iOS 7 to be released today

Credit: Boy Genius Report

iOS 7 — Apple has promised release on 18 September 2013. Historically, on the US West Coast, users get new releases around 10 am, US Pacific Time.

So, what's it like?

http://bgr.com/2013/09/17/ios-7-review-release-date-photos/

And just in time for those who won't be upgrading (or at least, not just yet), access to "last compatible version" of apps:

http://bgr.com/2013/09/17/ios-app-store-older-apps/ / release iOS 7 developers update apps app application compatible update flat flatten flattening icons fit new design update most significant yet Apple Apple’s iOS platform iPad iPod mini iPhone owners recent update App Store download the last compatible version app operating system OS out of date sigh of relief iPhone 4 4S 5 users iOS 7 3G 3GS owners still have access last working versions Jony Ive’s Ive creation Apple’s task renovate renovation renovating mobile platform iOS 7 balancing act popular computing platforms platform revamp revamped operating systems, users system company companies fail corporation old new now longtime users Apple platform due overhaul smart phone mobile cell smartphone tablet markets market change balanced new look completely overhauled realistic textures mimicked materials leather paper flat minimalist minimal minimalistic interface iOS 7 interface familiar fresh look major changes build built application colours colors brighter control center centre toggle flashlight torch flash slider AirDrop AirPlay notification centre new today tab task manager app switcher webOS card cards Palm /

Video isn’t breaking the internet: The industry giants are

Credit: gigaom

http://gigaom.com/2013/09/16/video-isnt-breaking-the-internet-the-industry-giants-are/ / Web handle video Comcast people watch television content pay TV service using the Web home would consume 648 gigabytes per month not nearing some technical tipping point Netflix YouTube Hulu pay TV’s on-demand applications about to break the web worse point where web giants ISPs ISP backbone providers content companies trying make rational decisions about delivering video avoid servers server network assets sit idle avoid over-investment over investment result consumers stuck in the middle know what’s wrong who who’s fault online video stream sucks fail fails peering battle between Verizon Cogent causes poor Netflix experience inability high quality YouTube stream consumer experience feel like an after thought problem ivideo delivery Web fragmented Netflix video Amazon’s cloud delivered via Level 3 Akamai Cogent ISP’s ISP network cached ISP’s data center Netflix Open Connect box movie stream last mile traverse ISP hit hitting your home flakey Wi-Fi network congested pipe to the house multiple points of failure report out Monday Sandvine many points of failure Sandvine makes deep packet inspection gear for ISPs tracking traffic Internet trends report tackle opaque world peer peering interconnects show where Web failing why business sometimes problems arise content company doesn’t have enough servers meet simultaneous demand content something Sandvine happens YouTube during lunchtime rush chart problems caused congested ports where middle mile provider Cogent Level 3 meets meet ISPs’ ISP network report explain how internet works where those points interconnect interconnection interconnections detailing some technical truths illustrate ISP behaving badly network congestion example report explains companies Netflix Google can save content serving costs deliver delivering packets big burst bursting behavior drive the last mile network operate at its peak causing problems latency sensitive packets VoIP driving up peak driven peak-driven network capital cost streaming servers more efficient when less context-switching content switching switch switched packet incentive incents content provider content-provider hosting provider CDN burst towards toward user switch another user pulse-width-modulation pulse width modulation bandwidth reduces context switches server additional bandwidth served hosting facility when other end stream reaches consumer bursts cause considerable additional cost access provider report accuses sites use adaptive bit rate streaming Netflix Hulu degrading performance other traffic user user’s network pushing aside non adaptive non-adaptive content gaming VoIP HTTP conclusion each player network being selfish cost quality Internet experience for Don Bowman CTO Sandvine recommends solution selfishness isn’t regulation transparency data on cost quality published interconnection point helps consumers regulators where to place blame all players act altruistically altruistic altruism more fairly secrecy around peering arrangements many conflicts interests within players between them create perfect opportunity speculation accusation little chance constructive change /

Galaxy S4 Vs. HTC One Review: Which is the best Android in the world?

Credit: Boy Genius Report

Declaration of interest: my phone is a Samsung Galaxy S4.

Reasons: performance. Benchmarks, battery endurance, screen size & resolution, how well it fits in a pocket, resistance to knocks & bumps, ability to easily swap batteries, or fit a larger battery, camera. The list goes on.

In the review linked below, a different view is taken: "hardware" appears to be synonymous with "appearance", & seems to be valued above all else.

The good news is that there is a big market, lots of choices & a "best" phone for all tastes.

http://bgr.com/2013/08/13/galaxy-s4-vs-htc-one-review-best-android-phone/

Another review of the HTC One:

http://hhg2tech.blogspot.com.au/2013/09/htc-one-android-smartphone-review.html

Or build your own:

http://hhg2tech.blogspot.com.au/2013/09/phonebloks-is-stunning-idea-for-phone.html / choose choosing choice select pick choosing best Android phone planet easy easier task HTC One world has ever seen perfect best no-compromise smartphone smart-phone smart phone review reviewing reviewed value a smartphone’s physical design build materials OS operating system software user experience One seems like a clear choice declare HTC One clear winner something about Samsung’s Galaxy S4 Samsung rethink my position Beneath pile gimmicky features truly fantastic smartphone gorgeous display cutting edge cutting-edge specs specifications decision use using opinions invariably change over time device attention majority phones phone’s gimmicky bells and whistles discover discovers features useful use novelty novelties Samsung’s gesture controls absolutely useless most situations more reliant on Air View features ability view message previews containing more half sentence text without having email open emails SMS text messages changed my workflow for the better on the S4 camera another example of an area of the Galaxy S4′s software more filter, scene mode options overwhelm overwhelmed overwhelming takes some time to sift through pick out favorites get a feel interface access different modes quickly changes the way you take pictures with your phone comparatively cheap feel has become less issue over time choosing device for personal use phone’s appearance hardware is just as important to me as the software experience total package Samsung historically failed repeatedly deliver fit and finish match smartphones’ user experience rarely carry Samsung devices review reviewed reviewing improvements in the quality of materials and the feel of the phone are minimal something different thin displayed display gorgeous cheap feel doesn’t deliver hardware experience approaches hero phones offered most other smartphone vendors thinner case less of an issue fit and finish flagship smartphone unlike thin pliable plastics HTC uses beautiful aluminum unibody design build quality close match apple Apple’s iPhone 5 rival vendor ever achieved impeccable back curves sit perfectly in your hand glass face spills over the sides continues lines polished chamfered edges micro-drilled holes micro drilled grill cover speakers personality fantastic design elements combine create truly unique gorgeous smartphone watch movies play music loudspeaker no rival smartphone match matched matching audio quality HTC’s BoomSound speakers read about gadget blogs software appears major pain point stock Android Jelly Bean sold sell selling directly Google $600 perfect smartphone combines HTC’s sleek hardware Google’s pure vision Android most users gadget bloggers smartphone enthusiasts enthusiasm enthusiast tend gravitate toward pure Google mass market mind vendor contributions most popular Android phones in recent history Galaxy S4 Galaxy S III 3 2 4 Galaxy Note II LG Optimus G, and HTC One, shipped 5 million units first month of availability feature featured very heavily customized versions of Android most lauded software features added by vendors personally very much enjoy HTC’s additions Jelly Bean hardware is clearly the star of the show with the HTC One, but the phone’s software is a tremendous compliment to its industrial design. The dark gradients and hard angles that characterize the Sense 5 user interface fit perfectly with the look of the phone. HTC also introduced several great new features alongside the One’s new version of Sense /

Phonebloks is a stunning idea for a phone that comes apart like Lego (video)

Credit: Dave Hakkens/ YouTube/ Huffington Post

With mobile phone use close to saturation, most new phones are bought as an incremental improvement over a still adequate previous phone. In my own case, a 3.5 inch screen just wasn't cutting it any more.

What if, instead of replacing the entire phone, you could just replace the screen, camera, Bluetooth, or whatever other component is no longer performing to spec, or has been superseded?

Phonebloks may be your answer.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/12/phonebloks_n_3908611.html

http://www.blessthisstuff.com/stuff/technology/cell-mobile-phones/phonebloks/ / Dave Hakkens buy electronics inherently wasteful phone feature phone smartphone smart phone new device comes out old one tossed garbage rubbish trash dump shelf to collect dust Netherlands Dutch designer change Lego-like device Lego like parts of the phone entire device can be replaced new phone threw away many good components bluetooths speakers displays thrown out away one other component is broken email This felt like a real waste introduction introduce introduced develop development developing design designer designing Phonebloks smartphone detachable components front back everything processor camera easily upgraded without discarding the rest of the phone contraption held together by a pegboard-style pegboard style base screen also replaceable mounted on the front one block camera lens battery storage block plug into the base blocks base screen secured together two screws individual blocks can be replaced become outdated simply break broken breaking electronic waste drastically reduced phone keep good parts replace the bad ones cell mobile video outlining the device pictures photographs photograph picture pop in high-resolution camera storage music larger storage block hardware would be built on an open platform product production fruition service called Thunderclap Phonebloks enthusiasts companies launch product consumers buy /

Microsoft pulls "fly on the wall" anti-iPhone ads

Credit: CNET

Another insight from the same company whose then CEO said of the newly introduced iPhone in 2007:

"There’s no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant market share."

http://news.cnet.com/8301-10805_3-57602902-75/microsoft-pulls-fly-on-the-wall-anti-iphone-ads/

http://www.tuaw.com/2013/09/13/microsoft-laughs-at-apples-new-iphones-in-fly-on-the-wall-in-c/ / Microsoft removed series online video advertisements critical Apple's latest iPhones iPhone smartphone smart phone videos title A fly on the wall in Cupertino? depicted fictional meetings Apple Apple's headquarters Cupertino California posted Microsoft's Windows Phone YouTube account two minutes unlikely to be shown on TV advertisements ill received ill-received mock mocked numerous social networks observers also suggested that similarities between fictional executive late Apple CEO Steve Jobs poor taste campaign intended lighthearted poke friends from Cupertino off the mark decided to pull it down Microsoft representative mirrored version of the main video /

Google Translate — future enhancements aim to end language barrier

Google has begun a project with the objective of nothing less than a real time voice enabled translator. I.e., an application which can act as interpreter for a conversation between two people who have no language in common.

http://bgr.com/2013/09/13/google-translate-future-enhancements/#more-1219387 / Google’s Google moonshot moonshots project projects company pursues far fetched far-fetched defining features. Spiegel Translate team ambitions eliminate language barriers develop development voice enabled voice-enabled universal translation system started working translator smartphone app translate different languages language Franz Josef Och Translate department fairly slow and clunky improvements text based text-based Translation similar leaps and bound biggest barriers subtle nuances language syntax ambiguity employ linguist team Translate app is designed get better with experience Google’s specialty collecting sorting analyse analyze analyzing data algorithms designed understand grammatical rules Spiegel search through the clutter gather data and learn along the way syntactical detective work to really sound like proper English perfect perfecting the service /

This cup is full of music

Credit: speeCup/ The Gadgeteer

It doesn't just look like a travel mug, it fits in your car's cup holder too.

http://the-gadgeteer.com/2013/09/12/this-cup-is-full-of-music/ / audio system travel mug and fits car’s cup holder, but it is a 8″ 8 inch tall portable Bluetooth speaker phone speaker phone car home power options rechargeable Li-ion battery LiIon lithium ion recharged recharge car’s DC outlet USB AC charger USB port computer audio-out audio out in jack speeCup wirelessly stream audio your car’s speakers car home sound system noise reducing noise reduction noise-reducing microphone hands-free hands free handsfree calling use voice commands Siri S Voice use gestures control music playback phone calls calls peeCup black white red /