Google gave a treat to Android users by updating Google Docs for Android (Market) with a major interface revamp. The new version adds the real-time collaboration of the web version to let those on a phone or tablet make and see edits alongside others. Users only have to tap into editing mode to be marked as involved.
Toshiba USA just revealed over Twitter that it plans to update its Thrive 10.1-inch tablet to Android 4.0 before the end of the spring. This puts the release in mid-June, as the summer season starts on June 20.
ASUS has released the promised official bootloader unlock for its Transformer Prime tablet. It took the company nearly two months to do so, but is still one of the few to allow bootloader unlocks on tablets. The APK file can be downloaded from ASUS' support site, though ASUS warns of some consequences.
With the full launch of the PS Vita in the US on Wednesday, Sony has released a number of new games and apps in the online PlayStation Store. Users can now download the free Flickr, Live Tweet, and Netflix apps. Flickr is a photo-sharing site that lets users join groups and make personalized photo streams.
Adobe on Wednesday published a roadmap (PDF) giving a peek at the long-term future of Flash. Having dropped the mobile version, it's now focusing on games and video on the desktop and now agrees that HTML5 and other web standards are more suited for animation. Accordingly, the imminent 11.2 update would improve hardware graphics acceleration, multi-core video processing, and support for right clicks when using mice.
Facebook's native iOS client app controls are being reworked to allow developers of iOS apps more options on ways to link "click points" in Facebook back to either their own iOS app, the App Store page for the app, or an intermediate web page that asks the user if they'd prefer the "mobile" or "full" version of the web page. In addition, links can now take users to specific sub-pages of a site rather than the opening page.
Enterprise font software maker FontGear has debuted FontPad Server, an internet server that both manages and protects web fonts used on web pages. The software allows users to specify what domains or pages are allowed to use which fonts, and then serves encrypted font data that prevents viewers from copying the commercially-licensed fonts used. The program gives designers the freedom to use custom fonts without worry.
Last week, Japan-based Gunze demonstrated an intelligent touch panel that is aware of who is touching it in a specific location. Armed with this information, a computer can then keep track and provide individualized responses. The company demonstrated the prototype at the Nanotechnology Exhibition & Conference recently held in Tokyo.
Developers of Android apps are making more money from the Amazon Appstore than on Google's own Android Market, the latest report from app analytics firm Distimo found. The comparison of 110 apps offered on both web stores found that 42 of them make more money on Amazon than on Android Market. The Amazon store is also responsible for 28 percent of the revenue in these apps.
Game publisher Aspyr has announced that the company is bringing the real-time strategy game Company of Heroes to the Mac for the first time on March 1st. The Mac edition, dubbed the "Campaign Edition for the Mac" includes the original game as well as all additional single-player campaigns from the expansion packs Opposing Fronts and Tales of Valor. Pre-ordering is available now from Aspyr's GameAgent site.
The long-running lawsuit between Oracle and Google over patents relating to Android has been significantly revised by plaintiff Oracle.The company dropped a key point of contention in the 476 patent, claim 14, related to Java. Google has previously asked a judge to file a motion for summary judgment of invalidity of claim 14 and the USPTO ruled to toss it out late last year so the patent would get thrown out anyhow. Oracle explained it dropped the claim in order to streamline the case.
Canonical in the run-up to Mobile World Congress sought to change the approach to smartphone use with Ubuntu for Android. Going beyond even Motorola's Webtop, it promises a full Ubuntu Linux desktop with a windowed environment when the smartphone is mounted in a dock and attached to both an HDMI display and a USB keyboard. From the start, users get a full Chromium web browser, Gwibber social networking, Thunderbird for e-mail, and VLC for media playback.
Ergonis Software has released a new universal conversion AppleScript that can be used with Typinator 5, its text expansion utility. The new script allows users to convert currencies based on current exchange rates, as well as other arbitrary units of measure like mass, length, and time. Conversions are instantly inserted into the current text and can be triggered with a simple text snippet. The conversion script is a free download on Ergonis' website and requires a fully licensed version of Typinator 5.0 or later to work.
An earlier report of Windows Messenger Live Wave 5 getting web-based video chat has been confirmed thanks to a slip on Microsoft's MSDN blog. While the screenshot in question seems to have since been replaced, Liveside shared the original, which shows a testing version of SkyDrive. It contains a video icon beside the user's name (in this case Program Manager for SkyDrive apps Mike Torres), which matches up with a similar icon leaked back in August.
The developer preview of OS X Mountain Lion already supports some more recent AMD and NVIDIA video cards without any tweaks, according to forum posts by so-called Hackintosh users. Several posts from the Netkas.org forums indicate that an AMD Radeon 6950 running Netkas EFI will work natively in Mountain Lion. One even claims that a 6950 will continue to work after "warm booting back to Lion from Mountain Lion."
Microsoft's long-rumored Office for iPad got a much more tangible piece of evidence after a leak Tuesday purported to show the suite itself. As shown by The Daily, Office would be an all-encompassing single app with Excel, PowerPoint, and Word. The interface would recall OneNote but bring in more of the Metro interface language from Windows Phone and Windows 8.
Apple will be making a few tweaks to Mail, its default e-mail program, in this summer's Mountain Lion release. One big change will be to allow users to designate important people as "VIPs" and be able to make rules letting Mail notify users only when mail from a VIP arrives. The program will also feature an inline "find," and is removing RSS reading and management from Mail, MacWorld reports.
Productivity and research software maker Devon Technologies has launched two products that constantly analyze what user is working on and keep relevant documents, contacts, media, e-mails and other content in a quickly-accessible list for instant access. DevonSphere Express searches a user's Mac or webpages on the Internet, while DevonSphere Server brings Devon technology to the server level.
Apple's next major version of OS X will continue Apple's recent moves to deprecate built-in support for alternative platforms and its own Carbon APIs. Users who want to keep X11 will continue to be able to get it directly via an Apple Knowledge Base page, but like Java last year Apple will no longer bundle it but rather contribute to open source development outside the company via XQuartz.
Microsoft has extended its support window for its legacy Windows operating systems. In the past, the software giant provided five years of support for the consumer releases of the OS, while the business versions got extended coverage for a total of ten years. Microsoft has now quietly extended support of the retail versions of Windows Vista and 7 to ten years as well.
Sky's Go app has now gone live for Android users (free, Android Market), letting users of some Android phones with a Sky TV subscription access 22 live TV channels from the provider. The app can only be used in the UK or Ireland and will stream content over a 3G or Wi-Fi connection. Users can register up to two devices and watch TV simultaneously on both.
Google TV users can now enable new functionality, such as accessing Flash-based services including Hulu, thanks to a hack. The long-winded GTVHacker Sony Recovery Downgrader & Rebooter was developed by member zenofex and other developers over on the GTV Hacker forum. The hack is entirely software-based, but does require four USB sticks at least 512MB in capacity.
Microsoft partly confirmed recent rumors with an extensive breakdown of plans for SkyDrive in Windows 8. The service will have a fully Metro-native, touch-aware app in the new OS and will be integrated into the OS, letting any app load and save files to cloud storage. Sharing "charms" in the OS will let users share SkyDrive material directly instead of having to download and attach them first.
Two leaks late in the weekend have uncovered significant plans on Microsoft's part to expand SkyDrive. Gemind contributor Felipe Zorzo in checking SkyDrive's pages saw currently inactive options to download desktop apps for the cloud service for both Mac and Windows users. The same tip also showed tiered pricing not unlike other cloud services, where users could expand the 25GB of free space by 20GB, 50GB, or 100GB for between $10 to $50 a year.
VideoLAN on Saturday posted one of its largest updates yet in the finished version of VLC 2.0. The new media player sees the most interface changes on the Mac, where it now has a single-window interface as well as tighter visual and technical integration with Lion. It now supports any QTKit device capture and sound, and both PowerPC and Leopard-era users can still expect support, even at higher video resolutions.
Last year, Google and its Android OS had a large presence at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2011. Google has now launched a micro-site for the 2012 event. Google is teasing that its footprint will be as significant.
Microsoft is looking to redo its music service strategy, leaks uncovered Friday. Those said close to major label discussions told CNET that Microsoft was aiming for a mix of streaming and downloads. The focus would be on the Xbox and an unnamed Windows Phone, possibly made by HTC or Nokia.
A new leak appears to confirm February 21 as the release date for RIM's PlayBook 2.0 OS. In a posting by Engadget, collateral, apparently either published by RIM or one of its resellers, clearly indicates the update will be available at 4:01AM on that date. A second posting indicates that RIM's Mobile Fusion enterprise management tool mobile devices will also be available on the 21st.
The long-running but stalled legal battle between Unix vendor SCO and IBM has been reactivated in Utah courts, Groklaw revealed. The proceedings were interrupted when SCO entered bankruptcy court. SCO sued IBM, among others, for using Unix code and integrating it into Linux, though it doesn't own Unix copyrights, as ruled in a different case between Novell and SCO.
HP TouchPad owners with the CyanogenMod 9 build can now get nightly builds of the Alpha software, with constant updates and bug fixes for Android 4.0. The Teamwin project effectively synchronizes CyanogenMod 9 Alpha 6 for the TouchPad with the development branch of CM9 for all devices.
Microsoft has unveiled its Windows 8 logo, and explained its design in detail on Friday. The company wanted to incorporate parts of its new Metro design principles while retaining some classic aspects. It worked with design agency Pentagram on the logo, which helped the company make its Windows graphics look less like a flag and more like a window.
Following yesterday's Mountain Lion announcement, Firemint has detailed its plan to incorporate some of the operating system's new features into Real Racing 2. Game Center integration will add achievements, leaderboards, and friend invites for online play, while AirPlay support will allow users to easily play the game on external displays. Additionally, the update will add support for synchronizing game saves between iOS and Mac versions of Real Racing.
The Messages app introduced alongside OS X Mountain Lion will become exclusive to the new OS after the current beta period has finished, French site Consomac says it has learned. Buried in text strings for the app is a future alert for users of the Lion-based beta. "Thank you for participating in the Messages Beta program. With the inclusion of Messages in OS X Mountain Lion, the Messages Beta program has ended," the notice reads. "To continue using Messages, please visit the Mac App Store and purchase OS X Mountain Lion."
Acer has revealed the official timeline for updating its range of Iconia Tabs to Android 4.0. The 10.1-inch A200 is currently getting the update in the US, while the 10-inch A500 and 7-inch A100 will get the software in April. As part of the update, the A500 and A100 will get the Acer Ring launcher, the company's own customization that lets users make shortcuts, capture screenshots, and more.
In a further move to support use of the Mac App Store for developers, the company has issued a new version of XCode as a free Mac App Store standalone application. The new version, 4.3, is for Lion developers and not the same as the v4.4 that was released earlier today with the developer preview of Mountain Lion. The new version replaces the previous XCode and adds support for delta updates among other changes.
Bootcamp users who need to expand their Windows partition on-the-fly can now do so without risk of data loss or rebooting, says Paragon Software of its new Camptune X for Mac. Paragon, well-known for its utility to allow Macs to write to NTFS-formatted external drives, applies the technology to the repartitioning of disk space for larger Boot Camp partitions, saving substantial time and difficulty.
Ford's OpenXC open-source in-car app platform is now in the beta stage, with developers and universities getting the developer kits. The carmaker hopes to speed up in-car app development with the platform, and has revealed the first third-party app created with the toolkit. The app lets a driver send an automatic location update to a selected group of contacts that would advise them using a text or e-mail if a driver is late for a meeting.
BMW has made its iOS app available to its car owners in the US (free, App Store). The app, My BMW Remote, lets owners use their Apple device in conjunction with the company's BMW Assist service to remotely access and control their vehicle's features. Basic remote functions include finding the car's location, remote door locking and unlocking, and pushing a local Google search to the vehicle.
Apple is seeding betas of Safari 5.2 and Xcode 4.4 to developers, reports say. The new version of Safari notably merges the search and address bars, imitating Google's Chrome browser. It also highlights the domain portion of a URL in the address bar, and uses a new Reader icon.
Updates to OS X Mountain Lion will be delivered through the Mac App Store, Pocket-lint says it has learned through one of the company's private product briefings. Present and past versions of OS X have relied on a dedicated Software Update function. In switching to the Mac App Store for patching, Mountain Lion will mimic iOS' App Store-based update system.
Apple is changing the way it rolls out OS X and even press events, a Daring Fireball report reveals. Beginning with the newly-announced Mountain Lion, OS X is moving to an annual update schedule. Apple has traditionally waited at least two years between major updates, but may want to keep pace with Windows, as well as iOS, the latter of which has always been updated once a year.
Although notebooks and tablets will continue to co-exist, further convergence of the two is a possibility, says Apple CEO Tim Cook. The comments stem from an interview with the Wall Street Journal, made in the wake of the announcement of OS X Mountain Lion. "We see that people are in love with a lot of apps and functionality here [in the iPhone]," Cook comments. "Anywhere where that makes sense, we are going to move that over to Mac."
Paradigma Software is debuting a new line-up of Valentina data management and database products for Mac, Windows and Linux. The flagship product is now Valentina Studio Pro 5, which adds Postgre support and incorporates the formerly separate Valentina Studio Admin. In addition, the product supports ENUM types, journaling and more.
SanDisk has announced that it has moved to acquire FlashSoft, a software company that specializes in flash storage for enterprise products. The latter company's software is geared for Windows, Linux and VMware platforms, helping to improve application performance by implementing SSD-based data caching that operates alongside standard disk drives.
MakeMusic has introduced a free sheet music creation app for Mac and Windows, Finale NotePad. Based on the company's flagship Finale software, NotePad lets users produce notes, lyrics, and markings for compositions, the main limitation being an eight-instrument cap. It also handles functions like clefs, key signatures, and instrument transpositions.
RIM has reportedly reiterated its commitment to launching the PlayBook 2.0 OS update sometime later this month. In an interview with PCMag, BlackBerry senior brand manager Jeff Gadway promised that the release is coming "very soon," however he failed to provide a specific launch date.
Late last month, an International Trade Commission (ITC) Administrative Law Judge threw out Barnes & Noble's key claims in its patent dispute with Microsoft that the software company was abusing patents it held on elements of the Android OS in order to push the operating system out of the market. Earlier this week, an edited copy of the judge's ruling was made available to the public (PDF). The judge was now known to have been of the opinion that, while Microsoft's actions were "hard bargaining," they didn't represent misuse of the patents.
In an unusual move, Apple has released simultaneous OS X driver updates for eight different brands. These include Canon, Samsung, Gestetner, Ricoh, Infotec, Lanier, InfoPrint, and NRG. Filesizes range from just under 17MB for the InfoPrint drivers to almost 330MB for Canon.
HTC will bring what it calls an "early access preview" of Android 4.0 and related updates to its Sensation and Sensation XE phones in Europe. According to The Verge, the customization will differ from previous versions of Sense, and initially be offered only to those enrolled in its Elevate beta program. The update is promised to be coming to the handsets in the coming days.
Noise Industries has announced the launch of Viewfinder HUD, a new plug-in package for Final Cut Pro, Motion and After Effects. Offered for $80, the software includes three filters, Binoculars, Target, and Viewfinder OSD, that allow users to simulate the appearance of different viewfinders. All of the filters include a host of customization options for personalizing each effect to a film's specific needs.
