IPhone

“Know your competition, but don’t copy it.” Those words of wisdom come from the image above accompanying a message put on the entirely original – not a copy of Facebook – Google+ by Google executive chairman and former CEO Eric Schmidt. Schmidt is promoting his new book with Jonathan Rosenberg called How Google Works due out next month where the billionaire lays out the principles that made Google what it is today.

Included with the lemonade stand image and ‘don’t copy’ caption is another Schmidt line on originality and competition. “Playing catch-up with the competition will never help you get ahead by creating something new,” Schmidt says. Google would be the “hard” boozy lemonade to the competitions’ fresh lemonade. In the case of Google Plus, the booze could be the hangouts or perhaps the photo editing features or integration with other Google products.

Now picture this tidbit from Walter Isaacson’s biography of the late Apple CEO and co-founder Steve Jobs:

“I will spend my last dying breath if I need to, and I will spend every penny of Apple’s $40 billion in the bank, to right this wrong,” Jobs said. “I’m going to destroy Android, because it’s a stolen product. I’m willing to go thermonuclear war on this.”

It’s hard to deny that Android started looking a lot more like iOS after the iPhone’s introduction, and iOS has clearly borrowed its fair share of features from Google’s mobile operating system, but there’s no denying that Schmidt’s message could be challenged. File this one with the rest under Talking Schmidt.

PSA: Google Cardboard is also compatible with iPhone (Video)

Dom Esposito Aug 22 2014 - 6:53 am PT

If you’re not familiar with Google Cardboard, it’s one of the most affordable and portable VR (virtual reality) headsets to date. It’s a very simple creation in terms of design and functionality, but provides a solid look into the future of technology without breaking the bank.

Google unveiled Cardboard at I/O 2014, but it was designed with Android devices in mind. The official Cardboard app is nowhere to be found on Apple’s App Store, but that doesn’t mean all hope is lost for iOS users. Google may not care about iOS as a platform, but stereoscopic 3D is nothing new. In fact, there is a good handful of apps available for iOS that are also compatible with Google Cardboard…

Samsung Galaxy S5 takes the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, nominates iPhone, HTC One, & Nokia Lumia 930

Jordan Kahn Aug 22 2014 - 6:34 am PT

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[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6w4Gqt-ljb4]

With just about everyone in the tech industry getting in on the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge to raise awareness for ALS (including Apple’s own Tim Cook and Dr. Dre), Samsung decided it would also be an appropriate time to mock the iPhone and others in the process.
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Uber introduces API for integrating the transportation service into other apps

Zac Hall Aug 20 2014 - 9:06 am PT

The popular transportation service Uber has quickly been growing this year with new features like adding your destination right on the smartphone app when requesting a ride and poaching long time Apple engineering manager Chris Blumenberg who managed the Maps team. The service is even integrated into the Google Maps app on iPhone and Android, and check out the Uber care package the company sends new employees.

Today Uber is taking a major step toward integrating its service into even more apps and services as it introduces an API for developers to use in their own apps and a list of partners already planning to take advantage of it.

As of today, we officially open—to all developers—access to many of the primitives that power Uber’s magical experience. Apps can pass a destination address to the Uber app, display pickup times, provide fare estimates, access trip history and more.

Samsung trolls iPhone-toting ‘wall huggers’ at power outlets in major airports

Mike Beasley Aug 13 2014 - 5:27 pm PT

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Image via Cnet

Last month Samsung ramped up the anti-Apple rhetoric with a new ad campaign that depicted iPhone users as “wall huggers,” constantly tethered to a power outlet due to the inferior battery in their non-Samsung smartphones. Today Cnet reports that the company has taken its campaign one step further by trolling real-life iPhone users at power outlets throughout major airports.

The new ads take the form of posters near power outlets that read, “Samsung Galaxy S5 with Ultra Power Saver Mode,” followed by a tagline that appears to poke at Apple’s own recent ad campaign: “So you have the power to be anywhere but here.” If you’d like to take a gander at the latest salvo in the ever-escalating flame war between Apple and Samsung, you’ll be able to do just that very soon at JFK, O’Hare, and Midway airports. Samsung says even more airports could be getting the ads if they’re successful in the first three.

Apple is currently planning to announce the iPhone 6 on September 9th, though rumors say it doesn’t look like the new model will provide much hope for the “wall huggers.”

Android picks up five points from iOS in the enterprise market, reaches 32 percent market share

Ben Lovejoy Aug 12 2014 - 5:40 am PT

The latest enterprise market share data from Good Technology shows that Android gained five points from iOS, hitting almost a third of the market at 32 percent while iOS fell from 72 to 67 percent. Windows Phone remains flat (and irrelevant) at just 1 percent. (BlackBerry data is not included as the company uses its own servers and activations are invisible to Good Technology.)

What’s particularly impressive about the numbers is that Good’s technology mostly connects mobile devices to Exchange servers and organizations that use Google services for enterprise, which are more likely to Android, aren’t being counted here…

Amazon Fire Phone teardown analysis reveals how dynamic perspective killed the phone

Ben Lovejoy Jul 29 2014 - 4:24 am PT

The reason Amazon’s Fire Phone has failed to impress is that it spent so much on the “gimmick” of dynamic perspective that it only had enough cash left to build an otherwise mediocre phone – the conclusion of a component analysis of a teardown of the phone.

Dynamic perspective allows the phone to detect and respond to head movements when viewing the phone’s display, but has been widely seen by reviewers as a novelty or gimmick.

Following iFixit’s earlier teardown of the Fire Phone, re/code has been given sight of a component costing following a separate teardown by research form IHS. This reveals that the total component cost of the Fire Phone is around $205 – more expensive even than Apple’s flagship iPhone 5S. The cost of the dynamic perspective technology left little room for anything but mid-range specs in the rest of the handset, says IHS …
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Samsung shows off camera quality with short film shot entirely on the Galaxy S5 (Video)

Jordan Kahn Jul 24 2014 - 11:48 am PT

[youtube=youtube.com/watch?v=_b6iApsCyOI&feature=youtube_gdata]

Samsung uploaded a new video showing off the Galaxy S5 today and this time, instead of going after the iPhone, it’s decided to instead show off the device’s camera quality with a short film shot in Trieste, Italy.

Samsung notes the ad, titled “Sunrise to Sunset”, is made with HDR Video and FHD 1080p footage straight from the Galaxy S5, but we imagine some post-production was done elsewhere as the fine print warns, “Certain images and videos may be enhanced.”

Samsung’s latest ad for the S5 is a cinematic spot that features famous surfers through a tie-in through its partnership with the Association of Surfing Professionals. It has, however, continued going directly after Apple and the iPhone in many of its recent commercials and online ads Galaxy devices. Most recently it posted a new ad mocking the upcoming iPhone that is expected to have a display size similar to the current S5.

Hands-on with a functional 4.7-inch iPhone 6 clone w/ heavily detailed, skinned version of Android (Video)

Dom Esposito Jul 24 2014 - 11:47 am PT

It may look like iOS, but this functional “Wico6” iPhone 6 clone is actually running a heavily skinned version of Android. Published by YouTuber Danny Winget, this functional clone mimics Apple’s iPhone in almost every way possible, all the way down to the packaging and accessories. So what’s the big deal? Apple clones pop up all of the time. Well, the Wico6 is designed to look like all of the iPhone 6 dummies we’ve seen up to the point.

This “fully functional” device does work as a smartphone (SIM card slot and all), but it’s not running iOS. There’s nothing fancy here as far as specifications go, but its user interface is shockingly detailed and does a very good job mimicking iOS. This device is powered by a 2.4GHz quad-core MediaTek processor, 2GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage, and has a 4.7-inch display with a resolution of 960 x 540 (234 ppi). Nothing impressive, but apparently it gets the job done.

YouTube Creator Studio for iPhone gains improved tagging and analytics

9to5 Staff Jul 21 2014 - 4:07 pm PT

Following the release of YouTube Creator Studio for iPhone a few weeks ago, Google seeded the first update for the app this afternoon on the App Store. Creator Studio 1.0.1 features editable tags and categories, comment settings, accessibility improvements, more analytics and a general facelift across the app.
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New Samsung ad says ‘we’ve had it for two years’ to those anticipating iPhone 6’s larger screen

9to5 Staff Jul 21 2014 - 1:17 pm PT

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Samsung this afternoon posted a new advertisement on its YouTube channel in which two friends, an iPhone user and a Galaxy S5 user speak to each other about the next iPhone possibly having a larger display. “Dude, iPhone might be getting a bigger screen” excitedly states the iPhone user “That hasn’t happened yet?” slyly responds the Galaxy S5 user. Check out the full advertisement after the break.

DVDs gathering dust on your shelves? Now it’s easy to watch them on your Android device

Ben Lovejoy Jul 21 2014 - 5:53 am PT

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Watching DVDs on an Android device just got easier, thanks to VLC for Android. No ripping, no transcoding, no issues with DRM-protected content – just view ISO images of DVDs directly.

Planet VideoLAN announced that version 0.9.7.1 of VLC for Android now has the same support for viewing DVD ISO images as the desktop version. Because it’s playing the image directly, it should work exactly as it does in a DVD player, including menus, subtitles, multiple audio tracks and bonus material.

Planet VideoLAN also says that the app runs well on low-spec devices, so a bunch of DVDs and a cheap Chinese tablet could be the easiest way to entertain the kids on a car journey. The app is a volunteer-run non-profit project, free to download but with a suggested $5 donation.

Samsung managers apologize for poor results, handing back 25 percent of their bonuses

Ben Lovejoy Jul 18 2014 - 6:29 am PT

Reuters reports that almost 200 Samsung managers have “voluntarily” handed back a quarter of their first-half bonuses in anticipation of what is expected to be the company’s worst quarterly profit for two years.

The decision to return some of the bonus was partly a gesture to demonstrate that managers are taking responsibility for the earnings decline, and partly a way to show that management will work harder, the source told Reuters on Friday, declining to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter.

Google releases official Analytics app for iPhone with Real Time reports

Mark Gurman Jul 17 2014 - 6:10 am PT

Google has added yet another official application to its iOS App Store portfolio: Google Analytics. Analytics is Google’s popular service that allows website owners to manage and view data such as page views, demographics, and the technologies users utilize to access the website. The iPhone app also has the neat Real Time reports feature that allows website owners to view how many people are on the website at the current time. Google launched an optimized version of the Analytics app last year on Android and debuted a related AdWords app on iOS just last week. Like all Google apps, the Analytics program is on the the App Store for free.

Verizon’s LTE support for ALLSET prepaid plans arrives July 17 starting at $45/mo

Chance Miller Jul 15 2014 - 12:46 pm PT

Verizon today announced that it is finally adding 4G LTE support to its ALLSET prepaid plans starting on July 17th. This announcement comes just a few weeks after the addition was originally rumored. Starting on July 17th, customers can bring their own devices to ALLSET and use them with LTE data, in addition to using the devices already offered through ALLSET by Verizon.

Samsung reportedly launching all-metal Galaxy Alpha smartphone next month

Chance Miller Jul 14 2014 - 9:26 am PT

According to a new report out of Korean news outlet ETNews, Samsung is preparing to launch an all-metal device as early as next month called the Galaxy Alpha. According to the report, Samsung intends to heavily market the device as a competitor to Apple’s upcoming iPhone 6.

According to industry insiders on July 13, the Galaxy Alpha, which Samsung will launch next month, is a premium smartphone made of a metal. It is forecast to counter the iPhone 6 scheduled to be released in September. It appears that Samsung will rebound from its recent poor performance with a new smartphone lineup, not the Galaxy S or Galaxy Note Series.

Google launches augmented reality game Ingress on iOS

Chance Miller Jul 13 2014 - 8:33 pm PT

After becoming available to all Android users back in December, Google this evening finally launched its popular Ingress game on iOS. The game originally launched in a closed beta all the way back in 2012, but has slowly been expanding to gradually larger audiences ever since.

Weather Channel announces major Android app update with redesigned interface, ‘Social Weather’

Chance Miller Jul 8 2014 - 4:14 pm PT

Back in April, The Weather Channel released an entirely redesigned app for the iPhone, and today, the company has finally started rolling out a similar update to Android devices. The update totally revamps the app’s interface. Previously, navigation within the app was based around tabs, but now all your information is contained within a single interface that allows you to scroll up and down to view more information.

Samsung borrows a line from BlackBerry, calls iPhone users ‘Wall Huggers’ in new ad

Jordan Kahn Jul 3 2014 - 9:47 am PT

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[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzMUTrTYD9s]

As Samsung has done with past TV commercials for its flagship Galaxy S5, its latest ad for the device again takes the iPhone head-on. The new ad, titled “Wall Hugger”, focuses on mocking the iPhone’s battery life while showing off the S5’s Ultra Power Saving Mode and removable battery features. And in usual Samsung-fashion, it also borrows a line from comments Blackberry executive John Chen made back in March…
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Microsoft reportedly working on Android-compatible fitness band for Q4 release

Mike Beasley Jul 2 2014 - 5:45 pm PT

Photo: in.com

Microsoft is planning its own entry into the wearable market, but won’t make it exclusive to Windows devices, according to a report from Paul Thurrott. The device won’t be a watch, but a simple fitness band that can sync with multiple smartphone platforms, including Windows, Android, iOS.

The company is said to be aiming for a Q4 release with pricing similar to that of Samsung’s Galaxy Gear. No word yet on whether the hardware will work with the health and fitness software built into many Android phones or will require an app created by Microsoft.

How many apps do you use a month? Study shows the average is 26 [Poll]

Ben Lovejoy Jul 2 2014 - 4:06 am PT

A Nielsen study (via TechCrunch) reveals that while we all spend much longer using mobile apps than we did two years ago, and we may have many more apps installed on our phones, the average number of apps we actually interact with in any given month hasn’t changed nearly as much.

While time spent using mobile apps climbed from 18h 18m in 2011 to 30h 15m by the end of last year, the total number of apps actually used only increased from 23.3 to 26.8. So we’re spending more time using pretty much the same number of apps …
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Observations from Google I/O 2014: The Sundar Pichai Show

Seth Weintraub Jun 25 2014 - 4:21 pm PT

There is both a lot happening at this year’s Google I/O and very little, depending where you look. Obviously, if you are a developer who builds Android and even web apps, you are a kid in a candy store. If you are looking for new hardware, there isn’t much that wasn’t out there already. Neither Google co-founder took the stage this year after successive years where Sergey Brin led the introduction of Google Glass (which is all but absent this year) and Larry Page led an epic Q&A last year.

Parallels Access lands on Android, lets you pin Windows/Mac apps on home screen

Mark Gurman Jun 16 2014 - 9:01 pm PT

After launching on the iPad nearly a year ago, Parallels is today launching Parallels Access on Android tablets and smartphones running version 4.0 or newer. Parallels Access is a remote desktop client that allows you to access your Mac or PC via the touchscreen of your Android device. The software is also launching today on the iPhone and bringing new enhancements to the iPad.

In our review of the iPad version last year, we noted how blown away we were with the speed and performance of Parallels Access. The software makes accessing and using a computer via the iPad’s touchscreen a breeze, and it provides a huge convenience factor for those times when you need to access something on your home computer but do not have the machine with you.

The application is far and above other remote desktop client applications because of its integration with Android, iOS, OS X, Windows, its speed, and its overall reliability. Parallels Access utilizes gestures, Android’s native keyboard with editing, “SmartMagnification” and “SmartTap” to make the computer feel responsive and alive on your Android device. The application allows you to use your Mac swiftly and connects over the internet…