| Kid's Corner uncovered for Windows Phone 8: a customizable, simplified launcher for rug rats Aug 31st 2012, 01:13  So, if you don't want your child messing up your smartphone, you can always snag a Mugtuk in hopes of scaring the crap out of them, but before you start inflicting emotional scars -- and racking up psychologist bills -- take a look at what the folks at Microsoft are cooking up for Windows Phone 8, because it seems much more sane. Known as Kid's Corner, the app is a separate launcher that parents may fully customize. Not only can you include or exclude individual apps or games, but also music and video selections. Parents can find Kid's Corner by swiping left from within the lock screen, though it'll also be remarkably easy to exit -- a child merely needs to press the power button. With this in mind, it seems that a lock screen password will be in order. According to The Verge, we can expect this feature to be available on all Windows Phone 8 handsets. Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile Kid's Corner uncovered for Windows Phone 8: a customizable, simplified launcher for rug rats originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 21:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink |  The Verge | Email this | Comments | | HBO Nordic to offer internet streaming subscriptions, no cable or satellite service required Aug 31st 2012, 00:46  While in the US, requests for an HBO Go subscription option that brings the channel's programming without being tethered to a cable or satellite-TV package go unheeded, HBO revealed today that its Scandinavian offering will do just that. While the HBO Nordic joint venture between HBO and Parsifal International will be available over "local distribution partners," it is also available strictly as an over-the-top service for VOD and subscription access to premium content for less than €10 when it launches in October. It brings all the HBO current and catalog content you'd expect (subtitled for the local markets in Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark) and it's also tossing in content from other providers, like the popular Canadian show Continuum. CEO Hervé Payan says it will be available on "any" internet connected device, and says the decision to go over the top is because its target group of viewer have changed their consumption to multiple screens. Netflix revealed its own plans to expand to the region this fall on the same day HBO Nordic was originally announced, and CEO Reed Hastings welcomed the competition with a message on Facebook asking when HBO would bring the service to the USA, and joking that it expected the first match-up to be in Albania. In case you forgot, that last dig was a reference to Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes 2010 statement comparing Netflix to the possibility of the Albanian army taking over the world. The battle is on this fall, we'll see if it's just a dry run for other regions soon. Continue reading HBO Nordic to offer internet streaming subscriptions, no cable or satellite service required Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD HBO Nordic to offer internet streaming subscriptions, no cable or satellite service required originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 20:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | HBONordic.com, Reed Hastings (Facebook) | Email this | Comments | | Redux promises to bring a 'lean-back TV experience' to new Sony and LG devices Aug 31st 2012, 00:06  Smart TV and set-top box users unhappy with tedious menu-clicking might have already found Redux, a Google TV app that streamlines online content selection. Now though, buyers of new Sony Google TV and LG Smart TVs and Blu-ray players will find the handy streaming guide baked right in. It works by allowing user "curators" to create their own video channels on subjects like music and tech, which the software then presents in a directory for other like-minded viewers. Redux also has deals with publishers like Hearst, letting it stream premium content from Popular Mechanics, Car and Driver and other brands. Already one of the top apps in the Google and Samsung TV ecosystems, the new deals with Sony and LG mean it could appear on up to 40 million devices by the end of the year. So, if you're tired of hunting and pecking and want to couch-surf online programs more traditionally, check the source for more info. Filed under: Home Entertainment, Software, HD Redux promises to bring a 'lean-back TV experience' to new Sony and LG devices originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 20:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink  TechCrunch | Redux, Redux (Google Play) | Email this | Comments | | Motorola trying to patent smart ads in navigation apps Aug 30th 2012, 23:44  There are few places left in this world safe from advertising. Your apps have em, your train is plastered with them (inside and out), even your premium video subscription service pelts you with sales pitches. So, why should getting from one place to another be any different? Motorola (and, we suppose by extension, Google) doesn't see any reason it shouldn't feed you ads while you're navigating about, using your phone's turn-by-turn directions app. Of course, all these ads would be tailored specifically to your tastes and locale. Obviously, there might be something to the idea of popping up small and unobtrusive alerts for nearby businesses -- maybe even ones you didn't known existed. But, when you're trying to navigate a busy roundabout or a confusing set of on-ramps (we're looking at you, New Jersey), perhaps it's best not to crowd your vision with popups for Mabel's MuumuuMart. Filed under: Cellphones, GPS, Software, Mobile Motorola trying to patent smart ads in navigation apps originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 19:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | USPTO | Email this | Comments | |
