Twitter-enhanced Firefox 8

Twitter-enhanced Firefox 8 officially available for download, Android version updated

By Donald Melanson

Those watching the FTP servers may have been able to snag it a bit early, but Mozilla's now announced that Firefox 8 is officially available for Windows, Mac and Linux computers. The big addition, such as it is, is built-in Twitter search, which will let you search for topics, hashtags or usernames right in the main search box. You'll also get the usual raft of performance and security improvements, as well as some new ways to manage tabs and add-ons. Alongside it comes a new version of Firefox for Android, which includes a new password manager, and the ability to add home screen icons for bookmarked pages or web apps.

Nokia N9 swipes fresh goodies with PR1.1 update, NFC and Swype in tow

Outside of snapping up an even newerhandset, N9 users who are looking to score a taste of the very latest from Nokia will uncover a delicious morsel waiting in the form of a software update. Known as PR1.1, the downloadable package adds such refinements as music controls on the lock screen, new status indicators on the standby screen, along with NFC tag support and Swype's renowned keyboard. The crew in Espoo also promises improved multitasking, noise cancellation and faster syncing of Mail for Exchange. Rounding out the list, the camera app has gained color filters for still and motion captures, and as for that option to close apps with a downward swipe -- it's now enabled by default. The update has begun rolling today, which Nokia will be deploying in waves. In other words, if you're not among the early recipients, persistence and patience will likely become your new mantra. Enjoy the freebie, folks.

untethered iOS 5 jailbreak, on its way

For those waiting desperately for an untethered iOS 5 jailbreak, the time may soon arrive. French-based iOS hacker @pod2g has announced viaTwitter that a bug he found can untether Apple's latest iOS.

Jailbreaking iOS 5

Currently, the only way to jailbreak iOS 5 requires a computer every time the device reboots. Naturally, this is not only time consuming, but also annoying especially if you aren't near your desktop or laptop. Worst, if you reboot your iPhone without then attaching it to a computer, some of phone's apps will no longer work.

As Joe White discussed in October:

First, this isn't an untethered jailbreak solution. Even if you reboot your iPhone using the SemiTether method, some iOS apps (such as Safari and Mail), along with all of your jailbreak apps (Cydia et. al.) will not work. Importantly, the built-in Phone and Messages apps will work though, meaning users will still be able to use their iPhone to make calls and send texts.

According to @pod2g, his untethered solution isn't yet available for the public. However, he is currently working on it! We'll keep you updated.

Google+ adds Facebook-style Pages

Google+ is quickly maturing into a contender in the social network space, and as Google's social web of choice, it's becoming ever more important to Android users. Today the official Google blog announced the addition of Pages, bringing Google+ even more in line with Facebook by offering brands, sites and, well, anything a way to make a centralized landing zone for all Google+ interactions. The feature is live already, but not everyone can create new pages at the moment.

In addition to the standard circle and +1 features you'd expect, Pages will allow businesses and other entities to take advantage of the live video systems built-in to Google+, with employees or fans. And of course, Pages will be accessible from regular old Google searches. The pages themselves look a lot like the regular Google+ profiles you're already familiar with.

Check out the official video below:

Pages is a brand-spankin new feature, and while every Google+ user can access some ready-made pages like the Dallas Cowboys and The Muppets, not everyone can create pages just yet. Google's been going through theupdates for the Google+ Android app fast, so expect an update in the next few weeks that supports the Pages feature. And of course, we'll be sharing the Android Community Google+ page with you just as soon as it's ready. Oh, and Google's Android team is already up, so add them to your circles now!

Apple Hides Nearly Complete Panorama Feature In iOS Camera App

There's apparently more to iOS 5′s Camera app than meets the eye. Unless, of course, you happen to be a top-flight code-monkey like jailbreakerschpwn or Conrad Kramer. Then, the mystery's not so big.

Of course, since the guys have publicly showcased their findings, everyone's now in on the secret of Apple's long-rumored (and still unreleased) panorama feature. Not surprisingly, it's a pretty barebones experience.

The user simply turns on panorama mode by clicking the panorama button on the camera options popover, then moves their phone in their air as shown in the on-screen diagram.

Easy enough.

But before anyone flies into a tizzy over Apple "cannibalizing" its third party developers, just consider the as-yet unannounced feature like Apple's stock HDR experience: It gets the job done, but dedicated apps will almost certainly do everything better.

Look for panorama mode to be enabled in a future system update. Until then, jailbreakers can enable the feature by downloading the just-released "Firebreak" in the Cydia Store.

Panorama mode in options.

On-screen instructions for panorama capture.

NOOK Tablet vs Kindle Fire

Today at an event in NYC Barnes & Noble announced the newNOOK Tablet and most of the event they were quick to point out how much better it was compared to the Kindle Fire tablet from Amazon. We saw most of the specs leak late last week on the newNOOK Tablet so nothing was a huge surprise today, either way head down past the break for the details and comparison on these two tablets.

First off lets start with the NOOK Tablet, announced this morningwith a slew of top tier specs all for a great price. We have a 7″ LG IPS diplay with a 1024 x 600 resolution powered by a TI OMAP 1.0 GHz dual-core processor. Being very similar here with the Fire, this is where things take a change. The NOOK has 1GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage compared to just 512MB on the Fire and 8GB of storage.

"The Kindle Fire is deficient as a media tablet" William J. Lynch Jr., B&N CEO

At the event this morning, B&N CEO Lynch said the above quote while talking about the Kindle Fire and its lowly 8GB of storage, partly because only 6GB or so of that is actually usable. The NOOK offers 16GB plus micro-SD support for an additional 32GB. The entire event they were quick to take shots at the Kindle Fire — from the copycat design of the BlackBerry Playbook, not enough storage, less RAM, and being fatter. We'll let you guys make that decision on your own, I'll just give you the details.

The Kindle Fire features a similar 7″ display with the same 1024 x 600 resolution. We also have the TI OMAP 4 dual-core processor here running at 1.0 GHz but like mentioned above, the Kindle Fire only has 512MB of RAM — something that could play a factor in multitasking at some point. With no cameras these are mainly consumption devices, but we already knew that right.

Both devices are a hair less than half an inch thick and weigh around 400 grams (or 15 ounces). The Kindle Fire is said to weigh 413 grams compared to the slightly thinner and lighter NOOK Tablet coming in at 398 grams. While that may not matter to some, many will use these devices as e-readers and the lighter weight will help especially during one-handed use.

Both tablets run on an undisclosed version of Android, most likely 2.3 Gingerbread and have their own custom user interfaces on board. We weren't live at the NOOK Tablet event to get a look at it for a comparison, but it looks almost identical to the original NOOK Color which ran extremely smooth so we expect the same here. Not to mention the dual-core processor should keep things speedy. Both tablets come bundled with plenty of games and applications. From Angry Birds, Netflix, Pandora Radio and more they really are tablets, not e-readers. One benefit here with the Fire is the inclusion of the Amazon App Store although that can be installed on any Android device so I'm sure we'll have it on our NOOK fairly quick and easy.

Whether these devices will be easy to root, and run custom ROM's like the original NOOK Color still remains to be seen so until they hit the streets we can't comment further. Without having hands-on time with both it is hard to say what is better, but we'll have both devices in for a full review soon so stay tuned. Both tablets offer an excellent level of performance and usage for their price. What will you buy?

The Amazon Kindle Fire is available for pre-order right now for just $199 and begins shipping November 15th. Concluding the B&NNOOK event today in NYC the new NOOK Tablet will be $249 and will also be available next week starting on the 18th. Pre-orders areavailable now and it will be at B&N stores as well as retail partners such as Best Buy, Target, Walmart and many others late next week.

Consumer Reports Says iPhone 4S Fixes Antenna Woes, Can Finally Recommend

Consumer Reports Says iPhone 4S Fixes Antenna Woes, Can Finally Recommend 


Consumer Reports, which has long had issues with the iPhone, says Apple has finally come out with a smartphone it can recommend. The magazine initial...  Read more

Report: HP Puts WebOS On the Auction Block

Report: HP Puts WebOS On the Auction Block


Hewlett-Packard is in the market to sell its WebOS operating system for "hundreds of millions of dollars," according to a report. Reuters reported la... Read more

Panasonic entry with Toughpad in the Tablets market

Panasonic, best known for ruggedly reliable laptop PCs, thinks the Android tablets on the market today are wimpy devices for consumers. By contrast, the company's new pair of Toughpad tablets are professional-grade slates for business and government users seeking everything from hardware-level security to an enterprise-oriented app store.

The Toughpad A1, which will reach the market in the spring of 2012 starting at $1,299, is a 10.1-inch Android 3.2 (Honeycomb) tablet with a 1.2-GHz Marvell dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of storage (MicroSD optional up to 32GB), and 10 hours of battery life. It's on the hefty side at 2.13 pounds plus the stylus pen, but its sturdy construction brings a 4-foot MIL-STD-810G drop rating, resistance to dust and water ingress, and operating temperatures from 14 to 122 degrees...

Zuckerberg...Why Facebook rules

Mark Zuckerberg's appearance onCharlie Rose's talk show, together with Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, went on for a long time.

So I have confined the first part here to the short version of what was said. It continues later on with a little more, well, philosophical detail. And the full transcript is right at the bottom.

The Short Version

They talked about how no one company would dominate the Valley -- and presumably, the world. They talked about how Google, Yahoo and Microsoft were far more heinous when it came to taking liberties with your privacy than was Facebook -- which is so, so open and transparent, you see. Zuckerberg talked about how Steve Jobs had guided him into single-mindedness and, um, taste.

There was some doubt, though, about whether Jobs offered to buy Facebook. Sandberg seemed keen to interrupt Zuckerberg as he might have been about to offer than Jobs had. She insisted that Jobs would have known that Zuckerberg would never sell.

Sandberg insisted that the users are the most important part of Facebook -- something that might come as a surprise to, well, the users.

She said: "Their trust is sacred." She added: "Privacy is the most important thing we do."

You're in the short version currently, so please take as long as you like to laugh. Facebook has often given the impression that it's going to open the privacy spigot and let the users get used to being brave in their new world.

At heart, Facebook seems to believe that it's your fault if you don't get to use the privacy tools properly, though the company is happy to teach you to be a better, well, tools engineer.

Facebook doesn't seem desperate to go public any time soon. It really wasn't such a great catalyst in the Arab uprisings. And it would be lovely if every graduating engineer in America could get a work visa. Oh, and it doesn't seem like the company will create its own games, because they're too hard. (Please hold the tears.)

And Facebook is all about doing one thing well and being a partner to everyone. One more thing: both of the Bergs begin a lot of sentences with the word "so."

That's about it for the short version. So if you have better things to do, I'll see you a little later.

The Longer Version. (The Philosophy Part)

If you're still here, let's consider the Bergs' excellent and erudite class in social philosophy.

The Facebook world vision is clearly most important, because Facebook intends to be the place where everything happens, everything is said, everything is taught and everything is thought.

At the level of pure human philosophy, then, what is the point of Facebook?

The point of Facebook, as far as Zuckerberg sees it, is based on an important qualitative judgment: "Every single service that you use is now going to be better with your friends because they can tap into your friends, right."

I'm not entirely sure what that means. But I'm guessing that it's something to do with the quaint, faddy notion that everything is always better when your friends are involved than when they're not.

I deduce this from Zuckerberg's next statement when talking about products such as Spotify: "All of these different products are better when you're doing them with your friends. I mean think about it, do you want to go to the movies by yourself or do you want to go with your friends, right? You want to go with your friends."

And yet sometimes, the last thing you want in the evening is your friends to knock on your door, just when you wanted to be left alone. They barge in and want to know what music you're listening to, what TV show you're watching. Friends can be entirely irritating and unwelcome.

Sometimes, it's heartily annoying when your friends offer their opinions on your choice of restaurant, lover, or lover that you met in a restaurant.

(Credit: CC Ruby Goes/Flickr)

Yet Zuckerberg seems enamored of the notion-- curiously, some might say, for a nerd-- that humans are social or they're not really humans at all.

You see, went the argument offered by Sandberg, it is the difference between "the wisdom of crowds" and "the wisdom of friends."

So Google-- no, wait, the whole Web-- is the wisdom of the crowd, whereas Facebook is the 800 million strong wisdom of friends: intimate, emotional and very personal in a groupie kind of way?

Those who live in Europe would describe people who just have to talk about themselves as "American." So the philosophies expounded here might be seen as, ironically, very American individualistic, rather than groupie.

"I think that people just have this core desire to express who they are," explained Zuckerberg.

Well, yes, But to whom? Some would say that many people don't really want the whole world to know them. They want to be able to choose who knows them and how. (This might just be one reason why Facebook's entry into China is, according to Sandberg, "Not on the immediate horizon.")

Facebook, as far as Zuckerberg has it, allows you to be more essentially human, by making it easy to stay in touch with those you care about-- and those you're interested in. (Whom you might not know at all.)

However, Zuckerberg then slides this excellent notion into the idea that all products will be more enjoyable because you share them with these other people.

It's a fascinating notion. One that just happens to fit in with Sandberg's explanation that marketers have always known that word of mouth is more powerful than just mass messaging. So now they're truly excited that they'll be able to infiltrate your mouth-words with their messages.

But are they wiling to pay for that privilege? Or, as the Wall Street Journal revealed last week, perhaps they feel they might not need to. Perhaps they feel they will charm friends into buying via Facebook without having to buy too many of Facebook's ad spaces.

The supposed influence of Steve Jobs on Zuckerberg is also interesting. Yes, Jobs said that he admired Zuckerberg for not selling his company. But philosophically, they are complete opposites. While Jobs was obsessed with not shipping a product until it was perfect, Zuckerberg told Rose of signs at Facebook that say: "Done is better than perfect."

The Irony

Despite this corporate drive to get people to share more, post more, live more on Facebook, the Bergs are almost Borgs when it comes to friendship.

Sandberg explained that her best friends are still from high school, that Zuckerberg still hangs out with the same people and goes to the same restaurants.

"Don't change your social circles," was her final advice. So you really need Facebook to keep up with them all?

The Quotes

Zuckerberg: "If you look at companies, whether it's Google or Yahoo! or Microsoft, right, that have search engines and ad networks, they also have a huge amount of information about you. It's just that they're collecting that about you behind your back, really."

Zuckerberg: "And it's like you're going..you're going around the web, and they have cookies, and they're collecting this huge amount of information about who you are. But you never know that."

Zuckerberg: "I think that these companies with those big ad networks are basically getting away with collecting huge amounts of information, likely way more information than people are sharing on Facebook about themselves. In reality, you have control over every single thing that you've shared on Facebook."

Sandberg: "I think it is the case that people talk about Facebook and privacy a lot, and I think it will continue to be the case, but it's because we lead in this area, meaning that we are the most privacy-focused place for anyone to share anything."

(Well, no," Rose countered. "it's because you have more information about everybody than anybody else.")

Mark Zuckerberg & Sheryl Sandberg on "Charlie Rose"

Apple Store iOS App Gets A Major Update – Adds Personal Pickup, EasyPay And Tracking

Apple has just updated its "Apple Store" iOS application, adding three major features: Personal Pickup, EasyPay and tracking.

Personal Pickup allows users to purchase an item from the Apple Online Store and pick it up from an Apple Retail Store. Apple notes in the application's release notes that "[m]ost in-stock orders are available for pickup within an hour."

EasyPay lets users scan a product's barcode in an Apple Retail Store, and pay for the item within the application using an iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S. For obvious reasons, this feature can only be used when purchasing accessories.

And with tracking, users can keep an eye on orders they've placed through the Apple Online Store from within the iOS app's "More" tab.

Further changes made in the application include support for Canada and China, and the application now requires a minimum of iOS 4.2. Furthermore, we should note that both Personal Pickup and EasyPay are U.S. only features (for now).

Here's the appropriate section from the app's release notes, which details the changes made in full:

• Personal Pickup: Buy in the app and choose to pick up your order at any Apple Retail Store. Most in-stock orders are available for pickup within an hour. (U.S. only)
• EasyPay: Purchase select accessories in store quickly by scanning the barcode and completing your transaction right in the app. (U.S. only, requires iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S)
• Track your stuff: View the status of current and previous orders from the order status section in the More tab.
• Additional international support (Canada, China).
• Requires iOS 4.2 or higher

You can download the Apple Store iOS app in the App Store now. It's currently available for free.

Siri as Google challenger: Sorting fact from fiction

Siri as Google challenger: Sorting fact from fiction


The iPhone's voice-activated information retrieval tool might appear a rival to the search giant, but often Siri and Google work in tandem. ... Read more

Convert web pages to PDF on iPad

Most certainly. For $6 Dar-Soft's PDF Printer for iPad will take care of it for you. Just launch the app, tap on the Web entry in the Sources column, enter the URL of the webpage you want to visit, tap the Send To button at the top-right of the screen, and tap Convert to PDF. The page will be converted and open as a PDF

Apple tested Siri on iPhone 4 and other devices but it means nothing

The story floating around this morning is that Apple is testing Siri on the iPhone 4 and is looking to bring it to the iPhone 4 eventually. The first part is true, and the second part is not. Apple has long been testing Siri on the iPhone 4. In fact, Apple employees are currently running around with Siri on their iPhone 4. In addition, Apple has even left Siri references in the latest iOS 5.0.1 beta for the iPhone 4 – and even the iPad and iPod touch.

Siri runs just fine on the iPhone 4 in both our earlier and more recent testing. Using Siri on the iPhone 4 was incredibly smooth, just like the Siri experience on an iPhone 4S.

But just because Apple has tested Siri on the iPhone 4, and just because Siri files are in the iPhone 4 file system, and just because Siri runs great on the iPhone 4 does not mean Siri is coming to the iPhone 4.

Remember when Apple released the iPhone 3GS with the ability to capture video and people wondered why the original iPhone or 3G weren't given rights to capture video, even though Jailbreak Apps showed it working fine?  Same thing here. Apple is in the business of selling hardware. Don't forget that.

Apple chose to make Siri an iPhone 4S exclusive for multiple reasons. One being for marketing purposes, take Apple's newest phone and you get their new and fancy artificial intelligence system. Apple spent hundreds of millions of dollars on Siri's development, and issuing the software as a free upgrade would not be beneficial to Apple.

The next reason is the iPhone 4S is a more closed control group for the Siri "beta" than if Apple were to open Siri to the tens of millions of iPhone 4 customers. Third is the future. We've been hearing a lot of whispers about the future of Siri from multiple sources, and the A4 single-core processor will simply not do. When Apple releases something in a certain way, they have good reason.

Moral of the story: your iPhone 4 will not be getting Siri (legally).

Free paid iPhone apps for the short period

They aren't Mario and Luigi but we have some plumbers that need your help. In today's puzzler offering, help assemble the pipes so that the Flooze can flow to the proper location. Speaking of cartoony sorts of things, we have an app that turns your child into a cartoonist It's both an entertaining and educational experience. Life isn't all fun and games, but sharing and otherwise moving photos and notes around doesn't need to be hard work. One of today's slick apps allows you to push photos from your iPad to Dropbox and more with just a quick and simple swipe.

All app prices are subject to change at any time and without notice regardless of stated free duration. Price changes are solely under the control of the developers.

iPhone:

Perfect Photo ($.99 -> Free, 13.3 MB): Taking the perfect photo is tough, but that doesn't mean you can't make it perfect in the end. Perform over 16 different adjustments and corrections, plus add any one of 12 different overall effects. Save the edited photo to the camera roll, clipboard, or Perfect Photo's documents folder to be exported via iTunes File Sharing, Share photos via your Facebook wall, Twitter feed, Flickr or Tumblr gallery, email, or print them to an AirPrint printer.

Perfect Photo is available for free for a limited time. It has a 4.5-star rating with a total of 551 ratings.

Pipe Mania ($.99 -> Free, 67.1 MB): Construct a path of piping to successfully guide the Flooze from the faucet to the drain. This puzzler features more than 350 sub-levels spanned across 39 full levels and four modes: Classic, Arcade, World, and Bonus. Challenge others by submitting scores through the Scoreloop system.

Pipe Mania is available for free for a limited time. It has a 3-star rating with a total of 4 ratings.

ToonPAINT ($1.99 -> Free, 3.6 MB): ToonPAINT is more than just a cartoon image filter, as it allows you to customize the process in a variety of ways and put your own little creative touches on the image. Images can be imported from your library or you can take a brand new one. They can also be painted by hand or filled in automatically, although the latter option comes at a cost ($.99).

ToonPAINT is available for free today only (11/05). It has a 4.5-star rating with a total of 23 ratings.

Universal:

Kubrik ($.99 -> Free, 25.3 MB): A claymation-style graphics physics platformer where you need to equip a small robot with one of several gadgets to get him back home. The game features 60 levels spread across three worlds.

Kubrik is available for free today only (11/05). It has a 5-star rating with a total of 5 ratings.

Monster Fight Pro ($.99 -> Free, 41.7 MB): An action-RPG where instead of being a magnificent warrior you take the role of a giant green monster. The game features five large maps to roam, three difficulty levels, and Game Center integration.

Monster Fight Pro is available for free today only (11/05). It has a 4-star rating with a total of 6 ratings.

iPad:

Swipy-(e-mail yourself or save in Dropbox by swiping) HD($.99 -> Free, 1.7 MB): Swipy allows you to quickly capture notes or photos and have them sent to your inbox or Dropbox with a swipe. It's as easy as entering the necessary email and Dropbox information, and then just typing or taking a photo from within the app. Swipe to share. Couldn't be easier.

Swipy-(e-mail yourself or save in Dropbox by swiping) HD is available for free for a limited time. It has a 5-star rating with a total of 18 ratings.

Toontastic ($1.99 -> Free, 176.3 MB): Kids love watching cartoons and now they can enjoy creating their own. Toontastic takes children through the fundamentals of how to make an animated story, but not in an intimidating way. The app includes 10 playsets, plus a custom choice, and over two dozen characters from dragons to spaceships and even cowboys. Additional playsets can be purchased in-app for $.99 each.

Toontastic is available for free today only (11/05). It has a 5-star rating with a total of 6 ratings.

Free paid iPhone apps this week

The Marbians have landed, well, crash landed that is. Roll them back to their ships in this marble-themed physics puzzler. If you're looking for more excitement, jump on that dirt bike and pit yourself against some online competition in a motocross racer with handfuls of authenticity. If you'd rather marvel at the action rather than dive in, use today's camera app pick to convert your iPhone into a real digital camera.

All app prices are subject to change at any time and without notice regardless of stated free duration. Price changes are solely under the control of the developers.

iPhone:

Piyo Blocks 2 ($1.99 -> Free, 30.2 MB): A match-3 game with a pixelated art style.  You must match three like characters in order to remove them from the map.  To move on to the next level, you must match a certain number of each character.  The game features six single-player modes, multiplayer, and Game Center integration.

Piyo Blocks 2 is available for free today only (11/06). It has a 4.5-star rating with a total of 8 ratings.

The Marbians – Full Game($.99 -> Free, 16.8 MB): The Marbians have crashed in Roswell, and it's up to you to help them get home. Use your finger to perform a slingshot action to launch the Marbian successfully back to its ship, collecting blue moon rocks when possible. This physics puzzler features over 70 levels, retro visuals and music, and Game Center integration.

The Marbians – Full Game is available for free today only (11/06). It has a 4.5-star rating with a total of 23 ratings.

Pocket Camera PRO ($.99 -> Free, 1.3 MB): Put the look and feel of a real pocket digital camera on your iPhone. A large preview display, status symbols across the top, and adjustment buttons to the right give this app an authentic look. The app features zoom, focus, flash (iPhone 4/4S), front camera support (iPhone 4/4S), alignment grid, time stamp, geotagging, burst mode, timer, resolution selection, and video mode.

Pocket Camera PRO is available for free today only (11/06). It has a 4.5-star rating with a total of 57 ratings.

Universal:

Ricky Carmichael's Motocross Matchup Pro ($.99 -> Free, 111.4 MB): Get ready for some high-flying action as you challenge players from all over the globe. Win races to help improve your rank and collect wrenches and other items to upgrade your rider. A mix of arcade and simulation play, the game is a fair balance of difficulty. The game features 10 courses, practice and online multiplayer modes, possibility of real prize rewards, Retina graphics, TV-out support, and Game Center integration.

Ricky Carmichael's Motocross Matchup Pro is available for free for a limited time. It has a 3.5-star rating with a total of 744 ratings.

iPad:

The Marbians HD – Full Game ($1.99 -> Free, 11.3 MB): The Marbians have crashed in Roswell, and it's up to you to help them get home. Use your finger to perform a slingshot action to launch the Marbian successfully back to its ship, collecting blue moon rocks when possible. This physics puzzler features over 70 levels, retro visuals and music, and Game Center integration.

The Marbians HD – Full Game is available for free today only (11/06). It has a 5-star rating with a total of 5 ratings.

Google Chairman Eric tells US senators Apple's Siri could pose 'competitive threat' (Josh Ong/AppleInsider)

Google Chairman Eric tells US senators Apple's Siri could pose 'competitive threat' (Josh Ong/AppleInsider) 
TECHMEME | 6 NOVEMBER 2011
http://pulse.me/s/2TCCC
Josh Ong / AppleInsider: **Google Chairman Eric tells US senators Apple's Siri could pose 'competitive threat'** -- Eric Schmidt, Google's chairman... Read more

Loren Brichter, Creator Of Official Twitter Apps For Mac And iPhone, Leaves Twitter

Loren Brichter, Creator Of Official Twitter Apps For Mac And iPhone, Leaves Twitter 

Loren Brichter, the extremely talented creator of Tweetie — which begat the official Twitter applications for iOS — has just announced that he's leaving the company. Brichter wrote in a tweetthat today is his last day at Twitter, and that he'll be "taking some time to figure out what's next".

Brichter's path to Twitter was an unusual one, and also the source of much developer angst.

In November 2008 Brichter's one-man company atebits launched Tweetie, a highly polished Twitter client for iPhone that quickly became a favorite among Twitter users. He followed that up with the subsequent release of Tweetie 2 in 2009, which was also a massive hit.

Then, in April 2010 Twitter announcedthat it had acquired atebits and its iOS app — which later turned into Twitter for iPhone and Twitter for iPad. Tweetie for Mac, which was in development at the time of the acquisition, has also gone on to become Twitter for Mac.

The notion of having an 'official' app was a huge blow to Twitter's developer ecosystem, whose third-party apps had largely paved the way for Twitter's success in the first place. But Twitter argued that the lack of official apps was causing confusion among new users, and so it stepped in with its own. Aside from the iOS and Mac apps,it's also launched official apps for Android, Windows Phone, and Blackberry.

Of course, it's hard to fault Brichter for any of that — Twitter's management was behind the decisions — and he created some fantastic applications. Twitter will doubtless miss him.

iPhone 4S now tips among big 3

With 4S Now Tops Among Big 3, Apple Grabs 52% Of Industry Profits; Doles Out Huge Bonuses 

As you've likely heard, there's been a lot of upside that's been reported of late when it comes to Android's mobile OS. Thanks to Nielsen, we know that, yet again, Android is leader among mobile OSes, now accounting for 43 percent of U.S. smartphone marketshare, up from 39 percent in July; while Apple's iOS remained at 28 percent over the same period, placing it in distant second.

Of course, Apple has a little bit of vertical integration going on, and in spite of their lagging well behind Google in mobile software market share, iPhones are used by a full 28 percent of smartphone customers, making them top manufacturer for yet another quarter. Hardware leans significantly in Apple's favor.

So, while the iPhone made up a relatively small 4.2 percent of the mobile handsets shipped in Q3 2011, it seems that Apple is now accounting for over half of the industry's profits. Yep.According to Canaccord Genuity analyst Mike Walkley, of the top eight cell phone vendors across the globe, Apple owns over 52 percent of the total operating income. And while that may seem impressive, that number is down from 57 percent in the second quarter.

In comparison, Samsung owns 29 percent of profits among the top vendors, up from 18 percent last quarter, while HTC accounts for 9 percent, RIM comes in at 7 percent, with Nokia at 4 percent. Though Apple's 52 percent share of the operating profits of the top eight vendors is impressive in spite of the relatively small percentage of iPhones shipped, Samsung's meteoric rise is certainly worthy of note.

According to Walkley, Samsung gained 11 points of value share thanks largely in part to the Android Galaxy S II, while RIM and Nokia continued to slip. Of course, while most groan over RIM's future, at least Nokia is making a play at Windows Phone, hoping that its play into the U.S. market can turn a sinking ship around.

That being said, the analyst (and firm) found that Apple's new iPhone 4S was the top selling phone for AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon (the three largest carriers in the U.S.), with the iPhone 4 — in spite of its next-in-line now being sold — remaining a top selling model for each of those carriers. As 9to5Mac says, the phones get older, the margins seem to get better. And with the popularity of these phones increasing, Walkley projects that Apple may ship as many as 29 million iPhone handsets in Q4 2011.

And that's not all, as this succession of SEC filings shows, Apple's executives are now reaping the rewards of a strong fiscal year (in which the company passed the $100 billion mark in revenue). The company awarded 1 million shares of stock to seven top execs, which will see bloated wallets for those of that remain with the company through 2016. The recently promoted SVP of Internet Software and Services Eddy Cue received 100,000 shares of stock in the form of a restricted stock units. 25 percent of Cue's shares turn into freely tradable stock in September 2014, with the remainder vesting in September 2016.

Each of the remaining six executives received 150,000 shares of restricted stock, with 50 percent vesting in June of 2013 and the remainder vesting in March of 2016. Based on the current price of Apple stock, that works out to a payday of approximately $60 million each for the execs who received the 150,000 shares. (Which includes: Scott Forstall, Senior Vice President, iOS Software, Bob Mansfield, Senior Vice President, Hardware Engineering, Peter Oppenheimer, Senior Vice President and CFO, Phil Schiller, Senior Vice President, Worldwide Product Marketing, Bruce Sewell, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, and Jeff Williams, Senior Vice President, Operations.)

While Apple's new CEO Tim Cook wasn't mentioned in these new filings,he was awarded 1 million shares of stock upon his appointment as CEO, with 50 percent vesting in August 2016 and the remainder vesting in August 2021 (should Cook remain an employee of Apple).

So, while Google continues to rise in mobile software, it seems that thanks to Apple's hardware and its dominance around the world thanks to the iPhone 4 (and now the 4S), both Apple and its executives are cashing in.

Which devices get Android Ice Cream Sandwich

Which devices will get Ice Cream Sandwich?

Android 4.0 is coming, and it's going to be glorious. Now that we know exactly what the Ice Cream Sandwich is made of, only one question remains: exactly which phones will get the green light to upgrade to the newest version of Google's mobile OS? Details are beginning to trickle out from the woodwork, and below the break you can check out our list of lucky devices that have been confirmed to get the official refresh at some point in time. We're still awaiting official word from a few companies regarding their upgrade intentions, so we'll continue to add more to the list as they stream in. For now, join us after the break to find out which ones have been given the stamp of approval -- or the cold hard rejection letter.

Note: If you don't see your device listed, don't fret... yet. If it hasn't been confirmed or denied, the OEM's likely still deciding which products will get the upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich. Keep checking back here from time to time, as we'll continue to update the list. 

ASUS

Official statement:

"Google recently announced the latest update for Android, Ice Cream Sandwich, which brings some exciting new features and capabilities. At ASUS, we pride ourselves on delivering a great experience with our products, thanks to frequent updates that further enhance our products' capabilities. We're delighted to confirm support for Ice Cream Sandwich on the ASUS Eee Pad Family - our aim is to bring the latest Android update to the Eee Pad Series, but at this time we are unable to set a date for its release. Please stay tuned for more news on our Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade plans."

Confirmed:

• Padfone
• Transformer Prime
• Eee Pad Transformer

Denied:

• None specified

HTC

Official statements:

We are excited about the latest update for Android, Ice Cream Sandwich, and are currently reviewing its features and functionality to determine our upgrade plans. Our goal for Android updates is to give every customer an improved user experience, which means balancing each phone's unique hardware, HTC Sense experience and the Android kernel. While our goal is to upgrade as many of our recent devices as possible, we are committed to maintaining every phone's performance and usability first. Please stay tuned for more updates on specific device upgrade plans.

From AT&T: We plan for both the Vivid and Galaxy S II Skyrocket to be upgraded to Ice Cream Sandwich.

Confirmed:

• HTC Rezound
• HTC Vivid

Denied:

• Nexus One

LG

Official statement:

LG firmly denies the rumors that claim LG will not be providing the Ice Cream Sandwich OS update for the LG Optimus 2X. These rumors are NOT true. LG is currently in the process of planning the Ice Cream Sandwich OS update for the LG Optimus 2X as well as other LG high-end smartphones. Detailed information on the Ice Cream Sandwich OS update schedule for specific models will be announced, once the Ice Cream Sandwich OS is publicly released by Google. Please stay tuned for more updates from LG.

Confirmed:

• Optimus 2X

Denied:

• None specified

Meizu

Official statement:

MX market remains unchanged. However, MX and M9 we will soon upgrade to 4.0 (Jack Wong, CEO).

Confirmed:

• Meizu MX, M9

Denied:

• None specified

Motorola

Official statement:

We've confirmed that DROID RAZR/ Motorola RAZR, DROID BIONIC, and Motorola XOOM (all editions) will get an upgrade to ICS... we have not confirmed any devices will not get ICS.

Confirmed:

• Droid RAZR (and Motorola RAZR)
• Droid Bionic
• Xoom
• Xoom 2, Xoom 2 Media Edition

Denied:

• None specified

Samsung

Official statements:

Samsung Mobile U.S. has not made any official announcement plans for Ice Cream Sandwich software updates to any of our US products. We will let our customers know as soon as we have more information to share.

From AT&T: We plan for both the [HTC] Vivid and [Samsung] Galaxy S II Skyrocket to be upgraded to Ice Cream Sandwich.

Confirmed:

• Galaxy Nexus
• Nexus S
• Galaxy S II Skyrocket

Denied:

• None specified

Sony Ericsson

Official statement:

Sony Ericsson is currently rolling out the upgrade to Gingerbread 2.3.4 across its entire 2011 Xperia smartphone portfolio. This software upgrade will be available through a phased roll out in select markets. Beyond Gingerbread 2.3.4, we plan to upgrade our 2011 Xperia smartphone portfolio to the next Android platform made available to us.

Confirmed:

• 2011 Xperia smartphone lineup

Denied:

• None specified

ZTE

Official statement:

ZTE hasn't issued an official statement about Ice Cream Sandwich or when we will introduce new products using the upgraded OS. However, we continue to work very closely with Google to ensure we deliver the best possible Android user experience across all of our devices and with all of our partners.

Confirmed:

• None specified

Denied:

• None specified