Mcrosoft's Hotmail and Outlook email services are having a bit of trouble with email at the moment, which is a pretty major issue for an email service. The current status of both brands of webmail is that they are down, although Messenger, SkyDrive and other Microsoft web services are still going strong. "We're having a problem accessing email," the company says on its status page. "You might not be able to see all your email messages. We're working to restore the service right now."
Lowdown
The last updates were made some hours ago, with Microsoft adding that "Fixing the problem is taking longer than we hoped". It aims to provide further updates by 13.12 GMT. No word on what's causing the problem yet, whether it's a bug, a hack or something to do with Microsoft's migration of Hotmail to Outlook. We'll keep you posted.
With the increasing popularity of android smart phones in the market, the number of malware and viruses targeting the android operating system has increased radically. The operating system remains relatively safe if softwares are installed from trustworthy places in the market and web surfing is kept minimum. However installation of third party 'cracked' softwares is the core cause of virus attack on the operating system. As such one should think twice before installing any application from sources which are not trusted and also before clicking any dubious links. Do not get tempted by the features offered by such applications, they will always try to lure you into installing them. But in the end, you won't be enjoying any of the promised benefits but will end up with loads of viruses in your precious phone! To prevent the affect of viruses and other malwares, the role of android anti-virus is indispensable.
There can be no second opinion about the fact that android malwares are indeed dangerous as they intend to steal information from the user. In some cases it has been found that SMS messages were sent to different numbers by malware from a phone that has been affected by it. As malware and virus developers find new and more sophisticated ways everyday to trick the phone users into installing applications with malwares in them, it is becoming increasingly difficult to control the attack of such unwanted programs. The problem is aggravated by constant desire of people to get their hands on the latest applications containing the best possible features.
However these viruses and malwares cannot spread by themselves, the user needs to grant access to them into the operating system. As such they can be resisted to some extent by avoiding installation of applications which are not trusted. However the use of android anti-virus is regarded as the best option. Android anti-virus needs to be installed in the operating system itself and thus it protects it against the malicious attack of viruses and malwares. Some of the best known android anti-virus available in the market today are Dr.Web Anti-virus Light, Lookout Security & Antivirus, AVG Antivirus, NetQin Security & Antivirus, ESET Mobile Security and others.
Hence with the protection of a capable anti-virus accompanied by proper judgement before installing any application, you can keep viruses and malwares at bay from your smart phone! You should download applications only from websites which are well trusted.
The iPad is the most prominent tablet on the market, being the first one in the market, and effectively founding it. The iPad has access to the Apple App Store, which is a shop which allows iPad owners to download Apps from a massive selection which is ever growing. Many games developers have taken on the challenge of producing better and better games for the iPad, and succeeded on many levels, with franchises such as Modern Combat and N.O.V.A being downloaded eagerly by iPad owners across the globe.
The Microsoft Surface is a tablet produced by Microsoft, and features a version of the Windows 8 operating system, built to be more user friendly and specifically for touch screen computers such as tablets. Surface also comes with an attachable keyboard, which can be used to turn the tablet into a laptop for those who want to be able to sit down and work on a tablet properly, without needing to use a touch screen keyboard. This tablet is designed to be more professional than the iPad, and will work better for someone who wants a tablet to play around on but also wants a keyboard they can sit down and work at for a few hours.
Google have produced the Nexus series of tablets, coming in a selection of different sizes to suit the needs of the user. The Nexus tablets hold similar functionality to the iPad and Surface, but hold the advantage of being made by one of the largest companies in the world, meaning the software for these tablets should be cutting-edge. These tablets also have access to the Google App store, one which is working its way towards equalling that of the Apple App Store, and could grow to become the biggest application store available. Those who want a tablet with a lot of potential should by a Nexus 7 or Nexus 10.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11 is a tablet and laptop hybrid, created to bridge the gap for those who desire both a tablet and a laptop. This tablet uses a version of Windows 8 operating system and works in much the same way as the Surface, except that this tablet is only formed when folded from the laptop form. Initially this is a laptop and can be used as one, with a fully functioning keyboard which the screen will fold down to in the classic fashion. Should someone need a tablet however, they can fold the screen the opposite way and end up with a tablet which works in the same way as Surface. The advantage of having this tablet is that anyone can use it as a laptop as well if needed, meaning they don't need to have a computer as well as their tablet.
Apple's iPhone 4S is getting an exclusive new update to fix the cellular performance and reliability issues the 2011 phone has been experiencing.
The 6.1.1 fix was released on Monday for iPhone 4S models, and no other versions of the iPhone (or cellular iPads) will receive the update.
Apple's 6.1 update, released at the end of January, added some features to the mobile OS. Unfortunately, it also added some problematic issues for iPhone 4S users.
Thankfully, Apple was relatively quick with a comeback fix, and Monday's 6.1.1 update is hopefully just what the iDoctor ordered.
Think before updating
The iOS 6.1 update expanded LTE offerings for international users of theiPhone 5 and newer iPads.
It also gave Siri the ability to purchase movie tickets direct from Fandango, plus iTunes Match to let users download individual songs from iCloud.
But iOS 6.1 wasn't all gravy - iPhone 4S users began experiencing issues with cellular data connections, especially on U.K. carrier Vodafone, whichurged customers not to update at all until Apple came out with a fix.
Apple's official statement on the update reads that iOS 6.1.1 "fixes an issue that could impact cellular performance and reliability for iPhone 4S."
Hopefully, Vodafone users' iPhone 4S problems will be cleared up by the fix.
According to CNET, some iOS 6.1 users also experienced a bug that caused issues between the iOS Mail app and Microsoft Exchange, but it's unclear if iOS 6.1.1 swept that mess up as well.
TechRadar asked to Apple to find out, but the Cupertino company has not yet responded.
The iPhone 5 was evolution rather than revolution, so what's in store for iPhone 6 or iPhone 5S, if Apple's next iPhone is so named.
Some rumours suggest that there will be a new cheaper iPhone, which may or may not be the iPhone 6 (it may well be the iPhone 5S, perhaps?). Digitimes says the cheap iPhone will have a plastic chassis rather like the iPhone 3GS - or at the least some kind of hybrid plastic-metal design. TechRadar's Gareth Beavis believes the lower cost market is something Apple can't afford not to be involved in.
So when will the IPhone 6 release date be? Some analysts and observers are predicting that it could be as early as summer 2013. We think it's more likely we'll see a new iPhone release in September
Blogger Ed Valdez cites six reasons why we can expect an iPhone 6 announcement by June 2013 - a mere nine months after the iPhone 5. But it's still quite likely there will be an iPhone 5S instead of iPhone 6.
iPhone 6 design
Many potential buyers d on the iPhone 5's design. For some of you the taller screen was odd - it "looks strange at best," said nebulaoperator - and for others it simply wasn't big enough.
Lions87a reckons even 4.5 inches would be too little: "popular phones like the Galaxy S2 and S3 have shown that people are pretty happy nowadays to accept bigger than what the iPhone 5 is currently offering."
Writing in the Chicago Sun-Times, influential tech journalist Andy Ihnatko suggests that taller isn't necessarily better. "The benefit of bigger screens is almost entirely in their increased width, not their length," he writes.
"A wider keyboard is easier to type on. Books, web pages, and emails will have wider margins and they'll be more comfortable to read."
John Gruber of Daring Fireball agrees that bigger isn't always better, but he's not a fan of wider, either: while he says that "navigating the full screen while holding the iPhone in one hand is worse," rivals' wider screens mean it "really is far more difficult to do anything on them one-handed, including typing."
A new set of patents filed by Apple, that we outlined on 15 October 2012, suggest that the iPhone 6 design might hide external-facing components such as the camera and flash from view using a polymer-dispersed liquid crystal window which can change opacity on demand.
The question at the moment is whether Apple's next-generation iPhone will be beaten to the punch by the new Samsung Galaxy S4 which could even debut at Mobile World Congress in February.
iPhone 6 processor
No surprises here: we had plenty of people telling us that rival firms' processors have more cores. However, as Lions87a pointed out, "If the iPhone 5 or Nokia 920 can run their OS without any lag or delay, and delivers a flawless experience, and the Galaxy S3 does the same with a quad-core, then the number of cores, and the speed of the cores is irrelevant. The argument turns into 'which operating system is best?'"
Did someone say operating system?
iPhone 6 operating system
iOS has been around for a while, and for many it's getting stale. "I don't think anyone can deny that the
UI needs a refresh when you see widgets and live tiles on competitors' phones," says Vincennes, while Tubemonkey2000 says that "the current [UI] is so tired and old it makes it seem really basic, sort of like a kids' toy."
Our own Gareth Beavis agrees, arguing that "there are so many tweaks Apple could make to its OS to turn it into more of a powerhouse – icons that update with information, or extending the widgets in the notification bar beyond weather and stocks... Apple is taking things very slowly on this front."
iPhone 6 price
iPhones have never been cheap, but in a world of credible - and cheaper - competition they look pricier than ever. Or maybe it's because the iPhone's price has gone up. Saltire is "surprised no-one has mentioned the price increase for the 16GB model", while Gareth Beavis says that "we simply cannot see how a 16GB model can cost £529 / $199, but to double the memory will cost an extra £70/ $100 with no other changes to the design."
There's no doubt that you pay more for the materials, fit and finish of an iPhone than you do for, say, a plasticky Android handset, and not everyone thinks that's worth it.
"£529 for a phone that is no better than my six month old Android shows the arrogance of Apple," Alastairmack says, while Beavis points out that when you consider contracts, "it's far and away the most expensive in the shop, and most of the time you don't even get unlimited data."
iPhone 6 features
iPhone 6 will include a Super HD screen display and camera according to new reports in December 2012.
NFC has, possibly unfairly, been dubbed "Not For Commerce" (or more saltily, "No Effing Customers"), but for many it's the most obvious omission from the iPhone 5 - "not because of the technology itself," says Fmartins, "but to really give the critical mass contactless payments need. Plus, I would love to use the phone as my Oyster card."
For Fmartins, that would be good for everyone: while s/he isn't an iPhone fan, "it would have been nice seeing Apple push the envelope again so that I could benefit on [a] Lumia down the line." Gareth Beavis agrees. "It's not quite there yet in terms of market penetration for payments, but the world's largest network of accessories could definitely have made use of it for making ever cooler docks and cases," he says.
Other suggestions included more LTE bands, which we're sure we'll get next year when other UK 4G networks launch; expandable storage - not something we imagine Apple doing when it can flog you iTunes Match and/or get you to pay a small fortune for the 32GB model over the 16GB - and brighter, more saturated screens, although given the improvements to the iPhone 5's screen that one's largely a personal preference. Oh, and of course you'd like Apple to fix Maps too.
Maps has the potential to be a superb and very useful app, but it needs some work
iPhone 6 reception
No, not antennas - they seem fine this time - but the critical reception. As Lusky79 says, even without cock-ups such as Maps, any new iPhone is going to be disappointing: "Even if Apple had all the suggestions [here], it would still seem mediocre because the revolution was the original iPhone and the other, similar, smartphones that followed." As Nenslo put it: "What the iPhone really needs is Steve Jobs."
iPhone 6 wireless charging
According to CP Tech, Apple filed a patent application last month for Wireless Power Utilization, a wireless charging system with near-field magnetic resonance (NFMR). That means we'll get wireless charging at last.
A host of images have turned up online claiming to show a yet unannounced Apple handset on production lines in China which could potentially be the iPhone 5S.
There's been a huge amount of speculation surrounding the next iteration of iPhone, with many suggesting Apple will release an incremental upgrade to the iPhone 5 instead of going the whole hog with the iPhone 6.
The 14 images picked up by Chinese site SJBBS appear to show a handset which looks very similar to that of the iPhone 5, which further boosts thinking that the 5S is on the cards.
Can you feel it?
With no distinguishing features to separate the front plate snaps from the current leader in the iPhone range, people have been taking a closer look at the pictures displaying the components inside the device.
Apparently the handset in the picture uses a different rotational motor, which makes the phone vibrate, to the one found in the iPhone 5.
Some people had complained that the vibration on the iPhone 5 was noisier that on its predecessors, so Apple may be addressing this with its next smartphone.
Of course we're taking all these pictures with a hefty dosage of salt as it's not the first time we've seen factory leaks claiming to be an Apple product, only to turn out to be fakes.
