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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

HTC Phones Found to be Logging Data

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A few days ago we reported about the class action suit filed against Microsoft for the Windows Mobile Phone 7’s data logging feature that continues to record data even if the user turns it off. Similar problems were encountered by Apple and the Android OS but these were eventually resolved and fixed with future patches, as in the case of the Apple iOS.

These problems with data logging should serve as a lesson for other tech manufacturers but, sadly, privacy issues are still happening with various devices. One example is HTC. The mobile phone manufacturer is a strong player in the market and has a number of strongly performing products. But according to some HTC users the new updates for the HTC Evo 3D and Sensation (both are Android OS phones) now log all of the user actions made on the phone. The culprit is an HTC app called CIQ that was given an additional feature with the new update. The new feature is called User Behavior Logging and what is does is record all of the things that a user does with his HTC phone – from pressing the home button to opening an app. The logs are then uploaded to HTC’s servers.

HTC has addressed the issue by explaining what the whole process is for. According to the company the data is collected only for error logging and that it is an opt-in feature. But users have reported that it is not so.
HTC should be making a savvier move to address the issue and assuage the fears of HTC phone users. If they don’t, they’ll surely face a bigger problem in the horizon.

Originally posted on September 6, 2011 @ 8:57 am

Apple Changes iPhone Policy, Begins Sharing Your Location Information

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iPhone Location Based ServicesLocation based services have taken over the cellular market in the last several years and now Apple has decided that your location information may be worth a bunch of cash. Apple changed their company license today to state that they now store “the real-time geographic location of your Apple computer or device” and that they have the right to share it with “partners and licensees.”

Apple is working to calm customer fears, claiming that all location based data is “collected anonymously in a form that does not personally identify you.” It’s a statement that should seem familiar to Facebook users who were told the same thing months ago, only to find out that their profile information and the profile information of their friends were being shared with advertisers.

Unlike Facebook, there is apparently no way to opt-out of the Apple policy. Actually that’s not totally true, you can refuse to ever download another app for the life of your device and then stay away from the iTunes store, at which point you aren’t forced to agree to the companies new terms of service before proceeding with purchases. [Read more…]

Originally posted on June 22, 2010 @ 5:39 pm

Apple Delays International Release of the iPad Until End of May

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Bad news for people who are not in the U.S. who’ve been waiting for Apple to release the iPad internationally. Apple just announced via a very short note that the international release date of the iPad has been moved towards the end of May. Previously, Apple was hoping to release the iPad to selected countries on the last week of April.

And what was Apple’s reason? Apparently, the iPad has been pretty successful in the U.S. that Apple could no longer meet the increasing demand for the iPad resulting to inadequate supply. So to meet the U.S. demand for the iPad, Apple will most likely be using its allotment for the international market.

According to Apple:

Faced with this surprisingly strong US demand, we have made the difficult decision to postpone the international launch of iPad by one month, until the end of May. We will announce international pricing and begin taking online pre-orders on Monday, May 10. We know that many international customers waiting to buy an iPad will be disappointed by this news, but we hope they will be pleased to learn the reason—the iPad is a runaway success in the US thus far.

This is only for the current available iPad model which is the Wi-Fi version. Apple is also reported that pre-orders for the iPad 3G version is also increasing. The iPad WiFi + 3G will be deliver by the end of April.

Now here’s the good news, Apple also announced that it will start accepting pre-orders from selected international customers starting May 10.  International pricing is yet to be announced though.

So there you go folks. Sorry to disappoint those who’ve been clinging on Apple’s promised availability date of the iPad in your countries. But if you really want to get the iPad now, I’m pretty sure you’d find some work-around to get the iPad even if it is not released in your country yet.

Originally posted on April 14, 2010 @ 11:54 am

iPad to Hit Apple Stores on April 3, Pre-Order Starts on March 12

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Apple finally dropped the bomb that many of us have been waiting for, the past couple of weeks. The iPad will start hitting Apple Retail Stores on April 3 and you better get yourself ready as early as now because the Apple.com will start accepting pre-orders seven days from now. You read it right folks, you can pre-order your iPad starting March 12. Did that get you excited?

Anyway, whether you’re excited or not, here are some major details that you should know in relation to Apple’s announcement today. First, the start of pre-order will be for all models of the iPad – Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi+3G and each of the various models that these two have that differs in storage capacity – 16GB, 32GB and 64GB.

Now, if you order the Wi-Fi only version, regardless of its storage capacity, you can either pick up your iPad at a designated Apple Store or have it ship directly to your home on April 3 only if you order the Wi-Fi model. If you order the Wi-Fi+3G model, you can only have your iPad later in April.

And those apply only if you are in the U.S. If you’re in any of these countries – Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK, all models of the iPad will be available in late April as well.

As for the iPad pricing, here goes - $499 for 16GB, $599 for 32GB, $699 for 64GB for the Wi-Fi model, and $629 for 16GB, $729 for 32GB and $829 for 64GB for the Wi-Fi+3G model.

So there you go. Are pre-ordering the iPad on March 12? Which one are you going to get, Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi + 3G?

Via Apple Press

Originally posted on March 5, 2010 @ 11:40 am