Verizon's Samsung 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot launches March 31st

By Chris Ziegler posted Mar 27th 2011 1:33PM Though it won't be the first Verizon LTE device to share its white-hot connection over WiFi (that honor goes to the recently-launched Thunderbolt), Samsung's SCH-LC11 -- announced back at CES -- is shaping up to be the network's first dedicated hotspot to hit retail. We've just been dropped the carrier's internal equipment guide showing a launch date in all channels (stores, telesales, and online) this coming Thursday, March 31st; pricing is an open question, but carriers tend to price these modems pretty aggressively on contract since they know they're going to eat you alive with the data plan for the next two years. Of course, in this case, we're more than willing to get eaten alive if it means we've got a 20Mbps WiFi connection in our pocket at all times.

[Thanks, anonymous tipster]

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RedEye universal remote launches 'mini' app on iTunes for users who want something simpler

ThinkFlood Releases Dedicated App for RedEye mini

RedEye mini users may now choose from original activity-based RedEye app or new device-based app

Waltham, MA – February 22, 2011 – ThinkFlood (http://thinkflood.com), maker of award-winning RedEye control products for the home, today announced a new application developed as an option specifically for RedEye mini users.

The RedEye mini application is a simpler version of the company's popular activity-based remote control. RedEye mini users can choose to download the original RedEye application (now in version 2.0.1) or the new RedEye mini app, depending on their needs. The RedEye mini app is small enough to download over a mobile network, and enhances RedEye mini's portability.

ThinkFlood representatives say the new RedEye mini application suits casual users who are unfamiliar with activity-based control or those who prefer a more basic device-based universal remote.

"The RedEye mini application is more for people who have simple 2 or 3 component setups," said Justin Nguyen, lead developer for ThinkFlood. "Those who want something to control a more complex home theater may be more comfortable with the original RedEye application."

The RedEye mini application still includes many of the robust features offered in the full RedEye application including a full-color channel guide (US and Canada, with more countries to follow soon) and a database of more than 65,000 infrared control codes.

For ThinkFlood's management team, this new application was about meeting customer demand.

"Although we sell hardware, we have always felt that software is a vital part of our business," said Matt Eagar, president and co-founder of ThinkFlood. "We update our applications regularly – in fact, this is the seventeenth software release we have rolled out over the last year and a half – and the dedicated mini app is just another example of how we strive to respond quickly to customer feedback."

The RedEye mini app is available from iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/redeye-mini/id418230793?mt=8.

About ThinkFlood

ThinkFlood (http://thinkflood.com/) designs and develops control hardware and software. Its award-winning RedEye line of control products for mobile phones, MP3 players and tablets offers features and functionality previously available only in remotes priced several times as much. ThinkFlood is a privately held company headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts.

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Facebook Launches Pages Redesign

Facebook has begun rolling out a full redesign of Facebook Pages. The changes will make the Pages look and operate more like user profiles.

The new Pages redesign was first seen in December, when Facebook accidentally launched it and quickly took it down. The update not only removed tabs, but it gave page admins the ability to post and comment on other Facebook Pages through a “Login as Page” feature.

Those prototype features have made the cut for today’s launch. As Facebook’s Rohit Dhawan, the lead product manager for Facebook Pages, explained to me earlier today, the company has wanted to redesign Facebook Pages ever since it launched the profile redesign. “We strongly believe you should have consistent experiences when possible,” Dhawan said.

The big difference everyone will notice will be the new layout. The left-hand menu for editing pages has been removed in favor of a new navigation menu that replaces the old tabbing system. And like the Facebook Profiles redesign, the left-hand “Information” box is also gone. However, page admins can now add info about their brand at the top of the page under the main title.

The right-hand menu has also been tweaked. There is now a section that features the page’s admins (if you so choose) as well as a section that shows users how many of their friends have also “liked” that particular page. Finally, just like profiles, a page can now feature relevant photos at the top. This could lead to some very creative uses for Facebook Pages.

There are some other notable differences between the new Facebook Pages and the old version, especially for page admins. The “Login as Page” feature gives admins the ability to interact with the rest of Facebook as a page, not an individual. For example, I could log in as Mashable and start commenting and “liking” things on Facebook Pages that have “liked” Mashable. Admins will also see a different News Feed if they are logged in as their page; It will display the most important news from the pages you’ve “liked.”

“A page can now use Facebook as if they were an individual with the ability to interact with other pages,” Dhawan said. “It provides interesting content when people are visiting the page. ”

Pages can’t do everything a user can, though. Most importantly, they cannot post on a user’s wall or comment on his or her status. The lone exception is for a user who has opted for the “everybody” privacy setting; Pages can comment on status updates for those individuals.

The other update Facebook is adding is an “Everyone” filter that brings the most interesting and engaging posts from a page’s community to the top of the page. This makes it easier for users and admins to easily find the most “liked” and commented conversations on a particular page. The new Facebook Pages are also smart enough to filter out posts that are not in a language you speak.

The new design launches today as a preview for Facebook Page admins. Before switching, they can check to see what their page will look like and tweak elements of the design before launch. The company is also releasing a Page Tour and a manual to explain the new design. Admins will have until March 10 to switch over though, before Facebook automatically updates every page to the new design.

Related: What the New Facebook Pages Mean For Users & Owners

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Amazon Launches Windows Phone 7 App

Shortly after launching an official Kindle app for Windows Phone 7, Amazon has launched an app that lets you browse, search and purchase products on Amazon directly from your Windows Phone 7 device.

The app is free to download, and it features support for Windows Phone 7-specific swipes, letting you quickly slide between product details, reviews, related items, etc.

Other features include one-click ordering, wish lists, package tracking and prime member support. If you’re worried about security, you’ll be happy to know that the purchases go through Amazon’s secure servers.

Amazon App for Windows Phone 7 is available here.

[via The Next Web]

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The Daily iPad 'newspaper' launches, $.99 weekly or $39.99 per year

Introducing The Daily

First National Daily News Publication Created for iPad

Launches today in the AppleApp Store

New York, NY, February 2, 2011 – Today Rupert Murdoch, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of News Corporation, unveiled The Daily -- the industry's first national daily news publication created from the ground up for iPad.

"New times demand new journalism," said Mr. Murdoch. "So we built The Daily completely from scratch -- on the most innovative device to come about in my time -- the iPad."

"The magic of great newspapers -- and great blogs -- lies in their serendipity and surprise, and the touch of a good editor," continued Mr. Murdoch. "We're going to bring that magic to The Daily -- to inform people, to make them think, to help themengage in the great issues of the day. And as we continue to improve and evolve, we are going to use the best in new technology to push the boundaries of reporting."

The Daily's unique mix of text, photography, audio, video, information graphics, touch interactivity and real-time data and social feeds provides its editors with the ability to decide not only which stories are most important -- but also the best format to deliver these stories to their readers.

"News Corp. is redefining the news experience with The Daily," says Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "We think it is terrific and iPad users are really going to embrace it."

Led by Editor-in-Chief Jesse Angelo and Publisher Greg Clayman, The Daily is the first application made available on the App Store as a subscription -- which will be billed directly to an iTunes account. And because this paperless paper requires no multi-million dollar presses or delivery trucks, it will be priced at just 99 cents a week (or $39.99 for an annual subscription).

"The Daily launches at a moment when advances in technology are changing the job of the modern editor," says Mr. Angelo. "These advances are giving us new ways to tell stories. We intend to take advantage of all of them, and make The Daily the new voice for a new era."

Each day The Daily will publish up to 100 pages focused on six key areas: news, sports, gossip and celebrity, opinion, arts and life, and apps and games. It will offer views from across the political spectrum. They will come from across cultures and generations, across America and the world.

The Daily will feature Sudoku and crossword puzzles, localized weather reports, and a customizablesports package that captures news on the user's favorite teams. Subscribers will also be able to leave comments on Daily stories in either written or audio form -- as well as bookmark them in-app to read later.

As readers move through The Daily's content, they will be helped by several highly intuitive navigation tools. And while The Daily lives on the iPad, most of its articles can be easily shared via Facebook, Twitter and email. The Daily will link out to the web, as well as bring the web into the app.

"In short, says Mr. Murdoch, "we believe The Daily will be the model for how stories are told and consumed in this digital age."

The Daily has bureaus in New York and Los Angeles, as well as stringers across the country. Full company bios are available at TheDaily.com/about. Executive staff includes:

* John Kilpatrick - Executive Creative Director
* Steve Alperin - Managing Editor
* Mike Nizza - Managing Editor, News
* Richard Johnson - LA Bureau Chief
* Sasha Frere-Jones - Editor, Arts & Life
* Chris D'Amico - Editor, Sports
* Elisabeth Eaves - Editor, Opinion
* Peter Ha - Editor, Apps, Games and Technology

The Daily is also changing the way advertising is offered and consumed within a news publication. Full-page ad units are completely interactive, customizable, and offer a rich mix of branding and direct response opportunities. Launch advertisers include HBO,Macy's, Paramount, Pepsi Max, Range Rover, Verizon, and Virgin Atlantic Airways.

"With The Daily, Rupert Murdoch has given us the chance to rethink the entire experience of news delivery and consumption," said Mr. Clayman. "The ability to actively listen to and engage with our audience means we can continually provide an experiencethat consumers value in this fast-evolving tablet space. Together with our customers, our advertising partners, and the team at The Daily, we are excited to create a new form of media."

About The Daily

The Daily is a first-of-its-kind daily national news publication built exclusively as an application for tablet computing. It provides readers the engaging experience of a magazine combined with the immediacy of the web and the need-to-know content of a newspaper, all while elevating user experience beyond the printed word. The Daily is a subscription-based news product, published 365 days a year, at the cost of $0.99 cents a week or $39.99 a year. For more information on The Daily go to: www.thedaily.com.

News Corporation (NASDAQ: NWS, NWSA; ASX: NWS, NWSLV) had total assets as of September 30, 2010 of approximately US$56 billion and total annual revenues of approximately US$33 billion. News Corporation is a diversified global media company with operations in six industry segments: cable network programming; filmed entertainment; television; direct broadcast satellite television; publishing; and other. The activities of News Corporation are conducted principally in the United States, Continental Europe, the United Kingdom, Australia, Asia and Latin America.

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Zynga Acquires Social Game Developer Area/Code; Launches New York Office

Weeks after announcing its acquisition of social browser Flock, Zynga is continuing its shopping spree today with the purchase of New York-based social gaming developer Area/Code. In conjunction with the acquisition, Zynga is also announcing its first New York office with the launch of Zynga New York. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Based in New York City, Area/Code has developed a number of games on Facebook and for mobile, including CSI: Crime City with partner Ubisoft, Facebook game Parking Wars and Drop7 for the iPhone. According to the startup’s site, the developer focused on highlighting “the connections between the interactive systems and imaginary landscapes inside of games and the real world around them.” These connections could include, “online games that respond to broadcast TV in real time,” “game systems that explore real-world social issues,”
“urban environments transformed into spaces for public play,” or “game events driven by real-world data.”

Area/Code was co-founded by Frank Lantz and Kevin Slavin, and interestingly Foursquare co-founder Dennis Crowley was the third partner in the startup in between leaving Google and starting Foursquare.

Area/Code general manager Demetri Detsaridis and Lantz will be General Manager and Creative Director, respectively for Zynga New York.

This is Zynga’s 9th announced acquisition in 8 months, including, Texas-based NewToy, XPD in Beijing, Unoh Games in Tokyo, Conduit Labs in Boston, Dextrose AG in Frankfurt, Germany,Challenge Games in Austin, and Bonfire Studios in Texas.

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As Testing Ramps Up, Glitch Launches A New Site And A Trippy New Trailer

Since we first reported on a company called Tiny Speck back in July of 2009, there has been a lot of interest in what they are working on. You see, it’s a company founded by a bunch of people who helped start Flickr, and their project, Glitch, is actually a return of sorts to Flickr’s gaming roots. Last February, we did an early preview of the game. And in August, we noted that testing was well underway. An update to Glitch today brings a brand new website and a new video to explain the game.

This new exposure comes after a weekend in which Glitch underwent its most extensive user testing yet. The game was open for some 74 hours over the weekend, and thousands of users (of the tens of thousands in the waiting line) were let into the game to try it out. The test looks like it was a successful one, and the new website says that the game is now on track for beta testing early next year, with a tentative launch also slated for early next year. The company promises that going forward, they’ll move all updates from their private alpha blog, to the company blog.

But the key to Glitch (if you can’t play it) is to see it in action. So check out the video below. Yes, it’s weird. Yes, it’s awesome.

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Netflix formally launches $7.99 streaming-only plan, bumps unlimited DVD plans by a buck or more

By Tim Stevens posted Nov 22nd 2010 8:44AM Well you had to know it was coming: the streaming-only plan Netflix unofficially rolled out last month is now being officially deployed. Thankfully the company opted to go with the lower of the two prices it was toying with, $7.99, which pits it squarely against Hulu Plus. However, the prices for all unlimited plans that include DVDs have jumped by at least one dollar, meaning you'll now be paying $9.99 for a one DVD at a time plan (though the $4.99, two DVDs a month offer will still give you a penny back from your Lincoln). So, it's a cheaper option for trailblazers who have abandoned physical media and a dark day for everyone else.

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Spying from Space: U.S. Launches World’s Largest Satellite

The United States has just launched the largest satellite ever to orbit earth; while its exact purpose is secret, we know it’s not going to be monitoring the weather.

Its mission will be to gather intelligence for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office.

The satellite, dubbed NROL-32, was sent into orbit yesterday by a Delta 4 Heavy rocket — the largest unmanned rocket with the most powerful liquid-fueled booster. U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) Director Bruce Carlson said the NROL-32 would be “the largest satellite in the world.”

All this superlative hugeness isn’t likely just a result of Americans’ obsession with size; in fact, the NRO launches almost as many small vehicles into space as it does large ones. More to the point, however, NROL-32 has a very important job: replacing a slew of Cold War-era satellites currently in orbit past their expiration dates.

Carlson gave an address (links to a PDF that’s a good read on the bureaucracy of space) last month in which he stated that the agency had adopted a new charter and “a remarkably aggressive launch campaign” to go along with it.

Referencing the then-upcoming NROL-32 launch and related launches, Carlson said, “This is the most aggressive launch campaign that the National Reconnaissance Office has had in 20 years… These [satellites] are very important, because they all go to update a constellation which is aging rapidly. We bought most of our satellites for three, five, or eight years, and we’re keeping them on orbit for ten, twelve, and up to twenty years.”

Carlson also said then that those aging satellites “designed to essentially operate during the era of the Soviet Union… are today doing tactical intelligence collection that leads us to actionable intelligence on bad guys every day. Every day.”

We hope the new, huge satellites being sent into orbit will continue to do exactly that, as well as accomplish the NRO’s science and technology goals.

What do you think of this satellite launch?

Image courtesy of United Launch Alliance, Pat Corkery.

Souce: Space.com

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Google Launches Plugin That Fuses Microsoft Office With Google Docs

For years, we’ve been hearing that the future of productivity is in the cloud. But while visions of real-time collaboration leave technophiles like me starry-eyed, it’s a prospect that means one thing to millions of people: leaving the familiar turf of Microsoft Office 2003 or 2007 so that they can learn their way around yet another application, not to mention some pricey upgrades. But Google wants to let you have it both ways.

Today, Google is launching a new plugin for Microsoft Office called Cloud Connect, which will tie Google Docs directly into the ubiquitous productivity suite, free of charge. Editing a document in Word? It’ll automatically sync to your Google Docs account each time you hit ‘Save’. Want to share a preview of your document without worrying about what file format your coworkers can open? Just send them a link to the Google Docs file. The plugin supports Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel, and it’s a big deal for Google’s strategy with Docs. The new product is going live for Apps for Business customers today as part of a preview program; everyone else will get it soon. Update: Google says that the demand was so high that it can’t accept any more volunteers, but you can sign up to receive a notification when it’s available.

Now, Microsoft is integrating online collaboration with its newest version of Office, but Google is doing them one better: this will work on Office 2003, 2007, and 2010, and there’s no fiddling with SharePoint required, either. Google also points out that Microsoft’s version doesn’t offer Excel support yet.

The new plugin is a result of Google’s acquisition of DocVerse back in March (note that it only took Google around eight months to get this out the door — obviously a lot of people want it). Installing the plugin should be fairly painless; the download takes around thirty seconds, and the installation process doesn’t take much longer.

Once you’ve installed it, you’ll notice a new ribbon toward the top of the Office UI, which gives you a Google Docs link for the document you’re currently working on, as well as a notification to let you know when it’s been synced with Google’s servers. Documents being edited locally save to your Google Docs account whenever you hit the ‘Save’ button, but unlike the normal Google Docs web editor, changes aren’t saved as you type them. Google Docs product manager Jonathan Rochelle says this is done because of user expectations — Office has always required that you hit the Save button to save (safety recovery versions notwithstanding) so it makes sense to leave it this way.

Multiple people can edit the same document and have their changes synced with each save (hooray for the cloud). But because these changes aren’t reflected in real-time, there’s the potential for conflicts — I could edit a PowerPoint slide to say one thing, and my coworker could put something else on the same slide. Google deals with these conflicts by presenting users with an alert prompting them to choose which version they’d like to save; if they want to go back and switch again later, they can using the document’s version history.

In practice it looks like this should work well, though there will be a bit of a learning curve as people navigate through syncing and version conflict resolution the first few times. And then there’s actually getting them to use the features that Google Docs and the cloud affords. Baby steps.

And that’s really the theme here: baby steps. Google says that it often speaks with businesses who are eager to switch to Google Docs, but who have a significant number of users who still want to stay with Office for whatever reason. This plugin will help clear that hurdle by allowing for organizations with a ‘hybrid’ setup. And in the longer term, Google is hoping that as users get more familiar with Docs, they’ll be more comfortable abandoning the Office client altogether.

There is one significant caveat to the integration with Office, but it’s a bit complicated to describe so bear with me. If you save a document from Powerpoint to Google Docs, and then edit that file using the Google Docs web editor, you will not be able to sync those changes back with the native version of the file. You’ll be able to generate a new PowerPoint file that reflects the changes, but they won’t sync automatically.

This is because Google is still working through fidelity issues, and the conversion from native Office document to Docs web document may introduce some formatting changes that the user didn’t intend to make. Obviously Google hopes to offer this in the future, but we’ll probably be waiting a while for it to overcome document fidelity issues entirely.

You may also recall a company called OffiSync, which we’ve been tracking over the last couple years. OffiSync has offered much of the same functionality that Google is launching for some time — but now that there’s an official solution, it seems like it could hamper OffiSync’s business. Not so, says Rochelle, who explains that OffiSync actually has some additional features compared to Google’s product. He also believes that there’s room for more than one solution to this problem.

Note that this isn’t available for Mac. Google explains that Microsoft doesn’t offer the same public APIs for the Mac version of Office, so there’s nothing it can do.

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LG Launches Windows 7 Tablet in Korea

LG has launched a WindowsWindows 7-based tablet computer for the Korean market, named the E-Note H1000B.

The tablet features a 10.1-inch capacitive touchsreen, an Intel Atom Z510 or Z530 CPU, 1 GB of RAM, 16 GB of SSD storage, BluetoothBluetooth, Wi-Fi, an SD card reader and two USB 2.0 slots. Interestingly enough, it comes with the severely limited Windows 7 Starter Edition and it has no camera, which is the distinguishing feature of most tablets in the post-iPad era.

The slightly lackluster specifications of this tablet won’t send anyone into ecstasy, and neither will the price of about $850. However, LG also plans to launch an Android tablet soon, which will hopefully be more of an iPad competitor than the E-Note H1000B.

[via Akihabaranews]

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