Google Maps on IOS 6

After months of rumors following the announcement and subsequent botched roll out of Apple’s own mapping application, Google has released a stand alone Google Maps application for iOS 6 with substantial updates over the previously Google-powered but debranded Maps application previously shipped by Apple since the launch of the iPhone.

The new Google Maps for iOS features the following additions from the previous built-in version:

• Free turn-by-turn equal to the Android version
• Mass transit directions
• Street View integration
• 3D viewing capability

The release of Google Maps on Apple’s iOS after being pushed aside this year follows a tumultous 6 months for the company whereby the announcement of Apple’s own Maps application unrealistically raised expectations following a very slickly produced preview during the Worldwide Developers Conference in June. However, once the updated iOS 6 rolled out with Apple Maps, the reaction to its mapping capabilities was swift and immediately negative, enough to force Apple to make the uncharacteristic step of issuing a public apology and forcing out the two key executives in Scott Forstall and Richard Williamson over the debacle.
While the return of Google Maps is being met with jubilation, the app does not immediately replace Apple Maps, as the operating system will not allow the app to be set as the default mapping application, with Apple Maps being integrated at the system level and forcing many users to make compromises in usage, though those compromises are being seen as tolerable compared to the typical user complaints for Apple Maps during daily use. The app is available now.

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Dell Focused On Windows 8/RT

In what should come as a surprise to absolutely no one that has followed Dell’s attempts to compete in the global smartphone race over the past 2 years, Dell head of consumer development Jeff Clarke has confirmed while speaking at the Dell-produced Dell World employee conference that the computer manufacturer is officially ceasing all development on smartphones and Android, following previous attempts to compete in the now hyper competitive market.
 
With the official confirmation of Dell’s exit from the smartphone market on the global level, it emphasizes the current state of the market whereby Samsung and Apple are soaking up the majority of profits while smaller manufacturers struggle to carve out a profitable niche and many of them are regularly posting quarterly losses while struggling to compete in terms of marketing and device development.

While Dell started its smartphone business with the poorly received Aero, it looked to carve out its own niche with the first attempts at Android tablets with the Streak 5 and Streak 7 before leaving them to rot on the vine in terms of development due to unforeseen internal issues. In fact, so poor was the support for the Streak series that the carrier versions of the Streak 5 and Streak 7 were not even updated to their last working Android versions in Gingerbread.

On top of those issues with Android, Dell also attempted to support Windows Phone 7 by signing on as one of Microsoft’s preferred launch partners in late 2010, only to botch that release with limited availability of its Venue Pro smartphone, which was exacerbated by firmware issues related to Wi-Fi driver integration causing lower than expected stock as well as intentionally limiting the phone to online sales and sales through dedicated Microsoft stores, causing more stress for those that purchased the phone and had to file returns for the faulty hardware.

All of those issues came to a head earlier this year when rumors started circulating that Dell would indeed abandon smartphone sales in the US, which was subsequently confirmed after an initial denial and shift to the Chinese market, with the expectation that the Chinese market would have proven less competitive  and more profitable, which did not turn out to be the case.

Now, the company looks to be refocusing on Windows tablets with the push for 8/RT with the XPS10, XPS12 and Latitude 10 though whether the tablets will aid Dell in its long-running and so far unsuccessful “transformation” initiative remains to be seen, as the reception to both Windows 8 and RT have proven to be less popular than expected by either OEMs or Microsoft.

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ZTE Render is available on US Cellular with Windows Phone 7.5

The timing seems a bit odd, but here it is, the ZTE Render is available on US Cellular. The Render is also known as the ZTE Orbit, which was announced way back in February.

For $179 on a two-year agreement before a mail-in $100 rebate, you get an understated design with a 4-inch WVGA screen, 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S1 (MSM7627A) processor, 5MP auto-focus camera, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of storage and Windows Phone 7.5 Tango. 7.5 Tango?

Yes, you read that right. US Cellular is launching this phone just in time for Windows Phone 8.  With the new Windows Phone OS around the corner, and US Cellular’s otherwise excellent line-up, it is difficult to grasp the timing for the ZTE Render.  It will complement their only other Windows Phone device, the sliding QWERTY HTC 7 Pro by offering a touch-screen only option.

Of course, we must not overlook that Windows Phone 7.8 upgrades will be coming to existing Tango devices, so these handsets will still have support down the road and not be completely out of date.  Based on the specs of the device, the pricing appears a bit too aggressive, but not completely unaffordable. For those US Cellular customers that want a touchscreen only Windows Phone, they now have that choice.

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Logitech Keyboard for iPad

Those who live and die by color coordination can breathe a bit easier today, as Logitech has introduced its Ultrathin Keyboard Cover for the iPad in white. Like the black model, the accessory operates via Bluetooth and features a battery that's said to provide up to six months worth of go time -- a statistic that's based on two hours of usage per day. You can expect to coat your very own white keyboard with a layer of grime in short order: it's currently available for pre-order on Logitech's website for $100 and is said to hit Apple retail stores later this month.

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HTC One X+ Leaked

For the second time, we're seeing specs leak out from what would no doubt be HTC's flagship phone, the One X+, but this time there's a lot more detail. An anonymous XDA developer called @Football4PDA, who has shown reliable form in the past by outing the HTC Accord Windows Phone, has tweeted the impressive specs for the possible HTC One X successor. He claims that the phone will be about 134 x 70 x 9.3 mm in size, weight in at 129 grams and pack the new Tegra 3+ AP37 1.6GHz quad-core / 1.7GHz single-core processor with 1GB of RAM and a 32GB ROM. The tipster also said it'll be skinned with HTC Sense 4.5 on top of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, while still sporting the rather anemic One X 1800mAH battery. Naturally, a tweet out of the blue accompanied by no other proof shouldn't be taken as gospel, but it does reinforce another recent leak regarding the high-end device. Either way, we'll probably find out at HTC's big event on September 19th.

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