Users who downloaded the Tuesday update say their books were erased from their devices and all their saved settings and bookmarks were reset. Amazon said Wednesday it was a known bug. Read more »
Six months after debuting on the iPhone and iPod touch, Amazon’s streaming music and storage service has been modified for Apple’s tablets. Read more »
Android fans that want something akin to Apple’s Passbook wallet features will get their wish as Samsung has the solution. Here’s why that’s good and bad. Read more »
If a certain number of Waze users report the same closing, the app will automatically start re-routing all users around reported road closures. Read more »
A batch of rejections from Apple’s App Store had some reports wondering if Apple has begun forcing developers to use a new for tracking mobile app users. It hasn’t, according to our sources. Read more »
Using an iPhone or iPad’s camera, PointGrab is opening up its new SDK at MWC this week that will let developers bring motion-control to their iOS apps. Read more »
This year’s mobile app for iOS and Android app can be used on both platforms and has a new deal bundling GameDay Audio subscriptions for free. Read more »
At the end of this month, China should have 246 million smartphones and tablets running iOS or Android; that will put it ahead of the U.S., likely for good. Read more »
The app includes some handy mobile features, like push notifications for backers when friends pledge the same project, and for creators to know when new backers sign up. Read more »
An analyst predicts Apple will re-build iOS to work on faster processors this year. Based on the age of iOS and personnel changes made last year, this isn’t a bad bet. Read more »
Opera has confirmed that it’s adopting the WebKit rendering engine and the Chromium framework. Why? Apple and Google have so much influence that the mobile web is being written to their specs. Read more »
Vodafone UK and 3 Austria have told subscribers that they should avoid updating their iPhone 4S to the latest version of iOS, while Apple works on a fix for reported 3G connectivity problems. Read more »
Getting into a top notch Computer Science undergrad program isn’t easy. How does one stand out from the crowd? Build an iPhone app, of course! Read more »
Android phones made big gains in overall ad impressions, but where it really counts — producing revenue for mobile advertisers — the iOS platform is still comfortably in the lead. Read more »
6Wunderkinder continues to churn out native versions of its task management app that are optimized for their respective platforms. The latest version, for Android tablets, includes widgets and inter-app sharing. Read more »
Android is catching up to iOS in terms of apps for sale and developer attention. But the most influential mobile companies have yet to bypass iOS for Android. Read more »
Mojang has released an update to its iOS app, and it has its share of new bugs. Here’s a guide to backing up the app to ensure you don’t lose all your work. Read more »
IDC has the market share breakdown of tablet sales by vendor, but the big story isn’t who is making more tablets. More important is the tablet impact on the PC market. Read more »
Consumer review service Angie’s List is integrating Square technology into its iPhone app, allowing merchants like house cleaners, plumbers and painters to accept credit card payments in the field. Read more »
Delivering and managing the web experience isn’t just about mobile. Companies are also faced with new challenges in the desktop environment, including browser fragmentation, network evolution, and client-side technologies. They must invest in both the desktop environment as well as to create an optimized experience for mobile. Read more »
Apple’s biggest competitors — Facebook, Google and Amazon — are getting really good at finding ways to systematically insert themselves between Apple and its customers. Read more »
So far, the only publisher participating is Hearst. There’s no set standard for how early a look each Newsstand issue will offer, Hearst told AllThingsD. Read more »
The Messenger app will get a new button that will allow Facebook friends to call each other over a Wi-Fi or data connection. The update will roll out automatically starting Wednesday. Read more »
The mobile platform wars heated up in a big way as 2012 came to a close. Among other trends, Microsoft launched Windows Phone 8, Android’s dominant market share grew, and mobile commerce reached record highs during the holidays. Read more »
PatientSafe, a San Diego-based medical technology company, on Monday announced that it had raised $20 million in a Series C round of financing led by health care giant Merck’s Global Health Innovation Fund. Read more »
Facebook is testing out Wi-Fi based calling in Canada with its latest update to its Messenger app. The calling is only avoidable for the iOS app, but both IOS and Android users still get the benefit of being able to record voice messages. Read more »
CEO Tim Cook recently said the company is fixing its Maps app through software updates, but also vaguely mentioned a “huge plan to make it even better.” What is that plan? Maybe a smart acquisition of a small social navigation company. Read more »
One of the most popular Linux distributions will arrive on smartphones this year: Canonical is bringing Ubuntu to the small screen. But this isn’t a special version of Ubuntu; it’s the actual desktop software platform with touch-friendly mobile interface that could be a disruptor. Read more »
Google is excelling on Apple’s own platform with popular iOS apps, but it’s not alone among its fellow consumer internet companies. Microsoft, AOL and Yahoo also had some success on their rival’s platform in 2012. Here’s a look at who did better. Read more »
2012 wraps with a year-end mobile tech podcast that looks both forward and back. With hardware cycles advancing rapidly, neither host is expecting blockbuster news out of the Consumer Electronics Show. Matt is looking deeper into uses for NFC, while Kevin is addicted to TuneIn Radio. Read more »
By creating a bevy of new iOS apps, what Google has been up to is becoming more obvious. It’s made it its mission to not just compete with Apple with the Android platform and Nexus mobile devices, but battle Apple on its own platform. Read more »
As more professionals are eschewing laptops for iPads, Apple needs to seriously step up its game with its iOS iWork offerings. Lack of parity between iOS and OS X iWork apps is beginning to become tough to handle. Read more »
As the year comes to a close, its time to look back at predictions for 2012. I made 16 of them last December and while I got a fair number right, there were a few clunkers. It’s time to dust off the crystal ball for 2013. Read more »
The year 2013 may bring real disruption to the mobile industry. Upstart carriers are embracing noncellular technologies to provide cut-rate services, third-party developers are gaining traction with cheap (or free) alternatives to SMS, and a major U.S. operator is preparing to drop handset subsidies. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Snapguide has been a certified hit as an iPhone app. But now that the content is there — guides on practically everything from the quirky to the dreadfully practical — the team at Heavy Bits, which makes Snapguide, wants to broaden its user base. Read more »
Current Windows Phone 8 and upcoming BlackBerry 10 handsets look great, but will people switch? Not likely, and even first-time smartphone owners may balk. It’s a perfect example of old phrase, “timing is everything” as most smartphone innovation has already taken place. Read more »
It was clear last week it was going to be popular as it quickly shot to the top of the App Store’s download charts. But the release of the exact number helps illuminate the demand for Google’s app after Apple dropped it from iOS 6. Read more »
Looking to cut down or measure the energy usage of an appliance? MeterPlug is one option. This small pass-through device watches electricity consumption in real-time to a Bluetooth-enabled smartphone. It also cuts power when an appliance isn’t in use, helping to save electricity. Read more »
Amazon raised the curtain on its Instant Video App for iPhone and iPod touch devices, which join the iPad and iPad mini for video purchase or rental playback. You’ll still have to buy or rent videos through the web, however; it can’t be done in app. Read more »
Berlin’s highly successful games studio is moving into Android, starting off with a new version of the hit Diamond Dash. It seemed like a good time to get a snapshot developer perspective on coding for the big two mobile platforms. Read more »
