Smartphones: putting the best to the test

Apps are everything on smartphones. They are what most people use between phone calls and are integral to the smartphone experience.

Apple's iOS App Store boasts more than 700,000 apps. Google has been closing the gap on its rival, and now has 675,000 apps in its Google Play store.

When it comes to getting the latest smartphone that connects to the new, faster LTE 4G networks, there are several options to choose from.

There are HTC's Velocity, One XL and Titan, as well as Motorola's Razr HD and Samsung's Galaxy S II.

But there are two others that stand out from the pack: Apple's iPhone 5, which runs on Apple's own iOS 6 mobile operating system, and Samsung's Galaxy S III 4G, which runs on Google's Android Jelly Bean platform.

When comparing technical specifications, the Galaxy is much faster than the iPhone. With a 1.4GHz quad-core processor, the Galaxy beats the iPhone's dual-core processor, which is rated at almost 1.3GHz, meaning the Galaxy can process information a lot faster.

The Galaxy also has 2GB of RAM, 1GB more than the iPhone 5. RAM helps a phone process information, and the more RAM it has, the faster it can operate.
When timing how long it took to open a number of apps on each phone, I found some surprising results. This is something that's likely to depend more on how an app is made by an app developer, but the smartphone itself does play some part in having the necessary computing power to open an app quickly.

Read more: Apple iPhone 5 v Samsung Galaxy S III 4G | Video, Photos

Cellular Phones: Bytes of Apple starting to taste a little off - Don Pittis

Remember when Apple was the cool dude and Microsoft's PC was the pudgy guy stuck in the box? It was way back in 2006 and it was so easy to laugh. That series of ads comparing the distinctly uncool PC in glasses, tie and polyester suit with the slim and youthful Apple character helped to create the company's current image.

Apple was an upstart smart Alec, anything but establishment. Besides the products and the Steve Jobs lore, those ads were brilliant in their own right in creating the Apple reputation. You didn't have to be forced to watch them. People collected them on the internet to be viewed as stand-alone cool recreation.

It is easy to forget that some 20 years before, Microsoft had started off as an underdog. Skinny kid Bill Gates tricked the reigning tech giant, IBM by hanging onto rights for software that he realized was more important than the computers that ran it.

Obviously it is too early to write Apple off. The biggest company in the world is not going anywhere fast. Microsoft is still around. And so is IBM, rediscovering itself in ways that may once again bring it to the forefront.

Apple is still riding high, but for the first time, the company feels like a real apple that has reached its peak of crisp perfection; its fragrance contains the first sweet whiff of decay.


 

Read more: Bytes of Apple starting to taste a little off - Business - CBC News

Smart Phones: Android insanity! Galaxy Note II, Xperia T, and the other hot new launches

With the start of September just days away, we're starting to see the first signs of the annual preholiday tech rush. And for Android fans, that means a dizzying array of announcements, updates, and hot new products to drool over.

Already this week, we've seen big Android news from Samsung, Sony, and LG -- and plenty more is still to come.

Here are the highlights of what we've seen so far and a peek at what's still on tap for the weeks ahead.

Read more; Android insanity! Galaxy Note II, Xperia T, and the other hot new launches | Computerworld Blogs

Cellular Phones - The blame Game: Apple blames rumor, speculation and Europeans for iPhone sales dip -by Chris Davies

The specter of the iPhone 5 scuppered Apple smartphone sales in Q3 2012, CEO Tim Cook has suggested, though those pesky Europeans have to share some of the blame for the missed targets too. Speaking on the company’s financial results call today, Cook blamed “rumor and speculation regarding new products” for sales of the iPhone dipping to 26m units, with sales in Europe particularly flat. 

However, the Apple CEO also said he doesn’t plan to spend any energy trying to actively prevent pre-launch whispers.

Of the various geographies, iPhone sales were apparently “very strong” in the US and strong in Japan. Greater China was up considerably, with Mainland China up more than 100-percent. However, European sales were basically flat, holding back Apple’s overall results for the three month period.

Read more: Apple blames rumor, speculation and Europeans for iPhone sales dip - SlashGear

Rick Steves Announces the All-New (Free!) Audio Europe App

Rick Steves, the European Travel Expert, announces the release of his free app, Rick Steves' Audio Europe, for iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch. Designed to help heighten traveler's sightseeing experience, it organizes Steves' vast library of audio files - 25 audio walking tours of Europe's top sights plus 200 tracks of travel tips and cultural insights from his radio shows -- into geographic-specific playlists covering all of Europe. Interested travelers can learn more at Steves' website or go directly to the iTunes App Store.

For more: Rick Steves Announces the All-New (Free!) Audio Europe App

Apple IPhone Bug Causes Europe to Wake up Late - by Mikael Ricknäs

A bug in the iPhone's operating system resulted in alarms going off an hour late as Europe changed to daylight saving time.

The iPhone's regular clock can handle the change and automatically steps back one hour. However, the alarm goes off one hour late. People who set the alarm for 7 a.m. found that it actually sounds off at 8 a.m.

Overal iPhone users seem to have managed fine, with lots of short showers and quick breakfasts: "The iPhone gave me a nice sleep-in. Luckily a friend called me four minutes before the lecture started, and I managed to get there reasonably on time, said one user on MacWorld Sweden's site.


Note EU-Digest: this should teach those of us who don't already know not to blindly trust anything or anyone on this earth, be it a corporation, a piece of equipment, a politician, the media, or any government. Always stay alert, be vigilant and keep asking questions.


For more: Apple IPhone Bug Causes Europe to Wake up Late - PCWorld

GIZMONDO: IPhone Apps: Skype For iPhone Now Available in the US, Has VoIP over 3G With 3.0 Firmware - by Jason Chen

Skype-Iphone

For the complete report from Gizmondo click on this link

IPhone Apps: Skype For iPhone Now Available in the US, Has VoIP over 3G With 3.0 Firmware - by Jason Chen

Apple's just about finished rolling out Skype for iPhone, and now US residents can go download the VoIP app for themselves. Our quick test showed that voice quality is quite good—definitely on par or better than actual 3G calling over AT&T's network—and connects rather quickly. It's unfortunate that 2.2.1 doesn't have background notifications, so there's no way somebody could Skype you unless you had the app open all the time.In an iPhone to iPhone Wi-Fi call test, Phone A heard Phone B perfectly clear, but the person on Phone A sounded like a robot with enunciation problems from Phone B's side. iPhone to Laptop worked perfectly fine, however.

Australian IT: European iPhone rumours swirl

For the complete report from the Australian IT click on this link

European iPhone rumours swirl

Barely out of the shops in the US, Apple's eagerly anticipated iPhone is the subject of increasing speculation about how and at what price it will be rolled out in Europe later this year. Despite a hefty price tag of either $US499 or $US599 ($582 or $699), depending on size of the memory, analysts say Apple has sold between 310,000 and 700,000 of the gadgets since its US launch on June 29. Now the question is which European countries, and crucially which operators, will be first to benefit from the much-hyped device that combines the wildly popular iPod music player with a mobile telephone, email and internet access.

The Financial Times reported late last week that Apple would limit the launch of iPhones in Europe this year to France, Germany and Britain. The rest of the continent would follow suit with Asia next year.

PC World : T-Mobile to Sell iPhone in Germany - by James Niccolai

For the complete report from PC World please click on this link

T-Mobile to Sell iPhone in Germany - by James Niccolai

Deutsche Telekom AG's T-Mobile division has won a deal to sell Apple Inc.'s iPhone in Germany starting on Nov. 1, according to a report in a German regional newspaper. T-Mobile won the bid at the last minute from Europe's largest mobile operator, Vodafone Group PLC, according to the report in the Rheinischen Post newspaper on Wednesday.