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.

Google has been on another one of its Google+ feature addition streaks lately, and it's so eager to please that it's spoiling other features early. More than a few people visiting Google Calendar have been given an introduction to "Events in Google+" in recent hours despite the extra component (and its splash page) being absent. From what we know, Events will provide the obvious Facebook-like option to create and track events among Google+ circles, but it will also let organizers slot in a Hangout video chat in advance as well as pool together photos and videos associated with an event. The Google+ app for Android has even been showing an empty button that's speculated to be a dedicated Events section. Google hasn't sent any official word as to when Events will go live, although we suspect it won't be long before everyone from photographers through to grandmothers knitting scarves can use Google+ to coalesce.

Google+ Events leaks out through Google Calendar, will let your knitting circle schedule a Hangout originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 31 May 2012 11:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Orkut has announced that users of Google's other social network can now use both from a unified profile. Those who plump for the change will find their details merged (using your Google+ credentials) and will now be subject to the same privacy and sharing settings. While popular in Brazil and India, Orkut hasn't been a high priority project for Mountain View for a long time, so it's easy to see this as a move to push big swathes of people to make a move onto the company's newest favorite son.

Google offers unified profiles, begins merging Orkut with Google+ originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 May 2012 10:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We'd been wondering what Google would do following its acquisition of Zagat, and now we know: it's part of Google+ Local, a boost to Maps, general search, and Google+ itself. Zagat's point system now automatically shows up in search results for restaurants that have been given the extra scrutiny. Those of us who don't trust The Man for reviews will also now see Google+ friends' picks surface at the same time. The addition is considered important enough that Google is even adding a Local tab on Google+ just to show recommendations, so you won't have to abandon your constant updating (you're always posting on Google+, right?) to find a well-rated sushi place. Local should be live soon, if not now, and will make search plus Your World that much more omnipresent.

Continue reading Google+ Local sees reviews from friends, Zagat invade your restaurant hunts (video)

Google+ Local sees reviews from friends, Zagat invade your restaurant hunts (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 May 2012 09:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If the HTC Status' dedicated Facebook button fell shy of satisfying your obsessive social networking needs, sit tight: the house of Zuckerberg may be building a slab of tech just for you. According to the New York Times Bits blog, those old Facebook phone rumors are making a comeback. A handful of Facebook employees and engineers familiar with the matter reportedly say that the firm is collecting former Apple engineers, specifically, ones that worked on the iPhone and iPad. Like Zuckerberg said, mobile is the company's top focus, and one employee says the man at the top is afraid of getting overlooked in a sea of apps. "Mark is worried that if he doesn't create a mobile phone in the near future that Facebook will simply become an app on other mobile platforms." Facebook has focused on deep integration with other devices for some time, but a dedicated handset could take the freshly public company in new directions. Reports suggest that the rumored device is still in its infancy, and there's no word on form factor or OS, of course. Up for some speculation? Check out the source link below for Bits' full take.

Facebook reportedly back to building phones, recruiting former iPhone engineers originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 27 May 2012 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Facebook could be looking to buy Opera browser originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 May 2012 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Some have called Microsoft's Facebook app for Windows Phone a red-headed stepchild to the Android and iOS darlings, but it's making up for lost time in good fashion with a 2.5 update. Those who live a Metro life now get full Facebook conversation threads with group support, so they're not left out of the loop when a friend mentions the pub he wanted to visit two days ago. Along with this more conversational addition, it's now possible to tag a friend or a place in a post using plain "with" and "at" statements, and the seemingly inescapable Like button has reached comments for Windows Phone owners. There's more control over posts and active post links in the mix as well, so you'll find a surfeit of social mingling when you update at the Windows Phone Marketplace link below.

Facebook for Windows Phone rolls in threaded messaging, tagging, kitchen sink originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 May 2012 15:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Did you see the Google+ 2.0 update for iPhone and wonder if Google's attention had drifted away from its own baby? Don't fret, as the Android app has just been given similarly loving treatment. The interface shares the reworked stream look that we saw on iOS while keeping the swipe-to-switch category filters that Google+ has used from the start. There's even small rewards for having to watch your iPhone friends go first: you can now start a Hangout video chat from the main menu, get ringing Hangout notifications, download photos directly from conversations and edit your posts after the fact. The new look has already proved polarizing, but if you're the sort who revels in the purity of a Google social network running on a Google platform, you can now try the overhaul for yourself.

Google+ on Android gets its turn at a UI remake, extra Hangout and photo features in the bargain originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 May 2012 10:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

As expected, Comcast is kicking off the rollout of its new X1 (previously beta tested under the name Xcalibur) DVR platform. The announcement was made at the Cable Show in Boston, and that's where it will be available first, some time in "the coming weeks" with a few other major markets following soon after. We've had a few peeks at the new UI over the last year or so but now we have a full gallery of shots of both the DVR software and accompanying X1 remote app that will be available first on the iPhone. The new guide looks very similar to the existing Xfinity TV remote apps for phones and tablets, formatted for HD screens and with support for recommendations from your social network and support for apps like weather, TV, traffic, Facebook and Pandora to start. The new set-top boxes it runs on have built-in tru2way and internet support, as well as RF remotes instead of IR.

Meanwhile, the X1 remote control app adds motion and gesture control to the current set of features, as well as more direct interaction with what's on screen, since it can be used to swipe through pages, type into menus and pause currently video with a shake. As far as pricing, Comcast says it will be available to new Triple Play customers with HD/DVR service at no additional cost -- no word yet on what that means for everyone else. Check the gallery below for a look at the new software, and check the press release after the break for more info.

Update: Check out a video of CEO Neil Smit demonstrating the new UI on the show floor after the break.

Gallery: Comcast X1 DVR and iPhone remote app

Continue reading Comcast officially launches next-gen X1 DVR platform and iPhone remote app (update: video)

Comcast officially launches next-gen X1 DVR platform and iPhone remote app (update: video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 May 2012 10:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We largely steer clear of companies going public here at Engadget, but Facebook and its zillions of users warrants an atypical tip of the hat. The outfit has announced that starting tomorrow, 421,233,615 shares of its common stock will be up for grabs at a price to the public of $38 per share. It'll trade on the NASDAQ under the symbol "FB," with the outfit offering 180,000,000 shares of Class A common stock and selling stockholders offering 241,233,615 shares of Class A common stock. Closing of the offering is expected to occur on May 22nd, subject to "customary closing conditions." And with that, we'd like to congratulate a plethora of new billionaires on... well, being billionaires. Don't work too hard, guys and girls.

Celebratory video is after the break.

Continue reading Facebook IPO is official: $38 per share, on sale tomorrow under ticker symbol 'FB'

Facebook IPO is official: $38 per share, on sale tomorrow under ticker symbol 'FB' originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 16:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We get the impression that Facebook is on a big mobile photo sharing kick: just weeks after it bought Instagram for a cool billion, the social network has just hired the staff behind Lightbox. The two-man team of Nilesh Patel and Thai Tran is bringing its mostly Android- and HTML5-focused knowledge over to Facebook, where it's hoping to reach many, many more people. You'll have to wait awhile to see what the Lightbox team brings to Facebook's ever more mobile platform, but you'll also want to hurry if you want to keep anything hosted on Lightbox: the service shuts down on June 15th. As a consolation for the shutdown, the startup's code is being posted to GitHub so that the fruits of its efforts live on in open-sourced form.

Facebook snaps up mobile photo sharing firm Lightbox, decides Instagram isn't enough originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 May 2012 13:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Facebook has been making a lot of promises during a tour to drum up interest in its ever-nearing IPO, but the one gadget-heads have been wanting to hear the most, a commitment to its mobile apps, has been elusive -- until now. Everyone's favorite hooded CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, is telling investors in his home 'burg of the San Francisco Bay that mobile is front and center in his company's plans. We're hoping that means new app features, although Zuck is likely referring to money-making as well: shareholders are jittery knowing that Facebook makes most of its money on web ads that it's not running on smartphones and tablets. Paid titles in App Center will go a long way towards scratching that itch, mind you. As for us, we'll just be happy if Facebook takes less than a year and a half to produce a major tablet app.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says mobile apps the top focus, we say it's about time originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 12 May 2012 03:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Facebook proposes more transparent privacy policy, wants to know what you think of it originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 May 2012 14:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Finding ways to throw money at Mark Zuckerberg is notoriously difficult, but a new 'highlight' feature could be just the trick. Currently being tested with a small population of users, it allows an ordinary member to pay $2 to ensure that their latest status update crops up in more of their friends' news streams. Ordinarily, the degree to which a status update is streamed depends on the number of likes or comments it has, which ensures that users generally only see the juiciest gossip, but paying this little premium would cause Facebook's algorithms to distort that in your favor. In other words, it's money replacing popularity, or simply -- sigh -- life.

Facebook testing 'highlight' feature, lets users pay $2 to promote their status updates originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 May 2012 06:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Microsoft's determination to ratchet up the search engine wars just got clearer with a major rethink of Bing that includes a few potshots at Google. While the search results themselves are still prominent, there's now a Snapshot area in the middle that aggregates the common tasks linked to your search, such as booking a hotel room. Bing hasn't avoided the siren's call of putting social networking into search results, putting in both search hits as well as the option of asking friends, but has tucked the results into a social sidebar at the far right. Not surprisingly, Microsoft has already declared it a far better alternative to Google+ in-line results, which it sees "cluttering your results with social updates." You'll currently have to use a desktop web browser to see all the new Bingness, although Microsoft is promising a mobile-friendly update within weeks.

Continue reading Bing gets big remake with Snapshot, social sidebar, dig at Google (video)

Bing gets big remake with Snapshot, social sidebar, dig at Google (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 May 2012 14:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I never wanted to join Facebook. I never wanted to join anything online, really. I was coerced into creating a Xanga at some point, and eventually -- when Facebook opened up to NC State email addresses -- I begrudgingly created an account there, too. I had a "thing" about opening my life up to the internet. I knew already that prospective employers would inevitably go digging through shots of me celebrating at an NCSU basketball game and spike my resume in the trash can beside his or her UNC degree. More than anything, though, I just didn't care what anyone else was doing. I kept a handful of comrades close to my chest, and everyone else was a mere acquaintance. At the time, I blamed it on the 21 hours of courses I was taking entirely on Tuesdays and Thursdays -- who has time for online networking when you're in an educational torture chamber? -- but now I realize the truth: I never wanted Facebook to be a social network.

Continue reading Editorial: Facebook's my digital scrapbook first, social network second

Editorial: Facebook's my digital scrapbook first, social network second originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 May 2012 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Users of the Google+ iPhone app have sometimes complained that their version isn't given the same love as that for Android users. The TLC level just got a boost today, as a Google+ 2.0 update has remade the app in style: it now has a more immersive "carousel" for streams, with stylized fonts, a greater emphasis on profile photos and a whole lot less of that humdrum white. Actions like a +1 vote are more prominent at the same time. If you're of the Apple-owning persuasion, you can get the updated app now; Android users are also being teased with a future update that will bring some "extra surprises" within a few weeks.

Google+ for iPhone gets big visual makeover in 2.0 update originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 May 2012 16:26:00 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.

Samsung's Galaxy S III doesn't boast 41-megapixel captures or top-of-the-line optics. Instead, its camera's strengths are in its intelligent organization and social features, increasing the handset's appeal as a point-and-shoot alternative for casual photographers. Samsung's latest round of compacts and mirrorless dedicated snappers reaffirm suspicions that the company is taking a different approach to photography, focusing on connectivity and social enhancements, rather than updated sensor and low-light shooting technologies. While such decisions may prompt advanced shooters to bring their business to competitors, it highlights Samsung's strengths on a broader level, as a connectivity enabler, rather than a camera maker.

The company is clearly committed to growing its ecosystem and uniting product divisions in an effort to increase penetration throughout different categories, developing sharing tools that simplify workflows and increase appeal. Samsung's latest flagship smartphone packs standard specs, like 8-megapixel stills and 1080p video, but it offers a handful of software features that combine to make the device a compelling upgrade, especially from an imaging perspective. Join us past the break as we detail the Galaxy S III's photography enhancements, from Best Photo to Face Zoom.

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy S III focuses on photography sharing features, not cutting-edge optics

Samsung Galaxy S III focuses on photography sharing features, not cutting-edge optics originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 May 2012 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Friendster's as good as dead to the western world (it hasn't really crossed our radar since 2002), but Forbes reports that the site is still huge in Southeast Asia -- though not for the reasons you might think. It was the original social network when in launched in 2002, but its acquisition by e-payment provider MOL Global in 2009 led to its reincarnation as a top online gaming destination for countries such as India, Indonesia and Malaysia. The new Friendster just officially emerged from beta as a game-centric site, and the remaining vestiges of its social networking past -- you can still add friends, after all -- are gamified with reward points. Moreover, owner MOL Global has added e-payments to the mix, letting users buy Friendster Coins to purchase virtual goods. Given predictions that the Asian gaming community will exceed 1 billion by 2016, the site's future is looking rosier than ever. That might lessen the sting of being plum blown out of the social networking game by the big dogs.

Friendster reborn as a gaming site, wishes Facebook cared originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 02:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Facebook app for Windows Phone is certainly serviceable, but it's never really been anything to get excited about. In fact, it wasn't really something you looked forward to using and it's been slow to add the features considered standard on competing mobile platforms. Well, with the soon to land version 2.5, that capability gap will get quite a bit smaller. It hasn't hit the Marketplace yet, but when it does it'll bring support for group chats, threaded messaging, tagging in posts and the ability to like or delete not only posts but comments as well. The photo pages have also gotten a visual refresh and you can now tap on links in posts to go straight to the relevant content. For a few more details hit up the source, and keep checking the Marketplace for updates -- Facebook Microsoft promises it won't be long now.

Update: We mistakenly attributed development of the app to Facebook when, in fact, Microsoft is the developer of Facebook for Windows Phone.

Facebook for Windows Phone getting a major refresh originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 09:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

On the off chance your cell phone is of the decidedly dumb variety, Mountain View's engineers have worked out an alternative solution to keep your Google + circles intersecting. Initially available only for the U.S. and Indian markets at the time of the social service's launch, the search giant's expanding the reach of its SMS feature to over 41 additional countries, giving users the option to post updates, as well as receive and reply to notifications via text. The feature isn't standard, so if you want to opt-in, you'll have to enable it in the settings menu first, provided your carrier is supported. Luddites that like to have their online cake and eat it too, might want to make sure they're packing an appropriately capacious mobile plan before those thumbs get to banging away. Of course, the rest of you modernists are more than welcome to join the party, but why would you?

Google+ expands SMS support to over 41 countries, lets you stay social over text originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Apr 2012 16:32:00 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.

When Facebook first announced Offers you we're probably wondering if there was even room for yet another coupon service. Between Google, Groupon, Yelp, Living Social and countless others we're not entirely sure there's a niche left untapped for Facebook, but that isn't going to stop Zuck and crew from trying. The service is officially rolling out as we speak, and offering its wares to any business with a Facebook page, regardless of size. The hope is that it'll catch on with smaller businesses in particular, which will now have an easy way to place deals directly into user's news feeds. Of course, after the failure of Facebook Deals, you'd be forgiven for assuming this experiment is doomed from moment one. Check out the video after the break and the source link for more details.

Update: Facebook reached out to us to clarify that Offers is still in a limited beta and that not everyone has been given access yet.

Continue reading Facebook Offers starts rolling out, spamming your news feed with coupons (video)

Facebook Offers starts rolling out, spamming your news feed with coupons (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Apr 2012 16:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Facebook revealing the personal data it collects, won't spare your drunk-poking blushes originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Apr 2012 11:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Facebook launches 'groups for schools,' keeps enrollment tight originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Apr 2012 18:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Google brings better YouTube integration to Orkut, hopes you haven't forgotten originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Apr 2012 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: Google+ redesign

Continue reading Google+ gets a major update, simpler UI and heavier focus on Hangouts (video)

Google+ gets a major update, simpler UI and heavier focus on Hangouts (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Apr 2012 09:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Friendcaster for Facebook gets shiny new 5.0 update on Android, rocks new UI originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 06 Apr 2012 09:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Facebook inks partnership with Opower, looks to socially compare home energy usage originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Apr 2012 17:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Google+ gives you a few more reasons to Hangout, put mustaches on things originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Mar 2012 13:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Facebook reportedly acquires 750 IBM patents, beefs up its IP profile originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Mar 2012 18:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Facebook helps you see less from mere 'Acquaintances,' Valentina Monetta approves (video)

Facebook helps you see less from mere 'Acquaintances,' Valentina Monetta approves (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Mar 2012 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Instagram and Hipstamatic to announce photo-sharing partnership originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Mar 2012 12:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Google+ mobile site gets UI refresh, now more like its app siblings originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Mar 2012 14:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Path is still trying to pave over those privacy cracks, promising that its next update will "hash" the contact data it previously used to suck up without prior warning. Last month, the app was caught with its digital fingers inside users' address books and while the subsequent (and understandably swift) update allowed users to opt out, the Path devs are still looking to gain privacy certification with TRUSTe. They told The Verge that the next version will still allow contact matching without plucking the precise details at the same time, using a hashing technique that won't identify the data delivered to the social network app. The latest update adds compatibility with Nike+ GPS, plus improvements to the embedded camera and a new music recognition function. It's available now for the mobile OS of your choice at the sources below.

Path vows contact data 'hashing' in next update, chases privacy certification originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Mar 2012 03:52:00 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.

Yahoo hits Facebook with patent infringement lawsuit originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Mar 2012 16:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Thank you for going out with Gowalla. It was a pleasure to journey with you around the world. Download your check-ins, photos and lists here soon."

Gowalla officially shut down, uses Facebook to check-in at SXSW 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Mar 2012 07:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Facebook loses friends in Germany over privacy breaches originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Mar 2012 08:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.