Although, Leopard and Snow Leopard may seem similar, several changes have been made under the hood, keeping in mind hardware advances in the future.

Pricing and System Requirements

Apple has reduced the pricing for the upgrade from the usual $129 to $29, but for customers upgrading from Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger, it will be $169. For users who have more than one Mac, a five-pack upgrade is made available at $49.

Snow Leopard will install on an Intel-based Mac with 5 GB disk space, 1 GB RAM and an optical disk drive that can read DVDs. Enterprise customers usually have compatibility issues with a new operating system and it is the same with Snow Leopard. Many of the applications may need updating. However, most of the major software drivers and major applications are said to work fine.

It all begins with the installation and Snow Leopard has been created smart enough to understand how to upgrade a system without having to be spoon-fed. If for some reason, this OS needs to be reinstalled, it will not write over the current system files.

Main Features of Snow Leopard

Here are some of the main features of Snow Leopard that actually make a difference:

Security

Snow Leopard comes with built-in protection against malware. It checks for dangers in files downloaded from the Internet. It provides defense against infecting the computer with harmful software; however, Snow Leopard does not have the option to remove the malware, once it finds out that the system is infected.

Exchange

Support for Exchange is one of the main new features of this OS. Exchange is Microsoft’s contact, email and calendar server. In Mac, once Exchange support is added to Mail, users will start receiving all their email messages in Mail. Exchange contacts can be viewed in the Address Book and Exchange calendars and tasks will show up in iCal. With iCal, users can schedule meetings depending on the status (free or busy) of invitees and even accept or decline meeting invitations from Mail itself.

Expose

Expose is a window-management functionality and displays all the windows on the screen. This feature already exists in the previous version, but there are improvements with the new OS. In the previous versions, the arrangement of windows was not aligned properly, but now they are aligned in a systematic order on a grid, making it easier to find any window. Users have the option to arrange windows either alphabetically or by application.

Now Expose has been integrated into the Dock. If an application in the Dock is clicked on and the mouse button held down for a second, Snow Leopard will display all the windows for that application, even windows that have been minimized.

Autosubstitution

We all know about the autocorrect programs that change “adn to and” and “fo to of.” Apple has now incorporated autosubstitution of text into this OS. Although, the programs need to be modified to support this, once it is done, they will share the substitution list in the System preferences. There are several common substitutions as mentioned above, but users also have the option to include their own. Even dashes, smart quotes can be enabled, which will replace the commonly typed symbols to the correct versions.

Finder

The file and folder management of Mac OS X has been overhauled in Snow Leopard. According to Apple, this Finder is far more responsive than the older version. The main changes here are the icons, which are now large at 512 x 512 pixels size. The icon size can be made bigger or smaller with the use of a slider located in the bottom of any window. Since these are very large icons, Apple has introduced previews inside them, such as document previews and if it is a PDF, then all the contents of the document can be viewed using the page preview buttons for navigation. If it is a movie, users will be able to watch a QuickTime movie in its icon.

QuickTime Multimedia Architecture

In Snow Leopard, the QuickTime multimedia architecture is named QuickTime X. The new QuickTime Player 7 is said to be not that great when compared to the older version. So, the old version can be used since it is still around in the Mac’s Utilities folder.

Services Menu

With the Snow Leopard, Apple concentrated on the Services menu. While earlier, it was difficult to access and navigate because of the long lists of irrelevant services; it is now easier to access as only the services related to what the user is doing or the applications being used come up.

That’s not all. There is the new eject manager that takes care of the external volume, the preview that is far better and accessibility with this OS is much greater for disabled people, making this operating system a far better improvement over the previous version.

These are just some of the main features as the Snow Leopard comes with a whole lot more, including dozens of smaller but significant changes. Time you checked it out yourself.

In the recent past, there has been a great deal of talk and rumors about there being a consistent decline in the ringtone craze off late, and this is mainly attributed to the fact that users are now adept at creating their own ringtones easily from song downloads.

There are sites such as makeownringtone.com that allow users to create ringtones for free. Users just need to upload songs in various formats, such as MP3 and WMA, and then select the part of the song they want to use as a ringtone, remix their selection and upload the final result to their phones. As simple as that!

CNET sources recently created a base for rumors by reporting that Apple has come up with an excellent innovative idea, that of offering ready-made ringtones for the iPhone.

Apple has concentrated a lot on the iPhone in the past and continues to do so. iPhone users have enjoyed the option of creating their own custom-made ringtones for their devices ever since 2007. Users had to look for the bell icon next to the song that indicates the song can be converted into a ringtone, and double click on the bell for the ringtone editor to open. Once the portion of the song for the ringtone is selected, the user has to click buy, for the ringtone to be created and the user charged for the purchase. It will then show up in a ringtone play list to be synced to the iPhone. The whole process takes the least amount of time and one doesn’t have to be tech savvy either to figure out how it is done. Even a child can do it with ease.

However, Apple is bent on pampering and making iPhone users lazier than ever. It is said to have struck a deal with the music industry and obtained rights for offering ready-made ringtones.

Ringtones have been a hit with the users ever since they have been introduced. The music industry benefits a great deal from them too, as it has been seen that people prefer ringtones that play for a few seconds rather than full song downloads. In the past, people were even wiling to pay $3 to hear bits of their favorite song when receiving an incoming call, in MIDI format. Music labels and retailers find them more profitable when compared to full song downloads.

But now most phones use the standard file formats, such as MP3s and users who are not happy with default ringtones, use the option of creating their own. It costs just 99 cents to use the custom ringtone feature on the iPhone, and it enables them to select a 30-second segment of a song to play back as a ringtone on their iPhones.

But these music snippets are now becoming more of a convenience-based feature, what with Apple painstakingly editing these ringtone clips. Users can just select from a 30-second ready-made ringtone clip created by Apple. This alleviates the need to create ringtones of their own.

Although, the cost of these ready-to-use ringtones is not known yet, it is rumored that they could be anywhere between $0.79 and $1.29. While some people opine that these ready-made ringtones may help improve sales, others feel that since Apple charges very less for custom ringtones and makes it simple to get any clip of a song; the ready-made ringtones may not really make much of a difference.

In a scenario, where users can get cost free, easily made ringtones by just selecting clips from any song they wish, why would they want to pay for it?

It is left to be seen if these ready-made ringtones from popular songs provide the much needed shot in the arm for a dying ringtone market. If you go to the discussion boards and see youngsters talking about them with all the enthusiasm and excitement, it sure does not look like the craze for ringtones has gone down. But sales figures are what we have to go by and there is still time for the verdict to be out.

Apple is facing unexpected problems with its iPhone application store, which contains more than 50,000 applications and is one of the most popular entertainment and information tools for mobile phones.

BeautyMeter is one of the applications at the iPhone app store.  This photo sharing application is meant for 17 and over, where users have the ability to upload images and rate them on the basis of “hotness.”  The application has a built-in safety mechanism as it requires users to enter their iPhone IDs.  Apple kept this check to ensure no illegal material is uploaded and for ease of tracking if anyone posts anything untoward.

However, in spite of this check, the problem started when kids started uploading images of themselves in the nude and there have been potentially objectionable materials showing up in the past few weeks.  The  latest example that caught the public eye, is that of a 15-year-old girl who uploaded her own nude photo, which stayed up for long enough for 5000 users to rate it.  It was only then brought to Apple’s notice and pulled down.

This was not the sole incident of its kind.  About a week earlier, there was another mobile phone application called “Hottest Girl,” that also showed a photo of a topless woman and was removed from the iPhone app store.

Apple is attracting unnecessary attention due to these happenings.  This has raised several questions about Apple’s ability to control iPhone content and keep its app store clean, which prompted Apple to remove BeautyMeter app from its store.

Apple always had a sterling image of a family-friendly company and in no way would it want to jeopardize that. An Apple company spokesman said, “Apple will not distribute applications that contain inappropriate content, such as pornography.”

While explicit content such as this has the potential to tarnish this image; Apple, like any other website that allows user-submitted content, is doing its best to keep all offensive material at bay.  While some iPhone apps are developed by Apple, many are submitted by third-party developers and take their place in the app store after they are approved by Apple.

Experts who know how these things work understand that Apple or the app developers cannot be help responsible for illegal content that shows up in iPhone apps, because there is no way for them to know the type of content that was going to be uploaded by users. This makes it an almost impossible task to keep all such material out of the app store. It becomes even more difficult as the number of new apps keeps increasing.

According to the editor in chief of Engadget, Joshua Topolsky, “It’s completely out of Apple’s control that someone uploaded a nude photo, and to some extent, it’s out of the app developer’s hands as well.”

However, some are of the opinion that Apple can become more stringent with its policies on the type of appllications it approves.  Apple is said to approve almost 96% of the app submitted for approval by developers.

However, an approval does not necessarily mean the app will stay up forever.  There have been several apps that have been pulled from the store because they were offensive.  One such app was pulled because it streamed a song with offensive lyrics.  Another iPhone app where users could shake a digital crying baby to death was removed as Apple found it deeply offensive.  It even apologized for approving it in the first place.

Recently, in an update to the iPhone software, Apple began providing users with the right to choose the type of content they would want to block from their phones.  They have also asked developers to submit age appropriate lables.  A new parental-control system that allows iPhone owners to decide what apps they want to buy has been incorporated.

Apple is doing its bit to keep illegal and offensive material, such as pornography away from their app store as they are proud of their image and would do everything possible to keep it intact.

An Apple Tablet perhaps!

Rumors are rife that Apple may be on the verge of releasing an Apple Tablet soon, and it all started with a report by the Financial Times claiming that it has inside news that the Apple tablet is ready to be launched.

One set of rumors say that it will be released as early as September and the others say in early 2010.

It is speculated to be 3G enabled, have a 10-inch touch screen and high computing power, providing users the ability to even watch movies. It is said to be more like a large iPod rather than an iPhone, complete with the ability to download media through iTunes. It may also give users the ability to read books, rivaling the Amazon Kindle. Financial Times quoted as revealing that, “It’s a portable entertainment device. It’s going to be fabulous for watching movies.” It sounds like this device is going to be an iPod Touch with the processing power and memory of a netbook. Steve Jobs is said to be the brain behind this. If this is so, then the product is certainly going to be solid.

There have been no rumors on the carrier this 3G device will be on. Amidst all the assumptions, we can also assume that it would be AT&T. But Apple may also deal with someone else, as there had been problems with AT&T and Apple has been communicating with Verizon too.

There have been expectations for some time that Apple would come out with a device slightly below the netbook and above the iPhone or iPod. Although, Apple has not denied these rumors, it did say that they would not offer a $500 piece of junk. Does that mean that if they are bringing out a tablet, it is going to cost more than $500? Analysts say that this “Applepad” may cost anywhere between $600 to $1000, placing it between an iPod and the MacBook.

As September approaches, the sources claiming to know what’s happening with Apple are increasing. A music industry source says that they have been informed by Apple about plans of holding a keynote on September 7, 2009. An analyst revealed that the 10-inch device will have a touch screen and is specifically designed for gaming.

This does not come as a surprise and could very well be true, as Apple has always been secretive about its products.

Months ago, Reuters reported that Apple ordered 10-inch touch screens from Wintek, which is a Taiwan-based manufacturer that makes touch screens used in the iPod Touch and iPhone. The kindle-clone rumors are also based on the news that Apple has been receiving paper-bound books in huge numbers at its Cupertino headquarters. As unlikely as this may sound, it is said that Apple may be scanning all these books to create a library of electronic titles for an e-book section on the iTunes Store, perhaps with the launch of a new Tablet Apple seems to be cooking up. However, when asked, CEO, Steve Jobs dismissed this idea last year, saying, “people don’t read anymore.” But Steve Jobs is notorious for denying anything and everything about a new product until the day the product is actually ready to be shipped.

Apple has kept a close watch on the netbook market closely, and it sure sees that people are interested in some sort of a middle device, that can take its place between the smartphone and a laptop. If Apple is really planning on producing a tablet that is a combination of a gaming machine and an e-book reader, even if it is priced slightly higher, it may do well.

These rumors have had such a great impact on computer manufacturers that many have slowed production of similar devices, just to wait and see what Apple has under the covers.

Apple has the history of bringing out new iPod devices at events during September or October, to leverage on the holiday season sales.

Is it time to start saving some money for this new gadget from Apple? We may know for sure towards the end of the year, when Apple will probably start its advertising campaign.

This will use a new technology called Grand Central Dispatch (GCD) that can better use the multicore processors and graphic processors in chips. It takes complete advantage of optimizing the Mac OS X multicore for easy allocation of tasks across multiple cores and processors.

Previously, turning up the clock speed on the processor was the method used by chip makers to develop high speed systems. As the clock speed increased, software also ran faster. But the problem with doing that is the generation of more heat and consumption of more power. The chips are also idle most of the time, with the memory cycles not meeting the speed.

Because of these problems, the focus was shifted from increasing clock speed to making multicore processors, which means chips with multiple processor cores were put into a single CPU, and this consumes less power and provides better performance.

Although, the computing power in a multicore processor was greater, software did not automatically become faster. To be able to get the best possible performance out of these processors and squeeze out every bit of power from the multicore systems, software applications should use multi-threaded programming that can perform more than one job at a time. Operations had to be performed in parallel, which meant that most of the applications need to be rewritten to take advantage of the multicore systems. But because threads are difficult to program, most software developers do not make the effort to make their applications multicore capable. This is where the revolutionary Grand Central Dispatch technology helps.

Apple is introducing the new Grand Central Dispatch (GCD) in its new Mac OS X Snow Leopard. In this operating system, all the threads are handled by the operating system and not by the applications. Programmers now write less code in the applications, with the system performing much more efficiently. Programs that are GCD enabled will be able to use all available cores by distributing work evenly across them. This is done automatically and results in far better performance in a multi-core Mac. Performances will significantly increase once GCD is used by developers for applications.

GCD makes everything far more efficient by using only the number of threads that are needed for a particular job to be done. GCD frees resources that it is not using in contrast to an application without GCD, which consumes resources even when there is nothing to do. With this, every application on the Mac becomes far more efficient and faster.

The integration of the new GCD technology into Mac OS X Snow Leopard, makes is easier to use all the multicore processors to their fullest capacity, and improves overall performance of the Mac. The Mac OS X also comes with General Purpose Graphical Processing Unit (GPGPU) support, which provides a better graphical display.

Multicore processors are proving to transform the way developers write applications. With the Grand Central Dispatch technology, it is the operating system that takes the responsibility for thread management, which was earlier the responsibility of the developers. Now, the enormous power of hardware can be exploited to the fullest.

Apple recently listed its top 20 free apps and top 20 paid apps for the iPhone, based solely on the popularity, which means the number of downloads from their App Store.

Take a look at the top 20 free apps in the exact order as ranked by Apple:

Facebook

This one is for social networking fans and is #1 in free apps. Facebook app can be downloaded at the iTunes app store for free. You have the chat facility, friend requests, check your friends photos, upload photos, full news feeds, notifications, news feed commends, your entire inbox etc.

Google Earth

Compatible with iPhone (2.0 software update) and iPod Touch, this app enables users to view the exact aerial imagery similar to the one available for the desktop version. You can view photos from around the world, search for businesses, cities and places, view mountainous terrain with just a tilt of the phone, geo-located Wikipedia articles and many more.

Pandora Radio

Stream music on your iPhone using this app! You can just use the name of the artist or the song and Pandora will instantly create a station to play that music. You can create stations based on the genre, read artist bios, store recently played songs and play song samples.

Tap Tap Revenge

Games continue to be extremely popular on iPhone. Tap Tap Revenge is a touch-based music game that has a guitar-hero like interface and this app is so popular that it is used by about 32% of users.

Shazam

When you hear a song and wonder what that song is, you turn to Shazam. It is a lovely app, where you just hold your iPhone to the music and Shazam gets back to you with the track name and the artist within seconds.

PAC-MAN Lite

If you’re tired of playing puzzle games on your iPhone, this handheld version of the classic arcade game allows you to navigate through mazes, chomp through fruits and dots and gobbling scary ghosts. This free version gives you the first stage of the game.

Backgrounds

You can customize your iPhone background with this app. You can choose between backgrounds that are recent, popular and by category. You can view previews of cool backgrounds for your iPhone and choose the one you like.

Touch Hockey FS5

Enjoy air hockey on your iPhone now and the beautiful animations of this game make it a great experience. If you had a cool play and want to view it all again, you can do that with the instant replay feature. The Wi-Fi mode allows you to play with your friends too.

Labyrinth Lite Edition

This is a “must” download as it is nothing like other maze games. It has ten levels of play and you just have to tilt the iPhone in different directions to control the ball. The controls are excellent and make it easy to place the ball on the screen. This fun game is perfect to keep yourself or your kids occupied.

Flashlight

This app transforms your phone into a flashlight. If you’re traveling at night and need to find something in your car, this can come very handy. There are several color options too.

Urbanspoon

This app can prove to be very useful during road travel. It can help you find good restaurants in the area, wherever you are, based on your cravings.

Movies

Enter your zip code and look up movies in the local area by movie name or theater and more. Once you select a movie; the running time, show time, rating and genre will be displayed. The beauty of this app is that you can view the trailer, buy tickets and even ask for a map to the theater.

iBowl

Imagine being able to enjoy Wii style bowling using your iPhone. With the help of the built in accelerometer, the iPhone can now be used to bowl.

Lightsaber Unleashed

Lightsaber Unleashed is an iPhone app that was around earlier and was extremely popular. Then it had to be taken down. But it’s back now in a far better form; with multiple characters to choose from, music and better sound effects. You also have a choice in colors as well as the type of Lightsaber. It’s probably one of the most fun applications for your iPhone.

Sol Free Solitaire

Sol Free is developed by the software company Smallware. While the paid version has 40 card games, the free version comes with 6. One of the best features is the ability to review statistics, take mental notes and attempt to beat your previous stats. If you are obsessed with winning, you also have the option to restart the game.

MySpace Mobile

Access your entire MySpace account using your iPhone or iPod Touch. You can search the network and add friends, compose mail, delete mail and send bulletin blasts to all friends. You can upload and share pictures too.

Virtual Zippo Lighter

It may not actually provide much real life use, but it’s a fun app. As the name suggests, you have access to a virtual Zippo lighter. Just flick your wrist to open the Zippo and turn your thumb to get the flame started. If you sway your iPhone, you can see the windproof flame react accordingly. The best part is being able to blow it out.

The Weather Channel

Weather changes in a minute and you need to be prepared. Although, there is a standard weather application in iPhone; the Weather Channel will provide with the weather conditions, radar maps and long-term forecasts of the exact location you are in.

Bubble Wrap

If you are addicted to popping bubble wraps from packages, then you will love this game. All you have to do with this is pop bubbles as fast as you can, before the time runs out. Well, some of the bubbles may also re-inflate, so be careful. This free app has won the 2008 iPhone excellence award and also Apple iTunes 2008 favorite picks.

Remote

This app turns your iPhone or iPod Touch into remote controls, where you can control iTunes on your computer or Apple TV. Do everything from your iPhone or iPod Touch, as if you were in front of your computer. It works with your Wi-Fi network.

The best thing about App Store is that there are not too many barriers to enter and download all the free apps you may need. There are so many great apps to choose from, that your iPhone or iPod Touch will never be the same again.

It’s no surprise that all the big cats are now vying with each other to get their hands on this golden bird. Rumor goes that Google wanted it but was turned down. Facebook offered cash and stock worth $500 million, but it is believed Twitter investors were not quite sure that Facebook’s stock was worth as much as they claimed. The price has been going up as fast and furious as the Twitter users themselves.

Now, fresh rumors that have been circulating talk about Apply eying this social networking giant. According to sources, the purchase price it offered is $700 million – in cash and negotiations are on full swing. Oh yes! Apple has plenty of that (27 billion) and can pay cash. Gossip mongers even go to the extent of saying that the acquisition will be announced in June at the World Wide Developer’s Conference (WWDC) in San Jose.

Twitter is receiving “tweet” nothings from everyone that matters – Google, Microsoft, News Corp., and now Apple too; although this is being discarded by many as yet another rumor. Putting two and two together, observers remark that it was only a couple of weeks ago that Apple profiled the site.

Although, it is considered ridiculous because Twitter and Apple are poles apart; getting a stake in the hottest internet product could catapult Apple ahead of both Yahoo and Microsoft in terms of internet foothold.

People in the know are questioning Apple’s logic behind buying Twitter – why would Apple need Twitter? Twitter would provide Apple a solid marketing and sales platform for the distribution of their products.

Here are ten interesting ways Apple could work Twitter into its products, according to CNN:

• Bring Twitter support into Apple’s messaging app, iChat.
• Use Twitter for RSS-like feeds, such as iTunes songs, TV shows, movies, iPhone apps, movie trailers etc.
• Tweet photos and may be videos from iPhone, auto-uploaded to TwitPic, YouTube etc.
• Tweet photos from iPhoto on Mac, auto-tagging Twitter contacts.
• Twitter contacts in phonebook on iPhone and Mac.
• Read tweets while watching a video on Apple TV.
• Twitter search option in Safari.
• Tweet songs you listen to in iTunes on the iPhone, giving a link for download from iTunes.
• Suggested iTunes playlists/purchases based on the most tweeted songs.
• Incorporating Twitter sign-in into iPhone and iPod touch so that all apps can access it via one API.

An analyst at Gabriel Consulting Group, Dan Olds, said that if Apple acquired Twitter, it could make for an interesting combination. He stated, “Apple has the right ‘attitude’ to run something like Twitter, plus the ability to monetize it with advertising. I can see where Twitter might fit quite nicely into the Apple empire. It would give Apple a strong entry into the social networking market and also a very solid advertising vehicle.”

However, all this is just a lot of speculation, and no one knows the real reason behind this madness; i.e. if Apple happens to be interested in Twitter at all. This is a big IF!

Amongst all this, what has Twitter got to say? Twitter has for long, been sending strong signals that it is not on the market. Recently, Biz Stone, one of the co-founders of Twitter also denied all rumors and said that it is not for sale, adding that right now, Twitter is focusing on developing new features and on remaining independent.

Despite all the denials and both parties crying hoarse that there is nothing to these rumors, those who believe that there cannot be smoke without fire are keeping their eyes wide open for any new developments on the Apple-Twitter front. I know the “rumor” is slowly dying down for now, but when it involves two giants, everything leads to a discussion. Would love to know what you have to say about this whole thing.

This killer is being used in many areas in various forms:

A “dad man’s switch” stops vehicles and machines, in case the operator has problems and loses control. A kill switch at pumping stations is used for gasoline pumps and other devices that pump flammable or explosive chemicals. Even treadmills have a “safety key” that comes into action when a person trips or falls.

In IT language, a kill switch is a security measure used to shut off a device or a program. Where software is concerned, the software is rendered useless to users if it is pirated and not obtained in the right way.

Kill Switch in Apple and Google

Coming to the mobile phone segment, kill switch has been incorporated by Apple in the iPhone. Through these switches, the company has the capability of uninstalling or deleting any application that they think should not be on your phone.

This was not something Apple made a whole lot of noise about and preferred to let silence rule – until people discovered it for themselves and the world was up in arms.

The iPhone quietly connects to Apple’s servers to check an application blacklist, and disable any apps that should not be there.

Now, Google also seems to be following Apple’s lead and has made a similar inclusion in its open-source Android platform. This leader of Web search, with the help of cookies already keeps tabs on the searches that are done from your PC. It is almost like someone peeking into your screen while you are surfing the Web, and now the kill switch in the Android phone.

Google mentions it in the terms and conditions or the license agreement, which says, “Google may discover a product that violates the developer distribution agreement. In such an instance, Google retains the right to remotely remove those applications from your device at its sole discretion.”

Difference between the two

However, there is a difference between the two switches. With Apple, only Apple’s applications can make their way into the mobiles; however, Google has made it clear that it is not going to control whose applications are used, but has the switch only to ensure malicious applications that are potentially harmful to the user’s personal information and to the phone are not used.

Google and Apple have explained the reasons behind having the switches.

Google says that an open-source application makes the phone prone to attacks, and this switch is in the best interests of the users.

Steve Jobs stated that Apple needs this capability, in case it allows a malicious program inadvertently – something that stole personal data of the user. He said, “Hopefully we never have to pull that lever, but we would be irresponsible not to have a lever like that to pull.”

Breach of Freedom?

The lever that Steve Jobs talked about seems to be pulling a whole lot more than Apple bargained for, in the form of criticism from users.

This move by Apple and Google is perceived by many as a breach of freedom, as it means letting vendors break into the users’ private life and compromise on privacy. Some users have even gone to the extent of saying that Apple wants draconian control over their devices. Subscribers not only use the mobile phone to store music, contact lists, photos but also to surf the Web and check e-mail. They believe this feature can also be abused by hackers to spy on people. They do not like the idea that Apple and Google are playing self-proclaimed cops by saying they are doing this for the protection of the users.

People, who look at the whole issue of the kill switch with different eyes, say that collection of data is not new and several companies collect user data. For example, Handango, knows all about the phone models used and applications bought by their users. Even Nokia and Microsoft are said to have their own “kill switch” tools; although they are limited in scope when compared to Apple.

Through the whole thing, Apple did not respond to any of the requests to comment, but they have put up a disclaimer on their website, that says, “We collect information regarding customer activities. This helps us to determine how best to provide useful information to customers and to understand which parts of our websites, products, and Internet services are of most interest to them.”

Apple can also track the quality of wireless networks used by its devices and this is done by checking on the download speeds. Experts believe this is an admirable feat as no one else had been able to do anything like that before. This is the reason Apple is able to be super-responsive to glitches.

Since this is certainly not the last we have heard of the kill switch, which way is it going to go? Will the other manufacturers follow suit?

Recent sales numbers of the iPhone and the BlackBerry have surprised people in the know. The reason for the surprise is that BlackBerry has always been considered to be synonymous with a business phone, but now the iPhone sold more.

Earlier, Steve Jobs announced that the iPhone would support Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, which will enable users to synchronize their calendar and contacts along with receiving push mail on their iPhones. This announcement had many critics remarking that Apple is attempting to just grab a small slice of one of the most lucrative markets – the enterprise phone segment and nothing more will come out of it. Of course, diehard Apple fans are never deterred by these comments and have always counted on the iPhone to make a difference in this market, where enterprise phone segment is the arena of players such as the BlackBerry and the Nokia E-series.

The sales reports of smartphones reveal that Nokia still ruled, followed by Apple and then BlackBerry. This is a great achievement for Apple, considering that the iPhone does not have as many models as the other two. Another fact is that the competition has released high-profile devices recently too, such as Nokia’s E71 and RIM’s Bold. However, a device that has not been considered to be a suitable choice for enterprise use until now has won hands down.

What are the reasons for iPhone’s success in the Smartphone segment? Experts are of the belief that the iPhone does not need a huge learning curve as it comes with an intuitive interface. It has fewer buttons and users do not need to access any menus. If someone wants to access a software, it can be done with simple scrolling and tapping. The screen also responds extremely quickly to the touch. MS Office and PDF file attachments can be opened faster by the email client than any PC can. These are things users look for – ease of operation and convenience of use.

Even the most simple things like the display on the iPhone is the largest available. People can comfortably watch videos on it or read long reports with ease. There are plenty of very useful and attractive multimedia features too, one of which includes the option of downloading several hundreds of applications to the device.

These are just some of the factors that seem to be attracting people to the iPhone. People now understand that there is no longer the need to own two devices; one for their personal use and one for business use. Now they can get everything they need in a single phone and they cannot be any happier.

The main attraction that iPhone is bringing to smartphones and enterprise devices is that phones used by businessmen and professionals now look not only at providing functionality but entertainment as well. Previously, the general thinking was that an enterprise phone has to be all about being functional, catering to the needs of synchronizing contacts and calendars, push mail, MS Office file viewers etc., which are usually the functions needed in any business phone owned by a professional. Many of the enterprise devices did not come with cameras as it was earlier felt that security of the business data would be compromised with the addition of such features.

Now people and manufacturers are beginning to think differently and because of this, BlackBerry Bold has a better interface and display than before. Samsung has come out with Omnia and the eight megapixel mobile phone Innov8 that come with both multimedia features and enterprise features.

There no longer exists the line that divided entertainment from enterprise and the major credit for this goes to the success of the iPhone. No longer do people need to weigh their pockets down, with two phones. Now traveling with two phones is looked at as inconvenient and meaningless. We are in an era of fast and easy devices and professionals can entertain themselves on the same phone they use for conducting their business, without any fear of compromising on security. Apple is going all out to make sure that it is seen not only as a competitor in the enterprise segment but more as a leader.

All the top stars on the block seem to be heading with single-minded determination towards the same goal. Blackberry, Sony Ericsson, Nokia, and Google is not to be left behind too. It is extremely impressive to watch the unfolding of the “touchscreen” era.

This was exclusively the domain of the enterprise phone segment just a little while earlier. But things have changed so fast that there perhaps may not be a cell phone manufacturer that does not wish to proudly lay claim to this distinction.

We will have to give credit to the keypad. Even with the possibility and threat of being ousted looming large, it still manages to hold its head high, with the hope that the competition does not invade its territory. As of now there are more phones that come with only a keypad when compared to touchscreen phones. In fact many of the touchscreen phones also have a keypad.

But the big question is, how long is it going to remain this way?

The touchscreen market is taking off much faster than ever before.

• Blackberry and the Storm
• Sony Ericsson and the Xperia
• Google and the G1
• Nokia and the 5800
• Samsung Omnia

You must be wondering why we have not mentioned the top of the order and unforgettable iPhone. This is because Apple and the iPhone are what triggered this frenzy – or so some people believe.

Let us get some history of the touchscreen. It is a wrong notion to think that Apple is the first one to come out with a touchscreen device. Much before Apple even attempted to create something like this, Motorola, Nokia, Sony Ericsson have all come up with touchscreen phones. One of the first touchscreen smart phones created was the IBM Simon. Sony Ericsson was also one of the first with its P800.

Apple is being hailed as being successful because all those earlier phones by other manufacturers were nowhere near as successful as the iPhone. With the success of the iPhone, all others are now looking to recreate the same magic. It is easier for them because they have learnt from their past mistakes.

They have seen the faults with the previous touchscreens and they have now also seen the success formula created by Apple. They had to be operated using a stylus. This feature was considered to be very inconvenient, especially because both the hands were needed to use the phone. This is not required when using the iPhone. All that is needed is to touch the screen with a finger. The best part is that the iPhone does not need too much maintenance and is easy to use. Although, the battery is not great; with all the other benefits, this is believed to be a small sacrifice to make. Apple also came up with an innovative idea of adding the App Store.

Basically, the iPhone was liked largely for a few of reasons, such as not needing a stylus to operate it, the convenience and ease of use and the App Store.

Now the other manufacturers are going the Apple way and sorting out all the earlier issues with their phones, even to the extent of looking at options for something on the lines of Apple’s App Store. Google seems to be heading in the right direction and is seemingly successful on this front. We should not be surprised if new and better features are introduced too.

Will people get tired of touching their screen or will it be considered as a more convenient option that saves them the trouble of pressing keys? While some believe that this craze for touchscreens is short-lived and is due to the success of the iPhone; others believe that there is more to it.

It is too early to be writing the obituary of the keypad. However, it is quite evident that the touchscreen is here to stay. Because they are used to a keypad, most users still prefer using it to a touchscreen. But how long will it take for them to get used to the higher comfort levels that manufacturers are striving hard to offer through their new touchscreen devices?