According to the folks over at Digital Trends, which says it received confirmation from Ubisoft itself, the movie will hit theaters on May 22, 2015. As we heard last year, the movie will indeed feature Fassbender, who is reportedly serving as producer. There’s no word yet on who is going to direct the movie yet, but the distributor is pegged as Fox and New Regency.

This won’t be Ubisoft’s first movie, with the company having had (very little, by its own account) involvement in the so-so Jake Gyllenhaal movie Prince of Persia. Visual effects will be curteosy of Ubisoft’s own production studios. Aside from that, no other details about the film are known for now, except that Fassbender will probably be playing Desmond Miles.

If the name Fassbender sounds familiar, you may have seen Hunger or X-Men: First Class, both of which he has starred in. Likewise, you may be familiar with our interview with the actor back in June following the world premiere of the movie Prometheus, where we sat down with Fassbender – as well as Noomi Rapace, Guy Pearce, and Logan Marshall-Green – for a nice discussion.

While the date has been set, it isn’t etched into stone, and considering how massive of a year summer 2015 will be for blockbuster films, no one will be surprised if the release date gets shuffled. Other movies that will be releasing around the same time include the next Hunger Games and Pirates of the Caribbean movies, the long-awaited Star Wars film, Hobbit: There and Back Again, and more.

SOURCE: Digital Trends

As you can see in the video below, the Leap Motion device works via some smooth flicks of the wrist, finger plucks, and other such hands-off movements to control Windows without using a mouse and keyboard. This allows one to enjoy the touch-based design of Windows 8, for example, without a touchscreen panel, and brings the functionality to whatever computer you would like.

The device connects to a PC with a standard USB cable, and once connected works out of the box, no tweaking or such necessary. A 4-cubic foot span across your desk becomes your gesture-control area, with the device tracking finger movements to within 1/100th of a millimeter. The device itself measures in at about 3-inches long, so it won’t take up much room at all.

As you might suspect, the device’s usefulness extends beyond just tapping Windows tiles and scrolling through web results. As with a touchscreen device, it can be used to sketch, to sign digital documents, and to play games, among other things. Says Leap Motion, this video is a preview for those interested to check out before the device enters beta testing next month, during which period developers will get to use the unit.

Leap Motion CTO and co-founder David Holz said: “Out of the box, users will have the ability to browse the web, navigate their desktops, and interact with existing software. Everything you can do with a touch-based system, like Windows 8, can now be accomplished with Leap Motion technology. We want our users to have a magical experience, with easy and natural movements in the air leading to amazing interactions.”

The information comes from the folks over at CNET, who report that “people familiar with the negotiations” say Apple and Sony Music are in contention over how much Apple will pay when a user listens to part of a song, then skips to the next one. Such an issue is reportedly causing frustration amongst the other labels slated to have their music offered through the service, which they anticipate bolstering the music industry.

Sources also have said that iRadio will offer features not found on what will be the service’s biggest competitor, Pandora, such as rewinding a song they want to hear a second time around. The service will reportedly allow an easy way for listeners to buy a song while using iRadio, and will also give labels a cut of the advertisement revenues generated. Apple is considering using audio advertisements.

Unlike Pandora, Apple has chosen to form individual deals with each music label rather than going by federal stipulations, which could potentially give the service more abilities than Pandora, but comes at the cost of running into negotiation problems. One such difference that could be in iRadio’s benefit from direct deals, for example, is having no limit on the number of songs skipped, or a higher skipping allowance than Pandora, which limits skips on an hourly basis with a daily cap.

While the sources provided some information on the matter, they didn’t specify any particular numbers, such as what Sony is wanting per skipped song and what Apple wants on its part. Reportedly, Apple is seeking to have the same terms across its deals with each music label, and as such could have problems if Sony ended up getting a deal that crunches out with more favorable numbers than the other labels.

SOURCE: CNET

Last month, 20-year-old Jake Davis, 26-year-old Ryan Ackroyd, and 18-year-old Mustafa al-Bassam plead guilty to charges of cyberattacking the NHS, News International, and Sony. On top of those, Ackroyd in particular also plead guilty to plotting attacks on other websites in addition to a computer hacking charge. Al-Bassam and Davis, in addition to the aforementioned, plead guilty to conspiring to attack various law enforcement agencies in both the US and UK.

While those three plead guilty last month, 21-year-old Ryan Cleary, who was also sentenced today, had already plead guilty in his own legal spat, which consisted of six various related charges. The guilty pleas were entered about two years after the attacks for which they were sentenced took place. Out of the four, Ackroyd had been the only to initially maintain his innocence.

Now that the sentencing is complete, we see that Cleary was given a 32-month prison sentence, Ackroyd a 30-month sentence, and Davis a 24-month sentence. Al-Bassam was the only one to side-step a prison sentence, instead receiving a 20-month suspended sentence because – though now an adult – he was only 16-years-old when he committed the cyberattacks, making him a minor. Instead, he will perform 300 hours of community service.

Crown Prosecution Service lawyer Andrew Hadik said: “The harm they caused was foreseeable, extensive and intended. Indeed, they boasted of how clever they were with a complete disregard for the impact their actions had on real people’s lives. This case should serve as a warning to other cybercriminals that they are not invincible.”

SOURCE: BBC News

The feature is available for Web, iOS, and Android users, and adds the features you find with other ebooks – bookmarking, highlighting, making notes, access to a dictionary, etc. Those custom made aspects, such as notes, are also synced with the cloud, making them available across multiple devices, such as a smartphone and a tablet.

Two different types of electronic book files are supported: PDF and ePUB. Uploads have to be done via the upload URL at Google Play, at which point the files can then be accessed via whatever devices you want, bookmarks, highlights, and such all automatically synced. Also tossed into the mix is a new confirmation dialog that will ask if you want to un-download a book, preventing you from accidentally purging a file from your library.

In addition to the new upload feature, the latest update also brings with it a refreshed Google Play Books design, with changes being made in a few different areas, among them being the library and end-of-book recommendation page. The Table of Contents view has also been tweaked. That rounds up the significant changes, with the rest being small improvements to stability and performance, which you may notice after updating.

This follows some other changes that have been rolled out to Google Play Books in the recent past. In December, “Read Aloud” and zooming capabilities were added, while on March 20, Google Play Books was rolled out in Mexico, giving ebook access to a previously unavailable market. The Play Books offerings include both international bestsellers and titles local to the area.

SOURCE: Google+

The feature, which is being rolled out over the course of the next few days, integrates your existing Gmail contacts so that they can see and message them from within Outlook.com, matching them with integrated contacts you might have from other services as well, such as Skype. The information is then available via the contact information summary page.

Initiating a chat with Google contacts can be done from both Outlook.com and SkyDrive once they’re connected. The feature – when it rolls your way – will appear under “Add people to chat with,” showing up as a Google contacts option. After selecting it, another window will open with Google’s “Request for Permission” page detailing what permissions Microsoft will be granted, including access to contacts, basic account info, and the ability to view and send chats.

Once you grant permission (by clicking “Allow access”), your Google contacts will be synced with the Microsoft account, appearing under the contact list with native Outlook.com contacts. As mentioned, the chat ability is also available on SkyDrive in addition to Calendar, the inbox, and People. For example, according to Microsoft, when working on a document, two contacts can chat from within SkyDrive, making real-time editing communication easier.

Says Microsoft, the feature is rolling out now, so some lucky users might already have access to the feature. Those who aren’t seeing it yet will by the end of the week, according to the announcement. In the meantime, users are advised that some “quirks” may present themselves over the course of the week as a result of the update. Likewise, users are told to keep an eye on SkyDrive, as that is where it’ll pop up first, followed by your inbox, then finally People.

SOURCE: Office

The company also reiterated that a preview version of Windows 8.1 will be available starting June 26, and will be launched during Microsoft’s BUILD conference that week, which the company first confirmed earlier this month. Preview versions will be available for both Windows 8 and Windows RT.

As for what this update will bring, that’s still a slight mystery. There will obviously be the usual bug fixes and performances enhancements all around, but it’s been rumored that Windows 8.1 will allow for smaller Windows tablets to come into play, allowing Microsoft to compete against Google’s Nexus 7 and Amazon’s Kindle Fire series. Microsoft said that the update will help them “to deliver the next generation of PCs and tablets,” so it’s possible that we could be looking at 7-inch slates this next generation. We recently heard about the possibility of new HTC tablets coming with an updated version of Windows RT. This would mark the return of tablets for HTC if true, but we’ll have to keep our ear to the ground for the time being.

Microsoft said that they will have more details about the Windows 8.1 update “in the coming weeks,” so it’s definitely worth it to sit tight for the time being if you’re looking forward to an update to Windows. It’s said that Microsoft will bring back the Start button, as well as include an option for straight-to-desktop booting, but we’re taking those rumors with a large grain of salt for now.

You can check out the new photo timeline by heading over to SkyDrive, or via the image below if the update hasn’t rolled your way yet. Photographs are sorted in a way that aggregates them based on album and time. For example, one batch of images taken an hour or two before a second batch will show up in its own separate collection, making it easier to find images. Navigation can be accessed via month in yearly groupings. There’s also a filmstrip view (above) for watching them in a slideshow.

That change aside, users will also find that uploading photographs using SkyDrive’s desktop application will be faster after the update arrives. According to Microsoft, this change is to address feedback it has received from users about how long it took to upload images, resulting in changes to both server code and the application itself. Uploads are said to be 2x to 3x faster.

Using thumbnails, users can find the file they’re looking for faster by narrowing in on the ones related to the application to which it pertains. To facilitate this, there’s a new layout for thumbnails, and beyond that the addition of thumbnails for both PowerPoint and Word files, adding to the rate at which items be located.

As we noted earlier this week, Microsoft also recently announced that full-resolution SkyDrive image and videos uploads for Windows Phone users was going global, giving users in previously unavailable markets access to the feature. Says the SkyDrive update notice, this feature has now officially be rolled out across the global for all users.

SOURCE: Windows

In 2010, Raza briefly reappeared in the public eye when it was revealed that after the incident he ended up depressed, eventually dropping out of high school and ending up in a children’s psychiatric ward, according to Vice. His family sued the families of the three students who posted the video online without Raza’s permission, seeking a quarter of a million dollars for the bullying he suffered as a result of it. Eventually the matter was settled, terms unspecified. While it took time to heal, he eventually overcame his unwanted fame and the overwhelming negativity that came with it, moving on to greater things.

Eight years after the incident, Raza held the title of president of the Patrimoine Trois-Rivieres conservation society, and revealed that he was seeking a law degree from McGill University, having since graduated. Although such information was provided, Raza still remained silent about what those years were like, leaving us to guess what he experienced in the unspoken phrases between such admissions of depression and stints in a psychiatric ward.

Now, a full decade later, that silence has finally been broken, with Raza talking about what he experienced and felt during those years in an interview with Canadian magazine Macleans. Why the change? According to Raza, he felt compelled to take a public stand against cyberbullying, not only because he understands it in a way most of us (thankfully) never will, but also because of the growing instances of Internet bullying that have, in some cases, resulted in suicide.

“No matter how hard I tried to ignore people telling me to commit suicide, I couldn’t help but feel worthless, like my life wasn’t worth living,” said Raza. He talked about such instances as fellow students climbing on top of tables to mock him. “In the common room, students climbed onto tabletops to insult me.” The friends he had before the incident, which he says had been very little, stopped associating with him after the video surfaced. He was finally forced to change schools before dropping out altogether.

There is light at the end of the tunnel, however, and when asked what advice he has for those who are suffering cyberbullying, Raza said: “You’ll survive. You’ll get through it. And you’re not alone. You are surrounded by people who love you.”

SOURCE: Macleans

Image via Motherboard

The blueprints were released on DefCad.org by The Liberator creator Cody Wilson. A short while after the download went live, a red banner appeared at the top of the website announcing that the United States government “claims control of the information,” and as such had been pulled. The image above is now shown where the download used to be, giving the appearance of a swift and complete removal.

For all of its grand talk and rapid response, however, the Defense Department’s actions were a case of “too little, too late.” The blueprints had already been downloaded tens of thousands of times, residing on thousands of hard drives likely located in multiple countries. Such a wide dissemination of information is like a large stone being pushed down a steep hill – trying to stop is not only near impossible, but also likely to cause more harm in the long run. The censorship of the information served only to bring the downloads to the public eye, prompting some who disagreed with the government’s decision to counter its block by releasing the information on BitTorrent and The Pirate Bay.

A quick look at The Pirate Bay shows a copy of the blueprints being distributed by thousands of seeders and acquired by hundreds of leechers, with the same kind of numbers appearing on other torrent websites that were looked at. Some of those downloading have expressed intention to upload it elsewhere, increasing both the number of places from which it is available and the number of individuals who come to harbor the information. The government will go after some of the locations where the file is hosted, but cannot do so beyond its jurisdiction.

According to BetaBeat, the firearm’s designer Cody Wilson said on the matter: “I still think we win in the end. Because the files are all over the Internet, the Pirate Bay has it – to think this can be stopped in any meaningful way is to misunderstand what the future of distributive technologies is about.”

The project and application process was revealed to the public on April 16. By April 29, just three days after opening to video applications, over 20,000 people had applied. It has now been about two weeks, and the latest numbers show applications quickly heading towards the six-digit mark at 78,000, a small number compared to the half a million or more Mars One expects to have by the application deadline on August 31. Most of the applicants are located in the United States, but applications have been received from 120 different countries.

How will Mars One select who goes? Via a reality TV-esque public voting process.

There are four “rounds” to the application process, with the first requiring those interested to pay $25 and submit a video explaining why they want to spend the rest of their lives on Mars. In August when the submission process is closed, the tens of thousands of videos will be sorted through for those who will be sent on to the next round. In Round 2, the applicants-turned-candidates will be sent off to their local doctor for a full physical, then if they’re giving the physical go-ahead, will meet with the regional Mars One selection committee. Round 3 is when the quasi-reality TV aspect of the process comes into play, with between 20 and 40 candidates per country competing for votes from viewers across the world, with the top in each country going on to Round 4.

Round 4 is much the same as the last round, only with less candidates and without public voting. Those remaining will need to speak English by this point if it isn’t their main language, and will need to demonstrate their skills as part of their group they’re assigned to in a simulation of a Mars outpost, where they’re begin training. Some who can’t handle the training will go on to become Mars One employees instead. This round will also be broadcasted around the world.

So who are the folks ready to eschew the world they’ve always known and fly off into space, never to return again? You can find out for yourself by watching their public application videos over on the Mars One website.

SOURCE: TIME and Mars One

Magazines that users create can include all sorts of content, including articles, images, audio, and video. Users can also keep curated magazines private if they simply want it for personal use, rather than to distribute content to friends and other Flipboard users, but it seems like a great way to know what other users are into as far as topics go.

To start adding content into your own magazines, you simply just use the share button that’s built into most Android apps, as well as use the “+” icon inside Flipboard to add Flipboard stories to your magazines. As for sharing your magazines, you can also use text messaging, email, and Pinterest, on top of the usual social media sites.

Along with today’s Android update, Flipboard is also rolling out a web-based editor tool to help manage magazines for users. From here, you’ll be able to re-order content, as well as delete it if you no longer want it. You can also check out analytics of your magazines by seeing how often other users have shared items that appeared in your magazine. Flipboard is a free app, and the updated version is available now in the Google Play store.

Both of these features could be a convenient addition to some users, as it encourages binge-watching while you’re away from home. Of course, watching anything more than an episode of a TV show on your iPhone is enough to make your eyes hurt, so we’re guessing that iPad users will most likely get more use of these new features.

The updated app also improves on its second screen options, as well as comes with the usual slew of bug fixes and performance enhancements. These updates were included in the Android app update that was released yesterday. It wasn’t a big update by any means, but iOS users are now getting the bug fixes from yesterday.

The Netflix app is available for free to download, and it’s compatible on pretty much any mobile device. However, you’ll need to pay $8 per month in order to take advantage of the unlimited streaming. The service’s movie options are bit limited, but you can get access to quite a bit of good TV shows and stream them while on the go.

The syncing is done automatically once set up, which can be done by pulling up the Phrasebook under the Translate menu. If you’re not already signed-in, you’ll need to log in to your Google account via the sign-in link located at the top of the Phrasebook. If you’re already signed-in, the phrases will automatically be synced, no extra effort needed. If not, the syncing will happen after you log in.

While that feature is the most notable change to the app, there’s also been a “significant improvement” with the input via camera feature, with a total of 16 new languages being added: Bulgarian, Catalan, Danish, Estonian, Finnish, Croatian, Hungarian, Indonesian, Icelandic, Lithuanian, Latvian, Norwegian, Romanian, Slovak, Slovenian, and Swedish.

In case you missed it, back on March 27, Google Translate also gained an offline mode feature with support for 60 languages, among them being Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, and Thai. Users can use the app to translate words and phrases in the absence of a data connection, assuming the language packages are downloaded ahead of time. The downloads can be accessed by selecting “Offline languages” and tapping a pin next to the ones you want.

[via Google]

Since the changes made earlier this year, the Internet radio service experienced an increase in new subscribers to the tune of between 10 and 20-percent, with the numbers breaking down to between half and one-million. That’s not all, however, with the service also experiencing an increase in the amount of time its users – which tally in at 35 million, active users unknown – spend listening to music with the service.

Said Slacker Radio’s CEO Jim Cady: “Listening time since launch has also gone up by 25% largely because of the more approachable interface and new programming. We had expected it to go up. We didn’t expect it to go up that much.” In addition, the service has – much like Pandora – seen a big jump in the number of songs being streamed via a mobile device.

Out of the total number of hours spent listening to the service, 2/3rds of them are streamed via a mobile device, such as a smartphone or a tablet. In light of this, Slacker is looking into offering its service as a bundle option with a carrier or two (or three, etc.) It doesn’t plan to stop there, however, also saying that being offered via infotainment systems in cars is a big goal. The company is reportedly in talks with GM, Ford, Honda, and other big-name auto makers.

[via Billboard]

According to the change log posted by the folks at Phandroid, the update brings with it some new features that users will be happy to see, perhaps with the exception of a policy change that requires a wifi connection and the device to be charging for background uploads. That aside, those who have received the update will see a variety of Google+ notifications, such as mentions and comments, as well as the new ability to +1 things and leave comments.

The battery charge should now be more accurate, so if you’ve been having some issues with charging sooner than you anticipated, that could change with the XE5 update. Users will also find they can initiate a search wherever they’d like in the interface via long press rather than the confining limitations previously in place, which is a much welcomed change we’re happy to see.

There’s now the ability to message and dial an international number, as well. The update brings with it a snazzy animation that happens when you try to do a swipe that isn’t allowed, and you can pull up the device’s serial number on the Device Info card. The recipient mosaic is new, and transcription of messages and such seems to be faster. Do you have Glass? Let us know if you find any other changes!

[via Vincent Nguyen(G+)]

The updated user interface will eschew the traditional sidebar for a series of boxes above the map, which will fill the entire screen after the update if the screenshots are to be believed. The interface is called “more immersive,” and suggests that those on mobile devices will find that it works better than the interface that is currently in place. The moved sidebar won’t be the only change users see, however.

According to the preview, the current interface is one that is focused on the navigational components of Maps, such as the sidebars and buttons and sliders. That design theory will change with the update, with the new redesigned interface instead featuring a focus on the map itself with the various elements building on top of it rather than taking up its valuable space.

Along with the design’s change in focus will be some visual changes, which includes updates to the service’s icons, text styles, and the colors of the map itself. When can users expect to see these changes in place? A date isn’t provided, but it is worth mentioning the I/O event is coming up, and we may very well see it rolling out then.

[via Google Operating System]

An exact release date for the final version hasn’t been disclosed yet, but Microsoft says that it’ll be out at some point “later this year.” While the preview that the company will release in June will mostly be meant for developers, the company will be providing public preview versions as well for anyone to try out.

We’ve been hearing a lot of chatter about Windows Blue lately, including the possibility of Microsoft bringing back some crucial features that users have missed from Windows 7, including re-introducing the Start button, and including an option to boot straight to the desktop, bypassing the start screen altogether.

Microsoft could also be working on Windows Blue versions for their tablet operating system. We heard hearsay earlier today about the possibility of new HTC tablets coming with an updated version Windows RT. We’re not sure if we’ll hear about Blue updates for Windows RT at BUILD this year, but it’ll definitely be something that we’ll keep in our minds as we go into June.

Boingo has roughly 600,000 WiFi hotspots located around the world, and if you can’t get free WiFi on your laptop and you dare not choose to pay extra for tethering, you can use Boingo, which charges $7.99 per month. This really only seems reasonable if you travel a lot, but if you need WiFi and don’t just a free public network, Boingo is always an option.

Of course, if you don’t want to use the new method of paying for your monthly Boingo subscription, you can still stick with the old ways of doing things and manage your payments through the Boingo service itself. The iTunes payment method is just a few cents more than the traditional method, but that’s really not a huge deal.

For those wondering, yes, Boingo is most likely giving Apple a 30% cut because of this new feature, since it’s technically an in-app purchase, but it seems the company is willing to take the risk of losing money at the chance of getting more users to hop on board now that they have an easier payment method to take advantage of.

Both the iOS app and Android app also have some new features coming their way. The Android app now includes easier methods to enter in non-GPS activities manually, such as running on a treadmill or cycling on the stationary bike. The Android version also received a new widget that you can add to your home screen, letting you start and stop activities.

As for the iPhone app of RunKeeper, more users in more countries now have access to the fitness app, thanks to additions of several new languages, including Spanish, French, German, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese, and Japanese. The app’s developers note that they’re continuously adding new languages, so we can expect more to come in the future.

Other than that, the updated app comes with the usual big fixes and performance enhancements. As for the Pebble watch, we reviewed the wrist device back in February, and it’s been going out to Kickstarter backers these last few months. While the watch is somewhat cheaply made in a way, third-party support is growing, making it even more tempting to take advantage of the new device.

Says Reller in the interview, Microsoft has just recently sold its 100 millionth Windows 8 lincese (and since surpassed that number), saying the number represents both PC/tablet licenses and upgrades. To give an idea of the sales rate, the number of licenses sold sat at about 60 million back in January of this year. Following in line with this, certified devices have also increased to 2400.

And then, of course, there’s Windows Blue, which we saw a leak of back in March. Blue is an update said to bring new features and other improvements to Windows 8, having been the source of much speculation over the course of many weeks. When asked about the update, Reller confirmed that it will be rolling out “later this year,” saying that it’ll bring something to the table for just about everyone – features for companies and consumers and the community that has been providing ample feedback for months now.

There was also some discussion about the PC market in general, in particular its rumored impending demise. Microsoft doesn’t see it that way, saying that “the PC is very much alive and increasingly mobile,” to which Reller says Windows 8 is tailored, specifically mentioning convertible laptops, notebooks with touchscreens, and other related devices. Rounding out the interview is a brief note on the Windows Store, with apps increasing 6-fold since launch. SkyDrive, likewise, has since growth, scoring 250 million users.

[via Microsoft]

Starting today, Google Drive users utilizing the service on their PC or Mac can share directly from within the folder using a couple of simple mouse clicks, both rapidly speeding up the rate at which one can share content and also bringing the service in line with some other services that have offered this feature – or one remarkably similar – for quite awhile now.

You can see the feature in action in the screenshot above. Right-clicking on the file you want to share, such as a text document, picture, or something else entirely, pulls up a menu with various options, which hasn’t changed and will look familiar to those who already use the service. This is with the exception of the last entry in the list, under Google Drive -> Share…

If you’re not seeing the new feature yet, be patient – Google says in its announcement on Google+ that the feature is being rolled out over the course of this week, so you might not be seeing it yet, and may not see it until Thursday or Friday. While you’re waiting, you can check out some other recent Google Drive news from us by hitting up this link here.

[via Google+]

iOS isn’t too friendly on letting users choose what app that links open in — iOS simply defaults to Safari and other default apps, which a lot of users don’t like particularly. However, Google seems to be taking matters into their own hands by adding the ability to choose whether or not links in emails in the Gmail app open up using one of Google’s other iOS apps.

You can choose these settings in the app by individually choosing whether or not you want a certain app to be used when opening up links. Previously, you want have to find a jailbreak tweak that could let you choose what app you wanted the link to open up in, and you still have to do that for some apps, but at least Google users can now have deeper integration in iOS.

This update comes after Apple cut ties with Google by removing the default YouTube app and Maps app from iOS 5 and replaced it with their own solution. Google eventually released native apps, like YouTube, Google Apps, and Chrome, all of which can be integrated with Gmail in this new update.

Twitter has been in the news a fair bit this last week. On Wednesday, it received praise from the Electronic Frontier Foundation, more commonly called the EFF, which said the company is the best at protecting user data by meeting all six criteria used to look at how well companies handle their users’ info (Verizon and Apple didn’t fair so well, fyi).

We also saw confirmation that a Twitter for Glass app is real from LeWeb founder Loic Le Meur, who sent out a tweet containing an image of himself behind the wheel with the hashtag #throughglass. When asked if he used a Twitter Glass app, he said he did. That followed a day of tweets spotted by various Twitter users containing images sent by an app called Twitter for Glass.

And on Tuesday, Twitter had announced that its advertising program was opening to everyone who wanted to advertise, rather than just the businesses authorized to use it. Now smaller businesses, those less well known, and even individual users can advertise on the microblogging website, with the ads being tailored to specific audiences or displayed to users in general.

[via Twitter]

The Jetta GLI, Beetle turbo, and 2013 Beetle are all going to be updated with a Gen 3 EA888 engine, which is a 4-cylinder 2-liter turbocharged engine that offers drivers 210 horsepower, a small boost over the current 200-horsepower offering. With the new engine, these vehicles will also see a (very) slight increase in their mileage ratings, to the tune of between 1 and 2 MPG. Not a huge increase, but like all things it’ll add up in the long-haul.

Although the cars will get better mileage than the current models, the updated MPG won’t be advertised on the 2013 models, instead being rolled out to the 2014 models after the government okay’s the figures. Looking at the current models, the Jetta GLI is rated at 24MPG in the city, and the Beetle turbo is rated at 22MPG in the city. So for the updated models, we’ll be seeing something like 24MPG and 26MPG, respectively.

Volkswagen says it will be rolling out R-Line bumpers on the Beetles, with coupe model offering a 6-speed transmission and a starting price of $30,135. The Jetta GLI will be seeing the addition of LED tail lights on all of its models. Consumers can also expect to see new rear bumpers, 19-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, and more. No mention of the dates when the new vehicles will hit dealerships.

[via USA Today]

The update should be available now, although AT&T didn’t mention how fast the roll out would be happening. Although, all users can download the update on their PC and install on their Galaxy Note device through Samsung Kies. AT&T didn’t mention anything about being able to receive the update over-the-air, so you’re best bet seems to be to go the manual route.

On a different but still slightly-related note, the Verizon Galaxy Note II also received an update today, receiving a bump up to Android 4.1.2, as well as a handful of updates to apps that now support Samsung’s Multi Window mode, which allows you to split-screen certain apps. The update also includes support for Isis Mobile Wallet, as well as fixes alarm clock issues.

The AT&T Galaxy Note sports a 5.3-inch with a 1280 x 800 resolution, while its successor rocks a larger 5.5-inch display with a 720p resolution display. The Galaxy Note rocks a dual-core processor clocked at 1.4GHz, while the Galaxy Note II packs in a faster quad-core chip clocked at a quick 1.6GHz.

There aren’t any new features in the update, but it does bring some fixes that frequent users will find pleasant – perhaps essential, depending on how frustating you consider the link redirect bug to be. If you’re not familiar with the problem, just fire up an app and open a link from it with Chrome Beta – you’ll probably discover it doesn’t load, forcing you to refresh, at which point it may then load correctly.

That problem has finally been fixed with this update, to the relief of many if online complaints are anything to go by. Another issue fixed with this update is fullscreen mode, specifically with the “tab cropped in the tab switcher.” It’s a very minor change, so you’re not likely to notice too much either way with this one, but it is worth mentioning. Also worth mentioning is a bux fix that concerned NBCnews.

Back on April 11, Chrome Beta for Android was updated so that it would automatically switch into fullscreen mode upon scrolling. In addition, a change was made to how Omnibox works, improving searches by eliminating the need to completely retype a query, a problem that was beyond frustrating and time consuming at times. With that update, searches can now be edited in the search bar.

[via Android Community]

The approval, however, didn’t stop livery cab drivers and others from continuing to go after the program, and today they saw at least a temporary victory, with Appellate Division Associate Justice Helen E. Freedman tossing out an emergency injunction against the e-hailing program and calling for a fast review by a panel of judges in appeals court.

The livery cab drivers’ attorney Randy Mastro said in an email to Bloomberg: “This faux ‘pilot program’ is so fundamentally flawed and illegal in so many respects that it had to be stopped. And now it once again has been.” Such a change comes at a bad time for the e-hailing service Hailo, which had temporarily been denounced for working outside of the rules of the program, but that just received its approval by the TLC today.

The current expectation is that the panel of judges will hear the case some time this month, although that hasn’t been officially confirmed. All of this follows the lift on the first ban that took place last week by NY Supreme Court Justice Carole Huff, who addressed and dismissed many of the claims against the program, including ones about facilitating discrimination and making things harder on the elderly.

[via Bloomberg]

The announcement was made earlier today in Line’s Tokyo office by its President Akira Morikawa. The growth is rapid, with the company having hit the 10 million user mark during April of last year at the same time it had rolled out its availability in Europe. Because of its diverse geographical support, the messaging system supports 12 different languages.

Line is offered as a default app by Nokia on its Asha series of inexpensive phones, the result of a deal that took place back in February and helped increase the number of users partaking of the service. The company also reports on the state of their current roll outs, simply saying that the service across several locations is both expanding and “gooding well.”

Line says that it has increased its push of the service to international markets, and that it expects to see growth as a result. You can see the steady climb of the company’s monthly users in the image above, which features what appears to be a small Gangnam style characters and a small duck in a bow tie. The announcement also briefly mentions LINE GAME, which is said to have hit 11 million users in March.

[via Line]

Over 130,000 drawings were submitted, according to the announcement, all of which were sorted through for a roster of winners categorized by state and age group. The public is being asked to vote on the doodles they feel are best, with each person being able to vote once per age group for the sum of five votes total. You can see the winning doodles here.

Google informed the winners in a rather exciting way, sending an official “Googler” to each student’s school to make the announcement and join in the celebration with them. The Internet giant praised the entries, calling the imagine and creativity involved in them impressive. Among the winners, five national finalists will be selected, and then from those a final single winner will be chosen.

The contest is being offered in partnership with the American Museum of Natural History, which will hold an exhibition from May 22 to July 14 showcasing the winners from each state. The contest first started back in 2008, and had run annualy since then, with variations of the contest being offered elsewhere across the globe. Last year’s contest garnered 114,000 entries.

[via Google Blog]

The communications moratorium was in place due to a planetary alignment that could see communications sent to the rovers corrupted, resulting in actions that caused serious damage. As such, communications were stopped for a few weeks, leaving the ground team to discover the problem with Opportunity on April 27, about five days after it had switched itself into automode.

After making the discovery, NASA put together a series of commands on April 29 to switch the rover back into normal operations mode. The automode was triggered, the agency believed, when the rover’s cameras were checking out the sun and it rebooted its flight software, the combination of which sent it into the altered functioning mode.

Said NASA about the matter: “The Opportunity rover is back under ground control, executing a sequence of commands sent by the rover team. Opportunity is no longer in standby automode and has resumed normal operations.” Such is the simple life of a robot who has spent many years rolling around the Red Planet. Communication with the Curiosity rover will happen soon.

[via Space]

In a post on its blog, Uber officially announced its return to New York City following the approval it received last Friday. Says Uber, such a move demonstrated NYC’s “commitment to technology and innovation,” saying that it is proud to be part of that. The excitement in the post is quickly curbed down to more serious business, however, with users being reminded multiple times that they can’t forget to pay their driver.

Uber advises that as of right now the system is not yet set up to allow users to automatically pay their fare, meaning they’ll still need to do it the old fashioned way even if their hailing has progressed from arm-raising to finger-swiping. While the company doesn’t come right out and say that it will provide automatic payments in the future, it does everything it can to suggest that it’ll be an eventual feature.

In addition, Uber also advises its users that initially the number of taxi drivers who can be summoned via the app will be low, but that the number will increase “in the coming weeks.” Likewise, black cars are still the default option, and so those looking for a taxi will need to be sure they switch the slider over before hailing. And finally, because of its requirements by the the TLC, Uber isn’t available for getting cabs at LGA, JFK, and beyond the five boroughs.

[via Uber Blog]

Google lists a variety of situations in which it says the Chromebook in combination with the new feature will be beneficial, including for placing orders within a retail store, searching an inventory or catalog, updating inventory, updating business information within a company, and more. Like other kiosk setups, Chrome OS can be configured to display custom items, such as certain Web pages, as well as blocking other items, such as non-relevant websites and applications.

Device functionality with the Chromebook can also be controlled, and limits can be put on how much time a user can spend on the kiosk. Likewise, when the user is logged out or manually logs out, the information from the session is wiped, helping to keep things tidy and secure. All are fairly standard among kiosk software, and gives users another option on top of what has largely been relegated to iOS and Android-based setups.

Google says it has tested the new feature out in public settings to gather feedback and see how it holds up, with locations including Dillards, the Hyatt San Francisco, and the Multnomah County Library. Dillards used the system as a shared hub for employees to access its internal system, while the Multnomah library is using the setup to provide its patrons with time-limited access to the machines. The Hyatt used it the Chromebooks in its break rooms.

[via Google Enterprise]

A very similar tweet was fired off today by Loic Le Meur, founder of LeWeb, containing an image and the hashtag #throughglass. The image in the picture was taken from behind the wheel while on the road, showing some cars and road, as well as an arm gripping the steering wheel. The position certainly looks correct for Google Glass.

There is one notable difference between his tweet and those that surfaced yesterday – the absence of a flag showing that it was sent by an app called Twitter for Glass, as well as the stock text that was included in yesterday’s tweets, with Le Meur’s featuring the hashtag and nothing else. Regardless, when asked by the folks over at CNET if it was sent via a Twitter Glass app, he said yes.

And so there you have it – although the company hasn’t confirmed or denied its existence, confirmation has been given alongside anecdotal evidence that a Twitter for Glass app is real and running in the wild on several pairs of Google Glass. When Twitter will give the app its official public debut is unknown, but we’ll certainly keep you updated when it happens.

[via CNET]

With this update, OneNote users will see an addition to the radial menu called “Draw,” which opens up a new round of options, including multiple pens of different colors (black, blue, green, and red), as well as an eraser and an Undo tool. The pens can be customized with, for example, different thicknesses. And a welcomed feature is that you can save a customized pen as a favorite.

In addition, those using it on a device that does not have a touch screen can still use the feature via a mouse or USB drawing tablet, although Microsoft advises that users will best experience the feature when using a pen. Those who want to update can do so by heading into the Windows Store and then tapping “Updates” located on the right.

For those unfamiliar, OneNote allows users to take notes and have them synced with the cloud for extra security. Microsoft says that it has “reimagined” OneNote for Windows 8 and RT devices, making it easier to use in conjunction with touch controls, such as swiping. Users can toggle between different paper types for various notes, snap them to the side of the screen for use alongside a browser for research or other activities, and more.

[via OneNote]

The discovery was made on April 27, and NASA prepared a new set of commands yesterday that will pull the rover back into a regular functioning mode, something it has been waiting for since going into the specific type of standby mode. It wasn’t down long, however, having reverted to that mode last week on April 22. Unlike Curiosity, Opportunity has called Mars its home for nearly a decade.

NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover Project Manager John Callas said: “Our current suspicion is that Opportunity rebooted its flight software, possibly while the cameras on the mast were imaging the sun. We found the rover in a standby state called automode, in which it maintains power balance and communication schedules, but waits for instructions from the ground. We crafted our solar conjunction plan to be resilient to this kind of rover reset, if it were to occur.”

Although the communications moratorium came to its end for Opportunity, it is still in effect for the Curiosity rover, which is set to resume its communications with the ground tomorrow. NASA says that thus far information received from the rover shows that it has made it through its mini vacation without incident, and as such is slated to receive its first set of commands on May 1.

[via NASA]

Path, which has seen monumental growth, uses a tactic similar those annoying Facebook apps that post things to your Facebook wall and, worse yet, your friends’ walls without your permission, hocking answers or stickers or secrets that are only visible if that friend downloads the app. Such is the way Path has decided to work, selecting all of the user’s contacts by default for a stock message.

If the user isn’t paying too much attention during the sign-up process or misunderstands that part, the app will take it upon itself to send a mass message out to the user’s contacts. Such was the case with Stephen Kenwright, who The Verge reports had his contacts mass spammed with a message reading, “Stephen Kenwright has photos to show you on Path. Download the free app:”, followed by a link. Other users have complained about the same problem in recent time.

Utilizing these tactics, it’s not hard to see how Path is raking in a million new users every week, as well as more than a few disgruntled one who uninstall the app after finding out that coworkers and friends were spammed with text messages. Path has a different take on the issue, saying that it isn’t spam, but is instead a feature that helps users get the most from the service by having friends and family sign up. If a user doesn’t want the text messages to be sent out, they must remember to unselect their auto-selected contacts on the sign-up page.

[via The Verge]

The game stars afro-and-hatchet-wielding viking Magnus Jones, who is sent by Oden to kick butt and bring about some “righteous” judgment, if you get the joke. The game has just about every type of opponent you can imagine such a protagonist would face: dragons with slicked-back hair and earrings sipping martinis and belching flames, disco wizards, giants, and more.

If you didn’t check out the trailer, stop where you’re at and watch it – it’s worth 60-seconds of your time and has a funky beat. Back? The game was created by Airtight Games specifically for the OUYA as a free-to-play offering. Although the game isn’t done yet, it’s getting there and as a result OUYA has also published a video showing some behind-the-scenes action into what goes into making the game.

In case you missed it, OUYA began shipping out to the Kickstarter backers and top tier partners earlier this month, and has been moving ahead full steam since then, with the console hitting the FCC back on April 19th and boasting more than 10,000 global developers on the same day. Stay tuned, and we’ll update you as more info is dropped!

[via Ouya]

According to the leaked document, on June 11 of this year the first generation iPhone will enter vintage status in the United States and will be classified as obsolete in Asia-Pacific, Canada, Europe, Japan, Latin America and Apple’s retail stores. Vintage is a slightly different designation from obsolete, per Apple’s own lingo, which it lists on its website.

Says Apple, a vintage device was discontinued more than five years but less than seven years ago. If something is classified as vintage, it has a couple perks over being flat-out obsoleted, and will be serviceable in the state of California “as required by statute.” Those with a Mac that has entered vintage mode can get parts and service in the state from service providers, while vintage iPod owners can get both in California via Apple’s retail stores or AppleCare.

Once a product shifts from vintage to obsolete, all servicing options will come to an end. According to the leaked document, the 17-inch and 20-inch iMac G5 (iSight), late 2005 Mac mini, and 15-inch and 17-inch PowerBook G4 (Double-Layer SD) are slated to become obsolete. Meanwhile, the mid-2007 20-inch and 24-inch iMac, Mac Pro, late-2007 13-inch MacBook, late-2006 Xserve, late-2004 Xserve RAID SFP, 2.2/2.4GHz 15-inch MacBook Pro, and 2.4GHz 17-inch MacBook Pro will become vintage in the US and obsolete in Apple stores.

[via 9to5Mac]

While the Sony Xperia SP’s display isn’t standing out among the best available, the rest of the specs place it fully in the mid-to-high range. Inside, users will find a 1.7GHz Snapdragon S4 dual-core processor alongside 1GB of RAM. There’s a rear Exmor RS for mobile 8-megapixel camera and flash. There’s also a light strip that displays different color lights depending on which notifications the user receives.

The display is a sizable 4.6-inches with a 720p resolution, which is less than some of its competitors, but certainly not a bad resolution. Sony says that the display’s colors and contrast are improved via the inclusion of a Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2 system, which been used in some of the maker’s other handsets as well. This is accompanied by Battery STAMINIA, which is a feature said to improve battery life.

Connectivity includes the typical 3G/4G, NFC, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS. The handset runs Android 4.2.2, and weighs in at 155 grams with an aluminum frame. The Xperia SP is being offered in three colors: red, black, and white, the latter of which you can see in the image above. T-Mobile UK says customers should allow 30 days for delivery.

[via Xperia Blog]