As developers for tablets and smartphones we like to keep abreast of the latest mobile technology developments . This is a daily digest of mobile development and related technology news gathered from the BBC, the New York Times, New Scientist and the Globe and Mail to name a few. We scour the web for articles concerning, iPhone, iPad and android development, iOS and android operating systems as well as general articles on advances in mobile technology. We hope you find this useful and that it helps to keep you up to date with the latest technology developments.
- News Analysis: Labor Shortage Complicates Changes in China’s Factories
- Chinese Company and Employee Deny Any Involvement in Hacking Attacks
- With Advance Warning, Bracing for Attack on Internet by Anonymous
- Firefox survives first round of surgery
Mozilla’s three months into an ambitious plan to bolt a long list of features into its browser. Competitors left it no choice.
- Canada would not stop RIM sale to outsiders
- What Foxconn Changes Mean for Workers, the Industry and You
The big changes headed to Foxconn’s factories have sparked concern and confusion among a number of parties. But if Foxconn stays true to its agreements, the industry may see some improvement.
- Google Reportedly Targets Amazon and Apple With Online Tablet Store
Google is reportedly going to enter the ecommerce space with tablets.
- Just Mobile Releases AluCube Mini to Cure Cable Clutter
Just Mobile Ltd., the leading brand of mobile accessories, today, announced the global launch of the Just Mobile AluCube Mini™, a minimalistic cable tidy.
Just Mobile AluCube Mini™ is the conception of the Just Mobile Design Competition 2011 held in Europe. The most promising of hand picked design […] - Badass Factory Pilot Gloves Protect Your Dainty Hands
Oakley’s badass Factory Pilot gloves offer carbon-fiber protection.
- BioShock 2 Arrives On the Mac App Store [Mac Blog]
Feral Interactive is serving up BioShock 2 to Mac users via the Mac App Store, two years after it arrived on the PC. It costs $30.99 on the Mac App Store, or via Feral directly. The game does include a multiplayer component as well.
Feral is dedicated to bringing major game titles to the Mac, and has taken to the Mac App Store in a big way. The company already sells a Mac version of BioShock 1, amongst a number of other titles.
Welcome back to Rapture. Paradise reborn.
Deep within the ruined undersea city of Rapture, your beloved Little Sister, Eleanor, awaits your return. As her Big Daddy, you protected her from a world of insanely selfish adults, now you must shield her again from those who demand that everything must be shared.
Ten years after the events of BioShock, Rapture has fallen under the control of a collectivist cult who plan to transform Eleanor into a genetically-engineered messiah, who will put an end to individuality forever. To save her, you must deploy a unique combination of shooting, role-play and stealth as you rampage through Rapture’s leaking halls to confront her captors.
Whether you choose to forgive those who threaten Eleanor or wreak vengeance upon them, remember, she is always watching and will follow your example.
Minimum system requirements for the game are a bit steep, unsurprisingly: Processor: 2.0 GHz, RAM: 4GB, Graphics: 256MB, Free Space: 10GB. The following graphics cards are not supported: ATI X1xxx series, ATI HD2xxx series, NVIDIA 9400, NVIDIA 7xxx series and Intel GMA series.
BioShock 2 is available for $30.99 on the Mac App Store. [Direct Link]
BioShock 1 is also available for $29.99. [Direct Link]
- Boston area to get its own Rock Health startup accelerator
The Boston Globe is reporting today that the Rock Health, the San Francisco based health startup accelerator, will be opening up a Boston branch this Summer. The program is already accepting applications. Reportedly several Boston based entrepreneurs are already signed up as mentors, including Jason Jacobs of RunKeeper, Ben Rubin of Zeo, Erika Pabo of Harvard Med School, Sonny Vu of Misfit Wearables, and Jacob Sattelmair of WellFrame. Building new companies around health technology cannot successfully occur in a vaccum […]
- Settlement over e-Book Pricing to Undo Apple’s Agency Model for Pricing?
Earlier this month, we reported on word from the U.S. Department of Justice that regulators were looking at filing suit against Apple and e-book publishers over the “agency model” of pricing championed by Apple leading up to the launch of its iBookstore. Under the model, retail book prices are set by publishers, with retailers receiving a cut of the proceeds.
Of most concern to regulators, Apple’s agreements with the publishers included “most favored nation” clauses that prevented publishers from selling their books through any other retailers at lower prices than offered through Apple’s iBookstore. Reuters now reports that the parties involved in the dispute are continuing to move toward a settlement in order to ward off a lawsuit, and that the settlement is likely to see the removal of these clauses. As a result, the publishing industry will likely in some form return to the previous wholesale model in which retailers set their own prices for books.
While negotiations are still fluid, the settlement is expected to eliminate Apple’s so-called “most favored nation” status, which had prevented the publishers from selling lower-priced e-books through rival retailers such as Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) or Barnes & Noble Inc (BKS.N), the people said.
The deal could also force a shift, at least temporarily, in pricing control from publishers to retailers, one of the people said.
Such a move to a “wholesale model” would not only benefit consumers but also Amazon, which had been the leading bargain e-book retailer with its Kindle reader.
Under the wholesale model, Amazon priced e-books at or even below cost in many cases in order to draw in customers who would then purchase other items from its online store. But the practice generated concern among publishers that their works were being devalued, and many were happy to sign on with Apple’s agency model in order to create more price stability.
Analysts estimate that a return to the wholesale model could add $1 billion to Amazon’s revenues this year given its commanding 65% share of the e-book market and the impact of discounted pricing on sales of other items in its store. Book sales make up only a small portion of Apple’s revenue, with estimates pegging iBookstore sales at roughly $50 million annually, and the company is expected to see little impact from any pricing changes in the book market.
- US credit firms in breach warning
Visa, Mastercard and Discover warn that details of credit card holders’ personal information could be at risk after a security breach.
- Apple Planning ‘Significant Growth’ of Reseller Network in India [Mac Blog]
A new job listing on Apple’s site indicates that the company is developing a “significant growth plan” for its network of Apple Premium Resellers (APRs) in India, seeking a new national manager to oversee expansion of the program.
The Apple Premium Reseller (APR) program was designed by Apple to expand and improve the market coverage and customer experience. Apple Premium Resellers offer the complete range of Macs, iPods and iPhones, along with a full complement of software and accessories.
There are currently 49 APRs in India with a significant growth plan for the future.
The NM [National Manager] will lead the expansion of the APR coverage as per plan
The new position will be based in Bangalore, where Apple has a minor existing presence.
Earlier this year, rumors surfaced suggesting that Apple was considering opening its own retail stores in India after the government relaxed laws that had required significant domestic ownership of single-brand stores. It is unclear whether Apple’s planned expansion of its APR network in India means that it has decided against opening its own stores in the country, but any such Apple retail plan appears to have been a long-term project in any case.
India is one of the four “BRIC” countries whose developing economies are seen as major growth markets, with Brazil, Russia, and China also being included in that group. Apple has clearly focused its initial efforts for this group on China, although Apple CEO Tim Cook acknowledged in an interview last month that the company has also been increasing its efforts in Brazil and Russia. Consequently, India appears to be Apple’s lowest priority among emerging markets, but the company is undoubtedly keeping a keen eye on developments there and building its APR network as an interim measure to increase its presence. - TSMC may get into Apple pipeline through power chips
TSMC may have at least some involvement in Apple’s device supply chain based on claims by Taiwan’s Economic Daily News. The business newspaper asserted that the contract manufacturer had landed deals for power management parts designed by Dialog Semiconductor for future Apple hardware. TSMC had supposedly already involved itself with iPads and iPhones by manufacturing Broadcom, CSR, Cirrus Logic, and Qualcomm.
- Apple Complies with iPad ‘4G’ Marketing Ruling in Australia, Faces New Complaint in Norway
Apple has updated its marketing for the new iPad in Australia after regulators in that country criticized the company over “misleading” marketing claims related to the iPad’s 4G capabilities. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) announced on Tuesday that it would pursue injunctions, fines and other remedies.
Apple responded by offering full refunds to Australian customers who felt misled about Apple’s 4G advertising.
Apple has seen similar complaints over the iPad’s 4G marketing in other countries including Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Currently, the iPad only works on 4G LTE networks in the United States and Canada. The Norwegian complaint is more significant than those in the other countries. Like Australia, Norway has actually instructed Apple to change the wording of its marketing materials.The Norwegian Forbrukerombudet, or Consumer Ombudsman, has expressed particular concern over the heavy focus on the new iPad’s 4G LTE support and the description of the product as “designed with next-generation wireless technology”.
Because the iPad’s LTE support is incompatible with Norwegian wireless networks, the fact that the iPad supports LTE makes no difference to potential buyers in Norway and is thus “misleading”. The Ombudsman has given Apple until April 10, 2012 to make the necessary changes.
- Raise a Papercraft Army of Yourself with Foldable.me
Ship a tiny version of yourself to your friends and family.
- Flurry: Google Play revenue just 23% that of Apple App Store
The Google Play Store still makes less than a quarter of the revenue from apps than Apple’s App Store, Flurry found in tracking app data. Setting the iTunes-based Apple portal as the reference point, the analysis saw Google Play (formerly Android Market) make just 23 percent of the revenue relative to size in a 45-day period starting mid-January. The ratio was actually down from December, when Google’s official Android store made 24 percent.
- Facebook Timeline Rolls Out to All Brand Pages
Facebook’s Timeline is here. Whether you like it or not.