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Nintendo patent application tech tracks your DS from above, serves as tour guide
Nintendo is already guiding you through the Louvre with a 3DS, but a newly published US patent application takes that kind of tourism to a very literal new level. Legend of Zelda creator Shigeru Miyamoto's concept describes a way to direct lost tourists by beaming position information through an overhead grid of infrared transmitters to a mobile device (portrayed as a DS Lite) held by the confused visitor below. The handheld then talks wirelessly to a server that lights up floor displays with maps and directions, and a helpful app on the device lets visitors pick their route while they read up on sightseeing tips. Like with any patent, there's no certainty that Nintendo will act on the idea and start wiring up museums with IR blasters, but the January 2012 patent may still be fresh in a frequently inventive mind like Miyamoto's.
Amazon outs Cloud Drive desktop app for Windows and Mac, allows easy access to your digital wares
If you've been storing part of your digital library on Amazon's Cloud Drive, access to your goods just got easier. The outfit has released a desktop app for both Mac and Windows machines enabling uploads and downloads with minimal effort. For starters, you'll be able to drag and drop files via a Cloud Drive icon and you'll be a brief right-click away from sending any file or folder to the repository. Downloads from the cloud run in the background and can be paused / resumed whenever you darn well please. Dropped your connection in the heat of battle? No worries. The app manages restarts and connectivity hiccups without losing your wares. If you're already signed up, hit the source link below to fetch yours. [Thanks, Max]
Twitter's Discover tab now snags popular stories and commentary from those in your Twitterverse
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.
Does BlackBerry 10's camera app get by with a little help from Scalado Rewind? (Update: Yes)
Impressed by the new camera tech on display in BB10? You're not alone. But did the folks at RIM have some help with the new "timeline lens" feature? Well, grab your salt shaker. If you recall, software that allows you to change the faces of those pictured via additional pre- and post-shot frames popped up in Scalado's Rewind last year. The ring UI that allows the user to navigate the extra frames from its border is quite similar to the functionality of BB10's editing feature. We've reached out to Scalado for further details on the matter and we're eager to hear its response. But until that happens, hit the video just past the break for a closer look at Rewind in action. Update: Our pals over at TechCrunch posted an official statement from RIM's Senior Manager of Public Relations Patti McKague on the matter. Our instincts were correct, as the two companies have been in cahoots over the BB10 camera app. Here's the full quote on the licensed tech: RIM has been working with Scalado on camera technology and has licensed some of the Scalado technology for the BlackBerry 10 platform. As shown during the BlackBerry World Keynote, RIM is planning a unique implementation of the technology on BlackBerry 10 to provide an incredible user experience, allowing for more customization by the user and enabling them to easily capture and share their perfect moments.
Twitter app update brings improved discover, search and notifications to iOS and Android
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.
3M launches its Cloud Library e-book lending service, hardware and apps in tow
Almost a year after it was first announced 3M's Cloud Library e-book lending service is getting a proper rollout. Introduced today at a beta site in St. Paul, the system is now ready for its kiosks, e-readers and apps to hit the hands and eyes of library patrons. The touch-based Discovery Terminals allow catalog browsing for visitors and selections can be checked out -- along with 3M's eReaders -- like other library materials. Already have a mobile device? E-books will play nicely with your iPad, Nook or Android device via the Cloud Library app. If you find yourself needing to read a bit on your computer, checked out items are compatible with both PCs and Macs as well. "With this technology, we are able to offer cutting-edge technology to all our patrons, whether they own their own e-reader or not," said Kit Hadley, director of the Saint Paul Public Library. A handful of other library systems across the US have also implemented the service. The list of those sites and all details on the introductory period await your click in the PR below.
Sony patent proposal ponders planting physicians inside your plasma
Remember when Sony said it would "unify" its product lines and consider going into the medical device business? Well, we've unearthed this patent application from 2010 that does that just. A wireless wristband monitors your heart rate, vitals and blood glucose levels, and beams that information to your TV over infra-red. Your data will then update in real time for you to watch of an evening, if it's a choice between that and Gossip Girl, at least. Moreover, if your TV is web-connected, it could even send emergency messages to your local HMO if the conclusion of your favorite show / sporting event sends you into chest-clutching fits of apoplexy.
Kodak Gallery iOS app: now with 100 percent more physical printing at Target / CVS
It's not quite as earth-shattering as Zuck's deal to snap up Instagram, but one of the pioneers of photography is making waves any way it can. Kodak Gallery has been available on the App Store since November of last year, but starting this week, users will be able to order photos right on their iPhone for pickup at participating Target and CVS locations in America. Kodak claims that the time between order and pickup is usually around an hour, with all prints (available in 4x6, 5x7 and 8x10 sizes) arriving on Kodak photo-quality paper. Pricing, as you'd expect, will vary by store, and more deets can be spotted in the release after the break.
Bella KillerKeys brings desktops shortcuts and control to iOS for $20, we go hands-on (video)
Creative types working their magic on Windows may already be familiar with KillerKeys, a desktop app that brings push-button control to most Adobe apps, Microsoft Office, Sony Vegas and a few others, letting you tap a preset action rather than digging through a multi-layer menu or remembering hundreds of keyboard shortcuts -- if you use any of these apps as part of your workflow, the $10 (and up) investment certainly seems to be worthwhile. Now, Bella, the company behind KillerKeys, is bringing the tool to iOS (the iPad, more specifically), letting you tap your intentions on your tab, rather than using the mouse to click around the desktop. You can group buttons by function, and the panel adjusts automatically to match the current app -- there's also an application launcher available at the bottom corners of the display, which helps to minimize your mouse time. To that end, you'll also find an on-screen trackpad (which unfortunately wasn't functional during the company's demo at NAB), and once it's enabled you'll be able to reposition your pointer from the tablet, letting you hide that cumbersome mouse. Initially, the app will only be available for iOS when it ships next month, though an Android version is in the works, as is a Mac OS version of KillerKeys, which should launch with the iPad app. The mobile application will set you back $10, and you'll also need to pick up a copy of KillerKeys, which ranges in price from $10 for a home and student addition to $90 for the whole shebang. Check out the hands-on demo after the break.
Facebook places 'Listen' button on artist pages, now takes you to your go-to streaming app instantly
If navigating away from a musician's timeline on Facebook to get a quick listen isn't your favorite activity, you're in luck. The folks in Palo Alto dropped a "Listen" button on artist pages today, giving you access to popular tracks instantly. Situated right beside the ever important "Like" button, the new feature first asks if you'd like to open your favorite music-streaming app -- either Spotify, MOG, Slacker Radio or Rdio. If you've yet to link a service to FB, it'll ask which you'd prefer to use. Once prompted in Spotify, for example, the app heads to the band's library and begins playing selections from the Top Hits category. The "Listen" button then becomes a play / pause control and clicking one on another artist's page makes the change in the app in a flash. To grab a look at the new control in action, head to your band of choice to give it a try.
Google Offers update brings revamped UI, faster browsing speeds
We know Google Offers is still slowly rolling out to US folks, but Big G's doing all it can to at least keep its current users content. This time around, the Mountain View crew has handed its Offers application a somewhat hefty refresh.Version 1.2 of the cash-saving app brings with it an all-new UI (which Google describes as "crisp") as well as more deals in more cities. The revamp now allows bigger images within the app, while also offering a speedier and smoother browsing between deals -- not to mention a faster checkout process. As usual, the goodies are up for grabs via Google Play.
Amazon Appstore shatters $20 ceiling for in-app purchases
In a move that's likely to grab the attention of more than a few Android developers, Amazon has announced that its arbitrary $20 limit for in-app purchases via the Appstore is no more. The company announced this change in an email to developers, which follows a tweak to the Appstore's parental controls. In-app purchasing is rather new territory for the Amazon crew, which first unveiled the necessary APIs just last week. There's no word on what new monetary limit is now in place, but make sure to watch your spending, kids -- some of these apps are incredibly habit-forming.
Nintendo puts 3DS in the Louvre, France remains generally indifferent
Sharing a birthplace with Arséne Wenger, Jean-Paul Satre and Jules Verne, the Louvre is France's most prized national treasure. In partnership with Nintendo, the museum finally replaced those cumbersome handheld guides with 3DS units a fortnight after the anticipated March launch. The consoles will provide a variety of tours, offering detailed lectures around the entire museum, or the Cliff's Notes edition for the lazy connoisseur. Shigeru Miyamoto popped up to demonstrate that you can examine HD snaps and 3D images of the sculptures on show, just in case looking up and seeing it in the flesh stone would be too traumatic.
RIM patent application ponders a desk dock for your BlackBerry
It's that special time of the week when we examine the what-ifs and whys of the patent system. Research in Motion applied for a patent last year to construct a telephone-dock that'll nestle your BlackBerry when you're sat in the office. Plonk your device in the carved out slot and it'll offer up its display and address book for the use of your landline, in essence, a RIM-branded version of the Phone Dock we saw back in 2010. Although this device has the added benefit of being able to hand off your desktop calls to your cell and vice-versa. Now, only the vagaries of the Patent and Trademark Office, Thorsten Heins' management decisions and market forces stand between us and this device appearing in the flesh.
Netflix for Windows Phone hits v2.0, heads to the UK, Ireland and Latin America
Via its blog site, Netflix announced that version 2.0 of its Windows Phone app is now ready for your downloading pleasure. The refresh hands the application a passport to head over to the United Kingdom, Ireland as well as 47 other countries in Latin America. In addition to its global quest, Netflix added an array of new bits in the update, including subtitles, closed captions and an alternate audio option, while performance improvements and the promise of a more pleasant browsing / viewing experience are also in tow. Naturally, you'll need a Mango-flavored Windows handset to enjoy the app; if that's you, the source link has something you clearly need.
Gaikai brings its cloud gaming to Facebook, launches beta application
Gaikai's certainly grown leaps and bounds since its early days, and today the cloud gaming firm takes another step by joining the largest social networking platform on the globe. For starters, this first beta of Gaikai's Facebook application is available to North American / European gamers, offering support for browsers such as Internet Explorer, Chrome, Safari and Firefox on Windows, OS X or Linux machines. Gamers who've fiddled around with the outfit's previous betas or Walmart's Gaikai powered Gamecenter will know the drill: streaming game demos in the frame of your web browser. Ready to try before you buy? The setup is serving up samples of Saints Row: The Third, Dead Rising 2, Magicka, Sniper: Ghost Warrior, The Witcher 2, Orcs Must Die! and Farming Simulator 2011. Gaikai CEO and co-founder David Perry told us that while the outfit's current Facebook rigging is still centered around demos, it's primed to push full titles if and when a publisher requests it. "Our goal is to get games as accessible as movies and music," he told us "so games get the chance to compete." Gaikai v1.0 is live on Zuck's site now, so click the source link below, pop in your Facebook credentials and you should be all set. Sean Buckley contributed to this post.
Adobe Mobile Reader 10.2 adds signature, form support
For years, you've been eager to dump that aging landline-tethered fax machine, but those occasional signature requirements have forced you to delay the disposal, time and time again. Well it might just finally be time to kick that beige beast to the curb. The latest version of Adobe Mobile Reader for Android and iOS effectively negates that need for scanning signatures, delivering that functionality through an in-app Ink Signature tool instead. You'll also want to take Note of the free-hand drawing option, text markup feature, sticky notes, EchoSign integration, intra-document link and form support, search tool and thumbnail navigation -- all available in Mobile Reader 10.2. There's also an update to the desktop app, Adobe Reader X (10.1.3), which includes the same Ink Signature Tool and EchoSign integration available in the mobile version. Click through to our source link for all the juicy deets.
Amazon adds in-app purchasing to Appstore for Android devices, Kindle Fire
Amazon's Appstore has offered a typical application acquisition experience, save for one important detail: in-app purchasing. Beginning today, devs can now take advantage of the familiar revenue booster already available in the iOS App Store and Google Play, through the use of the Amazon Appstore In-App Purchasing API. The service will enable Android device and Kindle Fire users to pick up expansion packs, virtual gaming currency or manage subscriptions from within individual applications, with the same one-click purchase experience available in Amazon's online store. A handful of top devs like Disney and Conde Nast have already hopped on board, but those of you who haven't received an early nod from AMZN can now join in on the fun as well. Click past the break for a brief video intro from the e-tailer, along with a handful of testimonials in the full press release.
IMDb updates Android app, now lets you watch 720p trailers
iOS friends still flaunting those HD movie previews from Cupertino's Trailers app? Well, looks like now you can come right back at them thanks to IMDb. The all things Hollywood site just gave its Android application a minor refresh, boosting the max resolution on teasers within the app from 480p to 720p -- which you can change to accommodate any data caps you may have. Aside from the higher-res trailers, there's not much to dig save for the fix of some "pesky bugs." You can snag the update straight from your handset, or hit the Play link below if you're an IMDb first-timer.
IDrive Connect offers Google Docs access via virtual folder on your Windows machine
Need a way to access those Google Docs outside of the native interface? IDrive Online Backup has unveiled its free software that does just that. IDrive Connect allows folks who fancy the document-sharing platform to access files as if they were resting in a folder on their PC -- in a DropBox-esque fashion. The application enables drag-and-drop capabilities for easy upload, conversion for popular document types to the Google Docs format and file sharing directly within the Connect interface. If that wasn't enough, you can also save those Google Docs to an existing IDrive account, which offers up to 5GB of backup / storage (not just documents, either) at no cost. If you're looking for all the details, hit the PR below or take a gander and the source links to download the app and get started.
