Apple Vs. Google

The Epic Battle Between Apple & Google Is All But Over – Who Won?

… given the alarming rate at which consumers worldwide are speaking with their wallets and selecting Android handsets over iOS handsets. With just a few more quarters like this, coupled with the cumulative effect of similar sales data over the past 2-3 years and the likely coming wave of Android-based tablets, it is a given (to me, anyway) that Android will be soon be effectively ubiquitous around the globe.

Google Play Services gives control of Android back to Google

For a minute, forget all the complaining about how Hangouts weren’t instantly available for everyone at the same time. Most everyone should be good to go by now and have their new Hangouts app. Everyone. Think about that — Google Talk, a long staple and core feature of the operating system, was updated with a slew of new features without you getting a system-wide update.

Two interesting posts that somehow fit together. But I can’t concentrate on them right now, so here’s this post for later.

Google Books PDF Death Match: Aftermath

The Google Books PDF Death Match series of posts:

- Part One: Barnes & Noble Nook HD+
- Part Two: iPad Mini
- Part Three: iPad 4 with Retina Display
- Part Four: Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0

Partially contradicting my iPad Mini test is this photo:

More — and a video — after the break.

Google Books PDF Death Match 3: iPad 4 With Retina Display

It’s time to get real.

Previously I’ve used Success: A Novel (catch up here) as my Google Books test PDF. Most mainstream devices can now do that. So it’s time to up the ante to the full Monty of what I need a device to do.

I’ve already tried this twice:

Samsung Galaxy S III Test
Second Samsung Galaxy S III Test

I wanted to use the same PDF but problems erupted. I had to use a different issue of The American Magazine. The one in those first two tests was 203MBs. The one in these tests is a whopping 290MBs. How’s that for going nuclear?

If you want to play at home:
Google Books: The American Magazine, Volume 89
Google Docs: American Magazine (for those outside the U.S.)

I will repeat this introduction on all four posts in this series since I doubt people will read all of them.

Now onto the iPad 4 with Retina Display.

Google Books PDF Death Match 2: iPad Mini

It’s time to get real.

Previously I’ve used Success: A Novel (catch up here) as my Google Books test PDF. Most mainstream devices can now do that. So it’s time to up the ante to the full Monty of what I need a device to do.

I’ve already tried this twice:

Samsung Galaxy S III Test
Second Samsung Galaxy S III Test

I wanted to use the same PDF but problems erupted. I had to use a different issue of The American Magazine. The one in those first two tests was 203MBs. The one in these tests is a whopping 290MBs. How’s that for going nuclear?

If you want to play at home:
Google Books: The American Magazine, Volume 89
Google Docs: American Magazine (for those outside the U.S.)

I will repeat this introduction on all four posts in this series since I doubt people will read all of them.

Now onto the iPad Mini.

You Know What’s Stale? iOS Whiners.

ReadWriteHateApple is at it again.

Is The iPhone Outdated? [Poll]

Earlier this week, BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins called the iPhone outdated. Did he have a point?

Speaking to The Australian Financial Review, Heins said, “The user interface on the iPhone, with all due respect for what this invention was all about is now five years old.”

I sit here using Windows XP. It was released in 2001.

I also use a Palm LifeDrive. PalmOS 5 was released in 2002.

I don’t sit here griping that either one is “stale.”

They are tools that get the job done.

I’ve used Windows 7. I have no pangs of envy towards it. The bizarre way it does some things actually horrifies me and makes me appreciate XP even more.

ReadWriteHateApple — and all the rest of the chorus — chanting about how iOS looks “dated” need to remove their heads from their iOS-hating asses.

Apple Kills Latest Jailbreak

iOS 6.1.3 Update Kills Evasi0n iOS 6 Jailbreak

While we had heard that Apple was going to be plugging up the exploits used by the iOS 6.1 jailbreak, created by the Evadr3s jailbreak team, today’s release confirms the bad news. Apple has confirmed the bad news, even giving credit to the Evadr3s team for four of the six exploits that were patched up with the update.

Yes, Size Does Matter

2006: Digital Life: What I Saw (Sony Reader):

The Oh. My. God. Moment came in picking it up. This is a masterpiece of design and engineering. It is what a totable computer should be. This is what the Nokia 770 and all UMPCs should be like. Just this exact size and thickness. This is science-fiction come to life. It is worth your time to get to any store that has it just to hold it.

2013: iPad Mini Sales Overtaking iPad Sales Faster Than Apple Expected

Sales of the iPad mini are cannibalizing sales of the iPad, according to a report from NPD DisplaySearch. January shipments of tablet panels between 7 and 9 inches eclipsed shipments of larger panels, indicating an unexpected shift in consumer preference for a smaller form factor tablet.

Photo of paper models:

Left-right: Sony Reader 500, iPad Mini, Sony Reader 505

Obviously the Reader is now too small. But there was nothing else like it at that size back then. I was in the ballpark, though.

Simply Stupid

Innovation Through Simplicity

The utter simplicity of the iOS home screen is Apple’s innovation. It’s the simplest, most obvious “system” ever designed.

Damn. It’s too bad no one else ever thought of a set of icons on a home screen like that.

Oh. Wait.

Sometimes people go too far in their cheerleading.

Reference: iOS 6 Jailbreaking

Some day, the cats will let me have an iPad Mini. And I will jailbreak it.

Cydia Blog

iPadOS blog

iPadOS Cydia Apps List [2012-2013]

Complete List of FREE iOS 6 Cydia Tweaks/Apps For All Jailbroken Devices [UPDATED]

The best Cydia apps

List Of iOS 6 Compatible Essential Cydia Tweaks And Apps

Full List of Cydia Sources – 2012

Here’s the List of iOS 6 Compatible Jailbreak Apps & Tweaks

120+ of the Best Sydia Apps

Update:

25 Best Cydia Apps for iOS 6

Also, leave Comments if you know of any particular blogs I should follow that have information about iOS jailbreak apps.

Apple Versus Samsung: Why Samsung Is Winning

With the release this week of the Evasi0n jailbreak, I’ve gotten interested in looking at some of the things people would add to an iOS device to make it worthwhile.

It’s been an eye-opener and highlights the stark difference between Apple and Samsung.

Apple discourages jailbreaking. Samsung encourages it.

CyanogenMod founder joins Samsung Mobile, promises to make Android ‘more awesome’

Yes, Apple has hired hackers too:

Apple Hires iPhone Hacker Nicholas Allegra (@Comex)

But Samsung encourages hacking. A look at the various Samsung-related XDA Developers forums reveals Samsung participation over and over again.

And Apple? Silence.