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Jailbreak Saving ‘Semi-Restore’ Software Currently In The Works

May 17th, 2013
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Jailbreakers will know that the danger of restoring one’s iDevice is that iTunes will auto-upgrade the firmware on an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, potentially to an “un-jailbreakable” version of Apple’s mobile operating system. However, one forthcoming app for Windows, OS X, and Linux promises to allow users to perform a “semi-restore” on their iDevice – that is, to part-restore one’s iPhone or iPad without having iTunes upgrade to a newer version of the iOS.

The news reached us from iDownloadBlog, who explains:

That’s where a new app called Semi-Restore claims to be able to help. It will, according to its website, allow jailbroken users to refresh their devices with the firmware that’s currently on the device. For example, if you’re running iOS 6.1.2, you can clean the device and semi-restore to 6.1.2. It’s not a full restore, because doing so would force you to upgrade, but it might be the next best thing, especially if your device is having problems or is running slow.
From what we understand, Semi-Restore will not require SHSH blobs of AP tickets, and will only allow users to part-restore to their current firmware. Nevertheless, this could be an application that jailbreak fans will appreciate – especially those looking to wipe their iDevice clean without losing the ability to jailbreak it.

At the moment, Semi-Restore is said to be 60 percent complete. We’ll let you know once the application is available to download, and will keep you updated if any further news becomes available beforehand.

Source:http://appadvice.com/appnn/2013/05/jailbreak-saving-semi-restore-software-currently-in-the-works

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Amazon Kindle Fire HD Eating Into Apple’s iPad Profits For A Good Reason

November 23rd, 2012
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Just a few years ago Amazon, along with a few other companies, decided they wanted to take a bit of a risk and invest in eBooks. Since then the eBook market has literally exploded, and there are now a wide range of eReader available. Although Amazon’s Kindle line of eReaders aren’t the only decent eReaders on the market, it’s probably fair to say that they are the kings of the eReader category. So far we’ve also reviewed the Kindle Fire HD 8.9 and the Sony Reader. We also did a side by side comparison of the Kindle Fire HD versus the Apple iPad to give you an idea of the choices you have. It’s a big market out there for buyers now…just choose wisely and figure out exactly what you want your tablet to do for you.

However, Amazon have decided to go one step further now, and have tried to combine eReaders with tablets in their new Kindle Fire products. With the launch of the second wave of Kindle Fire products in September – the Kindle Fire HD range – Amazon are really pushing to break into the tablet eReader market. So let’s take a close look at the Kindle Fire HD, and see how it stands up as both an eReader and a tablet.

16GB And 32GB Storage Options: Compared to a standard eReader, one of the best things about the Kindle Fire HD is its much larger storage capacity. Even the smaller of the two options offers several times as much storage as any of the standard Kindles. That means you can store tens of thousands more books on the device.

And in terms of competing with other tablets, the larger storage capacity is more than adequate. Even the 16GB option can compete, but the 32GB option really slides this in alongside some tough tablet competition.

Tablet Features: As an eReader, the Kindle Fire is fairly unique for offering a suite of standard tablet features in addition to its capacities as an eReader. In fact, it’s more correct to say that as a tablet, the Kindle Fire also offers a suite of standard eReader features! These features include the touch-screen menu navigation system, downloadable applications, photo and video browsing, web surfing etc. These, together with the eReader functionality, make the Kindle Fire HD a great all-round product.

Amazon Prime: The Kindle Fire HD comes with a one month free trial of Amazon Prime – Amazon’s premium online shopping service that comes with a range of benefits. Not only does it grant you unlimited access to Amazon’s range of streaming film and TV content, as well as some streaming music, but it also gives you access to the free Kindle lending library that has over 180,000 books – including some recent best-sellers. You can borrow up to one book every month using this service.

As a device, the Kindle Fire HD has been built from the ground up to give you quick and easy access to the Amazon store, so if you’re an avid Amazon shopper this device should please you no end.

Front-Facing Camera: As a tablet, the Kindle Fire can utilize its front-facing camera for Skype video chat. If you’re buying this device primarily as an eReader, then this is a fantastic bonus. If you’re looking at the Kindle Fire HD as a tablet, then it’s an expected feature and allows the device to compete well with other rival products.

Touch Screen: Just like the Kindle Touch, the Kindle Fire HD is touch screen – offering multi-touch for up to ten simultaneous touches. This makes the Kindle Fire HD as modern as any rival tablet, and well ahead of most rival eReaders.

Image Quality: As the name suggests, the Kindle Fire HD has great image quality at HD resolutions. Everything on the screen looks crisp, sharp and bright, and colors are well balanced. Text looks really good on the screen – very fine and clean.

Speed: As tablets go, the Kindle Fire HD is pretty fast. Sure, it doesn’t compete with high-end devices so well, but it’s still good enough for the kind of work it’s designed to do.

Cloud Storage: Like the previous Kindle Fire, the Kindle Fire HD offers cloud storage for most all multimedia purchased through the Amazon store. You’ll also be able to store your eBooks online too, freeing up the on-board storage space for things like photos, movies and applications.

Charge Time: The Kindle Fire HD has an excellent charge time of around 4 hours, unless you are charging through a USB connection to a computer in which case it takes around 11 hours. The mains charging is, however, very fast by comparison to other tablets.

Battery Life: From a tablet standpoint, the Kindle Fire HD fares well with around 11 hours of use. This compares favorably with most other tablets on the market.

Ports: This tablet comes with a USB port and micro HDMI port, two essential features that are fast becoming standard for tablets. It’s great to have the option of USB connection, as well as the ability to connect out to an HDTV to watch your movies and view your photos on a big screen.

Sound: Unlike many tablets, the sound quality on the built-in speakers of the Kindle Fire HD is great, and it’s easily loud enough to make use of without any boosting software.

Counteracts Glare: One of the big problems faced by any portable device with a screen is visibility when used outdoors – especially in sunlight. The Kindle Fire HD does very well on this front, with adjustments made to compensate for glare automatically. This should keep the product usable in the majority of lighting conditions.

Text To Speech: One very useful feature on any eReader is text-to-speech, where the device is able to read any text to you out loud. The Kindle Fire HD does this very well, which is great for those with visual impairment, or those who just want to close their eyes for a bit as they enjoy a book.

Kindle Fire HD: The Cons

Backlit Display: As an eReader, the big failing of the Kindle Fire HD is the backlit display. Conventional eReaders try to move away from the kind of glare given off by a computer screen as you read from it, opting instead for a display that more closely resembles a page in a book.

Basically, the great strength of an eReader, and it’s suitability as a conventional book replacement, lies in the fact that the pages are not physically lit up from within. This avoids giving the user eyestrain and other uncomfortable visual experiences. The Kindle Fire HD has a screen like any other tablet or computer – one that is lit from within. This means it can give you eyestrain and so on, and makes it far less suitable for lengthy periods of reading.

However, it does come with new anti-glare technology that will make it easier on the eyes, especially when in bright lighting conditions, than standard tablet screens.

Weight: If you’re looking at this device for use as an eReader then you may be disappointed with the size and weight of the thing. It’s nearly double the weight of the other Kindles – a significant amount that definitely impacts the experience of holding the device in a position for reading.

Battery Life: While the battery life is good for a tablet, for an eReader it’s terrible. Most eReaders can go for weeks or even months of use on a single battery charge. The Kindle Fire HD only goes for 11 hours.

Adverts: The Kindle Fire HD is really cheap, but makes up for this by trying to sell Amazon stocked products to you at every available opportunity. For example, the lock screen displays only ads. To remove ads from the device, you have to pay an extra $15, which isn’t great.

No SD Card Slot: Unfortunately Amazon still haven’t thought to include an SD memory card slot on the device. It’s a shame, because these are very useful and are slowly becoming a standard inclusion on tablets.

Connectivity Issues: Some users have reported issues with Wi-Fi connectivity. Generally the connectivity behaves well, but sometimes it goes wrong and requires that you restart the device to fix the problem. This issue will probably be fixed in a software update, but it would be nice if it wasn’t there at all.

Crashes: A small number of users have been reporting occasional crashes when the device tries to open applications. This is annoying when it happens and needs to be addressed.

Laggy Interface: The interface on this tablet currently suffers from a bit of lag – something which the previous Kindle Fire did not. This is an important matter that needs to be dealt with promptly.

Is The Kindle Fire HD Worth Buying?

Overall, the Kindle Fire is worth buying as a cheap tablet that can double up as an eReader for occasional reading. However, if you’re primary interest is in a device for reading eBooks you’d be better off looking elsewhere as no tablet will offer you the kind of thing which the eyes really need from a product if they’ll be doing lots of reading.

To check out our reviews for all the major smart phones crowding the market, here’s what we’ve done. LG Optimus G, HTC One X, Samsung Galaxy S3, Samsung Galaxy Reverb, Asis Padfone 2, Nokia Lumia, iPhone 5, LG Escape and the Motorola Droid Razr Maxx for our Holiday Shop. We also put together a full guide which compared Apple’s iPhone 5 to everyone else and let you know which phone was right for you. I hate trying to wade through all the sites figuring out which one is more accurate so we put together this ten page guide make it easier for you readers.

Source:http://bestmoviesevernews.com/amazon-kindle-fire-hd-eating-into-apples-ipad-profits-for-a-good-reason/

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Is Apple killing software biz with iPhone, iPad and iOS? Part II: The ultimate revenge of Steve Jobs

November 21st, 2012
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Apple’s business model focuses on making a profit on hardware. Surprise – they have more in cash than the entire net worth of Amazon, which makes the rival Kindle tablet line.

Despite a recent drop in its stock price, Apple is also worth more than double Google, which makes nothing on hardware. In fact, Google may lose money on Nexus hardware. Their goal, of course, is to make that money back (and much more) in software and ‘soft’ services. To date, this strategy has failed – Android has cost more than it’s generated.

Similarly, Apple is worth more than double Microsoft as well. Microsoft licenses its Windows Phone 8 platform and has long made nearly all its money off software. Apple is not just worth more than Microsoft, Apple’s profits are greater as well. If software is eating the world, why isn’t it eating Apple’s profits?

Apple continues to grow: iPhone sales are growing, iPad sales are growing. Its competitors, meanwhile, scrounging to make profits elsewhere, have come to the realization that they must become hardware companies!

Google dropped $12 billion on Motorola. Amazon makes Kindle. I suspect Amazon will soon make their own smartphone line as well. Microsoft introduced the Surface tablet – hardware that they make. CEO Steve Ballmer has strongly suggested that the company will move further into hardware. In the past ten years, has this once great software company introduced any successful product other than the Xbox, hardware?

Is hardware now required to make money in software – at least in consumer markets? Let’s examine recent data points:

Google Android is responsible for 72% of last quarter’s smartphone sales – but Google refuses to give us solid numbers on what revenues those 120+ million devices are generating. A reading of their earnings statement suggests any revenues are relatively minor.
Android has an install base of 560 million devices. Last month, Google CEO Larry Page said “mobile” (not Android) had an annual run rate (from some unspecified time) of $8 billion. That’s revenues, not profits. If we delude ourselves into thinking that this is a legit number and all of it comes from Android, then Google is generating $14 per device per year. Not bad. Remember, though, that’s revenues, not profits. Apple is generating an estimated $300 – $500 on each new iPhone sold. Clearly, hardware is the better business.
Worse for Google, the money on software, services and content can only be realized where these are fully protected. Almost 90% of new smartphones sold in China use Android. These millions of devices, however, generate almost nothing for Google, Google Play, Google Maps, et al., due to China’s restrictions on Google and its services. I have to ask Larry Page: if Apple sells just 5 iPhones in China, say, or maybe 10, have they generated more profits in China than Google’s Android?
Amazon rival Netflix suggests that Amazon is losing close to a billion a year on its movie streaming service – which includes many free movies for Kindle customers. While Amazon will not verify this, we know Amazon’s profits are close to 0. Last quarter Amazon had a $28 million operating loss.
Why the persistent belief then that selling hardware at or below cost is the future? To date, it’s been a huge cost and with little end in sight. Both Google and Amazon continue to offer more and more free services to evermore demanding customers but the bottom line has not improved.

Exactly how much do Amazon and Google need to give away before Apple can no longer make a profit on hardware? Or is this a completely backwards notion of the reality of the market? Show me the money! If software is eating the world, than the world is an empty, zero calorie meal.

Perhaps everyone got it wrong – except Apple and Steve Jobs: make awesome hardware and people will pay good money for it. Make hardware as an after-thought, as a means to sell us streaming movies, for example, or to present more ads to click, and people will pay far less, and may care far less.

Is it possible the software business, instead of forcing Apple to adopt a different business model, has instead diminished itself?

Google gives away Android and works with vendors to make its flagship Nexus devices available at almost no profit margin. Then they offer me free email, free voice search, lots of free apps, a free voice number (in the US), free videoconferencing and more. If the way to make money was on the software and services, than Google would be earning a fortune on Android. They are not! It’s a cost center.

Cost centers are simply not sustainable.

Businesses focus on those areas where they generate revenues (and profits). For Apple that is hardware. For Amazon and Google it’s elsewhere. Is it any wonder then that Kindles aren’t as good as iPads? Is anyone surprised that customer satisfaction is higher for iPhone than any competing Android device?

Right now, only Apple and Samsung, two great hardware companies, are making any decent money on smartphones. Amazon has a PE of 3,000. It’s market value is built on promise, not profits. Google can’t seem to do enough to maintain its profit margins or the value of its once-sacred click. No wonder the company purchased Motorola, no wonder they are building fiber-based broadband service, no wonder they are in talks to partner with Dish on a nationwide (US) 4G network, and seem to be doing everything they can to make money outside of hardware. Only, its not working. Hardware is hard and making great hardware is near impossible.

Why should we believe that this will change anytime soon? Why believe that selling hardware at cost, or at a loss, will kill Apple and allow its competitors to rise up? The evidence has shown this to be false.

The focus on generating profits through software and services, making hardware a cost to be brought down, is fundamentally wrong. Apple keeps printing money. Nearly all that money comes from hardware and nearly all of that hardware is less than 5 years old. If not for Adwords, damn near a 20th century product, Google would have next to nothing.

Is this the final revenge of Steve Jobs?

Let’s dig even deeper. Perhaps the very notion that hardware is a cost and software is where the money is, is dying because software itself is dying. Or, if not dying, being utterly deconstructed. Again, thanks in large part to Steve Jobs.

Consider the iPhone and the iPad, particularly their progression. The very notion of an OS and software is almost non-existent. These devices are now merely a “pane of glass”. Everything we need from them becomes available with a swipe of the finger or, in the case of Siri, a voice command. Software, like the OS, has receded into the background – where people are unaware of it and don’t want to pay for it. It’s a utility. The focus is on the hardware and the human interaction with the hardware.

Software programs have been thoroughly deconstructed thanks to the introduction of the iPhone and the app and app store. Typically, apps are low-cost, highly focused bits of code designed to satisfy very specific and very timely user needs. There is no need for a massive Microsoft Word, for example. Rather, a “notes” app linked with a chart app and an email app will suffice. Can anyone even conceive of offering a $200 “office” software suit anymore? Not in a world where I can get iWork suite – across Apple devices – for $30.

We don’t need software, just give us apps. We don’t want a program, we want a function. True, sometimes we may want to ‘mash up’ many functions and in that case we rely on many different (low cost, function-specific) apps. In this new world, where an ‘app’ offers a specific function and we rely upon a variety of apps for a variety of functions, perhaps what becomes far more important than ‘software’ is the platform. A platform built on second rate hardware, designed as a means to some other end, may simply no longer be viable anymore. At least, not in today’s world when a super-advanced, slick Apple product, the iPad Mini, for example, can be had for $329. Remember just a few years ago that there was essentially nothing from Apple you could buy for under $1,000? Should anyone be surprised then that the whisper sales numbers for the new Windows 8 OS have been awful? Or that Google is generating more clicks but individual clicks are worth less than ever before?

The days of cheap hardware and ‘making it up’ on the software and content may be over. The real money is in hardware, hardware that people are willing to pay good money for upfront. If so, then we have just witnessed the ultimate revenge of Steve Jobs.

Source:http://www.unwiredview.com/2012/11/20/is-apple-killing-software-biz-with-iphone-ipad-and-ios-part-ii-the-ultimate-revenge-of-steve-jobs/

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