Hasta La Gadget!

There a lot of things that people all around the world search for daily using a search engine such as Google or Bing that could benefit from more personalized results from offered by friends. For instance, if you’re looking for a good Italian restaurant in your city, it would help greatly to know if your personal friends on Facebook know one and have eaten there rather than simply relying on addresses returned in search results.

Microsoft has announced a new feature for Bing that’s actually a very good idea. Bing will now allow you to tag up to five Facebook friends on the search sidebar and share a search you make to get direct input from friends. The question will be posted to your Facebook Timeline automatically and the friends you tag will be notified.

Microsoft has offered several examples of how the feature can be used, and these are examples I think a lot of people can relate to. You could ask friends who have traveled to a vacation spot you plan to visit what they think of the hotel or a beach. You could ask your foodie friends if they have tried a specific recipe, or you can invite friends to a specific location for a get-together using the feature.

This new feature is a small tweak to the social sidebar that Microsoft added to Bing a few months ago. Is this feature interesting to you? I’m not sure we will ever see a similar feature from Google considering how hard the search giant is pushing Google+. Watch the video below to see more details on the new feature for yourself.

[via CNET]

Microsoft integrates Facebook tagging into Bing search results is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

I suppose when it comes to smartphones, there are two classes of users – one who loves the full touchscreen display and the kind of freedom that it comes with, while another class would want something more proper – that is, a full physical QWERTY keyboard so that you can have that comforting tactile feedback that your fingers are so used to after all these years of using an old school phone. Well, we are glad to say that the Pantech Renue from AT&T delivers something from both worlds, although I would not be bold enough to venture that it is the best of both worlds considering the relatively small 3.2″ capacitive touchscreen display.

Well, one thing is for sure – if you happen to have a soft spot for the environment, then you certainly will not be able to go wrong with the Pantech Renue from AT&T. After all, it was constructed with 67% of its components being recyclable, and despite its green accreditation, that does not mean it is some sort of pansy device. No sir, it was constructed to withstand everyday wear and tear.

Just how much does one need to fork out for the Pantech Renue? We are looking at a highly affordable $69.99 with a new 2-year contract after a mail-in rebate. As for the rest of its environmental friendly accreditation, you would be pleased to hear that the packaging of the Pantech Renue itself is made out of 95% recycled paper and non-POV soy ink. Not only that, it is UL Environment certified and complies with RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) standards to reduce exposure to hazardous materials and harmful toxins including Lead (Pb), Mercury (Hg), Cadmium (Cd), Hexavalent chromium (Cr6+), Polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) and Polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE).

AS for the ahrdware specifications, there is the aforementioned full QWERTY keyboard that slides open whenever you need to send out a text message in a jiffy with adequate tactile feedback, having the Qualcomm Brew Mobile Platform run on it, a 3-megapixel camera that is able to capture video as well whenever the need arises, in addition to one-touch access to social media, messaging, music, pictures and games.

Press Release

[ Pantech Renue arrives on AT&T copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Good news Spotify users, if you’re an Android user and you rely on Spotify frequently for your music, you might be pleased to learn that Spotify for Android has just been updated and now features the free custom radio function that was previously only available on iOS devices and desktop users. Just in case you’re not familiar, this feature allows both free and premium Spotify members to stream unlimited amounts of artist, song, playlist or album-based radio stations on their Android devices. Users will be able to create stations based on their favorite artist or album and will recommend songs to the listener based on their choices and ratings of previous songs. Either way if you have yet to download Spotify or update, pop on over to the Google Play store for the download.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Spotify partner with Shazam to combine services, Square Enix brings original Final Fantasy game to Android,

Spotify announced last month that it would be adding a radio feature to iOS devices that would let users set up custom stations based on genres, artists, and playlists, and now the company has announced that it’s bringing the same feature over to Android too. Free Android users and those with a premium subscription to Spotify, which adds mobile access on top of unlimited music streaming, will be able to enjoy the same functionality as iOS users starting from today.

Just like the iOS version, users will be able to create personalized stations based on artist, album or playlists, and can enjoy unlimited listening as part of their premium subscription. Any songs that users stumble across while they’re listening can also be saved for later use, and songs can also receive the thumbs up and thumbs down treatment.

Any changes made on mobile devices sync across the platform as well, so you can pick up where you left off on the desktop later. Best of all, you don’t need a paid subscription to use the radio side of Spotify’s service, marking the first time that free users can get access to Spotify’s music catalogue on mobile devices. It might not be as flexible as total access, but it’s a step in the right direction.

While Spotify operates a free music streaming service which is supported by ads, it has two subscriptions tiers for unaltered listening. Unlimited costs $5, but only the Premium $10 option allows for Spotify usage on mobile devices. If you want an alternative to Pandora and similar services, head on over to the Play Store and grab the latest Spotify update.

Spotify adds mobile radio to Android is written by Ben Kersey & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

It looks like Apple isn’t the only one looking into using radial menus on its mobile operating system. According to reports online, a recently revealed patent shows that Google is considering implementing radial-style menus to Chrome and Android in the future. The radial menus can provide single or dual layers of app tools that will assist users in getting the task at hand done quicker and more intuitively on touchscreen displays.

Judging by the images and description of the patent, it’s nothing out of the ordinary but it could definitely spice up Android’s UI and make it more efficient. After all, pressing Menu > command feels pretty archaic and these pop-up radial menus could help inject the OS with new life. However, patents aren’t necessarily an indication of what will come next. Google might not even implement it in the future. What do you think of radial menus? Read up more about the patent via the source link below.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Chrome for Android to Come Out of Beta in a Few Weeks, Chrome for Android to improve by “leaps and bounds”,