Software News

Canonical has been pretty silent about the development of Ubuntu Touch, but some details about the new operating system are detailed every week, in the development mailing lists.

Ubuntu Touch, the operating system from Canonical that will be available for smartphones and tablets, is not ready yet. It can't be used on a daily basis, but more features are added every week.

The camera app has received an important update and the “Pinch to zoom” function is now available, the Gallery app got some functionality fixes, the sliders were also improved, and the main shell of the OS has received some performance fixes. And these are just a few highlights of this week's update.

Canonical hasn't announced a fixed date for the launch of Ubuntu Tourch, but a working version should be available soon.

Via: Ubuntu Touch Receives New Features and Gets Closer to a Working Version

Gran Turismo 6, after being listed by a retailer for a release on the PS3, is apparently scheduled to be revealed in a few weeks, according to a new report.

Sony's Gran Turismo franchise has delighted millions of racing simulator fans from around the world and the latest Gran Turismo 5 delivered a great experience on the PlayStation 3.

Now, while Sony is working hard ahead of the PlayStation 4's release later this year, it seems that the next game in the series, Gran Turismo 6, will be revealed in the following weeks, at least according to a report from CVG.

The website notes that the game will appear on the PlayStation 3, just like how Sony revealed earlier this year, and will be released towards the end of 2013.

As of yet, however, no other details are known so expect to hear more about Gran Turismo 6 in the very near future, probably in May or at E3 2013 in June.

Via: Gran Turismo 6 Reveal Coming in a Few Weeks Report

The folks at Brain Seal have just released a turn-based fantasy RPG title for Android devices called Dark Quest. The game is available for download on Google Play and promises hours of entertainment in a world of fantasy and adventure.

Players are to control a party of three characters and adventure into twisted mazes, fight brutal orcs and find hidden doors.

There’s more to it, as you advance into the game you’ll find gold, which can be used to purchase new weapons, spells and potions.

Keep in mind that each character has unique abilities and strengths, so you will have to complement each party member in order to succeed.

Dark Quest 1.0 is now available for download for $0.99 / €0.80 via Google Play Store and it should be fully compatible with all devices running Android 2.3.3 and up. Check it out here.

Via: Dark Quest Turn-Based RPG Arrive on Google Play

Arvind Bhatia, an analyst watching the video game industry for analysis firm Sterne Agee, believes that the coming NPD Group figures will show that the market has decline by more than 10 percent for the month of March when compared to 2012.

The firm, in an investor note quoted by VG247, claims that the only way for the sector to increase sales is to wait for the launch of the PlayStation 4 from Sony and the yet unannounced Xbox 720 from Microsoft.

The release of Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto V will also generate sales in late fall.

For March the analyst believes that the biggest success will be BioShock Infinite, the title from developer Irrational Games and publisher 2K Games, which will deliver between 700,000 and 750,000 copies on home consoles and the PC.

Via: Analyst: GTA V, PlayStation 4 and Xbox 720 Will Revive Gaming Industry

Many of the free applications that are available for download on Android devices are bundled with adverts, which allow developers to boost their revenue even if the user doesn’t have to pay for the software itself.

However, paid flavors of these apps remove the ads, so that the user experience is cleaner, yet it seems that the security risks related to privacy remain roughly the same.

A recent report from Bitdefender shows that many paid apps behave similarly to their ad-supported, free counterparts when it comes to sharing user data.

Although they are no longer bundled with aggressive advertisements, the paid flavors of these apps still upload location, unique device ID, and even read contacts, the security firm notes.

By having a closer look at the Google Play’s Top Paid apps (between April 1 and April 7) that also have free versions, Bitdefender concluded that five out of eight applications continue to behave exactly the same even after the user has made the purchase.

“Indeed, the main difference between paid and free versions - at least in terms of privacy - is that the intrusiveness is simply hidden better in paid apps,” the company notes.

For example, Rovio’s Angry Birds Space will track and upload user location, while also broadcasting unique device IDs to third-party servers, even if the user has bought the paid version.

Angry Birds Star Wars, SwiftKey Keyboard, SoundHound, and Cut the Rope behave in a similar manner, it seems.

“A key incentive to buy an app is to get rid of aggressive advertisements. At least in users’ minds, paying for an app should put an end to banners and push notifications,” Bitdefender explains.

“The use of aggressive tracking in paid apps, if it becomes widely known, could devalue paid versions and change consumer behavior.”

The company also notes that users’ privacy might be at higher risk when it comes to less popular applications that could collect even more data, considering that the most popular Android software does so.

Via: Paid Android Apps Put Users Privacy at Risk the Same as Free Apps

Apple’s upcoming iPhone refresh may not occur as scheduled, if one analyst’s research is to be taken seriously. Peter Misek with Jefferies says Apple is having preproduction issues with the iPhone 5S, which could result in multiple delays.

“After our Asia trip we now think the low-cost iPhone launch could be pushed to CQ4 and have increased confidence that the iPhone 6 will not launch until CY14,” Misek tells StreetInsider.

The analyst adds, “iPhone 5S is having preproduction issues with mass production at least a month or more away. This combined with the publicly discussed delay of iOS 7 puts a July availability at risk.”

Of course, “the publicly discussed delay of iOS 7” is only a rumor. Apple hasn’t commented on the subject and, if the company can produce it at WWDC 2013, it will have arrived on schedule.

The same goes for the CQ4 release of any new iPhone Apple may have in store for us. The company has shipped a new model every other fall for the past two year, and they haven’t been dropping any hints that the iPhone 5S (or whatever they end up calling it) would launch in summer.

In other words, until further notice, Apple is just as likely to stick with its autumn refresh cycle.

“We continue to believe there is almost no chance the iPhone 6 launches in CY13 [calendar year 2013] due to supply chain issues,” Misek adds.

Again, if history is any indication, the iPhone 6 is not “delayed” to 2014 but actually scheduled to ship in 2014.

However, since the analyst has held discussions with Apple’s Asian suppliers, the iPhone 5S delay rumor may hold water. Numerous analysts and pundits alike have pegged the iPhone 5S launch date for summer 2013.

Via: iPhone 5S Is Having Preproduction Issues, Says Jefferies

Microsoft seems to be fully prepared to take the fight against Apple to a completely new level, this time with a smart watch device that could see daylight later this year.

As we’ve already told you, the company is working on a 1.5-inch Windows device that would compete with Apple’s upcoming iWatch, even though it’s not yet clear if the company only wants to develop a prototype or start mass production of such a unit.

But as far as ABI Research is concerned, Microsoft should really do this, as more than 1.2 million smart watches are likely to be shipped this year. And Microsoft would clearly account for an important share.

“The strong potential emergence of smart watches can be attributed to several reasons,” says senior analyst Joshua Flood.

“Contributing factors include the high penetration of smartphones in many world markets, the wide availability and low cost of MEMS sensors, energy efficient connectivity technologies such as Bluetooth 4.0, and a flourishing app ecosystem.”

Via: Microsoft Might Hit the Jackpot with a Smart Watch, Research Shows