Amazon announced its new Kindle Unlimited, a $9.99 per month unlimited reading and listening service that provides access to more than 600,000 Kindle books and thousands of audiobooks from Audible. It will be available for the Kindle as well as iOS and Android mobile devices through the Amazon Kindle app. Analysts suggest that the service, which will compete with existing ebook subscription services Scribd and Oyster, could spark as much as $1 billion in growth for Amazon. Continue reading Amazon Announces its Kindle Unlimited, the Netflix for Books

Apple and IBM announced a joint venture that the tech giants have been working on for several months. The exclusive partnership will focus on mobile and data analysis tech in the corporate world by developing more than 100 business software programs intended for use on iPhones and iPads. Applications will be tailored for banking, healthcare, insurance, retail, telecommunications and transportation. Apple CEO Tim Cook described the venture as “a landmark partnership.” Continue reading Apple and IBM Tackle Mobile Enterprise with Exclusive Venture

Last week, the FTC sued Amazon for allowing kids to make unauthorized in-app purchases from their parents’ smartphones. Like other tech giants, Amazon has settings to prevent kids’ accidental charges. When confirming the first in-app purchase, users can select a setting to require a password for future purchases from the Amazon App store. Apple has a similar policy, while Google offers an option to let users enter a password once to make purchases for the next 30 minutes. Continue reading The Purchasing Policies That Regulate Kids’ In-App Purchases

The new Hearst Digital Studios unit is starting an online channel of fitness and lifestyle videos inspired by Cosmopolitan magazine. For $9.95 per month, viewers can subscribe to CosmoBody, which will stream video content on-demand to the iOS app, the Android app, and Internet browsers. Hearst plans to launch similar online channels to expand its digital presence as business faces a downturn in traditional print and cable television markets. Continue reading Hearst Launches On-Demand Subscription Channel CosmoBody

“Ingress,” a multiplayer game that uses the entire globe as its game board, made its debut on iOS this week. Now, iPhone users can join in the fun of working with other online gamers to find real life portals in their community and progress through the “Risk”-like game. “Ingress” already has about four million downloads on Android devices in about 200 countries. Google has also taken advantage of advertising opportunities, allowing businesses to pay to become a portal. Continue reading Google’s Ingress Game Combines Virtual and Real World Play

Amazon’s new Fire smartphone features sensors and front-facing cameras that provide a different perspective depending on how users hold, view or move the phone, leading to the expectation that it should increase demand for 3D applications. This 3D display tech is called dynamic perspective. Mobile software developers are hoping that Amazon’s advertising efforts and massive scale will promote 3D more successfully than other 3D phone makers have in the past. Continue reading Amazon Fire Could Help Boost Adoption of 3D Smartphones

Google Glass was not mentioned during the keynote of the Google I/O developer conference last month, a tactical shift from all the attention the company has been giving the much-hyped wearable. This time around, Google put a larger spotlight on its Android Wear software that powers devices such as smartwatches, which are more affordable than Glass and currently offer more apps. Smartwatches also are not affected by the social obstacles involved with wearing a camera on one’s face. Continue reading Google Turns its Attention to Smartwatches, May Impact Glass

SoundSight has designed wireless smart headphones that include a built-in 1080p camera, six microphones, voice control, and a six-axis gyroscope and accelerometer. The device uses Bluetooth that enables live-streaming video from the wearer’s perspective. The user can also edit recorded footage using an app on iOS or Android devices before sharing it on social media. Editing options include adding music, filters, effects and recording controls. Continue reading SoundSight Unveils Headphones That Feature Live Streaming

Last week, we reported that Microsoft was joining Qualcomm and 50 other members of the AllSeen Alliance, in an effort to develop open source standards for the Internet of Things. Yesterday, a group of tech companies led by Intel announced the formation of a competing organization. The Open Interconnect Consortium — which also includes Atmel, Broadcom, Dell and Samsung — similarly plans to develop standards for wirelessly connecting devices to each other and the Internet. Continue reading Open Interconnect Consortium Plans to Develop IoT Standards

For homeowners with a variety of smart devices and appliances, operating within the Internet of Things can be complicated because many hardware makers manufacture products that do not work with devices from other companies. Wink, however, is a smartphone app that connects all of those products, from Samsung smart TVs to Philips Hue smart light bulbs. Earlier this week, Wink also launched a series of Wink-enabled devices from 15 manufacturers. Continue reading Wink App Controls Smart Devices from Different Companies

Samsung is shifting away from direct media sales and ending its Video and Media hub, which directly sold and rented digital content to consumers. On July 31, Samsung’s video streaming service for Galaxy mobile devices and Samsung Smart TVs will no longer be available. On-demand streaming service M-GO will assume all Samsung Video accounts. Users who bought movies or TV shows through the Samsung Video and Media hub will be able to access their content through M-GO. Continue reading M-GO to Replace Samsung’s Video and Media Streaming Hub

Facebook is currently building FB@Work, a version of its social media platform specifically designed for use during work hours. The effort, based in London, is a version of the site optimized for professional use, although sources did not specify whether FB@Work would focus on a chat system for communication within the office, or if it would be a professional social tool along the lines of LinkedIn. The general idea, however, is to create a version of Facebook that is less distracting in a work environment. Continue reading Facebook Reportedly Developing a Version for the Workplace

Google Creative Labs has built an in-browser manipulatable 3D box with different video and audio tracks on each of its six faces. The user decides what to watch and hear by clicking and dragging the Cube to show either one side or a combination of sides. The Cube, which debuted online this week with The Presets’ new single “No Fun,” is a multi-pronged promo. Google considers it a platform that could eventually extend beyond music videos to other areas of art and media.  Continue reading Cube: Google Creative Labs Unveils New Storytelling Platform

The first Android Wear smartwatches will enter the market next week. The Samsung Gear Live and the LG G Watch will both run Google’s Android Wear operating system, which requires an Android smartphone with the companion app to work. Users with an Android Wear smartwatch can check their smartphone’s notifications from a quick look at their wrist. The most notable feature of the new software is Google Now, an online personal assistant. Continue reading Android Wear Is Promising Software for the Future of Watches

Google is buying online radio service Songza for an undisclosed amount, in a move that could lead to increased competition with Apple, Amazon and others. The Pandora-like service anticipates the kinds of songs users want to hear with contextual playlists, a model that could be key to a future focused on the Internet of Things. The deal comes after Apple purchased Beats Music, Amazon launched its Prime Music service, and Google’s own YouTube readies a music service for this summer. Continue reading Google Acquires Songza: Music Service with Focus on Context