There’s a chance your internet connection just fritzed out for 20 minutes or so and didn’t let you load any webpages. If you were paying attention, though, you’d have seen that other services, like your chatrooms or a Twitter client, kept working just fine—you just couldn’t send any data out. That’s because there was a hiccup with Google’s DNS servers. Here’s exactly what happened, and how to fix it.
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Remember how Twitter is quietly testing timeline boxes that show trending TV shows? That’s not a one-off experiment: TechCrunch has also discovered a similar test for live events happening nearby. Instead of focusing on a person or series, the new box highlights a representative event tweet and offers a shortcut to more tweets associated with that event’s hashtag. As before, Twitter isn’t directly confirming the existence of its latest trial run; it will only say that it practices “innovation through experimentation.” Given the widened scope of the company’s testing, however, there’s a real chance that these context-sensitive cards could soon become ubiquitous.
Filed under: Cellphones, Internet
Source: TechCrunch
We already suspected that Windows and Skype were going to get particularly cozy after Microsoft phased out Messenger, but it’s now official: Windows 8.1 will ship with Skype pre-installed. Those who haven’t already downloaded the messaging client will get it when they upgrade their OS (or buy a Windows 8.1 PC) after October. The move won’t change much for existing Skype users, but it could easily lead to a jump in Skype adoption when the app will soon come bundled with the majority of PCs.
Filed under: Internet, Software, Microsoft
Source: Windows Experience Blog
There are almost as many ways to monitor your fitness these days, as there are ways to get fit. While most hardware trackers come with their own solution to present your (hard-earned) data, some users prefer to keep it elsewhere. If that happens to be MapMyFitness, then good news — there’s full two-way sync for Jawbone UP, as well as Nike FuelBand support. Jawbone’s UP has had API hooks with MapMyFitness for a while, but now workouts etc. can be pushed in either direction, so all those steps can be viewed online (though not your sleep, or manually logged workouts). It’s a similar story with FuelBand, while the Nike+ app and watch have played nice with the services, the wearable was notably absent — until now. Set up is easy, just head to the import section of your account and link them up. Sadly, so easy, you won’t earn any fuel points.
We’ve had the chance to rent movies and otherwise purchase content through Facebook; wouldn’t it make sense if we could sign in to Facebook to buy goods elsewhere? The social network certainly thinks so, as it just confirmed to AllThingsD that it will be trialing a mobile payment system in about a month. The service is reportedly very PayPal-like — Facebook users with credit cards on file would just have to log in to make purchases inside of a mobile app. Only the flash sale outlet JackThreads is participating in the test at this stage, and there’s no mention of when the trial period expires. However, a full-fledged launch is potentially a major advantage for the House That Zuck Built. The payment system would give Facebook both a larger foothold in e-commerce and more insight into what members are willing to buy from advertisers.
Update: Our colleagues at TechCrunch have shed a little more light on the subject. They claim that the payment system is more of a complement to existing services than a competitor: it would only fill out the forms for another payment provider, including PayPal. Facebook reportedly sees this more as an extension of its advertising system, as it would both speed up sales and let marketers know when their ads are effective.
Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Mobile, Facebook
Source: AllThingsD
The security firm Spider.io revealed that a California-based company called Sambreel was using its software to inject advertisements on YouTube, according to a report on the company’s website. Sambreel’s subsidiary Yontoo was responsible for two programs designed to make downloading videos off of YouTube simple, both of which have been pulled after Spider.io revealed its […]
Amazon made a big deal out of the Silk browser when it launched, but we’ve heard little about this particular brainchild after that. Now, nearly a year after the Trending Now section was introduced, the company has unleashed its first major update. We’re talking about a complete redesign that begins with a mini-tutorial the moment you launch the updated browser. Opening a tab brings its new start page populated with your most visited websites and address bar. The bookmarks and browsing history that used to live here? They’ve shifted to a menu section in the hidden left panel. Speaking of bookmarks, you can now view them in either list or grid forms; if you decide to fire up a few URLs, the updated tabs’ more rounded design could make switching between them easier. A smattering of other interface and under-the-hood changes also come with the new Silk — the question is: will they be enough to push it past the remaining mobile browser contenders?
Filed under: Tablets, Internet, Amazon
Via: TechCrunch
Source: Amazon Silk
eBay is clearly not putting all the eggs in one basket: the company’s been trying to reach more and more audiences with things like its flourishing one-day delivery service and a portal for 3D-printed products. As part of this growth, the online marketplace behemoth is now officially launching My Gadgets, a feature that allows eBay users to easily determine the value of items in their device portfolio — you know, in case you’re looking to clear out the old and make way for the new. eBay says the newly minted hub will be able to display the individual and collective value of stuff, with prices being based on its own “unique data on current sales trends and prices for both new and vintage electronic items.” The link to eBay’s My Gadgets is down below, so head on over if you’re looking to build a little gadget database for yourself.
Gallery: eBay My Gadgets screenshots
Source: eBay My Gadgets
Couple of updates for those who like their Digg on the go. First up is the revamp of the social news aggregator’s iOS app. Using the latest version, you can view stories by unread items only and delete feeds from directly within the app. Scrolling has been improved as well, and the offering now has support for Readability. Digg Reader’s getting a boost as well, with optimization on the mobile site “captur[ing] the look and feel” of the iOS app, according to Digg. There’s also full support for sites like YouTube and SoundCloud via HTML5. More info can be excavated in the source link below.
Filed under: Storage, Internet
Via: The Next Web
Source: Digg
Collaboration tools are nothing new, but they don’t always make it easy to find what you’re looking for: conversations, files and other resources may sit in entirely different places. Flickr co-founder Stewart Butterfield wants to solve that through Slack, a service that just started taking sign-ups for its private preview. The collaboration app centers on a universal search interface that simplifies locating conversations and shared files, even if those files are hosted by a third-party provider like Google Drive. Both messages and notifications sync across dedicated apps for Android, iOS, OS X and Windows; Slack can also pull in content from outside tools like bug trackers, help desk clients or Twitter. The company is planning for a public launch in the fall, but those who just can’t wait can ask for a peek at the source link.
Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Software
Via: CNET
Source: Slack
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