Friday, November 30, 2012

In-app payment support arrives on Android

Right on cue, Google has launched in-app payment support for Android applications. Developer testing began last week, and now many popular apps -- like the ones pictured above -- can begin charging users for add-on functionality, content, or whatever the heck else they feel is worthy of additional bits of your pocket change. If you were wondering, Google will take the same 30% cut that Apple takes from in-app purchases.

At last we can buy individual issues in Comics with minimal fuss!

In-app payment support arrives on Android originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/30/in-app-payment-support-arrives-on-android/

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Timer 2.0 removes in-app ad, apologizes to customers

Timer 2.0 removes in-app ad

App Cubby, the company behind Timer 2.0, will be removing the in-app ad -- an icon advertising another app -- and has issued an apology to their users for inserting it in the first place. It's a classy and extremely customer-centric move. App Cubby's David Barnard said:

Given all the mistakes and bad assumptions, it’s clear that the best choice here is to immediately change course. For now I’m going to replace the ads with an apology, and later today I’ll be submitting an update to Timer that removes the ad completely.

Please accept my sincere apologies for making a mess of a great app.

Barnard considers the mistakes to be a) underestimating how many Timer users had bought the app in the couple of months before it went free, b) forcing the update on those past users, c) making the ad too clever (so much so that users don't realize it's an ad).

I understand the ambiguity argument when it comes to the ad. An app icon on a grid amid many other icons could easily be mistaken for an action item instead. Personally, however, I have no problem with the core idea of ads being added to apps. I'd much prefer that than the app being discontinued because the developer can no longer afford to keep it going. Business realities change. The App Store economy changes. Developers have to respond to those changes or go out of business.

Some people think users don't care about developers having sustainable businesses, but if users start not getting the apps they want, they'll start to care. Developers, just like all of us, are trying to figure out how to make enough money to feed their families. They'll try things, they'll stumble, they'll get up, they'll adjust, and hopefully they'll hit it big.

Kudos to David for recognizing a faulty tactic in what looks to still be a sound strategy, and hopefully he hits it big with the next revision, or the next app. In the meantime, go download Timer 2.0, still for free, on the App Store. Ad or no add, it's a terrific app.

Source: App Cubby



Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/5fou7qDLbJc/story01.htm

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Variable iTunes gift cards hit retailers just in time for holiday shopping

Variable iTunes gift cards available just in time for holiday shopping

Instead of combing through the gift card aisle for just the right iTunes denomination, you'll soon be able to get one of these newly released variable gift cards. Just bring the card to the cashier, pick an amount between $15 and $500, and it'll get validated for that amount. The Cupertino company has offered variable pricing for regular Apple Store gift cards for awhile now, but iTunes cards had previously only been available in $15, $25, $50 and $100 options. These cards should also be compatible with an iTunes 11 feature that lets you redeem gift cards by scanning the code with your computer's camera. We're not sure which third-party retailers are offering these just yet, but it sounds like a decent last-minute impulse gift for your iOS-loving pals.

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Source: 9to5 Mac


Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/OXI_Z1Z_v1o/

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Piperoid Paper Robot Kits – No batteries needed

Piperoid is a paper craft robot kit designed and produced in Japan. The robots are made of paper pipes that have pre-drilled holes and marks to show where to cut, fold, and connect them.  All you need is a pair of scissors and about 30 minutes for assembly. No need for glue or tape. Many components of Piperoid can move or be swapped with other Piperoid’s body parts. In this day and age of high tech, this might be a nice stocking stuffer idea for the robot fan in your family. Piperoid kits can be found on Amazon and are priced between $14 – $16 each.

Filed in categories: Kid Gadgets, News

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Piperoid Paper Robot Kits – No batteries needed originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 27, 2012 at 8:00 am.

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2012/11/27/piperoid-paper-robot-kits-no-batteries-needed/

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Google buys BufferBox, might give Amazon Locker a run for its money

Google buys BufferBox, might give Amazon Locker a run for its money

Google has just snapped up BufferBox, a Waterloo, Ontario-based startup that offers temporary lockers for online purchases much like the ones recently deployed by Amazon. Instead of 7-Elevens and RadioShacks however, the relatively young startup has only just started a deal to install parcel kiosks in Canada's Metrolinx GO Transit stations. The Mountain View company hopes to keep BufferBox alive through the acquisition, with plans for 100 kiosks in Greater Toronto and Hamilton in the next year. Of course, we can't help but think this could all be part of Google's master plan for a rumored same-day delivery service that might make Amazon a touch nervous. Hopefully this means future Nexus deliveries will be a just little faster, eh?

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Source: Financial Post, BufferBox


Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/YV1NfxSQM_c/

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What Will Happen When The Surface Pro Isn’t The Only Flagship Win8 Tablet In Town?

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/ItG7jS0KnNo/

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Keep data roaming charges under control with Globalgig

The Globalgig mobile hotspot, just announced by Voiamo, is the solution to outrageous data charges when you travel.  You purchase the Globalgig hotspot for $119, choose a data plan, and you’ll be able to use your data while at home or while traveling to other specific countries for no extra charges.  When you travel to (or live in) the USA, UK, or Australia, your Globalgig hotspot connects to a local network (Sprint, Three, or Optus, respectively) so you can check mail, get directions, surf, etc. on up to five connected devices simultaneously.  Data plans currently available are $25 for 1GB, $39 for 3GB, and $49 for 5GB, and you’ll get emails to alert you when you’ve used 50%, 85%, and 100% of your monthly data allotment.  You’ll never again have to come home to a data bill that costs as much as your plane ticket.

Filed in categories: Gear, Miscellaneous, News

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Keep data roaming charges under control with Globalgig originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 29, 2012 at 12:00 pm.

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2012/11/29/keep-data-roaming-charges-under-control-with-globalgig/

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Windows 8 now available to OEMs via Microsoft Connect

windows 8Select Microsoft Connect partners -- major players like HP -- have been given their first taste of Windows 8. According to various sources, the build string currently sits at 7971.0.110324-1900, which is the third milestone build of the successor to Windows 7.

So far, there haven't been many details revealed about Windows 8. An actual System Restore -- which is being referred to as History Vault -- has been reported, and the feature will allow users and administrators to completely roll back a system to a previous state. A factory reset option is also said to be included.

We've also seen Windows Live integration taking shape on the desktop. It's believed that you'll be able to log in to Windows 8 using your Windows Live credentials, not just a traditional offline Windows username and password.

All that's left now is for a leaked Windows 8 build to show up on a torrent site. Feel free to tip us if you see that happen.

Windows 8 now available to OEMs via Microsoft Connect originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/31/windows-8-now-available-to-oems-via-microsoft-connect/

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Banshee music player now works in Windows, supports Amazon MP3 downloads

A few moments ago, version 2 of the Banshee music player for Linux was released, bringing with it a whole slew of new features, and the addition of an official -- but alpha-quality -- Windows build. The Mac OS X build of version 2 is due later today.

The most notable new feature is support for the Amazon MP3 store -- you can buy and download music from within Banshee -- but unfortunately it's only available in the Linux build at the moment (OS X and Windows support are planned, however). There have also been some significant improvements to artist, album, and queue interactions -- and yes, you can finally right click a track, album or artist and select 'play after' to insert it into the queue.

Beyond actual playback, the user interface has been tidied up -- it now looks a whole lot smarter -- and the Ubuntu One Music Store and SoundMenu extensions have been made official. For a complete list of changes, additions and bug fixes, check the change log.

When Windows support initially appeared in February, we found it rough around the edges and fraught with stability issues. With version 2, Banshee for Windows is still a bit unstable, but it's shaping up to be a good alternative to Winamp, iTunes, or whatever other music library manager you use. It's almost as attractive as its GNOMEish brother, too!

Download Banshee 2 for Linux and Windows (Mac OS X coming soon)

Banshee music player now works in Windows, supports Amazon MP3 downloads originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 11:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/06/banshee-music-player-now-works-in-windows-supports-amazon-mp3-d/

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HTC Droid DNA source code now available

Android Central

Verizon's Droid DNA is one of the hottest Android phones around right now, so developers are surely waiting to get stuck into the device's hardware. To that end -- and because the open-source gods demand it -- HTC has released the kernel source code and other open-source bits for the Droid DNA.

The code, based on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean is available on the manufacturer's HTCDev site, and should help custom ROM developers get a better handle on the DNA's beastly hardware, which includes a quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro and a 1080p display.

There's no need to download this if you're not a developer, and it'll likely be a while before regular users see any benefit from the release of this code. Nevertheless, it's always good to see OEMs meeting their open-source obligations without any delay.

Source: HTCDev



Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/zNl6EAOqZEw/story01.htm

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Adblock Plus developer pokes holes in Mozilla's new add-on performance tests

Wladimir Palant, developer of the most popular add-on in the world, Adblock Plus, is also an active contributor to the Planet Mozilla blog community. Over the last few days, in response to Mozilla's new name and shame list of slow add-ons, Palant has been investigating whether Mozilla's testing methods are actually accurate.

Rather surprisingly, it turns out that Mozilla's numbers could be significantly wrong -- and if they're not wrong, the factors that Mozilla uses to tabulate an add-ons final score should definitely be made more transparent.

In the first set of tests, Palant shows that FlashGot's position in the top 10 is probably due to a fault in Mozilla's testing setup, and that add-ons can perform very differently depending on which operating system they're being tested on. In the second analysis, Palant uncovers an irregularity that doesn't seem to have an obvious cause -- but it could be due to an I/O bottleneck on Mozilla's test machines. Basically, even though performance testing of Read It Later is disabled because of a bug, it still (somehow!) manages to record a 14% slow-down on Windows 7.

Palant concludes both analyses by scolding Mozilla for going public with the performance data before its testing methods had been confirmed accurate. It definitely looks like Mozilla has been more than a little reckless, considering the importance of Firefox's add-on ecosystem.

Adblock Plus developer pokes holes in Mozilla's new add-on performance tests originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 08 Apr 2011 05:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/08/adblock-plus-developer-pokes-holes-in-mozillas-new-add-on-perfo/

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ChromeLite: experience the ASCII Web of yesteryear

ChromeLite ASCII extension
Have you ever wondered what the Web was like before the Mosaic Web browser? If you were born in the last 20-odd years, or you only discovered your inner geek recently, did you miss out on monochrome monitors and the dial-up BBS era? Well, here's your chance to get a sneak peek at history: grab the ChromeLite extension and marvel as the entire Web is transformed into ASCII characters.

Now, ChromeLite isn't really all that functional. For the most part, it simply strips images and converts text into a monospaced terminal font. There are a few Easter eggs inserted -- such as a fun message at the bottom of YouTube (image after the break) -- and some fun ASCII art, but that's about it. Rather oddly, most JavaScript continues to work -- so you can still enjoy Google Instant Search!

ChromeLite was actually made by Google as an April Fools' joke -- and indeed, an annoying 'you can uninstall this!' message appears at the top of every page -- but we're kind of hoping that Google, or another developer, takes ChromeLite and turns it into a real ASCII browsing extension with configurable settings. If anything, it will provide an easy way to save bandwidth and CPU time.

Continue reading ChromeLite: experience the ASCII Web of yesteryear

ChromeLite: experience the ASCII Web of yesteryear originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 07:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/04/chromelite-experience-the-ascii-web-of-yesteryear/

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Chinese Media Accuse Cisco of Lax Security

China's state-run media could be in the early stages of a wave of attacks against U.S. telecommunications giant Cisco. A pair of Chinese media outlets -- China Economy and Informatization and the Caijing National Weekly -- reportedly singled out Cisco on the same day, calling for the company to be investigated. The Chinese reports claim that Cisco is conspiring with U.S. officials to attack competitors -- namely, Huawei and ZTE -- and suggest that Cisco has control over China's network infrastructure.

Source: http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2610a4c9/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C76720A0Bhtml/story01.htm

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Yahoo! Messenger now censors the links you share

Yahoo Messenger Big Brother censorshipWe've all thought it, but never dared think it could be true: what if Microsoft, Yahoo, and AOL actively monitor our instant messenger chats? What if mentions of 'bomb' and 'underage' are tracked and sent to law enforcement agencies? What if chat providers don't agree with the things we say, or the links we share, and filter or censor the content of our transmitted messages?

Well, it looks like our fears may actually have some basis in reality: Yahoo Messenger strips FilesTube links from instant messages. It doesn't tell either party that a URL has been removed from chat -- it just deletes it. Poof. FilesTube, in case you were wondering, is one of the largest file hosting meta search engines on the Web -- it indexes RapidShare, Megaupload, Mediafire, and many other 'cyberlocker' services.

It's fairly obvious why FilesTube links are being removed -- the Censor General at Yahoo is probably one of those perplexed primates who think all uses of BitTorrent are illegal -- but this situation poses a far more important question: is Yahoo censoring messages on the client side, or the server side. Does the messenger client itself maintain a list of 'blacklisted' words -- and if so, why are we not told that FilesTube links are banned? What other words and terms does Yahoo protect us from?

Continue reading Yahoo! Messenger now censors the links you share

Yahoo! Messenger now censors the links you share originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 05:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/30/yahoo-messenger-now-censors-links-raises-serious-privacy-issue/

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The Stoner Channel: Robotic Revenge, Hammer Bongs, and NPH's Fevered Puppet Dreams

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Mixtab Delivers Content With a Side of Eye Candy

Really Simple Syndication is a way for people who produce content for the Web to push that content to people interested in it. For folks like me, it can save time otherwise spent jumping from website to website to gather news. During its heyday, RSS was quite popular, so much so that advertisers agonized over how to monetize the technology. You don't hear much of that kind of talk anymore because social media have largely replaced the functionality of RSS for many people these days. I am not one of those souls, however.

Source: http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/26028ac3/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C766490Bhtml/story01.htm

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