Google Now for iOS devices was released Monday. Google updated its Google Search app for iOS with support for Google Now which as been a big selling point on Android. You can argue Google Now steps into Apple's Siri turf, but the two "assistant" services are quite different. Rather than competition from Google Now, I'd say Siri has company.

Healthcare professionals face a number of challenges while trying to provide the best they care they can. Among them is the language barrier with the large and growing spanish speaking population. There is a clever app developed at Duke to help bridge the communication gap.

It's no secret that smartphones have been hot sellers. Nor is it much of a surprise that they are popular among thieves. We've heard numerous stories of users who recovered their device with device tracking software, but it seems the chances of getting back a stolen gadget are declining as more stolen phones are making their way overseas.

The major players of the wireless industry created a national registry of stolen smartphones. This should make it more difficult to activate a stolen phone in the U.S., but doesn't do much for black market phones outside the nation.

The FCC needs other countries to share data, but other than with Mexico they haven't had much traction.

That doesn't mean you shouldn't take precautions. Find My iPhone from Apple and Prey for Android devices do continue to produce successful recovery stories.

One other simple piece of advice is to not let your smartphone blind your situational awareness.

A security vulnerability has been discovered in iOS 6.1, 6.0.2 and 6.0.1 that allows an iPhone's passcode to be bypassed.

Secured passcode access to a device can be overcome by a few simple button presses after making and canceling an emergency call.Expect an update form Apple sooner than later.

Here is the process in action from YouTube user Videosdebarraquito posted a week ago - as away to prank your friends. BGR spotlit the risk this morning.

Snapseed has long been a favorite image editing app among photo enthusiasts for the iPhone. It might have been the best $4.99 I've spent at the App store. Now the app is free, even better,  and available for both Android & iOS.

Instagram is easy, but often I find the results disappointing. Nearly every image I share via Instagram or otherwise goes through Snapseed for tweaking - be it major or minor.

There a several enhancements in the scrolling tool bar including a crop tool, color adjustments, focus effects, and much more.  Once you select a tool, menus are accessed by swiping up and down over the image. Adjustments are made by swiping left and right.

Photos can be saved to your image library or shared via email, Facebook, twitter and Google+.

Weather apps are a fixture on smartphones and tablets. Apple's rather basic weather app has evolved very little since its inception, but thankfully developers have stepped up to produce plenty of options for those looking for more detailed information.

There is no shortage of weather apps - paid or free. I have at least six installed on my own phone, but most are ad-supported. One standout app, Weather Live, is priced at $1.99 in the App Store. With the many free alternatives, it is only fair to ask what this paid app delivers, aside from no ads, over its cheapskate rivals.

Presentation and customization are what set the Weather Live app apart from the competition.

Stunning live screen animations that mimic the current weather scroll across the display. Weather Live has six different layouts users can select with varying degrees of detail. The most detailed view includes loads of information including the current conditions, an hourly forecast, and an outlook for the next seven days. Other display options allow users to simplify the screen layout.

Weather Live will track conditions for multiple cities and deliver alerts in the event of severe weather. There is also a freezing temperature alert.

No weather app is complete without an animated weather map and Weather Live offers four map choices: cloud, radar, satellite and rain maps. This is one area Weather Live make bring improvements. The maps are attractive, but you can't zoom in on them. They also lack any city names for reference. When a storm is rolling through nearby users naturally want a more local view. Weather Live says map improvements are coming. I don't have a time frame, but Weather live says it is working to include the map improvements in an update.

Weather Live offers some nice extra touches like displaying the current temperature on the app icon, and the ability to select from two different weather data providers. You can also adjust the app brightness by swiping vertically. A horizontal swipe will load weather from other saved locations.

Weather Live gets overwhelmingly positive feedback in Apple's App Store, and it is not hard to see why. Weather Live is worth considering at its $1.99 price, but it needs to improve its maps to be complete. When Weather Live offers map zooming to display more local imagery it could be the ultimate one-stop weather app.

The Belkin WeMo Switch is home automation made simple and relatively inexpensive. It may be a smart home 101 accessory, but the despite its simplicity the WeMo offers some sophisticated capability. With the WeMo and the free companion app, you can turn on a lamp for example using an iOS device (running iOS 5.0 or higher) from the other side of the house or even from out of town.

After opening our test unit from Verizon ($49.97), I had it running in under three minutes. Set up is a breeze. Plug the WeMo Switch into a regular outlet and install the free WeMo app on your iOS device. Via the Wi-Fi settings you connect to the WeMo network and launch the app. That's it.

After set up, you can switch on or off any device you can plug into the WeMo from anywhere over Wi-Fi or your carrier's wireless network. A lamp is an obvious candidate, but other handy uses might be fans, heaters, or the lights on your Christmas tree.

The app lists each switch. They can be switched on and off manually in the app, and each can be individually scheduled to activate autonomously - great for a bare-bones coffee maker. There is also a physical button mounted on the module itself.

What's missing is an Android app, and why not desktop control?

Nonetheless the WeMo Switch is a cool gadget that offers a simple solution for those in need of some basic home automation.

Verizon also offers the WeMo Switch plus Motion to expand your home automation a bit further.

Video of Mark Rober's double-iPad costume went viral last year, but not without some criticism. Rober responded with Digital Dudz.

Available for Android & iOS, the free app helps you combine your smartphone or tablet with a t-shirt for an easy costume.

Digital Dudz sells a variety of shirts for $23.50 that are designed to work with animations within the app.
 

Rumors of a new smaller tablet from Apple have been building in recent weeks. A report from the Wall Street Journal says that Apple has begun mass production for the device.

The WSJ report mirrors previous rumors about the tablet popularly referred to as the 'iPad mini.'

The new tablet will have a 7.85-inch display with a lower resolution than that of the latest third generation iPad unveiled in March.The iPad mini is believed to have an LCD display with 1024x768 pixels.

Supposed leaked parts suggest it will have a white front while having a black rear shell. A headphone jack is said to be placed along the top left edge as it is on the current iPad, and Apple's new smaller lightning connector is expected. A nano-SIM card is on the right side of the device.

MacRumors echoed reports of Apple sending invites to the launch event though to be set for October 10.

A smaller, cheaper iPad could help Apple take on lower-cost competition including Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and Google's Nexus 7.

UPDATE:

Apple has officially unveiled its next generation iPhone with a larger touchscreen.

The iPhone 5 is 18 percent thinner than the iPhone 4S measuring 7.6mm thick, and 20 percent lighter weighing in at 112 grams.

The screen is 326pp, 1136 x 640 pixel panel and will accommodate an extra row of icons. Apple claims the new display has 44 percent more color saturation than the iPhone 4S.

The new iPhone 5 will launch with iOS 6. The new iPhone finally gains support to 4G LTE.  AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon all have 4G LTE networks. AT&T Verizon have confirmed it will offer the iPhone 5.

Powered by an A6 chip with CPU and graphics twice as fast as the A5 unit in the iPhone 4S Apple says web pages load 2.1 times faster.

Apple claims up to 8 hours of 4G talk time or  web browsing over LTE. The 4S delivers 6 hours of browsing on 3G. Users can expect up to 10 hours of video and 40 hours of music.

The camera remains similar to that in the iPhone 4S with an 8-megapixel resolution paired featuring a 5 element lens with an f/2.4 aperture. Apple boasted the iPhone 5 camera is 40 percent faster at capturing images. Finally the iPhone gets panoramic mode that can stitch images together.

The iPhone 5 introduces a smaller dock connector for which Apple will offer an adapter to connect the phone to docks and other devices using the familiar 30-pin connector.

iPhone 5 will inherit the pricing of the iPhone 4S - $199 for 16GB. $299 for 32GB, $399 for 64GB. The iPhone 4 soldiers on as a free device while the iPhone 4S price will drop to $99 with a two-year agreement.

Color choices include black with a black anodized aluminum rear panel, and white with a raw aluminum back.

Preorders will be begin Friday September 14 and devices will ship September 21.

Today's previous post:

It is also widely believed that Apple will launch a smaller tablet that has been referred to as an "iPad mini." Some expect an announcement later this this year, but Apple could reveal it early to take some wind out of Amazon's sails who unveiled its new tablets last week.

Apple is expected to launch the new iPhone September 21. 

What you are likely to see in the next iPhone?

The new smartphone is said to be taller with a longer touchscreen up from the current 3.5-inch display to 4-inches, yet no wider.

Fashionably late, the iPhone is expected to support 4G LTE.

It may be even thinner than the current device, partially attributed to a new touchscreen layer technology that should also improve image quality.

The 3.5mm audio jack is said to be relocated to the bottom of the phone where Apple is introducing a much smaller 9-pin dock connector. Apple is expected to reveal some significant advantages to justify the the change from the current 30-pin port.

Expect an evolution of the current industrial design theme having a mostly metal back with glass ends to help with reception.

There have been reports that Apple has redesigned the earbuds its includes with each.

The consensus is that prices won't change much if at all retaining the same price points as the current iPhone 4S - $199, $299, and $399.

What you won't see: MicroUSB, removable battery, or a microSD card slot.

It is also unlikely Apple will use a quad-core CPU.