By
Rob ScottDecember 1, 2014
According to Adobe’s 2014 Digital Index Online Shopping data, 29 percent of online sales on Thanksgiving Day and 27 percent on Black Friday took place via smartphones or tablets (led by iOS shoppers). New online sales records were set for both days, while Singles’ Day also set a new record and could surpass Cyber Monday this time around. Meanwhile, the CEA reports that consumers are purchasing more TVs, thanks in part to more affordable UHD offerings. Continue reading More U.S. Shoppers Turn to Mobile Devices for Holiday Deals
By
Erick Mendoza December 1, 2014
Sometimes a smartphone’s surface is just not big enough to make the most of mobile and social gaming. Even today’s largest smartphone screens have limitations that can hinder the multiplayer gaming experience. That is where Fuffr comes into play. The company has designed a mobile case that projects infrared lights to the surrounding areas of the phone, so that these areas too, can be used as multitouch surfaces for gameplay and a variety of other applications. Continue reading Fuffr Develops Multitouch Tech with Focus on Mobile Gaming
By
Rob ScottNovember 26, 2014
VSN Mobil has begun shipping its $399 V.360, billed as “the first device to capture 360 degrees of video or still images with a 4K/16 megapixel imager in full 1080p high definition.” The camera, currently available via Amazon and VSN Mobil’s store, could become the GoPro of panoramic video, an emerging market sector growing in popularity amongst manufacturers. The V.360 joins a variety of panoramic offerings, including the 360cam, the Bublcam, the Centr, the Giroptic and the Panono. Continue reading VSN Mobil Device Joins Crowded Field of Panoramic Cameras
By
Erick Mendoza November 25, 2014
Researchers at security firm Lookout have been tracking mobile malware for almost two years. As the firm predicted, millions of mobile users have been affected by a recent mobile epidemic of viruses and spam. Hackers are finding new ways to deceive mobile device users via techniques involving email and implanting harmful codes on websites. As attackers become more sophisticated in their methods, mobile users should be more careful of their online activity. Continue reading Android Users Warned They Are at Risk of Malicious Software
By
Meghan CoyleNovember 24, 2014
WhatsApp, currently one of the most popular messaging services in the world, wants to make it nearly impossible for anyone to snoop on its users. The company announced that it is taking privacy a step further by implementing end-to-end encryption for its 600 million users. This is considered to be one of the largest deployments of this type of encryption, which scrambles messages so that even the company doesn’t have access to its users’ unique cryptographic keys. Continue reading WhatsApp Messaging Service Launches Encryption Protection
By
Meghan CoyleNovember 24, 2014
As part of Twitter’s growth strategy, the social network is launching a host of new features, the first of which rolled out last week. The new feature enables users to share public tweets with their friends via direct messages. Mobile users press on the tweet for at least a second before “Share via Direct Message” pops up in the app. The follower that receives the message will receive a push notification. The shared tweet will show up directly in the direct message conversation, just like links and photos. Continue reading New Twitter Update Lets Users Privately Share Public Tweets
By
Erick Mendoza November 20, 2014
Snapchat users will now have the ability to send and receive money from friends using a new payment feature called Snapcash. The feature is the latest upgrade to a mobile app that originally began with simple photo-sharing capabilities. To make payments possible, Snapchat partnered with Square, a payments company that recently launched a similar feature to work for email and its own mobile app. Snapcash is available for Android users, with an iOS release coming soon. Continue reading Snapchat Partners with Square to Offer New Payment Feature
By
Erick Mendoza November 18, 2014
Following a positive response to the Shield Android tablet, Nvidia hopes to win gamers over once more with the launch of its game-streaming service later this year. The Grid cloud-based service is slated for a North American launch later this month with Europe and Asia scheduled for next year. Nvidia will aim to release new games frequently, every week or so, to quickly amass a library that exceeds 100 games. The gaming service hopes to capture consumers of the Shield products market. Continue reading Nvidia to Stream Games via Grid Cloud-Based Gaming Service
By
Meghan CoyleNovember 13, 2014
Pop star Taylor Swift’s new music video “Blank Spaces” comes with an app that offers fans an interactive experience in the video’s pristine mansion setting. The app is available for iOS and Android, and it gives viewers a chance to explore the scenes featured in the music video, see Swift dance just a few feet away, and discover Easter eggs with extras such as Polaroids. This app may point to the future of music videos, and could provide an ideal testing ground for virtual environments. Continue reading Taylor Swift Music Video Offers a New Take on Virtual Reality
By
Meghan CoyleNovember 10, 2014
Microsoft announced that it will offer the mobile version of its Office suite featuring Word, Excel and Powerpoint for free. This is a major departure for Microsoft, which usually charges a premium for its software. However, with people doing less on their desktops and more on their smartphones, Microsoft is finally focusing on today’s push into cloud computing. The company hopes that the free mobile apps will entice new users to buy the desktop software, too. Continue reading New Direction: Microsoft Offers Office Suite Free for Mobile
By
Rob ScottNovember 6, 2014
“WSJ: Interactive” — now available on desktops, tablets and newer Android devices — is a video series produced by the editorial staff of The Wall Street Journal. Powered by TouchCast technology, the series delivers breaking and trending news while integrating the interactivity of the Web into its videos. TouchCast enables viewers to take a more active role in consuming content by flowing between interactive on-screen graphics involving multimedia and websites while remaining within the primary video experience. Continue reading The Wall Street Journal Launches Interactive Video Series
By
Rob ScottNovember 5, 2014
The Disney Movies Anywhere app, which launched for iOS and the iTunes Store earlier this year, will now be available for Android and Google Play. Consumers who purchase Disney, Pixar, or Marvel Universe movies via Google Play will have their content automatically added to an account to be joined by anything they have purchased on iTunes or redeemed using digital copies that come with DVDs and Blu-rays. Interestingly, movies purchased via iTunes will appear in the Google Play app and vice-versa. Continue reading Disney Movies Anywhere App Available for iOS and Android
By
Marlena HallerNovember 5, 2014
Flipboard has grown popular as a personalized digital magazine, allowing users to flip through articles from multiple sources across 30,000 topics. While Flipboard was initially designed for Apple’s iPad, the phone app is now used by 70 percent of its users. Flipboard’s acquisition of Zite has introduced the ability to easily recommend personalized articles in more specific subjects. Now, Flipboard 3.0 is available for tablets and smartphones running iOS, Android and Windows Phone. Continue reading Flipboard Mobile App Focuses on Personalization, Navigation
By
Rob ScottNovember 3, 2014
Roku announced that its channel selections now include Google Play Movies & TV, which allows users to watch films and shows rented or purchased via Google Play. Unlike the Google Play Movies & TV app for iOS, users will be able to access content directly through the Roku channel. This may seem like odd news since Google recently announced its own Android TV streaming box, the $100 Nexus Player, which will launch this month. In related news, Vudu is now available on select TiVo models. Continue reading Google Play Movies & TV Comes to Roku, TiVo Includes Vudu
By
Marlena HallerOctober 31, 2014
Microsoft Band is a new wrist-worn device that works with an online service called Microsoft Health. The service will analyze personal health and exercise data collected by the band and other devices. The display on the black rubber bracelet will show text messages from a cell phone, Facebook alerts, and barcodes that allow people to pay for things with a swipe of their wrist. The device will track heart rate, sleep quality, and calories burned using optical sensors rather than less accurate audio sensors. Continue reading Microsoft Band Joins the Health and Fitness Wearable Market