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It seems no matter how many new products its rivals introduce, Apple will always steal the show. Google and Microsoft both had big product announcements on Monday, but all it took was Apple sending out a brief press release about some executive shake-ups for many to forget all about those new Android and Windows Phone products. Didn’t hear the news? Then read on to get it a bite-sized edition…
Apple Announces Departures of Scott Forstall, John Browett
The big news on Monday was without a doubt Apple’s announcement that two of its executives are departing the company. iOS boss Scott Forstall will be leaving next year, but has already been demoted to an advisor to CEO Tim Cook for the remainder of his stay, while retail VP John Browett — a mere eight months after getting hired — is already being shown the door. Cook will head up the retail team until a replacement is found, with iOS now the domain of OS X chief Craig Federighi and both Siri and Maps landing at the feet of Eddy Cue, the iTunes executive who previously turned around MobileMe. Perhaps the biggest news is that hardware designer Jonathan Ive will now “provide leadership and direction for Human Interface (HI) across the company” as well, which likely means the next version of iOS will be infused with some of his taste and style.
Microsoft Finally Launches Windows Phone 8
Microsoft hit the stage in San Francisco on Monday to show off the remainder of Windows Phone 8, which will begin shipping this weekend internationally and finally arrive on handsets in the U.S. next month through AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless. Among the new features touted during the event are Kid’s Corner, which offers parents protection from having valuable data accidentally deleted while the little ones are playing Angry Birds. The feature got a big thumbs-up from actress Jessica Alba, who took the stage with Microsoft’s Joe Belfiore to gush about how much she loves her Nokia Lumia 920 more than her previous iPhone. Windows Phone developers are also pleased, because they’ll finally get their hands on the version 8 SDK today. Microsoft also announced it will be selling all of the available WP8 handsets in its 65 stores across the country this holiday season, should you be averse to dealing directly with carriers.
FreedomPop Now Shipping 4G Hotspot for iPod touch
The folks at FreedomPop announced Monday that their Freedom Sleeve Rocket 4G Hotspot for the iPod touch is finally shipping. For a one-time $99 fee, users gets 500MB of free WiMAX 4G data free each month, and with more than six hours of battery life, it’s probably the closest thing you’ll get to turning that iPod touch into an iPhone. Much like the Wi-Fi hotspot the company started shipping last month, the Rocket does have one Achilles’ heel, which is the very limited WiMAX network from coast to coast — but if you live in an area with coverage, you’ll be lovin’ it.
Roku Introduces Universal Search
Media streamer Roku announced on their blog Monday that a new firmware update for the Roku 2, Roku LT, new Roku HD players and Roku Streaming Stick enables a new cross-service search. The search tool makes it a snap to find out if a desired movie or TV show is available on any of the content providers available on your Roku, which includes Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, Hulu Plus, Crackle, VUDU or HBO GO. Type in a few letters, select a title from the results at right and you’re spending the evening watching instead of searching multiple providers. With nearly 130,000 movies and TV episodes and almost 100,000 actors and directors in its database, Roku Search is certain to have what you’re after.
Google Forges Ahead, Announces Nexus 4, Nexus 10
Rather than postpone its New York City event which was scrubbed by Hurricane Sandy, Google decided to do the whole thing with press releases instead. The Official Android Blog has the scoop on the company’s new product lineup, which now includes three sizes ranging from the LG-built Nexus 4 smartphone to the Asus-built Nexus 7 tablet (now available in 16GB and 32GB models, plus another with unlocked 3G data) and last but not least, the new Samsung-built Nexus 10 tablet. As rumored, a new Android 4.2 variant of Jelly Bean is powering all of this gear, which beefs up the Google Now search service and adds Photo Sphere to the mobile OS to go beyond panoramic images. No word yet on when Android 4.2 will hit existing Nexus devices, but it’s likely to happen soon, with November 13 pegged as the target date for much of the hardware.
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