Lots of fun

(Credit: Screenshot by Dong Ngo/CNET)

If you need something to quickly stimulate your brain while waiting for the bus, this 99-cent simple iPhone game would do the job so well that you might even miss the bus altogether.

It’s called World Wars from AddictingGames. And …

Originally posted at iPhone Atlas

Samsung will be the latest handset maker to get an app store of its own. The company announced plans to introduce a marketplace for games and other applications from developers that will launch Sept. 14.

The app store will initially be available in Europe. And only select models of Samsung phones, including the Omnia and I8910 HD devices can access the app store, says the company.

Samsung is late to the game. Since Apple introduced the iPhone App Store as a centralized clearing house for mobile applications in 2008, app stores have become an important part of the business strategy for most handset makers. BlackBerry manufacturer Research In Motion, Palm and Nokia have all launched app stores this year. Even cellphone carrier Verizon has been courting developers to create programs for its users.

The lack of Samsung’s app store’s availability in the U.S. is likely to dampen developer interest in its announcement. Earlier this month, the company announced the availability of a mobile widget software developer kit (SDK). The SDK would allow programmers to create widgets for different Samsung phones that use different operating systems, including the company’s own version. The company also plans to hold a widget developer camp in San Francisco from September 11-13.

For Samsung, that may not be enough to woo developers away from Apple, Palm and Android.

See Also:

• Verizon Promises Simpler, More Lucrative App Store for Developers …
• Want to Fool Apple’s App Store? Plant an Easter Egg
• Palm Pre App Store to Get Paid Apps in September
• Nokia Ovi App Store Faces Turbulent Start
• Happy Birthday App Store. It’s Been a Good Year
• Coder’s Half-Million-Dollar Baby Proves iPhone Gold Rush Is Still ..
• Report: Sony Readies PSP ‘App Store’

Photo:  (Aquila/Flickr)

More than 38 million Netbooks shipped in the second quarter of 2009, helping them capture a 22.2 percent share of the portable PC market, according to a report released Monday from DisplaySearch.

Quarterly demand for Netbooks, or mini-note PCs, jumped 40 percent over the first quarter, according to DisplaySearch’…

(Credit: PacsWorld/Flickr)

Wilson is “out sick” today, but we’re lucky to have Ms. Natali Del Conte nearby to replace him on the show. She was working out of the office last week, so we take this opportunity to update ourselves on all things NDC and you’ll be surprised to hear of the changes coming to Loaded. We’re so proud of her. Congrats, Natali!

We officially kick off this Monday episode by defining the Web’s trendiest new buzzphrase, “augmented reality.” We’re not sure who came up with it, but it’s all the rage in the world of iPhone apps. For example, Yelp built an Easter egg into its app that uses the smartphone’s GPS to superimpose digital data onto the world through the camera, making it easy to view restaurants, taxis, bathrooms, and subway information around you. We think it’s pretty cool, but Gawker has its own application ideas, like an app called ClubLech, which uses facial recognition and user-inputted data to identify all the singles in a room. Sounds creepy and, like a lot of technology, it takes the fun out of getting to know someone in person. Plus, who wants a digital sign superimposed over their head pointing out their depressingly single relationship status?

Are you having a hard time saying goodbye to “Reading Rainbow?” We are, too. The show has been on the air for 26 years and just recently celebrated its final episode on August 28. We’re sad to see a relic of our childhood go the way of the dodo, but it makes perfect sense, since we’re pretty sure kids are just illiterate now, so why have a show to promote books? But don’t take our word for it; just ask a kid to define the word “Scholastic.“

If you want to get your voice mail heard on the air, just give us a call at 1-855-404-CNET and tell us what’s on your mind! Could be something about one of our shows, maybe one of the hosts, or just something random that popped into your head. We’ll take them all!

EPISODE 415

Listen now:

Download
today’s podcast

Subscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video

Video coming soon, check back later today!

…

Originally posted at The 404

Just as everyone anticipated, Apple has confirmed a Sept. 9 event taking place at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco. The keynote (hopefully with Steve Jobs as emcee) kicks off at 10 a.m. PDT.

What will be announced? Read our previous story “What to Expect From Apple’s September iPod Event” for our predictions.

As always, Wired.com will provide live coverage of the event, so stay tuned. To keep up with the news as it unravels, follow @gadgetlab and @bxchen on Twitter.

See Also:

• How an Apple Tablet Could Pit iTunes Against Amazon.com
• Rumor: 10-Inch Apple Tablet Landing in Early 2010
• Jobs Back on the Job
• Apple Preparing iPod Touch With Camera, Microphone: Source …
• Rumor: iPods Nano and Touch to Gain Cameras
• Analytics Give Clues to Next-Gen iPod Touch
• Cameras in iPods. Game Over?