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Microsoft starts accepting developer submissions for universal Windows apps and Windows Phone 8.1 apps

Apr14
by on April 14, 2014 at 7:18 pm
Posted In: Apps, Around the Web, Design & Dev, Mobile

Microsoft Unveils Windows 8
Microsoft today announced major updates to the Windows Dev Center and Windows Phone Dev Center, with the former rolling out “later this week” and the latter arriving “later today.” While Microsoft says many of the enhancements address feedback from developers, the big additions are support for universal Windows apps and Windows Phone 8.1 apps. Microsoft explains developers can now link Windows Store and Windows Phone apps to create a universal Windows app to provide a “get once and download for all compatible Windows devices” customer experience, which the company hopes will increase both paid and free app downloads across device…

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A brief history of brand love: The evolution of viral advertisement

Apr14
by on April 14, 2014 at 7:12 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Design & Dev, Entrepreneur, Roundups, Social Media

youtube vintage parody
Dominic Smith is a senior writer and content strategist for Rackspace Digital, the digital marketing infrastructure specialists. In the age of experience-based marketing, some brands want us to do more than just buy their products. They want us to interact with them, to love them. Dan Wieden, legendary adman, described this desire for active participation when he said: “Brands are verbs. Nike exhorts. IBM solves. Sony dreams.” But there are few verbs more active and inspiring than “love.” In a recent survey by APCO Worldwide, analysts worked out how that love is expressed. They measured eight ways we interact with…

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Google acquires Titan Aerospace, manufacturer of solar-powered drones that Facebook was interested in

Apr14
by on April 14, 2014 at 6:25 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Google

Google today announced the acquisition of Titan Aerospace, the creator of high-altitude drones that could bring Internet access to remote locations, as noted by The Wall Street Journal. The vehicles are expected to reach atmospheric heights, run on solar power, and fly continuously for years at a time. Earlier reports had suggested that Facebook was interested in buying Titan Aerospace, but it decided to pick up rival drone-maker Ascenta instead. Google told the Journal that the Titan Aerospace team will collaborate with the balloon-powered Internet access efforts from Project Loon to solve the global connectivity issue. The drones could also…

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Parenting website Mumsnet and Canadian tax authority hit by Heartbleed hackers

Apr14
by on April 14, 2014 at 5:33 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Insider

The massive Heartbleed encryption security flaw that came to light last week has been used to compromise details of users stored on the systems of the Canadian Revenue Agency and the parenting website Mumsnet. Mumsnet began informing its users by email on Friday that the vulnerability had been used to access accounts, and that there was no way of telling exactly what data might have been compromised or how many members are affected, according to the BBC. It has subsequently forced its members to reset their passwords in order to carry on using the site. Mumsnet had not responded to…

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You can now control Pandora’s iOS app directly from your Pebble smartwatch

Apr14
by on April 14, 2014 at 4:59 pm
Posted In: Apps, Around the Web, Insider, Product Updates

Pandora users, rejoice! At least, Pandora users that also own a Pebble smartwatch, rejoice! From today, it’s now possible to control playback of the Pandora app installed on your iOS device from your Pebble, the on-demand radio streaming service has announced. You’ll still obviously need to have your phone close by (and paired via Bluetooth) to make use of Pandora’s new app, but once you’re set up, users can view and change stations, give songs a thumbs-up or thumbs-down, and skip, play and pause tracks. While it’s a simple enough integration, it’s the added freedom it brings users that is…

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