HBO Go update supports Android tablets up to ICS

HBO Go update support Android tablets up to ICS

When HBO Go launched for the Kindle Fire a few weeks ago it seemed odd that the app still didn’t officially support other Android tablets, but now that has changed. v1.5 is now available on Google Play, and the release notes indicate it supports Android tablets running software up to 4.04 Ice Cream Sandwich. That would appear to lock out the Nexus 7 for now but since it hasn’t been widely released yet, we’ll let it pass (although it is worth noting that Netflix was updated with Jelly Bean support last week.) Another recent change across the tablet apps is that Time Warner Cable is a supported provider. The usual caveats still apply (you’ll need HBO and of course, pay-TV to sign in) but the updated app is available now at the source link.

HBO Go update supports Android tablets up to ICS originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Jul 2012 20:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VLC 2.02 adds Retina display support, ditches font cache interruptions

VLC 202 adds Retina display support, ditches font cache

The latest version of everyone’s favorite file-type-friendly media player has been updated on both Windows and OS X, although the Apple iteration gets the most major addition — playback support on the new MacBook Pro’s Retina display. Alongside sharper menus, VLC‘s latest update extends functionality to the video itself, maintaining crispness on smaller viewing windows and even fully-blow 4K video. Good news on all platforms though, as the developers have now nixed that grating “building font cache” pop-up window. Smaller changes include support for Growl and the return of the “keep aspect ratio” option. Hit up the changelog for a full run-down of the other changes.

VLC 2.02 adds Retina display support, ditches font cache interruptions originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Jul 2012 06:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink The Verge  |  sourceVLC changelog  | Email this | Comments

Refresh Roundup: week of June 25th, 2012

Refresh Roundup week of June 25th, 2012

Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it’s easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don’t escape without notice, we’ve gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!

Continue reading Refresh Roundup: week of June 25th, 2012

Refresh Roundup: week of June 25th, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 01 Jul 2012 21:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google secures Jelly Bean’s Face Unlock feature with Liveness Check

Google has improved the security of its Face Unlock feature for the upcoming Android 4.1 Jelly Bean release. The feature was first introduced with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich as a way to unlock your phone through face recognition. However, it was quickly discovered that it could be tricked by a using a photo of the person.

With Jelly Bean, Google is adding a new option called Liveness Check for the Face Unlock feature that will require you to blink in order to unlock your device. The face recognition portion of it is faster than before and a message is then displayed asking you to “Blink now.” Your device then unlocks once you blink.

To add this feature, you will need to check the box in the security section of the settings on your device. Although the Liveness Check does improve the security issue with Face Unlock, there’s still the possibility that those determined to get into your device could doctor a video or animated GIF of your face, played back using another smartphone screen.

[via TechCrunch]


Google secures Jelly Bean’s Face Unlock feature with Liveness Check is written by Rue Liu & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.


Twitter for Windows Phone gets pushy, adds Notifications support

Twitter for Windows Phone gets pushy, adds Notifications support

Starting this week, Windows Phone users with a Twitter fixation will have a much easier time feeding the little, blue, bird-shaped beast. The latest update to the app features long-awaited Notifications support. Downloading version 1.5 will deliver such important Twitter info as retweets, mentions, direct messages, new followers and favorited tweets to the forefront where they belong. You can download the app in the source link below and then tell all your friends through the microblogging service of your choice, whatever that might be. Fair warning in the meantime — a number of folks are reporting issues with the update, and we’ve had some difficulty getting it up an running on our own handsets. Feel free to sound off in the comments below — since you may have some trouble doing so on Twitter.

Twitter for Windows Phone gets pushy, adds Notifications support originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Jun 2012 09:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink WMPoweruser  |  sourceWindows Phone – Twitter  | Email this | Comments

Nike+ FuelBand iOS app updated to run along your Path, sync in the background

Nike+ Fuelband iOS app updated to run along your Path, sync in the background

If you decided to snag the latest Nike+ wristband earlier this year, you’re about to get some added functionality thanks to an iOS application update. First, the outfit has added Path integration to the mobile software. Users can now keep track of the sights they’ve visited while out for a jog or bike ride and share said moments / achievements with their mates. When the day comes to a close, those points-of-interest along the trail will appear on the app’s progress graph. You’ll also encounter background syncing by holding down the FuelBand’s button alongside the ability to check battery status, offline data access and setting the time with your iPhone or iPod touch. For a quick look at what you can expect to see with the refresh, sprint to the gallery below.

Nike+ FuelBand iOS app updated to run along your Path, sync in the background originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Jun 2012 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bing Venue Maps gets global-sized update, makes Euros’ shopping trips easier

Bing Venue Maps gets global-sized update, makes Euros' shopping trips easier

In case you thought all those 165TB of satellite shots would slow down the Bing Maps updates — think again. And while this one might not be as loaded as the aforementioned goods, the latest refresh to Redmond’s mapping service is likely to make at least a few shopaholic Europeans very happy. To make things short, Microsoft — in partnership with Nokia — is taking Bing Venue Maps over to the Vieux Continent, boosting the total number of mall-friendly maps to over 2,700, and making it more than 30 countries in which the offering’s now live. For those unfamiliar with Venue Maps, the service allows you to find stores, bathrooms and even ATMs located within a good amount of shopping malls across North America, Europe and Asia. Even better, you can see if your favorite spot is one of them at the source link below, where you’ll find the full list of venues supported.

Continue reading Bing Venue Maps gets global-sized update, makes Euros’ shopping trips easier

Bing Venue Maps gets global-sized update, makes Euros’ shopping trips easier originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Jun 2012 20:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceBing Maps  | Email this | Comments

Microsoft reportedly plans Windows 8 upgrades all the way from XP, wants us to just let go of the past

Windows 8 Release Preview hands-on

Microsoft has been promising a cheap-and-cheerful upgrade path to Windows 8 for those who buy new PCs. But what about that five-year-old PC in the basement? If the historically well-connected Mary Jo Foley of ZDNet is right, the upgrade path will go further back — much further. Although upgraders will still want Windows 7 if they need to carry over absolutely everything, tipsters claim that settings can transfer from releases as old as Windows Vista SP1. Those with truly ancient PCs (we’re looking at you, corporate customers) can even bring over personal files from an OS as dated as Windows XP SP3. Like we saw last time around, some of the 7-to-8 upgrade rules are a bit Byzantine — 7 Professional users can’t step down to the non-Pro Windows 8 release, for example, and it’s equally verboten to change language editions or move from 32- to 64-bit code without a full-scale reinstallation. The extra-long olive branch will be slightly unusual for Microsoft if it’s confirmed, but then the company is also trying to move along a user base that in some cases has clung to XP for more than a decade. Redmond is no doubt eager to get rid of our dependency issues.

Microsoft reportedly plans Windows 8 upgrades all the way from XP, wants us to just let go of the past originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Jun 2012 15:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google TV will get subscription billing, support for movie and TV purchases in Google Play

Google TV will get subscription billing, support for movie and TV purchases in Google Play

While it didn’t merit a spot in either keynote, the Google TV platform is also getting an updated version of the Google Play store. Along with a new UI that looks a lot like the one on other Android devices it will have support for purchasing movies, music and TV shows as mentioned yesterday, and also subscription billing. The “Bring Your App to the Big Screen” presentation is still going on, we’ll let you know if any other new elements are revealed. There’s a new post on the Google TV blog mentioning apps like the one announced by Sirius XM, and the new hardware from partners LG, Sony and Vizio. Finally, the team is also focusing on its updated APIs for developers building not only apps for the TV (like the Google I/O app itself, which has been working smoothly this week streaming video), but also second screen applications just as we pointed out earlier. The last update and potentially most curious? Mentioned during the presentation, later this year Google TV will no longer require hardware manufacturers to provide a physical keyboard on their input device.

Google TV will get subscription billing, support for movie and TV purchases in Google Play originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Jun 2012 15:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceGoogle TV Blog, Google TV Developers  | Email this | Comments

Nokia Lumia 800 and 710 get WiFi Hotspot feature in latest update

The Windows Phone Nokia Lumia 800 and 710 have started to get the latest Windows Phone update (aka Tango), and among the changes, users will now be able to use their handsets as a WIFI Hotspot for a tablet or laptop. Additionally, following this upgrade, users will be able to download new apps from the Windows Phone Marketplace. Among those, the Camera Extra seems to be the most promising one and adds great camera features, like: (more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Nokia Goes All In with Lumia Windows Phone, Nokia confirms Tango update for Lumia 710, 800 on the 27th of June,