IPhone game turns ordinary into fantastic

When what you can see with your own eyes isn’t interesting enough, there’s always augmented reality. Sure, Boston Common has an excellent playground, paddle boats, an ice rink for cheap dates, and sprawling meadows for rallies. But where are the dragons, fairies, and genies?The Hidden Park (www.thehiddenpark.com) brings these fantastic creatures to your iPhone camera’s view of the Common. For me, a guy who failed to plan anything for my 6-year-old, Maeve, this summer, the game will help keep her...

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How Many Facebook Users Will Go Public?

By JanoMarketers trying to horn in on the conversations happening on the Web are paying closer attention to what many consider the ultimate prize: Facebook's user profiles.On June 24, Facebook began testing a feature that lets users share their updates with the public—not just members they've deemed "friends." Each time a user provides an answer to Facebook's profile-page question "What's on your mind?," Facebook's software asks who may be allowed to see it. For instances when "everyone" is chosen,...

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Microsoft to charge Europeans double for Windows 7

European customers will pay up to twice as much for Windows 7 compared to U.S. users, even though the new operating system will ship without a browser in Europe, according to Microsoft.When the company launches Windows 7 on Oct. 22, it will price Windows 7 Home Premium, likely the most popular of the three editions available at retail, at €119.99 in the European Union (EU) and charge £79.99 in the U.K., an EU member that has retained its own currency. Those prices are the equivalent to $168.66 and...

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Private updates on Facebook

By JanoFACEBOOK is testing new privacy controls that will allow the online hangout's roughly 200 million users to decide who should see each of their personal updates.In a Wednesday announcement, Facebook said the option will enable users to customise their postings for specific groups of friends.For instance, a person may want to share certain things - like how they're feeling about the weather - with everyone while limiting the audience able to read other developments - like a wild night of partying.Some...

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Sat, Jun 27, 2009 Google Android, Mobile Phone, Rumors HTC Hero on Sprint?Hot for the new HTC Hero Android phone and living in the US? Well, here’

HTC Hero on Sprint?Hot for the new HTC Hero Android phone and living in the US? Well, here’s a new rumor that might be of interest to you. Word is that Sprint is testing out the HTC Hero suggesting its possible debut on the US carrier later this year. If that doesn’t manage to get you excited, this next one should. In addition to the HTC Hero, talk is that they’re also trying out a CDMA/WiMAX capable Samsung Android phone. We’re sure if this will be a completely new model or just an enhanced version,...

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Help Us Test Google’s Hearing

I gave the voice-mail transcription feature in Google Voice a spin this week. How well does it work? Read on, and then help us give it a few more spins.Google Voice Google Voice, an elaborate tool for managing phone calls and such, is finally opening up to new users. Voice-mail transcription is one of its most intriguing features. When someone leaves you a message in your Google Voice mailbox, Google’s systems attempt to work out what it says and then send you an e-mail transcript. There are other...

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China accuses Google of spreading pornography

China's government on Thursday accused Google Incorporated of spreading pornography after Chinese internet users were temporarily unable to gain access to the US search giant's main website or China-based service."We have found that the English version of google.com has spread lots of pornographic, lewd and vulgar content, which is in serious violation of Chinese laws and regulations," said foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang.He said authorities "summoned representatives of Google.com in China and...

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SlashGear Week in Review – Week 26 2009

It has been an eventful week in the geek world with all sorts of new products and important announcements turning up for the first time. The big story of the week was the launch of the iPhone 3GS last Friday. Word came on Monday that the 3GS sold a whopping 1 million units in its first three days of availability. Unfortunately, for some users, it took them an extra three days just to get their shiny new iPhone 3GS activated. Despite the fact that activation failures were on AT&T’s side of the...

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Windows 7 pricing announced 25.06.2009

As Microsoft announced the pricing for the forthcoming Windows 7 operating system (OS), it gave news that apart from the full packaged product, customers would also be offered a lower-priced 'Upgrade' version. Europe will technically be excluded from this offering, but will still benefit from the savings it brings.While Windows 7 Home Premium (Full) will retail at US$199.99, the Home Premium (Upgrade) costs US$80 less at US$119.99 and is available for those with an existing Vista or XP Windows licence.Brad...

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Apple's iPhone 3.0 firmware upgrade brings powerful features

The iPhone 3.0 update to Apple's smartphone operating system delivers a raft of dazzling new features, including copy and paste, Spotlight search, and user-interface refinements. The Apple nerdosphere had a meltdown Wednesday, when Apple released Version 3.0 of its iPhone firmware. Breathless, sweaty fanboys and girls filled Twitter with messages describing in excruciating detail how they were downloading and installing the software.I know all this because I was one of the nerdiest, most breathless,...

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Zune HD is powered by Nvidia Tegra

In April, the rumors about the Zune HD were plentiful and very interesting. Among them was one that suggested the device would be powered by Nvidia's Tegra chipset. This rumor kept coming up every few weeks or so, but no one could get official confirmation from Microsoft. However, during podcast number 24 of the Zune Insider, Matt Akers, Software Development Engineer in Test, finally gave the official statement that many have been waiting for. We actually wanted to confirm something. There's...

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Google to step up anti-porn efforts in China

Google Inc. said Friday that it was working to block pornography reaching users of its Chinese service after a mainland watchdog found the search engine turned up large numbers of links to obscene and vulgar sites.Google said in a statement that company officials had met government representatives "to discuss problems with the Google.cn service and its serving of pornographic images and content based on foreign language searches."We have been continually working to deal with pornographic content...

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How Apple, AT&T Are Closing the Mobile Web

by JanoA growing chorus claims that Apple’s questionable approval policy for its iPhone application store raises issues with net neutrality.Free Press, a group that advocates the idea of an open internet — that is, one in which consumers have the right to browse the web and run internet applications without restrictions — is the latest of several organizations to call out Apple for its inconsistencies. Free Press alleges that Apple crippled SlingPlayer, a TV-streaming application for iPhone, so...

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T-Mobile plans July launch of new Google phone

By JanoFollowing huge introductions of the Palm Pre and new iPhone 3G S, T-Mobile on Monday announces July availability of MyTouch 3G, the second phone on Google's Android operating system.It's the first of 18 new Google-powered phones coming worldwide by the end of the year, Google says, declining to provide specifics. Tech and telecom analysts expect Sprint to have an Android phone by year's end.T-Mobile has sold 1 million of its first-generation Google phone, the G1. That's tepid compared with...

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