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Facebook reportedly building Flipboard-style mobile reading app
There have been murmurs of Facebook building a mobile reading app; tonight, that talk is getting a little louder. The Wall Street Journal claims that the social network has spent the past year working on a dedicated story browser, codenamed Reader, that would curate articles in a Flipboard-like interface. While most other details of the rumored project aren't available, it's reportedly important enough that Mark Zuckerberg is closely involved. The company isn't commenting on its plans, but there's reason to believe that Reader is more than just idle speculation: Facebook recently added hashtag support as a "first step" toward helping users track topics. Accordingly, the company's Graph API includes some unused RSS code that could prove relevant for browsing story feeds. There's no guarantee that we'll see the app soon, if at all. When mobile is becoming the cornerstone of Facebook's business, however, we wouldn't completely rule out Reader's existence.
AOL Reader launches into private beta, thanks Google for the opportunity
Google: "Eh, we're kind of over this Reader thing. Let's go launch some balloons." AOL: "Why, thanks guys -- don't mind if we do!" The above mentioned quotes are still unofficial, mind you, but it appears that AOL (disclaimer: that's Engadget's parent company) is joining Feedly and Digg in an effort to capture the audiences who will soon be forced to flee from Google's Reader product. AOL Reader launched today in beta form, promising to collect "all your favorite websites, in one place." It appears that the design language follows that introduced in the entity's Alto mail product, and if you've forgotten your AOL password, fret not -- those who request (and receive) an invite will be able to sign in via Facebook, Google or Twitter. Oh, and judging by the shot above, it's designed to work universally across screen sizes and devices, including your tablets, phones, desktops, laptops and space-age computational creations. Of note, it appears that the sign-up forms aren't entirely active just yet, as we're hearing that the bona fide launch won't occur until next week. Update: We've confirmed that invites will be accepted starting on Monday, June 24th.
Feedly RSS reader launches cloud service
Feedly is a service that's risen in popularity recently for the most part because the much-loved RSS service Google Reader is coming to close on July 1, but the company is definitely doing its best to make a space for itself as something more than just an alternative. Today, Feedly released the Feedly Cloud, which not only creates a standalone web-based RSS reader app, but also hooks all of your feeds into the cloud, which developers can then hook their own APIs into for various purposes. Just like Google Reader's API, the idea is to allow Feedly's work to power other readers, and in fact the service is connecting into IFTTT right away at launch, and opening up other options for future apps and tools. This also means that Feedly is available right inside your web browser (previously, the app required a plugin or extension in your browser to work correctly), and can be pulled up from anywhere. Personally, Feedly has become my reader of choice, partly because it works so similarly to Google's service, and partly because it's so easy to migrate from one service to the other. If you use Google Reader and haven't yet chosen a new service, you're running out of time, as Google is finally shutting everything down on July 1. Feedly is the best alternative I've seen so far, and this move to the cloud shows that the company is very interested in not only grabbing Google's refugees, but keeping their patronage for as long as possible.
Rockmelt comes to Android with thumb-friendly navigation
Rockmelt brought its social news browsing to iOS back in 2012, with promises that the Android version was on the way. The company took its sweet time with the port, but it's here at last -- and with a few Android-only perks in return for the wait. While the core news aggregation remains intact, there's a new set of thumb navigation controls that makes sure tablet owners (or just those with giant smartphones) can read in comfort. Phone owners also get a landscape view similar to what their tablet brethren see and a set of elevator-like buttons help users of all kinds get back to articles after a refresh. The interface extras may not seal the deal by themselves, but they could tip the balance for those still undecided on a Google Reader alternative.
Feedly launches cloud platform and new web interface ahead of Google Reader shutdown
The eventual demise of Google Reader gave existing services like Feedly an opportunity to land hundreds of thousands of new users, but the sudden gain of popularity demands an infrastructure that can handle the load. By opening its APIs to the masses today, Feedly says it's officially making the transition "from a product to a platform," supplying developers and RSS users alike with a painless migration path from Google's soon-to-be deceased reader. To go along with that, the company also announced a novel version of Feedly on the web, one which doesn't require any extensions or plugins and is accessible via browsers such as Internet Explorer and Opera. As the image above shows, the freshly minted cloud platform already offers support for a slew of third-party applications, and Feedly says numerous other devs are currently working on their own for the near future. Now, if you didn't think Mountain View's recent spring cleaning could have a huge influence in such a short span of time, hear this: Feedly's touting that its user base has more than tripled since the announcement, making the jump from 4 to 12 million through the end of last month. Only time will tell if Feedly ends up being a worthy Reader replacement, so perhaps now would be the perfect instance to start deciding whether or not this will be the proper solution to all your RSS needs.
Adobe Reader now available for Windows Phone 8, no longer limited to 7.5
Something as simple as a PDF-friendly application can make things so much better for any mobile user -- and who other than the file pioneer to be the provider of such element. While Adobe Reader was already available for folks on Mango, the app is now expanding its horizons and reaching a more recent version of Microsoft's OS, Windows Phone 8. As far as features go, Adobe's app is the very same one that's been present on WP 7.5 for some time, but with the exception that it's now bringing its PDF opening / viewing traits to a broader audience. The Windows Phone 8-ready app is up for grabs now, so hit the source link below if you'd like to get the download process initiated.
Feedly Mobile revamp caters to Reader escapees with fast search, Must Reads
The phaseout of Google Reader is quickly becoming a boon for developers still carrying the torch for newsreader apps -- just ask Feedly, which now says it took on 3 million new users in the two weeks since Google's decision. Rather than simply wait for more customers to roll in on their own, though, the company is taking matters into its own hands with a major refresh of Feedly Mobile for Android and iOS. The update brings a reworked search engine that's both extra-quick and makes topic suggestions based on the collective subscriptions of the Feedly user base, getting better as more readers join the ranks. Other updates also serve those who want to keep things moving quickly. A new Must Reads section prioritizes feeds, a title-only view maximizes screen space and an updated sharing panel both allows a customizable shortcut as well as (slightly ironic) sharing to Google+. Once you've gotten over the sting of another Google spring cleaning, Feedly's potential solutions await at the source links.
Barnes & Noble dispatches Nook Bluetooth speaker through FCC
Barnes & Noble and its Nook may be the subject of many a rumor of late, but that's not stopping the tablet-maker from its business -- which now includes Bluetooth speakers, apparently. We just spotted this previously unseen bad boy lurking in the FCC's antechambers packing the 2.4GHz Bluetooth bands and a rechargeable battery. That'd give some portable audio accompaniment to your Nook HD or other Bluetooth device (like the iPhone and iPod it was also tested with), though we're not sure how B&N's planning to market it. There's now a listing sans photos or other info parked on its site (see MC link), so you might soon be able to read yourself to sleep with that free book.
Linden Lab releases Versu, an interactive fiction system for iPad
Linden Lab is best known for putting together the old social MMO Second Life, but more recently the company has been getting involved in tablet development, releasing its first iPad app last year. Today, Linden has released another app, and like Creatorverse and Second Life, this app is more of an engine than a game -- it's an interactive fiction platform essentially, designed to upgrade the idea of traditional text adventure games into something more replayable and dynamic. Versu is what it's called, and you can download it for free on the App Store right now. There are only a few stories available right away, with most of them based on Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. As you can see in the app, the action plays out like a text adventure: you get a description of the surroundings and the setting, and then can interact with various characters at different moments, either engaging them in dialogue, or performing certain simple actions. The big innovation here is that Versu allows you to play through the same scene or story from multiple perspectives, so you can play once through as one character, and then play through the same scene again as another character, playing out different reactions every time. Unfortunately, what's available right now with Versu isn't very much -- the platform's potential is impressive, but the current content is more of a demo than anything else. But the app's FAQ says this will turn into a content creation system very soon, and that seems like the fun part: users will be able to create their own characters, actions and even stories, and fit them into the Versu system. There have been some really intriguing interactive fiction games showing up lately, and Versu could do a lot to really expand upon and improve that genre -- if it can get those content creation tools out and running. In the meantime, you can check the app out for free, and you should, if you want a look at what Linden Lab has been working on. Hopefully, they'll open the platform for creation very soon, and then we should see some really intriguing uses for this new app.
Sony reader for iOS now available
If you own an iOS device and have for some reason been refusing to simply use iBooks for your e-book needs, Sony is swooping in just in the nick of time two-years-late with its own Reader app. The new app is rather basic in its feature set, with exciting bullet points like "Create your own bookmarks," and "Adjustable font size." The app is free, and works with Sony's own Reader Store. If you already have a library of titles on the service, you'll finally get the chance to incorporate them into your iPad or iPhone reading schedule. However, like other third-party e-book apps on the App Store, you'll need to purchase your reading material using your computer, as in-app book buying is not available. [Via: The Digital Reader]
Sony intros Virtual Book Club, enlists 'Breakfast Club' alum
Need to talk about books, but hate going over to other people's homes? Move over Oprah, because Sony's helping virtualize the whole experience with Readers Book Club, a virtual book club that lets reader chat with authors via Twitter and Facebook. Also on the slate are discounts and downloadable extra. The club kicks off next month, but you'll have to wait until March for some one-on-one time with Molly Ringwald.
PayPal Here goes on sale at AT&T stores: like a one-stop shop for account hiccups
PayPal Here, despite all its focus on in-store transactions, hasn't really been available to buy in a US store -- that's been the domain of the seemingly ubiquitous Square reader. eBay's payment wing has at last established that retail beachhead through a deal with AT&T. About 1,800 of the carrier's stores are now carrying PayPal Here readers, and they'll keep the service's big rival from hogging the spotlight at a time when most aren't even aware that there's any competition. If you're still cynical, you can look at the AT&T move as a matter of convenience: at least this way, all your account headaches will come from one place.
Amazon's Kindle Paperwhite coming to the UK on October 25th, starting at £109
Amazon has found a relatively clear day in the calendar on which to launch its excellent Kindle Paperwhite e-reader in the British Isles. The ad-supported basic model will knock you back £109, while an extra £60 will get you the 3G version. Amazon's Lending Library service will roll-out at the same time, offering Prime members free loans from a collection of 200,000 books as part of the £49 per year subscription (which also has other perks). If you're shopping around, don't forget that Barnes & Noble's equally glowing alternative is also available in the UK these days, wearing a pretty much identical price tag.
Get your ticket for Engadget's Seattle reader meetup!
Will you look at the calendar? It's already October. That means it's nearly time for Engadget to descend upon the Emerald City as part of the Seattle Interactive Conference. We'll be holding a meetup the first night of the show, with a handful of our editors on hand to talk gadgets, interact with readers and giveaway some cool prizes from some of the top companies in the industry. If you're around the 206 on October 29th, we'd love to have you. You can make sure you'll be added to the list by signing up for tickets here. And maybe if you ask real nice, maybe we'll celebrate Halloween early by forcing Terrence to wear a costume -- we're open for suggestions. Oh, and if you're interested in sponsoring the event, there's still time. Just drop us a line at drop us a line at sponsors [at] engadget [dot] com, and for more information on SIC, check out the source link below.
Daily iPhone App: Plume is a simple and charming social network-powered reader
Plume was recommended to me a while back by fellow TUAWer Brett Terpstra, and while it does look lovely on first site, it's one of those apps that really only shows its usefulness after a while. Plume is a reading app (currently for iPhone only) that pulls links and content automatically from your social networking timelines, so when your friends and follows link to blog posts and other content, Plume will pull out those links and re-organize them for you in an easy-to-read form. The functionality is similar to Flipbook on the iPad, but again -- this is an iPhone app, and it rolls up this content in a way that's so unique you kind of have to get used to it at first. Once you do figure it out, though, it's very impressive. The views are well-designed and very simple, and Plume makes it very easy to turn just a few free minutes out with your phone into a very productive catch-up session on what your friends are sharing around. I do still prefer to consume most of my content through an RSS reader on my couch with the iPad, but Plume is a great way to just pull up an app and have some popular content shown to you right away. Plume has been updated for the iPhone 5 already, and it's available now for $2.99.
PSA: Amazon's Kindle Fire HD 7, new Fire and Reader now stocked
If you had your heart set on a Kindle Fire, Fire HD 7 or Reader, you can now plunk down your plastic and receive one as fast as your shipper can wheel it over. The 1,280 x 800 Fire HD 7-inch model, which we recently put through the wringer, is available in a 16GB version for $199, and Amazon says the 32GB version will arrive October 25th. As we noted, it carries a new dual-band WiFi system for greater surfing speed, dual speakers, a front HD camera and a TI-made dual-core ARM Cortex A-9 processor. The updated Kindle Fire can be had as well for $159, with double the RAM of the last version, a new processor and a bigger battery. Finally, the new Kindle Reader is also up for grabs at an ad-supported cost of $69, while the 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HD should be along in November at $299 ($499 for a 4G version). So, if you're already looking ahead to a certain holiday, check the sources to see how to get one.
Amazon Kindle Fire HD review (7-inch)
More Info Amazon announces 7- and 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HDs, pricing starts at $199 Kindle Fire HD 7-inch hands-on (Update: video) Amazon Kindle Fire review It was 10 months ago that we had a doppelgänger in our midst. Amazon unleashed the Kindle Fire to the world and we spent much of the beginning of our review comparing and contrasting it to the (even then a bit long-in-the-tooth) BlackBerry PlayBook. Now, finally, we can stop making that comparison -- at least for this, Amazon's current top-shelf tablet. It's the Kindle Fire HD and it quite handily addresses nearly every concern that we had with the original Fire. It's thinner, lighter, faster and, yes, better looking. It's a huge step forward from that which came before and yet it still follows very much in the footsteps of its predecessor, existing as a physical portal to a digital marketplace with an alluring selection of premium content. Is it enough of an improvement to topple our current king of budget tablets, the Nexus 7? You'll just have to read on to find out.
Amazon announces $119 Kindle Paperwhite with illuminated, capacitive touch display
Have you been enviously eyeing the self-illuminating screen on the Nook SimpleTouch with GlowLight, but didn't want to give up your digital library of Kindle wares? Dear reader, today is your lucky day, with Amazon announcing the Kindle Paperwhite. No, not paperweight, Paperwhite. It has a new, front-lit display that will let you read in the dark, and a capacitive touchscreen that goes away from the IR based systems we've seen in the past. Jeff Bezos tells us that it has 25 percent more contrast than the Pearl screens in the current Kindles and, with 212ppi, it has a 62 percent higher resolution. It relies on a fiber optic like system to direct light down onto the display, not unlike the Nook but, from what we can see, the color is much whiter. It's just 9.1mm thick, the battery is said to last for eight weeks and there are no physical buttons for control. You're entirely dependent on that touchscreen to flip those pages -- which, by the way, are said to turn 15 percent faster. The interface has seen some tweaks too. The fonts are more detailed now, as they should be with that higher resolution, and you can tweak the brightness of the display with a slider. The software will calculate your reading speed and estimate how long it will take you to finish a given chapter or book and there are now author bios. Price is $119 for the WiFi version and it ships October 1st! If you'd like a little 3G connectivity with your Kindle, you're looking at $179. Both of those prices are for the models with "Special Offers," though -- you'll have to shell out $139 and $199, respectively, if you want to get rid of the ads.%Gallery-164576% %Gallery-164615%
Sony Reader PRS-T2 review: same old e-reader, new and (mostly) improved design
Here in the states, at least, the e-reader market is ruled by two bookstore giants: Amazon and Barnes & Noble. And while it's not likely to come barreling into the top two any time soon, Sony has made a fairly strong case for number three, particularly with last year's Reader WiFi. That model defied Sony's reputation for overpriced gear, while offering various features unavailable in the Nooks and Kindles of the market (think: pinch-to-zoom and handwriting capabilities). The new Reader PRS-T2 maintains many of the features that made the Reader WiFi a solid choice, though it adds Evernote integration, smoother page turns and a generally more streamlined design. So is the refreshed Reader worth recommending over competitors like the Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight and Amazon Kindle Touch? Find out after the break.%Gallery-163504%
Sony Reader gets a new design, Evernote integration and a free Harry Potter book for $129
In the market for a new e-reader? One could certainly do worse than Sony's Reader line. The company's been packing features onto its devices, and the already leaked latest entry is no different, with upgrades over its predecessor, packed into a newly redesigned body with bigger, better looking buttons. Sony's promised more intuitive touch with the Reader PRS-T2, smoother zooming and improved page turning, this time out. On the sharing side of things, Evernote functionality joins the fray here, letting users save their favorite passages to the service. Users can also post passages from books, along with corresponding covers and other identifying information to Facebook, if you're the sort who loves to share such literary info. On the store side of things, Sony's offering up browser-based account access now, so when users buy books on their desktop, they'll get pushed to the reader. The PRS-T2 offers up 2GB of storage, two English and four translation dictionaries (though, contrary to its name, doesn't do so in an Austrian accent), two months of battery life (WiFi off) and the customary six-inch Pearl E-Ink display for $129. Oh, and Sony's also throwing in a free copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, for good measure. The PRS-T2 starts shipping today. More information on the subject can be found after the break.
