Hasta La Gadget!

No, Amazon didn’t just release a new Kindle capable of doing full motion video with embedded audio. Instead, Amazon just updated the content for the Kindle app running on Apple gear that gives a few books an inject of multimedia. For example, Rick Steves’ London Kindle Edition with audio/video features walking tours with Rick doing the narration while Rose’s Heavenly Cakes features video tips for… you guessed it, making delicious cake. Unfortunately, we’re only seeing about a dozen titles classified as “Kindle Edition with Audio/Video” so it’s hard to tell if the move is a first step in a wholesale Kindle change or just a toe in the water to gauge interest. We suspect the former, given enough time and publisher interest.

Continue reading Amazon Kindle Editions with video and audio added to iPhone / iPad app

Amazon Kindle Editions with video and audio added to iPhone / iPad app originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 Jun 2010 01:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Could Windows Live Essentials really be “better than Mac for photos, hands down,” as per the gauntlet Microsoft’s Brian Hall tossed earlier this month? There’s only one way to find out, and that’s by trying it out yourself with the free download at our source link. The software suite just hit beta with not only the face-recognizing, photo-stitching new rendition of Photo Gallery, but also new versions of Mail, Movie Maker, Messenger, Writer and a Mac-friendly version of the Dropbox-like Sync (no, not that Sync) as well. So… what are you waiting for? Oh, you’re still “awwing” at the image above, aren’t you?

Continue reading Windows Live Essentials beta is ready for your downloading delight

Windows Live Essentials beta is ready for your downloading delight originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Jun 2010 18:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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That’s right, deal seekers and Palm fanatics: you can now get (almost) every single app in the webOS catalog for half off until July 9th. There are a few listed exceptions, but hit up the catalog and get downloading.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Nearly every app in Palm’s webOS catalog is 50 percent off originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 Jun 2010 22:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This is one of those things that makes you wonder why it hadn’t been done already. Apple’s just unleashed an Apple Store application for its iDevices designed to pretty much give you the online Apple Store experience — but perhaps without the crazy on-again, off-again antics of this morning. All that’s required is a device with iOS version 3 or above, and you’ll be able to read reviews, locate local brick and mortar Stores, check out new and featured products, and — importantly — buy or pre-order the latest goodies Steve and co have bestowed upon these lands. Alas, we tried to do just that with the iPhone 4 and were met with the familiar “we’ll be back soon” message. So the app might work, but Apple’s store is still struggling.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

P.S. – The app looks to be US-only for now. Sorry world, Apple doesn’t love you enough.

Continue reading Apple Store app arrives in Apple App Store

Apple Store app arrives in Apple App Store originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Jun 2010 08:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Looks like it’s blowhard season up in Redmond these days, as the latest word from Microsoft on its Live Essentials suite of apps has been accompanied by the brash pronouncement that it’s now markedly superior to Apple’s efforts in Mac OS X — at least when it comes to photos. This verdict was delivered by Brian Hall, General Manager for Windows Live, and is backed by a laundry list of new features we can expect by the holiday season of this year. Windows Live Photo Gallery and Movie Maker will soon be able to link up directly to sites like Flickr, Facebook and YouTube — which will allow for painless uploads as well as pulling in any additional tagging done on Facebook. New photo stitching and retouching abilities, along with face recognition (rather than mere detection) are also being touted, but the ultimate arbiter of the new software’s utility will obviously be the real hands-on experience for users. We shouldn’t have to wait too long for that, as a beta version of the freely downloadable (on Vista and 7, XP holdouts are no longer being served) suite should be making the rounds in the coming weeks.

Continue reading Microsoft updating Live app suite, declares Windows ‘better than Mac for photos, hands down’

Microsoft updating Live app suite, declares Windows ‘better than Mac for photos, hands down’ originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Jun 2010 06:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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