Google to replace AT&T as Starbucks Wi-Fi provider

Starbucks drinkers will be glad to learn that Google will soon replace AT&T as the coffee chain's preferred partner to power the Wi-Fi network of its 7,000+ US stores. Additionally, Google Fiber access, where available, will be provided as well.

According to a post over at the official Google blog:

That’s why we’re teaming up with Starbucks to bring faster, free WiFi connections to all 7,000 company-operated Starbucks stores in the United States over the next 18 months. When your local Starbucks WiFi network goes Google, you’ll be able to surf the web at speeds up to 10x faster than before. If you’re in a Google Fiber city, we’re hoping to get you a connection that’s up to 100x faster.

How great is that?

Viber update brings ‘seen’ status, photo doodles, new emoticons and more

The popular cross-platform instant messaging software Viber has been updated to version 3.1, bringing a few noteworthy improvements.

In addition to fun new emoticons and a new 'Seen' status that lets you know when your messages have been seen, Viber version 3.1 features expanded support for the Viber Desktop application on Windows and Mac.

If you have the desktop app on your Mac or Windows PC, you can can now seamlessly transfer a call in progress from your iPhone to your desktop. There are other improvements in this Viber update as well, mentioned right after the break...

Expense Planner reminds you of future payments

If you have ever found yourself short on cash, or even worse, overdrawn, because you forgot about a recurring automatic payment, then you could use a friendly reminder to help you keep track of upcoming debits to your account.

Expense Planner does just that. You can add an upcoming expense, set a date to be reminded, and forget about it until later…

RunPee app keeps you regular at the movies

We are in the prime time of summer blockbuster movie season. As we head into the deep of summer, many more movies are headed our way. The worst part about going to the theater is high ticket prices. At a solid $10+ per ticket, make sure you see every important minute of the story, because missing anything is a costly and unfortunate mistake.

The trouble comes when you drank too much of that giant Coke they upsold for $.50 extra to get the grande two-handed version with bottomless refills, that you never really get anyway. In fact, you are using two straws just to make sure you drink it all before the ice waters down the flavor. After watching a solid 15 minutes of previews, you get a sinking feeling. Yes, that's it. Your giant Coke is working its way through your system. Quickly checking your watch, you realize there are at least two hours between you, the movie, and the bathroom.

The sounds of waterfalls and rivers in the last trailer make it difficult to wait, but the movie might start before you can run to the bathroom and back. Rest assured, because you downloaded RunPee before heading to the movies and it's going to tell you when you can head to the john and relieve yourself...

Kik Messenger app updated with stickers, third-party games and more

Kik users will be happy to hear that a major update for the iOS client has posted to the App Store this morning. The update, which brings the popular messaging app to version 6.5, hops on the recent stickers trend, adds third-party games, and more.

The stickers in Kik 6.5 work just like you'd expect them to—you can embed the emoticon-like images into any of your conversations. And as far as the third-party game offerings go, launch titles include new releases by both Zynga and TreSensa...

Mobile payment service Isis to go nationwide this year with iPhone support

Nearly three years after it was first announced, Isis is finally set to debut on the national stage. Bloomberg is reporting this morning that the carrier-backed mobile payment service will see a nationwide rollout this year.

For those unfamiliar with Isis, it's a joint venture between AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon, looking to change the way consumers pay for things using NFC and other tech. And after 9 months in testing, it's ready for launch...

Microsoft believed to have only sold 1.7 million Surface tablets since launch

Steve Ballmer sounded pretty confident when his company debuted the Surface tablet last fall. At one point, he even said "I don’t think anybody has done a product that is the product that I see customers wanting," implying that Microsoft had.

But I think by now, it's pretty clear that's not the case. Not only did the software giant have to eat $900 million in unsold Surfaces last quarter, but estimates based on a new SEC filing suggest that it's only sold 1.7 million of them since launch...

Let’s Talk Jailbreak 21: BuddyLock!

The Unthreaded jailbreak, the cheaper iPhone, fingerprint scanning, and iOS 7 beta 4 are all hot topics on this week's episode of Let's Talk Jailbreak. Join us as we discuss these topics, along with new jailbreak tweaks like Control Unlocker, VineDownloader, BMarks Bar - Chrome, and of course, BuddyLock. Suffice it to say, you don't want to miss Cody and Jeff's discussion in this action packed episode.

Apple launches new iMessage spam reporting tool

A new knowledge base document has appeared on Apple's support site this evening, introducing a new spam reporting tool for iMessage users. The document outlines a way for users to report unwanted messages, or spam, directly to Apple.

The posting comes ahead of the release of iOS 7, which adds a new Contact blocking feature for phone calls and messages. Apple has obviously discovered that spam is a problem for its messaging platform, and it's doing something about it...

Apple warns devs of app review delays following Dev Center outage

Apple is emailing its registered iOS developers that app approvals may take longer than usual, most likely due to an eight-day-long Dev Center outage having created a backlog of submissions for App Store approval. A few developers reported receiving an email from Apple apologizing for the delay due to the review process requiring "additional time".

Apple started bringing the various Dev Center systems back online six days ago, following an attempted breach which prompted the server-wide security shutdown, in turn stripping developers of access to pre-release documentation, beta code and other development tools...

AT&T launches new LTE-based home phone and Internet service

AT&T launched a new home phone and Internet service this week, which relies on the carrier's LTE and HSPA networks. The service works through a modem (free with a two-year contract) that needs only a power outlet and decent AT&T coverage to work.

The carrier refers to the new offering as its "Wireless Home Phone and Internet service," and it runs $20 a month for the phone, and $60 per month for Internet. That's only for 10GB though—you'll pay as much as $120 for 30GB, and $10 for every GB over...

iOS keyboard to gain additional languages and scripts, job posts indicate

Whenever I find myself entangled in another Android vs. iOS debate, Android's liberalized keyboard is unmistakably brought up as a key argument playing to Google's favor. Indeed, for the most part the iOS keyboard has remained unchanged throughout the years, sans a few improvements here and there.

That will change when iOS 7 comes this Fall as it makes the iOS keyboard smarter by introducing black and white theme, enhanced auto-correct that can fix misspellings in a combination of words and a few other small tweaks. While there are no signs of Apple opening up the iOS keyboard to third-party developers anytime soon, new job ads indicate the company is working on adding support for additional languages and writing systems...