Create A` Bootable Disc for OS X Mountain Lion

With Apple finally releasing OS X Mountain Lion via the Mac App Store, users can quickly open the store up on their Macs and get their hands on the latest player in the desktop operating system game. The fact that Apple’s new OS is now available is obviously a positive thing, but once again the fact that it only comes as a digital download has caused a few people to raise their eyebrows at the company’s chosen method of distribution.

Lion Disk Maker is an application programmed with AppleScript that you can use with Mac OS X 10.6, 10.7 and OS X 10.8 to burn a DVD or build a bootable drive from Mac OS X Lion or OS X Mountain Lion Installation program. As soon as you launch the application, it tries to find the OS X Install program with Spotlight. Then, it proposes to build a DVD or create a bootable install disk.

 

To burn the DVD, you’ll need a SuperDrive and a writable DVD (single layer, 4,7 GB for Lion, or dual-Layer, 8,5 DVD-R). To build a bootable disk, you’ll need an 8 GB (minimum) USB thumb key drive, a USB or Firewire drive or an SD-Card.

 

 

WARNING! Lion DiskMaker will erase the volume or the drive you chose, according to the options you chose. Don’t forget to backup your data first!

 

Step 1:

First Lion DiskMaker from following link

Step 2: 

Open up the compressed file from the download location and run the executable file contained within. This will invoke an instance of the Lion DiskMaker utility.

Step 3:

When the program window loads, it will provide you with a small amount of information as well as three buttons containing user options. Select the far right button which is labeled ‘Mountain Lion (10.8)’.

Note: In case the utility is unable to find your Mountain Lion image. Go to the Applications folder and find the copy of Mountain Lion you just downloaded.

• Right click on the downloaded file and select “Show Package Contents”.
• Go to “Contents” and jump inside the “SharedSupport” folder and you’ll find a file titled “InstallESD.dmg”.

Step 4:
Lion DiskMaker will now present you with option to either “Burn a DVD”, or “Create a boot disk” using Flash drive or SD Card. 

Step 5: 

Sit back and enjoy the magic that comes from running a fully automated tool that has the intelligence to make itself look like black magic.

So there you have it. A simple and pain-free process to create an bootable disk containing OS X Mountain Lion.

Download Lion DiskMaker [ Download Lion DiskMaker 1.7 ]

Google Earth v7.0 For iOS Released

The hectic schedule of July however shouldn’t detract from the importance of last month. When Apple took to the stage at the Worldwide Developers Conference and announced their own 3D mapping system which would be a part of the official iOS 6 release. Apple delivered a cutting blow to Google who had previously supplied the map functionality in iOS. Not wanting to be outdone by Apple, the current kings of mobile mapping used their own developers conference later in the same month to announce that they would be bringing their own 3D maps to Apple’s mobile operating system. Let the battle of the advanced mapping begin.

It remains to be seen whether or not Apple will actually care about Google beating them to the punch by getting their own 3D maps onto the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad before them. After all, Apple isn’t updating an existing platform or app and are instead building something entirely new from scratch to compliment the next major release of iOS. Android users can feel a little smug this time around as the update rolling out on the iOS platform today contains the same features which were pushed out to the Google Play Store

As part of the update, the Google Earth app now has 3D functionality for 14 major areas that included Los Angeles, Boston, San Francisco Bay and a whole range of others. Don’t be put off by the current limitation of the update, as Google is planning on staying on top of the game by regularly adding more 3D points of interest and locations that will hopefully soon reach over 300 million users.

If you are a user of the Google Earth iOS app and want to get ahead of the 3D game then simply download the Google Earth 7.0 update from the link at the end of this post. The app will still be available for all iOS devices that are capable of running iOS 4.2 or later, but due to the large amount of rendering needed to build the 3D layers on the device, the new 3D mapping options will only be available to Apple’s new devices like the iPad 2, the iPhone 4S and the new iPad.

Download Google Earth for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad [iTunes Link]

Install iOS 6 Beta on iPhone

Just a couple of days ago, Apple introduced a much-awaited iOS 6 beta to developers for testing reasons several months before the public release this fall. And know lots of people want to know how to install iOS 6 beta on iPhone without a developer account. Besides the iOS 6 beta, at the WWDC 2012 Apple released OS X Mountain Lion Preview 4 to developers, and you can follow this link to find out more about that.

So now, all the non-developers may use out tutorial and easily install iOS 6 beta on iPhone. Please note: Some people have had trouble when they tried to install iOS 6 beta on iPhone with the method given in the guide below, so if you don’t have an extra device laying around for testing purposes, this practice shouldn’t raise your interest one bit.

Install iOS 6 Beta on iPhone:

Step 1: Download the iOS 6 beta file for iPhone. The software can be found either by searching Google, or from the iPhone Developers site.

Step 2: In case you haven’t already done this, you can upgrade to the latest version of iTunes (10.6.3), and then open it up.

Step 3: Now, plug in your iPhone and allow it to back up.

Step 4: After that, hold down the option key on the Mac, and then click the ‘Check for Update’ button. But don’t click on the ‘Restore’ button as it will not work.

Step 5: Choose the iOS 6 .ipsw file you have just downloaded and allow it to install.

To install iOS 6 beta on iPhone, you need to be running the iOS 6 beta, and you may either setup your iPhone as ‘new’, or restore your content from the backup you’ve made earlier.

If the process fails and your iPhone can’t be authorized, you’re recommended to restore your Apple device back to iOS 5.1.1. I wish you to install iOS 6 beta on iPhone without any troubles.

Download Any File In Google Chrome For iOS

Personally speaking, I have been a user of iOS since the launch of the first iPhone back in 2007 and during that time I have always let Mobile Safari take care of my web browsing requirements. There has always been the temptation of fraternizing with some of the third-party browsers available on the App Store such as Apollo or SkyFire, but it always felt a little like cheating to move away from Apple’s own offering.

 

Like a large number of other iOS users, I have had to come to terms with that feeling and overcome it thanks to Google dangling an iOS version of Chrome under our noses. The Chrome browser immediately found itself at the number one spot in the free download charts and has hung around ever since, proving that Mobile Safari finally has a worthy successor. The simple but elegant user interface along with the nice and intuitive gestures and animations make Chrome a very appealing browsing experience on the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. A few tweaks that have already hit the Cydia platform have made Chrome even better, but Chrome Download Enabler is trying to further expand on that.

 

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out what functionality this package is attempting to bring to the end user, after all, the name pretty much gives it away. However, for those power users who require the ability to download files through their mobile browser, this package will more than likely be a must-have. Downloading files to the iPhone or iPad is a very popular feature in jailbroken users, with a large amount of people loving how easy it is to save a file and then move it around using a package like iFile. When installed, Chrome Download Enabler allows Google Chrome for iOS to join the download party.

 

No additional home screen icons are added after installation of this package, with all of the heavy lifting being done in the background and directly through the Google Chrome interface. After installation, the tweak allows the user to download a number of different file types and then gain access to what has been downloaded by visiting http://download/ from the address bar within Chrome. The package is definitely built on top of good intentions but you do get the feeling that it has been hurriedly thrown together with not a great deal of attention being paid to the details. Viewing the downloaded files is – in all honesty – painful to look at when taking into account the beautiful interface of Chrome. However, those who feel that mobile experience should be beautiful and pleasurable may want to give this a miss, otherwise, give it a shot.
 

Chrome Download Enable is available to download from the ModMyi repository for $2.00 and requires Google Chrome for iOS to be installed. 

Batman Dark Knight Rises Game For Android, iPhone and iPad

With the final chapter in the trilogy of Christian Bale’s Batman – Dark Knight Rises – having launched worldwide yesterday, the iOS title also made its way over to the App Store to supplement its box office release. Now, casually late as usual, the Android iteration is available to download over at the Google Play Store at the cost of $6.99.

Although I haven’t had a chance to try out the Android version, the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch copy is enthralling, and if you like your cinematic titles, this one is certainly for you. Made by Gameloft in collaboration with DC Comics and Warner Bros., you can see the influences of each throughout the title, and as a fan of the first two movies (and Batman in general), I’m pleased the title does the character – and the series – a great deal of justice.

As far as mobile games go, it’s certainly one of the most expensive, but this offers a little more than the usual run-of-the-mill, physics-based puzzler. Visually, it’s a masterpiece, and although it’s no Infinity Blade, it has to go up there as one of the most aesthetically-pleasing mobile titles to date.

The game is immersive, fun, addictive – everything a Batman fan could want and more. From scaling buildings around Gotham, knocking foes down left and right, or cruising along on the Batpod in the vigilante missions, it’s difficult to get bored.

To cap things off, the controls are also really easy to handle. With many action titles – especially for mobile – the position and seamlessness of the controls can literally be a deal make-or-breaker, but it does seem as though – from my experience and the comments over at the Play Store – that Gameloft is on the money.

The only real downside is the game’s size. Weighing in at nearly 2GB (plus an additional 1.8GB when you’ve downloaded), it will command quite a bit of your spare space, as well as taking a while to download. This is just a minor drawback, though, and should not come between you and your purchase of The Dark Knight Rises.

Download Now:

Download The Dark Knight Rises for Android [Google Play link]

Download Dark Knight Rises for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch [iTunes link]

Permanent Unlock IMEI Across All AT&T iPhone Models

It really isn’t a great secret that jailbreaking iOS devices is an extremely popular pastime and the activity keeps on growing with the passage of time. iOS device owners often go down the jailbreaking route for a number of different reasons, some jailbreak to enhance the stock experience and alter the way the system works, and some do it to drastically change the visuals of the operating system, while some merely use it as a mean to gain a software based unlock to use their devices on unofficial networks.

Unfortunately it is often the case that a software unlock cannot be achieved after jailbreaking, since it requires more tinkering around with the iPhone’s baseband. Thankfully, in recent times, a few players in the unlock game have been making some moves which have made the unlock process slightly smoother for a certain subset of iPhone users, but this has generally been limited to a specific model on a specific network.

AppleNBerry, one of the most well-known company names in the unlock business have announced that they will now be offering a permanent IMEI based unlock solution for iPhone users who are owners of devices which are locked to the AT&T network. As mentioned, the solution is permanent, meaning that even after the iPhone is restored or upgraded to newer firmware, the unlock will still be in place. The solution is compatible with the iPhone 3G, 3GS, 4 and 4S and there is no specific baseband required at all for the unlock to take place.

Requiring no additional hardware or software, the unlock can be processed through the AppleNBerry website and promises to be complete within one to two business days. The process is also extremely simple, requiring the user to enter their iPhone’s serial and IMEI numbers before checking out with the sum of $150.00. When the process is complete, users will be notified by email, and then it is a simple case of syncing the device with iTunes to complete the process.

The initial registration and process can be handled through the AppleNBerry website, with a charge of $150.00 being applicable, as mentioned before.

Mozilla Announced OS for Smartphones

We had reported earlier about Mozilla announcing its own operating system for smartphones, dubbed Firefox OS. You can now download the nightly builds from Mozilla’s website. While the build can't be downloaded on your phone, you can take the upcoming OS for a spin on a computer. Though, not as easy as installing an app, it’s still relatively doable.

The operating system was announced quite some time ago, with the codename Boot2Gecko. The project has since developed a lot, and the new smartphone with the Firefox OS is expected to be seen in 2013.

The builds on Mozilla’s website provide an x86 compatible Boot2Gecko runtime for testing the Gaia shell and applications that are built for the platform. It’s a very useful tool for Gaia contributors and developers who want to start building apps for the devices coming next year.

The Boot2Gecko project unlocks many of the current limitations of web development on mobile, allowing HTML5 apps to access the underlying capabilities of the phone, which were previously available only to native apps. Telefónica’s Digital unit had partnered with Mozilla to showcase a new phone architecture where every phone feature such as calling, messaging, and games is an HTML5 application.

During the unveiling of the OS, Mozilla stated, “Mapping to key Firefox footprints around the globe,leading operators such as Deutsche Telekom, Etisalat, Smart, Sprint, Telecom Italia, Telefónica and Telenor are backing the open Firefox OS as an exciting new entrant to the smartphone marketplace. They have also identified the potential of the technology to deliver compelling smartphone experiences at attainable prices." 

Mozilla claims that the optimization of the platform for entry-level smartphones, and the removal of unnecessary middleware layers will enable mobile operators to offer richer experiences at a range of price points. These price pints would cover the lower end of the smartphone price range, which will help drive adoption across developing markets. Mozilla and all participants are committed to ensuring that the project is fully open, and the reference implementation of the required Web APIs is being submitted to W3C for standardization.

While this sounds very good, the main threat the company faces is that from big competitors. New platforms have been launched every now and then, but most haven’t seen much success, and a lot have just been shelved mid-way. CEO Matthew Key of Telefónica Digital in Europe has acknowledged, “We don’t underestimate the size of the task. There have been many new OSes launched and most of them have failed.”

Fingers are crossed till 2013 to see what Mozilla does with the Firefox OS.

Firefox 14 Released For Windows, Mac, Linux – Download Now!

Mozilla’s Firefox has been around for quite a while now, and despite Google continually pushing updates of its fast-growing Chrome browser, Firefox has continued to remain resilient, altering its own release schedule in a bid to stay relevant. Hence, here we are at Firefox 14, and just six weeks after Firefox 13 was seeded on Mozilla’s servers, and the fourteenth iteration still manages to offer a bunch of useful changes.

The main focus of Firefox 14, it would seem, is improving security, and although Mozilla’s number one browser hasn’t exactly gained notoriety for security lapses, the changes are most certainly welcome. For starters, Google searches are now automatically encrypted, and there’s added support for the Pointer Lock API. In addition, those running on OS X 10.7 can now enjoy full-screen browsing.

The clincher has to be the Google search encryption though, and according to Mozilla, Google search data is encrypted by default, while users can also verify a website’s identity readily by clicking the icon situated to the left hand side of the URL bar. The heightened security will benefit all users of Firefox, and in particular, those on wireless connections who’re naturally more susceptible to intrusion.

Pointer Lock will offer improved mouse control, which is particularly handy for those frequently using web-based apps or games. Seems as though Firefox is preparing its browser for the point when HTML5 becomes the coding language of choice, and Pointer Lock is a prime example.

The six week release schedule has been a hot topic of debate around Mozilla from the get-go, with some developers questioning whether the move prompted users to migrate over to Chrome. While I would say releasing a point update so frequently might have bamboozled a few users at first, I do believe the frequent releases are beneficial on the whole, keeping Firefox in the news while also allowing Mozilla to deliver decent features month in, month out.

Whatever your opinions may be of how Mozilla goes about its business, you can download Firefox 14 from the official links provided below. Even if you’re not a big HTML5 gamer, this one’s worth it for the added search security.

Download from here:

• Download Firefox 14 for Windows
• Download Firefox 14 for Mac
• Download Firefox 14 for Linux 

New updated Facebook App v1.9.7 For Android with New Features

Facebook, although the world’s number one social network, has failed to capitalize fully on the mobile market, and its apps for each of the respective three big mobile operating systems have left a lot to be desired. Mark Zuckerberg’s company is always releasing updates for each platform, and despite usually amending bugs from the previous iterations, always seem to have a multitude of new, prominent performance issues.

With Facebook’s well-documented IPO now done and dusted, Zuck and his team of developers have been working continually to improve the outfit’s mobile prowess. In order to continue momentum and push share prices up, plenty of mobile acquisitions have been made already, including the highly-publicized coup of Instagram, while other purchases are said to be in the pipeline, such as the Opera Browser.

Facebook 1.9.7 for Android has just been released over at the Google Play Store, and aside from the usual array of bug fixes and performance enhancements, it actually includes a reasonable stash of new and useful features. Perhaps most significantly, those wielding an Android device with a front facing camera can now use it to take snaps and upload them straight to the social network. In all cases, the front facing camera is inferior to the higher quality shooter on the back, but for simple photos of faces, they are much easier to take using the lens above the screen.

As well as the camera improvements, the messaging features have also been treated to modest improvement. Now, those using Facebook for Android to catch up with friends, relatives and associates will find they can now switch easily through conversations, include friends of friends, share bigger photos than ever before, and also check who is available online.

Facebook reckons the app is a lot more fluid in navigation, although we haven’t yet had a chance to test it for ourselves. As well as bug fixes, there are improvements from a security point of view, which will be more than welcome to the many millions of Facebook for Android users.

And before you get downloading, there’s a small catch, the app now only works on Android 2.2 Froyo devices and up.

Download Facebook for Android [Google Play link]

Automatically Turn Wi-Fi On/Off On Android

The fact our mobile devices offer various types of connectivity is a wonderful thing, since it allows us to connect to the web with relative ease, lessening the need to open a notebook or fire-up a desktop computer. The convenience doesn’t come without its drawbacks, however, and if, for example, you leave Wi-Fi connected indefinitely, you’ll find your battery isn’t as accommodating as it perhaps should be.

Before smartphones offered so many features, battery was of little issue, and one could leave a mobile phone without charge for several days before the dreaded warnings began appearing. Despite the obvious advantages of having the world at one’s fingertips, consumers – now more so than ever -  need to be very economical with their battery usage.

Sentry, an Android app created by Aaron Dimet, attempts to reduce the severity of battery loss when connected to a Wi-Fi hotspot by offering a variety of useful management features. When arriving home, the last think we think about is how the Wi-Fi is affecting battery life, and if we forget to leave the device on charge, the next day then becomes a battle to survive with 17% juice left over.

Sentry is pretty easy to configure, and works in an automated fashion by cycling your Wi-Fi. If it does find a connection, then it remains turned on, but if not, it will deactivate Wi-Fi in order to conserve those valuable drops of battery. Even when Sentry is working its magic, though, you can still connect to – or disconnect from – your Wi-Fi at will, and the app will not get in your way.

You can set Sentry to check for connection based on a bunch of variables, including timed intervals, or device actions such as every time the device is booted up or unlocked.

It claims not to adversely affect battery life, which is just as well, since that’s the problem it purports to combat, and it’s absolutely free of charge over at the Google Play Store.

Download Sentry for Android [Google Play link]

Backup Andriod Apps In A Zip File With App2zip

Android is, by a long shot, the most customizable of the three major mobile operating systems. With most modders and developers congregated over at XDA Developers and RootzWiki, it’s one of the most thriving communities of all, allowing Android users to customize and enhance their device’s software to the nth degree.

Although chopping and changing aspects of Android can be fun and usability-enhancing, it’s important for one to backup their device’s contents and apps before getting stuck in to some of the more complicated tasks. When flashing a ROM, for example, one has to ensure Nandroid is current before backing up applications, and after flashing has taken place, everything has to be restore once again in what can become a somewhat tiresome sequence.

Nandroid isn’t the only utility for backing up and restoring, however, and some prefer to use the likes of Titanium Backup or MyBackup. But whatever your poison may be, they all have one thing in common in that they require restoration, an act of which can take a great deal of time.

This is where App2zip comes into play. Unlike your Nandroids and Titaniums, it packs your apps up into one flashable file named update.zip, and once you’ve flashed your ROM, you need only to flash the .zip, and all your apps are updated on the spot. It’s not only a good time-saver for those flashing on a regular basis, but it’s a more convenient, hassle-free solution to returning the apps to the state they were prior.

 Developed by SCDevs, it doesn’t leave you with many reasons to revert to your trusty backup-and-restore utility. As well as the aforementioned extra time you will have by going down the App2zip route, it’s very easy run, and all you have to do to get started with it is run, and allow root permissions. After that, App2zip will create your update.zip file, and you’re free to continue your ROM flashing endeavors as you so wish.

It’s still a relatively new app, hence a little rough around the edges. It doesn’t work on some devices, so the advice is to test it with one, barely-used app before diving in head first.

 

 Download App2zip for Android [Google Play link]

Watch The 2012 Olympics Live Stream On iPhone And Android With BBC Olympics App

The British Broadcasting Service, or BBC, is renowned worldwide for its eloquent, objective news publications, and with this year’s Olympic Games being held in London, it was only right the BBC, often referred to as the Beeb, would deliver its own app designed especially for the games.

The app itself offers a nice, clean interface as you would expect, and although its mainly a way for the BBC to extend reach of its mobile web service, it also includes quite a few handy features, helping you keep up-to-date with the results as they break.

A whole host of world nations will be vying to make history at this year’s Olympics, and as London prepares to the host, viewers will be anxiously anticipating the results of the big events. The Men’s 100m Final is always a moment to savor, and although the heavily-marketed Usain Bolt is the clear favorite, it only takes one bad start or slip for things to change.

The app features some live coverage of the games as well as on-demand, both of which can be accessed via 3G or Wi-Fi. There’s live commentary, schedules, medal counts, highlights, and a designated page for every different sport, country, and athlete taking part.

Its absolutely free of charge, and if you wish to stay in the loop with the performances of the athletes on your iOS or Android device, then check the download links provided below. As well as watching the limits of human speed, strength, endurance and agility pushed to the limits, it’s also a great exhibition in itself, and the opening ceremony will begin on Friday, 27th July 2012.

Note:

due to the BBC’s limitations with regards to which coverage can be broadcasted where, much of the content found in the below apps cannot be viewed outside the UK. Thus, the Beeb has also released an international version for worldwide users.

• Download BBC Olympics  for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch [iTunes link]
• Download BBC Olympics for Android [Google Play link]

Gmail app for iOS at the third attempt

Previously, Google launched the app for Gmail for the iOS platform twice of which the second one was a fortnight back. But unfortunately, the second launch of the app was a failure. The company still had its hopes high and positively they have launched the app for the third time. This time we don’t think it will be a flop as the previous launches.

The second time when the app was introduced for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, it didn’t fare well because the day it was launched only it received issues regarding some bug in its notifications system. Currently this app is quite better and its time to take a closer look on this much awaited Google application.

This latest Gmail application is especially designed to be used for the touchscreen devices and it offers a simple and easy overview of the mailboxes and the new emails. All you have to do is swipe on the screen to use this app. Swiping towards the right will open the mailboxes and swiping towards the top will refresh the mailbox and display the new mails.

The notifications that experienced problem in the previous version works well in this one. Once they are enabled, you will be able to hear some sound whenever you receive a new mail. The application icon will display the number of emails that are not read in the inbox. This is slightly lacking but still there are no pop-ups and it works quite well.

In case you are making use of iPad, you can check your emails and read them all together using the split view.  This app will synchronize your entire Google contacts list automatically but you also have a choice to use the contacts that are saved in the address book of your device. You can easily attach the pictures, add or remove the contacts and do almost everything that you would like to in an email application.

The common features used in Gmail like the easy organization threaded conversations, priority inbox and more are present in this app. The one badly needed but missing attribute is the capability to sign into several accounts as this feature is available even in the mobile interfaces. Those users who use this feature might feel that this app from Google is quite insufficient but the company states that it will keep the app updated regularly and provide all the latest features based on the feedback of the users.

Apple Maps Vs Google Maps

The next version of the Apple platform, iOS 6 has many new features. The Maps app is the biggest one. It is amazing with the turn by turn directions, Siri and Flyover. But, how can it be compared to the Google Maps app?

Here is a side by side comparison of the two major Maps applications. It is unfair to judge the Apple Maps as it is still in the beta stage. Check out the gallery above to see the difference between both the apps in various cases like traffic.

Google Chrome v21 Beta supports webcam

Google’s Chrome browser is quite popular. Now, Chrome has reached its 21st version with packs new features. Chrome 21 is currently in the beta version. Usually, the Chrome updates are common and they don’t receive much fanfare. But, the recent update has a couple of treats that are worth mentioning.

One of its major features is the support to webcam and microphone without the necessity of a third party software or plugin. The browser supports web camera and mic using the getUserMedia API which was introduced.  

The native video chatting support lets the web applications use the camera and microphone without any plugins. This is surely going to be handy while setting up video chats. 

The official blog of Chrome offers more details about these new additions that are made to the browser. There are many other features that are implemented in the new build. It has improved Google Cloud Print service which lets the users to directly print to Google Drive or any other cloud ready printer. Download the Beta version of Google Chrome.

Google has axes the Chrome support for the Mac OS 10.5 in the Chrome 22. This version of the browser is available for the developers through the Dev channel. This is not a bad news as the Mac OS 10.5 is outdated.

If Apple And Samsung Made A Smartphone Together

You don’t need to be an expert to know that relations between both Samsung and Apple are at an all-time low. With the blocking of Galaxy Nexus sales in the United States and a collection of other legal battles between the two, it is clear that the two companies both believe that the other has copied ideas in order to make their own smartphones better. Whether you believe that or not is almost as complicated as asking you about religion or politics. Needless to say, we’ll leave it there.

One technology blog has taken an interesting slant on the whole thing though, and rather than simply rehashing the whole thing, TechRadar has done something we didn’t think we would ever see – they’ve combined both the rumored iPhone 5 and a Samsung Galaxy S III. The result? The iSung Galaxy 5.

Apart from that horrendous name, TechRadar has put together a video showing jus that that imaginary smartphone may look like, as well as detailing what the handset would take from its two parents.

Firstly, the iSung Galaxy 5 would feature the new, larger screen that is rumored to be part of the new iPhone, with an elongated screen apparently the order of the day here. In fact, most of the hardware appears to come from the iPhone side of the family, with the metal and glass design also present. One hardware component though is the addition of an SD card slot, allowing users to add  more storage as and when they want it. The lack of removable storage has long been something that has been labeled as an oversight by Apple, though it is obvious at this point that it isn’t affecting sales!

Software-wise, the handset would apparently feature Samsung’s NFC beaming technology, which is also coming to Android as part of Jelly Bean. Being able to transfer files by initiating the connection via NFC is an interesting feature, and whether an NFC chip will make it into the iPhone 5 or not has been debated for some time. With most new Android phones now shipping with the feature, Apple will do well to catch up sooner rather than later.

It is obvious that this whole thing is a little tongue in cheek, but the idea of Samsung and Apple combining to produce a superphone would be an interesting one to say the least.

iPhone To Feature Quad-Core Processor

If it’s not the new iPad, it’s rife rumor regarding the upcoming next-gen iPhone that’s keeping Apple in the news just now. The device, which is thought to be receiving a longer screen, will also be getting a mighty quad-core processor, if a report originating from DigiTimes is to be taken as Gospel.

The blogosphere has become used to taking DigiTimes coverage with a pinch of salt – primarily because many of the big leaks stem from unspecified sources,  and this latest report doesn’t break the habit of a lifetime.

The iPhone is credited with changing the face of the modern-day smartphone, but after sticking with the same ethos throughout in terms of screen size and general power (i.e. good quality, but not eye-watering), it appears the fruit company is now playing catch-up with rivals.

A quad-core processor would be quite a bump from the current dual-core A5 chip offered with the iPhone 4S, and would also boast more power than the third gen iPad which, despite offering quad-core graphics, is still only a dual-core A5X processor.

DigiTimes being DigiTimes, I can’t say I believe this one, especially since my current iPhone 4S has been running for months, with numerous games and apps, yet without so much as a second of lag. I’m more inclined to believe Tim Cook’s company will opt for the A5X once again, which would still be fast, and allow for smooth gaming on the slightly larger screen.

Of course, I could be wrong, and given Apple’s apparent push towards the larger screen, a quad-core processor wouldn’t be a massive shock. Still, although the company appears to have gone with the flow in increasing the display real-estate, a new chip exceeding the A5X would seem like too much of a leap, while also not being particularly necessary.

As with most Apple products, we’ll likely only know in the days leading up to the announcement what the next iPhone – dubbed the "iPhone 5" – will include. Although LTE would seem a foregone conclusion given the iPad implementation, the only other aspect we could presume without doubt to be a feature, is iOS 6, which was announced last month at WWDC 12.

Of course, we’ll be keeping you updated with anything we pick up in the meanwhile, though, so stay tuned!

Wirelessly Charge Your iPhone

If you’ve been longing for the immensely cool and "futuristic" ability to charge your iPhone wirelessly, you may be waiting a while for an official solution from Apple. However, a tinkerer who goes by the name of Tanveer took apart a wireless charging case for the iPhone and installed its components into the iPhone 4S chassis itself. If you have a bit of patience, a lot of soldering skills, sufficient knowledge of the iPhone’s internals to disassemble, modify, and reassemble, and you don’t fear breaking your iPhone by mistake, then this would be a fun project of you. The entire process is briefly touched on in a three minute video.

On top of the aforementioned skills, you will need a Powermat wireless charger (another could theoretically work, but this particular tutorial is centered around the Powermat), a spare iPhone back panel, a spare charger port assembly, and extra thin wire gauge. You will have to solder the wire gauge on pins 16, 23, 25, and 27 on the charger assembly port. Then, you’re going to have to connect them to the wireless receiver you knicked from the Powermat. Connect Pin 16 to 0v or ground, pin 23 to +5v, pin 25 to data-, and pin 27 to data+.

Assuming you managed to do all of this correctly, you should then have a working, wirelessly chargeable iPhone! Now, you need to test your masterpiece before fully reassembling everything and installing the rear panel again.

Now of course, as I mentioned earlier, you can run the risk of permanently damaging your iPhone, and of course, voiding your warranty. So, this is more of a fun hack to perform rather than a practical solution to the lack of wireless charging. However, if you still want to do it for fun and have a spare iPhone laying about, it could make for a fun project. But, if you want to live life on the edge and do this on your main device, you have been warned!

Some sort of official wireless charger from Apple would be awesome, but there hasn’t been any credible news or rumor to even suggest that it’s coming in the next iteration of the iPhone.

Payments through Mobile Devices

These two payment services allow merchants to accept credit card payments directly through their mobile devices, making it possible for devices such as the iPhone, the iPad and Android smartphones to act as a mobile point of sale (POS) checkout system.

• Square
• Intuit’s GoPayment

Conclusion
There are plenty of online payment systems out there that you can use to conduct e-commerce activities. Choose one that’s in line with your business objectives.

Best Online Payment Systems

In this article, we’ll be reviewing some best online payment systems for accepting payments on the Web. While many of the companies on this list have been available to online merchants for years, many are also now getting into new areas of online payments such as social commerce and in-store online card reader systems.

1. Authorize.Net

Authorize.Net is the Internet’s most widely used payment gateway. With a user base of over 300,000 merchants, Authorize.Net has been the go-to method for e-commerce sites that need a gateway to accepting payments. Widely used e-commerce platforms such as Magento, Volusion and X-Cart are designed to accept payments using Authorize.Net easier.

Pricing source: Authorize.Net pricing.

2. PayPal

PayPal is the world’s most widely used payment acquirer, processing over $4 billion in payments in 2011. PayPal payments are made using a user’s existing account or with a credit card. Money can be sent directly to an email address, thus prompting the users to sign up for a new PayPal account. In addition to taking payments, PayPal also allows its users to send money through the service, which is a feature that only a few payment solutions provide.

Pricing Source: PayPal merchant fees

3. Google Checkout

Google Checkout is Google’s answer to PayPal. Google Checkout allows users to pay for goods and services through an account connected to their Google profile. The major benefit that Google Checkout has over the competition is that millions of Internet users use Google for other services, making a purchase through Checkout a simpler process.

Pricing Source: Google Checkout fees

4. Amazon Payments

Amazon Payments allows its users to receive money using its API (and to send money out via ACH). Popular crowdfunding site Kickstarter uses Amazon Payments.

Pricing Source: Amazon Payments fees

5. Dwolla

Dwolla is a direct competitor to PayPal. One of the newcomers in the third-party payments space, the company is processing over $1 million per day. Setting up Dwolla payments is similar to PayPal, although Dwolla doesn’t have the same name recognition as their competition.

Pricing Source: Dwolla fees

6. Stripe

Stripe provides an excellent payment solution for web developers who would like to integrate a payment system into their projects using Stripe’s robust API. By bypassing the traditional sign up process, Stripe acts as a merchant account for its providers, handling all PCI compliance and merchant approvals.

Pricing Source: Stripe pricing

7. Braintree

Braintree is an online payment gateway and merchant account solution known for working with popular tech startups such as Airbnb and LivingSocial.

Pricing Source: Pricing – Braintree

8. Samurai by FeeFighters

Samurai is a payment gateway and merchant account solution. The company’s main product, FeeFighters, is a tool to help merchants compare rates for merchant accounts. Samurai was developed as a direct competitor to Braintree and other gateway/merchant solutions and offers customers a payment gateway or a gateway/merchant account package.

Pricing Source: Samurai by FeeFighters pricing

9. WePay

WePay is a payment processor that allows Internet merchants to accept credit cards and bank account payments online. WePay seems to be focused on the individual user, and has recently added e-store pages to their service to help their customers conveniently take in payments (e.g. event tickets, products, donations and so forth) through their service.

Pricing Source: WePay fees

10. 2Checkout

2Checkout is another payment processor that combines a merchant account and payment gateway into one, allowing customers to receive credit card payments as well as PayPal payments. The company offers international payments, shopping cart stores as well as a recurring billing feature.

Pricing source: Pricing and fees – 2Checkout