Hasta La Gadget!

It’s tough to read too much into this, but when Apple publishes a couple of job applications hoping to bring on folks who can “radically improve how people interact with maps and location-based services,” we can’t help but take note. The outfit’s currently seeking a pair of full-timers to be labeled as iOS Maps Application Developers, and it’s honing in on applicants with “excellent skills in object-oriented software design and programming.” We’ve felt for awhile that Apple’s built-in Maps application wasn’t even comparable to Google Maps Navigation, but it could be time for that to change. Even now, iOS users need to fork out cash on a legitimate turn-by-turn app if they’re hoping to navigate with the iPod touch or iPhone, but we can only hope that these applications are hinting at a more full-fledged internal program for the software’s next major iteration.’Course, we’re sure TomTom would beg to disagree…

Apple looking to ‘radically improve’ iOS Maps experience, may look to you for help originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 26 Mar 2011 04:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The little e-reader that could is about to do even more — according to a listing on the Home Shopping Network, the Nook Color will get an update next month that brings Flash support and additional apps to the platform. That suggests that we’ll finally be seeing Android 2.2 and perhaps an app store of some sort, though HSN isn’t spilling the beans right now — the cable station wants you to tune in at 12AM, 5AM or 9AM (or 12PM, 5PM or 9PM) ET this Saturday to get an exclusive sneak peek at the goods. Yours for just four easy payments of $74.97… which must seem like a tremendous deal compared to HSN’s “retail value” of $504.

Update: Barnes & Noble has now made this completely official itself, and confirmed that the update will include email support among other “exciting new applications.” Press release is after the break.

Continue reading Nook Color getting Flash and apps in April update, according to Home Shopping Network (update: official)

Nook Color getting Flash and apps in April update, according to Home Shopping Network (update: official) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 23:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Angry Birds developer Rovio announced on its Facebook account a few hours ago that “AT&T is also working on enabling purchases from the Amazon Appstore soon,” which would mark a pretty big move on AT&T’s part since they’ve been firm in their resolve to keep apps from outside the Android Market ecosystem off their branded Android devices — a frustrating (and arguably illogical) stance, to say the least. Well, first the good news — AT&T has confirmed to us that they are, in fact, setting up access to Amazon’s store:

“We’re working to give our Android customers access to third party application stores. This requires updates to our systems and finalizing arrangements with Amazon. We will share more info with our customers in the near future.”

The bad news is that AT&T’s having any discussions with Amazon about this at all, which would seem to indicate that they’re planning on making an exception to their Android Market policy for the Amazon Appstore rather than simply enabling sideloading on devices altogether and calling it a day. We suppose this could involve a round of firmware updates that drops the Appstore in ROM, but that seems like an awful lot of work considering how much red tape is involved in pushing even a single update for one handset on a major carrier. More on this as we get it; hopefully, AT&T subscribers will have their Angry Birds Rio fix soon enough.

[Thanks, Thomas]

AT&T planning access to Amazon Appstore, sideloading still an open question originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 11:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Helmet cam aficionado? Contour’s ContourGPS currently has the greatest range of connectivity options, and one of those options, Bluetooth, is finally good for something. The company has just flipped the switch and deployed its Viewfinder app that we last saw at CES, which allows iOS devices to pull live video from the camera, even if it’s still stuck to the side of your head and covered in mud. Users can also tweak camera settings in real-time, which is a huge step forward over the previous process that required tethering the cam and booting up some software. However, there is a catch: to use the device you have to install a little card, called a ConnectView, into your camera. This sucker will set you back $29.99, though we’re told the upcoming Android release of the app will be able to do without. Unfortunately, that version won’t be along until an unfortunately vague “Spring,” but the iOS flavor is a free download right now in the App Store.

Continue reading Contour launches Viewfinder App, lets your iPhone talk to your ContourGPS (video)

Contour launches Viewfinder App, lets your iPhone talk to your ContourGPS (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 Mar 2011 14:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You had to know this was coming. Apple, which is already engaged in a heated battle with Microsoft for the protection of its “App Store” trademark, has filed suit against Amazon for its “improper use” of the same. Amazon’s Android Appstore seems to have been intentionally contracted to a single word to differentiate its name, but that difference isn’t enough for Apple, which has asked a California court to grant a ruling preventing Amazon’s use of the moniker and asking for unspecified damages. Apple claims it reached out to Amazon on three separate occasions asking it to rename its software download offering, but when faced with the lack of a “substantive response,” it decided to take things to court. Its big task remains unchanged — proving that the term App Store is something more than a generic descriptor — and this was a somewhat inevitable move given Amazon’s choice of name. The legal maneuvering, as always, continues.

Apple sues Amazon for App Store trademark infringement originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 Mar 2011 20:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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