Apple have just sent invites out to selected people for an event next Wednesday.
The details say it’s an iPad 3 introduction to be held at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco at 10am PST, on Wednesday, March 7.
So watch this space.
I can’t wait for the event if only to stop the multitude of iPad 3 rumours that have been circulating for months. That being said, I am sure the iPad 4 rumours will be starting soon!A
Are you interested in the iPad 3? Let us know.
Yesterday Microsoft announced that they were lowering the spec requirements for Windows Phone, which in turn means app developers can develop for these lower powered devices. Now Microsoft has released an SDK update to help developers with their new apps.
This is what Microsoft said:
To help you test and fine-tune your applications for these new devices, we’re providing an update to the Windows Phone SDK. Today we’re releasing a technical preview of the SDK update that gives you access to the 256MB emulator to let you determine how your apps install and run on lower memory devices. This preview does not include a “go live” license so you can’t publish apps created with it. A final version of the SDK, complete with the go-live license, will be available next month.
In addition to the engineering work we’ve done in the OS to optimize for lower cost devices and the release of a new SDK with emulator, we have identified a small number (around 5%) of current applications that will not run properly on the new lower cost devices. We’re contacting the developers of these apps directly to advise them of steps they can take to make their app compatible with lower cost phones. In most cases the guidance is simply to use less memory.
Ultimately, whether your app should be available to these phones or not is your call. We’ve enabled you to update the app manifest file in order to state whether your app does or does not work on lower memory devices. We’ll honor whatever value you choose. If you say no, your app will not be installable on these phones. Those we’ve automatically opted out already have this value set appropriately. If you disagree with us or alter your app to perform adequately on these devices, you can change the value in your application’s manifest file and resubmit your app. Details on this process will be available on App Hub.
You may wonder how we identified the apps that were opted out. First, we reviewed anonymous data provided by actual users who opted-in to the feedback mechanism on their phones. These data told us (anonymously!) how much memory each app consumes in real-world use. If we found that in more than 3% of cases an app uses more memory than we provide with the new paging mechanism, we opted it out automatically and began the process of engaging the developer directly. We combined this programmatic approach with a comprehensive, hands-on assessment of the most popular applications in Marketplace and tuned our paging algorithm.
So are you going to develop an app? If so, let us know!
Over the weekend I was in PC World and I saw some materials on display for something called Knowhow Movies. Now I have seen more information on it.
This is what the Knowhow Movies web page currently says:
It’s almost time to get the popcorn ready, dim the lights and settle down for a great night in! From early 2012, KNOWHOW MOVIES will be bringing the very best cinema has to offer straight to you, at home or on the move.
KNOWHOW MOVIES lets you decide how you watch movies and TV – whether you want to download it or stream it to your device, the choice is yours. You can even start watching your movie on the train, pause it when you reach your stop, and restart it right where you left off when you reach your sofa!
Choose from a huge range of movies and TV shows and you could be watching in moments. Rent or buy and watch on the go – KNOWHOW MOVIES puts you in control.
Available subscription-free from Thursday 1st March 2012, KNOWHOW Movies is an exciting new proposition from the UK’s leading electrical retailers which will allow viewers to watch and buy from an impressive library of films and TV shows directly from their TVs, Smartphones, laptops and tablets.
Teaming up with major film studios including Disney, Warner Bros, and Momentum Pictures means customers can rent or buy fantastic films and TV episodes from launch, with new studios being added imminently. With KNOWHOW Movies, new releases will be added to the library on the day of release, meaning customers will have access to them as soon as they become available. New releases are priced at £3.99 to rent and £12.99 to buy and catalogue titles are priced from £2.99 to rent and from £5.99 to buy. TV shows start at £1.99.
Will you give it a try?
The guys over at XBMC.org have just released the XBMC 11 Eden Release Candidate 1 build.
Here is what they posted:
Today we are excited to announce Eden Release Candidate 1. It has been a productive few weeks since Beta 3, as we’ve ironed out numerous minor (and one or two major) bugs.
In particular, we’ve:
- Given preference to external subtitles over internal subtitles
- Updated a number of XBMC translations for final release
- Resolved a number of outstanding Airplay issues
- Allowed specified movie sets to be sorted by title, rather than year, without changing the default sort order on other sets.
We’ve also added the useful feature of IP weather look up. Now, on a clean install of XBMC, users will no longer need to manually enter their weather location. Instead, XBMC will simply check the IP location of your box and auto-set the weather.
For a complete rundown on changes made since February 9th, feel free to visit here.
Now you all know what to do. Head on over to our download page, pick your favorite version of XBMC, and let us know how the experience goes in the comments.
Let us know what you think of it!
According to Engadget, HBO Go is coming to the Xbox 360 on April 1st.
This is what Engadget said:
Tonight at an HBO event in San Francisco, company Co-President, Eric Kessler, gave us the good news that Microsoft’s console will be getting the streaming service on April 1st. It’ll make its debut alongside the premiere of season two of Game of Thrones, so you’ll finally be able to jump straight from the hills of Tamriel to the fields of Winterfell with the greatest of ease.
The Xbox 360’s TV and Movie line-up is growing – I wonder what will be added next?
The B-MAX will be the first vehicle in Europe to feature SYNC, Ford’s voice-activated in-car connectivity system, the company has revealed after unveiling the all-new car at the 2012 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
SYNC already features on 4 million cars in the U.S., and its introduction to Europe in one of the most affordable vehicles in Ford’s European range will help take the company a significant step further towards its target of 13 SYNC million customers by 2015. In total, Ford expects to have more than 3.5 million SYNC-enabled vehicles on the roads of Europe by 2015.
“The all-new Ford B-MAX is at the forefront of Ford’s plans to deliver SYNC to customers in Europe for the first time, and is the perfect vehicle for the job,” said Stephen Odell, chairman and CEO, Ford of Europe.
Ford’s Emergency Assistance feature alerts local emergency services operators after an accident, in the correct language for the region, and is the most advanced system of its type. It will be available in more than 30 countries across Europe and beyond.
During the development of the Emergency Assistance feature Ford worked with the European Emergency Number Association (EENA), gaining valuable input into the system design. The EENA aims to ensure a consistently high level of response to 112 emergency number calls across Europe.
“We are pleased that Ford has consulted with the EENA and European emergency call centres in the development of the Emergency Assistance feature,” said Gary Machado, executive director of the EENA.
“We are confident that solutions enabling vehicles to be connected to emergency call centres will contribute to saving lives in Europe.”
The activation of an airbag or the vehicle’s emergency fuel pump shut-off prompts the vehicle to initiate an emergency call, using a pre-recorded message, through the occupant’s Bluetooth connected mobile phone. The message is transmitted in the appropriate local language based on the GPS coordinates of the vehicle.
“Ford’s Emergency Assistance feature will deliver significant additional peace-of-mind to B-MAX customers,” said Paul Mascarenas, Ford’s chief technical officer and vice president, Research and Innovation. “It will also do so at no extra cost to the user for the lifetime of the vehicle and without requiring a subscription or registration, unlike competitor systems.”
SYNC can also read aloud incoming SMS text messages from compatible mobile phones. It works with a variety of digital music players, including iPod and USB flash drives. The system automatically updates phonebook entries, while audio files can be browsed by genre, artist, album, song and playlist using simple voice commands. The USB port also enables the implementation of software upgrades for future enhancements and features.
Developed in association with speech technology specialist Nuance, SYNC will initially support UK English, EU French, EU Spanish, EU Portuguese, German, Italian, Turkish, Dutch and Russian; with users able to issue instructions such as “call (contact name)” or “play artist (artist name)”.
SYNC and Emergency Assistance are just two highlights of the class-leading technology package which will be available on the B-MAX. It will also include Ford’s Active City Stop system, which is designed to help motorists avoid low speed collisions with stationary or slower-moving traffic in front, and Hill Start Assist, which helps keep the car from rolling backward after the driver has come to a stop on a slope or hill and Rear View Camera.
The Ford B-MAX will make its automotive show debut at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, in March and go on sale later in the year.
See our Video of Ford SYNC AppLink Controlling Pandora With Your Voice
The WordPress app for the iPhone and the iPad has been updated to version 2.9.5 bringing with it a number of fixes.
It’s easy to manage your WordPress blog or site from your iOS device. With WordPress for iOS, you can moderate comments, create or edit posts and pages, and add images or videos with ease. All you need is a WordPress.com blog or a self-hosted WordPress.org site running 2.9.2 or higher.
New in 2.9.5:
• Fixed crash when reading blogs on low memory conditions
Samsung introduces the GALAXY S WiFi 4.2, the best of Android experiences with powerful gaming on the go.
This experience is further enhanced with the device’s superior SoundAlive audio system, offering great sound either through a front stereo speaker or headphones. A gyroscope sensor enables the user to control the device by moving it, providing truly engaging and intuitive gaming.
More news when we get it.
Ford Motor Company has today announced AppLink, a feature which delivers voice control of smart phone apps from the driver’s seat, will be introduced globally as part of its voice-control and in-car connectivity system SYNC.
“AppLink is an extremely useful and innovative addition to SYNC,” said Doug VanDagens, Ford’s global director of connected services. “We will work closely with leading developers around the world to develop apps which are compatible with SYNC AppLink and provide the best services for our customers.”
AppLink is currently available on 10 Ford vehicles in North America, and enables drivers there to access top apps including:
The global introduction of SYNC AppLink, following a successful roll out in North America, will deliver voice-control of smart phone apps to even more Ford customers, enabling them to keep their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road while remaining connected when driving.
Take a look at the video we made of AppLink last yearHave you got a Ford car with AppLink? If so, tell us what you think of it.
Toshiba has released a BIOS update to fix the issue of fan noise on their Z830 Ultrabook.
This is the information about the update:
Version 1.60 – 2012-02-15
Modified: Fan control
