Microsoft and Apple confirm no Carrier IQ spy software on iOS 5 or Windows Phone

Microsoft has officially denied any involvement with Carrier IQ and Apple says that most of its iOS 5 devices no longer use the controversial software.

With the debate around Carrier IQ beginning to heat up, all the companies that don’t use the software are piping up. Quick to clean their hands of the mess, Apple and Microsoft have both made statements about Carrier IQ. Microsoft denies using it entirely and Apple says that it’s been off the app since iOS5 and is now clean and sober.

Microsoft

Head of Windows Phone, Joe Belfiore, tweeted the following about 18 hours ago: “Since people are asking– Windows Phones don’t have CarrierIQ on them either.”

Apple

The iPhone does not use Carrier IQ now, but the service may still linger on some devices, Apple said in a statement: “We stopped supporting CarrierIQ with iOS 5 in most of our products and will remove it completely in a future software update,” said Apple. “With any diagnostic data sent to Apple, customers must actively opt-in to share this information, and if they do, the data is sent in an anonymous and encrypted form and does not include any personal information. We never recorded keystrokes, messages or any other personal information for diagnostic data and have no plans to ever do so.”

The big question here is the word “most.” It means that some iOS 5 products still use Carrier IQ, but we don’t know which ones. And if you haven’t yet upgraded to iOS 5, your iPhone or iPad is likely using Carrier IQ as well.
If not Carrier IQ, then what?

The fact that iPhones and Windows Phones will not be using Carrier IQ is strange, as it means one of two things: either carriers are getting diagnostics only from Android phones or that Apple and Microsoft are simply using competing services (or their own) to deliver this data to wireless carriers. Do these services record more info than they’re supposed to as well? To see if you have Carrier IQ on your handset, check out our roundup of which manufacturers and carriers use Carrier IQ.

Source is
http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/microsoft-and-apple-confirm-no-carrier-iq-spy-software-on-ios-5-or-windows-phone/

New Path 2.0 automatically chronicles, shares your life

Path has a new, attractive, and intuitive interface for sharing moments and viewing what your close friends are posting.


The year-old semi-social network app Path is getting a major update that adds scary but interesting automatic life-tracking features, as well the capability--finally--to share Path items with larger social networks.

A refresher: Path was designed as a mobile service that lets you share what's important in your life with only your closest friends. It's not a wide-open social network like Facebook, nor a broadcast platform like Twitter. It's designed to keep you in touch with your family and your close, intimate friends only.

Path now makes that even easier and, in my opinion, more enjoyable. The new user interface on Path is extremely engaging. Now every sharing activity hides under a single button. And Instead of being good at just sharing photos and videos, now Path is equally adept at sharing thoughts, places you're visiting, and when you're asleep or awake. (It also lets you share music, but it's less good at that, since it can only tell what you're playing in the phone's music player, not on Spotify or other services.)

The fascinating, scary, and fortunately optional new feature of Path is called "Automatic." The app knows where you are and can automatically update your Path stream with significant location changes, once it learns your routine. If you hang out in a new neighborhood, or you're driving and stop in a city you've never been to, Path will create a location update. When it spots you at a new airport, ditto.

You can also tell Path when you go to sleep and when you wake up, and it will create an update with that data, and additional clever story-telling. Sleep for two hours and it might say you, "need coffee." Snooze for ten and it could say, "Ready to attack the day!" Path has a novelist on staff, I'm told, to keep these little items fresh.

Path CEO Dave Morin told me that tweaking the algorithms that figure out when to update, and which update "story" to use, are under constant development. Siri, he says, is paving the way for mobile apps with personality and smarts. "AI is the new UI," he says.

Posting automatic updates about when you're stopping for grub or grabbing some shut-eye might seem like trivia or over-sharing, but Morin maintains that in Path's tight networks of real friends, it's not. This information is not irrelevant when it comes from your best buddy or your spouse.

But it certainly is TMI when it comes to sharing with friends of friends, or those long-lost Facebook contacts you last saw in grade school. So while Path will now let you share out the items you post intentionally to Facebook, Twitter, or Foursquare (Tumblr is coming; but Google+ still has no API), it won't share the Automatic updates.

Morin says that Path 2.0 will post "natively" to these other social platforms: It'll use link-shorteners for items it puts on Twitter, and will post natively to Facebook's photos, for example. So you could, theoretically, use Path for sharing everything, from your intimate updates to Path friends to your broadcasts out to the Twitterverse.

Path 2.0 is due out today on iOS and Android.

Source is
http://news.cnet.com/8301-19882_3-57333449-250/new-path-2.0-automatically-chronicles-shares-your-life/

iOS Users Fastest To Upgrade

When it comes to adoption rates for upgrades, the iOS platform easily tops both Android and BlackBerry, underscoring the avid consumer base for Apple products like the iPhone and iPad, according to a new study by mobile ad network Jumptap.

Within three weeks of its mid-October release, iOS 5 already accounted for a third (32%) of the total iOS traffic on the network. By contrast, Android 2.3 still had less than 50% penetration of the overall Android market nine months after its release. And only a quarter of BlackBerry users have adopted BlackBerry 6, the platform upgrade launched a year ago.

The latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system clearly got a big boost from the simultaneous launch of the long-awaited iPhone 4S, which sold a record 4 million units in its first weekend. Older models like the iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS, whose pricing dropped to $99 and zero, respectively, can also run iOS 5.

“From both the network impressions and the long lines outside Apple stores across the country, it’s clear that Apple fans tend to seek the latest technology at the fastest rates,” noted Jumptap CMO Paran Johar. “While more new users are turning to Android, they tend to hang on to their current operating system for longer periods of time.”

For mobile publishers and marketers, that means iPhone and iPad users are the most likely to be able to access the latest versions of their content or ads at any given time. That may be one reason that new apps are often rolled out on iOS initially before extending to Android, BlackBerry and other platforms.

Android, of course, holds the majority of market share on smartphones overall, since it runs across the handsets of multiple manufacturers. The Google platform represented 44.7% of smartphones on Jumptap’s, trailed by iOS at 24.6%, and BlackBerry, with 22.9%. Still, the surge of iPhone 4S buyers helped iOS gain 1.6 percentage points of share in October, while Android slipped 2.3 points.

According to Gartner, Android powered 52% of smartphones worldwide in the third quarter, compared to 15% for iOS.

Jumptap’s latest metrics report also highlighted other differences between Android and iPhone users.

The Android-based Samsung Galaxy S2, for instance, generated 27% more ad requests from apps than the iPhone. But iPhone users were twice as active on the mobile Web. And while gaming is the leading content category on Samsung smartphones, news and entertainment is the top vertical for iPhone users. That suggests Android users skew younger and may be more drawn to apps. Previous research has also shown the Android Marketplace carries more free apps than the App Store.

Overall, Jumptap said traffic on its network remained evenly split between the mobile Web and apps in October. The share of Web traffic from feature phones, however, dropped from 50% in September to 34% last month, reflecting the accelerating adoption of smartphones.

Among other findings, males, older people, and high-income users clicked on mobile ads at a higher rate than other demographic groups. Click-through rates on a daily basis peaked at .70% during evening drive time. (No data on whether that includes drivers) Retail, automotive and entertainment were the largest ad verticals on the Jumptap network in October, unchanged from prior months. The government, entertainment and automotive categories showed the best CTRs for direct-response performance.

Source is
http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/162871/ios-users-fastest-to-upgrade.html

Android 4.0 VS iOS 5: the apps and service

After the release of iOS 5 and Android 4.0, people always talk about which is better. It is really difficult to say that iOS 5 is better than Android 4.0 or Android 4.0 is better than iOS 5. Today I will compare the features, advantage, disadvantage, hardware and other features from the two most popular mobile operation systems. I believe that you will know more about them after read my article.

From iOS 4 to iOS 5, we can not find big surprise, instead we can see the perfect in details, such as drop-down menu and other new features borrow from Android. That maybe because iOS is already powerful and perfect. People can not find any big disadvantage on it.

In contrast, Android 4.0 has more improvement than the previous version. We not only see the redesigned interface and many upgrades in details, but also we notice the integration of Android mobile phone and Android Tablet in the brand new Android 4.0. Of course, you can understand this as the integration of Android and this is a good news for developers and hardware producers. However, in today’s mobile phone area, all the customers care about the apps more than hardware, a well-developed platform can attract more app developers. This will brings more business to them.

As we talking about above, apps is now more important than hardware and game plays a big role in app. In iOS 5 and Android 4.0, which one provides a better game experience for users? I think iOS 5 is better than Android 4.0 now. The game experience in iOS is absolutely better than Android. This is not only because iOS has its own Game Center, but also because the hardware of the devices. For example, the new iPhone 4s has dual-core Graphics processor, while in Android phones, only Samsung Galaxy nexus is comparable. In Android 4.0, we only find the new 3D driver. Now I can not say how much it can improve the game experience.

In the new iOS 5 and iPhone 4s, Apple’s iCloud becomes a highlights. In fact, it is developed from MobileMe service, which aims to keep the consistency of data from different platform. In addition to the new features, such as photos, bookmarks, presentation’s sync, it also can sync your apps from iOS 5 to Cloud.

Although Android 4.0 does not provide this kind of service, users can also enjoy the convenient brought by cloud services. Now Android users can update and sync data with multi devices in 24 hours and Android also provides Gmail contact backup and other services.

Android Market safer than Apple App Store?

A tech analyst has said that the Android Market offers users more transparency when it comes to keeping themselves secure from apps that may give out unwanted personal information.

Ciaran Bradley, VP Handset Security, Adaptive Mobile told T3.com that many consumers are sharing information through apps on their phones without even realising it.

He claims that out of the two major groups, Android offers the greatest benefit for consumers in this area despite being perceived as the more dangerous: "One of the interesting things that came out of this survey is that while Android has a perception as being less secure, they actually make an attempt to give you information about what’s going on."

"When you install an Android application the permissions that will be used by that application are displayed to you, such as, it may use location it may use the internet or it may access your phonebook so people should look at those permissions and ask themselves why would a flashlight application for example need to contact the internet."

He went on to point out what he believes to be a flaw with Apple's system used in the App Store: "When it comes to Apple, [choosing permissions] is taken out of your hands. You’re just assuming that Apple have got your best interests at heart and that they’re going to do their best to protect your privacy but, Apple don’t tell you what the standards are that they use, so you’re very much at the mercy of them."

In a report published this week the analytics company highlighted concerning stats that showed trusted apps such as Angry Birds were contacting advertising domains and analytics firms with information crossing both the Android and iOS platforms with some apps contacting as many as 14 different domains.
Which is better, Android Market or Apple's App Store? Let us know what you think via the comments box below...

Source is
http://www.t3.com/news/android-market-is-more-transparent-than-apple-app-store

iOS 5 Vs Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0: Google is worried about Siri

We have some interesting news to bring you in relation to the ongoing software rivalry between Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android platforms. Google CEO Eric Schmidt has just revealed that he sees Apple’s new Siri software as a competitive threat to Google’s business model.

If you ask any iPhone 4S owner for their thoughts on Siri, the majority will tell you that it is one of the most impressive things seen on a smartphone and another stroke of Apple’s magic where they take an existing technology and put their innovative spin on it.

On the other hand, most Android users will dismiss Siri at the first opportunity, by saying that Android already had it in the first place, and that it basically does the same funtions as Siri.

Recent comments made by Schmidt though may be deemed as a complete backtrack to previous comments made by the CEO in which he dismissed Apple as a competitive threat. Here is what he said at a recent U.S. Senate antitrust subcommittee, as reported from Apple Insider:

”Apple has launched an entirely new approach to search technology with Siri, its voice-activated search and task-completion service built into the iPhone 4S. Apple’s Siri is a significant development—a voice-activated means of accessing answers through iPhones that demonstrates the innovations in search. Google has many strong competitors and we sometimes fail to anticipate the competitive threat posed by new methods of accessing information.”

There’s a lot of information to digest there, but the clearest indication there is that Google do see Apple as a threat, and Siri is a big factor because of this. Ice Cream Sandwich will include some more voice to text features upon release, such as being able to send an SMS message to users just by voice only – similar to the way in which Siri works.

However, two innovative features that will be unique to Ice Cream Sandwich, are the Face Unlock and Android Beam features. Face Unlock will unlock your Android 4.0 handset by using face recognition only, while Android Beam will allow users to exchange data almost instantly between two Android 4.0 handsets using NFC technology. The upcoming Galaxy Nexus will be the first handset to showcase both when it launches later on this month.

What are your thoughts on the comments from Google’s CEO? If you are an Android fan, do you admit that Siri is very impressive, or do you believe that Ice Cream Sandwich will offer the same functionality in future software updates?

Source is
http://www.product-reviews.net/2011/11/07/ios-5-vs-ice-cream-sandwich-4-0-google-is-worried-about-siri/

Microsoft's Bing mobile app ships for iPhone, Android -- not Windows Phone

Microsoft has rolled out a new mobile app for Bing built with HTML5 and available first only to iPhone and Android users, not to Windows Phone users. It may be another indication that Microsoft is turning its attention away from its home-baked development platforms .Net and Silverlight and toward the industry-standard HTML5.

Because a version of Bing is already integrated with Windows Phone 7, the new Bing HTML5 app at first is available to iPhone and Android users only, with BlackBerry and Windows Phone 7 versions to follow at an unspecified later date. Internet Explorer 9 with support for HTML5 is one of the features touted with Windows Phone 7.5, the Mango release.

"The functionality of the app is based on HTML5 and currently only works on iPhone and Android phones. We're working to release a new Bing app for Windows Phone 7 devices in the future," a Microsoft spokesperson told Network World.

The new HTML5-based app, Bing for Mobile, brings the Bing search engine to mobile phones. It also includes features like Maps with a List/Split view, real-time transit information, a search history and a "deals" feature. The deals feature aggregates information from coupon sites like Groupon, LivingSocial and Tippr.

To be fair, Bing did get an overhaul with Windows Phone 7.5, and added features like voice searching, music search and camera/photo-based searching (Bing recognizes the text or the barcode).

Delivering Bing as an HTML5 app offers several advantages, says Santanu Basu, Microsoft's product manager of Bing for Mobile, in a blog post.

"Rather than tightly binding functions into a mobile client, we want to embrace the drive towards exposing our functions via an HTML5 experience. In order for search to advance, engines need to be able to call functions that are currently 'hiding' in apps," he wrote. "Using HTML5, our goal is to build a mobile experience that leverages the unique capabilities of the different platforms including camera support and voice search, while making the functions the apps can provide consistent across the platforms and -- in the future -- callable by engines to help people get from searching to doing."

This praise for HTML5 on mobile platforms may also be telling. Microsoft is seemingly pushing out its own development platforms in favor of the next revision of HTML, which supports rich multimedia applications and experiences. Windows developers, be they in the enterprise or ISVs, have invested years in effort and many training dollars in Microsoft platforms, from Win32 and COM to .Net, Silverlight and Windows Presentation Foundation.

With the introduction of Windows 8, Microsoft caused much consternation among developers by using HTML5 and JavaScript as the basis for its new Metro applications. Although Microsoft still plans that at least the next version of Windows and Windows Phone will support applications built on its own technologies, many pundits say the writing is on the wall.

Even last year, with the initial release of Windows Phone 7, Microsoft had been pushing developers into writing Silverlight applications for it. With support for HTML5 in Mango, these new Bing apps indicate that even Microsoft is starting to move on.

With the Bing for Mobile app and the missing Lync for Mobile app, even Microsoft will develop first for iPhone and Android over Windows Phone. Ironically, the one place Microsoft is dragging its feet in supporting its competitors' technologies is the area customers most want such support: remote access and Microsoft's cloud services.

Source is
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9221425/Microsoft_s_Bing_mobile_app_ships_for_iPhone_Android_not_Windows_Phone

iOS 5 vs Windows Phone 7.5 – battle of the operating systems

There’s a massive smartphone war brewing, with the main participants being the iPhone 4S, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus and the Nokia Lumia 800. But what about the three major operating systems that power these handsets? We start off by comparing iOS 5 to Windows Phone 7.5.

Usability
iOS was the first smartphone OS to get the whole touchscreen navigation thing right, and all of its rivals – including Windows Phone 7.5 – have borrowed liberally from it. Its app icon-driven interface is still a doddle to use, and the ability to swipe between multiple homescreens remains the navigation method of choice in the industry.

Windows Phone 7.5, meanwhile, has taken many of the core principles introduced by iOS and has applied them to a fresh, streamlined interface. Here there are only two home screens – the main one packed full of animated live tiles (a feature iOS could do with adopting at least partially) that offer you glanceable info and a second for all of your apps.

Winner: Draw - It’s hard to argue with iOS 5′s familiar, iterative approach, but there’s also no denying that Windows Phone 7.5′s fresh perspective has created a uniquely modern and integrated OS. One thing’s for sure – both are extremely slick and a fair bit more usable than Android.

Style
In terms of style, iOS 5 hasn’t changed all that much from the early days, which – as mentioned above – makes it the most familiar mobile OS on the market. The other side of this is that it’s also the least fresh of the lot. While we’d never call Apple’s OS ugly, it is in danger of feeling ever so slightly dated. iOS 6 needs to feature a spruce up, especially given the new competition.

That new competition is, of course, Windows Phone 7.5. And it’s gorgeous. If you’d told us four or five years ago that Microsoft would soon make an OS that was more stylish than its Apple equivalent we’d have laughed in your face, but here it is. The Metro UI is slick, inviting and easy on the eye. It even gives standard apps like eBay and Flickr the edge over the iOS and Android equivalents, so that they’re often nicer to use on Windows Phone hardware.

Winner: Windows Phone 7.5 - While die-hard Apple fans will no doubt differ, and Microsoft’s mobile OS isn’t to everyone’s tastes, it’s far easier on the eye than Apple’s four-year-old design.

Speed
We’ve only used iOS 5 on the brand new iPhone 4S, so can’t speak for the older hardware, but we do know that Apple’s uniquely holistic approach – controlling both hardware and software – means that its operating systems run like buttered silk. There’s scarcely a hint of lag or stutter as you scroll through the homescreens, and the latest web browser is extremely fast too.

Microsoft has managed to get very close to Apple’s all-in-one approach by strictly defining the hardware requirements for Windows Phone handset manufacturers. This, in conjunction with the tightly honed Windows Phone 7.5 OS, makes for a smooth navigation experience that rivals iOS 5. Its IE9 web browser is also very responsive.

Winner: draw – Both operating systems are quick and responsive, and neither requires a mountain of RAM to operate smoothly either.

Apps
Apple’s iOS has reaped the rewards of being first, as well as of being tied closely to the popular iTunes digital content service. As a result, it has by far best app store in the business – both in terms of range and quality of apps. Of course, navigation is another story, but judging by the sheer number of cheap apps on offer it would be churlish to complain too much.

This is arguably Windows Phone 7.5′s biggest weakness, and there’s at least as big a gap between the two app services as there is between their respective visual styles. Windows Phone is playing catch-up in a big way, and while progress has been made, it’s simply not yet getting the unique apps to compete with Apple’s App Store. This is also the one area in which Microsoft’s Metro UI doesn’t seem to provide a satisfying navigation experience – at least not in its current form.

Source is
http://www.fonehome.co.uk/2011/10/31/ios-5-vs-windows-phone-7-5-mango-battle-of-the-operating-systems/

iOS 5 vs Android Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0

Surprisingly, iOS 5 is the underdog. Google to roll out the most advanced Android OS upgrade yet, the Android Ice Cream Sandwich.

Ask Google or Apple, and both companies will tell you that the operating system is the heart and soul of a smartphone or tablet, and apparently the top feature of a smartphone. Android and Apple’s iOS are considered as the biggest players in the smartphone operating system market today, based on market share and overall functionality, but the advantages and disadvantages of both platforms are obvious.

Before we talk about Galaxy Nexus vs iPhone 4S, we should first note the Android 4.0 versus iOS 5. Surprisingly, Android’s 4.0 is the most aggressive upgrade yet that will surely compete against Apple’s iOS 5.

Notification System

One of the best new features of the iOS 5, and Apple claims the new notification system of the iOS 5, used by iPhone 4S and other compatible Apple devices, features a compelling new notification system that can deliver “less intrusive” updates like e-mail, Facebook notification, Twitter, etc.

Apple tweaked the operating system’s lock screen, home screen to notification updates while running an application. Similar to Android, an iOS 5-powered device user can also get access to the notification list by swiping the screen’s notification bar down, and can tap to read, or dismiss a notification. A user can also adjust the notification/s from a certain Apple or third-party app by opting in via the settings.

Meanwhile, Google has update the Android’s notification system, and with the new Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, a Galaxy Nexus user (and future Android devices with Android 4.0) can get access to the notification list on lock screen, home screen or while running an application. To get the notification list, the user can swipe from the notification bar down, and can now dismiss by swiping or flick (left or right) or read notification by tapping.

Google’s Matias Duarte explained, “from the beginning, Android has been designed to put you in control. In Ice Cream Sandwich, notifications are better than ever.” Duarte added, “in Ice Cream Sandwich, we’re also introducing a music player control in notification, so you can pause or skip tracks without ever leaving an application just by pulling down the notification.”

Google is also the company behind Gmail, so the notification for the e-mail service is theoretically better with ICS than other Android versions and iOS.

Built-in Camera application

Android and Apple have implemented better built-in camera application. With iOS 5, Apple has implemented a better, built-in editing tools like red-eye reduction, touch to focus, camera shutter support (volume up button), cropping, flip, and photo enhancements.

Google’s Android is also introducing a built-in photo editing application for the Android Ice Cream Sandwich. According to Google, Galaxy Nexus can apply filters, crop, flip and refocus a photo without losing the original photo. Google also showed the more flexible way of sharing a photo to social networking sites by clicking share. With iOS 5, the photo sharing within the photo application is limited (but supports e-mail or Twitter), and the user will need to open the social network’s application to upload a photo or video. One of the best examples is Facebook.


Messaging

Google said the new messaging app of Ice Cream Sandwich is enhanced, now with better on-screen keyboard, and easy access to the contact’s other details with the “People app.” A user can save all the information of a contact like Linkedin, Twitter, Google+ and other supported social networking sites and e-mail services (including Gmail). Google said the list of supported services will grow because they will open the People App’s API. Android’s ICS operating system also includes better voice to text support.

Meanwhile, iOS 5 features the new iMessage application, the BBM-like messaging application exclusive for iOS 5 devices. Apple also included Siri in the messaging application for dictation to text support.


Find my Friends vs Face Unlock

Two new features, Apple’s Find my Friends and Android’s Face Unlock. Apple, during the iPhone 4S event, unveiled the new location-based service called Find My Friends application. Apparently, Find My Friends is the GPS-dependent service that a user can use if she/he wants to locate a friend or family.

iOS 5 users can send a request to friends/family with iOS 5-equipped device to find their location. Once the friend accepts the request, the requestor can see that friend’s location on either a map or a list.

Meanwhile, Android also introduces a new feature called “Face Unlock,” and with this feature, a user can lock or unlock the Galaxy Nexus by using his/her face. Google said in the Galaxy Nexus product page, “No complicated passwords to remember, just switch on your phone and look into the camera to quickly unlock your phone.”


Cloudy

iOS 5 and Android Ice Cream Sandwich both support cloud storage and syncing. With the Google Android Ice Cream Sandwich, a user can shoot, save and send instantly. Google used the Google+ as an example, saying that Google+ features “Instant Upload” service that uploads a photo instantly to the cloud.

Meanwhile, iOS 5 supports iCloud, Apple’s new cloud-based syncing and apps access. With iCloud, users can now sync all his/her devices like iTunes music, photos, videos, contacts, calendars, documents like “Pages,” and more. It is worth noting that Android also supports photo syncing with Picasa and Google+ and Music (mp3) syncing with the Google Music Beta application and PC access via browser.


iOS 5 or Android Ice Cream Sandwich

Still depends on personal preference, if you love Apple, buy the iPhone 4S or for Android fans, go with Galaxy Nexus just because the phone gets the latest operating system updates first than other Android devices.

Source is
http://popherald.com/ios-5-vs-android-ice-cream-sandwich-4-0/news/2011/10/19

After the iPhone 4S, Windows Phone 7.5 still feels right

My fellow ZDNet blogger and friend, James Kendrick, put up a post comparing his Android and iOS 5/iPhone 4S experiences and I agree with his take on the two. Since he has been a much more regular Android user while I have been focusing more time on Windows Phone 7 I thought you might enjoy hearing my thoughts on how the new iOS 5 OS on my Apple iPhone 4S compares to the Windows Phone 7 platform.

Software: iOS 5 vs. Windows Phone 7.5

A person who has used Windows Phone 7 even more than myself is Paul Thurrott and on his SuperSite for Windows he offers some thoughts on Windows Phone 7.5 versus iOS 5 and comes the conclusion that his AT&T SIM belongs in his Windows Phone 7.5 device. Paul emphasizes what I talked about when Windows Phone 7 was first released in 2010 and that is the philosophy of an application based system versus a task based system. In Windows Phone 7/7.5 you don’t generally think of apps as much (except for Xbox LIVE games) as you simply perform tasks to get things done, such as call a friend or look at your photos.

iOS 5 and the Apple iPhone 4S may change all of that as Siri grows up, but right now Siri is still a bit limited on what you can do and I personally find it most useful for creating reminders and calendar appointments. Since Siri is a beta, I am hoping to get more integration into 3rd party apps and even Apple apps. I would love to just say something like “Download the latest MobileTechRoundup podcast and start playing it.” It is not yet that advanced though and as I mentioned in an earlier article the Windows Phone 7.5 Tellme voice integration is excellent and deserves consideration.

Apple rules the smartphone world with the number of applications, but I personally find all the apps I want and need on Windows Phone 7 in their catalog of 30,000+ applications. I find the notifications in iOS 5 to blow away what limited notifications we see on Windows Phone and would love to see a bit more work in this area.

Speed and consistency has always been a hallmark of iOS, but Windows Phone 7.5 beats Apple here with an extremely snappy performance even on old hardware. Windows Phone 7.5 is as consistent as iOS and maybe even more so with less menu options and settings available to the end user. Windows Phone 7.5 does an excellent job with service integration while Apple forces you into the idea of working with specific apps, such as separate Facebook and Twitter apps.

Hardware

There is no question that the hardware of the iPhone 4S blows away anything we currently see in Windows Phone. Hopefully that changes very soon when Nokia joins the picture and if they release a device as amazing as the Nokia N9 I am looking at then we’ll have a real competition going on. HTC, Samsung, and others need to step up their Windows Phone game and I think a couple of the upcoming Windows Phone 7.5 device look to do that.

Which do I prefer?

As regular readers know I have been a major fan and advocate for Windows Phone 7 and still am a strong believer that you need to try it before tossing it out for consideration. My daughter liked it so much that she helped pay for her own unlocked Samsung Focus to use on T-Mobile and said the same thing.

I really enjoy my new Apple iPhone 4S and love that you now get a rock solid zippy experience with a ton of tweaking options, similar to the Android platform, and a platfom that is consistent like Windows Phone. The iPhone 4S hardware is awesome and with a camera that performs as well as anything on the market I recommend the iPhone 4S for many people. However, like Paul I still find I enjoy using Windows Phone 7.5 even more than my iPhone 4S. Windows Phone 7.5 is my primary phone on T-Mobile and the iPhone 4S is my primary on Verizon and there is nothing I see from Android that will knock either one of those out. I am enjoying the Nokia N9, but with a dead end software platform that is a tweakers device and not for the masses. I cannot wait to see what Nokia announces next week at Nokia World, I will be there covering the event, and hope to soon replace my aging HTC HD7 and Dell Venue Pro.

Source is
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/cell-phones/after-the-iphone-4s-windows-phone-75-still-feels-right/6751

What iOS 5 brings to iPad

With iOS 5, Apple cut back on the hyperbole (a little) and just delivered a great new OS that genuinely opens up new ways to use the iPad and reinforces the ties between complementing Apple devices, including the iPhone, iPod Touch, and Apple TV.

Installation
I'm happy to report that Apple forgot to screw over owners of the original iPad. Typically when I write these pieces they start off with me explaining how the update is only available to those who own the most recent version of the device. What a nice surprise to see that iOS 5 is supported on both the iPad 2 and the original iPad, not to mention the iPhone 3GS, and third- and fourth-generation iPod Touch.

As usual, updating the software requires connecting the iPad to your computer and syncing through iTunes. Shed a little sentimental tear, though, since it may be the last time you'll ever need to sync over USB again. One of the features introduced with iOS 5 is the ability to update the software over the air and also sync with iTunes over your home's Wi-Fi connection. Apple calls the feature PC-Free.

Headline features
The first thing you'll notice with iOS 5 is the addition of three new apps on your home screen: iMessages, Newsstand, and Reminders.

With iMessages, Apple gives you an instant messaging solution that works between any iOS device, including iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch. You can instantly share text, photos, or videos. Messaging is free over Wi-Fi, but carrier charges may apply if you're using the app over 3G.

If it were any other company, I'd be quick to point out the limitations of a messaging platform that communicates only with one brand of products (see: BlackBerry Messenger), but when you add together every iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch in the world--that's a lot of people to chat with.

In real-world use, you'll still probably use the iPad's e-mail app for the bulk of your communication. Where iMessages comes in handy are those times when you're on your couch with your iPad and want to quickly send off a message to your spouse's iPhone, or gossip with your friends in real time.

The second new app introduced in iOS 5 is Newsstand. This is Apple's attempt at capitalizing on the iPad's appeal as a digital magazine or newspaper (and getting a cut of the profits). Like the iBooks app, Newsstand is presented as a virtual bookshelf that displays all your digital magazine or newspaper subscriptions, along with a link into an Apple storefront for buying more content.

Much of the content included in the Newsstand store has been here all along. Really this is a cute way to automatically group together existing magazine and newspaper apps that use in-app purchasing and subscriptions. I had just as much luck finding great digital magazines like Wired and The New Yorker by downloading their apps from the iPad's App store instead of finding them through the Newsstand storefront (which really just takes you to a section within the App Store). In short, the Newsstand app is really just a clever repackaging of existing content, but it may be just the thing to get people back in the comfort zone of thinking about magazines as something distinctly different than apps.

Apple iOS 5 Release: A Guide to the 200 New Features

Apple plans to release its most advanced mobile operating system, iOS 5, on Oct. 12 at midnight. Current iOS owners can download the free upgrade from the iTunes Store, but every new iOS device sold after Wednesday will have iOS 5 pre-loaded.


To install iOS 5, users will need to connect to their Mac or PC and follow a set of instructions in iTunes, but once the update is complete, users will thankfully never need to plug into their computers ever again. One of the key features of iOS 5 is total device independence.


iOS 5 is Apple's most comprehensive and complete system upgrade ever with over 200 new features. Here's what iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch owners can expect to see.

iCloud: iOS 5 will be the first platform to run on Apple's new cloud infrastructure called iCloud. iCloud is a free service and users get 5 GB by signing up, but users can buy more storage if they so choose. By plugging into a power source, iCloud automatically pushes all documents, apps, calendars, mail, contacts, photos, and music to all of the user's other iOS devices.  As Tim Cook says, "It just works."

Notification Center: In iOS 4, all phone activity was paused in order to display a new notification. Notifications are no longer in the way in iOS 5, as incoming messages and app notifications appear briefly at the top without interrupting activity on the phone, and all messages are kept organized within a convenient Notification Center. It's easy to access—users need only swipe down from the top of the screen to enter the Notification Center. Furthermore, new notifications can be viewed and attended to directly from the Lock Screen, making for quick and easy access.

New Lifestyle Apps: iOS 5 is all about making life easier for the user. An Apple-designed Reminders app aims to keep users organized and on time, and Newsstand neatly arranges news app subscriptions all in one place and automatically updates the user with the latest issue. The new Cards app is Apple's response to the greeting card industry. Cards lets users quickly design and send beautiful, cheap, 100 percent cotton "tree-free" cards to friends and loved ones. The app goes one step further by notifying users the second the card is delivered by the postal service. Find My Friends is a great way to organize events with other users, whether for a temporary rendezvous or a days-long event. And for those parents still wondering where their children are at 10 p.m., Find My Friends app, paired with the right Parental Controls, can allow parents to instantly view their location of their children on a map.

Overhauled Apps: Mail and Calendar are two old apps that will look brand-new on iOS 5. In Mail, users can write in rich text, indent paragraphs, flag important messages, and search the archive in the body of messages. In Calendar, events are easier to create, manage, and view. iCloud syncs calendars to other devices, and even with select family and friends. Photos is also completely redesigned; no longer is the app simply a library for your photos. Users will be able to edit and crop their photos, add enhancements, or even remove red eye directly on the iOS device.

Camera Upgrade: Apple's latest mobile upgrade will magically changes phone's camera interface. With two clicks of the home button, users can access the camera from the lock screen and start shooting. Users can pinch the screen to zoom, tap the screen to focus, and can now shoot photos with a click of the + volume button.

Safari Overhaul: Apple doesn't like that its Safari browser is the third most popular Web browser after Google Chrome and Firefox. With iOS 5, Safari finally catches up to its competitors with tabbed browsing, a Reading List to save articles for later reading on any iOS device (thanks to iCloud), and the Reader, which removes ads and other clutter from articles, allowing for a clean and beautiful reading experience.

Game Center: Apple has already broken into the gaming industry with its bountiful and easily accessible App Store. Game Center's been around since iOS 4, but few tweaks here and there give it a completely different feel. Users can upload profile pictures, find friends they know and discover new ones, and see how they fare against their competitors over time.

Parental Controls: Thanks to iOS 5, now we won't have kids running amok on their iPhones. The new system has built-in parental controls to manage use of Safari, Camera, FaceTime, Game Center, Location Services, YouTube, the iTunes Store, the App Store, and more. Parents can also lock the settings so kids can't go in and change them later.

Tweet Everything: Apple took social media seriously in the latest iOS. The company has elected to optimize nearly every one of its apps for Twitter, so users will be able to tweet new photos, pages from Safari, YouTube movies, and even their location. Just sign into Twitter once and iOS 5 does the rest.

Device Independence: Starting Oct. 12, all iPhones, iPads, and iPod Touches will come pre-loaded with iOS 5. This will be the first system update that allows all Apple devices to be set up sans computer. Once you're all set up, you won't need to use cords to connect to your computer ever again. Thanks to iCloud, all information will back up and sync automatically with other laptops and iDevices you own.

iOS 5 will be a free download from the iTunes Store, and will be compatible with the iPod Touch, iPad 1 and 2, the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, and the iPhone 4S.


Apple's iPhone 4S, available in stores Oct. 14, sold more than one million pre-orders in the first 24 hours, breaking the company's previous record set by the iPhone 4 of 600,000 first day orders.


Source is 

1. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/228549/20111010/apple-ios-5-icloud-iphone-4s-ipad-ipod-touch-notification-find-my-friends-cards-twitter.htm


2. http://www.apple.com/ios/features.html#more

iOS 5 release date brings magic but no Siri to iPhone 4, 3GS on Oct 12

Only buyers of the new iPhone 4S get the Siri voice assistant feature of iOS 5, but those who stay home and download iOS 5 for their iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS will get the rest of the new features two days sooner. The 4S hits stores on October 14th, keeping with Apple’s tradition of Friday major retail launches. But the download version of iOS 5, a free gift from Apple to users of third and fourth generation iPhones, will surface online two days earlier on October 12th. As is the case with installing any new operating system on any piece of older slower hardware, some iOS 5 features will run more slowly on the iPhone 4 and especially the iPhone 3GS than they will on the new iPhone 4S which sports a significantly faster dual core processor. Only two headlining iOS 5 features, AirPlay Mirroring and Siri, require so much computing horsepower that they’ll only run on the latest iPhone and not the previous iterations. Of the two, only Siri will be widely missed…

Each new iPhone generation has its own “killer” feature around which Apple shapes its marketing campaign. For the iPhone 3G it was 3G networking, For the iPhone 4 it was FaceTime. For the iPhone 3GS it was… well, we’ll get back to you on that if we ever figure out what the 3GS was all about. But this time it’s unmistakably Siri for the iPhone 4S. Voice commands are nothing new, but they’ve long tended to be either overly simplistic or overly obtuse. Siri, based on the demos, puts a nearly human face on voice recognition. It also requires significant processing power to calculate in real time what it is the user it referring to and then come up with an appropriate answer or action. The iPhone 4 and 3GS, simply put, can’t do that. Apple is banking that despite all of the rest of the iOS 5 magic being given away to those users for free, the lack of Siri will drive at least some of them to end up buying an iPhone 4S after all. We’ll find out starting next week, as iOS 5 lands on Wednesday and the iPhone 4S with iOS 5 preinstalled hits stores on Friday. iPhone 4 and 3GS users, which way are you leaning on the iPhone 4S? Share your comments below.

Source is http://www.beatweek.com/news/9599-ios-5-release-date-brings-magic-but-no-siri-to-iphone-4-3gs-on-oct-12/

iOS 5 vs. Android: Similar Features, Different Approaches

When Apple launches iOS 5 next week, iPhone and iPad users will get a bunch of features that Android users already enjoy, including notifications, wireless syncing, and PC-free operation.

But it's not a game of catch-up. Although Apple is scratching a few Android-first features off its list, iOS 5 also leapfrogs ahead in its own way. Android, meanwhile, retains plenty of its own unique features that make it a viable competitor. The result is two operating systems that, however similar they are in appearance, are actually quite different.

The Apple Approach: All About Service

The individual features that Apple is adding to iOS 5 aren't as important as the big picture: Apple is creating services for its users. With iOS 5, an iPhone can remind you to pick up the milk as you drive near the grocery store. It can deliver newspapers and magazines automatically via the Newstand app. It can send quick iMessages to other iOS users. It can render Web pages in an easy-to-read format with no clutter.

In other words, Apple handles things so you don't have to worry about them. Siri, the virtual assistant built into the iPhone 4S, is an extension of this idea, allowing users to literally tell the phone what to do and get feedback from a computerized female voice. iCloud, meanwhile, is the glue holding all these services together. It remembers what you've done on one device, so that other Apple devices and PCs can make that data available. Even as Apple adds new features, it's removing friction.

The Android Approach: Practicality, Utility

Google's vision for Android isn't as cohesive. The OS is a smattering of features and concepts that, to the average user, might seem daunting. But users who take advantage of Android's best features will find it useful in ways that iOS is not.

I've talked about many of these standout Android features before: turn-by-turn directions, widgets, extensive voice commands, no-size-fits-all hardware. But where Android also excels is in the little things. You can attach files to an e-mail--shocking, I know. You can create shortcuts to contacts, navigation instructions and bookmarks on the homescreen.

And for all Apple's talk about Twitter integration, Android's been doing allowing it for years in a way that's miles ahead. Tap the "share" button in an Android Web browser, for instance, and you'll see options for Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or any other app on your phone that accepts shared URLs.

Apple's iOS is a tightly woven bundle of services, intended to make life easier. Android is everything but the kitchen sink. This difference in approach is the first thing any consumer should consider before committing to either platform.

Source From:  http://www.pcworld.com/article/241436/ios_5_vs_android_similar_features_different_approaches.html