Microsoft today launched updates for five out of its six Bing Apps for Windows 8. With this update, the News, Finance, Sports, Travel and Maps apps – all of which are installed by default on Windows 8 systems – now all sport a number of new features and improvements that, as Microsoft puts it, “make it easier to customize and personalize them to best suit your needs.” The company also announced an update to the Bing Weather App, but this new version is not available yet.

None of the updates will rock your world, but all of them are welcome additions, especially because they often felt somewhat limited in their early iterations.

Those of you who are still coming to grips with the upcoming demise of Google Reader, for example, will appreciate the fact that the Bing News app now supports RSS feeds and offline reading. In addition, the app now also features more customization options so that you can “keep tabs on specific story categories, topics, or news sources that matter to you.”

The Maps app now includes traffic incident notifications and improved driving, transit and walking directions. Users can also now bookmark locations they visit regularly to their start screen.

The Finance app now includes an updates watch list and real-time U.S. stock updates, and the Sports app adds 29 new leagues. The Travel app now includes content from Lonely Planet and Frodor’s, as well as Frommer’s, which the original owners just bought back from Google.

The Weather app also received a few interesting new tools, including the ability to get weather conditions at ski resorts in 24 countries around the world (just in time for the end of the ski season), as well as better moving weather maps.

Article courtesy of TechCrunch

From Yamtrader to Das Keyboard, the SXSWi trade show floor is a mixed bag. While not everything lent itself to a detail visit with the TCTV camera, we did find a few interesting companies in the mix.

The trade show is an interesting admixture of media companies (WordPress had a nice presence) and apps alongside hardware and software startups. Visiting the trade show is sadly often an afterthought for most of the SXSW crowd – the lines to get into the keynotes are huge this year and you spend most of your time in them – so it was nice to get away from the show floor and see what was up.

I don’t want to add any spoilers but let’s just say we get to meet a few weird characters including the aforementioned yam and a very lost interstellar traveler.

Article courtesy of TechCrunch

Mobile video app Vyclone launched last summer on iOS to enable users to easily create collaborative videos from certain events and locations. It works like this: Users shoot video with the Vyclone app and upload those videos to the cloud. Once that’s done, the app looks for other videos shot nearby and stitches them together automatically, creating elaborate and interesting projects from multiple points of view.

The ideal use case for the technology — and the one which the founders started with — is for enabling users to create videos at concerts and other live events, which take advantage of multiple angles and perspectives. For that reason, artists like Madonna, No Doubt, Jason Mraz, The Jonas Brothers, and Cody Simpson have leveraged Vyclone’s technology to help them create interesting videos shot by their fans.

Now, though, the company wants to make its tech available to even more users, with the rollout of a new Android app. The app will be available on devices running Ice Cream Sandwich or Jelly Bean versions of the mobile OS, and will have a few interesting features just for Android.

For instance, since there are a number of both mobile phones and tablets that run the OS, Vyclone will have specific layouts for each form factor. The app is also orientation-aware, and will have either one, two, or three columns, depending on the screen real estate and how it is being held. The Android app also will provide viewers with information about movies that they are watching, including conversations, contributors that participated, etc. By doing so, the Vyclone team will help users to find others that have collaborated on videos shot in similar locations, and connect with them.

Videos shot in the app are automatically uploaded to the cloud once the device hits a WiFi network, and mixed together with others that were shot in a similar location. The app defaults to 480p video, since different Android devices support different video capture quality.

On a phone call, Vyclone founders Joe Sumner and David King Lassman told me that they knew they needed to be on as many platforms as possible to make its video tools more ubiquitous. Getting on Android will go a long way toward supporting a whole bunch more smartphone users.

Article courtesy of TechCrunch

Google just announced that it is adding a few interesting new features to its Chrome Web Store, its store for free and paid web-based apps and browser extensions for its popular Chrome browser. Most interestingly, Google is now adding a section with apps that work offline to its store. Among the apps currently highlighted in this section are some of Google’s own apps (Scratchpad, Docs, Offline Gmail etc.), as well as apps from prominent third-party developers like Angry Birds’ Rovio and the NYTimes. Google also announced that it is bringing the Chrome Web Store to six additional countries: Turkey, Ukraine, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Morocco and the United Arab Emirates.

Developers can get their apps featuring in this section by adding the offline_enabled flag to their app’s manifest file (Google notes, though, that developers should definitely ensure that their apps really work offline to avoid negative feedback).

Another new feature for developers is the ability to see more in-depth stats about how their apps are doing in the store. Specifically, Google is now giving developers data about how often their apps and extensions are being viewed in the store vs. how often they are being downloaded. This should help developers fine-tune their marketing messages and screenshots in the store.

In addition, Google is adding a new graph view so developers can quickly see how their apps are doing. This data is also available for download and goes back 90 days.

Article courtesy of TechCrunch

Sony is working on a new technology that authenticates devices via the power outlet, allowing for a few interesting applications. The system, based on the Japanese Felica standard, would allow authenticated power usage, power management for cafes and offices, as well as payments for power use. The system could authenticate with the power outlet via a chip inside the laptop or device or through a smartcard that user waves at the outlet.

According to the press release, the system will allow building and home owners to control power use from a central location and ensure people aren’t using power willy nilly.

This technology is definitely something we will soon see in modern buildings, at least in terms of energy maintenance. It may feel freaky to log in your power outlet, but if it keeps us from sucking down too many jiggawatts, we’ll probably all need to get on board.

via TheVerge

Article courtesy of TechCrunch

We were half-expecting to see the Xoom 2 officially break cover at Motorola’s Droid RAZR launch event (especially since some incriminating photos of the tab leaked just prior to it), but according to the latest Carphone Warehouse buyer’s guide, the Xoom 2 should make its debut in time for the holidays.

I managed to scrounge up a high resolution shot of the page in question (below), and it points out a few interesting particulars.

The 16GB WiFi-only model is slated to run tablet-hungry customers €399 (roughly $545) when it hits Ireland later this year. It also runs Android 3.2/Gingerbread, much to the consternation of Ice Cream Sandwich fans the world over. Sadly, Carphone Warehouse’s copywriters didn’t feel like waxing technical, so there’s still no confirmation regarding what the Xoom 2 has lurking under its hood.

The ad’s spec sheet also lists the Xoom 2 as having a 8.2-inch touchscreen, which brings up a few questions — is this the rumored media-friendly model with a built-in IR blaster? Where’s the 10.1-inch model that we’ve seen so much of? Questions still outnumber answers at this point, but it shouldn’t be too long before things start coming into focus.

For what it’s worth, I get the impression that the unit we see here is the most basic version of the smaller Xoom 2, codenamed “Fleming”. It lacks many of the frills that previous leaks have alluded to, like an LTE radio and higher-capacity flash memory chips. If nothing else, it gives me hope that a wallet-friendly Xoom 2 may soon see the light of day around these parts. Considering that Motorola is selling a “family version” of the original Xoom for $379, a $450 entry-level Xoom 2 wouldn’t be impossible, especially if Motorola just wants to move hardware over the holidays.

Article courtesy of TechCrunch

Konami isn’t just a video game maker. The company is also in the business of producing amusement machines (mainly for the Japanese market), and recently showcased its newest model: the aptly named Golf Connection [JP]. “Virtual golf simulators” like this aren’t new, but Konami’s version (which is based on a high-speed camera and two sensors) has a few interesting selling points.

For example, Golf Connection doesn’t require the ball to be marked, boasts a margin of error of 30 centimeters max., offers 150 replicated 3DCG real-world golf courses and web connectivity: users can upload their results to various social networks to compare themselves with each other.

It’s also possible to access all data stored (on a smartcard) later through a PC or smartphone and view videos shot during playing that way, for example to analyze one’s golf swing technique.

Golf Connection will be released in September (Konami has yet determine a price).

This video in English, shot by Diginfonews in Tokyo, provides more insight:

Article courtesy of TechCrunch

We’re hearing a few interesting things about Best Buy these days, especially when it comes to selling iPads. While many of these are isolated incidents, they all point to a general nastiness on the part of Best Buy employees and management who know a good thing when they see one.

First we have Best Buy employees holding back iPads 2 during periods of high demand and now we have managers essentially blackmailing customers into paying for service plans before they’re allowed to touch available stock.

A reader writes:

I was at Best But yesterday while my girlfriend was buying a new pc and asked if they had any iPad 2 in stock and I was told no. As I strolled around I looked up and noticed at least 40
In an overhead lock up area so I inquired about them. I was told by an associate that they were all sold. Two minutes later a manager walks over and says the only way I could have one is if I puchased a 109 dollar Best Buy protection plan.

Read more…

Article courtesy of TechCrunch

Facebook’s job listings this week continue to emphasize new positions in India and Dublin for its European, Middle Eastern and African operations, as seen on Facebook’s Careers Page.

Ad sales positions in Dublin, especially, continue to be numerous and include posts for specialists in many different languages.

The company is also seeking many recruiters across its offices. And, of course, it is continuing to recruit across key engineering and product areas, including for its new mobile push — it is looking for a mobile product manager, for example.

There are a few interesting new jobs this week: one in its Design and User Experience cluster was for a User Sentiment Researcher; a seemingly similar position in Facebook’s Online Operations cluster was for an Audience Researcher.

All this growth is coming as Facebook continues to grow its traffic and revenue. Our stories last week, and the week before showed its company and worldwide hiring efforts.

Lastly, for jobs in the industry, be sure to check out our Inside Network Job Board.

Article courtesy of Inside Facebook

Yelp is adding a nifty feature today which will make scoring a table at restaurant a breeze. The reviews and listings site is integrating OpenTable’s reservation system into Yelp.

This essentially allows any logged-in Yelp user to make a reservation without having to leave the site. There is now an OpenTable section on the Yelp listing page for all restaurants who are listed with the reservations site, which is currently taking reservations for 11,000 restaurants. You can then make an OpenTable reservation much like you would on reservations site. The feature is only available in the US only. Additionally, you don’t need to have an OpenTable account to make the reservation.

However, if you use the same email to create an Yelp account and an OpenTable account, you will receive your OpenTable points if you make a reservation on a Yelp business page. It’s surprising the feature hasn’t launched earlier; it’s certainly something that will be useful for all Yelp users.

The deal is part of OpenTable’s affiliate program which includes Zagat, Yahoo, MenuPages and TripAdvisor. OpenTable, which is profiting from its rapidly growing mobile business, has seated a total of 24.2 million diners in the past two quarters.

Yelp also released a few interesting statistics today. Over 29% of the reviewed businesses on Yelp are restaurants. And the reviews site just passed its11 millionth review and had more than 32M unique visitors in the month of May.

Yelp has had a tumultuous 2010. The company raised a large round of funding in January and was one of the initial partners with Facebook a few weeks ago to launch personalized experience (which unfortunately had a security hole). But the startup was hit with a number of lawsuits claiming extortion in March.

But useful features like this will only help Yelp become the defacto reviews and listings site and perhaps even overtake main competitor Citysearch.

Article courtesy of TechCrunch