We love Facebook pranks as much as the next guys, but not when it's coming from an anonymous source at Best Buy. As if we needed another reason not to step foot in the big blue retailer, we read this story about a Best Buy employee that posted a phony Facebook status update on a customer's phone. The message declared, "I am gay, I'm coming out," but there's one problem: the customer is straight.… Read more
Every weekday afternoon, CNET Update delivers the top tech stories of the day. The show keeps a close eye on emerging trends, hot devices and new apps. And it's all in less than three minutes.
In today's show, Microsoft's got the hots for Nook, LG has its head in the cloud, and we're battling pigs in space! (space! space! space!):
Microsoft is investing $300 million in a new Barnes & Noble subsidiary that will handle digital and college business. With this investment, expect the Nook to become a stronger player against the Kindle and iPad.
A … Read more
Rovio's success with the Angry Birds franchise continues to impress.
The development firm announced today that Angry Birds Space, which is currently sitting atop Apple's App Store, has hit 50 million downloads in just 35 days of availability. According to Rovio, the feat has made the game the "fastest-growing mobile game" ever released, and has broken all sales records set by previous Angry Birds iterations.
"We extend our deepest gratitude to all fans of Angry Birds everywhere," the company wrote in a blog post today. "While numbers like this certainly say something about … Read more
Angry Birds players tend to skew Republican, while Words with Friends players tend to make more money.
That's according to a recent study by JumpTap, which provides targeted mobile advertising and collects trending data.
Another finding: the new iPad has exceeded sales expectations, even if its traffic levels are lower than prior versions of Apple's hit tablet.
The results -- particularly from the mobile games -- provide some interesting insight into the patterns and preferences of players. Words with Friends players are more likely to have an annual income over $100,000 and tend to use smartphones. Angry … Read more
If Google's April Fools' Day reimagining of its Maps service for the Nintendo Entertainment System didn't provide you with enough retro absurdity for one week, check out Dutch Web editor Jo Luijten's take on an '80s-era Twitter.
The video, which appeared on YouTube recently, is just one of several such clips Luijten has posted that mash up iconic Web 2.0 products and services with outmoded OSes, interfaces, and other technologies. (We've embedded a few below.)
In addition to Twitter, Luijten -- who's also behind a "funny jokes and frivolities" Web site called Squirrel-Monkey.com and a very serious organization called the International Guild of DOS Users (the FAQ is good for a chuckle or two) -- has also conjured up an '80s version of Angry Birds and a '90s take on Facebook. And he beat Google to the punch by whipping up a look at an '80s incarnation of the company's search engine.… Read more
Links from Monday's episode of Loaded:
1.5M card numbers compromised Comcast, Time Warner don't allow access to HBO Go on Xbox and Roku Free Photoshop CS6 preview Angry Birds cartoon series Developer defends Girls Around Me app Subscribe: iTunes (MP3) | iTunes (320x180) | iTunes (HD) | RSS (MP3) | RSS (320x180) | RSS HDThe story of Angry Birds is coming to a little screen and big screen near you.
The wildly popular game is being turned into an animated series expected to debut this fall, game developer Rovio said at the MIPTV conference in Cannes, France.
"We're going to roll out a weekly animation series later this year of shortform content," Rovio's head of animation, Nick Dorra, said, according to a Guardian account. The 52 episodes will each last about three minutes and be available on a variety of devices.
Dorra also confirmed that an Angry Birds movie is … Read more
CNET editors Lynn La and Eric Franklin join us to dish on tablets, ICS updates, and apps on one of our roughest shows to date!
Subscribe: iTunes (MP3) | iTunes (320x180) | iTunes (640x360) | RSS (MP3) | RSS (320x180) | RSS (640x360) EPISODE 91NEWS:
-Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 review
-Possible Nexus Tablet giveaway at Google IO?
-Rumor: Jelly Bean coming in Q3?
-AT&T announces slew of other devices getting ICS update
-Samsung, LG not done with 3D yet
-BlueStacks beta is out, and it puts Android apps on your Windows computer
Angry Birds maker Rovio has added another studio to its lineup.
The Finnish company announced today that it's bought Futuremark Games Studio, the gaming unit of benchmarking software developer Futuremark. Creating games for a variety of platforms, Futuremark Games Studio has developed such titles as Unstoppable Gorg, Hungribles, and Shattered Horizon.
"They are an incredibly talented and experienced team, and we are thrilled to have them on board," Mikael Hed, Rovio Entertainment's CEO, said in a statement. "Rovio's success is founded on the excellence of our team, and Futuremark Games Studio is going to … Read more
Enthusiasm for Rovio's raging avians and their bacon-flavored baddies is apparently not on the wane.
The new space-faring Angry Birds sequel Angry Birds Space has been downloaded an astronomical 10 million times in less than three days, according to the game's official Twitter account.
The Angry Birds Space app sees the Angry Birds leaving orbit to battle the egg-thieving pigs in gravity-bending circumstances.
Read more of "Angry Birds Space downloaded 10m times in under 72 hours" at Crave UK.… Read more
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