Hasta La Gadget!

Rovio may have introduced its wildly successful game Angry Birds to the Android platform, but make no mistake which operating system the company prefers to develop for. In a recent interview with the site Tech Marketing, Rovio executive Peter Vesterbacka let it be known that Apple’s iOS is still the top dog in his eyes.

“Apple will be the number one platform for a long time from a developer perspective, they have gotten so many things right,” he told the site. “And they know what they are doing and they call the shots. Android is growing, but it’s also growing complexity at the same time.”

Android also has a fragmentation problem, according to Vesterbacka. “Device fragmentation not the issue, but rather the fragmentation of the ecosystem,” he explained. “So many different shops, so many different models. The carriers messing with the experience again. Open but not really open, a very Google centric ecosystem. And paid content just doesn’t work on Android.”

Not that he’s saying that Apple is, you know, better, or anything. It’s just that, in the mobile world, fragmentation is sort of a way of life,

That doesn’t mean that model is superior, it’s just important to understand that Apple is Apple and Google is Google. Different. And developers need to understand that. Different business models for different ecosystems. And wouldn’t forget about Nokia and MeeGo either, new leadership always tends to shake things up and create opportunity. And HP-Palm. And RIM. And even Microsoft. It’s a fragmented world.

Rovio’s Angry Birds was the number one paid app for the iPhone in 2010.

It’s highly improbable that you actually need yet another option when looking for a watch band to house your iPod nano 6G, but if that first-run version you sprung for is already in tatters, HEX has a little something worth considering. The company has just started shipping its HEX Watch Band in the US of A, with $29.95 netting you a soft, flexible band that requires no complicated plug-and-play action whatsoever. Just pop your nano into the face, strap it on your arm, and roll. It’s designed to be remarkably rugged (as seen in a torture video just past the break), and the headphone socket is arranged in a way that nicely runs the cable up your arm towards your cranium. The only problem? Choosing which of the nine hues fits your personality best.

Continue reading HEX ships iPod nano watch band, dares you to destroy it (video)

HEX ships iPod nano watch band, dares you to destroy it (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Dec 2010 10:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We learned a lot this year; from the origins of liquimetal and toasted thighs to the technical reasoning of ISO and CDMA. Check out the best explanations Gizmodo had to offer in 2010. More »

Apple’s loose-lipped overseas partners are exchanging whispers about the next-generation iPad, claiming it will come in three different versions, one of which would work with Verizon’s network.

The iPad 2 will support three different wireless configurations: UMTS, CDMA and Wi-Fi only, according to “industry sources quoted by DigiTimes” citing component makers. That’s up from the two versions Apple currently offers: UMTS plus Wi-Fi, and Wi-Fi only.

To explicate the alphabet soup, UMTS is the standard used by major 3G carriers such as AT&T and T-Mobile, while CDMA is compatible with Verizon and Sprint networks.

Currently the 3G iPad ships with a MicroSIM card slot, and in the United States, the only carrier that uses MicroSIM is AT&T. Customers who want to connect to non-AT&T 3G networks must either buy an external wireless hotspot device such as the Verizon MiFi (Verizon already sells a MiFi plus iPad package) or trim a standard SIM card down to MicroSIM size, like Wired.com’s Charlie Sorrel.

The current 3G model of the iPad is not tied to a contract: Customers pay a flat monthly rate for data and can opt out whenever they please.

So if this rumor is true, it means that when the iPad 2 ships, you’ll have to pick a 3G model based on your carrier preference. If you don’t plan to be on the road a lot, there’s still the Wi-Fi option.

Support for both major wireless standards in the United States will make the iPad 2 available to a much larger potential audience, whereas before it was only available in the states from AT&T.

Whether Apple hammers out sales agreements with Verizon or Sprint remains to be seen.

Recent rumors suggestion that the iPad 2 will hit stores April 2011, one year after the original iPad’s release. Some third-party protective cases for a purported “iPad 2″ have been cropping up in Asia, hinting at the possibility of a bigger speaker and a rear-facing camera.

Persistent rumors — so far unsubstantiated — have also pointed to a Verizon-compatible iPhone to be released in early 2011. If Verizon gets the iPhone and the iPad, it would greatly expand Apple’s potential market, and would also likely deal a severe blow to AT&T, which has been roundly criticized for the inability of its 3G network to keep up with iPhone-induced demand.

See Also:

• Verizon to Sell Apple’s iPad, But Is iPhone Next?
• With iPad, Apple Still Has a Fatal Attraction for AT&T
• AT&T Sees iPad as Wi-Fi Driven, Not a 3G Hog

Photo: Current iPad
Jon Snyder/Wired.com

Someone must really like you — otherwise, how did you end up with an iPhone this holiday season? Yeah, we know, iPads don’t really fit into stockings. Besides, your parent or significant other got you an arguably better gift in the cheaper (with two-year contract, of course), more compact, and more recently updated iPhone 4. We’ve given you some app suggestions before when the device first launched, but that was six months ago, and in technology time, that’s like seven years. Want a run-down of the best apps, our favorite accessories, and the essential tips and tricks? Just follow along after the break!

Hey Android friends, we got you covered, too! Did you get an iPad? Check out our guide here!

Continue reading Just got an iPhone? The best apps, accessories, and tips

Just got an iPhone? The best apps, accessories, and tips originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Dec 2010 11:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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