| Google+ mobile site gets UI refresh, now more like its app siblings Mar 13th 2012, 18:21 Well, it's not quite the tablet-friendly app we've been waiting for, but, it'll do. Google+ has gotten something of a mobile facelift, bringing the portable site's design more in line with that of the Android and iOS mobile apps. The revamp isn't just visual, it also hides some nice new features, like the ability to reshare posts with just the click of a virtual button. You can check it out now by visiting plus.google.com on your mobile device or by opening m.google.com/apps/plus in your desktop browser. Google+ mobile site gets UI refresh, now more like its app siblings originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Mar 2012 14:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink  GigaOM |  Google+ | Email this | Comments | | Walmart in-store disc to digital UltraViolet conversion gets official Mar 13th 2012, 18:06 In a press event panel that included almost every big studio executive -- sans Disney -- Walmart announced an exclusive in-store disc to digital conversion service. Starting April 16th, in more than 3,500 stores, you'll be able to bring your DVD or Blu-ray discs in and have 'em added to your Vudu movie collection. The privilege of watching movies, you already bought, online via Vudu will cost you $2, but if you own the DVD, it'll cost you $5 to upgrade your digital copy to HD. In addition, you can now buy UltraViolet movies via Vudu and watch them via other UV supported sources -- we assume this is a two-way street, but it isn't spelled out that way in the press release (after the break). This is easily the biggest news for the, now beta badged, UltraViolet service but most of our complaints persist until there's single-sign on and the standard downloadable CFF (common file format) is a reality. Continue reading Walmart in-store disc to digital UltraViolet conversion gets official Walmart in-store disc to digital UltraViolet conversion gets official originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Mar 2012 14:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | Rdio rolls out redesigned website and desktop apps, promises to make things more social Mar 13th 2012, 17:54 If you've checked into Rdio's website this afternoon (and are a web or unlimited subscriber) you've probably noticed a message prompting you to try out the "new Rdio." Clicking on it will take you to the redesigned website that the music streaming service has rolled out today -- something the company claims is "faster, simpler, and more social." That includes a completely overhauled layout that puts it slightly more in line with the likes of Spotify and iTunes, and social networking features that are brought to the fore, including a new "People Sidebar" where you can see who's online and what they're listening to (along with suggestions of people to follow). You can also now simply drag tracks to the People Sidebar to share them with friends, or drag entire albums to add them to a playlist. What's more, that overhaul also carriers over to Rdio's desktop apps, which now mirror the web interface quite closely. Hit the links below to take a closer look or try it for yourself. Continue reading Rdio rolls out redesigned website and desktop apps, promises to make things more social Rdio rolls out redesigned website and desktop apps, promises to make things more social originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Mar 2012 13:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink The Verge | Rdio, Rdio Blog | Email this | Comments | | Marvell launches Kinoma Play app platform for Android Mar 13th 2012, 17:39 Almost a year has passed since we last saw Marvell's Kinoma platform in person, but the time has finally arrived for its release. We got the chance to sit down with Peter Hoddie, VP of the Kinoma Platform, to learn a little bit more about his software and what Kinoma can bring to your smartphone experience. First, a quick refresher. Kinoma Play is technically an app, but in reality it serves as an entirely new UI for your Android device running versions 2.1 and up. The platform currently has 50 of its own apps -- written in Kinoma Play Script, a Javascript language -- that are obtained through the Kinoma store, and these apps can be accessed on their own or through Play's unique dashboard system. There are currently five dashboards: Play, Search, Places, Music, and Send, with more to come as users ask for them. These dashboards group related apps and allow you to access them simultaneously in a truncated, list form -- for instance, the search dashboard returns results from Google, Yahoo, Wikipedia, Bing, and any other Kinoma app you choose to add. In addition to those useful dashboards, the software improves the UX by simply speeding things up. It's a lightweight platform with small apps (many are only 100 - 150KB in size) that launch quickly and run smoothly. Still not sold? Head on past the break to see Peter walk us through a little bit of what Kinoma can do, and read on to learn more about the platform. Continue reading Marvell launches Kinoma Play app platform for Android Marvell launches Kinoma Play app platform for Android originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Mar 2012 13:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | Samsung official claims Apple's releasing a 7.85-inch iPad Mar 13th 2012, 17:17 Just six days have elapsed since the unveiling of Apple's third-generation iPad, and the rumor mill is already wildly speculating about what's in store for the next one. Korea Times has quoted an unnamed ( yeah) Samsung official who has said that we can expect a 7.85-inch version of the tablet to arrive by the end of the year. As usual, it's fair to point out that the company is famous for producing a wide variety of prototypes, so we won't be delaying that pre-order. On firmer ground, they mentioned that as a key component supplier to the iPad, the Korean giant will earn around $10 billion manufacturing Cupertino's NAND flash chips, displays, mobile DRAM and processors -- so no matter who wins the tablet wars, the manufacturing conglomerate will probably do quite well. Samsung official claims Apple's releasing a 7.85-inch iPad originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Mar 2012 13:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink Phone Arena | Korea Times | Email this | Comments | |
