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Reuters is reporting a rumor that the next Apple iPhone, the iPhone 5, is due to start production in July this year, and begin shipping in September. Some reports have suggested that we might not even see an iPhone 5 this year, and it would at best be late.

This rumor seems to indicate that Apple will be putting the Apple A5 inside the iPhone 5, as many of us expected. The Apple A5 is the SoC which powers the iPad 2, and brings faster dual core CPU and GPU processing to their tablet.

The report also states that the iPhone 5 will follow a similar physical design to the iPhone 4; in effect looking the same. Previous reports have suggested a completely new design. But Apple has typically kept their device designs more or less similar over two product iterations for Mac, iPhone and the iPad over its history (although the latter of those devices has only had two releases to date).

It seems unlikely that Apple would let the year pass without updating its flagship product. And that despite rumored supply and production problems, linked to recent sad events in Japan, that they have managed to keep their product release schedule more or less on track. Perhaps even previewing the new device at the WWDC alongside an iOS 5 preview?

Will Apple pull off another iconic iPhone & iOS release this year? Let us know your thoughts in the comments…

For as much as 2010 was a banner year for Apple, with the debut of the iPad and iPhone sales topping 40 million units sold, a busier, more frenetic iPhone release schedule for 2011 is bound to supercharge sales unlike anything we’re ever seen before. With the appearance of the Verizon iPhone in early 2011, the impending release of the white iPhone 4 and purported iPhone 4s, and the eventual iPhone climax — the iPhone 5 — the public will get its fair share of the iPhone this year.

Many might wonder why Apple has upped the ante on iPhone releases for this year, considering how much anticipation and excitement surrounds the usual June release of the newest iPhone. While Android and Blackberry phones outnumber the iPhone, all of them combined do not add to the media frenzy and consumer fervor over the iPhone. On this blog alone, it isn’t unusual for there to be over 60,000 page views a day from people worldwide, all seeking out the latest news on the iPhone 5.

Why would Apple want to subdivide and possibly dilute the buzz that they have so deftly created for iPhone releases by offering multiple releases of the iPhone in a given year?

Some in the media suggest that the staggered releases of the Verizon iPhone, white iPhone 4, and eventual iPhone 5 all point to a sloppy, disorganized release schedule of Apple this year, indicating that perhaps the complexity of adding Verizon to the mix, Steve Jobs’ ongoing health concerns, and unforeseen calamities such as the Japanese earthquake all shaking up the technology giant’s best-laid plans.

More likely, however, is that Apple is evolving their marketing approach to meet the heightened competition brought on by Google’s Android-equipped smartphones. Unlike Blackberry, which designs and manufactures its own smartphone devices like Apple, Google’s partnership with multiple smartphone producers makes competing with them more cumbersome; while the iPhone has traditionally hosted just one big release each year, Droid phones seem to continuously pop up here and there throughout the year. One of the more recent Android offerings, Kyrocera’s Echo, is an impressive new dual-touchscreen design that is already making the iPhone 4 seem outdated, upping the ante on which new features the iPhone 5 will offer.

Even though Android smartphones don’t garner the same attention as the iPhone, the multitude of different models keep new Android technology fresh in the tech bloodstream.

Apple, in turn, has to answer these challenges in the marketplace.

So, the result may be this new release schedule, where we are treated to multiple iterations of the iPhone throughout the year. Instead of having to wait for the iPhone 5, for example, we’ll also have the white iPhone 4, and who knows — maybe an iPhone 4s available to the public? We’ve already discussed at length how the white iPhone 4 is a bit of a paper tiger and perhaps nothing more than a way of keeping the iPhone hype machine running. But even if that is its only purpose, for Apple it is what they perceive to be necessary in order to keep competing against Google in the smartphone race.

iPhone 5 To Be Released On The Cusp Of The New Fiscal Year?

Just a note about the purported September release of the iPhone 5 for September 2011: for most of us, the “year” runs from January to December, so anything that happens within that time frame is considered to be happening in 2011. But for Apple, their fiscal year ends on September 24th. If the iPhone 5 ends up being released on the other side of September 24th, for Apple, that will mean that the earnings for the iPhone 5 will start at the very beginning of fiscal year 2012.

Apple’s iPad 2 is one of the best tablet computers available in the market right now. The all new design, faster processor and cameras for FaceTime combined with iOS has made it difficult for competitors to match iPad sale figures.

iPad 2 is still not available in India and Apple has not made any announcement regarding the official release date. However, that can’t stop you from getting your hands on the hugely popular tablet.

India’s popular online & on-air retail marketing and distribution portal HomeShop18 is currently offering Apple’s iPad 2 on its website.

The website is offering WiFi only models in black colour and WiFi + 3G in white colour. iPad with WiFi is priced at Rs. 34,900 (16 GB), Rs. 41,499 (32 GB), Rs. 47,999 (64 GB) while WiFi+3G models can be purchased for Rs. 43,499 (16 GB), Rs. 49,999 (32 GB), Rs. 56,499 (64 GB).

The prices are certainly much higher when compared with the first gen tablet which is officially available in India. And if we look at the international pricing structure of Apple’s tablet one can easily see that HomeShop18 is charging a huge premium by offering the device before the official release of iPad 2 in India.

What’s even more interesting is that HomeShop18′s ‘About’ page says they have “partnered with the best brand owners in India like Apple, Motorola, Philips, Reebok, Dell, Whirlpool, Nokia, Glen, VLCC, Fabindia and many more” and Apple is hyperlinked to a product search page which shows iPad 2 listed on their website.

Now, we are not convinced about the fact that Apple would partner with an online shopping site in India and supply them the tablet and charge customers a premium ranging between $233 – $328 without announcing a release date first.

If you are fine with spending more to get the iPad 2 right now then you can visit HomeShop18′s website to purchase Apple’s tablet.

It’s the analyst lottery today on Touch Reviews, with today’s little stroke of genius (read, guessing) coming courtesy of Gartner. A recent report by Gartner says the firm expects Microsoft’s fledgling mobile operating system to overtake Apple’s iOS as soon as 2015 thanks to the Redmond outfit aligning itself with Finish mobile phone giant Nokia.

Gartner has revised its forecast of Windows Phone’s market share upward, solely by virtue of Microsoft’s alliance with Nokia.

Gartner believes iOS and WP7 will achieve parity in 2014 with the Microsoft solution taking control a year later, with Google’s Android being the clear winner overall. Thanks to Android’s availability on a raft of hardware it’s hard to see beyond the open source OS.

Whether Gartner turns out to be correct remains to be seen. Will Nokia’s ability to build strong hardware be enough to make buyers move to WP7? We think potential sales will depend on the availability of key apps rather than which camera is included. Gartner is also using existing Nokia Symbian sales as a benchmark (though they do admit it is less than current Symbian sales) for how well WP7 Nokia handsets will sell, which may or may not be the best way to predict market share 4 years out.

But hey, who are we to argue with analysts?

Adobe is set to release three new applications for the iPad to accompany the new Creative Suite 5.5 software. Set to hit the App Store next month, Adobe Eazel, Adobe Nav, and Adobe Color Lava will cost between $2 and $5 and are designed to enhance your Photoshop experience by integrating smartphones and tablets into your workflow.

Adobe’s Chief Technology Officer Kevin Lynch announced at a conference last November that the company would be building iOS applications to work with its desktop software, and these are the first three:

Adobe Eazel enables you to use your fingertips to paint a work of art on your iPad. Take advantage of the iPad’s large touchscreen to create your masterpiece, with easy access to all the tools you need. When it’s ready, send your painting to Photoshop CS5 from any location – all you need is a network connection between your iPad and your computer.

Adobe Nav works with Photoshop over your network connection to provide you with easy access to the tools you need. Browse, reorder, view, and zoom in on up to 200 open Photoshop documents and customize the toolbar to suit you. Selecting a document or tool on your iPad makes it active in Photoshop on your computer, and provides the easiest way to access items without taking your eyes off your work.

Adobe Color Lava is a digital paint mixer; allowing you to use your finger tips to mix up colors on your iPad and create custom swatches. Create the colors you want easily on a touchscreen and access them instantly in Photoshop on your computer.

The companion applications from Adobe are a great way to combine your iPad with applications you use on a daily basis to maximise your productivity. These applications promise to enhance the way in which we use Photoshop and make life a little easier; an approach I’d love to see other developers take with other applications.

How could iOS apps enhance the applications you use frequently on your computer? Let us know in the comments.

A new report from CrunchGear published today has revealed that Apple may be unhappy with Best Buy for holding back stock of the iPad 2 after reaching their daily sales quota. Despite the overwhelming demand for the second generation device, and the difficult consumers are having with trying to acquire one, the retailer refused to sell more than they needed to each day so that they could meet sales quotas the following day.

According to the Best Buy employee speaking to CrunchGear, Apple really isn’t happy about this, and Tim Cook – who is stepping in for Steve Jobs while he’s away – is personally trying to get the issue resolved.

Demand for the iPad 2 since its launch has been staggering – with retailers selling the device quicker than they can get the units in. In its first weekend, the tablet sold an estimated 500,000 units over its first weekend alone, so you can imagine the frustration from both Apple and consumers at Best Buy’s silly sales method – informing customers that the device was sold out, when in fact, their stock room was littered with them.

As well as Best Buy and Apple’s own retail stores, customers looking to get their hands on an iPad 2 in the U.S. can also find them in Target, Walmart, AT&T and Verizon stores, and possibly Toys ‘R’ Us in the coming weeks. However, Best Buy is Apple’s largest third-party sales partner, and despite their displeasure at Best Buy’s sales techniques, it’s hard to believe the Cupertino company will drop the retail giant altogether.

Instead, I think Best Buy will receive a firm slap on the wrist from Tim Cook and his team and will be watched a little more closely in the near future.

So, if you’re still trying to get your hands on an iPad 2 in the U.S., it might be a good idea to try Best Buy today as they pull out all the stock they’ve been saving up out back.

[via Cult of Mac]

There is some debate as to when Apple will release the next model of its iPhone; the iPhone 5. The heartbreaking events in Japan recently may also factor into delays in supplies for certain key components that are said to be part of the iPhone 5 product design. So at the moment all bets are off as to when Apple’s next smartphone will hit the markets.

The iPad 2 was a far more ambitious product revision than many expected Apple to release so early in 2011 (myself included). Which has in turn cast some doubt on whether Apple will shift its product release schedule for their iconic tablet to the end of each year, as many expected, which would have resulted in an iPad 3 for Christmas. A Christmas tablet launch each year for such a hot consumer product has to be an attractive proposition for Apple. It is simply a matter of how they might pull it off. Something which seems unlikely based on information we have today.

It is also very clear that Apple is looking at an ambitious display technology upgrade for future iOS devices. One possibility is a hybrid e-ink and LCD display, which we talked about here at Touch Reviews a few days ago.

Another possibility is that Apple might be shifting its display technology to AMOLED. But this would mean that Apple would be very reliant on Samsung for its display components – something they are said to be trying to move away from as Samsung becomes more of a competitor in key markets with Apple. i.e. Tablets and smart-phones. AMOLED displays could also actually mean a drop in overall resolution in Apple’s displays – and certainly some loss of quality. Currently Apple’s LCD panels (which rely on technologies designed to improve clarity and viewing angles) still perform better, and offer better resolution, in real world use than comparable AMOLED panels – despite being based on an older technology.

The final, most likely option in our opinion, is that Apple is investing serious R&D and money into increasing the yields of ultra-high resolution LCD panels. Panels that are still similar to those found in the iPad 2 and iPhone 4 – but with a pixel resolution over the entire size of the much larger tablet panels, which would rival the iPhone 4′s Retina Display pixel per inch metric.

If we are to see any iPad revision out of Apple this year, taking all the events in Asia into account in recent weeks, and the state of display technology manufacture and R&D, it is very likely that it will simply be a product specification bump (much like we expected at the beginning of this year). So basically expect more Flash memory for any 2011 iPad update.

Overall the general consensus seems to be that the “iPad 3″ will most likely hit Apple Stores in early 2011. Mimicking the product cycle of its previous two siblings.

What’s you guess? Will Apple prove us all wrong again, and up the ante with a revolutionary iPad 3 for Christmas? Or will it be next year when we see Apple’s next serious tablet upgrade?
Have your say in the comments…

ESPN on Wednesday launched a new app for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch called ‘WatchESPN’ which offers its subscribers the ability to watch live shows anytime and anywhere. Cable television providers have repeatedly shown interest in offering TV channels to subscribers using Apple’s iOS devices and now all sports fans will never miss their favorite shows and games.

WatchESPN is a free app to download from the App Store and offers access to live streaming feeds from ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3 and ESPNU. The app offers an intuitive interface to browse and watch live sports action on your iPhone or iPad. Whether you’re a fan of NFL Live, SportsNation or Wresting Championships the app has you covered.

To access ESPN content live from your iOS device, you must be a Time Warner Cable, Bright House Networks, or Verizon FiOS TV subscriber who pays for ESPN channels. When you launch the app you must fill out the “cable subscriber credentials” to verify your subscription and authenticate the user.

Initial App Store reviews suggest that the streaming is 15-20 seconds late from being live, however, it still offers great value as you won’t be forced to sit in front of your television to enjoy the games.

WatchESPN app features live streaming access to the top events from the ESPN family of networks, including:

• NBA Regular Season and Playoffs
• Major League Baseball
• The Masters, US Open and The Open Championships
• College Football and Basketball
• Barclay’s Premier League, Spanish Primera Division and Euro 2012 Soccer
• All 4 Grand Slam tennis events
• and much more

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Woozzle is a puzzle game that relies heavily on your logic. This game is masterfully put together to bring a steady dose of fresh techniques and puzzles coming at you at all times. This is a marble based puzzle game that keeps the new challenges coming throughout the entirety of the game.

The controls in Woozzle for iPhone are fairly complex when you take a step back and think about what all you can do. The interaction with the game is as simple as any other game; tapping and flicking. However, this marble based game using a series of tubes and four marble turntables to challenge you to complete certain tasks. The turntables can hold four marbles that are put in place by the tubes that carry the marbles from place to place. To send marbles between the turntables you simply flick the marble. You can also rotate the turntable with a simple tap. Sure that all seems easy enough but when you think about it, that gives you a lot of options. Your score comes from the timeliness in which you are able to carry out the given tasks and as you can imagine, finding ways to accomplish this gets progressively more difficult.

Often times you are tasked with getting four like colored marbles in a given turntable. With that being said, early on in this game, little quirks will change the way you go about accomplishing this. Using boxes that change marble color, one way tubes, rotating corners and a slew of other roadblocks; they manage to keep the gameplay fresh and ripe with new challenges. There is a total of 60 levels in this game which is really a bit astonishing considering the complexity and difficulty of some of the puzzles. Right about the time you see the little quirks start to taper off, you see a noticeable increase in difficulty. It is this that kept me coming back to this game. The fact that there was a steady change in game play early on that gave way to increased difficulty got me hooked and kept me coming back. If you are avid puzzle game player I suspect that it will do the same to you. As I mentioned earlier, the game rewards you for finishing the levels quickly, but does not force you to do so. You are given a score at the end of a given level that adds up to your overall score. This is nice but sometimes, especially on your first time on a level, it’s nice to just finish the level.

The presentation of this game is solid. I didn’t find the game overly impressive visually but the audio was a pleasant surprise. The game offered plenty of sounds and different music that plays an integral role in keeping a game from getting annoying, at least it does in my mind. I am often turned off a game by repetitive annoying sounds or music and this game does a great job of having music that goes along with the gameplay quite well. I do feel that there could have been a greater change in the environment that would have simply added to the visual aspects of the game. I was pleasantly surprised by this puzzler and would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a challenge.

Pros

• Varied Gameplay
• 60 Levels
• Highly Addictive

Cons

• Visual Aspects could be more vibrant
• Change in Environment would be nice
• Level Builder Coming Soon but not there yet

Price : $0.99

/> Category: Games

/> Released: Mar 31, 2011

/> Version: 1.0

/> 1.0 (iOS 4.0 Tested)

/> Size: 59.0 MB

/> Language: English

/> Seller: Lukas Korba

/> © 2011 Mugeaters

/> Rated 4+

/> Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 3.0 or later

If you’ve been following iPhone 5 rumors for as long as we have, then you know that the screen size of the iPhone 5 has been one of the most debated and prognosticated features, dating back to last August when the iPhone 5 News Blog began to report on iPhone users’ desire for a larger screen. It seems that reliable rumors about a larger iPhone 5 screen are beginning to crystalize.

Digitimes’ Yenting Chen, Rebecca Kuo, and Yvonne Yu report that, according to upstream component suppliers, Apple will increase the screen size of the iPhone 5 to four inches for its fifth-generation iPhone to compete with the Google Android platform in the 4- to 7-inch smartphone market.

The Digitimes reporters cite component suppliers saying production lines for Apple’s next generation iPhone 5 have begun testing, and Apple wants to expand the iPhone’s screen size to four inches to support the tablet PC market as a more pocketable alternative to its next-smallest igadget, the a 9.7-inch iPad, and note that smartphones currently running Google’s Android platform such as Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy S and Google’s Nexus S, with Acer planning to launch a 4.8-inch smartphone. Other examples include HTC’s Evo 4G 4.3 inch and Incredible S 4 incher, Motorola’s Atrix at 4 inches and Droid X at 4.3 inches, and the Palm Pre3 is close at 3.58 inches.

So, with Apple joining the four inch and larger market, the 4- to 5.5-inch screen size category is shaping up to become the major battleground for smartphones that could alter industry dynamics for production of small to medium-size LCD panels.

Consistent With Other Rumors

Sounding a note of caution, blogger “Applebitch” acknowledges that Digitimes has made some accurate Apple product predictions in the past, but thinks their prognostication of a 4-inch iPhone screen is not entirely convincing. However, for argument’s sake, Applebitch speculates that there are two areas where a four inch display could potentially serve useful purpose — both the top and the bottom of the iPhone, and observes that the iPhone 5 could retain the same physical size but still have a larger screen vertically, which is consistent with other rumors published regarding removal of the home button on iOS devices. What implementation of the latter could mean in practical terms is discussed at some length in the blog, which you can read here.
Same Screen Resolution, Only Unobstructed?

Over at The Register, Rik Myslewski riffs on a whole round of new or refreshed iPhone 5 rumors running off in different directions at once, such as the larger screen, a smaller phone, a slide-out keyboard, and cloud-only operation la Google’s still-gestating Chrome OS. Myslewski muses that If DigiTimes’s sources are correct about a 4 inch iPhoneiPhone 5, that would simply bring it in line with many of the more-popular competing smartphones available now as well as other recently announced but not-yet-shipping handsets, but notes that in order to maintain the same 960-by-640 pixel resolution in a 4-inch display, the pixel-per-inch count would have to drop to 288 ppi, which seems unlikely after all the hoopla that Apple generated around the release of the iPhone 4′s retina display. However, as noted by Applebitch, the extra room could be dedicated to getting controls off the main screen while retaining the present screen resolution, only unobstructed.

What About An iPhone 5 “nano”?

As for the iPhone 5 “nano” rumors, speculated to relate to a phone one-half to two-thirds the size of the current iPhone 4, Myslewski thinks they have some plausibility, since not everyone needs or wants a full-featured, full-sized, expensive, computer-in-your-pocket smartphone.

Slide-Out Keyboard iPhone 5 Rumors Likely “Vapor”

Then there’s the Chinese-language website tw.apple.pro that claims an iPhone 5 with a slide-out keyboard is in the works, which Myslewski thinks highly unlikely, and this writer agrees. While Apple has taken a lot of stick from analog keyboard fans for not having a real keyboard in the iPhone (and for that matter the iPad either), including from me, Myslewski maintains that virtual keyboards are here to stay and neither he nor I anticipate Apple backtracking on that point. One needs to be careful what they wish for in a context like this. Adding a slide-out keyboard would either have to mandate a bigger iPhone or compromise on other internal content and features to make room, neither of which I think would appeal to a majority of iPhone fans. I suggest the slide-out keyboard iPhone is a chimera, and if Apple ever did go with such a feature, we would probably see it on the iPad (don’t hold your breath) first.

iPhone 5 nano And “Cloud Computing”

Myslewski thinks the most intriguing iPhone rumor is from Cult of Mac’s Leander Kahney, who suggests that the rumored iPhone 5 nano would have no memory for onboard storage of media, but only enough memory to buffer media streamed from “the cloud” with all of it’s content streamed from Apple’s MobileMe servers, amounting to a phone with essentially a mostly cloud-based version of the iOS. I’ve been sucked somewhat into the Cloud for email, but think Cloud computing is being way oversold, at least at the current stage of Internet ubiquity development. For example, with a Cloud-based iPhone with minimal internal storage capacity, where would you store pictures even temporarily, especially when out of Internet range (which includes a lot more of the planet than many urban dwellers acclimatized to Internet almost everywhere might imagine)?

As Myslewski observes, one solution to that would be to have a cameraless iPhone nano, but I expect such a machine’s appeal would be limited to say the least. Kahney concedes that no onboard memory would mean that photos and video would have to be streamed UP to the cloud, presumably in real-time, and the phone would need to constantly have stream a bunch of other data in real-time as well. iPhoning in the Cloud would also limit the variety of apps you could run to whatever selection Apple posted for online access, but I agree with him that a smaller iPhone alternative in some configuration can’t be ruled out.

As usual, Apple is keeping its silence on unreleased products, so all of this is speculative.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

If you haven’t heard of Angry Birds then you’ve probably been living under a rock. If you haven’t played Angry Birds then you were not alone. Neither had I. Until now. I was the last hold out for the Angry Birds franchise in my group of friends; avoiding it like the plague, in much the same way that I have avoided Facebook. But after a 6 hour journey from Shanghai to Hong Kong I have finally been initiated into the Angry Birds world! My initiation was with the movie tie in version of the game franchise – “Angry Birds Rio“. Yes, Angry Birds will be coming to a movie made by 20th Century Fox in the summer. Often movie tie ins yield pretty awful computer games.. How have Angry Birds developer Rovio, done with their own game franchise and the movie tie in of the concept?

If you are not familiar with Angry Birds, then where have you been? But in a nutshell, the game involves firing a bunch of psychotic birds with differing abilities at structures, which in the original game were populated by pigs. The bird’s sworn enemies! The way you aim the birds is by pulling them back in a bungie, which is part of a catapult arrangement, to vary the speed and angle they are launched into the air at. You use this angle and speed of attack to strike constructions made of lots of materials which obey the laws of physics very realistically.

In Angry Birds Rio [App Store] the story line is that the game’s protagonists were kidnapped and flown to Rio. Once they escaped, they set about rescuing fellow (less psychotic) birds which had also been kidnapped. This is achieved in various level progressions by firing birds with differing abilities at fairly badly constructed piles of wood, concrete, steel and chains, which house, or have bird cages hung from them. This is initially set in a nondescript, but beautifully rendered warehouse somewhere close to Rio. You can change the view of your level by pinch zooming, and scrolling. And firing birds is down by simply pressing down on the next bird loaded in a catapult, and pulling and sliding it around to stretch and aim the bungie it is strapped into in its catapult.

Completion of a level is achieved by using your allotted set of Angry Birds for that particular level to free all their fellow feathered friends from their cages. While playing the game you will be able to discover hints and tips to beat your previous score and brag about it. Using less birds (you simply treat them like ammo) achieves bonus points, as does hitting various other items like pineapples, or doing trick shots involving environment objects, like swinging lamps, to cause cascading collapses and liberate trapped birds. Be aware that lamps and other objects suspended from the ceiling in the warehouse can both help and hinder your aim, and the birds flight path. It is also worth looking around the play area for special hidden objects in weird places which will award you bonuses. There are also bonus objects hidden deep in the bowels of on screen structures – which take some serious demolition skills, and planning to get to before each level ends when you run out of birds to fire, or free all the Angry Birds’ friends.

The abilities of your birds varies. Some are just dumb projectiles. Some are single birds that split mid flight into cluster bombs of multiple birds, and some are more violent triangle shaped birds that are extremely aggressive single projectiles.

Puzzles revolve around the placement, and weight of the various materials used to construct a level. For example, some levels are simply made of precariously balanced piles of wood – which are easy to topple with some well placed feathered projectiles. Others are made of more heavy concrete or steel items, which require more accurate hits with birds, or even some planning to undermine weaker foundations in stages to allow the entire construction to become unstable and then topple over – freeing birds in cages, or suspended from chains. The latter swing beautifully when struck – and if not struck hard enough, just swing, and don’t release their captives.

A nice touch is that once you fire your last bird the game will allow some time for items that are falling, or wobbling on the edge of toppling over, so that you can complete a level even if your last shot didn’t quite hit home the correct way. Restarting, or re-trying levels, is quick and easy also.

The game seems to sip battery power, despite having beautiful graphics, and very smooth animations. And the 3 hours flight time (with delays) from Shanghai to Hong Kong seemed to zip by in 5 minutes for me while playing the game. And my waiting time at each end of the journey for gates to open, and taxis to pick me up also zipped by. The game pauses and resumes without any hitches also, so this game is perfect to pull out at any point to play, and then stick in your pocket when you have something to do in the real world.

As you unlock each level you progress to new puzzles, which go from fairly simple, to devilishly difficult. And you can always go back to previous levels to try and complete them more efficiently, and get more bonus points. On my trip I managed to complete the first set of levels, which is set in a warehouse in Rio. And I am looking forward to my return flight tonight, when I can go through them again and try to do better. Or perhaps I’ll just move onto the next set of levels.. Yes, there is more…

There is a second set of levels you can then unlock, which I have just stared, which involves a new set of enemies for the Angry Birds. Monkeys. They are incredibly irritating, but in a good way. So lots of fun. And that set of levels is set in the jungle. So a refreshing change after a bunch of levels in a warehouse.

All in all in the version of “Angry Birds Rio” that you get for the silly low price of $0.99 there are around 60 levels, with tons of hidden awards to unlock. It’s stupidly good value – and has lots of reply value too.

Apparently in coming months there will be more level packs for the game, and I am sure they will also be priced at a silly price too. But what you get, as it stands, puts a lot of content into a game for pocket change, that AAA $60++ console titles shill us for.

If the movie is half as good as this game then it is set to be a huge success, like anything Rovio seem to do. The developers of Angry Birds deserve all the success they have had. And more power to them. They have produced a franchise with mass appeal, of great quality and a simplicity and addictiveness which is appealing to everyone from kids, to bored executives to crusty cynical old developers like me. Bravo.

Buy this game!

Pros

• Great gameplay.
• Lots of replay value.
• Fun puzzles.
• Great graphics, smooth animations and bug free.

Cons

• Extremely addictive.

Price :$0.99

/> Category: Games

/> Released: Mar 17, 2011

/> Version: 1.0.0

/> 1.0.0 (iOS 4.0 Tested)

/> Size: 13.1 MB

/> Language: English

/> Seller: Rovio Mobile

/> © Rovio Mobile Ltd

/> Rated 4+

/> Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 3.0 or later

 

If you’re one of the now millions of people who type “iPhone 5″ into Google each day, then you know that an influx of amateur videos and photos have been springing up across the blogosphere of purported iPhone 5 components. It has already been reported that Apple has begun to take steps to add more components manufacturers in order to meet the supply and demand issues for the up-coming iPhone 5, and because of this, opportunistic tech websites are now using this news as grounds for promoting completely uncorroborated, undocumented, and possibly bogus iPhone 5 parts.

The Same Old Scam

A similar photo of the purported iPhone 3Gs, hyped back in May of 2009. The same old scam.

I hate to break the news, but every time we begin ramping up for a new iPhone, the same old purported photos and videos surface, showing differences of the same kinds of components! Don’t believe me? Take a look at this article from May of 2009, where iPhoneHacks.com and others claimed to have photos of the “next generation iPhone,” which would have been the iPhone 3Gs. This photo, which is actually much more complete and detailed than the one of the purported iPhone 5 screen and bezel, claimed to be sporting components for a front-facing camera, a matte black bezel, and other features that never surfaced on the iPhone 3Gs.

Like the recent iPhone 5 bezel rumor, this component also was supposed to have come from a components manufacturer in China. It’s the same old scam. The fact of the matter is, anyone can mock up a purported iPhone bezel and screen.

What makes this new iPhone 5 screen even more sketchy is its size, which looks to be almost identical to that of the iPhone 4. We’ve heard consistently since last summer that the iPhone 5 would sport a larger screen. How large still remains a question, but given the market influence of large screens on Droid smartphones, I think it’s safe to say that it would be a total strikeout for Apple to trot out an iPhone 5 with the same or near-same screen as the iPhone 4.

Bogus Video Footage of iPhone 5 Innards

While photos of iPhone 5 parts are one thing, a video of iPhone 5 innards would seem even more convincing to the desperate iPhone searcher. And to be sure, a recent video has garnered loads of attention on what could be the iPhone 5. The video, which was posted in early January, compares the charging port flex ribbon, the audio flex ribbon, microphone, vibe motor contact, and plates between the AT&T iPhone 4 and what the video claims to be either the Verizon iPhone 4 or iPhone 5.

Almost like the famed Alien Autopsy footage, this video looks quite legitimate and scientific, examining each component side by side and making astute comparisons. But like the photo above, this video is much ado about nothing — the differences between components are nominal at best. Certainly there’s no real “news” here about the iPhone 5, assuming the video is legit.

Comparing the same kind of components as seen in the video.

Again, this video is looking at the same types of components that are easily doctored to look real. Let’s go back once more to the purported exposé of the iPhone 3Gs. That article also made comparisons of the same types of components, and again observes only nominal differences in design and function.

Why Make Fake iPhone 5 News?

Given the passion that we all have for the iPhone 5 and other Apple gadgets, you might wonder why websites like these would go to such extents to create iPhone 5 dis-information. The answer is simple: leaked photos — even the bogus ones — are moneymakers. Unlike the iPhone 5 News blog, which has consistently discussed and prognosticated features and specs for the iPhone 5 based on our previous knowledge of the iPhone, has always treaded carefully when making claims to have photos or videos of the iPhone 5.

For example, the recent peek into an Apple patent that shows a changeable topography for a future iPhone screen would have been ripe for a claim that “this will be on the iPhone 5.” After all, the patent was submitted last summer. But the fact is, making that claim would be irresponsible: just because a company patents an idea doesn’t mean that the idea is imminent; it may take years to bring that idea or invention to fruition.

But these are the types of “leads” that make their way into the iPhone 5 discussion.

Ever since the leaked iPhone 4 from last summer, it’s easy to imagine that photos and videos like these are legitimate. But it cannot be forgotten how typical tight security is at Apple for up-and-coming devices. You can be sure that Apple demands similar security policies of its component manufacturers. What would be the point, after all, of controlling leaks at Cupertino if the component manufacturers were permitted to let all the components leak out to the media?

The media could assemble the new iPhone 5 before Apple did!

It’s always fun to think you’re getting a secret glimpse into the iPhone 5. But remember not to believe everything you see and hear online — especially when it comes to Apple rumors. 

On Sunday evening the Dev-Team released the latest editions of PwnageTool and redsn0w to provide an untethered jailbreak for devices running iOS 4.3.1 – almost three years since the first version of PwnageTool was released for the 1.1.4 firmware. The jailbreak works on all devices that support the 4.3.1 firmware, except for the iPad 2.

You can download PwnageTool for Mac, or redsn0w for both Mac and Windows, from the Dev-Team’s blog. However, if you require the ultrasn0w unlock to use your device, you shouldn’t update your firmware just yet – ultrasn0w isn’t yet fully compatible with the latest version of iOS. The Dev-Team’s blog warns:

WARNING WARNING — ultrasn0w users don’t update yet! We need to first release an update to ultrasn0w that fixes some incompatibilities when FW 4.3.1 is used on the older basebands supported by ultrasn0w.

This jailbreak comes courtesy of Stefan Esser – aka iOn1c – a security researcher based in Germany, whose dedication to an untethered jailbreak has made this exploit possible.

Although these methods don’t currently support Apple’s latest iPad tablet, a jailbreak for this device is on its way. The Dev-Team has already performed a jailbreak on the second-generation device, but the tools to do it aren’t quite ready for public release.

The quickest way to jailbreak your device running the 4.3.1 firmware is to upgrade to this version through iTunes and then use redsn0w to jailbreak. No restore is needed for this method, and it’s surprisingly quick.

For more advances users who wish to preserve their baseband version, you can use a custom firmware to jailbreak your device with PwnageTool, but again, this method is currently for Mac users only. The advantage to this method is that users can modify their firmware before they install it – enabling them to choose the size of their root partition, pre-install Cydia packages, and more.

Right now this jailbreak is still pretty hot, so if you have trouble downloading the softwares above from the Dev-Team’s blog, it’s best to be patient and try again later. You can find download mirrors using Google if you don’t want to wait, or you can try the torrent files for each software.

White iPad 2 

Analysts like to analyze, and Ticonderoga Securities’ Brian White is no different. In an article White says that Apple’s huge success with the iPad 2 is helping its manufacturing partners show equally stellar results.

Wintek, the firm supplying the touch screen found in the iPad 2 is seeing huge increases in sales for March, mainly thanks to the iPad 2 says White. Sales in March are 40% up month on month for the company, with White claiming this shows just how well the iPad 2 has been received since its launch in March.

With iPad 2 now available worldwide the tablet shows no sign of slowing down in terms of sales with stores in every territory struggling to keep up with unprecedented demand. Apple’s suppliers are clearly reaping the benefits.

White also says he believes Apple will sell 27.4 million iPad 2s in the company’s 2011 fiscal year with 37.5 million the number plucked from the air for the following year. Considering Apple has yet to release any sales figures whatsoever for iPad 2 however, we’re not entirely sure what these predictions are based on. Presumably the alignment of various stars and which side of bed this particular analyst fell out of bed.

via AppleInsider

Something that every Apple fan has been wondering is iPhone 5′s design and upcoming features .Macrumors and Appleinsider claim is a decent source for Apple leaks) says there are three different prototypes being tested for the next iPhone. The weirdest one seems to be one that looks like an iPhone 4, but has a case that slides out to reveal a hardware keyboard. The slide-out mechanism sounds similar to the Keyboard Buddy, but in our opinion, is pretty unlikely, since Apple has pushed the touchscreen-only train so hard the past few years.

The other two prototypes are said to be exteriorly similar to the current-gen, maybe just 1/3 smaller, as the previous rumor suggested. If the rumors are right, we shouldn’t expect a huge aesthetic change, just improvements like an 8-megapixel camera and an upgraded battery.

It’s also interesting to note that there are three different prototypes at this stage of the game (February). It could be that Apple still hasn’t made up their mind about which unit to release. If this were April and closer to when they needed to test the final design more thoroughly, we’d guess that two of those three prototypes are just decoys, made to throw people off from what the real iPhone is, to avoid what happened with the iPhone 4 last year. Perhaps that’s what’s happening already? [via Apple Pro , Apple Insider , Macrumors]

Features the iPhone 5 WILL/MAY have 

Lets see what iPhone5 is going to have for sure .Below are 5 key features which the iPhone 5 will have. We have built this list based on 2011 Smartphones from numerous manufacturers such as Samsung and HTC, and looking at these manufacturers handsets one thing is certain; Apple will undoubtedly include these into it’s upcoming update to the iPhone 4.

Feature number 1: New Design / Unibody Enclosure

From plastic to glass to unibody aluminium, this is the transition we want the iPhone 5 to have this time around, much like their latest Macbook series of computers.

We all know how beautiful a handset looks in unibody as we have all pretty much laid eyes on the HTC Legend which is possibly the greatest looking smartphone ever made. Whats more, and being unibody, the iPhone 5 would be one of the toughest handsets around, unlike the current iPhone 4, which is easily smashable from a large drop.

Feature number 2: NFC Technology Integration

We want the iPhone 5 to have NFC iWallet Technology (link goes to TB post), a feature which we covered earlier in the year surrounding the iPhone 5.  This feature is such a high possibility because Benjamin Vigier, the man behind NFC, was employed by Apple earlier in the year; what’s more, the Google Nexus S has NFC built in.

NFC Technology would allow you to pay for everything from cake to clothes by waving your iPhone 5 across a dedicated reader. Many stores already have PayWave readers in place thanks to similar tech being embedded in credit and debit cards.

Feature number 3: Home Screen Customization / widgets

The iPhone 5 should have home screen widgets or some form of added customization options available. This feature doesn’t have the highest probability of happening due to Apple’s genuine philosophy for simplicity, but who exactly likes a standard digital format clock as their home screen?

I think I speak for a lot of iPhone users we I say we want to have widgets on our home screen or lock screen just like Android handsets have; in fact, any form of extra customisation would be appreciated, Apple.

Feature number 4: An updated stock Photo Gallery

This is another software update we want to see, and an update to the ‘Photos’ App is inevetable at some point. The current version of the app gives you a folder, which is touchable, and then opens so you have all your photo’s in a grid, which when clicked, allows you to swipe to see the next one.

This makes the iPhone’s gallery app obsolete compared to Android’s 3D Gallery which got mass press once released on the Nexus One.

Feature number 5: A faster Dual-core processor

The current chip in the iPhone 4 is a very decent processor for a smartphone indeed, in fact, it is the exact same processor as is in the iPad. However, with the latest release of the HTC HD which sports the next generation of Snapdragon processor, the iPhone 5 (if it sported the A4) would be, well, slow on paper – and that isn’t good, because Apple is all about paper.

And there’s more to come with the iPhone species , we never know just like the antenna-gate