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Google Music now lets you download your entire library

admin — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:27:00 +0000

Computer meltdown? No backup? Well, at least your tunes are safe. Google Music just gained a new feature that lets you to download your entire library including purchased songs. A simple click in the Music Manager is all it takes to restore your entire collection -- or just your purchased music -- from the cloud. In addition, the web interface now allows you to select and copy multiple tracks to your device of choice. While there are no limitations when using the Music Manager, purchased items are restricted to two downloads each via the web interface. So next time your system crashes go right ahead -- rev up that broadband and fill up those hard drives.

Google Music now lets you download your entire library originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 07:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Phandroid | Android (Google+), Google | Email this | Comments

Steam beta journeys to Android and iOS, for select invitees

admin — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 07:02:00 +0000

Our friends at Joystiq are members of a privileged club of which we are not. We've both downloaded and installed the mobile version of Steam -- now available as a free beta download for Android and iOS -- but where they found Mac and PC games for sale, along with the ability to chat with friends, browse profiles and read gaming news, we were greeted with red text that states our accounts are not part of the beta. Damn our luck! For those interested to give Valve's handiwork a spin, it seems that downloading and installing the app puts you in the queue for a future invite. Won't you join us in the line?

Steam beta journeys to Android and iOS, for select invitees originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 03:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Joystiq | Android Market, iTunes, Valve | Email this | Comments

SwitchMe brings makeshift guest account to Android root users

admin — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 01:27:00 +0000

Wouldn't it be absolutely splendid if you could hand your phone over to a friend (or complete stranger) without fear of them mucking up your system or digging into your personal bits? Yes, we'd absolutely love to see guest accounts become standard issue on all handsets, but until that day arrives, a new application called SwitchMe will work in a pinch. Word of caution, this app requires root privileges, which may deter many folks.

Rather than allowing multiple sessions to run simultaneously, as you'd expect on a desktop computer, SwitchMe lets users easily jump between different installations of Android -- they exist separately and don't talk to each other. Naturally, ~~this also allows hobbyists to easily jump between their favorite ROMs, and~~ gives developers clean sandboxes for app testing. The first hit is free, but if you want to manage more than two installations, you'll need to buy the unlock key for $1.98. Still, those who find the SwitchMe useful should consider tossing the developer a few bones.

Update: As a commenter pointed out, multiple ROMs are not supported at this time. The developer has verified this, stating that any content inside /system cannot be changed. Bummer.

[Thanks, Alan]

SwitchMe brings makeshift guest account to Android root users originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Android Market | Email this | Comments

Samsung 2011 Q4 earnings official: $42 billion in sales, $4.7 billion operating profit

admin — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 23:37:00 +0000

It might not be making as much money as the competition in Cupertino, but that doesn't mean Samsung isn't raking in cash at an astonishing clip. We reported earnings estimates a few weeks ago, but now it's official that the firm posted a 5.3 trillion won ($4.7 billion) operating profit in Q4 2011. That represents over a 2 trillion won ($1.8 billion) increase year over year. In all, it pulled in 47.3 trillion won ($42 billion) in sales, thanks in no small part to the over 300 million phones Sammy sold last year. While mobile accounted for roughly 40 percent of company sales and half of its operating profit (2.6 trillion won, or $2.3 billion), its semiconductor business did almost as well, raking in 2.3 trillion won ($2 billion) in profit over the same period. Samsung's Display Panel business outperformed 2010 -- buoyed by strong sales in LED televisions -- as sales were up almost 20 percent, to 8.55 trillion won ($7.6 billion).

Well the call just finished up, and Sammy provided some prognosication for 2012. It anticipates the mobile business to continue to grow, with LTE and and new market segments (read: Galaxy Note) helping drive sales. TV sales are also expected to remain on the uptick, as Samsung anticipates demand to continue growing due in part to the London Olympics and roll-out of more Smart TVs. Feel free to check out all the numbers giving Samsung reason for its optimism at the source link below.

Samsung 2011 Q4 earnings official: $42 billion in sales, $4.7 billion operating profit originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 19:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Samsung (PDF) | Email this | Comments

Spotify surpasses 3 million paid subscribers

admin — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 23:30:46 +0000

Spotify said Thursday that it now serves more than 3 million active paid subscribers per month, up from the 2.5 million subscribers it was serving in November. More than 20% of its active users pay for premium monthly access, the Financial Times said, which allows users to listen to an unlimited songs without ads or use Spotify on a smartphone. “We have achieved some pretty great results in terms of the ratio of paid users,” Spotify’s chief content officer and US managing director, Ken Parks said in an interview with the Financial Times. “We have an enormous internal effort to drive conversion and engagement with the service. We are very focused on growing in our existing 12 markets as well as expanding in other markets.” Parks also said that the company’s free-trial offer has helped convert users to paid accounts more rapidly. Spotify recently introduced “apps” for its service, which allows anyone, such as Rolling Stone or Billboard, to create playlists or add custom features.

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HTC’s UK chief wants to ease off the new-product gas, focus on ‘amazing hardware’

admin — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:20:00 +0000

If you ever thought remembering HTC's titanic product line was like trying to recall the Greek alphabet, then it seems you're not alone. Phil Roberson, head of the firm's UK operations apparently thinks the display cabinet is getting a little crowded, too, telling Mobile Magazine "We have to get back to focusing on what made us great - amazing hardware." No surprises that there's been a tightening of focus after filing disappointing results just earlier this month. There's already been the odd whisper of new directions for HTC, and this year's phone roll-out is already under way, but with Roberson suggesting tablets aren't high on its list of priorities this year, we're banking on further details of 2012's product plans at next month's MWC.

HTC's UK chief wants to ease off the new-product gas, focus on 'amazing hardware' originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Stuff | Mobile Magazine | Email this | Comments

Netflix adds 610,000 DVD subscribers, beats Q4 estimates

admin — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 22:05:08 +0000

Netflix on Wednesday announced its earnings for the fourth quarter of 2011. The company noted $876 million in revenue, up 47% from the same quarter last year, and earnings per share of $0.73. Analysts had pegged the company to report revenue in the ballpark of $857.4 million and EPS of $0.54, Barron’s relayed. Netflix also said it added 220,000 new subscribers, a far cry from the 800,000 it lost during the third quarter, and now serves 21.67 million streaming customers in the United States. The company has 24.4 million U.S. customers signed up for DVD subscriptions and that figure jumped by 610,000 during the quarter.

Netflix serves 1.9 million international streaming customers and added 380,000 new subs during the quarter. “We are encouraged by the strength in acquisition that we are seeing, coupled with continued improvements in retention among our domestic streaming members,” the company said in a statement. “For Q1 to date, our domestic net additions for streaming are tracking close to our net additions in Q1 2010 of 1.7 million net additions. Given this trend, we are comfortable with our ability to continue to expand our domestic streaming contribution margin.”

Belfry brings Stocks and Weather, other native iPhone apps to jailbroken iPads

admin — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:48:00 +0000

Rounding out the honeymoon period with that freshly jailbroken iPad 2? Well now we have some new apps for you to play with, and you may already be acquainted. iOS hacker Ryan Petrich's most recent project, dubbed Belfry, lets you install stock iPhone apps that are otherwise absent from both versions of Apple's tablet including Clock, Voice Memos, Stocks, Calculator, Compass and Weather. As to why these aren't included already is beyond our knowledge, but at least there's an alternative. Users can install Belfry directly within Cydia for free from the BigBoss repository. If you're looking for proof to seal the deal, you can catch the bashful Belfry and his silent film antics after the break.

Continue reading Belfry brings Stocks and Weather, other native iPhone apps to jailbroken iPads

Belfry brings Stocks and Weather, other native iPhone apps to jailbroken iPads originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | GitHub (Ryan Petrich), Repository (Ryan Petrich) | Email this | Comments

Microsoft may discontinue its virtual currency system

admin — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 06:30:46 +0000

Microsoft may be preparing to discontinue its virtual currency system by the end of the year, according to Inside Mobile Apps. The software giant is reportedly looking to phase out Microsoft Points in favor of real money transactions. After the switch, customers with existing Microsoft Points balances will have them converted into their local currency. Microsoft is said to have already warned mobile developers to plan their upcoming downloadable content and in-app purchases in accordance with the change. The move isn’t all that surprising; Microsoft has been gradually introducing cash purchases for its full Xbox Live games instead of using the points system, which many have seen as confusing and unnecessary. Microsoft Points are currently used to purchase games and media content on Xbox Live, the Zune Marketplace and Windows Phone, however the system isn’t used universally, with certain features using real money transactions and others using points. Microsoft declined to comment on the story.

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Siri capabilities expanded thanks to jailbreak apps

admin — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 19:56:09 +0000

There are plenty of reasons for savvy iPhone users to jailbreak their handsets, the most obvious of which is access to applications that provide functionality beyond what is allowed by Apple. The third-party app store is packed with hundreds of terrific unsanctioned apps and now that the iPhone 4S has been jailbroken, there is a new wave of utilities we can look forward to: Siri tweaks. Two of the first apps to hit Cydia that extend the capabilities of Apple’s digital personal assistant are VoiceUtils and SiriToggles, and both apps add sought after new functionality that Apple hasn’t yet enabled. VoiceUtils is fairly basic for the time being, allowing users to launch apps, unlock or reboot their iPhones using Siri commands. SiriToggles offers the same features but adds the ability to adjust settings such as screen brightness or toggle things like airplane mode, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. We definitely can’t wait to see what new functionality developers bring to Siri and in the meantime, VoiceUtils and SiriToggles are both free in Cydia.