Remains of the Day: Ubuntu for Android is on the Way [For What It's Worth] | Lifehacker

Jeremy Hoag — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600

Canonical announces Ubuntu for Android, Google isn't the only company dodging IE's privacy controls, and Sony's Google TVs get rooted.

In Every Dual-Core Phone, There's a PC Trying to Get Out: Ubuntu for Android will make a full desktop available alongside Android's mobile interface, sharing resources like the address book and media files, to smoothly switch to a desktop experience when Android devices dock with PC peripherals. [Ubuntu Devices]
Facebook and Many Other Sites Also Bypass Internet Explorer Privacy Controls: Many sites openly use the same exploit that earned Google a chiding from the IE Team Blog. Facebook's Help Center defends the move, saying the Platform for Privacy Preferences (P3P) protocol used in IE is "out of date and does not reflect technologies that are currently in use on the web." [New Web Order]
Google TV Root Achieved on Sony Devices, Enables Hulu Streaming and More: A software root process is out for Sony's original lineup of Google TV devices, supporting a custom Flash Player and NTFS external hard drives, and paving the way for more tweaks to come. [The Verge]
The Daily Calls Microsoft's Bluff, Says that Office for iPad Is Real, and Was Demoed: Microsoft disavows The Daily's images and sources without denying the claim that Office is coming to the iPad soon. The blog insists its screenshots were captured during a demo with a Microsoft employee. [The Next Web]
Swype Beta Brings Support for Ice Cream Sandwich: Along with support for Android 4.0, the latest beta brings accuracy improvements and more integration with DragonGo! dictation and voice controls. The beta is not compatible with Swype builds pre-installed by carriers or manufacturers. [XDA Developers]

NASCAR racing team turns to Google+ Hangout to prep fans for Daytona 500 | The Next Web

Drew Olanoff — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:55:16 -0600

We’ve seen quite a few genius uses of the Google+ Hangout feature, including a question and answer session with President Barack Obama and 24-hour concerts from musician Daria Musk. For those who are doubting Google’s social features, the Hangout feature is getting traction from some interesting figures and brands and it’s becoming harder to deny that Google has a hit on its hands.

It’s also hard to deny that coming face to face with your favorite public figure beats out any other social medium we have at our disposal and NASCAR has taken notice and one of the more popular teams is holding two live “hangouts” on the Google+ platform.

Roush Fenway Racing is hosting the live event with five of its drivers; Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle, Ricky Stenhouse Jr, Matt Kenseth and defending champion Trevor Bayne. At 7pm ET tomorrow, the five drivers will be hanging out and taking questions live from their biggest fans. Not only is the Roush team popular, it’s the winningest team in NASCAR history.

If you have a question to ask the drivers leave it on this post as a comment and you might get invited to join the live broadcast to ask your question “face to face”. The race team will also be holding two other Hangouts leading up to the Daytona 500 on Sunday. The guest on Saturday will be driver Trevor Bayne and team owner Jack Roush will hold a Hangout the day of the race.

If you’re a fan of NASCAR this type of interaction is probably a dream come true for you. As more brands start utilizing Google+ features, the bigger the events will become. Can you imagine a day when Kobe Bryant leads his team to a win and then holds a Hangout from the locker room? It might not be that far off in the future if Google has anything to say about it.

Watching the Hangouts product evolve has been fun to watch and I can’t wait to see it integrated into Google TV at some point in the same way that Xbox has done with its Kinect product.

➤ Roush Fenway Racing

NYT: Google to sell Android-based heads-up display glasses this year | Engadget

Donald Melanson — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 01:44:00 -0600

It's not the first time that rumors have surfaced of Google working on some heads-up display glasses (9 to 5 Google first raised the possibility late last year), but The New York Times is now reporting that the company is not only working on them, but that it's set to release them by the end of this year. Citing "several Google employees familiar with the project," the paper's Nick Bilton reports that the glasses will be based on Android, pack 3G or 4G connectivity, plus GPS and a range of sensors, and cost "around the price of current smartphones," or somewhere between $250 and $600. They're also said to include a low-resolution camera that can monitor your surroundings in real time and overlay relevant information, although Google is said to be paying attention to potential privacy concerns, and "wants to ensure that people know if they are being recorded by someone wearing a pair of glasses with a built-in camera."

What's more, the Times says that none other than Sergey Brin is a "key leader" on the project, with another being Google engineer Steve Lee, the creator of Latitude. Notably, Bilton also says that Google sees the project as an "experiment that anyone will be able to join," and that the company is not currently thinking about potential business models for the glasses, which could suggest that they may be more of a small-scale hobby than part of a major push into consumer hardware.

NYT: Google to sell Android-based heads-up display glasses this year originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 21:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Engadget HD Podcast 287 - 02.21.2012 | Engadget

Trent Wolbe — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 01:35:00 -0600

Welcome to a special President's Day Engadget HD podcast (ok, not that special) where we kick things off with last week's hot button topic: universal pricing. Is a forced even playing field between online and B&M retailers fair, or harmful to the consumer? You guys sounded off in the comments, so we took another look at Samsung's plan for its 2012 HDTVs. We've also got plenty of HTPC news, with InfiniTV access on more platforms, a new round of arguments between Boxee and the NCTA and Kinect for Media Center. It's also time to say hello to Aereo -- even if we think it may not be long for this world -- before taking a look at the latest receivers from Onkyo and what's on TV this week.

Get the podcast
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (MP3).
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[MP3] Download the show (MP3).

Hosts: Ben Drawbaugh (@bjdraw), Richard Lawler (@rjcc)

Producer: Trent Wolbe

00:23:45 - BBC 3D London Olympics plans include one live sporting event, daily highlights
00:28:43 - Premium cable TV comes to XBMC, GoodPlayer and more via InfiniTV 4 tuner
00:34:50 - Boxee and the NCTA debate if ClearQAM is good for us
00:40:00 - March Madness streams to more platforms in 2012, but not everything is free
00:42:56 - Blockbuster On Demand pulls back from TiVo and others, is it on its way out?
00:47:15 - HBO Go rolls out to most Samsung Smart HDTVs -- but not through all providers
00:52:46 - Xbox 360 system update gets its colors in order, makes it mandatory
00:55:01 - Kinect for Media Center released, why not wave and shout at your HTPC?
00:57:03 - Comcast slows the flood of video customer losses in Q4 2011
00:58:24 - Time Warner Cable's TWC TV launches for PC, brings live TV streaming to the desktop
01:01:04 - Aereo puts TV antennas in the cloud, streams OTA broadcasts on the internet
01:05:04 - Onkyo debuts new entry level receivers, HTIBs for 2012
01:09:30 - Must See HDTV (February 20th - 26th)

Hear the podcast

LISTEN (MP3)
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Engadget HD Podcast 287 - 02.21.2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 21:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Seatwave screams “not guilty” ahead of UK TV ticket reselling investigation | The Next Web

Anna Heim — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:32:12 -0600

British fan-to-fan ticket marketplace Seatwave will likely be mentioned in the next edition of the well-known investigative show ‘Dispatches’, its CEO Joe Cohen announced in a letter. Sent to the startup’s customers earlier today, it reads as preemptive albeit cautious defense against the upcoming documentary.

Scheduled to air in the UK on Channel 4 this Thursday, the episode will focus on the ticketing industry and ‘fan-to-fan’ reselling. Its title, ‘The Great Ticket Scandal‘, already gives a clue of why it prompted Seatwave to speak up – and so does its description on Channel 4′s website:

While Cohen acknowledges he hasn’t seen the episode, he makes it clear that some of his employees will probably be featured in it. More precisely, he expects them not to be shown in their best light, as part of the documentary was filmed undercover, a practice he condemns:

“We know now that Dispatches sent in an undercover reporter some months ago, to pose as an employee and surreptitiously film and record how we do business ‘behind the scenes.’ As we’ve been told to expect by the programme producers, there will probably be a selection of Seatwave employees appearing on-screen and speaking – unfairly, and likely out of context, in my view – about the company.

For the record: Seatwave has done nothing wrong, and in no way do we accept that surreptitious filming was justified in the development of this programme.”

While he refrains from criticizing the content of an episode he hasn’t seen, the purpose of Cohen’s letter is obviously to defend his company’s ethics and business practices. Says Cohen:

“From the outset, we set up guarantees to ensure that fans would get the tickets they paid for (TicketIntegrity™), and wouldn’t be out of pocket if an event they’d bought tickets for was cancelled (TicketCover™). With guarantees like these, we have consistently led the ticketing market towards more customer-friendly practices. Transparency and security were, and still are, our top priorities.”

If Cohen is to be believed, it means Seatwave would be a golden exception in a sector which still generates a lot of discontent. However, we haven’t seen the documentary either, which makes it hard to tell whether or not Seatwave’s image will be consistent the values it laid out in its manifesto.

Yet, Cohen seems determined to remain true to one word that comes back very often in said document: “transparency”. While Seatwave’s could have ignored the debate or waited for it to happen, today’s letter gives Dispatches a large amount of publicity among the company’s customers.

This has also been a clever PR move so far, as Seatwave customers have already started to voice their mostly-positive feedback on social network, ahead of the #TicketScandal hashtag Dispatches will promote. It remains to be seen how things will play out during the show and whose voices we’ll hear the most, but one thing is for sure, Seatwave and many others will be watching Channel 4 very closely this Thursday.

Do you think writing to customers was the right thing to do? Let us know in the comments.

What makes or breaks a Web design is often hidden in the details | The Next Web

Harrison Weber — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 01:17:32 -0600

When first starting out on a project, major aspects of a site like color, form, shape and whitespace get all the attention. Of course, these traits are extremely important, but it’s imperative to see that larger elements of your site aren’t the only things that deserve your attention. Experienced designers know that what makes or breaks a website is often hidden in the details.

Little Big Details, curated by Floris Dekker of Gidsy.com, offers up a much-needed dose of UI inspiration that takes a deeper look at the user interfaces we use everyday, and deciphers some of the hidden gems. Think of it as Dribble but with follow-up rational for what’s exactly special about each screen grab.

LBD collects exemplary UI designs, looking at the finer details from popular sites we use everyday like YouTube, Twitter and Gmail. It gives designers the chance to see why some experiences are so enjoyable, even if the best parts go unnoticed.

YouTube - When typing in the search box, the autocomplete dropdown size will be limited so it doesn’t cover the video.

Mixcloud - The favicon indicates whether the music is playing or paused.

Gmail - While in the inbox, the Compose button is red. Then when composing an email, the Send button is red instead.

IMDb - The rating for ‘This is Spinal Tap’ goes up to 11

Little Big Details shows that you can’t shy away from looking at your design on a pixel-by-pixel level. Subtle signals of what’s been selected, visual cues during loading and highlighting important information in special contexts are just some of the ways to drastically improve user experience while keeping your design beautiful. If you neglect the details, your users will often hate the results without even understanding exactly why.

Check out the site and let us know what you think in the comments below! Do you have a favorite UI (or even UX) detail to share?

➤ Little Big Details

Asia’s ‘Twitter for voice’ service Bubbly comes to the iPhone – first stop India | The Next Web

Jon Russell — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 07:03:06 -0600

Bubble Motion has introduced an iPhone app for Bubbly, its voice blogging service for mobile phones, as it looks to increase user interaction and begin to take the service out of Asia to worldwide audiences.

Bubbly, for those that are not familiar with it, is mobile-based service for Asia that allows users to send voice tweets and text messages to subscribers on the service, much like Twitter. This release is its first app and it will offer a visual experience that goes far beyond its current SMS-based system, that is supported by a number of operators across the continent.

The app is initially available for users based in India but a phased roll-out will see it come to Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines before it is released across the rest of the continent. The app release is prioritised for markets where Bubbly is most active, as Bubble Motion CEO Thomas Clayton told The Next Web:

These markets are where our largest active user bases and celebrity bases are. We want to push momentum around each launch so we prioritised them in this way.

It is interesting to note that Bubble Motion has opted to launch its iPhone app before the Android version, given that the service is only available in Asia, where Android dominates the smartphone market.

Clayton explains that there are two main factors to account for this decision:

Firstly, the iPhone is quicker to build as you develop the app for one screen size, which makes it much more efficient. For Android, you need to develop for four different screen sizes which takes around three and a half more man hours.

While it does come down to what is available first there is a second reason. Android numbers are always going to be larger in terms of volume, but monetising an app on the Apple Store is far easier than it is on Android Market.

Clayton doesn’t reveal exactly how many of its users own iPhones but it does admit that it is a “relatively small” proportion. However, the app is likely to help create more content from Bubbly’s high-end users, which include celebrities, who use the service to connect with fans.

One quarter of the celebs — who are a key driver of new sign-ups and activity levels — carry iPhones and they can expect a greater level of engagement with the service. Clayton explains that the star names, which include India’s Amitabh Bachchan and Laura Dutta, girl bands and soccer stars in Japan, and Indonesian comedians, will be able to see feedback from users, and gain closer interaction with Bubbly.

The app will bring a much more visual and engaging user experience. We all now integrate deeply with Twitter and Facebook, as a one-stop for audio needs for social media.

As it is so easy to comment and respond, it will help provide a new level of interaction, allowing users to give instant feedback and enjoy easier access to stats and other information about the service.

The app is also likely to boost the service in Japan, where the iPhone is particularly popular. Clayton estimates that there are 8 million iPhones there and he expects that, thanks to the app, it will to become a “significant market” for Bubbly.

Looking beyond Asia, the iPhone app is also about extending into new markets. Clayton explains, the iOS release will form a critical part of the plan to enter Europe and North America without needing to rely on deals with operators:

It is also about increasing our penetration in other markets. With 40 percent penetration rate in Europe, for example, the app will help us reach new audiences when it is available there in a few months.

To complement the iPhone app, an Android offering is in development and should be available in a couple of months, as Bubble Motion looks to ramp the service up across Asia. A number of markets will be launching the service locally, including Thailand, Vietnam, Korea, Bangladesh and others, but China is a notable exception, says Clayton:

We have no interest in China. If it was successful we would just be blocked anyway. You can’t put a service out there that can be monitored, and voice files aren’t automatically monitored unless you hire a lot of staff to do so.

Local players aren’t even allowed to do it, and we know that both Weibo services tried unsuccessfully to introduce voice services.

The Asia-only service has an estimated 15 million registered users. With Bubbly seeing between 27,000-35,000 new sign-ups each day, Clayton is confident that the serviice is well on course to passing 20 million members this year. With plans to move into a host of new markets and more apps, 2012 is shaping up to be a very busy year for the ‘Twitter for voice’ service.

➤ Bubbly for iOS [India only]

Image: Shutterstock user Morgan Lane Photography

UK 4G networks will disrupt TV signals, at a cost of £180m to mobile operators | The Next Web

Matt Brian — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:51:22 -0600

UK regulators haven’t even announced the auction date for Britain’s 4G network coverage, and already it is costing operators hundreds of millions of pounds to ensure the new wireless networks don’t interfere with television signals, reports The Telegraph.

Communications Minister Ed Vaizey said that a fund has already been set up to collect money from mobile operators, which will go towards helping customers switch from satellite to digital television, fit a filter or in a worst case scenario, provide up to £10,000 per household to find a solution.

In January, Ofcom, the UK regulatory body for the broadcasting and telecommunications industries, announced proposals that extend 4G coverage to at least 98% of the UK population, with revised plans to promote competition.

All of this will go towards an auction for the spectrum later this year, with new network services launching in 2013.

“Next generation mobile services are essential for economic growth. They will bring an estimated benefit of £2-3 billion to the UK economy,” said Mr Vaizey. “There will be some interference when 4G services are rolled-out but we will have the solutions in place to eliminate the disruption to television viewers,” he added.

The actual cost may run in under budget but mobile operators have said they will split the underspend with the Government, cutting their spectrum bids as a result.

The Tabbed Home Screen [Featured Home Screen] | Lifehacker

Whitson Gordon — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 01:00:00 -0600

Reader Dandylion took a very different approach to organizing his home screen, using the Sweeterhome Launcher to give it a tabbed organization. Here's how.

The home screen isn't actually that heavily modded, but uses a very cool, very unique launcher called Sweeterhome, not yet available in the Market:

This is my Samsung Galaxy S II running CyanogenMod. This screen is made using the Sweeterhome Launcher for Android. All the elements you see on the screen, including the coloued dock on top and the clock and date on the bottom are part of the launcher itself. For each dock text icon, a folder/tray pops-up which contains relevant apps or contacts or bookmarks, depending on what you put in there. For instance, I have set the Phone icon to open three trays each containing a scrollable contacts list on the screen itself, recent calls (missed or otherwise) and a quick dial contact list respectively.

There isn't much to give in terms of detail since all theme elements are part of the launcher, if you're using the launcher you can download this and many other user-submitted themes from within it. Widgets can be added anywhere on the screen and can be associated with the dock icons so they hide/show with it or they can be made to show at all times. I'm using Jorte widget under the calendar tab, it only shows when the icon's active. The launcher's very customizable and offers amazing flexibility with theming; I'm submitting this just so more people can get to know about it (and no, I'm not associated with Sweeterhome in any way, just a very big fan).

Apart from Sweeterhome, Dandylion is also using:

The "Arrow" theme for Sweeterhome, which you can get in the launcher.
This wallpaper, from Wallbase
A modified status bar, part of the Lunar UI theme for CyanogenMod 7 (which you can install via CyanogenMod's Theme Chooser)

Do you have an awesome, tweaked-into-oblivion home or lock screen of your own that you'd like to share? Go ahead and post it on the #homescreenshowcase forum with a description of how you made it and it may be the next featured home screen.

The Tabbed Home Screen | #homescreenshowcase

Storify launches a slick iPad app to open its story-building service to a new audience | The Next Web

Matthew Panzarino — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 08:02:06 -0600

Storify is today announcing a brand new app for the iPad, bringing its drag and drop curation of Tweets, videos and other web links to the tablet. The experience looks smooth and carries over the core features of the web app.

Storify is a service that lets you combine links from Twitter and other sharing services at large into cohesive stories, something that we love to do here at The Next Web, as we did with the story surrounding the death of Steve Jobs. It’s a great, and fast, way to collate a bunch of links, bits of media and Tweets into something coherent and fluid and much easier to read.

“Whether you’re at a conference or at home, you can mix social streams to create simple, beautiful stories to share and remember the moments in life that matter,” said Xavier Damman, Storify co-founder and CEO. “You now have storytelling at your fingertips.”

The iPad app keeps the process of creating new stories simple, allowing you to pull from five specific and very popular services including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Flickr, as well as the web. Once you fire up a story, you choose a service on the right and flick your way through items that are divided out into easily grabbable sections.

To build a compilation, you just grab an item on the right and drag it over to your story on the left. It actually feels quite a bit like you’re an editor preparing an edition of a magazine or newspaper, moving, organizing and curating content to craft your story. It’s a pretty interesting experience and one that actually makes a lot of tactile sense.

With easy access to the various services you can grab video of an event, your Facebook friends’ shots, your own Instagram shares and Tweets around the event’s hashtag to whip together an easily shareable experience that you can publish out to Storify. It’s honestly a far better experience for me than the Storify web app.

Yes, the iPad version does lack some of the granularity of the web version, and it doesn’t have all of its features, but it delivers the core experience well. It also gives you one additional feature: the ability to Tweet right from inside the app.

As with the standard version of Storify, once you’ve finished your story you can publish it out to the website and choose to share a link on Twitter or Facebook. You can also notify anyone mentioned in the story that you’ve used something that they’ve posted or said.

There isn’t a way to grab embed code here, so if you’re looking to quickly Storify something and then post it right to your blog in an iPad app you’ll need to jump out to the web interface to grab it.

The process is smooth and has a satisfying feel, but there are a few niggling issues with the interface that will hopefully be worked out soon. I would really like to see a slightly lower activation time when you tap and hold an item, so that grabbing and dragging feels more immediate. There is also a bit of pane confusion at times when moving back and forth between various sections. This has to do with the way that Storify layers a browser pane on top of a tapped link. I’d also like to see the web pane stay on the last page you were looking at, rather than defaulting to Google.com.

Having links remain live in your story view would also be nice, as it would allow you to bounce around through linked pages within Tweets. There also seems to be no reason why the app makes you grab an item by the right edge to change its order, grabbing an item directly as well would be a good option to have. But these issues are comparatively minor when compared to the rest of the app.

The iPad app’s focus on a select number of services and direct sharing to Twitter and Facebook are indicative of the company’s desire to make Storify something that ‘regular’ users, not just social media addicts or bloggers, use regularly. It’s making itself into something that you might use to easily share all of the various bits of media from your vacation in one cohesive story form with friends or relatives.

Storify for iPad is a great first step towards expanding the service outwards from its niche service position and it’s a highly polished first effort. Whether you’re creating stories around tech news or your favorite foods, Storify wants to be your tool. It will be interesting to see if this effort pays off in the long run, but even this initial stage of the plan it’s well worth trying out.

Storify for iPad is available now on the App Store.

Home, sweet home: 60% of UK employees could be working remotely within a decade | The Next Web

Paul Sawers — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 10:03:50 -0600

A new study suggests that more than half (60%) of office-based employees will be ‘regularly’ working from home within the next decade, thanks to technological advances in the workplace.

The Virgin Media Business report also notes that face-to-face meetings with customers will change, with 72% of the subjects believing that it will soon be a thing of the past.

The research was carried out by LM Research between 12 December and 16 December 2011, and surveyed 5,000 directors and business-owners from UK companies with 100+ employees. The report also notes that businesses are already putting plans in place to support the changes, with access to super-fast connectivity as standard now a top investment priority for firms as they prepare for staff to work away from the office in the years to come.

“There’s a change coming to the way we work,” says Tony Grace, Chief Operating Officer of Virgin Media Business. “Remote working isn’t anything new, but with technology providing the right tools for the job, the acceptance that it will soon be the norm is.

“Businesses are already getting fit for purpose by investing in cloud-based software, virtual private networks or investing in new tools such as Unified Communications to ensure that remote teams remain connected and engaged, ” he continues. “The growth in video and social media across corporate networks is also supporting this migration away from the traditional office confines; the importance to underlying network infrastructure once more comes under the spotlight.”

Okay, it is of course in Virgin Media Business’s interest to pedal such claims, given that its own services would fit into that scenario rather nicely. But there is a definite shift towards a home-working ethos, which is very much underpinned by the Internet and Web-based technology.

Earlier this month we reported that UK mobile network O2 was letting 3,000 employees work from home for the day, essentially its entire Slough HQ representing a quarter of its 12,000-strong workforce.

The flexible working pilot aimed to “push the boundaries” of what can be achieved through flexible working arrangements. But it also had at least one eye on the Olympic Games this year, with travel disruption a likely by-product of the swarm of tourists that will descend upon the city this summer.

But O2 is hoping that the trial will act as a test-bed for future scenarios beyond the Olympics, with flexible working helping to increase efficiency, productivity and innovation. O2 will look at reductions in its electricity usage, CO2 emissions and travel time, and the company’s three year sustainability plan pledges to help over 125,000 business employees work flexibly, and collectively save over 500,000 miles of travel.

“We believe a cultural step-change is underway affecting staff and businesses, as work increasingly becomes something we do, rather than a place that we go,” said O2 Business Director, Ben Dowd last week. “[The] office-wide flexible working initiative is an opportunity for us to take the next step on our flexible working journey and tangibly demonstrate the opportunity and potential available to British businesses today.”

For the two months leading up to the day, a team of 20 people had been working behind the scenes to prepare for O2′s first ever fully flexible working day, ensuring that its employees could access the necessary tools, services and support to work remotely.

Home-working kickbacks

There’s a number of kickbacks for adopting a work-from-home philosophy. The capital’s public transport network caters for 25 million journeys every day. And if the predictions of the UK’s business leaders in this latest report come to fruition, this number could be brought down significantly. Also, with the average desk in London costing £285 to per person per month, companies could save themselves a lot of money.

“This raises questions about the way businesses currently use office space,” says Grace. “We see the office of the future being a lot smaller, desks set-up for hot-desking and a workforce that can easily interchange from working in the office to working from home or at a satellite office. Underpinning all of this will be a reliable network helping companies to manage their staff and resources.”

Indeed, there will always be a need for a brick-and-mortar office, particularly for big businesses, as virtual conversations can only achieve so much. But remote-working can be a quick-win solution to a number of problems, such as work/life balance, whilst alleviating the congestion on London’s trains and buses.

The workplace in ten years time could be a vastly different place to what we see today, and as long as companies can effectively monitor the quality and quantity of work, it will be a winner on many fronts. However, it probably won’t work for everyone – some people only work well under the watchful eye of a supervisor.

Aimed for a 2012 release, SharePoint 15 will contain an app store | The Next Web

Alex Wilhelm — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 20:28:27 -0600

SharePoint as a product has become so popular that there now exists a cottage industry for simply working on where it will go next. Bjorn Furuknap is part of that field. He has taken his USPJ Academy business, which provides SharePoint training, and extended it to include the selling of research looking into the software’s next steps.

We say cool. Even better, he gave ZDNet a peek into what is coming down the pike, which Mary Jo Foley has independently confirmed. Result? We have a treasure trove of new data about the next version of SharePoint, and the larger Office 15 suite. We’ll do it in bite size pieces:

Office 15, which will include the next edition of SharePoint and Office 365, should be released this year (2012);
SharePoint 15 will contain an app store;
These apps will support multi-tenant installations, which will allow SharePoint providers to make applications available to several customers;
To better compete with education products, a new ‘module’ will be added;
SharePoint 15 should include ‘information-rights-management’ capabilities.

That’s quite the list. We are not surprised to see that Office 15 is heading for a 2012 release, even if it ends up named Office 2013 due to a late-year debut. Microsoft would very much like to head into the holiday season with a new Office product, a new Windows product, and a new mobile product (Windows Phone 8). We had thought that that list would include a new Xbox console, but that appears to have been turned around in the worst possible way.

All together, the SharePoint wagon keeps on ‘arolling.

Eden Tab 7-Inch Android 4.0 Launches In Japan This February | Blog

Talha Masood Khan — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 07:48:29 -0600

There is an incredible news for Japanese people, very soon the affordable Tablet Eden is going to available in japan Market.

The Eden Tab is powered by by a 1.2Ghz S5PC210 dual-core processor , this Tab is runs on Android Ice Cream Sandwich and features a 7-inch WXGA IPS touchscreen display with a 1280×800 pixel resolution, 16GB of storage space and 1GB of RAM on-board.

Other features of this affordable tablet coming soon in Japan include WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS and HD playback.The Eden TAB 7-inch tablet will soon become available on the Japanese market on white, black and pink for 29,800 Yen (~$374).

LG Optimus 3D Cube is a slimmer sequel, world's first phone with 3D video editing | Engadget

Richard Lawler — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 02:40:00 -0600

We're not sure if the world was anxiously awaiting a follow-up to LG's Optimus 3D (the AT&T Thrill 4G here in the states), but here it is: the LG Optimus Cube 3D. Only announced for Korean carrier SK Telecom so far, the Optimus 3D Cube is slightly thinner than its predecessor at 9.6mm vs. 10.9mm, a faster 1.2GHz dual-core CPU and 16GB of storage built-in, confirming most of the rumors we'd heard previously. According to LG, it will also be the world's first that can handle 3D photo and video editing right on its glasses-free 4.3-inch screen, all shot by the dual 5MP cameras mounted on the back. It's scheduled for release in early March with Android 2.3, and although we didn't see it mentioned in the Korean press release, will probably be due for an Ice Cream Sandwich makeover sometime soon just like it's cousin, the Optimus Vu. Check out the machine-translated specs and press release after the break.

Gallery: LG Optimus 3D Cube

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LG Optimus 3D Cube is a slimmer sequel, world's first phone with 3D video editing originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 22:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG's Optimus Vu shows up on video, flaunts note taking expertise (video) | Engadget

Dante Cesa — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 02:30:00 -0600

Another pre-Mobile World Congress tease from LG? Yup, you're looking at it. While the company's technically already spilled the beans on its upcoming Galaxy Note-rival, the Optimus Vu, this occasion marks the first time we've gotten to see the phablet in video form. In the roughly 1,000 frames of animation above, you're treated to closeups of the Vu's 5-inch 1024 x 768 IPS display, its 8-megapixel camera and a brief demo of its screenshot annotation abilities. That's really all there is to it, so watch and learn folks, as you mentally prepare yourself for our more intimate rendezvous with it in the coming week.

LG's Optimus Vu shows up on video, flaunts note taking expertise (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 22:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G making its way into T-Mobile stores in March for $150 | Engadget

Brad Molen — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 04:34:00 -0600

We heard about Samsung's Galaxy S Blaze 4G -- a device that wins second place for longest name behind the Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch -- last month at CES, but details were incredibly scarce. Of course, leave it to T-Mobile and Sammy to toss in a few extra nuggets in the lead-up to Mobile World Congress in the midst of so many other product announcements. It turns out that the Blaze 4G will be making its official debut on the carrier sometime near the end of March for $150 on a two-year commitment. The device sports a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S3 CPU, 4-inch Super AMOLED panel, 5MP rear camera with 720p video capture, a 1.3MP front-facing shooter and -- shocker -- Android 2.3. It also supports 42Mbps HSPA+. Definitely sounds like a healthy mix of 2010 and 2011, no doubt. Want more details? We've got the press release after the break ready and waiting for you.

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G making its way into T-Mobile stores in March for $150

Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G making its way into T-Mobile stores in March for $150 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Looking for work, this student built Clear in HTML5 and it isn’t half bad | The Next Web

Jon Russell — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 03:54:01 -0600

We recently reviewed the beautifully put together and highly rated productivity app Clear, and an HTML5 version developed by a fan of the service has now surfaced.

Its creator, who built the app in just two days, goes by the pseudonym of ’Evan You’ and is a Masters degree candidate now seeking employment. He tweeted a link to this particularly unique creation to Impending, the company behind Clear.

@UseClear : I loved the design so much that I built it in HTML5 – vimeo.com/37182785

— Evan You (@youyuxi) February 21, 2012

Our own Matthew Panzarino believes that Clear is one of those apps that “makes you re-think the way that you’ve been using apps altogether, breaking the mold and re-forming it with just a few minutes of use”, and it has been well received.

The HTML5 version, which is yet to be tested on Android, is missing a couple of small details from the app, mainly the pinch gesture which opens a new item and a number of other swipe-based functions. However, the creation is largely the same and it demonstrates how quickly an app can be built in HTML5 while maintaining most of the core functionality of a fully fledged app.

Evan put together a short video to show the HTML5 version, explaining his efforts in a little more detail:

I was fascinated by the innovative gesture controls and wanted to see if I can implement the look and feel in HTML5 using CSS3 transitions. Didn’t get 100% of the details, and there are a lot of bugs, but it looks pretty close.

HTML5 Clear from Evan You on Vimeo.

Developers that are curious can peruse the source code which is posted to the Evan’s github here.

It seems Evan has just spent some time visiting Google, we think someone is likely to snap him up soon based on this app, let alone his other work.

While he didn’t build the app to get a job at Impending per se, it is likely to gain attention with tech firms, as it should. It just one of a number of increasingly creative ways of grabbing the attention of would-be employers, such as this open letter to Instagram that we wrote about over the weekend.

Why not take a look at the HTML5 version and, if you haven’t already, download the Clear app for a comparison. You’ll be impressed. Now all we need is for Impending to release a fully functioning Web-based version.

➤ Clear HTML5 | Clear App [App Store]

Buuteeq, a hotel marketing software startup founded by ex-Microsoft execs, raises $2m | The Next Web

Robin Wauters — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:12:21 -0600

Buuteeq, a Seattle-based startup building a Web-based software suite that enables independent hotels to market themselves on the Web and through mobile devices, has raised $2m in new funding according to an SEC filing.

The financing round brings the total of capital raised by Buuteeq to about $7 million.

The online SaaS company was founded in February 2010 and helps boutique hotels increase their digital marketing efforts on the Web, social networks and mobile platforms across multiple languages, manage search optimization campaigns and boost occupancy and, ultimately, revenues.

Interestingly, Buuteeq was founded by 3 former Microsoft executives:

- Forest Key (CEO): once a Sr. Director in Microsoft’s Server & Tools Division, and later the GM of Business Development for Asia

- Adam Brownstein (Chief Customer Officer): previously a Director of Business Development in the Microsoft Entertainment and Devices Division, Adam launched Microsoft Surface into 20 global regions across the hospitality market

- Brian Saab (founder and board member): now CEO of digital agency RedSAFI, Saab previously led the worldwide marketing team for the Microsoft Expression family of design tools, and managed the Silverlight business unit

Buuteeq investors include Equitas Capital, Benaroya, Auromatrix and an impressive host of individual backers, including fellow former Microsoft exec Aaron Easterly, Geocaching.com creator Jeremy Irish and Razorfish chairman Clark Kokich.

How to Get Rid of Facebook Timeline, Bring Back a Simpler Profile View [Video] | Lifehacker

Whitson Gordon — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 01:00:00 -0600

Facebook's new Timeline feature is rolling out to all users, and while we think it's pretty awesome—not to mention ripe for customization—there are a lot of people who aren't big fans. If you don't really like the Timeline view, here's how to get rid of it.

This method won't take you back to the old layout, but it will get rid of some of Timeline's clutter, like the cover photo, friends box, and two-column view. The layout will still be different and timeline-y, but it will be much cleaner. It won't change anything about how other people see your profile—just how you view Facebook on your machine. All you need is an extension called Social Fixer. Here's what you need to do.

Head to Socialfixer.com and install the extension for your browser. It's available for Firefox, Chrome, Safari, Opera, and any browser that supports Greasemonkey. Sadly, Internet Explorer is not supported.
Once you've installed it, navigate to Facebook.com. You'll notice that there's a lot of extra clutter there right off the bat, but don't worry, we'll fix that in a moment. Look up at the top of the page, to the left of your name. You should see a new wrench icon. Click on that and choose "Social Fixer Options".
Before you do anything else, go through each of the categories and uncheck every box. There are a lot of useful features in there, but for now, we're going to leave them all blank so we can view Facebook as we're more used to it. If you see features you like, you can go back and re-enable them later on. For now, uncheck everything you see.
Go to the "Timeline" section of Social Fixer's options, and check the bottom four boxes: "Display posts in a single column", "Hide cover photos", "Hide the friends box", and "Hide maps of check-ins". Click Save.
Find a Facebook profile that has timeline enabled (whether it's your own or someone else's). You should find that while the basics of Timeline are still intact (like the "About" link or the new square profile picture), all the annoying parts are gone. The cover photo, friends box, maps box, and dual-column view have all been obliterated, and you can view Facebook in a much more eye-friendly format.

Again, remember that other people will still view your profile as the original Timeline view—so you can still add a cover photo for their viewing pleasure, if you wish. I also recommend browsing through Social Fixer's options when you get a chance. There are some pretty cool features in there, like changing the font sizes, hiding the "ticker", and more. If you want to uninstall Social Fixer and take Facebook back to the way it was, you can do so from your browser's add-on page (Firefox > Add-Ons in Firefox, and Wrench icon > Tools > Extensions in Chrome).

Got any other tips for making Timeline more bearable? Share them in the comments below.

Remains of the Day: Mobile App Markets Agree to New Privacy Standards [For What It's Worth] | Lifehacker

Jeremy Hoag — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600

The app markets move for clearer app privacy policies, the EU is getting cold feet on ACTA, and state attorneys general have issues with Google's all-in-one privacy changes.

Apple and Other Mobile App Distributors Agree to New Privacy Policy Notification Standards: California's Attorney General brokered an agreement between Apple, Google and other app vendors to put in place more consistent standards for app privacy policies and make the policies more visible in their markets. [Macrumors]
Acta: EU Court to Rule on Anti-Piracy Agreement: The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement is headed to the EU's highest court to determine whether it violates basic rights or freedoms. [BBC Technology]
State Attorneys General: Google Privacy Changes Appear to Harm Consumers: The majority of state attorneys general signed a letter to Google's CEO condemning the move to effectively migrate user information from any Google service to all Google services by combining their privacy policies. [The Washington Post]
Twitter Is Testing Auto-Translate Feature: A small number of Twitter users are already seeing the option to translate tweets using Bing Translator. [Mashable]
Feds Request DNS Changer Extension to Keep 400K Users Online: Systems still infected with the DNS Changer virus are currently routed through replacement DNS servers, scheduled to be taken offline March eighth. [Computerworld]
Asus to Transformer Owners: "Here Is Your Unlocked Bootloader. Happy Now?": Asus provided the unlocker in app form while making it clear that actually using the app voids all warranties. The unlocked bootloader will enable installation of custom ROMs and kernels on the Transformer Prime. [TechCrunch]

Twitter updates iPhone, Android app with contact alert, swipe gestures and adds Nook, Kindle Fire devices | The Next Web

Matthew Panzarino — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 23:33:25 -0600

Twitter has updated both of its apps for iPhone and Android, fixing bugs with the iPhone version and adding swipe-to-reveal actions to both versions. One of the biggest additions is the re-introduction of Tweetie’s swipe actions, allowing you to quickly perform several Twitter functions after a swipe on a Tweet.

There is also an update to how Twitter for iPhone and Android handle the ‘Find Friends’ feature. There is now a confirmation alert that informs users that they will be uploading contact information to Twitter’s servers when using this feature to find other users of the service.

This is likely in response to the recent hubbub surrounding many iOS and Android apps not properly disclosing that they were uploading user data.

We’ve added a confirmation alert when you select “Find friends”. This notification more clearly and explicitly messages the fact that when you upload your contacts’ email addresses and phone numbers, you can quickly find which of your friends are on Twitter (that is, if they’ve chosen to be discoverable by email or phone number).

There are also some updates that are exclusive to each version of the app. The iPhone version has returned the ability to copy and paste the text of Tweets, something that many users were missing. You can now also use the Share feature to tweet, copy, mail or read a Tweet later using your preferred service. This can also be activated by pressing and holding on a Tweet.

To select your ‘read later’ service, you can change it under the Settings>Advanced panel.

There is now a Mark all Read option for DMs — just tap the icon in the lower right corner — and the design of the Direct Messages section has been updated. Font size options have also been added.

As far as the Android version goes, it also gets the swipe actions, as well as improved scrolling and network performance. Ice Cream Sandwich compatibility and support for devices without location or camera support has also been added, along with bug fixes.

Twitter has also added additional devices to its Android flock, with the app now optomized to run on the Kindle Fire via the Amazon Appstore, as well as the Barnes & Noble Nook, which will be available February 23rd through its own store.

The Android version is available now on the Android Market, while the iOS version should be available soon, but is still propagating through the App Store.

Boosted by Sina Weibo, monthly traffic to Chinese video site Tudou tops 300 million | The Next Web

Jon Russell — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 07:38:28 -0600

Chinese video site Tudou has gone public with a series of statistics that include an announcement that it is currently seeing more than 300 million visitors per month.

Citing data from Beijing based research firm iResearch, it revealed that it saw 227 million unique visitors in December, a figure that leaps up to 300 million when including visits from multiple users logging in from home, work, Internet cafe and overseas locations. In total, the site scored 5.2 billion monthly views of its videos in December.

Tudou recently integrated with Sina Weibo to allow users to share its videos more easily on the popular microblog. Citing comScore statistics taken from December, before the agreement was made, the company claims that it is the most used video platform on the Weibo service. The numbers show that an impressive 41 percent of its video views (180 million) came direct from Sina Weibo in December.

Commenting on the statistics, Gary Wang, Founder, Chairman and CEO of the company said:

We are very proud to announce that our user base and video views have reached historic highs. Our user growth continues to demonstrate the effectiveness of our balanced content strategy as well as our consistent focus on enhancing our users’ experience.

With enhanced strategic cooperation with China’s leading social networking platforms, telecom carriers and handset makers, we were able to expand our user reach across multiple platforms.

Tudou is currently in the midst of a messy legal brawl with rival YouKu. It is unclear exactly why the firm chose to reveal these statistics at this time, it may be a sweetener before disappointing financial results. Nonetheless Tudou is performing well within China’s Web space as the figures show.

Both Tudou and YouKu got a recent boost when Apple included them, alongside Sina Weibo and other domestic social networks, in the localised Chinese version of its latest Mac OS, ‘Mountain Lion’.

Impressive though the stats are, they are unsurprisingly someway short of those of YouTube, which is active in almost every market bar China. The Google owned site’s estimated 800 million unique visitors per month — which puts it second only to Facebook, according to Ad Planner — makes it the undisputed king of video on the Web.

Bienvenido, Rdio – Digital music startup invades Spotify’s turf, lands in Spain and Portugal | The Next Web

Robin Wauters — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:45:15 -0600

Rdio this morning announced that its on-demand music subscription and discovery service is now available to users in Spain and Portugal.

For the US-based startup, which was created by Skype and Kazaa founders Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis, this marks its second and third expansion to Europe after debuting in Germany in January 2012.

It also means Rdio is entering a country where Spotify – arguably its main rival globally – is available after the latter’s (late) debut in the United States, where Rdio had been available long before Spotify.

For the record, the free version of Spotify is available in Spain but not (yet) in Portugal, although I gather Portuguese citizens with credit cards or PayPal accounts can sign up for the premium version.

Rdio is now available in the US, Canada, Brazil, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Australia and New Zealand. In the launch blog post, the company notes that “this is just the beginning”.

The service lets users access a catalog of roughly 12 million songs, charging €4.99 per month for Web-only access and €9.99 per month for Unlimited (Web and mobile) access.

Rdio is available on the Web, Mac and PC desktops, the iPad, iPod touch, loads of smartphones (iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Phone 7) and at home in the Sonos wireless audio system.

MockVault makes it easy for designers to archive & share mockups with clients | The Next Web

Harrison Weber — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 00:30:23 -0600

The effort designers go through to create the perfect site in Photoshop / Fireworks / Pixelmator is tough enough. If the entire process is a breeze for you, you probably aren’t doing your job.

Then, when the time comes to finally send mockups to your client, there’s traditionally no way of knowing if your client is viewing your work properly. Put simply, you need to take control of your presentation, or else you risk looking bad and/or wasting time developing something your client doesn’t want.

We covered Influence ($19/month), a fresh look at getting feedback from clients and members of your team. We followed up with Mocku.ps (free), a simpler tool (similar to bounce app) for sharing designs in the browser with notes and comments.

Now, we’ve found a third solution, MockVault ($12+/month), which makes it surprisingly easy to iterate and get mockups approved by clients, all while archiving your own work.

The creator of MockVault, Ben Ho, answered a couple of TNW’s questions to help you get a better idea of what the app’s all about.

HW: How do you think MockVault fits into the workflow of a freelance designer?

BH: Designers usually spend hours, if not days, creating their designs. But when the time comes to present it to their clients, they don’t often present it in the right format. Depending on the format the design was sent, the design may be scaled on the client’s computer. This may lead to miscommunication and loss of time when the site is finally coded. As a freelance designer, losing time or reputation affects the bottom line.

Just like using the right tool to create a design, having a proper tool to present designs to clients is imperative as well but often overlooked. With MockVault, it completes the workflow of a freelance designer by closing the gap between finishing the design and getting the client’s approval.

HW: Can MockVault work as a project archive as well?

BH: MockVault is a central location where designs can be stored and retrieved at anytime. Not only can users browse back to a history of projects like an online gallery, they can also search for past projects by using the search field. Users can also check past history of comments right beside the mockups, giving them better context than email.

Take a peek at MockVault via the link below and see if it feels right for you. It’s a unique, professional tool for turning your .JPGs into an actual presentation. Plus, it dully functions as a searchable archive of your past work.

We have three 1 year MockVault Heavy Plans (worth $200/year each) to give away to our readers, so leave a note in the comments below if you want one!

➤ MockVault

Remains of the Day: Senators Probe Twitter Policies on Censorship, Human Rights [For What It's Worth] | Lifehacker

Jeremy Hoag — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600

Twitter gets a letter from two senators, Google puts more Plus in their search page, and Microsoft discovers Google is dodging IE's privacy controls along with Safari's.

Senators Question Twitter Censorship Guidelines: Senators Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) issued a letter asking Twitter's CEO to clarify standards for withholding content in certain nations and noting the Twitter's refusal to join other tech companies in the Global Network Initiative to protect human rights. [OhMyGov]
Move Over Search Box, Google's Home Page Gets a Share Box: The new share box, rolling out over coming weeks, lets you post the Google+ equivalent of a status update from the less and less minimalist Google Search start page. [Marketing Land]
Google Bypassing User Privacy Settings: Microsoft's Internet Explorer team got curious when they heard about Google sneaking past Safari's privacy settings, and some digging revealed that Google was tracking IE users regardless of preferences, too. [IEBlog]
Connecting Your Apps, Files, PCs and Devices to the Cloud with SkyDrive and Windows 8: Microsoft plans a cloud service deeply integrated with Windows 8 and the Metro UI, meaning, for example, that any Metro app that opens or saves files can be easily pointed to your SkyDrive. [Building Windows 8]

Google's Official Chat Extension Frees Chat from Your Browser Tabs, Lets You Start IMs and Hangouts from Anywhere [Instant Messaging] | Lifehacker

Whitson Gordon — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 00:30:00 -0600

Chrome: Google's chat feature is useful for sending quick IMs and starting video chat sessions, but you can only view it when you're on a Google page like Gmail. Google has released an official Chrome extension that detaches it from your browser, allowing you to view it no matter what web page you're viewing.

This extension has actually been out for awhile, but was Chrome OS only. Now, you can grab it for Chrome on other platforms, letting you carry on chats, make voice calls, and even start Google Hangouts right from your desktop (my personal favorite feature). It doesn't have support for phone calls with Google Voice, which is kind of a bummer—that would take this from "cool" to "fantastic"—but it's helpful all the same, especially if you're tired of switching back to your Gmail tab to chat. Hit the link to check it out.

Chat for Google is a free download, works wherever Google Chrome does. Of course, if you want more than just Google Talk on your desktop, you can always install a multi-protocol instant messaging client like these instead.

Chat for Google | Chrome Web Store via #tips

AVC.fm: Fred Wilson’s blog, podcasted, sans Fred Wilson | The Next Web

Brad McCarty — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 20:16:03 -0600

They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. If that’s the case, then AVC.fm should leave prolific, blogging VC Fred Wilson feeling high on life. You see, AVC.fm is not run by Wilson, but rather by the enterprising people behind VoiceBunny, a startup that I wrote about here on The Next Web a few days ago.

According to VoiceBunny founder Alexander Torrenegra, it’s all done out of a respect for Wilson’s work:

“The VoiceBunny team and I are big fans of Mr. Wilson’s work and especially his blog, but we didn’t always have time to read it everyday. So, we thought it would be great if AVC.com had a podcast so we could listen on our commutes or while we were working.”

There’s an obvious question here about how Wilson will take the news, but it’s an interesting play from VoiceBunny and Wilson has already tweeted about the project. There’s even a message to Fred on the site, with instructions to him on how he can embed the player widget onto his own site.

Ultimately the question is whether it will lead to continue success for the VoiceBunny team. As a professional voiceover artist myself, I was skeptical about the company’s approach, but after having done a job or two through the site I’m now sold on the approach…at least for some situations.

We’d love to see more companies doing things like this. That guerrilla approach to marketing is something that we’ve been lacking in the tech world for a bit, and enterprising startups like VoiceBunny bring back some hope.

Google Docs for Android Adds Collaborative Editing [Video] | Lifehacker

Adam Dachis — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 20:10:00 -0600

The latest update to the Android version of Google Docs adds what might be the best feature of all: collaborative editing. While you've always been able to edit a document along with many other people in the web app, now Android users can join in via the native app on their phones or tablets. Additionally, this update brings rich text formatting so you can add things like ordered and bulleted lists, color variations, and standard text styles like bold and italic. Check out the video above for a quick look at these new features, or just download the app to try them out for yourself.

Collaborate and edit anywhere with the updated Google Docs for Android | Official Google Blog via Engadget

China Telecom will get the iPhone 4S March 9th, starting at $0 RMB | The Next Web

Matthew Panzarino — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 00:42:26 -0600

China Unicom will begin selling the iPhone 4S on March 9th, reports The Loop. The company announced the plans in a release Monday and an Apple spokesperson followed up to confirm the announcement. This marks the second major carrier in China to offer the device and the first additional in that country since the device’s launch.

Apple spokesperson Natalie Harrison spoke to The Loop:

iPhone 4S has been an incredible hit with customers around the world. We’re thrilled to be launching iPhone 4S with China Telecom and can’t wait to get it into the hands of even more customers in China.

We had reported early last month that China Unicom would be losing exclusive access to the iPhone in China due to China Telecom’s imminent regulator approval. China Telecom then indicated that the iPhone 4S would begin being offered as early as February.

Now we have an official date, March 9th, and confirmation that all three sizes, 16GB, 32GB and 64GB will be available. The devices will start at $0 RMB on select contracts and will be available in China Telecom’s authorized retail stores and online with pre-orders beginning March 2nd.

China Mobile is still China’s largest network by far, with more than 645 million active members, ahead of China Unicom at 195 million and China Telecom at 62 million. China Mobile reportedly already has some 10 million iPhone users, despite the fact that it is not an official carrier.

VLC 2.0 Brings a Library Interface to Macs, Experimental Blu-Ray Support to All [Video] | Lifehacker

Whitson Gordon — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 00:30:00 -0600

Windows/Mac/Linux: VLC, one of our favorite video players, has just updated with experimental support for Blu-Ray discs, not to mention a seriously overhauled interface for Mac users.

VLC just hit the 2.0 milestone, with it bringing a ton of behind-the scenes improvements to video playback on systems with multiple cores and fast GPUs, plus a number of new supported formats. Mac users will be overjoyed to find the Windows 95-esque look gone, with a sleek new black window in its place. The new UI also has an iTunes-like library view, pushing VLC beyond "video player" territory and more toward a media manager.

Lastly, VLC 2.0 has experimental support for encrypted Blu-Ray discs, meaning you don't have to rip your Blu-Rays before watching them. It doesn't support menus, and it can be a little wonky with certain discs, but if you have a Blu-Ray drive, it's worth giving a shot. Note that you'll need to copy a few extra files to your system to support this feature, since VLC hasn't bundled the necessary decryptors with the main installer.

VLC is a free download for Windows, Mac, and Linux users.

VLC Reaches 2.0 | VideoLAN

Top News | Feedbook

Remains of the Day: Ubuntu for Android is on the Way [For What It's Worth] | Lifehacker

NASCAR racing team turns to Google+ Hangout to prep fans for Daytona 500 | The Next Web

NYT: Google to sell Android-based heads-up display glasses this year | Engadget

Engadget HD Podcast 287 - 02.21.2012 | Engadget

Seatwave screams “not guilty” ahead of UK TV ticket reselling investigation | The Next Web

What makes or breaks a Web design is often hidden in the details | The Next Web

Asia’s ‘Twitter for voice’ service Bubbly comes to the iPhone – first stop India | The Next Web

UK 4G networks will disrupt TV signals, at a cost of £180m to mobile operators | The Next Web

The Tabbed Home Screen [Featured Home Screen] | Lifehacker

Storify launches a slick iPad app to open its story-building service to a new audience | The Next Web

Home, sweet home: 60% of UK employees could be working remotely within a decade | The Next Web

Home-working kickbacks

Aimed for a 2012 release, SharePoint 15 will contain an app store | The Next Web

Eden Tab 7-Inch Android 4.0 Launches In Japan This February | Blog

LG Optimus 3D Cube is a slimmer sequel, world's first phone with 3D video editing | Engadget

LG's Optimus Vu shows up on video, flaunts note taking expertise (video) | Engadget

Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G making its way into T-Mobile stores in March for $150 | Engadget

Looking for work, this student built Clear in HTML5 and it isn’t half bad | The Next Web

Buuteeq, a hotel marketing software startup founded by ex-Microsoft execs, raises $2m | The Next Web

How to Get Rid of Facebook Timeline, Bring Back a Simpler Profile View [Video] | Lifehacker

Remains of the Day: Mobile App Markets Agree to New Privacy Standards [For What It's Worth] | Lifehacker

Twitter updates iPhone, Android app with contact alert, swipe gestures and adds Nook, Kindle Fire devices | The Next Web

Boosted by Sina Weibo, monthly traffic to Chinese video site Tudou tops 300 million | The Next Web

Bienvenido, Rdio – Digital music startup invades Spotify’s turf, lands in Spain and Portugal | The Next Web

MockVault makes it easy for designers to archive & share mockups with clients | The Next Web

Remains of the Day: Senators Probe Twitter Policies on Censorship, Human Rights [For What It's Worth] | Lifehacker

Google's Official Chat Extension Frees Chat from Your Browser Tabs, Lets You Start IMs and Hangouts from Anywhere [Instant Messaging] | Lifehacker

AVC.fm: Fred Wilson’s blog, podcasted, sans Fred Wilson | The Next Web

Google Docs for Android Adds Collaborative Editing [Video] | Lifehacker

China Telecom will get the iPhone 4S March 9th, starting at $0 RMB | The Next Web

VLC 2.0 Brings a Library Interface to Macs, Experimental Blu-Ray Support to All [Video] | Lifehacker