides a clue to how Apple and other major technology manufacturers function, with upgrades planned in advance and devices marketed again and again with only small improvements and additions.

Other iPad2 rumours include a better screen, more memory, a faster processor, and an iPhone4 style retina display, although all commentators seem in agreement that Apple wont delve into 7 inch territory. However – one thing is for sure. With more and more tablets entering the marketplace all the time, you can be sure that Apple are investing a lot of money into research and development in order to stay at the head of the pack.

Read More...

Wat ch Full Length : High Definition

Chrome for Keyboards

Google’s Chrome Operating System will arrive early next year and this time it isn’t a rumour, it has come directly from Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google. Schmidt was answering questions put by journalists at the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco.

When asked if Chrome would make it onto tablet computers, netbooks and other devices, the answer was a resounding yes.

He confirmed that Chrome OS will appear on Intel and ARM powered netbooks within the next few months. However, he added that because it’s open source, anything could happen, Chrome could also pop up on tablet computers too.

If you are wondering what main difference is between Chrome and Android, then here’s your answer, it’s all to do with the type of input used on a device.

Schmidt explained “Android is optimized for things that involve touch, (while) Chrome OS is focused on keyboard-based solutions. That’s how the market is evolving.”

Schmidt reiterated the point several times although we’ve never heard that explanation before. Perhaps he just came up with that idea on the spot and it all suddenly made sense.

Anyway, the point is he made it perfectly clear that Chrome OS is really meant for traditional keyboard type computers and laptops, whereas Android is more suitable for touchscreen devices.

He also confirmed that the next generation of Android, the eagerly anticipated Gingerbread, will be out in “the next few weeks”. There’s a lot of excitement surrounding Gingerbread because apparently it’s suitable for tablet computers and other devices with larger screen sizes.

Another interesting moment at the summit was when Schmidt held up an “unannounced product” a phone running Gingerbread. Could the unannounced product be the rumoured Nexus Two?

“I said there wouldn’t be a Nexus Two” Schmidt reminded everyone.

Most believe the gadget to be the Nexus S SmartPhone, details of which were leaked on to Best Buy’s Website last week but taken down again soon after.

Tech site Engadget also found pictures on Flickr and Picasa taken using what they believe to be a Nexus S phone with a 5 megapixel camera. They say they carried out a little “digging” and all the photos came from Google employees and families of Google employees.

Schmidt didn’t give a release date for the unannounced product but perhaps the Nexus S will launch along with Gingerbread which could be before the holiday. Here’s hoping!

Read More...

Wat ch Full Length : High Definition

iFrogz adds to iPhone 4 case lineup

iFrogz has announced a number of additions to its holiday iPhone 4 case lineup. The new additions include the Luxe Lean Frost Phase, a semi-translucent polycarbonate case, the Luxe Edge, a two-piece bumper-like case sold in a two-pack, the Fusion case, which features a material insert on the back of either plaid, argyle, or metal, the Fusion Sole, which features a rubbery rear insert, and the Spy, a one-piece case with an eye-catching rear design and Apple logo cutout. All of the cases offer full access to all ports, controls, and the cameras. iFrogz’s new iPhone 4 cases are available exclusively at Best Buy and vary in price.

Read More...

Wat ch Full Length : High Definition

iPad more powerful than Wii

Doom co-creator and co-founder of iD Software John Carmack has said that the iPad is more capable graphically than the Nintendo Wii. In an interview with Kotaku following the release of iD’s Rage and Rage HD titles for iOS, Carmack said that “it is great for me to see a lot of people saying this looks better than anything on my Wii and a quarter of the games on my 360, which is about how I would rank the power levels there.” He continued, “you should be able to do something that’s better on an iPad than anything that’s done on the Wii. A 360 or PS3 does have several times integral-multiple more power but there’s certainly some games where developers don’t take much advantage of it. We’re nowhere close to maxing out what could be done on an iPad.”

Carmack also made note of the control limitations of the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad, admitting that the devices’ touchscreens make for inferior first-person shooter (FPS) controls. “It does feel kind of like an inferior version when you play that,” he said, referring to playing any FPS game on an iPhone or iPad. “It’s cool that it’s on there. It’s good enough to enjoy and have fun. But clearly you’re a step down from analog sticks, which is a step down down from mouse-keyboard interface. And it just makes me think that may not be the best style of game on these platforms.” Carmack finished by lauding the fast turn-around of games on iOS, but said he doesn’t have the time he’d like to have to devote to iOS development. “There’s a half-dozen things I’d love to do on iOS right now,” he said, “but the most I can possibly manage is help with two of them a year.”

Read More...

Wat ch Full Length : High Definition

Apple to offer free Find My iPhone to some users

Apple has announced that alongside today’s release of iOS 4.2, users of the iPad, iPhone 4, and fourth-generation iPod touch will receive free Find My iPhone service. Previously limited to users who have a paid MobileMe account, Find My iPhone lets users locate missing devices, have them display messages or play sounds, and remotely wipe or lock lost devices. For users that don’t have a MobileMe account, the feature will use their standard Apple IDs instead. Apple is expected to release iOS 4.2 for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch later today.

Read More...

Wat ch Full Length : High Definition

T-Mobile to offer subsidized iPads

Orange and T-Mobile plan to offer the iPad 3G on a subsidized basis in the U.K., according to a new report. Engadget has reposted a press release from Orange, which says it will “offer new purchase options for iPad users, including more affordable prices when purchased with a data service plan, for iPad with Wi-Fi + 3G models in the coming months.” The report notes that T-Mobile is expected to make a similar announcement soon, in conjunction with a two-year data plan. It’s unclear when the two companies will actually begin rolling out the new offerings.

Read More...

Wat ch Full Length : High Definition

New Potato unveils TuneLink Auto for iPad, iPhone, iPod touch

New Potato Technologies has unveiled its new TuneLink Auto for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch. TuneLink Auto is an in-car accessory featuring a traditional charging stem with a fast-charging USB port and an auxiliary output for connection to a vehicle’s AUX port. Notably, the TuneLink Auto also features a Bluetooth transceiver and built-in FM transmitter, allowing it to receive streaming auto from any A2DP-capable iOS device, and send the audio to the vehicle’s stereo via direct AUX connection or over FM. The TuneLink Auto hardware is controlled via a free app, and the device also supports automatic switching of incoming calls to an existing hands-free Bluetooth accessory, switching back to audio playback when the call is ended. New Potato’s TuneLink Auto for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch is available now .

Read More...

Wat ch Full Length : High Definition

News Corp to announce iPad newspaper at Apple event?

A pair of new reports suggest that News Corp, headed by Rupert Murdoch, will announce a new tablet-based newspaper at an upcoming Apple event. The Guardian reports that the new paper, called the Daily, is a collaboration between Apple and News Corp and has been under development in New York for several months. The report goes on to state that the paper will cost 99 cents per week, and will be able to be delivered automatically to an iPad using a new subscription plan from Apple.

John Gruber of Daring Fireball, in linking to the aforementioned report, suggests that the initiative will launch with a press event, with Murdoch—and possibly other newspaper and magazine executives—joining Steve Jobs on stage. In addition, Gruber states that he’d heard December 9th as possible date for the event, but notes that this is a Thursday, an unusual day for Apple to hold a press event. Gruber goes on to state that based on information from sources outside Apple, the event will not be for a central “iNews” or “Newsstand” app from Apple, but will instead be for a new recurring subscription billing option for apps, paid through the user’s iTunes account. He also states that the News Corp developers working on the new Daily app have been given “preliminary documentation on the new subscription billing APIs from Apple.”

Read More...

Wat ch Full Length : High Definition

iSkin rolls out new cases for iPhone 4, iPod touch 4G

Skin has rolled out several new cases for the iPhone 4 and fourth-generation iPod touch. The Solo FX for iPhone 4 is a soft polymer case featuring a slide-in design, Microban antimicrobial protection, a circular pattern on the rear, and open or push-through access to all buttons, ports, and cameras. It is available in five colors. The Solo vu for iPhone 4 is a hybrid clear polycarbonate and soft-polymer case featuring an open-top, slide-in design, Microban protection, art deco-inspired scoring on the rear of the case, front and rear face protection, and access to all ports, controls, and cameras; it is available in three colors.

iSkin’s Pebble for the iPod touch 4G is a slim, form-fitting case featuring raised transparent pebble shapes on the back, a matte finish, an integrated dock connector cover, push-through protection for the volume and sleep/wake buttons, open access to all other ports, controls, and cameras, and Microban protection; it comes in five colors. Finally, the Touch Duo for iPod touch 4G is a silicone case featuring a hard plastic face shield, open access to all ports, controls, and cameras, Microban protection, and a removable belt clip that also functions as a stand; it is available in four colors

Read More...

Wat ch Full Length : High Definition

Safari The best way to see the sites

Get the whole story.

The Safari web browser on iPad puts the Internet in your hands — literally. View whole web pages in portrait or landscape on the large Multi-Touch screen with vibrant color and sharp text at a size that’s actually readable. When you rotate iPad to landscape, the page you’re viewing rotates, too, then expands to fit the display.

Let your fingers do the surfing.

With iPad, navigating the web has never been easier or more intuitive, because you use the most natural pointing device there is: your finger. Scroll through a page just by flicking up or down on the screen. Double-tap a section on a page to enlarge or shrink it. Or pinch to zoom in or out. When you touch and hold a link, Safari shows you the URL so you know before you go. There’s also a handy thumbnail view that shows all your open pages in a grid, so you can quickly move from one page to the next.

Built for speed.

Safari takes full advantage of the powerful technology built into iPad. It connects to the web via high-speed 802.11n Wi-Fi. And when you’re away from a Wi-Fi network, you can surf from just about anywhere with optional 3G networking.* Because Safari supports the latest web video and audio innovations in HTML5, you can enjoy the rich multimedia experience you expect from the Internet. Safari plays compatible video right in the page, or you can double-tap a video to play it full screen.

Your favorites at your fingertips.

You can sync your bookmarks from your Mac or PC, and add even more right from your iPad. A handy bookmarks view makes it easy to access your favorite sites. Google, Yahoo!, and Bing searching is built in, so it’s easy to find what you’re looking for. And when you want to enter a URL, fill out a form, or search for text within a page, the big onscreen keyboard appears. If you check the same websites every day, you can even create icons on the Home screen that let you access them with a single tap.

Print the web.

When you want to print a web page — a recipe, a news article, a flight itinerary — a few taps is all it takes to go from viewing something onscreen to holding a printed copy. Just tap Print and iPad sends information to your AirPrint-enabled printer, without the help of any cords or cables.

Read More...

Wat ch Full Length : High Definition

Top Ten Reasons Not To Buy iPad

Technology plays a vital role in our society these days. Every year we come across new advancements and new innovations. Every thing has its pros and cons especially when it comes to machinery and different gadgets. Just like other new innovations, Apple iPad is a new one in the market with its huge launch. It is an attractive gadget and is taking people’s attention with its looks. You know what they say, “looks can be deceiving”. So when it comes to this gadget, it is not that much reliable as it seems. Ten reasons for not buying iPad are:

Limited Features

1. Apple iPad has very limited features, it provides only the entertainment features like You Tube, iTunes, Emails and eBooks etc. so the one’s looking for any marketable functions in it shouldn’t waste their money over it.

Operating System

2. The new iPad does not have Operating System X which mostly people prefer to use. It would be considered as a limitation for those who use other Intel processors rather than apple processors.

Battery timings

3. This product has the battery build in for only 10 hours only as compared to other gadgets available in the market whereas for a longer usage purpose battery is an important factor to be counted.

4. The Finishing of the back side is a bit uncomfortable without any rubber plugs or sheet. As it is a delicate device, it makes it more and more difficult to keep it safe.

5. Besides You Tube, there are many other video playing applications for instance the most commonly used and famous, which makes it limited.

6. Beside the commercial disappointment it is not even a complete entertainment if you look into it, the most wanted function in all gadgets is a web camera which apple does not provide.

7. A laptop, palmtop or a smart phone can give even better and useful applications than this iPad. So it is wastage of money for them to buy this gadget.

8. To make iPad a full functioning device, you will have to buy some additional gadgets; that would not give you an advantage rather it would eat more money and acquire more space.

9. The people who use other Nokia phones like N series would certainly not prefer this limited functioning gadget as they are satisfied with their mobiles or iPhones.

10. The resolution of iPad’s screen space is just 1028 pixels by 768 pixels which becomes insignificant when it comes to internet or fun.

We hope to see apple launching a better gadget next time.

Read More...

Wat ch Full Length : High Definition

iOS 4.2 Released

The latest upgrade for Apple mobile devices is finally here, and iOS 4.2 brings several much-desired features to the iPad.

The day we’ve been waiting for has finally arrived, and iOS 4.2 is now available at Apple.com. The upgrade comes equipped with multitasking, folders and more. AirPlay lets you wirelessly stream music, video and photos from the iPad, iPhone or iPad Touch to your Apple TV or speakers, while AirPrint allows you to print wirelessly from an Apple mobile device.

Especially handy for people who misplace things is “Find My iPhone (or iPad or iPod touch)” which according to Apple, “lets users easily locate a missing device on a map and have it display a message or play a sound.” Also included are Game Center, iTunes TV show rentals, a unified inbox, text search in Safari, messaging with text tones and various enhancements. It took time and a few false starts, but Apple promised iOS 4.2 during the month of November and they delivered.

Read More...

Wat ch Full Length : High Definition

iOS 4.2 Released

The latest upgrade for Apple mobile devices is finally here, and iOS 4.2 brings several much-desired features to the iPad.

The day we’ve been waiting for has finally arrived, and iOS 4.2 is now available at Apple.com. The upgrade comes equipped with multitasking, folders and more. AirPlay lets you wirelessly stream music, video and photos from the iPad, iPhone or iPad Touch to your Apple TV or speakers, while AirPrint allows you to print wirelessly from an Apple mobile device.

Especially handy for people who misplace things is “Find My iPhone (or iPad or iPod touch)” which according to Apple, “lets users easily locate a missing device on a map and have it display a message or play a sound.” Also included are Game Center, iTunes TV show rentals, a unified inbox, text search in Safari, messaging with text tones and various enhancements. It took time and a few false starts, but Apple promised iOS 4.2 during the month of November and they delivered.

Read More...

Wat ch Full Length : High Definition