Yesterday some developers who have access to Apple’s beta applications started showing some videos of how well Apple’s upcoming iTunes Match service will work. It is one of those ideas that are brilliantly simple, yet one does not know how Apple pulled it off.

iTunes Match works like this – you have your music library (which you might have gotten very various sources, they do not all have to be purchased through iTunes), and then Apple goes and scans your library. Once Apple has these tracks it matches it to their massive iTunes catalogue, and then makes that catalogue available to your from any of your other authorized machines with iTunes, and all your authorized iOS devices like iPod, iPhone and iPad.

The other great part is that once the library is scanned it does not go along and upload all those gigs of music – the matching service makes iTunes 256kpbs AAC files available to download on the other devices. Have some bad 96kpbs track you ripped a long time ago? You can now get the “matched” file with iTunes match in good quality.

(more…)

If you think about it, Windows’s file explorer view has not changed much in the last decade – sure, the File, Edit, View menu has been done away with in Windows 7, but the user is still overly reliant on the right click mouse command. But with all the focus on touch based interfaces, the right click command needs to start taking a backseat in future Windows releases. Microsoft is focussing a lot on making Windows 8 a lot more touch friendly, and it is not all about their Metro based interface.

Going forward, all Windows Explorer windows will carry a Ribbon bar with the most popular file handling commands placed in the tabs we have gotten used to in Microsoft Office. Microsoft quite obviously states that drop down menus do not work well in touch environments, yet there is still quite a few commands in the Ribbon bar that relies on drop-downs. What gives Microsoft? But if you are not going to use Windows 8 on a touch device (we first have to wait to see a Beta which shows off the touch aspects more), you can hide the Ribbon bar.

Microsoft also shows off a few new ways in which traditionally difficult tasks are made a lot easier on Windows 8. (more…)

We are all very quick to write off Nokia with recent developments in the smartphone wars. Sure, its Symbian operating system is getting very old (yet Nokia still keeps rolling them out), and we are still to see the first Windows Phone 7 Nokia phone, despite the deal being announced quite a while back now.

But take a look at this infographic which puts things in context. Despite Apple now being the worlds most profitable phone manufacturer, there is still some growth going on for Nokia – look at click through rate for ads from the devices. It might persuade a few developers to build decent freemium apps…

Now Nokia, if only you can get a move on with that Mango handset. Your hardware sure is good enough.

(more…)

The iPhone is not exactly a niche product anymore, and especially not in SA. While not close to the popularity of Blackberry, SA developers are not ignoring iPhone. There is clearly a market to develop for South African iPhone users, and there has been a lot of apps released in recent times. We thought it might be time to list our favourite “Made in South Africa / for South Africans” apps. It should be pointed out that many of these apps are available on other smartphone platforms as well.

News 24: Yeah, we are not starting off with the little guy. News24′s app has been out almost ever since the first iPhones appeared on our shores, and the app has had quite a few updates. While sometimes buggy, it is still one of the first apps to recommend to someone fresh to iPhone. It is versatile as well – you do not have to only read news – it can be customized to have your favorite sections of the 24.com empire right within one touch. For example – I like having Fin24 and Wheels24 links on the bottom of my News24 install. (more…)

Every now and then I get reminded why Google are so successful at what they do – and I am not talking about advertising now. Their search algorithm is brilliantly complicated, and is the number one choice for web searches. The best part of this algorithm is that is is almost always in a state of change, a flux if you will.

Google has put together this video to give us a first hand look at how quickly they make changes to how search queries are interpreted, and how these search results are tested. One very interesting example is how they changed their way of handling misspelled words – you might remember in the past misspelled words were searched as is, and then the user was just reminded that the word might be wrongly spelt. These days it automatically searches the correct spelling first, with an “escape hatch” to confirm the misspelled word. This is just one of the changes Google has made.

Take a look at the video – the part I like most is that the Google engineers still say they understand users have choice of what browser to use. Who would have thought Google employees still told themselves that… Refreshing.

PS: That is a lot of Apple Macs in a Google meeting room...

In the tablet market it is pretty tough going for anybody except Apple. What if you want a tablet that is not the same as everyone else’s? Sure you can go for Samsung’s Galaxy Tab, but I can guarantee you in a year from now you will see Android tabs everywhere. Or what if you are a Blackberry fan – and there are a lot of you out there… SA customers now have another choice.

Good news – Vodacom today announced that the BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet is now available in South Africa from their stores.

The BlackBerry PlayBook does have some great features and is quite a bit smaller than the iPad – and it is made to work hand in hand with your Blackberry. Simply fire up Bluetooth, and all your mail and BIS related data services can be used on the Playbook.

The BlackBerry PlayBook will come in three Wi-Fi® models, featuring 16 GB, 32 GB or 64 GB of memory storage.

“We’re very excited to make the BlackBerry PlayBook available to customers.  It is available today at Vodacom World in Johannesburg and will be available from participating stores nationwide from 29 August 2011,” says Vodacom’s Managing Executive – Sales, Zunaid Dinath. “With its set of features, portability and power, the BlackBerry PlayBook is an ideal companion for busy people on the move.”

Says Craige Fleischer, Regional Director for Southern Africa at RIM: “We’re pleased to bring South African customers an innovative and truly portable tablet which delivers uncompromised performance and a fantastic mobile experience for both consumers and business users. With its exceptional multimedia and Web functionality, as well as its support for true multitasking, this is the tablet that discerning users have been waiting for.”

As a bonus Vodacom is bundling all Playbook’s with G-Connect vouchers so you can use them at Mugg and Bean’s countrywide. My advice – use the Bluetooth connection with your Blackberry instead.

Vodacom’s new mobile applications store will go live in September 2011. Vodacom Apps will feature a catalogue of over 140,000 applications powered by Appia, one of the world’s largest open application marketplaces.  This event marks the launch of what Vodacom believes will be an entirely new local South African mobile application ecosystem, complete with the development of homegrown talent and revenue opportunities. (Ed: Though Vodacom – you know the idea is not new… right?)

Vodacom Apps will support major mobile platforms including Android, Blackberry, Java, Symbian and Windows Mobile, making it relevant for the vast majority of data capable cellphones and smartphones.  The store will feature a wide variety of apps in various categories such as games, travel and entertainment, business and professional, work and school, and phone tools.

Pieter Uys, Vodacom Chief Executive Officer said:

“The launch of this app store is just the beginning. We’re building an entire community that will supply home-grown apps relevant to the South African environment. With all the talent available in this country there’s no reason we can’t create our own application industry. The great part about this store is that it caters for so many users – in fact, more than 10 million cellphones on our network can run at least Java apps.”

Vodacom Apps users will be able to download free apps, for which standard data charges will apply. In the near future, Vodacom will introduce paid-for apps which customers can pay for using their airtime account.  This means that all Vodacom customers can use the store without the need for a credit or debit card.

All Vodacom customers who wish to access Vodacom Apps can do so from 1 September by simply visiting http://vodacom.mobi/apps on their cellphones or from the Apps feature on Vodafone live! – take note this will not replace existing app stores on devices.

“Vodacom’s commitment to supporting and further developing the South African apps market is being taken a step further today through an extensive Vodacom Developer Programme, launched in conjunction with the Vodacom Apps store,” Uys added.

The Vodacom Developer Programme will provide the developer community with technical and commercial support, including training, workshops and innovation incentives over the coming months. This will further stimulate the local development of apps by allowing developers to upload their own developed applications and generate revenue from this.

Nintendo is releasing a new Wii Bundle for the upcoming holiday sales (is it really that time already?), which includes a newly configured Wii Console and includes the Wii Sports and Wii Party games.

Wii Party continues the “mini-game” idea of Wii Sports, and is ideal for quick arcade style gaming sessions which encourage group game playing. One interesting game is Hide ‘n Hunt:

“Compete or co-operate in 13 different game modes and, for the first time, take the action out of the television screen as the House Party mode turns your living room into a pivotal part of the game play. For example, search under the sofa or behind the bookcase for the hidden Wii Remote controllers in the Hide ‘n’ Hunt game or be careful not to be the last player holding the Wii Remote in Time Bomb. Wii Party also includes Pair Games and Party Games modes – both of which keep the varied challenges coming thick and fast as you play with fellow friends and family.”

Also included in this bundle is the original Wii classic, Wii Sports, offering five distinct sports experiences which make use of the motion controls enabled by the Wii Remote. Swing the controller like a racket in Tennis, and grip it like a bat for swatting fastballs out of the park in Baseball. In Golf, you’ll tee up and hold the controller like a golf club and swing naturally to guide the ball onto the green. While in Bowling, raise the Wii Remote and swing your arm to roll the ball, and in Boxing use the Nunchuk controller as one glove and the Wii Remote as the other to dodge, weave and punch your opponents.

This new Wii bundle not only offers great value to South African fans, but introduces a streamlined Wii console with a slightly altered configuration, which is designed to sit horizontally, rather than vertically. Maybe some Wii’s have been tipping over? Truth be told, we prefer it this way.

The new Wii bundle launches across South Africa this Spring and includes the newly configured Wii console in white, a Wii Remote Plus controller, Nunchuk, and copies of Wii Sports and Wii Party. A number of other Wii bundles will be announced this season all offering great value. Watch this space!