news

iWorld is being Relaunched!

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 23:44:34 +0100

Hello guys, recently I've been reading old posts I made on this website, and I saw the videos I posted on YouTube, I remembered those old memories (Not so old, maybe half year?). I used to have a lot of fun writing those articles about what happened in the tech world and making videos about what geeks like me loved.

Then, I taught to myself: Should I do this again? I though about it for a long time until I decided today to relaunch everything from my YouTube channel, to the Twitter account, then Google+, to Tumblr and I'm also renovating this website (Which will take a little longer to be done). That's why I'll celebrate this in a Google+ Hangout I'm making on March 25th, 2012 at 4:00pm PST/7:00pm EST. From that date to someday, you are going to be able to watch new content about Siri Tech News, App reviews, jailbreaks and more on my YouTube channel (In case you want to suscribe, go to this link: www.youtube.com/iWorld00 and watch the live coverage of the Hangout), news and more will be on our Twitter, Google+ and Tumblr accounts as well as our website.

iWorld Twitter Account: iWorldNews1 iWorld Google+ Account: iWorld iWorld Tumblr Account: iworld-news

iWorld is being Relaunched!

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 23:36:07 +0100

Facebook will get more revenue: Facebook introduces mobile ads

Wed, 08 Aug 2012 16:04:10 +0100

Facebook has just announced a new platform that will allow developers to advertise applications through the social network’s mobile platform. Facebook says it has already driven 146 million users to the iTunes App Store and Google Play in the past 30 days, but the main point here is that Facebook is finally monetizing its mobile application.

Since the company became public, Facebook has been highly criticized by the media for lacking a clear plan to get revenue from its mobile platform. Well, perhaps I was wrong. Now, if a user clicks an application that crosses his or her newsfeed, he or she will be offered a link to download the application. However, developers can also create specific ad campaigns and target them at a select audience.

A developer can choose to launch ads for a specific region, age range and gender and set a specific budget for the campaign. Facebook will also include an alert for the estimated reach of the campaign based on those aforementioned settings. It even provides a tool (Facebook SDK 3.0 for iOS) that allows iOS developers to see how many clicks an application has received and how much has been spent on the campaign.

The beta is currently only open to a select amount of developers, but it’s already receiving positive feedback. “I think they listened to our feedback,” developer Ricardo Hoar said in a comment on Facebook’s announcement. “Promoting apps to users sitting on Computers makes 0 sense. Targetting users on iOS is a great idea. I have my ad budget ready. I hope I get in on the beta. I’m sure they will eventually roll it into the ads dashboard once it works.”

The Samsung Galaxy flagship phones get 4.1!

Wed, 08 Aug 2012 15:06:37 +0100

The Samsung Galaxy S III is clearly Samsung’s biggest hit at the moment - the device is selling by the millions and so far we’ve heard the 10 million figure tossed around. No wonder it will be the first Samsung device to get updated to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean (not counting the Galaxy Nexus, that is).

Website Sam Mobile has now used its inside sources to share the rumors that the Jelly Bean firmware for the Galaxy S III has passed the testing stage and engineers are working on the public release of the update. So far, expectations are that the Samsung Galaxy S III will get Jelly Bean around the end of the third quarter to the beginning of Q4 2012. Nothing is official, just rumors, though.

Other phones to get bumped up to Android 4.1 soon are the Samsung Galaxy S II which still has solid sales and the Galaxy Note, as well as the upcoming second-generation Note.

Big news here is that this once again reiterates whispers about the Samsung Galax Note II launching only with Ice Cream Sandwich on board and not the latest Jelly Bean.

For the Galaxy Note and Note II the Jelly Bean update seem very probable, while for the Galaxy S II testing is still underway. So far, there’s no reason not to update it, but if Samsung engineers happen to find one, at least a value pack update is certain. The three phones are said to get Jelly Bean in Q4 2012.

China Labor Watch Accuses Samsung Factory of Using Child Labor, Physical Abuse

Wed, 08 Aug 2012 02:40:27 +0100

A new investigative report describes a factory that manufactures Samsung products as a place of squalor, full of abused and underage employees. According to China Labor Watch, student laborers, many drafted from high school, “amount to 80% of the total workforce in the factory.”

And we thought Apple’s factory conditions were bad.

An exhaustive 31 page report documents a behind the scenes look at HEG Electronics, which is responsible for producing some of Samsung’s best gadgets. It’s a dire sounding place — if the report is to be believed — and quite frankly makes Apple’s Foxconn factories sound tame.

Here are highlights of the report, via LaptopMag:

Physical Abuse
Failing to Treat or Compensate for Work-Related Injuries
Excessive Overtime
Fines for Reporting Problems
Dangerous Conditions

CLW’s report on the alleged physical abuse is shocking, to say the least. Making a mistake could result in both verbal and physical abuse, along with cruel and unusual punishment.

Via: Bloomberg

Steve Jobs told Samsung to not infringe the patent, offered License Patent

Wed, 08 Aug 2012 02:22:56 +0100

According to Apple Senior Vice President Scott Forstall, the company explicitly requested that Samsung not copy its rubber banding patent. Yet, following the introduction of the iPhone in 2007, that’s exactly what followed.

During Forstall’s deposition on Tuesday, the Apple SVP told a jury that Steve Jobs expressly and unambiguously stated, “Here’s something we invented. Don’t — don’t copy it. Don’t steal it.”

Forstall explained that the rubber banding effect (381′ patent) was something Jobs cared deeply about. The rubber banding effect, otherwise referred to as inertial scrolling, occurs when a user scrolls “past” the end of a document or Web page.

“I actually think that Android had not done rubber banding at some point and it was actually added later,” Forstall said. “So [Android] actually went from sort of, you know, not yet copying and infringing to — to choosing to copy, which is sad and distasteful…”

When asked whether the feature was a topic of discussion in other meetings with Samsung, Forstall couldn’t give a definitive account, only to say that he expects the topic came up.

Forstall did, however, reveal that Apple offered to license the rubber banding patent in 2010, with a goal to settle the issue out of court, but it sounds like Samsung was unwilling to play ball.

Apple clearly feels that, in addition to its icon and hardware design, inertia scrolling made the company’s products wholly unique. Thus, we have the ongoing patent dispute which, among a bevy of past iPhone and iPad designs, revealed that Samsung plainly said, “Let’s make something like the iPhone.”

The YouTube app gets out of iOS!

Wed, 08 Aug 2012 01:46:26 +0100

Apple released the fourth beta version of iOS 6 and now we’re starting to see some of the changes. The most noticeable difference right now is that Apple has apparently completely removed the native YouTube application from iOS 6. That’s insane, especially since it has been a staple feature on the iPhone for the past 5 years. Apple has already removed the Google Maps system, and replace it by Apple Maps (as we call it "iMaps"), so we’re wondering if this is another sign of a growing rift between the two companies.

It is entirely possible that it will be added again in a future update. Perhaps, however, Apple is cutting all of its mobile ties with Google and you’ll need to install a third party application, or rely on the web app, to watch videos of funny videos of cats. But actually most users like this new because they used to hate the app because it wasn't as advanced as the Android app, it is (or at least was) buggy, it doesn't show up top comments and it's got an ugly UI. As Google stated to Engadget, it will probably get as the Android app is. Update: Apple issued the following statement to The Verge:

Our license to include the YouTube app in iOS has ended, customers can use YouTube in the Safari browser and Google is working on a new YouTube app to be on the App Store.

Update 2: YouTube made the following statement to Engadget:

We are working with Apple to ensure we have the best possible YouTube experience for iOS users.

NORAD Tracks Santa as He Journeys Around the World

Sat, 24 Dec 2011 18:30:33 +0100

It’s Christmas Eve, Buffalo, and that means jolly old St. Nick is currently making final preparations before he goes on his annual journey around the world. Which list did you make this year, naughty or nice? Whatever the case, NORAD, a U.S.-Canada air defense directorate, will once again use its high-tech satellites to track Santa Claus as he flies with his reindeer across the night sky.

NORAD has been keeping tabs on Santa since 1955, first happening by mistake. As the story goes, a Colorado Springs newspaper ad invited anxious kids to call Santa on a hotline. Only, the number had a typo, leading many kids to call the Continental Aerospace Defense Command, NORAD’s predecessor. Not wanting to disappoint the excited children, officers on duty played along and even shared reports on Santa’s whereabouts. The rest is history.

Today, NORAD’s Santa updates can be found on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and noradsanta.org. In addition, the air defense unit has rolled out a Santa-tracking smartphone app built by visionbox. During the other 364 days, NORAD monitors North American skies and seas through its high-tech tracking technology.

Last year, NORAD volunteers answered more than 80,000 phone calls on Christmas Eve, Joyce Creech, project leader or NORAD said. This year over 1,200 people have volunteered in anticipation of kids looking for Santa updates.

It’s a fun way for both parents and kids to get excited about Santa’s arrival. Remember to leave out those cookies, just don’t tell Mrs. Claus.

Gamestop Cancels "The Lat Guardian"

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 23:21:07 +0100

Yesterday, news began to spread concerning the questionable cancellation of Team Ico and Sony’s upcoming The Last Guardian for the PlayStation 3. Customers that had pre-ordered the title from GameStop were receiving pre-recorded calls stating that the game had, unfortunately, been cancelled by the publisher. The call went further to tell gamers that they could either get their money back or put it towards reserving an entirely different product.

GameStop employees even suggested that the company had completely pulled The Last Guardianfrom the puters and coming soon lists, rendering it completely unavailable for potential purchasers to even consider.

Sony’s response to the issue was that GameStop was entirely mistaken. As it turns out, GameStop has now admitted that they are, in fact, wrong about the fate of The Last Guardian. The game is still coming, have no fear.

GameInformer has a bit from an official GameStop statement regarding the fake cancellation of The Last Guardian:

The Last Guardian has not been canceled by Sony as we incorrectly stated in an automated call to reservation customers. Because the game did not have a specific release date, GameStop made the decision to remove the game from our system. The Last Guardian will be reinstated for pre-order when a firm launch date is known.

GameStop seems to have jumped the gun here. As I mentioned in the previous post, telling customers that a product has been cancelled while it still shows signs of coming eventually is, essentially, making a move towards losing a sale. Sony has been promising that The Last Guardian is still coming for practically the last year. That, in itself, should have caused GameStop to keep the game listed as coming soon.

When The Last Guardian does finally drop for the PlayStation 3, will you be getting it from GameStop?

Google celebrates Christmas!

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 19:07:03 +0100

Google has elected to celebrate the various holidays that happen around this time of year by way of hidden goodies and noticeable extras. First off, head to Google.com and search for Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa. Right away, you’ll notice they’ve decorated the search page with the related ornamental goodness. YouTube is giving users a little holiday treat by adding a Snowflake button to their videos. Here it is, in action.