Veteran embedded chip and automotive systems maker Texas Instruments has announced plans to incorporate Apple's iBeacon technology in many of the company's forthcoming Bluetooth products, saying that "there are many more applications that could benefit from the technology" beyond its presence popular use in retail shops, restaurants and stadiums. TI will be adding iBeacons to its SimpleLink line of automotive micro-controllers, and it WiLink navigation systems.
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Microsoft has launched its All-in-One Media Keyboard. Designed for use in the living room, the peripheral offers a full-size spill-resistant QWERTY keyboard, and connects to a device using a USB wireless transceiver. On the right-hand side is a multi-touch trackpad that supports gestures, and a row of three buttons above which can be customized for quick access to specific apps. Shipping tomorrow, the All-in-One Media Keyboard is priced at $40.
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Google today announced financial results for the quarter that ended in March. The search engine giant reported reported consolidated revenues of $15.42 billion for the quarter , an increase of 19 percent compared to the first quarter of 2013. Operating income in the first quarter of 2014 was $4.12 billion, or 27 percent of revenues.
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The iPad version of Blizzard's card game Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft is now available at App Stores worldwide. The app was actually released for the iPad earlier this month, but only in the form of a soft launch at the Australian, Canadian, and New Zealand App Stores. Mac and PC versions of Hearthstone have been available for some time.
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4 hours ago | Posted in: networking
As AC networking begins to makes its way into more and more devices you may find yourself considering an upgrade for your home network. One option is Linksys' EA6900, a new top-tier networking devices from a long-standing name in the world of routers. Broadly, the EA6900 is a compelling option that offers a router that is not only fast and reliable, but also extremely simple to set up. How do we feel about the new 802.11ac router? Read our review and find out.
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Anki Drive, a line of toy race cars that feature iOS compatibility, has updated its Anki Drive app, as well as released new cars and tracks. Using AI robotics, Anki Drive aims to integrate the nature of video games into a physical game context, requiring Anki cars, a physical track, and at least on compatible iOS device to play. The new cars, Corax and Hadion ($70 each), are the newest "characters" for Anki Drive, with Hadion featuring Turbo Boost speeds capabilities and Corax, which has the option to mount multiple weapons. The new tracks ($100 each), Crossroads and Bottleneck, let players race and battle in new and more complex scenarios. Crossroads combines sharp corners with an intersection obstacle, and Bottleneck features narrow passages that require focused timing in order to pass by opponents successfully. The newly added cars are available for purchase today, and the tracks will be available May 6.
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7 hours ago | Posted in: iPhone
Hyundai will support Apple's CarPlay beginning with 2015-model Sonatas shipping later this year, according to an announcement. The Korean carmaker is the first since Volvo, Ferrari, and Mercedes-Benz to reveal specific plans for vehicles shipping in 2014. One more, Honda, has yet to say which car models it will fit with CarPlay. Other brands -- such as Ford, BMW, and Toyota -- may not have CarPlay-ready vehicles until 2015 arrives.
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Corel has brought its previously iPad-only mobile video editing app, Pinnacle Studio, to the iPhone. The app allows for complex editing, including the ability to trim individual frames and insert elements like transitions, stills, titles, graphics, fast/slow-motion, and picture-in-picture effects. Quick clip arrangement can be done with the Storyboard, while the Timeline allows for more precise manipulation and trimming.
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10 hours ago | Posted in: industry, Apple
Samsung decided to launch its "Next Big Thing" campaign -- parodying Apple -- in the wake of the death of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, according to an email trail exposed during the ongoing Apple v. Samsung patent trial. Samsung America's VP of US sales, Mike Pennington, described Jobs' death as "the best opportunity" to run a campaign targeting Apple, since people would be worried about whether Apple could continue to come up with great ideas minus Jobs' influence. "Sorry to continue to push this issue, but I have seen this far too long and I know this is our best opportunity to attack iPhone," Pennington is quoted as saying.
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10 hours ago | Posted in apps
Typinator can be used to automatically fill in repeating text and/or pictures. Users can set a list of commonly used words or images, and then define text fragments that trigger each item. Version 5.9 fixes a problem that resulted in overlapping labels in input fields, as well as an expansion problem with SecureCRT. In addition, a work around for a cursor positioning error in Mellel has been included.
Sibelius is a music notation app that allows users to create and edit musical scores. Version 7.5 introduces a redesigned Espressivo feature, which gives users control over the rhythmic feel of any individual part. A new Timeline window has also been added to provide a quick view of an entire score, and new export options let users save a video file of the score to share with others.
Dropbox is a desktop utility that creates a special Finder folder that automatically syncs with an online web storage account. This can be used to backup files to the cloud, or to quickly synchronize files between multiple computers. An issue where the second account would get unlinked if the e-mail associated with the account was changed. Several modifications have also been made to the camera upload splash screen.
Keyboard Maestro is a utility meant to improve the convenience of Mac OS X by enabling macro shortcuts, which can be activated at any time. Version 6.4.1 fixes a typo in the Get File Attribute editor, as well as an issue where simulated text could activate Typed String triggers. A number of potential crashes have also been resolved with the update.
Camtasia is a screen recording and production tool that allows users to record onscreen activity, Keynote slides, camera video and microphone or system audio. The latest release fixes a number of crashes, including one that could occur when a large number of media files are placed in the bin.
11 hours ago | Posted in: iPhone, Apple
The 8GB iPhone 5c is now on sale in 14 more countries, checks show. When the 8GB option first became available last month, it launched in just a handful of regions. The model is newly available in the Netherlands, Italy, Belgium, Sweden, Poland, the Czech Republic, Ireland, Portugal, Austria, Spain, Norway, Finland, Denmark, and Switzerland.
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Not only did Samsung not infringe on Apple's patents, a parade of witnesses for Samsung told the jury today in the Apple-Samsung trial, those patents aren't valid even if Samsung did copy them. With some help from Apple's very light cross-examination, Samsung again flew through a lengthy list of experts who testified on the relative worthlessness of Apple's patents for "data detectors" (also referred to as "quick links"), universal search, autocorrection and the "slide to unlock" concept.
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Fueling speculation that Apple may be planning to expand iTunes Radio to selected countries in the near future, tweets on Twitter have revealed that Apple's director of iAd services, Paul Wright, has been making the rounds of London media marketing and ad agencies where he is based. This follows claims by online radio service Bloom, which would be a competitor to iTunes Radio in the UK, that it was rebuffed from advertising on iAd, and a report of iTunes Radio briefly functioning in Ecuador.
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For observers in Apple's battle against the US Department of Justice over alleged e-book "price fixing," it will come as no shock whatsoever that Judge Denise Cote has ruled against the company on a connected legal matter -- but the fact that she actually cited a reasoning based in law this time may surprise some. The US District Court judge has refuted Apple's filing for a dismissal in the lawsuits brought by 33 states and territories based on the DOJ case ruling.
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Google debuted its Hangouts-based video support service Google Helpouts last fall; today an app version for iPhone has been released. Users can connect over Google's Hangouts service to experts who are knowledgable in a specific subject for tutoring. The iOS app offers the ability to find, schedule, give or start a "Helpout," read reviews and listing details, receive text-message and mobile reminders, and more.
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Just shy of a week after the last release, Apple has issued its seventh beta of the forthcoming maintenance release, 10.9.3, to developers. As before, the new version lists no known issues, and asks testers to focus on any remaining issues with graphics drivers, audio, Mail, Safari, and the re-introduced feature of local syncing of Contacts and Calendar data through iTunes to local devices. The new build, 13D43, also includes preliminary support for pixel doubling on 4K displays.
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Apple, Samsung, Google and Microsoft, among others, have joined with the top five US wireless carriers to create an industry group dedicated to fighting smartphone theft and implementing multi-platform technology to aid that cause by next summer. HTC, Huawei, Motorola and Nokia are also part of the group, which is aiming to create a "baseline anti-theft tool" similar to the steps Apple has already taken in its own iPhone security software, particularly with regards to preventing reactivation.
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