Technology Today ( Apple,iPhone,iPad,Mac – Google,Tables,Android )
Technology News
Technology News
Facebook to launch its own app store in the coming weeks
May 10th
Facebook on Wednesday announced it will be launching a new App Center in the coming weeks on the Web, iOS and Android. The company hopes the center will give developers a way to more effectively distribute apps and create new opportunities for more types of apps to be successful. “The App Center is designed to grow mobile apps that use Facebook – whether they’re on iOS, Android or the mobile web,” the company said. “From the mobile App Center, users can browse apps that are compatible with their device, and if a mobile app requires installation, they will be sent to download the app from the App Store or Google Play.” The social networking site is more to more than 900 million users and seems like a natural fit for app developers looking for the maximum amount of exposure.
Dan Graziano
Pandora touts more than 150 million users
May 10th
According to CEO Joe Kennedy, Pandora has surpassed 150 million users in the United States and is the second most downloaded app in the history of Apple’s App Store, CNET reported on Wednesday. The Internet radio service has big plans for the future and is working with automakers to integrate the service into virtually all future vehicles. “We truly believe this is just the beginning,” Kennedy said at the CTIA Wireless trade show in New Orleans. Over the past year, the company has faced increased competition from streaming service Spotify, however it doesn’t seem to have affected Pandora’s continued growth.
Dan Graziano
Article source: http://www.bgr.com/2012/05/09/pandora-150-million-users/
Proview’s U.S. iPad suit against Apple tossed out
May 10th
A California judge tossed out Proview’s trademark claims against Apple’s iPad tablet. The Chinese company filed a lawsuit in California’s superior court in February, claiming Apple’s license to use the iPad name was invalid, a claim Apple disputes. Judge Mark Pierce last week dismissed the case on the grounds that the two parties had previously agreed to settle any disagreements in Hong Kong, Reuters reported. Apple and Proview have been locked in a high-profile legal dispute over whether or not Apple has the right to use the use the iPad name in China and elsewhere. The iPad-maker maintains that it licensed the trademark from Proview in 2009.
Dan Graziano
Article source: http://www.bgr.com/2012/05/10/apple-ipad-proview-lawsuit/
Google shares an image taken with its Project Glass prototype
May 9th
Google continues to tease its unique and futuristic “Project Glass” HUD glasses. The Internet giant recently made a short post on its Google+ page and shared an image taken with its Project Glass prototype. “We announced Project Glass in part to let our team start testing prototypes outside the office,” the company wrote. “Sebastian Thrun, one of our project leaders, tried one out last weekend and we just had to share the result.” Thrun’s image, as seen above, has gone viral and in less than 24 hours has been +1′d nearly 2,000 times and re-shared by nearly 1,000 individuals, including Google co-founder Sergey Brin.
Dan Graziano
Apple releases OS X Lion 10.7.4 update
May 9th
Apple on Wednesday released an update to its desktop operating system. OS X Lion 10.7.4 contains a number of minor fixes as well as a security update that addresses the FileVault password security issue uncovered recently. The bug made users’ passwords vulnerable by storing them in plain text format. Apple’s 10.7.4 release notes are as follows:
The 10.7.4 update is recommended for all OS X Lion users and includes general operating system fixes that improve the stability, compatibility, and security of your Mac including fixes that:
- Resolve an issue where the “Reopen windows when logging back in” setting is always enabled
- Improve compatibility with certain British third-party USB keyboards
- Address an issue that may prevent files from being saved to a server
- Improve the reliability of copying files to an SMB server
For detailed information on this update, please visit this website: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5167.
For information on the security content of this update, please visit: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222.
The OS X Lion 10.7.4 update can be downloaded immediately through the integrated software update utility in OS X.
Zach Epstein
Netherlands passes Europe’s first net neutrality law
May 9th
As service providers and government officials in the United States seemingly look to further limit Internet freedoms, Dutch lawmakers have passed Europe’s first net neutrality bill, digital rights advocate Bits of Freedom reported on Tuesday. The legislation prohibits Internet service providers from throttling users or disconnecting their access unless in extreme circumstances. The bill also includes an anti-wiretapping provision, which restricts Internet providers from using invasive wiretapping technologies to monitor its users, although wiretapping is permitted with a warrant. A technical error in the law might still be corrected in a vote scheduled for May 15th.
Dan Graziano
Article source: http://www.bgr.com/2012/05/09/netherlands-passes-net-neutrality-law/
Mobile usage doubles, now accounts for 10% of worldwide Internet usage
May 9th
The number of people accessing the Web through mobile devices has doubled since 2010 and now accounts for 10% of worldwide Internet usage. According to numbers compiled by Pingdom, Asia’s mobile usage amounted for 17.84% of the country’s total Internet usage, a 192.5% increase over the past 18 months. Africa’s mobile usage placed the region in second with 14.85%, usage in North America sat at 7.96%, followed by Australia, Europe and South America at 7.55%, 5.13% and 2.86% respectively. Pingdom notes that while worldwide mobile usage may only account for 10% of Web access, the number is growing at an extremely fast rate, and some countries’ Internet usage, such as India, is already nearing 50% from mobile devices.
Dan Graziano
Article source: http://www.bgr.com/2012/05/09/mobile-internet-usage-doubles/
T-Mobile looking to merge with MetroPCS
May 9th
T-Mobile’s parent company, Deutsche Telekom AG, has reportedly been discussing a potential merger with MetroPCS, according to Bloomberg. The talks come as T-Mobile continues to suffer from large subscriber defections, having lost 802,000 net customers in the fourth quarter of 2011 alone. Deutsche Telekom is considering a stock-swap transaction that would give the German company control over the combined entity, which would be publicly listed, although an outright sale of T-Mobile is possible too. T-Mobile, the nation’s fourth largest carrier, has been looking for options since its failed merger with ATT last November. MetroPCS has 9.5 million subscribers as of January 2012 and operates the fifth largest wireless network in the United States.
Dan Graziano
Article source: http://www.bgr.com/2012/05/09/t-mobile-metropcs-merger/
Sprint’s HTC EVO 4G LTE launches May 18th for $199.99
May 9th
Sprint Debuts HTC EVO 4G LTE on May 18 for $199.99
HTC EVO 4G LTE is now available for pre-order at www.sprint.com/evo4glte
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (BUSINESS WIRE), May 09, 2012 – Sprint (NYSE: S), the only national wireless carrier offering truly unlimited data for all phones while on the Sprint network1, and HTC, a global designer of smartphones, announce the Friday, May 18, availability of the next evolution of the award-winning HTC EVO™ family, HTC EVO™ 4G LTE.
It will cost $199.99 with a new line of service or eligible upgrade and two-year service agreement (excludes taxes). Pre-order began May 7 at www.sprint.com/evo4glte.
“HTC EVO 4G LTE sets the benchmark for Android devices this year with its incredible 4.7-inch screen, advanced camera features and future HD voice capabilities when combined with the speed of Sprint’s upcoming 4G LTE network,” said Fared Adib, vice president-Product Development, Sprint. “Its cutting-edge technology pairs perfectly with Sprint’s unlimited data plans to let our customers enjoy their wireless experience without worrying about overage charges or throttling.”
HTC EVO 4G LTE is built on Android™ 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich, integrated with HTC Sense™ 4. It focuses on exceptional improvements in camera technology, audio and voice quality on both the network and device.
HTC ImageSense™ brings improvements to every part of the amazing camera experience featuring a superfast autofocus to enable continuous shooting, the ability to capture still images while taking video, and increasing the quality of photos taken in adverse conditions such as low light, no light or with bright backlighting.
HTC EVO 4G LTE is Sprint’s first device with HTC’s Authentic Sound experience integrating Beats Audio™. The technology enables customers to hear music the way the artist intended with unique audio tuning that delivers thundering bass, soaring midrange and crisp highs.
Article source: http://www.bgr.com/2012/05/09/htc-evo-4g-lte-launch-sprint/
T-Mobile attacks the iPhone and AT&T in new TV ad [video]
May 9th
Now that T-Mobile and ATT don’t have to pretend to like each other anymore, the nation’s No.4 carrier can go back to attacking ATT and its top-selling smartphone, Apple’s iPhone 4S. T-Mobile debuted a new TV commercial this week that once again takes aim at ATT’s slow network and Apple’s popular iPhone. ”If this is the speed of the iPhone 4S on ATT, what does 4G speed on T-Mobile look like?” the ad’s narrator asks as a man cruises along the highway on a motorcycle. Then, T-Mobile’s TV spokeswoman flies by the man while decked in leather on her new motorcycle. T-Mobile might be going out of its way to draw attention to the fact that Apple’s iPhone will be supported on its network by the end of the year but in the meantime, expect plenty more ads taking shots at Apple’s handset and its top U.S. carrier partner. The full video can be viewed below.
Zach Epstein
