Atari has released a brand new level pack for its hit Breakout: Boost iOS app game and it is themed around Valentines Day. The level pack, which features 50 new ‘romantic levels’, is a welcome upgrade to its hugely popular app which has seen 2.5 million downloads across the Apple iOS platform.

Now who ever said that a physical company couldn’t be romantic? PR below.

Be Mine Brick-breaking – Breakout^®: Boost Valentine’s Day Pack With 50 New Levels Now Available

London, United Kingdom – February 7th, 2012 – Atari’s popular Breakout^®: Boost, which has achieved 2.5 million downloads on iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, today received a sweet update: a Valentine’s Day level pack, available now through a £0.69 / €0.79 / AU$0.99 in-app purchase. The pack celebrates Valentine’s Day with 50 new, romantic levels and brick layouts displaying candy heart sayings and cute pictures. Also included is a Cupid’s Arrow power up which helps break those romantic bricks to pieces more quickly. Lastly, players can show their love for the new levels by competing for leaderboard placement and earning new achievements for completion.

Players can purchase the new content for £0.69 / €0.79 / AU$0.99 by updating their App and selecting the Valentine’s Day Pack under “New Game”.

Download the original, free Breakout: Boost, with 5 original levels and over 250 more available through in-app purchases, including the new Valentine’s Day levels: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/breakout-boost/id476059948?mt=8.

©2012 Technology Blogged, News. All Rights Reserved.

Back in November 2011 I highlighted just why the Apple patent war needed to stop. Well nonetheless that war is still going on. So this week we have some news that is good, bad and just ugly. Where to begin? Well lets start with bad, in the land down under, Australia. Apple has brought a whopping 278 claims against Samsung in an Australian court – 278! The Australian reports the Apple has added 278 complaints against Samsung. 72 involve patents and 10 involve Smartphone and Tablets products Samsung has yet to release in Australia . Although Apple won an injunction against Samsung back in November 2011, it has since been overturned. Samsung’s top lawyer involving the suits, Neil Young (anyone else suddenly picture the American rock singer?) says that do to the short notice of the latest law suit, Samsung will not be able to file defense until the middle of May 2012 at the earliest. This could have a major negative impact on Samsung’s sales in Australia.

Now for some good news – or ugly news, depending on how you look at it. Motorola has won a permanent injunction against Apples iCloud product in a German court. The decision was handed down in the Mannheim Regional Court by judge Andreas Vass. Apples iCloud being a cloud-based service, infringes on a ”multiple pager status synchronization system and method,” owned by Motorola. Motorola also won a case against Apple involving one of Motorola’s European 3G/UMTS patent. Since then, Apple has pulled the iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, and iPhone 4 from its German online store along with any 3G/UMTS enabled iPad’s it has. This move came from a ruling handed down in December 2011. Motorola went all out against Apple to ensure the ruling was enforced. This will  hurt Apples sales in Germany.

VIA: Engadget 

©2012 Technology Blogged, News. All Rights Reserved.

It’s no secret that major U.S. tech companies have a strong presence in the developing world, China in particular. These countries are used to source materials, manufacture products, and provide server hosting capabilities at discount cost. The lower costs, in turn, allow technology companies to build new products quickly and expediently in order to stabilize margins and react to changing market trends. Even in the tech industry, this phenomenon of outsourcing is certainly nothing new.

But most major tech companies have been immune in recent years from criticism related to their outsourcing policies. That changed in the past couple weeks, when the New York Times published a string of articles exposing Apple’s manufacturing practices in China. According to the article, Apple has repeatedly ignored and overlooked signs of dangerous working conditions, worker maltreatment, and harmful chemical use in its Chinese factories. These factories are largely operated by Foxconn, a contract manufacturer that also works heavily with Hewlett-Packard.

The New York Times articles use worker interviews to describe a string of incidents at the Chinese factories. Over the past year, the articles report, there have been two similar explosions at Foxconn factories that killed several workers and injured numerous more. Although both explosions stemmed from unsafe ventilation practices, and although the second one almost identically mirrored the first in cause and circumstance, Apple took no concrete action to change its practices after either one.

The articles go on to discuss the working conditions at the plants, where employees are subjected to extremely long work shifts, cramped and rat-infested living quarters, meager wages, and physical abuse. Apple, it was argued, encouraged these practices by making worker, production, and cost demands that could not otherwise be fulfilled. When Apple needed an immediate shipment of iPhones, workers were forced to use a hazardous chemical so that the phone’s screens could be cleaned in an efficient manner.

The report included anonymous quotes from Apple insiders who questioned the company’s commitment to its workers in the face of widespread cases of mistreatment. Publically, however, Apple has responded angrily to the Times article. In an email, CEO Tim Cook wrote that the company cares about each and every worker, and that allegations to the contrary were “patently false and offensive.”

Reaction to the report in the technology world has fall on both sides of the spectrum. A large number of bloggers, consumers, and analysts have rushed to defend Apple, arguing that the company conducted an audit whenever maltreatment was reported and that it is simply getting singled out from among the numerous American corporations that do business in China. Furthermore, supporters have argued that we should not judge Chinese working conditions based upon Western standards.

On the other side of the debate are those who believe that Apple’s mission statement, corporate identity, and brand name all require that the company be held to a higher standard. As a company known for its perfectionist attitude and desire to always do everything in a flawless manner, they argue, Apple’s oversight of worker deaths and repeated abuses reflects that its executives care more about the bottom line than about the people who make its products. Regardless of whether this criticism carries any validity, it should surely be concerning to Apple. After all, the company relies largely on a dominant brand name and on an energized (and politically liberal) fan base for support. Signs of maltreatment could throw that dominance into question.

Will the tech industry begin receiving the same scrutiny overseas that shoe companies got during the 1990s? Apple’s current case should stand as a revealing benchmark. Stay tuned.

©2012 Technology Blogged, News. All Rights Reserved.

All of these people have one thing in common: they all can take advantage of newly-released applications to make their winter travel an easier experience – whatever that travel may be. While there are countless apps out there that make travelling, vacationing, commuting, and surviving winter an easier experience, these two new apps take a new twist on the conventional approaches.

Winter Wake-Up

The first app, Winter Wake-Up, is designed for those who alter their morning schedule based on the nature of winter weather they are experiencing that morning. If it snows overnight, for example, you may leave earlier for work or you may leave later, depending on your flexibility and the specifics of your commute. Winter Wake-Up will automatically adjust your alarm to these needs based on weather reports gathered overnight. Using the app is easy: simply choose a wakeup time and then instruct the app how to respond in several different scenarios – how many more minutes to give you if there’s been ice or snow during the night. If a particularly strong snowstorm hits, you also can program the app to turn off your alarm altogether.

Last Night…?

Half a world and fifty degrees away, the second newly-released app, Last Night…?, is perfect for the traveler who wants to know their route in a new location. As opposed to the wealth of apps out there that provide you directions and tell you where to go next, Last Night…? does the opposite – it tracks and maps your recent movements to within 10 meters of accuracy. As the app’s name may suggest, the program is marketed towards those who seek to retrace their steps after an alcohol-fueled evening. But the average person will gain little from seeing a map of their drunken night spent hosting a party. The traveler, on the other hand, can use the app for several beneficial purposes: they can view their current location, assess their sightseeing route from the previous day, and figure out the length of their run in an unfamiliar environment.

Both of these apps are available for download from both the Apple and Android app stores. No matter where your travels take you this winter, always remember the well-proven mantra: there’s an app for that.

©2012 Technology Blogged, News. All Rights Reserved.

I’ve been paying extremely close attention to the smartphone market over the last 2 years and since the iPhone 4 release way back in to 2010, the iPhone has only gotten better with software updates and now the iPhone 4S. The trouble is though, there are generally better smartphones out there in certain circumstances.

Take the Nokia Lumia 800 for instance, on the face of it this smartphone is excellent. Hailed for its build quality, its solid camera and excellent fluid to use operating system Windows Phone 7.5, this smartphone is an excellent option when considering for a high end smartphone. Despite the Lumia 800 though, and numerous excellent Android offerings such as the HTC Sensation XE and Galaxy S II, the iPhone is still the must have smartphone. This may be down to brand awareness, marketing as well as its pricing in the market where people desire luxury (even with some of the best iPhone contract deals being affordable now), but most of all it is down to the iPhone being a solid product and one which practically anybody can get their head around.

The question this post title implies has two different answers, then. On the face of it, yes there are better smartphones out there for people who desire for instance customisability, a completely different operating system or can’t afford the iPhone, but come to think of it despite these offerings, the iPhone is still the go to for many consumers in the search for the ultimate smartphone and this in the end, as said before, is down to extreme marketing. To give you a few examples of this I have heard people say that Apple invented the smartphone, that Apple invented the touch screen and Apple even invented voice calling. The fact is, none of those features were ever invented by Apple they were just innovated (as Steve Jobs once put), however this is where the problem lies; despite by the end of this month thousands of people will have read this write up, those people who said Apple invented these features will have told hundreds of thousands without even knowing it. Word of mouth is quite honestly an impressive tool indeed.

And this is where the word extreme marketing comes in; Apple could quite literally stop playing TV advertisements, stop print media publications and even ban everybody from using their iPhone font in store, however the public will still flock to it for its apparent exclusivity of said features. In the end, the consumers decide everything. Sometimes, they don’t even know it.

©2012 Technology Blogged, News. All Rights Reserved.

Everyone needs a vehicle, but not everyone can afford to buy a car with the total amount in hand. Because of this setback, car dealers and banks find this the approved time to throw loan options out, without giving one the time to read it, or actually figure what can be afforded. When sitting in the office waiting for a loan to be drafted, the writers of said loan do not know the schedule of the borrower’s income, or know how the borrower spends their money, so some loans are written with insane terms.

RoadLoans apps is, an application that has been listed front page for the Apple store, this helpful little application is designed to help car buyers calculate how much their car payments will cost them, and more.

This app helps customers to estimate their car payments based on multiple terms; these generally include vehicle cost, the amount of the initial down payment, how many years the car will be financed, and the Annual Percent Rate. Upon figuring a set spending price, the borrower can apply for financing through the application.

The application process is quick and simple, with just a few taps of one’s screen; their information is safely sent and loan is processed instantly. The process takes anywhere from 1 minute to 5 minutes, depending on how many special issues will be dealt with. Upon receiving the company’s decision e-mail, the borrower will finalize the loan by finishing up the (online) paperwork, which includes basic information of the borrower, and the preferred dealer of choice. They will then send e-mails of cars that fit the description of the borrower’s information.

This is a great app for anyone who is independent and is looking to purchase a new or used car. The application has large print, and is very simple to use. The app does the biggest part of the work, letting the borrower set back and wait for results.

The Car Loan Calculator is a 3.7MB application from Apple, and is currently on version 1.1 and last updated February of 2011. This app is compatible with the iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad and requires an iOS 3.1.2 or later, and is currently available in English. Also, this apps aids you in finding preferred car dealer.

When looking to buy a new car, keep the Car Loan Calculator in mind when trying to figure out the payments. Not only will it save one time and effort, many headaches will be save for those who try to freehand the math. It never hurts to have a basic lump sum in one’s head when heading to any bank when looking for loans. The best way to throw a loan writer off their game is to come in with a positive head knowing that you can argue how much the payments should be.

The post is contributed by Peter Smith. Peter is professional blogger who likes to contribute on tech blogs, every now and then. Visit his site for  goene auto and auto leasen.

©2012 Technology Blogged, News. All Rights Reserved.

Without any hint at all from Apple regarding the Siri feature on older devices though, the very thought of Siri actually making its way over seems a little bit far fetched. After all, why would anybody buy an iPhone 4S if Siri was on the iPhone 4?

Via: T3

©2012 Technology Blogged, News. All Rights Reserved.

Cargo tracking is the detection of cargo (a package or possession) from one place to another. Cargo tracking is made possible because the top technologies of the twenty-first century possess GPS (global positioning systems) capabilities.

Global satellites are constantly orbiting the earth, taking note of everything that moves. Similar to a laser beam, a globally-positioned satellite, upon seeing an image, can zoom in on that image and provide information as to the whereabouts of the person, vehicle, building, or other items. Mobile phone applications are the only thing a mobile phone needs in order to access GPS capability.

The OOCL Lite 2.0 IPhone apparatus is an example of a mobile phone application that can track cargo shipments all across the world. “OOCL” stands for “Orient Overseas Container Line,” and the IPhone app is a mobile version of the OOCL’s website (www.oocl.com). Orient Overseas Container Line (a Hong-Kong shipping company) was created by C Y Tung in 1947. When the container line was first created, its name was “Orient Overseas Line.”

When the Line began its method of container shipping, the name of the company was changed to accommodate the new function. As of December 14, 2011, the OOCL IPhone mobile application received new upgrades: cargo and vessel tracking and exchange rate capabilities—all sure to please IPhone lovers everywhere.

What are some features of the OOCL IPhone mobile app? Three major features are the sailing schedules, cargo tracking, and vessel or container tracking. The sailing schedules allow you to send your schedule to yourself or your friends by way of email, save your search information, and search for your schedule by origin and destination in the keyword search.

With the cargo tracking capacity, you can see when your package clears customs checks at every stage, when your package is shipped, the charge of your shipping, and an up-to-date status report on the whereabouts of your cargo. When searching for your shipment, you can find your package by way of three choices: (1) bills of lading number, (2) booking number, and (3) container number. Bills of lading refer to receipts of cargo shipments. The bills themselves state that a person has paid for his or her cargo shipment—and the bill is proof that should be presented in case there are any disputes over the payment.

With vessel or container tracking, you can search for a certain vessel or port, search for details on arrivals and departures, as well as investigate the prices of various sailing schedules.

To track your cargo with the OOCL mobile phone application on your IPhone, download the OCCL mobile phone application for IPhone, then click on the “cargo tracking” icon. You will arrive at a screen with three boxes: bill of lading, container number, and booking number. Enter the number, and click “search.” The results screen appears and shows you information such as the inbound clearing status of the package as well as its intended destination and the time it arrived there.

The IPhone’s OOCL Lite 2.0 is just another wonderful cargo tracking application available for the IPhone. Mobile phone applications may be small things, but they make big dreams a reality.

The post is contributed by Calvin Scott. Calvin is proficient in writing tech articles also he loves to dig information on consumer electronics. Visit his site for container verhuur and zeecontainer huren

©2012 Technology Blogged, News. All Rights Reserved.