News

BBC Weather today launched a mobile application for iOS and Android devices in the UK. The free app enables you to keep ahead of the weather by taking BBC Weather’s accurate and in-depth information with you on-the-go.

As soon as you open the app it will automatically detect your location and give you an instant overview of the weather conditions wherever you are. It also gives quick access to the 5-day forecast with the option to look up further detail such as hourly UK forecasts, and three hourly forecasts for international locations, for the next 48 hours. You can find other destinations from the UK and abroad with a simple search and save them to a customisable list of your favourite places.

The app lets you make the most of this summer’s big events with Glastonbury, Wimbledon and the British Grand Prix all approaching. With regular updates for the weather and other information including UV, pollen count, wind speed and humidity, you’ll always know when to take out the brolly, put on the sun screen, or stock-up on hay fever supplies. And when the summer has been and gone, you can still keep ahead of the snow, sleet and showers.

The app follows a huge increase in users accessing BBC Weather’s services from mobile devices over the last year, and brings the breadth of its highly trusted information into a simple, clean and intuitive design. The look and feel is consistent across iOS and Android with subtle differences, such as navigation and search, that are designed to be instantly familiar to users of each platform.

All information and data can be found in either version of the app, but Android users can also add a widget on the device’s home screen and share favourite locations over NFC (Near-Field Communications) by simply touching two compatible devices together.

Liz Howell, Head of BBC Weather, said: “The new BBC Weather app is the perfect companion for this summer’s great British sport and music events. We know that our audiences really want that at-a-glance forecast when they’re out and about, with the option of digging for further detail when they need or want to. That’s exactly what we’ve delivered, squeezing in all of our trusted data into an app that’s simple to use and looks fantastic.”

James Metcalfe, Senior Product Manager for Weather, BBC Future Media, said: “We’re making BBC Weather truly mobile with the launch of our new app. As so many of our audiences access BBC Weather from iOS and Android devices, we can now offer them an even better way to keep ahead of the weather on-the-go. This represents a significant milestone in our commitment to provide a world-class weather service to audiences across four screens – desktop, mobile, tablet and connected TV.”

The app is freely available to download now on iOS from the Apple iTunes App Store and on Android via Google Play.

Twitter has released Twitter for Mac 2.2.1 including Notification Center integration: receive notifications when someone mentions you or when you receive a Direct Message. You can configure this from the app’s Preferences window.

This update also includes the following changes:
* Fix for Growl notifications not working in Lion and Mountain Lion
* Fix for bug that prevented un-favoriting tweets
* Fix for missing account switcher in composer
* Fix for error message when posting a tweet with a pasted image
* Fix for enlarged avatar when dragging a tweet into an email
* Fixes for crashes and various other bugs

Download: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/twitter/id409789998?mt=12

Crucial, a leading global brand of memory and storage upgrades, today announced the immediate availability of the Crucial® M500 solid state drive (SSD). Featuring terabyte-class capacity, increased response times, and an advanced feature set, the Crucial M500 SSD is available now through select global channel partners and at www.crucial.com/ssd. The 2.5-inch drives are available in 120GB, 240GB, 480GB, and 960GB capacities with MSRPs of $129.99, $219.99, $399.99, and $599.99, respectively.

Dramatically faster than a hard drive, the Crucial M500 SSD enables users to boot up their systems almost instantaneously, provides ample storage and powerful data transfer speeds, and easily addresses the multitasking demands of today’s applications. Using Micron’s 20nm MLC NAND flash, a SATA 6Gb/s controller combined with Micron’s custom firmware to deliver up to 80,000 input/output operations per second (IOPS), the drive’s sequential read and write speeds reach up to 500 MB/s and 400 MB/s, respectively.[1]

The Crucial M500 SSD incorporates features important for data protection and reliability, such as hardware-based encryption that meets TCG Opal 2.0 and IEEE 1667 standards (TCG Opal 2.0 + IEEE 1667) when combined with appropriate software[ii], thermal management technology, protection against unexpected power-loss, and advanced error recovery techniques. In addition, the drive offers device sleep (DEVSLP), which increases system battery life while maintaining system responsiveness. This feature enables the drive to draw less than 5 milliwatts of power while the system is in sleep mode- a 93% power improvement compared to Crucial’s previous-generation drives.[iii]

“We designed the Crucial M500 to meet the reliability and performance expectations of today’s systems, and are thrilled to offer the first terabyte-class. SSD for under $600,” said Robert Wheadon, senior worldwide product manager, Crucial. “The Crucial M500 is equipped with an impressive new set of features, making it a multifaceted solution for today and tomorrow.”

Leveraging the industry-leading memory, design, and manufacturing capability of Micron Technology, the Crucial M500 is compatible with both PC and Mac® systems, and is backed by a limited three-year warranty. The 2.5 form factor is available in 7mm height and comes with a 9.5mm bracket. M.2 Weekly Cartera Dutieso send contentform factors are expected to be available in the second quarter of 2013.

Amazon Cloud Drive now has file syncing. From today, users can access their documents, music and photos across multiple computers on both Mac and Windows.

“To get started, simply install Cloud Drive on your computer and add files to your Cloud Drive folder. Your Cloud Drive folder uses File Sync to make sure you always have the latest version of your files, available from your computer or a web browser. If you make changes to your files, we take care of everything so you always have the latest version.

Install Cloud Drive on a second computer and your files are automatically copied and kept up-to-date. You’ll always have the latest version of that project you’re working on or other important documents right at your fingertips.”

“Today’s Chrome Stable release includes support for the Web Speech API (discussed last month), which developers can use to integrate speech recognition capabilities into their web apps. To see what this might look like, check out this demo on how to compose an email just using your voice.

In addition, today’s release also disables silent extension installs in Chrome for Windows. This keeps Chrome fast and safe by ensuring that you consent to every extension that’s installed on your computer.”

Google+ Events can now download all images from an event with a solitary click. Go to the events page, push “Actions” and hit “download event photos.” Page and Co. have already pushed the change to Google+.

Google+ is a multilingual social networking and identity service owned and operated by Google Inc. Google+ Events: Released at Google I/O on June 27, 2012, Google+ Events allows users to add events, invite people, and then share photos and media in real-time from the event. The program is integrated with Google Calendar, and is posed as a direct competitor to similar features offered by Facebook

Amazon Cloud Drive Photos for Android auto-save now automatically saves your phone’s photos to Cloud Drive.

Other new features include:
Automatically save your phone’s photos to Cloud Drive
Take photos with your phone’s camera directly from the app*
Select multiple files for upload, download, or deletion
View upload and download status
Pause, resume, and cancel uploads and downloads
View current storage usage and receive low-storage notifications
*requires Android OS 4.0 or higher

5 GB of free storage is included with Amazon Cloud Drive to protect and store your photos from your phone.

Download: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.amazon.clouddrive.photos&hl=en

Skype announced the availability of Skype Prepaid Cards, a new way for users in the UK to purchase Skype Credit and add premium features to the free software they already use. Skype is joined in this initiative by five of the UK’s leading high street names, with Asda, Currys, PC World, Sainsburys’ and WHSmith offering Skype Prepaid Cards in the gift card sections of their stores.

Now available at more than 1,400 stores throughout the UK, with more to follow, users are able to purchase Skype Credit at their preferred retail outlet to top up their Skype account online or to offer to friends and family as a gift. Skype Prepaid Cards will be available in £10 and £20 denominations and can be easily redeemed online at skype.com against Skype paid features – all designed to provide additional possibilities to share more with loved ones and to keep in touch easily.

Skype Prepaid Cards are the way to get access to a whole set of Skype paid features, such as:
· Making affordable calls to mobiles and landlines around the world
· Sending low cost text messages
· Holding video calls with multiple people
· Unlimited calls to a country of your choice
· Connection to over one million global WiFi hotspots

Katie Walley, Head of Cards and Lending at Asda Money, said: “At Asda we are committed to helping our customers save money every day. We see Skype as an ideal way to make communicating more affordable, and the Skype Prepaid Cards will be available in over 200 stores over the coming months.”

Shelly Roberts, Buyer at Sainsbury’s, said: “We’re always looking for ways to help our customers save money so it’s great news that our partnership with Skype means that these cards, which will be available in over 400 Sainsbury’s stores, will allow our customers to remain in contact with their friends and family cost effectively.”

This is a significant new direction in Skype’s retail strategy, according to Enrico Noseda, Head of Market Development for the EMEA region at Skype: “We see Skype Prepaid Cards as yet another option for users to get more out of the Skype experience, either as a way to add Skype Credit to their account or as a perfect gift for friends and family to allow them to keep in touch more easily. The Skype Credit can be used in whichever way and on whichever device best suits the user, making it as easy as possible to be together whenever we are apart.”

Redeeming Skype Prepaid Cards is easy, whether the recipient already has a Skype account or is a brand new user. After revealing the PIN under the scratch panel on the back of the card, this can then be entered via a password protected website for activation.

With calling rates to mobiles and landlines starting from 1.6p/minute (incl. VAT) Skype Credit makes for the perfect present for anyone who is planning international travel as well as for small and medium sized businesses. Skype PrePaid Cards are also redeemable against different Skype subscription calling packages, including:
• Unlimited Europe landlines – £4.99/month (£5.74 including VAT)
• Unlimited World – £8.49/month (£9.76 including VAT)
• Unlimited World including China – £13.49/month (£15.51 including VAT)

To find out more about Skype Prepaid Cards and links to store locations, go to the Skype Prepaid Cards’ page at http://www.skype.com/go/prepaidcardUK for more details.

Google announced it is discontinuing support for Internet Explorer 8 in Google Apps, including its Business, Education, and Government editions on November 15, 2012, reports thenextweb.com.

“As we announced last year, we support the latest version of Google Chrome (which automatically updates whenever it detects that a new version of the browser is available) as well as the current and prior major release of Firefox, Internet Explorer and Safari on a rolling basis. Each time a new version of one of these browsers is released, we begin supporting the update and stop supporting the third-oldest version.

In August 2011, Google killed support for Firefox 3.5, Internet Explorer 7, and Safari 3.”

Read more: http://thenextweb.com/google/2012/09/14/google-kills-internet-explorer-8-support-google-apps/

SkyDrive is the place to store your files so you can access them from virtually any device. With SkyDrive for Android, you can now easily access and share files on the go.

Features:
Access all of your SkyDrive content including files shared with you.

View recently used documents.

Choose multiple photos or videos to upload from your phone.

Share your files and photos – send a link in email or in another app.

Open your SkyDrive files in other Android apps.

Manage your files – delete, or create new folders.

Download: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.microsoft.skydrive

BT has united it’s Wi-Fi services Openzone and Fon as a single WiFi hotspot service.

“Bringing BT Openzone and BT Fon together under one name makes things neater and clearer – and easier for you to get online at over 4 million hotspots when you’re out and about.

Please bear with us as we gradually update our product names and the network name at our hotspots to BT Wi-fi from BT Openzone or BT Fon. In the meantime, you can get online using any of these network names.”

NIKE, Inc. announced the launch of the Nike+ Running App for Android, providing more runners with access to the world’s largest running club.

The Nike+ Running App for Android connects seamlessly to nikeplus.com, which has been reengineered to be smarter, more social and more motivational. The app allows runners to track, share and compare their runs from anywhere, anytime. It features a smooth, intuitive user interface – tailored and optimized for Android – that hosts a number of features to enhance the running experience. The in-run navigation is seamless and simple, allowing runners to easily check key run stats, see their in-progress GPS maps, change songs or get audio feedback without missing a stride.

“The expansion of Nike+ onto multiple mobile platforms will allow us to serve more runners than ever before. This opportunity will give even more athletes the chance to experience Nike+, which makes this an incredibly exciting time for the running community,” said Stefan Olander, Vice President, Digital Sport.

The key focus in the app’s design is motivating runners. A “Next Moves” feature on the home screen allows runners to easily flip through suggested challenges: for example, to run their fastest 5k or go their farthest distance. A dynamic goal progress bar helps runners stay motivated and tracking on goals they’ve set up through their nikeplus.com profile.

The app makes sharing to Facebook or Twitter fun with run summary features. Runners can choose from a wide variety of terrains and emotions, as well as tag which shoe they ran in to track shoe total mileage. And for runners recording climate conditions, the app automatically knows the weather based on GPS location.

The Nike+ Running App for Android is available for free on Google Play.