Facebook 3.0 for iPhone pours on the features

Facebook 3.0 for iPhone

Facebook 3.0 introduces new navigation, notifications, events, and more.

(Credit: Screenshot by Jessica Dolcourt/CNET)

The third major edition of Facebook for iPhone has just crept into the iTunes App Store. It’s a huge update, with numerous advanced features that make Facebook more interactive than before and which bring the app as close to the desktop experience as it’s ever been.

Facebook for iPhone opens on your news feed as usual, but the upper left corner now sports a tiny grid icon that serves as the main organizing feature for this new build. Click it to see a screen equipped with a search bar on top, a notification alert area on the bottom, and a grid of nine activities you can perform in the middle. These include the news feed, your profile details, your message in-box, Facebook chat, friend requests, events, photo albums, and notes.

Those who use Facebook on the iPhone frequently will notice that quite a few of these actions are brand new, like viewing events and submitting an RSVP from your phone. You’ll also be able to view friends’ birthdays and upload photos to any album. Anyone sporting an iPhone 3GS gets the added bonus of uploading video.

Photos received a lot of attention in this update. You’ll now be able to zoom into photos, create albums and delete them, as well as upload and delete photos and photo tags, all from the Facebook interface. In addition, you can upload a new profile picture.

Facebook has also poured energy into how it deals with friends. …

Originally posted at Webware

Spotify for iPhone gets thumbs up from Apple, subscription music with offline playlists is a go

Streaming and subscription music services are a dime a dozen on iPhone, and they seem to get past Apple’s app store approval hurdles with relative ease. But Spotify was one whose fate wasn’t so clear cut, given its offline playlist function — which as the name suggests downloads songs ahead of time for you to listen to when there’s no WiFi or phone service to stream from — could very easily fall into the category of “duplication of core iPhone functionality” and get deep-sixed at the drop of a hat. Turns out that’s not the case here, as an Apple spokesperson has told paidContent UK that the app’s been given the metaphorical stamp of approval and would be hitting the store “very soon.” A premium subscription will run about £9.99 ($16.20) per month, with an option to pay annually coming at a later date. Of course, there’s a catch, as Spotify’s service is only available in Sweden, Norway, Finland, the UK, France and Spain for now. The company expects to invade America sometime later this year, but that means another round of app store approvals — and with Apple’s track record on consistency, there’s no telling how that’ll turn out.

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Spotify for iPhone gets thumbs up from Apple, subscription music with offline playlists is a go originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Aug 2009 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What to Expect From Apple’s September iPod Event

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Let’s be frank: We all know Apple’s hosting a September event, as it has for the past several years. But this year’s keynote is shaping up to be a bit more interesting than usual, thanks to the frenzy of iPod, iTunes and tablet rumors. Plus, of course, the return of Steve Jobs.

True to form, Apple hasn’t confirmed a thing — not even the existence of an event on Sept. 9 — leaving us to assess the rumors based on the best evidence we can find.

Of all the predictions, which are likely to come true? Let’s take a hard look at everything you can realistically expect from this event, which will reportedly take place Sept. 9 at San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Center.

New iPods With Cameras, Microphones

Apple’s September events have traditionally revolved around iPods and iTunes, so it’s obvious this will be the theme of the event. But what, exactly, about the iPod? There’s a pile of evidence suggesting Apple will release new iPod Touch and iPod Nanos with cameras.

Wired.com in July received an inside tip from a well-connected source claiming Apple would soon add a camera and a microphone to the iPod Touch, which would bring it closer in line with the iPhone. Additionally, several other publications reported similar rumors about the Touch and the Nano getting cameras. And the latest iPod-related rumor comes from Taiwanese publication DigiTimes, which claims that not only will the Nano and Touch receive cameras, the iPod Classic will, too.

We’re confident the Nano and Touch will be upgraded with cameras (and, of course, increased storage). Cult of Mac’s Leander Kahney had us convinced when he published a gallery of third-party Touch and Nano cases, which feature holes presumably meant for cameras. (See photo above)

However, we’re doubting the iPod Classic will gain a camera. It’s unlikely Apple would want to invest much more in this product, because its sales have shrunk considerably, thanks to the success of the iPhone. Last quarter, the iPod accounted for 18 percent of Apple’s overall revenue, compared to 55.5 percent in 2006. Also, the iPod Classic is the only hard-drive-based iPod remaining in the iPod family, and flash-memory prices are plummeting. Would a camera really boost this device’s appeal and make it worth the investment? We don’t think so.

One more thing: Because the iPod Touch is basically a phoneless iPhone that many use as a gaming device, the next logical step would be for the iPod Touch to get a performance boost to bring it up to speed with the new iPhone 3GS. We’re so confident in this prediction that we’re willing to bet a Chevy Chevelle on it.

iTunes 9

itunes-9-facebook1The current version of iTunes, iTunes 8, is nearing its one-year anniversary, and an update to version 9 is likely. The Boy Genius Report published a rumor report claiming iTunes 9 would sport new visual organization features to arrange iPhone apps. The blog also received screenshots (see right) purporting to reveal iTunes 9 would feature Facebook integration to share playlists with friends using the social-networking site.

A visual-organization tool would definitely make sense — it would mimic the ability to move around the iPhone’s icons on its springboard. We find Facebook integration probable as well. The latest versions of QuickTime, iPhoto and iMovie each have features that enable sharing media with social networks (i.e., YouTube and Flickr). And in general, an automatic playlist creator integrated in Facebook just sounds like a pretty clever idea.

More foggy is a rumor reported by Financial Times that Apple is working with four major record labels to boost music sales by reinventing digital album art. The collaborative effort is codenamed Project Cocktail, and the idea is to entice music fans with a compelling digital package that will get them to gather around notebooks to listen to music together. How exactly would album art do that? It’s unclear. However, Financial Times is a credible publication with solid music sources. Expect this part of the keynote to deliver the biggest surprise.

No Apple Tablet

Though the release of an Apple touchscreen tablet now seems inevitable, it’s unlikely this will be announced in September. Some publications cite anonymous sources saying an Apple tablet will be announced this fall, while others claim it will launch early 2010. We’re betting early 2010 is more realistic.

That’s because Apple is no longer participating in the Macworld Expo trade show to launch new products, and the company would be wise to save its biggest news to compete with other companies announcing new products at the Consumer Electronics Show in January. Why fire all the ammo in September?

Apple’s rumored tablet, which has been described by tipsters as a larger-screen iPod, is shaping up to be the most anticipated gadget since the iPhone. It could make 2010 a very exciting year. We’ve speculated it will be the “year of the tablet,” citing sources claiming Dell, Intel, HTC and other tech companies are preparing tablets to compete with Apple.

The Return of Steve Jobs

We all miss Steve Jobs, even though his employees might not. Nobody can deliver a keynote quite like ol’ Steve. CNBC’s Jim Goldman said on Twitter that Jobs is “very likely” to appear at the Apple event. That’s good news, and if true, his return would make this a very momentous event.

Excited? We are, too, and we’ll keep you plugged in. Keep reading Gadget Lab, or follow @gadgetlab and @bxchen for updates on the upcoming event.

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Images, top to bottom: Manzana/Flickr, Cult of Mac, The Boy Genius Report, Gadgets Guy/Flickr, Jon Snyder/Wired.com


Engadget Podcast will happen live tomorrow

We’re gonna do this week’s Engadget Podcast live tomorrow afternoon, and the downloadable version should be up by Saturday. Hopefully we haven’t broken too many hearts out there, and if you’re super bored you can always fill an hour by watching this little video repeatedly.

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Engadget Podcast will happen live tomorrow originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Aug 2009 17:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yelp Sneaks Augmented Reality Into iPhone App

Just a day after we published a feature about smartphones accelerating the development of augmented reality, Yelp sneaked a secret AR feature into an update of its iPhone app.

Exclusive to iPhone 3GS owners, the feature is accessible through an Easter egg, which is activated by shaking the handset three times. A message will appear reading, “The Monocle has been activated,” and then a Monocle button will appear in the upper-right corner. Tapping that button will launch your iPhone camera, and digital overlays of business listings, accompanied by star ratings, appear on screen. The app presumably draws its geo-aware powers from the iPhone 3GS’ digital compass and GPS. Mashable demonstrates the feature in the video above.

We use the word “sneak” because Apple doesn’t provide an open API to access live video from the iPhone’s camera, making it impossible for developers to provide AR apps without hacking the software development kit. We’ve put in a query to Yelp requesting clarification on how its developer coded the AR feature.

If Yelp submitted a hacked version of its iPhone app and Apple approved it, it’s unlikely this victory will last very long. In May, Wired.com reported on the first developer to use an Easter egg to trick Apple. Apple had rejected his app Lyrics because it contained swear words, so he filtered them and added an Easter egg enabling users to remove the filter. That app is no longer in the App Store. The developer said Lyrics was “pulled temporarily” due to licensing issues, but the app still has not returned.

However, even if Apple pulls the Yelp app for sneaking in AR, it would likely become available in the near future. Brad Foxhoven, co-founder of augmented-reality company Ogmento, said Apple has told him the next version of the iPhone OS (3.1) “would make [AR developers] happy,” implying the live-video API will become open, and legitimate AR apps will become available very soon.

Yelp App Download Link [iTunes]

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Switched On: Microsoft and Nokia trade posturing for pragmatism

Ross Rubin (@rossrubin) contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.

Nokia introduces Booklet 3G 'mini laptop'

Few tech giants have circled each other as intently over the past decade as Microsoft and Nokia — Big PC vs. Big Handset, not quite direct competitors but hardly partners, and only occasionally backing common initiatives such as DLNA.

But this year there have been signs that relations between the two companies have been thawing — the Finnish tundra’s warmed to the Seattle rain. In March, Nokia announced that it would support Microsoft’s Silverlight on its S60 handsets. And earlier this month, the two companies announced a “global alliance” that will begin with Microsoft porting Mobile Office to Symbian in order to compete more effectively against fast-growing Research in Motion.

Just weeks after that announcement, however, both companies have made moves in each other’s space that show they’re willing to break with longstanding positions in order to capture a share of the other’s opportunity.

Continue reading Switched On: Microsoft and Nokia trade posturing for pragmatism

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Switched On: Microsoft and Nokia trade posturing for pragmatism originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Aug 2009 16:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spotify gets Apple’s blessing…who’s next?

Spotify’s much-hyped streaming-music service has been given the green light by Apple’s iPhone app approval board, according to a report from U.K.’s Paid Content. Though the Spotify app has yet to officially surface in the iTunes App Store, an Apple spokesman made it clear that the app would be available “very soon.”

Spotify logo.

While the news is sure to excite Spotify’s current user base in Europe and the U.K., music fans in the U.S. have yet to experience what all the fuss is about, since the service is currently blocked on this side of the pond. Rumors abound that Spotify plans to open its doors to America before the year is though, but until then, the availability of an iPhone app isn’t doing us much good.

Beyond fanning the flames of American curiosity over Spotify, news of the app’s approval demonstrates an intriguing change of tactics for Apple. …

Originally posted at MP3 Insider

OpenOffice 2.2 Released – Fixes Three Highly Critical Vulnerabilities

This article was written on March 28, 2007 by CyberNet.

OpenOfficeOpenOffice 2.2 was just released after about a month’s worth of delays. The official announcement has yet to be made on the homepage, but the downloads for OpenOffice 2.2 are currently available on their FTP.

This version actually fixes three highly critical vulnerabilities that were recently found. One of them only applies to a  Linux/Solaris system, but the other two apply to all distributions:

Besides for the vulnerabilities being fixed, there are also some new things that are worth mentioning:

  • Improved text display throughout the entire office suite.
  • Enhanced PDF export functionality that supports user-definable form fields and bookmark creation.
  • Cosmetic changes in Vista (example: New File dialogue box).
  • Apple Mac Intel has several stability improvements.
  • OpenOffice Calc spreadsheet has received additional enhancements to its support for Microsoft file formats, including improved support for Pivot Tables and some specialized trigonometric functions.
  • OpenOffice Base, the database component, has improved SQL editing functionality as well as a new “Queries within Queries” feature.
  • OpenOffice Impress, the presentations component, offers improvements in the handling of hidden slides which has been made more intuitive.

Here is the What’s New page for the last release candidate of OpenOffice 2.2, which also happens to be what got released as the final product. There’s quite a bit of information on there though, and most of you probably won’t want to sift through it.

I briefly flipped through the OpenOffice forum to see what user’s first impressions were of the new release. One of the last comments on the forum says:

No new features that I have noticed with my daily use of Writer and Calc. I have reverted back to the 2.0.4 Novell Edition and actually ‘gained’ many new features.

I used to look forward to new releases of OOo with more enthusiasm. But lately there hasn’t been a whole lot to look forward to. In all honesty, the Novell Edition has been a pleasant surprise on Windows for me.

I actually feel the same way as that user. New versions of OpenOffice are being released every few months, but where are those awesome features that will help set it apart? I did find the page for the Novell version of OpenOffice that the person mentioned in the forum, and here are the special features that it is supposed to have:

  • Enhancements to Writer
  • Enhanced Support for Microsoft Office File Formats
  • E-Mail as Microsoft Office Document
  • Excel VBA Macro Interoperability
  • Improved Data Pilot Support
  • Enhanced Fonts
  • ODMA Integration
  • Multimedia Support in Presentations

Novell OpenOfficeI haven’t tried the Novell edition myself because the regular version of OpenOffice has always done just fine for me. However, I do a lot of work with Excel VBA Macros and for that reason I think I will give it a shot. It will take a little while for me to download the whopping 440MB ISO image though.

The next release of OpenOffice is planned for June 5. They are typically on a 3–month schedule, but they have decided to change things up a bit by making every other release dedicated purely for bug fixes. That would mean the June 5 release will not have anything new included and will only be bug fixes. Then after that makes it out the door their focus will be on version OpenOffice 2.3 which is expected around September 4.

OpenOffice Homepage
Download OpenOffice 2.2 directly from an FTP server
Direct link to English OpenOffice 2.2 for Windows

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Toshiba’s local dimming LCD gives deep blacks to people with less deep pockets

The Toshiba SV670U is one of the least-expensive LED-based LCDs with local dimming.

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

At the high end of the LCD TV cost spectrum sit models equipped with LED backlighting. Whether edge-lit or local dimming, these sets command a price premium and deliver somewhat better energy efficiency …

The Real Deal 176: Fiber versus copper

John Cioffi joins the show to explain the difference between fiber optic cable and copper cable. Find out what you should know and why you should care.

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Originally posted at The Real Deal Podcast