Month: June 2012

Android Jelly Bean rumor round-up

Both Apple and Microsoft have announced their new mobile operating systems in the last 10 days. On Wednesday 27th June it will be the turn of Google to show us its vision of the future of mobile, with its expected announcement of the new version of Android, Jelly Bean.

With some very promising new features added in both iOS 6 and Windows Phone 8, it’s clearly time for Google to up its game, or risk having its Android OS superseded by the pioneering feats of other mobile platforms.

But what exactly will we see announced in Google’s presentation of Jelly Bean? As you’d imagine there are plenty of rumors circulating around the web that might give us an idea. Here are some of the more plausible changes to Android that will be announced:

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Bypass the Windows Live Messenger 2009 forced upgrade

The release of Windows Live Messenger 2011 was met with an overwhelming amount of negative reactions. Many users chose to stick with the tried and true older version of the popular messaging program as a result. Windows Live Messenger 2009 users encountered an unwelcome surprise a few days ago though, when logging into the messaging service.

Upon login, Windows Live Messenger 2009 now displays a popup box, informing users that a newer version of the program was available that must be installed in order to launch the program.

Not cool, Microsoft. Not cool at all. Continue reading “Bypass the Windows Live Messenger 2009 forced upgrade”

How to install CyanogenMod 9 on the HP TouchPad

The HP TouchPad was capable of joining the ranks of the iPad and Android tablets with a solid build and operating system. HP’s business problems and abandonment of the HP TouchPad and WebOS killed the tablet before it could grow.

CyanogenMod, the team behind many Android mods, worked on their customized OS for the HP TouchPad. Even though it’s lacking some internal features of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, CyanogenMod 9 is still a great customized Android build and allows you to dual boot WebOS and Android.

If you happen to have an unused HP TouchPad, my personal experience with CyanogenMod 9 has been very positive. It’s responsive and contains the majority of the features that I use the Android OS for.

Interested in how to install CyanogenMod 9 on your HP TouchPad?

Continue reading “How to install CyanogenMod 9 on the HP TouchPad”

Spotify offers unlimited streaming on iOS in the US

Since Spotify’s debut in the United States a little less than a year ago as a desktop app for Mac and Windows, the music discovery app has impressed users. With an easy to navigate interface and Facebook integration, Spotify made music discovery a fun, social experience. In a detailed head-to-head comparison, Spotify even managed to beat-out a long-time US favorite, Pandora.

Unfortunately, Spotify’s mobile app was only available to paid, Premium subscribers. That meant users could enjoy Spotify from their desktops as a free user, but when it came time to head out the door, users couldn’t take their Spotify library with them.

That’s all changing now that Spotify’s iPhone app is now available to free users in the US.

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Apple Maps Beta vs Google Navigation

After trying out Apple’s Maps app in the iOS 6 beta, I wasn’t able to test the built-in turn-by-turn navigation in an office setting. I decided to test Apple Maps’ turn-by-turn directions against Google Navigation during a recent drive.

In iOS 5, the Google-supported Maps app doesn’t contain turn-by-turn navigation so Apple is playing catch up with its upcoming release. Maps in iOS 6 could become a contender against Google Navigation because both will be first party applications.

This is an impression of Apple Maps’ directions because iOS 6 is still in beta and aspects of the app could change before the official launch.

Here’s how each app fared during its turn-by-turn test.

Continue reading “Apple Maps Beta vs Google Navigation”

E3 First Person Shooter round-up

There was actually more than just Call of Duty Black Ops 2 to see at E3 2012. There are many other reasons to be excited about first person shooters this year. Here I take a look at three of them: Crytek’s Warface, Sony’s Planetside 2, and Bohemia’s Arma III.

The first two take ‘free to play‘ to new levels, and the last one promises to be the most realistic military simulator we’ve seen so far.

Continue reading “E3 First Person Shooter round-up”

Windows Phone Summit recap

Microsoft had two events this week to highlight releases for the Windows 8 platform. The first was the Surface tablet on Monday. Today’s announcement introduced Windows Phone 8, the new operating system for Windows Phones.

Windows Phone 8 is taking bold steps to unify Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8. The Summit reflected how much effort Microsoft put into making things easier for developers so software can communicate seamlessly through various hardware.

When Microsoft releases Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8, both could really unify the PC experience.  The presentation contained major announcements and then a demo of the operating system.
Continue reading “Windows Phone Summit recap”

Preview: Asphalt 7: Heat

Tomorrow sees the iOS launch of Gameloft’s hotly-anticipated racing game, Asphalt 7: Heat. We’ve tried out a preview version of the game already and it looks like it’ll be a real smash hit.

With more game modes, better graphics and two multiplayer options, Asphalt 7 improves significantly on the previous version of the game.

There are 16 different courses in Asphalt 7, all of which have been lovingly rendered, making for a stunning backdrop to races. Locations include London, Hawaii, Havana, Tokyo, LA, The Alps and Reykjavik, and the diversity between the courses really lifts the game.

Continue reading “Preview: Asphalt 7: Heat”

How to keep backups simple with BitReplica

I’ve just reviewed Auslogics BitReplica, and I really liked it. If you’re a computer user who realizes the importance of backing up – but not such a nerd that you want to spend a huge amount of time dealing with it – it could definitely be the app for you.

However, like I said in the review, simply backing up isn’t enough. You also need to plan where you’re going to store those backups. Think about it – you back up with BitReplica.

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Microsoft announces Windows 8 tablet, “Surface”

Microsoft held a press event this afternoon in Los Angeles, California. Marketed as #MicrosoftMystery on Twitter, press and users alike were abuzz with what Microsoft might have to reveal at this mysterious event, which was announced late Thursday.

Nearly an hour after the event began, Microsoft finally announced Surface, a tablet that will run Windows 8 RT, supporting both ARM and Intel chips. This will be Microsoft’s first foray into manufacturing PC hardware. Continue reading “Microsoft announces Windows 8 tablet, “Surface””