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Amazon is letting companies trap Alexa in office equipment
Alexa for Business launched last fall, giving companies the opportunity to use Alexa as a superefficient office assistant. At launch, an Amazon Echo could be paired with existing office equipment, but according to Amazon, many organizations say they'd prefer Alexa to be built directly into existing devices, to reduce the amount of technology that needs to be managed. So that's what Amazon has done.
Tweetbot falls victim to Twitter's incoming developer changes
We've known for a long time that Twitter's third-party apps would bear the brunt of the platform's API revamp, and even though those changes aren't due to come into effect until tomorrow, they're already causing trouble. Today's update to Tweetbot for iOS has hastened many of the issues developer Tapbots previously feared. Automatic timeline refreshing is now disabled, so no more real-time updates. Its Apple Watch app is gone, and push notifications for mentions and DMs will be delayed by one or two minutes, while push notifications for likes, follows and quotes has disappeared completely.
Snapchat might let third-party apps connect to user accounts
Yesterday, Mashable discovered that the latest beta version of Snapchat had a new feature category called 'Connected Apps.' While it didn't display any, the placeholder text said "These apps are connected to your Snapchat account. Choose an app to control what it has access to." In essence, this could let third-party software harness your data, though a Snapchat spokesperson assured Engadget that its current practices wouldn't allow this feature to spread personal data the same way that Facebook's third-party access led to the Cambridge Analytica mess.
Apple Watch Series 3 will track your shredding on the slopes
Fancy yourself a skier or snowboarder? Don't let winter's impending conclusion distract you from news that your Apple Watch Series 3 can now track those snowy workouts and put them toward your daily activity goals. Apps including Snoww, Slopes and Ski Tracks will take advantage of the Watch's built-in GPS and altimeter.
Google Assistant is coming to more speakers and appliances
Last May, Google opened up its AI Assistant's software development kit to the wider world of third-party smart devices, including blenders, smart locks and web cameras. At the IFA in Berlin, Google has just announced that even more gadgets will be able to integrate Google Assistant. You'll soon see the digital helper in more speakers, various appliances and home automation systems.
Kaspersky and Microsoft reach truce over antivirus software
Microsoft and Kaspersky Lab appear to have reached a truce over their ongoing antivirus (AV) software battle. The Moscow-based cyber security firm has agreed to withdraw antitrust complaints following Microsoft's announcement that it would change the way it delivers security updates to users. The dispute between the two companies began in 2016 when Kaspersky accused Microsoft of anti-competitiveness. The company argued that the US tech giant wasn't giving other developers enough notice of updates and new releases that would mess up third-party security software settings. As such, users' computers would either be left unprotected or would automatically default to Windows Defender.
Apple rumored to let other companies make Watch chargers
Apple is believed to be ready to let third parties build magnetic charging cables for the Apple Watch in the same way as it does for the iPhone and iPad. A report by 9to5Mac claims that the company is gearing up to launch a Made for Apple Watch licensing program that'll enable other firms to build their own. Currently, watch stands have to have a groove cut out of them into which you can cram your bundled charging cable. Unfortunately, that's not a very elegant solution for your nightstand, especially if you've dropped $100 on a custom dock. If the report is to believed, then we should start seeing integrated chargers all over the place by early 2016.
Microsoft: no third party Xbox One headsets until 2014
The Xbox One may come with its own beefed up audio accessories, but audiophiles waiting on Turtle Beach's XO Ear Force headsets will have to wait: Microsoft won't support them until 2014. According to a statement confirmed by Microsoft, the Xbox One Headset Adapter that enables the use of third party audio accessories will ship early next year, leaving early adopters to make due with the official pack-ins. Redmond says it'll use the spare time to help manufactures "create new headsets that will take full advantage of the Xbox One technology," also noting that the console's included headset is free, after all.
PlayStation 4 DRM policies clarified by Sony (updated)
Not so fast, vaquero. While Sony was cheered in heroic fashion for proclaiming that used games would be free and clear to operate on the PlayStation 4, it appears that the reality is actually a bit more complicated. Sony America CEO Jack Tretton has made clear today that while first-party titles will fit in with yesterday's "hands-off" approach, third-party publishers will be allowed to throw some curveballs. "There's gonna be free-to-play, there's gonna be every potential business model on there, and again, that's up to their relationship with the consumer, what do they think is going to put them in the best fit. We're not going to dictate that, we're gonna give them a platform to publish on. The DRM decision is going to have to be answered by the third parties, it's not something we're going to control, or dictate, or mandate, or implement." That's the new word out of Tretton's mouth, which seems to indicate that players like Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, Treyarch and pretty much any PS4 game maker outside of Sony's own umbrella can cobble together any combination of policies they want. You could say that it's not too different from how the PS3 operates today, but there's still plenty of room for clarifications across the industry. Hit up the source link for the full spiel. Update: Sony itself has responded with the following: "Similar to PS3, we will not dictate the online used game strategy (the ability to play used games online) of its publishing partners. As announced last night, PS4 will not have any gating restrictions for used disc-based games. When a gamer buys a PS4 disc they have right to use that copy of the game, so they can trade-in the game at retail, sell it to another person, lend it to a friend, or keep it forever."
Griffin's take on charge and sync Lightning cables now up for grabs
Sure, Belkin and Scosche have already offered up Lightning accessories, but now Griffin has its own solutions up for sale: Lightning charge and sync cables, which it says are the first of their kind from a third party (authorized by Apple). Ringing up at $25, the four-foot coiled USB to Lightning cable aims to put the kibosh on kinks and tangles. Those who prefer a more straightforward solution, however, can pick up a two-foot cable without the curls for $17, or a three-foot flavor for two additional greenbacks. There's also mention of a 9.8-foot-long version, but it doesn't appear to be available on Griffin's site just yet. To snag the wires, give the neighboring source link a jab.
Scosche is next up with Lightning accessories, brings chargers for iPads and iPhones alike
If you've snagged one of Apple's new iThings complete with 30-pin dock connector-replacing Lightning ports, Scosche is the next manufacturer (after Belkin) to offer up a compatible line of accessories. The variety of car and wall chargers come in several 12W and 5W variants, with the more powerful ones pushing enough juice to quick charge those fourth generation iPads and iPad minis. Of course, while they can provide design alternatives like multiple ports that Apple's official hardware doesn't cover, there's not a price break coming with the cheapest strikeDRIVE car charger starting at $29.99, while the most expensive item listed is the strikeBase pro dual USB wall charger (pictured above) and lightning cable setup for $49.99. There's more details at the source link if you're interested in purchasing. Apple users let us know what your plan is -- making do with just the one new charger, slapping on a $29 adapter, or sticking with old hardware for now / switching to a new platform to avoid the new connector altogether?%Gallery-170859%
Swype won't initially be available on Ice Cream Sandwich, but it's in the works
Swipers won't be swiping on Ice Cream Sandwich... at least, not for a while. Swype tweeted the above message, indicating that the third-party keyboard company has its work cut out for it. It appears that Android changed things up this time around, including the way it reports screen resolution -- a crucial element to a keyboard, which naturally would cause a company like Swype a little bit of grief. No timeframe for availability has been set, but don't panic if you have to stick with the stock 'board on your brand new Galaxy Nexus for a spell.
Senator Schumer blasts OnStar for 'brazen' privacy violation, calls for FTC investigation
Last week, OnStar issued a privacy notice informing customers that it would continue to collect data on vehicles still connected to its servers, even for those who have already canceled their subscriptions. The move elicited a chorus of protests from Democratic privacy advocates in the Senate, including Chris Coons, Al Franken and, most recently, Charles Schumer, who wrote a letter to the FTC yesterday calling for an investigation into what he sees as a bold violation of consumer rights. "By tracking drivers even after they've canceled their service, OnStar is attempting one of the most brazen invasions of privacy in recent memory," the New York Senator said. "I urge OnStar to abandon this policy and for FTC to immediately launch a full investigation to determine whether the company's actions constitute an unfair trade practice." Find out more about OnStar's new policy, after the break.
AT&T sideloading officially a go, designed to allow Amazon Appstore downloads (update)
It's the end of an era, folks. See that block of text up there? That's AT&T's promise not to keep you from installing whatever Android apps you choose. Starting with the Samsung Infuse 4G, you can expect the carrier's new Google-powered phones to have that all-important "Unknown sources" box available to toggle at will. As we heard in March, the measure was designed to let third-party markets like the Amazon Appstore function properly, but don't let that keep you from having a little fun -- we're sure your own repurposed creations are just as good. Of course, none of this helps your existing AT&T droid one bit... unless it's also true that the Aria, Captivate and Inspire 4G will also have sideloading enabled ASAP. We can hope. Update: Wired spoke to AT&T and confirmed that existing Android devices will be updated to support third-party apps: "Over the next few weeks, we will also roll out this capability to existing devices in our base for which an upgrade is possible," a spokesman reportedly said.
Tesla Model S will support third-party apps and text-to-voice, red lights will never be the same
Now that pretty much every gizmo from your smartphone to TV has apps available for it, what's the next logical frontier? Of course, your car! Yesterday, Tesla CEO Elon Musk told Cleantech Forum attendees in San Francisco that the upcoming Model S would indeed come with support for third-party applications to run on that monster 17-inch infotainment console. We're happy to see the company encouraging developers to put that Tegra chip to good use, though we can't help but worry about the myriad distractions that could come along with it. Of course, we're still in the dark about what OS is powering the whole shebang, but we're sure there will be a port of Angry Birds before you can come to a complete stop.
Seagate reveals 9mm 2.5-inch GoFlex external HDD, third-party GoFlex certification process
CES is just kicking off in earnest tonight in Vegas, and Seagate's wasting no time in dishing out a smattering of new releases. Up first is the outfit's slimmest external drive yet: the new, ultrathin GoFlex HDD, which holds a 2.5-inch drive within, but measures just 9mm thick -- that's 38 percent slimmer than the existing GoFlex drive. At least initially, it'll only be offered in a 320GB model, and the USB 3.0 port ensures that it'll run laps around your older USB 2.0 model. Mum's the word on pricing, but you can expect it to ship out this spring. Moving on, there's a new raft of GoFlex for Mac external drives, which arrive HFS+ formatted and ready to play nice with Time Machine. Each one ships with FireWire 800 and USB 2.0 adapters, but allow for USB 3.0 or eSATA to be used with Windows PCs. The GoFlex for Mac houses a 2.5-inch HDD and will sell for $199.99 (1TB) / $249.99 (1.5TB), while the limited edition of that very product will only be available in a 1TB ($199.99) version. There's also a GoFlex Pro for Mac, housing a 7200RPM 2.5-inch HDD and costing $149.99 (500GB) or $179.99 (750GB). Wrapping up this collection, there's a GoFlex for Mac drive that'll go for $219.99 (2TB) or $279.99 (2TB). Lastly, and potentially more importantly, Seagate is finally opening up the GoFlex standard that it has been pushing so vigorously of late. As of now, the only products that support the GoFlex platform -- which allows various connectors to be attached to your existing HDDs -- are Seagate-branded. But today, Seagate's revealing a Certified GoFlex Storage System that'll enable third-party vendors to make wares that are also welcome in the family. Here at CES, the company is planning to showcase a line of prototype concept devices, and while we've yet to see what exactly those are, we are told that the certification also endorses the soon to be established SATA-IO Universal Storage Module (USM) specification. Better still, a number of other companies (Antec, GIEC, Hi-Sense, Ionics and Thermaltake) are planning to showcase GoFlex-approved gear here at the show, including a TV, a laptop, desktop PC, "plug computer," DVR and docking station. Needless to say, the possibilities here are near-endless, and we're definitely looking forward to see just how many odd places a GoFlex adapter ends up. Update: We just got a look at what the SATA-IO USM modules slots might look built into the likes of a ThermalTake case -- spot them immediately below! %Gallery-112190%%Gallery-112580%
Windows Phone 7 will work with third party browsers, so long as they're based on IE? (video)
Internet Explorer not stirring your cup of Windows Phone 7 tea correctly? Well, you now have an alternative in the form of a new browser that's arrived in the Marketplace: Browser+. It does seem to have been built on IE code rather than its own framework, so don't get your hopes up for Chrome to Phone on WP7 any time soon. Anyhow, the new app's been given a test drive by a couple of sites, who note it integrates a view of your current tabs and a Google search box right into the general web view, providing a slightly more accessible interface than the default option, while also throwing in a private surfing mode for the paranoid among us. A few crashes and bugs have been spotted in Browser+ so far, but hey, it's cheap and it at least gives us hope for a less monotheistic browsing experience. See it in video action after the break.
Datel sues Microsoft, wants its Xbox 360 market back
Seems like we just can't go a week without some corporate power plays or mudslinging making our pages. Back in October, Datel promised it would "remedy" the situation created by Microsoft's forthcoming (now present) Dashboard update locking out its higher capacity memory modules. The accessory company was the first (and only) third-party supplier of memory cards for the Xbox 360, but it seems that MS took a dislike to the MicroSD-expandable Max Memory units and has since taken the unusual step of downgrading the console to being able to read only chips up to 512MB, essentially taking Datel's 2GB+ wares out of commission. Yeah, classy. Datel's retaliation is in the finest Anglo-Saxon legal tradition, namely to assert antitrust concerns and to claim its right to act as a competitor to Microsoft in the memory market for Redmond's own console. It all sounds rather silly to us too, and could probably have been avoided by a rational compromise, but what's the fun in that?
MacUpdate Desktop version 5.0.2 released, win a membership from TUAW
MacUpdate announced today the release of version 5.0.2 of the MacUpdate Desktop utility, which allows users to manage application and widget software updates on their Mac OS X machines. The new version of the application adds some features and bug fixes as well as support for more languages. MacUpdate Desktop can track software updates for 30,000 Mac applications, and it also provides update support for applications on the iPhone, although iTunes handles that pretty well. Updates can be triggered manually and individually, or set to install automatically when MacUpdate Desktop is open. It also provides support for updating screen savers and allows users to sort applications into "watch lists," so they can keep track of programs that are more important to keep current than others. The update includes improved handling of the software it tracks, such as version and application matching, as well as French, German, and Italian localization. Some of the bugs it fixes are community preferences, registration problems, and issues with extracting tar bzip2 and dmg.zip downloads. There are several update managers out there for Mac OS X (including AppFresh, LogicielMac, VersionTracker Pro, etc.) with fans and detractors of their own. If you've had great or not-so-great experiences with any of the updater tools, let us know in the comments. Want to win one of two subscriptions to MacUpdate Desktop, courtesy of MU and TUAW? Read on for details!
Microsoft online store now featuring third party hardware and software
Disappointed that you can't make it to Scottsdale for the opening of the big Microsoft retail store? Since you've given up on real life in lieu of a completely wired existence anyways, perhaps a more meaningful experience would be to mosey over to the company's online shop and check out all the new PCs and third party software that's been added to the catalog. No longer just the fine purveyors of Office products and "Bill Gates is my homeboy" t-shirts, this is your newest online destination for Sony netbooks and Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing software -- as well as that operating system you've been longing to get your hands on. One thing they don't have? Manic Panic hair dye. Well, not yet anyways. [Via CNET]
