If you wish you could tweet during that round-the-block 5K, then Motorola's latest update to MOTOACTV is for you. The fitness computer will display Facebook and Twitter messages on the device as well as offering more accurate mapping, easier WiFi network setup and more flexible workout planning. Additionally, golfists who plumped for the Golf edition get some more links-appropriate features like tee location options and putt distance-tracking. You can get the update by connecting the device to your computer and Motocast will handle the rest.

Motorola MOTOACTV update adds Twitter and Facebook to keep you company during marathons originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 02 Jun 2012 01:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

There's no doubt the Redmond team is spending a hefty amount of time enhancing its search engine at any chance it gets. Adding to the Linked tweaks we'd previously seen, Microsoft's now making Bing more social -- at least in the US of A. The most recent changes bring a Metro-driven interface to the homepage, which boasts that Microsoft "three column design" we laid eyes on earlier this month. Naturally, the revamp will open the doors to improved search results, but this, of course, will depend heavily on if you're up to linking your Facebook, Twitter or other social network accounts with Bing. That said, something tells us you're definitely up to it.

Bing now more social in the US, hopes you 'like' it and tweet about it originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 Jun 2012 11:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Internet Explorer 10 on Windows 8 won't be the first major browser to pack a "do not track" component, but it'll be the first to have it switched on by default. Though Microsoft doesn't yet support the feature on its own websites, it plans to help hammer out the protocols by cooperating with industry, government and standards organizations in the months ahead. With Twitter's support for the measure, the crew in Redmond isn't the only one kicking the privacy ball forward. The Digital Advertising Alliance, however, isn't pleased with the development, in no small part because it struck a deal with the White House to honor "do not track" so long as it's not a default setting. Despite the move, Microsoft said it hopes users will choose to share their data with advertisers to receive more relevant advertising. Hit the more coverage links for added details on Microsoft's feather ruffling.

[Image credit: Tomas Fano, Flickr]

Microsoft sets 'do not track' as default on IE10, ruffles feathers originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 Jun 2012 06:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Despite amassing something close to a billion users, Facebook has mainly stayed true to the startup mantra of staying focused on a few core things. In this case, that has been promoting openness and sharing among friends and, increasingly, the world at large. Such was the case for its rival Google at the launch of the search company's IPO. Since then, however, the company has launched a pair of operating systems powering handsets and tablets around the world, a digital media store selling everything from apps to books, and its own social sharing service (at least twice).

With the vast capital infusion that comes with an IPO, Facebook has an opportunity to expand far beyond its own site and Like buttons that now line up in a row next to sharing buttons using Twitter and Google+. The company certainly has no love for Google and has kept Apple at arm's length, but it has had a strong partnership with Microsoft, which made a financially shrewd $240 million investment in Facebook back in 2007. Windows Phone would be a poorer experience were it not for its tight Facebook integration. The giant social network would gain from entering the device market or spinning its own version of Android as Amazon has done, but there would also be significant challenges to striking out into its own ecosystem.

Continue reading Switched On: Facebook's ecosystem dilemma

Switched On: Facebook's ecosystem dilemma originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 27 May 2012 21:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Tweetbot just got the update treatment, enabling a handful of features aimed at optimizing the way you interact with Twitter, both online and off. These added gems include an option to mute certain keywords ('cereal' may be a good start), location-based keyword searches, along with offline favorite and read later support (for booting links to apps like Instapaper or Pocket, for offline viewing). Most other functionality remains unchanged, as does the $2.99 price tag. You'll find the full list of updates after the break, with download links just below.

Continue reading Tweetbot 2.4 brings keyword mute filters, offline favorite and read later support

Tweetbot 2.4 brings keyword mute filters, offline favorite and read later support originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 May 2012 19:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We're all familiar with syncing bookmarks and save-for-later web services like Instapaper, but it's not often that they come with a full web component. Yahoo's hoping to hit the proverbial two birds tonight with Axis, which combines a desktop web browser extension (your choice of Chrome, Firefox or Safari) with a mobile app on the iPad and iPhone. You can bookmark any page and get at it later through a common portal -- hence the Axis name. That unity idea also extends to the idea of browser searching, where you'll see both trending topics as well as immediate answers and visual thumbnails of the top search results. Mobile users can share content through email, Pinterest or Twitter, if that's their inclination. Axis is ready and free to use as of today, although Android users won't get their turn until closer to the end of the year.

Engadget had a chance to give Axis a quick spin, and we largely like what we see, even if we'd say it's not for everyone. The desktop browser extension largely stays out of your way until you need it, although we're surprised the social sharing elements are left out. On the mobile side, it's effectively a full, tabbed web browser, and a fairly solid (if simple) one at that. Most of the advantage comes through having the deeper search options just a pull away. Our issues mostly stem from the need for the app and the ecosystem it's leaping into. If you already thrive on (or want to try) services like Instapaper or Pocket, you're not going to get significantly more here, especially since you can't save content offline. Choosing iOS also means you can't make Axis your default browser, so any links you get from other apps can't be directly shared with Yahoo's mobile app.

Gallery: Yahoo Axis

Yahoo Axis on desktop, iOS unifies your bookmarks, makes the web visual (hands-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 May 2012 20:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

What better place to announce Twitter's embrace of do not track policies than during a privacy panel at New York Internet Week? Federal Trade Commission CTO Ed Felten let the news slip today -- a fact later confirmed by Twitter and Mozilla. The service has been added to Firefox's Do Not Track feature, letting users opt-out of data-tracking cookies in the browser. More information on the feature can be found in the Mozilla source link below.

Twitter teams up with Mozilla to help you opt-out of tracking originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 15:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Twitter hasn't wasted any time in making good on its Summify acquisition. Not even half a year after the ink has dried, you can now opt to get a curated summary of the "most relevant Tweets" and linked stories sent to your email inbox. The layout borrows more than a few cues from the new Discover tab and will let you respond from the email message itself, although we can imagine friends being slightly irked at reviving a conversation that was so very three days ago. Even so, once the option has rolled out to everyone within the space of a few weeks, it'll be an easier way to keep up on one Mr. Bieber's Twitter adventures without others' pesky life events and politics getting in the way.

Twitter now sending email summaries, will keep weekly tabs on the Biebs originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 May 2012 16:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Take an e-ink e-paper smartwatch that's got plenty of willing customers, throw in a WiFi-connected sensor box and well, imagine the possibilities. The founders behind Pebble and Twine hope you are, because they have announced that the pair will be connectable through the latter's web-based interface. This means you'll be able to setup text notifications to your wrist when your laundry's done, when someone's at your door and plenty more mundane real-world tasks. A brief video explains how it should all go down, but try not to get too excited -- pre-orders are sadly sold out.

Continue reading Pebble ties itself up in Twine: sounds so rustic, couldn't be any less (video)

Pebble ties itself up in Twine: sounds so rustic, couldn't be any less (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 May 2012 16:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Having become a staple for 35 million life-observing extroverts already, Twitpic has suddenly decided to launch itself into the world of iOS apps. You may justifiably question the point of yet another platform for sharing photos and videos over Twitter, given how well the official app, Instagram and others now handle such things. But then you'd be missing out on a community that has been steadily growing since even before mobile photography took off, and whose visual ramblings are actually much funnier and more amazing than even the brightest shots of the Dutch skyline.

Twitpic for iPhone brings four years of image-sharing history, one year too late originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 May 2012 05:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

When you look at the latest, greatest devices from Apple, Samsung, Motorola and the like all day, it can be easy to forget that not everyone out there is sporting a smartphone. But feature phone users have thoughts and feelings that need to be tweeted at all times, too. It's a good thing then, that Twitter's seen fit to update its mobile site to help offer a more uniform experience to users with old browsers, low bandwidth and handsets that don't quite fit under the "smart-" moniker. The new mobile site, available at mobile.twitter.com, rolls out today.

Twitter makes its mobile site more feature phone friendly originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 May 2012 17:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

So, you're tapping your manifesto into a Macbook, but twitter, RSS and email alerts keep clamoring in your face. How to finish that latest screed with such distractions? In the "where has this been all my life?" category, a new update to OS X Mountain Lion Preview 3 has a Do Not Disturb option, which stonewalls all notifications and banners. The feature, which could be useful on plenty of other devices too, can be armed with a mouse click on the menu bar or a left swipe on a trackpad. Some other iOS-style tweaks debuted in Preview 3 include the Game Center, Notes, Airplay Mirroring and Reminders. Now, back to fomenting that revolution.

OS X Mountain Lion Preview updated with Do Not Disturb feature originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 May 2012 10:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If you fancy seeing what headlines those who you follow on Twitter are chatting about in one compact list, some new functionality in the Discover tab will offer their insight in a few clicks. Essentially, the new feature tracks stories that your pals in the Twitterverse post and allows you to see what the commotion is all about via the "View Tweets" option along the bottom of each article link. From there, you can tweet the link yourself and include your thoughts on the particular matter. While the outfit boasts ongoing improvements to the Discover tab, this particular feature will see daylight on the web while hitting both iPhone and Android apps in the next few weeks. Go on. Navigate to your Twitter home page to take it for a spin yourself.

Twitter's Discover tab now snags popular stories and commentary from those in your Twitterverse originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 May 2012 02:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It's not like there's any shortage of alternatives, but those sticking with the ooh-ficial Twitter app on iOS and Android woke up to a rather pleasant update today. Briefly, the company's promising improvements to discover, search and notifications, with the new build allowing users to view "Activity" -- described as a "stream of updates that shows which tweets are favorited or retweeted by the people you follow and which accounts those people follow or add to lists." Search has also been made simpler in both programs, with the Connect tab allowing you to start typing the first or last name or username of the person you're looking for and watching autocomplete handle the rest. Finally (and perhaps most importantly), notifications for Interactions are in place, enabling busybodies to know right away when a tweet has been retweeted or favorited. Hit up your market of choice to get the new bytes, or just visit one of the source links below. Your call -- no pressure.

Twitter app update brings improved discover, search and notifications to iOS and Android originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 17:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In a decision that's sure to be lost on this generation of over-sharers, Occupy Wall Street protester Malcolm Harris, arrested this past October during a Brooklyn Bridge demonstration, has just lost a legal battle to block prosecutors' attempts to subpoena three month's worth of his tweets. Chalking the ruling up to Twitter's terms of service, Judge Matthew Sciarrino Jr. concluded that the posted updates belong to the social networking company under license and, therefore, are fair game for use in the case "given their relevance." Harris, as expected, is in the process of filing a motion to reargue, but let this be a fair warning to our open online culture: what happens on the internet, stays on the internet forever. So you better watch what you tweet.

140 characters to the clink: Occupy Wall Street protester loses battle to block Twitter subpoena originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 21:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Just a week after NASA signed off on its launch, SpaceX has had to postpone the flight of the Dragon. It's yet another delay to NASA's efforts to supply the International Space Station using private spacecraft and reduce the US's dependence on Soyuz rockets. Taking to Twitter, founder Elon Musk said that the company needed to do more testing on the docking code for the capsule, while spokesperson Kirstin Brost Grantham told Space.com that the company needed more time to test and review the hardware. Pending NASA's approval, it'll begin its journey heavenward on the head of a Falcon 9 between May 3rd and May 7th. Given that the original mission was scheduled for November last year, they'll probably need to check the use-by dates on those space rations.

Update: Elon Musk has confirmed, via Twitter, that Falcon 9 and Dragon will lift off on May 7th and rendezvous with the ISS. So long as "the company" doesn't detour them to some mysterious rock first.

SpaceX redefines 'fashionably late' as Dragon trip to the ISS is delayed again originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 11:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

There's no day like today for the titans of tech to beef up their respective clouds with abandon. First, Google went and updated Chrome's Cloud Print with the convenience of FedEx and now Microsoft's taking a spin at the remote wheel, enhancing its SkyDrive service with support for ODF (Open Document Format) -- an XML-based file type for documents and spreadsheets -- and an increased browser upload cap of 300MB. Twitter also gets a nod or two in this feature refresh, as users entrenched in Redmond's ecosystem will have the ability to share to the social service, in addition to sending out shortened image links. We'd normally advise you to check out the release for more info, but the tech company's kept this missive short and sweet. See for yourself at the source below.

Microsoft updates SkyDrive with support for ODF, Twitter originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Apr 2012 19:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

When it comes to patents Twitter doesn't want to be part of the problem. Or, at least doesn't want you to think it's part of the problem and its new IPA (that's Innovators Patent Agreement, not India Pale Ale) outlines how it plans to stay above the fray and avoid abusing the system. The document is a relatively simple contract between Twitter and its employees that says any patents related to their work will be used for "defensive" purposes only. Meaning that the microblogging service has no plans to take one of its engineers designs and hammer Google in court because a function of Google+ is similar to a feature of Twitter. Almost as important, these restrictions are bound to the patents themselves -- not the company. So, should Twitter ever sell off its patent quiver in an effort to boost its bottom line, the purchasers would still be bound by the IPA and unable to use them in offensive litigation without the inventors approval. Twitter intends to officially implement the agreement later this year and it will apply not only to all of its patents going forward, but will be retroactively applied to its existing stable. Check out the more coverage link to read the IPA in full.

Twitter introduces Innovators Patent Agreement, vows to not abuse patent system originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Apr 2012 16:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This is the production version of Ford's Focus Electric for the US market, and we got the chance to take it for a proper test drive last week. Don't fret, though -- Engadget hasn't suddenly turned into a car site. While we'll be happy to share our driving impressions, we're mostly interested in how Ford interfaces the vehicle with our favorite mobile devices and social networks -- tech that we've covered before, known as MyFord Mobile. Hit the break for the details, including our hands-on video.

Gallery: Ford Focus Electric hands-on

Continue reading Ford Focus Electric test drive and MyFord Mobile hands-on (video)

Ford Focus Electric test drive and MyFord Mobile hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Apr 2012 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Twitter and Facebook for BlackBerry get BBM connected, BBM gets some animated avatars originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Apr 2012 09:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Tweetbot for iOS updated with iCloud syncing of timelines and more across devices originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 07 Apr 2012 14:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Twitter for BlackBerry 3.0 brings easier photo-uploading, automatic link-shortening, BBM integration originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Apr 2012 19:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading TweetDeck gets updated with improved list management, inline media and more

TweetDeck gets updated with improved list management, inline media and more originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Mar 2012 12:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Mountain Lion Developer Preview 2's new features detailed originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 19 Mar 2012 11:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Kindle, Evernote, Vimeo and more get optimized for the iPad's Retina display

Kindle, Evernote, Vimeo and more get optimized for the iPad's Retina display originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 15:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Twitter snatches up Posterous, microblogging field about to get a little bit smaller originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Mar 2012 17:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Twitter's now available in Arabic, Farsi, Hebrew and Urdu, with the task of translating the likes of the retweet button, list classifications and the fail whale largely done by a task force of volunteers. The languages were added to Twitter's translation to-do list back in January, with around 13,000 helpers getting the job done since then. You can change your settings to one of the newly supported languages in the drop-down account menu, while Twitter continues to plug more linguistic holes at its translation center -- interested polyglots can consult the second source below.

Twitter brings support for right-to-left languages: volunteers by done localization originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Mar 2012 15:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Myriad Updates enables social networking via USSD (hands-on video)

Myriad Updates enables social networking via USSD (hands-on video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Feb 2012 09:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Twitter Promoted Tweets: coming to an iPhone, Android app near you originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Feb 2012 15:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Opera announces revamped Store, Mini Next and Mobile 12 at MWC (video)

Opera announces revamped Store, Mini Next and Mobile 12 at MWC (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Feb 2012 06:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Adafruit's Internet of Things Printer combines your love of information, receipts

Adafruit's Internet of Things Printer combines your love of information, receipts originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: PS Vita apps: Netflix, LiveTweet and Flickr (US)

Continue reading 'Select' PS Vita apps hit the US PlayStation Store: Netflix, LiveTweet and Flickr (Update: video hands-on)

'Select' PS Vita apps hit the US PlayStation Store: Netflix, LiveTweet and Flickr (Update: video hands-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 01:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Twitter's Android and iOS app get updates; out on Kindle Fire now, Nook soon originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 19:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple OS X Lion (10.7) review

Apple's OS X Lion USB sticks now available online for $69

Apple updates EFI firmware on 2010 Macs: offers Lion internet recovery, not much else

Gallery: Apple OS X Mountain Lion (10.8) in-depth preview

Continue reading OS X Mountain Lion (10.8) in-depth preview

OS X Mountain Lion (10.8) in-depth preview originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Feb 2012 08:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading iPhone address book issue prompts response from Apple, apps' access to contact data will require user permission

iPhone address book issue prompts response from Apple, apps' access to contact data will require user permission originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Feb 2012 14:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Love and Hate tweets collected on 3D 'Love Will Conquer' site

Love and Hate tweets collected on 3D 'Love Will Conquer' site originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Feb 2012 10:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Engadget Mobile Podcast 125 - 02.11.2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 11 Feb 2012 21:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: Canon PowerShot D20, ELPH 530 & 320

Continue reading Canon welcomes ELPH 530 HS / 320 HS, SX260 HS and D20 to PowerShot lineup

Canon welcomes ELPH 530 HS / 320 HS, SX260 HS and D20 to PowerShot lineup originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Some [countries] differ so much from our ideas that we will not be able to exist there."

"The unfortunate fact is we're just not allowed to compete in this market, and that's not up to us to change. The person to ask is trade experts between both governments, but at the end of the day we can't compete. They (Chinese microblogging platforms) can compete in our markets, and we're certainly interested in what that means for us... We would love to have a strong Twitter in China, but we'd need to be allowed to do that."

Continue reading Twitter to begin 'reactively' censoring tweets in specific countries, still no love for China

Twitter to begin 'reactively' censoring tweets in specific countries, still no love for China originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 04:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Twitter buys Summify, helps you automatically turn off the noise originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Jan 2012 09:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.