Daily Bits

Mobile

Santa Can’t Deliver Nintendo 3DS This Year

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Come on now, you’re not really surprised are you?  After all, most – if not all – electronics manufacturers do experience delays every now and then.  Sony and Microsoft are pretty much the same way – why not Nintendo?

Anyhow, news about the Nintendo 3Ds has been going around for a while now, which, of course, has excited many a Nintendo fan.  The improved version of the Nintendo handheld gaming console promises a 3D experience to every gamer without having the neeed for 3D glasses.  Now isn’t that something?

Unfortunately, Nintendo just announced that we are not going to see the new console by Christmas.  This is, of course, a disappointment to the fans who have been dreaming of getting a new portable gaming device from Santa this year.  On a more practical note, this move also means big losses for Nintendo.  But who cares about their losses when you can’t have your wish for the holidays?

There’s not much that you can do about it, though, except to wait for March if you’re in the United Kingdom – and the rest of Europe.  If you’re in Japan, then the wait is a bit shorter, as the console will be released by February.  The reason for the delay?

Satoru Iwata, Nintendo president says: “At first we thought it would be desirable to launch the 3DS within the year, so we made our forecasts on that basis. At this point it is clear that if we launch within the year, we will not be able to supply enough units.”

Whether or not it’s the real reason, you might want to save some of your Christmas money for February or March, whichever the case may be.

No Firefox for the iPhone

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Firefox lovers who are also iPhone users  might have been yearning for the day that a “real” version of the popular browser would be available for the Apple device.  Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like it’s going to happen any time soon – if it will even happen, actually.

Yesterday, Mozilla once again announced that it is NOT going to come up with a full fledged version of Firefox for the iPhone.  Instead, it is simply going to continue working on Firefox Home, which is already in existence for the iOS.  Firefox Home is technically not a browser but is a bookmarking and tab synchronization technology.  In a blog post yesterday, ragavan puts an end to speculation that there just might be Firefox for the iPhone:

No Firefox Browser for the iPhone

We are working to bring as much of your Firefox experience as possible to Firefox Home. People have asked about adding more browser-like features to Firefox Home, but there are technical and logistical restrictions that make it difficult, if not impossible, to build the full Firefox browser for the iPhone. We are focused on building Firefox Home as a rich, cloud-based application and making it a valuable product that people will continue to love and use.

iPhone users will also get more features from Firefox Home including password synchronization (I can just imagine how many people will find this useful!) and more connectivity to social networking sites (of course, that is a must these days).  If you want to download Firefox Home (lucky iPhone user you), you can find it in the iTunes App Store.

BlackBerry Tablet to Be Revealed Next Week

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By this time next week, BlackBerry enthusiasts might be buzzing about the latest tablet computer to hit the market – the BlackPad.  The rumor is that RIM (Research in Motion Ltd.) is going to reveal its take on the tablet in San Francisco next week at a developer’s conference.  Needless to say, the news has got certain groups excited.

The tablet, which – according to an insider from RIM – is being dubbed the BlackPad (surprise!).  According to The Wall Street Journal, the BlackPad is going to have a new operating system – one that is totally different from what the current BlackBerry devices are using.  The sources who have leaked the information say that the new OS is built by QNX Software Systems.

More so, the tablet computer is supposed to NOT have the capability to connect to cellular networks on its own; that is, it has to connect to another BlackBerry device to go online.  That’s a seriously major bummer which just might turn potential buyers off, don’t you think?

Other specs (rumored as of now) of the BlackPad include:

  • 7-inch touchscreen
  • camera (one or two, nothing’s confirmed)
  • Bluetooth
  • Broadband connectivity

For sure, BlackBerry users will be keeping their eyes peeled for this new tablet.  With the drawback of not being able to connect to cellular networks, though, I wonder if the BlackPad will appeal to a lot of people who are not currently using BlackBerry?  (Plus consider the fact that the competition is not to be taken lightly.)  We’ll find out soon enough – in a week or so.

Photo via The Wall Street Journal

Catholic? Do You Have These iPhone Apps?

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I am sure you’ve heard of the current Pope’s visit to the UK.  While we have devouts on one end of the spectrum, there are also critics on the other end.  It’s a fact of life – you can’t please everyone.

This post is for Catholics who lean towards the developments in technology, courtesy of the Telegraph.  They put together a list of iPhone apps that would certainly catch your fancy.  I am not a Catholic, but I would be interested in getting hold of these apps if I had an iPhone/iPod Touch for cultural/educational value.

Popes

For $0.99, you can get this app which will give you all the information you need on the Roman Popes – from Saint Peter to 2010. Think about it, even non-Catholics just might find this kind of information useful.

Way of the Cross

Even though I follow a different faith, I have heard of the Way/Stations of the Cross many times. This app serves as a guide to all the stations of the Cross and also includes passages from the Scriptures. It should prove to be useful come Lent.

Holy Rosary Deluxe

Think of this app as high tech Rosary Beads. This app can take you through the whole Rosary, complete with tactile feedback via the vibrate function.

These are only three of the apps that the Telegraph listed, and I am sure there are more out there. In keeping with the spirit of the Pope’s visits, then I suggest downloading these apps for your iPhone/iPod Touch. After all, technology doesn’t have to clash with faith, does it?

Mind Control: The Future of Our Gadgets

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Do you think the way your smart phone changes the display orientation when you flip it is cool?  Or maybe you have lots of fun playing around with voice commands.  I’m sure that your smart phone can do a lot of awesome stuff, but that’s nothing when compared to what Intel is working on.  If they make any progress on what they call “context-aware computing,” we just might be playing with gadgets that can read our minds!

When I first read about context-aware computing, I mentally shouted “Scary!”  At the same time, I cannot suppress the surge of excitement.  This technology is BIG.  The scary part, I think, is the result of watching/reading too much science fiction – that, and the recent news about lying robots.

So anyway, a group of Intel researchers announced that they are working on this technology that will ultimately be able to gather and process information from the behavior of the user.  This data will then be used to predict the mood and the feelings of the user.  Based on the predictions, the gadgets will be able to provide suggestions.  Pretty cool, huh?

Justin Rattner, head of the research group excitedly shared the potential of this technology:

“Future devices will learn about you, your day, where you are and where you are going to know what you want. It gives devices almost this sixth sense of anticipating what a user will need in the future, whether that’s the next few moments or at dinner later in the day.”

If I were the user, the gadget will not have too many problems in predicting what I will need:  Chocolate, steak, and Jack Daniels.

Photo credit: Mr Thinktank

Playboy Apple iPad App Doesn’t Cut It

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The Apple iPad is perhaps the coolest e-book reader-other-gadgets combined you can ever have. It is not a surprise that many vendors and publishers are jumping into the iPad app bandwagon – they can reach so many more people by doing so. And, even the most conservative sectors cannot deny or stop the fact that providers of adult content are going to be part of this boom.

When it comes to adult content, perhaps there is no other better known brand than Playboy. If you didn’t know already, though, the brand has been encountering problems due to its being outmaneuvered by competitors. Struggling it may be, it is not giving up.

It recently launched an app for the iPad, but to the disappointment of users, it didn’t deliver. It may not be all Playboy’s fault – Apple has a strict policy when it comes to content for its apps. Indeed, content which Apple considers “obscene, pornographic, offensive or defamatory” is banned from the App Store. By definition, Playboy already gets x marks.

The result is predictable: users are frustrated about the whole set up. They have to pay $4.99 for the iPad app, and they want more than “articles.” (Yeah, for those countless individuals who have repeatedly said that they buy Playboy for the articles, where are you now?) I suppose that if the app were free, or at least priced more reasonably, the complaints would not be as bad.

Bottom line: it does not look like Apple will change its policy anytime soon. Maybe Playboy ought to take a look at its strategy – that is, if it wants to stay afloat.

Guys: would you pay $5 for this app?