Month: September 2011

Why Gtalk is Already the SMS Replacement that iMessage Wants to Be

Oliver Haslam ∙ Updated October 10, 2018

The race to kill SMS is on. Instant messaging apps have flooded both the App Store and Android Market, with WhatsApp and others seeking to replace SMS by offering free, cross-platform messaging in (sometimes) fancy-looking apps that allow not only the sending and receiving of text, but also the sending of pictures and video.

Even Samsung is set to join the fray, with ChatON being the company's first foray into the world of instant messaging. Samsung promises to release apps on just about every platform. It seems that everyone has it in for SMS, and the carriers must surely know what's going. And let's not forget Apple's iMessage...

iPhone Gaming Costs UK Businesses £800 Million, or $1.3 Billion a Year

Oliver Haslam ∙ Updated October 10, 2018

We love studies here at iDB, especially when they result in entirely meaningless numbers that are almost guaranteed to get traction. Studies like this one, for example.

UK firm iBingo has questioned just 2,000 iPhone owners about their working habits, and in particular, how much gaming they do during working hours. Turns out, they all 'fessed up to playing games on their iPhones for around one hour a day. From there, iBingo took the numbers and ran with them, and have since made some bold claims based on those 2,000 users...

France Telecom CEO Pegs October 15 Release Date for iPhone 5

Alex Heath ∙ September 13, 2011

Another day, another random telecom CEO saying things that shouldn't be said. France Telecom CEO Stéphane Richard has suggested that Apple will release the iPhone 5 on October 15th.

This particular CEO has a history of speaking on Apple-related matters, so take this claim with a grain of salt. It is worth noting that Richard's projected date does match up with rumors that have pegged Apple's iPhone announcement to take place in late-September, with carrier availability in early to mid-October...

iOS 5 Beta 8 Drops This Friday, Final Gold Master Version Next Week

Alex Heath ∙ September 13, 2011

BGR has dropped the news that Apple is releasing iOS 5 beta 8 this Friday, with the final Gold Master build of iOS 5 set to drop on September 23.

Apple released iOS 5 beta 7 on August 31, and a previous report already pegged beta 8 to drop on September 23. Apple has been releasing its beta software on Fridays. When the GM build hits, that means that Apple has put the finishing touches on iOS 5 for its public release.

We're getting close, folks!

iPhone 5 Parts Watch: Is This the iPhone 5’s Home Button?

Oliver Haslam ∙ Updated March 27, 2017

There are three things guaranteed to happen with a new iPhone release: people will pre-order it, it will sell even more units than its predecessor did, and supposed parts will leak out just before it is announced. All three happen each and every time, and so far, the iPhone 5 is true to that system.

We've already seen some supposed iPhone 5 replacement parts appear, and now a Chinese parts web site claims to be selling the handset's home button flex cable...

Testflight for iOS Gets an Update, Makes Beta Testing Even More Fun

Oliver Haslam ∙ Updated March 17, 2019

Beta testing is a pretty big part of developing iOS apps these days. Once upon a time, a developer could throw an app out there and fix bugs as they went along, but with competition at its fiercest these days, that would be suicide for most. Most apps have so much competition, users will just move onto the next big thing, or find a replacement that works better. Bugs kill apps, and dead apps kill developers.

Beta testing is vital, and Testflight makes it super easy for both the tester and the developer alike...

TBS for iPad and iPhone Updated with Support for Full-Length TV Show Streams

Alex Heath ∙ Updated February 18, 2018

Following NBC and TNT, TBS has updated its iPad app with the ability to stream full-length TV shows. The iPad is increasingly becoming the hub for online content distribution, and the studios allowing TV and movie mobile streaming is one more step towards the future of media playback — a future that could already be considered a reality, depending on how you look at it.

Who's ready for Conan on the iPad?

HTC Executive Says Kids Don’t Want the iPhone “Because Dad Has One”

Cody Lee ∙ September 12, 2011

Why is it that people in the most visible positions in the tech industry sometimes say the dumbest things? First there was Nokia's U.S. president, Chris Weber, who claimed that Apple's focus on apps in iOS was "out-dated."

Now we have HTC America's acting president Martin Fichter telling an audience at this week's Mobile Future Forward event why college kids don't think iPhones are cool anymore. GeekWire relays Fichter's ridiculous comments...

iPhone 5 Will Likely Take Samsung Galaxy S II’s Fastest GPU Trophy

Cody Lee ∙ September 12, 2011

In the ever-changing world of Android handsets, there has been one device that has consistently stood out among the crowd — The Samsung Galaxy S II. The phone has been dominating European sales charts for several months, and has recently landed stateside.

Nearly 4 times as fast as the iPhone 4, the Galaxy S II's processor/GPU combo is the fastest in the industry according to Anandtech. But how will the speediest smartphone in the business stack up against Apple's yet-to-be-announced iPhone 5?

‘OS X Lion Ultimatum’ is the Best iPhone Theme Ever

Jeff Benjamin ∙ September 12, 2011

I've reviewed tons of DreamBoard themes over the last 6 months, and I've stumbled upon some really spectacular work.

Themes such as Asymmetric HD and AppleWeb HD set high bars for what to expect out of the DreamBoard framework.

As good as those themes are, nothing could prepare me for the meticulously detailed OS X Lion Ultimatum, which is far and away the best iPhone theme I've ever seen or used...

HTC Considering webOS Purchase to Compete Directly with Apple

Cody Lee ∙ September 12, 2011

You might not know it, but HTC (High Tech Computer) has been around for more than a decade. In its earlier years, the company produced smartphones sporting older versions of Windows Mobile OS.

With the rise of Android in 2009, HTC started to focus on the up-and-coming OS. The move has helped grow the company exponentially over the last few years. In 2010, it also joined in on the Windows Phone 7 party.

But the landscape has changed in the mobile OS industry over the last several months. Microsoft and Nokia have announced a strategic partnership, and then there was Google's Motorola purchase. So where does that leave HTC?

Epson Adds AirPrint Support, HP Takes the Feature to the Next Level

Cody Lee ∙ September 12, 2011

When Apple unveiled AirPrint last year, there were only 12 printers that supported the feature. Since then, manufacturers have been dragging their feet on supporting the wireless printing option.

Until now, HP has had the lion's share of the AirPrint-compatible printer market. But it seems like Epson is looking to get in on the action, as MacRumors reports that the Japanese company has several printers coming out this Fall that support the feature...