Microsoft is continuing its regular monthly updates this month, with a number of changes to both of its Surface tablets. The “Patch Tuesday” updates are rolling out immediately and for Surface Pro users they’ll include some improvement in Wi-Fi connectivity and stability. There’s also a video driver update to improve Skype and a specific OpenGL bug in Adobe Photoshop. Finally, there’s an update to enable the PXE boot feature, an option that administrators typically use to install a copy of Windows across a network. There’s no sign of the updated Wacom driver for improved sensitivity in desktop apps.
Surface RT owners will get a driver pack with the latest update that includes a specific improvement in the speaker volume. Owners have…
Airbnb’s Android app just scored a significant refresh, including some major design tweaks and additional tools for hosts. Version 2.0 adds two features that should make it easier for property managers to interact with guests efficiently, including the ability to update calendar availability and pre-approve users from any compatible Android handset — that latter feature hit the iOS app in December. There are also quite a few bug fixes in tow, according to the release notes — push notifications should now be working, for example. The focus here is on host usability, however. According to a TechCrunch report, only five percent of hosts current use the Android app, and while these additions should streamline operation, they’re unlikely to account for a major shift from the web interface.
Via: TechCrunch
Source: Airbnb (Google Play)
Related Posts:Evernote updates its Windows Phone app, Evernote Hello, Skitch for Android Evernote has also updated its Windows Phone app and has introduced a host of new features. The latest version now allows a user to search, create or edit Business Notebooks, which he can share with his office colleagues. And finally it has given more … Read more on BGR India
Microsoft officially announced 130000 Windows Phone apps Microsoft also noted 15,000 Windows Phone 8 specific apps, 40,000 developer registrations in the last 90 days and 500,000 downloads of the Windows Phone 8 SDK. All of this was associated with 75% increase in app downloads, 91% increase in paid app … Read more on WMPoweruser.com
Nokia Lumia 521 bringing Windows Phone 8 pizazz exclusively to T-Mobile Neither Nokia nor T-Mobile USA are spilling too many beans on the Lumia 521, but needless to say, it's heading exclusively to Señorita Magenta in the near future. Announced in a blurb here at Mobile World Congress, the Windows Phone 8 handset will … Read more on Engadget
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The folks over at Dijit have been busy as the year draws to an end, issuing updates for both their universal remote app and NextGuide tablet app that promises to help us escape traditional grids. The newest version of the Dijit remote (a free app that brings control features when paired with Griffin’s Beacon) is now integrated with NextGuide, allowing users to share profiles across the software, the welcome addition of a “record to DVR” button for DirecTV subscribers, a refreshed UI, accessibility enhancements and finally support for iThing screens of various shapes, sizes and resolutions. The NextGuide app itself also has a new feature, with “Clips” which pulls in additional short videos from Hulu that tie into whatever actor, show or anything else you may be watching, plus an easier setup process and autofill search box. The apps themselves are free, snag them at the source links below.
Filed under: Tablets, Software, HD
Source: Dijit Remote (iTunes), NextGuide (iTunes)
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I’ve used a few wireless, always-on webcams in my day and I’ve found Dropcam to be the best. Suddenly, however, Dropcam just got better.
Dropcam cameras connect wirelessly to the Internet, allowing you to connect to them remotely and watch live audio and video from anywhere. They had a few basic apps available, including an iPhone-only app that offered very little in the way of usability on the iPad.
The new app, however, allows you to place up to four of your Dropcams on the same page. If you have more, you can simply swipe to move to another set of four. It also allows you to play back events on the camera with a simple draggable interface. The video is crisp and clean and looks great. It essentially turns the iPad into a fairly capable security camera system.
“It wasn’t easy to build,” said Greg Duffy, Dropcam CEO. “In fact, we even had to write our own video decoding framework for iPad.”
The quality is quite nice – the $ 149 Dropcam HD supports 720p streaming – and the app even includes a number of public Dropcams that display pet stores and beaches around the world. “We think it’s pretty game-changing, because we’re now the only ones in the space with realtime 720p video, multicam, and seamless DVR browsing all figured out on iPad,” said Duffy.
I rarely like to talk about app updates – usually they’re blips in the app store – but this one was pretty interesting. Now I can turn my Dropcams on myself and watch myself from all angles. Maybe I’ll make the feeds public.
Curious as to how well Google plays with the governments of the world? Well, you need look no further than the company’s latest Transparency Report, which details instances of content removal and user data requests over a six month span. And in this latest issuance, Mountain View’s pulling the curtain back once again, revealing its rate of compliance alongside the actual number of individual account access requests it’s received. Topping out the list with the highest amount of private / public cooperation is none other than the United States at a near fully submissive 90-percent, with Japan and Denmark following closely behind. There’s no need to dole out the conspiracy theories just yet though — the majority of these events are linked to criminal investigations and copyright infringement complaints. Still, it’s an eye-opening glimpse into the life of our personal data and the price you pay for free services. Check out the source below to parse the granular bits of privacy data on display.
Filed under: Internet, Alt, Google
Google updates Transparency Report, pledges compliance to the US of A originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Nov 2012 02:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Microsoft recently issued its “Security Bulletin Advance Notification” for this month, detailing which operating systems and software will be updated on November 13th. While many products are being addressed, including Office for Mac, newly released Windows 8 and RT are the most notable entries on the list. The first patches since they hit the market will fix “critical” issues which open them up to “remote code execution.” Microsoft hasn’t gone into specifics (obviously), but you can register for a webcast being held on the 14th (see source link) should you want enlightening. If you thought your fresh machine or slate was flawless, we’re afraid to say it’s just another member of the ‘Patch Tuesday’ club.
Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Software, Microsoft
Microsoft’s November security updates include critical Windows 8 and RT patches originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 10 Nov 2012 02:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Whether you have streaming-savvy children, or are just a big kid yourself, Hulu has added a new section to its bulging catalogue specifically for you. Hulu Kids puts all the ad-free shows available to Plus subscribers in one place, and splits them into categories for filtering, say, only dinosaur-related programs. The section has its own website, or can now be accessed through the obvious option in the Browse menu. PS3 owners will be happy to know the Hulu Plus app has been updated, too, bringing back the Blu-Ray remote functionality that was, for some wacky reason, removed in the last update. And, what better way is there to relax after a humiliating public defeat than dropping the controller, and taking in a calming dose of SpongeBob?
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, Software, HD
Hulu adds Kids section for little streamers, updates PS3 app with renewed remote support originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Nov 2012 14:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Competition in the low-cost tablet space has been heating up for a while now thanks to strong new hardware from the likes of Asus, Google, and Barnes & Noble, but it seems the time has come for the Kindle Fire hucksters at Amazon to go on the offensive against a very prominent rival: Apple’s iPad mini.
The company has recently given its homepage a facelift with a very prominent comparison between the 7-inch Kindle Fire HD and the iPad mini sitting right at the top. Most of it is pretty tame and points out the disparity in features between the two tablets (ex. the Fire HD sports a higher resolution display and smarter speaker layout than the mini), but the kicker here is the quote Amazon used to drive its point home. It’s a brief snippet culled from a Gizmodo post by Brent Rose on Apple’s perceived hypocrisy when it came to crafting a smaller tablet:
“…your [Apple’s] 7.9-inch tablet has far fewer pixels than the competing 7-inch tablets! You’re cramming a worse screen in there, charging more, and accusing others of compromise? Ballsy.”
For better or worse Amazon lopped off the beginning of that paragraph, which began with “Are. You. Fucking. Kidding. Me.” Sort of a shame, methinks — it would’ve made Amazon’s point that much stronger, though I’m pleased as punch to see Amazon allow such a prominent reference to balls on its front page.
It’s hardly the first time that Amazon has sought to position its tablets as a strong competitor to the iPad — Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos noted in an interview with AllThingsD that he felt the 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HD was “the best tablet at any price” — but this move represents a considerable change in tone for Amazon. Then again, this sort of trash-talking seems to be quickly becoming par for the course in the industry — when Apple officially revealed the iPad mini earlier this month, SVP of Worldwide Marketing Phil Schiller jabbed at smaller tablets (and Google and Asus’s own Nexus 7 in particular) by basically crapping on the sorts of experiences that they’re capable of delivering.
“Others have tried to make tablets smaller than the iPad, and they’ve failed miserably,” Schiller noted on-stage.
One has to wonder what exactly has prompted Amazon to go on the offensive, and it may be that surging sales momentum may have given the company a shot in the proverbial arm. According to a statement Amazon released on Friday, the 7-inch Kindle Fire HD enjoyed its biggest day of sales since launch on the same day that Apple’s iPad mini announcement took place. It went on to note that sales for the Seattle company’s tablet lifted “3x week over week” on the day of Apple’s event, though exactly what that works out to in numbers is unclear since Amazon tends to be infuriatingly vague when it comes to concrete Kindle sales figures.
With a season of unabashed consumerism nearly upon us, we’ll soon see if Amazon’s new approach to appealing to would-be tablet purchasers pans out. In the meantime, here’s a tip for anyone from Amazon who may be reading this — next time you need an feisty anti-iPad quote or five, you should spend some time checking out our comments section. Pure gold, I’m telling you.
We’ve got some new and interesting numbers to share about iOS 6 adoption three weeks after launch, from a couple of different sources, both of which show users continue to update to the new mobile OS from Apple. There are also some interesting differences depending on region, with some countries lagging far behind the U.S. in terms of adoption and some surging far ahead.
First, from Chitika, the news that iOS 6 adoption has climbed to just a hair shy of 68 percent on iPhone devices, based on a snapshot taken October 10 of the traffic coming through millions of ad impressions on Chitika’s network. The iPad is at 51 percent running iOS 6, passing the tipping point of more than half of all users, and the iPod rose to just over 42 percent. Chitika thinks that part of the reason behind the differences might be the overabundance of older devices still in use in the iPod segment that can’t upgrade to iOS 6, whereas all but first-generation iPads are currently compatible, and iPhones enjoy a quicker turnover cycle with consumers thanks to carrier upgrade incentives. Overall, iOS 6 adoption sits at 58.88 percent, according to Chitika’s data.
The numbers from Chartboost paint a slightly different picture. Overall, they see iOS 6 adoption sitting at just under 50 percent. That’s still an improvement from when it showed growth nearly stalling last week, but considerably under Chitika’s picture. But both continue to show an upwards trend.
In addition to looking at overall OS version adoption, Chartboost also broke down country-by-country uptake, and that showed some interesting variances depending on where users are in the world. Top iOS 6-adopting nations include Italy (65 percent), Germany (62.3 percent), the Netherlands (60.6 percent) and the UK (57.6 percent). On the other end of the spectrum, China is among the lowest adopting countries, with just 24.5 percent on iOS 6. You can see a number of other nations in the chart below.
One more chart from Chitika below shows how various countries stack up relative to the U.S. The geographical iOS 6 adoption breakdown provides an interesting look at where users are more eager to be on the latest version, but other factors like device distribution and access to reliable Wi-Fi connections could be at play.
