Microsoft to rebrand the Marketplace as Windows Phone Store?

You'll soon be purchasing apps from the Store
In the recent announcement of Microsoft launching the new Developer Center for the Windows Phone community, the company has also revealed a potential rebranding of the Windows Phone Marketplace. This is an expected move, which we'll rate as a strong possibility
. The Windows 8 Store is present in the next version of Microsoft's desktop operating system, so to remain consistent it makes sense to bring in a new name.
Windows 8, which will be powering not only desktop and laptops but tablets as well, will sport Microsoft's first real attempt at implementing an app store on its platform to rival the likes of Apple with its App Store. As well as that, we've got the Xbox Music Store replacing the Zune music service. "Store" appears to be chosen to brand Microsoft's online stores providing content to consumers through its products.


So what's happening with the mobile platform? Say hello to the Windows Phone Store. This will look to be the new home for all Windows Phone apps once Apollo is launched later this year. Microsoft has yet to announce the change officially, but we can safely expect it to become reality.
What do you make of the Marketplace rebranding?

View the original article here

Read more »

Posted in: Marketplace,Microsoft,Phone,rebrand,store,Windows

From the Forums: Should HTC focus on Windows Phone and which Surface tablet would you buy?

It's that time of the week where we bring you the latest and greatest threads that have been hot on the Windows Phone Central forums the past couple of days. Our community accumulates posts at a steady rate and interesting discussions take place on a daily basis. So what has been happening over the weekend just gone?
kylej1050
has created a new thread asking the question, "Surface Pro vs RT?" Looking to replace a laptop, which Microsoft tablet would cater for his needs?

"I'm looking to replace my convertible laptop with a Surface, and I can't help but think that as nice as the Pro's functionality would be, I don't need the horsepower in my daily life and for the price difference I could program MCUs on a $300 Wal-mart special e-machine with Windows 8 next year. Only thing that's making me think otherwise is that I really really really want the full HD screen."

It's a burning question on many minds who are anticipating Microsoft's Windows 8 hardware. Should you go for more horsepower with the Pro, or sit back and relax with the cheaper RT version? Let us know in the comments what you'll be going for, as well as joining in the debate on our forums.
What should HTC do?

With the recent news of HTC continuing to drop in profits, one has to ask if there's a stable future with Android. While the company is still making ends meet and is shipping enough handsets for a tidy sum left after expenditure, would it be wise for HTC to start pushing Windows Phone more too? 12Danny123
asks exactly that,

"Do you think that after what happened to HTC. do you think that they should come back and focus more on Wp8 now. because HTC simply can't compete with Samsung in the android space. though Samsung is now putting more into Wp8 as well. So what do you guys think?"

HTC's home is Android for the foreseeable future, and there's no way it could survive with Microsoft alone, but it seems odd that the manufacturer would continue to support a platform with new handsets without promoting and supporting them like Nokia with its Lumia family of Windows Phones. Do you believe HTC should get into bed more with Microsoft? Pop into the "Do you think that HTC should focus more on WP8 now for what happened before" thread for discussion.
Miscellaneous: Why is no one talking TITAN II? 
The HTC TITAN II, a Windows Phone we rate highly for its massive screen and solid camera performance. As we mentioned above, HTC hasn't been pushing its Windows Phone line-up, which has led to the slow decline in sales and exposure. Forum member cp2_4eva
wonders why the recently purchased TITAN II isn't being talked about.

"HTC messed up I think by not pushing this and decreasing the price point as well. This phone may not have been as big as the Nokia Lumia, but still probably could have pushed more numbers. Oh, and I guess the sketchy support could be an issue as well. Nokia is being really really good with the support so far. I think I'd still get a Nokia device once WP8 drops. That was part of my reasoning for trying the titan, because I know I'm simply just going to get a WP8 device for Christmas if it's out by then."

This sits in nicely with our question about what HTC should do in the future. Would you like to see the manufacturer push harder, or do you believe it's down to carriers to take the smartphones and sell them? Voice your opinion in the "Why aren't folks talking about the TII?" thread.

View the original article here

Read more »

Posted in: focus,Forums,Phone,Should,surface,tablet,which,Windows,would

HTC Arrive hits End Of Life at Sprint in time for Apollo hardware?

Going, going, going... ah hello, Apollo!
Sprint is slowing phasing out the much loved HTC Arrive, according to Windows Phone Central forum member iknowsingh
. Travelling down to the Sprint corporate store on 42nd street in New York, iknowsingh notes that the Arrive was nowhere to be seen. Confirmation came in that it was also not present at three local Sprint authorised retailers with no Arrives in stock.
A representative was able to explain that the HTC Arrive was listed as EOL after the last price change and software update. The device is still listed in the system and on the carrier website, where it can be picked up for just $49.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate.
The Windows Phone has constantly been praised by owners, who are among the most dedicated and patriotic of the community. It also boasts immaculate reviews on the official Sprint website, blowing other smartphones out the water. There's no denying - it's a solid device.


The news of the HTC Arrive reaching it's EOL sounds plausible with Windows Phone 8 just around the corner. Sprint is said to have cold feet with supporting the platform in its next line-up, but to make the Arrive slowly die off seems like the carrier is preparing to catch an Apollo device or two. Then again, it also makes sense to dump the Windows Phone with less adopters coming on-board due to the announcement of Windows Phone 7.8. Unfortunately, this will mean it's unlikely current owners will receive Tango, but there are other means to an end (manual updating and custom ROMs), right?
What do you guys make of Sprint's possible move to kill off the Arrive in time for Apollo? Be sure to join in the discussion over on our forums.

View the original article here

Read more »

Posted in: Apollo,Arrive,hardware,Sprint

Home Depot using Windows Phone-like kiosks in stores

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and that’s what we seem to have here at the Home Depot. According to one of our readers, Nate B., at least one of their stores has this new kiosk on display.
The obelisk looks a lot like a giant Windows Phone that’s been repositioned for the Home Depot’s uses although it retains a very Metro-Tile look and feel. Heck, the tiles even flip to reveal more info!
No word if these are going elsewhere or if Microsoft is involved but we do like the idea of Metro (or whatever it will be called) spreading around.
Check the video of it in action after the break and don’t forget, you can grab the Home Depot app for Windows Phone here. Thanks, Nate, for the video!

View the original article here

Read more »

Posted in: Depot,kiosks,Phonelike,stores,using,Windows

Deal alert – CleverPhoto for Windows Phone is now free

We reviewed CleverPhoto way back in October 2011 and gave it quite favorable feedback:

“The layout is clean. The editing tools are enough to do a decent job at cleaning up your photos or give them an artistic feel. And as someone who has processed what feels like a bazillion photos over the years, the editing history tile is a very nice touch. It's easy to forget if you've adjusted contrast or what filter was applied and the history tile leaves no room for doubt.”

The photo editing app always stood out amongst the herd. The app fetched for $1.49 with a free trial but it is now marked as free in the Marketplace with the price drop just occurring. In addition, the app hit version 2.0 at the end of July making this a double win if you had not already purchased it...
The app has some unique features and a Metro layout that should please most casual shooters out there. So our advice? Go get it now while you can.
Pick up CleverPhoto for free in the Marketplace. Thanks, @amazing_AG, for the heads up

View the original article here

Read more »

Posted in: alert,CleverPhoto,Phone,Windows

Farm Frenzy 2: Pizza Party served up hot and fresh on the Windows Phone Marketplace

Over the weekend Windows Phone Central reported on a killer bug introduced in the latest Farm Frenzy 2
update. Since then, developer Alawar notified us that they are indeed aware of the problem and working on a fix. They also let us in on some good news: they have a new game on the Marketplace.
Farm Frenzy 2: Pizza Party
is an expansion to the enjoyable Xbox Live game. But unlike its predecessor, Alawar has chosen to self-publish Pizza Party as a non-Xbox Live title. The decision seems to stem from Pizza Party’s similarity to Farm Frenzy 2; it is an expansion, not a true sequel. The Farm Frenzy series is already several games large on other platforms. By publishing this one as an indie title, Alawar can get Windows Phone caught up more quickly and without publishing too many similar Xbox Live releases.
As I’ve mentioned, Pizza Party
is quite similar to the Farm Frenzy 2 many of us know and love. It offers another whopping 90 levels of time and resource management. As before, each level provides varying starting resources and goals. Most often players will need to acquire a specific number of animals or produce certain goods in order to win the level. To do that, you’ll collect whatever your animals drop, catch invading bears (?), process some goods, and sell others on the market. Money earned from completing levels can then be spent on new buildings and upgrades, which in turn allow you to process and produce new goods.
So where does the pizza come in? Pizza Party
imagines that agriculture and pizza chains are closely related. Basically, players can now make different kinds of pizzas from the goods they gather on the farm. It doesn’t change the gameplay in any major way (less so than say, Sally’s Spa compared to Sally’s Salon), but hey, that’s why it’s called Farm Frenzy 2: Pizza Party instead of Farm Frenzy 3. Fans who enjoyed the previous game will likely enjoy a big batch of new levels, and who doesn’t love pizza?
Farm Frenzy 2: Pizza Party
costs $2.99 (same as its predecessor) and there is a free trial. Get it here on the Marketplace.
View the original article here

Read more »

Posted in: Frenzy,Fresh,Marketplace,Party,Phone,Pizza,served,Windows

Poll - What should be the new name of Metro UI for Microsoft?

With the news coming reported last week that Microsoft is in the process of abandoning the name ‘Metro’ to describe their unifying new user interface, we asked you what they should rename it?

Of course your choice will have no bearing on the matter—so we think—but it is still fun to see if we can out-do Microsoft in this area. And knowing Microsoft’s past, it should not be too hard.

The Windows Phone community responded with nearly 450 comments with each one often containing multiple entries for a new Metro name. We parsed those names and chose the top six from the list of which we thought sounded good or had positive feedback from fellow commenters.  Those top six entries are...

current  by expectafightmotion by mondokjmPure by J4rrodgenUI by keppncosmo by al.cantaraMicrosoft Unity by calbro

The poll is simple: vote for your favorite new Metro name and the winner gets a $50 gift certificate to our store for anything they want. Poll closes in 2 days at 6pm EST. If on mobile, please go to m.wpcentral.com to vote in your browser.

And who knows, maybe Microsoft will take note too.

View the original article here

Read more »

Posted in: Metro,Microsoft,should

Rumor: Leaked yellow Nokia prototype is the ‘Phi’ Lumia 800 successor

Is this the Nokia 'Phi' Lumia 800 sequel?

File this under rumor but certainly plausible. The fan site Nokia Innovations is reporting that the alleged Nokia prototype phone that was leaked last night is in fact the Nokia ‘Phi’. Mind you that’s the code-name not product name, much like the Ace and SeaRay were used for the Lumia 900 and 800 respectively. What’s interesting about Nokia Innovation’s post is that it slghtly pre-dated those images by a few hours as that site was expecting their own images to come forward too.

The notion that Nokia would make a successor to the Lumia 800 is not far fetched at all. It’s a wildly popular design, one that we prefer even over the Lumia 900 due to the curved screen. Evidently Nokia CEO Stephen Elop was impressed with the Lumia 800 that he doesn’t want to let the design go, just have it evolve which to our ears makes sense.

So without further ado, here are some of the rumored specifications of the Lumia 800 successor aka the ‘Phi’...

It has the same curved screen but bigger screen size (cannot confirm if it will be bigger than the Lumia 900s 4.3inch or the same) hence it will be thicker and far heavier than the Lumia 800. [Edit: We've heard it is closer to ~4.65 inches --Daniel]It has the same form factor, that is, polycarbonate unibody with irreplaceable battery (just like the Lumia800)No physical buttons on the front4 physical buttons on the right side: up/down vol keys, power button and cameraIt will run on a Qualcomm Dual Core CPU (First Nokia Dual Core WP8 phone)It will have external SD card slotNFC chip on board.LTE enabled

Many people in our comments noted that the phone shown last night is a Lumia 800. But unless the person holding it has unusually small hands, the phone seems bigger than the minute Lumia 800 which only has a 3.7” screen. Indeed, this looks like something in-between the Lumia 800 and 900 with a 4” or bigger display.

It also helps explain the discrepancies with the speaker and slight changes in design. As to why the old flag versus the new one, that is certainly curious although perhaps it was used for 'open' testing and having the new flag may be a dead giveaway.

This device is rumored to be ready for shipment by the end of October, that may lend credence to the idea of why these images leaked in the first place. If coming out of China these images may have originated from one of Nokia’s partners for manufacturing much like the original SeaRay video that was leaked last summer.

Thoughts? Sound off in comments.

Source: Nokia Innovations; Thanks, Simon, of WeLoveWP.HK

View the original article here

Read more »

Posted in: leaked,Lumia,Nokia,prototype,Rumor,successor,yellow

Sprint still has cold feet with Windows Phone 8

With AT&T, T-Mobile and even Verizon reportedly on board with Windows Phone 8, Sprint is the last holdout for a major US carrier in supporting Windows Phone 8. While some of our readers erroneously entertain notions that the carrier will embrace Microsoft’s next iteration of their OS, we’ve been very cautious in agreeing.
In a recent interview on All-Things D, Sprint VP David Owens is once again pouring some cold water on customer’s hopes for a big Windows Phone 8 push this fall. The carrier has 90% of their late 2012-2013 lineup already in place but what role Microsoft will play in that in unclear.
Speaking to Ina Fried, Owens notes that they are interested in Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 but they may not be the leader this fall...

“The market impact of both Windows 8 and the next iPhone are also key factors that are a bit hard to predict, Owens said.
As for Windows 8, Sprint said it wants to be actively involved, but may not lead the charge. It sees some clear opportunities but is also mindful that its last Windows Phone, the HTC Arrive, was one of the more returned products in the company’s recent history. Owens said that many buyers of that phone were coming from Android and found Windows Phone’s unique operating system hard to get used to.”

If that sounds like Sprint is distancing themselves from Microsoft we would have to agree.
We do understand that carriers need to strategically think of their next move and having caution over a new OS is certainly warranted. But we think Sprint is going to miss the boat again this fall, leaving customers high and dry (or maybe underwhelmed with a single device release).
Here at Windows Phone Central
we don’t endorse any carrier—it’s a personal choice mostly dependent on your wallet and just as importantly, your actual signal coverage. Still, although we’ve been a customer of Sprint since 2000 and are on the cost-effective SERO plan, we’re getting ready to abandon them soon and we suggest some of you start considering doing the same as the fall approaches.
Update: Another quote from Owens via Phonescoop sheds more light on the issue. Here, Owens does not commit to Windows Phone 8 exactly but notes that they will be participating:

 "We think Windows Phone 8 is a solid product that they are bringing to market. We're interested in watching it unfold over the course of the next year. And we won't be watching from the sidelines. We'll be participating. We may not lead it, but we'll participate."

To our ears that sounds like they'll dip their toe into the Windows Phone 8 pool but with only one or two devices.
Source: All Things D

View the original article here

Read more »

Posted in: Phone,Sprint,still,Windows

Windows Phone 8 Bluetooth profile now publicly listed

The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) has published the profile for upcoming Windows Phone 8 on its website, which reaffirms what has been previously extracted through scouring the leaked Windows Phone 8 SDK. According to the profile listing, Apollo will support the transfer of files between smartphones.
Moving up from Windows Phone 7.5 both the headset profile and serial protocol are missing from the specification read out, while Audio/Video Remote Control and Audio/Video Control Transport Protocol are sporting new versions, 1.4 and 1.3 respectively. To top everything off, it's Bluetooth 3 and not the latest version 4, which the Apple iPhone 4S already features.
Hopefully we'll be able to see Bluetooth in action soon with upcoming Windows Phone 8 hardware.
Source: Bluetooth SIG, via: WMPU

View the original article here

Read more »

Posted in: Bluetooth,listed,Phone,profile,publicly,Windows

Windows Essentials 2012 drops Live branding but makes up for it with new features

Windows Live Essentials has been part of most Windows Users standard installation for many years now. This familiar and ‘essentials’ set of applications does much to make Windows come to life as a useful productivity tool. Providing photo editing, movie making, blogging, email, synchronising and instant messaging apps, ‘Essentials’ forms a solid backbone for basic computing throughput when using Microsoft operating systems.
Whereas a certain other well-known fruit themed OSX has the luxury of these types of applications being built in, Microsoft decided after Vista to detangle these common apps from their OS. In part to make future updates easier to deliver and in part due to avoid any undue and potentially messy encounters with anti-trust bodies. So what’s the skinny on Essentials 2012?
Essentials and Windows 8
In many ways Essentials is left in a precarious place with Windows 8. Microsoft’s newest OS is to come with its own new set of bundled ‘apps’, pre-installed and run within the WinRT environment we once referred to as  Metro. These new touch friendly WinRT apps cover instant messaging, email and calendaring, whilst not as sophisticated or indeed as complete  as ‘Essentials’ there remains an odd overlap of functionality.
We haven’t yet seen the final WinRT apps that cover mail, calendar, photos that set to be included with Windows 8. Our guess is that the current limited functionality of current WinRT apps will be replaced over time with ever-increasing features and services, eventually obviating the need for ‘Essentials’. For now though, if you have a Windows 8 machine and want to get on with some real productivity, you’ll need to install Windows Essentials to complement the existing, functionally incomplete WinRT offerings. Hopes that Windows 8 would allow us to ditch the traditional desktop have faded fast, until the feature gaps in WinRT and its accompanying apps has been filled we’re going to be back and forth between the two environments for a while to come.
Rebranding or not?
Microsoft in their desire to dispel some of the confusing branding will be dropping the Live name from Essentials, but we find ourselves looking at Windows Live Mail rather than Windows Mail or Windows Essentials Mail. Also, Windows Live Messenger is still showing its old name. It's only Movie Maker and Photo Gallery that drop the Live name. This seems odd, Essentials 2012 will, of course be available to users of Windows 7, and perhaps changing the names of the apps too is seen as a step too far for the millions of existing users already used to that name? We’d love to know why the re-branding is incomplete as it remains confusing, perhaps even more so now.
Messenger And Windows Live Mail
Windows Live Messenger continues to look very much the same as before, the only noticeable change of note seems to be the addition of a basic green camera icon next to a contacts name. Windows Live Mail also doesn’t appear to have very much changed if at all, let’s move on…

Windows Live Messenger - Windows Essentials 2012 update shows Camera Icon in Status
There is Life beyond Live!
Expecting this to only be a rebranding exercise, it comes as a little surprise to see that some applications pick up some changes.
Photo Gallery gets a few nice updates, as well as an updated SkyDrive icon it also gains the ability to upload your videos up to Vimeo. As Photo Gallery also supports browsing videos in your collection this is a nice touch, saves it from having to live only in the Movie Maker. Photo Gallery also now has the ability to do an 'Auto Collage,' combining selected photos into a crazy patchwork hipster art student style image, wild stuff! Actually this is neat and with images that are tonally similar or with a series of similar shots the results can be interesting enough.

Choose Some Photos to Auto Collage

 Auto Collage Results - Crazy times with Lemons and Limes
Movie Maker picks up some neat additions including image stabilisation, and it can now integrate with background music services to help liven up your movies. You can now delve deeper into audio editing with some handy new tricks for emphasising video, music or narration for your projects. Text overlaid onto video also sees a minor but important ability to be outlined. Surely that will elicit a sigh of relief to those who struggled with text placement and text colour choice in the past. Best of all, the new kid on the block H.264 is now the standard video type for projects.

Video stabilisation controls Movie Maker
Final Thoughts
Essentials 2012 is rather confusing in its message. It appears on the surface to be a rebranding exercise but deeper in, the Live name still existing in abundance. If this suite of apps were to bring Essentials in line with Windows in the 2012 timeframe then the package misses its goal. On the whole the package lacks any real design pointers to Windows 8. Generally these apps continue with all the same graphical assets as before, much more in keeping with its pseudo Windows XP/Vista/Windows 7 style UI themes. It remains an odd mix of styles that keep it out of step with every OS that it’s existed on or will be run on. The latest version of Office shows what could have been done with the UI to bring it in line with Windows 8.
These applications have traditionally been at the forefront of helping showcase a new version of Windows. In many cases these applications may be the only productivity applications some users will ever own. With the arrival of Windows 8 we shall not only see duality of functionality between ‘apps’ and applications, we’ll also be darting back and forth between WinRT apps and the traditional desktop in order to get the meaty stuff done.
The message in relation to Windows 8 story is mixed: in an ideal world, apps already present in WinRT would have all the deep functionality embedded to negate installing Essentials 2012 and avoid the classic/WinRT flip flopping that can become visually distressing at times. This looks increasingly unlikely. Perhaps the touch UI challenge and re-working is too complex and too time consuming to bother?
Essentials 2012 picks up some surprising new features, and perhaps feature development hadn’t come to a standstill; there could be more updates coming. There will remain many Windows 7 machines, so future updates would be nice to keep the older OS up to speed. Alternatively, this could be the last hurrah for these desktop-orientated applications as the team moves to bring all those apps to Windows 8 new touch-friendly UI. I’m personally a long time Essentials user. I certainly hope if they do keep the applications in development for the desktop they bring the UI in line with Windows 8, ditch those ads in Messenger, and make the IM client much more like their beautiful Lync application. If Microsoft draws the line here, fingers are crossed for beautifully designed WinRT replacements of the whole suite.
Whilst many of you may not even be Windows users we’d still very much like to hear your thoughts on Windows Essentials. Was this what you’d expect from a 2012 release? What do you think of the Windows 8 apps that fill some of this functionality? Do you think MS will draw the line with these apps and go all out to get WinRT replacements or just carry on throwing Windows 8 users back into the desktop to get stuff done? We value your thoughts…always…
Download either the Full Installer or Web Install.
Source: Windows Team Blog

View the original article here

Read more »

Posted in: branding,drops,Essentials,features,makes,Windows

App Hub retired – meet the new Windows Phone Dev Center

Microsoft today has announced the replacement for the App Hub dev portal. It's said to have been months in the making and having the underpinnings of a more robust and scalable backend the site is available to use now.Among new feature highlights, the new website includes support of PayPal to pay for your developer account as well as be paid from the Marketplace. You are also now able to choose unique prices for each region as well as conduct far bigger beta tests encompassing thousands of testers if needed.

Interestingly the announcement goes on to mention that The Dev Center will support the in-app purchasing previously announced for Windows Phone 8. The included, ‘Whats New’ page makes it clear that it is Windows Phone 8 only that will support this model for purchasing. That quickly squashes at least one question as to whether or not WP7.5 and WP7.8 devices will be receiving these benefits. Not surprising per se, but it is good to see it in black and white, clarity is key.Country and Region Support also gets a boost, developer registration now possible in over 178 markets and you’ll be able to submit your apps to over 191 countries and regions. The site looks to be getting a nice lick of paint and some much needed love and attention in preparation for the coming Windows Phone 8 launch. A more appealing interface, as well as a more stable backend, must be a huge relief to you hard working devs out there. We have heard of occasional downtimes occurring with the App Hub. For those that like reports of all kinds the Dev Center has some fancy new graphs too.Would be very interested to hear from devs out there how you feel about the new portal. Excited about those in-app purchases for Windows Phone 8? Graphs and analytics got you hot under the collar? Please, let us know in the comments bellow.Source : Windows Team Blog
View the original article here

Read more »

Posted in: Center,Phone,retired,Windows

Windows Phone Central Vacation Giveaway

No... Windows Phone Central isn't giving away a vacation getaway but rather I'm on vacation and getting away for a few days. To celebrate, we thought it was a good idea to giveaway a few things.
We have the Otterbox Defender, Otterbox Communter and Amzer Shellster that was reviewed last month just lying around collecting dust. All three are fitted for the Nokia Lumia 900 and we're giving them away. All you need to do is go to this WPCentral Forums discussion and guess where the picture above was taken.
You need to guess the City and State.  "United States", "Alabama" and "on a street corner" won't count.
And you need not worry if you don't carry a Lumia 900. In your guess, just note your choice of Windows Phone and you'll get a Gift Certificate to the Accessory Store so you can pick out a case for your Windows Phone of choice. Oh... and feel free to add your favorite vacation picture to the discussion.
You'll have until August 9th at 5:00pm PST to submit your guesses. After that, we will randomly pick our winners from the correct answers. You will need to register to participate, which can be done here and make sure to note what Windows Phone you are currently using.
Good luck everyone!

View the original article here

Read more »

Posted in: Central,Giveaway,Phone,Vacation,Windows

Windows Phone dodges Black Hat 2012 certificate vulnerability bullet - other smartphones not so lucky...

A recent paper presented at Black hat 2012 by Peter Hannay has demonstrated a vulnerability in how iOS and Android deal with certificates whilst operating with an Exchange Server. The good news in this report is that Peter was unable to trick Windows Phone 7.5 devices using the same methods.
Using a man in the middle attack combined with a generic fake certificate, they were able to gain some traction in sending a command to iOS and Android devices to commence a device wipe. When devices are connected via Active Sync they commit to accepting certain responsibilities, one of the most important and sensitive of which is the wipe command. They tested off two sets of Exchange 2010 servers. One running with a self-signed certificate, a very common configuration for small business and another using a certificate from a trusted certificate signing authority.
Android devices accepted the fake certificate and wiped with no user interaction or warning on the Exchange server that was operating using a self-signed certificate. The Android device would not wipe whilst connected to the trusted certificate-holding server.

On both the self-signed and trusted certificate servers, iOS rolled over and wiped the device in both instances, only displaying a new certificate warning white flag whilst doing so. In both cases, a normal user would likely accept the certificate warning. You know, users do that kind of thing to get on with their lives.
Windows Phone on the other hand would not accept the new certificate in either case and would need to have one manually installed for such an attack to be possible. Hopefully these papers will lead to a strengthening of security on Android and iOS devices. In the meantime, we hope that more companies would wake up to the benefits of Windows Phones. Whilst we certainly do not wish to see any ill come of this, we can at least gloat about our platform being a little more savvy when it comes to accepting gifts from strangers over Wi-Fi pineapples?
Want to read more about Wi-Fi Pineapples? Need a place to vent some steam at the injustice of certificate signing authorities? The comments are open for business; we look forward to your contribution!
Source: Blackhat 2012; via WP Sauce

View the original article here

Read more »

Posted in: black,bullet,certificate,dodges,lucky,other,Phone,smartphones,vulnerability,Windows

Windows Phone Game Review: LeaderFlip

I really had no clue on what to expect when I first started playing the Windows Phone game LeaderFlip
. It's a jumper game where you jump various world leaders as high as you can in an effort to reach the moon.
Now you might say, "Joy, another jumper game" but LeaderFlip
was surprising fun to play. You have enough bonuses to help boost your way up the screen (some in a rather creative way) to keep things interesting. And in the end, while I don't see playing LeaderFlip for marathon sessions, it's not a bad time waster for short bits.
The main menu for LeaderFlip
has options to view the developer's website, Facebook page, contact information and to rate the game listed beneath the world leader's mugshot (Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel). Below the mugshot you have options to play the game, shop the store for bonus items, view the online leaderboard and equip your character with items purchased at the shop.
Game play with LeaderFlip
is like every other jumper game in the Marketplace. Tap to start your jump and tilt your Windows Phone left/right to steer your character up the screen. In jumping from platform to platform, there are some rather unique bonus items. A pint of beer will give you the shakes, a whoopee cushion will give you a boost up the screen, a stick of dynamite will blast you higher, and a green pepper will give you gas that will boost you higher (sound effects and all).

You also have platforms that halt your jumps and to resume your ascent, just tap the screen. Finally, there is a propeller hat that if hit, will send you back down the screen.
The goal is to jump as high as you can and if you miss a platform, you fall to earth and the game ends. Now I've jumped a distance as high as 300 and have yet to find the moon that is mentioned in the Marketplace description and the only world leader playable is Chancellor Merkel. There's not a help section, which would have been nice, to explain when or if you get to advance to additional leaders. If the German Chancellor is all you have available, LeaderFlip
is not a complete loss because the game is a fun time waster.
LeaderFlip
does have a novelty feel to it but it also has an entertainment value that seems to grow on you. There is a trial version available to let you try before you buy and the full version of LeaderFlip is currently running $.99.
You can find LeaderFlip
here at the Windows Phone Marketplace.
View the original article here

Read more »

Posted in: LeaderFlip,Phone,Review,Windows

Windows Phone sporting a 115% growth increase according to IDC data

Windows Phone has been growing at a steady rate, mainly down to advertising campaigns and brand pushes from Nokia with its Lumia family of smartphones. According to data released today by IDC, the platform has been sporting a year-on-year growth increase of 115% - not bad, eh? IDC also notes that the OS has been closing the gap between itself and Blackberry in the last quarter in the fight to become the 3rd major player in the smartphone market.

Looking at the table above we can clearly see the advances Windows Phone is making as a whole, which is very promising. Beating not only the iPhone, but Android with regards to growth with 5.4 million units reportedly being shipped in Q2 2012 (up from 2.5 million in Q2 2011). It definitely shows the platform has real potential to play catch-up. Unfortunately, according to the marketshare figures, Windows Phone (3.5%) is still a long way behind both the iPhone (16.9%) and Android (68.1%) before it poses a real thread.
Blackberry (4.8%) is dropping along with Symbian, which will provide Microsoft with the opportunity to take 3rd position in the mobile market. This would be a milestone for the platform to reach to then further increase its marketing efforts using the newly acquired position as proof that it's not only on the rise, but Microsoft is further integrating the platform with other products to increase exposure and audience.

Of course, as usual, Windows Mobile is still included with Windows Phone, so we're not quite at the 3% marker with Microsoft's new mobile platform alone. Though with Windows Phone 8 just around the corner, we like to believe the push from the software giant will be sufficient enough to further build momentum for Windows Phone while its predecessor continues to phase out.
We'd like to know your thoughts on the advances Windows Phone is making prior to Apollo being released. How do you believe Microsoft can improve their marketing strategy should they reach the 3rd position and sport full integration then available between its products and Windows Phone?
Source: IDC

View the original article here

Read more »

Posted in: according,growth,increase,Phone,sporting,Windows

Exogear's Exovolt Plus 'stackable' battery pack claims to be the first of its kind

By Edgar Alvarez posted Aug 8th 2012 10:01AM

We've seen (and tested) a fair share of interesting power packs during our time, and Exogear's hoping to make a mark of its own in this very juicy department with what the outfit's calling "the world's first" stackable battery pack. The newly minted Exovolt Plus consists of a main 5,200 mAh kit, which can then be paired -- or, in this particular case, stacked -- alongside a "Sub Battery" unit to create the ultimate portable charging station. One thing worth noting, though, is that each extra stack will be sold separately for nearly $50, while the essential Exovolt Plus is set to run at about $90 minus some change. Given its universal capabilities (30-pin, USB and micro-USB), something tells us the Exovolt Plus won't have trouble landing any suitors despite its somewhat hefty price tag. Still, you'll have to wait a little while before you can snag one of these, as it's currently listed as "coming soon," and its creator's yet to reveal when we can expect it to go on sale.

Source

Read more »

Posted in: battery,claims,Exogears,Exovolt,First,stackable

Dropbox now lets you print documents at FedEx Office retail stores, online too

By Edgar Alvarez posted Aug 8th 2012 2:22AM

The cloud locker behemoth that is Dropbox has taken to Twitter to announce it's now allowing users to "easily" print documents at FedEx Office stores, both retail and online. But just how "easy" is it, really? Well, the physical deal's fairly simple: head over to the nearest FedEx Office shop and self-serve yourself to a friendly three-step method, which includes picking Dropbox as the service of choice (there's also Box and Google Docs), entering the appropriate credentials and, naturally, selecting whatever doc you're looking to print out. Unfortunately, both companies failed to mention how much the handy service will cost, but we can't imagine it'd be much different -- if at all-- than the fees you're accustomed to now.

Source

Read more »

Posted in: documents,Dropbox,FedEx,Office,online,print,retail,stores

ARM's Mali-T604 makes official debut, we get a first look at the next-gen GPU (hands-on video) (update: it's the Exynos 5)

Think those are some pretty slick graphics in your Galaxy S III? Samsung's latest smartphone packs some mighty graphics prowess of its own, thanks to the Mali-400 MP GPU, but once you spend a few minutes with the Mali-T604, the company's next-generation chipset, the improvements become quite clear. After seeing the Mali-T604 in action, as we did at SIGGRAPH today, the capabilities leave us hopeful for the future, and perhaps feeling a bit self-conscious about the silicon currently in our pockets. The reference device on hand was operating in sync with a variety of unnamed hardware, protected from view in a relatively large sealed box. We weren't able to squeeze many details out of ARM reps, who remained mum about the demo components, including clock speed, manufacturer and even fabrication size. What we do know is that we were looking at a quad-core Mali-T604 and dual-core ARM Cortex-A15 processor, with a fabrication size in the range of "28 to 40 nanometers" (confirming the exact size would reveal the manufacturer). Clock speed is also TBD, and the early silicon on demo at the show wasn't operating anywhere close to its top end.

In order to experience the T604, we took a look at three demos, including Timbuktu 2, which demonstrates elements like self shadowing and depth of field with OpenGL ES 3.0, Hauntheim, which gives us an early look at physics simulation and HDR lighting with OpenCL, and Enlighten, which rendered silky smooth real-time illumination. You can see all of the demos in action after the break, and you can expect T604-equipped devices to make their debut beginning later this year -- ARM says its working with eight manufacturers to get the licensed tech to market as early as Q3.

Update: ARM has just confirmed to us that this reference device is running off an Exynos 5 Dual chip, which means the following video is also a heads-up on what Sammy has in store for us in its forthcoming devices.
Source

Read more »

Posted in: debut,Exynos,First,handson,makes,MaliT604,nextgen,official,update,video

Facebook SDK 3.0 for iOS arrives in finished form, mobile ads tag along in beta

Rapid turnaround just may be the name of Facebook's game. Just a few weeks after its SDK 3.0 for iOS reached beta, the new developer tool has surfaced in a polished version. As it's shipping, the SDK continues to emphasize a more iOS-native experience, better API support and slicker session management. Any iOS 6 integration will still have to wait until Apple finishes its software update; Facebook is keeping a separate beta track active to serve forward-thinking developers. The social network's regular members aren't quite getting the same reward, however. The expanded app support is being followed just as quickly by a mobile ad beta. While Facebook is still sparing us from a full-bore marketing assault, it's letting developers pitch their Android and iOS apps from Facebook's mobile portals, with a quick hop to the relevant app store if the title isn't already loaded. While there's no estimated completion date, we have a feeling that this is one Facebook beta where most customers won't mind a delay or two... or ten.

Source

Read more »

Posted in: along,arrives,Facebook,finished,mobile

Google Maps adds live traffic for over 130 cities, boosts existing coverage

By Jon Fingas posted Aug 7th 2012 6:25PM

Google has expanded its Maps traffic coverage before, but rarely on a grand scale. The search giant isn't standing on tradition this time: it just flipped on live traffic data for at least the major roads in over 130 cities. Most of the coverage centers around smaller cities in the US, although Google is tipping its hat to Latin America with first-time support for Bogota, San Jose (in Costa Rica) and Panama City. Coverage has also been improved in a dozen other countries worldwide. While the widened reach still won't ease the burden of anyone already caught in a traffic jam, any democratization of smarter driving directions is good in our book.

Source

Read more »

Posted in: boosts,cities,coverage,existing,Google,traffic

Federal appeals court says warrantless wiretapping is legal

By Darren Murph posted Aug 7th 2012 4:47PM

A federal appeals court has ruled today that the US government can tap into Americans' communications without worrying over frivolous things like "being sued" by its people. In what most sane civilians will probably see as a depressing loss of protection, a three-judge panel of the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that citizens can sue the United States for damages stemming from the use of information collected via wiretap, but not for the collection of information itself. In typical pass-the-buck fashion, Wired reports that Judge Michael Daly Hawkins and Judge Harry Pregerson added the following: "Although such a structure may seem anomalous and even unfair, the policy judgment is one for Congress, not the courts." Alrighty. For those unaware, the back and forth surrounding this issue extends back to Congress' authorization of the Bush spy program in 2008, and more specifically, a pair of US lawyers and the now-defunct al-Haramain Islamic Foundation -- a group that was granted over $2.5 million combined in legal fees after proving that they were spied on sans warrants. The full report can be found in the PDF below.

Source

Read more »

Posted in: appeals,court,Federal,legal,warrantless,wiretapping

Google Now hits some rooted devices, adds topping to your Ice Cream Sandwich

By Jason Hidalgo posted August 7th 2012 10:56PM

If you can't wait to subject Google Now to an epic interrogation of your own but don't have access to Android's Jelly Bean-flavored OS, then you may want to check out what's cooking over at the XDA Developers
forums. If you've got a rooted ARMv7 device with Ice Cream Sandwich and ClockWorkMod Recovery, it's actually possible to start enjoying Google's take on the virtual personal assistant on your smartphone right now. As usual, you'll need to download the requisite file and partake in some good, old flashing action. Folks who appreciate having options can also take their pick between a fuller Google Now experience or a more stripped down version by hitting the source link below.
Source

Read more »

Posted in: Cream,devices,Google,rooted,Sandwich,topping

Intel's Thin Mini-ITX platform gets stuffed inside a monitor

By Terrence O'Brien  posted Aug 8th 2012 8:31AM

You don't have to build custom motherboards and source specialty components to build a sleek all-in-one PC. At least not anymore, thanks to Intel's Thin Mini-ITX platform, which it debuted roughly a year ago at Computex. The main board is the same footprint as Mini-ITX (that's a 6.7-inch square), but it calls for a much shallower construction -- with horizontally stacked RAM and a shorter port cluster to keep the whole thing under an inch tall. To maintain its sleek physique, Intel pairs the desktop-class Core processor at the heart with a laptop-style heatsink and fan. It's a pretty interesting standard from Chipzilla, which Tech Report
ripped into, peeling back all it's layers like a silicon onion. The layout of all the essential jacks does pose a bit of an issue once the whole thing is set up, but its hard not to be impressed by the elegance and simplicity of the system. To see the whole thing torn down, then reassembled inside the chassis of an LCD panel, hit up the source link.
Source

Read more »

Posted in: inside,Intels,MiniITX,monitor,platform,stuffed

Is this the Samsung Galaxy Note 2? Image posted on official site looks worryingly familiar

Hmmm, this is a strange one. Samsung Pakistan just posted the above pic on its official Facebook page. The caption reads, "Picture perfect view made even more perfect with Samsung Galaxy S3," but the picture clearly isn't of a GS III. So, what is it? It's big, that's for sure, and the bezel is quite the opposite. Dare we hope it's a next-gen Galaxy Note, or is it simply render fodder that has been re-posted by Samsung accidentally? There's one big reason to be skeptical, which is that this exact same pic already did the rounds as a potential GS III image before that flagship was launched. The only difference here is that it's on an official outlet, which implies the jpeg in question could be sitting on a member of staff's hard drive.
Oh, and since our brows are already furrowed with doubt, we may as well throw in another rumor that's going about today, which might actually connect with the notion of a thin bezel and no home button. Korea Times
is reporting that the Galaxy Note 2 will have a slightly expanded 5.5-inch display that just happens to be flexible -- or at least curved by the time it leaves the factory. We can't vouch for the trustworthiness of their sources, especially since we're still waiting on that 7.85-inch iPad Mini, but then again, Samsung has been exploring flexible AMOLED for ages, not to mention bezel-free panels (see More Coverage).
Update: And just like that, the Samsung Pakistan Facebook page has disappeared. For the sake of posterity (not least our own), we've kept a record of it after the break. Roll on, August 15th.
Update: As keen-eyed commenters have spotted, the page has re-appeared with the photo now captioned as a "Galaxy Note." Mind-boggling.
Update: Now the Facebook pic is truly dead. It's almost a relief. We've linked the main Samsung Pakistan page instead.
[Thanks, Kashif and Leonard]

Source

Read more »

Posted in: familiar,Galaxy,Image,looks,official,posted,Samsung,worryingly

Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Carbon Ultrabook gets official: on sale August 21st for $1,399 and up

Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Carbon has been a known entity since May, when the company gave us a look at the 14-inch, Ivy Bridge-packing Ultrabook. Up until now, though, the successor to the ThinkPad X1 remained somewhat shrouded in mystery, with no pricing or specific availability information to its name. But no more -- Lenovo's just raised the official curtain on the Carbon, announcing a pricing scheme of $1,399 and up and targeting an on-sale date of August 21st at Lenovo.com. The entry-level model will run a 1.7GHz Core i5-3317U CPU with 4GB, and it includes a 128GB SSD and Intel's HD integrated graphics. Like on the ThinkPad X1, 3G connectivity will be an optional feature. Head past the break for more info on the business-centric Ultrabook.
A $1,499 configuration has 1.8GHz Core i5 CPU and a 128GB SSD, while the $1,649 model includes the same processor but 256GB of solid-state storage. The top-of-the-line configuration offers a 2GHz Core i7 chipset for $1,849.
In addition to getting Ivy Bridge processors, the laptop steps up from the ThinkPad X1 with a higher-res 1,600 x 900 display (versus 1,366 x 768), and though its panel is an inch larger, the Carbon still weighs 0.7 pounds less and is 0.13 inches thinner than the original X1 (3 pounds and 0.71 inches versus 3.7 pounds and 0.84 inches). And if the name isn't a giveaway, Lenovo crafted this Ultrabook with a carbon fiber shell.
The company is marketing the ThinkPad X1 Carbon as the lightest business Ultrabook, and it included Intel's vPro management technology and BIOS locker to give the machine some corporate cred. Lenovo also stocked the Carbon with its RapidCharge utility, which can juice up the laptop's 45Wh battery to 80-percent capacity in 30 minutes. Speaking of the battery, Lenovo rates the system for up to 6.3 hours of runtime.

Source

Read more »

Posted in: August,Carbon,Lenovos,official,ThinkPad,Ultrabook

appBlaster 2.0 gets friendly with Android handsets, brings new AR features

RED5.co.uk Launches The New Generation of appBlaster

... And this time the aliens know where to hide...

Monday 6th August, 2012 - London, UK: RED5.co.uk, the ultimate gadget shop, is today launching the appBlaster v.2 to market. With a complete re-design, the appBlaster v.2 now houses iPods, iPhones and Android phones while the updated free augmented reality app sees the alien swarm appear from within the objects in the room.

When your smartphone is docked with the new app, it transforms into an augmented reality gaming machine with cross hair and game data on view. Utilising the accelerometer of your smartphone the appBlaster v.2 app allows the game to rotate, and moves as you do. The result is immersive game play that requires quick reactions and frantic firing as aliens emerge from the walls, ceiling, floor or random objects at every angle imaginable.
To play the game you must defend your location against swarms of aliens, using an assortment of guns and missiles. When you're running low on ammo, reload by quickly cocking the gun by pointing it at the ceiling, and then take aim. Fancy a new weapon or feeling battle weary? Keep your eyes peeled for special weapons and power ups which can be collected throughout the mission.

The appBlaster v.2 is lightweight and the shoulder stock can be removed to give you a shorter device depending on your preference. With two triggers; the rear trigger fires the lasers, whilst the front trigger is for firing missiles.

Never before has the quote "they're coming out of the goddamn walls!" been so apt!

Source

Read more »

Posted in: Android,appBlaster,brings,features,friendly,handsets

Starbucks switches to Square for payments, invests $25 million and will support Pay with Square

Starbucks Accelerates Mobile Payments Leadership by Choosing Square for Payments
Groundbreaking Partnership to Stimulate Small Business Growth and Enhance Payment Experience for Millions of Customers

SEATTLE and SAN FRANCISCO, – August 8, 2012 – Starbucks Coffee Company (NASDAQ: SBUX), with its leading mobile payment platform, and Square, the company revolutionizing everyday transactions between buyers and sellers, announced a broad innovative partnership to bring the best possible payment experience to both sides of the Starbucks counter.

The partnership terms include:

Customers will be able to use Pay with Square, Square's payer application, from participating company operated U.S. Starbucks stores later this fall, and find nearby Starbucks locations within Square Directory;
Square will process Starbucks U.S. credit and debit card transactions, which will significantly expand Square's scale and accelerate the benefits to businesses on the Square platform, especially small businesses, while reducing Starbucks payment processing costs;
Using Square Directory, Starbucks customers will be able to discover local Square businesses -- from specialty retailers to crafts businesses -- from within a variety of Starbucks digital platforms, including the Starbucks Digital Network and eventually the Starbucks mobile payment application;
Starbucks will invest $25 million in Square as part of the company's Series D financing round;
Starbucks chairman, president and ceo Howard Schultz will join Square's Board of Directors.
By accepting Pay with Square, Starbucks is giving millions of customers another way to enjoy a quick and seamless payment experience at approximately 7,000 Starbucks stores. The partnership will also accelerate the ability of small businesses to grow with Square's innovative technology and a stronger and more widely available Square network.

"As the largest retail mobile payment platform in the U.S., we're excited and proud to accept payments with Square," said Howard Schultz, Starbucks chairman, president and ceo. "The evolving social and digital media platforms and highly innovative and relevant payment capabilities are causing seismic changes in consumer behavior and creating equally disruptive opportunities for business. Both Starbucks and Square take a similar approach when building products and running our businesses, and together we can bring the best possible payment experience to Starbucks customers."

"We're proud that Starbucks chose Square, as we share the value of always putting customers first," said Jack Dorsey, co-founder and CEO of Square. "More than 2 million individuals and businesses can already use Square. This partnership will accelerate our ability to provide them with the tools they need to grow their business and thrive in today's economy."

Beginning this fall, in addition to the existing iPhone® and Android™ Starbucks mobile payment applications, Starbucks customers will be able to use Pay with Square to pay for their purchases at participating company operated Starbucks locations in the U.S. Customers simply need to download the Pay with Square application and set up an account on their iPhone® or Android™ device.

More than two-thirds of the 27 million small businesses in the U.S. currently do not accept credit or debit cards, in large part because of the expensive interchange fees associated with payment processing, cumbersome application process and required credit checks. Square enables merchants of any size – from sole proprietors to national retailers – to accept credit and debit cards.

"As an entrepreneur, I understand how critical it is for new businesses to have easy and affordable access to card processing while also giving customers a choice in how they pay," Schultz continued. "Because Square's revolutionary technology allows anyone to accept credit and debit cards, it gives entrepreneurs an essential tool to jump-start their business while providing existing small companies access to new customers. This development can play a vital role in spurring small business growth and hiring, which remains one of our country's most important issues."

About Starbucks Corporation
Since 1971, Starbucks Coffee Company has been committed to ethically sourcing and roasting the highest-quality arabica coffee in the world. Today, with stores around the globe, the company is the premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world. Through our unwavering commitment to excellence and our guiding principles, we bring the unique Starbucks Experience to life for every customer through every cup. To share in the experience, please visit us in our stores or online at www.starbucks.com.

About Square, Inc.
Square is revolutionizing millions of everyday transactions between buyers and sellers with its free credit card reader for the iPhone, iPad, and Android devices, allowing anyone to accept credit cards anywhere, anytime. Square Register serves as a full point-of-sale system for businesses to accept payments, track inventory, and share menu and location information. Pay with Square is the most seamless way to pay, enabling individuals to pay with their names at their favorite local merchants, discover nearby businesses, explore menu listings, and store receipts. Founded in 2009, and headquartered in San Francisco, Square is currently available only in the U.S. More information is available at squareup.com.

Source

Read more »

Posted in: invests,million,payments,Square,Starbucks,support,switches

SiriusXM launches On Demand radio, gives offline access to iOS apps

SiriusXM Launches "SiriusXM On Demand," Giving Subscribers Access to Exclusive SiriusXM Content Whenever They Want It

NEW YORK, Aug. 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Sirius XM Radio (NASDAQ: SIRI) today announced the launch of SiriusXM On Demand, giving SiriusXM Internet Radio subscribers listening via its online media player and on Apple iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, the ability to choose their favorite episodes from a catalog of more than 200 shows and over 2,000 hours of content to listen whenever they want.

"On Demand access to SiriusXM programming broadens the availability of our exclusive content, allowing subscribers to enjoy their favorite shows and try new shows on their own time so they never miss a minute of the programming they love," said Bob Law, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Streaming Services and Products, SiriusXM. "SiriusXM produces great original content, and we are thrilled we can now make so much of it available on our listeners' schedules through SiriusXM On Demand."

SiriusXM On Demand will give subscribers at no extra charge:

Recent Shows: Access to more than 200 shows from exclusive talk and entertainment, commercial-free music, comedy, and sports.
Selections from The Vaults: For the first time, SiriusXM is curating and making selections from its vast audio archives-spanning many years of exclusive shows, specials and series-accessible to listeners.
Updated content: SiriusXM's On Demand offerings will be updated daily with great selections from its audio entertainment catalog, and the available catalog will be expanded on a regular basis.
Featured Content: Regularly updated "Featured" section allows subscribers to discover more content, including timely interviews, brand new shows, "pop-up" channels, and seasonal series.
Easy Navigation: Using a mouse or finger, listeners can scan what's playing or easily find a specific point on many shows.
SiriusXM listeners will have On Demand access to over 2,000 hours of SiriusXM content, including more than 200 shows from sports, comedy, exclusive talk and entertainment, and commercial-free music from many genres such as The Howard Stern Show, Bob Dylan's Theme Time Radio Hour, Tom Petty's Buried Treasure, select Jimmy Buffett concerts, The Opie & Anthony Show, The Jamie Foxx Show, Ask Martha featuring Martha Stewart, Dr. Laura, The Bob Edwards Show, Mad Dog Unleashed featuring Christopher "Mad Dog" Russo, Ripken Baseball, Rotten Tomatoes™ Radio and many more.

SiriusXM listeners will also have access to curated selections from deep within the SiriusXM archives, including SiriusXM's exclusive Artist Confidential series and Town Hall specials with Bruce Springsteen, Roger Waters, Tom Petty, Usher, Ringo Starr, Coldplay, Nirvana, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Coach K, and many others. In addition, listeners will get access to exclusive subscriber events, music specials, interviews from across SiriusXM's sports channels, and much more.

On Demand programming will be presented with minimal commercials on select shows. Music programming will have no commercials.

SiriusXM Internet Radio subscribers listening on Apple iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch will also be able to store select On Demand shows for a period of time on their devices and listen to content when not connected to the Internet. This allows offline listening while traveling on planes or anywhere at anytime without a wireless connection. Subscribers will also get automatic notifications when favorite programs become available for On Demand listening on Apple mobile devices.

SiriusXM On Demand will also soon be available on compatible Android devices.

Listeners can register for a complimentary 7-day trial to listen to SiriusXM Internet Radio online and on Apple smartphones and other connected devices. For more information on SiriusXM Internet Radio, please visit www.siriusxm.com/internetradio.

About Sirius XM Radio

Sirius XM Radio Inc. is the world's largest radio broadcaster measured by revenue and has more than 22 million subscribers. SiriusXM creates and broadcasts commercial-free music; premier sports talk and live events; comedy; news; exclusive talk and entertainment; and the most comprehensive Latin music, sports and talk programming in radio. SiriusXM is available in vehicles from every major car company in the U.S., from retailers nationwide, and online at siriusxm.com. SiriusXM programming is also available through the SiriusXM Internet Radio App for Android, Apple, and BlackBerry smartphones and other connected devices. SiriusXM also holds a minority interest in SiriusXM Canada which has more than 2 million subscribers.

Source

Read more »

Posted in: access,Demand,gives,launches,offline,radio,SiriusXM

Meet the Vers 1Q: the wooden, portable Bluetooth speaker gets Kickstarted, ships this November

VERS, INC REVEALS THE 1Q, A HAND-CRAFTED WOOD BLUETOOTH SOUND SYSTEM

Compact, powerful speaker delivers warm, natural sound from any mobile device; successfully funded on Kickstarter

Saxonville, Mass. – August 7, 2012 – Vers, Inc., a creator of compact, hand-crafted wood sound systems and mobile accessories, is excited to announce the 1Q, a Bluetooth sound system that can fit in the palm of your hand. It has dramatically surpassed its initial funding goal on Kickstarter, and will begin shipping this Fall.

"The response to the 1Q on Kickstarter has been simply amazing, and has exceeded our expectations 10X," says David Laituri, founder of Vers and 1Q designer. "We've also gotten a lot of feedback for our approach from the Kickstarter community, a great co-development experience for everyone at Vers!"

The 1Q is wrapped in a 3" wood cube, and connects to any mobile device (smart phones, tablets, laptops and more) through Bluetooth v2.1. It's the perfect, portable speaker system for anyone who wants to bring along their favorite music. The sound reproduction of wood is unmatched, as it provides a natural warmth.

The 1Q has a 30-foot range, and a rechargeable battery that lasts over 10 hours. The 1Q also has a built-in auto switching capability to convert from mono to stereo when two units are linked to create a micro stereo.

For each tree used in production, 100 are replanted through Vers' partnership with The Arbor Day Foundation and the U.S. Forestry Service. "We're excited to be able to go beyond simply achieving sustainability with 1Q, to helping restore the environment where it's needed the most," says Laituri.

The Vers 1Q comes in Walnut, Bamboo, and a limited Kickstarter red Beech edition. It will retail for $119.99. You can see a full list of pledge options by checking out the 1Q Kickstarter page.

Source

Read more »

Posted in: Bluetooth,Kickstarted,November,portable,ships,speaker,wooden

MetroPCS lights up Voice over LTE (VoLTE) services, starts selling LG Connect 4G

MetroPCS Launches World's First Commercially Available Voice Over LTE Service and VoLTE-Capable 4G LTE Smartphone

DALLAS, Aug. 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- MetroPCS Communications, Inc. (NYSE: PCS) today reached another innovation milestone by announcing the world's first commercial launch of Voice over LTE (VoLTE) services, availability of the world's first VoLTE-capable handsets and the first sale of a VoLTE-capable handset at one of the company's Dallas/Fort Worth store locations. MetroPCS is selling the new VoLTE-capable LG Connect 4G Android™ smartphone at select U.S. stores and will continue to roll out VoLTE services and phones in the coming weeks.

"Being the first operator globally to reach this industry first speaks volumes about our company's innovative spirit and passion to achieve goals that we believe will have long-term benefit for our customers and for the company," said Roger Linquist, chairman and chief executive officer of MetroPCS. "The initial move to LTE and this move to VoLTE allow us to achieve significant spectral efficiencies and will increase network capacity so that we can enhance the 4G LTE experience that our customers have today at a tremendous value. VoLTE also provides a foundational capability for future Rich Communication Services (RCS), which we plan to launch later this year."

The addition of VoLTE capabilities to MetroPCS' 4G LTE handsets will be transparent to consumers as they continue to enjoy all the voice and 4G LTE data services with which they are already familiar. Calls to and from the handset will use VoLTE, regardless of the handset or network used on the other end of the call.

MetroPCS was the first U.S. carrier to deploy a commercial 4G LTE network in September 2010 and has since built out its 4G LTE network to cover roughly 90 percent of its CDMA footprint.

For more information, please visit:
Details on rate plans and service features: www.metropcs.com/plans

Source

Read more »

Posted in: Connect,lights,MetroPCS,selling,services,starts,voice,VoLTE

Live streams come to Cablevision's Optimum App for the Kindle Fire

CABLEVISION LAUNCHES POPULAR OPTIMUM APP ON KINDLE FIRE

Latest Device To Be Enabled With Groundbreaking App Featuring Complete Array Of Live TV And On Demand Programming, Interactive Guide Information, DVR Management And Other Key Elements

BETHPAGE, NY – August 7, 2012 – Cablevision Systems Corp. (NYSE: CVC) today announced the launch of its popular Optimum App on the Kindle Fire. The Optimum App for Kindle Fire allows cable television customers to watch all the channels they subscribe to live when connected to their home network, in addition to all of the On Demand content they receive as part of their cable television service. The app also includes additional features like an enhanced guide, the ability to use the Kindle Fire as a remote control for conventional televisions in the home and also to manage DVR recordings and schedule new recordings, right from the device.

The Optimum App – the first and still only from any cable provider to make a customer's full cable service available on an array of smaller devices functioning as televisions in the home – is now available on Apple iOS devices (iPad, iPhone and iPod touch), Mac and PC laptop computers and the Kindle Fire. A previous version available on Kindle Fire included guide information and DVR scheduling, but not the ability to watch live or On Demand programming.

"When we launched the Optimum App on the iPad a year ago, we said we planned to bring it to every screen in the home capable of functioning as a television, and now the Kindle Fire has joined that expanding list, our first Android deployment," said Bradley Feldman, Cablevision's vice president of video product management. "We are pleased to enable our app on another device in the home, with an emphasis on program discovery, advanced category filtering, and personalized ratings and recommendations, to help customers further unlock the value of Optimum."

Optimum App for Kindle includes features like:

Live TV and On Demand – customers can experience the channels they receive as part of their home cable television service, live, when connected to their home network, as well as all the On Demand programming that is part of their monthly service.

Enhanced User Interface and Channel Guide – customers can review and search through program listings, filter listings across a variety of categories and then choose to watch on the Kindle Fire or use the device to control conventional television sets in the house.

DVR Management – customers can use the Optimum App to manage previously-recorded DVR content, or schedule new recordings.

Program Ratings and Recommendations – customers can use the app to rate programs they are watching, and receive viewing recommendations that become more accurate based on previous ratings.

Parental Controls, Closed Captioning and other options in settings.

Cablevision customers have downloaded the Optimum App more than one million times so far.

Source

Read more »

Posted in: Cablevisions,Kindle,Optimum,streams

Road safety project simTD connects cars, infrastructure. Hopes to save lives, time

Ford Begins Real-World Testing of Future Car-to-Car and Car-to-Infrastructure Communication Technologies

Ford Motor Company today begins real-world testing of future technologies as part of a research programme aimed at advancing car-to-car and car-to-infrastructure communication to European roads.

"Car-to-car and car-to-infrastructure communications represent the next major advancements in vehicle safety," said Paul Mascarenas, chief technical officer and vice president, Ford Research and Innovation. "Ford is committed to further real-world testing here and around the world with the goal of implementation in the foreseeable future.

Ford is contributing 20 specially equipped S-MAX models to a 120 vehicle fleet being used to test 20 experimental driver assistance technologies as part of the four-year research project "Safe Intelligent Mobility – Testfield Germany" or simTD. The project's goal is to better understand the potential for car-to-car and car-to-infrastructure to improve traffic safety and personal mobility.

Experts believe using mobile communications technology to integrate vehicles with each other and with transport infrastructure could make roads safer and reduce congestion. Engineers from Ford's European Research Centre in Aachen, Germany and simTD research project partners so far have tested the developmental technologies in a controlled environment. The technologies will now be tested on public roads in and around Frankfurt in real-world driving conditions.

Technologies being tested as part of the simTD research project include:

Electronic Brake Light, which delivers a message from the lead vehicle to a following vehicle if an emergency braking procedure is carried out, even if the incident occurs out-of-sight, for example around a bend in the road; Ford is leading the development and integration of this application

Obstacle Warning system, which enables a vehicle to inform other road users of the presence, position and type of potentially hazardous obstacles on the road

Traffic Sign Assistant, which remains in continuous contact with traffic management centres to access up-to-date information on variable speed limits, temporary restrictions and diversions; as well as providing details of current and approaching permanent regulations, such as fixed speed limits and right of way
Public Traffic Management, which provides exact traffic prognosis based on comprehensive information; this includes identifying likely traffic scenarios and their impact at the point in the journey when they are encountered rather than at the point of departure

In-car Internet Access, which, for example, can enable the driver to reserve and pay for parking en-route

"The vehicles will cover thousands of kilometres in test drives and evaluations to gather valuable research data from every-day driving scenarios," said Christian Ress, technical expert, Ford Research and Advanced Engineering.

Ford is a global leader in researching car-to-car and car-to-infrastructure communications. In 2004 it engaged in a partnership with Minnesota Department of Transportation, U.S., to equip 100 state vehicles with sensors to collect traffic-related data including vehicle speed, location, heading and even localised weather conditions, with the aim of developing the next generation of transportation and driver information systems.

Ford was also the first vehicle manufacturer in the U.S. to demonstrate intelligent vehicle communication technologies to the public, with a multi-city tour that began in 2010.

The company continues its involvement in such testing programmes in Europe, the U.S. and around the world, with the objective of harmonising global standards for messaging and hardware. Collating results from these programmes will ultimately enable Ford to deliver new technologies to global customers with greater speed, efficiency, and with minimal cost.

The increasing use of car-to-car and car-to-infrastructure technology is part of Ford's "Blueprint for Mobility," which was outlined by Executive Chairman Bill Ford during his keynote address at the 2012 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in February. The "Blueprint for Mobility" details the company's early thinking on how to tackle the issues of mobility in an increasingly crowded and urbanized planet between now and 2025.

The funding for the simTD project is approximately €53 million, of which €30 million of direct project promotional support has been provided by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology together with the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.

The project is further supported by infrastructure investment from the Federal Ministry of Transport, Building, and Urban Affairs as well as funding from the state of Hessen. The consortium involves representatives from all major interest groups, including Audi, BMW, Daimler, Ford, Opel, Volkswagen, Bosch, Continental, Deutsche Telekom, regional infrastructure operators and German Research Institutions (Technische Universität München und Berlin, Universität Würzburg, Fraunhofer).

Further information on simTD can be found at www.simTD.de.

Source

Read more »

Posted in: connects,Hopes,infrastructure,lives,project,safety,simTD

Kobo for Android gets updated with support for extra languages, more Facebook integration

Kobo's Android App goes global!

With more than 9-million users around the world, Kobo is committed to delivering the best eReading experience to its users – and doing it on virtually any device. As the only pure-play eReading company, Kobo continues to deliver on its promise to get more people reading – anytime, any place!

Now, with its new Android app for smartphones and tablets, people now get a multi-language experience in English, French, Spanish, Italian, German or Dutch! We're truly international!

Additional features included in this fab update now give users in France, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, and Germany:

Facebook Timeline integration – as the only official eReading partner of Facebook, Kobo users can share what they're reading with friends and family.
Kobo Pulse – create conversations with other readers within your favourite books.
2-page landscape view for tablets – rest those fingers with the ability to view two pages just like a real book.

Source

Read more »

Posted in: Android,Extra,Facebook,integration,languages,support,Updated

Intel, Acer, Qualcomm join Futuremark's 3DMark for Android development program

Acer, Intel, Qualcomm and SingTel-Optus Join Futuremark to Develop 3DMark for Android

HELSINKI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Futuremark is proud to announce that Acer Incorporated (TPE:2353), Intel (NASDAQ:INTC), Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM) and SingTel-Optus have joined its Benchmark Development Program to create a new 3DMark gaming benchmark for Android-based tablets and smartphones. The Futuremark Benchmark Development Program gathers input and expertise from the world's best and most technologically advanced companies to create industry standard benchmarks for performance measurement. 3DMark for Android is expected to be released later this year. http://www.3dmark.com/

Jukka Makinen, Futuremark CEO said, "For more than 10 years, we have worked with the world's leading PC hardware manufacturers to create 3DMark and PCMark. As a result, Futuremark benchmarks are the industry standard for PC performance measurement used by hundreds of press publications and millions of end-users. As we bring 3DMark to a new OS for the first time, we are excited to expand our cooperation to include Acer, Intel, Qualcomm and SingTel-Optus, technology leaders who will bring unparalleled insight, experience and vision to the development of 3DMark for Android."

Launching later this year, 3DMark for Android will measure gaming performance using graphics rendering, CPU and physics tests with stunning real-time graphics that will push OpenGL ES2.0 to the limit. The results from 3DMark for Android will be comparable to the results from the new 3DMark for Windows, also to be released later this year.

Wason Shyu, AVP, ADC BU, RD Center, Acer said, "As one of the top volume consumer electronics and notebook PC companies in the world, we use 3DMark to analyze performance in an objective and scientific manner. This assists in providing our customers with products of the very highest quality that are ready for the most demanding tasks, whether it is exacting physics computations or the purest video game experiences."

Shervin Kheradpir, General Manager of Intel's Platform Evaluation & Analysis said, "Intel is committed to providing feedback and assistance in the development of tools that intend to evaluate user experience and performance of computing products. Whether we participate in a formal consortium or in the Futuremark Benchmark Development Program we are glad to be part of groups seeking to modernize measurement methods that can keep pace with the rapidly evolving computing industry. We are pleased to see Futuremark bring 3DMark to the Android operating system."

Tim Leland, Director of Product Management at Qualcomm said, "As the leader in mobile GPU shipments last year with its Snapdragon™ processors, Qualcomm values impartial measurement of graphics performance. By joining the 3DMark for Android Benchmark Development Program, we're glad to be working with Futuremark and the other members of the Program to help ensure that the resulting benchmarks are representative of future, real-world 3D graphics content for Android smartphones and tablets."

Futuremark's Benchmark Development Program is an initiative for building partnerships with leading hardware and technology manufacturers. Members include AMD, Imagination Technologies, Intel, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Qualcomm, Samsung and many other world class companies. An open process of close co-operation helps Futuremark create high-quality, impartial benchmarks that set the industry standard for performance measurement. Find out more at http://www.futuremark.com/bdp/.

3DMark for Android is currently in development and is expected to be released later this year. Follow Futuremark on Facebook for the latest 3DMark news http://www.facebook.com/Futuremark or visit http://www.futuremark.com

Source

Read more »

Posted in: 3DMark,Android,development,Futuremarks,Intel,program,Qualcomm