Video Chat Coming to iPad and iPhone? [PICS]

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Mashable/~3/s1rirEek0_M/

Further evidence has emerged that Apple’s iPad and iPhone may support video chat in future versions.

Icons in the iPhone 3.2 Software Development Kit are labeled “Accept Video” and “Decline or End Video”, reports 9to5Mac.

Meanwhile, code in the iPad’s telephony apps also includes mentions of video chat. 9to5Mac concedes that Apple may have re-used code from its Mac software in the 3.2 SDK, but adds there would be no reason to create video chat icons for the iPad unless this was a feature.

The rumor supports previous reports that future iPhones/iPads will have a front-facing camera, and the discovery of code for “toggling a video call between full screen and a smaller screen area” in the SDK.


Video Chat Icons



Video Chat Code


Tags: ipad, iphone, video chat


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Tiger Woods's Apology Will Be Live-Streamed on YouTube Today [YouTube]

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/3NJI5806j3A/tiger-woodss-apology-will-be-live+streamed-on-youtube-today

It may not be a CGI apology (bet his wife would've loved that!) but Tiger Woods will be making his first public apology live on YouTube today.

YouTube is live-streaming the press conference from Florida at 11am EST / 8am PST today to the Citizen Tube area of the site. Tune in if seeing a grown man grovelling is your idea of fun—I'll be brushing up on my sext messages. [YouTube Citizen Tube via YouTube Blog via Electricpig]

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Newspapers Call For Ban On BBC iPhone Apps

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Newspapers Call For Ban On BBC iPhone AppsThe Newspaper Publishers Association (NPA) has lobbied against the BBC’s plans to release standalone news and sports apps for the popular Apple iPhone in the UK.

The NPA, which represents national and regional newspapers, magazines, books, journals and data publishers, claims that the publishing of the apps would “damage the nascent market” for news apps on mobile devices. The NPA therefore called upon the BBC Trust to block the BBC move into the application market.

The BBC’s foray into the mobile news application market would mean they would be providing a “new service in a particular market”, according to the NPA and should therefore be put before a BBC Trust public value test before any introduction.

The move may be instigated by complaints from other media outlets who have already released apps to Apple’s App Store. For example, The Guardian and the Daily Telegraph already have apps on the market. By allowing the integration of the BBC into the mobile news space, the NPA argue existing outlets would find the Corporation becoming a clear obstruction into “development of sustainable advertising and paid-for models for online content provision.”

The BBC’s main focus at present is to release an app for the Apple iPhone but are to develop similar applications for both Google’s Android operating system and RIM (BlackBerry).

The BBC Trust has released a statement which backs the BBC’s move, referencing the fact that it was license payers who prompted the corporation to move into the mobile market. A trust spokeswoman said:

The BBC Executive has advised the trust that it is satisfied that these plans to deliver BBC News, Sport and iPlayer content via smartphone apps fall within the terms of its existing BBC service licence and that the plans do not constitute a significant change to the service. The proposals have not been referred to the Trust for approval.

The Newspaper Publishers Association said it will raise its concerns with the Department of Culture, Media and Sport and MPs on the Media Select Committee should it not get the response they hoped from the BBC Trust.

If development continues and the plans for release are not blocked, we should see a BBC News app in April and a BBC Sport app (which allows mobile users to World Cup 2010 matches live), being released before the tournament starts in June.

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What are VRT, VTM, SBS waiting for? ->HBO Go Streams All the HBO You Can Eat (If You're Already a Subscriber, That Is) [Hbo]

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/FzWm_2FChmg/hbo-go-streams-all-the-hbo-you-can-eat-if-youre-already-a-subscriber-that-is

In beta for a while, HBO Go has launched: It's a streaming site with access to over 600 hours of HBO programming, from original series like Big Love to Watchmen. The catch? You already have to be an HBO subscriber. Dumb.

You also have to have the right cable provider to have access (right now, Comcast or Verizon FiOS). (Update: Comcast people might be redirected to Fancast, but the same video's available there. It should switch to the HBO site in the day or two.) The idea is that it gives subscribers more options to watch stuff, not to let everybody get some HBO action. HBO thinks of it like HBO On Demand, but able to offer 4x the content that they could On Demand, not a way to pull in new people. That is, even if I want to pay HBO $15 a month to get their awesome content, I can't. Even though they're tight with cable operators, seems like a missed opportunity—HBO is the kind of TV people might actually want to pay for.

Though for now, the amount of content has some serious holes—where the hell is True Blood, for instance? So even if you could subscribe to HBO online only, right now it wouldn't quite be worth it anyway. [HBO, Bits]

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Facebook Overtakes Yahoo: Now the Second Most Visited Site in U.S.

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New data released earlier today by web analytics firm Compete.com reveals that there has been a major shift at the top of the web charts: Facebook is now larger than Yahoo in the U.S.

Yahoo for years was the world’s most popular website — its ubiquitous portal has dominated the web since the 90s. Two years ago however, Google vaulted past Yahoo and became the Internet’s most popular destination. Last month, it became Facebook’s turn to knock Yahoo down another peg.

In December 2009, Yahoo garnered 133.45 million visitors in the U.S. Facebook wasn’t far behind with 132.13 million uniques. In the first month of 2010 though, there was a role reversal: Facebook’s traffic rose to 133.62 million visitors, while Yahoo shrunk down to 132.00 million.


Facebook’s shown no signs of stopping its meteoric rise, either. It recently celebrated its 400 millionth user and that number continues to rise in rapid fashion. Now the only website standing between it and web domination is Google.com.

If Google Buzz is any indication though, the search giant isn’t going to give up its throne without a fight.

Tags: compete, facebook, trending, Yahoo

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Begun, the Tablet Wars Have: HP's Slate Wants to Undercut the iPad [Ipad]

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/VEJbOXtkV4g/begun-the-tablet-wars-have-hps-slate-wants-to-undercut-the-ipad

Even if you hate Apple, you can't deny they set the tone. The WSJ reports that while HP announced their Slate first, they waited for the iPad unveil to make changes, like the price—which they plan to undercut.

HP wants to come in under $630 for their full Windows 7 Slate. A tall order, considering that even Asus and MSI, skilled as they are in the art of undercutting, furrowed their collective brows at the iPad's cheaper-than-expected pricing.

And apparently Acer's already backtracking on their promise not to make iPad competitors, with Sumit Agnihotry, a marketing veep at Acer telling the WSJ that working on stuff in between a phone and laptop, and that "Acer plans to introduce possibly more iPad-like devices." Then there's Dell, who found via consumer research what they really want is a five-inch slate for browsing. So voila. Let's not forget JooJoo or Lenovo, either. And Super Kindle!

Oh, this is going to be a fucking mess. [WSJ]

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30 dollar voor iPad-app?

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/brightmagazine/~3/N-mzeW549IY/30-dollar-voor-ipad-app

Hoeveel moet je straks betalen voor een abonnement op The New York Times op de iPad? Die vraag heeft tot grote onenigheid geleid bij de krant.

Uitgevers van kranten en tijdschriften hebben hooggespannen verwachtingen van de iPad. Zij hopen dat het dankzij dit apparaat straks eindelijk mogelijk wordt om geld te gaan vragen voor hun digitale producten. Maar hoeveel geld moet je je lezer eigenlijk vragen voor een iPad-applicatie?

Die vraag leidt tot verhitte gemoederen bij The New York Times, zo bericht Gawker.com. De internetjongens en de mannen van het papier worden het namelijk niet eens. De papier-mensen pleiten voor een maandelijkse abonnementsprijs van 20 tot 30 dollar. Op die manier zal de iPad-applicatie de papieren krant niet kannibaliseren, denken zij.

De internetters bij de krant vinden die prijs veel te hoog. Als je je krant niet meer via papier verspreidt, hoef je immers ook minder kosten te maken. Daarom bepleit de afdeling digital een abonnementsprijs van 10 dollar per maand. En zelfs dat is nog een flink bedrag, vindt Gawker.com. Via het web is de krant immers gewoon gratis. In ieder geval nog dit jaar.

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Buzz Gets Its Inevitable EPIC FTC Complaint [Google]

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/qbhuzrSyOJ8/buzz-gets-its-inevitable-epic-ftc-complaint

Despite the apologies and quick-fixes, Google still has a lot of explaining to do about Buzz. And if the FTC decides to hear the Electronic Privacy Information Center's complaint, we'd get some answers right quick.

EPIC's 16-page complaint, filed yesterday, cites a dissatisfaction with the measures Google has taken so far to shore up Buzz's security. Users still have to opt out of the service, and Buzz still uses address books to build follower/following lists.

An FTC complaint is significant because it frames the discomfort over Buzz legalistically. Should the agency choose to investigate—which given the degree of public outcry and clear privacy violations, they may well—that could result in government regulation of the service. If nothing else, it's another black mark on Buzz, and another indication that while Google may "do no evil," they don't necessarily always do good. [EPIC via Ars Technica]

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