A friend of mine who works for T-mobile tipped me off to the fact that Google was considering buying T-Mobile. Honestly I'm not surprised, think about it: Google owns the Android OS, and they recently just bought Motorola Mobility. With T-Mobile under their belt they would have complete control of the OS, the phone, and the service.
While this seems like an excellent idea, I'm not entirely sure how this would work out with AT&T purchasing T-Mobile...
Cher Wang, chairwoman of the handset maker HTC has publicly announced HTC's interest in buying the webOS operating system HP following the latter company's decision to discontinue the manufacturing of webOS hardware. Wang believes that HTC's distinctiveness will allow to make unique products on different OSes. Keep in mind that HTC still hasn't had serious negotiations with HP yet.
“We have given it thought and we have discussed it internally, but we will not do it on impulse,” Wang said in an interview with the Economic Observer of China. “We can use any OS we want. We are able to make things different from our rivals on the second or third layer of a platform. Our strength lies in understanding an OS, but it does not mean that we have to produce an OS.”
A recent post on Microsoft's "Building Windows 8" blog by Steven Sinofsky stated that Microsoft had assigned teams of developers to work on specific areas of the future OS. What caught our eye, thought, was that one of those focus areas was an App Store which is supposedly going to be complete in time for the launch of Windows 8.
A member of the iPhone Dev Team (the hackers who jailbreak the iPad and iPhone) has successfully installed Google’s Android OS on an iPhone. It’s an early version of the hack, so it’s a little buggy, but it’s definitely working as you can see in the video below. Currently, it only runs on the original iPhone but it’s just a matter of time before it’s running on the 3G and 3Gs.
Oh, and did we mention that you can dual boot the iPhone OS and Android? You can! That means you’ll be able to use all of the 38,000 Android apps (some of which are banned from the iPhone) as well as your old iPhone apps.
Some of the new features in the 4.0 iPhone OS are:
Multitasking (Double-Tap home button, you can run up to 4 apps simultaneously)
BlueTooth Keyboard
5X Digital Zoom
Change Homescreen wallpaper
SMS Reminders
Sync IMAP Notes
Tap-to-Focus Video
Web Search Suggestions
Find & Delete Mail Search
Larger Fonts for Mail
Wake on Wireless
Changeable image size in mail messages
Background Audio
VoIP (AT&T is going to hate Skype)
Background location
Local Notifications
Faster App Switching
Folders*
Enhanced Mail Application
Can have 2,160 apps installed instead of 180
iBooks for the iPhone (With Free Winnie The Pooh)
In-App encryption
Game Centre
MultiPlayer Matchmaking & Invite Friends Option
iAd
HTML5
Incompatible with 1st gen iDevices, 2nd gen will have limited features.
Woah, they even changed some of the icons for the default apps.
Pandora radio is now fully background-aware so you can exit the app and still listen to music!
Multitask with 4 different apps at once! Amazing
Skype behaves just like your standard calling in the new OS! Same style notifications too (Note: You can also receive skype calls when your phone is locked) You can also exit the app and run another one, just like standard calling.
The enhanced mail application has a unified inbox & better searching
*Folders is just like categories for those of you that have jailbroken your iPhone/iPod Touch
NOTE: iPod Touch users still have to pay, free for iPhone users
Imagine you’ve traveled to another universe for a moment where Apple and Windows have switched roles entirely. The result? Windows 7 on the iPad. Using the same methods we showed you for running Mac OSx on the iPad, this user utilized a VNC desktop-sharing client which allows him to control a Windows 7 computer using the iPad. A neat trick for now, but perhaps we’ll see it for real when the iPad is hacked.
Well…sort of. It’s actually an app called Desktop Connect which allows you to connect via VNC to share another computer’s desktop. A perfect shortcut for those who would rather have seen OSX on the iPad instead of a variation of the iPhone OS and don’t want to wait until it’s hacked.
It’s really easy to setup and you pull up an onscreen keyboard as well. It’s not perfect though. It’s pretty difficult to use an OS made for precision mouse clicking and attempt to control it using your large, stubby fingers. More iPad hacks to come! – subscribe so you don’t miss out.
On April 8th (That's 3 days from now) Apple will be unveiling their 4.0 OS for the iPhone/iPod Touch. It's amazing to see thing just so soon after the iPad's launch, but hey, we're not complaining.
The iPhone Dev Team is at it again. Using the same methods which allowed them to jailbreak the iPhone, these hackers were able to jailbreak the iPad within a day of its launch. The exploit known as “spirit” allowed root access into the iPad’s OS and file system.
The video shows that the jailbreak provides a root shell with what appears to be full access to the iPad file system. The video walks shows connection to the iPad via ssh, exploration of the OS and kernel version information, a view of running processes, moving applications out of the iPad’s applications directory (and then restarting Springboard via the shell to show the results) and finally, rebooting the iPad via the jailbroken root shell.
Apple this summer will go a long way towards silencing critics and catering to one of the most prevalent demands of its iPhone user base, when it introduces a multitasking solution through the handset's 4.0 software update that will finally allow several third party apps to run concurrently and in the background.
People with a proven track record in predicting Apple's technological advances tell AppleInsider that the Cupertino-based company has developed a "full-on solution" to multitasking on the iPhone OS but offered no specifics on how the technology would optimize resource conservation and battery life -- two of the most critical issues surrounding the matter, alongside security.
From a user-facing perspective, Apple plans to deliver a multi-tasking manager that leverages interface technology already bundled with its Mac OS X operating system, according to those same people. It was requested that specifics be withheld at this time, as the iPhone Software 4.0 remains under development and reportedly has a quite 'way to go' before it's ready for prime time.
Today's iPhone 3.x software is a fully preemptive multitasking operating system, but it artificially restricts apps (other than specific ones bundled with the system by Apple) from running in the background.
Not a technical issue
Controversy over "multitasking" within the iPhone OS has been brewing ever since Apple launched iPhone 2.0 with the ability to run third party software titles. While often reported as begin a technical flaw, the iPhone OS really has no problem with multitasking.
The system's phone, SMS, email, iPod, voice recorder, Nike+, and certain other bundled apps can continue in the background while the user launches another app. However, third party titles obtained from the App Store (including apps from Apple, such as Remote or iDisk) can not be launched at the same time.
This behavior is prevented by the iPhone OS' security model, which is designed to close the current app whenever the user returns to the Home screen or accepts an incoming call. This design prevents apps from being able to run in the background without the user knowing, and therefore erases any real potential for spyware, adware and viruses.
Enabling multitasking
By jailbreaking the system, the iPhone OS security model is compromised via an exploit, allowing the user to launch and run multiple apps. This also opens the door to both malware and widespread piracy, both of which have been contained by the default security system put in place by Apple.
While this has resulted in a secure platform and a commercially viable App Store for both users and developers, many vocal critics have cited a variety of examples of apps or features that can't work within these constrains.
Among these apps begging for background execution are: Pandora-style Internet radio; third party instant messaging features that are available at all times just like SMS or email; and Loopt or Google Latitude type apps that report the user's location at regular intervals.
New in iPhone 4.0
There are a number of ways Apple can address these needs. First is by allowing third parties to launch apps that actually run all the time in the background, just like the bundled Mail, SMS, iPod, or Voice Memos.
This isn't a technical problem for the multitasking iPhone OS, but does introduce new issues for users. Because the iPhone OS doesn't present a conventional windowing user interface, launching multiple apps requires the addition of a new interface mechanism that allows users to intuitively switch between apps without introducing too much new complexity.
The iPhone OS is intended to create mobile devices that are easy to use, not just small versions of the complex PC model of the 1990s. Apple mocked the unfriendly and complex Task Manager of Windows Mobile at the launch of iPhone 2.0. Today's Android users similarly find themselves diddling with resource and memory management to optimize battery life and performance.
Existing background-capable apps in iPhone 3.x paint a bar across the top of the screen that allows the user to return to that background app (such as a phone call, voice memo, or Nike+ session) when finished with their secondary foreground app. But that solution isn't going to scale to multiple apps all running at once.
Other multitasking issues to fix
In addition to a new graphical interface for switching (handled by the Dock in Mac OS X), a multitasking third party app model would also require a way for apps to communicate with each other or prioritize resource allocation. One reason why the iPhone and iPod touch are emerging as a successful mobile games platform is due to the fact that the iPhone OS' one-app model means that games can be more complex and sophisticated and yet still perform well on a mobile device.
Gaming has largely failed to take off on other mobile platforms because titles are limited to simplistic experiences, as they must either run in a poorly-performing layer of abstraction (such as the Adobe Flash/Flash Lite, Microsoft Silverlight, or Sun Java/Android Dalvikruntimes), or target a native platform that lacks an installed base big enough to attract significant development.
Installing lots of background processes will inevitably eat up battery life and performance, so adding multitasking features that are valuable without creating a mess for users to deal with requires solving a variety of non-obvious problems that are very apparent on other mobile platforms that claim to deliver functional multitasking.
Potential solutions include saving the state of and parking the foreground app, or scaling down the execution of a background app, so that multiple app execution does not overwhelm the limited resources available on mobile devices. Either one would allow the user to quickly switch between running apps without seeing much downside. Today's iPhone OS requires a brief layover to the Home screen before jumping from the current app to launch another one.
More system RAM and faster processors will also help to improve the experience of users who want to quickly switch between multiple apps.
Google on Thursday will give a technical update on its Chrome OS.
The company is holding an event at its Mountain View campus. The event will be “a technical announcement,” but Google will be showing a few demos as well as detailing its launch plans for next year.
The Chrome OS is in its infancy, but there has been a lot of buzz around a potential launch. At the event, Sundar Pichai, Vice President of Product Management, and Matthew Papakipos, Engineering Director for Google Chrome OS, will be talking up reporters.
Garett Rogers has wondered if launching a bare bones preview of the Chrome OS is a concern. He noted:
The initial release of Chrome OS will likely be very bare-bones, bordering on useless — but depending on what kind of feedback they get, it may grow rapidly. The “release early and often” mantra adopted by many software companies that use agile practices can be extremely dangerous, however.
Apple has shipped iTunes 9.0.1to fix a critical security hole that puts Mac and Windows users at risk of computer takeover attacks.
The vulnerability could be used by hackers to launch code execution attacks via booby-trapped “.pls” files, Apple warned in an advisory.
Impact: Opening a maliciously crafted .pls file may lead to an unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution
Description: A buffer overflow exists in the handling of .pls files. Opening a maliciously crafted .pls file may lead to an unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution. This update addresses the issue through improved bounds checking.
The update is available for Mac OS X v10.4.11 or later, Mac OS X Server v10.4.11 or later, Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7.
You’ve probably seen the latest commercial for T-Mobile’s myTouch 3G smartphone, where comedian Whoopi Goldberg, NBA coach Phil Jackson and motorcycle builder Jesse James pass the handset to each other.
But did you ever wonder if the thing was any good?
I spent the better part of a month with the myTouch 3G to find out.
The appeal of the myTouch 3G is apparent from the beginning: it’s the first fully touchscreen handset (no QWERTY keyboard here) powered by the Google Android operating system, and by extension, it’s been positioned as the kind of smartphone that you can feel safe giving to both your parents and kids.
The surprisingly light myTouch 3G is sold to be “100% you,” satisfied by three colors (black, white, burgundy) and an array of customized backplates, skins and apps from the T-Mobile myTouch Studio. It also comes, in a nice touch for users, with headphones, a screen protector, a soft drawstring phone case, a charger that mimics the shape of the phone itself and a cushioned, branded soft-hard case to pack it all inside.
But the aspect of customization also refers to the Android OS that powers the handset. With it, you can program widgets to sit on the three screen-wide home screen, download apps through Android Market and generally do whatever you want with the device — work, play, whatever.
To challenge this proposition, I used the phone for the better part of a workday, syncing my work and personal lives to the device. The phone supports Microsoft Exchange out of the box, and offers a separate icon for the purpose.
I had no problem syncing my corporate mail account to the device, and naturally didn’t have any problem syncing my personal Gmail account, either (Android offers a third option if you have another e-mail provider).
I set up Yahoo! Messenger (work) and Google Chat and AIM (personal) and was effectively on my way.
As is expected, the myTouch integrates perfectly with all Google services. That’s a great thing for those of us who use Google services regularly; if you don’t, this phone will still suffice, but you’ll be missing out on key integration opportunities.
Android uses a notification system that alerts you at the top of the screen of an incoming message. The feature becomes useful if you’re in one connection tool and get messaged with another, but the alert is a bit hard to read.
In this sense, the Android flavor of the myTouch 3G (Cupcake) is still fairly basic, and you need to duck in and out of connection apps to keep abreast of your potential avenues of contact. (It’s the same limitation iPhone users face.)
Other vendors have already begun addressing this problem, including Palm with its webOS for the Pre and Pixi and Motorola with its Motoblur RSS-based widget architecture for the CLIQ. But unless you’re using this device as a hardcore business communication tool, it’s not truly essential to navigate three different IM clients at once.
That said, the myTouch can be quite effective if you’re a user who prefers a touch interface. It improves on the somewhat-maligned T-Mobile G1, made by the same manufacturer, HTC. In losing the G1’s heavy slider keyboard, the myTouch 3G is remarkably lighter, thinner and more pleasurable to use.
(Strangely, I had a difficult time conditioning myself to not confuse the home and power/off buttons.)
The 3.2-inch, 262,000-color, 480×320 pixel resolution screen is as impressive.
The myTouch 3G offers a rollerball that can serve as an alternate navigation method; in practice, I found that the touch-rollerball combo was versatile, intuitive and effective in addressing different situations. (For example, I found myself using the rollerball to navigate menu options; I preferred using my finger for navigating media, such as photos.)
But business-minded users will note the myTouch 3G’s lack of Outlook calendar and contacts sync, as well as a missing file manager. And the virtual keyboard was just a bit scrunched for my big thumbs.
Curiously, despite being “about you,” there aren’t any options to edit photos, or for that matter, a flash for the camera. Furthermore, the handset lacks a standard 3.5mm jack, so you’re limited to using the earbuds that come with the phone.
Storage comes in the form of an included 4GB microSD card — smaller than the iPhone’s storage.
In use, I found the myTouch 3G to be mostly smooth in navigation and loading content, but occasionally Android would hiccup for unexplained reason, a moment’s snag before the interface would catch up (such as when using the sliding main menu on the home screen).
Integration with Google Maps was great, but I found that about 50 percent of the time it was inaccurate. In New York City, it occasionally mapped me 30 blocks from where I was standing; driving down I-95 in New Jersey, it occasionally pinned me in a field adjacent to the highway, rather than on the road itself.
The Android Market for apps is fine enough, but it’s still lacking in surfacing key offerings, such as an official Facebook app. As the Android platform grows in popularity (and it will), this will become a non-issue.
The battery life on the myTouch 3G is much improved over the G1. It’s rated at 7 hours and 30 minutes of talk time and 420 hours standby, and I browsed and messaged and e-mailed on 3G for most of the day without a problem.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Currently, the T-Mobile myTouch 3G is the most versatile Android smartphone on the market. It’s fairly easy for people of all ages to use, and it can be configured to suit a person’s needs rather easily.
The little accessory touches that T-Mobile packages with the device make the purchase price ($199 with a two-year contract) a little easier to swallow.
The mytouch 3G is also a good choice for someone who wants iPhone-like features without buying into Apple’s product ecosystem.
With that said, the market for Android phones is about to expand dramatically, and the reign of the myTouch as the best Android phone out there will be short-lived. Motorola, Samsung and HTC have more Android-based handsets in the pipeline, and several (HTC’s Hero, on Sprint, and Motorola’s CLIQ, on T-Mobile) have shown themselves to be equal to or superior than the myTouch 3G.
Still, when those handsets arrive to market (October), they will command higher prices, and the myTouch 3G will likely be reduced in price. When that occurs, the myTouch 3G will still be able to reinforce its value as the easiest way to transition to a 3G smartphone — no whiz-bang required.
The new 3.0 iPhone OS is a very nice upgrade, well worth the $10 for iPod touch users. It has updated push capabilities, enabling apps to display notofications on your iPod. I have found that this feature is very nice. I really like the new feel of the 3.0 OS, it's landscape email & notes makes it much more bearable to type on the iPod. The updated tilting sensitivity is also nice for some of the apps that require you to tilt your device. Video recording and editing has been added for iPhones only, video has surprisingly good quality for a cell phone, and editing couldn't be any easier. Voice memos have also been added for both iPod & iPhone, but is somewhat useless for the older iPods since thier headphones don't have mics built in, if you want a mic headset for voice memos it will cost you another $25, slightly annoying, but useful nonetheless. Spotlight search has also been added as well, spotlight is useful because it allows you to search your entire ipod/iphone. You can search for apps, notes, emails, songs, videos, and other. Apple has also enabled bluetooth in all iPod touches, cool but slightly annoying as well because that means that iPods were bluetooth capable the entire time but we just had to pay more to activate it.
These are just some of the many features that Apple has included, along with many bug fixes.
Today at 10AM Pacific time, apple will be showcasing their new iPhone OS, 3.0. We all have our wishes on what we want in the new OS, but none of know.... Yet.
Please note that Apple will not be releasing the OS today... They will just be showing it off.
0
comments
