Thursday, 11 September 2014
Apple Watch: Just what Android Wear needs
If history is any guide, the market for wearables -- Web-connected devices such as smartwatches and high-tech glasses -- will get even more attention in the coming months.
On Tuesday, Apple marched into the category, introducing the Apple Watch. The smartwatch will connect with Apple's popular iPhone to let wearers send messages, track their fitness levels and listen to music, among other things. Apple will sell three versions of the gadget, priced starting at $349, in early 2015.
Apple isn't the first company to make devices and services for the wearables market, with its new product coming well after Google, Samsung, Motorola and Sony produced their own offerings. But Apple has made a name for itself redefining every new product category it enters, livening stagnant markets for digital music players, mobile phones and tablets after it released its iPod, iPhone and iPad.
The watch comes in two sizes with six interchangeable bands, from a waterproof sports band to a leather strap to a high-end stainless steel band. The Apple Watch also comes in three collections, with the most luxurious version dipped in 18-karat gold.
The device will also work with a new mobile technology called Apple Pay that will allow you to buy things with a tap at the checkout.
Whether the company has added enough features to make the Apple Watch a hit with consumers is undetermined. But its very existence is already a good thing for the wearables market, according to Weston Henderek, director for connected devices at the NPD Group.
"It lifts the wearables space for everyone," said Henderek. "The general public might now actually care about this stuff."
Other tech giants have already begun working on efforts for the nascent device category. Google in March unveiled Android Wear, a modified version of its mobile operating system for phones and tablets that's tailor-made for wearables. The platform already runs on a handful of smartwatches, including LG's G Watch and Motorola's Moto 360. And the search giant is promising a wave of new updates to the software. Google told CNET earlier this month it plans to add support for Bluetooth headsets and GPS functionality in coming months.
Samsung, the world's largest maker of smartphones, has made the biggest push in the market so far, with a line of smartwatches already introduced -- and upgraded -- in recent months. Its products include the curved-screen Gear S, the first smartwatch with a built-in modem that allows it work without a smartphone for cellular connectivity.
All these companies are vying for a stake in the still raw, but promising, wearable device market. In 2013, 9.7 million wearables were shipped, according to CCS Insight. By the end of 2014, that figure is projected to jump to 22 million. And by 2018, 250 million wearables will be in use, the research firm estimates.
Apple, said CEO Tim Cook, aims to lead the pack with the Apple Watch. ""It will redefine what people expect from a watch."
Wrangling for wrist real estate
For Google, Apple's smartwatch means the mobile war between the companies has entered a new arena.
The two tech giants are already archrivals in smartphones and tablets, where Google's Android mobile operating system is pitted against Apple's iOS, the software that powers the iPhone and iPad. Google controls a dominant share of the market, with Android used on 80 percent of the world's smartphones. But Apple's closed ecosystem is sometimes a selling point for developers and consumers who argue that Android, with its many iterations that have been modified by manufacturers including Samsung, is fragmented.
Apple and Google didn't respond to requests for comment.
With Android Wear, Google has tried to make sure the software is more uniform across devices from different manufacturers. Updates to the software will come directly from Google, instead of first having to go through wireless carriers to test the software on phones and tablets.
"It's a lot simpler on watches," Hiroshi Lockheimer, vice president of engineering for Android, told CNET last week. With phones, many companies' schedules have to align to make updates available. "There are different things on that pipeline that just don't exist [with smartwatches]. And it makes it possible for us as an industry to push these updates out a lot quicker."
Wednesday, 10 September 2014
Some Salient Features for iPhone Application Development
Today, living in a tech-savvy era, it is impossible to keep oneself devoid of it. Mobile's have become an integral part of our modern-day lifestyle. Every now and then new models and gadgets are introduced into the market, driving people nuts. Despite the availability of so many devices, iPhone outshines all and is simply the best.
iPhones have some brilliant features that no other phone boost, making it the favorite for all the techno-savvy geeks and youth. Apple's app store has inspired many developers to accelerate the production of feature-rich apps. iPhone application development is one of the fastest growing industries in the market. With the addition of new and more advanced apps the field is enjoying vast recognition from people around the world.
There's no doubt that iPhone has certainly changed the way layman used to perceive mobile phones, and the credit solely goes to the stunning and dynamic iPhone apps. Building apps for iPhones is not at all an easy task and as such one need to have sound knowledge and technical expertise as to develop an app.
1) iCloud
iCloud has gained tremendous popularity as it lets you do much more than simply storing your content- it lets you access your music, contacts, photos, documents, calendars, and more, anytime and anywhere. It is one of the most simplest and easiest way to get your content organized. iCloud offers seamless integration into your apps such that you can access your data or content on any device.
2) Notification Center
It is yet another amazing feature that can include email alert, reminders, calender alert, instant message, friend request etc.. It flashes any new updates at the top of the screen and doesn't interrupt with what you are doing, letting you keep up with the work.
3) Retina Display
It is the most vibrant display with a pixel density of 326px per inch. This makes it impossible for the human eyes to differentiate between individual pixels, as such website pages, photos or emails remains crisp and precise at any size. Users are sure to get startled and absorbed, retina display is such an amazing feature.
Tuesday, 9 September 2014
Nexus 5 2014 with Android Lion leaked in benchmark test
The new Nexus might just be called the Nexus 5 when it will be released, according to a benchmark test from GFXBenchmark and it might come with Android 5.0 Lion.
Is Android L going to be called Lion? We’ve no certainty of that and the following information should be taken with a grain of salt, but supposedly, Google might choose Lion as the identifier for the new Android OS. Lemon Meringue Pie and Lollipop might also be among the names Google is pondering upon, but we don’t know which is the one that will stick.
The Nexus 5 2014 was listed in the leak with a 5.2 inch Quad HD display, Snapdragon 805 clocked at 2.7 GHz, 3 GB RAM, 32 GB internal storage, a 12 MP rear and 2 MP front camera. So far, these are mildly impressing specs, the best feature of the Nexus 5 2014 being its Snapdragon 805 CPU. This device might also be the one we’ve been hyping about so much, dubbed Nexus 6, Shamu or even Nexus X, but it might as well be a wholly different device.
We suspect an Adreno 420 to be on board, since older Antutu Benchmark results showed the presence of the GPU in their listing. Wireless charging will also be among the features of the Nexus 5 2014, carrying it on from its predecessors. 4G and a fingerprint sensor might also be built into the device. Other rumors say that the gadget will sport a 5.9 inch screen instead of the 5.2 inch screen many are talking about. That would justify the Nexus 6 name for the handset, although that might raise copyright issues with a certain sci-fi author, Philip K. Dick (Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep).
What’s most interesting about the new Nexus 5 2014 leak is the choice of Lion as Android L’s official name. If you think about it, the name might be a possibility, keeping in mind the previous partnership with Nestle, that brought us KitKat. There has been no word on Google’s part about what name the new Android OS will have when it is released, though.
Both Android L and the Nexus 5 2014 or Nexus 6 or Nexus Shamu or Nexus X, whichever name you choose to believe, will be launched sometime next month. The new Nexus 5 will probably be manufactured by either Motorola or LG, the scales tipping towards the first. There’s a lot of mystery surrounding the new Nexus device, so we will just have to wait another month to find out what’s really going on at Google.
Monday, 8 September 2014
iPhone 6 launch: what do you want from Apple's new phone - and wearable?
Apple is launching the iPhone 6 on Tuesday 9 September. What features would you like to see? Photograph: Aly Song / Reuters/Reuters
Will it have a reversible USB cable? Are rumours of “unscratchable”sapphire screens true? And an NFC payment system? And just how big will the iPhone 6 be, exactly?
How about the rumoured wearable device? Is this the must-have exercise accessory you’ve been waiting for? Is your doctor pacing the floor impatiently, demanding your digitised biometric data? Or is this a long shot for Apple, and one you don’t care about?
Whatever Apple has planned will be revealed by CEO Tim Cook on Tuesday at Apple’s biggest launch event yet, with 2,500 people invited to the Flint Centre in Cupertino, California. The company is also expected to introduce its new iPhone and iPad software, iOS 8, which includes many new features focused around flexibility and interaction with Apple’s desktop and laptop computers.
You’ve heard the rumours – but what features would you like to see from the new iPhone? Are you happy with what you’ve heard about it so far? Or are there more design features Apple could add before you decide to buy? Let us know in the comments below and we may feature some suggestions above the line.
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