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Fossil will sell BMW-branded smartwatches next year
BMW is moving into the smartwatch game, but it's not actually making the devices itself. Instead, Fossil has struck a five-year deal to create BMW-branded watches and smartwatches, as part of its seemingly never-ending quest to offer a smartwatch for everyone's taste.
Instagram opens its paid post tools to more 'influencers'
In June, Instagram introduced a new tool that makes sponsored content a little more obvious. The feature allows users posting images and stories that qualify as ads to make that clear right up top with a "Paid partnership with [brand]" tag. That tool was expanded to more users in August and now, Instagram has made it available to users with a high level of engagement and anyone with access to its Insights data -- Instagram's analytics tool for those with a business account. Additionally, those that can use the tool will also begin receiving notifications when Instagram systems detect a post that could be an ad but hasn't been tagged as such.
BBC America going social with The Stig via branded 'Top Gear' Twitter video
Remember that whole Twitter-sanctioned "in-Tweet branded video" BBC America hinted at back in April? Well, we've got some more info -- and it's coming a few hours ahead of the partnership's debut. Tonight's BBC America premier of Top Gear will feature supplementary Twitter video synced to the show, including the "Stig Cam," which offers "a new perspective" from the masked and anonymous driver. Also on the docket is an "Action Replay," featuring a highlight from the evening's festivities and a "sneak peak" involving a hovercraft, as well as a dirt bike jumping off a building. All in a day's work. You can get in on the action tonight at 8:30 / 7:30 central.
Microsoft patent application details branded web browser frame
Originally filed in the halcyon days of 2010, the United States Patent and Trademark Office has just published a web browser-centric patent application from the fine folks in Redmond. Microsoft's "Branded Browser Frame" app details a "computer-readable storage media" that can be specifically executed (presumably by surfing over to a website that's capable of handling said execution), and then used to present a varying interface based on what the underlying instructions are telling it to do. According to the independent claims put forth, we're told about a "control layout area... wherein one of the selected controls comprises a website-branded control that serves as a website's homepage button, and a navigation control that provides an input field."In lay terms, that sounds a lot like a browser function that would enable many of the typical graphical elements we see atop our URL bars today to be adjusted and dynamically tweaked based on inputs from whatever address it was currently on. We aren't putting words in the applicant's mouth, but we're envisioning a top bar in Internet Explorer that turns red and features DVDs as the forward and back buttons when surfing over to Netflix.com (perhaps a stretch, but you catch the drift). IE9 does a bit of that color changing today, but it's possible that more is in store. Naturally, it'll take some time to see if this here app is actually granted, and it's possible that it'll look / function quite differently in its final form, but there's no doubt that someone at Microsoft is dreaming about a sexier (if not more sellable) browser bar.
Daily iPhone App: Monopoly Hotels checks in on EA's freemium expertise
Zynga's gotten a lot of flak for creating basically a clone of Tiny Tower, and you could make the argument EA has done the same thing with its new freemium title Monopoly Hotels. The game features a set of freemium goals as you set up a series of businesses in Monopoly's famous establishments, and just like Tiny Tower, you're recruiting guests, building shops, and so on. But while Monopoly Hotels is definitely influenced by the popular freemium trend, there's enough here that it's really a different game. There's not nearly enough love for the craft as Nimblebit puts into its titles, but there is some really good thinking about reward cycles (money occasionally falls from the sky in Monopoly Town, tasking the player to grab it by tapping away with glee), enough to suggest that if you're all done with Tiny Tower, this one's probably worth a look as well. Of course, EA is shameless with the product placement, so you can build rooms branded around Mr. Potatohead and My Little Pony, and even the rooms themselves (you start by building a "horse room," a gardening themed-room, and a cupcake store) are squarely targeted at the younger, more feminine audience. But the game is well-designed anyway. It's a nice chance to see what a big but open-minded studio like EA can do with the freemium genre (largely led, so far, by indie developers, or at least developers that used to be indie). If you're not a young girl or a freemium junkie, you might find this all a little boring, but hey, it's free. Why not?
BMW releases two apps for iOS
BMW has released two apps for iOS this week. The first one, based on the Mini brand, is called Mini Connected, and it allows you to not only track information about your car, but also access web radio and audio versions of internet feeds, hooked up directly to your car's stereo. And on cars equipped with navigation features, you can even send directions and searches back and forth from your iPhone to the car's systems, and vice-versa. The BMW Connected app does the same thing, only across the manufacturer's vehicle lineup. Interesting, not only that these apps exist (there are already a few solutions for doing all of these things out there), but that they're created and "sold" (both are free) by the car's manufacturers themselves. In essence, an Apple app is being used to market the functionality of these automobiles. I expect to see plenty more examples of branded apps like these at CES next week, and we'll be covering as many of them as we can right here on TUAW.
Nokia grabs the Windex, clears up 'erroneous' Maemo carrier customization claims
We aren't too sure where a number of outlets overheard that Nokia was planning to pass on customizing its Maemo-based devices, but one of two things has happened: either Nokia is lying to our faces and has secretly had a change of heart, or everyone was just misinformed from the get-go. Regardless of the hows and whys, Nokia has now come clean and stated that those very reports -- you know, the ones that "erroneously suggested that Nokia will not support operator customization for Maemo devices" -- are "simply incorrect." A long winded explanation follows, but the long and short of it is that the suits in Espoo are (at least now) very open to letting operators "tailor future Maemo devices to suit their needs," which may or may not be a positive in your eyes depending on the carrier you're chained to. Now, aren't you glad we had this little talk?[Thanks, Dallas]
Nokia putting foot down on Maemo, won't allow carrier customizations
Google and Apple have both managed to wrest a great deal of control over the mobile user experience from carriers over the past couple of years -- cheers to that, by the way -- and now Nokia's decided it wants a piece of that action with the introduction of Maemo 5 and the N900, which it says will be free of the branding that Symbian products frequently get subjected to. It makes total sense that Nokia would be looking to come play in that rarified air that Android, iPhone OS, and webOS are all playing in -- a place where ARPUs are high, UIs are slick and modern, and the apps (and data) flow like water -- but since the majority of customers for these types of devices rely on subsidies to justify the purchase, they'll still need carrier buy-in to pull this off effectively. At least Palm and the gang have all proven that there's precedent for it, and it's definitely a noble fight to wage -- no one wants a bright magenta interface, right? [Via Phone Scoop]
Spyker switches gears, brands its own electronics
Spyker certainly won't go down as the first auto maker to dabble in consumer electronics, but it is making the leap in a big way. Rolling out, er, branding no fewer than three mobiles, five PMPs, and two USB flash drives, Spyker owners / fans now have lots of accessories to spend their wages on that are completely unrelated to their vehicle. Among the devices now available is a four-inch PMP with a rather antiquated design scheme, support for a slew of file formats, a 1.3-megapixel camera, FM tuner, AV input, and a promised boost of 10-horsepower (ahem) for €249 ($348). For the rest of the crew, be sure and hit the read link. [Warning: PDF read link][Via Autoblog]
Desktop Digital Photo Cube shows photos on diminutive LCD
Here's one from the same folks who brought you the USB Sound Flash Drive, and while eNECESSITIES' Desktop Digital Photo Cube may not adorn your wall as fashionably as a digiframe might, this piece is made for conversation. Ready to perch atop your living room table or office desk, the cube sports a squint-inducing 1- x 1-inch color LCD display, power / brightness / skip buttons, USB 2.0 connectivity, and the ability to internally store "up to 30 digital photos" for cycling through on the built-in screen. Additionally, the "mood light" should set the tone for the upcoming photo, and those looking for the ultimate party favor can toss their own logo on here for an additional charge. Unfortunately, we're not quite sure just how this snapshot showin' block gets its juice, but those looking to snag 25 or more (sorry, non-bulk customers) can find out for themselves at $51.34 a pop.[Via Everything USB]
Sharp 770SH MILILITER gets McLaren makeover on Vodafone
McLaren isn't a stranger to spiffing up an otherwise run-of-the-mill handset, but the whole "automobile-electronics" partnership is most commonly associated with the bevy of high octane lappies out there. Nevertheless, it looks like Vodafone has picked up Sharp's Mercedes McLaren-branded 770SH, and aside from sporting an ultrathin, sexy enclosure dashed in red, silver, and black, it also boasts a central LCD on the lid, 320 x 240 inner screen, 1.3-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, a paltry 5MB of internal memory, miniSD slot, MP3 playback, Vodafone Live compatibility, USB connectivity, and 220 minutes of reported talk time. Although the luxurious title may force you to ponder which fixed assets you'll need to liquidate to afford all this, thankfully the pricetag is rather reasonable, as you can apparently pick this gem up in about two weeks for just €69 ($91) with a new agreement. Click on through for a more snapshots.[Via Xataka]
HTC Herald gets its HTC branding: the P4350
C'mon, HTC certainly wasn't fooling anyone after the Herald was unmasked and taken from under wraps, but now the QWERTY-packin' device is finally getting a proper nametag. The HTC P4350, while far from being a new release, will "officially" sport a slimmer enclosure than the Tytn and foolishly lack onboard HSDPA. Apparently hoping to compensate, the quad-band unit will boast EDGE connectivity, Bluetooth, and WiFi options along with the usual compliment of smartphone functions. Aside from handling your Microsoft Office / Outlook needs, it will sport a 2.8-inch touchscreen, five-way navigational stick, 200MHz TI processor, 2-megapixel camera, 64MB of internal RAM, 128MB of ROM, and a microSD slot to store your extra files, tunes, or CIA material. Weighing in at 5.92 ounces, the 17-millimeter thick mobile should retail for "around $735," and if all goes as planned, will hit European shores next month.[Via The Unwired, thanks Jonathan]
