We will soon be consuming nearly one gigabyte of data every month on our smartphones, thanks in large part to rapid improvements in technology and networks. This is a similar growth pattern we saw on wired broadband; the faster the speeds, the more data we consumed. Read more »
Google TV is based on Google’s Android mobile operating system, but one of the biggest inspirations for the company’s new TV platform was actually the iPhone. Apple brought the full web to the mobile space, and Google wants to do the same for the living room. Read more »
Thanks to the release of Redsn0w 0.9.6b2, you can now upgrade the majority of your Apple devices to iOS 4.1, on either Mac or Windows. The new version is compatible with the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 3G, Apple TV (2nd generation), iPad and iPod touch. Read more »
Many signs suggest Sony will soon launch a Playstation Portable Phone. It’s a move that invites comparison to Microsoft’s plan of integrating Xbox Live with Windows Phone 7, a far more software-centric method of attack than Sony’s hardware-focused strategy. Which has a better shot at ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Two noted analysts are predicting good times for Qualcomm, and not just because the chipmaker provides the processing and connectivity for many of the top-rated Android handsets. Qualcomm is ready to add sales of 10 million more chips per quarter by powering the CDMA Apple iPhone. Read more »
VLC Developer Rémi Denis-Courmont recently sent Apple “a formal notice of copyright infringement” concerning the VLC Media Player iOS application. The app’s distribution in the App Store is in violation of the terms and conditions of its General Public License, and it may be pulled soon. Read more »
I enjoy reading lots of different kinds of books, from fiction to travel to humor to, of course, tech-related books. Here are a couple of books that web workers may find enlightening: David Kirkpatrick’s”The Facebook Effect” and Karen Anderson’s “Take Control of iPhone Basics” Read more »
Want to add some social mobile fun to this Halloween? How about taking some of the snapshots you’re taking with your iPhone, and turning them into cartoon avatars for Facebook or Twitter? The process is easy, and all you need are a few apps. Read more »
Instagram, the photo app that gives images an old-fashioned flair, sees a photo uploaded to its service every second. Its success may stem from its timing; the market is awash in futuristic smartphones and faster mobile broadband, even as a wave of nostalgia sweeps the country. Read more »
Just over three years since introducing its first phone, Apple is now among the top five handset vendors on the planet. How did this happen? Apple improves on the product mistakes by competitors and marches in with many of the problems solved at an opportune time. Read more »
Jumping past Research in Motion, Apple has entered the top five in global mobile phone sales, trailing only Nokia, Samsung, and LG. Number four may not count for much in the realm of professional sports, but it means a lot in the technology business. Read more »
Fortune magazine today has joined the cavalcade of mainstream media outlets which have confirmed that a Verizon iPhone is in fact a certainty. And it’s coming in 2011, so in case you had any lingering doubts, banish them. Read more »
Generally speaking, I buy accessories for my devices either to protect them, or to improve usability. For the iPhone, that’s led to a number of different case purchases. Now I find myself searching for a new kind of supplementary hardware, and I’m not alone. Read more »
For those waiting for the Apple/Verizon wedding, today’s release of the iPad on that network could be seen as the engagement. But, how long until these companies finally join forces to deliver what we’ve all been waiting for: iPhone carrier choice in the U.S.? Read more »
The Business Insider is reporting that Apple will host a select group of iOS developers in California next week, beginning Tuesday and running for three days for a special developer summit. The growth of Android and iOS 4.2 are no doubt on the agenda. Read more »
Sources inside European carriers said Apple is working with SIM-card manufacturer Gemalto to create a special SIM card that would allow consumers in Europe to buy a phone via the web or at the Apple Store and get the phones working using the iTunes App Store. Read more »
Apple made a lot of money from direct sales last year, so it isn’t surprising that it would expand its online store to China, a market with huge growth potential. Extending the App Store’s reach there isn’t shocking either. So what does Apple stand to gain? Read more »
Apple spoke directly about its white iPhone 4 again yesterday. It said people won’t be able to get one until at least spring of 2011, right around when new iPhone models are due. So will white be an iPhone 5 exclusive? Read more »
Yojimbo, the personal organizer for the Mac, has been updated this week alongside the introduction of a new companion app, Yojimbo for iPad. Yojimbo now lets you sync over Wi-Fi with the app for iPad, so you can view all your Yojimbo items on the go. Read more »
Despite Steve Job’s obvious distaste for the company, RIM has long remained ahead of Apple in the global smartphone market. Not any longer, according to research firm Strategy Analytics, which yesterday reported the iPhone shipped more units than did BlackBerry during 2010′s third quarter. Read more »
Until recently, GetJar was probably one of the biggest app stores that few people had ever used. That ended on Friday, however, when it offered an exclusive on Angry Birds for Android, touching off a frenzy of downloads that overwhelmed GetJar’s servers. Read more »
Starbucks designed its new Yahoo-powered Starbucks Digital Network as a mobile experience, saying it was logical considering more than half of its free Wi-Fi users use smartphones. Too bad the the portal seems designed first for tablets and laptops and less so for smartphones. Read more »
Apple will soon have a whole bunch of new users for its FaceTime video chat application. At today’s “Back to the Mac” event, Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced that the company is making a beta version of FaceTime video chat available today from Apple.com. Read more »
Appbackr is introducing the wholesale model to iOS apps, giving developers a new way to move their apps. The Appbackr Marketplace, launching in beta this week, allows buyers to purchase a bulk number of apps from a developer at a lower price, then sell them. Read more »
The third quarter saw the continuation of important trends in mobile, from the astounding growth of Android to soaring sales of Apple’s iPad. Perhaps the biggest trend, though, is the march towards 4G, which will have a tremendous impact on the industry in the coming months. Read more »
At a time when the world is wondering if Apple will do to the video industry what it did to the music industry, and if the iPad will save print news from online obsolescence, independent startups like Majek Pictures are challenging the status quo for TV. Read more »
Steve Jobs said yesterday that Apple’s model with iOS isn’t closed; it’s “integrated.” Well, the integrated model faces a major test close on the heels of having been officially named: Will it, or can it, approve an iTunes competitor for sale in the App Store? Read more »
For fourth quarter 2010, Apple reported the best quarter and year in company history, with record sales of Mac and iPhones almost overshadowed by the iPad. That’s not all we can expect from Apple for this calendar year, though, as Steve Jobs hinted at some surprises. Read more »
Consumer Reports can now come with you on your iPhone as you shop, letting you check products instantly. So, scanning the barcode of the iPhone 4 with its camera will, in theory, reveal CR’s high rating, and its lack of a “Buy” recommendation. In theory. Read more »
Developers looking to make a buck on Android in-app purchases will be heartened to hear that Papaya Mobile is the first to deploy Zong’s in-app payment system for its social gaming platform. The deal opens a new era for Android developers waiting for in-app purchase solutions. Read more »
Google represents 97 percent of mobile searches on the iPhone, according to Chitika Research, with 49.08 percent of searches coming through the Safari tool bar, 42.24 percent coming from its home page and other minor sources and 8.68 percent from its dedicated Google app. Read more »
A new version of Skype for Windows arrived yesterday, bringing tighter Facebook integration along with other new goodies like group video calling. But while Windows users celebrated the new arrival, Mac users watched from the sidelines as the parade marched past. What’s up with that? Read more »
Mobile virtual goods accounted for 80 percent of revenue from iOS apps in September, far outpacing advertising, according to new data from analytics firm Flurry. January was the last month advertising revenue was greater than revenue from virtual goods. Read more »
Apple has started selling iPads in non-Apple stores. Demand for iPhone 4 is at an all-time high, and the newly updated iPod touches are flying off the shelf. Add AppleTV to the mix, and you can see Apple on verge of a blockbuster quarter. Read more »
Google’s Android operating system has been a breakout success, quickly gaining worldwide market share among smartphones. Our infographic shows how Android has grown, the success of its app market, the sudden increase in customer acceptance and loyalty, and where we think it will be in 2014. Read more »
I’m a fan of Posterous, but I don’t actually use it all that much. For a while, I was using PicPosterous for iPhone to share photographic memories of special events, but the app was limited and it didn’t take. Now, Posterous has released an official app. Read more »
A new patent the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office just approved was filed in 2008 by Apple and prevents users from sending and receiving “objectionable” text messages. The patent, officially called “Text-based communication control for personal communication device,” essentially prevents what’s known as “sexting.” Read more »
Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of something that I haven’t done since I first got an iPhone: gaming. Sure, I’ll occasionally pick up Angry Birds when a new major update drops with new levels, but others left me cold. That’s changing, and for the better. Read more »
Having spent time with Windows Phone 7 and hearing from executives, I think if Microsoft executes well — and that’s a big if considering this is a first release — Windows Phone 7 could bite into the growth of Android and regain significant ground in the smartphone space. Read more »
U.K. magazine T3 gave out its Gadget Awards last night, annual prizes that are awarded to the best and brightest in consumer electronics. The awards reminded that the buying public’s love of Apple products in general, and with the iPad specifically, is an international affair. Read more »
