Mango from Microsoft, Ice Cream from Google ?

Smartphone operating systems news:  Google unveiled features of Android 4.0, also known as "Ice Cream Sandwich", in a joint demo with Samsung.   Microsoft has been gradually rolling out the "Mango" update to Windows Phone 7 users.  Both are competing with the leader Apple made iOS 5.


What is new in the Android 4.0 ICS ?

1. Gmail now previews two lines of each email;
2. Navigation is easier between messages and calendar days. Swiping left and right will switch across messages (Gmail) or days (Calendar);
3. Email addresses are turned into “chips” or business-card like ribbons of information, with pictures, contact info and quick links to actions;
4. Pinch to zoom works with calendar events, which should adjust the number of lines you see on the Calendar screen.

Google debuted Android 4.0 this week in Hong Kong, along with the new Samsung Galaxy Nexus smartphone, which will be the first gadget to run it.  It has a Face Unlock, which is designed to recognize the user's face instead of a password.

Nokia news: Microsoft's Mango Windows Phone 7 is released.  

What is new in Mango for developers?

1. - Background processing
2. - New profiler and emulator for testing
3. - Use of Silverlight + XNA together
4. - Silverlight 4
5. - IE9 web browser control
6. - Live Tile enhancements: use of back of tiles and ability to update Live Tiles locally
7. - Deep linking into apps from notifications and Live Tiles
8. - Additional sensors; direct camera access, compass & gyro
9. - Fast application switching
10. - Networking / sockets for communications
11. - Local SQL database for structured storage
12. - Access to calendar and contacts for apps.

And the winner is Apple ..

With iOS 5, Apple added over 200 new features, taking a mobile operating system that was already years ahead of anything else and moving it even further ahead.

Twitter integrated right into iOS 5.  The iOS 5 makes it even easier to tweet from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. Sign in once in Settings, and suddenly you can tweet directly from Safari, Photos, Camera, YouTube, or Maps.

Steve Jobs..Bill Gates..Mark Zukerburg...who next ?

Apple history 1955 - 2011
(Pictures courtesy Dunken K Bliths) 

Steve Jobs..Bill Gates..Mark Zukerburg...who will be the next IT revolutionary leader ?

Apple has $76 billion in the bank, but it faces challenges from seemingly every corner:

Google wants to crush the iPhone with its Android system. Amazon has jumped into the tablet business. Netflix wants to dominate the world’s living rooms, leaving iTunes behind. Facebook wants to be the window to the Internet, controlling just about everything. 

• The great IT professional, Steve Jobs’s death leaves Apple facing challenges without its lead visionary. 
• The death of Steve Jobs at age 56 comes at a crucial period in the history of personal computing — an industry he almost single-handedly created, first with the Apple II, then the Macintosh, then iTunes and the iPod, and now the iPhone and the iPad.



Late Steve Jobs

• "Steve's brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives. The world is immeasurably better because of Steve," 

    Apple said in a statement.

Steve Jobs will be forever in my mind, one of the greatest IT leaders of our time, and will be missed. I extend my sincere condolences. e-Tribute posted from my iPhone 4 - will remember 4ever.

"Death Is Very Likely The Single Best Invention Of Life" - Steve Jobs said.

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