Gracenote unleashes its vast musical knowhow to developers
You've probably used
Gracenote thousands of times and have been none the wiser, but for good reason: the musical metadata service lives in the background of several apps, appearing only momentarily to bring meaning to your favorite tunes. Now, Gracenote is looking to expand its reach by opening its APIs and SDKs to app developers -- effectively putting its massive database in the hands of all who seek it. Of course, ripping CDs isn't quite what it once was, and that's why Gracenote has also opened its MusicID song recognition service to developers, allowing them to harness the same functionality of apps such as Shazam and SoundHound. The free service is available now, and for extra insight, you'll find the full PR after the break.
Filed under:
Software,
Mobile
Comments
Read More ...
Belkin releases WeMo beta app for Galaxy S III, devices with ICS or higher
Word of an
Android app for Belkin's line of
WeMo home automation hardware came amid a flurry of CES news, and now the application has rolled onto Google Play in beta form just over a month later. The app is specifically tested for the
Galaxy S III, but handsets toting Ice Cream Sandwich or higher will be able to take it for a spin. By wielding the application, users can control WeMo devices over WiFi and cellular networks, configure custom icons, tweak names, take care of local firmware updates and hook things up with IFTTT. Remote firmware updates, support content and WeMo rules have yet to be baked into the software, however. Belkin is hoping guinea pigs will report bugs, but can't guarantee they'll be fixed in the short term. Currently, the outfit says issues regarding poor signal strength and app crashes are on its radar. Looking forward to the polished, growing pain-free product? The final app is expected to arrive around the summertime.
[Thanks, Matt]
Filed under:
Cellphones,
Household,
Tablets,
Software,
Mobile
Comments
Source: Google Play
Read More ...
Microsoft now starting wider transition from Messenger to Skype on April 8th
It turns out that Microsoft's planned
March 15th transition from Messenger to Skype is more of a soft target than a hard cutoff. Microsoft will switch off desktop Messenger that day only for a "test group," the company tells
ZDNet; if all goes smoothly, the transition will start in earnest with English-speaking countries on April 8th. Every desktop user should be off the boat by April 30th. Messenger will still work on mobile devices, as well as in multi-network clients like Adium or Trillian, but that's not expected to last long -- and it might get quite lonely. Most of us ultimately get a slight reprieve, but the writing is most definitely on the wall.
Filed under:
Internet,
Software,
Microsoft
Comments
Source: Skype (Twitter),
ZDNet
Read More ...
Dropbox for iOS update adds a PDF viewer and file share notifications
Earlier today,
Dropbox rolled out version 2.1 of its
iOS app with a trio of enhancements in tow. The update, which requires iOS 5.0 or higher introduces a new PDF viewer, file sorting by date modified, and push notifications for when someone shares a folder with you (which were also recently added to the Android client). Whether you're a Dropbox power user or the casual type, this new software bump should definitely come in handy. If you're a stickler for keeping your apps current and you've got 13.8MB to spare, the update's waiting for you at the source link below.
Filed under:
Software,
Mobile
Comments
Via: Phone Scoop
Source: iTunes
Read More ...
Microsoft starts taking orders for 128GB Surface Pro, $999 gets one shipped on March 1st
Microsoft has been having troubles keeping the
128GB model Surface Pro tablet on virtual and actual store shelves, but it looks like the drought,
as promised, is ending. The tablet's now up for pre-order on the Microsoft Store website with an estimated March 1st ship date. Best Buy will also be receiving shipments of the slate soon and is also willing to take your money now to reserve one. Alas, our friends north of the border in Canada are still without a 128GB Surface purchase option, but at least the folks at the
Surface Blog have promised to provide more info on the matter sometime soon. Don't believe us? Head on down to the source and see for yourself.
[Thanks, Jon]
Filed under:
Tablets,
Microsoft
Comments
Source: Surface Blog,
Microsoft Store
Read More ...
WSJ: Sony will use Gaikai streaming tech to play PS3 games on the PS4
We're just a few days away from Sony's
February 20th "see the future of" PlayStation event where we expect to see the next edition of its home console, and the rumor mill is buzzing. The latest one tonight comes from the
Wall Street Journal, with a report that connects Sony's
$380 million purchase of cloud gaming service Gaikai last year with a method to provide backwards compatibility on the PlayStation 4. The
WSJ reports Sony has been "investing heavily" in preparing Gaikai for an influx of PS4-equipped gamers, while also developing better cameras for its Move and the
DualShock+touchpad controllers we've seen recently.
What's not revealed however, is any potential pricing plan, or whether cloud games will work users existing cloud saves. While buying fully digital copies of games we already own is less than appealing, if Sony can implement something like the abandoned
UMD-to-PSP Go "good will" plan, then there may be benefits for all. In the last gen Sony used hardware, then
software and then
nothing at all for backwards compatible gaming, while Microsoft went
all software -- we'll see how it balances out this time around.
Filed under:
Gaming,
HD,
Sony
Comments
Source: Wall Street Journal
Read More ...
Insert Coin: New Challengers semifinalists announced!
As 2012 drew to a close, we asked you creative types to let us in on your
forthcoming crowdfunded projects -- and boy did you deliver. We've spent the past week whittling down the submissions for our first-ever
Insert Coin: New Challengers competition, and are pretty excited about the results. As detailed in our announcement post, we've chosen 10 semifinalists, who will receive a free trip to
Expand next month, along with a $1,000 travel stipend. Better yet, those on the list are in the running to win a total of $25,000, including a $5,000 Reader's Choice award and $20,000 Grand Prize, along with product reviews on this very site.
Congratulations to all the winners and a big thanks to everyone who entered -- paring down the list wasn't an easy task. We'll be highlighting each entry further in the week to come, leading up to a Wednesday, February 20th, vote for five finalists. Skip on through after the break to check out the list of semifinalists, and we'll see you in March!
Filed under:
Announcements
Comments
Read More ...
SugarSync 2.0 completed, offers drag-and-drop sharing and a new Android app
SugarSync 2.0 has been in the oven for awhile, having gone into beta last year, but it's now fully baked. The finished version offers the promised extra-simple sharing and syncing, with drag-and-drop transfers to the cloud, contacts and
Dropbox-style public links. A virtual drive and cloud search simply things, too. Both desktop and web apps get more of a consistent look, and the Android app has been given its promised overhaul both for the new features as well as to offer uploads and syncing from an SD card. Android, Mac and Windows users can update at their leisure; iOS users will have to wait a few weeks, although both new and old versions can coexist until everyone is on the same page.
Filed under:
Cellphones,
Storage,
Internet,
Software,
Mobile
Comments
Via: SugarSync Blog
Source: SugarSync,
Google Play
Read More ...
Posterous closing on April 30th to focus on Twitter
It's almost inevitable as breathing: a tech powerhouse acquires a clever yet small startup solely for its talent or technology, and lets any leftover services
wither away. Posterous' decision to shut down following its 2012
acquisition by Twitter is very nearly a textbook example. The 4-year-old firm will close its Posterous Spaces service on April 30th to shift all of its attention to Twitter, giving customers just over two months to back up their content. There is an unusual twist to this seemingly predictable story, however. Those still using Spaces will have a place to go -- along with Squarespace and
Wordpress import tools, Posterous founders Brett Gibson and Garry Tan are planning to launch Posthaven as a (not entirely intentional) refuge. Diehards will still have reason to mourn the end of an era, but the closure at least won't be the end to their creations.
Filed under:
Internet
Comments
Via: TechCrunch
Source: Posterous
Read More ...
The Daily Roundup for 02.15.2013
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Comments
Read More ...
Google Glass hackathon in pictures: geeks get coding on headgear of the future
You might remember that Google decided to
host a little get together with those lucky "
explorers" that pre-ordered Glass. Well, no one is allowed to tell us a darn thing about what went down thanks to those pesky NDAs the devs were required to sign. But, the folks at Mountain View didn't want us to feel completely left out, so they posted a bunch of pictures from the hackathons so we could get a glimpse at what it's like to be granted early access. Predictably, what you get is a bunch of geeks wearing computers while typing on computers. In total the "pioneers" built 80 new ways to use Glass, at least one of which we're sure involved viewing
pornography (that's a right of passage for all new tech), and eight winning teams picked up the grand prize -- Google footing the bill for their Explorer Edition headset. We've got one more image after the break, but you can peruse the entire gallery at the source link.
Comments
Source: Google Developers (Google+)
Read More ...
Belkin's $299 Thunderbolt Express dock now up for pre-order, shipping next week
Unless there's any more last-minute tweaks, those fussy perfectionists at Belkin are ready to lift the cloche on the Thunderbolt Express dock. We'd originally
seen the unit at
last year's CES, but the company
postponed the launch after adding a trio of USB 3.0 ports
and eSATA to the hardware. If you didn't give up and shell out for the
Matrox DS1 in the meantime, you can pre-order the Thunderbolt Express today for shipping next week.
Update: eSATA, which was added to the roster last summer, was ultimately dropped from the final production version.
Filed under:
Peripherals,
Acer
Comments
Via: Pocket-lint
Source: Belkin
Read More ...
Vizio Co-Star update brings new Google TV UI, native Amazon and Vudu
Vizio's
Co-Star hub is still one of the cheapest points of entry into the Google TV world, so it's comforting to see the set-top box getting an update -- albeit somewhat behind Google's own pace. The previously promised release mostly focuses on giving it the
third-generation Google TV interface, including the mini-guide, YouTube pairing and (through a future Android app update) voice-guided search. Viewers on the prowl for more content get a few additional perks through new apps for M-Go and
Vudu video streaming, as well as a truly native Amazon
Instant Video app. Should Vizio's tiny media center inhabit your living room, you can expect the upgrade to arrive over the air within the next few weeks.
Filed under:
Home Entertainment,
HD,
Google,
Amazon
Comments
Source: Vizio
Read More ...
Facebook says it was target of 'sophisticated attack,' no user data said to be compromised
It looks like you can add another big name to the recent string of high-profile hacking attempts. Facebook announced in a blog post today that it discovered last month that it had been targeted in what's being described as a "sophisticated attack," which it says "occurred when a handful of employees visited a mobile developer website that was compromised." Facebook further pinpoints the attack to a previously unseen zero-day exploit that bypassed the Java sandbox and installed malware on the computers in question. The company goes on to note that it immediately notified Oracle of the exploit, which issued a patch on February 1st.
Facebook is also quick to point out that it has "found no evidence that Facebook user data was compromised," and adds that it was not alone in the attack, noting that it began to share information about the hack with other companies and entities as soon as it discovered it, and that it continues to work with law enforcement and others affected by the attack. You can find its full explanation of the matter at the source link.
Comments
Via: AllThingsD
Source: Facebook
Read More ...
NOVA's Earth From Space documentary shows a super-connected planet (video)
We've already had a
meteorite shower to remind us that Earth is just a small part of a much, much larger
universe. If that wasn't enough perspective for you,
PBS is offering a follow-up through
NOVA's newly streaming "Earth From Space" documentary. The two-hour show illustrates how our planet's individual climates and ecosystems are really part of one larger unit, with ripple effects that we didn't always anticipate until an abundance of earth
observation satellites made them clear. You'll have to be an American to watch before the documentary, at least before it arrives in disc form on April 2nd. Every Earth citizen can still watch the trailer after the break.
Filed under:
Science,
Alt
Comments
Via: Boing Boing
Source: PBS
Read More ...
Editor's Letter: Welcome back, gentlemen
In each issue of Distro, editor-in-chief Tim Stevens publishes a wrap-up of the week in news.
It's been a very, very good week for Engadget. On Wednesday, Aol announced it had
purchased gdgt and, while we generally don't pay much heed to the acquisitional whims of our parent company, this one we're very, very excited about -- and you should be too. Gdgt is the creation of Engadget founder Peter Rojas and former editor-in-chief (and current editor emeritus) Ryan Block. They
founded gdgt as a product-focused site in 2008 and, over the ensuing years, transformed it into a comprehensive database of the world's gadgetry, all that backed by an active community of people brought together by an innate love for the hottest in tech.
Comments
Read More ...
Criterion cancels your weekend plans, makes its Hulu collection available for free
Followers of the Criterion Collection on Twitter or Facebook have no doubt already dove in, but those that haven't yet heard may want to direct their attention to the Hulu page featured at the source link. There you'll find hundreds of Criterion titles ready for streaming, all of which have been made available for free this weekend (for those that have access to Hulu, that is). It doesn't include all of the films Criterion has released on DVD and Blu-ray, but it's an impressive selection, including many well-known classics and more obscure gems alike; there's even some that Criterion hasn't yet released on physical media.
If you're looking for some science fiction to get started (this is Engadget, after all), we'd recommend an art house sci-fi double feature of Andrei Tarkovsky's
Solaris and Rainer Werner Fassbinder's
World on a Wire -- or Chris Marker's
La Jetée, the inspiration for Terry Gilliam's
12 Monkeys, if you'd prefer something a bit shorter.
Filed under:
HD
Comments
Via: @Criterion (Twitter)
Source: Hulu
Read More ...
Verizon wraps up 700MHz spectrum sales to three rural telecom firms
While Verizon wasn't quick to start
selling 700MHz blocks to live up to the terms of its
AWS purchase, it's clearly willing to up the tempo. The carrier says it just finished deals this week to sell lower B-block 700MHz airwaves in Texas to already announced customer Nortex Communications as well as Oklahoma's Panhandle Telecommunication Systems. We're also learning that Verizon quietly signed off on a deal in mid-January that transfers A-block spectrum in Houston to Colorado Valley Communications. The agreements might not provide the interoperability with Verizon's C-block that some crave, but they could still help level the playing field for smaller telecom outlets.
Filed under:
Cellphones,
Wireless,
Mobile,
Verizon
Comments
Read More ...
The Engadget Interview: NASA astrobiologist Dr. David Morrison talks asteroids and the end of the world
Between the recent
meteorite strike and our close call with
2012 DA14, we've all been thinking an awful lot about potential impact hazards from the heavens. Thankfully, however, during our visit to
NASA Ames last week, much of our fear was put to rest by astrobiologist Dr. David Morrison, the scientist who coined the word "cosmophobia" to describe the fear of external impacts on Earth. Morrison, who recently served as one of the go to sources for science fact (and common sense) in stories about the 2012 Mayan Apocalypse speculation, spoke to us about the likelihood of major asteroid impact on Earth -- and what we can do to stop it. Hang around after the break to check out our full interview with the good space doctor.
Filed under:
Science
Comments
Read More ...
Angry Birds Trilogy flutters to Wii / Wii U in celebration of one million sold
The
Angry Birds and the pigs they hate so are already quite popular on mobile devices, but it turns out that the
collected escapades for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Nintendo 3DS in
Angry Birds Trilogy also did quite well, pushing past one million units since September 2012. Its console success is apparently enough for its Finnish progenitor, Rovio, to release the game for both Nintendo's original Wii and the more recent Wii U at some point in 2013. The trilogy collects the first
Angry Birds game with
Seasons and
Rio for "700+ levels." It stands to reason that the Wii U version will take advantage of the system's tablet-esque
GamePad, but we'll have to wait on Rovio for more info as the year goes on.
Filed under:
Gaming,
Software,
HD,
Nintendo
Comments
Via: Joystiq
Read More ...
Rethinking the flagship: The case for Nokia's Lumia 620
It's easy to dismiss the
Lumia 620 as yet another cheaply-priced smartphone, but that isn't the case. In fact, Nokia's latest release made me completely rethink Windows Phone. Sure, the mobile OS lacks the app selection of its rivals, but maybe I didn't need them to begin with. Maybe I didn't need the same processor found in rival Android devices to run an OS that's generally much lighter and more direct. Perhaps Nokia thought the same thing, because in reading over the Lumia 620's spec sheet, there's a lot of decidedly low-to-middleweight hardware. But it's
hundreds of dollars less than the
Lumia 920 and once I got my hands on it, I realized this was the Windows Phone I had been waiting for.
Nokia needs a success. So does Microsoft -- it's been three years to the day since Windows Phone 7 was first announced
Nokia needs a success. So does Microsoft -- it's been
three years to the day since Windows Phone 7 was first announced. Since then, we've seen Nokia transplant its ill-fated
N9 into the stylish Lumia 800; then the bigger (and not as slick) Lumia 900 tried to crack America. On the sidelines, second-string Lumias like the 710 or the 610 arrived to antipathy. They lacked the design punch, build quality (and colors!) of the high-end iterations. Then late in 2012, Windows Phone 8 arrived and the pocket-straining Lumia 920 was unfortunately pitted against the Galaxy S III and the iPhone 5. An operating system that still had to prove itself was now going up against Android's and iOS' strongest players and on a two-year contract, to boot! That's a deep bet to make on a fledgling, niche OS. The Lumia 920 attempted to play on its strengths (like admittedly superb low-light photos and an enhanced touchscreen) to warrant the premium, but it doesn't quite hit home for me. Dropping any price-tag pretension, it's the Lumia 620 that is Nokia's most compelling Windows Phone to date.
Filed under:
Cellphones,
Mobile,
Nokia
Comments
Read More ...
LG touts 15 million Optimus L Series phones sold like so many refrigerators
As stylish as it can be, LG's
Optimus L Series is very appliance-like, the smartphone line that gets the job done versus the more luxuriant
Optimus G. It's almost no surprise, then, that LG's sales rate has accelerated to the volume we'd expect from an
air conditioner or
fridge: just two months after the L Series hit
10 million in sales since launch, it's already at 15 million. That's no doubt heartening to LG, especially with the
L Series II right around the corner. We doubt Samsung will break into cold sweats, though. When the Galaxy S III alone moved
twice as many units by November of last year, LG still has some catching up to do in 2013.
Filed under:
Cellphones,
Mobile,
LG
Comments
Read More ...
Adafruit's Limor Fried takes on the Engadget Questionnaire
Every week, a new and interesting human being tackles our decidedly geeky take on the Proustian Q&A. This is the Engadget Questionnaire.
In the inaugural appearance of our questionnaire on Engadget,
Adafruit founder Limor Fried opens up about her love for her Metcal MX-500 soldering station and the joys of open-source build projects. Follow us after the break for more from Limor.
Filed under:
Misc
Comments
Read More ...
Pssst, hey buddy: Want to win a free pair of Expand tickets?
Last week, two lucky Tweeters each
won a pair of tickets to
Engadget Expand this
March 16-17 in San Francisco by telling us
which speaker they're most looking forward to seeing at the conference. Now we're giving away some more free tickets -- and this time, it's personal!
We want to know
which Engadget editor you're most looking forward to meeting. Shoot us a tweet to
@EngadgetExpand, naming which of our
elite cadre of technophiliac scribes you'd most want to meet face to face (and feel free to include his or her
Twitter handle so they know you're
stalking them a fan!).
To be eligible to enter, you must be 18 years of age and a U.S. resident (and please peruse the
full rules).
Let your favorites flow from now until 4pm EST (one entry per person, please!). We'll choose two fortunate winners to each receive a pair of free tickets to Expand, and will notify them via Twitter. Plus, make sure to follow
@EngadgetExpand -- we'll be running more ticket giveaways (and other surprises) at least once a week until the show.
Good luck!
Filed under:
Announcements,
Meta
Comments
Read More ...
BitTorrent's SoShare file-sharing service launches in beta, lets you send up to 1TB for free
BitTorrent announced last month that it was working on a file-syncing app dubbed
Sync, and it's now debuted a public beta of a somewhat complimentary file-
sharing service called SoShare (previously announced in an alpha state as simply
Share). The hook with SoShare is that it will let you send huge files (up to 1TB) for free in a single data transfer, which is handled through the BitTorrent browser plug-in. What's more, while you'll of course have to sign up for an account to send the files, the recipients of the file don't necessarily need an account themselves; you can simply make a public link available or send an email notification (they will need the browser plug-in though). Those files will remain active for 30 days unless you choose to have them expire sooner. Hit the source link to sign up for the beta if you're interested in trying it yourself.
Filed under:
Internet
Comments
Via: The Next Web
Source: SoShare,
BitTorrent Blog
Read More ...
Available Tags:
Belkin ,
Galaxy ,
Microsoft ,
Skype ,
iOS ,
Sony ,
PS3 ,
PS4 ,
Android ,
Twitter ,
Google ,
Thunderbolt ,
Google TV ,
TV ,
Amazon ,
Facebook ,
Hulu ,
Engadget ,
NASA ,
LG ,
No comments:
Post a Comment