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Apple not releasing iOS 5 until fall, according to rumor mill
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Rumors, Software,
Sources have tipped off Techcrunch's MG Siegler that the latest incarnation of Apple's mobile operating system, iOS 5, might not hit consumer devices until fall. What's the big deal, you ask? The move is unorthodox for Apple: The typical pattern for the company is to announce a new upgrade to its mobile operating system in spring as a precursor to a summer hardware launch of a new iPhone.
There's been no Apple talk of a new operating system thus far—especially during what would have been the ideal timeframe for the chat, Apple's iPad 2 announcement in early March. This tracks with what Siegler's sources are saying, in that Apple is likely to hold off on iOS 5 until fall. The presumption is that Apple would get to chatting about its new mobile OS during its Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC), with the official launch of the new OS version hitting during Apple's annual fall music event.
So where does that leave the iPhone 5? Unclear. While Apple typically releases a new version of iOS concurrently with a new iPhone, the delay of iOS doesn't necessarily mean that new Apple hardware is being pushed back until fall this time around. This is all speculation at this point, although FBR Capital Markets analyst Craig Berger has gone on record to indicate that Apple might not have all of its gears in motion to support its annual summer iPhone launch.
Click to continue reading Apple not releasing iOS 5 until fall, according to rumor mill
Gallery: Apple not releasing iOS 5 until fall, according to rumor mill
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Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 to get Android 2.3 Gingerbread upgrade
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Google, Software,
Sony Ericsson announced Friday that its Xperia X10 smartphone will be upgraded to Android 2.3 Gingerbread by the third quarter, though it might not be available to all users.
Sony Ericsson upgraded the X10 to Android 2.1 in November, and had planned to stop there, but customer demand and technology advances prompted the company to consider another upgrade.
"We have listened to our consumers," Sony wrote in a blog post. "In addition, the development of the software for our new 2011 range of Xperia phones gave us a solution that made it possible to deliver Gingerbread on Xperia X10."
Sony Ericsson decided to bypass the Android 2.2 update because it has been focused on Gingerbread for its upcoming line of Xperia phones, including the Xperia Play "PlayStation phone."
The rollout, which will technically be Android 2.3.3, is planned for the end of the second quarter into the third via the company's PC-based upgrade client. At this point, the Xperia X10 is available from carriers and in a version not tied to a specific wireless company, and the Gingerbread update will initially be provided to X10s not tied to a carrier.
Click to continue reading Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 to get Android 2.3 Gingerbread upgrade
Gallery: Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 to get Android 2.3 Gingerbread upgrade
iOS 4.3.1 now available
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Handhelds, Software,
Apple just released iOS 4.3.1 to the world, aiming to fix things like iPod touch display issues, AV-out troubles, problems with enterprise apps, and a few other bugs that were hanging around. If you've been running iOS 4.3 and have been experiencing a few niggles, chances are this'll clear that up. Connect your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to iTunes and grab the update.
Gallery: iOS 4.3.1 now available
Bertrand Serlet, the man behind OS X, leaves Apple
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Corporate News, Software,
Bertrand Serlet, chief of Mac software engineering at Apple, will leave the company to focus less on products and more on science, the company announced Wednesday.
Craig Federighi, currently serving as vice president of Mac Software Engineering, will assume Serlet's role as senior vice president.
"I've worked with Steve for 22 years and have had an incredible time developing products at both NeXT and Apple, but at this point, I want to focus less on products and more on science," Serlet said in a statement. "Craig has done a great job managing the Mac OS team for the past two years, Lion is a great release and the transition should be seamless."
Apple did not mention if the departure was effective immediately. Federighi is responsible for the development of Mac OS X and has been managing the Mac OS software engineering group for the past two years. He will reports to Apple chief Steve Jobs.
Click to continue reading Bertrand Serlet, the man behind OS X, leaves Apple
Gallery: Bertrand Serlet, the man behind OS X, leaves Apple
Mozilla's popular open-source, community-developed browser has been updated to Firefox 4.0 today. Users can now download the significantly overhauled software in 75 languages from www.firefox.com. Versions are available for Windows (including the popular XP, shunned by the also-new Internet Explorer 9), Mac OS, and Linux.
The new browser version was announced on the Mozilla blog in a post lengthily titled "Mozilla Launches Firefox 4 and Delivers a Fast, Sleek and Customizable Browsing Experience to More Than 400 Million Users Worldwide."
The browser that pushed Internet Explorer to stop resting on its laurels after years of stagnation has now been pushed by Google's newer Chrome browser to do just the same. Not that Firefox had been stagnating the way that IE had been before the Mozilla browser's debut. But Chrome has served as inspiration for the new version of Firefox in more ways than one—improved speed and a simplified interface are standout examples of this.
Gary Kovacs, CEO of Mozilla, commented, "Mozilla is very proud of Firefox 4, created by our community of thousands of volunteers worldwide. It truly is the browser for tomorrow's Web. The Internet has become the most important connection mechanism in our society, which is why we've focused on making users' Web experience as fast, modern, safe and intuitive as possible."
Click to continue reading Firefox 4 is here
Gallery: Firefox 4 is here
Sure, Mac OS X Lion is getting all the hype, but Apple isn't resting on its Snow Leopard laurels, having just released 10.6.7. The update focuses on improving Back to My Mac, fixing some Mac App Store bugs, FaceTime improvements, and also takes care of that Thunderbolt Cinema Display issue as well. Grab the goods by launching Software Update now.
Gallery: Mac OS X 10.6.7 update now available
Netflix Android app leaks, not yet streaming video
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Movies, Rumors, Software,
An alleged Android app for Netflix leaked on the Internet on Thursday, but doesn't appear to stream videos yet.
Android Police discovered and tested the app on an EVO phone, but couldn't get anything to stream.
"Everything looked good up until the point where I actually wanted to watch a movie – and then...nothing," blogged Will Shanklin.
Last November, Netflix blamed Android's fragmentation issues for not being able to offer a Netflix app on all Android phones. Netflix does, however, have streaming apps for the iPhone and iPod touch as well as an updated iPad app. Boxee finally added a Netflix app last month after multiple delays due to security issues.
Click to continue reading Netflix Android app leaks, not yet streaming video
Gallery: Netflix Android app leaks, not yet streaming video
Apple iPad 2 review: Second Thoughts
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Handhelds, Product Reviews, Software,
Ever since I picked up an Apple iPad 2, I've spent more time with it than my original iPad. At 1.3 pounds, the 33 percent thinner iPad 2 is unquestionably more comfortable to hold and offers the promise of greater speed and utility. In some cases, doing what was once impossible with an iPad 1 is obvious. I could never, for instance, shoot or edit video with my old device. The remaining iPad 2 differences, however, are harder to spot; so I spent some time this weekend in search of them.
The iPad 2 has always had an accelerometer, which basically tells the device if it's in motion. It's great for, say, driving games, so you can steer with the whole device. I use this when playing Real Racing HD. Now the iPad 2 has a three-axis gyroscope, which not only recognizes motion, but the speed and angle of it. That's the good news. The bad news is that it's still hard to find any apps (from Apple or anyone else) that use it.
Apple reports at least two games that take advantage of the new gyroscope: "Dead Space" from EA and "N.O.V.A 2 Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance HD." According to the "Dead Space" page in the App Store, version 1.0.2, which was released on the same day the iPad 2 arrived in stores, now has "more intuitive controls of your movement". This is made possible through "Y-Axis Inversion". No mention of gyroscope axis, but I'm guessing that's probably what EA is talking about. I downloaded the game to try it out.
Click to continue reading Apple iPad 2 review: Second Thoughts
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Next Windows Phone 7 update delayed to March
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Microsoft, Software,
Given the problems with its first Windows Phone 7 update, Microsoft said Thursday that it will delay the next upgrade, which will bring cut and paste functionality, until late March.
"I believe it's important that we learn all we can from the February update. So I've decided to take some extra time to ensure the update process meets our standards, your standards, and the standards of our partners," Eric Hautala, Microsoft's general manager of customer experience engineering, wrote in a blog post. "As a result, our plan is to start delivering the copy-and-paste update in the latter half of March."
Microsoft started rolling out its first, minor update for the Windows Phone 7 platform in late February, but a glitch prompted the company to temporarily halt updates for Samsung phones.
Click to continue reading Next Windows Phone 7 update delayed to March
Gallery: Next Windows Phone 7 update delayed to March
Mozilla on Wednesday released the Firefox 4 release candidate, the final update before the company formally unveils its next-generation browser.
Those who have been testing Firefox 4 will be automatically upgraded to the RC. Mozilla said it has fixed more than 8,000 bugs since the first beta release of Firefox 4, but encouraged RC users to test this latest release as well and provide feedback.
Mozilla executives expect the final Firefox 4 to be released later this month.
Firefox 4 is a major upgrade for Mozilla. It will feature a revamped plug-in architecture called JetPack, a redesigned minimalist interface, faster JavaScript performance, and greater support for HTML5, including Google's WebM HTML5 video format.
Mozilla has streamlined the user interface, collapsing the full menu bar into a small "Firefox" drop-down option on the top left. The tabs are front and center, with the URL and search bars underneath.
Click to continue reading Firefox 4 release candidate now available
