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Windows 8 will run Windows Phone 7 apps?

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An almost universal computing environment. This is what the future will look like if reported information about Windows 8 is true.

According to Nvidia CEO Jen Hsun Huang, he thinks that Microsoft’s next generation computer and tablet operating system, Windows 8, will be able to recognize and run apps that have been developed and coded for the Windows Mobile Phone 7 operating system – which is the new mobile operating system developed by the software giant. [Read more…]

Originally posted on September 7, 2011 @ 12:29 pm

iPhone trade-ins rising in anticipation of iPhone 5 release

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You know anticipation for the iPhone 5 is reaching a fever pitch when people are beginning to dump their old iPhones.

This is the trend Gazelle, a trade-in service, has been noticing over the last few days. It has noticed a dramatic increase in the number of iPhone users trading in their phones. The main reason is universal – they are anticipating the announcement for the iPhone 5 during the first week of October.

This kind of behavior is really indicative of the level of anticipation Apple and iPhone lovers are experiencing over the rumored iPhone 5. Gazelle reported that it has experienced an 84 percent rise in trade-ins for various models of the iPhone, compared to the trade-in levels for the product about two weeks ago. The rise in trade-ins is made the more significant by the fact that there is still no solid indications on whether Apple will release information about the iPhone 5 for October, which is generally believed as the month Apple will unveil new products in its lineup. [Read more…]

Originally posted on September 22, 2011 @ 10:29 am

Google Music comes to iOS via Safari

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Google Music is still in its beta and not a lot of people are getting it as yet. It’s not even available in other countries. But the guys at Google still want more people experience what they think may be a game changer in entertainment and cloud computing so they have finally released a version that is compatible with Apple’s iOS.

The new version of Google Music can be accessed on devices that carry iOS. But this is not a completely separate app – the access will go through the Safari browser. This is a mixed bag for some people. Others prefer a separate app so they can access Google servers even without the browser, while others want their access to be done through the browser so they won’t have to install any extraneous apps.

The browser interface actually acts similar to an app. Users can slide between the songs and as a nifty feature, the songs you are playing will continue to do so even when the browser is closed. Of course, browsing through the library and searching for songs can be done through the browser as well.

Google Music is not the first to market with a music streaming service – it already has competition from Spotify and other music streaming services and soon from Apple’s own iCloud service. Google Music has to make unique product decisions to distinguish it from its competitors.

Originally posted on September 9, 2011 @ 10:37 am

First Impressions of Spotify

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As many of us music lovers may have realized by now, Spotify has entered the US. Spotify is a DRM-based music streaming service. Spotify, instantly gives me a flashback to my days of Napster. It has similar qualities, although the look is different, and they are also taking a different approach. Spotify requires no downloading, and your favorite song is just a click away. Instantly, I notice some pro’s and cons of using Spotify.

After submitting my email, a few days later I got invite. I am glad that I waited, since I almost immediately purchased the Pro version. I usually like to try out the products I am using before I make any purchase, especially when it comes to music applications. Spotify was an easy download, doesn’t seem to affect my computer too much, and has a nice looking icon that sits in my dock. The design looks like a mixture between old school Napster, and iTunes. Overall, I think it looks good. It is very simple to navigate, and I pretty much picked up on the all features within a few minutes. The best part about Spotify is the immense library they have to offer. You can search virtually any song you can think of, and start  playing instantly. Of course this music is streaming, so you do not worry about download times and taking up space on your computer with large libraries of music. Spotify will actually load all of your music stored in local files as an extenuation of your music listening experience. Very cool! Spotify lets you have your own library and if you are feeling sick of your own music, with the click of a button you can have virtually any song that you like. This makes Spotify a very dynamic music program. [Read more…]

Originally posted on September 26, 2011 @ 6:34 am