Latest Gadgets, Tablets and Smartphones
Although Apple [AAPL] has yet to announce the iPhone 5, or indeed set a date for the announcement, rumours are now indicating that production of the next generation iPhone has just begun.
Launch dates for the new iPhone indicate that we might be seeing it sometime between August and October which is a given really considering the iPhone 4S launched last October and Apple typically launches 1 new smartphone each year.
Google has released an update for the Google+ app on iOS devices. The new version brings a new look to the iPhone making a better UI and larger profile pictures. The app is now easier and more enjoyable to use when compared to the previous versions.
After a few months of iOS 5.1 being in beta 3, Apple has now publicly released iOS 5.1. The latest version of iOS is available for the iPad, iPod touch and iPhone and brings several new features although Siri users might be left a little disappointed.
About a year ago the Readability app was submitted to the app store. It was declined. The app is now available to download for all iOS devices.
Realmac Software released a new app a few days ago called Clear. Clear is a todo list type app that helps you keep your tasks in order. The Clear way of being a task manager was to make entering tasks simple. The whole UI is based around gestures. To create an item you pinch for example.
Barclays in the UK has launched a new app that allows bank customers sent payments to other people. The system lets you transfer up to £300 per day by using contact details on your device. When the receiver of the money gets a message about the transaction, they are then sent instructions on how to claim that money.
A new charging cable for the iPhone and iPad has launched. This one is a little different as it uses light within the cable to indicate how much a device is charged. The light, blue in colour despite the Green name,
has a moving effect that speeds up or slows down depending upon how much your device is charged. The more empty the battery, the faster the light moves in the cable.
Rumours have started circulating again about the future of the iPhone and the next generation model. It is currently being called the iPhone 5 which is quite possible although some argue it could be the iPhone 6. Either way, that’s not too important right now.
What the latest rumours say is that the iPhone 5 will not have a tear-drop design, but that it will have a 4 inch screen and be slightly taller and slightly wider than the current iPhone 4S. We also hear that Apple will be switching back to a summer launch for the device.
Last week, various blogs reported that Singapore operator M1, was about to launch an iPhone 4S without a camera. The reason for it is related to the military in that country prohibiting the use of mobile phones with cameras. To get around that regulation, M1 has removed the cameras from the iPhone 4S and is selling it without. With the modifications, the iPhone 4S is now approved for use.
It appears that the iPhone 4S jailbreak will be released in the next few days. The release will also be compatible with the iPad 2. The iPhone Dev Team has announced that some streamlining of the Corona A5 Jailbreak is all that is needed to be done before it launches.
It was a big day for Apple yesterday and certainly a day where an industry is shaken up a little. As well as launching iBooks 2 with Textbooks and iBooks Author for the Mac, Apple also launched iTunes U for the iPhone and iPad. The app follows along with iTunes U that has been available in iTunes on the Mac or PC for a while, but allows you to sync your notes, courses and content between devices so that you can study whilst on the move.
A new tweak called Overflow is now available for iOS devices that have been jailbroke. Overflow is a Cover Flow style tweak to the dock of an iPad or an iPhone as pictured below.
