Hasta La Gadget!

While Google is beefing up its ecosystem, Apple is also planning some big changes to its iTunes platform according to Bloomberg. Sources inside the company claim, by the end of the year iTunes will undergo a major transformation seemingly designed to counter recent moves by Google. Key to the plans is iCloud. Cupertino’s cloud storage solution will be much more tightly integrated, allowing easier access to and management of media collections across devices. Another part of the online offerings will be content discovery. As Netflix has already discovered, and Google is trying to master, making accurate suggestions for new music and films is key to keeping customers coming back to a media market. Deeper social network integration is also part of finding and sharing new music. Apple is supposedly in negotiations with the record labels to allow users to send songs to friends for free — a feature both Spotify and Google Music already support. For a few more details check out the source.

Apple reportedly planning major iTunes overhaul, better iCloud integration and sharing originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Jun 2012 12:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LUMOback wants to show all those DIY posture dilitantes what’s what with its Smart Posture Sensor, an app and hardware combo that tracks your carriage and vibrates when you hunch. The thinnish 8.5mm sensor is worn like a belt, and on top of the tactile nagging, it provides detailed iPhone or iPad charting of the sitting, running and even sleeping you did, complete with an xkcd-like stickman video replaying all your crooked moves. So far the team is about a third of the way to its $100K mark, and a minimum $99 pledge will get you a jet-black model if it’s built, with a $125 chip-in letting you vote on a a second shipping color, to boot. If some of your activities consist of, say, blogging in front of a computer screen all day, check the video after the break for relief.

Continue reading Insert Coin: LUMOback Smart Posture Sensor thrums when you slouch, charts your laziness (video)

Insert Coin: LUMOback Smart Posture Sensor thrums when you slouch, charts your laziness (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Jun 2012 04:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlueStacks is releasing the first public alpha of its Android App Player capable of running on OS X. The virtualization company’s software is powered by its Layercake technology and includes a bundle of apps from its various partners. CEO Rosen Sharma hopes the move will encourage developers to build “retina-friendly” apps for Google’s mobile OS that can then be sold to those on the other side of the technology divide. There’s a sign-up sheet for developers itchy to get their hands on the goods on the company’s website, but don’t expect a response right away — there’s still a few more days of Google I/O to go first.

Continue reading BlueStacks brings Android apps to OS X, wolves planning a rest with some lambs

BlueStacks brings Android apps to OS X, wolves planning a rest with some lambs originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jun 2012 21:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This week at Google I/O we’ve gotten our first glimpse at Google+ for tablets, shown as a lovely streaming beast that’s looking rather different from any stream we’ve seen before. This application works in landscape mode primarily – or it was designed to do so, anyway, and is made specifically so that you can stream video with hangouts, first of all. This update brings hangouts to the tablet and makes the interface just as simple and workable as the basic version in the desktop-based app.

This update has a brand new bit of notification, a brand new profile selection series, and a wholly upgraded interface that basically looks like more fun to use than the web-based version. Check back at SlashGear soon to get a full review of both the iPad and the Android version – out now! This version has of course also been introduced for the betterment of the Nexus 7 tablet as well.

iTunes Link for iPad
Google Play App Store link for Android tablets

Stick with us all week for all things Google I/O 2012 through our I/O 2012 and Android portals alike!

Google+ pushed to Android tablets and iPad is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

We’re sure that some of you guys have come across this video about Apple’s iOS 6. Apparently Apple’s attention to detail has extended into iOS 6 and thanks to the iOS device’s gyroscope, the reflection on some buttons changes depending on how the user tilts the phone (check it out in the video above). Granted it’s just an aesthetic feature, but we have to admit it is pretty cool. That being said, a report from Buzzfeed (via The Next Web) is quoting an anonymous Apple employee who is saying upcoming iOS builds could be taking that attention to detail to the next level, bringing a higher level of realism and interactivity to the operating system.

According to the source, future iOS builds could feature UI components that will drop shadows according to the light being directed on it as detected by the phone’s ambient light sensor. Unfortunately since the current light sensors are incidental and not directional, it would not be possible – at least for the current generation of iOS devices. However this can still be accomplished via the gyroscope trick as seen in the video above. Granted these may merely be eye candy and might not add much to the overall experience, but it does show Apple’s commitment to the operation system, as opposed to just releasing build after build in an attempt to stay ahead of the game.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: BiteSMS adds Quick Reply feature to WhatsApp on jailbroken iOS devices, Instagram 2.5 for iOS brings about some UI tweaks,