Wi-tribe’s much awaited promotions see customers winning the latest tech gadgets, shopping sprees and trips every month. December was no different as wi-tribe gave 15 lucky customers the chance to win the newly introduced Apple iPhone 5.

Called the Early Bird Promotion, winners were selected from its 5 operating regions Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Faisalabad during the month-long activity. An event held recently saw the winners coming together through video link at the respective wi-tribe offices to celebrate winning together and take home their prizes.

As Pakistan’s premier broadband for quality of service and customer satisfaction, these monthly promotions are part of wi-tribe’s customer engagement program for thanking customers for their patronage.

News roaming out for the new iOS 6.1 release will arrive soon to your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch devices, but before arrivals it passes through different developers-only beta stages. At present you might be playing your idevices on iOS 6.0.1 depend upon the age of your device but the release of iOS 6.1 is roaming around back from december.

At now total 4 betas for iOS 6.1 have been released to developers so far (last arrived in 17th Dec 2012) but apparently nothing so exciting have been seen in these betas. Now it appear that the new iOS 6.1 is in its final stages of internal testing at Apple, which looks as if we can soon experience the Golden Master build in upcoming few days. The Golden Master release or say GM build suggests that the software is now in it complete stage, end user state (free from bugs and flaws), and suggests the public release of iOS 6.1 may not be soo far away from now.

Features in iOS 6.1

As news suggests users won’t experience some major changes to the iOS although there are minor with Siri as now you can purchase movie tickets via Fandango and developers now can programmatically can search for map based addresses and points on interest at near by locations. 

The MKLocalSearch class initiates a search for map-based content using a natural language string. In other words, you can enter placename information or portions of an address and have Map Kit return search results that match the information you provide.

If you feels like to have some coffee, just say the string “coffee” and you will have a result of local coffee bars along with a brief description for each one.

Tougher Jailbreak on iOS 6.1

Apart from these above mentioned tweaks and improvements it seems that iOS 6.1 will give a tougher time to jailbreak guys. iOS 6 which got jailbroken (but not released publicly), so it seems that things are going to be more harder and harder to crack down their iOS  but nearly impossible in future.

We’ll we will let you know as soon the word for latest iOS 6.1 hits the web.

Android spyware wreaking havoc with the platform’s phones is everyday news these days, but for iPhone spyware to conjure the same with arguably more disastrous effect is definitely not something that one would normally expect. iPhone, the iOS smart phone, is oft extolled for its near foolproof security and impenetrable features, which has resulted in security expectations soaring towards the sky not only among the Apple buffs but among the tech gurus as well. Even so, the unexpected has surfaced and an iPhone malware has been discovered that threatens to take over your phone, like an old school bad guy in a superhero movie. Will Apple be able to don the suit of Superman or Batman and save the day for its fans? That, only time will tell; however what is undisputed is that this latest malware scare has upset the ‘Applecart’ on many a level.

Something Fishy

Bloomberg were the first to file in this catastrophic news for Apple that sent shockwaves in the tech realm in the lead up to arguably the most anticipated smart phone release in the history of mankind – iPhone 5. The malware, titled FinFisher spyware, has been unleashed up by Gamma Group from the UK, and is being touted as spyware that can take over many mobile devices, iPhone and BlackBerry included. It can work as an iPhone tracking software or BlackBerry spyware – depending on the platform and the phone – to stealthily track the location of the phones, keep a track of voice calls and emails. And it also has the ability to turn the microphone on and record everything that is said while conversing with someone via the cell phone or even if the phone’s merely lying down and recording the surround sound.

Basically what FinFisher is fishing into – pun of course intended – is the privacy of the targeted user, who would be monitored thoroughly through this spyware. Ranging from their movement, their private data, their personal dealings, anything and everything would be under this demon’s gun.

Further Fishing

Researchers from the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs have been exercising their little grey cells with regards to FinFishing and the extent of its fishing maneuvers. It’s the Citizen Lab wherein samples are being dissected and theories being formulated to unravel the myriad layers of this spying behemoth. After thorough research, the word is that there are many people that are carrying tools for surveillance in their pockets and these tools allow the users to switch the microphone of the targeted phone remotely and convert an average iPhone into a proper tracking device.

The University’s research results are in synchrony with that of the promotional material that Gamma has been spreading around to promote the FinFisher product titled FinSpy Mobile. FinFisher products can stealthily, covertly, (insert another mysterious adverb), monitor computers and cell phones. Not only that, these products also have the capability of recording keystrokes, remotely turn on cameras, intercept calls on Skype.

Hooking it Out

This latest barrage of features is particularly dangerous because by logging key strokes, not only is the privacy of the user under threat but so is their monetary security. A keystroke logger logs every singly key that is typed on a keyboard onto the hacker’s screen through the internet and hence both the passwords of your social networking or email accounts, and your bank accounts would be under the cosh as FinSpy products vie to hook out your privacy.

Similarly remotely turning on cameras on an iPhone – or a BlackBerry for that matter, with a quintessential BlackBerry spyware (download blackberry spy) maneuver – can jeopardize the privacy of the user, and would aid the hacker in keeping tabs on their target in a multitude of ways. And also, there are few better ways of intruding in on the private dealings of a person than intercepting their Skype calls – it could lead to privacy repercussions of both the personal and business fronts.

The Trap

Every fishing technique requires enticing the target into being hooked, and in FinSpy tojan’s case it is a case of the user clicking on a link and then downloading malware in lieu of opening up what the link ostensibly led to. Gamma is saying that it is as simple as sending a link that might appear to be from a phone maker headlined with a message that could be something along the lines of: “install this update, to make your system secure.”

Microsoft has been advising Windows mobile users to avoid clicking on suspicious links or downloading software from these links. BlackBerry has also been making similar noises, asking its users to download apps only from trusted and Nokia has followed the same stratagem. iPhone – and Google as well – the biggest sufferer of this malware episode has remained quiet thus far as it mulls over putting together this cart that has been tumbled over by this iPhone tracking storm.

Natalia David has made quite a name for herself in the arena of technology writing. Her comprehensive work has earned her the status of a technology specialist in the eyes of readers who can count on her work to stay in touch with the latest happenings around the technology industry. You can also follow her on twitter @NataliaDavid4

Temple run by Imagi in short is highly, superbly and shockingly addictive for me. I am no gaming junkie but this is something that I have got hooked onto. It is basically a running game in which your explorer has to collect coins and avoid obstacles. But there is something about the situation that the game puts you in, the narrow lane and the demonic spirits chasing the character, added with the background music of drums beating that gets you into the competitive mode. The character actually steals an idol from the temple and then the spirits start to chase him outside the temple. Hence, would give it the title of Temple Run. The more distance that you cover, the faster the speed of your character gets and more difficult it becomes to protect the explorer from hitting into an obstacle.

The game has a built-in store from where you can buy different additional benefits that will boost your score in some way or the other. You have to achieve high scores, which will add certain amount of coins into your account to enable you to buy things. Apart from this there are objectives that need to be fulfilled. For each objective you fulfill, your score gets a higher multiplier which in turn gives you a higher score. Increasing the multiplier makes it easier to increase score every time that you play.

The game developers came up with newer variants of temple run to entice the audience. It now has Temple Run: Brave too. This one game has made the Imagi studio so popular that it is even more well-known than Zynga.

Some of the perks of Temple Run are that there are no multiple stages or a constant storyline that needs to be followed. You can just keep increasing your score to beat your friends. It does get quite repetitive after a while. But for a beginner it is usually something that is hard to let go of.

Other games on iOS that are like temple run are Subway Surfers, Aby Escape, Nosferatu, Mega Jump, Falling Fred, Canabalt, Jetpack Joy Ride and many more! All these games have one thing in common. They are full of never-ending fun!  I am trying to get my hands on the new iPhone 5 so that I can try all these games on it and see what the hype is all about.

To give you an outline the major differences between iPhone and Android app stores,the major issues revolve round the environments in which developers needed to work, the size of the various app libraries, the overall quality of the apps, whether or not online casino apps were available, and the overall differences in user experience between iCloud and Google cloud.

Here we would like to elaborate on what floats developers’ boats. Developers develop apps because that is their business. For the vast majority it is their day job, and their quality of life is directly related to the quality of their apps along with their ability to market them.  Gone are the days when app developers did it for love; love comes into it, but so does the need to make a living.

There is little point in developing an app that people are unwilling to pay for. We are not claiming that Android users are cheap skates, in fact far from it, but experience has taught that an iPhone user is considerably more willing to pay for an app than an Android user.

Android users are aware that their operating systems are essentially free, so they assume that their apps should be so too. The problem with open source software is nobody wants to pay for it.  Making an app is not difficult if you know what you are doing. Making a  top class viral app that everybody loves and makes you very rich is another matter altogether. Angry Birds is now a cliché, but don’t you wish that you had come up with it?

There are many rubbish apps on the market, but the great apps are available for both platforms. It really doesn’t matter which platform, no developer is fussed. Everything is portable if it pays and nowadays you don’t even need Adobe Flash – you can play a casino game in http://www.luckynuggetcasino.com/au/online-pokies/ just in the browser, but you could as well download the app and avoid the Flash. Both options work equally well, so there’s a gaming option for every need and every device.

Smart phones have been the economy’s one great hope during the last few years of stagnation. In the course of a few short years, these phones helped to trigger a revolution in technology, with app creation quickly becoming a trendy and profitable business.

Unfortunately for smart phone fans, it looks like the phenomenon might be drawing to a close. Recent reports suggest that smart phone innovation is beginning to slow down, according to Information Week. The implications of such a development could be staggering, especially given the current fragile nature of the economy. The good news is innovation isn’t slow for all phone companies; some are growing stagnant at a faster pace than others.

The decreasing innovation of smart phones could negatively impact other businesses associated with the industry. Cell phone accessories — such as cases, screen protectors, headphones, memory cards etc. — could see sales dip with the decline of the smart phone. However, that doesn’t mean the accessory companies will stop making or selling cool complementary products.

iPhone 5

Now that Apple is firmly in the post-Steve Jobs era, customers can expect a slowing down of innovation. While current head honcho, Tim Cook, adamantly denies that his company is starting to go stagnant, the latest model of the iPhone suggests otherwise. New features will include a larger touch screen and a speed-up in LTE networking. These are certainly nice improvements, but they aren’t exactly groundbreaking. Remember how amazed everyone the touch screen was unveiled, along with a multitude of new apps? That sense of wonder didn’t accompany the unveiling of the the iPhone 5.

Lumia 920

Perhaps even less impressive than the upcoming iPhone is the Nokia Lumia 920 Windows phone. The big boast surrounding this flagship smart phone? You can use the touch screen while wearing gloves. While cold-weather tech junkies may applaud this development, it’s still a bit disappointing that they cannot expect more from Microsoft’s newest model.

The app arena has also slowed down for Microsoft, with the only big release being City Lens, a new augmented-reality app that is already proving popular with hardcore gamers. Virtual reality is considered the new frontier of smart phone technology, but the developments in this area have been underwhelming thus far.

Droid Razr

Google is trying to impress with a new line of Razrs — the Razr M, the Razr HD and the Razr Maxx HD. Again, there’s not too much to get excited with these new phones, unless you are truly obsessed with lengthening your phone’s battery life. For those of you anxious for an Android update, you’ll have to wait a bit longer for the new Android Jelly Bean 4.1, because it’s not featured on any of the new Razrs. Until then, you’ll have to be satisfied with a shopping spree for cell phone accessories. If nothing else, your new Droid Razr should at least look cool!

The lack of innovation in the world of smart phones may be disappointing for those accustomed to the constant innovations that have dominated the tech world since the first iPhone was released. But, as some argue, the lightning-speed innovations couldn’t have lasted forever. And there is always the off-chance the current decline is simply the mobile industry hitting a plateau. Perhaps a new breakthrough will appear by the end of 2013. Otherwise, you’ll just have to adjust to a slower pace of innovation.

Christopher Campbell During his undergraduate college days, Chris sold wireless services and hardware for one of the major providers. He combines that with his journalism degree to write about cellular phones, wireless networks, smart phones and other technology.

Long months of speculations, rumors, hundred n thousand of designers view for upcoming iPhone 5, here is the time on Wednesday 12th September 2012. What are your expectations. A longer sized iPhone, new earphones, new dock connector and final iOS 6, the surprises are still boiling down in Apple store.

Join us for the live blog on iPhone 5 announcement as Apple unveils its flagship device. And do share your comments live under comments section below. iPhone teaser video also shows some hints to the device.

The event will begin at the following timings this day (unless noted for the cities past the date line):

• 9:00 PM United Arab Emirates
• 10:00 AM Pacific
• 12:00 PM Central
• 6:00 PM London
• 10:00 PM Karachi
• 11:00 India

Image: Technobuffalo

We are a day ahead from Apple iPhone 5 event, as from previous keynote we have seen many conceptual designs and designers illustrations for upcoming iPhone 5, but now before a day from launch event we came across a video from Aatma Studio. This concept seems to be close to reality but some features are shocking.

Guys from studio, presented a new un locking feature like fingerprint scanning, siri on notification center, larger and wider screen size. But what they shows up in the end of the video is something unbelievable. It is elasticity in electronics and he stretches up the size and shape of the phone which after stretched becomes a tablet pc.

We are pretty sure such technology won’t be made to reality on new iPhone, fingers crossed for the event. Meanwhile have a look to the video and share your view via comments below.