Hasta La Gadget!

Welcome to Wednesday evening everyone. This afternoon, what’s supposedly the first full image of the rumored HTC M7 leaked out, though it’s worth pointing out that what we’re seeing is only a render and not an actual device. Facebook today announced free calling over WiFi or mobile data connections for iPhone, instantly making one of the biggest VOIP providers around. We heard a bit about the Galaxy Note III today, with rumors saying that it will come equipped with a 6.3-inch screen and Samsung’s new Exynos 5 Octa CPU, while Apple and Amazon have been ordered to meet over their App Store case.

It just got a whole lot easier to migrate your Xbox Live account, while LG announced its goal of selling 75 million phones in 2013. Experts are saying today that soot is greatly contributing to climate change, and Apple’s leaked roadmap is suggesting that the company may release the iPhone 5 in various colors with plastic casing. AT&T is now allowing FaceTime over cellular for all tiered subscribers, and Real Racing 3 has been teased with real tracks and locations.

A Missouri lawmaker wants to place a tax on violent video games, and Microsoft announced today that first Surface Pro tablets have started coming off the production line. Temple Run 2 is launching on iOS tonight and coming to Android next week, while Facebook seems to be quick to reassure users about security concerns with its new Graph Search feature. Microsoft’s new Play store is bringing Xbox Arcade games to Windows 8 and RT, and the T-Mobile Nexus 7 is now available through the tablet’s Google Play listing. NASA has joined forces with the European Space Agency for the new Orion module, and Anonymous has forced the Westboro Baptist Church out of Aaron Swartz’s funeral service.

RIM has managed to get 1,600 companies to sign up for its BlackBerry 10 testing program, and one analyst from UBS AG has cut his Surface sales projections for Microsoft’s fiscal Q2 in half. T-Mobile might be very close to launching its 4G LTE network in Las Vegas, and we learned today that Disney Infinity will come sporting a pretty expensive price tag. Blockbuster UK has entered into administration, while the latest Google Doodle is celebrating Frank Zamboni’s 112th birthday. Finally tonight, Chris Burns delivers his review of the AirDroid 2 beta. That does it for tonight’s Evening Wrap-Up, we hope you enjoy the rest of your night folks!

SlashGear Evening Wrap-Up: January 16, 2013 is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Earlier this month, Facebook updated its iPhone Messenger App to be a little more than just a way for you to IM your Facebook friends, that is, if for some reason you prefer to do it in a standalone application rather than reading your messages through Facebook’s official app. The update brought the ability to share voice messages to Facebook users through the application, but in Canada, or the land of maple syrup as I like to call it, they were given the ability to make VoIP calls through Facebook Messenger.

It looks like the “test” was deemed enough of a success for Facebook to now allow for the U.S. version of Facebook Messenger to be given the ability to make VoIP calls to other Facebook users. Best of all, there’s no update necessary as it’ll just start work as soon as you deem someone lucky enough to hear the sound of your voice rather than just your words on a screen.

Facebook teamed up with Skype back in November of 2011 as the union made it possible to make calls through Skype right from the comfort of your Facebook profile. Today’s update makes it much easier to chat with someone as you can initiate a call straight from your iPhone.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: RIM Launches Blackberry 10 “Last Chance Port-A-Thon” Event, Samsung Exynos Exploit Fix Pushed,

Earlier this month word got out that Facebook was trialing a free voice calling feature in Canada. We said that, if those tests went well, the company would expand to the US. Well, things must have gone swimmingly because, just two weeks later, American customers are starting to see the same feature turn up in the Messenger app. After updating to the latest version, just tap the “i” icon in the top right hand corner while viewing a conversation with a person and you’ll see a button for a “free call.” The voice call needs to be made over WiFi, however, so don’t expect to completely replace your contact list and dialer yet (update: calls can be made over a cellular data connection as well). We’ve reached out for comment from Facebook, and we’ll let you know the moment we hear back. In particular we’re wondering when Android users can expect to see the same option turned on for them. Let us know in the comments if Facebook’s VoIP has been turned on for you.

Update: We just heard back from a Facebook spokesperson who said “you can only connect with a Facebook friend who also has [the latest] Messenger installed on their iPhone” and that “it’s only available on iOS.” If you satisfy the requirements and you’re still unable to see the Free Call feature, it might not be available yet for you or your friend. We also confirmed that there are no special privacy settings to enable or disable if you want it. Join us after the break for our first impressions.

Continue reading Facebook starts turning on free voice calls for iPhone users in the US (update)

Filed under: Internet, Software, Mobile, Facebook

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Via: The Verge

This week the folks at Facebook are going full-throttle on not just Graph Search, but the privacy measures they’ve put in place to make sure people don’t fear its arrival. You’ll find that the “How Privacy Works with Graph Search” page in Facebook’s archives is much more extensive than the actual introduction to Graph Search itself, it including a collection of ways users are going to be able to keep themselves as private as they want. This includes connections, photos, and even locations you’ve visited in the past, Facebook’s developers making it clear how you can assure you’ll not be discovered in any position you’d rather not show your friends.

First of all, it’s important to know that Facebook’s Graph Search will not reveal any bit of information that you’ve not already got set to public. No user will be able to find information about you that they weren’t able to in the past. This Graph Search project is just a much, much better way for people to find what they want faster than before.

You’ll be able to see who can see what city you’re currently in by heading to your About tab in Facebook. Developers at Facebook have created the following video to show you how you can edit this space easily. (This video also goes over Graph Search in a general way.)

For photos and tags, you’re going to be able to review the photos you’ve shared or have been tagged in with this relatively new Photo Activity Log – it’s been here before, but may be more relevant than ever here with Graph Search. There’s also a video here about tagging that you may want to watch, too.

Finally there’s Places – this sort of thing gets logged when you “check in” at restaurants around your city and the world. You’ll be able to review or remove location tags of yourself via the Posts You’re Tagged In section of that same Activity Log you were just at for Photos.

And it’s just that easy! Have a peek at the Graph Search timeline below to learn more about this feature that’ll be coming to Facebook soon!

Graph Search gets pre-emptive Facebook Privacy Guarantee is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Tweaking your Activity Log just became a necessary and tedious new part of being a Facebook user. Thanks to the service’s new Graph Search feature, all that profile info you’ve painstakingly updated over the years (employer, home town, relationship status, movie likes, etc) and all the photos you’ve added over time, are now to become data in a database of the social network’s trillion connections between a billion users. More »