By NATASHA SINGER
The “sharing economy” and similar terms suggest that technology-enabled transactions are altruistic endeavors and not commercial interactions.
Published: August 8, 2015 at 07:00PM
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A few weeks ago we looked at the history of iOS, now let’s remember the OS that are no longer with us. Some of them powered smartphones before someone even coined the term, but they proved evolutionary dead ends.
Symbian: 2000-2012
Many will remember Symbian as their first smartphone experience. The OS launched on mobile in 2000 with the Ericsson R380 and the Nokia 9210 Communicator. It saw many versions – Series 60, 80, 90, also UIQ. Most didn’t live long, Series 60 coming out as the sole survivor.
It turned into Symbian^1, Symbian Anna and finally Belle. The last few Symbian-running Nokias got updated to Belle (by that time Nokia was the only maker still using the OS) and the Nokia 808 PureView proved to be the last Symbian phone ever.
Windows Mobile: 2000-2010
Like Symbian, Windows Mobile hit the mobile scene in 2000. Back then it was PocketPC 200 and powered PDAs and phones, the term “smartphone” hadn’t caught on yet. It transformed into Windows Mobile and HTC and others helped transform its UI into something better than a desktop UI running on a stylus-centered touchscreen.
Microsoft saw the end coming and launched Windows Mobile 6.5 as a stopgap measure while Windows Phone 7 was being finished. The last WM6-powered phone seems to be the Sony Ericsson Aspen launched in 2010.
Windows Phone 7: 2011-2013
In 2010 Microsoft was finally ready with its next-generation mobile OS, dubbed Windows Phone 7 (no more “Mobile”). Unfortunately, while the software was done the hardware wasn’t. Nokia would eventually kick things off with the Lumia 800 in 2011.
After several updates, this branch of Windows reached version 7.8 and that was the end of the line for it. Much like Windows Mobile 6, WP7 phones could not be updated to version 8. The last phone with Windows Phone 7.x to launch was the Lumia 925 in June 2013, another PureView finishing off an OS.
Danger OS: 2002-2010
In 2002 Sharp and Danger introduced the Hiptop – a smartphone with a QWERTY keyboard sold by T-Mobile as the Sidekick. With solid messaging features it became fairly popular for a while, surprisingly lasting until 2010 when hardware keyboards were old news.
KIN OS: 2010-2011
Microsoft bought Danger and continued its partnership with Sharp to produce the Kin. It switched the carrier to Verizon but kept the hardware QWERTY. The Kin were a sort of limited smartphone – not quite on par with iOS, Android and even Windows Phone 7.
The touchscreen-only Kin TWOm was discontinued in 2011 as it became clear the Kins weren’t gaining traction and Microsoft’s new darling, WP7, was ready to go. One thing has to be said though – KIN OS inherited the UI style of Zune, which was the groundwork on which Metro UI was based.
Also, by that time Danger founder by the name of Andy Rubin had moved on to another company that produced a little OS known as Android.
Palm OS: 1996-2008
Most of those are mere newcomers to the smartphone game. Palm OS has been going since 96 and like Windows Mobile it began life as a PDA OS, eventually growing phone functionality.
Palm phones were quite well known for their hardware QWERTY keyboards and that lasted until 2008 with the release of the Palm Centro.
Web OS: 2009-2010
Palm wasn’t ready to give up on keyboards, but it gave up on Palm OS. It created Web OS – one of the most influential touch OSes, that barely managed to survive a year in the smartphone market. Launched with Palm Pre and put out to pasture with the Pre 2.
It’s still ticking as a TV OS in some LG models and its UI legacy continues in Android and iOS.
BlackBerry OS: 1999-2013
BlackBerry started off with a pager in 1999, moving on to phones like many of the other OSes on this list. There was collaboration between Palm and BlackBerry for a while, but the BlackBerry OS like Palm OS was aging quickly in the eyes of iPhone users.
Eventually the classic OS was killed off in favor of BlackBerry 10 in 2013. Despite the similarity in the name it was a completely new operating system, based on QNX which the company had acquired earlier. BB10 is still on the market though it’s once dominant position is just a distant dream.
Maemo, MeeGo, Bada: 2008-2012
It’s a slaughterhouse over here. Maemo was Nokia’s backup OS, Linux-based and powerful it powered the company’s proto-phablet, the…
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A century from now, NASA’s successful flyby of Pluto and its five known natural satellites will rank right up there with the moment Apollo 11 first touched down on the lunar surface and the Viking 1 lander sent its first color photos from Mars.
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Crew Members Sample Leafy Greens Grown On Space Station
Fresh veggies grown in space microgravity are on the menu for the first time for NASA astronauts on the International Space Station.
Crew members on Expedition 44, including NASA’s one-year astronaut Scott Kelly, harvested some “Outredgeous” red romaine lettuce Monday, Aug. 10, from the Veggie plant growth system on the nation’s orbiting laboratory.
August 9, 2015 at 03:27AM
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Hoy es un día especial por tener entre manos un videojuego de esos únicos que nos suelen llegar de tanto en tanto y que en sí tiene todas las virtudes para ser nombrado como uno de los mejores de este año.
A Day in the Woods es el videojuego en cuestión y que nos lleva a proteger a Caperucita Roja, quien por lo visto ha perdido el sentido para sortear los peligros que la acechan en el bosque, como pueden ser los lobos o esos osos blancos. Caperucita Roja realmente no se mueve, sino que seremos nosotros los que, al cambiar de posición las fichas hexagonales que la rodean, conseguiremos que se vaya desplazando y así consiga volver a casa sana y salva. Un videojuego que despunta por su logrado estilo visual que lo diferencia de otros muchos, aparte de contar con una realización técnica de esas de gran atención en los detalles con gran derroche de calidad por todos los costados.
Con A Day in the Woods nos trasladaremos a un puzle lleno de fantasía, gran colorido, personajes únicos y un estilo visual que podría dejar a Monument Valley para el arrastre. Seguramente que no dejarás de sorprenderte cada vez que eches una partida a este gran videojuego.
Volviendo a la temática del juego, más bien su gameplay, comentar que para terminar todos los niveles tendremos un número máximo de movimientos para que Caperucita logre volver sana y salva a su casa. Otra de las necesidades que tendréis que cumplir en cada nivel es recolectar todas las flores que hayan en el camino, por lo que se pone bastante difícil terminarlos y acrecienta la atención que tenemos que poner en cada uno de ellos. Por cierto, una atención que pasará a centrarse en el gran arte visual que impera en cada recoveco de este videojuego para Android.
Como todo parece tan bonito y tan bien acabado, nos pensamos que con A Day in the Woods va a ser como dar la vuelta al parque de atracciones. Para nada, hay ciertas piezas, como son piedras y árboles, que no pueden ser movidas, así que tendrás que buscártelas para mantener a Caperucita a dos del oso o una araña, antes de que aceche y se tiren directamente por la pobre Caperucita.
Por lo que, entre las flores, los obstáculos y los animales que están deseando comerse a Caperucita, la dificultad aumenta considerablemente. Esto también le da más jugo a este videojuego, porque otros como Monument Valley con una gran realización técnica, se pierden un poco en la facilidad que es el terminarlos, y al final uno se queda con la sensación de que muy bonito sí, pero ya lo acabé, quiero más.
Todo la complicación en su gameplay está aderezada con una presentación como videojuego simplemente espectacular. Es un juego especial, uno de esos que seguramente tendremos en la memoria durante un buen tiempo. Las piezas de puzle están presentadas como si fueran miniaturas. Cada árbol, animal o incluso Caperucita misma pareciera que estuviera tallada en madera y no muy bien pintada, lo que le da un aire simplemente mágico cada vez que se echa una partida a este gran juego.
Un videojuego único que está disponible en la Play Store por el precio de 5,40€ sin publicidad y sin compra dentro de la aplicación, así que tendrás todo su contenido mediante un único pago. Un juego de ensueño para tu Android que no puedes perderte.
WP-Appbox: (5,40 €, Google Play) →
El artículo A Day in the Woods, un gran y especial puzle donde tienes que ayudar a Caperucita a escapar de la muerte ha sido originalmente publicado en Androidsis.
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Motorola seems to have struck gold with the Moto X Style, judging by the opinion of the vast majority of you, our readers. Gathering a huge 87% of upvotes, the smartphone may have broken the record for positive feedback, we’re not entirely sure.
Record-breaking or not, the numbers paint a bright future for the Moto X Style, provided, of course, that fan love translates into actual sales. With the $399 price tag, which gets you proper high-end hardware, we don’t see why it shouldn’t.
The company’s all-time top-seller, the Moto G, now in its third generation, appears set to continue generating sales numbers that will make competitors jealous. Sure, the 68% approval rate is not as exciting as the one of the Moto X Style, but the Moto G was always meant to speak to a wider audience, and thus make it to a lot more pockets.
The Moto X Play, the truly unexpected little X brother, which Motorola kept a secret until the very last moment, has managed to appeal to the majority of you as well. Splitting the gap between the flagship Moto X Style and the affordable Moto G, the Play is hot enough to two thirds of you – a reasonable compromise between price and features is always appreciated, and an inclination towards battery endurance certainly helps its case.
The second-gen “flagship killer” comes last on this list, but just because the Motos had it outnumbered. With a 2-to-1 positive score, the OnePlus 2 is also shaping up to be a success, though there’s always the matter of availability and questionable marketing practices, which may hurt its sales…
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With yet another exciting week behind us, it’s time once again for a quick recap of the highlights from the news section. In the wake of IFA and Samsung’s “Unpacked” event, the industry is still busy with rumors and speculations about upcoming devices, but a few new phone announcements did manage to creep through as well.
It come as no surprise that the Galaxy Note 5 is still on everybody’s mind. It should be unveiled alongside the Galaxy S6 edge+ on August 13 and we have been seeing a lot more of both handsets. Most-recently their full specs sheets popped up online and so did a set of detailed hands-on photos for the next Note. However, nothing is really certain yet and we just have to wait patiently for the event to finally find out the whole story.
Sony has also been quite active recently. It announced two new devices – the Xperia C5 Ultra and the Xperia M5. And the best is yet to come with the promise of a proper flagship device in the face of the Xperia Z5. The eagerly-anticipated Sony handset also appeared in a few alleged shots, along with a Compact version.
Asus made the headlines as well, thanks to a total of three new devices. The Zenfone 2 Deluxe brings new styling to the current Asus lineup and the Zenfone 2 Laser comes boasting improved camera performance. The third new device is the Zenfone Max, which comes with a whopping 5,000 mAh battery pack.
In other news, Samsung quietly released the S4 mini and made an Exynos-powered Galaxy A8 available in India. The Microsoft Lumia 950 (XL) was also spotted in the wild and we got a first glimpse of what to expect from two next-get mobile chipsets – the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 and the MediaTek Helio X30.
If you think you might have missed something from the week, here is a list of the hottest topics in the tech world.
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Samsung Galaxy Note 5 now portrayed in detailed hands-on pictures
The latest leak about the upcoming high-end phablet lets us take a peek at it from all possible angles.
Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 edge plus full specs sheets revealed
Full sets of specs popped up on a Chinese website today for both upcoming devices.
Live image allegedly shows the Xperia Z5 and Z5 Compact
The two upcoming smartphones flank an iPhone 6 and showcase their fingerprint scanners.
Sony announces the Xperia C5 Ultra and the Xperia M5
The Xperia C5 Ultra is a giant selfie camera phone while the M5 is a ‘super mid-range’ phone.
Asus announces Zenfone Max with 5,000 mAh battery
The Zenfone Max it comes with an ample 5,000 mAh battery that should give it extra long power autonomy.
Leaked image shows the Xperia Z5 and Z5 Compact from new angle
This time around the focus is on letting us peek at the fingerprint scanner-carrying power button.
Asus Zenfone 2 Deluxe and Zenfone 2 Laser go official
The Zenfone 2 Deluxe goes up to 128GB storage, while the Zenfone 2 Laser brings camera parity for the 5″ model.
Gone in 64 seconds: 30,000 OnePlus 2 units sold out
This was the first batch, there’s a new one coming in 7 days.
Samsung Galaxy S4 mini plus quietly released
Samsung I9195I Galaxy S4 mini plus / VE with Snapdragon 410 chipset and LTE is on sale across Europe.
Microsoft Lumia 950 (XL) prototype gets photographed in the wild
It will be the next top of the line Lumia-branded Windows-running smartphone, launching later this year.
Samsung Galaxy A8 is now available in India with…
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The irony is Amazon is innovating — just not, noticeably at least, in online retail, the area where it got its start.
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