By Ryan Kamauff
Here are the top mobile new and stories of the day.
- Verizon to boost 4G LTE with ‘small cells’ rollout later this year - Verizon has recently stated that they have 95% of their 3G already covered by LTE, an amazing feat. They are aiming to boost their 4G LTE coverage with mini cell towers, which are not much more than WiFi type extenders. These will plug into fiber lines and offer better coverage to Verizon users. Verizon’s huge 4G LTE net is a great advantage in the carrier wars. Via Android Community, more here.
- Google plans to bring its own voice search to the iPhone and iPad - Google has announced that they will add voice capabilities to their iOS offerings. Google’s iOS apps are often considered far superior to Apple’s own offerings (especially Maps and Mail). Google has also made it possible for their apps to be the default choice, and are creating their own layer of Google on top of iOS. Via GigaOM, more here.
- Not just another pretty face: Apple’s iPhone 5S to see big internal overhaul - BGR has some details on the technological updates that Apple will be putting into the iPhone 5S (or will most likely). It appears that new iPhone will have better speakers and WiFi as well. Instead of just swapping out the CPU/GPU, Apple is trying to upgrade all the innards, to create a better phone in total. Via Boy Genius Report, more here.
- Microsoft caves in, cripples YouTube for Windows Phone 8 with the latest update - Google has been at Microsoft because the YouTube app on Windows 8 Phone did not show advertisements. This is counter to everything Google uses to make money, so they needed advertisements. To fix this, Microsoft will be updated their app to remove the download feature of YouTube on Windows Phone 8, devastating the approximately 3,215 Windows Phone 8 users. Via Beta News, more here.
- Retina overload: Mirasol smartphone display has 77% more pixels per inch than iPhone - Qualcomm is showing off a 1440p smartphone screen. While it has not yet been placed on any production device. The Mirasol also uses reflective light and new technology to create a screen with 6x the power efficiency of traditional screens. Today they are still somewhat washed out in comparison to the colors of AMOLED and LCD screens, but may compare more favorably in the future (or be the future of e-readers). Via GigaOM, more here.
- Xbox One vs. PlayStation 4: PS4 wins on specs - Now that the Xbox One and PS4 have both been announced, the comparisons have already started. It seems the PS4 has far superior (and faster) memory and a more powerful GPU. One thing to note is that both the devices will be based off AMD Jaguar architecture, which may create some efficiencies in game development. Via Boy Genius Report, more here.
- Twitter follows the flock, introduces two-factor authentication - few sites have been hacked as much (and as famously) as Twitter, so it is good to see them moving forward with two-factor authentication. The second factor is a SMS code which enables more secure login (note: you must have confirmed email and a compatible wireless carrier). Via Beta News, more here.
- HTC One and the harsh reality of the Android ecosystem - While the HTC One is considered many people’s favorite Android device, this article investigates how HTC is failing in selling Android devices (and how everyone not named Samsung is failing). HTC has announced that they’ve already sold over 5M Ones, and have more orders than they can meet. Part of where manufacturers Apple or Samsung are failing is in the supply chain (Samsung supplies many of their own parts) and Apple has a great deal invested in supply chain. The challenge to HTC and other Android manufacturers will be survival (and profit) via Android devices. Via GigaOM, more here.
