Apple’s Siri Hacked
Ever since iPhone 4S was released, people have been wondering whether the phone's hyped Siri service could be ported to the older iPhone 4. That seemed to be a difficult task, as Siri relied heavily on Apple's servers for operation. Ports have been created, but since the servers couldn't be accessed, the app could not operate normally.
Now, though, a group of Chinese hackers known as CD-Team have managed to create a functioning port of Siri on the iPhone 4 and the iPod Touch 4G, in case you have a jailbroken version of iOS 5. Sadly, older devices are not yet included in the list. The hackers have named the port H1Siri.
GTA III for Android and iOS
When Grand Theft Auto 3 came out on Windows and PlayStation 2 back in the day, it literally changed the world. It was all about freedom - you could do anything you want. Sure, there was a storyline, a pretty good one actually, but that's not what the game was all about. Technology has improved since then, it reached a level where you can have the same games that needed a powerful PC or console in the palm of your hand - on your smartphone.
Rockstar Games, the acclaimed creator of the GTA series, has announced the release date for the mobile version of GTA3. The game will be released for Android and iOS on December 15 and will cost around 5 quid. Interestingly, the game is a direct port from the PC and PS2 versions, which means no content will be added or removed. While it's good that Rockstar was able to make the port without sacrificing anything, people who still remember the game might get bored when playing it. Hopefully the game will still be playable with touch controls.
HTC Desire S Available in UK
The HTC Desire S is now available for purchase in the UK and the price is slightly lower then what experts predicted at around £410.00. Some retailers are throwing in a free car charger but if you want it delivered quickly it could cost extra. The Desire S is loaded with features including a 1GHz SnapDragon processor and 768MB of RAM as well as a decent 5MP camera. The touchscreen measures 3.7 inches which is decent for its class and runs smoothly on the Gingerbread Android OS.
HTC Incredible S Phone Review
HTC has announced the Incredible S series which will feature a decent 14.4 Mbps HSDPA speed and a 5.76 Mbps upload speed. The screen is also a goodsize measuring in at 4 inches with a standard 480 x 800 pixel resolution. The memory of the phone includes 768MB of RAM and 1.5 GB of ROM and comes with an on board 8 Megapixel camera. The camera does have video capabilities including 720p video capture at 30 fps.
The phone is powered by a 1 GHz Scorpion CPU and a Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8255 chipset. Other standard features include WiFi , GPS, FM Radio with RDS, microUSB and operates on the Google Android Froyo (version 2.2) OS. Still no word on release date.
Sony Ericsson XPERIA Will Have Unlocked Bootloader
Sony Ericsson has announced that they will unlock the bootloader 0n the newly released XPERIA smartphones which is good news for developers. Currently the phones that will be on board for the unlock are the Pro, Play, Neo, and Arc. The X10 family of smartphones won't be considered because of legal and technical problems but at least these four brands will have some play. Clearly Sony Ericsson is listening to the customers and developers as this is a bold but positive move to make and will only help further develop the Sony Ericsson relationship with its loyal fans. Sony does warn developers and customers that unlocking the device could void the warranty where it could charge a handling fee at the service department.
HTC Desire to Get Gingerbread Update
A French mobile carrier (SFR) has announced the dates in which the HTC Desire will receive a much anticipated Android update to the Gingerbread platform. The update is expected to take place sometime during the first half of April. Gingerbread is the 2.3 version of the Android OS.
iPad 2 Pricing Released
The iPad 2 is an upgraded version of the original iPad and includes a thinner sleek design and more battery life to keep you busier, longer. The prices have been released and are based on the needs of the customer. For example it will cost more if you require 3G or not. The starting price for an iPad 2 with just WiFi is £399.00 and comes with a 16GB hard drive if you are looking for more storage the 32GB hard drive iPad is £479.00 and the 64GB is £559.00.
If you require an iPad 2 to have the 3G network the base price is £499.00 for the 16GB model or £579 for the 32GB model and £659 for the 64GB model. The screen measures in at 9.7" and is lit by LED lights. The CPU is a powerful Dual-core A5 chip that allows multitasking to run smoothly.
AT&T buys T-Mobile for $39 Billion
As if AT&T wasn't a big enough mobile phone powerhouse in the USA it has now bought T-Mobile for a reported $39 Billion dollars. The move will give AT&T over 130 million subscribers and will reduce the four largest mobile carriers to three. When combined with Verizon the two companies would have three out of every four subscribers in the US.
With the new acquisition, AT&T is now the only supplier for the GSM network. As for the pro's and con's of the acquisition the most subscribers who stand to benefit are those who live in rural areas and have very limited service but the con is the pricing of services won't drop anytime soon.
UK at Risk of falling behind in 4G network race
The UK is currently at risk of trailing other countries for 4G network access. The 4G spectrum sale is expected to take place in 2012 but the problem is with legal ramifications from operators who are fighting over Britains digital infrastructure. If the legal fighting continues it could push the launch date of 4G back a couple years to 2014.
It will be interesting to see if Orange, Three, Vodafone, and O2 will be able to work together to bring 4G to the UK in a timely fashion so that the UK does not fall behind Australia, Russia, Sweden, US and Kenya as they are all expected to have 4G within the next year.
Three expected to release HTC Flyer in May 2011
HTC's Flyer tablet is expected to be launched by the Three network. The HTC Flyer will have the Gingerbread OS as well as use the Qualcomm 1.5 GHz chipset instead of the Tegra 2 dualcore chipset. In total the screen size of the tablet measures 7 inches with a capacitive screen complete with an aluminium body.
For network connectivity the Flyer will come WiFi ready and have 1GB of RAM and 32GB of ROM. Thereis also a report 5 Megapixel camera with autofocus and a front facing camera with 1.3 megapixels. So far no set date but the month of May should be the release month.
