Gadget and Techno Updates
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Comcast’s Xfinity TV iOS app gets more shows, favorites
Mar 28th
Comcast on Friday rolled out a new update to the Xfinity TV iOS app (free, App Store) to bolster its on-demand streaming and remote control features. The app now has more overall shows and includes content from majors such as the Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim and the BBC. Viewers can now mark channels as favorites and get a custom channel listing dedicated just to frequently watched networks.
Other improvements bring an easier to use virtual keypad and viewing the schedule by a specific date. A channel history to let users flip back to past channels is also now in the More >
iPad 2 estimated to cost no more than $326, less than Xoom
Mar 14th
Analysts have provided somewhat conflicting cost breakdowns for the iPad 2 that nonetheless both put the Motorola Xoom in a poor light. iSuppli said Apple’s tablet should cost $ 323.35 in raw parts for a 32GB, Verizon (EVDO) version or $ 326.60 for its AT&T (HSPA) equivalent. The HSPA version needs chipsets with Bluetooth, GPS and Wi-Fi separate from the Intel/Infineon cellular chip where the EVDO version uses an all-in-one Qualcomm chipset, much like in the Verizon iPhone.
Rivalling analyst group UBM TechInsights put the cost of a 3G version lower, at $ 270, though it didn’t say what capacity.
iSuppli More >
Popular developer claims Android more profitable than iOS
Mar 9th
Despite the broader reach of Apple’s App Store compared to the Android Market, some developers have reported more success selling apps on Google’s mobile platform. Spacetime Studios, a developer that offers popular apps through both avenues, claims that it consistently observed much higher user activity on Android.
The company’s Pocket Legends app, a MMO game, is said to be downloaded approximately 9,000 times each day on the Android Market, while the iOS counterpart only averages 3,000 to 4,000 daily downloads, according to a Computerworld report.
As expected, the download numbers equate to a significant difference in revenue from each platform. Android users More >
More Lion: Front Row, PowerPC axed
Feb 27th
More discoveries in Mac OS X Lion have shown Apple is cutting out two of its older implementations. The developer preview no longer has Front Row, Apple’s early answer to Windows Media Center. It had originally launched in sync with the last Power PC iMac, the iSight-equipped G5 model, and was a staple feature of early Intel-based Macs.
The motivation behind the drop hasn’t been specified, if permanent, but likely comes from its reduced demand and usefulness over more than five years. Apple began removing its IR remote as a standard feature in 2009, suggesting a lack of interest. The More >