Hasta La Gadget!

There’s been some trepidation among Apple device users over the upgrade to iOS 6 given that it takes away some components while adding others. You wouldn’t guess it from the initial upgrade rate, however. Both ChartBoost and Chitika have determined that about 15 percent of iOS data traffic was already coming from Apple’s latest release within its first 24 hours of availability — not bad, considering that it took Android 4.0 roughly eight months to reach a similar ratio and iOS 5 about five days to hit 20 percent. ChartBoost adds that iPhone owners were the quickest to upgrade, which is only logical when the iPhone 4S gets the most new features. The contrast between Android and iOS was entirely expected, knowing Apple’s limited hardware pool and reduced carrier oversight. We’re more interested in the differences between iOS versions: they suggest that whatever advantages people see in iOS 6, as well as a widespread over-the-air update system, have been enough to spur on many early adopters.

Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Audio/Video, Tablets

iOS 6 becomes 15 percent of Apple mobile device traffic within 24 hours originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Sep 2012 05:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tobii’s eye tracking Gaze UI hasn’t been especially portable so far, but we’ll soon see that change through a new collaboration involving Fujitsu and NTT DoCoMo. The trio plan to reveal the ibeam, an Android tablet with Tobii’s smaller IS20 (formerly the IS-2) detector taking input just through glances. Together, the partners want to show that an eye-driven interface can be more reactive than plain old multi-touch: think turning a page in an e-book while you’re holding on to a subway car strap. We’re only getting a brief preview as of today, but we’re teased with the prospect of a full look at NTT DoCoMo’s CEATEC booth in early October. Whether or not ibeam leads to more than a well-that’s-nice prototype, though, is still up in the air.

Continue reading Tobii, Fujitsu and NTT DoCoMo partner on eye tracking ibeam tablet, promise a peek in October

Filed under: Tablets

Tobii, Fujitsu and NTT DoCoMo partner on eye tracking ibeam tablet, promise a peek in October originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Sep 2012 14:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We were worried there, for a minute. After code explorers found that Amazon’s Kindle Fire HD 7-inch had both a locked bootloader and extra security measures, there was a brief concern that the pseudo-Android tablet might be very tough to hack. As it turns out, there was no reason to lose faith. Hashcode, Justin Case, Reverend Kyle and Sparklym3 from the XDA and RootzWiki forums have successfully rooted the smaller Kindle Fire HD in a repeatable form, giving anyone courageous enough to load ADB the control they want over the tablet they bought. Just remember the usual caveats if you choose to dive in: while the root isn’t a lengthy process, as you’ll see in the video after the break, there’s still the ever-present risk of bricking the device should something go wrong. Having seen what can be done with the original Kindle Fire after a little tinkering, we’re intrigued as to what happens with its more capable sequel.

Continue reading Kindle Fire HD 7-inch rooted in spite of Amazon, unstoppable force meets the unhackable object (video)

Filed under: Tablets

Kindle Fire HD 7-inch rooted in spite of Amazon, unstoppable force meets the unhackable object (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Sep 2012 07:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Android Police, DroidDog  |  RootzWiki, XDA-Developers  | Email this | Comments

Twitter’s iPad app is sometimes the neglected stepchild of its mobile app family: newer features usually come to the Android and iPhone versions first and are handed down to the iPad later, if they come at all. The company is making amends for that in style with a major update to the iPad version as of today. Whether you like them or not, expanded tweets are now baked in and will optionally show some photos, videos and web links within the timeline rather than disrupting the entire experience. The Connect, Discover and Me sections we’ve seen elsewhere also come to the tablet-tuned app, albeit at the expense of more quickly finding direct messages and lists.

You’ll soon notice a much more visual spin on people’s profiles, regardless of whether or not Apple’s slate factors into the daily routine. Both the Twitter site as well as the official Android and iOS apps now show a header photo behind the bio to provide a little more color than avatars and background pictures can manage. If you’re on one of the mobile platforms, you’ll also see a photo stream in the profile that will help relive memories without hunting down individual tweets. The phone and tablet makeovers require an update to shine, so hit the relevant source link if you’re ready for a prettier (if not always more functional) social experience.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Internet, Mobile

Twitter revamps its iPad app for expanded content, adds header photos and image streams originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Sep 2012 10:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink TechCrunch, Twitter (1), (2)  |  App Store, Google Play  | Email this | Comments

Google makes a lot of acquisitions, some of them more important than others. Its latest purchase might skew towards the grander side, as it just bought imaging app developer Nik Software. While the company is known for pro photography apps like Capture NX and its Efex Pro series, the real prize might be Snapseed, Nik’s simpler image tool for desktop and iOS users. Both Nik and Google’s Senior Engineering VP Vic Gundotra are silent on the exact plans, but it doesn’t take much to imagine a parallel between Facebook’s buyout of Instagram and what Google is doing here: there’s no direct, Google-run equivalent to Instagram’s social photo service in Android or for Google+ users, and Nik’s technology might bridge the gap. Whether or not Googlegram becomes a reality, the deal is likely to create waves among photographers of all kinds — including those who’ve never bought a dedicated camera.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Software, Mobile

Google buys Snapseed developer Nik Software, raises the eyebrows of Instagram shutterbugs originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 Sep 2012 14:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink The Verge  |  Nik Software, Vic Gundotra (Google+)  | Email this | Comments