The announcement appeared over on Google+, with a user posting an email he had received from Peel after inquiring about UK support. The company’s response read: “A big thank you for the patience you had to practice to wait for our response.We have successfully launched our app in the below mentioned countries in Europe and Asia!”

The Asia version of the Peel app supports South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, and Malaysia. The Europe version of the app supports 17 regions and countries, including France, Spain, Germany, Italy, the UK, Sweden, Ireland, and the Netherlands. Both apps state “additional countries and regions support is upcoming!”

Both apps require Android 3.0 or higher, and are free to download. An iOS app is also available from the App Store, and requires iOS 4.0 or higher. Users have access to a content guide, which allows browsing via categories, such as sports, as well as other content, such as Netflix, that is integrated into a single browsing experience.

[via Google+]

With Infinity Blade 2 we should see amazing graphics never before seen with a mobile device. With amazing special effects, physics, real-time lighting and more. Using features and physics from games such as God of War, we can all expect this game to be stellar. The original Infinity Blade stunned users and mobile gamers everywhere bringing unrivaled graphics and immersive gameplay to iOS devices. The original was the first game to make use of the Unreal Engine 3 for mobile and we can expect even greater things from the next release.

Apple’s Game Center has seen continued success thanks to all the popular games. Today they announced that the Apple Game Center has over 67 million active accounts and growing every second. If that isn’t a reason to develop games on iOS (as if devs didn’t need a reason anyways) I don’t know what is. Infinity Blade 2 will hit the App Store on December 1st so be ready to snatch it up and enjoy mobile gaming like never before.

If a user already has a Skype account, their Skype contacts will already be synced when they first sign in on the iPad app. If instead they’ve got a Skype account with no contacts (or if they’ve got any amount of contacts, of course,) they can add new contacts with a few taps of the screen. One touch call, video call, or messaging is set up instantly, and moving through recent calls and instant messages in one’s Skype for iPad history is simple as well. This version of Skype works over Wi-Fi or 3G connections and is able to connect with the following devices: Skype on iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, PC, Mac, and Skype on TVs. With such a large list we’ve got to also assume that this connection will work to and from Android devices – we’ll get back to you on that one.

Users using Skype for iPad will be able to utilize both their front and back-facing cameras, showing off their face or whatever they’re taking a look at in front of them. Skype for iPad enjoys “near CD quality” (SILK) sound, and instant messages do indeed include emoticons (welcome back to 1996!) Pay features include “Pay As You Go with Skype Credit” and subscription services via monthly payments, the former being great for occasional users, the latter made for heavier talkers.

Apple App Store links: [Skype for iPad] [Skype for iPhone / iPod touch]

What’s required for this version if Skype? You’ll need an iPad, first of all, then you’ll need version 4.0 of iOS or higher. For front and back video chat, you’ll of course need an iPad 2 as the first iPad features no such camera combo – on the other hand, should you download the regular version of Skype for your non-iPad Apple device, you can still receive video should you have no camera- this including the first generation iPad and the iPod touch 3rd Generation. Go get it now!

UPDATE: Skype has pulled the app for now – those lucky enough to have downloaded the app in the short bit it was up should not be surprised if issues arise. Skype tweets thusly tonight:

The exact cause of the issue has not been explained, though a similar problem occurred back in November when the clocks changed and it appears to only affect users with devices running iOS 4.x. Not all users are experiencing the alarm problems, though Apple’s support forums have seen multiple disappointed owners given an accidental lie-in today.

Apple claims to have over half of the top 25 of leading US national advertisers on board, while user engagement times are apparently in excess of 60 seconds. That’s in part down to the structure of the iAd content itself: rather than simple banners, adverts are presented as videos, mini-games and other interactive media, which load within the app while the core functionality is frozen in the background.

Industry response to iAd has been mixed, with recent reports suggesting that many advertisers find the Apple rates too high, but credit the company with bringing “sexiness” to mobile adverts. The service is built into iOS 4, on the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch.

Press Release:

Apple’s iAd Coming to Europe in December

Revolutionary Mobile Advertising Network Will Launch in Europe with L’Oréal, Renault, Louis Vuitton, Nespresso, Perrier & Unilever

CUPERTINO, California—November 18, 2010—Apple® today announced it will expand its revolutionary iAd℠ mobile advertising network to the UK and France this December, with Germany to follow in January. iAd will launch in Europe with iAds from L’Oréal, Renault, Louis Vuitton, Nespresso, Perrier, Unilever, Citi, Evian, LG Display, AB InBev, Turkish Airlines and Absolute Radio. Since its US launch in July, iAd has emerged as a powerful new way for advertisers to reach millions of iPhone® and iPod touch® users right in their favorite apps, while providing a significant new revenue stream for developers. iAd has signed on over half of the top 25 leading US national advertisers in just four months,* with a projected 21 percent share of US mobile display advertising revenue for 2010 according to research firm IDC.**

“We’re thrilled to add leading global brands to the iAd Network in Europe and create even more great opportunities for developers,” said Andy Miller, Apple’s vice president of iAd. “In just four months, we’ve doubled the number of advertisers on the network and thousands of developers now have a valuable new source of revenue.”

“As the world leader in the beauty business, L’Oréal aims to create the most meaningful connections between its brands and its customers, so iAd was a natural choice,” said Marc Menesguen, L’Oréal’s Head of strategic marketing. “We’re thrilled by the quality, the interactivity and the depth of iAd’s user experience, giving us an unparalleled opportunity to reach and serve the most engaged and discerning customers at the digital forefront of beauty, hence our choice of Lancôme to lead our iAd campaign.”

iAd, which is built into iOS 4, lets users stay within their current app while engaging with an ad, even while watching a video, playing a game or using in-ad purchase to download an app or buy iTunes® content. With user engagement times averaging more than 60 seconds per visit, iAds combine the narrative quality of TV ads with the interactivity of digital for something entirely new.

Advertisers can learn more at advertising.apple.com. Developers who join the iAd Network can easily incorporate a variety of advertising formats into their apps. Developers will receive an industry standard 60 percent of the iAd Network revenue, which is paid via iTunes Connect. Developers can visit developer.apple.com/iad to join the iAd Network or to learn more about the iAd platform.

* Advertising Age “100 Leading National Advertisers” rankings for 2009 by spend, June 20, 2010.

** US mobile display advertising 2010 forecast, published by BusinessWeek.com, September 26, 2010.

One 3G owner has decided to take Apple to court and alleges that Apple knew the update to iOS 4 would brick the 3G and offered it anyway in an effort to force users to upgrade to the iPhone 4. The woman who filed the suit is Biana Wofford and she is seeking a class action in the suit against Apple.

She also claims that Apple offers no way for the user to revert to an older OS that works other than resorting to “hacker” methods that void the warranty. She has a few valid points in her arguments. We will have to wait and see what happens in this case. I think she will have a hard time proving Apple knowingly bricked older iPhones and is hoping for a quick settlement out of court.

The Hardware

Putting the iPhone 4 and the HTC HD7 next to one another, and the difference in hardware is obvious from the get-go. The iPhone 4 features a 3.5-inch display, while the HD7 muscles in with a 4.3-inch version. Both of them are capacitive, and while we’ve never really had any problems with the iPhone 4′s touch responsiveness, the HD7 is a strong competitor on that front. The large display is very responsive, and we didn’t have trouble with it recognizing our inputs from one corner to the next.

In your hand, the HD7 and iPhone 4 are both comfortable in their own right. However, the size of the HD7, and the fact that while the device may be almost as thin as the iPhone 4, there’s a rounded back, may make it hard for some with smaller hands to hold the Windows Phone 7 smartphone comfortably. The flat-back of the iPhone 4 and its more “modest” size may make it more approachable to some. But, the HD7 does indeed come with a kickstand, which will make it easier for those watching a movie to enjoy it, by setting it down on a flat surface.

And then there’s the ultimate comparison: does size matter, especially when it comes to displays? The HD7′s 4.3-inch display is a monster, especially when put against the iPhone 4′s 3.5-inch model. However, the Retina Display on the iPhone 4 makes it pop, so the size of the display doesn’t seem to matter at all. Furthermore, the HD7′s display is just an LCD TFT display, and in today’s age where we have Super AMOLED displays, Super LCD, IPS, and especially Retina Displays, it just doesn’t compete. That doesn’t mean that the HD7′s display is bad in its own right, but comparing it to the iPhone 4′s Retina Display just shows how far back the HD7 is when it comes to displays, even if it is huge.

The Software

While we’ve had a technical preview of Windows Phone 7 in the past, it wasn’t running on the HD7, and nor did we have much time to play around with Microsoft’s newest mobile Operating System today. So, judging software at this stage is still “early,” and will get more complete as we get our hands-on time with the device lengthened, and we can really put it through its paces. But, with just an initial preview, the major differences between Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 and Apple’s iOS are pretty clear.

First and foremost, while Microsoft believes that passage through one feature, to one application, to something else entirely in Windows Phone 7 is intuitive and clean, there are some out there that may see it completely opposite. The fact that panning to the left and right, in the panoramic state that is constantly utilized in WP7, gets you to more features of a certain application or setting, or feature in the phone, it may get cumbersome for some customers. Especially those who believe that “less is more,” Microsoft clearly doesn’t follow this motto, as they’ve thrown just about every window animation you can think of into the mix. They want the experience to be in-depth and enjoyable, and the result seems to be a heavy mix of entertainment, even in the functionality aspect of the devices.

Compare that to the ridiculously easy way of navigation in iOS, from accessing features, applications, to settings, or just general use of the device, and Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 could potentially feel cluttered, and just overburdened with things that it doesn’t need. While the home screen of Windows Phone 7 may not be as (seemingly) complex as the rest of the device, those Hubs will lead users further into the depths of the device, where they will find that the panorama viewscape is the only way to get anything done.

As far as functionality goes, we seem to be at a strange stand-still. While Apple is now on version 4 of their iOS mobile Operating System, and it has seen advancements in Copy & Paste, as well as other features that people believed were absolutely essential to a phone of its class, it looks like Microsoft disagrees with that place. In fact, they believe that you don’t necessarily need those features to make a great mobile platform. With that in mind, we know that Windows Phone 7, out of the gate, will not support Copy & Paste, and it will not allow for third party multitasking. Your Pandora application won’t run in the background, unfortunately, though you can pause it, and come back to it later.

Is this a bad place for Microsoft to enter into the market? We know that Microsoft plans on updating Windows Phone 7 in early 2011 to bring Copy & Paste to the software, and there’s rumors that the update itself will be bigger, and feature more changes and updates than just Copy & Paste. With that in mind, it’s possible that Microsoft will alter their rules, and allow for third party multitasking in the background. Even if it isn’t in that update, it could come later — and considering that’s exactly what Apple did over the years, there’s no reason why Microsoft can’t do the same thing.

Though, some would argue that not having the functionality out of the gate is a major hindrance, even if they do plan on changing it some time in the future. If not having third party multitasking or Copy & Paste out of the gate for your Windows Phone 7 device means it’s a deal breaker, it looks like you’ll have to wait until 2011 to give Microsoft’s newest mobile OS a second look.

Software wise, the possibilities to compare and contrast the two devices are almost endless. One could go on forever nit-picking or focusing on any one feature, or lack there of, and fight to the death with the information in hand. But, we won’t do that. Instead, we’ll focus on the mobile gaming aspect of the devices.

Game Center vs Xbox LIVE

One of Apple’s main points at the unveiling for iOS 4, was Game Center. Apple knows that the iPhone and iPod Touch are major contenders in the gaming space, and so they made sure that people could enjoy it more, the more they played. With the introduction of Game Center, Apple brought a social aspect to gaming on your mobile device. You now have competitive games, scoreboards, and a way to interact with friends in a whole new way. But, there’s not a lot of depth to the Game Center (yet), and so right now it seems to pale in comparison to what Microsoft has planned for Xbox LIVE integration and Windows Phone 7.

Right from the start, Microsoft made it known that playing games on Windows Phone 7 would be a whole new experience. And while not every game you’ll be playing will feature integration to Xbox LIVE and your Gamertag/Avatar, there’s going to be plenty that do right off the bat, with the list only growing over time. Right from your smartphone, you’ll be able to check on your friends, see what games you’ve played, and see where your Gamerscore is. You’ll also be able to see your Xbox LIVE Avatar, change their features, and even add to them. You’ll be able to interact with them in much the same way you already do at home from the Xbox 360.

The gaming aspect for Microsoft is a major one, and they’ve been in the market for awhile now. While Apple may be seen as a new contender, one that’s new to the story, they’ve already displayed that they know what they’re doing, and are ready to take the steps necessary to make sure that gamers on their platform are enjoying themselves, and interacting with others. However, Microsoft will be doing the same thing with Xbox LIVE integration, but adding a lot more depth to the experience. Will it pay off?

In the End

As with any other comparison ever done in the past, the end result is completely based on your own personal preference. Are you a fan of Apple? Do you hate Microsoft? All of these things play a big role in your next purchase. And, while there may be some aspects of one platform you enjoy, and others that you abhor, it’s the total package that you have to look at, consider, and then ultimately make a decision on. Does Microsoft’s upcoming Windows Phone 7 stand a chance against the already implanted competition? Of course, but that doesn’t mean it will. The hardware looks impressive, and while Apple may have only “one” piece of hardware to promote the iPhone name (albeit, in different colors (soon)), Microsoft is jumping ahead and launching 10 devices at once, with more to come next year.

Will it be enough to dethrone the reigning champion and rising successors? Only time will tell. If Microsoft can continue to make OEMs release high-end devices, featuring specifications that anyone would drool at and hardware that catches the eye, then surely the Redmond-based company can have a chance in this heated market. But, they’ll have to add some standard features, and listen to the community as they continue, or it won’t matter what they do — people will move on. In the end, does the HTC HD7 compare to the iPhone 4? In some ways, yes, and others, no. But, if anything, it is a strong effort from Microsoft, and one that will more than likely see the company releasing plenty of noticeable devices.

For more information and discussion regarding Windows Phone 7, check out Windows Phone Forums.

We know by now that the update for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch will come out in November, officially, but the past has to repeat itself. Customary to previous software releases, Apple has made available the Beta version of iOS 4.2, so that they can update their apps, make new ones, and make changes as they see fit. The Beta isn’t just for the iPad, either — you can get your dev skills on for the iPhone and iPod Touch, too.

As for the new features, like Apple’s upcoming AirPrint, you’ll also get Apple’s multitasking available for the iPad (and already available for the iPhone and iPod Touch), as well as access to Folders. You’ll also be able to utilize AirPlay, which will let you wirelessly stream music from your iPad. You’ll be able to search within a webpage, right from Safari, too. So, developers (and folks who paid to have a developer title), get to downloading, and let us know what you think of the updates in the comments.

[via Apple]

“I’ve waited patiently through 4.0.1 and 4.0.2, looking for a fix that will make my phone work again. I’ve read the forums that advise me to jailbreak my phone or use some other method so I can downgrade back to a version of iPhone 3, however I’m not prepared to use a method that is not supported by Apple.” Original email

As you might expect, Jobs’ response is brief:

“Software update coming soon.

Sent from my iPhone” Steve Jobs’ reply

However, it also falls short of specifying what exactly Apple plan on doing for frustrated iPhone 3G owners.  Many would prefer to simply downgrade back to iOS 3.1.3, but Apple could be readying an alternative iOS 4 install that will hopefully perform better on the older handset.

Previous versions of the iPod touch and iPad have been listed as “iPod 3,1″ and “iProd 1,1″ respectively, with Apple’s usual nomenclature suggesting that increases to the prefix number signify material changes rather than more minor updates.  As for the “unknownHardware”, that lacks everything but a product ID, which is 20547.

Apple are believed to be readying a refresh of their Apple TV home entertainment device, running iOS and offering integration with the App Store and other benefits.  Tipped to be smaller and cheaper than the current model, the new Apple TV could also get a new name: iTV.

We haven’t heard as much about the iPhone 3G and 3GS issues with the OS update as we might have if the antenna issues on the new iPhone 4 had not been so prominent in the news. The biggest complaint from users who have installed the OS on the older iPhones is that the phones are sluggish after the install.

The iOS 4 Beta 2 software that was made available to devs this week is said to fix some of that sluggish operating on older iPhones. The WSJ offers no official word on when/if Apple will be offering up insights on what it finds. For now if you haven’t upgraded to the current OS you should probably hold off.

For instance, despite popular thinking, normal visual acuity is not in fact 20/20 – the ability to discriminate two points separated by one-sixtieth of a degree (or 1 arc minute) – but, at its maximum, around 20/16 to 20/12. In fact 20/20 is at the lower limit of regular acuity. Taking that lower limit and working out the visual angle of 1 arc minute from a foot away gets you a roughly 89 micrometer dot, or 286.5dpi.

Dr. Soneira bases his calculations on the angular resolution of the eye being 50 cycles per degree (cpd), which in more familiar terms is 20/12; Dr Beaudot pointed out to us that this is pretty much the maximum theoretical resolution of the human eye. In terms of range, 20/20 vision is equivalent to 30 cpd. Based on holding your phone at the average distance – that is, around 18-inches away from your face – at 50 cpd the Retina Display’s 326ppi matches the visual acuity of the 20/12 eye. Dr Beaudot told us that Apple’s claims about Retina Display basically remain valid – in fact get stronger – for any viewing distances beyond 10-inches (and limited to a reasonable near reading distance, around 20-inches or arm-length).

We asked Dr. Beaudot (who produced retina models used to make silicon retinas for computer vision and prosthetics, among other things) whether Retina Display was really as close to human retina resolution as Apple suggest, and he told us that “this is the closest thing ever done in display technology that matches [the eye's resolution].” That resolution is naturally limited by the spacing between photoreceptors in the retina at its densest point, the fovea at the center, which can reach at most 60 cpd; the iPhone 4′s maximum 50 cpd at 18-inches is not far off that theoretical limit of the “perfect” eye.

Both experts agree that the iPhone 4′s display delivers the best visuals in a mobile device to-date; these new figures suggest you’d not just need 20/20 but also truly “perfect” vision to differentiate pixels in normal use. Every iPhone may come with 960 x 640 resolution, but every eye is different. In the end, the proof of the pudding is in the iPhone 4 experience; something we can ourselves confirm is incredibly impressive from our hands-on earlier this week.

The very iOS name is significant. Think about it. When the iPhone was introduced Apple pointed out that this was just another iteration of OS X optimized for a phone. Over time, it became known as the iPhone OS and as of WWDC it now has name of its own. That’s because iOS is a platform play and I believe this is the future that Apple is betting on. Betting on big time. In a world of connected devices and screens, phones are only one part of the equation.

Sure, Apple has 29% of the US smartphone market and that’s not trivial and it is important. While no vendor is likely to achieve the dominant position in the smartphone space that Microsoft achieved with their desktop PC operating system, Apple has shown that it doesn’t need to do that. If Apple can maintain a 30 to 40% market share in the phone business and at the same time maintain a strong position in the tablet business and of course the hand-held pocket-sized tablet that we call the iPod touch, Apple can successfully leverage iOS as the next-generation platform for connected devices. With Apple, it’s not about three screens and a cloud but rather multiple screens and connected services within an applications ecosystem that’s leveraged across each device.

At the D8 conference, Steve Jobs compared the PC to a truck. A useful vehicle for sure, but one that fewer and fewer people need each year even though there’s still a market for them. It appears Apple’s goal is to make the PC something they’ll continue to build for those who need them but over time attempt to shift the market away from both Macintosh and Mac OS as well as Windows and Windows PCs as well. I note that this years developer’s conference was the first one that I can recall where was no mention of Mac OS at all. Not a single slide, not a single update on the OS or Mac market. Nothing at all at the keynote. That wasn’t an accident. (in the past, even when OS X was off WWDC from a dev cycle, it still received pretty prominent exposure). This year, it’s all been about was all about iOS and iOS devices and the developer story behind them.

Apple iPhone 4 hands-on:

While I normally don’t speculate on Apple products, one can actually get a pretty good idea where Apple is moving. We’ve heard rumors over the last few weeks of the new version of Apple TV built upon iOS. That’s looking more and more like a likely next product and I expect it could be introduced as early as next fall at the annual iPod refresh. Given the goal of a connected, next generation device platform it’s also easy to understand why Apple might view Google as a greater competitive threat than old rival Microsoft.

While Microsoft talks about multiple connected screens, Windows is a PC platform and Windows Phone a smartphone platform. There’s no unified model, architecture or evangelism to tie those products and services together just yet. Google on the other hand has articulated a similar strategy for Android, a platform for phones, tablets, TVs, netbooks and every other non-PC device. Expect to see more clashes in the months ahead between Cupertino and Mountain View and more companies to look to Microsoft as the new Switzerland for alliances and partnerships (Apple in fact did announce a Microsoft partnership at WWDC and the Bing search engine is now an option on iOS and Safari)

I think we’re seeing a bold strategy in play. A recognition that the PC vs. Mac is a battle for the last century not this one. By marginalizing the personal computer, including Macintosh, Apple sets the stage for where the real battle of the future is and what life might look like in a post-PC world.

Looking for more on the iPhone 4?  Check out the SlashGear hands-on!

Pixelated Geek run through all the instructions, and it looks like a relatively straightforward process getting iOS4 onto your device.  After that, there are a few – slightly more complex – tweaks you need to do in order to get custom wallpapers and multitasking support on the 3G; of course, the 3GS supports those natively.

Unfortunately there’s currently no jailbreak for the 3GS running iOS4, so if you’re reliant on an app or two through the Cydia unofficial app store then you may want to hold out until the iPhone Dev Team push out a new release.  That’s been promised in time for the iPhone 4‘s debut on June 24th.

There’s a bit of a snag, though. While everyone would probably love to run around their city, using that AT&T 3G they know and love, to make all those video calls, Steve Jobs announced that the calls will be only made over WiFi for now. You can access a video call, from iPhone 4 to iPhone 4 that is, even from a regular on the fly, though, so that’s definitely interesting.

It features “amazing video and audio quality,” and that probably goes a long way due to the WiFi connection. It’s apparently WiFi-only in 2010, and the carriers “need to do some work” before it can get anywhere else. We imagine that’s something AT&T would want to work on, pretty quickly, as it’s one of the features that many people out there want, and want it right now.

Check out the SlashGear Liveblog to stay up to date!

There are upwards of 1,500 new features being released with iOS 4. Things like Folders, Unified Inbox, and Multitasking (which we’ve seen before) are coming along for the ride. As Steve Jobs put it, they weren’t the first on the market with multitasking, but they took the time to make sure that it is done right. If you don’t, then you kill your battery, and that’s just not a good user experience.

The other new features include Retina Integration with all of the applications — developers don’t have to do anything to make it work. The enhanced camera, obviously, as well as plenty more.  Stay tuned with the liveblog, because it doesn’t look like Jobs is ready to quit any time soon.

Update: iPhone 3G, 3GS and iPod touch 2G+ owners will be able to install iOS4 from June 21st