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Dissecting the newest DUST 514 video for goodies
With the integration of EVE Online and DUST 514 now detailed by CCP, a new trailer has been released on IGN to show off some of the goodies we can expect, including the infamous orbital strike mechanic that we've been hearing about since DUST 514's initial announcement. This video shows off the Battle for Caldari Prime, which is said to be the pivot point for integration into both games. Dust514Base.com dissected the video, pointing out several new undocumented shinies, including the scrambler rifle, a possible first look at the Gallente Assault dropsuit, a redesigned wrist neocom, and a logi with a plasma cannon. Check out the video in its entirety, along with the observation notes to see what you think.
Facebook sharing comes to Netflix users in the US
Netflix has made clear its intention to bring Facebook integration to users in the United States (following similar moves elsewhere), and now -- after clearing some legislative hurdles -- it's finally rolling out the feature. That will let users link their Facebook account to their Netflix account and automatically share what they watch with others, although sharing will be limited to Netflix by default -- Facebook sharing needs to be enabled in the "Social Settings" on the Netflix website. Naturally, once enabled, that sharing is also enabled across your various Netflix-ready devices, letting you see what individual friends have been watching (and letting them see what you've been watching, although you can choose to not share specific titles). Netflix also notes that its social features "will evolve with new capabilities being tested regularly," and that upcoming tests include the ability to let members "explicitly share their favorite titles on Facebook and discuss with their friends." You can find a short video from Netflix explaining the feature after the break.
YouTube Player API for Android opens for all, brings seamless app integration (video)
Adding a little dash of YouTube magic to your Android apps should be simple affair right? Well, historically, not entirely. That's all set to change though, now that the long-promised Android YouTube Player API has finally been set loose in the wild. This means developers can access some new tools that should bring the ubiquitous video service snuggly inside any app that wants to use it. This includes high-quality playback for devices running Android 2.2 and above, easier integration there-of due to a change in how to call the videos, full screen and orientation mode support, closed captions display, support for YouTube ads and the ability to program most elements of the playback experience natively within your app. The tools have already been put to use by some partners who got early access, including one of our favourite social feed-readers Flipboard. Full details and tools at the source, or slide past the break for Google developers video showing it in action.
Samsung strategy chief: our devices need to work better together
When Samsung is currently ruling the roost in mobile technology, you'd think the company's Chief Strategy Officer would exhibit some (possibly deserved) bluster. Not so: the executive in question, Young Sohn, tells the MIT Technology Review that Samsung has a long way to go before its products work in perfect harmony. While he's proud of the hardware in isolation, he believes a truly unified ecosystem is "really critical" in the long term. He sees Apple as ahead in this area, although he's arguing for an open approach instead of keeping everything in-house like they do in Cupertino. Partly to that end, the recently hired CSO is based in Menlo Park, not Seoul -- a step that should spot valuable technology early on and coordinate with San Francisco Bay Area startups that are big on the cloud, mobile platforms and other areas that compliment Samsung's plans. We don't know how long it will take before our Galaxy S III is in effortless sync with a similarly-branded TV, but it's good to know their mutual creator won't be resting on its laurels.
Blackberry 10 SDK reveals tight Evernote integration
The Blackberry 10 gold SDK release has revealed an interesting tidbit for Evernote partakers: the memory-prodding app seems to be tightly enmeshed with RIM's upcoming OS. It's one of the so-called Notebook options listed under the "App Integration" heading, which let you organize "actionable and non-actionable items into separate folders or topics." Evernote is listed as one of those options, and will let you sync up and access your account with Blackberry 10 devices, according to the documentation. That app is already available across all other major platforms, letting you organize documents with audio, video, photos, websites and, um, text -- then sync everything up in the cloud. Considering Evernote's recent foray into the business side of things, having the app built-in might be a nice pitch to RIM's core userbase when the new OS is finally launched.
EVE Evolved: Merging EVE with DUST 514
When console MMOFPS DUST 514 was first announced, players were cautious of the game's ambitious goals. Developers promised that DUST battles would decide the ownership of planets inside PC MMO EVE Online, and that this would tie into system sovereignty and ultimately ownership of entire regions of space. We expected the two games to have separate communities and economies that would interact only when EVE players hired DUST mercenaries to take over sectors of particular planets, but we couldn't have been more wrong. Two years later, CCP blew our expectations out of the water with details of how DUST and EVE will be practically joined at the hip. We learned that the two games would share the exact same corporations and that ISK would be transferable between games. We also got a glimpse of the incredible plans for realtime integration, with EVE ships able to deliver air strikes to planets and DUST players able to shoot down ships in orbit with ground cannon. But have those ambitious goals stayed in focus during development, and what can we expect from DUST when it launches early next year? In this week's EVE Evolved opinion piece, I look through the public information on DUST 514's launch integration with EVE Online and speculate on how the link may evolve after release.
BuddyTV Guide app adds Hulu Plus integration
Even when you're watching TV alone, you've always got a friend in BuddyTV Guide -- the personalized listings and remote control app. Now, in addition to content providers Netflix, iTunes and Amazon, it's inviting another player to the viewing party: Hulu Plus. Subscribers to the service will be able to see all associated video content in the BuddyTV Guide listings, and better yet, access it directly from within the app. Intrigued, Hulu Plus patrons? Head on down to the source link, grab the relevant app and let the New Girl marathon commence.
EA goes 100% online with gaming
From now on, don't expect to see EA coming out with single-player offline titles, because there won't be any. EA Labels President Frank Gibeau said that the company is full-on embracing cloud gaming and online interaction: "I have not green lit one game to be developed as a single player experience. Today, all of our games include online applications and digital services that make them live 24/7/365." Forbes speculates that this approach might be a boon to MMO players, who might witness a movement toward more integrated services. EA isn't looking to turn all of its titles into MMOs, however, but is definitely adding multiplayer components and more social interaction to them going forward. Gibeau claims that this is what the players are demanding. "People want to access games anytime and anywhere, they want to connect with friends, and they want to be recognized across multiple devices," he said. "Cloud gaming is going to make it easier to step over walled gardens."
NYT claims Apple has dallied with investing 'hundreds of millions' in Twitter
Apple has been on a social networking kick lately, what with Twitter's footings in iOS 5 and OS X Mountain Lion as well as Facebook's upcoming presence in iOS 6. From what the New York Times hears, that fascination could become more of a fixation. The company has reportedly chatted with Twitter in past months about the possibility of investing money on the scale you'd normally expect from a later-stage venture capitalist: the newspaper is talking "hundreds of millions" of dollars based on Twitter being valued at more than $10 billion. Any such deal would be less about funding (Twitter purportedly has $600 million-plus in the bank) and more about getting cozy in a social world where Apple still has some learning to do. Apple might equally want to dissuade competitors from getting any ideas, we'd add. Neither side will comment, and the negotiations aren't even supposed to be active at present. Regardless, that Apple might have even toyed with a social networking investment could represent a major change in tack for a company that's not always known for playing well with others.
Microsoft gives a tease of Office for Windows Phone 8, talks up Office 2013 integration
Microsoft may have told us a lot about Windows Phone 8 in June, but it left out much of what the Office component's update would entail. Thankfully, Partner Group program lead John Jendrezak has volunteered to let us peek under the hood, including our first real glimpse of the new Office Hub. The app's connection to Office 2013 is more than the skin deep looks you see here: Office documents will sync more seamlessly from desktop to phone, and it's implied that the reading position sync from the desktop version will extend to the mobile realm as well. Many mysteries still remain as to what's exactly different in the more pocketable version of Office. There's more about the new work suite's communion with the cloud at the source link, however, so dig in if an offline Office feels like a prison.
Facebook SDK 3.0 Beta for iOS now available to download, includes tight integration plans for iOS 6
Slide over, Twitter -- after this fall, you won't be the only social network in town with OS-level integration on the iPod touch, iPad and iPhone. As announced back at WWDC in June, Facebook will be on a level playing field with the launch of iOS 6, and the outfit's new SDK 3.0 Beta is exactly what developers need to get there. Among other things, the new code promises superior user session management, ready-to-use native UI views, bolstered Facebook API support and an iOS Developer Center to get folks grounded on "key concepts." After iOS 6 launches en masse, this SDK will "automatically use the native Facebook Login in iOS 6 when available," providing a similar experience to Twitter in terms of seamless logins. Ready to get cranking? Get your download on in the source link below.
Instagram adds Photo Page to web: new colors, user comments, not much else
Instagram's been moving along briskly with its Android and iOS apps, but the hipster-tinter-photo-sharing-Facebook acquisition's web presence has been lagging behind in comparison. But there's good news now if you're desk-bound thanks to the new "Photo Page," which lets you log in, change your profile and add comments or likes to images. The other tweak is a fresh look for the site, matching the app with a blue, dare we say, Facebook-esque theme and larger images, no doubt to show off those mega-megapixel smartphone cameras. It's likely a first step in unifying its web offering and apps, and with a name like Photo Page, no one can accuse it of wasting that Facebook booty on marketing whizzes.
Flipboard officially launches on Android, in multiple app stores and for more countries
Popular newsreader Flipboard is finally officially available on Android, coming out of beta and Galaxy S III exclusivity. As seen in the latest test version, it now supports integration of shared articles from your Google+ feed alongside Twitter and Facebook feeds, and has also added support for YouTube video feeds (all of these are now available on iOS as well). Beyond the Google Play app market, it's also available in the Amazon Appstore, Nook Store and Samsung Apps, so slinging the APK to your Android device of choice should be too difficult. We gave the final release edition a quick run through ourselves and found it just as smooth on a Samsung Galaxy S II as it has been on any iPhone or iPad, and being ICS-ready out of the gate is a nice touch, although we couldn't force it to switch to landscape viewing. Another handy toggle is the option to go full screen with no menu bar up top, if you need a few extra pixels on your display (optimized for screens up to 7-inches in size). Article sharing is also here and like other Android apps, shares to any services you have installed, not just Twitter or Facebook. The final update is news that Flipboard is launching fully localized editions for Germany, Korea, Italy, Spain and The Netherlands, in addition to the existing localizations for Japan, France, China, United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. All of the details are in the press release after the break, or you can check out pretty much any app store to give it a try yourself. Update: It's out! As of 1AM or so. Hit the source link to grab it from the Play Store.
Apple teases Eyes Free, Siri car integration
Apple's VP of iOS Software Scott Forstall just demoed Eyes Free, Siri's new vehicle integration. The feature is being framed as a safety booster, letting you tap a steering wheel-mounted button to toggle Siri on your iOS device, rather than reaching around for your iPhone or iPad and taking precious seconds away from the road. This being Apple, there are already plenty of partners lined up -- BMW, GM, Mercedes, Land Rover, Jaguar, Audi, Toyota, Chrysler and Honda are all said to be on board, with Siri support making its way to vehicles within the next 12 months. It's certainly not the first example of smartphone/car integration we've seen, but it could soon end up being one of the most widely utilized, despite the years-long head-start competing technologies have enjoyed. Check out our full coverage of WWDC 2012 at our event hub!
Slick Google Voice integration may not be Sprint exclusive for long
Despite it's rocky start, we wouldn't blame you for being a little jealous of Sprint's tight integration with Google Voice. Well, the relationship between the two might not be exclusive for much longer. Vincent Paquet, Product Manager for Google Voice, told CNET in an interview that the web giant is actively talking to other carriers about forming a similar bond. Paquet didn't name any names unfortunately, but we're hoping one of the other major national providers here in the US is on the short list of potential corporate polygamist partners. If we're lucky, getting your Verizon phone to play nice with Google Voice's voicemail inbox will soon be a lot simpler. Or, at least it'll be easier to send those stubborn exes straight to voicemail.
Daily iPhone App: Draw Something
We've already posted about Draw Something a few times for business reasons -- the title is just blowing up the App Store, and has already overtaken all of Zynga's titles as the most popular social game app on Apple's platform. But the game, available now, is definitely worth a try as well. I've been playing it all weekend long, and even though it's way more casual than the games I usually play, there is something very fascinating about this artistic back and forth. We've seen games do this on the App Store before -- Charadium and Depict are two good examples, and there are other options out there as well. But Draw Something's charm is in its simplicity -- there are really no points to speak of, and you don't even really win or lose. If the player trying to guess a drawing doesn't get it, they just pass, and then you move on to the next guess. You do have a combo sort of going back and forth, and you are trying to earn coins (which can be used to buy extra colors to draw with, and consumable hints, essentially), so there are some game elements there, but Draw Something is basically a picture messaging service, and the pleasure in it is seeing how your friends have approached putting a word to an image. Unfortunately, Draw Something's simplicity is also its main drawback (sorry). There's no way to save or archive the pictures you draw outside of just taking screenshots (press the iOS sleep and home buttons at the same time), and there have been some really good ones out there. Given how social the game is, it seems a little nuts that there's no "share this picture on Twitter or Facebook," but maybe that's for cross-platform compatibility (or will just be added in the future). Those looking for a little more than just fun with friends might be disappointed by the game's UI as well -- it's extremely simple. But all that said, there is an addictive glee to Draw Something, no question, that makes it definitely worth trying out. 30 million people can't be wrong, right? The game is available in a 99 cent version without ads, or a free version with ads included.
Switched On: Extra Sensory Perception
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. At Intel's CES 2012 press conference, the giant chipmaker justified calling thin notebook PCs "ultrabooks" by noting how the devices would increasingly be characterized by more than their thinness. The integration of sensors has become so core to the modern smartphone experience that their absence would make using such devices untenable.Most of that differentiation was based on plans to integrate the kinds of sensors that have become commonplace in smartphones and tablets, sensors that can detect location, motion, orientation and proximity. The integration of sensors has become so core to the modern smartphone experience that their absence would make using such devices untenable. Imagine if we had to manually reorient a display every time we wanted to play a game or take a photo or if we had to avoid activating a button with our cheeks when holding a phone against them.But as Switched On discussed in taking on how screen size affects form factors, what is a limitation of form factor today may not hold true tomorrow. Already, of course, smartphones can tap into remote intelligence for applications such as remote camera viewing or unlocking of doors via services from home security companies such as ADT and Vivint. From around the world, you can even remotely start a vehicle using the Viper SmartStart app. But there are increasing opportunities for smartphones to act on information from sensors that are not embedded into their shells.
BMW launches Stitcher integration at SXSW (hands-on video)
BMW announced today at SXSW that it's teaming up with Stitcher to integrate the popular iPhone app's on-demand streaming functionality into vehicles equipped with the BMW Apps and Mini Connected technologies. We ran into BMW's Robert Passaro in the halls of Austin's Convention Center and he was kind enough to give us an exclusive demo of Stitcher inside a lovely BMW 650i convertible ahead of today's launch. Most of the iPhone app's features are available using the vehicle's infotainment system, including the ability to search, provide feedback ("More Like This" and "Listeners Also Like"), and create / remove custom stations -- album art is even displayed in high-resolution alongside show information. Take a look at our gallery below, then watch us tune Stitcher into the Engadget Mobile Podcast right from the BMW's center console in our hands-on video after the break.
Tango Networks offers cloud-based Google Voice integration to carriers
Tango Networks is aiming to assuage the pain of US mobile users attempting to manage two phone numbers using a single device. Dubbed the Abrazo Multi-line Service, the cloud-based product aims to bring Google Voice integration to "all mobile phones" and allow wireless users to manage multiple numbers without the hassle of additional software -- meaning your RAZR 2 can join the fun. Calls placed to handsets utilizing Abrazo will ring all phones in your Google Voice roster and users can choose which caller ID number to display for outgoing calls. The service will also offer a single Message Waiting Indicator light and leverage GV's low-cost international calling rates. Abrazo Multi-line Service is currently in the trial phase with North American mobile operators. The full press release from Tango is after the break.
Pioneer AppRadio review
dockBoss+ adapter brings iOS speaker dock compatibility to Android, BlackBerry and WP7 handsets* Pioneer announces Aha Radio partnership, plans for app domination Hyundai announces Blue Link telematics system, makes texting your Sonata a sweet possibility If you drive, and if you read Engadget (which...you do), there's a good chance you've spent some time using an iOS device in the car. You've probably also spent some of that time wishing there were a better way to integrate your phone or pod with the car itself. There have been devices to help you bring Pod and vehicle together in an unholy union of distraction since that first physical scroll wheel hit the scene, from maddening tape adapters and FM tuners to more integral solutions like Ford's Sync system. The whole time, we were kind of just wishing they'd figure out a way to let us mount the thing directly in the dash, and have our way with it as we do in all other situations. Pioneer's AppRadio approaches that -- it looks unapologetically like a bigger iPod in landscape mode, complete with minimalistic physical controls and a laid-back, no-nonsense look about it. Does it, in fact, make the iPhone more useful while you're in the car? Turns out, it's a yes and no kind of thing. %Gallery-136181%
