app

Windows 8.1 reportedly updates apps silently

Updating apps in Windows 8.1 will apparently be a simpler process than it is in Windows 8.

Users who installed the latest Windows 8.1 build, known as 9385, discovered that several apps had automatically updated themselves in the background, according to blog site Winbeta. One of the apps that took care of its own update was a new one called Movie Moments, which lets people create and edit short video clips.

The new update process could be an improvement over the one in Windows 8. Currently, people are notified of new app updates but need to venture into … Read more

Beam app fills the Google Glass-to-YouTube upload gap

Google's Glass can shoot video with its built-in camera, but one missing piece is getting it right onto YouTube, which Google also happens to own.

Fullscreen, a Los Angeles-based company, has solved that with what it claims is the first YouTube app for Glass. The software, called Beam, lets Glass owners post their videos to YouTube, as well as automatically share them on Twitter once they're live.

In short, first-person crotch-shot videos will be uploaded to YouTube faster than ever.

That very same feature could eventually be added by Google at some point, but for now users either … Read more

Use Evernote Food 2.0 to save recipes, find new restaurants

The original version of Evernote Food (download for Android or iOS) had one menu item: My Meals. As of the latest version, My Meals doesn't have to be lonely anymore; new sections Explore Recipes, My Cookbook, and Restaurants have been added. Let's explore the new features.

Explore Recipes lets you browse through a huge selection (thousands, according to Evernote) of recipes from all over the Web. You'll find recipes from places you'll likely recognize, such as AllRecipes.com or Clean Eating.

My Cookbook will show you any recipes you've saved through the app, along with … Read more

Nook becomes a more tempting tablet

CNET Update gives the Nook a second look:

In this edition of Update:

- The Nook gets more attractive with full access to the Google Play store. (Put a Kindle app on a Nook? Madness!)

- Acer gets creative with its latest Windows 8 laptop, the Acer Aspire R7. (Touchpad above the keyboard? More madness!)

- The first solar-powered aircraft begins its long journey across the U.S.

- Learn to add an event to your Google calendar from inside an e-mail.

- Hotmail users must face the music and move on to Outlook.com.

- Staples puts 3D printing … Read more

Add handwritten notes in Polaris Office on Galaxy Note devices

Sometimes only so much explaining can be done with text on the screen. Adding a handwritten drawing or diagram can help pull together and solidify an idea. This is especially true when you're following along on a document that was given to you, like a business plan or notes for a class.

Polaris Office works with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Adobe PDF files. When using this app on a Galaxy Note series device, you can use the included S Pen to draw directly in your documents. Here's how:

First, open a document or presentation in Polaris … Read more

Traces of malware activity detected in App Store game

MacWorld is reporting that a program on the iOS App Store may be detected as containing malware, but in analysis the program is not considered to be malicious.

After its readers wrote in about the potential of malware in a game called Simply Find It that is available on the iTunes App Store, MacWorld confirmed traces of nonfunctional Trojan horse malware embedded in an MP3 file used by the program, which shows an HTML iframe reference to a potentially malicious (but currently unresponsive) Web page.

This is not the first time that malwarelike activity has been found in programs in … Read more

Songza 3.0 for iOS: The single best music-streaming app?

Not to gush, but I've loved Songza from the moment I installed it on my iPhone -- way back in June, 2012.

In fact, it has displaced both Pandora and Slacker as my music-streaming app of choice. That's because Songza builds playlists based on whatever activity I'm currently engaged in (working, making dinner, fighting commuter traffic) or mood I'm in (gloomy, happy, romantic), and does so without interruptions or money. You read that right: the app is free, and the music plays commercial-free.

With version 3.0 for iOS, Songza just got even better. (It's also available for Android, but hasn't been similarly updated yet.) It's sporting a vastly improved UI, handy new search and navigation features, and the promise of better audio quality.… Read more

Are Americans getting tired of texting?

Text messaging in the U.S. is on the decline, according to a survey (PDF) released Thursday by CTIA-The Wireless Association. The numbers of SMS text messages sent and received nationally dropped from 2.3 trillion in 2011 to 2.19 trillion in 2012.

While 2.19 trillion may seem like a colossal number and not much less than 2.3 trillion, it is still nearly a 5 percent drop. According to a report released last week by research firm Informa, one of the reasons that texting may be declining is because several chat applications -- such as Apple's … Read more

Google smacks down reports that Now for iOS drains batteries

Hot on the heels of Google adding Now to its iOS app, a handful of users began complaining that the app update made their iPhone and iPad batteries drain more quickly. Questions arose, was Google Now slurping too much juice?

Google has responded that iOS battery life doesn't have anything to do with Google Now. The Web giant sent a statement to CNET giving a bit more explanation as to why the battery draining allegations were false.

Reports that Google Now on iOS drains battery life are incorrect. We understand people's concern about seeing the Location Services icon … Read more