Siri-like voice assistant turns up in latest BlackBerry 10 alpha update

No matter what your opinion of Siri is, you have to admit that it has really sparked an interest in digital assistants. Voice commands and recognition obviously existed long before the feature, but not like this.

And you don’t have to look any further than the competition for proof. Shortly after Apple unveiled its Assistant last fall, other manufacturers started beefing up their voice technology. Samsung, for example, now has its S-Voice, LG has Quick Voice, and there are several others bubbling up…

RIM is the latest phone-maker to try its hand in smartphone secretaries. CrackBerry is reporting that the company has added a Siri-like function to the latest BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha update. Here it is in action:

Keep in mind that this is just a developer alpha (which comes before beta), so there’s a chance that this feature could change dramatically before the final BlackBerry 10 release, if it even makes it that far.

Of course, our money is on RIM keeping it around, as it seems like digital voice assistants are more of a necessity for smartphone-makers these days, rather than a luxury. Something that, once again, can be attributed to Siri.

But Apple didn’t just inspire a string of copycats, it actually pushed the technology forward. Many would argue that that new Google Now feature in Android 4.1 is actually better than Siri in several ways. And I’d have to agree.

It’ll be interesting to see where voice recognition tech is two years from now.

At any rate, what do you think of RIM’s digital assistant?

Opera says iOS is still top platform for mobile advertising

Opera (yes, the browser people) published its first ever State of Mobile Advertising report this week, a study regarding the effectiveness of advertising on different mobile platforms.

As you might have expected, Apple’s iOS came out on top. Despite Android’s lead in overall marketshare, users seem to browse the web and click on ads more on Apple’s mobile OS…

According to the report, which pulled data from more than 35 billion monthly ad impressions, iOS accounted for 61% of mobile advertising revenue last quarter. Android came in a distant second with 26.56%, and everyone else was in the single digits.

Opera also tallied up each platform’s eCPM (or effective cost per mile), which essentially measures the effectiveness of an ad by dividing ad impressions by click-throughs. The average eCPM for iOS was $2.49, $2.10 on Android, and less than a $1 on both RIM and Windows Phone.

As you can see, the data actually paints a really bleak picture for mobile platforms outside of the two-horse race. For example, Android and iOS accounted for just over 70% of the mobile traffic recorded on Opera’s ad network last quarter, and RIM and Windows Phone didn’t make it out of the single digits combined.

While all of this may seem boring on the surface, mobile advertising effectiveness is pretty big deal for platforms. There’s a lot of money in this business, and as you know, everyone generally flocks to where the money’s at. Opera says that its mobile ad network alone drove over $240 million in ad revenue last year.

Keep in mind that this is the first edition of Opera’s Mobile Advertising report, and it doesn’t cover traffic from the entire web. But given the size of the sample, and the company’s background, the information is still worth taking a look at.



Verizon’s finance chief says the next iPhone could drop in the fourth quarter

Verizon’s finance chief Fran Shammo dropped a hint concerning the next iPhone’s availability during today’s earnings call. Discussing the company’s second-quarter results that saw Verizon activate 2.7 million iPhones for a 45 share of all smartphones sold on their network, Shammo hinted that the iPhone 5 (or whatever you prefer to call it) will arrive during the fourth quarter of this year.

The comment puts to rest rumors that the next iPhone could land in September. Conveniently enough, the latest iOS 6 beta 3 is set to expire on September 30. Conversely, Shammo’s comment is also in line with Apple’s annual refresh cycle. As the iPhone 4S launched on October 4, 2011, an updated model shouldn’t arrive before October of this year at the earliest…

CNET‘s Roger Cheng gets the kudos for catching the comment during Shammo’s talk with analysts.

Apple’s next iteration of the iPhone could drop in the fourth quarter. That’s according to Verizon CFO Fran Shammo, who hinted at the possible timing during the company’s quarterly conference call today with a vague reference to a major phone the carrier expects to launch in the fourth quarter.

Nathan Ingraham, reporting for The Verge, offers an additional comment:

When asked what might have held customers back from upgrading their devices in Q2, Shammo said that “of course there’s always that, uh, rumor mill out there with a new phone coming out there in the fourth quarter, so people may be waiting”.

Analysts warned that swirling iPhone 5 rumors could hurt Apple’s June quarter sales, to be reported next Tuesday, July 24.

On Shammo’s comment: four days ago the accurate Japanese blog Macotakara reported the next iPhone had gone into the manufacturing phase and the credible Wall Street Journal claimed in a May story that June would see Apple start procurement of four-inch screens for the device.

However, yesterday the somewhat-less-reliable Boy Genius Report dispelled those rumors, saying that “the final version of Apple’s next iPhone — the one that you will buy — has not started production yet”.

BGR also confirmed previous rumors calling for an improved application processor sporting 1GB of RAM, up from 512MB of RAM on the iPhone 4S, in addition to integrated 4G LTE radios and NFC circuitry.

What do you think, is it going to be September or October?



iTunes Match rolls out in Hungary, Poland and other markets

iTunes Match, Apple’s scan-and-match music service (also doubling as a streaming service of sorts), is being rolled out in Hungary, Poland and several other markets, it’s been revealed today. This is in addition to an expansion in late April that saw iTunes Match roll out in Greece, Portugal, Austria, Slovenia, Bulgaria and other markets…

9to5Mac first received tips about the iTunes Match roll-out, as reported by Jordan Kahn:

We are receiving several tips that Apple has started rolling out the iTunes Match service in Poland, Hungary, and possibly a few other unconfirmed markets.

According to Plastik.hu, iTunes Match costs 24.99 euros in Hungary, reflecting the price point in other European markets like Italy.

Apple’s support document lists 55 iTunes Match-enabled countries, but was not updated to include the new markets at press time.

iTunes Match scans users’ music library to find matching songs in the iTunes Store. Users can then upgrade their local files to their 256Kbps AAC versions from the iTunes Store and download or stream those songs to computers and iOS devices authorized with the same iTunes account.

It also gives you piece of mind knowing that all your iTunes purchases and matched songs are kept in a secure iCloud locker as long as you continue paying an annual fee of $25 bucks.

If you spotted iTunes Match going live in your country, let us know down in the comments.

Foxconn ramps up hiring ahead of next-gen iPhone launch

A new report is out this morning claiming that thousands of job seekers are currently lined up outside of Foxconn’s Chengdu, China plant. Apparently, the applicants are all vying for a number of summer job openings that were recently posted by the manufacturer.

It doesn’t take a lot of brain power to guess the nature of these positions. Apple, who just so happens to be Foxconn’s largest client, is widely expected to unveil two new major products this fall. One of which, the “iPhone 5,” is believed to already be in production…

M.I.C. Gadget reports:

“Apparently, the Foxconn plant in Chengdu is hiring now for summer jobs – and according to our sources, the plant is bring a large number of summer workers, which may still have openings. What’s more, the young jobseekers are required to submit a registration fee of 150 Chinese yuan (about $24) before he/she could apply. And there’s a requirement for applying for the job, you need to have good eyesight.

On the other side, the Foxconn plant in Zhengzhou is also hiring a large number of workers, just like what we have previously reported. According to our sources, one of the iPhone assembly lines inside the factory has recently assembled only five units of “the new iPhone” on a night shift. And that particular assembly line actually consists of more than a hundred workers. We were told that it was in the “trial production stage.”

The site also opines that, given the large scale of the hirings, it’s also possible that Foxconn is ramping up production for another Apple product: i.e. the “iPad mini.” Although the last we heard, that task had been handed off to the manufacturer’s Brazil location.

We obviously have no way of confirming the report, but it’s worth noting, as we have seen similar mass hirings by Foxconn in the past ahead of other product releases.

Apple will likely unveil its latest handset during a media event in late September or early October of this year. But so far there’s been no word on when (or if) it will introduce the smaller tablet.



Judge rejects requests for secrecy in Samsung-Apple case

This is interesting. US District Court Judge Lucy Koh has just rejected several secrecy requests from both Apple and Samsung in their ongoing patent dispute.

The proposals were made in hopes to keep patents and other “key documents” out of public view during the trial, which is set to kick off at the end of the month…

Reuters reports:

“In an order issued late on Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh in San Jose, California, wrote that “it appears that the parties have overdesignated confidential documents and are seeking to seal information that is not truly sealable.”

Koh gave both companies one week to refile their sealing requests. Representatives for Apple and Samsung could not immediately be reached for comment.”

So does this mean that we’ll get a sneak preview of the next iPhone or any other unreleased products? Not likely. The article goes on to say that filing documents under seal has become a pretty standard procedure in intellectual property cases.

Nevertheless, the fact that Apple filed the privacy request in order to “protect its trade secrets, and other sensitive business information” made our ears perk up. If nothing else, maybe it’ll add some excitement to an otherwise dull storyline.

That being said, this case and its outcome are huge — for both companies. Apple has already won preliminary injunctions against Samsung’s Galaxy Tab and Nexus handset. And both could face a permanent US ban if Apple comes out on top.

Get your popcorn ready. The trial starts July 30th.



Updated Xbox Live app brings 360 control to iPad

Last month, Microsoft released an update to its My Xbox LIVE application that brought Xbox 360 control to the iPhone. The feature gave users the ability to control their consoles with an Apple-branded handset.

Yesterday, Microsoft released another update that brings that console control to the iPad…

From the app’s release notes:

“Use your iPad with your Xbox to connect, control and discover content on your console. Connect your iPad for access to a quick list of your most recent console activity. Control your content with play, pause, fast forward and rewind media controls. Find fresh entertainment to play in the new Discover section.”

While it doesn’t offer any advanced options, the control feature serves as a nice backup remote for your Xbox 360. Just make sure that the console has an active internet connection.

If you’re interested, you can grab the new My Xbox LIVE application from the App Store, for free.

What do you think of the updated iPad app?



WSJ confirms new iPhone will use thinner in-cell display technology

Since April of this year, Apple has been rumored to be using in-cell display panels in the next iPhone. The panel combines touch sensors and color filters into a single layer, making them much thinner.

Tonight, a major news outlet has added its weight to the theory. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that it has learned that Apple is indeed using the improved display tech in its latest handset…

According to The Journal:

“Apple Inc’s next iPhone, currently being manufactured by Asian component makers, will use a new technology that makes the smartphone’s screen thinner, people familiar with the matter said, as the U.S. technology giant strives to improve technological features amid intensifying competition from Samsung Electronics Co. and other rivals.

Japanese liquid-crystal-display makers Sharp Corp. and Japan Display —a new company that combined three Japanese electronics makers’ display units—as well as South Korea’s LG Display Co. are currently mass producing panels for the next iPhone using so-called in-cell technology, the people said.”

The in-cell panels have a number of advantages — they produce a higher quality image, are easier to manufacture, and are much thinner than their on-cell counterparts. That last item is probably what Apple’s after.

The company is rumored to have made a number of design changes to its new handset, including trimming down the dock connector and utilizing smaller SIM cards, in order to make room for upgraded components.

Those upgrades include a larger, 4-inch display, LTE-compatibility, improved camera sensors and a faster processor. The new iPhone is said to already be in production, and is expected to appear sometime this fall.



More claimed next-gen iPhone fronts with centered FaceTime camera

It’s been an unusually eventful Sunday evening here at iDB. Earlier, The New York Times ran a report on the rumored “iPad Mini,” and now a new photo of purported next-gen iPhone components has surfaced.

The image you see above is a pair of iPhone fronts, supposedly from Apple’s next smartphone. And like the front panels we saw back in May, they depict a relocated FaceTime camera and an elongated display…

9to5Mac points to the photo, which was originally posted on Apple.pro. The site opines that the next-gen iPhone part leaks are starting to become more frequent now that the handset is presumedly in production.

These fronts match up with previously leaked panels, and a set of schematics we saw last month, so it’s possible that they’re legitimate. They also support claims that Apple’s next smartphone will feature a 4-inch display.

On top of the larger screen, the next iPhone is also believed to be thinner than its predecessor, with a new case design, LTE compatibility and other upgraded internals. Apple’s expected to unveil the new handset in late September, or early October of this year.



AppAnalytics: a beautiful way to capture your app usage habits

Let’s be honest here for a second. Jailbreak apps don’t exactly have a reputation for being easy on the eyes. In the majority of cases, they are fairly basic, sometimes crude, but more times than not they get the job done. And when it comes to jailbreak apps or tweaks, getting the job done is enough; we’re not overly picky when it comes to aesthetics.

But when a jailbreak app appears on the scene that looks like it was designed to move units on the App Store, you can’t help but take note. AppAnalytics — an app usage app for jailbroken devices — is a great example of this. It’s a beautiful looking jailbreak app, and it too gets the job done…

AppAnalytics is very simple in the way it works. It monitors how long you’ve used each app on your iDevice, it logs how many times you’ve used it, and it reports on the last time you actually launched the app.

Another nice thing about this app is that it automatically creates reports that help you identify your monthly app usage. You also have the ability to launch each app directly from AppAnalytics.

And that’s all there really is to AppAnalytics; it’s not a very deep app at all. What you see is what you get here, and while it’s a beautiful app in form, it’s a tad shallow in function. Still, for $0.99 on the BigBoss repo, it might be worth taking a look at. I recommend taking AppStat — an app that does similar things free of charge — for a spin first. If that doesn’t fit your needs, then you can try this.

What do you think?



Rumor: next-gen iPhone in production with all-new design

Craving more information regarding the sixth-generation iPhone? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. A new report is out today, claiming that the highly-anticipated handset has just gone into production.

This would make sense considering all of the next-gen iPhone cases and engineering samples we’ve seen over the past week. But this report claims the device looks different than previously thought…

Macotakara, a Japanese tech blog that has proven accurate in the past, says it has learned from reliable Chinese sources that the new iPhone has just gone into the manufacturing phase.

“Told that my reliable Chinese sources, new iPhone has started Manufacture Phase, then “5 iPhone cases” Are Being leaked at Alibalba.Com. This source Also Told, “iPhone 5 “Been which had leaked in May Were prototype (via 9To5Mac) Design for test, and Producing new iphone has SEVERAL Different Design in detail. The Design, which Were Told by this source, of this new iPhone HAS Blackface Naked partially glass and Aluminum Surface part covered.”

Yeah, it’s a pretty rough translation, courtesy of Google Translate. But what it sounds like is that the back panels that surfaced back in May were early prototypes (which you probably already knew), and the actual iPhone that’s in production right now looks a lot different (which you might not have known).

This is good news for folks who haven’t been really impressed with the leaked components we’ve seen thus far. Although, judging by some of the details, it sounds like the two-tone design will be present on the final handset.

At least we don’t have much longer to wait to find out. Apple is widely expected to unveil its next smartphone at a media event in October, with a redesigned case, larger display and LTE-compatibility.



Apple is inspiring other brands to change their retail experience

There was a graphic that started circulating the internet several months back, demonstrating how Apple has affected the smartphone industry. It showed what handsets looked like before and after the original iPhone was released. And the differences were tremendous.

There was a similar image that showed how Apple has impacted the tablet market. Before the iPad, tablets were 2-3-inches thick, had styluses, and ran desktop operating systems. And then after it, they all became thin, multi-touch tablets running mobile software.

Now it looks like it’s time for someone to make another graphic showing how Apple has affected retail stores…

Samsung has just opened its first retail store in North America. And, as BriefMobile points out, it looks an awful lot like an Apple Store. Don’t believe us? Watch this video from the store’s opening:

Even if you ignore the fact that Samsung has all of its tablets and smartphones laid out on white tables, or the fact that there are employees walking around in blue shirts, you still have to admit that it looks a lot like an Apple Store. From the all-white promotional signs, to the embedded accessory walls, to the group sales counter at the back of the room — it all screams Apple.

And Samsung’s not alone here. In fact, there are a number of retail chains looking to remodel the interiors of their stores to mimic the inside of Apple’s gadget havens. Back in March, Best Buy announced a new “Connected Store” strategy, set to debut later this year, that involves such a makeover. And Verizon is planning a similar redesign for its stores.

Given the success that Apple has seen with its retail business, it’s easy to see why other companies would want to try and emulate it. And hey, if that means that in the future, all stores will have a knowledgeable sales staff and a quick and painless checkout process, we’re all for it.