Posts Tagged ‘apple’

Multitasking Headed to iPhone 4.0 [RUMOR]

With iPad preorders officially starting tomorrow, attention has shifted to iPhone 4.0 software and what features it might bring to both the iPad and future iPhone models. Apple Insider is now adding fuel to the long-standing rumors that the next big update to Apple’s iPhone OS will feature support for multitasking — that is, the ability for third-party apps to run in the background. As anyone with a jailbroken iPhone knows, the multitasking limitation for third-party applications in the iPhone OS is purely artificial. Whether it is for security purposes, performance or battery life, Apple has chosen not to allow third-party developers (or even third-party Apple created apps) to run concurrently in the background. This means that if you want to listen to Pandora while surfing the web in Mobile Safari, well, too bad. Of all the complaints levied against the iPhone, this is probably the one that impacts consumers the most. It doesn’t help that you can, for instance, use the iPod application while surfing the web or using other apps. Push notifications have mitigated some of the need for many use cases for multitasking — but it’s not a true solution. Multitasking in iPhone 4.0? Even a year ago, the multitasking issue with the iPhone 3.0 OS wasn’t as problematic as it is now, in part because while competing mobile platforms did offer support for running third-party apps in the background, the competition from those platforms wasn’t as strong. A year later, we have Palm’s webOS , the BlackBerry , Microsoft’s upcoming Windows Phone 7 Series , and of course, what many see as the iPhone’s biggest competition: Google’s Android platform . For the iPhone to remain as enticing to developers as it is now (and in turn, as attractive to users), future versions of the software will need to support multitasking by third-party applications in some capacity. AppleInsider says that its sources say Apple has developed a “full-on-solution,” but details about how that solution will be implemented and what rules applications will need to follow to address multitasking was not revealed. Steve Jobs is famous for taking features out of a product if they don’t meet his standards. As a long-time smart phone user who has used devices on almost every major smartphone platform, I can attest to some of the very real problems that multitasking or excessive backgrounding can cause for those devices. They include, but are not limited to: Decreased Battery Life — More apps running at once means more CPU usage, which means battery life can be reduced. Slowdowns, freezes, crashes — As a long-time BlackBerry user before I migrated to the iPhone, I remember the “three finger salute” reboot mechanism far too well. At least once a day (more often if I happened to open up my RSS reader or my e-mail was particularly heavy) I had to reboot my Berry in order to reset the memory cache and allow the device to work at a pace that didn’t resemble molasses. Android devices I’ve used have had this same problem (although not to the extent as my BlackBerry Curve) and homebrew Palm Pre developers have even written a tool that schedules phone reboots to handle the issue. Switching apps can be awkward — This is probably one of the biggest challenges Apple will have to face — beyond just the technical tricks for implementing better resource handling and allocation — the mechanism used to switch between open applications can be cumbersome, depending on the type of application. With it’s one-button design, the iPhone will likely have to employ some sort of gesture for opening or accessing other apps — if indeed it implements multitasking the same way that BlackBerry and Android do. Rumors about multitasking coming to the iPhone in a supported form have been swirling for literally years, so any report on whether or not it will be a reality in iPhone 4.0 is pure speculation. That said, if Apple doesn’t address multitasking with its next big release, it risks falling behind other players moving forward. Reviews: Android , BlackBerry Rocks! , Google , Pandora , iPhone Tags: apple , iphone , iPhone 4.0 , iphone os , multitasking

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Forget iPhone 4G: Why Android is winning?

Recent studies show that RIM is still in the lead when it comes to the amount of handsets they sell, but Apple are waiting in the wings for the BlackBerry maker to slip up. However, Apple are not sitting pretty either and thoughts of an iPhone 4G is not worrying Google Android in the slightest. Both Apple and RIM now have to watch their backs – Android are winning thanks to an onslaught of handsets. Although Android only has a 7.1 percent market share in the U.S. – 4.4 percent of that was made up in the last four months alone. This growth is amazing for such a young brand – and new handsets on the way will do nothing but good for Google. According to Cnet – more than 60,000 Android smartphones are being shifted each day. These are not the huge numbers that we have seen with the iPhone, but the new 4G model will need to be something extra special – if not Android will become the No.2 or even the No.1.

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Android’s American market share soars, WinMo pays the price

Mobile manufacturer and platform market share stats for the US are in for the month of January thanks to comScore, and as usual, they tell a fascinating (and somewhat unpredictable) story of what's actually going on at the cash registers. Motorola -- which has long since fallen off its high horse on the global stage -- still maintains a commanding presence in the American market by representing some 22.9 percent of all subscribers, though that's down 1.2 percent from October 2009; that's particularly interesting in light of the Droid's success, and a possible sign that smartphones still aren't on the cusp of dominating the phone market overall. Samsung recently touted the fact that it had held onto the States' overall market share crown, though Sammy was undoubtedly referring to sales, not subscribers -- in other words, there are still a ton of legacy RAZRs out there inflating Moto's stats. Turning our attention to smartphone platforms, BlackBerry OS, iPhone, and Android all saw gains, while Windows Mobile and Palm both saw significant downturns. You might use Palm's loss of 2.1 percent of overall market share in a single quarter as a big nail in webOS' coffin, but we're inclined to believe this includes legacy devices -- and considering the huge installed base of Palm OS -based handsets ( Centros , for instance) that are coming off contract these days, it's neither surprising nor alarming to see that kind of drop. Android's gain, meanwhile, likely comes in large part from WinMo's whopping four percent loss -- it's no secret that WinMo 6.x is well past its expiration date with customers leaving in droves (even before Windows Phone 7 Series announcement), and our informal observations lead us to believe that many of those folks are heading for Android. After all, it's kind of convenient that Android gained 4.3 percent and WinMo lost about the same, isn't it? BlackBerrys still dominate the American smartphone landscape, and the iPhone market looks like it might be mature for the time being -- Apple added just 0.3 percent to its market share in the quarter, possibly a sign that folks are holding out for whatever Cupertino brings us come Summer. Is this a sign that Palm needs to step up its game yet again? Undoubtedly -- but at the same time, we wouldn't call the loss of those Palm OS subscribers a death knell just yet. Android's American market share soars, WinMo pays the price originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 23:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

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Rumor: Multitasking coming to iPhone OS 4.0

Sorry, that was just my excited utterance upon reading Thursday morning's AppleInsider story about iPhone OS 4.0 . It cites "people with a proven track record" in claiming that multitasking will finally make its debut. Multitasking, of course, refers to the operating system's ability to run more than one app at a time and let you switch between them at will, just like you can do in Windows, Mac OS, Android, Palm WebOS, and just about every other OS on the planet--mobile or otherwise. The iPhone OS currently offers limited multitasking: You can listen to music while, say, reading a book, and keep a phone call active while browsing in Safari, but that's about it. According to AppleInsider's sources, "Apple plans to deliver a multitasking manager that leverages interface technology already bundled with its Mac OS X operating system." Sounds good to me. Of course, only Apple knows if, when, and how that will be implemented. Personally, I just want a way to organize my ever-increasing app library--though hopefully that will go hand-in-hand with whatever interface changes bring multitasking. How about you? Are you champing at the bit for this long-overdue feature, or do you have other items on your wish list? While you're mulling that over (and writing up insightful comments), check out David Carnoy's iPhone 4G: 25 most-wanted features . Hopefully we won't have to wait long for at least some of them. http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-19512_7-10467752-233.html?tag=TOCmoreStories.0  

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Android legt weiter zu

Von Oktober 2009 bis Januar 2010 ist der Anteil der Android basierten Smartphones auf dem US Markt um satte 4.3% auf jetzt 7.1% gestiegen. Das ist gleichzeitig der stärkste Anstieg unter den 5 wichtigsten mobilen Plattformen. Diese Zahlen gaben die Marktforscher von ComScore bekannt. An erster Stelle liegt demnach immer noch RIM mit aktuell 43% Marktanteil bei den Smartphones, gefolgt von Apple mit 25.1% und Microsoft mit 15.7%, was gleichzeitig einen Verlust von 4% in den letzten 4 Monaten bedeutet. Das Google Betriebssystem Android liegt auf Rang 4 und hat damit PalmOS auf den 5. Platz verdrängt. Quelle: ComScore (http://www.comscore.com/Press_Events/Press_Releases/2010/3/comScore_Reports_January_2010_U.S._Mobile_Subscriber_Market_Share)

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Motally Brings Mobile Analytics To Smartphone Games

As mobile gaming takes off, developers will need in-depth analysis to determine consumer behavior with their games and adjust their games accordingly. Motally , which provides user-action tracking services for the mobile web and apps, is expanding its product base today offering a targeted analytics service aimed towards mobile games on the iPhone, Android and Blackberry platforms. The service is currently in private beta, but developers will be able to sign up to use the service. Motally’s game-oriented analytics platform allows publishers to track in-game data including where users drop out in-play and which levels users interact with most. Motally also allows for the dynamic changing of the game’s design, allowing developers to measure the impact of changes immediately. As a result, publishers can tweak their games including design, performance, and ad placement by pinpointing areas of the game with the most traffic and identifying trouble areas. Motally’s game analytics allows publishers to analyze what level players are reaching and then dropping off, determine the top players and their high scores within a game, and to reach out to those on the leaderboard and present them with special offers or advertisements. The data also includes which virtual goods on an application are most popular, which games are most popular in a developer’s portfolio of games, and the conversion rates of players opting into paid premium game offerings. Game developer Portable Zoo has already been using Motally’s analytics, and claims that data collected from the platform allowed the developer to adjust games to increase average engagement time, and the overall appeal of games. Motally’s venture in gaming is smart considering the rapid growth of mobile gaming, especially on smartphones. Motally, which recently launched an extension of their mobile analytics to include content developed on Apple’s iPad and rolled out a flexible API, support analytics for applications on the iPhone, Android, and BlackBerry platforms as well as the mobile web. Motally offers more advanced features that allows developers to troubleshoot and debug their products from anywhere in the world, without having to re-deploy apps and games to the Apple iPhone store. For a young startup, Motally has seen significant traction as a mobile analytics provider. Backed by renown investor Ron Conway, Motally’s clients include Twitter, Yelp, Fandango and Verizon. CrunchBase Information Motally Information provided by CrunchBase

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Apple CEO Steve Jobs is World's 136th Richest Person – I love Cell …

MacRumors is reporting on the latest Forbes annual list of the world's billionaires, where Apple CEO Steve Jobs ranked at 178th place with $3.4 billion in 2009. Cupertino's main man leapt up the chart for 2010, tying with six others for ...

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Apple’s Lawsuit Against HTC is Working

HTC is scrambling for workarounds for its Android handset that won't incur Apple's legal wrath, according to reports.

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How The iPad, And The Slate Computer, Will Evolve In The Next Two Years

With the iPad hitting pre-order in two days and shipping in April , it's important to think about when and why to buy the iPad. Based on our understanding of the product lifecycle and expected moves by Apple's competitors, we foresee big changes in the ultraportable landscape with the ultraportable/netbook as we now know it mutating - or branching - into a new species of media oriented Win7 and Android devices. Here's what we can expect. April 3, 2010 - Big launch. Light crowds at the Apple Store. This isn't huge-huge. It's medium-huge and I don't think you're going to see an army of the pasty arriving at your local shop clamoring for iPads. This is Apple's wait and see product, although I don't doubt between 3-5 million won't wait and see in 2010. May-June 2010 - Chinese knock-offs will flood the market and we'll see a nice collection of weird, mutated slates hitting the more esoteric sites. Nothing major and no big sellers. Summer 2010 - Dell and HP release their devices. Dell's is called the Mini 5 AKA the Streak and HP's as of yet unamed . These guys will wait until the waters have been fully tested before they move with their devices.

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Appboy Gets a New Design, iPhone App and Best Buy Partnership

Back in October we wrote about Appboy , a social network for mobile app developers and users. Since launching, Appboy has continued to evolve into a community for both developers and users to find and rate apps, as well as submit ideas for new mobile applications. Appboy has just rolled out a big update to its site which improves the design, adds stronger integration with Facebook and Twitter, and makes it easy to keep up with what your favorite app developers are doing. The site has also launched a new companion iPhone application and started a new partnership with Best Buy Mobile . New Look and Feel The Appboy Profile pages have been given a total facelift. Now, in addition to displaying your user activity and favorite apps, users can link their Twitter accounts with Appboy and auto-publish any #appboy tweets directly to their Appboy page. For users, this feature might not get a ton of play, but for app developers it becomes a pretty handy way of keeping your Appboy profile up-to-date with little fuss. Users can also now login with either Twitter or Facebook Connect. We really like that Appboy has embraced other social networks instead of trying to force users to keep everything in the Appboy garden. You can also now follow other users, which is especially helpful when you want to keep up with what’s happening with your favorite app or app idea. The App Pages have also received a new coat of paint, with an easy way to vote “Love It” or “Hate It” on an app’s page. Comments and reviews can now be viewed separately, which is nice when you just want to distill one group or the other. Plus, users can now add related links, videos and reviews to an app page which can help provide better context. User reviews are also now ratable — Digg style — which allows the most helpful reviews to appear higher on the list. iPhone App In addition to a new website design, Appboy now has its own iPhone app . The free app gives users all the functionality of the website right on the iPhone. That’s really nice, especially when you are looking for a new app or want to leave a review for something you just purchased. Sure, the App Store works for that too, but what is nice about Appboy is that it is a community. Check out these screenshots to see the app in action. As you can see, the interface matches the website and it’s very easy to get around and rate or learn about apps and app ideas. Best Buy Mobile Partnership One of the most unique features of Appboy is that it isn’t focused on just one platform; it’s focused on mobile apps in general. So whether you have an Android device, an iPhone, a BlackBerry or a Palm Pre, you can find, rate and suggest ideas for new apps. Best Buy just launched a new mobile site, Best Buy Mobile , and Appboy powers the Apps section for iPhone, Android and BlackBerry. The top 10 apps from each platform are fed into Best Buy’s site and those apps come directly from the Appboy community. This is a pretty big step, considering the relative age of the site, and we think it’s because Appboy has shown itself as being committed to the mobile community as a whole. Looking Good Appboy continues to be a great resource for developers and users wanting to connect and share what’s cool and what sucks in the mobile app space. The new iPhone app is a really nice addition to the site and we hope that the Best Buy partnership will bring even more users into the community. How do you find out about new mobile applications? Let us know! Reviews: Android , Digg , Twitter Tags: android , appboy , apple , apps , iphone , iphone apps , mobile apps

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