Hasta La Gadget!

Though rural dwellers are often broadband-poor, there seems to be plenty of companies lining up to serve them in the UK. Regulator Ofcom just announced participants for its “white space” or unused spectrum trials, including Microsoft, Google, Click4Internet and British Telecom. Redmond’s going to test WiFi-like services to underserved Glasgow, while Click4internet will assess rural broadband in remote or tricky locations. Google has signed on as a potential database provider, and other use cases like traffic management will be tested by BT and others. Ofcom wants to launch such services by next year and released a blueprint detailing how existing mobile and digital terrestrial TV spectrums could be divvied up. To see all the companies and what each plans to do, check the source.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Wireless, Internet

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Source: Ofcom

Hot on the heels of releasing a freshly designed application for iOS 7, Pocket is now switching its focus to the experience it offers on the web. The save-for-later reading service says the revamped site takes a lot of cues from its mobile apps, presenting a much more polished UI with major performance improvements throughout. Browsing Pocket has been made easier thanks to added support for keyboard shortcuts, allowing you to easily archive, favorite and jump across stories you’ve queued up. The Article View, which is perhaps the most important section, now features an all-new layout that can automatically adjust depending on the content being read, as well as being able to display Retina-class images within articles. Pocket’s makeover can be enjoyed on most major web browsers starting today, including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Opera and and Internet Explorer 9 or higher.%Gallery-slideshow99774%

Filed under: Internet

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Source: Pocket

We’re no fans of patent litigation, and we imagine German iPhone users weren’t thrilled when Motorola shut down iOS push email in the nation. After numerous pieces of paperwork (and a $135 million bond) was put on the table, an interim decision has allowed Apple to offer the service while the issue is resolved in court. All Teutonic users need to do is activate “Fetch New Data” from the “Mail, Contacts and Calendars” settings pane and, when all of this is settled, hope that messy patent litigation can stop getting between us and our email.

Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Software, Mobile, Apple, Google

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Via: GigaOm

Source: Apple

Web traffic for a major new operating system typically grows at a consistently faster pace than its predecessor. That’s not true for Windows 8, however — NetApplications now estimates that Windows 7 outpaced its newer counterpart for the first time in September. While Windows 8 did grow to a symbolic 8 percent of web use last month, its ancestor grew slightly faster, hitting 46.4 percent. We wouldn’t necessarily say that Windows 8 is in trouble based on these figures, though. The rise in Windows 7 use corresponds to a drop for Windows XP (shown after the break), which suggests that corporate customers are in the midst of upgrades; they’re less likely to choose a young OS. Microsoft still faces long-term problems, but they’re more likely to stem from customers’ shift toward mobile devices and away from PCs.

Filed under: Internet, Software, Apple, Microsoft

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Via: The Next Web

Source: Net Applications

Many of us associate Scribd with embedded documents on websites, but the company has been quietly building an e-book platform — first by selling content and later by soft-launching a subscription service. The company is now making its strategy clear by formally launching the e-book service and introducing content from HarperCollins, its first major publisher. Subscribers worldwide can pay $9 per month for access to both HarperCollins’ back catalog and independent releases through apps for Android, iOS and the web. Customers can also buy any books outright, including HarperCollins’ newer titles. Like with any Scribd document (and Kindle for the Web), customers can both share what they’re reading and embed books into websites. If you like the prospect of all-you-can-read services like Oyster but want broader platform support, you’ll want to take a close look at Scribd’s new offering.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Internet

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Source: Scribd