It's not quite ready for the stable release of the browser, but Chrome beta users can now get a taste of a new notification system that should be rolling out to everyone sooner or later. Currently limited to the Windows and Chrome OS versions of the browser (Mac and Linux support is promised "soon"), the new notifications offer richer options than before, including formatted text and images, as well as the ability to incorporate actions directly inside the pop-up -- Google offers the example of responding to an email right away. A new notification center will now also let you view a list of all notifications you might have missed, and you can thankfully disable notifications from as many sources as you like.

Filed under: Internet, Software, Google

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Source: Google Chrome Blog, Chromium Blog

Amazon's taken a number of steps to bring different types of content to the Kindle Store, and it's now venturing into an area that has a long history with the internet: fan fiction. The company's today announced Kindle Worlds, a new publishing platform that promises to pay writers royalties for stories inspired by established works. Naturally, the original rights holder needs to be a willing participant as well, and they'll also be paid a royalty for all fan fiction stories sold (Amazon itself with retain the rights to those stories). So what are your options for now? For the launch, Amazon has partnered with Warner Bros. Television Group's Alloy Entertainment to open up three of its series to fan fiction enthusiasts, giving you the chance to write stories set in the world of Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars or The Vampire Diaries. The company's promising that additional licenses are on the way, but for now you can check out the finer details in the press release after the break and at the source link below.

Filed under: Amazon

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Source: Kindle Worlds

There are few gadgets more associated with crowdfunding than smartwatches, due largely to the millions raised by Pebble. Now, you can add one more competing for your attention (and your backing). A Kickstarter campaign for the Agent smartwatch kicked off today, promising to deliver a device with better battery life than its competitors and a developer-friendly environment to attract some all-important apps (it's using the .NET Micro Framework, with apps able to be written in in C# using Visual Studio 2012).

As for the watch itself, it packs a 1.28-inch memory display with anti-glare glass, an ARM Cortex-M4 processor (which promises to help on the power-consumption front), Qi wireless charging, motion and light sensors, and a water-resistent design with replaceable wrist straps. If all goes as planned, the company intends to begin full production of the watch in December of this year, with the final MSRP running $249 (or $299 including a Qi charger). Some of the Kickstarter options will get you one for less than that, although many of those have already been claimed.

Filed under: Wearables

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Source: Agent, Kickstarter, Atmel

Indie developers have been able to take advantage of a free version of the Unity engine for desktop game development some time now, and starting today they can extend that development to mobile games at no added cost. The company's confirmed that it's dropping the $800 licensing fee for its Android and iOS build options, with BlackBerry 10 and Windows Phone 8 development also promised to be moving to a free option in the "coming months."

As Unity CEO David Helgason explained at the Unite Nordic conference earlier today, the company has been hoping to make the move "for what seems like forever," with his ultimate goal being to push the "democratisation of game development further than ever before." He further explains in a blog post that the new option comes with "no strings attached, no royalties and no license fees," apart from the prior rules that require large companies to use the paid version of Unity. As for those who've recently paid up for the mobile engine only to find it now free, Helgason says they can expect to hear from him in the next two weeks with an offer of discounts on future purchases.

Filed under: Gaming, Mobile

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Via: TechCrunch, Pocket Gamer

Source: Unity

The last few years have been a tumultuous time for LightSquared, with the company's LTE plans facing one hurdle after another that eventually led to a bankruptcy filing. It looks like at least one company is now looking to buy its most valuable asset, though, with Bloomberg reporting that Dish Network Chairman Charlie Ergen has put a $2 billion offer on the table for the company's wireless spectrum. That's yet to be confirmed by either party, and Bloomberg reports that the offer is a so-called stalking horse bid, which could still let others put in a higher offer of their own. As Bloomberg also notes, this all comes at the same time that Dish is looking to buy Sprint for over $25 billion, both of which would need regulatory approval before going through.

Filed under: Wireless

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Source: Bloomberg

Anyone who's tried out the new Hangouts feature in Gmail in place of the traditional Google Talk option got a bit of surprise when they went to make an outbound call from their computer. That feature gets disabled when the new Hangouts replacement is switched on, leaving folks looking to make calls with no other option than to revert to the old Google Talk in Gmail or seek out another alternative. That's apparently just a temporary change, though, as Google's Nikhyl Singhal has now confirmed that both outbound and inbound calls will "soon be available." Unfortunately, he's not getting any more specific than that for the time being. He did, however, reiterate that "Hangouts is designed to be the future of Google Voice," and that "making / receiving phone calls is just the beginning," further adding that "future versions of Hangouts will integrate Google Voice more seamlessly."

Filed under: Internet, Google

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Source: Nikhyl Singhai (Google+)

Bill Gates may be more philanthropic than ever since leaving the top job at Microsoft, but he still owns a ton of stock in the company, which today just so happened to close at a five-year high. As Bloomberg reports, that shift was finally enough to push Gates' net worth back above that of telecom mogul Carlos Slim, who took the title of "world's richest person" away from Gates way back in 2007. As things stand now, Gates has some $72.7 billion to his name, while Slim stands at $72.1 billion. A situation that offers no material for puns whatsoever.

Filed under: Software, Microsoft

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Source: Bloomberg

Google expanded its chat / video conferencing offerings in a big way with its new Google+ Hangouts platform, and it looks like its intent on making it even more all-purpose in the future. Responding to a question on her Google+ page, the company's community manager for Hangouts and Chat, Dori Storbeck, confirmed that SMS integration is "coming soon," noting that it's been one of the most requested features. Storbeck further added that future versions of Hangouts will also support outgoing calls and other Google Voice features, but specifics remain light beyond that for the time being.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Google

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Via: Droid Life, The Next Web

Source: Dori Storbeck (Google+)

It apparently wasn't big enough to garner a mention earlier today, but Google has now followed up its slew of I/O keynote announcements with the news that it's moving Google TV to the latest versions of Android (that'd be 4.2.2) and Chrome. What's more, it also says that it's "refactored" Google TV so that its OEMs can update their devices to future versions of Android faster than they're currently able to -- in a "matter of weeks rather than months," according to Google. Likewise, Chrome for Google TV will now be on the same six week upgrade cycle as its desktop counterpart going forward, and it'll also now come with support for hardware-based content protection.

As for those with existing Google TV devices, though, the company's only saying that they can expect to see updates in the "coming months." We've yet to hear from most Google TV manufacturers themselves yet, but LG has chimed in to say that it will be updating its devices to Jelly Bean sometime in the third quarter of this year. You can get a look at what the update will bring in the video after the break showing off high performance apps enabled by NDK support, and an LG remote control app that has two-handed control for games and updates reflecting the action on-screen.

Update: Some have asked what this means for the future of Flash on Google TV. We've confirmed with Google that this does mean the end of Flash on Google TV since it's no longer supported on the newer versions of Android, and the build that was in Google TV was already out of date. The update will bring more enhancements to HTML5 streaming and interactive content -- hopefully the sites some users frequent will expand their technology platforms just as quickly.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Google, LG

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Source: Google TV Developers, LG

Google just dropped a pretty big surprise during its opening day I/O keynote. It's taken the wraps off a new edition of Samsung's Galaxy S 4 that runs stock Android Jelly Bean. The device itself is fully unlocked and packing LTE support for AT&T and T-Mobile, along with 16GB of storage and what Google promises will be prompt system updates. Not surprisingly, this won't quite be the budget-friendly off-contract option that the Nexus 4 is -- the phone will run $649 when it hits Google Play on June 26th.

Gallery: Google I/O 2013: Samsung Galaxy S 4 running Jelly Bean

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung, Google

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It still doesn't have a ton to show off, but we are now at least getting a better picture of what upstart Adaia has in store for its first smartphone. Speaking with AllThingsD, CEO Heikki Sarajarvi (just one of a number of former Nokia workers at Adaia) explained that he was driven to create the company after destroying one too many smartphones while sailing. Now, the company finally has a working prototype of its first device -- one that's not only rugged, but with both cellular and satellite connectivity to keep the more adventurous among us connected at all times.

As for the hardware, Adaia says that it's partnered with BMW Group's DesignworksUSA on the industrial design, which is said to be inspired by a topographical map, while Elektrobit will be handling the inner bits. The phone will be dubbed the Blackcomb according to the company's website, and apparently won't be available to the public until sometime next year. It will, however, be put to the test this summer when a team attempts to cross the Northwest Passage with it in tow. It also, unsurprisingly, won't come cheap. As far as a price goes, Sarajarvi would only say that it'll cost more than a high-end smartphone, but less than the four phones he's had to replace put together.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

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Source: AllThingsD, Adaia

We already got word from Nokia about some new Windows Phone features that'd be trickling out in a forthcoming update, and Microsoft has now filled in some more details on what other phone users can expect. In addition to FM radio support, an update said to be coming to Windows Phone 8 devices "later this summer" will add the previously-promised support for CalDAV and CardDAV to ensure your phone will continue to work with Google's new sync protocols. Otherwise, you can look for the company's Data Sense feature to support more carriers (no word on specific ones yet, though), and also expect some minor tweaks to Xbox Music. We'll keep you posted if we hear more about a specific rollout date.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Microsoft

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Via: @BenThePCGuy

Source: Windows Phone Blog

We've gotten word of a new BlackBerry smartphone today, and we now also have some news about familiar one. Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile have all confirmed that they'll soon be carrying the BlackBerry Q10, although some are being more specific with details than others. Verizon is saying that it will be available sometime in June (it has an exclusive on the white version), while Sprint will only go as far as to say "late summer," with neither offering a price. T-Mobile will also be rolling out the phone sometime in June, and has confirmed that it will cost $99.99 down with its new plan structure, or $579.99 if you want to buy it outright. All this follows business registation for the device, which began last month. We've yet to hear anything more from AT&T, but it has already committed to the device and will presumably be launching it in roughly the same timeframe as well.

Update: T-Mobile has reached out to let us know that while general T-Mobile customers have to wait until June, business customers can order the Q10 today, with delivery typically expected within a week.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Verizon, Sprint, Blackberry, T-Mobile

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Source: Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile

It's still a long way from the 22 cities it hopes to launch in this year, but Aereo's expansion of its live TV streaming service beyond its NYC base is now moving steadily ahead. It's set to go live in Boston tomorrow, and the company has confirmed today that Atlanta will be next in line on June 17th. That's when the service will be available in the city to those who've pre-registered, with everyone else invited to sign up on June 24th. As you may recall from yesterday, the company's also slightly revised its pricing plans ahead of the expansion, with the $12 per month rate now netting you 60 hours of storage instead of 40, while the $8 rate remains the same as before at 20 hours. You can find all the specifics on the Atlanta rollout in the press release after the break.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD

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The 37th anniversary of a video game -- even a classic like Breakout -- isn't something most would ordinarily celebrate in any major way. But Google, as we've seen, isn't one to pass up an opportunity to inject a bit of fun into its websites, and it's now turned in a particularly inspired easter egg (albeit a month late) to commemorate the landmark Atari title. Hit the source link below or do an image search for "Atari Breakout" to try it out for yourself.

Filed under: Internet, Google

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Source: Google

We've had a pretty clear indication that it was coming, and YouTube has now gotten official with one of the biggest changes to the way it does business to date. It's today kicking off a pilot program for paid subscriptions, which initially consists of a small group of partners offering channels that start at $0.99 per month. Those will include channels ranging from Sesame Street to the UFC (just over 50 in all at the moment), each of which include a 14-day free trial, and some of which come at a discounted rate if you pay by the year instead of per-month.

YouTube's promising to roll things out more broadly in the coming weeks, with qualifying partners able to take advantage of the option as a self-service feature and others invited to sign up if they're interested in going the paid route. Naturally, you'll be able to view channels on the usual range of devices once you subscribe, but you will have to do the actual subscribing on a computer for now (subscribing on others devices is promised to be coming soon). The company's also quick to point out that it's still early days for the service, noting that it'll have more to say as it gets feedback from users and content partners.

Filed under: Internet, Google

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Source: Official YouTube Blog, YouTube

It seems unlikely that it's the last time the country will be cut off from the internet given its past history, but Syria does now appear to be back online following a nationwide blackout that began yesterday afternoon. As the BBC reports, state-run media in the country had attributed the problem to a "fault in optical fibre cables," but most have cast doubt on those claims, suggesting instead that it's much more likely the blackout was the result of a deliberate shutdown by the government.

Filed under: Internet

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Via: @ckanal (Twitter)

Source: BBC

Google Translate has been getting a fairly steady stream of new features as of late, and it's now gotten a new update where it counts the most. Google has today added five more languages to the service, pushing the total number of translation options to over 70. Those latest additions include Bosnian, the official language of Bosnia and Herzegovina; Cebuano, one of the major languages of the Philippines; Hmong, spoken in China, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and the US; Javanese, Indonesia's second most-spoken language, and Marathi, spoken by more than 73 million people in India. According to Google, all but Bosnian are still in an alpha state, so you may well encounter more hiccups than usual as the company continues to make improvements to them. Those interested can put them to the test right now on either the web or in Google's mobile apps.

Filed under: Internet, Google

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Source: Official Google Blog

HTC has already gone the trade-in route to offer folks a discount on its new One smartphone, but it's now giving it another go this weekend with an expanded promo in the US and Canada. This new one is open to anyone that buys an HTC One between today and Sunday, May 5th (the previous promotion required folks to pre-register), and it now offers up to $375 for smartphones that you trade in. Unless you're looking to unload your brand new smartphone in a hurry, though, you may want to check around for the going rates first. The slightly better option is for folks who've been sticking with an aging phone; as before, HTC is guaranteeing at least $100 for your trade-in, so you may well get more from it than you would on the open market (assuming you want to buy a One, of course). Those interested can find all the fine print and check the value of their phone at the source link below.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, HTC

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Source: HTC

We've known when current Intel CEO Paul Otellini would be stepping down for some time now, and we now finally know who will be replacing him. The chipmaker announced today that Brian Krzanich, an Intel veteran of nearly 30 years, will assume the top job at the company's annual stockholders' meeting on May 16th. That tenure has included a range of technical and executive jobs over the years, most recently being Chief Operating Officer, a position he was just appointed to in January of 2012. Renée James has also been elected president by Intel's board of directors, and will take on her new role on May 16th as well. You can find the company's official announcement after the break.

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Intel

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Source: Intel

Not that there was much doubt after yesterday, but President Obama has just officially nominated Tom Wheeler to be the next Chairman of the FCC. In a statement, outgoing Chairman Julius Genachowski says that he has known Wheeler personally and professionally for almost 20 years, and says that with his "deep policy expertise and his first-hand experience as a technology investor, he is a superb choice to advance the FCC's mission of promoting innovation, investment, competition, and consumer protection." Much of that experience comes from Wheeler's role as a venture capitalist and lobbyist, which has up until now included spots on the boards of companies like Roundbox, UpdateLogic, Twisted Pair Solutions, EarthLink and TNS -- plus previous tenures at both the NCTA and CTIA. He's also been publicly commenting on a range of issues on his Mobile Musings blog, which saw its last entry in December of last year. As expected, current FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn will serve as interim Chair pending Wheeler's confirmation.

Filed under: Misc

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We've already seen this one leaked and detailed -- and reviewed the non-AT&T variant ourselves -- but the carrier's now finally gotten official with its latest high-end smartphone: the LG Optimus G Pro. If this is the first you're seeing of it, though, you're looking at a phone with a 5.5-inch, 1920 x 1080 IPS display (which translates to 400ppi), along with a 13-megapixel camera (2.1 megapixel front-facing), LTE connectivity, a 3,140 mAh battery, 32GB of storage and Android 4.1.2 with some of LG's customizations. As we noted in our review, that puts it up squarely against the Samsung Galaxy Note II, although LG's decided to forego the stylus here. Look for this one to be available (exclusively on AT&T, incidentally) starting May 10th for $199.99 on the usual two-year contract.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, AT&T, LG

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It's hardly been a secret that Apple's Jony Ive is exploring some more radical changes to iOS since taking the design reins for software in addition to hardware, but Bloomberg is now reporting some new details that paint a better picture of just what's going on in the lead-up to iOS 7. As previously reported, that includes what's sure to be iOS' biggest visual overhaul to date, with a decidedly more flat and minimalist design replacing Apple's current skeuomorphic tendencies. What's more, Bloomberg is also reporting that Ive is exploring "more dramatic changes" to the e-mail and calendar apps, and that he's "methodically" reviewing all the new designs himself to avoid a repeat of the Maps fiasco.

Also as previously rumoured, Bloomberg reports that Apple is pulling people from the Mac team to work on iOS in order to get it done in time, and that Ive has been encouraging collaboration between the software and hardware teams -- which, as Bloomberg notes, have previously been operating in separate silos. That all comes as Apple is apparently pushing things closer to the deadline than usual; while Bloomberg reports that iOS 7 is still on track for a release "as soon as September," internal testing dates are reportedly being set later than they have in the past, and the sweeping changes Ive has embarked on are said to have put Apple "at risk of falling behind." Of course, Apple does have one upcoming date that's now set in stone: WWDC on June 10th, when it has already promised to show off new versions of both iOS and OS X.

Update: All Things D is now offering its own confirmation of much of what Bloomberg is reporting, and quotes one source who describes iOS 7's new look as "de-glitzed."

Filed under: Cameras, Tablets, Mobile, Apple

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Source: Bloomberg

Well, it looks like you can soon expect to see yet more information to the right of your Google search results. The company's announced today that it has begun integrating activity from certain apps into its results, with a number of music and movie services the first in line. Expectedly, the common denominator among them is that they all use Google+ as a sign-in option, which lets Mountain View pull together things like aggregate user activity and the most popular movies and music from Fandango, Deezer, Flixster, SoundCloud and a handful of others. As usual, those features are getting rolled out gradually, with the initial batch of app results said to be rolling out to desktop search over the next few weeks, and additional apps and improvements promised over time.

Filed under: Internet, Google

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Via: The Next Web

Source: Google+ Developers Blog

NASA has been relying on the Russians to get astronauts to the International Space Station since the shuttle program was retired in 2011, and it looks like it will be doing so for at least a few years longer. The space agency confirmed today that it's been forced to extend its contract for crew transportation services with Roscosmos until June of 2017, a move that comes at a cost of some $424 million. In announcing the news, NASA also reiterated that it is "committed to launching US astronauts aboard domestic spacecraft as soon as possible," and says that it should be able to do so by 2017 provided it receives all of the funding outlined in the Obama administration's 2014 budget. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden further adds that he's "pleased with the progress our commercial crew providers are making," and remains confident that (again, funding-provided) they will be helping it carry astronauts into space "in just a few short years."

[Image credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls]

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Source: NASA