Meet the Next Big Interface: Multitouch

Apple loophole makes photos vulnerable

(NEWSER) - It's not only contacts that can be snatched from your cellphone by apps—photos, too, can be yanked, thanks to an Apple loophole. Once a user allows an application on an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch to have access to location information—to launch a mapping function, for example— the app can copy the user’s entire photo library, unbeknownst to the user, reports the New York Times . But the Times notes that it's not clear if any App Store apps are actually uploading users' images. More»

Google's system sees 500K activations daily

(NEWSER) - In its battle with Google, Apple’s hearing echoes of the 1990s: Android activations are blowing iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch activations out of the water. Some 500,000 Android phones and tables get activated daily across the world, says Google’s boss for the platform—and that figure is climbing 4% every week. Meanwhile, the Apple devices were seeing 325,000 activations a day last quarter—a number that’s probably higher now, but not approaching Android’s count. More»

App Store is the leading retailer of mobile programs

(NEWSER) - Apple’s App Store has had a pretty good year—since its inception, the store has sold 1.5 billion applications for the iPhone and iPod Touch, making it the leading retailer of mobile applications, CNet reports. Not only has the App Store done well, its success seems to be increasing: the store moved 1 billion applications in its first 9 months, but then sold 500 million in the next 3 months. More»

Pentagon develops apps for ubiquitous Apple devices

(NEWSER) - With more than 30,000 third-party applications now available for the iPhone and iPod touch, a new organization is getting into the game: the American military. As the Independent reports, the Pentagon thinks Apple's gadgets are ideal for "network centric warfare" and is funding projects for everything from translation to bomb disposal. Some soldiers on the front lines are already using the technology. More»

(NEWSER) - The videogame industry, recently geared toward churning out bigger and bigger blockbusters, is shrinking its ambitions down to iPhone size, the Los Angeles Times reports. Thanks to Apple’s App Store, the iPhone and iPod Touch have become surprisingly popular gaming devices—and developers have taken notice. Electronic Arts, for example, will release 14 iPhone games this year. More»