Apple CEO Steve Jobs will unveil iOS 5 as well as Apple’s new iCloud service and OS X Lion in a keynote speech kicking off the company’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference on June 6.

While iOS sparked a revolution in smartphone and tablet operating systems, it’s garnered a fair amount of criticism over the years.  iOS 4.x brought many new features to the platform, including multitasking, but it’s still lacking in some key areas. Maybe iOS 5.0 will fix some of these outstanding issues.

So what exactly are some of the issues that users are having with iOS 4? I certainly can’t speak for all iOS users, but I can list a few improvements that I’d like to see happen on my iPhone 4 come this June: Read the rest of this entry »

Microsoft is letting developers know that the Windows Phone Marketplace will no longer accept Windows Mobile 6.x apps starting on July 15th. Developers will also no longer be able to change the prices or other information in the Marketplace after the 15th.

This isn’t quite the end of the road for Windows Mobile 6.x users though. You’ll be able to continue downloading apps from the Marketplace for the immediate future. You just won’t see any new apps in the Marketplace.

Of course, when Windows Mobile first hit the scene, there was no centralized app store. Instead users simply downloaded software from developer web sites or from third-party stores such as Handango or Mobihand. And you can still do that. But with Microsoft throwing its weight behind Windows Phone 7, killing off the Marketplace for earlier devices, and a diminishing number of Windows Mobile 6.x phones on the market, it might be time to consider upgrading if you want to be able to run the latest apps on your phone.

via GottaBeMobile

Zagat’s application for BlackBerry lets you search, view, rate, map, and make reservations for restaurants across the nation. You can also access Zagat’s famous restaurant reviews, which is what separates it from the countless other apps that have the same features. It’s a great app to have while traveling, and packs a lot of useful information about restaurants you might even be familiar with.

The latest version for BlackBerry brings a whole host of new features to an already high-quality app, most notably location based search and the ability to make reservations within the app. With location based search results, you can get ratings and more information on restaurants that are nearby, and make a reservation, of course.

More new features include a very convenient map view, meaning you can view Zagat-Rated restaurants on a map, for your location or within a search. The app has also added support for the latest BlackBerry devices, which translates into BlackBerry 6 support.

The biggest question mark over Zagat’s BlackBerry app has been its price, which can only be justified by its brand name restaurant reviews. Plenty of free apps, such as Poynt, Where and Open Table all pack the other features. You can download the app from Zagat’s official website for $1.99 per month or $9.99 per year. However, they do offer a 14 day free trial, so you can give it a try with no commitment. It’s available for all BlackBerry devices running OS 4.5+.

via Crackberry

Back in April, Hugh Hefner tweeted that Playboy was coming to the iPad, “complete and uncensored.” However, we weren’t sure whether the magazine would be a web app or a full-fledged mobile app. Today, Playboy for iPad is live in the form of a web app, allowing it to be “complete and uncensored,” just as Hugh said it would be.

The web app is designed especially for the iPad, and contains every magazine ever published by Playboy. To see the enhanced navigation and scrolling, you can watch a video demo on iPlayboy’s homepage. You’ll find that it’s not an average mobile site; Playboy went to great lengths to optimize it for the iPad. Access to the content, however, can be quite expensive.

If you’re prepared to sign up for a year, it will cost you $7.24 a month. If you only want to commit for one month at a time, the price drastically increases to $17.95 a month. Playboy is currently offering a 3 day trial at a more reasonable $0.95. You may want to note that the trial requires payment details. If you fail to cancel after the 3 days, your subscription will rise to the full monthly charge of $17.95.

via TiPb

RIM announced the latest upgrade to the BlackBerry Internet Service (v. 4.0) today in the BlackBerry Support Forums. While Research in Motion hasn’t said when BIS 4 will be available, it may be rolling out as we speak.

Shortly after the announcement, a BlackBerry user leaked the above screenshot to N4BB which displays the Email Setup Application update version 6.11.0419.0755. We’re not certain, but this is likely the BIS 4.0 hitting its first wave of handsets.

The new features included in the BIS 4.0 update include Google Calendar synchronization improvements, additional language support, and automatic login improvements. Also included are secret question changes (as an option) and Windows Live Integration Re-validation removal.

BlackBerry Internet Service is RIM’s own Internet service that guarantees BlackBerry users features like top-notch security and excellent push email. Carriers also benefit from the service, as it adds a high level of efficiency to web browsing and the use of applications, which compresses the device’s data usage.

via N4BB

Google Tasks has been available for a few years, but it’s one of the most basic task management applications I’ve ever seen, essentially offering little more than a simple To Do list. If it weren’t integrated with Gmail, I’m not sure I’d pay any attention to it at all. But today Google released an API for Google Tasks which could be a game changer for Google Tasks.

A number of developers including Produteev, Mavenlink, Manymoon and Zoho have already integrated Google Tasks with their products, and the developer behind Pocket Informant has announced that he’s looking at adding support for Google Tasks synchronization to his mobile calendar and task manager app for Android, iOS, and BlackBerry — although it may take a while to implement.

Research in Motion’s BlackBerry Messenger service has long been exclusive to BlackBerry products. But now it looks like you could soon be able to access BBM in a web browser.

Fixmo has released a public beta app designed to let you chat with your BBM contacts directly from your desktop. It’s important to note that the beta doesn’t allow for an AIM-style standalone desktop program, but will allow for BBM to extend from your smartphone to your desktop. This is done similarly to how you can use BBM on the PlayBook when you bridge it your BlackBerry.

To test the app, download the beta straight to your device at http://fwm.fixmo.com:8080/WebMessenger.jad. Then open the mobile app and create a new account with your email address and a password, which are then used to log-in to your BBM. Simply click ‘Connect’, then go to Fixmo Web Messenger Download | Fixmo Inc. and enter your login information. Click ‘Connect’ on the web interface, and you should be able to start using BlackBerry Messenger from your desktop.

For troubleshooting tips and other errors that may occur during the initial setup, visit the CrackBerry Forums.

via PocketBerry

At BlackBerry World 2011, Research in Motion showcased its new BlackBerry Bold 9900 and a preloaded application called Wikitude. The new Bold is the first BlackBerry to include a magnetic compass and the right display overlay software, meaning it’s capable of augmented reality technology.

Wikitude’s main function is the ability to check out geo-positioned Wikipedia articles. For example, pointing your smartphone’s camera at the Eiffel Tower and launching Wikitude will spawn the corresponding Wikipedia article. You can also include Flickr photos, YouTube videos, Twitter tags and Foursquare spots in your geo-referenced results.

Considering that RIM developed Wikitude, it’s not a surprise that it’s highly integrated with BlackBerry’s native apps-including BlackBerry Messenger. The developers adapted it so that you can see where your BBM friends are when you point the camera in a particular direction.

Wikitude also intends to use the social side of BBM as a way for users to meet new people. It’s likely that the BBM Social developer API helped make features like this possible.

The first BlackBerry handset to pack this feature, the Bold 9900, is expected to launch early this summer.

via IntoMobile