Tuesday, 14 May 2013

Nokia to launch Smart Camera app on all of its Windows Phone 8 devices in Amber software update



Jealous of the Lumia 925's flashy new imaging software? At Nokia's London event, Jo Harlow has promised that other Lumia owners won't be left out in the cold. The company will be pushing out "Amber," an update that'll bring Smart Cam, amongst other apps, to the company's wider range of Windows Phone 8 devices. There's no word on when Amber will actually arrive beyond a vague mention of "summer," but the company hopes it'll be ready in time for your next vacation.

Microsoft adds built-in Google Talk to Outlook.com and SkyDrive.com


Microsoft adds builtin Google Talk to Outlookcom and SkyDrivecom

Make no mistake, we don't just like Outlook.com; we love it. The problem with Microsoft's revamped email service, though, is that ditching Gmail can be a tough sell, as it's meant giving up features like built-in Gchat. At last, though, Microsoft is adding support for Google Talk, which means you can keep sending your friends dancing-parrot videos even after you make the switch. (Outlook.com still does Facebook andSkype chatting too.) What's more, you'll find Gchat baked into SkyDrive.com -- a handy tool if you happen to be collaborating with Google users. To clarify, this feature is only coming to the Outlook and SkyDrive websites for now -- Dharmesh Mehta, Sr. Director of Outlook.com, told us Microsoft is still considering how GTalk might fit into its mobile apps. In the meantime, though, you can load up Outlook in your browser if you want a peek. And don't worry if nothing shows up right away: the company is warning users that the roll-out could take several days.

Hamster wheel used to control human-sized treadmill (video)


DNP
Sure, your pet hamster's amazing leg strength may someday power a house, but can it beat you in a race? A pair of Chicago-based artists might be able to help you solve this mystery. The duo recently hooked up a homemade tachometer to a hamster's exercise wheel and mapped the data to a treadmill's motor. The fur ball's RPMs are transferred in real time, which gives it the ability to control its bipedal competitor's running speeds. The team cautions that no animals were harmed during this experiment, however a human ego may have been bruised after trying to keep up with a tireless rodent.

Aereo confirms Atlanta launch on June 17th, will be third city to receive streaming service


It's still a long way from the 22 cities it hopes to launch in this year, but Aereo's expansion of its live TV streaming service beyond its NYC base is now moving steadily ahead. It's set to go live in Boston tomorrow, and the company has confirmed today that Atlanta will be next in line on June 17th. That's when the service will be available in the city to those who've pre-registered, with everyone else invited to sign up on June 24th. As you may recall from yesterday, the company's also slightly revised its pricing plans ahead of the expansion, with the $12 per month rate now netting you 60 hours of storage instead of 40, while the $8 rate remains the same as before at 20 hours. You can find all the specifics on the Atlanta rollout in the press release after the break.

Groupon launches Breadcrumb iPad app, vows to not be a typical POS


Groupon launches Breadcrumb iPad app, vows to not be a typical POS

Yesterday, Groupon POS appeared in the iTunes Store, but was quickly pulled. Now we know why. Breadcrumb POS, which is the official name of yesterday's leaked point-of-sale iPad app, is now officially available, bringing a simple interface and a handful of financial incentives. The application, which can be downloaded for free, charges vendors a credit card processing fee of 1.8 percent plus 15 cents per transaction, assuming you're swiping plastic from MasterCard, Visa or Discover. In an effort to get small businesses signed up, however, Groupon is offering to cover the fees on the first $5,000 in credit card transactions, a savings of $90 by our calculations, plus whatever you'd be paying per swipe.
The app enables you to log transactions, manage menu items and issue refunds, in addition to processing credit cards and emailing receipts. The POS uses Breadcrumb Payments for processing, with deposits posting within 24 hours, and can be paired with a card swiper and optional printer (you can email receipts if you'd prefer). There's also free 24/7 telephone support, should you run into any issues while using the system. Breadcrumb POS won't replace the more sophisticated Pro version, which is available starting at $99 per month, and retailers will still be able to use the Groupon Merchants App for redeeming vouchers and processing supplemental payments

BlackBerry Q10 coming to Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile this summer


We've gotten word of a new BlackBerry smartphone today, and we now also have some news about familiar one. Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile have all confirmed that they'll soon be carrying the BlackBerry Q10, although some are being more specific with details than others. Verizon is saying that it will be available sometime in June (it has an exclusive on the white version), while Sprint will only go as far as to say "late summer," with neither offering a price. T-Mobile will also be rolling out the phone sometime in June, and has confirmed that it will run $99.99 down with its new plan structure, or $579.99 if you want to buy it outright -- that follows business registation for the device, which began last month. We've yet to hear anything more from AT&T, but it has already committed to the device and will presumably be launching it in roughly the same timeframe as well.

Wednesday, 8 May 2013

Screenshots of redesigned Google Maps surface, show web UI without a sidebar

Screenshots of redesigned Google Maps surface, show web UI without a sidebar


If you can trust a couple of screenshots posted by the unofficial Google Operating System blog this evening, we'll soon see a new Google Maps experience on the web. As shown above, the sidebar is toast, gone in favor of overlays for the necessary information, a move that more resembles its mobile app, the apps / websites of some of its competitors, and even its own Google Maps Engine view. Also noted as different are elements like the icons and colors, but the most major change could be integration with Google+ to filter search results to locations recommended by your friends. With Google I/O just days away this could be a perfect time for changes to roll out from Mountain View, we hope to know by then if one of our most used websites is getting a fresh coat of paint.

Nokia teases 'colorful' announcement Thursday from New Delhi

Nokia teases 'colorful' announcement Thursday from New Delhi
Nokia already has one (likely Lumia 928-related) surprise scheduled for next week on the 14th, but it's doubling up by teasing more news Thursday in India. Scheduled for noon in New Delhi (2:30AM ET), all we have to go on are hints about "color", the yellow picture above and word that it's an "exciting global event." Executive VP of sales and marketing Chris Weber tweeted we should expect "Colorful Nokia news and so much more," but didn't reveal anything else. You have a little over 24 hours to wildly (or not so wildly, the location and timing suggests the Lumia brand won't be involved) speculate

ASRock's new Haswell motherboards will be waterproof, of course (update: video)

ASRock's new Haswell motherboards will be waterproof
If your current motherboard has more Mountain Dew than CPU, you might be interested in ASRock's forthcoming Haswell. offerings. Among the usual features like dual-band 802.11ac-flavored WiFi, HDMI input and a Home Cloud service, Tom's Hardware spotted a mention of "Waterproof by Conformal Coating." The company's sub-site doesn't give too much else away, like how extensive the protection will be, instead simply telling us to "A-Style our lifestyle." The only feature with any amount of detail is a Pure Sound audio system (7.1 channel audio, Realtek ALC1150 audio codec and a TI 5532 pre-amp if you're interested) that we've already seen. Still, if fluid has been getting between you and your high scores, keep an eye on the source for more info.
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Maxthon Cloud Browser adds local network file transfers for Android and Windows



While many browsers sync through the cloud, few know how to cope with the local network -- what if we just want to push a file to another device nearby? Maxthondoesn't think we should have to resort to an online service or a dedicated app for the purpose, so it's rolling a LAN Transfer feature into its Cloud Browser. Starting with Android and Windows versions available today, the web client lets users shuttle files directly to others on the same network, with nothing but the browser in between. Both iOS and Mac users should join the party soon, which could turn Maxthon into a rare (and very unconventional) cross-platform file manager.

Wednesday, 1 May 2013

HTC M4 leaked, suggests flagship style with middleweight specs (updated with comparison images)




Remember the M4? We've seen glances of a spec sheet, but now we get to see how it's going to look. Courtesy of @evleaks, we can now tell it's looking good. After the critically-acclaimed One, the company looks to be sharing its style tips around -- at a glance the M4 appears almost identical to the HTC flagship, although the camera flash has been relocated to the center of the device and there's a few less micro-drilled speaker holes. Running over the leaked specs, you can expect a smaller 4.3-inch screen at 720p resolution and possibly a cheaper build to the unibody beauty that leads HTC's smartphone family.
There's likely to be a dual-core processor, LTE-capable radio and 16GB of storage too. There's better news, with the UltraPixel-packing 4-megapixel camera sensor rumored to make its way into the middleweight phone, although initial leaks pointed to a 13-megapixel sensor. The phone is said to be appearing later this quarter, but we're still waiting on official word (and that all-important price) before we get too excited. But hey, it worked for Samsung.
Update: We've made a couple of comparison images of this rumored M4 with the 4.7-inch One. Check them out after the break.
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Amazon updates Lovefilm Instant with PS3 HD streaming, improved search


Amazon updates Lovefilm Instant with PS3 HD streaming, improved search
Amazon has started rolling out a new version of Lovefilm Instant on the Playstation 3 in the UK and Germany, with new countries and platforms to follow.The update brings a better search engine and recommendations, along with a new Watchlist feature and revised UI that lets you track content currently being watched via the homepage. Viewers in the launch countries will also notice another welcome change: they can finally watch TV and movies in HD on the PS3. There's no word on exactly when other Instant platforms will see the upgrade, but we're assured it will get to everyone "in the future."
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