Tag: ios

Windows Phone steals third place from BlackBerry in IDC smartphone ranking

First and second place in the smartphone OS wars is a foregone conclusion with Android and iOS (respectively) strongly entrenched , but the battle for third place is now full of intrigue. BlackBerry and Microsoft have each stepped up their games with their respective BB10 and WP8 OS’s of late, but so far it’s Redmond prevailing, having jumped two spots from last quarter to take third place, with a 3.2 percent share over BlackBerry’s 2.9 percent. While those two are fighting for third place scraps, Android kicked up its smartphone OS dominance with 75 percent of the global market, which is a huge jump from last year , while iOS fell back slightly to a 17.3 percent share. Between them, those titans owned 92.3 percent of the pie, but it’s arguably Windows Phone that has raised its game the most, with a senior IDC analyst claiming that this latest ranking “validates the direction taken by Microsoft and key partner Nokia.” Filed under: Cellphones , Mobile Comments Source: IDC

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Windows Phone steals third place from BlackBerry in IDC smartphone ranking

Almost Flat: The Future of iOS Design?

‘Completely flat’, ‘like Android’, ‘Microsoft-flat’ etc., etc., etc. The talk about how Apple are going to ‘flatten out’ their UI style has set the rumour-mills ablaze with completely spurious conjecture. So I thought I’d add to it. However, let’s approach this not from ‘what one insider source told someone’ but instead from evidence of progression within some of the top iOS apps. Read more…        

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Almost Flat: The Future of iOS Design?

ScoreCleaner Notes: Instantly Compose Whatever Tune Pops Into Your Head

Whether you’re a virtuoso musician or the tone-deaf bane of karaoke night, there’s probably been at least one point in your life where you’ve felt almost certain that the little ditty you just randomly hummed could be the song to end all songs. But just as quickly as these blasts of inspiration hit us, they’ll slip away into nothingness no matter how hard we try to grasp on. With ScoreCleaner Notes for iOS, though, you’ll be able to turn your every musical vision into an eternal tune, be it for better or worse. Read more…        

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ScoreCleaner Notes: Instantly Compose Whatever Tune Pops Into Your Head

Kwikset introduces Kevo, a smartphone-friendly lock powered by UniKey

It’s not the first time that Kwikset ‘s dabbled in wireless locks , but today the company’s introducing Kēvo, a smartphone- (and tablet-) friendly lock powered by UniKey. The concept is pretty simple: pair a handset (running a special app) with Kēvo via Bluetooth, and simply touch the deadbolt to lock or unlock your door. A keychain fob is also available for those who have not yet joined the smartphone revolution. Kēvo only responds to touch when an authorized device or fob is detected nearby. A triple tap lets anyone lock your door, which is useful if a visitor leaves after you. The deadbolt is battery-powered using four AA cells that last more than a year with normal operation. It features a ring of RGB LEDs for feedback and a standard physical key for backup. Most of the magic is made possible by tech developed by UniKey. The key (natch) to the entire system is the Kēvo app which lets you manage eKeys. Once logged into the app, you can send and delete eKeys, or transfer them to another device (this also deletes the eKeys associated with a lost handset, for example) — you can even create eKeys that only work once. Currently, the app is only available for iOS, which is a major limitation, but it supports push, email and SMS notifications and keeps a detailed log of which eKeys have accessed Kēvo and when. Pricing and availability remain a mystery, but all in all the system looks pretty clever. Stay tuned for more details, and check out the link below. Filed under: Cellphones , Household , Tablets , Wireless , Software , Mobile , Apple Comments Source: Kwikset

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Kwikset introduces Kevo, a smartphone-friendly lock powered by UniKey

FedEx’s New Delivery Manager Schedules Deliveries For 2-Hour Windows

Today, FedEx announced it will begin allowing customers to pay $5 to reschedule a delivery to a new date or location, or $10 to narrow delivery down to a 2-hour window. Read more…        

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FedEx’s New Delivery Manager Schedules Deliveries For 2-Hour Windows

Frustrated with iCloud, Apple’s developer community speaks up en masse

Aurich Lawson Apple’s iCloud is marketed to us end users as a convenient and centralized way to manage data on all of our Macs and iOS devices: sync contacts and bookmarks, re-download music and apps, back up iOS devices, and sync documents and data for third-party apps as MobileMe did. The last item, syncing of documents and data, is one of the least glossy features of iCloud, but it is one of the most important, and it should be among the most straightforward. Right? Perhaps not. Almost a year after Apple shut down MobileMe for good in favor of iCloud , third-party developers have begun to speak out about the difficulty involved in working with Apple’s cloud service. A piece published at The Verge this week highlights many of those complaints, with quotes coming from well-known developers and anonymous sources alike about the challenges faced by the developer community. From data loss and corruption to unexpected Apple ID use cases, developers have seen it all—but are stymied by the persistence of problems that prevent them from shipping products with working iCloud support. What’s the big problem, exactly? According to Bare Bones Software’s Rich Siegel, there are a number of moving parts to iCloud that all affect how things come out on the other end. Read 10 remaining paragraphs | Comments

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Frustrated with iCloud, Apple’s developer community speaks up en masse

GarageBand for iOS gets Audiobus support, plays nicely with other apps

Still haven’t found the sound you’re looking for in Apple’s iOS GarageBand offering? The newly released version 1.4 broadens the music app’s horizons, thanks to Audiobus compatibility, letting it work alongside titles like Animoog, ThumbJam, Samplr and pretty much all of Korg’s iPhone offerings. Sounds created on those apps can now record directly into GarageBand — assuming, of course you’re using it on an iPhone 4S, 5th-gen iPod touch, iPad 2 or later. You can pick up the latest version of the app in the source link below. Filed under: Cellphones , Tablets , Mobile , Apple Comments Source: iTunes

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GarageBand for iOS gets Audiobus support, plays nicely with other apps

Instagram tops 100 million active users per month: what policy uproar?

Instagram started reporting its active user base in what many saw as an attempt to quell talk of an exodus following its terms of service debacle . It has a better reason to post hard numbers today, however: there’s now a neat, tidy 100 million active Instagram users every month. The milestone suggests that another 10 million mobile photographers got hooked on square-shaped photography in about five weeks, and it implies that the Facebook-owned company isn’t about to slow down just yet. Not that everyone is in a position to join the party , mind you. Filed under: Cellphones , Mobile , Facebook Comments Source: Instagram

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Instagram tops 100 million active users per month: what policy uproar?

Apple pushes iOS 6.1.2 with Exchange bug fix

Apple said it was working on a solution for the Exchange bug in iOS 6.1, and that’s what it delivered: iOS 6.1.2 has appeared for all devices to address the calendar flaw. The release is targeted and doesn’t appear to fix much if anything else, but we’ll keep our ears to the ground for more. For now, check for an update in iTunes or on-device to cure at least some of your iOS gear’s recent battery woes. Filed under: Cellphones , Portable Audio/Video , Tablets , Mobile , Apple Comments Source: Apple

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Apple pushes iOS 6.1.2 with Exchange bug fix