Support

Apple launches Apple Support Communities

Apple's support discussion forum has been a popular location for Mac users to interact with and get help from other Mac users. Last year, Apple announced that the forums would be evolving into a new social-based site called Apple Support Communities, but for the past seven months there has been no further information about the changes, until yesterday when new the Communities site went live.

The new support site is now very user-centric and has a different layout and feel to it, so if you have frequently used the Apple discussions you might initially be confused by the changes. … Read more

A Google a Day

Links from Tuesday's episode of Loaded:

Amazon.com offers a cheaper. ad-supported Kindle

Google launches a trivia page called A Google a Day

A U.S. Court of Appeals rules that the Winklevoss twins who sued Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg

must accept their settlement of $65 million and just be quiet already

Google plans to invest $168 million in a solar power plant in the Mojave Desert

New legislation may propose a sales tax on all online transactions

Sony introduces two new OLED monitors

Amazon intros new $114 ad-supported Kindle with Special Offers

First, there were friends with benefits. Now Amazon has Kindle with Special Offers.

That's right, Amazon will be shipping a new ad-supported version of its popular e-reader on May 3 for $114 or $25 less than the standard Wi-Fi-only Kindle, which retails for $139. This new model--available for preorder now--is also Wi-Fi-only and comes in the same carbon color as its ad-free sibling. Specs-wise, the two devices are identical.

The big question, of course, is why $114 and not some other number, say $99? Apparently, Amazon isn't willing to go quite that low quite yet, but Russ Grandinetti, … Read more

Apple AirPlay: 10 things you need to know

At some point you've probably heard about AirPlay, a wireless streaming feature found on your iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, or any Mac or Windows PC running iTunes. While some features had been available for years under the AirTunes moniker, Apple rolled out the AirPlay name and an expanded feature list in the fall of 2010. With the arrival of iOS 4.3, AirPlay has been further enhanced, and--perhaps most significantly--third-party consumer electronics manufacturers are adding it to their products.

Apple sums up the technology like this on its regularly updated "Using AirPlay" page, which has some troubleshooting tips.

With AirPlay, you can wirelessly stream videos, music, and photos from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to Apple TV (2nd generation) and stream music to AirPlay speakers or receivers, including AirPort Express. You can also wirelessly stream videos and music from your computer to Apple TV (2nd generation) and stream music to AirPlay speakers or receivers, including AirPort Express.

That pretty much tells you what it's all about, but here's a closer look at what you need to know about AirPlay and some tips for getting the most out of it.

Only a limited number of products are currently AirPlay-compatible: Right now, only a handful of products offer AirPlay compatibility (see slideshow, below) and they tend to be fairly expensive. The exception is the Apple TV, which only costs $99, and Apple's AirPort Express (also $99 list). The majority of early AirPlay products are speaker systems, plus a few AV receivers that offer built-in AirPlay support.

AT&T offers new tools for finding lost phones

AT&T announced a new equipment protection plan today that bundles insurance, support, and phone location services for $9.99 per month. Most of the carrier's current handsets (PDF) will be compatible with the AT&T Mobile Protection Pack, though iPhone and iPad users will have to resort to other solutions like Apple's MobileMe and Find My iPhone/iPad.

Customers who sign up for the service will get:

Mobile Insurance (formerly called Wireless Phone Insurance) will replace handsets that disappear through loss or theft, become inoperable through accidental or liquid damage, or suffer from mechanical and … Read more

Nook Color Android app store coming in April along with Flash support

While plenty of people have "rooted" their Nook Colors with custom firmware that allows them to access the Android Market and download applications, most Nook Color buyers have stuck with the official firmware that came with the device. If you're in the latter group, you'll be happy to note that you'll soon have access to Barnes & Noble's version of an app store, which is due to launch in April, according to the HSN Web site, where the Nook is being sold for $299.90.

While the HSN site doesn't offer a specific … Read more

Impressions: Flash 10.2 Beta on Xoom

One of the advantages the Xoom purportedly has over the iPad is its support for Flash. Unfortunately, Flash wasn't available for the Xoom at its release, but as of today it is. We've taken the Flash 10.2 Beta for Xoom for a spin and have lived to tell the tale.

The full Web (?) Motorola states that this update brings "a full Web browsing experience" with it and for the most part that's true, but it really depends on how a full Web browsing experience is defined.

Yes, Flash on the Xoom does offer support … Read more

Ice laptops chill on streets of London

As PR stunts go, this one is pretty cool. So cool, in fact, that it's ice.

Inbay, a new U.K. tech support company, placed ice sculptures of laptops around London today to promote its online and telephone customer support services. Its first walk-in shop has also launched in London's Kingsway.

So where do the frozen laptops come in? Well, Inbay notes that frozen laptops hamper many a worker's productivity. So please stop sticking yours in snowdrifts OK?

The company offers a bunch of basic anti-freeze tips for mobile devices that we probably don't need to tell Crave readers: keep up on software updates; don't toss your clothes on top of fans or air vents; and restart your device once in a while to clear the cache and allow "forgotten" running processes to stop. And, of course, if you're typing on a keyboard made of ice, consider wearing gloves.

PayPal reinstates Bradley Manning support group account

PayPal has unfrozen the account of a group helping to raise funds to defend U.S. Army Pfc. Bradley Manning, who has been charged with leaking classified files to WikiLeaks.

Accused of punitively banning the account of Courage to Resist, the mobile payment company said in a blog post yesterday that the move was instead triggered because the group had not complied with PayPal policy requiring nonprofits to associate a bank account with their PayPal accounts. Though PayPal said it typically doesn't comment on such matters, it felt it needed to clear the record in this case.

On Wednesday, … Read more

Ads in iPhone/iPad games getting too intrusive?

The other day I downloaded Pik Pok's Flick Kick Field Goal Kickoff for the iPad. The description said something about it being a "free app of the day," so I thought I was getting a paid app for free.

Low and behold, after about 5 minutes of playing the game, a time out was called on the field, and a somewhat surreal video popped up on the screen advertising the Swiffer floor-cleaning system, complete with women in mud suits and Heart's "What About Love" playing in the background. (see the full ad here).

The … Read more