Tumblr for Windows Phone Now Available

Tumblr released an official Windows Phone application on Tuesday, which is great news for those of us who have been trying to find a decent alternative. The application allows you to “post anything from anywhere,” including quotes, links, photos, text, chats and videos. You can also use the app to browse other Tumblr sites that you follow.

The company said that you’ll be able to find new content, share your own, switch between dashboard mode and Explore mode with a swipe across the screen, view GIFs right in your news feed and more. New images from your dashboard will show up on a live tile and can be set to appear on your lockscreen as well.

Tumblr for Windows Phone is free and is available now.

[Source: TechnoBuffalo]

Volkswagen iBeetle integrates the iPhone through a dock, an app... and that's it

Many see Apple and Volkswagen as two peas in a pod given their similar marketing, even if previous talk of collaborations amounted to little more than speculation. That purported dream team will soon become real through the iBeetle, an adaptation of the modern VW Bug designed with a little help from Apple. Don't get your hopes up for a tie-in on the level of VW's iPad-friendly Bulli concept, however. The integration mostly amounts to an iPhone dock as well as a car-optimized iOS app that can play music, read messages aloud, take photos and augment the instrument cluster. It's a solid idea, especially when a large number of us already use our smartphones this way, but it isn't very adventurous -- the iPhone won't coordinate extensively with the center stack, unlike smartphone-aware infotainment platforms such as GM's MyLink or Ford Sync. We'd still take a close look at the iBeetle when coupe and convertible models reach US dealerships in early 2014, but it may be best for those already bent on getting somefahrvergnügen from their next ride.

[Source: Engadget]

Twitter narrows TweetDeck AIR and mobile app shutdowns to May 7th

Twitter has been warning for weeks that it would shut down TweetDeck's AIR and mobile apps sometime in early May, but it didn't say exactly when loyalists would finally have to move on. The company now has a firm date: May 7th. In just over two weeks, Twitter will both pull the apps from their respective stores and stop existing installs from working as the service's version 1.0 API rides into the sunset. While the persisting native and web-based desktop apps will lessen some of the sting, we'd suggest that you pay your last respects if you have fond memories of TweetDeck's early apps.

[Source: Engadget]

LinkedIn ovehauls its iPhone app in version 6.0

The universal iOS LinkedIn app has been updated to version 6.0. The update brings a dramatic overhaul to the iPhone app, plus bug fixes and improved performance on the iPad.

According to the LinkedIn Blog, the iPhone app has a new interface, which makes using the app a lot easier to navigate and interact with. Now users can invite, follow, like, share and comment on content directly from the update stream, which is now the center of the app.

One particular new feature adds shortcuts to the new navigation area, accessed with a swipe to the right from the main homepage. This makes it quicker to get to certain features of LinkedIn, like connections or who's viewed your profile.

Finally, the app allows users to follow Influencers, and has added Dutch and Norwegian language support.

To celebrate the launch of the new app, LinkedIn has put together a video demonstrating the iPhone app in action. TheLinkedIn app is available now as a free download from the iOS App Store.

[Source: TUAW]

Facebook hires former Apple executive and iOS 6 Maps lead Richard Williamson

Bloomberg reported late on Tuesday thatFacebook recently hired former Apple executive Richard Williamson as a manager in its mobile software group.

A 10 year Apple veteran, Williamson previously served as Apple's Director of iOS Software, a fact which serves to explain the hiring given Facebook's aggressive new push in the mobile space.

While at Apple, Williams oversaw the development of Apple's homegrown Maps app, which, if you recall, debuted to much controversy with the release of iOS 6. Williamson was ultimately shown the door this past November when Eddy Cue decided to shake up Apple's Maps team.

As for Facebook becoming a haven for former Apple employees, news of Williamson's hiring came shortly after it was revealed that the social networking giant had lured former Apple engineer and famed Tweetie inventor Loren Brichter into the Facebook mix.

The fact that Brichter is "helping" out at Facebook is particularly noteworthy because he's an iOS developer legend, of sorts. While he may not be a mainstream name outside of the tech world, his original Tweetie app set a new bar for what Twitter clients could and should be, both in terms of usability and aesthetic design. He's also credited with creating, or at the very least popularizing, common app features such as 'pull to refresh' and the 'cell swipe'.

Perhaps fittingly, word of Brichter's new place of employ first surfaced via a tweet from Mike Matas, a user interface designer at Facebook who previously spent 4 years at Apple working on UI features for a number of Mac and iOS apps.

Bloomberg adds:

Other former Apple employees brought in by Zuckerberg include Greg Novick, a former iPhone manager who helped develop the device's touch interface; Mike Matas and Kimon Tsinteris, software designers who joined when Facebook acquired their company Push Pop Press; and software engineers Scott Goodson, Tim Omernick and Chris Tremblay.

With the recent release of Facebook Home, we now have a clearer idea as to why Facebook has been so keen on snatching up companies and individuals with expertise in mobile software design. That said, the fact that a number of former Apple engineers and designer are now making their way over to Facebook isn't all that surprising. If anything, it underscores Facebook's commitment to deliver a grade-A experience in the mobile space, current reviews of Facebook Home notwithstanding.

[Source: TUAW]

YouTube App for iOS Now Supports Live Streaming

Google on Monday updated its Youtube app for iOS to version 1.3, which allows users to watch live streams right from their mobile device. Many users might be asking themselves where this was over the weekend, when YouTube was streaming Coachella, but better late than never. Right? There’s always next year, and plenty of other events this year when the new functionality will come in handy.

In addition to the headlining feature, the updated YouTube app also introduces minor fixes, including a My Subscriptions feed and support for queuing up videos for TV playback. Of course, the typical performance enhancements are also included in the update, too.

Ever since YouTube was booted from iOS, the app hasn’t exactly been a favorite standalone offering. And while there are alternatives out there, Google is at least slowly unraveling an experience on a par to what it offers on Android.

[Source: TechnoBuffalo]

Spotify Expanding to More Markets Later This Week

Spotify will expand its reach to eight other countries as early as tomorrow, according to sources familiar with the company’s plans. CNET on Monday first reported the possible growth, saying the on-demand subscription-based service could arrive in Mexico, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, the Baltics and Iceland.

As other big companies look to introduce streaming services of their own—Apple, Googleand Amazon, just to name a few—expansion will be key to Spotify’s increasing popularity. As of March, the company said it was servicing over 24 million active users, 6 million of whom were paying subscribers. With such a solid on-demand model, some would say better than Pandora’s automated service, Spotify has become one of the fastest-growing digital music companies ever, CNET said.

Since launching in 2008, Spotify has garnered a reputation for paying labels some pretty healthy returns—the service pays 70 percent of every dollar it makes. That puts the service right behind iTunes for label revenue. With such an enormous presence, the likelihood of securing more and better deals will only go up. And, thus, more expansion.

With so many other companies attempting to enter into the crowded streaming music scene, Spotify is further pulling ahead as the defacto choice. For anyone in any of the eight new markets, enjoy.

[Source: TechnoBuffalo]

Skype 2.5 update for Windows Phone 8 sheds the preview label

Despite steadily advancing in version numbers, Skype for Windows Phone 8 has remained in a preview state for the past few months. It's time for the app to enter the big leagues with its 2.5 update. The release is the first to drop the preview tag, mostly by fixing notable bugs with both video geometry as well as crashes when signing in with a Microsoft account. Frequent chatters may like that message notifications for Messenger friends are now active by default. There is one word of warning for HTC 8X owners: they'll need the latest firmware to avoid a flaw that silences the microphone. Provided that's no obstacle, though, we'd suggest swinging by the Windows Phone Store if you're at all interested in Microsoft's official mobile VoIP suite.

[Source: Engadget]

YouTube for iOS gets a major update

The YouTube iOS app was updated today to version 1.3, adding a variety of new and improved features.

According to the update notes listed in the App Store, version 1.3 brings these new features:

• Quick access to new uploads for subscriptions via "My Subscriptions" feed on the Guide.
• Access to Live streams.
• Queue up videos to play on TV.
• One Channel branding for video creator channels.
• Stability and performance improvements.

This is the first major update to the YouTube app since the end of February, when Send to TV and the ability to record and upload video via YouTube Capture were added.

Access to live streams and better branding for creators means YouTube is an even more attractive destination for content creators.

[Source: TUAW]

Lightroom 5 beta available to the public

Adobe today announced the release of the Lightroom 5 beta for Mac and Windows. Lightroom is Adobe's photo-management and post-production software that competes directly with Apple's Aperture. The beta is free to download, but users should be aware that its use -- like all betas -- could vary and you should not use it with photo libraries that you do not have backed up.

Here's a list of the major new features, as reported on the Adobe Labs blog:

• Advanced Healing Brush – Easily remove objects and fix defects -- even those with irregular shapes such as threads or lint -- with a single brush stroke. Take precise control over what's being removed as you make unwanted objects just disappear.
• Upright – Straighten tilted images with a single click. Upright analyzes images and detects skewed horizontal or vertical lines. You choose one of four correction methods, and Upright can even straighten images where the horizon is hidden.
• Radial Gradient – Lead your viewer's eye through your images with more flexibility and control. The radial gradient tool lets you create off-center vignette effects, or multiple vignette areas within a single image.
• Offline editing with Smart Previews – Easily work with images without bringing your entire library with you. Just generate smaller stand-in files called Smart Previews. Make adjustments or metadata additions to Smart Previews and your changes will be automatically applied to the full-size originals later.
• Video slideshow sharing – Easily share your work in elegant video slideshows. Combine still images, video clips and music in creative HD videos that can be viewed on almost any computer or device.
• Improved photo book creation – Create beautiful photo books from your images. Lightroom includes a variety of easy-to-use book templates, and now you can edit them to create a customized look. Upload your book for printing with just a few clicks.

[Source: TUAW]

Apple could face 'legal undertakings' in UK over in-app purchases

Remember the UK police officer who reported his son to authorities for fraud after the 13-year-old ran up a US$5,600 bill for in-app purchases on the iOS App Store?

That kind of unexpected consumer cost has thrown the UK Office of Fair Trading (OFT) into a tizzy, and they've announced that they'll be starting a six-month investigation into whether children are being "unfairly pressured or encouraged to pay for additional content in 'free' web- and app-based games."

Our sister site TechCrunch confirmed that the OFT is contacting Apple and Google; not surprising, as the companies run the two largest app stores, but it's not clear whether either company could be held responsible for the actions of individual developers who abuse IAPs. While Google Play includes guidelines for developers and reserves the right to remove apps that abuse them, it does not review / approve individual apps for compliance in advance; Apple's App Store, of course, does approve or reject apps prior to release.

When the investigation is completed, the OFT could seek "legal undertakings from court" if it is displeased with the results. An OFT spokesperson told TechCrunch that companies ignoring court directions could face "an unlimited fine."

The OFT Senior Director for Goods and Consumer, the implausibly-named Cavendish Elithorn, noted in a statement that "The OFT is not seeking to ban in-game purchases, but the games industry must ensure it is complying with the relevant regulations so that children are protected. We are speaking to the industry and will take enforcement action if necessary."

Neither Google nor Apple have replied to TechCrunch with regard to the investigation.

[Source: TUAW]

New Office for Mac to Come Next Spring, Office for iOS Not Arriving Until Fall 2014?

ZDNet has shared a roadmap it received from a source who claims it is the timetable for Microsoft's plans for both the Mac and iOS versions of Office.

The map says a new version of Office for Mac will arrive in April 2014, while the long rumored Microsoft Office for iOS and Android will arrive next Autumn, in October 2014.

I do not know how old this purported roadmap is, but my contact indicated it was likely current as of the start of 2013. I asked Microsoft Office officials for comment on the alleged roadmap, but they declined to do so.

The most recent report, from this past December, suggested that Apple and Microsoft were in negotiations over revenue share as part of Microsoft's Office 365 subscription service that launched in January. Apple wants the standard 70/30 split in revenue that is part of its developer license agreement for every developer.

Microsoft itself has leaked references to Office Mobile for iPhone, Excel for iPad, and PowerPoint for iPad, making clear that Microsoft does have iOS versions in the works.

[Source: MacRumors]