Microsoft is launching a new Video Messages feature to allow Skype users to send short video snippets to each other up to three minutes long. The feature works in both online and offline mode and Microsoft has started testing it with some Skype users on the Mac, iOS and Android, according to multiple web reports. Surprisingly, Skype Video Messages won't be initially available on Windows, but Skype for Windows users will receive these messages with a link to view them online. More tidbits right below...
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Microsoft doesn’t want to take billions from Office for iPad?
Picture Microsoft in one of those V8 commercials, where the actor whacks himself in the head after he could be drinking a healthy vegetable drink rather than a can of diet cola.
Now, replace the veggie juice with an iPad and you might have a scenario playing out in the executive suite of Microsoft today.
Why? The software giant refuses to sell a version of its Office suite for the iPad, a mistake possibly costing $2.5 billion. One analyst believes the company is leaving $2.5 billion on the table by insisting to offer the popular software bundle to Microsoft's tiny tablet market, as well as the declining number of PCs.
Can any company be that short-sighted? Wait, that was a rhetorical question...
Dropbox refreshed with all-new PDF viewer, push alerts for shared folders
Dropbox on Monday rolled out a shiny new admin console for enterprise users and last week released a new Sync API to make it much easier for programmers to write software which treats cloud Dropbox files as if they were local.
Today, the hot cloud storage startup gave its iOS client some love by pushing out an update containing three useful enhancements.
First up, the Dropbox app sports an all-new PDF viewer with search and nice thumbnail view. Second, you will now receive a push notification when a folder has been shared with you. And third, Dropbox now lets you sort your files by date modified (finally!). The free update is available now from the App Store...
Infinity Blade goes free for a limited time
Infinity Blade is arguably one of the most popular gaming franchises on iOS (aside from Angry Birds and maybe Real Racing). First released in 2010 by Chair Entertainment and Epic Games, the action role player pulled in some $1.6 million in its first four days.
The game was popular enough to spawn at least one sequel, Infinity Blade 2, and possibly a third. Still don't get what all of the hype is about? Well now's your chance to investigate, because the title that started it all was just discounted to $0 for a limited time...
Latest Bump update turns your iPhone into a flash drive
Bump has really come a long way since it debuted in the App Store back in 2009. The app, which once only allowed users to exchange contact information, now facilitates the sharing of photos, documents and even Dropbox files between mobile devices.
But the latest update looks to take Bump to a whole new level, with a revamped 'Bump to PC' feature. Users can now move files between their iPhones (or Android phones), and any computer, effectively turning their handsets into a personal flash drive...
Apple responds to the iOS 6.1 Lock screen glitch, says a fix is underway
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDkLpj3MM-c
Earlier this morning iDB warned you of a newly discovered security flaw in the recently released iOS 6.1 software. It's not the end of the world, but it isn't dismissible either as intruders can easily gain access to your iPhone and potentially compromise your data using a simple trick.
In a nutshell, in order to exploit the vulnerability one simply has to make and immediately cancel an emergency call on the Lock screen and then hold down the Sleep/Wake button twice. But worry not, privacy buffs, says Apple. The Cupertino company is aware of the issue, a solution is being worked on and a fix will be pushed in a future iOS software update. There, feeling better now?
Apple patent focuses on ending blurry iPhone photos
Don't you wish you could avoid the usual routine after taking photos with your iPhone: sifting through shots to eliminate the ones where your thumb is perfectly exposed - but your special someone is blurred beyond recognition. Your worries may be over, as a new patent reveals Apple wants to make you a better camera phone photographer. The camera Apple outlined in the filing is designed to continuously capture and store images in a buffer until you release the shutter.
Your mobile device takes from there to automatically scan the buffer, rate the pictures just taken using a number of parameters and present you with the best image...
Mophie offers insight on Apple’s strict Lightning accessory program
When Apple introduced the iPhone 5 last fall, it turned the iOS accessory market upside down. In addition to the new handset, the company unveiled its new Lightning dock connector—a 9 pin port that instantly made millions of add-ons obsolete.
But Apple didn't just change the connector, it also tightened up the requirements for its third-party MFi accessory program. And today, Mophie, who just announced the Helium battery case for the iPhone 5, offers some insight on the changes...
Kindle app gains multicolor highlights, book end actions and more
Amazon's Kindle iOS app has been updated with three useful additions. First up, now you can pick between four color choices to highlight passages of text. Second, Amazon says that the brightness setting will now be saved across device sleeps. And last but not the least, the app now supports something Amazon refers to as Book End Actions, which is basically "sharing the accomplishment with friends on Facebook and Twitter".
Slacker iPhone app gets major makeover in brand relaunch
If someone asks you what a good streaming music service is, who do you recommend? Pandora? Rdio? Spotify? What about Slacker Radio? Yeah, despite the fact that the company has been around for 6 years, Slacker rarely gets mentioned in the same breath as the others.
But it's looking to change that. Yesterday, Slacker Radio essentially relaunched itself as a brand—touting complete redesigns of its web and mobile clients. The new iPhone app looks particularly sharp, with a revamped visual interface and new Slacker "Music Guide" feature...
The official Die Hard game hits, in time for the movie
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fv6Sj5ot3c8
In support of “A good day to die hard”, the upcoming new installment to the 25-year-old Die Hard movie franchise starring the now aged action hero Bruce Willis, Fox Digital Entertainment today released the official iOS game, a movie tie-in. Die Hard, the shooter, puts you in the shoes of Jack McClane, the son of New York City’s most famous cop, as you battle ruthless mobsters, elite commandos and shadowy politicians in Russia, with locations like Moscow’s mean streets and the radioactive wasteland of Chernobyl...
New Zealand police pick iOS over BlackBerry, Android in 10,000 device deal
The New Zealand Police Department has announced that it will be doling out 10,000 iOS devices to its officers over the next few months as part of a new technology push. It says that 6000 of its officers will be receiving iPhones, and 3900 of them will also receive tablets.
According to Police Commissioner Peter Marshall, the decision to go with Apple's platform came after field testing a range of different devices, including those running Android and BlackBerry operating systems. The deal is said to be worth in upwards of $5 million...