Apple’s Siri Vs. Google’s Now : The showdown

The war between Apple and Google for a very good share in the smart phone market is no more news to those who are Tech savvy or at least care about devices they spend so much on.

(-_-)—-O O—-(-_-)

Recently Google released the 4.1 update of the Android OS nicknamed ‘Jelly Bean’ (I don’t really know why they name things this way…. #Illuminati (˘̯˘ ) ) and Apple introduced the iOS 5. They both have a very innovative feature which allows users to do a voice search right on their device (People like me can now search for  ‘Shokolobangoshe’ ‘Sokoti Alagbede orun’ abbl \\(^_^)// )

So Google named theirs ‘Now’ and Apple named theirs ‘Siri’ (Do you know the meaning of this? No? me neither. #Illuminati -_-), so the main purpose of this feature is suppose to make things easier for the ‘searcher’ or the ‘searchee’ (Is ‘searchee’ even a real word? We delve further -__- )

So the people at PCworld.com decided to put both of them to the test, just to know who delivered on this promise more perfectly. The video below shows:

Just in case you can’t view the video here is an excerpt of it [from PCworld.com]:

Question 1: “Where Is the Empire State Building?”

Empire state of mind 😀

Siri seemed to have trouble understanding this question, while Jelly Bean produced a map that gave us the address of the Empire State Building in New York. For now, Android has the upper hand when it comes to locating famous buildings.

Winner: Android Jelly Bean

Question 2: “Will I Need an Umbrella on Sunday?”

Err…

The first few times we asked this question, Siri gave us directions to the nearest department stores. We believe that it may have been trying to point us to places that sold umbrellas, rather than answering our weather question.

When Siri finally realized that we were asking about the weather, it informed us that it could not predict what the weather would be on Sunday, and showed us a graphic displaying the local weather forecast for the next five days. Android told us that we wouldn’t need an umbrella on Sunday, and also produced a five-day forecast.

Winner: Android Jelly Bean

Question 3: “Show Me Pictures of Mount Rushmore”

Rushmore

Android automatically brought up a small grid of images, while Siri asked if we wanted to perform a Web search. Siri finally showed us what we had asked for, but it required an extra step.

Winner: Android Jelly Bean

Question 4: “Where Can I Get a Taco Around Here?”

Yum

Siri, which pulls its results from Yelp, brought up 20 restaurants in the area that had tacos on the menu. Android presented a map of places that served tacos, but only one establishment was nearby; the rest were spread throughout the city. We have to hand it to Siri on this one, due to the number of results and owing to how close they were to our approximate location.

Winner: Apple Siri

Question 5: “What’s the Capital of Canada?”

Is it Ottawa or Columbia?

Both phones came up with an answer, but Android was faster at fetching a result.

Winner: Android Jelly Bean

………………………………………..

They asked more and more questions, but my aim is not to bore you *coughs*, so You can view the rest here, if you are interested in finding out more.

So what are your thoughts on this fierce war raging between Google and Apple on the smartphone scene, please leave a comment down there 😀

N.B: Please check out also polls here

*logs off*

Chrome OS on the Move

Chrome OS

Google’s Chrome operating system for netbooks has been in the works for a while, but the company finally seems ready for a May launch. The company launched a stable developer channel for Chrome OS last week, fueling speculation that devices with the software would be announced in May at Google I/O conference, possibly shipping by summer, as the company previously promised.

Google Chrome OS debuted almost two years ago and is an open-source operating system geared towards netbooks — the hottest-selling computers until the iPad arrived. After some delays, Google said Chrome OS devices would hit store shelves by mid-2011, a deadline rapidly approaching.

Some had a chance to test Chrome OS for the past few months via Google’s ownCR48 Chrome netbook, a hardware and software developer testbed before the arrival of mass-produced third-party hardware. The CR48 has a has a 12.1-inch screen, a full keyboard, an oversized touchpad, world-mode 3G, 802.11 Wi-Fi, a Web cam and eight hours of active battery life.

Reviewing Chrome OS and the CR48 laptop, PCWorld‘s Edward Albro wrote “I don’t expect using the Chrome OS to be a revolutionary experience. Instead, it feels a bit more like working with one hand tied to your side — it’s possible, but awkward.” He notes, however, some advantages of Chrome OS versus netbooks running Windows, such as 15-second boot, longer battery life, and simplicity.

But with the iPad probably the hottest consumer device right now, do Chrome OS netbooks stand a chance? They could, if the price is lower: for example, Asus is rumored to launch a sub-$250 Chrome netbook, targeted for people who want to use basic productivity applications or browse the Web. That’s almost half the starting price of an iPad, and could be a tempting proposition for customers.

Meanwhile, Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo, and Toshiba, original Google partners for Chrome OS, have yet to announce any products, let alone pricing and availability, for any netbooks running the browser-centric OS.

Brought to you courtesy of

PC World

A Whole New Tablets War [iPad 2, Galaxy, Xoom, Playbook, TouchPad]

This detailed comparison will help in your decisions on which tablet will meet your specific need, or in your decisions on which gift to get for your family/friends, this is courtesy of PCWorld.com

 

iPad2, Xoom, Playbook, TouchPad, Galaxy Tab

So the choice is yours, even as the war rages on 🙂 , feel free to drop a comment.

iPad 2 [Latest Rumours]

iPad 2

With Apple’s iPad 2 event less than 48 hours away, the rumor mill is spinning faster than ever. What’s the wisdom of the Web predicting? A thinner, lighter iPad with at least one camera and beefier hardware.

The consensus is that iPad 2 will be more of an evolution than a revolution from the original iPad, of which Apple has sold more than 15 million.

As usual, Apple has been disciplined about not releasing any information before their big press event. That has led the Web to spend much of its time digging, speculating and daydreaming about what may be coming. Some of the rumors make more sense than others, but as always, you should take them with a pinch of salt.

A thinner and lighter iPad 2 is almost a sure bet. Apple likes to shave the fat off its mobile devices with every iteration, and with complaints that the iPad can be too heavy when held up for a longer time, a more svelte iPad 2 is very likely. Also, brace yourself, as there might be a white version of the iPad 2 as well (though given that the company still hasn’t managed to ship a white iPhone, a white iPad may be too much to hope for).

The iPad 2 could also have a slightly thinner screen bezel, though the screen is likely to remain unchanged at 9.7-inches. A flat back design and larger, stereo speakers are also very likely developments for the iPad 2. Despite previous rumors, the consensus seems to be that there won’t be a Retina display on the iPad 2, but rather a screen that matches the original iPad’s 1024×768 resolution.

iPad 1

It’s very likely Apple will integrate a front-facing camera on the iPad 2 so users can do video chats. But opinions are split over whether we will see a camera on the back too. Other likely hardware changes include a faster A5 dual-core processor and 512MB or 1GB of RAM, as well as a dual-mode GSM CDMA chip inside the 3G iPad 2. The original iPad has a 1GHz A4 processor and 256MB of RAM.

Read full story here

 

 

App Store Wars (Google Vs. Apple)

iPad

A mere day after Apple met with lukewarm reaction to a subscription model for media apps for the iPhone and iPad, Google announced a rival approach it says will put more money in the pockets of publishers, and will work across the web and on mobile apps — a one-login system to rule them all.

Google’s One Pass system promises to let publishers set up an easy subscription and paywall system so that a user who buys a subscription via their desktop browser can access the same content on a mobile phone browser or in the publication’s apps. Readers will login via their Google account and pay via Google Checkout.

The announcement is clearly Google’s answer to

Apple’s subscription offering — and as usual Google is competing by being more open than Apple.

Google is also setting up a clear choice for publishers — go with something that works for just the popular iPhone and iPad at a steep price (30% of a subscription bought through an app), or go with a system that works for the web and apps, regardless of what device a reader is using, at a much lower price (somewhere in the range of 10%, according to a company spokeswoman).

Many digital publishers see readers new found willingness to pay for mobile phone and tablet apps as a way to actually charge for content in the internet age, counteracting the decline of revenue that many traditional publications have faced in an age where readers expect and get content free on the web.

Read fully here

 

Apple Patents Anti-Sexting Device

Today the US Patent and Trademark Office approved a patent Apple filed in 2008, which, get this, prevents users from sending or receiving “objectionable” text messages.  The patent’s official title? “Text-based communication control for personal communication device” which actually doesn’t use the pretty ridiculous noun/verb“Sexting,” but come on, we all know what they mean.

The “Sexting” patent background info states that the problem it solves is that there is currently “No way to monitor and control text communications to make them user appropriate. For example, users such as children may send or receive messages (intentionally or not) with parentally objectionable language.”

And the patent itself:

In one embodiment, the control application includes a parental control application. The parental control application evaluates whether or not the communication contains approved text based on, for example, objective ratings criteria or a user’s age or grade level, and, if unauthorized, prevents such text from being included in the text-based communication.

If the control contains unauthorized text, the control application may alert the user, the administrator or other designated individuals of the presence of such text. The control application may require the user to replace the unauthorized text or may automatically delete the text or the entire communication.

Ladies and gentlemen this means that Jobs and company have just sealed the deal on a solution to the number one fear of parents across America, kids sending “unauthorized texts.” As it looks like whatever algorithm or control the system is comprised of will basically censor the transmission of R-rated content on iPhones, is this the first sign of the end of “Sexting” as we know it?

Yes and no, as those interesting in “Sexting” will probably find some clever workaround to express how much they want to bang, screw, hit it or a myriad of other words that don’t immediately set off the censorship sensors.

On a positive note, it looks like whatever it is preventing kids from sending salacious texts will also help them learn languages, just not the perverted words.

By Alexia Tsotsis of techCrunch

And courtesy of e-Sacarsm “What Steve Jobs must have been like as a Kid!”

What is your favorite Browser? Find out Here

Browser Wars

Of all the software on your PC, the Web browser may be the most important tool you use each day–but you may not give it much thought. The difference between a merely good browser and a great one, however, can be vast. The best browsers are those that stay out of your way: When you’re in the right browser, you feel as though you’re alone with your favorite site. The browser loads pages quickly, without crashing, and it can deftly handle any Web page you visit without prompting you to do anything extra.

But there’s more to a browser than just that. To satisfy power users, it must support a multitude of add-ons and extensions. It must be customizable. And to protect you online, it should do a good job of catching and blocking potential security threats–such as phishing or cross-site scripting attacks–and be resistant to malware.

We put the top five browsers—Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Safari, and Opera–through an exhaustive set of lab-based tests and subjective examinations to see exactly how they stack up in terms of interface, security, extras, and speed.

User Interface

Browser interfaces all follow the same basic formula. Within those constraints, though, browsers exhibit some notable differences.

First off, you can tell quite a bit about a company’s approach to product development just by its browser interfaces. Apple’s Safari has a fair amount of fit and finish, for example. Google’s Chrome is spartan and unadorned, and Mozilla’s Firefox interface is usable but feels dated compared with newer competitors.

Slim is in. Most browsers now sport more-streamlined looks, with fewer, narrower toolbars–and in many cases on Windows, no menu bar to speak of. This sort of layout typically works well, since it usually includes a couple of drop-down menus in the toolbar that give you easy access to the browser’s features.

Firefox, Chrome, and Opera all let you apply different skins to the toolbars. Generally I find it pretty simple to locate and change skins in each of these browsers. Google, for instance, has an online repository that lets you browse and apply themes for Chrome. Mozilla has a similar site for Firefox. One nifty part of Firefox’s skins feature–called Personas–is that you can “try on” any of the skins simply by mousing over the thumbnails on the Personas site. In Opera, meanwhile, you browse themes from within a control pane in the app itself; that works okay, but the pane isn’t quite as easy to browse as the Chrome and Firefox skins galleries are.

We based our evaluation here on the ease of use, polish, flexibility, and layout of each browser’s interface. We also looked at whether the interface got in the user’s way too much, or whether it allowed Websites to take center stage.

In all, I vote for Google Chrome, because of simplicity of use and speed, what about you? let me know your vote, i think it counts.

Read more here: pcworld.com

Check Out all the latest Apple’s iPad wannabes

Android Tablet

The Android tablets are coming! Actually, some are already here, but a wider selection of Apple iPad-like slates will have arrived by early next year. So what can we expect? The range of business-friendly tablets, many with powerful video and communications tools, will surprise you.

Blackberry's BlackPad

Despite growing competition from Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Android platforms, Research In Motion (RIM) reigns supreme in the U.S. smartphone market. Its market share tops 40 percent, and it’s shipped more than 100 million BlackBerry devices. RIM’s new BlackBerry 6 operating system and rumored Bold 9800 handset will likely debut on Tuesday at a media even in New York City. And the company’s a major player internationally too.

RIM’s lacking in the tablet department, however. Apple’s iPad is a proven hit, and a varied assortment of Google Android-based slates will arrive before the end of the year. But RIM may be gearing up to launch its own tablet in November. According to a recent Bloomberg report, the device will be called the “BlackPad,” feature iPad-like dimensions (including a 9.7-inch screen), and sport Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless connectivity.

The competition is really becoming high and hotter in the tablet PC market and Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs has to watch is back on this. The race for a market share is getting tougher, with iPad of course the most dominant at the moment, but for me I think the eventual winner will be determined by the experience that each device delivers to the consumers and not necessarily the pricing. So let me know what you think, and what you think the trend will be like…………..leave a comment

Source: Pcworld