Given the great reception for its standout Olympics app, you might be wondering why the BBC is only just getting round to producing an official Sport app, but the good news is that it's arrived for iOS and only a couple of weeks away from the Android platform.
Currently looking a lot like the mobile site, the app nevertheless comes with some nifty features including customisable content and a handy fixtures calendar.
But it will be the forthcoming functionality that will appeal most, with product manager Lucie McLean explaining to us that video and the ability to add your favourite teams to the navigation are imminent.
The BBC hopes that the app will be a must-have download for sports fans following key events like next year's Commonwealth Games, the tennis at Wimbledon and, of course, next season's World Cup.
Olympic gold
"The Olympics app went really well - we learned a lot, learned what the audience likes and made a decision on how we would approach the BBC Sport app based on how that went," she said.
"We wanted our content everywhere and, for the Sport app, we are taking the a same approach so we can offer that content and augment it with things you can only do or are just cooler with apps.
"We've got plans for lots of native features - this is release one. The Android app is coming in a couple of weeks - and I honestly do mean a couple of weeks, it's almost there."
Only the most popular seven sports get the royal treatment at first, with other sports' content accessible through an in-app browser for now, although that will soon change.
And again
The BBC is mindful that Android users aren't especially pleased to be behind Apple users, but McLean explained the thinking behind the decision and what differentiates the app on the two platforms.
"With Android we are trying to serve much more screen sizes - the main difference is that the navigation is on the left - it looks more Androidy," she said.
"We could have held and launched both together but that would have been quite dangerous launching two big products if there are issues.
"[We said] 'let's get one out there, get some feedback and make sure it works and then get Android out there as well'.
"And then in another few weeks video will be in as well; live video and on demand - that's coming in a few weeks time. It could possibly come at launch for Android but I wouldn't like to say for definite."
Kindle Fire and Nexus 7 support
Users of popular 7-inch Android tablets Kindle Fire HD and Nexus 7 will be delighted that their devices WILL be given some love, a priority for the Beeb's team after not getting the Olympics app out for the devices.
"For the Olympics we had this beautiful app built and two weeks later the Nexus 7 came out," added McLean.
"I checked it out on [the device] and it wasn't good enough, so people weren't very happy understandably.
"So this time all of those Christmas-stockinged Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire HDs will be supported by the Android app and they look great, as well as the ones in the middle like the Galaxy Note.
"We are just doing the Google Play now but it will work from launch - that's a lot of extra testing but it's absolutely worth it."
Hoping to stream high-quality games to our living rooms, Nvidia has unveiled the Grid. Boasting some powerful hardware and impressive cross-device sync capabilities, the Grid could be the long-awaited answer to cloud gaming.
Nvidia wants to succeed at cloud-based gaming in a way that OnLive never could. Think Netflix, but with video games instead of B movies and cancelled television shows. Clearly a star player, the Grid took a lead spot in the presentation, enjoying some precious time in the limelight.
Nvidia treated viewers to a demo of Trine 2 on LG’s 4K TV. Giving kudos to Nvidia, the game looked incredible and carried over seamlessly between a few different devices using the Nvidia Grid app. Wherever the player saved a game on one device, it was picked up from the exact same spot on another, much like how you can resume a Netflix video where you left off from any device. The software seems to work much the same as Netflix’s progress syncing. The hardware is no slouch either, Nvidia says the GPU tower basically combines the power of “700 Xbox 360s” into a single unit.
Nvidia plans to license the Grid software to various companies based both in the U.S. and abroad. In theory, the Grid sounds like the best thing since sliced bread. However, streaming video games isn’t exactly easy for the majority of the world still running on metered data connections. It will be interesting to see how that specific issue will be addressed, if at all.
With competitors like OnLive and Gaikai already in the game, Nvidia definitely has some catching up to do. During demonstrations, the Grid seems groundbreaking, but who knows if its exciting first impression will translate into any real-world success. We will definitely be investigating further as CES continues.
NVIDIA has announced the next generation of their mobile processor, the NVIDIA Tegra 4. Previously known by it's codename 'Wayne', the Tegra 4 is claimed to be the world's fastest mobile processor.
The Tegra 4 uses four ARM Cortex-A15 cores, along with a second generation battery saver core, similar to Tegra 3. The CPU performance is said to be 2.6x that of Tegra 3. It also includes 72 custom GPU cores, which are said to be 6x more powerful than the GPU on Tegra 3. Along with being able to run apps and games faster, this also brings the ability to playback 4K content, a first for a mobile processor.
The Tegra 4 also includes something called the Computational Photography Architecture, which significantly reduces the time for camera related functionalities, such as HDR, which requires taking multiple images in quick succession. Tegra 4 works to reduce the time duration between these shots, resulting in clearer pictures of moving objects.
Tegra 4 also adds support for an optional 4G LTE modem in the form of NVIDIA's new Icera i500 chipset. Unfortunately, this also means that the Tegra 4 does not have an integrated LTE modem and will need to rely on external modems.
The previous generation Tegra 3 was notorious for its poor battery life. With the Tegra 4, NVIDIA claims that it consumes up to 45 percent less power than Tegra 3 and provides up to 14 hours of HD video playback on phones.
So far, the only device we know that will be running on Tegra 4 is NVIDIA's newly announced Project SHIELD handheld gaming console. No word on when either of them will hit the market.
The first Windows 8 tablet made by Vizio has made its debut. The Vizio Tablet PC will pack a punch with an AMD processor and a 1080p display that will make the most of the sizable 11.6-inch screen.
Vizio is probably best known in the tech world for it’s televisions. Quality high definition displays are a top priority for Vizio when producing TVs, so it should come as no surprise that the California-based company is bringing that expertise to the tablet market with it’s Vizio Tablet PC.
Featuring a 1080p display that will be stretched across a spacious 11.6-inch screen, the Vizio Tablet PC continues the trend of pushing the bounds of portability by increasing size, a trend that will eventually end in us dropping the “t” from the end of “tablet” because they’ll be as big as the top of a table. Running Windows 8, no RT involved, the device will be the first of the Windows tablet family to be powered by an AMD processor. This particular model will be packed with a 1GHz AMD z60 chip, which will run alongside 2GB of RAM. Apps and files will live on the 64GB solid-state drive for storage. Microsoft Signature software will come installed on said hard drive, but it won’t be accompanied by any bloatware.
Other notable features on the Vizio Tablet PC includes a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. Micro HDMI and Micro USB ports have a home on the device as well. While no hint of price point or release date has been made available, you should probably be looking forward to getting hands on this device – however hard that may be do to given its size. hands-on coverage coming soon from the show floor.
Voice over LTE is the next generation in wireless calling, and it may even have more perks than first thought.
The CDMA and GSM standard have both been around for a number of years as the standard in wireless communication. If you’ve made a phone call on a cell phone in the last twenty years or so, then GSM or CDMA were the technology that made it possible. However, new tech known as VoLTE – or Voice over LTE – wants to change that, and it may do so while improving your battery life, and giving higher audio quality.
VoLTE is in many ways a lot like VoIP, except that it utilizes a data connection through LTE spectrum to accomplish the task, rather than the IP protocol. It’s already being implemented international markets, but has yet to be injected into the U.S. despite the huge growth of LTE in the last two years. Slowly but surely though the technology is being tested by infrastructure firms as they prepare to bring VoLTE to the United States, as it really is the long term goal for voice communication. VoLTE offers CD-quality audio to customers by utilizing LTE bandwidth to communicate, much like how Skype has higher quality audio than your average telephone. The service, in testing by Metrico Wireless on MetroPCS, could greatly improve battery performance as well as give all the other benefits promised so far.
Not everyone is convinced though. MobileBurn reports that the testing may be over-exaggerated given the lack of scale. It cites incidents in LTE performance like the HTC Thunderbolt, which while it could argue itself as the first LTE phone, was brutal in battery life. Despite this, Verizon Wireless is already jumping on board and promising a launch by the end of the year and into 2014. The cost, for carriers, however, is significant. While simultaneously adding bandwidth load to their LTE networks, VoLTE will also do away with counting minutes, and instead utilize everything over data. Cell phone plans will essentially become 100 percent data-oriented.
It’ll be at least a year until we see VoLTE begin to roll out across the country with Verizon, Metro PCS, or one of several potential carriers. Between its offer of higher audio quality, reduced energy usage, and the end of counting minutes, it certainly is a no-brainer for customers to take advantage of, so long as the price is rig’ht.
Android, iOS, and Windows Phone are the big names in mobile operating system software, but this may be about to change, as there are five interesting challengers all vying for a piece of that valuable market share - and they're all coming very soon.
For the first time in several years, 2013 looks set to play host to the launch of numerous compelling new mobile operating systems, at least one of which could have a chance of stealing some market share from the reigning champions Android and iOS. Of course, neither of these will be sweating just yet, but we expect some droplets to be forming on a few foreheads at Microsoft.
By our reckoning, there are five interesting challengers expected to appear over the next 12-months, so ahead of CES 2013 – where several will be demonstrated to developers and the public – here’s a rundown of the software that could be vying for your attention on a flashy new smartphone come CES 2014.
BlackBerry 10
By far the biggest name on our list, BlackBerry 10 is also backed by the company with the most to lose. Like Nokia last year, Research in Motion badly needs a winner, otherwise its future looks very uncertain indeed. Worse still, even if BlackBerry 10 does meet with a decent response, things will remain shaky for RIM for a while, just like they have for Nokia.
As for the software, it has a new web browser and an improved touchscreen keyboard, plus an innovative camera feature named Time Shift, where a burst mode lets to manually change individual expressions to make the perfect photo.
There’s a lot of goodwill toward RIM, and BlackBerry phones have a solid following around the world, but any level of reinvention is always a risk – the specter of Palm and WebOS probably roams the hallways of RIM’s headquarters, as an ever present reminder that even an innovative product isn’t always enough to succeed.
Ubuntu for Mobile
Ubuntu may be a familiar name in Linux-loving desktop software circles, but it’s an unknown in the mobile world. This hasn’t stopped Canonical from giving it a go anyway. Later this year or early next, we’ll be able to buy a smartphone running Ubuntu for Mobile.
Ubuntu is based on Linux like Android, uses the same drivers, and will operate on devices using ARM or Intel processors. Unfortunately, it doesn’t use Oracle’s Java Virtual Machine and won’t run any Android applications. This clean slate, plus a consistent framework hidden under a customizable skin, is supposed to avoid the fragmentation issues from which Android suffers. It’s a good idea, and no doubt Canonical sees Android’s success as a driver for its own mobile endeavors, but to start afresh is a huge undertaking – as is convincing non-techy users it’s a viable alternative at all. Ubuntu for Mobile does have a secret weapon though: it can be installed on existing Android hardware. The already strong Ubuntu community will also rush to embrace it, particularly because it offers a true desktop experience when docked with a keyboard and monitor.
From what we’ve seen of the user interface, it’s based around gestures and doesn’t require any hardware buttons. Swipes reveal menus and open apps. It’s difficult to judge it at the moment, as the early build displays some lag; however, a version suitable for the Galaxy Nexus will be released later this year, which should help speed development along. Canonical will be showing off Ubuntu for Mobile during CES, where an early version of the OS will be seen running on test devices.
Firefox OS
Research in Motion has Android, Windows Phone, and iOS firmly in its sights, but Mozilla is targeting the budget sector with its Firefox OS, therefore gunning almost exclusively for cheap Android phones. Previously known as Boot to Gecko, Firefox OS is ready to launch in several countries in early 2013, plus Mozilla has signed up hardware manufacturers such as ZTE and Alcatel as partners. Telefonica, the Spanish mobile giant which has an extensive presence around the world, is onboard, and in the U.S., Sprint will apparently support the software.
Telefonica’s backing is key, as the first Firefox OS phone is set to make its debut in Brazil and other Latin American countries, where the company owns many fixed and mobile communication networks. Hardware running the software will be low spec and probably cost less than $100, so strong promotion though companies like Telefonica in new and developing markets will be crucial to its success.
Internally, Firefox OS is similar to Android, but it won’t be able to run Android apps and will instead rely on Web apps available through Mozilla’s own app store. Firefox itself is high web app-centric, designed and built using HTML5. You can read our hands-on report here, or even try out Firefox OS yourself using this browser extension.
Jolla
Jolla is the Finnish firm hoping to bring back MeeGo, the mobile OS abandoned by Nokia when it adopted Windows Phone, and is the true dark horse in our line-up. The Sailfish UI was unveiled at an event in November, and although our introduction was brief it did show promise. MeeGo’s spirit lives on in the shape of gesture controls and a smart, simple interface, plus there’s no denying the energy and enthusiasm the Jolla team has for the project.
What’s more, a little like BlackBerry 10, Jolla already has an established fan base thanks to the international support for MeeGo and its single phone, the Nokia N9. Jolla is counting on each and everyone of them, plus those unable to purchase an N9, to flock to the first Sailfish phone. If Jolla and Saifish where a movie, it would have “cult hit” written all over it. It would also be an indie flick; it’s the only OS on our list which doesn’t have a few large companies behind it, which could mean financial concerns further down the road.
Jolla will initially look outside of Europe and the U.S., concentrating first on China for business, where it will also base its servers. It has said the first Jolla smartphone will be announced before the end of March and released before summer. While it doesn’t have an official presence at CES 2013, according to the company’s Twitter account, some representatives – amusingly referred to as Sailors – will be there to promote the intriguing OS.
Tizen
Here’s were things get a little incestuous, as Tizen is a joint project between Intel and Samsung and it came to life after the cancellation of MeeGo, from which, as we’ve just learned, Jolla was formed. Additionally, Samsung has merged Tizen with its own standalone mobile OS Bada, which is helpfully based on Linux and is compatible with Tizen. It’s linked to Firefox OS too, as its apps will be built using HTML5 and will be compatible with Mozilla’s operating system, and vice versa.
Tizen’s trump card may appear to be Samsung’s support, but in reality it could be Intel, as its desperation to gain a foothold in the mobile processor market should see plenty of money and effort put into Tizen’s success. (Although the software is compatible with ARM-based devices, you can bet Intel will be pushing Samsung to choose its Atom processors.)
Samsung’s plan is rumored to be equally selfish, as it’s said to be looking for an alternative to Android should Google and Motorola suddenly start churning out exciting phones together. Bada is surprisingly successful, with Gartner putting it fourth in its worldwide device sales chart for Q3 2012 and ahead of Windows Phone, meaning Tizen could have quite a head start over the others listed above. Version 2.0 of Tizen is expected to launch soon and it could be on display at CES, heralding the arrival of the first Tizen phones.
Can any of these succeed?
When talking about fledgling mobile operating systems, the question, “do we really need another smartphone OS?” is often asked. It’s a fair question, as the three we currently use are well-designed, relatively bug-free, regularly updated, and have ever-growing app eco-systems behind them. Therefore, given this huge head start and the financial might behind Android, iOS, and Windows Phone, perhaps a more pertinent question is, “how can any of these succeed?” They will need perseverance, support from developers and networks, dedicated fanbases, and some stellar and/or keenly priced and widely available hardware. Not all of them will make it, but one or two may do some damage. What OS would you put your money on?
The company revealed details of the update on its official site, but did not say when exactly the refresh will become available to Galaxy S2 owners.
Among the new features are Google Now and the Android Project Butter. It'll also have built-in Google+, Google Play Books and Google Play Movies.
The update will, however take up an extra 1GB of storage on the Galaxy S2, thanks to a new system partition, and will take an hour to download when it finally arrives.
Pop-Up Play and Smart Stay too
Alongside the Jelly Bean update, Samsung is also bringing some of the tech it introduced with the Galaxy S3 last year.
S2 owners will get the Smart Stay feature, which prevents the screen from timing out while you're you're looking at it, while the Camera app will allow users to pause recordings.
It'll also get the Pop-Up Play functionality, allowing users to continue enjoying video while emailing, texting or browsing the web, etc.
So, a new lease of life is on the way for one of the best handsets of the smartphone era. Now its just a waiting game and, as it the case with Android updates, it could be quite a wait yet.
Deck out your new phone or tablet with apps to use while you're un-decking the halls and recovering from the holidays. Facebook Messenger and Skype get updates, get a new app to manage your tasks or replace your keyboard, and relive classic games like Final Fantasy and Metal Slug on new platforms.
With the holidays over and the malaise that comes with it slowly shaking off as we all return to our normal routines, there are no doubt plenty of new mobiles devices that found new homes this holidays. Going from being used almost obsessively out of the box to being left behind or in pockets and purses during the daily grind can get lonely for a phone or tablet. But fear not! There’s no better way to keep your new mobile device company than with a few new apps on its internal storage. Start the new year out right with all the best apps and updates to make their way to market since the start of 2013.
Music knows no bounds – and that goes for operating system as well. Rdio knows this, and has updated its popular app to include support for Windows Phone 8. Aside from making its appearance on Microsoft’s latest mobile OS, Rdio also features some new improvements that improve the search features and makes online playback better. Rdio explains a new look in the Metro style that Microsoft has been working to wipe out of the vocabulary of its users. While Microsoft likely doesn’t care for the description, it and its users will be sure to enjoy the actual interface.
Windows 8 users are getting all kinds of new treats to start 2013. When they’re done listening to music, they can now chat with their friends about their favorite tracks, or anything else, on the newly updated Skype. Following through on Microsoft’s plan to retire MSN Messenger and switch over to Skype, the newest version of Skype for Windows Phone 8 allows users to chat with people from their Messenger buddy list. It’s worth taking note, however, that the update also kills functionality with People Hub. It’s planned to return in a later update, but don’t be shocked when it disappears in the meantime.
The latest version of Facebook Messenger includes the ability to send voice messages and complete VoIP calls. You’ll be able to share the voice messages in the same way you can with media or text messages, sending it over the chat service built into the social network. The VoIP calls is in beta for Canadian users only at the moment, likely because Canadians never have anything negative to say and are most likely to provide positive feedback. We hope we’ll all have a chance to try out the free call feature soon.
Take a step closer to making your phone sentient with this app. It turns your iPhone 5 into a hands-free panoramic video recorder. To make this possible, the app uses the phone’s internal sensors and vibration mode to turn the device around 360 degrees and record video from every angle. We’re not sure what exactly sure what you’d do with this app, aside from enjoy the novelty of it while watching your phone spin around on its own, but it’s definitely something worth playing with.
Sing! Karaoke turns your phone or tablet into a portable karaoke machine. Scroll through a wide variety of tunes that you will inevitably butcher, pick your favorites, and pass the phone around so you don’t have to experience the embarrassment alone. Turn any bar into a karaoke bar, and then get yourself kicked out for singing too loud for everyone’s comfort.
Your daily regimen has a flow to it, so why shouldn’t your schedule and task list? Zime gives your entire calendar a clever and unique 3D view that puts your plans on an easily manageable scroll. Sync your calendars and to-do lists and turn them into one continuous stream that will catch you in its waves and carry you through your daily routine. You can set priorities and manage all of your tasks in an easy way that will make your tasks come and go with ease.
Ok, there’s no shortage of alternative keyboard options for Android, but that doesn’t mean the best method has been discovered yet. After all, the first typewriter design had keys all in one row like a piano. Perhaps Kii Keyboard will be the next big breakthrough. Taking cues from gesture-style keyboards like Swype and prediction-style keyboards like SwiftKey, Kii Keyboard is trying to put the best of both worlds together for one great offering.
Too many word games limit the way you play. It’s either you against one other player or competing against time. Wordament makes the experience more universal. Take two minutes to try to find every word you can on a game board – the exact same game board that every other player in the world is looking at as well. Play with certain stipulations and rules or just try to find as many words as you can and then see how you rank, in both score and percentile, against the rest of the world.
The classic RPG from Square Enix has made its way onto Android devices. Telling the story of the second installment of the classic series, Final Fantasy II gives the old game a new home without costing it any of its charm or replay ability. You’ll get even more adventure than you got in the original versions, with new dungeons that extend the length of the game experience. Not that you’ll need it, really. This is a Final Fantasy game, after all.
Even more classics are finding mobile devices to be comfortable homes to relive their glory days. Metal Slug, the shooter/platformer that will have players fighting through various terrain and blasting away baddies with a variety of weapons, brings back the challenge that is too often lost in modern homages to the genre. This game returns to show its successors how things were done back in the old school, and it holds up just fine.
Google has said it will be "soon" removing the block on its Maps service for Windows Phone handsets using the Internet Explorer browser.
Currently, anyone wishing to access the Google Maps mobile site through the built-in Microsoft browser is redirected to the Google.com homepage, allowing them to, at least, use Google's local services.
The search giant claimed that Google Maps was not as compatible with IE as it is with Chrome, the default Android browser, the Firefox mobile browser and, of course Apple's Safari browser.
Now Google has made somewhat of a u-turn and said recent improvements in IE and in Google Maps mean a better experience can now be provided for Windows Phone users.
Periodic testing
In a statement issued to The Verge, Google explained: "We periodically test Google Maps compatibility with mobile browsers to make sure we deliver the best experience for those users.
"In our last test, IE mobile still did not offer a good maps experience with no ability to pan or zoom and perform basic map functionality. As a result, we chose to continue to redirect IE mobile users to Google.com where they could at least make local searches. The Firefox mobile browser did offer a somewhat better user experience and that's why there is no redirect for those users.
"Recent improvements to IE mobile and Google Maps now deliver a better experience and we are currently working to remove the redirect. We will continue to test Google Maps compatibility with other mobile browsers to ensure the best possible experience for users."
The change of heart at Mountain View is, at least, a gesture that it isn't hell bent on playing hard ball with Windows Phone.
The company has angered users and perhaps damaged the prosperity of operating system by removing ActiveSync support, making it harder for people who use its services like Google Calendar and Gmail to do so on Windows Phone.
Samsung has kept its promise from last year and has now revealed details regarding the Galaxy S II Jelly Bean update.
In addition to the enhanced performance that Project Butter in Android 4.1 Jelly Bean will provide, the update will also bring features from the Galaxy S III such as Smart Stay, Pop-up Play and Pause while recording video.
Some new applications will also come preinstalled such as Google+, Talk, Play Book and Play Movie (for the markets that support them). Easy mode for new users and Block mode for ignoring phone calls are also included.
The Galaxy S II Jelly Bean update will reduce the phone's internal memory from 12GB to 11GB, using the missing space for system partition. Once released into the wild, the update will be carried out through Samsung's KIES only, as it'll re-partition the memory system and will take around one hour or even more in some cases.
With such details available we can only expect the update to get its release in the coming week or so. Naturally, we'll let you know once it starts seeding.
