Facebook to point out behaviorally targeted ads
If you've ever been creeped out by those targeted ads on
Facebook, they're about to be a touch easier to spot. The social network has agreed with the Online Interest-Based Advertising Accountability Program to start displaying the "AdChoice" icon (the image above) in behaviorally targeted
Facebook Exchange (FBX) ads, but only when users roll over a gray "x" above the ad. Not only will this let them know the ad is marketed to them based on browser behavior, but it'll let them opt out of that specific ad network. Facebook'll also replace the "Report this ad" hover text with a more descriptive phrase like "Learn about Facebook Ads."
However, it's unclear if this is in complete compliance with the Federal Trade Commission guidelines for "clear and prominent notice" since the ads still require user interaction to reveal their targeted nature. In an emailed statement from Facebook, Chief Privacy Officer Erin Egan said: "At Facebook, we work hard to build transparency and control into each of our products, including our advertising offerings." Whether you agree with that or not, you'll start seeing the AdChoice implementation in desktop FBX ads at the end of March.
Comments
Via: Ad Age,
Ars Technica
Source: Advertising Self-Regulatory Council (PDF),
ASRC Reviews
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Boxee TV web app gets autocompleting searches, revamped recordings view
When there's a sea of shows to dig through in
Boxee TV's web interface, finding one won't always be easy without knowing the exact name. A range of updates hitting the servers should put an end to the guesswork while throwing in a few extras at the same time. The freshened portal brings an autocompleting search box that should speed up finding shows in the guide and, eventually, cloud DVR recordings. Viewers with a load of archived episodes aren't left out to dry, either -- the recording viewer now stuffs TV shows and movies into a more compact grid view, and offers a quick recording override if there's suddenly a more important show in the same time slot. While deeper, firmware-based updates are still on the way, it's nice to have the web update as a prelude.
Filed under:
Home Entertainment,
Internet,
HD
Comments
Source: Boxee
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Scientists 3D-print embryonic stem cells, pave the way for lab-made organ transplants
3D printers already have a firm footing the commercial market, with more than
20 models available for well-heeled DIYers, and the technology's appeal isn't lost on the scientific community. A team at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland has developed a method for 3D-printing clusters of human embryonic stem cells in a variety of sizes. Researchers have successfully printed 3D cells before, but this is the first time that embryonic cell cultures, which are especially delicate, have been built in three dimensions. Human embryonic stem cells can replicate almost any type of tissue in the human body -- and the scientists at Heriot-Watt believe that lab-made versions could one day be used to make organ transplants, thereby rendering donors unnecessary. In the nearer future, 3D-printed stem cells could be used to make human tissue models for drug testing; effectively eliminating the need for animal testing. Makes that
Burritob0t look a little less ambitious, doesn't it?
Filed under:
Science,
Alt
Comments
Via: Inhabitat,
BBC
Source: Heriot-Watt University
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Microsoft Surface Pro review
It's a compelling proposition: all the power and application compatibility of a laptop running a proper desktop operating system, all the portability and convenience of a tablet, all mixed together in one package. That's the core idea behind Microsoft's Surface tablets but, as we saw with the
Surface for Windows RT a few months ago, its ARM-based nature resulted in some substantial drawbacks. Namely: app selection.
Running Windows is all well and good, but when you're running the RT flavor, which strips compatibility with the entire, massive and still-swelling catalog of Windows applications, you're left with a desktop-class operating system completely bereft of any desktop apps. Welcome, then, to the
Surface for Windows Pro, which promises all the niceties of the Surface RT -- compelling design, build quality, performance -- with full support for x86 Windows applications. (That is: every single Windows app released before the end of last year.) And, adding a 1080p display to the mix doesn't hurt. So, then, is this perfection in a single 10-inch, $899 device? Let's find out.
Filed under:
Tablets,
Microsoft
Comments
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Liberty Global buys Virgin Media for $23.3 billion
Some British cable subscribers will soon have a new master: international telecom giant Liberty Global has just acquired
Virgin Media for $23.3 billion in cash and stock.
The deal gives Liberty an even larger stake in Europe than it had before and, if you believe the new partners, creates one of the bigger broadband companies on the planet at 47 million homes covered across 14 countries. Liberty also sees Virgin as good at tackling the business and mobile spaces that have been its relative weak points. How this will affect the UK isn't immediately apparent, although Virgin Media will continue to run under its existing name -- that moebius logo isn't going anywhere in the foreseeable future. We'll at least have some room to ponder the consequences when the buyout isn't poised to close until sometime in the second quarter.
Filed under:
Home Entertainment,
HD
Comments
Source: Liberty Global (PDF)
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Twitter snaps up Bluefin Labs to develop new TV experiences, ad opportunities
It's
no secret that Twitter's interested in TV, but now it's made its commitment even firmer.
Costolo and Co. have just revealed their acquisition of Bluefin Labs, a firm that serves up stats to the likes of TV Networks and advertisers regarding talk about TV on social networks. Twitter says the acquisition will build onto its deal with
Nielsen to develop social TV ratings, and that it will also help them create "innovative new ad products." Sure, Twitter hopes the purchase will make it some additional scratch through more ad opportunities, but it also plans to whip up experiences for users that combine its
social network with watching TV. If you don't already chat about television shows on Twitter, expect the folks in San Francisco to encourage you to do so shortly.
Filed under:
Internet,
HD
Comments
Source: Twitter Blog
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Super Bowl XLVII live stream notches 3 million unique viewers, breaks records
CBS has pulled back the curtain on just how many eyeballs were glued to its
Super Bowl XLVII coverage, and it claims that its
live stream netted 3 million unique viewers, up 43 percent from last year's game. With so many fans watching the action via the internet, CBS managed to whip up almost 10 million live video streams, which is more than a 100% uptick from the previous year. If you're wondering just how that translates into time spent watching the Ravens forge their path to victory, CBS says it broke a record by streaming 114.4 million minutes. According to figures collected by a trio of research groups, the game was the most "most-social event in the history of television," racking up more than 52.5 million mentions of it around the web in a single day -- three times that of 2012's Super Bowl and Grammy Awards. Sure, CBS' online viewership numbers for Super Bowl XLVI are impressive, but they're still eclipsed by the record-breaking 164.1 million viewers who caught the Ravens and 49ers duke it out on television.
Filed under:
Home Entertainment,
HD
Comments
Source: CBS
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Join the Engadget HD Podcast live on Ustream at 8:30PM ET
It's still not Monday and we're once again off of our regular recording schedule of the Engadget HD podcast. But please still tune in live at on this edition at 8:30
PM and be be a part of it. Start by reviewing the list of topics after the break, then participate in the live chat.
Filed under:
Home Entertainment,
HD
Comments
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The Daily Roundup for 02.05.2013
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.
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Editorial: BlackBerry 10, the waiting and the damage done
I've never been a BlackBerry user. But I've seriously considered one at a few points over the years, and I've been genuinely curious to see how the first BlackBerry 10 device fares. Last week's launch event didn't sell me on one, but I'm still curious to try it. Unfortunately for BlackBerry,
née RIM, the event also served to again highlight some of the problems that have plagued the company in
recent years.
You'll get different opinions about when those problems really started, but you can directly trace last week's launch event back to one date almost three years ago:
April 9th, 2010. That's when RIM announced it was buying QNX Software Systems, the company whose operating system would ultimately provide the basis for BlackBerry 10 (and the PlayBook before it). At the time, the acquisition didn't signal a massive shift for RIM -- it mostly talked up things like in-car infotainment systems and "intelligent peripherals."
Filed under:
Mobile,
Blackberry
Comments
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Apple adds Breakout Books to the iBookstore to spotlight the self-published
As glad as we are that digital bookstores let authors
skip the usual gatekeepers, that doesn't help much if they can't get noticed. Apple is giving those self-publishing writers more of a chance to shine with the launch of a permanent Breakout Books section in the US
iBookstore. The section highlights hot-selling and well-reviewed independent books, many of them from distributors like Smashwords. Don't see the placement as a purely altruistic gesture, though: many of the books sell for significantly less than their peers from major publishers, which might help Apple snag a few more impulse purchases than it would otherwise. We doubt there will be many complaints when the category could pad both sides' wallets.
Filed under:
Tablets,
Internet,
Apple
Comments
Via: New York Times
Source: iTunes,
Smashwords
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Jelly Bean now on 13 percent of Android devices, 45 percent still on Gingerbread
The beginning of another month marks yet another fancy
pie chart on the Android Developers Dashboard consisting of the latest usage statistics. The Dashboard, which reports the percentage of users on each build of the OS based on
Google Play Store traffic, indicates that a full 12 percent of Android owners are enjoying
4.1 Jelly Bean, while 29 percent are on
Ice Cream Sandwich. This leaves a solid 45 percent of users still flaunting Gingerbread, and a mere 1.4 percent are taking advantage of the most recent build of Jelly Bean (
Android 4.2) on a Nexus device. Diving a little deeper in the number crunching, it shows that 42.6 percent of all current Android users are sporting at least Ice Cream Sandwich or later. And to the 0.2 percent of you still clinging onto your Donut devices, we salute you.
Filed under:
Cellphones,
Software,
Mobile,
Google
Comments
Via: Android Central
Source: Android Developers Dashboard
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TomTom intros iPhone app for its taxi trial service, helps Dutch get home quickly
There's been a perpetual catch with TomTom's
taxi hailing service in Amsterdam (and now Rotterdam): passengers have to hail from a specific terminal, which isn't much help when they just need a ride home from the club at 2AM. The Dutch don't have to necessarily forgo one convenience for another now that there's an iPhone app. Edging closer to services like
Uber, the TomTomTaxi app lets travelers order a cab from their own devices, learn about drivers and choose favorite drivers if they have good experiences. The software may keep rude surprises to a minimum, as well, when both the driver and travelers can see the fastest route for themselves. Expansion outside of the Netherlands is still a mystery, although there's an Android app on the way that should cover a larger swath of taxi seekers.
Filed under:
Cellphones,
Transportation,
Mobile
Comments
Via: The Next Web
Source: TomTom,
App Store
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Mophie ships Juice Pack Helium, gives iPhone 5 a 6-hour shot in the arm
Although Mophie isn't the first to have an
iPhone 5 battery case, there's no doubt that some have been waiting for the company's take -- and it might justify the patience. The just-launched Juice Pack Helium slides a 1,500mAh secondary battery on to the back of
Apple's flagship in a protective frame that's 13 percent thinner than earlier Mophie cases, but still promises a hefty amount of extra runtime. Mophie estimates another six hours of cellular calling and data (seven on WiFi), or about enough to push through an all-nighter or a long airport layover. Color-coordinating black and silver versions of the Helium are shipping from the 14th onwards for about $80. That's lot for something so model-specific, but it's possibly the sleekest way to extend an iPhone 5's charge.
[Thanks, Nik]
Filed under:
Cellphones,
Peripherals,
Mobile,
Apple
Comments
Source: Mophie
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Editorial: BlackBerry slumps into history of Super Bowl tech ads
The comparison is obvious:
BlackBerry's already-infamous "Can't Do" commercial in this year's Super Bowl vs. Apple's legendary "1984" spot in the 1984 game. Let's do the comparison anyway, and consider some other tech advertising over 35 years of Super Bowls.
Filed under:
Cellphones,
Handhelds,
Blackberry
Comments
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Redbox Instant coming to Xbox 360 as console launch exclusive in the 'very near future'
Are you an Xbox 360 owner? You might like this bit of news: according to Major Nelson,
Redbox Instant is coming sometime to the gaming machine in the "very near future," and Microsoft appears to have partnered with the video streaming service to become a console launch exclusive. It'll be available only to users who are Xbox Live Gold subscribers. Of course, this doesn't mean this will be the only place you'll be able to take advantage of all that Redbox will have to offer; the public launch, which is still slated for Q1, will
be available on several platforms and devices, such as
iOS / Android, Vizio, LG, Samsung and even Google TV. As a refresher, you'll be able to get unlimited access to the service (as well as four free DVD rentals) for $8 per month, while an extra dollar will let you convert those discs into Blu-ray.
Filed under:
Gaming,
Internet,
Microsoft,
Verizon
Comments
Source: Major Nelson
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Android 4.0 officially rolls out to HTC Thunderbolt
Hades hath frozen over, folks: after nearly two years on the market, Verizon's very first LTE-capable smartphone, the
HTC Thunderbolt, has made the upgrade to
Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0.4) with
Sense 3.6 in tow. The update, which was first discovered a few days ago, is finally rolling out in phases beginning today. Of course, this also means that many owners may not experience the joys of ICS for yet a few days (or weeks) to come, but it's at least now officially rocking handsets across the nation. Just in time for many of those users to look into renewing their contracts. Better late than never, we suppose.
Filed under:
Cellphones,
Software,
Mobile,
HTC,
Verizon
Comments
Source: Verizon Wireless
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Netflix and Queen Latifah's Flavor Unit Entertainment sign exclusive content deal
When's the last time you watched
The Cookout? How about
Beauty Shop? Well, if you feel like you've been deprived of your daily dose of Queen Latifah and Tim Meadows, you can finally breathe easy. The once-upon-a-rapper's company, Flavor Unit Entertainment, has signed an exclusive multi-year deal with
Netflix. Starting in the Spring pop culture touchstones, such as the made-for-TV remake of pop culture touchstone
Steel Magnolias, could be available only to Netflix subscribers. You lucky dogs. Check out the PR after the break.
Filed under:
HD
Comments
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Jawbone Up extends social feed with Facebook Open Graph integration for iOS
There's no better motivation than public humiliation, err,
community support. Which is why
Jawbone's extending its
Up band's social circle to encompass the likes of
Facebook. Previously, Up users could only share their dietary, exercise and sleep habits with other registered users, but now that feed will also extend to a user's Facebook Timeline. The company's also ushered in a few tweaks for its Sleep alarm, now offering the ability to set specific wakeup alerts or configure Smart Sleep timers for 30, 20 and 10 minute windows. The update's live in the App Store today. So, if you've been dying to share your physically fit and / or gluttonous ways with a much larger audience, well, now's your time to shine.
Filed under:
Wearables,
Mobile,
Apple
Comments
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MediaTek plans a tablet-focused processor for Q3
MediaTek may have only just reached
quad-core smartphones in earnest, but its aims are expanding -- in a more literal sense. The company's Xie Qingjiang says that plans are underway to build a tablet-specific processor that would ship in the third quarter of the year. While other details are scarce, it's safe to say the chip will take advantage of all the extra breathing room for more performance. The real questions surround just who will use the new creation: there's no guarantee that Acer will find a fit for the design inside of its future 8- and 10-inch
budget slates, for example. When MediaTek is seemingly making generational leaps in a
matter of months, though, we suspect that there won't be a shortage of customers.
Filed under:
Tablets,
Acer
Comments
Via: Unwired View
Source: Sina (translated)
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Instagram now lets you browse your feed on the web
Instagram has already made the
jump to the web with profile and individual photo pages, but it's fully embraced it today. You can now keep an eye on your entire Instagram feed in your desktop web browser (or mobile browser, for that matter), and make use of most of the functionality found in the mobile app. The key exception is that you still can't upload photos using the web interface; Instagram says that it's "about producing photos on the go, in the real world, in realtime." You can like and comment on photos, though, and take advantage of a responsive design that lets you narrow the site to a single column more reminiscent of the mobile app.
Filed under:
Internet
Comments
Source: Instagram
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Bitcasa leaves beta, offers discount on Infinite Drive to celebrate
Bitcasa made some serious waves when it hit the scene in December, offering bottomless cloud storage for $10 per-month or $99 for a full year. The service is now leaving beta, with the promised Mac and iOS apps in tow. And, just as icing on the cake, a
Linux client is also on the way (and already available in alpha form). While going gold isn't going to change a lot about Bitcasa in the short term, at least the company knows how to celebrate right -- with steep discounts! Sign up for the service during the month of February and you'll get a full year of Infinite Drive for
$60 $69. You can sign up at the source and peruse the PR after the break. We're already busy backing up our My Bloody Valentine bootlegs.
Update: As some of you have noticed, the price being advertised on the Bitcasa site is $69 for the year, not $59 as the press release states. We've updated the post to reflect the advertised cost and asked for a clarification.
Filed under:
Storage,
Internet
Comments
Source: Bitcasa
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PlayStation Home Arcade brings parts of Sony's Second Life-esque world to PlayStation Vita
You like the games in Sony's
PlayStation 3-based social network,
Home, but not the endless
Quincying? We can fully respect that, and we're glad to tell you that Sony's doing something specifically catered to your wants, fictional person -- today, PlayStation Home Arcade launches on the
PlayStation Vita, bringing arcade games from the network to Vita with none of the awkward virtual dancing found on PS3. The software previously popped up on the Vita's store, but Sony wasn't saying a word at the time -- and now we know why. To access PlayStation Home Arcade, grab the free download from the Vita's PlayStation Store gateway; we're not seeing it pop up in the store just yet, but keep your eyes peeled! When it is available, to access the games, open up the application and download away -- they range from free to $1.49. For a full list of titles and the official word from Sony, head past the break. For a horrifying demonstration of Quincying, watch
this.
[Photo credit:
PushSquare]
Filed under:
Gaming,
Handhelds,
Software,
HD,
Sony
Comments
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Engadget's laptop buyer's guide: winter 2013 edition
Here's a fun fact: in the three months since Windows 8
went on sale, Engadget has reviewed 16 laptops, including a few hybrid form factors. Yep, that's right: more than one a week for the past 12 weeks, and that's not even counting a couple tablets running Windows RT. So, now that we've given over our collective social lives to writing about Win 8, we finally feel qualified to make a few recommendations. Here, in our first-ever laptop buyer's guide, we'll walk you through the most promising of the bunch -- everything from convertibles to laptop / tablet mashups. Indeed, we've got lots of touch-enabled systems ahead (including nods to models that didn't make the cut), but if you're simply in the market for a good, old-fashioned notebook, we have a few of those to recommend, too. So without further ado, join us.
Note: With regard to the Windows PCs we highlight here, we'll be focusing on machines that run full Windows 8, specifically. For recommendations of ARM-based tablets running Windows RT you can look to our tablet buyer's guide.
Filed under:
Laptops,
Apple,
Samsung,
Sony,
Microsoft,
ASUS,
Dell,
Acer,
Lenovo
Comments
Read More ...
Confirmed: Jelly Bean update planned for BlackBerry 10 Android runtime
It's official:
BlackBerry 10's Android runtime layer will be updated to
Jelly Bean. Reports of the announcement, which should please users looking to shore up the platform's app selection, surfaced this morning, apparently stemming from the company's developer-focused BB Jam Europe event in Amsterdam. We've since reached out and received confirmation that it is indeed true, although no timetable has yet to be announced. In the meantime, current
Z10 owners can continue to sideload Gingerbread-based apps -- which the runtime layer currently supports -- while they wait for those big name, third-party apps to land in the BlackBerry World store.
Filed under:
Cellphones,
Wireless,
Software,
Mobile,
Blackberry
Comments
Via: CrackBerry
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