Click the pooch to play this show!
Google Glasses ban in U.K., Apple iPhone 5C, Netflix Profile Feature, Camera Apps, $6,000 Virtual Jewelry Set, New PoochCam Logo, Bib + Tuck, Action Movie FX, and a whole lot more. Some of the Best App recommendations for kids.
We discuss how products are licensed and why your favorite bands and characters make lots of $$ selling merchandise. Apple’s latest news including iOS 7. App talk includes: Knock On Wood, ClapBox, and SpinVid. Plus, Fab.com, Instagram, Vine, the World Famous PoochCam, listener email from around the world, Angry Birds Soda, and a whole lot more.
Do you have any dead pixels? A few dots on your iPad? How about your iPhone or iPod Touch?
Apple has no definitive guidelines on what they consider an egregious number of dead or stuck pixels on any of their products. However, it seems as if you need 3-5 dead pixels and be under warranty to even be considered for a replacement. If you live near an Apple Store, your best bet is an appointment at the Genius Bar.
So how do you check to see if you have any dead pixels?
Instructions:
above and select “Save Image”Source: http://www.theipadguide.com/content/ipad-dead-pixel-test-how/7171269
Just a few weeks after the release of Apples iPhone 5, word is spreading that the fifth generation of the iPod Touch is already on its way.The new iPod Touch release date is slated for late October, according to Slash Gear.When the iPod Touch announcement was made during Apples iPhone 5 launch, the only information given about the iPod was that it would be released in October. Slash Gear reported that Australian users are now seeing a ship date of three weeks on Apple‘s website. The new iPod Nano reportedly has the same release date as the iPod Touch.Pre-order is currently available through the U.S. online store, but the ship date is simply stated as “October.”The new iPods are in scant supply, CNET reported Friday, via a report from Japanese Apple blog Macotakara. Shipments of the new iPod Touch are due in Japan next Tuesday, and there are “considerably few numbers of the initial shipment.”On Friday, MacRumors reported that early pre-orders of the Touch had moved to “Preparing for Shipment.” One customer even reported that his credit card had been charged.In Australia the expected delivery date is Oct. 29, while in New Zealand the release date is slated for Nov. 2, according to MacRumors.
via New iPod Touch Release Date Slated For Late October: Report.
Just a few weeks after the release of Apples iPhone 5, word is spreading that the fifth generation of the iPod Touch is already on its way.The new iPod Touch release date is slated for late October, according to Slash Gear.When the iPod Touch announcement was made during Apples iPhone 5 launch, the only information given about the iPod was that it would be released in October. Slash Gear reported that Australian users are now seeing a ship date of three weeks on Apple‘s website. The new iPod Nano reportedly has the same release date as the iPod Touch.Pre-order is currently available through the U.S. online store, but the ship date is simply stated as “October.”The new iPods are in scant supply, CNET reported Friday, via a report from Japanese Apple blog Macotakara. Shipments of the new iPod Touch are due in Japan next Tuesday, and there are “considerably few numbers of the initial shipment.”On Friday, MacRumors reported that early pre-orders of the Touch had moved to “Preparing for Shipment.” One customer even reported that his credit card had been charged.In Australia the expected delivery date is Oct. 29, while in New Zealand the release date is slated for Nov. 2, according to MacRumors.
via New iPod Touch Release Date Slated For Late October: Report.
PlayStation Mobile – Sony’s cross-platform mobile gaming service that allows players to experience PlayStation Mobile games across Sony’s devices and select Android-based smartphones and tablets – is now live.
PlayStation Mobile can be accessed through Sony’s PlayStation Store and purchases are tied to users’ PlayStation Network IDs. Users will only need to buy a PlayStation Mobile game once and it will be playable on any PlayStation Certified Device and PlayStation Vita.
The service launches today in Japan, the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Australia, with more countries to follow.
PlayStation Mobile – Sony’s cross-platform mobile gaming service that allows players to experience PlayStation Mobile games across Sony’s devices and select Android-based smartphones and tablets – is now live.
PlayStation Mobile can be accessed through Sony’s PlayStation Store and purchases are tied to users’ PlayStation Network IDs. Users will only need to buy a PlayStation Mobile game once and it will be playable on any PlayStation Certified Device and PlayStation Vita.
The service launches today in Japan, the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Australia, with more countries to follow.
PlayStation Mobile – Sony’s cross-platform mobile gaming service that allows players to experience PlayStation Mobile games across Sony’s devices and select Android-based smartphones and tablets – is now live.
PlayStation Mobile can be accessed through Sony’s PlayStation Store and purchases are tied to users’ PlayStation Network IDs. Users will only need to buy a PlayStation Mobile game once and it will be playable on any PlayStation Certified Device and PlayStation Vita.
The service launches today in Japan, the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Australia, with more countries to follow.
Today Microsoft announced that its ‘Bing It On Challenge‘ has scooted past the 5 million visit mark. According to its blog post, that figure is in excess of its projections. I would certainly think so.The number of visits should be not be taken to indicate user discontent with Google however; the brazenness of the challenge led to a very large, and somewhat positive press cycle, which drove the traffic. As TNW reported previously:Microsoft is making a bold move today, launching a new blind test that pits Bing against Google in efforts to show how useful its search results are compared to the old standard. Microsoft explains on its blog that this is a “non-scientific test,” but claims upfront that research shows “people prefer Bing web search results over Google.”
Today Microsoft announced that its ‘Bing It On Challenge‘ has scooted past the 5 million visit mark. According to its blog post, that figure is in excess of its projections. I would certainly think so.The number of visits should be not be taken to indicate user discontent with Google however; the brazenness of the challenge led to a very large, and somewhat positive press cycle, which drove the traffic. As TNW reported previously:Microsoft is making a bold move today, launching a new blind test that pits Bing against Google in efforts to show how useful its search results are compared to the old standard. Microsoft explains on its blog that this is a “non-scientific test,” but claims upfront that research shows “people prefer Bing web search results over Google.”
Today Microsoft announced that its ‘Bing It On Challenge‘ has scooted past the 5 million visit mark. According to its blog post, that figure is in excess of its projections. I would certainly think so.The number of visits should be not be taken to indicate user discontent with Google however; the brazenness of the challenge led to a very large, and somewhat positive press cycle, which drove the traffic. As TNW reported previously:Microsoft is making a bold move today, launching a new blind test that pits Bing against Google in efforts to show how useful its search results are compared to the old standard. Microsoft explains on its blog that this is a “non-scientific test,” but claims upfront that research shows “people prefer Bing web search results over Google.”
The interactive new Furby and the Wii U made the list for the 2012 hottest toys according to ToysRUs.
To see all the picks, click on the link below.
2012 Holiday Hot Toy List, Toy Reservation, Fabulous 15 – Toys”R”Us.
The interactive new Furby and the Wii U made the list for the 2012 hottest toys according to ToysRUs.
To see all the picks, click on the link below.
2012 Holiday Hot Toy List, Toy Reservation, Fabulous 15 – Toys”R”Us.
The interactive new Furby and the Wii U made the list for the 2012 hottest toys according to ToysRUs.
To see all the picks, click on the link below.
2012 Holiday Hot Toy List, Toy Reservation, Fabulous 15 – Toys”R”Us.
Are you ready Kid-Friday fans?
Tech is very much a part of the top picks from Wal-mart for 2012. It doesn’t matter if you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza….this list proves that kids and technology rule. Is this list the real deal?
We’ll talk about all of them on the next Kid Friday podcast, show 131.
Hmmmm.
For all you diehard YouTube fans out there who can’t get enough YouTube on your mobile, we’ve got some great news: starting today, you can download the official YouTube app for iPhone and iPod touch from the App Store, bringing you more of the videos you love and more ways to share them with the people you care about.
via YouTube Blog: Introducing a new YouTube app for your iPhone and iPod touch.
Have you ever dreamed of working for Apple some day?
You can start your training right now.
Gizmodo got a hold of the Apple secret training handbook for employees.
Now we know why they have to be so nice!
Print out this article and bring it with you the next time you visit your local Apple Store.
See if the employees have the correct response!
via How To Be a Genius: This Is Apples Secret Employee Training Manual.
According to a new report from AllThingsD, sources close to the situation have confirmed that Apple will pull back the curtain on a new, smaller iPad during a special event in October. Meanwhile, all signs still point to an iPhone unveiling on September 12, so rabid members of the tech press and Apple’s fan club should have plenty of time to dig into one new product before another takes the stage.
Rumors of a smaller iPad have been making the rounds ever since Apple’s 10-inch tablet first hit the market, and those rumblings have only grown in intensity since companies like Amazon and Google entered the fray. At this point, there’s still hardly any concrete information about Apple’s smaller iPad (unless you’re the type to read too much into sketchy Chinese cases), but there’s little question that Apple’s tiny tablet would mean plenty of trouble for those two players in particular.
Amazon’s pint-sized Kindle Fire has been one of the only tablets to give the iPad line a run for its money in terms of sales, and the company is expected to unveil the Fire’s successor at a press event on September 6. Meanwhile, Google worked with Asus to produce the impressive Nexus 7, and recent speculation seems to indicate that Nexus 7 sales could easily outpace Google’s own expectations. Considering the iPad’s tremendous popularity though, we may soon see Amazon and Google’s momentum take a nosedive should Apple push out a product to compete in the same niche those companies’ devices currently occupy.
via Apple’s New Mini iPad Expected To Take The Stage At October Event | TechCrunch.
According to a new report from AllThingsD, sources close to the situation have confirmed that Apple will pull back the curtain on a new, smaller iPad during a special event in October. Meanwhile, all signs still point to an iPhone unveiling on September 12, so rabid members of the tech press and Apple’s fan club should have plenty of time to dig into one new product before another takes the stage.
Rumors of a smaller iPad have been making the rounds ever since Apple’s 10-inch tablet first hit the market, and those rumblings have only grown in intensity since companies like Amazon and Google entered the fray. At this point, there’s still hardly any concrete information about Apple’s smaller iPad (unless you’re the type to read too much into sketchy Chinese cases), but there’s little question that Apple’s tiny tablet would mean plenty of trouble for those two players in particular.
Amazon’s pint-sized Kindle Fire has been one of the only tablets to give the iPad line a run for its money in terms of sales, and the company is expected to unveil the Fire’s successor at a press event on September 6. Meanwhile, Google worked with Asus to produce the impressive Nexus 7, and recent speculation seems to indicate that Nexus 7 sales could easily outpace Google’s own expectations. Considering the iPad’s tremendous popularity though, we may soon see Amazon and Google’s momentum take a nosedive should Apple push out a product to compete in the same niche those companies’ devices currently occupy.
via Apple’s New Mini iPad Expected To Take The Stage At October Event | TechCrunch.
According to a new report from AllThingsD, sources close to the situation have confirmed that Apple will pull back the curtain on a new, smaller iPad during a special event in October. Meanwhile, all signs still point to an iPhone unveiling on September 12, so rabid members of the tech press and Apple’s fan club should have plenty of time to dig into one new product before another takes the stage.
Rumors of a smaller iPad have been making the rounds ever since Apple’s 10-inch tablet first hit the market, and those rumblings have only grown in intensity since companies like Amazon and Google entered the fray. At this point, there’s still hardly any concrete information about Apple’s smaller iPad (unless you’re the type to read too much into sketchy Chinese cases), but there’s little question that Apple’s tiny tablet would mean plenty of trouble for those two players in particular.
Amazon’s pint-sized Kindle Fire has been one of the only tablets to give the iPad line a run for its money in terms of sales, and the company is expected to unveil the Fire’s successor at a press event on September 6. Meanwhile, Google worked with Asus to produce the impressive Nexus 7, and recent speculation seems to indicate that Nexus 7 sales could easily outpace Google’s own expectations. Considering the iPad’s tremendous popularity though, we may soon see Amazon and Google’s momentum take a nosedive should Apple push out a product to compete in the same niche those companies’ devices currently occupy.
via Apple’s New Mini iPad Expected To Take The Stage At October Event | TechCrunch.
Michael Pollara got a few unexpected goodies that came with his Toys “R” Us rewards card, such as an arrest for allegedly stealing more than $2 million in toys from the nationwide retailer.Pollara and his mother, Margaret, were arrested in Florida after allegedly visiting 139 Toys “R” Us stores in 27 states and putting expensive items into large boxes containing inexpensive goods. The two remain in jail on multiple theft charges.
Store executives say that while the 70-year-old Margaret served as a lookout, Michael, 46, would find a cheap item in a large box, remove it and hide it somewhere in the store. He’d then stash expensive goods in the box—Leapster Pads at $99 each, electronic toothbrushes or pricey Lego sets worth up to $150, reports CBS Miami—and check out, paying the price for what was supposed to be in the box. Authorities say that the less expensive items cost the pair about $7,000, but they made more than $2 million by reselling the big-ticket products on eBay.
After a South Florida employee noticed a couple of Lego boxes go missing during a shift in May, officials checked the surveillance video and found Michael moving the boxes from the shelf. Since then, authorities have followed the pair from store to store—tracking their movements through the Toys “R” Us rewards card Michael used to make all his purchases.
And they’ve certainly been worth following. The Pollaras ventured as far as California, North Dakota, New York and even Hawaii on their shopping spree, logging nearly 8,000 miles.
via Toys “R” Us Scam: Mother and Son Steal $2 Million in Toys | NewsFeed | TIME.com.
PlayStation 3 owners who purchase SuperBot Entertainment’s new mascot fighter PlayStation All-Stars: Battle Royale will also get the PlayStation Vita version at no additional cost, Sony announced today. The buy one, get one free deal is part of Sony’s new Cross Buy initiative, which will soon extend to other games.
Sony also announced that Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time and Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault — known as Ratchet & Clank: Q Force in Europe — will also support Cross Buy, a roundabout way of announcing that the next Ratchet & Clank game is also coming to Vita. Buying the PS3 versions of Thieves in Time and Full Frontal Assault will get you a Vita copy at no additional cost.
via Sony announces Cross Buy: Buy a game on PS3, get Vita version for free | The Verge.
There have been a number of tips over the last few weeks from sources that 9 to 5 Mac believe hold knowledge about Apple’s plans on the upcoming iPad mini. A recurring theme of late is that the iPad mini will “look like a big iPod touch” with smaller bezels along the sides in portrait mode and separate volume buttons and not a “rocker” and a mic on the back.
In addition, they received a number of different iPad mini back plates with the best quality being these from case maker Devicewear.
Who wants a iPad Mini?!?
According to iMore, Apple is planning to Debut the new iPhone at a special event on Wednesday, September 12, 2012, with the release date to follow 9 days later on Friday, September 21. This information comes from sources who have proven accurate in the past.
The iPad mini will be announced at the same September 12 event, as will the new iPod nano. We haven’t heard a release date for the iPad mini yet, but it could be the same as the iPhone 5. It seems likely the new iPod touch will make an appearance on September 12 as well, though we haven’t heard any specific information about that yet either.
Last year, the iPhone 4S was announced on Tuesday, October 4, 2011, and released 10 days later on October 14. The event included minor updates to the iPod line, notably a white iPod touch 4. This year, the iPad 3 was announced on Wednesday, March 7, 2012, and released 9 days later on March 16. The event included a 1080p Apple TV.
According to iMore, Apple is planning to Debut the new iPhone at a special event on Wednesday, September 12, 2012, with the release date to follow 9 days later on Friday, September 21. This information comes from sources who have proven accurate in the past.
The iPad mini will be announced at the same September 12 event, as will the new iPod nano. We haven’t heard a release date for the iPad mini yet, but it could be the same as the iPhone 5. It seems likely the new iPod touch will make an appearance on September 12 as well, though we haven’t heard any specific information about that yet either.
Last year, the iPhone 4S was announced on Tuesday, October 4, 2011, and released 10 days later on October 14. The event included minor updates to the iPod line, notably a white iPod touch 4. This year, the iPad 3 was announced on Wednesday, March 7, 2012, and released 9 days later on March 16. The event included a 1080p Apple TV.
According to iMore, Apple is planning to Debut the new iPhone at a special event on Wednesday, September 12, 2012, with the release date to follow 9 days later on Friday, September 21. This information comes from sources who have proven accurate in the past.
The iPad mini will be announced at the same September 12 event, as will the new iPod nano. We haven’t heard a release date for the iPad mini yet, but it could be the same as the iPhone 5. It seems likely the new iPod touch will make an appearance on September 12 as well, though we haven’t heard any specific information about that yet either.
Last year, the iPhone 4S was announced on Tuesday, October 4, 2011, and released 10 days later on October 14. The event included minor updates to the iPod line, notably a white iPod touch 4. This year, the iPad 3 was announced on Wednesday, March 7, 2012, and released 9 days later on March 16. The event included a 1080p Apple TV.
Don’t Try This At Home!
One night last week, Dave was working at his computer and enjoying a “Drumstick” ice cream cone. Then…he dropped it on his keyboard. Ouch! A sticky, gooey, mess in between the keys has forced him to abandon the mission and get another one. Luckily, this one only cost $4.99.
An article about Kid Friday and a new project, StoryCub is featured on the front page of the Pioneer Press Newspaper in the Twin Cities.
You can check it out HERE
With the launch of the iPhone 5 presumably coming in the next few months we’re seeing a lot of leaks showing us what the phone might look like. This time is a collection of cases that are already on sale.
CydiaBlog found the cases that are on sale at TVC-Mall.com. The cases are just basic silicon, and cost only $1.58 a piece. These aren’t the cases we’d see in retail stores after the official launch, they’re more of the cases that will sell on eBay or in mall kiosks for just a few dollars.
The cheap cases show the same design for theiPhone 5 that we’ve seen over the past few months. The phone that fits inside these is slimmer than the iPhone 4S, and a bit taller. It also has a smaller dock connector, larger speaker grilles, and a headphone jack on the bottom.
via iPhone 5 Cases Appear Online as Manufacturers Prep for Release.
With the launch of the iPhone 5 presumably coming in the next few months we’re seeing a lot of leaks showing us what the phone might look like. This time is a collection of cases that are already on sale.
CydiaBlog found the cases that are on sale at TVC-Mall.com. The cases are just basic silicon, and cost only $1.58 a piece. These aren’t the cases we’d see in retail stores after the official launch, they’re more of the cases that will sell on eBay or in mall kiosks for just a few dollars.
The cheap cases show the same design for theiPhone 5 that we’ve seen over the past few months. The phone that fits inside these is slimmer than the iPhone 4S, and a bit taller. It also has a smaller dock connector, larger speaker grilles, and a headphone jack on the bottom.
via iPhone 5 Cases Appear Online as Manufacturers Prep for Release.
We talk about this video on show 119 of Kid Friday.
These two girls created the video over 2-years ago and it’s always fun to watch. Great job!
No, this is NOT Hannah and Zoe. Who are they? Our guess is a couple of listeners.
Do YOU like the Kid Friday theme song? Check this out!
Facebook groups are spaces where you can share things with the people who care about them most. You can use groups to connect with important sets of people like your family, soccer team or book club.
Starting today when you visit a group, you can view who’s seen each post. This way you can stay updated on the group’s activity.
For example, in your soccer group you can post the new practice time and then see who got the update.
Microsoft Surface is a planned series of tablet computers designed and marketed by Microsoft Corporation. The Surface will be available in two versions, “Surface” or “Surface Pro”. “Surface” will run the Windows RT operating system and use an ARM CPU. “Surface Pro” will run the Windows 8 Pro operating system and use an Intel CPU. The display is a 10.6″, 16:9 widescreen HD Display (Surface), or Full HD Display (Surface Pro), The product was announced by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer at a Los Angeles event on June 18, 2012, at Milk Studios. No specific release date was announced at the product introduction.
The Microsoft Surface line features VaporMg, pronounced “VaporMag”, the molded magnesium casingthat houses Surface’s components paired with a PVD finish, which is a manufacturing process that produces a durable finish. VaporMg allows magnesium to be melted down and molded to the details needed for Surface and allows Surface to weigh 1.5 pounds. Also included in both Surface models is a USB port, a micro-SD slot, and a magnetic strip to attach accessories such as the ‘Touch Cover’ and ‘Type Cover’. There are also two cameras, front-facing and rear-facing. The rear-facing camera will be angled at 22 degrees to allow proper framing of another person while the “kickstand” is in use. The “kickstand” is a .77 mm thin built-in stand that spans the width of the device and allows Surface to be propped up at an angle in landscape orientation for a hands-free viewing experience. Surface Pro has perimeter venting which allows air to flow out the sides, and helps avoid airflow being impeded by hands holding the device.
For the CPUs, the Surface with Windows RT will use a Nvidia Tegra CPU. The Surface Pro, running Windows 8 Pro, will utilize an “Ivy Bridge” Core i5 quad core chip, which is comparable to chips in current Windows laptops,
The Surface device demoed in the Microsoft Surface Events had a new connection port with five pins. This was acknowledged as a magnetic charging connector during Microsoft’s presentation event by
Surface and Surface Pro both have screens of 10.6″ with a 16:9 aspect ratio, with the Pro version having a resolution of 1920×1080 and the RT version having a resolution of 1366×768. Both tablets use Microsoft’s ClearType HD display technology and support an ultra-wide viewing angle and auto-adjusting screen intensity.Surface has an HD Display and Surface Pro has a Full HD Display. In announcement talk, Michael Angiulo said that when Surface Pro is held at 17″, the eyes will not be able to distinguish between individual pixels.
Microsoft will offer two keyboard covers for Surface: Touch Cover and Type Cover. Both, when folded up, serve as protective covers that connect to the Surface via a magnetic strip. When opened, the covers are keyboards. The Touch Cover is 3 mm in thickness and has a touch-sensitive keyboard. The Type Cover is thicker and includes a tactile keyboard. The keyboards have gyroscope and accelerometer sensors to determine, based on position, whether or not to accept input. Both also include a multitouch touchpad.
No shipping/availability date has been announced
via Microsoft Surface (tablet) – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Microsoft Surface is a planned series of tablet computers designed and marketed by Microsoft Corporation. The Surface will be available in two versions, “Surface” or “Surface Pro”. “Surface” will run the Windows RT operating system and use an ARM CPU. “Surface Pro” will run the Windows 8 Pro operating system and use an Intel CPU. The display is a 10.6″, 16:9 widescreen HD Display (Surface), or Full HD Display (Surface Pro), The product was announced by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer at a Los Angeles event on June 18, 2012, at Milk Studios. No specific release date was announced at the product introduction.
The Microsoft Surface line features VaporMg, pronounced “VaporMag”, the molded magnesium casingthat houses Surface’s components paired with a PVD finish, which is a manufacturing process that produces a durable finish. VaporMg allows magnesium to be melted down and molded to the details needed for Surface and allows Surface to weigh 1.5 pounds. Also included in both Surface models is a USB port, a micro-SD slot, and a magnetic strip to attach accessories such as the ‘Touch Cover’ and ‘Type Cover’. There are also two cameras, front-facing and rear-facing. The rear-facing camera will be angled at 22 degrees to allow proper framing of another person while the “kickstand” is in use. The “kickstand” is a .77 mm thin built-in stand that spans the width of the device and allows Surface to be propped up at an angle in landscape orientation for a hands-free viewing experience. Surface Pro has perimeter venting which allows air to flow out the sides, and helps avoid airflow being impeded by hands holding the device.
For the CPUs, the Surface with Windows RT will use a Nvidia Tegra CPU. The Surface Pro, running Windows 8 Pro, will utilize an “Ivy Bridge” Core i5 quad core chip, which is comparable to chips in current Windows laptops,
The Surface device demoed in the Microsoft Surface Events had a new connection port with five pins. This was acknowledged as a magnetic charging connector during Microsoft’s presentation event by
Surface and Surface Pro both have screens of 10.6″ with a 16:9 aspect ratio, with the Pro version having a resolution of 1920×1080 and the RT version having a resolution of 1366×768. Both tablets use Microsoft’s ClearType HD display technology and support an ultra-wide viewing angle and auto-adjusting screen intensity.Surface has an HD Display and Surface Pro has a Full HD Display. In announcement talk, Michael Angiulo said that when Surface Pro is held at 17″, the eyes will not be able to distinguish between individual pixels.
Microsoft will offer two keyboard covers for Surface: Touch Cover and Type Cover. Both, when folded up, serve as protective covers that connect to the Surface via a magnetic strip. When opened, the covers are keyboards. The Touch Cover is 3 mm in thickness and has a touch-sensitive keyboard. The Type Cover is thicker and includes a tactile keyboard. The keyboards have gyroscope and accelerometer sensors to determine, based on position, whether or not to accept input. Both also include a multitouch touchpad.
No shipping/availability date has been announced
via Microsoft Surface (tablet) – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Microsoft Surface is a planned series of tablet computers designed and marketed by Microsoft Corporation. The Surface will be available in two versions, “Surface” or “Surface Pro”. “Surface” will run the Windows RT operating system and use an ARM CPU. “Surface Pro” will run the Windows 8 Pro operating system and use an Intel CPU. The display is a 10.6″, 16:9 widescreen HD Display (Surface), or Full HD Display (Surface Pro), The product was announced by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer at a Los Angeles event on June 18, 2012, at Milk Studios. No specific release date was announced at the product introduction.
The Microsoft Surface line features VaporMg, pronounced “VaporMag”, the molded magnesium casingthat houses Surface’s components paired with a PVD finish, which is a manufacturing process that produces a durable finish. VaporMg allows magnesium to be melted down and molded to the details needed for Surface and allows Surface to weigh 1.5 pounds. Also included in both Surface models is a USB port, a micro-SD slot, and a magnetic strip to attach accessories such as the ‘Touch Cover’ and ‘Type Cover’. There are also two cameras, front-facing and rear-facing. The rear-facing camera will be angled at 22 degrees to allow proper framing of another person while the “kickstand” is in use. The “kickstand” is a .77 mm thin built-in stand that spans the width of the device and allows Surface to be propped up at an angle in landscape orientation for a hands-free viewing experience. Surface Pro has perimeter venting which allows air to flow out the sides, and helps avoid airflow being impeded by hands holding the device.
For the CPUs, the Surface with Windows RT will use a Nvidia Tegra CPU. The Surface Pro, running Windows 8 Pro, will utilize an “Ivy Bridge” Core i5 quad core chip, which is comparable to chips in current Windows laptops,
The Surface device demoed in the Microsoft Surface Events had a new connection port with five pins. This was acknowledged as a magnetic charging connector during Microsoft’s presentation event by
Surface and Surface Pro both have screens of 10.6″ with a 16:9 aspect ratio, with the Pro version having a resolution of 1920×1080 and the RT version having a resolution of 1366×768. Both tablets use Microsoft’s ClearType HD display technology and support an ultra-wide viewing angle and auto-adjusting screen intensity.Surface has an HD Display and Surface Pro has a Full HD Display. In announcement talk, Michael Angiulo said that when Surface Pro is held at 17″, the eyes will not be able to distinguish between individual pixels.
Microsoft will offer two keyboard covers for Surface: Touch Cover and Type Cover. Both, when folded up, serve as protective covers that connect to the Surface via a magnetic strip. When opened, the covers are keyboards. The Touch Cover is 3 mm in thickness and has a touch-sensitive keyboard. The Type Cover is thicker and includes a tactile keyboard. The keyboards have gyroscope and accelerometer sensors to determine, based on position, whether or not to accept input. Both also include a multitouch touchpad.
No shipping/availability date has been announced
via Microsoft Surface (tablet) – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
In late January, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced to employees that a new major Mac and iPad discount program for employees would kickoff at some point in late June of this year. Keeping that promise, Apple, today, has started the new employee Mac and iPad discount program. Apple employees are able to purchase Macs with a $500 discount (excluding the Mac mini) and iPads with a $250 through Apple’s internal employee portal. These discounts come on top of the already-existing 25% discounts. (By the way, bad news for employees: Retina Display MacBook Pros apparently aren’t on the purchase list at this time)
As we reported in January, employees are able to take advantage of this offer every three years, and employees must be with the company for at least three months. Separately, as we previously reported, Apple has moved up scheduled retail raises from September to late June. Some store employees have already been rewarded their raises and we are hearing of raises up to 30% of current salaries. The general average seems to be between $2 and $4. This average changes depending on store performance and the performance of individuals within each stores.
via Apple starts $500 off Macs, $250 off iPads employee discount program | 9to5Mac | Apple Intelligence.
In late January, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced to employees that a new major Mac and iPad discount program for employees would kickoff at some point in late June of this year. Keeping that promise, Apple, today, has started the new employee Mac and iPad discount program. Apple employees are able to purchase Macs with a $500 discount (excluding the Mac mini) and iPads with a $250 through Apple’s internal employee portal. These discounts come on top of the already-existing 25% discounts. (By the way, bad news for employees: Retina Display MacBook Pros apparently aren’t on the purchase list at this time)
As we reported in January, employees are able to take advantage of this offer every three years, and employees must be with the company for at least three months. Separately, as we previously reported, Apple has moved up scheduled retail raises from September to late June. Some store employees have already been rewarded their raises and we are hearing of raises up to 30% of current salaries. The general average seems to be between $2 and $4. This average changes depending on store performance and the performance of individuals within each stores.
via Apple starts $500 off Macs, $250 off iPads employee discount program | 9to5Mac | Apple Intelligence.
In late January, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced to employees that a new major Mac and iPad discount program for employees would kickoff at some point in late June of this year. Keeping that promise, Apple, today, has started the new employee Mac and iPad discount program. Apple employees are able to purchase Macs with a $500 discount (excluding the Mac mini) and iPads with a $250 through Apple’s internal employee portal. These discounts come on top of the already-existing 25% discounts. (By the way, bad news for employees: Retina Display MacBook Pros apparently aren’t on the purchase list at this time)
As we reported in January, employees are able to take advantage of this offer every three years, and employees must be with the company for at least three months. Separately, as we previously reported, Apple has moved up scheduled retail raises from September to late June. Some store employees have already been rewarded their raises and we are hearing of raises up to 30% of current salaries. The general average seems to be between $2 and $4. This average changes depending on store performance and the performance of individuals within each stores.
via Apple starts $500 off Macs, $250 off iPads employee discount program | 9to5Mac | Apple Intelligence.
While it’s clear Microsoft isn’t planning to introduce its next-generation Xbox console this year, all signs indicate that a 2013 launch is in the cards. A newly leaked 56-page document sheds some light on the company’s plans, for what it calls the “Xbox 720.” The presentation appears to be from August 2010.
Microsoft outlines a competitive differentiation for its next-generation Xbox, including support for Blu-ray, native 3D output and glasses, concurrent apps, and additional sensor and peripheral support. Alongside a promised 6x performance increase, there’s also mention of true 1080p output with full 3D support and an “always on” state for the console. A slide on core hardware indicates that the next Xbox will be designed to be scalable in the number of CPU cores and their frequencies. Microsoft appears to have been debating whether to use six or eight ARM or x86 cores clocked at 2GHz each with 4GB of DDR4 memory alongside three PPC cores clocked at 3.2GHz each for backwards compatibility with existing Xbox 360 titles.
Microsoft positions its Xbox 720 as the only box needed for living room entertainment in the document, providing background recording functionality for TV content and a unified Windows 8 foundation to make it easier for application developers to build apps that target Xbox, PC, and Windows Phone. Illustrations of the Xbox 720 throughout the presentation make it comparable in looks to an old set-top box, but appear to be just a concept design used in 2010. Microsoft rounds off the document with a promised price point of $299 with its Kinect 2 hardware and a prediction of a 10-year lifecycle with more than 100 million units sold.
While it’s clear Microsoft isn’t planning to introduce its next-generation Xbox console this year, all signs indicate that a 2013 launch is in the cards. A newly leaked 56-page document sheds some light on the company’s plans, for what it calls the “Xbox 720.” The presentation appears to be from August 2010.
Microsoft outlines a competitive differentiation for its next-generation Xbox, including support for Blu-ray, native 3D output and glasses, concurrent apps, and additional sensor and peripheral support. Alongside a promised 6x performance increase, there’s also mention of true 1080p output with full 3D support and an “always on” state for the console. A slide on core hardware indicates that the next Xbox will be designed to be scalable in the number of CPU cores and their frequencies. Microsoft appears to have been debating whether to use six or eight ARM or x86 cores clocked at 2GHz each with 4GB of DDR4 memory alongside three PPC cores clocked at 3.2GHz each for backwards compatibility with existing Xbox 360 titles.
Microsoft positions its Xbox 720 as the only box needed for living room entertainment in the document, providing background recording functionality for TV content and a unified Windows 8 foundation to make it easier for application developers to build apps that target Xbox, PC, and Windows Phone. Illustrations of the Xbox 720 throughout the presentation make it comparable in looks to an old set-top box, but appear to be just a concept design used in 2010. Microsoft rounds off the document with a promised price point of $299 with its Kinect 2 hardware and a prediction of a 10-year lifecycle with more than 100 million units sold.
While it’s clear Microsoft isn’t planning to introduce its next-generation Xbox console this year, all signs indicate that a 2013 launch is in the cards. A newly leaked 56-page document sheds some light on the company’s plans, for what it calls the “Xbox 720.” The presentation appears to be from August 2010.
Microsoft outlines a competitive differentiation for its next-generation Xbox, including support for Blu-ray, native 3D output and glasses, concurrent apps, and additional sensor and peripheral support. Alongside a promised 6x performance increase, there’s also mention of true 1080p output with full 3D support and an “always on” state for the console. A slide on core hardware indicates that the next Xbox will be designed to be scalable in the number of CPU cores and their frequencies. Microsoft appears to have been debating whether to use six or eight ARM or x86 cores clocked at 2GHz each with 4GB of DDR4 memory alongside three PPC cores clocked at 3.2GHz each for backwards compatibility with existing Xbox 360 titles.
Microsoft positions its Xbox 720 as the only box needed for living room entertainment in the document, providing background recording functionality for TV content and a unified Windows 8 foundation to make it easier for application developers to build apps that target Xbox, PC, and Windows Phone. Illustrations of the Xbox 720 throughout the presentation make it comparable in looks to an old set-top box, but appear to be just a concept design used in 2010. Microsoft rounds off the document with a promised price point of $299 with its Kinect 2 hardware and a prediction of a 10-year lifecycle with more than 100 million units sold.
If the demonstrations on the E3 show floor this week were any indication, the next 12 months will be a great time to be a gamer.
The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) placed a spotlight on games, not hardware, as developers took the opportunity to strut their stuff. If you asked 15 people at the convention what game they enjoyed the most, you’d probably get 15 different answers. There were so many to choose from.
Today at Apple’s WWDC keynote, far and away the most exciting product announced has to be refreshed and replenished mobile operating system. The days of iOS 6 are upon us, and the platter of 200 new features Apple is serving up is more than enough to make any fanboi’s mouth water.
Up until now, we’d swallowed down a hearty rumor stew, complete with trusted source claims, leaked beta sites, rumors, and pure speculation. We’ve more-than expected Apple Maps, iCloud features, and Facebook integration, but the rumor mill had taken us further than that, with hopes of Siri APIs, Siri for iPad, and even deeper customization, with live apps not unlike the live tiles seen in Windows Phone’s metro UI.
It was just yesterday that Nintendo unveiled the Wii U Gamepad, but today is the big announcement. Everybody welcome the Wii U.
The new console, coupled with the Gamepad, will change gaming entirely, according to Nintendo: “at its core, Wii U changes gaming, how you interact with your gaming friends, and it changes the way you enjoy your TV.”
That means Netflix and Hulu and Amazon Video and YouTube, along with the brand new form of gaming brought about by the marriage of the Wii U and the Gamepad.
The Gamepad sports a pressure-sensitive touchscreen along with traditional buttons and directional pad. Nintendo also packed an NFC reader/writer and a gyroscope/accelerometer.
The Wii U will support two different Gamepads.
The new controller will allow for viewing multiple screens (one on the TV of course, and one on your Wii U Gamepad), which the company showed off at their keynote this morning at E3. For example, in PikMin3, the Gamepad will display a three-dimensional map, allowing for a little added perspective.
If you live in the Twin Cities and surrounding areas of Minnesota, tune in to CBS/WCCO Channel 4 tonight at 11:05 for “Life To The Max”.
The Kid Friday Podcast will be featured as part of the program. They visited the studio, taped some of the podcast, and even interviewed us!
If it’s on a little late for you, DVR it or…
For all of the rest of you in the United States and around the world, we will be able to link to the video and share it with you at some point, hopefully soon. We’ll keep you posted.
Apple plans to use a larger screen on the next-generation iPhone and has begun to place orders for the new displays from suppliers in South Korea and Japan, people familiar with the situation.
The new iPhone screens will measure 4 inches from corner to corner, one source said. That would represent a roughly 30 per cent increase in viewing area, assuming Apple keeps other dimensions proportional. Apple has used a 3.5-inch screen since introducing the iPhone in 2007.
Hey, is that your new logo above? Cool.
Anyway, while recording the latest Kid Friday Podcast (show 113), Hannah, Zoe, and Dave weren’t the only ones in studio 1A.
The local CBS television crew were visiting us for a story that will run sometime next month.
They shot Hannah and Zoe using tech in Hannah’s room
They even taped Hannah and Zoe with our family pet, Winston the standard poodle.
Hope the story turns out good!! They were super-nice and it was a fun experience.
We’ll keep you updated and make sure it’s available to view for all Kid Friday listeners.
Facebook is rolling out its own app store in the coming weeks to give developers and users another way to promote and discover apps from multiple mobile platforms.
acebook is rolling out its own app store in the coming weeks to give developers and users another way to promote and discover apps from multiple mobile platforms.
The Facebook App Center, will let users search for Facebook apps, regardless of where they run — on the Web, iOS, or Android. The only stipulation is that the app has to have some tie to Facebook (details here).
Users will be able to browse the selection of apps by category and ratings, and just like with Apple’s AppStore, the App Center will recommend certain apps and spotlight the most popular apps.
The real innovation of the App Center though is its social component. Rather than just have a single list of top or recommended apps seen by all users, Facebook will recommend apps to each user based on what their friends use.
Developers will also be able to charge for apps — in-app purchases were previously available, but developers didn’t have a way to charge for downloading an app through Facebook. Now they do.
The App Center is currently available in beta and will be rolled out to all users in the coming weeks.
via Facebook Is Launching Its Own App Store – Business Insider.
Facebook is rolling out its own app store in the coming weeks to give developers and users another way to promote and discover apps from multiple mobile platforms.
acebook is rolling out its own app store in the coming weeks to give developers and users another way to promote and discover apps from multiple mobile platforms.
The Facebook App Center, will let users search for Facebook apps, regardless of where they run — on the Web, iOS, or Android. The only stipulation is that the app has to have some tie to Facebook (details here).
Users will be able to browse the selection of apps by category and ratings, and just like with Apple’s AppStore, the App Center will recommend certain apps and spotlight the most popular apps.
The real innovation of the App Center though is its social component. Rather than just have a single list of top or recommended apps seen by all users, Facebook will recommend apps to each user based on what their friends use.
Developers will also be able to charge for apps — in-app purchases were previously available, but developers didn’t have a way to charge for downloading an app through Facebook. Now they do.
The App Center is currently available in beta and will be rolled out to all users in the coming weeks.
via Facebook Is Launching Its Own App Store – Business Insider.
Facebook is rolling out its own app store in the coming weeks to give developers and users another way to promote and discover apps from multiple mobile platforms.
acebook is rolling out its own app store in the coming weeks to give developers and users another way to promote and discover apps from multiple mobile platforms.
The Facebook App Center, will let users search for Facebook apps, regardless of where they run — on the Web, iOS, or Android. The only stipulation is that the app has to have some tie to Facebook (details here).
Users will be able to browse the selection of apps by category and ratings, and just like with Apple’s AppStore, the App Center will recommend certain apps and spotlight the most popular apps.
The real innovation of the App Center though is its social component. Rather than just have a single list of top or recommended apps seen by all users, Facebook will recommend apps to each user based on what their friends use.
Developers will also be able to charge for apps — in-app purchases were previously available, but developers didn’t have a way to charge for downloading an app through Facebook. Now they do.
The App Center is currently available in beta and will be rolled out to all users in the coming weeks.
via Facebook Is Launching Its Own App Store – Business Insider.
Google is teasing us about the future of its “Project Glass“, the glasses that will help you navigate the world, or just take really awesome pictures.
Google Glasses
The team is asking you to suggest the type of photos that you’d take with Project Glass, so head on over:
We announced Project Glass in part to let our team start testing prototypes outside the office. +Sebastian Thrun, one of our project leaders, tried one out last weekend and we just had to share the result.
We’d love to hear about the types of moments you’d capture if you didn’t have to wait to pull out a camera or your phone. Please share your thoughts in the comments!
Google is teasing us about the future of its “Project Glass“, the glasses that will help you navigate the world, or just take really awesome pictures.
Google Glasses
The team is asking you to suggest the type of photos that you’d take with Project Glass, so head on over:
We announced Project Glass in part to let our team start testing prototypes outside the office. +Sebastian Thrun, one of our project leaders, tried one out last weekend and we just had to share the result.
We’d love to hear about the types of moments you’d capture if you didn’t have to wait to pull out a camera or your phone. Please share your thoughts in the comments!
Google is teasing us about the future of its “Project Glass“, the glasses that will help you navigate the world, or just take really awesome pictures.
Google Glasses
The team is asking you to suggest the type of photos that you’d take with Project Glass, so head on over:
We announced Project Glass in part to let our team start testing prototypes outside the office. +Sebastian Thrun, one of our project leaders, tried one out last weekend and we just had to share the result.
We’d love to hear about the types of moments you’d capture if you didn’t have to wait to pull out a camera or your phone. Please share your thoughts in the comments!
Target, signaling its growing irritation with its rival Amazon, announced on Wednesday that it would stop selling the online retailer’s Kindle e-readers.
Target, with almost 1,800 stores, is one of the bigger carriers of Kindles in the offline world, though most of the devices are sold at Amazon’s Web site.
Like other big retailers, Target has been trying to figure out how to stop Amazon shoppers from visiting Target stores to check out products, and then buy them online from Amazon.
Target dropping the Kindle, of course, won’t stop Amazon shoppers from checking out other products at Target, but analysts said it would send a message to Amazon about Target’s alliances. Target, for example, will continue to carry Apple’s iPad, Ms. Snyder said, and it is testing expanded displays of Apple products. Target will also sell other e-readers and accessories, from Barnes & Noble’s Nook to rather obscure ones like the Aluratek Libre.
Starting at $79, and selling at $199 for a color version, the Kindle is the dominant e-reader in the market, although Amazon does not release sales figures.
via Target, Upset With Amazon, Will Stop Selling Kindles – NYTimes.com.
There’s a constantly spinning mill of rumors about Apple products, most of which turn out to be untrue. What’s unusual this week is that talk has revived of a smaller iPad model, an idea company founder Steve Jobs derided publicly a year before he died.
Apple and its suppliers aren’t commenting. Rumors of a smaller iPad, or “iPad mini” have percolated ever since the first iPad was launched two years ago. This time around, they’re fed by media reports from South Korea, China and Taiwan, saying Apple has ordered Samsung screens that are 7.86 inches measured on the diagonal. That would make the screen about two-thirds the size of the current iPad, which has a diagonal measurement of 9.7 inches.
WHY IT’S A GOOD IDEA:
A smaller tablet would help Apple further its lead in the tablet market.
“From a competitive standpoint, we believe an iPad mini with a lower price point would be the competition’s worst nightmare, says Shaw Wu, an analyst at Sterne Agee. “Most (competitors) already have a tough enough time competing against the iPad 2, as well as the new iPad.”
Apple has successfully fended off competitors who have tried to sell tablets in iPad’s size range. But last year, Amazon.com Inc. figured out how to crack Apple’s stranglehold on tablets by making a half-size, no-frills tablet. The result was the Kindle Fire, which sells for $199 –basically, the cost of production. Amazon has sold millions of them.
Apple sells the iPod Touch for $199, but its screen is about a quarter of the size of the Kindle Fire — a big disadvantage for people who want to enjoy books, movies and games. It also sells the older iPad model for $399. It has nothing in between.
Price isn’t the only reason customers might prefer a smaller tablet. A 7-inch model would fit in many handbags, unlike the current iPad.
via Rumors swirl of smaller iPad, which Jobs detested | Fox News.
Microsoft will offer a sneak peek at its Zune replacement during E3 2012, according to sources familiar with the company’s plans. The new music service, codenamed Woodstock, will continue Microsoft’s shift away from the Zune brand towards the well known Xbox one. Insiders have revealed to us that Woodstock will be a cross-platform play, available to Windows 8, Android, iOS, and Xbox users — playable from a browser.
Previously described as “Spotify-like”, the service won’t require any browser plugins and is said to integrate deeply with Facebook, allowing friends to build group playlists and share tracks. An additional “scan and match” function, similar to iTunes Match, is also being tested as part of Woodstock to allow users to identify their existing music collection in the service. Although Microsoft will preview the service at E3 — barring any last-minute changes in its plans, of course — it is not expected to launch until later this year alongside Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 devices.
via Exclusive: Microsoft to preview ‘Woodstock’ Xbox music service at E3 | The Verge.
Microsoft will offer a sneak peek at its Zune replacement during E3 2012, according to sources familiar with the company’s plans. The new music service, codenamed Woodstock, will continue Microsoft’s shift away from the Zune brand towards the well known Xbox one. Insiders have revealed to us that Woodstock will be a cross-platform play, available to Windows 8, Android, iOS, and Xbox users — playable from a browser.
Previously described as “Spotify-like”, the service won’t require any browser plugins and is said to integrate deeply with Facebook, allowing friends to build group playlists and share tracks. An additional “scan and match” function, similar to iTunes Match, is also being tested as part of Woodstock to allow users to identify their existing music collection in the service. Although Microsoft will preview the service at E3 — barring any last-minute changes in its plans, of course — it is not expected to launch until later this year alongside Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 devices.
via Exclusive: Microsoft to preview ‘Woodstock’ Xbox music service at E3 | The Verge.
Apple’s annual World Wide Developer Conference was announced earlier this morning, at 5:30am PDT, with a ticket price of $1600… and it sold out in less than 2 hours.
It took Apple 10 hours to sell out last year, so this is five times faster. Though it’s an apples-to-oranges comparison, it took only 28 minutes to sell out Google IO 2012.
For paid developers, a ticket gives entry to the keynote, the non-disclosure covered lectures, and most importantly, the labs where Apple engineers can help with problems and get and give feedback on issues.
That’s pretty impressive and a very expensive ticket for all the Apple app developers.
But…
Stories like the one below show that demand for the new kings of boy-bands isn’t too bad either! Similar stories about the One Direction tour are happening all around the world. This is by far, the hottest music event ticket. If you want to go, good luck!
(from News.com/AU)
The band’s second tour from September 11 to 29 next year, including concerts in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne Adelaide and Perth, was announced at the end of their last tour on the eve of their departure from Australia on April 18.
Ticketek announced on Twitter yesterday that One Direction would now do two extra shows on the tour, one in Sydney and one in Melbourne, and tickets would be available from 5.30pm AEST.
Fans took to the site and to Twitter, with some saying they’d had success, others saying the site froze and others appealing to people not buying tickets to get off the site.
Not that it’s stopping the One Direction fans.
They’re now calling for extra shows to be scheduled in Brisbane.
via WWDC 2012 sells out in 2 hours. At $1600 a ticket. At 5:30am Pacific time. | iMore.
A group of concerned parents has now been given permission to sue Apple for “manipulating” their kids into spending large amounts of real-world cash on virtual in-app objects (mostly Smurfberries) in various iOS games. Led by attorney Garen Meguerian, the group is alleging that the “addictive” nature of some iOS games drives their kids to buy in-game items without really knowing what’s going on.
This isn’t the first time parents have voiced concerns over in-app purchases made by their kids. After 8 year-old Madison Kay managed to run up a bill of $1400 in record time on Smurfs’ Village last year, the Federal Trade Commission ruled that games like Smurfs’ Village must warn parents and children that those $99 Smurfberries do cost actual, real, non-Smurf cash.
However, Apple’s in-app purchase protocol has changed since then. When Madison went a little crazy for the Smurfberries, she was able to do so because all that stood between her and the berries was her mother’s iTunes password. These days, kids like Madison have an extra few steps to jump through before being able to make an autonomous purchase, including an extra, app-only password. Additionally, Apple says that iOS games featuring in-app purchases now come with an option that allows parents to switch in-game buying off altogether.
via The Escapist : News : Parents Suing Apple Over In-Game Purchasing.
A group of concerned parents has now been given permission to sue Apple for “manipulating” their kids into spending large amounts of real-world cash on virtual in-app objects (mostly Smurfberries) in various iOS games. Led by attorney Garen Meguerian, the group is alleging that the “addictive” nature of some iOS games drives their kids to buy in-game items without really knowing what’s going on.
This isn’t the first time parents have voiced concerns over in-app purchases made by their kids. After 8 year-old Madison Kay managed to run up a bill of $1400 in record time on Smurfs’ Village last year, the Federal Trade Commission ruled that games like Smurfs’ Village must warn parents and children that those $99 Smurfberries do cost actual, real, non-Smurf cash.
However, Apple’s in-app purchase protocol has changed since then. When Madison went a little crazy for the Smurfberries, she was able to do so because all that stood between her and the berries was her mother’s iTunes password. These days, kids like Madison have an extra few steps to jump through before being able to make an autonomous purchase, including an extra, app-only password. Additionally, Apple says that iOS games featuring in-app purchases now come with an option that allows parents to switch in-game buying off altogether.
via The Escapist : News : Parents Suing Apple Over In-Game Purchasing.
A group of concerned parents has now been given permission to sue Apple for “manipulating” their kids into spending large amounts of real-world cash on virtual in-app objects (mostly Smurfberries) in various iOS games. Led by attorney Garen Meguerian, the group is alleging that the “addictive” nature of some iOS games drives their kids to buy in-game items without really knowing what’s going on.
This isn’t the first time parents have voiced concerns over in-app purchases made by their kids. After 8 year-old Madison Kay managed to run up a bill of $1400 in record time on Smurfs’ Village last year, the Federal Trade Commission ruled that games like Smurfs’ Village must warn parents and children that those $99 Smurfberries do cost actual, real, non-Smurf cash.
However, Apple’s in-app purchase protocol has changed since then. When Madison went a little crazy for the Smurfberries, she was able to do so because all that stood between her and the berries was her mother’s iTunes password. These days, kids like Madison have an extra few steps to jump through before being able to make an autonomous purchase, including an extra, app-only password. Additionally, Apple says that iOS games featuring in-app purchases now come with an option that allows parents to switch in-game buying off altogether.
via The Escapist : News : Parents Suing Apple Over In-Game Purchasing.
The top iPhone and iPad apps on App Store
Top Paid iPhone Apps:
1. Draw Something by OMGPOP (OMGPOP)
2. Angry Birds Space (Rovio Mobile Ltd.)
3. Clear Vision (17+) (FDG Entertainment)
4. Flick Home Run ! (infinity pocket)
5. Voice Assistant – Just use your voice (QuanticApps)
6. Fruit Ninja (Halfbrick Studios)
7. Lock My Screen (Triple A Apps)
8. “Free Music Download Pro” – Downloader and Player (BSOSoft)
9. Skylanders Cloud Patrol (Activision Publishing, Inc.)
10. WhatsApp Messenger (WhatsApp Inc.)
___
Top Free iPhone Apps:
1. Kick the Boss (Game Hive Corp.)
2. Instagram (Burbn, Inc.)
3. Draw Something Free (OMGPOP)
4. Slide to Unlock ? (The Falco Initiative)
5. Oldify (Apptly LLC)
6. Viddy (Viddy, Inc.)
7. Flick Home Run ! New Free (infinity pocket)
8. Bike Race Free – by Top Free Games (Top Free Games)
9. Battle Duty: Modern Field 3 (Imba Entertainment)
10. Ringtone Maker – Make free ringtones from your music! (Zentertain Ltd.)
___
Top Paid iPad Apps:
1. Angry Birds Space HD (Rovio Mobile Ltd.)
2. Draw Something by OMGPOP (OMGPOP)
3. Skylanders Cloud Patrol (Activision Publishing, Inc.)
4. Where’s My Water? (Disney)
5. Pages (Apple)
6. iPhoto (Apple)
7. Max Payne Mobile (Rockstar Games)
8. Clear Vision (17+) (FDG Entertainment)
9. Angry Birds Space (Rovio Mobile Ltd.)
10. Infinity Blade II (Chair Entertainment Group, LLC)
___
Top Free iPad Apps:
1. Draw Something Free (OMGPOP)
2. Ice Age Village (Gameloft)
3. Skype for iPad (Skype Software S.a.r.l)
4. The Lorax HD (Miniclip.com)
5. Bike Race Free – by Top Free Games (Top Free Games)
6. Blokus HD (Gameloft)
7. Instagram (Burbn, Inc.)
8. iBooks (Apple)
9. Facebook (Facebook, Inc.)
10. Curious George at the Zoo for iPad (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
___
(copyright) 2012 Apple, Inc.
Sony has presented three new applications for its recently launched PlayStation Vita console that will be released for free in the near future and provide some interesting activities for owners of the device.
The PlayStation Vita came out back in February and, since then, Sony’s been launching many new games for the portable console, while continuing to hype up future releases.
Now, in between presenting some new games for the Vita, the Japanese company has revealed three apps that will be released onto the device for free.
The first, and the one that’s already available via the PlayStation Store, is called Paint Park. This app allows owners of the Vita to turn it into a virtual sketch pad and draw whatever they want by interacting with the touchscreen.
Sony has presented three new applications for its recently launched PlayStation Vita console that will be released for free in the near future and provide some interesting activities for owners of the device.
The PlayStation Vita came out back in February and, since then, Sony’s been launching many new games for the portable console, while continuing to hype up future releases.
Now, in between presenting some new games for the Vita, the Japanese company has revealed three apps that will be released onto the device for free.
The first, and the one that’s already available via the PlayStation Store, is called Paint Park. This app allows owners of the Vita to turn it into a virtual sketch pad and draw whatever they want by interacting with the touchscreen.
Sony has presented three new applications for its recently launched PlayStation Vita console that will be released for free in the near future and provide some interesting activities for owners of the device.
The PlayStation Vita came out back in February and, since then, Sony’s been launching many new games for the portable console, while continuing to hype up future releases.
Now, in between presenting some new games for the Vita, the Japanese company has revealed three apps that will be released onto the device for free.
The first, and the one that’s already available via the PlayStation Store, is called Paint Park. This app allows owners of the Vita to turn it into a virtual sketch pad and draw whatever they want by interacting with the touchscreen.
CHASING CRITTERS: New smartphone apps enable people to pinpoint where they’ve recently seen wildlife in Yellowstone National Park. People who drive to those locations can — at least in theory — improve their odds of seeing wildlife.
CONCERNS: As it is, the crowds that stop to gawk at roadside wildlife in Yellowstone can grow to hundreds of people.
TECHNICAL CHALLENGE: The vast majority of Yellowstone doesn’t have cellphone coverage.
Need something to fill in the awkward silence between your vlog’s unscripted stuttering? YouTube’s got your back. In yet another attempt to make your crummy videos just a little better, the streaming outfit has revamped its audio editing suite, giving users access to over 150,000 tracks and a simple sound mixer, to boot. Sure, YouTube’s tracks may not be as catchy as your favorite Flaming Lips single, but at least you won’t have to worry about copyright infringement.
via Engadget.
Marketplace Shanghai Bureau Chief Rob Schmitz is only the second reporter ever to gain access to visit the factory floor at Apples Chinese producer Foxconn. In this exclusive video, see highlights from his tour of the assembly line and the Foxconn campus and facilities to see what living and working conditions are like for the hundreds of thousands of workers there.
Justin Watt, a Web engineer, was browsing the Web in his room at the Courtyard Marriott in Midtown Manhattan this week when he saw something strange. On his personal blog, a mysterious gap was appearing at the top of the page.After some sleuthing, Mr. Watt, who has a background in developing Web advertising tools, realized that the quirk was not confined to his site. The hotel’s Internet service was secretly injecting lines of code into every page he visited, code that could allow it to insert ads into any Web page without the knowledge of the site visitor or the page’s creator. He did not actually see any such ads.Mr. Watt posted about the discovery on his blog, and that soon spawned a conversation on Hacker News, a discussion site for tech topics, about the ethics of this technique. One commenter described it as “icky,” and another asked, “Why aren’t they putting ads in my pillow?”Mr. Watt had strong feelings about it himself. He said in an interview that he had never seen an Internet provider modifying Web pages that a person visits. “Imagine the U.S.P.S., or FedEx, for that matter, opening your Amazon boxes and injecting ads into the packages,” Mr. Watt said.A test of the Courtyard Marriott’s wireless network on Friday verified Mr. Watt’s claims. The code was embedded in the pages of several Web sites visited, including Reddit, GigaOM and TechMeme.The lines of code include references to “rxg,” which stands for Revenue eXtraction Gateway, a service aimed at generating money from Internet access points. On its Web site, a company called RG Nets, which makes Revenue eXtraction Gateway, explains that its system rewrites every Web page on the fly so that it can include a banner ad. “As you can see, the pervasive nature of the advertising banner on all Web pages guarantees banner advertising impression,” a narrator says in the video.
via Hotel’s Free Wi-Fi Comes With Hidden Extras – NYTimes.com.
Instagram’s Android launch has been a successful one, with the company hitting the 1 million downloads mark in less than 24 hours since it became available on the Google Play Marketplace.
This app had been a long time coming. The company opened registration for its Android variant on March 24, attracting 430,000 pre-registration signups before its launch yesterday.
That interest was translated into actual downloads when the app finally emerged on Google Play, with the service seeing 2,000 sign-ups a minute, ensuring that it has become one of the biggest app releases on the platform in its history.
via Instagram For Android Hits 1m Downloads in Under 24 Hours.
Google has taken the wraps off its long-rumored augmented reality glasses project, officially dubbed “Project Glass.”
A concept video, titled “One day…,” shows how Google’s glasses might work. In the video, the user performs tasks commonly handled by smartphones, such as scheduling meetings, taking pictures, checking the weather, getting directions, and placing a video call. The information simply hovers in the user’s field of view, and the interface is controlled by voice or other inputs.
Google says it is gathering feedback from users on Project Glass, according to a post on Google+ by Babak Parviz, Steve Lee and Sebastian Thrun. The post contains a few “design photos” of people wearing augmented reality glasses. These glasses have a small second screen–presumably for the video output–above one of the lenses, with an extra thick arm that extends back to the ear.
“We’re sharing this information now because we want to start a conversation and learn from your valuable input,” they wrote. “So we took a few design photos to show what this technology could look like and created a video to demonstrate what it might enable you to do.”
This is the first time Google has publicly acknowledged its augmented reality glasses project. In February, the New York Times reported that Google was planning to release the glasses later this year, in a price range of $250 to $500. The glasses reportedly emerged from “Google X,” a secret lab where the company experiments with futuristic projects. In the Google+ post, the lab is referred to as “Google[x].”
via Google’s ‘Project Glass’ Teases Augmented Reality Glasses | PCWorld.
Google’s long-awaited tablet might finally be on the way to becoming a reality. For at least two years, there have been reports that the search giant was working on something that could compete with Apple’s iPad. A Google employee briefed on the project now says it will be out later this year. The employee declined to be named because the product has not been announced.
Google’s target audience, however, seems to be as much those who use Amazon’s Kindle Fire as people who favor the more expensive iPad. The device, which would naturally run Google’s Android operating system, would compete not only with Apple and Amazon but also with other tablet makers using Android.
via With Tablet Plan, Google Goes After Apple and Amazon – NYTimes.com.
The Tokyo District Court approved a petition demanding that Google Inc. suspend its autocomplete search feature for Internet browsers after a man alleged that it breached his privacy and got him fired, his lawyer said Sunday.
Google is refusing to suspend the feature, saying that its headquarters in the United States will not be regulated by Japanese law and that the case does not warrant deleting the autocomplete suggestions related to the petition under its in-house privacy policy, lawyer Hiroyuki Tomita said.
The case, which was adjudicated on March 19, is believed to be the first to order the suspension of the Web search feature, which attempts to instantly anticipate and list the words or phrases a person will type into a browser’s search box, Tomita said.
The man, whose name was withheld, decided to seek a court injunction after learning the autocomplete feature likely played a role when he suddenly lost his job several years ago and caused several companies to subsequently reject him when he applied for new jobs, Tomita said.
The man discovered that when people type his name into Google’s search engine, words suggesting criminal acts, which he is unfamiliar with, appear. If the computer-suggested words are selected, more than 10,000 items defaming or disparaging him show up in a list, Tomita said.
via Google ordered to suspend autocomplete function over cyber-harassment | The Japan Times Online.
If you’re a Kid Friday listener, you know that I (Dave) like to listen to music on vinyl. You know those “records”, 33 1/3, black laquer….O.K., perhaps you’ve never listened to a record, but you should give it a try. Kid Friday co-host Hannah bought her very first vinyl record a year ago, when she was 12. It was Owl City. Now she owns the new Adele album, 21.
We bought a premium membership to Spotify last December because Hannah has a Sonos system that demands the membership to listen on the device. Whatever.
About the same time, I started listening to music in my office. I’ve had a turntable sitting in there for a couple of years, but just wasn’t into using it.
After I started using Spotify, it inspired me to listen to more music. So much so that I ended up bringing in my “better” hi-fi set-up. A McIntosh amp, tube pre-amplifier with 1962 RCA clear-tops, B&W speakers and a Thorens TD 160 turntable.
Gone were my Sansui receiver, Acoustic Research speakers and Dual turntable. They just weren’t cutting it.
I fell in love with music all over again.
I now listen to records every day in my office. This is a good thing for many reasons, the best being that it gets me out of my chair to flip the disc every 15 minutes or so. I get a little stretch in while I’m at it. Previously, I’ve been known for working non-stop for up-to 9 hours stuck in my chair. Not recommended.
Because of Spotify, I’ve spent more money on music in the past month than I have in the last 10-years. We live in a digital “singles” world. You get to know a band or artist because of 1 song. You may buy it as a digital download. You might even buy the next single that is released. Great! You like 2 songs from the same band.
Because I like to listen to vinyl, I want to know if there are several good songs on an album, not just the single. As I’m out at record stores looking for music, I always pull out my iPhone 4S, open the Spotify app, and listen to a good portion of all the songs on an album I’m interested in purchasing. If I like, I buy. It’s that simple.
Unfortunately there have been several albums that I’ve wanted to listen to that are not available on Spotify. I usually skip buying those because I really want to hear a good sampling of the songs. Most of the time, it’s more than the small previews that are available on iTunes.
What kind of music do I like? Have you ever heard of “Hard-Bop”? Here’s the link to Wikipedia. Look at some of the great jazz artists and check a few of them out for yourself. I have a wide taste in music, including alternative and punk-rock from the late 70’s and early 80’s. 180 gram vinyl? Let’s say I’ve got some great stuff on 200 gram. They are like a thicker cut of french fries. A lot of people think these heavier weight records sound better.
So now I’m buying albums to add to the 1,000 plus I already own but haven’t listened to in at least a decade.
What have I bought recently? Mostly old albums that have been re-issued (many Blue Note) with a few used ones thrown in.
Big Star “#1 Record”
Sonny Clark “Sonny’s Crip”, “Sonny’s Crib” and “Dial S For Sonny”
Joe Jackson “Look Sharp” and “I’m the Man”
The Hold Steady “Stay Positive” and “Heaven is Wherever” 180g
The Black Keys “The Black Keys” 180g
Lee Morgan “The Sidewinder” 180g
Syd Straw “Surprise”
Pete Townshend “Scoop 2” and “Scoop 3” 200g
The Real Kids “The Real Kids”
Horace Silver “Song For My Father” 180g
Art Blakey “Moanin'” 180g
Nirvana “Nevermind” 180g
My spending money on music is 100% attributed to Spotify. I know it’s a small, unusual example. But as the saying goes, “You’ve got to give credit where credit is due”.
Let’s hope Spotify survives. I’ll save that mess for a future post, but music royalties is the killer of models like this.
After it’s all shuffled out, I see the music industry combining resources and starting their own service.
Just like the airlines did with Orbitz.
This week brought with it a ton of new apps. The most notable of this week’s app additions is Rovio’s newest installment of Angry Birds, which takes our favorite birds into space where they once again battle their mortal enemies: the pigs.
Also among our favorites from the week is an app that helps you find cool events and sights to see based on where you are right now using real-time information and photos from Foursquare, Instagram, and Facebook.
Once you find out where all the fun is, another app that launched this week will let you invite all your friends to join you and see what they’re up to, and another will help you share photos of the event with your friends via email, text, or social networks complete — with added text.
If you’re not up for going out, a new app allows you to watch high-definition video of full concerts from popular artists on your smartphone or tablet. If you decide to stay in and watch a concert tonight rather than hit your friend’s birthday party, another app will let you send a real box of chocolates, bottle of wine, or even a cab ride home to your friend via SMS, email, or Facebook without needing to know his or her address.
Did you every wonder where your iPad was made? You might know it was made in China, but by who?
Foxconn is the largest maker of Apple products. We here at Kid Friday always thought that it looked cool seeing that your Apple device was “Designed in California”. Perhaps Apple engineers were inspired by the sun to design great products. We don’t live in California, but the name gives a perceived “coolness” to everything they produce.
Designing a product is one thing, but making it is another. Kid Friday’s own Dave Swerdlick has been to Shenzhen, home to Foxconn. He traveled from Hong Kong to Guangzhou.. Right in the middle sits Shenzhen, the electronics capital of China.
So why go all the way to China to make an iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, just about any Apple product? Because according to the New York Times, the average Foxconn employee is paid $2.50 an hour. Much less than most places around the world.
Anyway, it is very rare to get an inside peak where a lot of Apple products are made.
We highly recommend taking a look at the ABC Television exclusive: Apple Foxconn Inside Look
Did you every wonder where your iPad was made? You might know it was made in China, but by who?
Foxconn is the largest maker of Apple products. We here at Kid Friday always thought that it looked cool seeing that your Apple device was “Designed in California”. Perhaps Apple engineers were inspired by the sun to design great products. We don’t live in California, but the name gives a perceived “coolness” to everything they produce.
Designing a product is one thing, but making it is another. Kid Friday’s own Dave Swerdlick has been to Shenzhen, home to Foxconn. He traveled from Hong Kong to Guangzhou.. Right in the middle sits Shenzhen, the electronics capital of China.
So why go all the way to China to make an iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, just about any Apple product? Because according to the New York Times, the average Foxconn employee is paid $2.50 an hour. Much less than most places around the world.
Anyway, it is very rare to get an inside peak where a lot of Apple products are made.
We highly recommend taking a look at the ABC Television exclusive: Apple Foxconn Inside Look
Angry Birds Space, Rovio’s next big game in the phenomenal mobile game series, launches on Thursday with some major promotions from Walmart.Angry Birds Space will debut in a variety of app stores, but this event marks Walmart’s first in-store promotion with a mobile app. Game clues will be hidden in select limited-edition Angry Birds Space merchandise — including apparel, mobile phones, plush toys, snacks, and more — in more than 3,000 Walmart stores starting March 25.
via Walmart steps up with Angry Birds Space promotion | VentureBeat.
Angry Birds Space, Rovio’s next big game in the phenomenal mobile game series, launches on Thursday with some major promotions from Walmart.Angry Birds Space will debut in a variety of app stores, but this event marks Walmart’s first in-store promotion with a mobile app. Game clues will be hidden in select limited-edition Angry Birds Space merchandise — including apparel, mobile phones, plush toys, snacks, and more — in more than 3,000 Walmart stores starting March 25.
via Walmart steps up with Angry Birds Space promotion | VentureBeat.
Seagate has demonstrated the first terabit-per-square-inch hard drive, almost doubling the areal density found in modern hard drives. Initially this will result in 6TB 3.5-inch desktop drives and 2TB 2.5-inch laptop drives, but eventually Seagate is promising up to 60TB and 20TB respectively.
To achieve such a huge leap in density, Seagate had to use a technology called heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR). Basically, the main issue that governs hard drive density is the size of each magnetic “bit.” These can only be made so small until the magnetism of nearby bits affects them. With HAMR, “high density” magnetic compounds that can withstand further miniaturization are used.
via Seagate hits 1 terabit per square inch, 60TB hard drives on their way | ExtremeTech.
Following up on reports from earlier today that the outer shell of the iPad 3 gets warmer than the iPad 2, Consumer Reports found that their iPad 3 reached temperatures up to 116 degrees after running Infinity Blade II for 45 minutes.
The piece did note that the iPad felt “very warm but not especially uncomfortable if held for a brief period” during the testing process. In a statement earlier today, Apple said that the iPad was “operating well within our thermal specifications.”
via Consumer Reports Finds New iPad Gets Warm, Can’t Charge Under Heavy Loads – Mac Rumors.
Fans of Angry Birds are counting the days to the March 22 release of the new game that pits the feathery pig-seeking missiles against their porcine arch-enemies in the hostile environs of outer space.
Finnish game developer Rovio has been steadily doling out Angry Birds Space news and teasers for the past several weeks, even enlisting NASA flight engineer Don Pettit to demo the new game from his lofty and weightless perch aboard the International Space Station, in orbit about 243 miles above the earth.
Short glimpses of the new game for PC, Mac, iOS, and Android haven’t revealed a ton of details, but we do know that for the first time, it introduces “gravitational fields,” which will influence both the trajectory of the birds themselves, as well as how they fly through space.
via A Sneak Peek at the New-Look Stars of Angry Birds Space | News & Opinion | PCMag.com.
A man stranded for three days on a snowy mountain road in Montana in the US attributed his survival to God, a rationed supply of beef jerky and the video game Angry Birds that he played on his mobile to keep his wits.
David Weatherly said that his 4WD vehicle became stuck in the snow on Sunday afternoon on a back road in the Lewis and Clark National Forest, where he had gone to take photographs of the scenery and wildlife.
After discovering he had no phone reception and concluding that nobody else would brave the remote road in the blustery weather, the 42-year-old postal employee took stock: He had a pouch of beef jerky, some water and a little coffee.
A man stranded for three days on a snowy mountain road in Montana in the US attributed his survival to God, a rationed supply of beef jerky and the video game Angry Birds that he played on his mobile to keep his wits.
David Weatherly said that his 4WD vehicle became stuck in the snow on Sunday afternoon on a back road in the Lewis and Clark National Forest, where he had gone to take photographs of the scenery and wildlife.
After discovering he had no phone reception and concluding that nobody else would brave the remote road in the blustery weather, the 42-year-old postal employee took stock: He had a pouch of beef jerky, some water and a little coffee.
A man stranded for three days on a snowy mountain road in Montana in the US attributed his survival to God, a rationed supply of beef jerky and the video game Angry Birds that he played on his mobile to keep his wits.
David Weatherly said that his 4WD vehicle became stuck in the snow on Sunday afternoon on a back road in the Lewis and Clark National Forest, where he had gone to take photographs of the scenery and wildlife.
After discovering he had no phone reception and concluding that nobody else would brave the remote road in the blustery weather, the 42-year-old postal employee took stock: He had a pouch of beef jerky, some water and a little coffee.
Apple appears to be making less of a profit from each new iPad than it did when it launched the previous model a year ago, according to a research firm’s analysis.
IHS iSuppli took apart a new iPad on Friday, the day the device went on sale in the U.S. and nine other countries, and found that the components are more expensive than those of the iPad 2.
Apple appears to be making less of a profit from each new iPad than it did when it launched the previous model a year ago, according to a research firm’s analysis.
IHS iSuppli took apart a new iPad on Friday, the day the device went on sale in the U.S. and nine other countries, and found that the components are more expensive than those of the iPad 2.
Apple appears to be making less of a profit from each new iPad than it did when it launched the previous model a year ago, according to a research firm’s analysis.
IHS iSuppli took apart a new iPad on Friday, the day the device went on sale in the U.S. and nine other countries, and found that the components are more expensive than those of the iPad 2.
We could tell you Kid Friday followers all about the long lines at the Apple Store and that Apple had sold out of on-line inventory, but you probably already knew that.
So instead, how about a few facts about the new iPad:
Apple’s 3rd generation iPad was announced on March 7, 2012. While the new iPad looks like last year’s iPad 2, it has a better screen, processor, optics, and networking that combine to make it an impressive upgrade.
Key features: 2048×1536 264dpi Retina display, Apple A5X processor, 5 megapixel/1080p video iSight camera, HSPA+ 42mbps/LTE 72mbps networking.
Pricing: Wi-Fi $499/16GB, $599/32GB, $699/64GB; Wi-Fi + 3G/LTE $629/16GB, $729/32GB, $829/64GB
Availability: Today in USA, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Switzerland, UK and the US Virgin Islands.
There just seems no stopping those Angry Birds from taking over China — The next move in Rovio’s China take-over plan is to open up shops in Beijing and Shanghai, and the company aims to hit $100 million in retail sales in China in the first year of store operations.
According to comments made to local media by Huang Zesen, sales manager of the authorized reseller of Rovio in China, Rovio plans on opening Angry Birds stores in Beijing and Shanghai, and the company is choosing locations at the moment. The company is well on the way to opening the stores between July and August. The retail space of the Angry Birds store in China will be designed at around 200-300 square meters, similar to Rovio’s first store in Helsinki, Finland.
China is Rovio’s largest and fastest growing market
via Rovio Opening Angry Birds Store in Beijing and Shanghai » M.I.C. Gadget.
Kid Friday thinks Siri stinks. Well, most of the time. Sometimes it works. Most of the time it doesn’t. So much so, that we rarely attempt to even try and use Siri.
We’re not mad. Just a little disappointed.
So is this guy, according to the WSJ…
“A New York man represented by Robbins Geller is suing Apple for false advertising, alleging that the company’s commercials convey a “misleading and deceptive message” about Siri’s capabilities.”
via So Sirious: iPhone User Sues Apple over Voice-Activated Assistant – Law Blog – WSJ.
Rovio Entertainment has confirmed the details of its new Angry Birds Space game, which will launch on 22 March on iPhone,iPad, Android, PC and Mac.
The company has been working with NASA on the launch to spectacular effect, getting flight engineer Don Pettit to introduce the game from the International Space Station, in a video posted online.
The game will launch with 60 levels, six new characters and superpowers, and gameplay features based on its zero-gravity setting. Rovio says new levels will be added as free updates, as in previous Angry Birds games, but also as in-app purchases.
National Geographic Books will publish an official companion book for Angry Birds Space, while there will also be animation and retail elements to the launch. Rovio says information on other gaming platforms beyond those listed above will be available “later”.
RU Ready??
Apple has today announced its new third-generation iPad, which comes packing a new high-resolution Retina display. “Until you see it you can’t understand how amazing it is”, said CEO Tim Cook.
The new iPad is priced at $499 for 16GB, $599 for 32GB, $699 for 64GB. And $629, $729, and $829 for 4G. It will be available on March 16th in the US and available for pre-order today. It will be available from March 23 for 32 other countries. The iPad 2 will continue to be sold for $399 in a 16GB flavor and $529 for a WiFi + 3G 16GB model.
Nintendo Co. has sold 4.5 million units of its latest hand-held device, the 3DS, in the U.S., setting what the company said was a strong pace and potential momentum for its next big product, the Wii U console.
The 3DS’s sales — $1.2 billion including software — mark an important milestone for the company and its dual-screen portable 3D-game system, which had a bumpy start in the first half of its initial year of sales.
via Nintendo Sells 4.5 Million 3DS Units in U.S. – Ian Sherr – News – AllThingsD.
Nintendo Co. has sold 4.5 million units of its latest hand-held device, the 3DS, in the U.S., setting what the company said was a strong pace and potential momentum for its next big product, the Wii U console.
The 3DS’s sales — $1.2 billion including software — mark an important milestone for the company and its dual-screen portable 3D-game system, which had a bumpy start in the first half of its initial year of sales.
via Nintendo Sells 4.5 Million 3DS Units in U.S. – Ian Sherr – News – AllThingsD.
Nintendo Co. has sold 4.5 million units of its latest hand-held device, the 3DS, in the U.S., setting what the company said was a strong pace and potential momentum for its next big product, the Wii U console.
The 3DS’s sales — $1.2 billion including software — mark an important milestone for the company and its dual-screen portable 3D-game system, which had a bumpy start in the first half of its initial year of sales.
via Nintendo Sells 4.5 Million 3DS Units in U.S. – Ian Sherr – News – AllThingsD.
Zynga.com’s games platform is now live in beta mode — and you can find it here.
The platform is launching with just five Zynga games: CityVille, CastleVille, Hidden Chronicles, Words With Friends and Zynga Poker. When entering any of these games from the platform, the user is prompted to connect with Facebook. A quick tutorial walks new players through platform features regardless of which game a new user enters.
We took a quick test drive of CastleVille and found our kingdom exactly as we left it on Facebook. We observe that the game loaded approximately in the same amount of time it takes to launch CastleVille on Facebook (from the point of clicking “Play” to the point where we’re actually playing the game). Also of note, the right-hand chat and live feed bar that distinguishes gameplay between the two platforms is also apparently not viewable in full screen mode on Zynga.com.
Zynga.com’s games platform is now live in beta mode — and you can find it here.
The platform is launching with just five Zynga games: CityVille, CastleVille, Hidden Chronicles, Words With Friends and Zynga Poker. When entering any of these games from the platform, the user is prompted to connect with Facebook. A quick tutorial walks new players through platform features regardless of which game a new user enters.
We took a quick test drive of CastleVille and found our kingdom exactly as we left it on Facebook. We observe that the game loaded approximately in the same amount of time it takes to launch CastleVille on Facebook (from the point of clicking “Play” to the point where we’re actually playing the game). Also of note, the right-hand chat and live feed bar that distinguishes gameplay between the two platforms is also apparently not viewable in full screen mode on Zynga.com.
HTML5 is the new lingua franca of the internet, but games that are written in the format tend to run too slow.
The platforms that run HTML5 faster are likely to have an advantage in running a whole new wave of applications and games. So Spaceport.io, the cross-platform mobile game development tool maker, ran a study to find out whether iOS (iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch) is faster than Android at running HTML5 games. Hands-down, iOS won.
If HTML5 games run sufficiently fast, then a lot of benefits accrue. For instance, a game could be written in HTML5 for one platform and then work perfectly fine in another.
iOS performed three times better at running HTML5 games than Android, according to the new study. Spaceport.io created a benchmark dubbed PerfMarks to test performance at running HTML5 code.
The benchmark tested a device’s ability to animate image movement — a key measure of game performance. The report measures the number of moving images on a screen at 30 frames per second (FPS), a frame rate which provides a near-native user experience.
Repeated tests show that iOS performed far better at running animations than Android. The newest iPhone 4S scored 252 PerfMarks and the iPad 2 score 327. That compares to just 53 for the iPhone 3GS from 2009. By comparison, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus smartphone scored 147 and the Kindle Fire scored only 25.
via Apple’s iOS runs HTML5 games three times faster than Android | VentureBeat.
CNET has learned that Apple’s next tablet will be called the iPad HD instead of the iPad 3.
A developer who’s previously provided reliable information with respect to things Apple and otherwise tells us the next iPad uses the HD moniker instead of going with “iPad 3.”
That matches up well with a report from Gizmodo last week (and an item just posted on VentureBeat) that included an alleged list of upcoming cases from Griffin, listing the product as “iPad HD (3)”, as well as corresponding usage reports from an application called Tapatalk that included “iPad HD” among the list of devices using it.
One big remaining question is whether that name is already in use. Apple owns the rights to the iPad name in the U.S. and other countries (though that’s being debated in courts in China right now), but have others already beaten it to the punch online?
via Next iPad will be the iPad HD, not the iPad 3 | Apple Talk – CNET News.
Go to Apple’s website right now and you’ll be greeted by a colorful graphic that says, “A billion thanks. 25 times over.” Yes, another important milestone in the history of the App Store has been reached: the 25 billionth app has finally been downloaded.
Just a couple of weeks ago Apple announced that it was fast approaching this milestone by launching a contest that would award the person who would be so lucky as to be the downloader of the 25 billionth app delivered through the App Store. And just moments ago that lucky person, whose name is as yet undisclosed, has won the offered prize of an App Store gift card worth $10,000.
It’s interesting to note that this event comes just eight months after the 15-billion app mark was reached by the hugely successful iOS app distribution system and just over a year after the 10 billionth app was downloaded. More noteworthy is the fact that the App Store is not even four years old yet, resulting in an amazing average of 18,768,768 apps downloaded per day since the App Store opened on July 10, 2008.
Earlier this week, we heard rumors from Chinese news blog Sina Weibo that the upcoming third generation iPad would also come with a hefty price increase, due to the high resolution display.
The tablets were expected to go up approximately $80, giving the baseline 16GB WiFi iPad a price tag of $579 instead of $499. That price increase? Not true, says 9to5Mac.
In fact, Apple’s iPad prices won’t be shifting at all – not exactly a surprise, since Apple doesn’t often do price hikes. The entry level 16GB WiFi model will cost the standard $499, while upgrading to 32 or 64GB of storage adds $100 and $200, respectively.
The WiFi + 3G models are also the same price, at $629 for the base model and $729/$829 for the upgraded models.
As a side note, it appears storage configurations will remain the same, without the introduction of an 8GB iPad that DigiTimes claimed was in the works this week. It looks like it will be the standard 16/32/64 setup.
via iPad 3 ‘HD Tax’ Unlikely, Prices to Remain the Same | PadGadget.
Earlier this week, we heard rumors from Chinese news blog Sina Weibo that the upcoming third generation iPad would also come with a hefty price increase, due to the high resolution display.
The tablets were expected to go up approximately $80, giving the baseline 16GB WiFi iPad a price tag of $579 instead of $499. That price increase? Not true, says 9to5Mac.
In fact, Apple’s iPad prices won’t be shifting at all – not exactly a surprise, since Apple doesn’t often do price hikes. The entry level 16GB WiFi model will cost the standard $499, while upgrading to 32 or 64GB of storage adds $100 and $200, respectively.
The WiFi + 3G models are also the same price, at $629 for the base model and $729/$829 for the upgraded models.
As a side note, it appears storage configurations will remain the same, without the introduction of an 8GB iPad that DigiTimes claimed was in the works this week. It looks like it will be the standard 16/32/64 setup.
via iPad 3 ‘HD Tax’ Unlikely, Prices to Remain the Same | PadGadget.
As Apple has scheduled an event on March 7, sources from its upstream supply chain pointed out that the company is expected to launch two iPad 3 models – a 16GB version and 32GB version.
In addition to iPad 3, Apple is also expected to unveil an 8GB iPad 2, allowing the tablet PC series to cover different segments and to defend against Windows 8-based tablet PCs, the sources noted.
Since Apple has put high hopes on its new iPad 3 and has been aggressively placing orders, iPad 3 shipments in the first quarter of 2012 are expected to double from original estimates.
The iPad 3 is expected to have a 9.7-inch Full HD QXGA panel with a resolution of 2048 by 1536 (264dpi) and its backlight module will adopt two LED light bars.
via Apple expected to unveil 16GB and 32GB iPad 3 as well as 8GB iPad 2 on March 7.
As Apple has scheduled an event on March 7, sources from its upstream supply chain pointed out that the company is expected to launch two iPad 3 models – a 16GB version and 32GB version.
In addition to iPad 3, Apple is also expected to unveil an 8GB iPad 2, allowing the tablet PC series to cover different segments and to defend against Windows 8-based tablet PCs, the sources noted.
Since Apple has put high hopes on its new iPad 3 and has been aggressively placing orders, iPad 3 shipments in the first quarter of 2012 are expected to double from original estimates.
The iPad 3 is expected to have a 9.7-inch Full HD QXGA panel with a resolution of 2048 by 1536 (264dpi) and its backlight module will adopt two LED light bars.
via Apple expected to unveil 16GB and 32GB iPad 3 as well as 8GB iPad 2 on March 7.
As Apple has scheduled an event on March 7, sources from its upstream supply chain pointed out that the company is expected to launch two iPad 3 models – a 16GB version and 32GB version.
In addition to iPad 3, Apple is also expected to unveil an 8GB iPad 2, allowing the tablet PC series to cover different segments and to defend against Windows 8-based tablet PCs, the sources noted.
Since Apple has put high hopes on its new iPad 3 and has been aggressively placing orders, iPad 3 shipments in the first quarter of 2012 are expected to double from original estimates.
The iPad 3 is expected to have a 9.7-inch Full HD QXGA panel with a resolution of 2048 by 1536 (264dpi) and its backlight module will adopt two LED light bars.
via Apple expected to unveil 16GB and 32GB iPad 3 as well as 8GB iPad 2 on March 7.
Sony said today that its PlayStation Vita gaming handheld has sold more than 1.2 million units worldwide. The Vita went on sale last week in the U.S. and Europe, and it has been on sale since December in Japan.
The Vita crossed that sales number on Feb. 22, the day it went on sale in the U.S. and Europe. The company has also sold more than 2 million software units. The Vita is Sony’s bid to remain relevant in portable games in an age of smartphones and tablets.
Andrew House, president of Sony Computer Entertainment, said in a statement, “PS Vita was designed to deliver the ultimate portable entertainment experience, and we couldn’t be more thrilled with the reaction we’re seeing from consumers and the pace at which PS Vita is selling.”
via Sony’s PlayStation Vita sells more than 1.2M units worldwide | VentureBeat.
Mozilla CEO Gary Kovacs took the TED stage Tuesday morning to introduce Collusion, a Firefox browser add-on that lets you track who’s tracking you across the web for behavioral targeting purposes.
Describing the medium as “an area of consumer protection that’s almost entirely naked,” Kovacs argued that the price we’re now being asked to pay for connectivenss is our privacy, and in turn, it’s “now time for us to watch the watchers.”
Collusion looks to offer more transparency to users by creating a visualization of how your data is being spread to different companies as you navigate the web. Each time it detects data being sent to a behavioral tracker, it creates a red (advertisers), grey (websites) or blue dot on the visualization and shows the links between the sites you visit and the trackers they work with.
As expected, Apple on Tuesday announced an event to show off the company’s next generation iPad. The event will take place at 10:00 am on Wednesday, March 7, 2012 at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco.
While nobody knows for sure what changes the iPad 3 will have, it is widely expected the device will have a faster processor, improved graphics processor and a Retina Display.
All of us here at Kid Friday think that the iPad 3 will be released VERY soon after this announcement. We’re sticking by our March 9th prediction for release in the U.S.
via Apple announces iPad event for March 7 in San Francisco.
This.
The quest for a high-tech “shopping cart of the future” is nothing new, but Whole Foods is planning to test a new spin on the concept, using Microsoft’s Kinect sensor for Windows. The motorized cart identifies a shopper with a loyalty card, follows the shopper around the store, scans items as they’re placed inside, marks them off the shopping list, and even checks the shopper out in the end.
Microsoft showed the very early prototype, being developed for Whole Foods by a third-party developer, Austin-based Chaotic Moon, during an event on the Redmond campus today, hosted by Craig Mundie, the company’s chief research and strategy officer.
The company says the project is literally weeks old, and that was apparent in the demo, which included a couple of false starts where the sensor didn’t precisely the shopper. The technology will need to be ironed out before it’s deployed, lest our shopping trips turn into destruction derbies.
But it’s an interesting application that shows what outside developers can do now that a Kinect software development kit has been released for Windows, expanding the sensor beyond the Xbox 360 game console.
via Whole Foods prototype puts Kinect on shopping cart, follows people around store – GeekWire.
This.
The quest for a high-tech “shopping cart of the future” is nothing new, but Whole Foods is planning to test a new spin on the concept, using Microsoft’s Kinect sensor for Windows. The motorized cart identifies a shopper with a loyalty card, follows the shopper around the store, scans items as they’re placed inside, marks them off the shopping list, and even checks the shopper out in the end.
Microsoft showed the very early prototype, being developed for Whole Foods by a third-party developer, Austin-based Chaotic Moon, during an event on the Redmond campus today, hosted by Craig Mundie, the company’s chief research and strategy officer.
The company says the project is literally weeks old, and that was apparent in the demo, which included a couple of false starts where the sensor didn’t precisely the shopper. The technology will need to be ironed out before it’s deployed, lest our shopping trips turn into destruction derbies.
But it’s an interesting application that shows what outside developers can do now that a Kinect software development kit has been released for Windows, expanding the sensor beyond the Xbox 360 game console.
via Whole Foods prototype puts Kinect on shopping cart, follows people around store – GeekWire.
Alright Kid Friday peeps. According to CNET, the iPad 3 may already be in the United States.
It’s probably more exciting news for our U.S. listeners/readers, so sorry to rub it in for all you kids who live elsewhere around the world.
A shipping document revealed by Chinese forum site WeiPhone (English translation) allegedly details iPad 3 units hopping on board flights from China yesterday bound for airports in Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City.
As translated by 9to5Mac, the report shows that initial deliveries from Apple supplier Foxconn to the U.S. will begin March 9. To no surprise, the shipments are said to be under tight security.
“In order to prevent the cargo from being dragged on the airport ramp for too long, as well as shortening the time the cargo stay on the airport ramp, we hereby require XXXX to schedule all the XXX cargo planes from Feb. 26 to Mar. 9. to XXX slot,” according to a translation of the shipping document offered by a Chinese-speaking 9to5Mac reader.
The iPad3 is most certainly coming soon, which means the iPad 2 is already considered old technology.
What do you do with old technology? You put it on sale!
You can now get $50 off the iPad 2 at Best Buy. They have all models currently discounted.
We here at Kid Friday think the real “best buy” is to wait for the iPad3.
Here’s the scoop on Vimeo. Kinda like YouTube with lots of video available to watch on most digital platforms including the iPod Touch and iPad. They’ve released an updated version of the app in Apple’s iTunes Store that brings better quality to the iPad as well as smarter functionality across the board.
You can search Vimeo in the iTunes Store for more information.
Typically, when Apple’s product launched approaches, many industry watchers offer conflicting views on the features the new products might sport. Fifth-generation iPhone rumors mostly conflicted in terms of the product’s design, but industry watchers seemed to agree on features like an improved camera and a dual-core processor. With the upcoming iPad 3, most industry watchers agree on a design similar to the iPad 2′s design and a Retina Display. Notably, publications are disagreeing on the new iPad’s processor; some are pointing to a quad-core A6 chip and others are calling for an improved A5 dual-core chip
via Apple working on enhanced A5 chip (A5X) AND completely new chip (A6) | 9to5Mac | Apple Intelligence.
British fashion designer Richard Nicoll wanted to create an electric atmosphere at his catwalk show at London Fashion Week this weekend. He did that, in part, by debuting a rechargeable handbag that can power your cell phone.
The cutting-edge accessory merges style with practicality, and gives fashion-conscious cell phone users the freedom to zip between fashion shows and boutiques without worrying that their smartphones will run out of juice.
Designed in conjunction with Vodafone, the battery-powered bag can, when fully charged, provide energy for iPhones, iPads, Androids and BlackBerry devices for several days. Users simply plug their gadget into a discrete pocket inside the bag. A Bluetooth-enable LED “charm” hangs on its exterior, and flashes to indicate incoming calls. The bag itself does not ring, so ushers needn’t worry about asking people to turn off their handbags.
Scientists have long agreed that farming methods for breeding animals has not been able to keep up with the demand for meat, and that our current path is likely unsustainable. What this means is that sooner or later, there simply won’t be enough meat to fill demand, and also, that the environmental toll on raising so many animals will place strain on the Earth in other ways.
Of course, one solution would be to eat less meat, but the more obvious one, apparently, is to produce in vitro, or lab grown meat (meaning that it was never part of a living animal). Various scientists have been working on this project for a while now, but one researcher, at Maastricht University in the Netherlands has managed to produce a 2-centimeter by 1.5-centimeter piece of muscle in a lab, bringing new hope to the project.
via Scientists working on lab-grown, $300,000 hamburger | The Verge.
Scientists have long agreed that farming methods for breeding animals has not been able to keep up with the demand for meat, and that our current path is likely unsustainable. What this means is that sooner or later, there simply won’t be enough meat to fill demand, and also, that the environmental toll on raising so many animals will place strain on the Earth in other ways.
Of course, one solution would be to eat less meat, but the more obvious one, apparently, is to produce in vitro, or lab grown meat (meaning that it was never part of a living animal). Various scientists have been working on this project for a while now, but one researcher, at Maastricht University in the Netherlands has managed to produce a 2-centimeter by 1.5-centimeter piece of muscle in a lab, bringing new hope to the project.
via Scientists working on lab-grown, $300,000 hamburger | The Verge.
The next time you get caught hijacking your friend’s Facebook, remember it could be worse. On Friday, British Student Glenn Mangham was sentenced to eight months in not-so-social jail, for hacking deep into Facebook’s servers. Apparently no user details were taken, with Mangham heading straight for “invaluable” intellectual property instead. Facebook alerted the authorities after it discovered the breach last May, the FBI then followed the digital thread back to the Briton’s UK address. It’s believed Mangham gained access to the inner sanctum after hacking into a Facebook employee’s account, though it’s not known if the comedy status update and embarrassing profile picture were also part of the attack.
via Student hacks into Facebook, gets eight months in prison, twelve likes — Engadget.
The next time you get caught hijacking your friend’s Facebook, remember it could be worse. On Friday, British Student Glenn Mangham was sentenced to eight months in not-so-social jail, for hacking deep into Facebook’s servers. Apparently no user details were taken, with Mangham heading straight for “invaluable” intellectual property instead. Facebook alerted the authorities after it discovered the breach last May, the FBI then followed the digital thread back to the Briton’s UK address. It’s believed Mangham gained access to the inner sanctum after hacking into a Facebook employee’s account, though it’s not known if the comedy status update and embarrassing profile picture were also part of the attack.
via Student hacks into Facebook, gets eight months in prison, twelve likes — Engadget.
The next time you get caught hijacking your friend’s Facebook, remember it could be worse. On Friday, British Student Glenn Mangham was sentenced to eight months in not-so-social jail, for hacking deep into Facebook’s servers. Apparently no user details were taken, with Mangham heading straight for “invaluable” intellectual property instead. Facebook alerted the authorities after it discovered the breach last May, the FBI then followed the digital thread back to the Briton’s UK address. It’s believed Mangham gained access to the inner sanctum after hacking into a Facebook employee’s account, though it’s not known if the comedy status update and embarrassing profile picture were also part of the attack.
via Student hacks into Facebook, gets eight months in prison, twelve likes — Engadget.
The North American launch of the PlayStation Vita is almost here. If you pre-ordered the expensive bundle, you’ll be getting it this week, but for everyone else, the magic starts on February 22nd. While our friends at The Verge have gone into exhaustive detail regarding the Vita as a piece of consumer hardware, we’re here to talk about the Vita’s reason for being: play.
Rumors have been flying about some big changes for Google TV, and now it looks like we’re going to be hearing something official tomorrow — Google posted cryptically on the Google TV Facebook page this weekend, saying only, “Get ready for Monday, we have some big announcements!” We won’t know for sure until tomorrow what Google has to unveil — we’ve heard rumblings of a Google-branded home entertainment device, though it could also be the yearly update Google promised back in January. Of course, we’ve also heard that LG is going to be the hardware manufacturer in a halo device partnership for Google TV — could we be seeing the first Nexus TV tomorrow? We’ll be on the lookout for whatever Google has to show, but regardless it certainly looks like Google’s making good on its promise to keep working on Google TV.
via Google TV ‘big announcements’ coming on Monday | The Verge.
Rumors have been flying about some big changes for Google TV, and now it looks like we’re going to be hearing something official tomorrow — Google posted cryptically on the Google TV Facebook page this weekend, saying only, “Get ready for Monday, we have some big announcements!” We won’t know for sure until tomorrow what Google has to unveil — we’ve heard rumblings of a Google-branded home entertainment device, though it could also be the yearly update Google promised back in January. Of course, we’ve also heard that LG is going to be the hardware manufacturer in a halo device partnership for Google TV — could we be seeing the first Nexus TV tomorrow? We’ll be on the lookout for whatever Google has to show, but regardless it certainly looks like Google’s making good on its promise to keep working on Google TV.
via Google TV ‘big announcements’ coming on Monday | The Verge.
Rumors have been flying about some big changes for Google TV, and now it looks like we’re going to be hearing something official tomorrow — Google posted cryptically on the Google TV Facebook page this weekend, saying only, “Get ready for Monday, we have some big announcements!” We won’t know for sure until tomorrow what Google has to unveil — we’ve heard rumblings of a Google-branded home entertainment device, though it could also be the yearly update Google promised back in January. Of course, we’ve also heard that LG is going to be the hardware manufacturer in a halo device partnership for Google TV — could we be seeing the first Nexus TV tomorrow? We’ll be on the lookout for whatever Google has to show, but regardless it certainly looks like Google’s making good on its promise to keep working on Google TV.
via Google TV ‘big announcements’ coming on Monday | The Verge.
Zynga has partnered with Hasbro to develop a wide range of toy and gaming experiences based on Zynga’s most popular Facebook games and characters.
In other words, we could see a board game of FarmVille, Words With Friends or CityVille in the not too distant future. In addition, we could potentially see action figures based on some of its game characters.
Merchandising around videogames is not new, and has recently spread like wildfire to mobile and social gaming with rising stars like Rovio’s Angry Birds or ZeptoLab’s Cut the Rope.
In a press release, Zynga says Hasbro has obtained the license to develop and distribute a wide range of product lines based on Zynga’s game brands, but does not get into too many details.
It also says the deal covers opportunities for co-branded merchandise featuring a combination of both Hasbro and Zynga brands, it said. Could we see a co-branded Words With Friends Scrabble game?
Hasbro already has a long-standing relationship with Electronic Arts, which publishes such titles as Scrabble and Monopoly across many platforms.
Zynga has partnered with Hasbro to develop a wide range of toy and gaming experiences based on Zynga’s most popular Facebook games and characters.
In other words, we could see a board game of FarmVille, Words With Friends or CityVille in the not too distant future. In addition, we could potentially see action figures based on some of its game characters.
Merchandising around videogames is not new, and has recently spread like wildfire to mobile and social gaming with rising stars like Rovio’s Angry Birds or ZeptoLab’s Cut the Rope.
In a press release, Zynga says Hasbro has obtained the license to develop and distribute a wide range of product lines based on Zynga’s game brands, but does not get into too many details.
It also says the deal covers opportunities for co-branded merchandise featuring a combination of both Hasbro and Zynga brands, it said. Could we see a co-branded Words With Friends Scrabble game?
Hasbro already has a long-standing relationship with Electronic Arts, which publishes such titles as Scrabble and Monopoly across many platforms.
Now that the beans have been, mostly, spilled with regards to the early March announcement of the iPad 3, more information is coming forward about Apple’s preparations for the event. Sources with knowledge of the matter have informed The Next Web that the company is in ‘crunch mode’ when it comes to lining up apps both to demonstrate on-stage and to show off in new advertisements for its third iPad.
Apple has a long history of hand-picking apps that it thinks are exemplary or really show off the hardware of a device to demonstrate during iPad presentation. The iPad 2 saw demo segments with Apple’s own Garage Band, iMovie and Photo Booth apps, while the recent ‘Let’s Talk’ iPhone event saw game title Infinity Blade 2 demoed in order to show off the graphics capabilities of the new iPhone 4S.
Apple’s pre-event weeks are often spent soliciting demonstrations from many app developers and preparing demonstrations of those apps for the live event. Our sources tell us that this selection process is continuing at an increased rate as Apple looks to finalize the lineup for the iPad 3. There is also emphasis on graphics-oriented applications with high-definition assets, which appears to be in line with the new iPad featuring a ‘Retina’ display.
Google Inc. is developing a home-entertainment system that streams music wirelessly throughout the home and would be marketed under the company’s own brand, according to people briefed on the company’s plans.
The effort marks a sharp shift in strategy for Google, which for the first would time would design and market consumer electronic devices under its name. The company has mainly focused on developing the Android operating system that powers devices such as smartphones, tablets and televisions. It has also allowed other companies to build and brand the hardware that uses it.
Google Inc. is developing a home-entertainment system that streams music wirelessly throughout the home and would be marketed under the company’s own brand, according to people briefed on the company’s plans.
The effort marks a sharp shift in strategy for Google, which for the first would time would design and market consumer electronic devices under its name. The company has mainly focused on developing the Android operating system that powers devices such as smartphones, tablets and televisions. It has also allowed other companies to build and brand the hardware that uses it.
Seamus Blackley, the co-creator of the Xbox, passionately believes that gameplay will triumph in the game business. That is why he and his new startup are relying on a team of famous designers from Atari to make a series of games for the Apple iPhone and iPad.
The idea that he and his partner, chief executive Van Burnham, have dreamed up is to use the creators of the best arcade experiences from the golden age of Atari in the 1970s and 1980s to create games for the “new arcade” on iOS devices.
“We are looking at the new arcade, and 99 cents on the iPhone is the new quarter,” Blackley (pictured above), president of the startup Innovative Leisure, said in an exclusive interview with VentureBeat. “People are playing on all these new devices and are finding the joy of the arcade games.”
Temple Jump, Tiny Birds, Numbers With Friends. These are not the apps you love. They’re fakes designed to scam you out of $1.99 when you go to buy Temple Run, Tiny Wings, or Words With Friends. Today Apple took a stand against plagiarism, kicking these rip-offs out of the US App Store. Good riddance, but how can platform owners stop these developers before they rob users of thousands or even millions of dollars?
via Apple Kicks Chart Topping Fakes Out Of App Store | TechCrunch.
Temple Jump, Tiny Birds, Numbers With Friends. These are not the apps you love. They’re fakes designed to scam you out of $1.99 when you go to buy Temple Run, Tiny Wings, or Words With Friends. Today Apple took a stand against plagiarism, kicking these rip-offs out of the US App Store. Good riddance, but how can platform owners stop these developers before they rob users of thousands or even millions of dollars?
via Apple Kicks Chart Topping Fakes Out Of App Store | TechCrunch.
O.K. If you’re a listener of the KidFriday Podcast, you know we usually deliver 1 kickin’ new show each week. We wanted show 100 to be special in some sort of way, but it might not go down like that. #100 is too easy. SO, stay tuned for show 100 while we take more time to see how show 101 could actually be the big show. At least that’s our excuse for now.
Do you realize that we could have just done the podcast in the amount of time it took to write this? Remember. Show #101.
Hmmmmmmmm
Nintendo President Satoru Iwata has told reporters that the Wii U will launch in the US, Japan, Europe, and Australia for the end of 2012. While the system was previously pegged for a 2012 release, this is the first time we’ve got confirmation that it’ll make it in time for the holiday season in all major markets. The 3DS launched last year in February in Japan and March elsewhere, meaning it likely got off to a slower start than if it had been available before Christmas. The announcement also means we are likely to see much more finalized details of the Wii U’s software lineup at E3 in June — so far, hands-on time with the console has been limited to tech demos.
via Wii U to launch in US, Japan, Europe and Australia by end of 2012 | The Verge.
Nintendo President Satoru Iwata has told reporters that the Wii U will launch in the US, Japan, Europe, and Australia for the end of 2012. While the system was previously pegged for a 2012 release, this is the first time we’ve got confirmation that it’ll make it in time for the holiday season in all major markets. The 3DS launched last year in February in Japan and March elsewhere, meaning it likely got off to a slower start than if it had been available before Christmas. The announcement also means we are likely to see much more finalized details of the Wii U’s software lineup at E3 in June — so far, hands-on time with the console has been limited to tech demos.
via Wii U to launch in US, Japan, Europe and Australia by end of 2012 | The Verge.
According to IGN, sources close to the next Xbox project have told them the new console will have six times the graphics processing power of the Xbox 360, and will have 20 percent more performance than Nintendo’s Will U.
Sounds pretty awesome right? Too bad it’s not expected to ship until October or November of 2013.
For the first time, the device that changed how people use mobile phones, accounts for more than half of the behemoth company’s sales.
Apple Inc. on Tuesday said it sold 37 million iPhones in the last three months of 2011, vastly exceeding analyst estimates and propelling the company to record quarterly results
via Apple doubles iPhone sales in holiday quarter, sailing past analyst estimates
For the first time, the device that changed how people use mobile phones, accounts for more than half of the behemoth company’s sales.
Apple Inc. on Tuesday said it sold 37 million iPhones in the last three months of 2011, vastly exceeding analyst estimates and propelling the company to record quarterly results
via Apple doubles iPhone sales in holiday quarter, sailing past analyst estimates
Google Inc. is overhauling the way it treats user data, linking information across its array of email, video and social-networking services so that information gathered in one place can be used in another.
For example, if you spent the last hour logged into Google to search the Web for skateboards, the next time you log into YouTube, there’s a good chance you’ll get recommendations for videos featuring Tony Hawk.
The changes take effect March 1 and remove some of the legal hurdles that Google faced by having more than 70 different privacy policies across various services. Now, there will be one main policy covering services such as Google Plus, Gmail, search, YouTube and Maps, with separate ones covering sensitive services such as Google Wallet.
A 15-year-old boy in Sweden is facing up to two years in jail because the head teacher at his school reported him to police for illegal file downloading.
The piracy came to light when a technician at a Gothenberg school traced the introduction of a virus on the school network back to the boy’s computer. On scanning the drive he located 24 movies including The Mechanic, The Social Network, and The Fighter. He proceeded to report the finding to the head teacher.
Rather than call the boy in for a chat and discuss punishment for both introducing the virus and downloading illegal files, the head teacher instead called the police and had the kid arrested. Apparently, the policy of the school is to call the police if a crime is committed.
Now the boy is facing a rather severe punishment of up to 2 years in jail, although if he’s lucky his parents will just have to find the cash to pay a large fine.
The case is unique because no one this young has ever been targeted for prosecution before, but that doesn’t mean it will be thrown out. The Swedish Pirate Party obviously disagrees and believes it should never have got as far as the courts in the first place.
YouTube, Google Inc’s video website, is streaming 4 billion online videos every day, a 25 percent increase in the past eight months, according to the company.
The jump in video views comes as Google pushes YouTube beyond the personal computer, with versions of the site that work on smartphones and televisions, and as the company steps up efforts to offer more professional-grade content on the site.
According to the company, roughly 60 hours of video is now uploaded to YouTube every minute, compared with the 48 hours of video uploaded per minute in May.
via Exclusive: YouTube hits 4 billion daily video views | Reuters.
Apple’s new textbook initiative appears to be gaining lots of momentum — and quickly, too. Within days of its debut, Apple’s iBooks textbook store had already racked up a significant number of downloads. Same thing with the company’s textbook authoring tool.
According to Global Equities Research, which monitors Apple’s iBook sales via a proprietary tracking system it doesn’t much care to discuss, more than 350,000 textbooks were downloaded from the company’s iBooks Store within the first three days of availability.
via 350,000 Textbooks Downloaded From Apple’s iBooks in Three Days – John Paczkowski – News – AllThingsD.
Apple’s new textbook initiative appears to be gaining lots of momentum — and quickly, too. Within days of its debut, Apple’s iBooks textbook store had already racked up a significant number of downloads. Same thing with the company’s textbook authoring tool.
According to Global Equities Research, which monitors Apple’s iBook sales via a proprietary tracking system it doesn’t much care to discuss, more than 350,000 textbooks were downloaded from the company’s iBooks Store within the first three days of availability.
via 350,000 Textbooks Downloaded From Apple’s iBooks in Three Days – John Paczkowski – News – AllThingsD.
When Apple announced its textbook initiative on Thursday, there was a rush of excitement among educators. Textbooks from major publishers, which can cost $40 to $75 dollars in print, would be available as interactive e-books for $15 or less. The new iBooks Author application could turn anyone into a publisher, with its simple interactive e-book creation tools.
But then there was the small print: In order to buy and read these textbooks, each student will have to own an Apple iPad. No computer, off-brand tablet, or even iPhone or iPod touch will work. Books made with the new iBooks Author application are only viewable on iPads in the iBooks 2 app, can only be sold through Apple’s iBookstore (where the company takes its customary 30 percent of the sales cost), and cannot be exported as ePubs, the standard open format for all e-book files.
For the schools that can afford iPads, Apple’s new apps and partnerships are brimming with potential.
via How schools are reacting to Apple’s entry into education | VentureBeat.
We know this isn’t really tech related, but our dog Winston is lovin’ his new P.J.’s. If you like it, shoot us an email by using the “contact” tab!
Nintendo has announced that game demos will be made available via the Nintendo 3DS eShop from tomorrow, with Capcom’s Resident Evil Revelations kicking off proceedings.
The 3DS eShop launched in June last year, allowing Nintendo 3DS gamers to download original 3DS digital titles and DSi titles, along with a number of special apps for use with the handheld.
Demos of Resident Evil Revelations — the full game due for release next month — and Cooking Mama 4 will be made available for free download tomorrow, while demos for other titles such as Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D, Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games and Rhythm Thief & the Emperor’s Treasure are due to appear “periodically,” says Nintendo.
via Gamasutra – News – Nintendo 3DS eShop game demos launch with Resident Evil Revelations.
Nintendo has announced that game demos will be made available via the Nintendo 3DS eShop from tomorrow, with Capcom’s Resident Evil Revelations kicking off proceedings.
The 3DS eShop launched in June last year, allowing Nintendo 3DS gamers to download original 3DS digital titles and DSi titles, along with a number of special apps for use with the handheld.
Demos of Resident Evil Revelations — the full game due for release next month — and Cooking Mama 4 will be made available for free download tomorrow, while demos for other titles such as Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D, Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games and Rhythm Thief & the Emperor’s Treasure are due to appear “periodically,” says Nintendo.
via Gamasutra – News – Nintendo 3DS eShop game demos launch with Resident Evil Revelations.
Nintendo has announced that game demos will be made available via the Nintendo 3DS eShop from tomorrow, with Capcom’s Resident Evil Revelations kicking off proceedings.
The 3DS eShop launched in June last year, allowing Nintendo 3DS gamers to download original 3DS digital titles and DSi titles, along with a number of special apps for use with the handheld.
Demos of Resident Evil Revelations — the full game due for release next month — and Cooking Mama 4 will be made available for free download tomorrow, while demos for other titles such as Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D, Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games and Rhythm Thief & the Emperor’s Treasure are due to appear “periodically,” says Nintendo.
via Gamasutra – News – Nintendo 3DS eShop game demos launch with Resident Evil Revelations.
Gone are the days when a rolling toolchest only held tools. At CES Craftsman (which really should be updated to Craftsperson) unveiled its new Contour Powered Series Tool Storage that adds a charging station and a Bluetooth connected sound system.
A set of 220W speakers lets mechanics pipe their music from an iPod or Bluetooth enabled audio device, but also answer and place hands-free calls when they’re otherwise unable to handle their phone. Because the speakers on the toolchest are powered, it does have to be plugged in, limiting its mobility around your shop. But as a consolation prize Craftsman has included a charging station for tools, batteries, and other devices.
via Craftsman’s Bluetooth Toolchest Lets Grease Monkeys Keep In Touch.
Apple Inc. (AAPL)’s next iPad, expected to go on sale in March, will sport a high-definition screen, run a faster processor and work with next-generation wireless networks, according to three people familiar with the product.
The company’s manufacturing partners in Asia started ramping up production of the iPad 3 this month and plan to reach full volumes by February, said one of the people, who asked not to be named because the details aren’t public. The tablet will use a quad-core chip, an enhancement that lets users jump more quickly between applications, two of the people said.
Apple Inc. (AAPL)’s next iPad, expected to go on sale in March, will sport a high-definition screen, run a faster processor and work with next-generation wireless networks, according to three people familiar with the product.
The company’s manufacturing partners in Asia started ramping up production of the iPad 3 this month and plan to reach full volumes by February, said one of the people, who asked not to be named because the details aren’t public. The tablet will use a quad-core chip, an enhancement that lets users jump more quickly between applications, two of the people said.
Apple Inc. (AAPL)’s next iPad, expected to go on sale in March, will sport a high-definition screen, run a faster processor and work with next-generation wireless networks, according to three people familiar with the product.
The company’s manufacturing partners in Asia started ramping up production of the iPad 3 this month and plan to reach full volumes by February, said one of the people, who asked not to be named because the details aren’t public. The tablet will use a quad-core chip, an enhancement that lets users jump more quickly between applications, two of the people said.
Microsoft dominated the videogame industry last year, with the Xbox capturing nearly half of all consumer spending from physical sales in 2011.
According to NPD data released today, about $6.7 billion, or 40 percent of consumer retail spending, was spent on the Xbox, breaking down into two categories: $2.1 billion on consoles and $4.6 billion on games.
The figures take into account U.S. retail sales of new physical videogame content, including portable and console hardware, games and accessories.
In all, those sectors generated revenue of $17.02 billion in 2011, an 8 percent decline over the $18.6 billion generated last year. (Yes, I repeat, Microsoft got 40 percent of that in 2011.)
via Xbox Accounted for 40 Percent of All Videogame Sales in 2011 – Tricia Duryee – Commerce – AllThingsD.
Apple has announced that it will halt the sale of the newly launched iPhone 4S in China after reports of pandemonium at some locations due to high demand, reports Reuters.
An Apple spokesperson said that they were “unable to open our store at Sanlitun due to the large crowd,” adding, “to ensure the safety of our customers and our employees, iPhones will not be available in our retails stores in Beijing and Shanghai for the time being.”
The halt is likely due to problems faced when chaos erupted at the Sanitlun store in Beijing. Large crowds, including huge numbers of scalpers, had gathered at the store previous to the device’s release. When it was announced that the store would be closed, shoppers pelted the location with eggs.
Probably not. But we are here right now checking out options!!
Apple users probably have more than enough media on their iDevices to keep them entertained on the go, but Sony Network Entertainment President Tim Schaaff thinks there’s room for another media service on iOS. According to VentureBeat, the company’s Music Unlimited streaming service will land on iOS some time in Q1 2012.
via TechCrunch.
Dell Inc intends to launch its first consumer tablet computer in late 2012, marking its entry into a hotly contested and increasingly crowded arena that has already claimed arch-foe Hewlett Packard.
via Exclusive: Dell plots late-2012 consumer tablet launch | Reuters.
Everyone is looking for the iPad 3 announcement. This could very well happen. However Apple announced that the January 19th event will be about education. Could the two finally get along? An iPad that is optomized for school use, where the student can have all their books stored on an iPad?
We think this could be a big announcement involving publishing houses that control most of the textbooks currently being used in schools. Is Apple going to announce that a large number of textbooks will be available for download on the iPad (3)?
Some school districts have already issued students an iPad for use in the classroom. However, they are not able to use the iPad to it’s fullest potential due to the fact that most textbooks are still not available for the iPad.
Both KidFriday Kids, (13-year old Hannah and 10-year old Zoe) have had up to 40 pounds of books to carry to school on any given day. That’s a lot of weight for almost anyone. It sure makes for one heavy backpack to a 65 pound kid.
The future is now. That’s what we’re betting on.
Answer: A LOT! Try almost $400 million dollars. O.K., in reality it was just under 378 million. We don’t want to hype the numbers.
Plus we heard CEO Tim Cook got a free iPad 2, an extra charging cord, and an iPhone 3GS.
Sweet.
via Tim Cook’s Total Compensation For 2011 Is Almost $400 Million.
Answer: A LOT! Try almost $400 million dollars. O.K., in reality it was just under 378 million. We don’t want to hype the numbers.
Plus we heard CEO Tim Cook got a free iPad 2, an extra charging cord, and an iPhone 3GS.
Sweet.
via Tim Cook’s Total Compensation For 2011 Is Almost $400 Million.
By the end of 2012 smartphones and tablet devices will sport a USB 3.0-based microUSB connector, which will allow speedier data transfer than the current USB 2.0 standard.
USB 3.0 theoretically allows for data transfer rates of around 625 MB/s, which is 10 times faster than USB 2.0, whose maximum data transfer speed is 60 MB/s. The USB 3.0 transfer speed on mobile devices won’t be that fast, but it will be much faster than now.
“What takes 15 minutes will roughly take 1 minute and 10 seconds,” said Rahman Ismail, CTO of the USB Implementers Forum at the CES trade show in Las Vegas.
Mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets will also recharge more quickly through USB 3.0.
By the end of 2012 smartphones and tablet devices will sport a USB 3.0-based microUSB connector, which will allow speedier data transfer than the current USB 2.0 standard.
USB 3.0 theoretically allows for data transfer rates of around 625 MB/s, which is 10 times faster than USB 2.0, whose maximum data transfer speed is 60 MB/s. The USB 3.0 transfer speed on mobile devices won’t be that fast, but it will be much faster than now.
“What takes 15 minutes will roughly take 1 minute and 10 seconds,” said Rahman Ismail, CTO of the USB Implementers Forum at the CES trade show in Las Vegas.
Mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets will also recharge more quickly through USB 3.0.
By the end of 2012 smartphones and tablet devices will sport a USB 3.0-based microUSB connector, which will allow speedier data transfer than the current USB 2.0 standard.
USB 3.0 theoretically allows for data transfer rates of around 625 MB/s, which is 10 times faster than USB 2.0, whose maximum data transfer speed is 60 MB/s. The USB 3.0 transfer speed on mobile devices won’t be that fast, but it will be much faster than now.
“What takes 15 minutes will roughly take 1 minute and 10 seconds,” said Rahman Ismail, CTO of the USB Implementers Forum at the CES trade show in Las Vegas.
Mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets will also recharge more quickly through USB 3.0.
The OLPC XO tablet has been in the works for years now, but we haven’t seen anything concrete about it until now. Apparently, Nicholas Negroponte’s baby is finally ready to come into this world. OLPC will be officially launching the OLPC XO 3.0 tablet at the CES this week.
Like the OLPC XO laptop, it will also have a rugged case and can be charged using a hand crank or a solar panel. It can get around 10 minutes of runtime from one minute of cranking. The OLPC XO 3.0 will be powered by the Marvell Armada PXA 618 processor, which minimizes power consumption to extend battery life.
We’re only a few weeks away from an iPad 3, and already the rumor mill is churning out stories about a new iPad.
Taiwanese newspaper DigiTimes says we’re going to see an iPad 4 in October.
This supposed iPad 4 will feature seriously improved internals “so as to compete with an array of Android-, Wintel- or WoA (Windows on ARM)-based tablet PCs to be released in the fourth quarter.”
via iPad 4 In October.
Spotify made its big U.S. debut on July 14, 2011.
In one week, we’ll be marking the streaming music service’s six-month anniversary.
And in one week, all those users who signed up for the free all you can eat desktop music that day will find out that they’re going to be limited to just 10 hours per month now. You’re also only allowed to play individual tracks no more than five times per month.
Apple will be opening new store-within-a-store locations in select Target locations later this year, enabling the company to expand its retail reach into smaller metro areas.
According to a source familiar with Apple’s plans, the company plans to begin operating Apple-branded areas within 25 larger Target stores in locations which can’t support a standalone Apple Store.
The initial opening would be a small start, given that Target, the second-largest discount retail chain in the US, operates 1752 stores in the US. Apple has opened 359 of its own retail stores globally, 245 of which are in the US.
via AppleInsider | Apple to open new store-within-a-store outlets inside Target this year.
Apple may have sold as many as two million fewer iPads than expected this holiday season, and Amazon’s new Kindle Fire tablet may be to blame.
Morgan Keegan analyst Tavis McCourt pruned his forecast for Apple’s fiscal first quarter today, saying that while iPad sales for the period did exceed those of the previous quarter, he believes they fell well short of his estimates.
McCourt had been looking for iPad shipments of 16 million. Now he thinks that they’ll top out at 13 million, and that a portion of that shortfall is due to the Fire. “Based on data from Amazon, we believe the Amazon Fire likely sold 4-5 million units this holiday season, which probably means maybe 1-2 million cannibalized iPad sales at most,” McCourt wrote in a note to clients.
As noted by German sites Flos Weblog [Google translation] and iFun.de [Google translation], a curious new iOS application that seems to be from Apple has appeared in the App Store. The new app, known as GameStore [App Store], debuted on December 31st and seems to be a test app of some sort, offering several racing-themed in-app purchases but without any actual functionality.
via Mac Rumors: Apple Mac iOS Rumors and News You Care About.
KidFriday will be broadcasting live on Ustream Saturday 12/31 starting at 4 pm central time in the U.S. We will give you an inside peak while we record the KidFriday Podcast. Join us on Ustream with the free app or at Ustream.tv Our channel name is: kidfriday. Yaaaaa!!!
We’re going to be recording a new KidFriday podcast tomorrow 12/31, and you’re invited to take a behind the scene look as we will be broadcasting video live. No real fancy hi-tech camera’s, but you will be able to interact with us. You can get the UStream app for free in the app store or android marketplace, or go to http://ustream.tv We’ll announce the time tomorrow via our Facebook and Twitter page and at KidFriday.com
This is some really cool stuff. Add special effects and amaze your friends. We did.
ACTION MOVIE FX lets you add Hollywood FX using your iPhone’s video camera! YOU direct the ACTION! And FREE FOR A LIMITED TIME – 2 Movie FX packs!!
Here’s how it works:
Select a Scene like “MISSILE ATTACK,” film a target and ACTION MOVIE FX adds an INCOMING MISSILE AND ITS EXPLOSION right into your movie!
FEATURES:
• 2 FREE Big-Budget FX! MISSILE ATTACK & CAR SMASH!
• Sound Design By Skywalker Sound!
• Fast, Automated Video Tracking!
• Music, Sound FX and Lens Flares!
• Post to Facebook or Email to friends!
There’s been quite a few attempts at creating a physical game controller for the iPhone. The most successful of which has probably been the ThinkGeek iCade.
Despite a few other promising starts, it seems the main hurdle has been Apple allowing unfettered access between said game controllers and the iOS devices themselves. As a result, most game controllers have relied on emulating a Bluetooth keyboard to interface with the iPhone or iPad. While it works well enough for digital controls such as the iCade, full analog stick control has remained elusive.
A company called 60beat is now offering their solution which does offer dual analog sticks as well as a number of other standard directional controls and buttons. The 60beat GamePad connects through the headphone jack of your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to accomplish this task:
There’s been quite a few attempts at creating a physical game controller for the iPhone. The most successful of which has probably been the ThinkGeek iCade.
Despite a few other promising starts, it seems the main hurdle has been Apple allowing unfettered access between said game controllers and the iOS devices themselves. As a result, most game controllers have relied on emulating a Bluetooth keyboard to interface with the iPhone or iPad. While it works well enough for digital controls such as the iCade, full analog stick control has remained elusive.
A company called 60beat is now offering their solution which does offer dual analog sticks as well as a number of other standard directional controls and buttons. The 60beat GamePad connects through the headphone jack of your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to accomplish this task:
There’s been quite a few attempts at creating a physical game controller for the iPhone. The most successful of which has probably been the ThinkGeek iCade.
Despite a few other promising starts, it seems the main hurdle has been Apple allowing unfettered access between said game controllers and the iOS devices themselves. As a result, most game controllers have relied on emulating a Bluetooth keyboard to interface with the iPhone or iPad. While it works well enough for digital controls such as the iCade, full analog stick control has remained elusive.
A company called 60beat is now offering their solution which does offer dual analog sticks as well as a number of other standard directional controls and buttons. The 60beat GamePad connects through the headphone jack of your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to accomplish this task:
This is smart: a new alarm clock application for the iPhone and Android wakes you earlier if it snowed last night. Called simply, “Winter Wake-Up,” the app lets you configure its settings to wake you up earlier than your scheduled alarm depending on weather conditions, with separate settings for both “Frost” and “Snow.”
Credit where credit is due, I stumbled across the app not out of necessity (it’s 70 ° F here in Florida), but on the blog at Springwise, which likes to collect interesting things. Although I’ll never have need for the app, I do recall what’s it’s like to have snow and ice and the time it takes to dig the car out from underneath it all. This woud be a handy app to have on hand for those who live in chillier climates.
via Genius: New App Wakes You Up Earlier If It Snowed Last Night | TechCrunch.
This is smart: a new alarm clock application for the iPhone and Android wakes you earlier if it snowed last night. Called simply, “Winter Wake-Up,” the app lets you configure its settings to wake you up earlier than your scheduled alarm depending on weather conditions, with separate settings for both “Frost” and “Snow.”
Credit where credit is due, I stumbled across the app not out of necessity (it’s 70 ° F here in Florida), but on the blog at Springwise, which likes to collect interesting things. Although I’ll never have need for the app, I do recall what’s it’s like to have snow and ice and the time it takes to dig the car out from underneath it all. This woud be a handy app to have on hand for those who live in chillier climates.
via Genius: New App Wakes You Up Earlier If It Snowed Last Night | TechCrunch.
Historically, more iOS and Android apps are downloaded on Christmas than on any other day of the year. This is due to a massive influx of smartphones and tablets given as gifts. As fast as loved-ones can unwrap their shiny, new Galaxy IIs, iPhones, iPads, Kindle Fires, et cetera, they start loading them up with new apps.
With record-breaking mobile growth for both Apple and Google this year, Flurry has been anticipating an equally record-breaking Christmas. In 2011, Apple’s App Store is on pace to exceed 10 billion downloads, which will double the cumulative number of downloads earned across 2008, 2009 and 2010. The Android Market also set records, more than tripling its life-to-date downloads of 3 billion, reached in May 2011, to now over 10 billion cumulative downloads reached this December.
Android apps come in all shapes and sizes – literally.
Unlike iOS applications, which are basically created for two form factors, Android apps need to be developed with dozens (if not hundreds) of device-types in mind. This is on top of the inconsistent operating system releases still mucking things up. While all of this fragmentation is a headache for developers, ignoring a platform with 50 percent market share would ultimately lead to their peril.
The best Android apps are thus the ones that can both push the technological envelope while also remaining accessible to the vast majority of users. This is no easy feat.
So, Santa dropped an iPad 2 down your chimney? Lucky you. One of the great things about buying into the Apple craze is the rich and diverse range of accessories available for all iProducts.
The iPad is no exception. You can choose from a bewildering array of cases, stands, speakers, dock, and other peripherals available for the Apple tablet. If you’re looking to accessorize your shiny new iPad 2, we’re here to help. We’ve hand-picked a selection of 10 companion products we think stand out from the crowd.
So, Santa dropped an iPad 2 down your chimney? Lucky you. One of the great things about buying into the Apple craze is the rich and diverse range of accessories available for all iProducts.
The iPad is no exception. You can choose from a bewildering array of cases, stands, speakers, dock, and other peripherals available for the Apple tablet. If you’re looking to accessorize your shiny new iPad 2, we’re here to help. We’ve hand-picked a selection of 10 companion products we think stand out from the crowd.
If people are buying through mobile online retail site, they’re most likely doing so on Apple devices, according to a new report this week from retail analysis firm RichRelevance. iPads and iPhones accounted for over 92 percent of online retail sales not originating from a desktop device occurring in December, according to the study.
That’s up from 88 percent the last time RichRelevance in April, and it easily beat out Android and other competing mobile platforms. Shoppers on Apple devices were also willing to spend more, with an average order value of $123 vs. Android’s $101, and $87 from those shopping from traditional desktop operating systems. RichRelevance used data from 3.4 billion online shopping sessions between April and December at U.S. retailers ranging from specialty stores to major e-commerce sites.
Fitness watches are one thing, but how about a fitness watch that lets you play a few levels of Angry Birds in between wind sprints? Motorola’s MotoACTV debuted alongside the Droid RAZR not too long ago, and one developer has finally taken it upon itself to unleash its full potential.
The hack comes courtesy of developer Chris Wade, whose past endeavors include the Dingleberry PlayBook root method and the (ill-fated) iEmu project. While he’s best known for his software projects, he’s quite the hardware buff too — before working getting to work on a root process, he felt the need to tear the thing apart first.
via Rooted MotoACTV Brings Web Browsing And Angry Birds To Your Wrist | TechCrunch.
Parents looking for a viable system for tracking their children’s allowance, rewards or chores might want to check out iAllowance by Jump Gap Software. Available for iPhone and iPad, iAllowance has several tracking and editing features for managing data along with the ability to sync across multiple devices using Dropbox. iAllowance is not only a comprehensive app, but a relatively nice-looking one to boot. Any parent interested in a tech-savvy means of managing their kids’ allowance, chore chart and behavior reward system in an efficient way should definitely consider taking iAllowance for a test run.
via iAllowance Helps Families Track Chores, Rewards and Allowances.
Own an iPhone 4S and Mac computer? Check out a new hands-free typing app called Air Dictate.
There are no public APIs for using the Siri voice-activated assistant for dictation, so developer Avatron found a way to control Siri and convert speech into text. The text then transfers to the corresponding Mac (with OS X 10.6.8 or higher) running the Air Dictate Receiver app.
Just Released Today. Brand New! (Sorry, Smurf dog not included)
Naught Gargamels is coming out to capture smurfs for their blue blood. In order to stop them and rescue smurfs, you have to give their head a knock, simple and rude!
In each level, you shall not miss certain quantity of Gargamels. If you miss that number, you cannot level up. And be careful! Smurfs can not be hitted, otherwise your score will be decreased.
There are 8 levels in all. The wooden hole will get more and the speed will be faster. You have to pass the level one by one.
Quick of eye and deft of hand, hit Gargamels and rescue smurfs. Well made images and relax background music are chosen for each level. You’ll love this game!
Get your hands on the FREE app HERE
Free until Christmas!
Download the Space Jewels Christmas version now and become the Christmas champion!
The # 1 puzzle game just got even better and now it’s FREE !! Match 3 or more gems to blow them into space. Be careful, time is running out!
Join your friends on this simple and addictive game and beat their challenges on Game Center or OpenFeint.
-Match gems as fast as you can to blow them away within the time limit.
-Keep up with your friends and see how many points they can score with Scoreloop integration.
-Match 4 gems and get a mega boost to blast past your friends on the leaderboards.
Grab the FREE app HERE
Google’s Android chief Andy Rubin has just announced that Android activations have reached a daily rate of over 700,000. Each device is counted only once, so re-sold devices are not included. Basically, whenever you put the device on a network, it counts for a new activation. Back in May, daily activations stood at 550,000, and it’s a tremendous growth for Google’s platform since then.
Last month, Google announced it has already activated 200 million Android devices, and customers have also quickly increased their usage of apps. The Android Market has reached 10 million downloads and is continuing a steady growth.
Whenever new hardware launches, whatever it is, there are problems. The PS Vita is new hardware, and while I haven’t experienced any hardware issues, others have. These are some of them.
According to YouTube videos, there are some machines experiencing lock-ups and freezing. One error appears to occur during the System Update, which then freezes. Another issue seems to be a non-responsive touch screen. It’s still early in the hardware’s launch cycle, so it’s difficult to discern how widespread the issue is. Pro-gamer Kiryu Tsukimiya tweeted that he soon experienced it.
When the PS Vita freezes, the hardware apparently will not shutdown. A writer at Japanese news site Rocket News experienced that issue during Shin Sangoku Musou Next online play.
Whenever new hardware launches, whatever it is, there are problems. The PS Vita is new hardware, and while I haven’t experienced any hardware issues, others have. These are some of them.
According to YouTube videos, there are some machines experiencing lock-ups and freezing. One error appears to occur during the System Update, which then freezes. Another issue seems to be a non-responsive touch screen. It’s still early in the hardware’s launch cycle, so it’s difficult to discern how widespread the issue is. Pro-gamer Kiryu Tsukimiya tweeted that he soon experienced it.
When the PS Vita freezes, the hardware apparently will not shutdown. A writer at Japanese news site Rocket News experienced that issue during Shin Sangoku Musou Next online play.
Amazon.com, Inc. today announced free two-day shipping for the Kindle family, Amazon’s most gifted, most wished for, and bestselling products, for delivery before Christmas. Customers who order by 8 pm PT on December 21 will receive their Kindle in time for Christmas with free 2 day shipping to any address in the continental U.S. As the holiday approaches, customers still looking for the perfect gift can order the $79 Kindle at http://www.amazon.com/kindle, the $99 Kindle Touch at http://www.amazon.com/kindletouch, the $149 Kindle Touch 3G at http://www.amazon.com/kindletouch3G, and the $199 Kindle Fire at http://www.amazon.com/kindlefire.
There were many popular videos on YouTube during this year we call 2011. More than 1 Trillion Playbacks on the site. That’s a pretty impressive number.
Rebecca Black was the most watched. Pretty much over her. But how about number 2? We love this talking dog, as his owner teases him about all the good stuff in the refrigerator. Now this is one to share with your friends and watch over and over. Poor Doggie.
If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s really worth the look. If you have, it’s still just as good.
Running time: 1:21 Get ready to smile! Check it out HERE 🙂
Last minute holiday shopping? Yeah, we get it, and we get that at this point it’s not a good idea to pretend you’re going to find the most perfect, personal, and heartfelt present ever. What you can do is order a gift card. Luckily, Walmart’s online store is selling a $50 iTunes gift card for $40. It’s an electronic card, so unless your email provider suddenly starts charging per-email you won’t have to spring for delivery costs either. If you’re tossing other things in your cart, the purchase will also count towards free shipping.
We’ve seen gift cards at a discount before, but usually not this steep. Walmart says supplies are limited, so while you may have put off your shopping before, you really shouldn’t do the same now.
It appears that Google employees are going to enjoy the latest and greatest Android smartphone that the search giant and Samsung have to offer after it emerged the company is giving its staff customised handsets as a Christmas thank you.
The handset itself isn’t an ordinary Galaxy Nexus either; the device has been outfitted with a customised back cover, one that sports various Google+ and Android icons (which are one and the same) — a nice touch considering they are being specifically given to Google employees.
via Google Gives Employees Free Galaxy Nexus Phones for Xmas.
For the first time, the Facebook for Android mobile app has eclipsed the daily active user count of Facebook for iPhone. The Android app launched in September 2009 more than a year after its iPhone sister and has been playing catch-up ever since. Both are developed internally by Facebook. This week the two were briefly tied, but the Android app is now pulling away with 58.3 million DAU compared to the iPhone app’s 57.4 million, according to the AppData tracking service.
via TechCrunch.
There is an app that you should get now. This way you’ll be prepared to track all those gift cards you are about to receive. We’re trying to think positive here, so we at least hope you get one.
Gift cards are extremely popular, probably because it has become the gift of lazy people. They’re available everywhere and you don’t have to schlep down endless aisles searching for the perfect gift that will probably end up in the return pile. Plus, it takes less than 2 minutes to get.
So let’s assume you’re going to get a few gift cards yourself this holiday season. You should keep track of them. A Consumer Reports poll said 25 percent of people still have at least one unused gift card hanging around since last Christmas.
There are lots of apps available to help you keep track of gift cards. The truth is, most stink. To save time, we’ll skip telling you all the bad stuff and instead tell you about one that we recommend.
The title of this app is a little misleading. Yes, you can use it for coupons, but it works great with gift cards. The app is free and allows you to input up to 5 gift cards. If you somehow hit the jackpot and get more than 5, you can upgrade to unlimited for $1.99. Some of our favorite features include the ability to select from over 5,000 retailers to quickly get your card information into the app, and the ability to set an alert if one of your cards is about to expire.
Let us know what you think about gift cards on the KidFriday Facebook page.
KidFriday also recommends that you check your STATE LAWS regarding gift card expiration dates.
There is an app that you should get now. This way you’ll be prepared to track all those gift cards you are about to receive. We’re trying to think positive here, so we at least hope you get one.
Gift cards are extremely popular, probably because it has become the gift of lazy people. They’re available everywhere and you don’t have to schlep down endless aisles searching for the perfect gift that will probably end up in the return pile. Plus, it takes less than 2 minutes to get.
So let’s assume you’re going to get a few gift cards yourself this holiday season. You should keep track of them. A Consumer Reports poll said 25 percent of people still have at least one unused gift card hanging around since last Christmas.
There are lots of apps available to help you keep track of gift cards. The truth is, most stink. To save time, we’ll skip telling you all the bad stuff and instead tell you about one that we recommend.
The title of this app is a little misleading. Yes, you can use it for coupons, but it works great with gift cards. The app is free and allows you to input up to 5 gift cards. If you somehow hit the jackpot and get more than 5, you can upgrade to unlimited for $1.99. Some of our favorite features include the ability to select from over 5,000 retailers to quickly get your card information into the app, and the ability to set an alert if one of your cards is about to expire.
Let us know what you think about gift cards on the KidFriday Facebook page.
KidFriday also recommends that you check your STATE LAWS regarding gift card expiration dates.
Just released! SimpleS is a simple & fun memory game for all ages.
All you have to do is follow the ever growing sequence of four colors.
Game features 6 different sound banks & 3 different speeds to suit all skill levels.
Yes, it’s simple…or is it? Simon lives.
Try it for yourself.
For the iPod Touch, iPad, and iPhone
Grab it HERE
Bring your iPod Touch or iPhone gaming to the next level with the JOYSTICK-IT Arcade Stick. The JOYSTICK-IT gives you a real physical joystick for increased precision with touchscreen based games. Simply press down to attach the JOYSTICK-IT to your iPhone’s screen for improved gaming. No wires or batteries needed.
The JOYSTICK-IT works with thousands of different game apps. Any game that has an on-screen control pad of some kind is perfect for the JOYSTICK-IT. Simply run your game of choice, place the JOYSTICK-IT over the on-screen control pad and push down. The JOYSTICK-IT sticks to the glass of your display and is ready for action. The lightweight solid milled-aluminum construction of the JOYSTICK-IT adds more precise movement and faster response time for enhanced playability. When you’re done, simply pull-up on the JOYSTICK-IT to remove from the screen.
Price: $8.99-17.99
You can find it at ThinkGeek.com or Amazon.com
Bring your iPod Touch or iPhone gaming to the next level with the JOYSTICK-IT Arcade Stick. The JOYSTICK-IT gives you a real physical joystick for increased precision with touchscreen based games. Simply press down to attach the JOYSTICK-IT to your iPhone’s screen for improved gaming. No wires or batteries needed.
The JOYSTICK-IT works with thousands of different game apps. Any game that has an on-screen control pad of some kind is perfect for the JOYSTICK-IT. Simply run your game of choice, place the JOYSTICK-IT over the on-screen control pad and push down. The JOYSTICK-IT sticks to the glass of your display and is ready for action. The lightweight solid milled-aluminum construction of the JOYSTICK-IT adds more precise movement and faster response time for enhanced playability. When you’re done, simply pull-up on the JOYSTICK-IT to remove from the screen.
Price: $8.99-17.99
You can find it at ThinkGeek.com or Amazon.com
Google puts a lot of work into the ever-changing logos it puts on its homepages around the world to commemorate historical events, holidays and the birthdays of people like Jim Henson, Cezanne or Thomas Edison. Indeed, there is a whole team at Google that focuses on nothing else but creating these so-called doodles and – at an increasing rate – interactive experiences for the Google homepage as well. For a while now, Google has offered a gallery of these logos, but today, the company is launching a revamped version of its Doodle site that makes searching for a specific logo significantly easier. The site features a total of over 1,000 static and animated doodles.
via Google Launches New Gallery for its Doodles, Opens a Zazzle Store to Sell Them — SiliconFilter.
Google puts a lot of work into the ever-changing logos it puts on its homepages around the world to commemorate historical events, holidays and the birthdays of people like Jim Henson, Cezanne or Thomas Edison. Indeed, there is a whole team at Google that focuses on nothing else but creating these so-called doodles and – at an increasing rate – interactive experiences for the Google homepage as well. For a while now, Google has offered a gallery of these logos, but today, the company is launching a revamped version of its Doodle site that makes searching for a specific logo significantly easier. The site features a total of over 1,000 static and animated doodles.
via Google Launches New Gallery for its Doodles, Opens a Zazzle Store to Sell Them — SiliconFilter.
Sony released its PlayStation Vita handheld gaming console in Japan on Saturday in a bid to recapture share in the mobile gaming market from Apple’s iOS.
The Japanese consumer electronics maker released its next-generation portable seven years after the arrival of the PlayStation Portable. The device is set to roll out in other parts of Asia by the end of the year before launching in North America and Europe next February.
via AppleInsider | Sony launches PlayStation Vita handheld to reclaim mobile gaming.
How will people remember 2011? As the year of Rebecca Black, if the results of Google’s Zeitgeist list are to be believed. The momentarily famous “Friday” singer topped Google’s annual year-end list of hot search terms, followed by the software giant’s own Google+ social network and deceased Jackass star, Ryan Dunn. The top five is rounded out by the acquitted Casey Anthony and the ultra-hot FPS, Battlefield 3. Apple made three appearances in the top ten, courtesy of the iPad 2, the no-show iPhone 5 and its late founder, Steve Jobs. On the other side of the coin, social networks Myspace and hi5 topped the fastest falling lists. Celebrate the year that was with a video after the break.
via Google Zeitgeist goes live, reminds the world of Rebecca Black’s existence — Engadget.
Britney Spears has become the first to reach the milestone of one million followers on Google+, and she just keeps going with 1,002,644 followers at the time of writing — that’s pretty good evidence that at least that many people are using the new social network.
via Britney Spears makes Google+ relevant with a million followers | The Verge.
Apple is likely to launch a 7.85-inch iPad prior to the fourth quarter of 2012 in addition to a new iPad scheduled to be released at the end of the first quarter, according to sources in the supply chain.
Global shipments of tablet PCs are expected to reach 60 million units in 2011, of which 70% will be Apple’s iPads.
Apple is likely to launch a 7.85-inch iPad prior to the fourth quarter of 2012 in addition to a new iPad scheduled to be released at the end of the first quarter, according to sources in the supply chain.
Global shipments of tablet PCs are expected to reach 60 million units in 2011, of which 70% will be Apple’s iPads.
For the eleventh year in a row, Google publishes its annual overview of the fastest-growing search terms of the past year, providing a pretty accurate overview of search trends on the Google.com search engine. Called Zeitgeist, it “sorts billions of Google searches to capture the year’s ten fastest-rising global queries and the rest of the spirit of 2011″, says the official Zeitgeist site. We find the initiative pretty interesting. Not only does it offer a valuable insight into what searches revealed about the interests of users, it also reveals the issues that have troubled the world throughout the year.
A couple interesting highlights, per Google’s blog post:
• Rebecca Black was the #1 fastest rising query globally and Google’s own Google+ social thing is ranked second
• Adele made the fastest rising lists in over 15 countries
• Apple’s late co-founder Steve Jobs made the list (mark 1:50 in the above clip), as did reality star Ryan Dunn and defendant Casey Anthony
• iPad 3 and iPhone 5 were among the often-searched terms (no surprises here)
• Devotees turned to Google following the April 4 passing of Sai Baba, an Indian guru, spiritual figure, mystic, philanthropist, and educator
• cupcakes made top food lists in over a dozen countries
• Hurricane Irene in the U.S. and earthquakes in Christchurch and Japan also topped the charts as thousands of people affected by those natural disasters turned to Google.com to seek information about their loved ones
For the eleventh year in a row, Google publishes its annual overview of the fastest-growing search terms of the past year, providing a pretty accurate overview of search trends on the Google.com search engine. Called Zeitgeist, it “sorts billions of Google searches to capture the year’s ten fastest-rising global queries and the rest of the spirit of 2011″, says the official Zeitgeist site. We find the initiative pretty interesting. Not only does it offer a valuable insight into what searches revealed about the interests of users, it also reveals the issues that have troubled the world throughout the year.
A couple interesting highlights, per Google’s blog post:
• Rebecca Black was the #1 fastest rising query globally and Google’s own Google+ social thing is ranked second
• Adele made the fastest rising lists in over 15 countries
• Apple’s late co-founder Steve Jobs made the list (mark 1:50 in the above clip), as did reality star Ryan Dunn and defendant Casey Anthony
• iPad 3 and iPhone 5 were among the often-searched terms (no surprises here)
• Devotees turned to Google following the April 4 passing of Sai Baba, an Indian guru, spiritual figure, mystic, philanthropist, and educator
• cupcakes made top food lists in over a dozen countries
• Hurricane Irene in the U.S. and earthquakes in Christchurch and Japan also topped the charts as thousands of people affected by those natural disasters turned to Google.com to seek information about their loved ones
O.K., forget what the title of this article says. We would really rather have a new iPad. However, not everyone in the family has big bucks, and you can’t ask for just the expensive stuff. Perhaps this would make a great gift idea when your Aunt asks what you want? She’s not loaded and the Connect 4 Spongebob Edition could end up being a much nicer gift. Certainly better than the sweater she was thinking of getting you. Just like millions of kids, we think Spongebob Rocks! Price: $19.99
Connect 4 Spongebob Squarepants Edition
O.K., forget what the title of this article says. We would really rather have a new iPad. However, not everyone in the family has big bucks, and you can’t ask for just the expensive stuff. Perhaps this would make a great gift idea when your Aunt asks what you want? She’s not loaded and the Connect 4 Spongebob Edition could end up being a much nicer gift. Certainly better than the sweater she was thinking of getting you. Just like millions of kids, we think Spongebob Rocks! Price: $19.99
Connect 4 Spongebob Squarepants Edition
Finally a case for Jewish iPhone users, including us! Kinda looks like the wrapping paper we used about three years ago when grandpa got a “I Love Matzoh Balls” t-shirt , but we certainly can’t complain. Made by Casemate for the iPhone 4 and 4S, it brings some bling to the 8 days of fun for $35
Why not? Summer’s practically around the corner. Just kidding. We’re almost as far away from summer as possible. But, if ice cream is one food that never goes out of season for you, you might be well served by checking out the Ice Cream Bar Portable Speaker on sale from AudioCubes. The popsicle-shaped music player comes in green, pink, and blue, and offers up 2 hours of continuous use per charge. Charging is handled via a USB dongle hidden in the popsicle stick. With a handy keychain hole, you’ve got the perfect summertime music accessory. Hey – it’ll be summer eventually.
The Ice Cream Bar Portable Speaker is available now from AudioCubes for about $30.
Fancy, Schmancy! The luxury brand Prada and LG Electronics have introduced the “PRADA phone by LG 3.0” today. It is the third PRADA phone that has emerged from the collaboration. It will run on Android.
The PRADA phone by LG is 3.0, the first smartphone on the label. The appearance of smartphones reflects the design philosophy of PRADA. The front is made of Corning Gorilla glass, the sides are strongly rounded and the back is covered by the PRADA Saffiano typical pattern.
Pricing will be announced soon, but expect it to be much more than you’ve ever spent on any mobile device.
Previous 3DS owners feeling burned by the dramatic price drop in August were already able to download 10 free NES games as a goodwill gesture, and now Nintendo’s revealed final details of the second half of the deal via a SpotPass notification. Come Friday, participants in the “Ambassador Program” will be able to download 10 Game Boy Advance games from the eShop at no cost.
The titles on offer are:
F-Zero Maximum Velocity
Super Mario Advance 3: Yoshi’s Island
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
Kirby & the Amazing Mirror
Mario Kart: Super Circuit
Mario vs. Donkey Kong
Metroid Fusion
Wario Land 4
WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames
via 3DS early adopters will receive free Game Boy Advance games on Friday | The Verge.
If your calendar just isn’t enough, or you have trouble keeping track of dates, you might want to try downloading a Christmas countdown app. Those are great excuses, but the best reason to get a Christmas countdown app? They’re fun! There are literally over 100 to choose from for your iPod Touch, iPad, or iPhone available in the App Store. So how about a few recommendations? For starters; don’t pay for one. There are plenty of free apps available that are just as good, or even better. You can start by trying a few that we like:
Sorry kids, you can no longer make your own driver’s license with an app from the Apple App Store. This is probably a good thing.
The “License” application by DriversEd.com for Apple iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad allowed users to electronically insert any digital photo and the biographic information of their choosing into a template for a driver’s license of a state of their choosing. The “License” application contained templates for driver’s licenses for all 50 states, many of which were of designs that would be valid for the next several years. The user was then able to send the high quality digital image of the completed template to an email account. From the email attachment, the image could then be printed and laminated, creating a high quality counterfeit driver’s license difficult to discern from one that’s genuine.
This was a free app that had been available for over two years.
Tablet owners overwhelming prefer Wi-Fi-only devices over those with cellular connections, according to a new study by Connected Intelligence, a service from market research firm The NPD Group.
Slate users are relying more and more on Wi-Fi for a number of reasons. According to Connected Intelligence vice president Eddie Hold, consumers are concerned about the high price of cellular data plans, and they’re willing to rely on Wi-Fi instead.
via Study: Tablet Buyers Use Wi-Fi, Not Cellular Data | PCWorld.
Amazon’s Kindle Fire tablet, one of the hottest gadgets this holiday season because of its low price, has some parents bristling over the simplicity at which children can order from the retail giant and the inability to stop them without crippling the device.
Another concern is over theft or losing the device, which can be then easily be accessed for purchases unless a user sets a password to lock the screen when it’s not in use.
What happens is that when you order a Kindle Fire – which differs from the Kindle reader by allowing users to browse the web, play games, video and music – it comes with your Amazon account information preloaded, along with “1-Click” ordering. That means anyone who is holding that device can place an order, whether it’s their account or not. No prompts come up to confirm the purchase or ask for a password.
So that means that the itchy fingers of toddlers can click way, including the 3-year-old daughter of Scenic Labs founder Jason Rosenfeld. He says his daughter was using the device and clicked on an image of a children’s product that appeared on the screen because it was in his shopping history — he had browsed the item while holiday shopping on his PC.
Source: Yahoo!
Apple® announced that over 100 million apps have been downloaded from the Mac® App Store™ in less than one year. With thousands of free and paid apps, the Mac App Store brings the App Store experience to the Mac so you can find great new apps, buy them using your iTunes® account, and download and install them in just one step. Apple revolutionized the app industry with the App Store, which now has more than 500,000 apps and where customers have downloaded more than 18 billion apps and continue to download more than 1 billion apps per month.
“In just three years the App Store changed how people get mobile apps, and now the Mac App Store is changing the traditional PC software industry,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “With more than 100 million downloads in less than a year, the Mac App Store is the largest and fastest growing PC software store in the world.”
Apple® announced that over 100 million apps have been downloaded from the Mac® App Store™ in less than one year. With thousands of free and paid apps, the Mac App Store brings the App Store experience to the Mac so you can find great new apps, buy them using your iTunes® account, and download and install them in just one step. Apple revolutionized the app industry with the App Store, which now has more than 500,000 apps and where customers have downloaded more than 18 billion apps and continue to download more than 1 billion apps per month.
“In just three years the App Store changed how people get mobile apps, and now the Mac App Store is changing the traditional PC software industry,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “With more than 100 million downloads in less than a year, the Mac App Store is the largest and fastest growing PC software store in the world.”
Today only, Amazon has got a pretty good deal lined up. Use the PriceCheck mobile app and get 5% off your purchase, up to $5 at a time, as many as 3 times. Amazon wants you to start using retail stores as more of a catalog showroom. A store where you can look, touch, and sometimes even try an item you are interested in, then order it. In a traditional catalog showroom, you place the order at the store, and then your item is shipped out to you. Some catalog showrooms have actual in-house inventory that they keep in the back. You go to an order desk and then in a few minutes, your item is available for in-store pickup. The Amazon model is a little different. They want you to go to a local retailer, use the PriceCheck app, and order on Amazon, which they hope offers a better deal. Retailers like Best Buy are already used to customers pulling out their mobile phones and scanning in the stores. There are QR codes next to many items they sell. The difference is that the QR code supplies you with more information about the product, and Best Buy hopes this will help make a sale. However, the Amazon PriceCheck app is meant to scan a UPC, or as some people know it, a “barcode”. In order to scan the UPC barcode, you must find a retail box or packaging and scan the code. Yes, just like your local Target, Wal-mart, or grocery store.
If enough people start scanning barcodes with apps like this, then how long will it be until retailers like Best Buy start keeping all their inventory in the back, except for a “floor model”. They already do this with TV’s, computers, and home theater receivers. Have you ever tried to scan a UPC barcode on one of those items? You can’t! There is no retail box to scan! They’re in the “back”! When will they start doing the same thing to mobile phone cases, video games, and DVD’s? But the Amazon App can also use images and voice. How do you combat this? With exclusive in-store model numbers and retail signs that block enough of the item that the app cannot recognize it. Perhaps a bright yellow and black “sale” sign taped across an item? Hey, that would probably work! Retailers like Best Buy want a buffer between you and your Amazon PriceCheck app. In a twist of fate, this could actually revive the catalog showroom. O.K. maybe not. But as far as price comparison apps, this could be the real game changer. Better prices for consumers? You bet. One final thought. The local Best Buy location where KidFriday shops was previously a catalog showroom. What goes around, comes around.
The Nintendo 3DS has had its share of problems, not least its fleetingly short battery life. It sounds like the upcoming 3DS Circle Pad Pro accessory may not be sharing in its host’s plight, however. An Andriasang reader with visual proof of owning the accessory — just a tad earlier than its December 10th Japanese launch — says the bundled manual claims it’ll survive 480 hours on a single AAA cell. We’re still slightly mystified as to why Nintendo didn’t use the opportunity of a bulky accessory to extend the stamina of the console itself, but if this pans out, at least the cost has been kept relatively low. The Circle Pad Pro launches in Japan this Saturday for 1,500 yen, or 6,990 yen bundled with a copy of Monster Hunter 3 (tri-) G. We’ll have hands-on impressions of both soon, where we’ll be able to read the manual for ourselves. We also promise to be running a stopwatch for every minute of those dual-thumb-blistering (purported) 480 or so hours.
via Nintendo 3DS Circle Pad Pro accessory has 480-hour battery life? | The Verge.
This is a pretty good deal if you’re in the market for an iPad2. $419.00 for a 16g wifi. These units are refurbished through Apple, and come with a 1-year warranty. This is an on-line deal only in the official Apple Store. Available in both black and white. Similar savings on other models including 3G.
Apple is also offering free shipping until December 22nd.
Refurbished iPad 2 with Wi-Fi 16GB – (current generation)
Wi-Fi
Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR technology
FaceTime with 2 cameras
HD video recording
Dual-core A5 chip
10-hour battery life
Smart covers, instant on
9.7-inch widescreen display
Multi-Touch screen
1.33 pounds and 0.34 inch
Here’s the link if you want to check it out.
Firemint has dropped the price of their critically acclaimed Flight Control game to Free for the first time ever. The game is part of a daily promo from EA, and will only be free for one day. Flight Control was one of the first “classic” iPhone games that first pioneered the line-drawing game mechanic.
via ‘Flight Control’ for iPhone and iPad is Now Free for One Day – Mac Rumors.
The next iPad will be introduced in February according to a research note issued by Citi analyst Richard Gardner, obtained by Business Insider.
According to “several sources” the next iPad will launch in February, and it will sport a screen with double the resolution of the current model.
Gardner says, “there do not appear to be any significant technical hurdles remaining” to prevent a launch of a high-resolution iPad, despite rumors to the contrary.
Gardner’s note echoes prior reports of a mid-Winter launch for the iPad 3.
via Retina Display-Equipped iPad 3 to Launch in February? – Mac Rumors.
Apple released its iTunes Rewind 2011 and App Store Rewind 2011 today, the company’s annual lists detailing of the top selling apps, music, TV shows, movies and podcasts for the year. This year, the biggest winner on the apps front was Angry Birds, which ran away with the number one spot on the iPhone and iPad in all categories except top free iPhone app, which was awarded to Facebook.
Apple also selects its own favorite applications, and one of our preferred apps, Instagram, won the honor of being Apple’s “iPhone App of the Year.”
Angry Birds, which is available on iOS as both a paid and free application, not only dominated the year-end lists as the number one download in several cases, it also occupied additional slots on multiple lists for its spinoffs, Angry Birds Seasons and Angry Birds Rio.
via Apple Picks Instagram As The “iPhone App Of The Year” | TechCrunch.
Twitter started its launch of a brand-new interface.
The changes are fairly drastic, but they have a surprising and delighting effect (as opposed to a shocking and awing one). It might remind you a bit of the design of Facebook’s Timeline or the sadly underrated Yahoo Meme.
If you have an iPhone or Android device, you can check out the “New-New Twitter,” as we’re calling it today, simply by downloading the new app from the App Store or Android Market, then logging into the web interface.
via Here’s a first look at the “New-New Twitter” | VentureBeat.
Twitter started its launch of a brand-new interface.
The changes are fairly drastic, but they have a surprising and delighting effect (as opposed to a shocking and awing one). It might remind you a bit of the design of Facebook’s Timeline or the sadly underrated Yahoo Meme.
If you have an iPhone or Android device, you can check out the “New-New Twitter,” as we’re calling it today, simply by downloading the new app from the App Store or Android Market, then logging into the web interface.
via Here’s a first look at the “New-New Twitter” | VentureBeat.
Twitter started its launch of a brand-new interface.
The changes are fairly drastic, but they have a surprising and delighting effect (as opposed to a shocking and awing one). It might remind you a bit of the design of Facebook’s Timeline or the sadly underrated Yahoo Meme.
If you have an iPhone or Android device, you can check out the “New-New Twitter,” as we’re calling it today, simply by downloading the new app from the App Store or Android Market, then logging into the web interface.
via Here’s a first look at the “New-New Twitter” | VentureBeat.
If you’ve ever used this app before on an iPad, you know just how good it is. KidFriday has loved every page turn, every image, and every story a little bit more when it’s on Flipboard. Now it is available for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Wow. If you don’t know what Flipboard is or haven’t tried it yet, get it now. It’s so much easier to see how it works than us trying to explain it here. Flipboard confirms why there will be no more paper magazines in our future and why an actual printed newspaper doesn’t have a chance. While you’re trying it out, go ahead and add KidFriday. It even makes us look better! Grab your favorite websites and put them together in one beautiful package. You might even make room on your most prized “home” page for it. Better start thinking about which app you’re going to bump off.
Hewlett-Packard will put its short-lived TouchPad tablet up for sale one last time. The fire sale $99 price will still apply–with a few catches.
The first major catch is that the offer will go exclusively to HP employees before going wide on eBay at $99 and $149, respectively for the 16GB and 32GB versions, on December 11 at 4 p.m. PT. The second major catch is that all units will be refurbished, according to a report on TechCrunch, thus the eBay venue.
“In an effort to give HP employees first chance at a very limited supply of refurbished TouchPads, there will be a short delay between when the product is posted live for sale on eBay and when the general public is notified of the sale,” according to the letter, posted by TechCrunch.
via HP TouchPad: The final $99 offer | Nanotech – The Circuits Blog – CNET News.
Microsoft, via Xbox Live evangelist Larry “Major Nelson” Hryb, has just announced the immediate release of the company’s first Xbox Live iOS app, My Xbox Live [Free]. It’s a free app that basically acts as a mobile companion to some of the more important aspects of the service. You can read and send messages to anyone on your Friend’s List, manage that list or invite new people onto it, edit your profile, gander at all of your hard-earned achievements, or even mess with your Avatar’s apparel.
via Microsoft Releases Official Xbox Live App | Touch Arcade.
Rabbit and Chick bring you new fun game!
A big war is going to spread out for Carrots! Rabbit fright for “Food”, Chick fright for “Mom”! An easy navigating game to stacking from ground to sky, then to outer space universe. It’s a fun exciting game to check out clicking hits against bubbles rising! Watch out, you will face many barriers along the way!
Check out Happy Bubble for yourself!
Apple’s full-fledged television set will arrive at the end of 2012 in three screen sizes, maxing out at 55 inches, a new rumor claims.
Citing sources in Japan, Australia’s SmartHouse reported this week that the new Apple television will also come in an entry-level size of 32 inches. It did not indicate exactly what screen size the third model would feature, falling somewhere between the low end with 32 inches and maximum size of 55 inches.
The report said it’s a “major Japanese company” that’s involved in manufacturing Apple’s rumored television set. Echoing previous claims, the report said that the Apple television will feature Siri integration, allowing users to control the TV set with their voice.
via AppleInsider | Apple television rumored to come in 3 sizes, including 32″ and 55″.
Apple’s full-fledged television set will arrive at the end of 2012 in three screen sizes, maxing out at 55 inches, a new rumor claims.
Citing sources in Japan, Australia’s SmartHouse reported this week that the new Apple television will also come in an entry-level size of 32 inches. It did not indicate exactly what screen size the third model would feature, falling somewhere between the low end with 32 inches and maximum size of 55 inches.
The report said it’s a “major Japanese company” that’s involved in manufacturing Apple’s rumored television set. Echoing previous claims, the report said that the Apple television will feature Siri integration, allowing users to control the TV set with their voice.
via AppleInsider | Apple television rumored to come in 3 sizes, including 32″ and 55″.
Amazon.com’s new Kindle Fire offers a disappointingly poor user experience. Using the web with the Silk browser is clunky and error-prone. Reading downloaded magazines is not much better. Still, user testing with the Fire did help us understand what the new generation of 7-inch tablets is good for: Are they more like 10-inch tablets (e.g., the iPad) or more like 3.5-inch mobile phones? To give away the conclusion, the answer is: “a bit of both.”
via Kindle Fire Usability Findings (Jakob Nielsen’s Alertbox).
Amazon.com’s new Kindle Fire offers a disappointingly poor user experience. Using the web with the Silk browser is clunky and error-prone. Reading downloaded magazines is not much better. Still, user testing with the Fire did help us understand what the new generation of 7-inch tablets is good for: Are they more like 10-inch tablets (e.g., the iPad) or more like 3.5-inch mobile phones? To give away the conclusion, the answer is: “a bit of both.”
via Kindle Fire Usability Findings (Jakob Nielsen’s Alertbox).
It happened faster than we thought. 10-year old Zoe just got her first mobile phone. As her dad, my thought process has been that she didn’t need one yet. However there were other circumstances that had to be taken into consideration. The main issue is that my wife has been getting pretty sick of receiving text messages from Zoe’s friends all the time. Like many children, Zoe has been using her mom’s cell phone to text all her friends. The other night, our family was out to dinner when my wife received a text from a parent of one those friends. It said “Take my cell phone number off your list, and never use this number again!” You see, Zoe’s friends also use their parents cell phones to text, and from the look of it, they too are getting tired of text messages coming in on their number that are meant for their kids. There are alternatives for a child to communicate with their friends. They could use the home phone, or even better “Facetime” with an iPod Touch via WiFi. They could also use that same iPod for texting. There are plenty of free apps available that let you do just that. But it’s not the same. It’s all about your new identity. Your exclusive cell phone number. A sign that you’re growing up. So what’s a good first phone? Zoe got a Pantech Pursuit 2. One of those “free” phones. It’s actually quite compact and when you slide up the front, a full keyboard is found. It also has green accents that she thinks are pretty “cool”. We added the line to our “family plan” for $9.99 a month via AT&T. She can share the minutes and our unlimited family texting. Sorry Zoe, no data for you. We’ll be keeping a tight hold on Zoe’s cell and texting habits, but so far, so good.
Brand new and just released. Designed in Japan. Made for both Japanese and English-speaking kids. Simple, fun, and FREE. Not too bad.
App Description
Let’s play gocart time trial!
– Network ranking system
– 8 Course (City, Mountain etc.)
Have fun!
Despite the cancellation of development and discontinuation of support for Flash on mobile devices, Sony Division 2 software-development head Muneki Shimada has said that his company is continuing its negotiations with Adobe, and that the end of Flash for mobile may not necessarily mean the end of Flash for Vita. We’re not really sure how someone could negotiate a company back into supporting a dead platform, but if anyone knows anything about dead platforms, it’s Sony.
via Sony still holding out hope for Flash support on Vita | Joystiq.
Xbox Live isn’t just an online gaming service anymore. Microsoft is announcing today that the new version of its Xbox Live user interface will help transform entertainment on the television. The upgrade goes live on Tuesday.
Calling it the future of TV, Microsoft is unveiling of a user interface for the Xbox 360 console’s dashboard; it is also unveiling dozens of new options for watching movies and TV on the game box. And Microsoft has improved the quality of using voice commands to move from one choice to another on the box or to search through all of the entertainment options at your disposal in an instant.
With the iMusic Inflatable Armchair with Built-in Speakers, you can turn your living room or back porch into a full-fledged “chill out” space. Just blow it up with the pump that’s included, connect your music player, sit back and prepare to enter a state of deep relaxation. The armchair is soft and very comfortable, and it’s made out of a very durable material, 3mm thick white PVC, that you can use outdoors with no worries. If it gets dirty, just wipe it with a damp cloth.
Two built-in speakers: one on each side of the pillow.
Includes a side pocket for your music player.
Includes air pump and repair patch.
The iMusic Inflatable Armchair with Built-in Speakers is available from Curiosite for $48.09.
via iMusic Inflatable Armchair with Built-in Speakers | GeekAlerts.
With the iMusic Inflatable Armchair with Built-in Speakers, you can turn your living room or back porch into a full-fledged “chill out” space. Just blow it up with the pump that’s included, connect your music player, sit back and prepare to enter a state of deep relaxation. The armchair is soft and very comfortable, and it’s made out of a very durable material, 3mm thick white PVC, that you can use outdoors with no worries. If it gets dirty, just wipe it with a damp cloth.
Two built-in speakers: one on each side of the pillow.
Includes a side pocket for your music player.
Includes air pump and repair patch.
The iMusic Inflatable Armchair with Built-in Speakers is available from Curiosite for $48.09.
via iMusic Inflatable Armchair with Built-in Speakers | GeekAlerts.
Bacon Frosting
Bacon Frosting is just what you’d expect. It’s frosting that tastes like bacon. It’s a pretty red color, and squeezes right out of the tube and onto your cake, cupcake, tongue, etc. The perfect finisher for any pastry decoration, Bacon Frosting will never let you down.
Each tube is full of red bacon-flavored frosting.
Perfect for any pastry, confection, snack, kinky bacon game, etc.
The Bacon Frosting is available from ThinkGeek for $4.99.
Bacon Frosting
Bacon Frosting is just what you’d expect. It’s frosting that tastes like bacon. It’s a pretty red color, and squeezes right out of the tube and onto your cake, cupcake, tongue, etc. The perfect finisher for any pastry decoration, Bacon Frosting will never let you down.
Each tube is full of red bacon-flavored frosting.
Perfect for any pastry, confection, snack, kinky bacon game, etc.
The Bacon Frosting is available from ThinkGeek for $4.99.
LEGO Holiday Ornaments
Deck your holiday tree the LEGO builders way
Measures over 3” (7cm) wide
Makes a great gift for LEGO fans of all ages
Order Lego Christmas ornaments for $7.99 each in your choice of Red, Gold, or Green from LEGO Shop.
LEGO Holiday Ornaments
Deck your holiday tree the LEGO builders way
Measures over 3” (7cm) wide
Makes a great gift for LEGO fans of all ages
Order Lego Christmas ornaments for $7.99 each in your choice of Red, Gold, or Green from LEGO Shop.
This is the child’s tricycle that rides over any terrain. Similar in design to “duallies”-trucks with twin sets of rear wheels for providing stability under heavy loads-its 16″ front wheel and twin sets of dual 10 1/2″ diameter rear wheels make easy work of gravel, snow, grass, mud, or uneven sidewalks. The wheels’ tubeless 2- and 4-ply rubber tires smooth out bumps and ensure reliable traction with knobby, deep treads. Ideal as a child’s first outdoor tricycle, its handlebars and adjustable padded seat adapt to growing youngsters-the seat sits above the rear wheels and slightly below the front wheel for optimal foot placement on the pedals.
Catchy tune and lots of fun stuff including those Angry Birds, Fruit Ninja and more. Guaranteed you’ll love it or your money back. Oh wait, it’s free.
A tipster has let us know that TJ Maxx, purveyor of fine clothing, is supposedly going to have a door-buster sale tomorrow: the 16GB Wi-Fi iPad 2 for $399. Apparently, supplies will be limited, likely to around 15 per store, so each location is likely to sell out fairly early. The deal recapitulates the same sale TJ Maxx held last year for the original iPad, right down to the $100 discount which may or may not have been anything more than a publicity stunt instead of an actual sale given the small quantities actually in stock.
via iPad 2 available for $399 at some TJ Maxx stores tomorrow? | The Verge.
Infinity Blade II is shooting to the top of Apple’s app store best sellers list faster than you can chop a giant, medieval-themed dragon-beast in twain.
The sword-swinging iOS game became the number one app in the app store on Dec.1, the same day it launched. Infinity Blade II stands out from other iOS games for it’s mature themes (there is blood and death) and for its stunning visuals which pull from the Unreal Engine 3.
The original Infinity Blade received positive reviews and was heralded as one of the first hard-core mobile games thanks, in large part, to its aesthetic similarity to other top-tier console games. The game is so advanced, that many reviewers and enthusiasts eagerly awaited the launch just to see how far they could push their iOS gadgets. We’re pleased to say that the game, despite being gorgeous to look at, is also a blast to play.
via f | Latest.
While a quick tweak let users enable the YouTube design early, the completely redesigned site is available now for everyone. You’ll first notice the homepage has been completely reorganized into three columns that prominently feature your subscriptions along the left side. The center column initially shows all the latest videos from channels you’ve subscribed to, and the dark left column functions as a nav bar, so you can dive down into videos from your Google+ contacts and channels you’ve subscribed to. It’s now much easier to quickly switch between your personal videos, likes, history, and Watch Later options, and they’re all integrated in the top left of the page.
via The Verge.
The KidFriday Kids may have a small list this year, but the stuff they want isn’t cheap. 13-year-old Hannah would love to get a Sonos Play:3 ($299). It’s a wireless speaker system that sounds solid, and doesn’t take up much room. Here’s how it works; She actually needs to get a Bridge ($49) for starters. You have to hook the bridge up to your wireless router . Ours is located in the family room. Done. Then it’s placing the speaker anywhere you want, anywhere in the house. Hannah would like a Sonos in her bedroom. The Sonos Play:3 is small and can fit in tight spaces, allowing many placement options. If you have the room, you can opt for the larger Play:5 ($399). With the Bridge hooked up and the Play:3 plugged into an ac outlet, you can now stream music from a computer, iPod, phone, or anything else that shares your wifi. What makes this even more interesting is that you can add more speakers, anywhere you want in the house and stream music wirelessly to them too, as long as the wifi connects. Oh, and Hannah wouldn’t mind someone throwing in the latest iPhone.
Zoe. iPad2. She wants one just like you. That is if you don’t already own one. White, 16g. Yes, there are other tablets out there, but none as nice as the iPad. If you’re going to ask for something, you might as well ask for the best. Then again, maybe not every time. Like Hannah, Zoe also wants a phone. Not necessarily an iPhone, but any phone. Her first phone. She’s playing this one smart. You see, Zoe is 10, and dreams of the day when she can walk out the front door with a cell phone she can call her very own. She’s not really interested in all the features, except for the one that shows her exclusive cell number. Her new identity. No more using mom’s phone ever again. But be careful. Once you get your first cell phone, there’s no turning back. When that day finally arrives, it will probably go something like this; First she’ll say to mom “I’ll call you later”. Then she’ll forget to call.
Hope you get something on your wish list. Good luck!
Amazon.com, Inc. today announced Amazon Santa, a free app for Kindle Fire and iPad that makes it fun and easy for children and their parents to create holiday Wish Lists to share with friends, family and Mr. Claus. The Amazon Santa app provides a visual Wish List creation experience designed for children to browse and search more than five-hundred thousand kid-friendly items. With a little help from their parents, kids can make a holiday Wish List to share with loved ones, making it easier than ever for family and friends to give the right gifts this holiday season.
via Amazon Santa App for Kindle Fire and iPad Now Available | Business Wire.
Look through piles of stuff and try to find items. Yes, it’s been done before, but this festive take is a sure winner. Find 15 items each in 6 different scenes. Is it Fun? Let’s just put it this way….. You won’t be able to stop playing “Look and Find Santa“. O.K., technically you could stop the game, but you won’t want to. We had the urge to find every single item in every single scene, and were determined not to stop until we did. Yes, it’s that much fun. Great seasonal music, fun sound effects, and a whole lot of searching makes this holiday filled app one not to miss.
For the iPod Touch, iPhone, and iPad
$1.99 in the App Store
Look through piles of stuff and try to find items. Yes, it’s been done before, but this festive take is a sure winner. Find 15 items each in 6 different scenes. Is it Fun? Let’s just put it this way….. You won’t be able to stop playing “Look and Find Santa“. O.K., technically you could stop the game, but you won’t want to. We had the urge to find every single item in every single scene, and were determined not to stop until we did. Yes, it’s that much fun. Great seasonal music, fun sound effects, and a whole lot of searching makes this holiday filled app one not to miss.
For the iPod Touch, iPhone, and iPad
$1.99 in the App Store
The Xbox 360 saw its biggest sales week in the product’s history during last week’s “Black Friday” sales rush, according to Microsoft.
In all, over 960,000 consoles were sold in the United States during the week, the company said Tuesday. Of those, 800,000 were sold within a 24-hour period.
Additionally, 750,000 Kinect sensors were sold during the week, between standalone units and those bundled with consoles.
This record week comes during the system’s seventh year on the market, an unprecedented accomplishment for a video game console.
via Gamasutra – News – Black Friday Week Biggest In Xbox History.
A new system software update (v4.00) will be released this week. In preparation for the launch of PlayStation Vita (PS Vita) in Japan, this update will prepare PlayStation 3 (PS3) to serve as a content management device. It will allow users to copy their digital content such as games, music, photos, and videos between PS Vita and PS3, back up PS Vita game games including save data to your PS3 hard drive, and update the system software for your PS Vita system using the network features of your PS3.
Think there’s no Santa? Well think again! Perhaps this app might interest parents, but we say it’s the KIDS that will have all the fun. That’s right, we’re talking about YOU. 9 in 1 app includes a Santa Tracker, Naughty/Nice List, Christmas Countdown, and Magic Compass. But our favorite 9 in 1 Santa’s Big Helper app should be the first thing you try; The Elf Cam. Night-vision proof that Santa is not only hard at work, but in your home. Super-fun and KidFriday recommended
For iPod Touch, iPhone, and iPad
Grab it for FREE, but only until December 1st. After that, we say the $.99 cents is still well worth it.
Super Mario 3D Land and The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword helped Nintendo to a successful kickoff of the holiday sales season.
The new Nintendo 3DS game, Super Mario 3D Land, which landed in stores Nov. 11, has become the fastest-selling portable Mario game in company history, selling more than 500,000 units since launch, says Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime.
Meanwhile, the Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, released for the Nintendo Wii on Sunday, Nov. 20, has sold 535,000 copies since its U.S. launch, making it the fastest-selling Zelda game ever, he says.
An Apple iPhone spontaneously began smoking and emitting a red glow while aboard an airplane in Australia. Passengers aboard Regional Express flight ZL319 were welcomed to their destination in Sydney, Australia on Friday by a frightening ordeal. According to the airline, a passenger’s iPhone began “emitting a significant amount of dense smoke” shortly after the flight landed, and the smoke was accompanied by a red glow. A flight attendant extinguished the device and no passengers or airline staff were injured according to the airline
via Apple iPhone spontaneously combusts aboard flight in Australia.
When we look at apps to recommend, we look for quality and fun. It also doesn’t hurt if you learn a little. “Ready to Sing with Andy Z: Scarecrow for iPad” has it all. Geared towards the younger crowd, this app for kids 4+ includes beautiful illustrations, fantastic music from kids songster Andy Z, and can read the story to you. You can also read the story yourself. Plus the added “sound effects” are icing on the cake. Price: $1.99. Highly recommended.
When we look at apps to recommend, we look for quality and fun. It also doesn’t hurt if you learn a little. “Ready to Sing with Andy Z: Scarecrow for iPad” has it all. Geared towards the younger crowd, this app for kids 4+ includes beautiful illustrations, fantastic music from kids songster Andy Z, and can read the story to you. You can also read the story yourself. Plus the added “sound effects” are icing on the cake. Price: $1.99. Highly recommended.
Microsoft plans to release a next-generation Kinect device so accurate it can lip read, sources have told Eurogamer.
Kinect 2 will come bundled with future Xbox consoles, we understand.
The intention is that Kinect 2 will offer improved motion sensing and voice recognition.
One development source told Eurogamer that Kinect 2 will be so powerful it will enable games to lip read, detect when players are angry, and determine in which direction they are facing.
Kinect 2 can track the pitch and volume of player voices and facial characteristics to measure different emotional states.
Gaming is an area where Apple’s iOS dominates. Though other platforms are beginning to catch up, many of the top games companies are still focussing on the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad.
Gaming is an area where Apple’s iOS dominates. Though other platforms are beginning to catch up, many of the top games companies are still focussing on the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad.
The special Christmas structure is made up from 1,000 carefully crafted baubles dangling from 172 branches.
Expert builders took two painstaking months to build the tree, unveiled to the public for the first time this morning at London’s Kings Cross St Pancras rail station.
Just the ticket to get commuters feeling festive.
Lots of great apps came out in 2011. Did your favorite make it on the list? See for yourself! Time magazine’s list is out for the iPhone, although a lot are iPod Touch compatible.
Lots of great apps came out in 2011. Did your favorite make it on the list? See for yourself! Time magazine’s list is out for the iPhone, although a lot are iPod Touch compatible.
The KidFriday Podcast was featured on ABC – KSTP TV. Take a behind the scenes look at KidFriday and the KidFriday.com Podcast. Hope you enjoy!
This is an app where you have a great time building the pizza of your dreams. Don’t like it? Just start a new one instead! But the bonus fun is where you can actually order the real pizza you created from Domino’s right from your Apple iPad or iPad2 (you must be connected to wifi or 3g). Hungry? Go get the FREE app and start kneading the dough, spreading the sauce, sprinkling the cheese…..
Microsoft’s growing retail footprint, in stores and online, comes with an obligation to participate in the annual Black Friday sales — at least if it wants to keep up with the competition in the madness that is post-Thanksgiving shopping in the United States.
The Microsoft Store retail site has put up a page teasing the company’s lineup of Black Friday deals, scheduled to start at 12 a.m. Pacific time Friday, and they’re not too shabby. The Microsoft Store’s Facebook page has additional details.
via Microsoft’s Black Friday: $100 Kinect, free Windows Phone, discounts on Office and games – GeekWire.
As we were watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on tv, we saw some sort of peanutmobile. Peanutmobile? This could be a tip-off to the rip off. Didn’t the Wienermobile come first? Wienermobile? Huh??
As we were watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on tv, we saw some sort of peanutmobile. Peanutmobile? This could be a tip-off to the rip off. Didn’t the Wienermobile come first? Wienermobile? Huh??
Enter the weight of your turkey, whether it’s stuffed, your desired internal temperature, and whether you plan to baste the turkey. Using algorithms based on top cookbook instructions, TurkeyTimer will track the approximate brownness of your turkey, the approximate internal temperature of your turkey, and about how long it will be until you can take the turkey out of the oven. This handy tool will even remind you when it’s time to baste the turkey.On sale for $.99 in the Apple App Store
Enter the weight of your turkey, whether it’s stuffed, your desired internal temperature, and whether you plan to baste the turkey. Using algorithms based on top cookbook instructions, TurkeyTimer will track the approximate brownness of your turkey, the approximate internal temperature of your turkey, and about how long it will be until you can take the turkey out of the oven. This handy tool will even remind you when it’s time to baste the turkey.On sale for $.99 in the Apple App Store
This is cool! A robot helps teach dental students in Japan practice before they work on your gums! First shown to the public in 2007, the “Simroid Dental Training Humanoid” looks pretty real to us. Check out the eyes and movement of this robot in action. Oh, and it talks. Just recently, the Simroid learned how to speak english in addition to Japanese. That’s one smart robot!!
Watch the video here. (hope you understand Japanese)
Well it probably has happened to you, and now we officially confirm it in our very own home. Kid Friday’s co-host, 10-year old Zoe has a case of Earworm. What is Earworm? Wikipedia, refers to it as “Music being stuck in one’s head.” In an episode of Spongebob Squarepants, Spongebob has a song stuck in his head that interrupts his day until Sandy Cheeks tries to find a way to get the worm out of his head. Sandy says “someone with musical talent” can cure him (in this case, Squidward). Squidward starts playing his clarinet. The Earworm gets annoyed and leaves. Squidward is then shown in bed, praising himself. The Earworm comes and goes into Squidward, and now Squidward has the Earworm (with his song, not Spongebob’s). We’re working hard to get the Earworm out of Zoe’s head. Listen for an update on the next Kid Friday Podcast.
Ya, forget Redbox or Blockbuster (if there’s any left near you), because today a whole bunch of Disney (including Pixar, and Drreamworks) movies are now available at YouTube.com/movies. Literally hundreds of Disney movies are now available to rent including Cars, Alice in Wonderland, and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. It’s going to be a nice long holiday weekend, so it might be a great opportunity to check out a favorite.
As we’ve mentioned before, the one and only day of the year to get a deal at your local Apple Store or at the official Apple Website is Black Friday. Yes, this Friday. Big discounts? Well, not really, but it’s better than full price. We say if you want an iPod, the deals at Target or Wal-Mart are better. You pay full price, but you get up to a $50 gift card. More info on the Official Apple Black Friday sale here.
Apple has allowed a video-game company to offer its titles by subscription on the iPad.
Big Fish Games, has become the first to offer users access to dozens of titles for $6.99 a month. They make some of the most popular games available. You are probably already playing at least one of them.
UPDATE: 10/24/11 Apple has just removed this from the Apple App Store. Big Fish Games has no idea why, and Apple declines to comment.
Netflix today announced that its “Just for Kids” section is now available to Netflix members in the U.S. on the Nintendo Wii™ game console.
Now go outside and play.
We like the word FREE. Like most free apps in the iTunes store these days this is the “lite” version. We’re fine with that. Check out “Bagatelle Pinball“
Apple is having a sale? Yes, but this is probably the only day for the next 365 days you’re going to see it. This Friday, Apple will be holding a worldwide shopping event to celebrate the U.S tradition of “Black Friday”. Apple’s Black Friday Sale is the one time you can actually walk into an Apple Store and get a deal on an iPod, Macbook, and more. Oh, and at the Apple website too. You snooze, you lose.
Apple is having a sale? Yes, but this is probably the only day for the next 365 days you’re going to see it. This Friday, Apple will be holding a worldwide shopping event to celebrate the U.S tradition of “Black Friday”. Apple’s Black Friday Sale is the one time you can actually walk into an Apple Store and get a deal on an iPod, Macbook, and more. Oh, and at the Apple website too. You snooze, you lose.
A website where you are the boss! Kid Friday’s very own Hannah is all signed up. This week she opened her online boutique for FREE at StyleOwner, a website where you can create your very own store and make real money. You get a commission of 10% on everything you sell, while StyleOwner does the rest. It’s super easy to start your own boutique. You don’t have to ship anything, get payment from anyone, or start your website from scratch. For starters, you can choose from over 2,000 templates that you can customize and make your own. Styleowner then has tons of real brand name products you can sell in your boutique including one of Hannah’s favorites, Wildfox. Check it out for yourself! She created a store called “The Bubble Room“. If you’re a fan of websites like Polyvore, Styleowner is right up your alley. Kid Friday will be discussing real hands-on experience with StyleOwner on an upcoming Kid Friday podcast. You can visit the StyleOwner website for more info.
Some elementary school kids play video games or ride bikes with their friends. Sixth-grader Thomas Suarez builds iOS apps — and has started a club at his school to encourage others to do the same. Doing his best Steve Jobs at a recent TEDx event in Manhattan Beach, he recounted his experience building and selling Earth Fortune and the Bustin Jieber whac-a-mole game, but pointed out that there wasn’t a clear path for other young would-be developers to do the same. “A lot of kids these days like to play games,” Suarez said, “but now they want to make them.” Hence his club, which any student can join to learn the basics of programming and app creation.
Suarez’s school also participates in one of Apple’s iPad pilot programs, which put the tablet into the hands of students and teachers for educational purposes. With feedback from teachers, Suarez’s club hopes to build apps to accommodate specific classroom needs. As for Suarez himself, he’s planning on building more games — and would like to tackle Android development next.
via Sixth-grade iOS developer starts school app club, wows in TEDx video | The Verge.
Apple’s new EasyPay self-checkout feature lets you pay for your own items at the Apple store, but it doesn’t yet have all the kinks worked out–at least in my experience.
The EasyPay feature requires you to download the latest 2.0 version of the Apple Store app. To buy an item, you’re supposed to scan its barcode with your iPhone’s camera, at which point it’s added to your shopping cart. You then pay for your goods using the credit card associated with your Apple ID and iTunes account.
Beyond letting you pay for your own items, the app allows you to order a product online and then pick it up at your nearby store.
via Apple Store’s new self-checkout: Nice, but not flawless | Apple – CNET News.
Apple’s new EasyPay self-checkout feature lets you pay for your own items at the Apple store, but it doesn’t yet have all the kinks worked out–at least in my experience.
The EasyPay feature requires you to download the latest 2.0 version of the Apple Store app. To buy an item, you’re supposed to scan its barcode with your iPhone’s camera, at which point it’s added to your shopping cart. You then pay for your goods using the credit card associated with your Apple ID and iTunes account.
Beyond letting you pay for your own items, the app allows you to order a product online and then pick it up at your nearby store.
via Apple Store’s new self-checkout: Nice, but not flawless | Apple – CNET News.
Run, run, run!!
Running Dino takes you back – way back – to the days when dinosaurs sprinted through the jungle, swinging from the trees!
Move Dino through the prehistoric wilderness, dodging obstacles and eating all the way!
Pig out on tasty, colorful pellets as you run along, and collect special items for bonuses, including a new life!
Jump over skulls and idols, dodge treacherous hanging rocks, and swing on vines across chasms! Run, run, run!!
via Running Dino by OOO Gameprom app detail :: 148Apps :: iPhone Application and Game Reviews and News.
Help Snoopy, Charlie Brown and the entire PEANUTS gang build and organize a street fair!
In this taptastic adventure you’ll decorate Charlie Brown’s neighborhood and fill it with a wealth of wonderful stalls and attractions. Recruit your favorite PEANUTS characters including Sally, Linus and Lucy, just to name a few.
While the rest of the gang is busy with the fair, Snoopy brings his own brand of mischief to the game. Depending on Snoopy’s costume he’ll pounce on piles of leaves, help redesign stalls dressed as Artist Snoopy or, in the case of his Beagle Scout costume, collect marshmallows with his beagle scout troop in tow. Each costume will also unlock a themed minigame including a lemonade making game, a color mixing game and a marshmallow roasting game.
Join Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Animal and the rest of the gang for the most sensational, inspirational, and celebrational TAP TAP music game ever!
TAP TAP MUPPETS features six full tracks — three of the most memorable songs from the tribute compilation, The Green Album, and three songs from the soundtrack to the movie event of the holidays, The Muppets!
Join Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Animal and the rest of the gang for the most sensational, inspirational, and celebrational TAP TAP music game ever!
TAP TAP MUPPETS features six full tracks — three of the most memorable songs from the tribute compilation, The Green Album, and three songs from the soundtrack to the movie event of the holidays, The Muppets!
It’s been a long time coming. You remember your first time punching trees, the first time hiding in a little hole you dug for yourself so the zombies couldn’t kill you, the first sword you crafted, and the first time a creeper blew all your handiwork to smithereens. The Alpha arrived, you tried out some buggy multiplayer. Huge glitches left giant gaps in the world, making for some easy mining. You couldn’t login for (what seemed like) a month. You built train tracks and Redstone traps. A little world for yourself. The Beta was released, and suddenly everything was new again. It was a whole new world to explore, and there were plenty more reasons to lock yourself up at night and hide from the monsters. You even played Minecraft – Pocket Edition on your phone. All this, before the game was even ready.
Nielsen’s latest report on consumers took a look at what kids were asking for as holiday gifts this year, and once again Apple’s iPad was king of the hill. In fact, Apple took the top three slots of most desired products, with the iPod touch and iPhone claiming numbers 2 and 3.
Though the iPad was most desired last year as well, demand for Apple’s tablet shot up to 44 percent of kids surveyed from the 31 percent who wanted one this time last year. The iPod touch and iPhone were on 30 percent and 27 percent of kids’ lists this year, while “non-iPad” tablets were on 25 percent of Santa letters.
Twenty-one percent claimed to want a smartphone other than the iPhone, but no single Android model had any mindshare among kids under the age of 13. Of those older than 13, 24 percent had the iPad at the top of their lists, while 17 percent wanted a non-Apple tablet.
A word of advice to parents doing holiday shopping this season? Skip over that bargain-bin, no-name Android tablet, even if that means kids won’t get a tablet at all this year. A kid that is sad for a week is better than one that hates you for a year for buying the wrong tablet.
via Apple iPad, iPod touch, iPhone top kids’ holiday wishlists this year.
Score and iPod! Holiday sales are on in force, and this year even a few Apple products are in the mix. The Apple TV is on sale for $89.99 at Amazon and Bestbuy.com, while the iPod touch, classic, and shuffle are $5 to $35 off, depending on the model. The iPod nano is excluded at Best Buy, though Amazon knocks a few bucks off depending on the color and storage capacity. Speaking of colors, if you want to save the most money on an iPod touch, don’t get your sights set on the shiny new white model — the black 16GB and 32 GB models are $10 and $15 cheaper, respectively.
via Apple TV and iPod prices cut at Amazon and Bestbuy.com | The Verge.
Wondering which games to buy for your iPad? Well, we’ve taken our best shot at putting together a list of top titles that we feel meet the criteria for a good iPad game.
And just what does make a good iPad game? We debated it for a while and narrowed it down to these five factors:
It’s gotta be fun (obviously).
Ergonomics (are the gameplay and control scheme well-suited to the iPad?)
Uniqueness (though many iPad games play well as upconverted, higher-resolution versions of their iPhone predecessors, we respect new, iPad-exclusive games).
Value (some of the best iPad games currently carry high price tags, but we also tried to include titles we thought were simply a good value).
Show-off quotient (extra points if the game flat-out looks good).
Surely you’ve heard of Words With Friends by now, haven’t you? I figure, if my mom plays it, that’s a pretty good benchmark for the entire world knowing about a video game. Well, if you haven’t, here’s the gist- Words With Friends is basically the game of Scrabble with a social cross-platform twist. Utilizing the magic of asynchronous multiplayer and push alerts, you can play games of Scrabble with friends across the world. Cooler yet, it doesn’t matter if your friends have Android phones or are even playing the Facebook version of the game… It just works.
You know how around Halloween you bought five bags of Fun Size Snickers to give out to trick or treaters, but somehow only three bags made it into the candy bowl and now you’re feeling really bloated and gross and you really need to look good for upcoming holiday parties so you’re eating grilled salmon three times a day and that would be fine, except all you can think about is how you really want to eat a bunch of donuts and cake and candy? Yeah, uh, me neither. However, it’s obvious that the people at Com2uS were in throes of weight loss-related fantasy when creating their latest game, Chocohero [$.99].
Those concerned about Amazon’s curated Kindle Fire app approach have less and less reason to be concerned; in addition to the slew of games, Netflix, and Pandora announced earlier this week, Amazon’s got ESPN and Hulu Plus in its stable.
That takes care of a lot of heavy hitters, although the fact that Amazon feels compelled to announce which apps will be available in some way only underscores the fact that many won’t. Any app that requires GPS, for instance. But as long as I can get pushed my horribly depressing Redskins score updates, maybe I’ll be too distracted to notice.
Today at GigaOm’s RoadMap conference in San Francisco, Pandora CTO Tom Conrad revealed that his company aims to monetize the vast majority of listeners who pay little or nothing per year for music. Conrad explained that “Over half of the U.S. doesn’t pay anything for music each year”. He continued that another 40% of the population only pay about $15 a year, the cost of an album or two. While there are opportunities to build businesses on the 10% who are willing to pay more, Pandora’s plans to focus on monetizing the majority via advertisements. Other music companies might be wise to target the non-paying segment as well.
via Pandora CTO Reveals Half of The U.S. Pays $0 For Music | TechCrunch.
With the PS Vita’s February launch drawing ever closer, Sony’s working to get developers of all sizes and types on board. To that end, it just announced a closed beta for the PlayStation Suite SDK, which lets Windows 7 and Windows XP users start developing for the PS Vita, as well “PlayStation Certified” devices in the PS Suite, such as the Android-powered Xperia Play.
via The Verge.