Disney Publishing Worldwide announced a pair of iOS apps scheduled for release next month (Feb. 2012) that tell the origin stories of Marvel Comics’ Hulk and Avengers. The apps follow the 2011 release of The Amazing Spider-Man: An Origin Story app.
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T-Mobile’s free Bobsled for iOS app was updated a few weeks ago. But, I didn’t notice that it gained the ability to make free voice calls to any landline phone in the U.S., Canada, or Puerto Rico. Fortunately for me Paul Miller at The Verge did and let us know about it.
T-Mobile Bobsled adds free calling for iOS and Android, expands group messaging
I just tested the feature by calling my home phone from an iPad 2. It worked fine.
You can, of course, still make VoIP calls to your Facebook friends without needing any phone number at all.
The first two Windows Phone devices Nokia announced late last year, the Lumia 710 and 800, looked like decent but unexciting phones. The phones were also missing a couple of feature checkboxes including a front-facing camera, NFC and LTE. The first 2012 Lumia model is the 900. How does it fare spec checkbox-wise?
+ 1 megapixel front facing camera
+ LTE (AT&T)
+ 4.3-inch display
+ Gyroscope
+ Two microphones (one presumably for noise cancellation)
It is still missing a couple of features, however.
– No microSIM slot
– No NFC (something Nokia is pushing on its legacy platforms)
It remains to be seen if the 900’s camera matches the spectacular quality of past Nokia (non-Windows Phone based) smartphones or is the so-so quality seen produced by the 710 and 800.
You can find the full Lumia 900 specifications at:
The giant Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is going on this week in Las Vegas. If you’ve ever been in the huge LVCC or any of the hotels, you know that some kind of navigation is a big help. Google announced indoor mapping for the LVCC, airport and some hotels/casinos in Las Vegas. However, this indoor mapping feature is only supported in the Android version of the app. I guess Google’s messages is: If you have an iPhone, get lost! 🙂
Get indoor maps of Las Vegas Casinos, the Convention Center and more
The Google+ 1.0.8.3514 for iOS update released today provides a new photo interface and, more importantly, the ability to start a Google Hangout (multiperson video chat) from the Google+ Messenger module. Tapping the camera icon in a Messenger contact gets things going.
Although the Google+ app is not a universal one, it can run on an iPad. You can see it in the pixel doubled (2x) mode in the screenshot to the left.
I’ve noticed what may be a new mobile meme: The Android Hate Train. It started percolating with complaints about fragmentation, vendors tossing hideous custom interfaces which obscure Google’s own native Android UI, and notes about slowing market growth. TechRepublic posted an item recently that I commented on yesterday.
Why Android tablets failed? Wait a minute…
Now, this piece by venture capitalist Antonio Rodriguez is making the rounds.
Android as we know it will die in the next two years and what it means for you
So, what’s with this Android Hate Train that seems to be gaining steam during CES week? I’ve got my own personal beefs with Android. But, its current market domination can’t be denied. And, it seems like it has enough steam to keep moving forward. Then again, I might have said the same thing about Palm (Palm OS devices, not webOS), Nokia and RIM BlackBerry a few years ago.
Addendum: Here’s another addition for the Android Hate Train from former TechCrunch writer MG Siegler: Why I Hate Android