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Latest Gear Live Videos
Spotify has a ‘special announcement’ to make on Wednesday
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Corporate News, Music, Software,
Spotify is set to reveal a special announcement in just five days. The CEO of the music streaming service, Daniel Ek, will be giving a keynote address at Ad Age Digital, and immediately after, Spotify will hit us with the news. Of course, as soon as the announcement is made, we'll give you the scoop on what's up. In the meantime, what do you think it'll be? Sound off in the comments!
Gallery: Spotify has a ‘special announcement’ to make on Wednesday
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Netflix updates Xbox 360 app with contrast controls, better episode navigation
Posted by Andrey Malskiy Categories: Home Entertainment, Microsoft, Movies, Software,
For all those that use their Xbox 360 to stream Netflix, an update has been issued today to solve some (but definitely not all!) annoying issues and improve user experience.
You're now able to skip forward and backwards during play, allowing users to quickly change between movies and TV episodes. Users now will be able to zoom during play, turning letterboxed displays into full screen, and there are now contrast settings that allow you to tweak things to make colors more vivid, and blacks purer. For users outside the States, you’ll now have expanded and improved Facebook functionality connected via Facebook. The social functionality allows others to see what you watched and how you rated the shows.
If you’re wondering how to get the update, signing into your Xbox Live account and fire up your current Netflix app. You should get a notification that an update is available right away. If you’re not a Netflix user, when you decide the time is right to try Netflix, the most up-to-date software will be downloaded when you sign-up. Keep in mind in order to access Netflix through the Xbox 360, you need an Xbox Live Gold Account, broadband Internet, and an active Netflix membership.
Read More 
| Netflix
Gallery: Netflix updates Xbox 360 app with contrast controls, better episode navigation
Today marks the released of what may, quite possibly, be the most anticipated iOS-only app to hit Android, as Instagram has finally arrived on the Google side of the fence.
Instagram is the massively popular photo-sharing social network that's garnered over 25 million users, and up until this point, it's only been available for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch users. That changes today. Instagram for Android works on any Android device running version 2.2 or higher, as long as they support OpenGL ES 2. Similar to the iOS version, you can share your Instagram posts to Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, and Foursquare. Soon, Flickr will be an option as well.
You can download Instagram for Android right now from Google Play, completely free.
Gallery: Instagram now available for Android
Ice Cream Sandwich coming to Droid RAZR, RAZR Maxx, HTC Rezound this week
Posted by Andrey Malskiy Categories: Smartphones, Rumors, Software,
Thanks to a leaked image from a Best Buy, it appears that we now know that the Motorola Droid RAZR and RAZR MAXX, alongside the HTC Rezound, will be receiving an Ice Cream Sandwich update. April 4th is the day for RAZR devices, and April 6th is when the Rezound gets in on the Android 4.0 action. The update will be available over the air, but we have no idea on the rollout schedule. By the looks of it, April is turning out to be a big month for smartphones and updates.
Read More | Android Police
Gallery: Ice Cream Sandwich coming to Droid RAZR, RAZR Maxx, HTC Rezound this week
iPhoto 9.2.3 released with minor stability improvements and bug fixes
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Software,
After releasing an iTunes update, Apple has now followed up less than a day later with a new release of iPhoto. iPhoto 9.2.3 brings with it a few changes to make the app more responsive and less prone to crashing. From the changelog:
- Improves overall stability
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Addresses an issue that could cause iPhoto to quit unexpectedly on systems with multiple user accounts.
You can grab the update now from Software Update or the Mac App Store.
Gallery: iPhoto 9.2.3 released with minor stability improvements and bug fixes
Apple releases iTunes 10.6.1 with bug fixes galore
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Music, Software,
Apple has released iTunes 10.6.1, a bug-fixing update that improves usability in a bunch of areas:
- Fixes several issues that may cause iTunes to unexpectedly quit while playing videos, changing artwork size in Grid view, and syncing photos to devices.
- Addresses an issue where some iTunes interface elements are incorrectly described by VoiceOver and WindowEyes.
- Fixes a problem where iTunes may become unresponsive while syncing iPod nano or iPod shuffle.
- Resolves an ordering problem while browsing TV episodes in your iTunes library on Apple TV.
You can grab the update now through Software Update, or at http://apple.com/itunes.
Gallery: Apple releases iTunes 10.6.1 with bug fixes galore
If you're a Google Chrome user, you'll be delighted to know that Chrome 18 is now available. The release focuses mostly on bringing a bunch of graphical enhancements to the browser, including GPU acceleration, which your CPU processor will likely thank you for by way of faster performance. You can grab the new release now.
Read More | Chromium
Gallery: Google Chrome 18 now available
It's been a good two years since Adobe last unveiled a new version of Photoshop, and it looks like the team spent that time very wisely, because what we've got in the Photoshop CS6 beta is a magnificent and worthy upgrade. Seriously, you should probably go download it right now, since the almost 1 GB file will probably take a while to complete. We've got a list of all the new features after the jump.
Click to continue reading Adobe Photoshop CS6 beta now free to all
Gallery: Adobe Photoshop CS6 beta now free to all
Zynga acquires OMGPOP, picks up Draw Something and other social games
Posted by Andrey Malskiy Categories: Corporate News, Software, Video Games,
For those on the go, iPhone and Android smartphones have been a lifesaver for mobile entertainment and keeping in contact with friends on the go. Once in a while, an app comes along that even uses your social network as the basis for an entertainment experience with something so addicting that even its competitors are threatened by it.
We’re taking about the game Draw Something, made by OMGPOP. It climbed its way to the top of the App Store and Android App Market and stayed there, out growing Zynga’s Words with Friends in popularity. Zynga wasn’t having any of this, so only one option remained—Zynga acquired Draw Something for a rumored $180 million, plus another $30 million for employee retention payouts, in an insanely smart move. Zynga is also acquiring a portfolio of over 35 social games aside from Draw Something, and the takeover is effective immediately. Current OMGPOP CEO Dan Porter is now Vice President and General Manager of Zynga New York.
Read More | Yahoo! Finance
Gallery: Zynga acquires OMGPOP, picks up Draw Something and other social games
Hands-on with New Rdio redesign: More social, much faster
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Features, Internet, Music, Product Reviews, Software,
Last week at a press event in Austin at SXSW, Rdio gave us a look at its brand new, completely overhauled music experience. We got a look at the new Rdio, and we walked away impressed by the beauty of what the streaming music company is attempting to pull off. There are a lot of changes, and we think that most people will think they're all good.
New Rdio isn't just a visual makeover though. Wilson Miner, head of design for Rdio said, "We want back to ground zero and rethought the whole user experience from the groud up to put the focus 100% on music and people." That people part is a big deal, because social integration is a big part of the new Rdio. When you log in, you've got a constant bar on the right-hand side that shows your online contacts and what they're listening to. There's also another tab that gives recommendations of who to follow (oh, and you should definitely follow the Gear Live Rdio profile!) Wanna share a track or album with a contact? The old way still works, but now you can just drag and drop content onto contacts as well. Very fluid.
Click to continue reading Hands-on with New Rdio redesign: More social, much faster
