Branson's Next Mobile Act: An Investment In Mobile Payments Startup Square
Richard Branson is no stranger to investing in mobile media: among his more notable moves have been establishing *Virgin Mobile* years ago,… Read more at paidContent »
Apple expands iOS 5.0.1 beta testing to some end users
Apple had previously released iOS 5.0.1 to developers for beta testing, but as of Tuesday, a report claims it is now extending that testing pool to include some ordinary end users, too. 9t05Mac received an invitation to download the pre-release software through Apple’s software seed program. Read more »
Wikets debuts on iPhone to simplify social recommendations
Even with all the expert and amateur reviews available on the web today, people still like to get recommendations the old-fashioned way: asking their friends for advice — aka, polling the “lazy web.” That’s where a brand new iPhone app called Wikets wants to help. Read more »
Apple Vs. Microsoft Vs. Google Vs. Dropbox: A Cloud-Computing Guide
“Where did the computer go?” was the slogan Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) used in 2004 when it launched the first of its current range of iMac desktop… Read more at paidContent »
The Android Pile-Up On Apple In Europe: Motorola Gets Injunction In Germany
Apple’s latest Android nemesis in Europe? Not Samsung, and not a small-time Spanish tablet maker, but Motorola: the company, currently getti… Read more at paidContent »
Switching from Android to iOS: What I’ll miss and what I won’t
As someone who regularly blogs about Apple, it’s a bit surprising that the iPhone 4S is the first iPhone I’ve owned. Until now, I’ve been an Android user, so here are my thoughts about the good and bad that come with going all-in on Apple devices. Read more »
Ericsson sees 10x growth in mobile traffic, but no tsunami
Another day, another gear maker getting into the broadband data prediction game, with Ericsson prognosticating that mobile data traffic will be 10 times what it is today by 2015 at 3.5 exabytes per month. This is about half of rival gear maker Cisco’s guesstimates. Read more »
Games for the weekend: Modern Combat 3
I’m starting to think there’s a union rule: In every shooter, the helicopter, plane, train, or automobile you use to arrive will be destroyed. Modern Combat 3: Fallen Nation for iOS is no exception, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Read more »
U.S. Cellular: iPhone buy-in price too steep
Apple’s smartphone could’ve been available on five carriers this fall instead of just four, according to U.S. Cellular’s CEO Mary Dillon. Dillon revealed during the carrier’s earnings call that her company turned down the iPhone because Apple’s “terms were unacceptable from a risk and profitability standpoint.” Read more »
Does the Siri outage reveal its success?
Siri went down on Thursday for its first extended outage — around five hours, according to most counts. Five hours is hardly three days (like another noteworthy recent mobile service blackout), but the reaction of media and users show Apple’s personal assistant is making its presence felt. Read more »
Jawbone’s $99 Up is ready to boost your health
The latest health monitor hitting the market comes from Jawbone, a company that’s made its name by designing wireless headsets for phones. Called the Jawbone Up, the wrist-worn device launches on Nov. 6 for $99; it measures activity, sleep and nutrition through a complementary iPhone app. Read more »
Apple reportedly planning “overhauls” for all products in 2012
Apple will be rolling out overhauls across its product lines in 2012, according to a new report. The report mentions the iPad, iMac, iPhone and MacBook Air specifically, which means that we could see very different versions of all of Apple’s core products in 2012. Read more »
Apple Promises Software Fix Coming Soon For iOS 5 Battery Issues
Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) has owned up to the battery life issues that have been plaguing early adopters of iOS 5 and the iPhone 4S, blaming the is… Read more at paidContent »
Apple: Battery fix update for iPhone 4S coming in “a few weeks”
Apple said in a short statement Wednesday to AllThingsD that it has found iOS 5 bugs responsible for battery issues experienced by many iPhone 4S (and other device) owners, and will issue “a software update to address those [bugs] in a few weeks.” Read more »
Mobile Apps Seeing ‘Astronomical’ Growth In China
These are the 10 countries where mobile apps have seen the fastest consumer adoption this year, new Flurry analytics show… Read more at paidContent »
The NFC Dance: One Step Closer With PayPal; One Step Further With Square
We are still far from seeing simple, wave-and-pay NFC as a ubiquitous technology for mobile payments, and even further from seeing consumers… Read more at paidContent »
Return to sender: Google pulls new iOS Gmail app
Google released a native Gmail client for iPhones, iPads and iPod touch devices, but quickly pulled the software from the iTunes App Store due to some app errors. As a long-time Android user, I like what I see in the client, but it needs work. Read more »
A Spanish Android Tablet Maker You’ve Never Heard Of Beats Apple In Court
Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) has been going tooth and nail after big Android device makers, especially Samsung, accusing them in courts worldwide of l… Read more at paidContent »
HTC Led Q3 U.S. Smartphone Sales, Nokia To Wait Until 2012 To Challenge It
Figures out from Canalys tracking smartphone shipments worldwide in Q3 have once again demonstrated that the flood of Android handsets on th… Read more at paidContent »
Why Tech Companies Want Engineers To Ignore Patents When Designing Products
It’s been hard to go anywhere in Silicon Valley during 2011 and not have patents come up over the course of a friendly discussion about the… Read more at paidContent »
With Card Case, Square launches hands free payments on iPhone
Square is making its Card Case wallet app hands-free, enabling users to walk into a store and pay without ever pulling out their smartphone. They just say their name and order. The company is showing it wants to perfect the entire buying process, not just payments. Read more »
iMessage 101: Group messaging
iMessage, the new free messaging service introduced in iOS 5, is easy to set up, but group messaging can be a bit harder to work out straight away. There are a couple of limitations to know about, but generally, group messages work really well with iMessage. Read more »
GarageBand comes to the iPhone and iPod touch
Apple has introduced an update for the iOS version of GarageBand that makes it compatible with iPhones and iPod touches. The universal app is available as a free update for owners of the iPad version, or it’s $4.99 if you’re buying it for the first time. Read more »
Apple Extends iPhone 4S To 15 More Countries, Including Legal Hotspot Korea
Yesterday, figures out from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech underscored how Apple’s share of smartphone sales in several key countries had actuall… Read more at paidContent »
Hey, T-Mobile USA: Here’s A Tip From China Mobile On How To Sell The iPhone
T-Mobile is the last major carrier in the U.S. not to have the iPhone — a consequence of the device’s radio chipsets being different from t… Read more at paidContent »
PlugBug is MacBook and iPad charging genius
PlugBug, the newest accessory from Twelve South, is a simple adapter that connects to your existing MacBook power adapter, adding a 10 W USB charger for charging your iOS devices. That means you can charge your devices faster, which will come in handy for travelers. Read more »
Why 1 in 2 smartphones in the U.K. run Android
When visiting the U.K. and looking at the locals, odds are that every other one is using an Android device. BlackBerry is now the second most carried, followed by Apple’s iPhone; the old no. 2. How did this happen, and is it likely to continue? Read more »
Apple announces iPhone 4S release date for 15 new markets
The iPhone 4S global rollout continues, with 15 new markets getting the device Nov. 11, with pre-orders beginning Friday, Nov. 4. Hong Kong and South Korea lead the new pack, which will bring the total number of international markets where the 4S is available to 44. Read more »
What Mobile Consolidation? Canonical Wants Ubuntu On Smartphones, Tablets
At least one company thinks the world hungers for another mobile operating system. Canonical, the company that builds and maintains Ubuntu L… Read more at paidContent »
Use your iPhone or iPad to carve a cooler pumpkin
Every Halloween for the past few years, my family and I have used apps to design our jack-o-lanterns. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you do it, too, from our favorite apps to a way to include the whole family, using your Apple TV. Read more »
RunKeeper’s smartphone app gets smarter with sensors
Smartphones are packing more sensors these days, and application developers continue to find new ways to gain additional value from the sensors. Popular exercise app RunKeeper is the latest. Its software for iPhone and Android handsets includes an auto-pause function and new heart rate zone targeting. Read more »
Wow. No wonder the birds are angry
The No. 2 free app on Apple’s app store is Cut the Birds, a mashup of two really popular iOS games: Angry Birds and Fruit Ninja. The comments on the app’s review section say it all. I am just surprised it slipped past the Apple censors. Read more »
Why Android Needs To Pick Up The Update Pace, And Why The Time Is Right
There should be no doubt at this point: the world of Android is a turbulent, noisy, and at-times inscrutable tangle of interests. But the ba… Read more at paidContent »
Games for the weekend: Gears
When your kids quickly become addicted to a game, you know it has to be good. That’s what happened with Gears ($2.99) by Crescent Moon Games. Gears lures you in and then ramps up the challenge, but not so fast that you can’t keep up. Read more »
Samsung: Record Mobile Profits On Sales Growth Of 300 Percent
Earnings out today from Samsung show the Korean handset maker posted record sales and profits for its telecoms division, driven primarily by… Read more at paidContent »
Updated: Samsung Rules Smartphone Shipments; Nokia Still Tops Overall In Q3
Samsung’s competitive threat to Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) and Nokia (NYSE: NOK) in the smartphone space — being played out not only among consumer… Read more at paidContent »
Enemies at the gates: Apple’s biggest threats are Samsung and ZTE
It was pretty clear that Samsung would eventually overtake Apple in terms of smartphone sales, and this past quarter, that happened. But Apple also slipped in the overall phone sales category, beat by a rival that could be more of a long-term threat: China’s ZTE. Read more »
Another example of how the iPhone is changing everything
The Artefact Group has come-up with this concept (WVIL) camera that has a touch interface like the iPhone, wireless capabilities and changeable SLR optics. It is a sign of how the iPhone user interface is becoming the preferred way of interacting with digital devices. Read more »
Nokia & Microsoft’s real challenge
Nokia recently showed off a handful of new phones that are powered by the new Microsoft’s mobile operating system. These are good looking devices but that won’t be enough as the company is facing a challenge that is much more cerebral. Read more »
Astrid comes to iPhone so more people can get things done
Astrid, the web and mobile application that allows users to create to-do lists with social features, has finally debuted a version of its app for the iPhone. The iOS launch comes three months after Astrid raised an undisclosed amount of funding from Google Ventures and Nexus […] Read more »
