All the leaks are Wrong

'All The Leaks Are Wrong', iOS 7 Will Be 'Polarizing'

In episode 43 of The Talk Show, Daring Fireball's John Gruber reveals that he's heard from sources who say iOS 7 will be 'polarizing' and that 'all the leaks are wrong'.

As most of you know, iOS 7 is expected to move towards a flat design that has been described as 'black, white, and flat all over' by recent rumors.

Here's what Gruber had to say:

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Gruber: I know absolutely, almost absolutely, nothing. I don't think I've been this ignorant of what's coming software-wise for a keynote since the iPhone one back in 2007. Which is great. I'm super excited about it.
...
Gruber: The one thing I keep hearing over and over again from friends who would know. The one word I keep hearing is that some of the stuff they're gonna show is "polarizing".

Moltz: 'Flat'

Gruber: No polarizing.

Gruber: I also heard from somebody that just "all the leaks are wrong". Which is interesting. I have no idea what to make of it.
-----

You can listen to the podcast at the link below. The iOS talk starts at the nineteen minute mark.

Apple will unveil iOS 7 at WWDC 2013 on Monday, June 10th.

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Sony still has a lot to prove at E3 2013

Despite Microsoft's messaging missteps of late, E3 won't be an easy win for Sony. Here's what it needs to communicate next week.



Heading into E3, Sony has more to prove with the PlayStation 4 (PS4) than its console-making competition. Microsoft has already shown that, in its quest to take over your living room, the Xbox One will offer more than just upgraded graphics and a new controller. And for good or ill (ill, for now), Microsoft's used games and always-on plans are on the table and it can now mostly concentrate on wowing the public with games. Assuming it has public-wowable games, of course.
Nintendo is actually in that weirdly advantageous underdog position where anything you do that's seen as even remotely cool is going to cull excitement, or at the very least, compassion -- hopefully.
Sony, on the other hand, has yet to show what the system looks like and has not announced how it will deal with used games. Furthermore, it's yet to excite the mainstream nongaming public with any cool nongaming features. And, to be honest, Sony hasn't really shown many compelling games that won't also be available on the Xbox One.




However, there's an inherent advantage in entering the fray as a largely unknown quantity. With its main opponent's hand largely revealed, Sony has a huge opportunity to use Microsoft's announcements against it and its own silence to its advantage. Here's how I expect it'll do that.
Showcase the PS4's superior power
By most accounts, the PS4 has at least 33 percent more internal graphical horsepower than the Xbox One, thanks to higher-bandwidth RAM and a faster GPU.
Expect to see this native superiority endlessly touted at Sony's press conference and exemplified in its first-party game demos. Sony will want to demonstrate that the PS4 is capable of doing things with images the Xbox One can only dream of.
I'd actually like to see Sony make evident that this higher level of graphical fidelity can actually benefit storytelling, creating more immersive experiences. That's something Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima has been chasing for years and has maybe finally found.


The PS4 may be the best reason to buy a Vita
I don't currently own a Vita and had no plans on buying one, until the rumor that all PS4 games can be streamed directly to a Vita surfaced. Now that is appealing.
Especially for single-TV households like my own. If I'm in the middle of a particularly exciting Destiny match. but my wife wants to watch Netflix on our PS4, I can forgo doing something actually productive (that could result in an additional TV or possibly a larger house) and instead continue playing Destiny on my Vita.

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Eight changes I want to see in iOS 7

What Apple needs to do in iOS 7 is play a little catchup with other devices to bring some of Android's and Windows Phone's best features to iPhones, then add new features to give people more flexibility with the apps already on the device. There's no way of knowing whether Apple has new killer features or apps up its sleeve, but I have some ideas for improving the OS now to make it more attractive for current iPhone users and people in the market for a new smartphone.

A fancy new interface is not enough

The Home Screen hasn't changed much since the first iPhone in 2007, so it's definitely a good idea to refresh the look overall. I think it's starting to get a little boring, and from what I've read around the tech sites and in my comment threads, I'm not alone.

Beyond the flattening of buttons and modernizing the look, iOS 7 needs to give users some flexibility. I think there should also be customization options or themes you can switch in and out at will. Imagine being able to pick your color scheme so your iPhone screen looks different from your friends' screens. Sure, strictly aesthetic changes are superficial, but even without my themes idea, a new look would go a long way.

Still, if the new redesign is the only big news for iOS at WWDC, I think a lot of people are going to be disappointed, myself included.

Probably the biggest rumors are about a newly redesigned look with flattened buttons and interface elements, and a move away from the skeuomorphic design aesthetic (think of the "leather-bound" Find My Friends app) of the core Apple apps. But with Android and Windows Phone 8 continuing to bring new OS innovations to the latest devices, a redesign alone won't be enough to keep Apple in the game.

A new top tools screen

One of the most annoying things about iOS is digging through settings menus to do common tasks. Things like adjusting the brightness, toggling Bluetooth, and managing Wi-Fi connections require far too many taps. I think it needs an interface button (or slide-out menu) that brings these tools front and center. Not only that, but this new "top tools" screen needs to be customizable so you can add and remove the settings you use most. Some Android phones (depending on manufacturer) already have similar features, and all you need to do is swipe downward to get a bunch of quick tools for easy access. Apple desperately needs to make something similar for iPhones.

AirDrop and/or local sharing

We've all seen the Samsung TV commercials where Galaxy users tap their phones together to share a photo while iPhone users in line at an Apple store jealously look on. It may not be as big of a deal as the commercials make it out to be, but it would certainly be useful to have a quick local sharing button in iOS 7.

I envision a screen that shows you iPhone users nearby and a confirm button to add them to your sharing buddy list (both parties would need to accept, but only once). Once on your buddy list, you could quickly hit a button to share something immediately with a friend who is in your vicinity. We already have AirDrop in Mac OS X Lion that has a similar feel, but I think we need this functionality on iOS. And rumors point to this coming in iOS 7.

The other thing Apple Maps needs to address is street view. Google clearly dominates in this area and it's kind of the best show in town for street level (and in-store) exploration. Is it possible for Apple and Google to come together just to license Street View? I won't hold my breath, but Flyover views simply aren't cutting it, and multiple-step third-party apps like Streets are only passable alternatives when you have a separate Google Maps app already.

We need widgets

One of the most common complaints about the iPhone I hear from Android users is the lack of widgets in iOS. At first I was skeptical, but later realized widgets could be extremely useful if the feature is done right. I'm envisioning a left or right swipe from the (hopefully redesigned) notifications pull-down menu where you could pick from several useful widgets and put them in any order you want. From there you would just swipe down, then to the left to check sports scores or maybe you could quickly control your music as examples. These little apps would be bare bones as far as functionality, but would just give you the pertinent info you need at a glance. I'm no UI design expert, obviously, but if Apple can find a way to work in some useful widgets to give me easy access to important info, that would be great.

Custom lock screen

The iOS lock screen has been mostly the same since the iPhone was released. As it is, you can only check the time and date or open the camera without unlocking your iPhone. But it would be really cool if I could add any number of info modules that I wanted right on the lock screen. I recognize this is a little like the widgets section above, but if I could pick and choose things like weather, latest e-mail, and other useful information that only required me to wake up my iPhone without unlocking, that would be extremely convenient. I would hope Apple could use some of its legendary design sense to make it look elegant without being too busy, but I think a lot of people would be interested in getting more from a quick glance at the lock screen.

Can iOS 7 keep people excited?

It's going to be hard for Apple to get people excited about iPhone hardware in 2013 mostly because we are in an "S" year. In other words, Apple is due to release the iPhone 5S sometime this fall rather than the bigger upgrade to the iPhone 6 next year. So what iOS users like me (with a year left on contract) are left hoping for are big changes to the operating system that runs our hardware. With iOS 7, A redesigned interface is definitely a start, but it's clearly going to take a bit more to keep people excited about the iPhone when the competitors continue to improve and come out with new innovative features.

No matter what happens on Monday morning, I'll be there at the WWDC 2013 keynote ready to bring you the news of iOS 7 and see if it has enough new features to get Apple firmly back into the smartphone game.

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LG Optimus G Pro (unlocked)

Debuting at Mobile World Congress, the LG Optimus G Pro is a 5.5-inch device that will launch in Korea this month, followed by a North American release in Q2. The handset is actually LG's third crack at the phone/tablet hybrid niche, after its Optimus Vu and Vu II (the U.S. carrier, Verizon, released the former as the LG Intuition, which received a lukewarm response).

But this phone is more than just another attempt; it shows how the third time can indeed be a charm. Not only does it boast powerful quad-core specs, it also features the more common 16:9 aspect ratio (as opposed to the wonky 4:3 ratio its predecessor had) on a vivid touch screen. In both looks and performance, it's the closest any handset comes to rivaling the reigning king of phablets, the Galaxy Note 2.

Unfortunately, the G Pro lacks a stylus. Even the Vu had one, and Samsung developed its S Pen stylus specifically for the Note, which tucks into the handset and has its own tech to enhance productivity. The G Pro doesn't even have a simple analog stylus, and while this doesn't render the phone completely useless, it prevents the G Pro from usurping the Note 2 altogether.

Design
One of the first things I noticed about the LG Optimus G Pro was how thin it was. Though this keeps it lightweight for its size (at 6.2 ounces) and sleek, the slim 0.25-inch profile also made it feel too fragile and slightly cumbersome to navigate with one hand.


There were a lot of times when I used my thumb to tap something on one side of the screen only to have the bottom part of my thumb accidentally select and open something on the opposite side. To help with one-handed operation, LG did include some additional settings, like letting you adjust the keyboard or number pad to the left or right side.

Of course , what's most noticeable about the G pro is that 5.5-inch full HD IPS screen. it has a 1920x1,080- pixel resolution and 400ppi. It sports a 16:9 aspect ratio which is more standard on mobile phones than the Intuition "s 4:3 ratio..

Like most high-end LG handsets, its screen is bright and extremely responsive. I like how the display edges are similar to the Nexus 4's, in that it contours down toward the bezel. It has a wide viewing angle, and you can see images clearly in both indoor and outdoor lighting. Colors are vibrant, icons are sharp, and text looks crisp.



I also have to say that watching videos on this was really enjoyable, more so than on the Intuition. Having that much more real estate is a relief to the eyes, and it gave me a more encompassing and engrossing experience than those offered on smaller handsets.

I did see, however, that the whites on the screen had a slightly cold, blue-grayish tint to them. It's too subtle to notice at first, but when I compared it side by side with an iPhone, the tint was more apparent.

In addition, though the screen size is great for entertainment, other things had to take some getting used to. For example, texting became much more cumbersome, especially in landscape mode. Taking into account that I have small hands, it was hard reaching letters that were in the middle of the keyboard. Also, the unit doesn't ship with a stylus, which would be beneficial for tasks such as these.

Above the display is a 2-megapixel camera and below it are two hot keys that light up when in use (back and menu), and a physical home button. This home key is a flush, narrow oval that can also light up with several different LED colors that I found to be a nice deliberate touch.

The back of the device houses a 13-megapixel camera with flash. A small strip of chrome encircles the lens, which bubbles up ever so slightly out of the back plate. To the left is a small audio speaker. Using a small indentation on the left edge, you can pop off the backing and access the 3,140mAh battery and both the Micro-SIM and microSD card slots. Underneath the plate is an NFC chip. Lastly, the handset is capable of wireless charging, but you'll need to buy a special back plate from LG to make use of it.

Software features and UI
The phone includes 2GB of RAM and runs on Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean. You'll find a bunch of standard Google apps like Messenger, Maps with Navigation, Local, Voice Search, Talk, Chrome, Gmail, Search, Plus, YouTube, and access to Play Movies and TV, Books, and Store. Because it's running Jelly Bean, you'll also get Google Now, which is search-based digital "assistant" tied into Google Search and Voice Search. To access Google Now, hold down the home key and press the Google logo that pops up at the bottom of the screen.


Other task management apps include a native browser and e-mail client, music and video players, a calculator, a weather app, two video editors, a notebook, a memo pad, a to-do list, an alarm clock, a voice recorder, a dictionary, and a calendar. There's also the mobile office suite, Polaris Office 4, LG's app and game portal called SmartWorld, and SmartShare, which lets you share multimedia between DLNA-certified devices.

Because we got our hands on a Korean handset, there's also a slew of Korean apps. I won't go over these, but if and when the G Pro comes to a U.S. carrier, you can bet that the handset will include carrier specific apps that I'll note.

You'll also get the note-taking feature, QuickMemo, which lets you jot down notes and doodles either directly onto whatever your screen is displaying at the moment, or a memo pad. This is one productivity app for which a stylus would be especially handy. There's also QSlide, LG's multitasking window that was introduced with the last Optimus G. Back then, QSlide only let you overlay a video while you browsed through your phone and accessed other apps. Now however, you can view other apps, like the browser, simultaneously, and you can resize your QSlide window, too.

Camera and video
The 13-megapixel camera comes with loads of options, such as: four photo sizes (from 1,280x960 to 4,160x3,120 pixels); a 15x digital zoom; a flash; geotagging; a timer; four color effects; five white balances; five ISO options (from 100 to 800); six scene modes; three focuses; a brightness meter; a voice-activated shutter; and a time-machine option that enables the camera to take shots even before you press the shutter.


There are also six shooting modes, including HDR, beauty shot, panorama, and VR panorama. The last one is similar to the Nexus 4's "Photo Sphere" feature, which patches together several pictures from one viewing angle. However, instead of rendering it into a 360-degree spherical image like the Nexus does, a VR panorama photo ends up resembling what a 360-degree photo would look like if someone laid it out flat. Meaning, it looks like several long panoramic photos stitched together to make one wavy, wonky super-panoramic photo.

The front-facing 2.1-megapixel camera includes three photo sizes (from 1,280x960 to 1,920x1,088); two scene modes; and the same white balances and color effects. You'll also get geo-tagging, a timer, the option to save a picture's mirror image, voice shutter, and beauty shot.

Video recording options with the rear camera include five video sizes (from 176x144 to 1,920x1,080 pixels); antishaking; a brightness meter; the same white balances and color effects; and geotagging. There are four shooting modes, one of which is dual recording. This lets you record with both cameras simultaneously. The front-facing camera has all of the same video options except for the ability to record video at different exposure levels called WDR recording (think of it like HDR photos, but for video).

Photo quality was excellent, but it didn't blow me away. Shutter speed was fast, there was little to no lag between my moving of the camera and the feedback I saw, and taking panoramic shots was quick and smooth. With ample lighting, photos came out crisp and sharp, and objects were in focus. There were some incidents when auto white balance was off and colors came out inaccurate, however. For instance, a car that was a deep orange in real life came out distinctly red from the camera. Understandably, photos taken in dimmer lighting showed a lot more digital noise and blurriness. Colors also appeared more muted or colder than in real life. For the most part, however, photos were impressively detailed. For more photos from the G Pro, check out the slideshow below.

It's important to remember that while the G Pro is 4G LTE-capable, I had to test this unit on AT&T's 3G network. However, data speeds were still respectable, at times being much faster than midtier 4G phones. On average, the handset loaded CNET's mobile site in 12 seconds and our desktop site in 24 seconds. The New York Times' mobile site took about 33 seconds, while its desktop version took 51 seconds. ESPN's mobile site took 11 seconds, and its full site loaded in 52 seconds. Ookla's Speedtest app showed me an average of 2.71Mbps down and 1.0Mbps up. It took an average of 2 minutes and 51 seconds to download the 32.41MB game Temple Run 2.

LG Optimus G Pro                Performance testing

Average 3G download speed    2.71Mpbs

Average 3G upload speed            1.0Mbps

App download (Temple Run 2)  32.41MB in 2 minutes and 51 seconds


 mobile site load 12 seconds

desktop site load               24 seconds


Restart time                     37 seconds


Camera boot time          1.78 seconds


The device is powered by a 1.7GHz quad-core CPU, and it's one of the first to run a Snapdragon 600 processor. I can attest that it's incredibly fast -- small tasks like quitting to the home screen, browsing through the app drawer, pinch zooming, and scrolling through text were all executed without hesitation. And more complicated tasks were done just as smoothly. On average, it took just 1.78 seconds to launch the camera and 37 seconds to restart the phone altogether. During my time playing the graphics-intensive game Riptide GP, there was no stuttering or unexpected shutdowns with the app. Graphics ran swiftly, with a high frame rate, and the phone was responsive to my slight movements.

During our battery drain test for the 3,140mAh battery, the handset lasted 7.15 hours for video playback and a whopping 22.37 hours for talk-time. Needless to say that anecdotally, it had a solid battery life. Standby time lasted for a couple of days, and the phone can survive a whole day, or at least a good portion of it, with high use.

Conclusion
Although the Optimus G Pro is a blatant manifestation of LG knocking on Samsung's Note door, the handset is still an excellent standalone device. Its 1.7GHz quad-core CPU keeps it running smoothly and swiftly, and the 1080p screen is nothing short of impressive.

But while I'm a fan of the handset, I remain cautious of its potential if and when it comes to the U.S. What's the point of giving consumers a great 5.5-inch display if you also don't give them a stylus as well? LG provided one with its Optimus Vu, so it makes it that much more odd that the Optimus G Pro doesn't get similar treatment.

True, lacking a stylus isn't a deal breaker. Not everybody uses one, and the phone doesn't come packed with a bunch of productivity apps that take full advantage of a stylus, save for QuickMemo. But considering the fact that its obvious rival, the Note 2, has one, I find it difficult to imagine a user choosing the Pro in lieu of the Note 2 given this notable oversight..

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Apple's WWDC 2013: Rumors and expectations

Apple's annual developers conference is just days away. Here's a comprehensive guide on what to look forward to.

Apple's 24th annual developers conference kicks off next week, and will be the company's first event in more than seven months.

The conference lasts the entire week, but the highlight is Monday's keynote address, where Apple typically announces new products and services. This year, Apple has only said it will give developers new versions of iOS and OS X software, though there's likely to be a surprise or two.

Expectations are high, in no small part because it's been so long since Apple has released anything new. Its last big product launch was the iPad Mini in October, and the months since then have contained little besides tweaks to some existing products. The company has also attempted to temper expectations in the lead up to WWDC, saying there are "amazing" things, but that they were coming in the fall, and throughout next year.

But that doesn't mean there aren't a few things to look forward to at next week's conference. We've rounded up some of the top rumors going into the show, as well as our own expectations.

New software

Apple has already said it will be showing off new versions of iOS and OS X, though the software will almost certainly be only for developers to test before either is released to the public. In the past there has been a several months-long delay between when developers first get new software, and when it's released to the public.

iOS 7 is expected as a follow-up to iOS 6, which first debuted at last year's WWDC. There's been much rumbling about a complete visual overhaul led by Apple's top designer Jony Ive, a detail that was confirmed by CEO Tim Cook in an interview last week. Impressively, few details of new features and functionality have leaked out ahead of Apple's reveal. Here are some of the big ones.

New interface -- A report from 9to5Mac in April, as well as the New York Times in October suggested Apple was changing the design to do away with many longstanding visual features of iOS. 9to5Mac's report, in particular, suggested Apple would keep the functionality of iOS apps and features the same, but lose some of the digital facsimiles of real world objects in favor of simpler designs. A purportedly leaked shot of the new look cropped up earlier this week (pictured above).

More gestures -- Also from the 9to5Mac report, Apple was said to be looking into additional ways to access basic information with gestures, similar to what it currently uses with a one-finger swipe to bring up Notification Center, and a four-finger swipe on the iPad to pull up the multitasking menu.

More sharing tools - Once again from 9to5Mac is a report Apple plans to add its AirDrop file-sharing service, which is built into OS X, into iOS so that users can swap files with one another if they're on the same Wi-Fi network. The blog also adds that Apple intends to build in system-level integration to send media to Flickr and Vimeo.

More Yahoo -- An April report from The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) says Apple and Yahoo are working together to bring more of Yahoo's content and services to Apple's devices. That includes more content from Yahoo's sports and news sites.

OS X 10.9 is also expected to be unveiled at WWDC. This is Apple's operating system for Macs. This time last year, Apple had already taken the wraps off 10.8 as part of a developer preview, all so that it could release the software in the summer. As for what to expect this time around, the rumors have been very, very thin, with nearly every single major detail coming from a report from 9to5Mac in April .

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