It seems like only yesterday that May turned to June and we all looked ahead to big events from Apple, Microsoft and Google. Now we're in the last week of June and only one remains: Google I/O, which kicks off on Wednesday and is likely to unleash the next version of Android running on a Nexus-branded tablet. But there's plenty to catch up on before then, so let's dive headfirst into the news for this manic Monday, June 25, 2012.
It's that time again, as MacRumors is reporting that developers are now receiving iOS 6 Beta 2 as an over-the-air update on their devices. As you recall, the initial beta was seeded to iOS developers following the WWDC 2012 keynote back on June 11, and Apple is wasting no time getting a second build out before the month closes. Beta 2 carries a build number 10A5316k and seems to be entertaining developers with the animation of the Settings gear icon, which now rotates while the update is downloading to their devices. Nice touch!
Despite its rocky launch, Yahoo News (via Associated Press) is reporting that the Samsung Galaxy S III could soar to 10 million units sold in July. The South Korean consumer electronics company is already having trouble keeping up with demand due to component shortages, but 10 million units sold within two months of launch would certainly be impressive numbers for the flagship handset. Of course, we may never know for sure -- unlike Apple, Samsung "does not disclose sales figures to consumers," so we'll have to take analysts at their word on this one.
Still waiting for the iPad version of the Facebook app to get Timeline? That's too bad, but the social network does have a few nuggets for iPhone fans today, updating three of its different apps. First up is Facebook Messenger 1.8, which promises "more reliable push notifications" (wouldn't that be nice) and "faster app loading, navigating and sending" (ditto) as well as the ability to switch between multiple conversations, swipe to delete individual conversations and more. Facebook Pages Manager 1.1 now allows for viewing and replying to messages, adjusting how often you receive notifications about Pages activity and see answers to questions and guest lists for events created on your Pages. Last but not least, Instagram 2.5 introduces a revamped profile tab, the ability to search for users and tags in the Explore tab, improvements to commenting and some visual and speed enhancements. You know where to get 'em, folks.
AllThingsD is reporting that The New York Times is preparing for a mashup with Flipboard this week. Starting Thursday, subscribers to the Times will be able to read the entire newspaper via Flipboard, bypassing the need to have the publisher's own app installed. It's definitely a first for a news giant such as NYT, which is already offered on just about every smartphone and tablet there is. So what's in it for both companies? "There’s the possibility of a new revenue stream as well, via Flipboard edition ads; the paper will share any of that money with Flipboard," the report reveals. Nothing like a bit of double-dipping, Hulu-style...
Google's Gmail app has had a rough life thus far, but according to the Official Gmail Blog, it's slowly getting better. Today the team pushed out Gmail 1.2.7812, a new version of the universal iOS app which adds Notification Center support for banners, alerts and lock screen options, persistent login so your sessions will no longer expire and "send as" -- support for alternate sender, assuming it's configured in your Gmail account. Not too shabby, and any improvement is a good improvement in this case...
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