iOS 8 vs. Android Lollipop: Same features, yet more distinct than ever

Mashable - In the mobile war between Android and iOS, something interesting has happened over the last six months.

In the past, the two operating systems were largely distinguished by features and polish. Android traditionally had more features and customization than iOS, but iOS retained a higher level of finish.

See also: How Google's 'Material' will reshape Android as we know it

That all changed with iOS 8 and Android 5.0 "Lollipop." With these releases, iOS 8 now has almost as many features as Android. Just as notable, Lollipop's new Material Design ethos has an almost iOS-level of fit polish and finish.

It would be easy to extrapolate that iOS and Android are now more alike than ever before — and on the surface, this is true. But in practice, what is most interesting about the current state of the two operating systems is how different the overall experience has become.    Read More

Apple Byte : What to expect in iOS 8

iOS 7: What it needs, and what it won't be getting

CNET - The next major update of Apple's iOS software is almost upon us! But which features does Apple's grid-based operating system desperately need to add, and which ones will Tim Cook and pals probably ignore completely?

That's what we're asking in this video, so hit play on the clip above as we rattle through the apps and tweaks that we want to see in iOS 7, as well as the things we probably won't. A fresh, "flat" redesign? How about some kind of "kids" mode' to stop pesky kids spending your cash on virtual in-game currency?

Furthermore, we'd love the power to change iOS' default apps, so you never need to open Apple Maps again -- but is that really likely to happen, or is it just wishful thinking on behalf of cartographically confounded smartphone owners everywhere? How about a proper file system? Plausible? Or will Apple refuse to give up the control it has over how you store and access your stuff?

Read More & Watch the Videos

Prizefight: iOS 6 vs. Android Jelly Bean

Apple iOS 6 vs. Android vs. Windows Phone (Comparison Chart)

PCWorld - Apple's World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC) kicked off today with the unveiling of iOS 6 for the iPhone and iPad. Apple is promising over 200 new features in the latest version of its mobile operating system, but only a few of them were highlighted in the keynote.

June is an exciting month for smartphone fanatics as Microsoft is expected to unveil the next generation of Windows Phone at an event next Wednesday, June 20 while Google is expected to reveal its plans for the next version of Android, codenamed "Jellybean."

While some of the features Apple announced today already exist on competing platforms, Apple is putting its own twist on these updates. For example, Siri, Apple's voice-activated virtual assistant, is even smarter now with support for sports, movies, and restaurants. Siri can also directly launch apps, but you still can't control these third-party apps with your voice.

Apple is also breaking up with Google Maps and launching its own Maps application with iOS 6. It includes local business information, Yelp integration, real-time traffic updates, and turn-by-turn navigation. Naturally, Apple has also added Siri integration to maps so you can ask questions along your journey such as, "Are we there yet?" or "Where's the next gas station?" Apple has also added a 3D/fly-over mode to its Maps application, which shows you detailed 3D models of buildings and landmarks.

Read More & See the Comparison Chart

Android 5.0 (Jelly Bean) Will Launch this Fall with Five Nexus Devices: Report

PCWorld - When Android 5.0 “Jelly Bean” launches this fall, it will appear first on several new mobile devices sold by Google itself as part of the “Nexus” line.

That's according to a Tuesday story in the Wall Street Journal, which reports that Google is shifting its Android strategy so that it will not only give select mobile-device makers early access to new releases, but will also sell the resulting devices unlocked directly to consumers.

As many as five manufacturers may get privileged access to new releases of the mobile operating system, in fact, with an eye toward creating a “portfolio” of Nexus lead devices including both smartphones and tablets, the WSJ reported, citing “a person familiar with the matter.”

Google aims to sell those gadgets online and contract-free directly to consumers in the U.S., Europe, and Asia, but retailers may be involved as well, the report suggests. U.S. Thanksgiving is reportedly the target date for the launch.

So Long, Fragmentation

While Android has clearly done enormously well, inconsistency and fragmentation are among the chief complaints about the Linux-based mobile operating system. This new strategy could ensure that more Android phones are running the latest version of the OS; it could also help other manufacturers create their own custom builds more quickly.           More

Ex-Microsoft Employee Launches ‘Fixing Windows 8′ Campaign

Not everyone is happy with Windows 8′s sweeping design changes, including one former Microsoft employee who thinks the company can do better.

The former employee has launched a website called “Fixing Windows 8” with suggestions on how Microsoft could improve the user interface, particularly for a mouse and keyboard. According to Tom’s Hardware, the website’s founder is Mike Bibik, a user interface designer.

“During the MWC keynote, Microsoft made it very clear that Windows 8 will work fantastically if you are using touch, mouse or keyboard,” Bibik wrote in his first post. “Unfortunately, that’s not entirely true.”

Among the site’s complaints:

-New users won’t know how to navigate the interface because so many choices are hidden from view, including the Charms menu, master apps list and Start button

-Metro apps don’t have window controls, so users can’t minimize or exit an app

-The Charms menu hides vital functions such as searching within an app

“Power users should be able to figure out how the mouse works in Windows 8. Novices and new users will be completely lost,” Bibik wrote. As evidence, he linked to a video posted by tech personality Chris Pirillo, in which Pirillo’s father can’t find the Windows 8 Start menu because Microsoft removed the Start button from the desktop.        More

Windows 8 Vs. Mac OS X Lion: Feature by Feature

PCMag.Com - With the Windows 8 Consumer Preview coming the end of this month at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the world will get a more complete look at Microsoft’s next big operating system. But thanks to the company being very open about what’s in store with Windows 8, we already know a lot about it. The team building the operating system has posted extensively on the Building Windows 8 blog, providing a level of detail that is rarely seen in this world of surprise major tech releases.

On the other side we have Apple, which unveiled its latest desktop operating system, Mac OS X Lion, fully gestated, without a chance for the public to run it beforehand. Both operating systems exhibit a similar trend: emulating the company’s mobile operating system in their desktop OS. For Lion, Apple drew heavily on iOS in several ways—its App Store, Launchpad screen of icons, and touch interface among the most notable. Windows 8 will be no exception to this mobile-to-desktop trend, as evidenced by the Windows 8 Developer Preview, released last September in Anaheim.

Both companies have been very open about this mobile-envy: in October of 2010 at an event on the Apple Cupertino campus called “Back to the Mac,” the world got its first peek at the stylish tech firm’s latest desktop operating system, “OS X Lion.” CEO Steve Jobs explained that the success of the company’s iPad tablet was a major driver in adding features to Lion.
The similarities don’t end at the two future desktop OS’s mobile influencers. Both Lion and Window 8 will make heavy use of touch interfaces, but with a big difference, as you’ll see in the slideshow below. Both will have an App Store, both have full-screen app views, and both offer new ways to switch among and navigate within apps.

There are, of course, important differences between Microsoft and Apple’s overall OS strategies It all hinges on tablet support. Apple is aligning its tablet and phone OSes, and keeping the desktop OS separate, though mobile-influenced. Microsoft, on the other hand, is creating one OS for tablets and desktops, while keeping the phone OS separate—for now, anyway. Both companies may even have ideas for a grand unified OS for all devices.            

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