Google has launched its much-anticipated Google Now service for Apple’s IOS, such as iphone and IPad. With this service, the users can access their personal assistant features offered by the platform, such as weather, traffic conditions as well as their favorite stocks.

Google Now, a real time discovery engine that is constantly flourishing since its release for Android, can be accessed by swiping upwards from the bottom of the application’s homepage.  The iPhone and IPad users can get the Google Search update with Now through iTunes App Store for free.

The Google Now will collect information about its users through their activities and their history in other Google services. The users can edit their home, work and current location, track their favorite stock and get live score updates of their favorite sports team. The service will also alert users to heavy traffic conditions and suggest an alternate to travel.

Though these features can be accessed online comfortably, Google Now was keen to collect all the information user need at a single place. Another idea of Google behind the enclosure of additional features is to encourage the users to look beyond their current homepages, which are generally linked to their email addresses.

With the subscription of Now Service on iPhone and iPad, the iconic Google home page will shine with different sized cards under the search box. The top of screen will contain the traditional Google logo placed on a twinkling light-green background. The Smartphone becomes smarter and smoother when Google Now teams up with the voice search.

While many of Google Now’s features have been passed over to IPhone and IPad, the update reportedly does not contain the components like gesture control and third party integration features.

For more information on the world of mobile apps head to next year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, scheduled to be held from 24-27 February, 2014. Contact EAS for the best in high quality accommodation, marketing and event management.  EAS is licensed travel agency and member of ACAV and ASTA. For further information, click here.

Christmas Day 2012 was a bonanza day for the mobile industry as more smartphones, tablets and Kindle-type mobile devices were activated than on any other day in history.

A report from Flurry Analytics claims that activations on 25th December rose to more than 17.4 million, a 332 percent increase from the former December baseline of 4 million per day and 2.5 times greater than Christmas 2011 figures.

This was the first year in which tablet activations outstripped smartphones, at a rate of 51 percent to 49 percent.

“The big winners were Apple iPads, Apple iPad Minis and Amazon Kindle Fire HD 7-in tablets,” the Flurry report stated. “In particular, Amazon had a very strong performance in the tablet category, growing by several thousand percent over its baseline of tablet activations over the earlier part of December.”

The volume of devices activated on Christmas Day had an impact on app downloads also. In total 328 million apps were downloaded on the day with 1.76 billion apps bought from Google Play and Apple during the Christmas week. This was up 65 percent on the weekly average for December 2012.

According to Flurry’s vice president, Peter Farago, one billion app downloads a week will become the norm in 2013. He said: “Following a year where Google and Apple drove unprecedented adoption of mobile devices, Facebook declared itself a “mobile” company, and Amazon and Microsoft both made significant investments into mobile computing, we look forward to continued record-breaking adoption of smart devices and applications.”

For more information on the global mobile industry don’t miss out on your chance to attend the GSMA Mobile World Congress 2014, in Barcelona. For the best in accommodation, arranged transportation, restaurant recommendations, and anything else you can think of to make your stay in Barcelona one to remember, look no further than EAS, the travel agent you can trust. With our expert local knowledge we can source rooms in the best hotels, find you the most centrally located apartments, organise airport transfers and other transportation needs, and even arrange yacht and aircraft charters. Click on this link for more information.

It seems as time goes by more and more of us around the world are using our mobile devices to view television and films throughout the family home.

The latest research from Motorola Mobility’s Fourth Media Engagement Barometer shows that globally consumers are now watching 25 hours of TV and film programming per week on their mobile devices, up from 15 hours in 2011.

The most notable change is that people are now using their mobile devices in preference to broadcast television. The survey, which asked 9,500 consumers in 17 countries, found that of the 36 percent of respondents who watch video programming in the bedroom, 46 percent view it on a smartphone, 41 percent on a tablet and 36 percent on broadcast TV.

People are even viewing content in more unusual parts of the home with 9 percent of tablet owners and 16 percent of smartphone owners admitting to consuming content in the bathroom, while 10 percent of tablets are used in the kitchen.

In spite of this, the living room is still the centre of home entertainment with 50 percent of people watching broadcast TV here, although in Sweden and the UK the figures were as high as 81 percent and 75 percent.

The research also revealed that consumers are frustrated by the lack of flexibility of mobile devices according to John Burke, senior vice president and general manager at Motorola Mobility. “Increasingly people are using tablets and smartphones to view their content, and they expect this experience to transition seamlessly across their favourite programmes, whenever and wherever they like,” he said. Among those surveyed, 76 percent said they want the capability to move video content between devices automatically.

Another reason people are increasingly using mobile devices to watch TV and films is the ability to record programmes and skip ads. The study reveals that 68 percent of people globally and 75 percent in the US record broadcast TV to skip the ads – a trend that is proving to be an ongoing challenge for the TV networks.

For more information on how mobile viewing habits are changing head down to next year’s Mobile World Congress 2014. For all your accommodation needs in the city look to EAS, your friendly local travel agent. We have rooms in all the best Barcelona hotels and most centrally located apartments. We’ll organise your transportation, nightly entertainment and make sure your stay is as stress free as it is unforgettable. Click on this link to fill in our request form.

This year’s Mobile World Congress proved to be a huge success for both HTC and Samsung who went home with two of the event’s top awards.

The HTC One picked up the Best New Mobile Handset, Device or Tablet at the 18th Annual Global Mobile Awards held last week at the Fira Gran Via in Barcelona.

The Taiwanese smartphone maker beat off competition from the likes of the Sony Xperia Z, LG Optimus G Pro, Nokia 105 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0. Benjamin Ho, chief marketing officer for HTC, said: “We are delighted by the reactions from both consumers and the industry to the new HTC One. It is a device that has been years in the making and is one of which we are incredibly proud.”

Meanwhile the Galaxy S III was named the best smartphone of 2012 beating its main rival the iPhone 5 along with others including Nokia’s Lumia 920 and HTC’s Droid DNA.

It was a disappointing award ceremony for Apple as the American firm also lost out in the Best Tablet category to Google’s Nexus 7.

Other winners on the day included Samsung’s Galaxy Camera, which won Best Mobile Enabled Consumer Electronics Device, Facebook, which took home Best Mobile App for Consumers, and Evernote, which picked up the award for Best Mobile App for Enterprise.

Samsung also picked up the coveted Device Manufacturer of the Year award in addition to winning the Best Mobile Infrastructure and Outstanding Overall Mobile Technology.

To see first hand who wins at next year’s Mobile World Congress book your accommodation for 2014’s event now with EAS. We’ll find you the best hotels and rented apartments right in the heart of the city. Or if you prefer, why not try one of our luxury yachts – the choice is yours. Just click on this link to fill in our request form.