Monday, July 25, 2011

Apple iPhone 5 could be coming with an "Assistant"?

A leaked screenshot obtained by 9 to 5 Mac shows a voice control called Assistant that is not part of the iOS 5 beta version. This would make it a possible feature for the allegedly upcoming Apple iPhone 5. Based on the leak, it would appear that Assistant does more than just convert the spoken word into written text on the handset's display.

A source for 9 to 5 Mac said that the feature is still being developed and might not be completed in time for inclusion into the next-gen Apple iPhone. Based on some SDK info, it would appear that Assistant would work similar to the Siri technology that Apple recently acquired. Assistant would integrate with the OS on your iPhone to allow certain tasks to be completed by uttering a simple sentence. For example, you could say, "Setup movie with Robespierre" and the app would check your location, offer you tickets to a movie from the closest theater, and send good ol' Robespieere an email apprising him of the information.

The service would be crowd-sourced and Apple will give users the option of sending their data securely to Cupertino so that the manufacturer can improve the service. The Assistant feature is expected to "talk back" to the user. And even when your Apple iPhone is locked, an option will allow you quick access to the feature.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Recent survey shows that Games are the most installed apps


A recent survey reveals that Games are the most installed apps category
"Games" was the number one category of apps installed on smartphones in the U.S. during Q2
The survey looked at those who had downloaded at least one app in a 30 day stretch of Q2 and found that 64% of them had downloaded at least one game in that period to lead the pack. Second belonged to apps in the "Weather" category which were installed by 60% of smartphone users during the qualifying time period. Social Networking sites (of course they're in the top 3) came in third with a 56% reading.


In a very interesting breakdown of the numbers, iOS users spend an average of 14.7 hours per month on games compared with 9.3% of Android users and only 4.7% of those using a Windows Phone 7 smartphone. With its strong business-centric appeal, there is no surprise that BlackBerry users averaged only 4.5 hours per month playing games, tying the platform with Featurephone users. The average monthly game use in the industry was 7.8 hours per month in the most recent survey.

source: Nielsen via BGR