The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)

Google brings data compression from mobile Chrome to PCs Posted: 26 Mar 2015 03:17 PM PDT Google has offered an option to reduce the amount of data Chrome uses on Android and iOS for a while, and now it's rolled out an extension to do the same for desktop users. Just like the mobile option, it works by compressing the data on Google's ser...

Amazon Cloud Drive now stores unlimited files for $60 per year Posted: 26 Mar 2015 02:06 PM PDT Amazon thinks it has a way to entice you away from the likes of Dropbox or Google Drive: real, honest-to-goodness unlimited internet storage. It just launched two Cloud Drive plans that let you upload as much as you like, with the primary difference ...

Google will fix Chrome's scrolling with Microsoft's help Posted: 26 Mar 2015 01:34 PM PDT Smoother scrolling is coming to Chrome, as Google will integrate Microsoft's Pointer Events API into a future version of the browser. To say that Google and Microsoft haven't had the best working relationship would be an understatement. The companies...

Nine indie developers on the secret to making multiplayer magic Posted: 26 Mar 2015 01:00 PM PDT Ten years ago, multiplayer-only games went through a severe identity crisis. More people than ever were gaming together, but they were increasingly playing online only. The small-stakes joy of twitchy experiences like Street Fighter II and Super Off ...

Beatport's streaming service for dance music arrives on iOS and Android Posted: 26 Mar 2015 12:39 PM PDT There are more music streaming apps than the world needs. But there hasn't really been a streamlined experience for electronic dance music listeners until now. Most of the popular apps -– Spotify, 8tracks and Pandora -– have a plethora of dance music...

Google taking augmented reality game 'Ingress' to TV Posted: 26 Mar 2015 12:16 PM PDT Google and its video game studio, Niantic Labs, are adding another layer to their augmented reality app, Ingress, by bringing it to TV, The Information reports. In Ingress, players travel -- in physical reality -- to marked locations called "portals,...

Facebook's AI can see inside your videos and posts Posted: 26 Mar 2015 11:45 AM PDT Facebook connects people, but it also wants to know them so it can show relevant information and targeted ads to them. To generate a personalized feed for each user, the network needs to identify and classify content in posts, images and news. Toward...

JXE Streams: Blindly marching into PlayStation 4's 'Bloodborne' Posted: 26 Mar 2015 11:30 AM PDT Being an enormous fan of From Software, the truly insane studio behind PS4's new gothic role-playing game Bloodborne, I imported Demon's Souls from Honk Kong back in 2009. No one knew anything about it at that point, but I learned quick: the game is ...

Facebook developing solar drones to deliver global web access Posted: 26 Mar 2015 11:16 AM PDT There are an estimated five billion people worldwide who lack reliable internet access but Facebook is reportedly "ready to spend billions" in order to change that. The Menlo Park-based company has recently announced plans to deliver global connectiv...

Ex-Beats CEO brings the 'American Idol' experience to a game Posted: 26 Mar 2015 11:08 AM PDT The co-creator of the service behind Beats music has launched a game that plays on the public's love for shows like X-Factor and Glee. Called Chosen, it lets users either record and upload their performances, or act as judges to give other musicians ...

Facebook hints that the Oculus Rift will be available this year (update: or not) Posted: 26 Mar 2015 10:46 AM PDT In a rather off-hand comment at today's Facebook developer's conference, company CTO Mike Schroepfer dropped a hint that the Oculus Rift VR headset could come to market this year. It was during an overview talk about what VR means for the company, wh...

CNNgo comes to Apple TV with live and on-demand news Posted: 26 Mar 2015 10:29 AM PDT It looks like Apple TV's enjoying a growth spurt -- at least if you're into factual content (sorry soap opera fans, your time will come). It looks like CNN is finally coming to Apple TV via CNNgo. The app dishes up both live and on-demand news, but t...

Amazon bringing plumbers and yoga instructors to new marketplace Posted: 26 Mar 2015 09:57 AM PDT On top of car parts and yoga mats, you'll soon be able to find auto mechanics and gurus at Amazon's incoming Home Services marketplace. The new site lets you find and hire experts in categories like home improvement, lawn & garden, lessons and comput...

Motorola found guilty of infringing on a patent from infamous troll Posted: 26 Mar 2015 09:31 AM PDT There was good news and bad news for Motorola in its second round in court with the patent holding firm Intellectual Ventures. A Delaware jury cleared Motorola of infringing on one of IV's wireless patents, but it also said that the cellphone maker i...

Minecraft free for every Northern Ireland secondary school Posted: 26 Mar 2015 09:03 AM PDT Minecraft has been heralded for its focus on building, creativity and exploration. Players learn about architecture and construction, as well as the simple joy of self expression. The game's open nature has also given birth to countless mods that tea...

'Blade Runner' tech gives 'Borderlands' its signature sound Posted: 26 Mar 2015 09:00 AM PDT "The Commodore 64 is like my Bible; that's when [game] music began because that's when they put an analog chip into a computer," composer Jesper Kyd says of the nearly 33-year-old home computer. "Before that it was PC or Atari and everything was like...

Lyft's answer to rideshare safety is befriending your driver Posted: 26 Mar 2015 08:28 AM PDT While Uber is doing its best to make sure passengers feel safe with its drivers, Lyft just wants us all to be friends. Next week a new "Lyft profiles" feature is coming to the app that the company hopes will "humanize" the "ride experience," sparking...

Razer's handing open-source VR kits to more than 20 education labs Posted: 26 Mar 2015 08:00 AM PDT Razer's entry into virtual reality may not be as ballsy as HTC's or Samsung's, but it could be just as important. Back in January the gaming manufacturer revealed Open Source Virtual Reality (OSVR), a project that offers a hardware design and softwar...

PayPal's failure to spot sanctioned accounts just cost it $7.7 millon Posted: 26 Mar 2015 07:34 AM PDT PayPal has has agreed to pay the US Department of the Treasury $7.7 million, after the financial giant processed transactions for a number of companies and individuals on the US sanctions list. A total of 486 violations of US regulations had apparent...

Uber hopes new programs will help riders feel safer Posted: 26 Mar 2015 06:29 AM PDT Following alleged sexual assaults in India and France, Uber has revealed several new initiatives and a code of conduct to make passengers feel more secure. The key change is a new advisory board that will "review safety practice and advise on our roa...

Drones to become crime fighters by aiding UK police Posted: 26 Mar 2015 06:23 AM PDT For police officers in the UK, it's time to fight fire with fire. Some sneaky Brits have been using drones to film football matches and smuggle contraband into prisons, so now the long arm of the law is recruiting some unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)...

Create apps for your quadcopter with 3D Robotics' free 'DroneKit' software Posted: 26 Mar 2015 06:00 AM PDT 3D Robotics develops the open source software that powers a lot of home brew UAVs. Today it's introducing a new tool to the public: DroneKit, software that allows anyone to create apps for, well, drones! DroneKit works with any craft that uses 3DR's ...

Samsung's Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge will debut in the US on April 10th Posted: 26 Mar 2015 06:00 AM PDT Yes, you can lay claim to an HTC One M9 of your very own at the stroke of midnight on March 27th, but what if your craving for a flagship leads you in another direction? No problem: Samsung has just announced that you'll be able to pre-order the Gala...

LG's Watch Urbane LTE will soon be available in South Korea for $590 Posted: 26 Mar 2015 05:43 AM PDT LG is releasing the Watch Urbane LTE in South Korea within the next few days, which means we now have an idea how much one will cost. Turns out the fancy mobile internet-connected smartwatch is priced at 650,000 won or $590 on LG's home turf. That's ...

Google Keep makes to-do lists easier to find with labels Posted: 26 Mar 2015 05:21 AM PDT If you're the type who maintains a massive amount of to-do lists and notes, you likely need a system to organize the things that keep you, well, organized. That's probably why Google has introduced labels for its Keep note-taking app on Android. It's...