We know it’s sometimes hard to be an Android user in what must seem like an iOS-dominated world — at least where new apps, or updates to current ones, are concerned. Yes, most new apps and updates appear for iOS first. But at some point, and that gap is narrowing all the time, the app or update comes to Android.
Case in point today is the extremely fun and useful app Flipboard. We use it all the time on our iPhones and iPads and have even gone so far as to create a few magazines to highlight our interests. And now Anrdoid users can get in on that fun with the latest update to Flipboard for their OS.
In addition to the magazine feature, the app also had several other updates including the following:
• Integrated Android share: add content from the Gallery & other apps to your magazines
• Bookmarklet to add items to your magazines from a browser
• Get notifications when people like, comment or subscribe to your magazines
• Share magazines via email or social networks
• Personalized recommendations for more to read
• Search is now front & center, with improved results
Get the brand new Flipboard for Android over at Google Play.
It isn’t that often that iOS users don’t get the latest and greatest aps first, before their Android-using pals. However, when the app in question happens to come from Android-maker Google, iOS users tend to take a back seat.
Most apps from Google do eventually arrive for iOS (thank you Google for Maps) and when they do, iOS users are usually very happy. However, when the app in question causes a problem, that happiness can turn to anger pretty fast.
Sadly, that seems to be the case with the newly-released Google Now feature update to Google’s iOS search app. The shot story is the updated app, which just went live earlier this week, seems to be draining users batteries at an alarming rate.
Fortunately, the folks at Cult of Mac have got you covered. Over at their site they detail just how to make sure Google Now doesn’t kill your battery in short order. You simply turn off location reporting from the privacy setting in the app.
It’s really pretty simple and we’ve included the pic (courtesy of LifeHacker) of where to look for the setting after the break.
If you’re an iOS user who has installed this app are you having any issues with battery life? Let us know in the comments.
For Android users who’ve had a chance to experience just how good the Google Now service can be, this article won’t interest you as much. However, for the iOS users out there, this should be of great interest.
Not that we have anything against Apple’s Siri, but the Google Now service just gets the job done a bit better. Fortunately, Google Now has arrived for iOS.
It’s not a stand alone app but is, instead, part of the updated Google Search app for iOS. If you haven’t already downloaed it, you can grab it right here.
In case you’re somehow not familiar with Google Now, it’s an intelligent assistant that automatically presents users with information based on location, search history and more, without any action required by the user. It’s also really good at finding things like the nearest food when users asks specific questions like “I want tacos” or similar. Yes, that’s what Apple’s Siri is supposed to do, and it does. . . prety well.
Google Now just does it better. Sorry Apple. As with Maps, you’ve got some work to do in this area. Fortunately, competition is a good thing.
For more on Google Now, check out the official video after the break.
The first time they tried this, it kinda had a problem. Sadly, so many people seemed to want free digital comics (surprise!) that the servers of Comixology were overwhelmed and the whole thing was shut down.
But now, Marvel and Comixology are back and ready to try it again. That’s right, if you want free comics (and again, surprise, who doesn’t?) this is the deal for you.
Here’s all the scoop from Marvel and Comixology’s Official Press Release:
New York, NY— April 8th, 2013— Everyone remembers their first comic book, and now – Marvel is giving you over 700 of them FOR FREE with Marvel #1! Head on over now to the special promotional page and sign up to get in on the action before Marvel #1 registration ends at 11:59pm ET on April 9th, 2013.
Another day, another software update for one (or more) of our devices. This time it’s from Apple in the form of an update to iOS, which brings the software to version 6.1.3.
According to Apple, iOS 6.1.3 fixes a bug that could allow someone to bypass the passcode and access the Phone. Bummer. It also provides improvements to iMaps in Japan. Well, that’s nice for Japan, but what about here in the U.S.?
Maybe next week, right Apple? Meantime, we’re liking Google Maps just fine in iOS, thank you.
The download is 17 MB in size and can be found by going to System Prefs> General on your iOS device. We’re updating now and will report back if anything breaks or, more to the point, improves.
Do you love comics from Marvel and prefer them in digital format? Are you a current or future Marvel Unlimited subscriber? Have an iPad or iPhone?
Well, if you fit the quickly expanding segment of the population who can say “Yes” to these questions, Marvel has a new iOS app just for you. That’s right, today Marvel released its new “Marvel Unlimited” app for iPad and iPhone.
The free app allows subscribers of Marvel’s digital comics subscription service to access their comics from their iOS device, even when not connected to the internet. Non-members can also use the app, but they are limited to accessing free comics and previews of other issues in Marvel’s digital collection.
At one time or another, we’ve all needed to go somewhere, but didn’t know how to get there. Back in the old days, that probably meant a paper map and trying to plan a route or, in extreme circumstances, asking directions. And sometimes, things went wrong or didn’t work, and we ended up getting lost. Embarrassing to say the least.
Fortunately, those times pretty much ended with the advent of modern GPS navigation systems you could bring along with you in the car to make sure you didn’t end up someplace you didn’t want to go. Of course, the undisputed king of modern navigation and maps is Google. Sorry Apple.
And today, Google has given we iOS users a gift and updated its Maps application for iOS with several new features that make the app a bit more “personal.” The biggest change is in search, which now integrates with your Google contacts. Once you sign in to your Google account with Google Maps, the app will pull in the names and addresses from your contacts. These addresses will appear when you search for your friends or family members by name.
Google also added a new local feature that lets you search for nearby businesses by selecting categories such as restaurants, bars, gas stations and more. There’s also a new setting that lets you toggle between kilometers or miles. You can also leave that on automatic and it will choose for you depending on where you are.
Get the latest version of Google Maps for iOS in iTunes.
Using an iPhone or iPad to read books via Amazon’s Kindle App? If so, you will want to hold off on upgrading to the latest version of the app, which was released on Tuesday. That is, if you don’t want your content accidentally erased from your iOS device.
Don’t worry, even if this does happen. the content is still safe in Amazon’s cloud. What it really means is that Kindle app on your iOS device will be reset and you will have to , basically, start over again from scratch by entering your mazon account information and then downloading your content again.
“We have identified an issue with the app update that may cause your app to become deregistered,” an Amazon spokesperson said. “To register, enter your Amazon account e-mail address and password and all your Amazon content will be available in the cloud. We have submitted an update fix for this issue and are working with Apple to release.”
Bummer. At least, if this does happen, all your content isn’t permanently gone. It’s more of a pain than a catastrophe.
Are you a smartphone or tablet user? If so, have you unlocked your device or are you planning on it? If you’ve hesitated up to this point, you not wait any longer.
Why? Well, it seems the Librarian of Congress has determined that certain actions involving mobile phones are illegal under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Basically, this means it will be illegal to jailbreak tablets and illegal to unlock phones without permission from your wireless provider. Good times.
This goes into effect on Januray 26th so if you still need to get this done, and you care about violating the law, you might want to hurry. Of course, you could always buy an iPhone from Verizon which is already unlocked, or a Nexus 4 (if you can find one), which is also unlocked, to avoid this problem.
In what surely is another nail in the coffin for printed comics, DC announced this week that they are making their entire catalog of comics available for Apple’s iBooks, Amazon Kindle and the Barnes and Noble Nook. This includes all DC Comics and Vertigo titles including Justice Leagues, Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern and more.
Check out the full press release from DC below. Time to start selling your closet full of print comics before it’s too late? Maybe.
DC Entertainment, the #1 comic book publisher in the U.S., announced today its entire line of periodical comic books are now available for download from the top three e-bookstores including Kindle Store, iBookstore and NOOK Store™. The precedent setting new digital availability brings bestselling DC Comics and Vertigo periodical titles, including JUSTICE LEAGUE, BATMAN, SUPERMAN, DETECTIVE COMICS, ACTION COMICS, BATGIRL, WONDER WOMAN, GREEN LANTERN, FABLES and AMERICAN VAMPIRE, among many others, to an even broader audience of digital readers.
Did you know Microsoft came out with its own tablet recently called the Surface? You should, because we told you about it.
Now that it’s out, how does it stack up to the undisputed tablet sales leader the iPad? Well, here’s a video showing you just that bit of info. Not that you should take things you watch on the Internet too seriously.
Even though tablets from Apple are still the most popular, many people prefer buying a device from someone else that runs the Android OS. One very popular alternative to the iPad that does just that is Google’s own Nexus 7.
It’s getting closer to the holidays so that means we’re going to be seeing more ads trying to convince us to buy one product or another. A prime example of this is the latsst Nexus 7 commercial from Google.
In it Google continues the theme of using the tablet in your daily life to be creative and have fun with friends and family. It starts off with a girl listening to the Life Aquatic soundtrack, which then leads to a group of friends creating a life sized aquarium to call their own.
Check it out after the break. If you want an iPad alternative, the Nexus 7 isn’t a bad way to go. Pick one up here.
As is often the case with software, it needs to be updated. Apple’s iOS is no exception. So, with that in mind, we’ll let you know that Apple release an update to iOS today and it’s now available for download.
Apple’s iOS 6.0.1 update contains, as is usually the case, the infamous “various bug fixes. It also contains a patch which fixes the iPhone 5′s inability to update itself over the air. That’s a bit embarassing to be sure.
If you have an iPhone 5 you will need to download a patch update first, then iOS 6.0.1 update. Other iOS devices can just update over the air normally.
Today at a press conference in San Francisco, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced some new hardware that’s sure to be on many kids (and kids of all ages) Christmas lists this year. Among the most anticipated announcements was Apple’s new iPad, dubbed the iPad Mini, a smaller verson of its mega-selling iPad.
The company also announced new, improved iPad, updated iMacs, updated Mac Mini and much more. The biggest announcement, of course, was the ipad Mini. The new, smaller, iPad is only 7.2mm thick, 25% thinner than the larger iPad, and weighs just 0.8lbs.
It comes in black and white models, and it’s screen resolution is 1024 x 768 just like the first iPad and iPad 2, but the screen size is 7.9-inches. 4G LTE support is available for the cellular model, an Apple dual-core A5 processor, a FaceTime HD camera on the front, and 5 megapixel iSight camera on the back with 1080p HD video capture.
It starts at $329 for the Wi-Fi model and goes up from there. Still, not bad for what you get.
For the few of you who don’t already have an iPad (or even a Google Nexus Tablet), Microsoft will start taking preorders for its Surface tablet today. Said preorders will begin at 12:00PM Eastern, 9AM Pacific. Heck, that’s right now!
Although, don’t get your hopes up too much because Microsoft has said that quantities will be limited during the pre-sale period. Shocking that they said that, right?
The Surface, which is initially only available running Windows RT, will start at $499 for the base model, which includes 32GB of internal storage. 64GB will set you back $599. Other specs include the NVIDIA T30 processor, 2GB of RAM, front- and rear-facing 720p HD cameras, a full USB 2.0 port, Bluetooth 4.0 and microSDXC support.
The Surface also comes with Microsoft Office Home and Student 2013 RT Preview with a free upgrade to the full version once it becomes available. Plus, you can get those cool soft-touch keyboards in a variety of colors for $119.99 each and the Type Cover is available for $129.99.
If you want one, head on over to www.surface.com and do it. The full press release is after the break.
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