Archive for April, 2012

RIM confirms side loading apps on the PlayBook will still be available

According to a report on DroidMatters, RIM wants to avoid, what it calls the "chaotic cesspool" of piracy on Android’s Google Play Store (quote from RIM.) They shall will be locking the BlackBerry PlayBook to keep users from being able to side-load Android apps. Alec Saunders, VP of Developer Relations at RIM, announced these plans on Twitter. Mr. Saunders claims, without citing sources, that over 25% of Android device apps are downloaded illegally. RIM plans to create the lock in a future update.
Things have developed now and Mr Saunders has confirmed what direction RIM are taking with side loading apps over on the BlackBerry developer blog.

We’re not getting rid of side-loading on the BlackBerry PlayBook OS or in BlackBerry 10.
Side-loading on our platform is changing in nature. Side-loading is a developer feature. It exists so that developers can load their apps onto their own devices to test. It’s there so developers can send a beta release to their testing community for review. It is definitely not there for some people to side load a pirated app.

What are we doing?
Starting with our next release of the BlackBerry PlayBook OS, we’re introducing a feature that will encrypt apps so they can only be run by the user who purchased the app.

What’s next?
We’re working with you, our developer community, to ensure you can still quickly and easily test your apps on real hardware. That’s one of the reasons we’re kicking off BlackBerry 10 Jam by giving each developer attendee a prototype device to start building on. I’ll be on-hand at the show to answer your questions – look forward to seeing you there.

Let’s Jam.

@asaunders

While it can be argued that there are some piracy issues with Android, the Google Play Store can hardly be called a "chaotic cesspool" by any means.

Posted by: Gareth

Angry Birds Space now available for the BlackBerry PlayBook

Attention PlayBook users. Fear not, Angry Birds Space has arrived. The latest addition that has been so popular on iOS and Android is now available to download. Priced at £5 for us UK users (yes we get ripped off again) the game offers hour upon hour of fun including the following features:

• 60 interstellar levels!
• Regular free updates!
• Brand new birds!
• Brand new superpowers!
• Zero-gravity space adventures!
• Trick shots using planets’ gravity!
• Hidden bonus levels!
• Beautifully detailed backgrounds! 

Posted by: James

Lenovo take us on a tour of the IdeaTab

Lenovo has officially released details on their newest IdeaTab Android tablet: The S2109. You can see the new device in the video below, and it has the following specs:

• 9.7" 4:3 IPS display
• TI OMAP chip
• A microSD slot
• Android 4.0/Ice Cream Sandwich
• Unibody 8.9mm thin shell with gunmetal finish
• 1.3 Megapixel front camera
• SRS Trumedia
• Quad speakers for stronger bass
• Micro-HDMI
• Micro-USB
• 10 hour battery
• 1GB of RAM

They still haven’t released details on pricing or availability, but we will keep you apprised as we find out more. Check out the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=__5DlnyEsy4&noredirect=1

Posted by: Gareth

Facebook acquires Instagram for $1 billion

Instagram’s army of users aren’t the only ones who see value in the popular Instagram app for iOS and Android; Mark Zuckerberg has aptly taken to Facebook to announce Facebook’s purchase of the app. While there are only 6 employees, they’ll be transferring to Facebook for cash and shares in Facebook to the tune of a cool one billion US dollars.

For avid users of Instagram, there’s nothing to worry about just yet – Kevin Systrom, current CEO of Instagram, has said that Facebook will not be the only network to share your photos to. What is likely to happen is for Instagram to integrate to Facebook much more tightly, which sounds good for Facebook users. After hitting 30 million users, Instagram’s growth is only going to get bigger under Facebook’s wing, so whether you love or hate it, chances are you’ll be seeing more Instagrammed photos in your newsfeed.

Post by: Vince

Google glasses spotted

Here’s something you don’t see everyday: one of the co-founders of one of the largest and most influential corporations on the planet out and about using a prototype of one of his companies "pet projects." Apparently, Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google is one of the "beta-testers" of their coolest new project, "Project Glass", aka Google Goggles. Here’s a quote from the Engadget article with some of the details:

Quote:

It would appear company co-founder Sergey Brin already knows, as he was spotted by tech pundits Robert Scoble and Thomas Hawk rocking a prototype at a Dining in the Dark charity event for the Foundation Fighting Blindness. Scoble has already posted a couple of pictures with Brin on Google+, mentioning more photos would be forthcoming from Hawk after the event concluded and that he’d heard other people, including Google exec Vic Gundotra, have the devices already. For now he mentions the glasses appeared to be "self contained" and that he could see a blueish light flashing on Brin’s eyes.

That’s pretty cool! If he can already start testing them in real-world situations, then they may not be too far off from an actual production model after-all. We will keep you apprised of this interesting and evolving tech.

Posted by: Gareth