Apple CEO Tim Cook is expected to show off new iPhone software and updated Mac computers and provide more details on future releases of Mac software when he kicks off the company's annual conference for software developers today.
The announcement of new software for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch has been confirmed by banners that appeared at the conference centre in San Francisco on Friday, reading "iOS 6." It's not much of a surprise. Apple has used its Worldwide Developers Conference as an opportunity to announce new iPhone software for the past few years.
What's not known is what new features will come with iOS 6, or when it will be released to consumers. Usually, the new software becomes available for download around the time a new iPhone model appears. Apple-watchers expect the next version of the iPhone, the iPhone 5, to appear this fall, about a year after the launch of the 4S model.
In 2010, Apple demonstrated the new iPhone 4 at the WWDC, but analysts don't expect the company to show off a phone model this year.
With the launch of iOS 5 last year, Apple added many features already found in competing smartphone software. It also added the "Siri" virtual assistant feature, which interprets voice commands and talks back to the user.
Modest improvements expected
This year, there are fewer "catch up" features to add, so Apple watchers expect more modest improvements. Some speculate that Facebook could become more tightly integrated, in much the same way that Apple baked Twitter functions into its software last year. That could make it easier to post Facebook status updates from within Apple's apps.
On the Mac software side, there are fewer unknowns. Apple already demonstrated most of the features of OS X 10.8 "Mountain Lion" in February and said it will go on sale late this summer. Developers are already able to download a version of the software. It narrows the gap between the PC and phone software packages, making Mac personal computers work more like iPhones.
Microsoft Corp., Apple's chief competitor in PC software, is on a parallel course. It's set to release Windows 8 later this year, bringing the look and user interface of Windows Phone to PCs.
Cook is also expected to announce new Mac models. Intel Corp. has just updated its processor line with faster, less power-hungry chips, and most of Apple's Mac lines haven't had a major update in a year.
The biggest mystery surrounds Apple's ambitions in television-making. Late company founder Steve Jobs told biographer Walter Isaacson that he wanted to remake the TV. Apple does sell an "Apple TV," but it's small box that connects to a TV to display movies from iTunes. There's much speculation that Apple plans to make a full-blown TV set, integrated with iTunes.
Few company watchers expect Apple to reveal such a set at WWDC, but there's broad speculation that it could make a minor step toward Jobs' goal by releasing updated software for the Apple TV, expanding on its relatively limited functions.
A juggling act: iPhone users take 50% of all 3G traffic - meaning networks must invest in older tech rather than roll out 'next generation' 4G - Daily Mail
By Eddie Wrenn
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Smartphones such as the iPhone are slurping up a lot of date - around 350mb a month
Next time your mobile phone operator complains that you are using too much data, or whacks massive fines on you for using the internet abroad, spare a thought for the strain our smartphones are placing on the system.
For smartphones - Android and Apple in particular - are slurping up so much data, phone operators are having to put their resources into keeping the data flowing.
The biggest offender is the iPhone, which - despite being used by an average of 20 per cent of users, takes up nearly 45 per cent of all data traffic.
Next is Android, which has around 15 per cent of all users, and uses about 30 per cent of the traffic.
Users of both types of smartphone an average of 350mb a month, generally for web-browsing or downloading emails, videos, music and documents - although there is more variation in the Android figures as the brand caters to both premium and budget users.
The report was by analysts Ericsson, using data from Europe, America and Asia, who point out the great variance in different data deals across network and countries.
iPhone users are generally paying a premium for their service, and generally use a high level of data, so are seen as the greatest data users.
The problem is that phones and phone networks are beginning to upgrade to '4G', or 'LTE' in the U.S. which allows greater speed and greater capacity.
While other networks are beginning to upgrade their phones to this level, Apple is notoriously secret about its models, and if the next iPhone remains with a 3G antenna only, networks may keep needing to invest in the older technology to keep iPhone users happy.
Understanding the chart: With the iPhone, networks report between 5-65% of their users have iphones, using 5-80% of the date. The black bars show the average across all networks in Europe, America and Asia
The release of the latest iPad, which uses 4G networks, implies Apple will look to upgrade phones too - but 3G has a long shelf-life ahead
While the new iPad was 4G-compatible, indicating Apple may move this way on its mobiles, the launch of a new iPhone will also send prices plummeting fort he last few Apple mobiles, sending 3G usage soaring again, and meaning the networks need to spend more money on improving the older network.
As Donald Masters, at World News Resource said: The problem is, such favor toward the 3G iPhone could essentially prove disastrous for networks and carriers in the US, as large and ongoing investment is needed in order to keep up with demand. This in turn allows less time, efforts and cash to be focused on 4G LTE development and roll-outs, stunting the growth of an essentially progression.
Free iPhone and iPad games: Tiny Invaders, Boost 2 - Pocket Gamer
As we've stated many, many times before, prices in the App Store change frequently. Grab these freebies before you miss out on a top bargain.
Remember to let us and your fellow readers know about any other great free apps in our comments section below.
Additionally, you can find out about all the latest App Store updates, price drops, and more by using the cleverly hidden hyperlink in this paragraph.
And if you're craving even more quality freebies, be sure to check out the Free App Alliance iPhone app for daily recommendations of the best free apps the App Store has to offer.
Tiny Invaders
By Hogrocket - download for iPhone and iPad
Each level in this disease-filled puzzler tasks you with guiding a bunch of intergalactic germs around a human host and avoiding pesky white blood cells. Your mission: to successfully infect your way towards the President of the United States.
The development studio behind this game was set up by former Bizarre Creations developers Ben Ward and Peter Collier, as well as Geometry Wars creator Stephen Cakebread.
Boost 2
By Jonathan Lanis - download for iPhone and iPad.jpg)
Boost 2 is an incredibly fast tunnel racer in which you, well, race through obstacle-filled tunnels.
This title has several game modes to delve into, online multiplayer, and a whole bunch of OpenFeint and Game Center achievements. There are also leaderboards, in case you're into that kind of thing..jpg)
Graduate smuggled cocaine into UK while working at Northampton’s O2 store - Northampton Chronicle
A law student who hoped to become a commercial barrister is facing years in prison after being convicted of plotting to smuggle £224,000 of cocaine from Nigeria into the UK.
Christina Ubah, 26, a law graduate of The University of Northampton, signed for a parcel containing the drugs while working at the O2 shop in Abington Street, Northampton.
She denied knowing about the consignment of cocaine, which was hidden in bottles of body lotion and intercepted at Parcel Force’s Coventry depot in November.
However, Ubah, who said she had not expected a parcel to be delivered when she signed for it, was convicted of drug smuggling by a jury after a three-day trial at Northampton Crown Court.
Her legal career now lies in ruins and she also faces a substantial prison sentence.
Kate Tompkins, prosecuting, said: “On Thursday, November 17 last year, at 1.55pm, a parcel declared as containing cosmetics, arrived at Parcel Force’s hub in Coventry from Nigeria.
“It was addressed to the O2 shop where the defendant worked in Northampton.”
It contained four bottles of body lotion cosmetics, but when they were opened, police found plastic bags inside containing 846 grams of cocaine with a 61 per cent purity.
Miss Tompkins told the jury: “The evidence in this case is this defendant had a motive. There is also evidence the sender of the parcel had knowledge of the defendant and of the trust that the sender had placed in this defendant as the receiver of a high-value consignment of cocaine.
“£2,600 was also transferred into her bank account around the time the consignment was posted to her.”
John Lucas, defending, said the parcel had been addressed to Ubah, of Wellington Street, Northampton, but she knew nothing about what it contained. He added: “You have to be sure that she knew that parcel contained class A drugs. If you are even slightly unsure then your answer is not guilty.”
The jury, who deliberated for almost five hours, convicted Ubah of fraudulent evasion of a prohibition by a 11-1 majority verdict and unanimously of conspiracy to supply class A drugs
Adjourning sentence for reports until later this month and remanding her in custody, Recorder John Steel QC said: “You are a young woman who has got into a lot of trouble. Your career may have now gone, but your life has not. You have got to look beyond to come out of this tunnel and you can only say to yourself that you will.”
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I spend several hours listening to streaming radio every day on my s2 and will continue to do so thankyou. I'm posting this using the Android app, these are reasons I bought a smartphone and use giffgaff, unlimited Internet. I doubt I use more than a couple of gb a month and a lot is wifi.
- Mark78, Suffolk, 11/6/2012 16:07
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