Ever since Apple unveiled the iOS 5 on October 12, Google shortly followed by announcing the Android 4.0 ICs by October 19th and since then, both platforms traded blows and of course, garnered their respective advocates. Other operating systems like those of Blackberry (BlackBerry OS), Symbian and Windows Mobile proceeded in their own accord, but they weren’t able to reach the hype as compared to the iOS and Android.

Setting the bar, both the Apple and Google zoomed up to the level where others are merely sidelines for their success, bringing in countless possibilities in terms of improvement and modification that are still being done as of today. Seeing the competition growing more and more intense each time a new device is revealed with the respective OS, questions about who and what to choose also grows more difficult to answer.

User Interface: Easy as Pie

Practicality is one of the underlying factors in choosing the best operating system and as far as everybody else goes, we all want a smartphone that is easy to navigate and handle all our requirements. Google’s Android 4.0 gave us a new approach with custom system fonts, creation of folders on the home screen and a fresh platform look. Downing these eye candies is the fact that the Ice Cream Sandwich can sometimes be difficult to decipher and would require time and effort to manipulate its settings. This is, however, taken care of by Android’s capability to be customized, including its ROM via Cyanogen Mod. It’s as good as saying that Android is a bottomless pit when it comes to modification, providing that users have the necessary tools and perseverance as well.

Apple’s iOS 5 hasn’t changed since it was launched – the look, feel and navigation are still that of the original but the iOS 5 grows complicated each time it is revised. The home screen still remains to be user friendly but the settings menu is another story. As far as all of us know, the iOS 5 is on general lockdown: the only way the iOS 5 to break its shackles is to jailbreak your device. Once it is jailbroken, upgrades and custom software are possible but with limitations and with an added risk of “bricking” your device if the jailbreak procedure goes out of hand.

Communication and Social Media Tools

Being under Google’s umbrella, the Android 4.0 comes with Google’s whole package: Gmail, Calendar, Google Contacts, Maps, Google+, Google Search – everything and anything about Google is incorporated in the crevices of the Ice Cream Sandwich. If you are one those avid fans of Google’s services, then an Ice Cream Sandwich is for your consumption. It also caters to Exchange and POP3/IMAP4 email and enables syncing, sharing and importing of contacts, emails and other information and access to folders, labeling and such.

Although the iOS 5 also supports Google, Exchange and most POP3/IMAP4 email and provides the same sharing protocols, it declines if you’re under Google’s services: Gmail users should first setup an Exchange account in order to sync their email and other pertinent information. While the issue is serviceable, it clearly gives a breach in the iOS 5’s stronghold.

In terms of social media, the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich IS social media: using its own API with that of Facebook and Twitter’s API, it basically embedded social networking in its system so to speak, making it easy for Android users to access and use social networking sites.

iOS 5 lacks this kind of instruction even though it did some noteworthy Twitter support, making it possible to share pictures and other content without launching the main Twitter application, but it didn’t even made the Android move a bit. Third party applications are needed to complete the social networking procedure and can somewhat be of nuisance to others.

Applications and Multitasking

This is where the iOS 5 and the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich meet halfway. Leveling the playing field are instant bases where users of both operating systems can either purchase or get various applications for free. With Apple comes the Apps Store while Google has the Android Market. Both are accessible on any given Sunday with tons of applications to choose from.

Multitasking is also an integral part of both operating systems. It’s just a matter of double tapping the home button for the iOS 5 to have your applications ready for use, while the ICS have the “Recent Apps” button complete with the preview and the icon of the said applications.

Conclusion

In summation, it all boils down to preference. You don’t need to have both the iOS 5 and the Android Ice Cream Sandwich to convince yourself whether to opt for Apple or Google. Witnessing some of their plus and minuses, both are in some ways, mirror images of each other; the only difference lies within the settings, the user interface, or maybe the 8megapixel camera of the iPhone 4S as compared to the 5megapixel clicker of the Nexus. It’s a choose your poison scenario at this point and it doesn’t have to be a complicated matter.

What is Steam? Steam is a downloadable platform for gamers to be able to connect with one another and search through a large selection of PC games for download, as several publishers and distributors have catalogs for browsing, much like an online store. This is especially useful for the PC gamers who want a certain game, but cant stand going to overcrowded shops just to buy it. Steam also takes care of the updates and patches, downloading and installing them without needing prompting from the user. At times, the distribution platform also gives discounts and weekend deals for select games.

Users of Steam have been requesting a mobile version for years, so it’s only natural that Valve indulge in their wishes. Sadly, there doesn’t seem to be a list for iOS or Android games, but hopefully the company will start adding titles for mobile devices soon.

However, the service is currently only for invitees, as it’s still in beta testing. There’s no telling when Valve will open it to the public, but if you’re interested, you can download the app already (see links below). Attempting to sign in will alert Valve of your interest, and if you’re lucky, you’ll be invited to try it out before the official launch.

(Android, iOS)

The Japanese company shared its achievement as it has developed next-generation back-illuminated stacked complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensors. These new sensors are designed for both low and bright light conditions so it shouldn’t be a surprise if images are clearer and vivid. In addition, the said sensors are deigned to be faster, and more energy efficient and feature the so-called “RGBW coding.”

The stacked image sensors is simply a structure that layers the pixel section containing formations of back-illuminated structure pixels over a chip which has fixed mounted circuits responsible for signal processing. Also in place is the supporting substrates used for conventional back-illuminated CMOS image sensors. Such structure proves to be an enhancement of image quality as well as functionality.

On the other hand, the RGBW coding simply means red-green-blue-white wherein white was added to the color mix. The addition of white is responsible for improving the sensor’s light sensitivity which means that taking photos on low-light conditions (i.e. night) wouldn’t really be a problem. Moreover, using RGBW coding poses no problem on signal processing as it’s a very friendly technology.

The sensors are available in the 8 – 13 megapixel variants and Sony hopes that use of these sensors would add to ease and enjoyment of taking photos. Watch the video below for more details.

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For the benefit of everyone, the news behind Apple putting a quad core A6 processor on their third generation iPad and/or iPhone has not been confirmed, although the idea is not that far behind. What the company is stating is that they might be testing iOS support for quad core CPUs. Captured images from the latest iOS 5.1 beta depicts an updated processing core management software that not only supports dual core processors found in today’s iPhone and iPad but also supporting quad core processor as well.

Doing the math, a single core processor will be listed as /cores/core.0; a dual core device will come in with /cores/core.1; moving a notch, the /cores/core.3 listing indicates that it will be packing four cores. With Apple testing an unreleased iPhone 5, it is still unsafe to say that the quad core speculations will be fitted to the latter. But with the innovations made by Apple over the last couple of years, an “A6” processor is definitely possible. And with Asus releasing a quad core Android Tablet, it is very evident that Apple will soon have a quad core device as well.

The US Patent Office recently published the patent application of Apple for a “Facial Recognition System”. The publication reveals that the application was filed June 29, 2010, months before the release of the Android version.

The “Facial Recognition System”, the patent provides, requires minimal computing power and said will work whether indoor or outdoor. The system works by comparing a current picture of the user against a reference model user profile. The reference model is an image previously made using “high information” portions of the face such as mouth and eyes.

If the facial recognition system is approved and subsequently included as a feature on the iPhone and the iPad, there will undoubtedly be efforts to compare the Apple technology with the Android version. One of the main challenges for Apple, in order to use this system, is to place reliable cameras on its portable devices.

Feature-wise, Apple may have an edge in polishing its Facial Recognition System since the issues experienced by users on the Face Unlock is well-known. For now, it is pre-mature to compare with certainty the better technology between Facial Recognition and Face Unlock. But who knows, Apple might just surprise its fans, and its competitors.

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This feat now breaks the barrier of Siri being exclusive to the iPhone 4S and with the help of Spire, Apple’s little helper can now be exploited on any jailbroken iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, third gen iPod touch, fourth gen iPod touch, and first gen iPad. Although the hack has been done before, the innovators behind Spire claims that theirs is legal without the fear of being apprehended due to copyright violations.

Chpwn blotted on his blog that Spire is currently available for free on the Cydia and will eat up 100MB of data. WiFi connection is recommended due to its size, so better find a comfy spot on your local WiFi serving coffee shop, order a latte and wait for Siri to welcome you with open arms.

With all these under wraps, Spire is not the complete solution; as a company, Apple still requires an authorization to use Siri, thus this information is still with the iPhone 4S. To insert the said information, Spire will allow users to use their own proxy servers, and rather dumping all on a single proxy server, Spire will give users the capability to use and specify their own proxy servers. That is, until the iPhone 4S is jailbroken, Spire is the best port. “When the iPhone 4S is jailbroken, then we can avoid the proxy server issues,” said Troughton-Smith.

Attesting to this latest feat is a bunch of us who patiently followed @pod2g on the progress of the said jailbreak and lo and behold, the exploit is now lingering in the World Wide Web, ready for non-A5 devices to, well, exploit to say the least. The untethered jailbreak works with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPad 1, iPod Touch 3G and iPod Touch 4G – in short, as long as you’ve been updated with the iOS 5, the jailbreak is for you. Bad news for the iPhone 4S and iPad2, though. But that’s not the point; the point is we have a damn good jailbreak!

@pod2g already molded the untethered jailbreak into redsnow 0.9.10, the Pwnage Tool and the Chronic devteam via a Cyndia package. For now, let’s put things in order: if you have the same devices mentioned above and not on the 5.0.1 sphere, better upgrade that device ASAP! But for those under the 5.0.1 with a tethered jailbreak, you have two choices: run redsnow 0.9.10 over your jailbreak or install Chronic devteam’s Cydia package. Both patches are still the same.

The super jailbreaker is reported to be working on to bypass A5 based devices – after he gives his brain cells time to recuperate. Check it out now.

Apple is developing a concept where the iPhone 5G may be powered by hydrogen fuel cells. With this feature, it converts oxygen and hydrogen into water, heat and electricity and use it to power up the phone. This will also be applicable for smartphones, laptops and tablets in the future. The challenge for this though is creating a hyrdrogen cell system that is portable and cost-efficient so they can be done on portable electronic devices.

For Apple though, it looks like they have a solution where the “fuel cell system which is capable of both providing power to and receiving power from a rechargeable battery in a portable computing device”. No need to bring a big battery that has a Hydrogen fuel cell system because they can be reduced to size now. When it comes to powering up the upcoming iPhone handset or the future MacBook, the hydrogen fuel cell system can power up for days and weeks without even refueling. This is very convenient for those who use their gadgets ALL THE TIME.

There is still no announcement of the price and release date, but this will be a big breakthrough in battery technology that will give a lot of convenience to users and something we want for a long time. So let’s all look forward for this.

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Users are in for a treat with the free LogMeIn software mainly because it offers the same capabilities as that of the LogMeIn Ignition which originally cost $29.99. With the LogMeIn Free, iOS users will still be able to access their computers remotely anytime, anywhere as long as they have an Internet connection.

Building within the foundation of convenience, the LogMeIn for iPhone and iPad is the company’s jump to provide a new breed of audience with their unique take in cloud based essentials. For one, remote access is indeed a must for every on the go person: from businessmen to Marketing specialists, cloud based applications is a necessity and an essential product.

The LogMeIn Free can be downloaded via the Apple App Store and installing it to any PC or Mac that you wish to navigate. LogMeIn Pro is also available at $12.20 per month and users are able to transfer files from their iOS device to their corresponding PC or Mac counterparts. High Definition video streaming and other cloud based services like Google Docs and Dropbox are also accessible.

To put things in closing, those who have availed the $29.99 LogMeIn Ignition version can get the Pro version for free and again, via the Apple App Store.

Putting things in the right note, Cydia is THE first application store and was available with the defunct iOS 1.x and that it allowed jailbreakers to download applications even before the App Store came into play. Those pioneers were then exposed to different prospects on the said application like Rock but then Cydia acquired Rock and the rest is history so they say.

The Cydia v1.2.5 will downright support devices and basebands running on the iOS 5.0.1 including the iPhone 3GS on basebands 04.26.08 – 05.11.07 – 05.12.01 – 05.13.04 – 06.15.00, and on the iPhone 4 under 01.59.00. The only “pft” of the new version of Cydia is that you need to have a compatible baseband, thus neophytes should reach out for the veterans. After all, this is the season for giving – why not share some of them unlocking skills.

Users with an older firmware should preserve their baseband before anything else, or in this case, before unlocking. Sn0wbreeze is one program to consider and follow the guide on how to unlock your device. Hit their forum for further assistance and additional information.