Today, following a closed-door session with part of the House, General Keith Alexander stated that he wishes to declassify some information regarding NSA programs that store phone record data, and also collect Internet usage information. Alexander, current head of the NSA, claims that his agency has “pledged to be as transparent as possible” regarding the programs. He wishes to “provide the American people the information” that can be shared. However, there are strong caveats to what may be shared. The general went on to say, as quoted in Politico, “[w]e don’t want to cause a terrorist attack by giving out too much information.” That sounds slightly overwrought, but it’s worth noting that the NSA recently stated that the above mentioned programs have been dramatically effective: [At] a hearing on Capitol Hill, the director of the NSA made a new claim that will alter the debate concerning pervasive collection of phone call metadata, and PRISM, a program to track Internet usage. The director stated that the two previously secret programs have, as Reuters reports, “helped to prevent ‘dozens’ of potential terrorist events.” The President had claimed before that a single terror event had been compromised by PRISM, a program that tracks Internet usage and information. Others have disputed that claim, calling PRISM in that case superfluous, and nonessential. Politico goes on to state that House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers hopes that the information comes out within a week. The reason for that is obvious: a long, steady drumroll of anger, and even legal action is underway concerning PRISM and the government’s long dragnet of phone record information, including data on every phone call placed in the United States for years. Revelations about both programs caused furor in the media and technology industries. Information continues to seep out, albeit at a muted pace compared to the initial leaks. What the government will declassify isn’t clear. However, it may help us better understand just what elements of our private communications are being recorded, by whom, and to what end. Top Image Credit: Andrew Malone
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Got a question for Brennan? Use the chat feature above to get it answered live. Brennan White is the CEO and Founder of Watchtower, the social media intelligence software that automates the details so marketers can focus on engaging with the community and creating great content. Prior to Watchtower, Brennan oversaw six years of uninterrupted growth and profitability as the Founder and Managing Director of the international social media agency, Pandemic Labs. #StartupLab is a free virtual mentorship program created by The Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only organization comprised of hundreds of America’s most successful young entrepreneurs. #StartupLab takes YEC’s mission to help more people start successful businesses to the next level by offering millions of entrepreneurs direct access to YEC members through interactive video chats, email lessons and a library of how-to articles, videos and eBooks. Whether you’re just starting up, a current business owner, or you run an organization that supports entrepreneurs, sign up for #StartupLab today for real-world advice from some of the coolest entrepreneurs on the planet.
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It appears Apple has received good news from the US Patent and Trademark Office regarding its much-publicized rubber-band patent (US patent #7,469,381): the organization has shared that it will issue a reexamination certificate to confirm four of Apple’s claims, FOSS Patents reports. As we’ve previously detailed, the rubber-banding patent refers to the bouncing animation that takes place when a user scrolls past the end of a page. It’s a neat trick that helps make an interface feel more intuitive, but many have argued that it shouldn’t have been patentable in the first place. Apple shared its victory with Judge Lucy Koh today, and revealed that claim 19 is among those tentatively confirmed — a claim which played a major role in Apple’s massive trial against rival Samsung. As shown below, claims 14, 17 and 18 were also confirmed. Previously, the rubber-banding patent was re-examined and tentatively rejected after Apple’s $1.05 billion victory — then three of Apple’s claims were upheld, but not #19. Samsung has worked diligently to invalidate Apple’s $1 billion win, and today’s news deals a major blow to the South Korean smartphone maker. With claim 19 in its back pocket, this could be Apple’s turning point. Image credit: iStockphoto
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Google today announced it is retiring Chrome Frame for Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, a plug-in that brings Chrome’s engine to old IE versions. The company wouldn’t share an exact date, but did say it will end support and cease releasing updates in January 2014. Google’s reasoning appears to be based on the fact that Chrome Frame was released (initially in September 2009 and then as a table build in September 2010) at a time when old versions of Internet Explorer were still in very high use. Now, the latest versions of Microsoft browsers are dominating. “Today, most people are using modern browsers that support the majority of the latest web technologies,” Google said as an explanation of its decision. “Better yet, the usage of legacy browsers is declining significantly and newer browsers stay up to date automatically, which means the leading edge has become mainstream.” Google’s goal with Chrome Frame was to let developers bring better experiences to more users, especially those who could not upgrade their old IE browser (mainly employees in enterprises). Chrome Frame let them set a tag on their pages to automatically switch IE users to Chrome Frame or prompt them to install the plugin if they didn’t have it. Now, the company is asking any developer whose app leverages Chrome Frame to prompt visitors to upgrade to a modern browser instead. As for IT administrator, Google is hoping to pitching them Chrome for Business coupled with Legacy Browser Support, which lets employees switch “seamlessly” between Chrome and another browser (read: old versions of IE). The company has been working hard to get Chrome into enterprises, letting businesses configure over 100 policies for the browser. See also – Google brings legacy support extension support to Chrome, adds cloud-based admin tools for businesses and Chrome 27 arrives with 5% faster page loads, FileSystem API for syncing data to Drive, prediction tweaks, and more More to follow.
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Google today updated its Google Play Music app for Android with new features and improvements. You can download the new version now directly from Google Play. The changes include faster music downloads, search quality improvements, and reduced overall data usage. In fact, that last point is further expanded with a new setting for mobile network bandwidth usage, giving you even more control over how the app streams your music. Here’s the full Google Play Music version 5.0.1052J changelog: Keeping music on device now much faster. New setting for mobile network bandwidth usage. Search quality improvements. Reduced data usage overall. This update is likely the last one for Android before Google releases the counterpart iOS app. At the end of last month, the company revealed that the service was coming to Apple’s devices “in a few weeks.” By our calculations, that means any day now. More to follow.
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This morning, Microsoft revealed that it will build 500 new Windows Stores in the United States, and 100 in Canada, inside of partner retail locations. Best Buy gave Microsoft a list of its highest-trafficked stores, which in turn will build its own stores inside. Consider this a rejuvenation of the Big Box retailer. TNW spoke briefly with Microsoft’s Chief Marketing Office Chris Capossela following the news. What follows is the gist of our discussion. Averaging 1,900 square feet, the first test Windows Stores are kicking off shortly, and the larger push should be wrapped in time for the back to school sales effort in September. Or, Microsoft is building itself a massive multinational retail footprint in a single go. The paltry 68 Microsoft Stores that exist are perhaps useful for Microsoft, but have little to match the scale of the 1,140,000 square feet of new floor space announced today. Each Windows Store – poor Windows 8, having to share the moniker – will have two heavily trained gurus to staff it; however, these will be Best Buy employees, and not Microsoft denizens. Capossela stated this is an important distinction. Don’t fret, however, there will be more than two persons to run the up to 2,200 square foot installations; normal Best Buy employees will be on hand as well. Why does Microsoft need deeper integration into the world’s largest PC vendor? It’s a new age, and Microsoft needs to make a new argument. Or, as Capossela puts it, we’re playing the Game of Ecosystems. It’s “Windows v. iOS v. Android,” in his estimation, and to explain why its offering is top – in its own view – Microsoft needs more space. To explain why the platforms that share the Windows core are a compelling end-to-end experience, you need to show how a Windows tablet can interact with an Xbox, and how a photo taken on a Windows Phone device will propagate to all your hardware that runs SkyDrive. It’s not a simple discussion of RAM and hard drive space. Microsoft and Best Buy both want to sell more PCs, and Microsoft has the money to fund a push like this. Better the PC sales process, dump funds into training, and attempt to construct a real narrative that may resonate with consumers, and hopefully watch the sales roll in. That’s the wager. The kicker to this is an unknown: how much can Windows-based hardware improve before the next two key sales cycles?  We’ll see far more touch-based machines as time goes along, but if Microsoft wants this effort to have impact in calendar 2013, its OEM partners have work to do. At Build later this month, we’ll see more about how Microsoft plans to bring Windows 8.1 to smaller form factors, which could bolster the larger Windows hardware game. Apple has more than 400 dedicated stores to its name. Microsoft’s Best Buy push will help it close the gap, but Apple has mini-stores as well. Physical store wars between digital platform companies: it’s a strange time in technology. Top Image Credit: Blake Patterson
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Vizify, a data driven graphical biography service, has partnered with Twitter to roll out a new feature that allows you to create a short video biography automatically using data from your Twitter account. The new #FollowMe feature uses info from a user’s Twitter bio and analyzes things like top tweets, photos, Vine videos and the number of followers someone has to create the personalized bio. It also analyzes, and shows, the times you tweet most frequently. To get a little specific, the service looks at the last 3,200 most recent tweets and up to the 800 most recent mentions and replies for any particular user. However, a video with no sound would be no fun at all, so Vizify has partnered with Friendly Music (the parent company of which is Rumblefish) to use a selection of 30 hand-picked tracks in order to really bring the bios to life. “We think there’s a powerful complement between Vizify & Twitter’s respective missions: Twitter helps you connect to what’s most important to you; Vizify helps people connect with what’s most important about you,” Todd Silverstein, CEO and co-founder of Vizify, said. You can see my video below. Check out my Twitter profile as an animated movie. #FollowMe #Vizify vizify.com/ben-woods/twit… — Ben Woods (@TheNextWoods) June 13, 2013 Of course, while the whole process is almost all automated – you pretty much only have to authorize Vizify for access to your Twitter account and off it goes – you can still make the final tweaks and give the go-ahead on the finished video. If, for example, you’d rather not have that picture included in your bio you can go in and manually remove it, or if you want to add in new scenes you can do that too. The accompanying audio track can also be swapped out for a different pre-selected option instead. Once you’re happy with the finished result, Vizify asks if you want to tweet it or thank the Top Followers mentioned in the video and then takes you on to see your video on your Vizify page. Vizify envisages the video bios being used everywhere you’d normally use a regular bio, so expect to see them popping up around Twitter (which also show the #FollowMe bios directly in the timeline thanks to its Twitter Cards integration) and LinkedIn if Vizify is correct. Image Credit – Thinkstock/Getty Images
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Google Maps has been updated today with new Street View imagery for over 1,000 locations around the world, including parts of Asia, Europe, Latin America, Canada and the United States. Google announced the deluge of new, high-resolution panorama photographs over on the Google Maps blog earlier today, highlighting a number of the most interesting places for the so-called “armchair explorer” to check out. Singapore has been given a radical overhaul, enabling users to explore the Singapore Zoo and metropolitan areas such as the Marina Bay Waterfront Promenade and the Fullerton Heritage Promenade. Perfect if you’re planning a tripe there, or just fancy having a nose around a new city. Many of Europe’s major cities have also been updated this time around. The Seville Cathedral is now available to peruse, as well as all of the beautiful canals weaving through Copenhagen. “From the boat you can see cultural landmarks like the Royal Opera and Theater Houses and even the sculpture of The Little Mermaid from Hans Christian Andersen’s famous fairytale,” Deanna Yick, Street View Program Manager for Google said. Street View imagery for the Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady Aparecida – one of the most visited Marian shrines in the world – has also been added to Brazil’s maps, as well as the Vila Belmiro stadium, home to Santos Soccer Club and football legends Pele and Neymar. The United States hasn’t been left out either. The Mark Twain House and Museum in Hartford, Connecticut is also new, as well as the Isaac Bell House in Newport, Rhode Island and the Cape Henry lighthouse in Virginia. Google hasn’t listed all 1,001 new Street View destinations – it would be an awfully long list if it did – so the best bet is to simply jump back into Google Maps and start snooping around. Google Maps was updated with new Street View imagery for multiple parts of New York, including Central Park, the 9/11 Memorial and various neighborhoods affected by Hurricane Sandy in May. Image Credit: Adam Berry/Getty Images
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Google’s Vic Gundotra announced that Google+ notifications have been redesigned and now support syncing across devices. As such, the Google+ for Android app has been updated (v4.01) with the new syncing features, along with other changes that make it easier for users to delete photos and view sharing stats on posts. Shown in the image below, Google+ notifications on Android now sync between Web and mobile, eliminating duplicate alerts that would otherwise crowd up the notification tab. As for iOS users, Gundotra says the new notifications are rolling out gradually: “first on Android and the web, then on iOS.” Aside from the much-needed syncing feature, Google has introduced a new bell icon to alert you of Google+ notifications. Additionally, the “notifications tray” should be easier to scan now, as it separates read and unread notifications. Rounding out the news, Google+ for Android is receiving a few tweaks: you can now delete photos inside the Photos view, tapping posts now shows all of your share stats (number of +1′s, comments and reshares), and Google says its “left-hand menu design is now more consistent with other Google apps.” All in all, it’s a subtle but helpful update for Google+ users. But are you still using Google+? ➤ Google+ for Android
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Yahoo today launched redesigned versions of its Sports app for Android and iOS. You can download the new apps now directly from Apple’s App Store and Google Play. The biggest change for the app is probably the name change from Sportacular to Yahoo Sports (no-brainer). Yahoo Sports is supposed to be a faster experience compared to Sportacular, adding more content and iPad support. Yahoo tries to paint a picture: Pretend like your favorite team is getting a new stadium. You still have the players and coaches you’ve come to count on in the clutch, but now the experience takes a leap to the next level; fancier nachos, comfier seats, nicer looking. On the iPad, Yahoo says it focused on making the app faster and easier to scan, navigate, and consume. That includes adding extra screen space so you can read articles while simultaneously keeping an eye on live updates. The full Yahoo Sports 4.0 for iOS changelog is as follows: iPad is here! Enjoy the new universal iOS support. Login to Yahoo! Sports to sync your favorite teams across mobile apps and the web. Refreshed design – A clean new look for a new era makes scanning and navigation a breeze. “Live Games” – Follow every in-progress game across all supported leagues from the “Live” tab on Trending scores. Game tweets – Follow the action with live game tweets from local beat writers and team experts. Pitch by pitch – Our baseball game experience is even better with pitch-by-pitch information for every at-bat. Note: Chat is no longer supported in v4.0. Curiously, the Android changelog doesn’t appear to be as extensive, leading us to believe that this update was more focused on Apple devices. In fact, tablet support still isn’t included: this release is just for Android smartphones. Top Image Credit: Barbara Bar Disclosure: This article contains an affiliate link. While we only ever write about products we think deserve to be on the pages of our site, The Next Web may earn a small commission if you click through and buy the product in question. For more information, please see our Terms of Service.
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Apple is in the midst of shifting its design language from one of illustration to one of animation.  In order to do this, it’s emphasizing the use of a new dynamics engine that will give developers more tools than ever to create interesting tactile experiences. Unfortunately, those experiences don’t always translate well to still screenshots. If developers are aggressive in adopting Apple’s new language, and I think that they will be if the conversations I’ve had at WWDC are any indication, then we’re going to end up with a lot of apps that end up looking very similar in ‘pictures’. In order to show off the way that the apps use animation to differentiate themselves from other apps, there needs to be a way to display motion content right alongside still content in the screenshot section of the app’s App Store description. These videos should not be very long. Look at Apple’s new iOS 7 preview site, which is packed with short video examples of many new features that are revealed through animation. They’re not embedded here but you can click on the image to watch them, or click here. It’s probably a coincidence that many of these interactions or sequences are about as long as a Vine video, but it’s a darn interesting one for sure. There seems to be a sweet spot of attention span and illustrative value in the ‘six second’ video that the Vine folks spent a lot of time divining. Note that the videos also fill the entire screen, which allows the user to see it as if the app is already installed on their device and running as it will when they buy it. This transformation gives a much better feel for how it will be to actually use the app than a cropped screenshot. Just after the WWDC keynote, I tweeted that iOS 7 must be seen to be understood, and much of that has to do with the shift away from pixel art as a primary means of communication. There’s a very definite reason why Apple decided to show off iOS 7 with a bunch of video previews. The new aesthetic of iOS 7 is simply not suited to still images. Animation and interaction is how the next generation of apps will signal, instruct and delight their users, and developers deserve a way to show that off.
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Airbnb is furthering its presence in Asia after it introduced its Neighborhoods feature to Bangkok, which becomes the first location in the region to fall under the company’s hyper-local spotlight. The company launched Neighborhoods last November, and the feature is designed to allow travellers to get to know a city better, and more easily discover experiences and culture there. It — in theory — makes it easier for travellers to find the part of the city that appeals to them the most; because we’ve all had moments when we booked in to stay at the wrong part of town but didn’t realize until we got there. As a result, Bangkok is now sub-divided into 19 different neighbourhoods. Each gets its own page which provides hyper-local details such as maps, photography, editorial, public transportations, tips from Airbnb hosts and — of course — properties that are available to rent. Here is the page for Silom, for example, which is an important location for businesses during the day — and includes the city’s best park — but becomes a mecca for party-goers during the evening: The addition of Thailand’s capital takes the Neighborhoods feature to 15 cities worldwide. Bangkok was chosen because it’s a hugely popular tourist destination — a recent MasterCard survey ranked it as the world’s most popular destination for travellers, for example — but we can expect the feature to roll out in more cities across Asia in due course. Airbnb has included properties in Asia Pacific since its earliest days, but it zoomed in on the region when it launched a local customer support presence in November 2012, opening offices in Australia, then Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore. CTO and co-founder Nathan Blecharczyk previously told TNW that the company is bullish on the potential for growth of Asia. Blecharczyk foresees the number of listings across the region tipping 2 million, and already it is seeing progress. The company tells TNW that it now has 2,700 listings in Thailand, which is up from 1,300 in November. The number of listings across Southeast Asia has also grown from 6,000 to just over 10,000 during the same period. Headline image via Thinkstock
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Fresh in our inbox is an invite to a Nokia event this July 11th in New York. The invite and email are decidedly sparse, giving us all but no information that isn’t implied. Here’s our invitation: Naturally, the image implies some sort of photographic component. Speculation inside of TNW has bets that we’ll see something extreme, perhaps the much rumored 41 megapixel behemoth that has been rumored. Whatever the case, TNW will be in attendance, and we’ll bring you the news when it drops, whatever it is. Somehow, the event is 5 hours long. I honestly don’t know what that means. The event could in some way be a response to GS4 Zoom that was announced yesterday. Nokia was quick to ruin a childish meme to mock its rival. See also: Nokia debuts new Smart Camera software on Lumia 925, coming to all Lumia smartphones this summer Top Image Credit: Vernon Chan
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Mobile payment service Square has updated its Wallet app for iOS to version 3.0, introducing a redesigned interface, various speed improvements and other changes that streamline the checkout process. According to Square, this release makes the app a “sleeker, snappier payment experience.” Indeed, the new look places emphasis on imagery, and overall, it polishes the previously decent-looking app to a level of quality you’d expect from a design-focused company. As 9to5Mac notes, Square did more than improve the technical performance of the app. This iteration cuts out a step for customers checking out, and so users no longer have to tap “Pay Here” to be added to the customer list of a store. They simply have to tap the store they’re in. This release comes just two months after Square added the ability to send gift cards to friends from within the app. Unfortunately for Android users, this update is iOS only for now. ➤ Square Wallet for iOS Disclosure: This article contains an affiliate link. While we only ever write about products we think deserve to be on the pages of our site, The Next Web may earn a small commission if you click through and buy the product in question. For more information, please see our Terms of Service.
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Microsoft today announced a strategic partnership with Best Buy and Future Shop. The company plans to build Windows Stores in 500 Best Buy locations across the US and more than 100 Best Buy and Future Shop locations in Canada, launching from late June through September. Although they will be called Windows Stores, they are more like Microsoft Stores given that they will include a range of products and accessories, including Windows tablets and PCs and Windows Phones, but also Microsoft Office, Xbox, “and more.” Microsoft says these will be the “premier destination” for consumers to see, try, compare and purchase its products. The Windows Stores inside of Best Buy and Future Shop will range in size from 1,500 square feet to 2,200 square feet, according to Microsoft. Each store will feature an “innovation space” highlighting a variety of Windows scenarios across devices, a showcase section with the latest Windows-based PC form factors (ultrabooks, convertibles, detachables, all-in-ones, portable devices, and so on), as well as a standalone area just for the Microsoft Surface. “The Windows Store offers a large-scale, hands-on customer experience that will show customers how Windows and Microsoft devices and services can make it easier for them to work and play,” Tami Reller, chief marketing officer and chief financial officer of the Windows Division at Microsoft, said in a statement. “We’re pleased to partner with Best Buy in bringing the latest technologies to consumers at scale in a unique environment where they can explore how Microsoft products fit together across entertainment, travel, music and other scenarios.” The partnership will also expand the number of Microsoft “specialists” already working across Best Buy and Future Shop locations. More than 1,200 Microsoft-trained sales associates (about two per location) will be handling these new Windows Stores. See also – Best Buy has spent 50,000 hours training its employees about Windows 8 Top Image Credit: Timothy A. Clary/Getty Images
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Uber is listing a number of new job openings for positions based in Seoul, Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Taipei, Bangalore, and Auckland, suggesting a wider international roll-out of its private car service. Spotted by SGE (via The Verge), the company is looking for Operations and Logisitics Managers to cover Taiwan, China, Korea and New Zealand, following an official launch in Singapore back in February. A quick glance at the job posting for Tokyo reads: Operations & Logistics managers are responsible for continually sourcing, signing up, onboarding and motivating the fleet of drivers who are our partners in a city. Operations Managers also constantly monitor the fleet of cars on the road at any given point in time, optimizing the quantity of cars, guiding their physical location across the city, based on user demand, and ensuring the highest levels of service. Uber is yet to confirm its interest in any of these areas – never mind an intended timeframe for the roll-out – but further evidence of the expansion is available on Twitter. The company already appears to have an account setup for Taipei, which follows the same format as that used for its Singapore and other international handles. Rival service Hailo has expressed an interest in Tokyo, but the industry is yet to see an international service with the userbase and reputation of Uber take a stab at the Asian market. It could be very early days for Uber, but the sheer scale of the recruitment drive suggests that the company will be taking its latest expansion very seriously. If it can hit most of the major markets early, it stands a good chance of becoming the go-to private car service for users globally. Related: Uber gets final approval to be first e-hail service in NYC, UberTAXI to follow ‘momentarily’ Image Credit: PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images
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Foursquare has just launched the Foursquare Time Machine, a neat tool which lets you visualize all of your past check-ins, starting from your very first. If you’re interested in seeing a nostalgic look at where you’ve been and where Foursquare recommends you go next, head over to the site and see it for yourself. After watching all of your check-ins unfold, Foursquare generates an infographic (for example, you can see mine here). The tool, which is heavily sponsored by Samsung, follows past visualizations from Foursquare, including the pulse video released in March that showcased the rapid pace of life in NYC and Tokyo. While the Samsung angle is surely pitchy — the site recommends the Next Big Thing(s)™® in your city, and of course they’re “already here” — the impressive visualizations make it worth a look. ➤ Foursquare Time Machine Image credit: ROBYN BECK / Getty Images
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Toronto-based design studio Teehan+Lax has released an updated version of its iPhone PSD template for app designers that reflects the new look and feel of iOS 7. Designers looking to mock up new versions of their apps with Apple’s new visual language should take a look. The package includes all of the major UI elements including buttons, stock icons and more drawn as individual vectors, making for easy scaling and tweaking. It’s well organized into groups in Photoshop and should make for a handy update for those looking to quickly get apps looking great on iOS 7. You can download the template now at Teehan+Lax. Thumbnail image credit: Getty Images
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Have you ever wanted your phone to automatically send an email or post on Facebook when you touch down somewhere abroad, or let your friends know exactly where you are in the world while you’re trotting your way around the globe? Well, if you have, and you’re an O2 UK mobile customer you’re in luck as Telefónica (parent company of O2 in the UK) has just added a JetSetMe channel to If This Then That’s (IFTTT) homepage to do just that, plus more. The If This Then That website can be used to automate certain actions, such as emailing you all the news from your RSS reader if you constantly forget to check it or indeed – as one user has done, at least – to log a new line in a spreadsheet every time it rains in your city. Telefónica’s spin on the service in the form of its JetSetMe channel allows users to carry out one of a set of pre-made actions while roaming abroad. The pre-made options include things like letting people know automatically when you land abroad (or return home) by sending an email or posting to social networks, or even post notifications on enterprise-focused services like Yammer to let colleagues know you’re travelling in a different time-zone and don’t want to be disturbed. Naturally, O2 users will likely want to create their own set of triggers, which they can do once they have opt-ed in and activated the JetSetMe channel. In order to activate membership to the channel, users simply type in their phone number and then should receive an activation code. The triggers activate automatically whenever you turn on your phone abroad (or land at home), so there’s no need to remember to actually do anything to carry out each of the actions. Telefónica said the service was free for now and that it was looking at expanding it to customers in other markets in the future. It also said future integration could include things like banks so you no longer need to tell them when you are travelling abroad. Image Credit – Getty Images
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US mobile network provider AT&T will begin selling the Galaxy S4 Active, a new ruggedized version of Samsung’s latest flagship Android smartphone, on June 21. Consumers will be able to pick up the device both in-store and online for $199.99 on a two-year agreement, although it’s unknown exactly how high the monthly instalments will be, as well as the data, texts and minutes included in the call plan. AT&T will begin taking pre-orders for the device tomorrow in both ‘Urban Gray’ and ‘Dive Blue’. There’s no word yet on the ‘Orange Flare’ color variant, however. The Samsung Galaxy S4 Active is a no-compromise smartphone that offers consumers high-end specs in a durable body. It boasts a 5-inch 1080p display at an impressive 443 pixels per inch, as well as a 1.9 GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. It differs from the original Samsung Galaxy S4, however, because it’s also water-resistant for up to 30 minutes, at a depth of one meter. The device also features a new ‘Aqua Mode’ in the camera app, which increases the detail and clarity for both video and photographs shot underwater. “It’s truly summer-proof,” Jeff Bradley, senior vice president for Devices and Developer Services at AT&T said.
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British mobile network operator O2 today updated its cross-platform mobile payments and price comparison app, O2 Wallet, so that users can now add credit to up to five different ‘Pay & Go’ mobile numbers simultaneously using a stored bank card. Available on iOS, Android and BlackBerry, O2 Wallet can be downloaded by anyone, regardless of what bank or mobile network they’re currently on. The caveat is that top-ups can only be applied to an O2 Pay & Go mobile number; so a Vodafone customer could download the O2 Wallet app and add some credit for an O2 Pay & Go customer, but not the other way around. The new ‘Pay & Go’ top-up feature has been added as an additional icon on the O2 Wallet home screen. To get started, users will need to set up an O2 Wallet account online, or register as an O2 customer by texting ‘WALLET’ to 61202. Once everything is set up, the user can choose a number to top-up from their phonebook, as well as the desired amount and which credit or debit card they would like to pay with. “Our customers’ needs are changing so we need to ensure we’re offering more digital solutions to make their lives easier, for example how they top up a Pay & Go mobile,” James Le Brocq, Managing Director at O2 Money, said. ”This new top-up service as part of the O2 Wallet app offers a quick and easy way to add credit to an account with minimal fuss, giving you more time to spend doing the things you love.” O2 Wallet was launched in April 2012 and lets users send money to another mobile phone number in the UK via a simple text message. These ‘Money Messages’ can range from £1 to £500 and are designed to make lending, borrowing and repaying money a whole lot easier. The app can also be used to scan product bar codes, before comparing the price with over 100 online retailers. There’s also a number of daily discounts and deals nestled under the ‘My Offers’ icon. The company also launched a separate app for rail travelers earlier this year, called O2 Train Travel, for iOS, Android and “most BlackBerry devices”, which integrated with O2 Wallet for faster mobile payments. ➤ O2 Wallet | iOS | Android | BlackBerry Image Credit: DAVID HECKER/AFP/Getty Images
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Digital music streaming and subscription service provider Rdio today announced that it has expanded availability to seven new countries and regions in one fell swoop (as it is prone to do). Most notable is today’s launch of Rdio’s music service in Malaysia and Hong Kong, the first territories in Asia for the company. The other five newly supported countries are Poland, Switzerland and Czech Republic in Europe, and Chile and Colombia in South America. The company is gifting newly signed-up users up to six months of free music to celebrate the occasion. All in all, Rdio is now available in 31 countries and five continents. Also read: Rdio for Android and iOS adds Find People via Facebook and Twitter, record label Pages, new side navigation Rdio just published the new Game of Thrones soundtrack for your perusal Shazam expands Rdio integration beyond the US, landing in Canada, the UK, Australia, Brazil and Mexico Music streaming service Deezer hits 4m Premium+ subscribers, now offers more tracks than Spotify New Google Play Music All Access subscription service at $9.99/mo with 30 day trial available in US today Image credit: Thinkstock
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King, the maker of the hit game Candy Crush, has launched iOS and Android versions of its popular Pet Rescue Saga, as the company’s total user base across all titles surpasses 190 million players with 26 billion monthly plays. Pet Rescue Saga, which launched first on Facebook last October, calls upon players to save animals from two evil snatchers by eliminating colored blocks from the board. Much like King’s earlier cross-platform titles, the game will track progress and purchases between its mobile and Facebook apps. As a top 10 Facebook game with 5 million daily active users, Pet Rescue Saga is on track to become another profit generator in the same vein as Candy Crush. King had originally announced the mobile release of Pet Rescue Saga last month as it topped 70 million daily active players and 21 billion monthly game plays. The company took the casual gaming crown from Zynga, which reported just 53 million daily active users in the first quarter of 2013. King’s Games Guru Tommy Palm told The Next Web in an interview that King plans to continue targeting mobile platforms as it moves forward, while also continuing cross-platform support. In the case of Candy Crush, the mobile release served to improve player engagement and retention on Facebook as well, so King is sticking with its winning recipe. Though Candy Crush is often associated as much for its aggressive monetization tactics as its addictive gameplay, King notes that 70 percent of players that have made it to the last level of the game have done so without spending any money. King is eyeing markets in Asia and merchandising and licensing options for future growth. Its games are already catching on in Hong Kong, and the company is looking to replicate its successes in Korea and Japan. With Pet Rescue Saga now on mobile devices and Candy Crush continuing to top app store charts, King’s future certainly looks sweet. ➤ Pet Rescue Saga: Facebook | iOS | Android Disclosure: This article contains an affiliate link. While we only ever write about products we think deserve to be on the pages of our site, The Next Web may earn a small commission if you click through and buy the product in question. For more information, please see our Terms of Service.
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Code Club UK, the network of volunteers that teach kids to program, is celebrating its first birthday today and is doing so in style by announcing the expansion of the initiative to the entire world. Code Club is a free scheme that relies on volunteers around the UK to teach children aged between 9 and 11 coding skills. Since its introduction more than 800 Code Clubs have sprung up around the country. “We’ve had people contact us from all over the globe asking us if they can set up a Code Club in their country,” Clare Sutcliffe, founder of Code Club, said. “We’re a small operation here in the UK, so we’ve been unable to support anyone outside the UK. But, we’ve been listening and we don’t feel that Code Club should be restricted to just this small island.” However, despite its achievements in the past year the organisation wants more. As a result it has today introduced Code Club World, opening up the scheme to anyone, anywhere in the world. While it (mostly) shares the same name, Code Club World is a separate entity to Code Club, though the organisation notes that the main difference is that the volunteer support will be offered by the community themselves. Code Club said it will upload all of its teaching materials in English onto a special Code Club World page on GitHub, which can then be translated by others into their local language. In addition to providing teaching materials, Code Club said it would also provide advice on finding a suitable venue, running a Code Club, and recruiting volunteers to build a community. The introduction of Code Club World was supported by the likes of industry heavyweights Mozilla and Google. “With technology increasingly defining how we perceive and interact with the world around us, there has never been a more urgent need for talented computer scientists. For children everywhere to have an opportunity to become creators – and not just consumers – of tomorrow’s innovations, we think it’s vital to expand access to Computer Science education that inspires and engages children from an early age,” Alison Cutler, Pre-University CS Education Outreach at Google, said in a statement. The first Code Club World communities will be in Luxembourg and Kiev and will be run by web developer Patrick Welfringer and TA Venture Director and IDCEE conference organizer Viktoriya Tigipko. Earlier this year, British chip design company ARM said it would support and fund up to 1,000 more after school coding clubs across the UK. Image Credit – Thinkstock/Getty Images
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Disney has released its popular Facebook RPG Marvel: Avengers Alliance on iOS and announced plans to release the game on Android soon. Avengers Alliance is a turn-based RPG that has players take the role of a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent tasked with recruiting the Marvel universe’s super heroes, including Iron Man, Captain America, Wolverine, Hulk and Spider-Man. The free-to-play game includes 60 missions with more scheduled for future updates. I was skeptical of the new release after being disappointed by the boring gameplay in the Marvel: War of Heroes card game for iOS, but Avengers Alliance did turn out to be fun. The game is monetized with a standard energy and currency economy. Energy is used to go on missions, while currencies are used to speed-up character training, purchase new items and recruit new team members. Players that aren’t willing to spend money will have to slog through missions in spurts as they wait for their energy to recharge. The social PVP (player vs player) feature isn’t yet active in the game, and a Special Operations mode is also listed as coming soon. Also, if you already play the game on Facebook, you’ll be sad to hear that your stats and game progress won’t carry over to the mobile versions. It’s nice to see Disney making use of its $4 billion Marvel purchase to put these kinds of super hero experiences onto mobile devices. In the long run, I’d like to see more in-depth stories and games that aren’t as focused on in-app purchases and movie tie-ins, but this is still a good start. ➤ Marvel: Avengers Alliance | Facebook | iOS Header image via Flickr / theduy Disclosure: This article contains an affiliate link. While we only ever write about products we think deserve to be on the pages of our site, The Next Web may earn a small commission if you click through and buy the product in question. For more information, please see our Terms of Service.
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