Since iOS 7 featured an all-new design, we don’t expect Apple to make radical changes in iOS 8. We expect it to be an evolutionary upgrade from iOS 7.

So far leaks also seem to suggest that iOS 8 won’t be revolutionary or controversial as the iOS 7 update. While we have a fairly long wish list for iOS 8, here are some of the features that it is likely to include:

• All-new Healthbook app that will monitor your most important health statistics like steps taken, calories burned, weight lost and track vital signs like blood pressure, heart rate and other blood-related parameters like glucose levels. All this data would likely be obtained by the sensors on the iWatch.
• Split-Screen Multitasking feature for the iPad that will allow users to run twoapps simultaneously
• Improved Maps with public transit directions, improved point-of-interest data, augmented reality and indoor maps
• All-new Preview and Textedit apps to make iCloud more useful
• Improved Notification Center is likely to include more information from your online accounts powered by Apple’s acquisition of Cue.

• All-new Smart Home platform
• Song identification feature powered by Shazam
• Inter-app communication abilities to better facilitate sharing of information between apps.
• Support for Voice over LTE (VoLTE) for improved call quality, and allow users to surf the web over LTE while on a call.
• High definition playback support
• Standalone iTunes Radio app

So the question is, are you excited about iOS 8? Based on the response I have seen for the iOS 8 related articles, there isn’t as much excitement as there was the same time last year for iOS 7. It looks like people were disappointed with iOS 7, and don’t have high hopes, or they know that it is not going to be big update. What about you?

From: http://www.iphonehacks.com/2014/06/excited-about-ios-8.html

Original article: Are you excited about iOS 8?

©2017 Open Mobile Share. All Rights Reserved.

Read full article on International Business Times India:

iPhone 5s Black

iOS 7.1, the first major update to Apple’s iOS 7 software, has been released for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch models in March.

Although the features and enhancements were brought in by iOS 7.1, software update was praised by critics and users alike. There were many complaints from the users after the update.

iOS 7.1.1 Update

According to 9to5mac, Apple is gearing up to a bug fix (update) to iOS 7.1 called iOS 7.1.1. The Web site saw countless visits from areas around Apple’s campus. Apparently, the devices were running on iOS 7.1.1 as shown in their analytics. In all likelihood, the increase in views indicates the bug fix update will come over-the-air to all Apple devices shortly. The Web site also indicated iOS 8 testing inside Apple has also seen a considerable increase in its analytics.

Here is a list of bugs compiled by CNet, introduced after upgrading to iOS 7.1:

1. Battery Drain Issue

Every time Apple sends out its software update, users are bogged down by perennial battery drain issues and the situation was no different. Many users complained of their sudden reduction in battery life once they updated their device to iOS 7.1.

2. Fingerprint Scanner Malfunction

After upgrading to iOS 7.1, many users complained the Apple’s touchID (fingerprint scanner) did not work as expected by not recognizing the users’ fingerprint.

3. Disabled Bluetooth And Wi-Fi

Fewer users complained the iOS 7.1 update causing their iPhones to disable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity completely. For some users, however, the Bluetooth disconnected sporadically.

4. Bluetooth Pairing (in Cars) And Device Volume Issues

A good bunch of users have complained the iOS 7.1 update has caused Bluetooth connectivity and synchronization problems, especially when using mobile devices in their cars. Upon making a hands-free call, many users realized that the audio is not routed via Bluetooth. Also, iPad volume jammed after upgrading to iOS 7.1.

5. Personal Hotspot Problems

Several users found out the personal hotspot APN settings were not getting saved after iOS 7.1 update. This issue was quite prevalent with iPhone 4 but not with any other models.

From: http://www.ibtimes.co.in/articles/548669/20140418/apple-ios-7-1-bug-fix-battery.htm

Original article: Apple is getting ready to release iOS 7.1.1 to fix multiple bugs as iOS 8, OS X 10.10 testing increases

©2017 Open Mobile Share. All Rights Reserved.

Android Gingerbread is apparently the most likely version of the OS to crash at 1.7 percent, while more recent versions of the software including Ice Cream Sandwich, Jelly Bean and KitKat all come in at a crash rate of just 0.7 percent. By comparison, iOS 7.1, Apple’s most recent mobile update, has a crash rate of 1.6 percent. Earlier versions are significantly higher, according to Crittercism, which puts iOS 7 at 2.1 percent and iOS 6 at 2.5 percent. The study also claims the iPhone 5 is Apple’s most stable smartphone, while Samsung devices are less likely to crash than other Android phones.

Based on Crittercism’s report, the latest version of iOS 7 is just barely more stable than an Android iteration that hit the market over three years ago. That may sound crazy, but this study comes from the company’s one billion monthly active users. There are other factors to consider when picking between Android and iOS, of course, but if you’re looking for a phone that won’t crash Google’s platform may be the better choice.

More news for you:

Google’s Android boss announces SDK specifically geared toward wearables
Android 4.4.1, KitKat Update Rolls Out for Nexus 5
How to send a MMS picture from the browser on Galaxy Note 3? 

Original article: Android KitKat Crashes Way Less Than iOS 7.1, Study Claims

©2017 Open Mobile Share. All Rights Reserved.

In September 2013, a Gartner report showed that revenues of mobile app stores had risen from $18 billion in 2012, to an estimated $26 billion. At the start of this year, Apple announced that customers spent over $10 billion on the App Store in 2013, including over $1 billion in December alone.

The bulk of this, Gartner estimates, comes from games. According to 148apps.biz, games are the most numerous category of apps as well, with 1,95,415 games currently available for download. This is nearly 60 percent more than the nearest category, education, which has 1,15,469 apps available for download.

And while mobile gaming conjures visions of Flappy Bird and Candy Crush Saga, Apple’s trying to make it clear that there’s more to the platform than just casual games to play while on the commute.

Here come the hardcore
Since February 26, Apple has been running a sale curated with the name “Amazing Hardcore Games”. It’s not an exhaustive list, but it is a collection of 12 new games that should appeal to the so called “core” gaming audience. Games like Infinity Blade III, The Room Two, Limbo, Badland and more are available for 50 percent or less of their usual price.

These are all premium games, and none of them has gone free even now – some, like Ravenmark: Scourge of Estellion normally sell for Rs. 550, and are now discounted to Rs. 170. Others, like Shadow Blade, normally sell for Rs. 110, and are now priced at Rs. 55. The discounts are pretty big, but by not going free, a clear line is being drawn, differentiating these paid, premium games from the large number of casual friendly, free to play titles that are crowding the app store.

What’s particularly interesting is that these are all titles that are very “finger friendly” – games that are either designed with mobile interactions in mind, or were ported in such a way as to make them very user friendly on the platform. In many ways, these games are a showcase of all that’s best about Apple’s iOS devices as a gaming platform. In other words, these games are a great way to get the casual gamers to move on from the 5000 match three or Flappy Bird clones, and get them invested in gaming. What’s the upside to that though?

There’s another side of hardcore games on the App Store which this list has glossed over. Games like Bastion, Lego Harry Potter, Orc: Vengeance are all beautiful games that offer polished experiences. However, while the developers have worked hard to make the interactions user friendly, the experience is compromised compared to what a player on a console with a gamepad will enjoy. But gamepads are coming to iOS.

No more virtual buttons
A January report by mobile data-intelligence firm App Annie suggests that gamers world-wide are picking their smartphones over handheld gaming devices like the Nintendo 3DS and the Playstation Vita. Combined, iOS and Google Play spending on games was three times the amount spent on titles on the handheld gaming consoles in the third quarter of last year, according to the report, which didn’t provide absolute figures. Overall, there were 15 percent more yearly app downloads from Google Play than the App Store in 2013, but iOS generated double the app revenue of Google Play.

As per the report, the number one mobile game was Candy Crush Saga. At the same time, iOS 7 added controller support, and you now have the Logitech Powershell and the Moga Ace – controllers that you can clip onto your iPhone. The Powershell is available in India with an MRP of Rs. 8,995; it’s a high price for what feels like a really cheap plastic controller. But it’s only the first one.

Moga has recently teased a new controller, and from the small image which the company made available, the design of the controller seems to be very similar to the Xbox 360 controller, which is definitely a good thing. Aside from the asymmetrical thumb-sticks, you can see the D-pad, and the face buttons seem to be in the familiar Xbox layout as well. Next to the left thumb-stick, there’s something like looks like a pause button, and also a Bluetooth button a little higher up.

Steelseries has also recently revealed the Stratus, in January, a palm-sized Bluetooth controller which can work with your iPhone, iPod or iPad. Also in January, Signal showcased the RP One, a full size controller that looks like the Xbox 360 gamepad, but uses the thumb-stick placement of the Playstation controllers.

Thinking beyond mobile
Apple has thus proven that they have a range of powerful gaming devices which can handle everything from the casual game you play for two minutes while on your commute, and also the high-end game which will keep you glued to the screen till the battery runs out.

Apple is also reportedly working on television next – recent acquisitions such as PrimaSense, which developed the sensors that Microsoft used for its voice and motion based Kinect technology, and Matcha.tv, a recommendation engine for TV shows – seem to point in this direction.

With a strong gaming ecosystem already present, and a growing number of hardware partners emerging to support it in this segment with controllers, a powerful new Apple TV could also be a strong gaming platform.

At the launch of the third generation iPad in 2012, the then president of Epic Games Mike Capps had said: “It is quite easy to imagine a world where an iPad is more powerful than a home console, where it wirelessly talks to your TV and wirelessly talks to your Bluetooth controller and becomes your new console.”

At the same time, Kristoffer Waardahl, a Crytek studio manager said, “As more people come to these platforms, we have to follow our fans.”

Closing the loop
With the iPad and iPhone becoming more powerful, using them to run high-end games that can be mirrored to your TV screen is already happening, albeit in a very limited fashion. That’s because a mobile game requires you to look at the screen to see what buttons you’re pressing.

The big advantage that a Logitech Powershell brings is that you can play a game mirrored to your TV without having to look at the phone. The mobile experience and the games tailored to that form factor won’t go anywhere, but there will be a possibility now for Apple’s platform to bring in a whole new segment of games.

At the same time, if you don’t have an iPad or iPhone, a future version of Apple TV could still bring you into the fold as a gamer. A future version is almost certainly coming, and reports are that it’s going to be a major update.

It is being suggested that Apple will be tying up with companies like Time Warner and other content partners, and in this scenario, a greater focus on gaming as another type of content that’s well suited to television makes sense.

Once you have an Apple TV and a controller, making your next smartphone compatible with your library of games and accessories makes sense. Imagine playing XCOM: Enemy Unknown with a controller and your Apple TV, and then, when it’s time to go, picking up the same game thanks to a cloud save, and taking it with you on your iPad?

Both the mobiles and the TV could reinforce each other and reduce the cost involved in buying into Apple’s ecosystem. Developers have long made it clear that they will go where the fans are. And while the first few Bluetooth controllers were not very well received because of price and build quality, they are proof that a strong third-party ecosystem can help fill the gaps Apple leaves behind. Between all these factors, it’s clear that Apple TV will be about a lot more than just television.

Original article: What do games tell us about Apple’s future?

©2017 Open Mobile Share. All Rights Reserved.

When it comes to Apple products, CES can’t match the excitement of Macworld, which is slated for March of this year. At CES, we heard a lot about 4K televisions and a million different kinds of wearables, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t any gems for iOS and OS X users. Here’s a list of five products unveiled at CES 2014 that I think are significant for Apple owners.

Resound Linx Hearing Aid

The Resound Linx heralds in the first generation of smart consumer medical devices, starting with one of the most practical applications, a hearing aid. This smart hearing aid connects to an iPhone or iPod touch and sends both calls and music right from the iOS device into the person’s ears. The device is so small, you can hardly tell someone is wearing it.

Pebble Steel

Pebble unveiled its second generation smartwatch, the Pebble Steel. Building on the success of the first Pebble, the Steel will feature a steel casing, a gorilla glass face, a tricolor LED and leather straps. The significance in this product is not in the materials, though. It is in the fact that there is enough interest in this category of device for Pebble to even consider building a second version. Smartwatches and wearables are beginning their meteoric climb, and hopefully Apple will be a part of this trend with its iWatch.

Dell P2815Q 4K monitor

CES was filled with 4K products, but none caught my eye as much as Dell’s upcoming 28-inch 4K monitor. The most attractive part of the display is it price tag — a cool $700. To me, this brings the technology down from the upper echelon, which often is the target consumer for display devices at CES, to professional users who own a Mac Pro. In ten months from now, the price will fall even further, making 4K monitors one of the hot items to look for during the end-of-the-year holiday shopping season.

Haier Air Conditioner

You are probably wondering what an air conditioner has to do with Apple, other than keeping the fruit cool on a warm early fall day. This air conditioner is different from any other air conditioner produced — it is the first model that is authorized by Apple’s MFi program. The MFi standard ensures devices connect to an Apple device with minimal configuration and make it easy for a consumer to control the appliance using their iOS device. This air conditioner is more than a cooling device, it is the beginning of the connected home as envisioned by Apple.

Mophie Space Pack

Mophie showed off its latest battery case that combines an extended battery with storage space. It’s a sleek looking case that shows Mophie is not done innovating in the iOS accessory world. It also is a sign that the iOS accessory market is alive and well. I can’t wait to see what Mophie and other manufactures have in store for us this year and in the coming years.

From: http://www.iphonehacks.com/2014/01/apple-ces-2014-five-things-mattered.html

Original article: Five products unveiled at CES 2014 for Apple

©2017 Open Mobile Share. All Rights Reserved.