ie8 fix

apps

Amazon's 'secret' stirs buzz about phone

CNET Update has no secrets:

Amazon hired a former Windows Phone boss to lead a "secret" project on something that is a "totally new area for Amazon." Cue the Amazon phone rumors!

Also featured in Tuesday's tech rundown:

- Amazon Cloud Drive joins the storage big leagues by allowing users to sync files between devices.

- Yahoo Mail connects with Dropbox for e-mail attachments.

- HTC One arrives at AT&T and Sprint on April 19, and pre-orders begin this week. (Read the CNET review here.)

- AT&T plans to launch HD Voice later this year. … Read more

Playboy's new iPhone app: Pay for all the non-nudes fit to print

Naked bodies are everywhere these days.

Why, even Vevo is participating in the promulgation of topless women in the new Robin Thicke music video. It was even on YouTube for a short while.

It's perhaps wise, then, to admire Playboy's post-modern confidence in launching a new iPhone app that seems to have decided that nudity is anything but new.

As the Los Angeles Times disrobes it, Playboy realized that Apple's app store bodyguards wouldn't allow an app that featured such threatening items as nipples accompanied by smiles.

So the legendary bunny-pushers put their ears together and … Read more

Feedly mobile apps add better search and more features

Wasting no time after the death of Google Reader was announced, multiplatform RSS solution Feedly has already updated its mobile apps, not only with new features, but also with some new power under the hood.

With a new search-and-discovery engine running, finding feeds from around the Web is noticeably faster. The search bar even immediately tries to autocomplete what you type, to help you more quickly discover topics and sites. According to Feedly, the new search algorithm leverages millions of interactions from other users, which means the tool will even get better over time.

Now, as you're sifting through … Read more

Saudi Arabia threatens to ban Skype, WhatsApp, and Viber

Saudi Arabia is threatening to block several popular Internet chat, call, and messaging services if they don't get in line with the country's regulatory requirements.

The apps in question include Skype, WhatsApp, and Viber, according to the country's official news agency SPA.

Apparently, the Saudi Arabian Communications and Information Technology Commission issued a statement that said, "The Commission emphasizes that it will take appropriate action regarding these applications and services in the event of failure to meet those conditions."

It's unclear exactly what rules the apps were breaking, but local media reports from earlier … Read more

The idea of a Facebook Android version makes my head hurt

On what should be a quiet Good Friday, speculation is flying over an Android-themed event that Facebook has scheduled for next Thursday.

Of course, the most low-hanging rumor fruit is that the company will really-we-mean-it-this-time introduce the endlessly discussed "Facebook phone." This is one rumor mill that makes me ill so I'll defer to BGR's Zach Epstein to explain what I think the chances are of such a device. (Spoiler: there's not a chance)

Please, God, no Now I could be wrong. And if I am, I'll say so next week if the rumored HTC MystRead more

Track blocked calls and texts on Android with Current Caller ID

When someone can't take the hint and keeps calling or texting you, it might be time to disable their ability to do so. The Android contact app allows you to send callers directly to voice mail, which is fine in most cases; however, if you're still getting flooded with voice mails, or even texts, Current Caller ID can help.

The app's new blocking feature -- suggested by users to WhitePages -- will let you quickly send callers to voice mail without fumbling through the contacts app, or perform a pickup and hang up operation when they call. … Read more

Path plots subscription service for 2nd quarter

Path, the social network designed to be more personal than Facebook, will be launching a subscription service in the second quarter of this year.

Path co-founder and Chief Executive Dave Morin told CNET that a premium paid version is the next step for monetizing the young app, but he did not reveal what features users would paying for in a subscription, or how much it would cost.

Launched in 2010, Path is an app that's marketed as a network just for close friends and family members, limiting users to 150 friends. Because of that, it encourages users to share … Read more

iOS ups lead over Android among business users, Citrix says

iOS continues to be the preferred mobile platform in the business world, at least according to a recent report from Citrix.

Looking specifically at business customers who use its cloud-based management software, Citrix found that iOS was No. 1 with 58 percent adoption in last year's fourth quarter. Android took second place with a 35 percent share, followed by Window Mobile with only 7 percent. Among all deployed iOS devices using Citrix's sofware, iPads accounted for 53 percent and iPhones for 46 percent.

iOS actually showed a two-percentage point gain from the previous quarter, while Android's share … Read more

International Mobile Gaming Awards hit San Francisco

After existing as a peripheral event during Mobile World Congress each year in Barcelona, Spain, the International Mobile Gaming Awards this year moved its ninth annual show to San Francisco.

Launched in 2004, the IMGA is a competition for mobile games developed in countries across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Awarding is based on two rounds of judging by a jury of twelve, with 10 category finalists announced in the months leading up to the event, and one winner ultimately winning in each category. In addition, the IMGA also gives awards for Honorable Mention, People's Choice (based on online … Read more

Ford puts a $50,000 bounty on fuel efficiency apps

If you've got an idea for a great app that encourages increased fuel economy, Ford might have a check with your name on it. The American automaker has announced that it is sponsoring a $50,000 Personalized Fuel Efficiency App Challenge to mobile and Web-app developers.

Apps that meet the challenge should make use of data from Ford's Android-powered OpenXC platform, which is able to send over a dozen different measurements from the host vehicle to connected third-party hardware and software in real-time, including the steering angle, GPS position, and vehicle speed. Challenge apps will be judged on … Read more