Google launches web app for Google Music beta

Google Music Beta has been out for awhile now, and so far only Android users have been able to use the service on their mobile devices. Well, it looks like that restriction is now over. Google has officially announced the launch of the web app version of Google Music Beta which can be accessed from iOS devices. I haven’t had the chance to try it out yet, but from reports online, it sure looks promising.
Users can control their music using the web interface that features swiping gestures and buttons. When users exit Safari, the iOS music controls can also be used to control the music. There’s no official word on whether a native app is going to appear for the platform, but with web apps this functional, it’s hard to see the need for it. How many of you have tried out the Google Music Beta web app yet? Just head over to the Google Music Beta site from your iOS device to give it a shot.

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Vestel delivers Android gaming to your living room

Granted, if you want a true blue gaming experience in your living room, either you go with a desktop computer that has been rigged out, or you might want to settle for a home console instead. Games on the smartphone platform just do not quite make the cut IMHO, as they are more or less casual fodder to kill a few minutes of your time – epic gaming on smartphones are still far and few in between, which made me wonder how come Vestel intends to deliver Android games to your TV – is there something else they know that we don’t?
I suppose it is too early to judge whether Vestel’s offerings will be able to live up to expectations of hardcore gamers, but Vestel did describe their service to be “the world’s first all-you-can-eat Android TV game subscription service,” where GameTanium will enable Vestel Smart Box set-top box owners to be able to enjoy a slew of games which have been optimized for TV play – and no surprise here, your Android smartphone will then function as a controller.
At least Vestel figured out you might be getting an important phone call while you play, which is why they have paved the way for you to switch between your PC, smartphone, tablet or HDTV seamlessly, continuing where you last left off. [Press Release]

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Asus Eee Slate B121 business tablet

Love getting all dressed up in a suit, and heading off to corporate meetings is your cup of tea? Well, then make sure you have the right kind of tablet device to go along with you, and an iPad is way too casual, while the BlackBerry PlayBook does have an air of authority, the lack of decent apps have proved to be its Achilles’ Heel. Hopefully Asus’ latest Eee Slate B121 business tablet will not suffer from that fate, as it intends to deliver power, portability and security features in a single device, targeting businesses, health care facilities, and other institutions as the market of choice.
You will not find Android running here, but rather, the Intel Core i5-470UM processor will be there to keep a copy of the Windows 7 Professional operating system chugging along nicely, delivering PC-like performance on-the-go. The clever use of an ultra-low voltage Intel Core i5 processor allows the B121 to remain a mere 0.67” thin, tipping the scales at only 2.56 lbs.

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BlackBerry Curve 9350 reportedly delayed until October

Sprint is moving the launch of the BlackBerry Curve 9350 smartphone back by a month, according to Phone Arena’s sources. The company has reportedly sent out an internal memo to employees informing them of the change of plans.
RIM unveiled the BlackBerry Curve 9350 in August this year and the phone was set to be launched on Friday. The phone has a non-touchscreen 2.44-inch screen with a resolution of 360×480 pixels and a 5-megapixel camera. It is expected to be priced at $80 with a two-year contract with Sprint. The memo seems to have given no reason for the delay.Engadget

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iPhone 5: First Screenshot? [Update: Hoax]

Update: Apparently this is a semi-elaborate hoax being perpetrated by a gentleman named Richard Windmann of Fort Worth, Texas. He's reportedly been attempting to trick numerous publications with this false story and image. Thanks to the team at MacRumors for the heads up.

This is a screenshot taken from the About screen of an iPhone 5, according to someone who claims to have access to a testing unit of the unannounced handset. The most notable aspect of this image is the alleged storage capacity: it would seem to confirm that the next iPhone will have at least 64GB of flash NAND. However, an even more interesting claim is being made of which there is no proof: the iPhone 5 is said to eschew the iconic hardware home button for a virtual one which appears onscreen.

This configuration apparently allows for a larger screen, although no specific dimensions were given. The unit in question is, naturally, described as being black, and it's not clear if there would be other colors available. The screenshot shows the latest build of iOS 5 (beta 7), although obviously this sort of image is trivial to fake.

There are, however, still more questions than answers at this point.

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Android phones to be used to as wearable computers for the US Army

The Army has a program called Nett Warrior and that was to allow a solider to be equipped with advanced technology that could help them in the heat of battle.  Some mentioned that a smartphone could do the trick and a couple of months ago it seemed that the Army was not going to be talking about smartphones within the program.  All that has changed since the Army has put the program on hold as they decide whether or not the smartphone could provide the same technology as the eight pounds of equipment that was first lined up for the soldiers.  A smartphone weighing just ounces could be a big relief to those on the battlefield provided it can give the same assistance.
Google’s Android operating system is going to get a little boost in market share as the Army has mentioned they want the smartphones that are part of the program to be powered by Android.  At this point about a year ago, other companies were trying to get designs together for the Army that included mapping tools, eye displays and radios that included more than enough cable.  Granted, there are plenty of requirements for a smartphone to take the place of a lot of other equipment.  Not to mention that soldiers go places where there is little to no cell tower reception.  Other than having to tap into the Army battle network wirelessly, tether to radio’s via USB, but other features like GPS, a compass and light sensors are already standard features on most smartphones.
Touch screen devices are going to have to be receptive of fire retardant gloves, dust storms and other wet conditions.  Most rugged smartphones can already provide this type of technology and others would just have to be changed a little bit to comply with that.
The incoming Chief of Staff will have to decide whether a smartphone will become a standard piece of equipment for soldiers and in that respect there is less need for the Nett Warrior separately.  With the Army about to open their own app store soon, it would only make sense that they get a smartphone as part of the normal equipment for those on the battlefield.

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Google`s Zagat Acquisition Supports Future Growth: 10 Reasons Why

For those unfamiliar with Zagat, the company publishes a highly respected restaurant guide that includes ratings of restaurants around the world. Zagat has become an authoritative online resource for diners and travelers. This also makes it one of the premier content creators on the Web.

It’s that last element that makes this move most surprising. Over the years, Google has been a place for folks to find content from other sources. Now, Google has set about acquiring content such as Zagat’s rather than concentrating on cataloguing the world’s Web content with its search engine or building online services such as Google Maps or Google Apps in-house.

That shift is just one of the many things that Google’s acquisition of Zagat says about the search giant. For years, Google had been viewed as a singular entity operating mainly in search and advertising. But over the last several years, it has expanded rapidly. And now, Google is looking like a much different firm than it once was.

The Zagat acquisition is a clear demonstration that major changes are afoot at Google.

Read on to find out what Google’s Zagat buy says about the search giant.

1. Google: the content creator?

Google has long been a place for users to find other content. But with Zagat now a part of its operation, all that has changed. Google is now a content creator and that could very well mean that the search giant will look elsewhere to deliver original content especially when that content ties into its local advertising strategy. Over the next several months and years, look for Google to break out of its restraints and start offering original content in a big way.

2. It cares deeply about local

Over the last year or so, Google has made it abundantly clear that it believes local services are important to the Web user. The company’s search is perfect proof of that. But with this latest Zagat acquisition, Google is showing that it cares far more deeply about hyper-local content than many thought. Zagat is an ideal local platform, and it’s something that Google can use to bolster its own plans for the future of localized content.

3. Competitors beware

There is a backdrop to the Zagat acquisition. Earlier this year, Yelp complained that Google was using its user reviews and not linking back to its service. In response, Google removed external links from Places. Now, Google has a competitor of Yelp’s in Zagat. If that doesn’t say everything about Google’s mentality when it comes to competition, what does? Simply put, if competitors don’t like what Google is up to, they can either hope to be acquired or face its wrath.

4. Google will spend money

Google has already spent boatloads of cash this year. The company acquired IBM patents for a large sum, and then announced recently that it will buy Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion. There’s even speculation it might acquire Hulu. All that, plus the Zagat acquisition, seems to indicate Google is more than willing to spend its cash.

5. The Web still matters

Much of the talk surrounding Google as of late has related to the company’s Android mobile platform. And when it announced its acquisition of Motorola Mobility, some wondered if the mobile space was Google’s new focus. Now it’s clear that Google will continue to develop its business interests on multiple fronts. The Web is still vastly important to Google and that won’t change no matter how popular Android becomes.

6. Google wants to be a destination

Over the years, Google’s search has been a middleman of sorts. People go to the search page to find the location of another site that they want to get to as quickly as possible. But now, with Zagat’s help, it appears Google wants to be a destination for users. No longer does it simply want to help people go places; it now wants to be a company that people turn to and spend time sifting through its content. It’s an interesting shift.

7. Search as the backdrop

In the coming months, look for Google to make Zagat’s reviews a cornerstone of its local-search option. Although Google is apparently looking elsewhere to expand its business, search is still vastly important to the company. And bolstering that service as much as possible is still paramount in its plans. By acquiring Zagat, Google is showing that. And users, hoping to get better content in the company’s search, will benefit.

8. Advertising as the kicker

If search is integral to Google’s business, advertising is what keeps the company ticking. Advertising has long been Google’s chief revenue generator and with this new Zagat purchase Google get’s to own an entirely new advertising venue. Thanks to its hyper-local content, Zagat seems like the perfect platform to expand Google’s advertising efforts. Shareholders hoping to see a positive return on the Zagat investment, could start to see that in the next few quarters.

9. Expect Android to play a role

Although Google is really only talking about its local services right now, don’t be surprised if Zagat reviews find their way to Android in some way, as well. Google has proven as of late that the combination of Android and its online services is something that it wants to further exploit. It will likely do that again with the help of Zagat’s services.

10. Google will keep growing

If nothing else, Google’s acquisition of Zagat proves that the company is ready and willing to continue growing. Google long ago moved past its search roots. Now, the company is key player in advertising, a mobile OS soon to be a handset maker. It’s also a cloud-services provider and a software developer. Google is simply a giant. All of these assets are only going to help Google keep on getting bigger.

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iBall Slide Android Tablet has Ports Galore and a $300 pricetag

If there’s one sort of device that we’ve over this past year come to find we’re in no shortage of, it’s Android “tablets”. I put quotation marks around that word because as Android evolves and groups like Samsung bring out devices that bridge the gap, the word “tablet” will be used less and less by publishers while “Android device” used in a general sense will become much more likely a term for news releases. What we’ve got here, before that wave covers us all, is an Android device which has a 7-inch display, runs Android 2.3.x Gingerbread, and has about as many ports as you could ask for along the side.

This device might look familiar if you’re the sort of person that believes in the aspect-ratio-means-copying sort of position many manufacturers are finding themselves the victim of in court cases over patents lately, but when you take a look at the odd features here and there, you may well have the most awesome little do-it-all device yet to come out of manufacturer iBall. Actually since iBall’s only device even close to this Android tablet is the odd digital note taker “TakeNote” and they’ve had no Android devices before this, this certainly IS their greatest Android effort to date.
This device features 8GB built-in storage, a 2 megapixel front-facing camera, USB host port, HDMI output (full sized port), miniUSB, headphone jack, power jack, and a port we can’t quite get a good enough look at to confirm. It’s also got the ability to work with microSD cards, has a pretty decent sized 4400 mAh battery under the hood, and it supports 3G via USB dongle – strange for the USA, but right at home in its release country of India. This device also has Bluetooth of some sort and Wi-fi capability.
The iBall Slide is priced at 13,995 INR ($305 approx) and will hit the Indian market soon. Like many international Android devices, it’s unlikely that you’ll have the Android market on this device out of the box, and this is not by any means the only “affordable” Android tablet on the Indian market, either. Our source for this tablet release lets us know, as they are in the know, that the following names make up the whole “affordable Android tablets” market in India at the moment: Reliance 3G Tab, Beetel Magiq, Magnum Pepper Tablet PC and the Mercury mTab.
What awesome names!
[via Gigjets]

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Alarm.com app updated, includes Push Notifications in newest release

If there’s one thing that every single smartphone (and ever modern cellphone, for that matter) should have, it’s an alarm system. Even though some may contend that the ability make and receive telephone calls may be paramount, you’ve still got to be awake to talk. There’s an app out there made by Alarm.com that, now that it’s updated, will solve all of your waking up in the morning needs – but more than that, and actually more primary than that, you’ve now got the ability to get information on your kids arriving home from school, floods in your basement, a certain dangerous cabinet in your kitchen being opened, and just about any other needing-alert sort of thing you can imagine!

What you’ve got here is an app that works with your Alarm.com home security system which, if you’re in to keeping your self and family safe, can be a pretty big deal. An app of this magnitude must be both simple and perfectly well-working, and as Alarm.com knows, one mix-up can result in not only a lost customer, but perhaps a lost life as well. Thusly this app must be tight, and with their newest update it must be even tighter, as version 1.3.4 will now push out notifications actively even when the app itself is not open and running.
Your updates will now come, as expected, in real time and will not affect text message counts or rely on your carrier’s messaging gateway in the least. You can use this app for any of the following situations, should you desire. Find out when, as Alarm.com puts it,

• The kids get home from school.
• The handyman arrives and leaves.
• A water leak erupts in the basement.
• The garage door is left open.
• The liquor, gun or medicine cabinet opens.
• The pool gate is left open.
• Someone forgot to turn off the lights.
• The system was disarmed (and by whom)

You’ll be able to work with any and all of the following features as well, for those of you unfamiliar with the Alarm.com system:

• Check on system status and motion activity at your property.
• Remotely arm or disarm your system.
• Watch live video feeds and view stored clips.
• Access a complete, searchable history of system and alarm events.
• Change your thermostat settings.
• Control the lights at your property.
• Remotely lock and unlock doors.

Sound like the situation for you? Find out everything you need to know from Alarm.com and download the official app from the Android Market!
[via AndroidGuys]
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