Tech Brief
On Tech Brief today; The new way to text, criticisms of the engine that will power the highly anticipated new iPhone and how children are wooed by high tech.
• The iPhone version 4 may not be available until later in the week but already the criticism of the engine that will drive it is mounting.
Apple's iOS 4 has been released ahead of the phone and will be available for old-generation mobiles as well as the shiny news one. It promises 100 new features, including a way to make organising the ever-growing army of applications easier but the Twittersphere is already full of criticisms, with many saying it has made their iPhone's slower.
Many, including the criticisms. One disgruntled user told the technology news site:
"Not happy! Just installed ios4 and it's made my iPhone sooo sluggish and slow it's unbelievable!!"
• Now the Hollywood stars that turned out in force for the glamorous E3 gaming show have gone home, questions are starting to be asked about the products shown off there.
Most were impressed with Microsoft's Kinect and saw it as a game-changer but now, with analysts estimating it could cost up to £100, many including whether it will be too pricey to appeal:
"An Xbox plus the Kinect starts becoming a lot more expensive than a Wii-style impulse buy, even if the tech is sexier. In that case then you have to wonder why there weren't more 'core' style Kinect games shown at E3 to attract the early adopters likely to be the initial purchasers and family opinion formers."
• Swype is a new technology that allows phone users to drag their fingers from one letter to another rather than tapping out individual letters,
It is the brainchild of Cliff Kushler, who previously invented predictive text software, which might not endear him to all.
Won Park, Samsung's director of technology sourcing, appears to be a fan although he seems to miss mobiles off the list of potential homes for the new technology:
"It could become the de facto standard for tablets, next-generation TVs or next-generation remote controls. It has tremendous potential."
Playwrights aren't generally known as fans of technology and Professional Foul author Tom Stoppard is no exception. He children are ignoring books as technology increasingly vies for and wins their attention.
He muses on how the moving image is more popular than the pages of a book to youngsters:
"I think that's to the detriment... I just don't want the printed page to get swept away by that."
If you want to suggest links or stories for Tech Brief, you can send them to on , tag them bbctechbrief on or e-mail them to techbrief@bbc.co.uk.
Links in full
•
•
•
•
