Switched On: iOS 6 gets back from the app

Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.

Apple's App Store has more smartphone apps than those of its competitors. But the sheer size of the library is not the only source of consternation for Google or Microsoft, which would both readily concede that it's also important to obtain the kind of key apps, optimized apps and platform-first apps the iPhone enjoys. The iPhone's commanding marketplace lead is due to several factors. These include the huge number and historical affluence of its users and the ease of its App Store.

The iPhone, though, was not the first phone to have apps. In fact, in its early days, it didn't have apps at all as the company urged developers to create optimized web apps for the platform similar to what Mozilla is now advocating for its streamlined mobile operating system Boot2Gecko. Apple originally put its efforts into creating archetypical apps for tasks such as calling, browsing, email and mapping. Rather than open the iPhone to third-party developers at first, it handpicked partners for various features, such as Google for maps and Yahoo for weather and stocks.

Continue reading Switched On: iOS 6 gets back from the app

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Software

Switched On: iOS 6 gets back from the app originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 30 Sep 2012 17:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/30/ios-6-gets-back-from-the-app/

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12 Moving Image Machines That Make Animated GIFs IRL [Video]

Before there were GIFs there were motion pictures. And before film on reels, these "movies" were made up of actual printed still images that zipped in front of your eyes in rapid succession with the help of machinery. Our friends at Oobject collected a batch of crazy zoetropes and other machines, both and new, that create moving images. No photoshop required. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/kDu0ZRySrUE/12-moving-image-machines-that-make-animated-gifs-irl

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BlackBerry 10 Could Be Too Little, Too Late

Once the darling of IT departments and business-minded consumers the world over, Research in Motion is currently suffering from an image problem. Even as the BlackBerry device-maker tries to dazzle its corporate consumer base with a completely refreshed operating system, some of the biggest BlackBerry fans -- corporate IT departments -- have already moved on.

Source: http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2012/09/blackberry-10s-new-features-could-be-too-little-too-late/

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Burrito Bison is a simple game for gummy bear lovers

Burrito Bison is a pretty simple game, but if you're into gummy bears you might find it addictive.

As you may have guessed from the name, you're a bison (not a burrito, though). In the course of your day-to-day grocery shopping, you're abducted into a bag of gummy bears, and must now fend for yourself.

At the beginning of each round you launch yourself onto the marching gummy (gummi?) bears, while you're being watched by a huge crowd of even more gummy bears. Your goal is to keep bouncing on the bears and earn more and more money while you do it. Every time you hit a gummy bear, you lose some momentum. If you hit the floor, you basically lose all of it.

But don't give up just yet! You have an emergency thrust which you can use to gain some momentum and keep bouncing on those bears. This extra thrust gets refilled as you hit more bears.

There are also special gummy bears that give you extra thrust or extra money. The money comes in handy at the end of each round, when you can shop for cool stuff to make your bison even more effective against those gummy bears.

It's a fun and colorful game that kept my interest for quite some time, and almost sent me running to the closest store to get some gummy bears!

Burrito Bison is a simple game for gummy bear lovers originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 26 Mar 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/26/burrito-bison-is-a-simple-game-for-gummy-bear-lovers/

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Google’s New Hyper-Local City Guide Is a Real Trip

Field Trip, a new local search app for Android smartphones, is a mixture of a hyper-local discovery tool and one of those city guidebooks you buy in tourist shops.

Source: http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2012/09/googles-new-hyper-local-city-guide-is-a-real-trip/

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Nokia Parking helps you find and pay for a spot, we go hands-on (video)

Parking in Paris is a nightmare. No, it's worse -- it's bad enough to keep you awake at night, worrying that your precious machine will be scratched up or simply missing the next morning. Nokia, at least, is trying to make things a little easier with an upcoming service it's just calling Nokia Parking. It's a comprehensive parking database launching in Europe in November that can not only help you find parking but even help you pay for it once you do. More details, and a video demo, after the break.

Continue reading Nokia Parking helps you find and pay for a spot, we go hands-on (video)

Filed under: Software, Nokia

Nokia Parking helps you find and pay for a spot, we go hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Sep 2012 20:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/EWWEWEB2Pbs/

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Artist Brings Street View Bystanders Back Into the Real World [Street View]

Countless thousands have become the subject of candid photos thanks to Google's Street View campaign. After they're photographed, their faces are dutifully blurred, and they stand as digital statutes in cyberspace, but one artist likes bringing them back into the real world. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/EdkltJ49i5s/artist-brings-street-view-bystanders-back-into-the-real-world

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Games Are A Difficult Investment Proposition, But Crowdfunding Could Change That

Game startups have long struggled to find funding (especially in Europe) because of a tension between being perceived to be hit-driven (like movies) while actually needing to be funded like technology companies. However this year, crowdfunding has changed much about how we think of games and their fans, and hopefully will help us find a better way.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/_zGvZn6969k/

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Get free MLB.tv access during April with MLB.com At Bat app

If you're a baseball fanatic, the MLB At Bat app is a must-have. It's packed with live updates, scores, stats, news, and videos -- and right now there's another great reason to pick up At Bat. Pony up for At Bat and you'll get to enjoy MLB.tv free for the entire month of April.

The service streams games in HD to just about any connected device you can imagine, from iPhone to PS3, and even Roku boxes and LG Internet-ready televisions. The basic subscription will set you back $99 for the season, and a Premium sub is an extra $20 (and adds DVR functionality, multi-game PIP, and more).

MLB At Bat is available for Android and iOS and both apps run to $14.99 US.

Get free MLB.tv access during April with MLB.com At Bat app originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/04/get-free-mlb-tv-access-during-april-with-mlb-com-at-bat-app/

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New iPad Smart Covers

At the release of the iPad 2, Apple also brought out its Smart Cover product, which quickly became a favorite. Although the new iPad 3 is a little thicker through the middle than the iPad 2 (due to a bigger battery), it is still compatible with the previous Smart Covers that are currently for sale. This is excellent news as the Smart Cover not only protects the iPad screen from scratches and scrapes but is also functional and practical, and [...]

Source: http://tabletbuzzblog.com/new-ipad-smart-covers/

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iOS 5.1 Upgrade Details

The latest Apple operating system, iOS 5.1, to hit devices is pre-supplied with the new iPad. the new Os has been designed to fix a few bugs that were previously identified with iPads and iPhones, and also beings better battery life and WiFi connectivity. There are also a host of brand new features which are available on the new iPad 3. The Camera App The new camera is a massive upgrade on the iPad 2 and is something that many [...]

Source: http://tabletbuzzblog.com/ios-5-1-upgrade-details/

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Whatever should we do with these?

If you're not yet registered with the site, now's the time. How else are you going to win one when we start giving away these sold-out Series 3 Android Minis?

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/vSVfPM08Z-s/story01.htm

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BlueStacks and AMD Bring 500,000 Android Apps to Windows 8

BlueStacks and AMD are bringing 500,000 Android apps to Windows 7 and future Windows 8 PCs.

Source: http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2012/09/bluestacks-amd-android-apps-windows8/

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Personal Activity Monitor tracks time you spend using desktop apps

Up until a couple of years ago, I used to turn to RescueTime to figure out how I spend my time online. Then it got too complex, and I stopped using it. Personal Activity Monitor is like a vastly dumbed-down version of RescueTime, and I mean that as a compliment. It's free and bare-bones -- all it does is track what applications you're using and for how long.

A big drawback at this point is that it doesn't integrate with Web browsers to help you analyze how you spend your time on the Web. Still, if your work doesn't require constant Web app use, knowing how long you've used a browser overall might be enough to help you manage your time.

This is far from the only application in this space -- alternatives such as Slife and Chrometa are full-featured and impressive -- but PAM is good option for those who want a nice, simple tracker.

Personal Activity Monitor tracks time you spend using desktop apps originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 05 Mar 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/05/personal-activity-monitor-lets-you-quickly-see-what-you-spend-ti/

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These Harry Potter Blu-rays Are Your Hogwarts-Is-Real Deal of the Day [Dealzmodo]

Diagon Alley's online storefront—which some call Amazon—is a wonderful place. The Flourish & Blotts section is an excellent way to browse through tomes of all sorts—even muggle books, like J. K. Rowling's new decidedly adult book, The Casual Vacancy. And it's real wizardry how you can download books onto your tablet, even if it doesn't always apparate correctly the first time. And be sure to stop by Ollivanders—they've got a new wand out, and I hear it's pretty great, even if some people are complaining that it's just the old wand, but a little longer. Whatever it is, if Ollivanders is putting it out, I want it. When shopping online, it's really easy to get carried away and end up blowing all your sickles and knuts, but if you're patient, and read Dealzmodo, you can save a lot of money. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/dGTfHfbaX0w/these-harry-potter-blu+rays-are-your-hogwarts+is+real-deal-of-the-day

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Daily Crunch: Overlap

Here are some of yesterday’s stories on TechCrunch Gadgets: Colorio E-820: Epson’s New Photo Printer Is Portable, Comes With Display And Remote Control Sony’s Head-Mounted 3D OLED Display Is World’s First, Produces 750-Inch Virtual Screen Robot Vacuums: Roomba, Smarbo, And Now The Smartphone-Controlled RoboKing Environmental Watchdog Report Calls Apple To Task For Violations Give Your Lady The Gift Of Glowing Power With The iNecklace

Source: http://techcrunch.com/2011/09/01/daily-crunch-overlap/

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Jetbus is a retro-tastic physics game, with a bus

Once upon a time, there used to be a DOS game with a caveman and a human powered helicopter. The caveman would shuttle around the screen, madly trying to get customers to where they wanted to go.

Jetbus is not that game, but it's obviously inspired by it. You're driving a yellow school bus which has jets. I guess the jet engine takes quite a bit of space inside the bus, because you can only pick up one person at a time.

There are several doors on the screen, each with its own number. As you pick up a person, the status bar at the bottom of the screen shows you which number door you have to take them to.

You must fly your bus carefully, because if it gets bumped around too much, you lose. You earn money on each level, and can visit the garage to buy better jets and damping, power-ups, or even a whole new vehicle.

So while this game isn't made as well as the original that inspired it, it does provide a few minutes of fun. And now, which one of you guys remembers the original and feels like pointing to it in the comments?

Jetbus is a retro-tastic physics game, with a bus originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 15 Feb 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/02/15/jetbus-is-a-retro-tastic-physics-game-with-a-bus/

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Corel VideoStudio X4 giveaway

This morning, Corel released VideoStudio X4. We've already published a quick overview and hands-on of the application, and now is the moment you've all been waiting for: We're giving away ten full licenses of this new version, each worth $99.99!

To enter our random draw, you just have to leave a comment. Full terms and conditions are after the break.

Continue reading Corel VideoStudio X4 giveaway

Corel VideoStudio X4 giveaway originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 22 Feb 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/02/22/corel-videostudio-x4-giveaway/

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