If you’re an avid iOS gamer, then AppleInsider has some great news for you today, reporting that two of Gameloft’s very popular games are available to download for free for a short time (no idea for how long). The games in question are Gangstar Rio: City of Saints, and N.O.V.A. 3, and both usually retail for around $6. There’s no denying that Gameloft’s games are often a little similar (cough) to other games such as Grand Theft Auto, but this doesn’t make them any less fun to play. Gangstar Rio sees the player controlling a customizable gangster in Rio, across more than 60 missions, wielding lots of weapons, and even flying with the aid of jetpacks! N.O.V.A.3 - Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance is the latest edition to this incredibly popular FPS series of games from Gameloft, where the player takes on the role of an armoured shooter on a mission to save the earth. You can even indulge in 12-player multiplayer battles using live chat. So if all that sounds enticing to you, then click on the links below, but be warned, both games are very large to download, with N.O.V.A.3 weighing in at 1.69GB, and Gangstar Rio taking up 878MB.

Click here to download N.O.V.A. 3 - https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/n.o....474764934?mt=8

Click here to download Gangstar Rio - https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/gang...453051448?mt=8

Source: Gameloft's Gangstar Rio, N.O.V.A. 3 go free on iOS for a limited time

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In a new interview with Intel’s CEO, Paul Otellini admitted that he had the chance of being part of the iPhone story from the beginning. According to him, the Cupertino tech giant proposed that Intel manufacture the chips for the first smartphone it released. Strangely enough, Intel passed on the opportunity, taking its business elsewhere. The decision was based upon Apple not being willing to pay the price Intel proposed for its chips.

"We ended up not winning it or passing on it, depending on how you want to view it. And the world would have been a lot different if we'd done it.”

That’s basically how the complicated partnership between Samsung and Apple kick started back in those early days. Apple is trying to break the bonds it has created with the Korean competitor now, but at first, the Cupertino tech giant used Samsung ARM system-on-chip design. However, with the advent of the iPhone 5, Apple introduced its homemade ARMv7.

Otellini, who is retiring this week, went on to explain that back then, the iPhone was an obscure brand and Apple had a set budget in mind when chip production was concerned.

“"At the end of the day, there was a chip that they were interested in that they wanted to pay a certain price for and not a nickel more and that price was below our forecasted cost. I couldn't see it. It wasn't one of these things you can make up on volume. And in hindsight, the forecasted cost was wrong and the volume was 100x what anyone thought."

We bet that Otellini regrets his decision now, seeing how popular all the devices branded by Apple have become, but history has been written.

Source: AppleInsider

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Most people purchase smartphones and tablets for one simple reason. They love to play games and the mobility such technology offers. Keeping this in mind, Google has just launched a new interesting Chrome Experiment.

And it’s all about gaming. In this particular example, racing. The game, called Racer, allows users to play the same scenario on multiple devices such as iPhones, iPads or Android devices and even share screens. So, for example, if you join together two devices, the vehicle in the game will continue to move from one screen to the next one. Did we get your attention yet?

Sadly, eager players have to wait a while until they can try Racer for themselves. The experiment is not yet available for the general public, but Google has performed a quick demonstration of it and it looks really interesting. There’s also a video available online which showcases users playing Racer and swiping around the screen to direct the car from one screen to the next. We’re wondering why Google decided to design a game and not an application per se, but the result is pretty great nevertheless.

However, users interested in playing the game will have to have installed the mobile version of Chrome on their tablet or smartphone.

Overall, this Chrome experiment stretches away, covering more possibilities of gaming. It’s especially great for people who love multiplayer mode. The results are quite awesome, as players can enjoy all varieties of games – with friends and family.

Source: Google Chrome Racer

Google made lots of announcements at its Google I/O developers’ conference yesterday, including launching a new standalone version of its Hangouts app for iOS. According to AppleInsider, the new app has been designed by Google to integrate Google Talk, Google+ Messenger, and the original Hangout video chat feature. As AppleInsider notes, this revamp represents a move by Google to more effectively organise its diverse chat and comms services, in order to compete with the likes of Facebook, and the incredibly popular iOS app, WhatsApp. The reason WhatsApp is so popular is because it enables you to very easily chat amongst a group of people and add all sorts of media to the chat to make it really fun. The integrated app also acts as Google’s answer to popular Apple services such as FaceTime and iMessage, although unlike FaceTime and iMessage (but just like WhatsApp), Hangouts will be usable across all platforms, which could give it a distinct advantage over the Apple services.

Click here to download the free app: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/hang...643496868?mt=8

Source: Revamped, cross-platform Google Hangouts app competes with Apple's iMessages, FaceTime [u]

Google is currently holding its Google I/O developer conference, where, AppleInsider reports, it has just announced that it will be giving Google Maps for iOS a facelift, in a bid to make it the number 1 Maps app for iOS. The newly announced revamp includes a redesigned interface, giving a “cleaner” look, and this will be not just in the mobile version, but also the desktop one. And with Google having acquired the Zagat rating system, ratings will now be five-point instead of four-point. Improved live incident coverage for both transit and traffic has also been added, with the app updating continuously with new traffic incidents, even suggesting alternate routes. The BBC feature on the update notes that advertisers will have their businesses more clearly displayed on the maps too. iPad owners will be particularly interested to hear that Google is also launching a tablet-specific version of Maps, with larger, richer content, as well as suggestions for things to do in the area of interest, and user interface that capitalises on the bigger screen size provided by a tablet.


Source: Reworked Google Maps for iOS, Android gains better search, tablet compatibility
BBC News - Google Maps revamp promotes ads and personalises details

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Do you own an iPhone? Well, in case you ever want to get rid of it, you have a better chance of selling it for a good price, than if you owned a Galaxy model from Samsung. At least, according to Piper Jaffray Gene Munster’s resale value index, which was just posted this week.

The report analyzed resale prices posted on popular shopping site eBay for the iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, iPhone 4 and Galaxy III/Galaxy Note II. The final index showcased that even if the​​ iPhones are generally more expensive than the Samsung devices, their price margin remains steadier. For example, depreciation for the iPhone 5 during th​​e 8 weeks when the data was calculated, was set at 11.2%, while the Galaxy’s was 13.7%. The all time winner of the study was weirdly enough, the iPhone 4S. Apparently, it doesn’t matter than Apple put out a new smartphone already, the value of the 4S has dropped only with 7% during the time the research was conducted.

For example, the average iPhone 4S price was situated at $349 in March, but by May it dropped to $312. To compare, the iPhone 5 on the other hand went from $535 to $465. In Android camp, the Galaxy S III dropped from $360 to $320, while the Galaxy Note II was the biggest loser, from $550 to $444.

Last but not least, Munster predicts that the iPhone will experience more depreciation as the iPhone 5S is being readied for release.

Source: AppleInsider

AppleInsider reports today on a very interesting theory, first reported on by TechCrunch, as to why Facebook’s new Home feature on Android has failed to seize the public’s imagination, or has turned out to be a “flop” as they put it! It’s all down to the popularity of Apple’s iPhone with Facebook employees, apparently! According to this theory, Facebook did not have enough people working on Home who were familiar with what does and does not work on Android, because so many of the testers were iPhone users who were much more familiar with iOS. So, the theory goes, because they were unfamiliar with Android, and not regular Android users, the Facebook testers didn’t realise how annoying it was that Home removed such popular Android features as widgets and the app dock for favourite apps, or didn’t allow the user to create app folders. TechCrunch says that it’s also for this reason that the iOS Facebook app is so much better than Home. AppleInsider points out that Facebook has admitted its mistakes with Home on Android, and is preparing to update it with various tweaks, including bringing back the popular apps dock, among other features.


Source: iPhone's popularity among Facebook staff may have aided in Home's lackluster launch

We are always saying how happy Apple customers usually are about their products. But that’s not always the case. According to a Florida woman, the tech giant was aware of a faulty flex cable messing with the iPhone 4’s power button, but chose to do nothing about it, hoping the whole thing would just go away.

But the woman decided that Apple should be held accountable so she sued the Cupertino company for no more than $5 million. And apparently, she’s not the only one unhappy with the iPhone 4. It turns out that she’s actually the representative for a whole group of people who own iPhone 4s with defect power buttons that hinders them from turning on/off the device or locking it.

In order to build a case, she has gathered countless testimonies from forum users who seem to be complaining about the same problematic button. She also managed to find a fix-it-yourself video tutorial on YouTube that teaches users of decrepit iPhones how to fix the button. The person behind the video is also heard commenting that the iPhone 4 faulty button problem affects a lot of users.

Debra Hilton, the woman in question, explains in the petition that when first purchased, the iPhone 4’s button seems to be in good condition, but after a year of intense use, it caved in. That’s problematic, since the iPhone 4 warranty is already expired at this point, so the user has to pay good cash for the problem to be solved.

The lawsuit was filed in San Jose, California.

Source: GigaOm

Boy Genius Report writes today of what would appear to be the first confirmation from an industry insider that Apple’s next iPhone will feature a fingerprint sensor. According to the report, PayPal’s chief information security officer, Michael Barrett, made the following statement during his keynote address at Interop. “It’s widely rumoured that a large technology provider in Cupertino, Calif., will come out with a phone later this year that has a fingerprint reader on it.” After dropping that little hint, Barrett went on to say that Apple will not be the only company to introduce fingerprint tech in the near future: “There is going to be a fingerprint-enabled phone on the market later this year. Not just one, multiple.” As BGR notes, it was Apple CEO Tim Cook’s very smart decision to buy AuthenTec that is at the centre of its introduction of fingerprint technology, possibly stealing a march on other manufacturers, which is something that those who have been quick to criticise Cook in recent months would do well to note.


Source: iPhone 5S Fingerprint Scanner Confirmed? | BGR

Cult of Mac reports today on a new rumour direct from sources in Apple’s supply chain in Taiwan saying that the iPhone 5S could have a sapphire crystal capacitive touch home button incorporating a fingerprint sensor. The source goes on to say that the sapphire crystal home button will replace the traditional physical home button, with the toughness of the crystal protecting the fingerprint sensor underneath. The iPhone 5 has a sapphire crystal camera lens on the rear camera, designed to prevent scratches. Cult of Mac says that Apple is finally prepared to do away with the home button, as it can be unreliable and stop working after long periods of use, so it’s hoped that using capacitive touch technology to replace the physical home button will prove to be more reliable. The fingerprint sensor would be built into this technology as well. The source in Taiwan said that the iPhone 5S and the new, cheaper plastic iPhone would both be released in either August or September. There's no indication as to how accurate these sources are, so, as always, take this story with a pinch of salt, especially as other leaked alleged iPhone 5S parts pictures show a normal-looking home button array.


Source: Cult of Mac » iPhone 5S To Get Sapphire Crystal Home Button With Fingerprint Sensor [Rumor]

BlackBerry today confirmed a rumour that first appeared on Boy Genius Report a while back, and that some might have thought would actually never happen, by announcing that BlackBerry Messenger will be coming to iOS and Android sometime this summer, once it gets approval from Apple and Google. The news caused such a stir that it was trending worldwide today. In a post on the “Inside BlackBerry” blog, BlackBerry outlined its plans for its flagship service, saying,

“We’ve got some exciting news designed to make it easier for you to connect with your entire mobile social network.”

Basically what this means is that people can connect with their friends and family on BlackBerry Messenger without having to use a BlackBerry to do so. In the announcement, BlackBerry details the key features that users can expect to enjoy once the app is released:

• The immediacy of BBM chats
• Multi-person chats
• Voice note sharing
• BlackBerry Groups, where BBM users are able to set up groups of up to 30 people and share calendar, photos, files and more

Speaking at BlackBerry Live 2013, Andrew Brocking, Executive Vice President, Software Product Management and Ecosystem at BlackBerry said,

“For BlackBerry, messaging and collaboration are inseparable from the mobile experience, and the time is definitely right for BBM to become a multi-platform mobile service. BBM has always been one of the most engaging services for BlackBerry customers, enabling them to easily connect while maintaining a valued level of personal privacy. We’re excited to offer iOS and Android users the possibility to join the BBM community.”

BlackBerry says that if and when the BBM app is approved by Apple and Google, it will be released as a free download.

Source: BBM for iOS and Android to Launch This Summer «Inside BlackBerry - The Official BlackBerry Blog

Amazon brings something fresh to the iOS. Meet the Amazon Cloud Drive Photos app, which, as the name suggests, is a software aimed at photography enthusiasts and regular folks alike.

What the app provides is the possibility to sync the photos taken and stored on the iPhone or iPad with the Amazon Cloud Drive. Whole albums can be backed up into the Cloud or just specific photographs. Using the app, one might experience a little déjà vu, since some of the functions resemble those found in Dropbox.

“Access your photos from your iPhone or iPod touch, your computer, or any web browser. Take a picture on your iPhone and save it to​​ the Amazon Cloud to enjoy on your computer. Upload photos from your computer and enjoy them on your iPhone or iPod touch.”

So, the photos you take are automatically uploaded into the Cloud Drive. Viewing the pictures from the Cloud is a lot of fun since you can add a lot of layouts and share your “work” with friends on Facebook and Twitter.

Users interested in backing up their files should know that Amazon offers 5GB of free storage to every user signing up. In order to grab more space, a pricing plan is then applied. Get 20GB of storage for $10/year and 50GB for $25 while 100GB come for $50. The launch of this photo-centric app represents Amazon’s latest endeavor in becoming more Apple friendly as the company just released an updated OS X app.

Source: PC Mag