Apple Maps, uneventful due to internal problems

Add to Flipboard Magazine.

iOS 8 has many interesting developments, perhaps one of the most anticipated was Maps, however, nothing has changed since iOS7. Besides the new APIs and some developments in China, Maps in iOS 8 are the same as always. Why?, if it is precisely the aspect of iOS that has received more criticism from the user community.

Not to be pessimistic with improvements to the maps, but Apple could do it better

Apparently, Cupertino had planned to present improvements, but a series of unfortunate coincidences have finally decided not to present anything. Many developers left the company, the related projects were planned poorly and developers who remained had to be changing too often project. Says one source in TechCrunch.

See if purchase of the Spotsetter App, help change that and we can see all the latest in fall.

Students at Columbia University created a system to run iOS apps on Android

Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Six students of Columbia University in the United States have developed Cider, a system that lets you run Android apps on iOS. How we hear. Performance is not exactly great, but as proof of concept, get a compatibility layer between these operating systems is undoubtedly a singular feat. 

Cider is an architecture that modifies Android to mimic the application binary interface of iOS allowing it to run their binaries. For this, the new combination of techniques for compatibility between the two mechanisms that are used include: adaptation code at compile time and diplomatic functions. The first reduces the effort required to support multiple binary interfaces (iOS apps, and the Android), while the second allows iOS apps to access the Android libraries and interfaces of hardware and software. 

Looks complicated because it is. No talk of using a virtual machine, but something even more transparent at all levels, convincing the code of iOS apps that are running on the Apple XNU kernel instead Linux kernel of Android. Attentive to sample video done with a Nexus 7 tablet which runs Cider iOS apps like Yelp or iBooks. Yes, slow, but more or less functional. 



Note that at the moment it is only a prototype and its implementation is incomplete. The authors point out that today's phones and tablets equipped with many features that hope to use Android (including GPS, camera, Bluetooth, etc ...) that are not supported by Cider.

The students plan to continue their research and further develop Cider, but if you use Android and expect to download iOS apps shortly, better go saving for the iPhone 6. As the research project is great, but considering that the only official source for downloading apps is the App Store, how long do you think it will take Apple in iOS modify and / or Xcode to introduce additional security measures? And not to mention the army of lawyers eager to war.

Sales of the Spanish Apple Store increase in 2013

Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Apple are in luck these days. A few days ago we talked about the increases in the Apple Store in the world and the great customer satisfaction with their products, today we find good news at the national level: the spanish Apple Stores sales have rocketed.

Speaking in purely economic data, Apple Retail Spain is the company that manages the Apple Store in Spain turnover in the financial last year 213 million Euros, representing an increase of 49% compared with the previous year.

The reasons for this rise in sales is clear: the new iPhone and iPad launches have worked very well in the general public and Macs still have very stable numbers growing as the time of year where we are. Hopefully this means increased revenues by opening new Apple Store in Spain, as expected except the "Puerta del Sol" have not had many more developments in this field.

Apple purchases 24 companies in 18 months

Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Another important data revealed by Tim Cook during the presentation of financial results has been the number of companies that Apple has purchased in the last 18 months. This figure is 24 and only some of which have been disclosed. 

Thus, purchases of PrimeSense, Burstly or HopStop would join others that have not yet been disclosed but Apple would help in the development and improvement of both current and future products that are coming. In addition, the CEO himself pointed out that 15 of them were strategic acquisitions in 2014 and will produce additional.

How to take advantage of the talent and technology of each of the acquired companies, it is in some cases easier to intuit. For example, should improve Burstly Xcode while HopStop offer new services and improvements in products like iOS 8 and their maps. Then PrimeSense would bring gesture control to AppleTV (although that is speculated). 


One way or another, Apple remains committed to research and development, expanding their teams with talented people. Do you have more desire to Keynote and you discover what we have prepared the company for this 2014 now? 

Rumor: possibilities for Preview and TextEdit

Add to Flipboard Magazine.

At the launch of iOS and iCloud, its goal was to merge this experience in Mac OSX, to make a more efficient synchronization between devices. After three years of its introduction, Apple continues to improve its functionality. The company is working on a couple new app, as well as improving existing providing app developers to create apps compatible with working iCloud-iWork.

Apple is developing versions of Preview and TextEdit for Mac OSX system, which have been optimized for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. These new features would aim to eliminate the need to use PDF as previewing documents, creating their own Standard. 

In short, developers would be encouraged to build the app with this structure in order to synchronize all the functionality without the need for third-party apps. Imbue TextEdit and Preview app in iWork to work together to both iOS and Mac OSX.

Is still at an early stage of development, and can be considered to launch later this year. It is possible that the way is displayed in the new presentation of iOS 8 which is expected for June 2 at WWDC 2014.

Facebook for iOS updated with improvements for reviews and news

Add to Flipboard Magazine.
Facebook App has been updated to version 9.0 for iOS. The new application version brings exciting new features, but the best is what is to come, as promise from the offices of this social network.

Facebook brings new and good news. The latest update of the app on iOS has already come to the Apple Store and comes loaded with new features. In particular there are three new features in Facebook 9.0, but some other developments are coming in the near future.

Facebook 9.0 now allows us to respond directly to comments on pages that have enabled the feature, without being outstanding. In addition, group administrators will review, approve and deny more easily new content posted by members. Finally, in its version for iPad Now we see post on the most current issues or trendings topics. One way to approach the mechanics of Facebook Pages.

But perhaps the most interesting of Facebook 9.0 is what is coming. The company recently announced it will add the "close friends" that work similarly to "Find Friends" iPhone but with your Facebook friends feature. This feature would be available for Facebook 9.0 within weeks but only in the USA, so the rest of the world will have to wait a little longer.

iOS could integrate Shazam among its services

Add to Flipboard Magazine.
Rumors have risen around iTunes, Siri and iOS 8: Is Apple preparing to integrate a similar service Shazam on your operating system? So say sources close to the project and have decided to remain anonymous.

Until recently talked about Siri is lagging behind in terms of performance, Apple is not willing to let this happen easily. According to the latest rumors (Bloomerang) the company would be willing to add some kind of service similar to Shazam on iOS, and it could be announced at WWDC 2014.

They claim in the publication, several sources related to the project (do not want to be identified) have discussed the existence of this function in development. This would of application being developed with the help of Shazam Entertainment's own, who is collaborating with technology stored in his company, to meet an interesting trade agreement between the two.

The function, as mentioned, could be presented at the next WWDC. The data suggest that this would come in Shazam on iOS iOS 8 and will not be available before. The integration of this function would be very similar to other services such as Twitter or Facebook, to maximize your comfort.

We know that Apple is one of the companies that invest more money in the music industry, not only in the development of platforms as powerful as iTunes but throughout the technology behind the algorithms of identification and labeling songs. This measure could serve as an additional feature and very interesting to Siri.