Apple Debuts New Monthly App Store Section Highlighting Best Apps, Games, and Updates [iOS Blog]
As first noted by MacStories, Apple today launched a “Best of April” section in the App Store, rounding up the best new apps, updates and games released within the past month.
At the top, the new section highlights the “Best App & Game” with separate picks for both the iPhone and iPad. For the iPhone, Apple selected The New York Times’ NYT Now news curation app and physics-based adventure game Leo’s Fortune, while Comedy Central’s official iOS app and Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft were chosen for the iPad.
Also included are picks for “Great Games” and “Amazing Apps”, which features new and recently updated apps including Monument Valley, SpeakaZoo, Hitman GO, and Union.
It is likely that Apple will regularly update this section with a new collection of apps every month, and joins the App Store’s other highlighted sections for “App of the Week” and “Editors Choice”. Apple also rolled out an “Indie Game Showcase” section on the App Store last month.
Watch SpaceX’s reusable rocket hover at 3,280 feet before gently landing back to Earth
Between winning an injunction against a rival and proving that its reusable rocket works, it’s been a pretty good week for SpaceX. As a victory lap, the company has once-again test fired its Falcon9R rocket, and unlike last time, filmed it from the ground so everyone can see its progress. In the clip (below), the craft launches, hovers at 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) and gently coasts back to the ground for a safe landing. With this early hardware, the landing legs remain out at all times, but it’s hoped that soon, the company will be able to have them stowed against the body, only emerging when it’s time to land — just like the U.S.S. Planet Express Ship.
Filed under: Transportation, Science
Via: The Next Web
Source: Elon Musk (Twitter)
Chrome OS Presser by Google and Intel Coming May 6
Google and Intel have announced a press event for May 6, to reveal their latest Chrome OS collaboration. Intel is the primary chipset powering Google’s Chromebook cloud-centric laptops, with the latest iterations using Haswell chipsets coming to market last September. I’m personally typing this on an Acer C720 Haswell Chromebook, and in being an Owner of a previous-generation Chromebook as well, I can personally attest to the strides these two companies have made in the performance and battery life of these devices.
While the details of the announcement are still unknown, one could bet that some new Chromebooks are in the works. One thought is that it will deal with the recent announcement by Intel of a new ‘Braswell’ chipset made especially to provide low-cost with high power efficiency.
Source: omgchrome.com
The post Chrome OS Presser by Google and Intel Coming May 6 appeared first on AndroidGuys.
New Retail Chief Angela Ahrendts Appears on Apple’s Leadership Page
Former Burberry CEO Angela Ahrendts has officially joined Apple and is now listed on the company’s executive page alongside other major Apple execs like Jonathan Ive, Tim Cook, Eddy Cue, and Craig Federighi.
Ahrendts will take on the role of Senior Vice President of Retail and Online stores, a position that has seen significant turnover in recent years. Back in 2011, Ron Johnson left the position to join J.C. Penney after 11 years with Apple and while the role was filled by John Browett in 2012, he was ousted just months later. Since that time, Apple has operated without a retail leader.
Back in October, when Ahrendts’ hiring was first announced, Apple CEO Tim Cook noted he was “thrilled” she was joining the team, emphasizing that she shared Apple’s values, “focus on innovation,” and the company’s dedication to customer experience.
Prior to joining Apple, Ahrendts served as CEO of Burberry beginning in 2006. She is largely credited with boosting Burberry back to fame after a decline, tripling the company’s revenue and working to merge Burberry’s online experience with the brick and mortar experience.
With her luxury brand experience and her dedication to improving customer experience, it’s possible that Ahrendts could bring some significant improvements to both the online and retail shopping experience at Apple, at a time when the company is poised to launch several new flagship products, including the iPhone 6 and the iWatch.
Apple, Facebook and Google will tell you when the government wants your data
The companies that asked the US government for permission to publish federal data requests last year have apparently lost their patience waiting for a reply. Apple, Facebook, Google and Microsoft are updating their privacy policies to expand the types of disclosure notifications they give individual users about how often and when the government requests their data. As The Washington Post tells it, the tech companies will only reign themselves in in the event that they receive gag orders from a judge or someone else with legal authority. Naturally, the government isn’t too keen on this and the Department of Justice worries that this could give criminals under investigation ample time to flee or even destroy any evidence that could be used against them.
Google updated its policy this week, adding that data is only withheld when there’s “imminent risk” of physical harm to a potential crime victim, while an Apple spokesperson said that later this month the company will update its policies so it can notify customers in “most cases” when law enforcement requests their personal information. Neither Apple nor The Social Network or Redmond, however, have finalized their updates just yet. If it helps you sleep a little better at night, the Post reports that companies that notify their users have a little more sway with the fuzz: apparently investigators would rather drop their data requests entirely rather than suspects learn they’re being watched.
[Image credit: Google/YouTube]
Filed under: Internet, Apple, Microsoft, Google, Facebook
Source: Washington Post
Leaked Amazon smartphone press render shows one slick-looking Device
There’s a lot we already know about Amazon‘s rumoured smartphone; we know it’s going to feature some kind of a 3D user interface, courtesy of 4 cameras spotted on its front face, and we also know it’s going to be an AT&T exclusive with something called a Prime Data plan. And now, thanks to a conveniently leaked Amazon smartphone press render, we also have a pretty good idea of what it’s going to look like when it is finally announced.
I personally think it’s quite a looker and it looks like Amazon has adopted a Nexus-like design with a slim, simple, plastic device. There’s not much notable or completely unexpected about the press render, though it’s perhaps surprising to see what looks like the hold and volume buttons both appearing on the left side of the device. If you are pining for some Amazon smartphone action, you won’t have much longer to wait as the device is expected to be announced by Amazon sometime in June, so sit tight.
What do you think about the overall design of the device in this leaked Amazon smartphone press render? Are you interested in getting one? Let us know in the comments.
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Engadget Daily: Amazon’s new phone, Snapchat video and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours — all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
This is what Amazon’s phone looks like
What do we know about Amazon’s upcoming smartphone? Well, it has 2GB of RAM, six cameras and according to BGR, it looks like the above render. What it’s actually made of, however, remains a mystery.
Snapchat now does video chat and IM, with self-destruct still included
What’s better than a plain ole’ Snapchat? A video Snapchat, of course. Today, the company expanded its iOS and Android apps to support video and instant messaging. And yes, they still self-destruct.
The true story of the worst video game in history
In the 1980s, the Atari met a swift end. It just so happens that in that same year, Steven Spielberg’s E.T. hit the cinemas. Coincidence? Our own Timothy Seppala met with former Atari developer Howard Scott Warshaw to find out.
Researchers think water helped ancient Egyptians build the pyramids
Well, it looks like alien’s might not have built the pyramids after all. According to researchers at the University of Amsterdam, a sledge and some wet sand could have been the winning combination that allowed workers to pull stone for miles across the desert.
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Filed under: Misc
Paperfold is a foldable, transformable smartphone prototype
The inspiration for the project came from, you guessed it, paper. The lab’s director, Dr. Roel Vertegaal, says “the development of electronic paper computers that can adopt similar qualities to paper has been an enduring research goal” for his team. It’s an aspiration that’s not unique to just this project. In 2010 Microsoft was working on (and then killed) a book-like tablet called Courier, and Sony released a high-dollar digital paper tablet earlier this year. While there are no plans to bring PaperFold to market just yet, it shows us what could be possible with digital displays and e-ink technology. Want to take a look for yourself? Check out the video below for a look at the prototype in action.
Filed under: Cellphones, Displays, Wireless, Mobile
Via: Gizmag
Source: Human Media Labs, PaperFold Abstract
Activision and Tony Hawk bringing ‘Tony Hawk’s Shred Session’ to Android this Summer
Be honest, how many hours did you waste playing Tony Hawk Pro Skater while rocking out to the killer sound track? I know I spent entire days trying to spell SKATE and land those insane tricks that just wouldn’t be possible in ‘real’ life. Very soon we will be able to relive, sort of, those glory skating days with Tony Hawk’s Shred Session.
Activision and Tony Hawk have announced today that the new THSS game is coming to select iOS and Android devices later this summer. The release, and the sub-sequential screenshots, show some pretty great looking graphics and some simple swipe controls for pulling off a lipslide, 5-0 grind and plenty other tricks. You will charge of one of six modern day pro’s. Chris Cole, Aaron “Jaws” Homoki, Lizzie Armanto, David Gonzalez, Riley Hawk, and of course Tony Hawk himself)
THSS will offer up two game modes: Survival, where you need to pull off continuous tricks and combos as long as you can and Shred Sessions where you will play through traditional Tony Hawk style game objectives or go head-to-head against your friends. You can also expect shred through the Santa Monica Boardwalk and grind through the streets of London. What would a Tony Hawk game be without leveling-up and unlocking more advanced tricks?
“I‘m stoked that Activision shares my vision for an original skateboarding game on mobile,” said Tony Hawk. “It’s exciting to evolve with new technologies, and Shred Session is a whole new direction.”
The release does’t offer a concrete release date, it just mentions “scheduled for this summer.” If you want to keep up with the happening on the game then you will ave to bring yourself to their Facebook page…… Ya…. Or follow them on Instagram or Twitter at @THShredSession, which don’t look to be active right this minute.
I don’t know about you guys, but I am pretty excited for this one to land. The real question will be how they launch it. I can hope and pray that it will be $4.99 or less with no in-app purchases. I would even be ok with IAP’s so long as they don’t hinder the game play and force you to pay to move forward. Should be interesting. Anyone else excited?
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The rebuilt HD Widgets 4 starts official roll Out
Last week we alerted you guys to a beta testing version of the new HD Widgets 4 app that was scheduled to see a public release May 1st. Thankfully cloud.tv didn’t run into any hangups on keeping that target and has begun the long arduous task of updating the 800K users on the planet. So what is new? A whole heck of a lot actually. The app its self got a big overhaul while still maintaining their WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) experience.
One of the first things you might notice is a slide out navigation bar. A simple flip gives you quick access to your:
- Active Widgets
- Widget Theme Packs
- Tools / Settings
- Guides & Support
- News, links and more apps
Cloud.tv also overhauled the weather screen and fit a ton of important information within quick viewing. All the widgets also got a big layout overhaul along with new widget features that you can set depending on your theme choice.
They also started redoing their themes to give you a cleaner look and more options. What I am a bit excited about is a new theme, Kairo, that will be a bit lighter, flatter and energetic.
The Kairo theme isn’t available just yet though, cloud.tv is going to wait until the update has hit everyone’s devices first. So you can expect this to make an appearance in abut a week.
Be sure to check the Play Store for the update every so often, and if you don’t have HD widgets yet, hit the little button below and pick them up.
via Cloud.tv Blog
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