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iOS 7 might feature a more flat redesign

March 23, 2013March 23, 2013 Bob Freking Leave a comment

If you may have not known yet, Jony Ive – the person behind Apple industrial design – is now also making arrangements with the company’s software design. According to developers, he is trying to push a more “flat design” for the next iOS that aims to be simpler and starker.

yuga IOS7

Apple’s iOS has pretty much been the same since 2007; it’s a row of icons of apps, and throughout the years, there was an addition of wallpapers, a notification bar, a task-switcher, a voice assistant and a number of features. While those have been truly useful upgrades, there hasn’t been really much change in the whole design of iOS.

Some can argue it’s hard to change the whole theme of iOS as it greatly compliments other Apple software such as Mac OS X, but if you wanna take the business perspective, a little change can do great for the product as iOS has been quite stale. The report indicates any change will be conservative, so we don’t think it will really be that massive of a change.

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The race to break the OS duopoly

March 13, 2013March 13, 2013 Ronnie Bulaong Leave a comment

During the course of the past six months, several companies have announced their new mobile platform hoping to break the Apple-Google duopoly. Today we’ll take a closer look at 5 of those operating systems and see which one has what it takes to be the next big thing in the OS wars.

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Two of the candidates in this list (BlackBerry OS 10 and Windows Phone 8) are already out in the market, while three are still in the last phase of development and is scheduled to make its debut in the latter part of this year. Furthermore, the two OS out in the market are both closed source and the 3 upcoming platforms are all open source.

BlackBerry OS 10

Company: BlackBerry Ltd. (formerly known as Research In Motion)
Source Model: Closed source
OS Architecture: Real-time Microkernel (QNX)
Supported Programming Language: JavaScript, CSS, HTML
Supported App Framework: Qt/QML and HTML5
User Interface: BlackBerry 10 UI
Min. Hardware Requirements: Undisclosed
Announcement Date: January 30, 2013
Status: Available
Devices: Limited to BlackBerry handsets as of the moment

The BlackBerry OS 10, as well as the BlackBerry Tablet OS, is the product of the acquisition of QNX Software Systems, the company behind this Microkernel-based OS. As such, the platform shares some distinct features with its tablet counterpart just like the bezel-to-screen swipe gestures called Blackberry Flow and Peek for navigation and multitasking.

bb os 10

Apart from revamped UI, the BB OS 10 also boasts several new features including BlackBerry Hub, Balance, Time Shift Camera. Being known for providing one of the best keyboard in the industry, the on-screen keyboard of the BlackBerry Z10 has also seen a significantly improvement over the previous builds. The virtual keyboard bears the company’s renowned layout and is now capable of auto-predicting the next word that the user will type. The predicted word/s is displayed on top of a certain key and can be used by flicking upwards.

After a long period of silence, BlackBerry is starting to create a buzz in the mobile industry with the release of the highly anticipated mobile platform, the BlackBerry OS 10. The OS, along with the two new handsets (Z10 and Q10) that features it, has been regarded by many smartphone enthusiasts as the Canadian company’s last ditch effort to regain its place in the consumer and enterprise market. Now that the OS is out in the open, the key is for the company to back up their brainchild with aggressive marketing strategy.

Firefox OS

Company: Mozilla Foundation
Source Model: Open Source
OS Architecture: Monolithic (Linux Kernel)
Supported App Framework: HTML5
User Interface: Gaia
Min. Hardware Requirements:
Processor: 800MHz
RAM: 256MB RAM
Display: QVGA
Announcement Date: July 25, 2010 (Boot to Gecko), July 2012 (Firefox OS)
Status: In development, target launch on Q3 2013
Devices: Alcatel, LG Electronics, ZTE, Huawei, TCL Corporation, Sony

Deeply rooted in Mozilla’s core is the organization’s advocacy to promote openness, innovation and opportunity. This belief is reflected on almost everything that they do, including their latest endeavor the Firefox OS.

The goal is to build “a complete, standalone operating system for the open web.” In order to achieve this, Mozilla uses HTML5 in programming the platform and for developing applications. This allows developers to easily port their apps that are previously written for other platforms to the upcoming OS.

firefox os

In the recently concluded MWC, the organization announced the companies that joined their cause. These companies include several telcos and a handful of device manufacturers. At the convention, Mozilla also showcased a pair of handsets (Alcatel One Touch Fire and ZTE Fire) that sports the OS.

Sailfish OS

Company: Jolla Ltd.
Source Model: Open Source
OS Architecture: Monolithic (Linux Kernel)
Supported App Framework: Qt/QML
User Interface: Jolla UI
Min. Hardware Requirements: TBA
Announcement Date: November 21, 2012
Status: In development, target launch on Q1 2013
Devices: TBA

Equipped with more than enough knowledge and expertise about mobile OS, Jolla Mobile, the team that brought us MeeGo and MaeMo is back with a vengeance and is looking to make another mark in the industry with their upcoming platform dubbed as Sailfish OS.

sailfish os

The concept behind the OS is rather simple; merge Mer (MeeGo Reconstructed) and MeeGo’s architecture and further develop it using Qt Quick, QML and HTML5. The result that the team is hoping for is platform that “brings and fosters innovation to offer unique differentiation and a competitive advantage for OEMs and ODMs, chipset providers, operators, application developers and retailers.”
Jolla Ltd. has yet to officially name a mobile manufacturer that would carry their OS. It’s been said that the design of the phone will come from the organization itself, but because of the platform’s versatility, Jolla is confident that the integration of the OS to other devices should be a breeze.

Ubuntu Touch

Company: Canonical Ltd.
Source Model: Open source
OS Architecture: Monolithic (Linux Kernel)
Supported App Framework: Qt/QML and HTML5
User Interface: Unity UI based on Ubuntu 10.10
Min. Hardware Requirements: 1GHz Cortex A9 processor, 512MB RAM
Announcement Date: January 2, 2013
Status: Slated for Q4 2013 launch
Devices: TBA

Ubuntu Touch hails from a long line of Open Source operating system developed by Canonical for desktop users. With a slogan of “One Device To Rule Them All”, Canonical is looking to capitalize on their expertise in the desktop ecosystem and apply those in their upcoming mobile platform.

The mobile OS will sport a home grown, gesture-based UI called Unity UI which is inspired by the netbook-optimized version of Ubuntu. Unity UI bears some similarities with Blackberry OS 10’s UI, particularly in the navigation aspect, as both makes use of the every inch of the device’s display for basic operations. This eliminates the need for a physical button and makes it easier for users to navigate through various selections. The downside, however, is that it requires a lot of getting used to in order for the touch-based operation to feel natural.

ubuntu touch

Canonical’s goal is to provide users with the near-desktop experience on their mobile devices by integrating some of key components of the desktop version of the platform to the gesture-based UI. The company has yet to disclose the manufacturers who will use the Ubuntu Touch on their smartphones, but Mark Shuttleworth (Founder and CEO of Canonical, Ltd) mentioned that the first devices running on their Linux-Based OS is slated to debut on October of this year.

Windows Phone 8

Company: Microsoft
Source Model: Closed source
OS Architecture: Hybrid Windows NT Kernel
Supported App Framework: Microsoft XNA
User Interface: Windows 8 (Metro UI)
Min. Hardware Requirements:
Processor: Snapdragon S4 dual-core
RAM: 512MB (WVGA), 1GB for 720p
ROM: 4GB
Announcement Date: October 29 2012
Status: Out in the market
Devices: HTC, Huawei, Nokia and Samsung

For the majority of users, Windows Phone 8 may just seem like a major update to the last version of WP7.8 (Tango). This misconception may have sprung up due to the similarities that this OS and the previous generations share in common, especially in the user interface department. However, truth be told, there are more to Windows Phone 8 than meets the eye.

Probably the most significant improvement that WP8 has over previous builds is at its core. Instead of using a similar kernel as the pre-historic Windows CE, Microsoft utilized a Hybird (Monolithic – Microkernel) Windows NT kernel that is also being used on Windows 8. The use of this kernel has resulted to a significant improvement in the mobile platform’s ability to handle multi-core processors, higher screen resolution and storage expansion via Micro-SD card; three of the many things that users and journalists have been complaining since the debut of Windows Phone7.

windows phone 8

However, one of the major drawbacks that WP8 has is the fact that it cannot be installed on devices running on WP7. Microsoft explains that this is due to the hardware limitations presented by the earlier devices running on an older version of their platform. When this news made the headlines, it sparked an uproar in the WP7 community which also proved crucial to the success of WP7-powered handsets in the market. In the end, users are left with a hard pill to swallow; be content with their current device’s OS or move on to WP8.

As of the time of writing, both BB OS 10 and WP8 have a clear advantage over the other candidates in our list. In the case of BlackBerry, it has already established a following in the past; they just need to get things back on track to reclaim their spot in the upper echelon of the OS wars with BlackBerry OS 10. Windows Phone 8, on the other hand, is still on shaky grounds, but the single major edge it has over its competition is the fact that users can seamlessly transition from one Windows-powered device to the other since it also has a counterpart in the tablet and desktop scene.

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As for the three upcoming open source OS, it’s still pretty early to tell whether these platforms will make it to the big leagues, let alone break the two-horse race between Android and iOS. Make no mistake though; each of these platforms presents a very interesting proposition for its potential users. So the effort is definitely there, the question is if it’s gonna be enough to be named as one of the greats in the industry.

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App-y New Year

December 30, 2012December 30, 2012 Max Limpag Leave a comment

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Mobile exploded in 2012. US consumers now spend 1.8 more times in mobiles apps than on the Web, according to Flurry, a mobile analytics company. Flurry said that between December 2011 and December 2012, “the average time spent inside mobile apps by a US consumer grew 35 percent, from 94 minutes to 127 minutes.”

Closer to home, the Philippines recorded a 326 percent increase in smartphone sales, the fastest growth in the Southeast Asian region, according to research company GfK. The Philippines is also the country “with the highest jump in smartphone market share within a year, from 9 to 24 percent,” GfK said in a press statement last September.

To mark the end of this year of mobile, let me riff on a Pinoy New Year’s Eve tradition by offering you my favorite apps in 12 task categories, in no particular order:

NEWS APPS. (From left) Zite, Prismatic and News.me harness social networking connections to match news stories to users’ interests.

1) Zite. This is my favorite news app. Zite, from the word “zeitgeist” or the spirit of our times, learns from how you interact with content and then serves you with news stories that match your interests.

My other favorite news apps are Flipboard, Pulse, Currents and Prismatic. AP Mobile, meanwhile, not only has extensive news coverage but also gives breaking news alerts. I also love News.me and Curate.me, which keep track of how people in your social networks share content and use this as signal to determine which news stories to send you via e-mail. Recently released RockMelt also looks promising.

2) Evernote. For managing notes and jotting ideas, nothing beats Evernote, a web service with apps for Android, iOS, Mac and Windows.

3) Stitcher Radio. This app simplifies the downloading or streaming and listening to podcasts.

4) Viber. I personally prefer Kik, which is faster especially on lower-end phones, but people are on Viber. The app allows you to call or send a text message to another Viber user for free. Other messaging apps that I use with certain groups of people include WhatsApp and GroupMe. Facebook’s Messenger app is also very useful, especially if you need to contact people who are always on that social network.

5) Smartr. This contacts service and app populates your contacts with data grabbed from LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. It then shows you complete data on a specific contact–photo, job title, company details–and your email history.

6) Pocket. The service used to be known as Read It Later and allows you to save articles, without the ads and other distracting elements, for reading later.

7) Checkmark. I got this app, which normally costs $4.99, for free during its “end of the world sale” last Dec. 21. Checkmark is a location-based reminder app that’s so easy to use. Any.DO has started to implement this but it’s nowhere near the ease of use and polish of Checkmark.

8) Imo messenger. This app allows you to log into all your instant messaging accounts on your phone. Among the IM apps that I’ve used, imo.im provides the best experience.

9) Podio. I work on several projects with different sets of collaborators and rely on Podio to keep track of tasks. It is a robust project management Web service with good apps for Android and iOS.

EVERNOTE. The Evernote applications for iOS and Android allow you to manage your notes on the go.

10) Runkeeper. The app keeps track of your walking or running mileage through your phone’s GPS.

11) Google+. Sure, people are saying it’s a ghost town but the Google+ app offers a better social networking experience for me. Among its great features are the automatic photo uploading, Hangout, Messenger and Communities. Path is another good mobile social networking app.

12) Project Noah. Whether keeping track of a typhoon or deciding to do the laundry, weather information is crucial, especially at this time of climate change. Noah stands for Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards and is a DOST project that has apps for Android (created by a Davao-based developer) and iOS (developed by ABS-CBN).

I also asked a few people on their favorite mobile apps and these were what they shared:

Entrepreneur Jay Aldeguer: SoundHound. “I like listening to music and often times I don’t know the artists behind them; SoundHound gives me all the info I need just by “listening” to what’s playing.”

Sports writer John Pages: Flipboard. “All articles come with photos. You can customize the topics you want to read. It is frequently updated. Sources are divers. It’s free. And as its name implies, easy flipping between articles.”

Meralco vice president and chief information officer Marthyn Cuan: MMDA app and Meralco MOVE. “I love the MMDA app as this allows me to navigate through traffic. Meralco’s MOVE app keeps me informed on power maintenance schedules and appliance consumption.”

Port Restaurant chief operations officer Evangeline Hayco: Jango. “You can type in an artist or genre and it will play all kinds of songs similar to it. I never have to full up my iTunes library ever again. It’s free and play only one advertisement a day.”

Photographer James Go: Hipstamatic and Snapseed. “I use Hipstamatic for food shots, specifically the foodie pack expansion. It just works, food looks way better with just one press of a button. For everything else, there’s Snapseed. I have full control of my image editing, even sophisticated adjustments.”

Bankers Association of the Philippines president Abet Villarosa: IBreviary. “It contains the breviary prayers for morning, daytime, evening and night prayers. It also contains the mass and its readings. I have in my small iPhone 5 all that I need, which otherwise I would have to bring two large prayer books for.”

Smart public affairs manager for online services Nick Wilwayco: Project Noah Mobile for Android. “It’s everyone’s responsibility to be prepared plus it was made by a DOST scholar who gave back to the country.”

Photographer and blogger Estan Cabigas: Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare “for updates on the go.”

Megaworld director for strategic marketing Harold Geronimo: Metro Traffic. “It makes driving around Metro Manila easier because I know which roads to take during peak hours. It’s so updated and accurate.”

Blogger Nancy Cudis: Instagram. “It’s easy to use and I can readily post and share my photos on my Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr. I also enjoy seeing fun photos of my friends.

Lawyer Cecille Soria: TweakDeck on Android. “I live in Twitter. It’s useful for marking life updates, catching up with friends, discussing news and whatnot and as links dump stuff to read. Tweakdeck is robust and can handle multiple accounts. This is useful since I also help manage @PHNetDems Twitter account for the Magna Carta for Philippine Internet Freedom.”

Smart senior manager Menchie Quiñal: Maps. “I travel a lot these days. When I do my travel plan, I check the map first and mark the must-visit places and food strips before I book my hotel. From there I can best manage budget and time.”

Sun.Star Cebu editor-in-chief Isolde Amante: Kindle app. “It allows me to spend less for books that are delivered in under two minutes rather than three to four weeks.”

Cardiologist Alex Junia: MyFitnessPal “so I can record my food intake and exercise.”

Golfer Bayani Garcia: Viber and WhatsApp. “It’s a great way to communicate with people. It’s much more fun with the group chats with my friends. Also, it’s such a convenient way to send photos and videos.”

MyNimo.com president Wesley Chiongbian: Waze. “It’s a GPS app that gives you real time traffic updates from other ‘Wazers’.”

Programmer and start-up founder Mark Buenconsejo: Tweetbot and Pocket. “Tweetbot is one of the best developed app for iOS. Everytime I use it, I can feel the passion of the developers, who made sure I have the best mobile experience. It also integrates nicely with Pocket, Camera+ and Cloud app. I like to use Pocket because it integrates nicles with Tweetbot, Twitter and BufferApp. My workflow starts with Twitter and if I find something interesting to read, I add it to Pocket. Pocket works and does not get in the way. It’s free but I’d be glad to pay for it so they can continue to make the best Web reader out there.”

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EA and Gameloft hold Thanksgiving Day App Sale

November 22, 2012November 22, 2012 Ronnie Bulaong Leave a comment

As some of you may know, Americans are celebrating Thanksgiving Day today. In the spirit of the holiday, Gameloft and Electronic Arts are giving away discounts to some of their popular game titles, bringing it down to $0.99 or Php40.73.

AppSale

Some of the games that are on-sale include NFS: Hot Pursuit and Mirror’s Edge, The Amazing Spider Man, Mass Effect infiltrator and Backstab. And while Gameloft’s promo is available on both Play Store and App Store, EA’s app sale is only applicable for the latter.

ThanksGivingSale

There are other games which are on sale such as Capcom’s Street Fighter X Tekken Mobile and Ghosts ‘N Goblins GOLD KNIGHTS for iOS which are also priced at $0.99. The promo starts today and is said to run ‘til weekend. Be sure to tell your friends about it!

****** A word from the fine folks of Sun Cellular ******

Sun Cellular launches BlackBerry Prepaid!

Get the Sun BlackBerry All Day 50 for all-day unlimited mobile internet, unlimited social networking, unlimited instant messaging, unlimited BlackBerry browsing and unlimited BBM for only Php50.

Follow @suncelltweets for more info.

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