G$earch

Mint launches iPad app that's better than its Web site

Posted by Harshad

Mint launches iPad app that's better than its Web site


Mint launches iPad app that's better than its Web site

Posted: 26 Oct 2011 10:09 AM PDT

"Honey, we need to talk." Mint gives you a good intuitive grasp on why you're going broke.

(Credit: Intuit)

The personal finance site Mint is getting an iPad app to go along with the smaller iPhone app that's been out for a while. It's being pitched as the full-on Mint experience, not a companion or "sidecar," according to Aaron Forth, Intuit's VP of personal finance.

The free app will offer offline access to data it's downloaded, so you can see how far you are in the hole when you are, actually, in a hole. Forth says the new full-screen graphics are both intuitive and "good for having a discussion around finances."

If you take your iPad out into the world, it can use geolocation to help you automatically enter in merchant data when you create cash transactions on the device (you don't need to enter in credit card transactions; they'll get downloaded automatically).

I got a brief demo of the app and agree with Forth that it's more intuitive and attractive than the Web-based service that made Mint popular. But Mint users like me are still waiting for the service to catch up to Intuit's other finance app, Quicken, in a few key features like investment tracking a... [Read more]

Lookout stops segregating tablets

Posted: 26 Oct 2011 08:00 AM PDT

One of the odd quirks about the Lookout Mobile Security app for Android (download) has been that it required a cell phone number to install. Those days are over, as Lookout released today an Android version of its app that will work on phones and tablets running Android 1.5 or later. The security app also will work on Apple devices running iOS 4.0 and up.

Lookout now works on Android tablets, as well as Android phones and Apple products running iOS 4.0 or later.

(Credit: Lookout Mobile Security)

It was very difficult, if not impossible, to run earlier versions of Lookout on a tablet because the app's activation process and other device recognition protocol were done via text message. The new version changes that requirement. App registration is still required, but it now has other ways of identifying your device.

The version of Lookout published today is an update to the current app, so you won't have to hunt down a tablet version separate from the existing phone app.

[Read more]

More RIM troubles push PlayBook OS 2.0 to February

Posted: 26 Oct 2011 06:32 AM PDT

RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook.

(Credit: RIM)

Even with all the competition it faces across the tablet space, and the fact that iPad owners recently updated their software to iOS 5, Research In Motion said yesterday that it's holding off on launching the second generation of its tablet software until next year.

"As much as we'd love to have it in your hands today, we've made the difficult decision to wait to launch BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 until we are confident we have fully met the expectations of our developers, enterprise customers and end-users," RIM senior vice president for the BlackBerry PlayBook David Smith wrote in a blog post yesterday.

Smith went on to say that his company doesn't expect to release the update until February. RIM had hoped to get the operating system to customers much sooner, saying in an earnings call last month that it would show off the OS in October and then launch it "thereafter."

The February launch date is a major issue for RIM and its tablet. Unlike Apple's iPad, the BlackBerry PlayBook lacks native e-mail, calendar, and messaging. In order for users to send out e-mails from the device, they need to have a BlackBerry smartphone connected to the tablet. PlayBook OS 2.0 is an integral component in RIM's strategy if it wants to even come close to establishing a foothol... [Read more]

Apple iPhoto 9.2.1 update addresses 3ivx crash

Posted: 26 Oct 2011 06:12 AM PDT

Along with the EFI firmware updates that it released for some of its Mac systems today, Apple has also released an update for iPhoto that addresses an issue in which the program may unexpectedly quit when using the popular 3ivx video codec.

The update, which brings the latest program version to 9.2.1, includes fixes for problems that were addressed with the latest 9.2 update as well, which is likely why the update weighs in at around 357.18MB (download it here). The updates that the 9.2.0 release addressed were the following:

  • Addresses compatibility with iCloud and iOS 5
  • Left and right swipe gestures can now be used to navigate between photos in Magnify (1-up) view
  • Previously imported photos are now displayed in a separate section of the Import window
  • Book/calendar themes and card categories can now be selected using a pop-up menu in the carousel view
  • Resolves an issue that could cause some pages of books to print incorrectly
  • Rebuilding a library now correctly preserves saved slideshows and books

The update should be available via Software Update for those who have iPhoto installed, but also may be available via the Mac App Store if you installed iPhoto from there. Apple claims the update requires OS ... [Read more]

Apple EFI firmware updates improve Lion Internet Recovery and Thunderbolt

Posted: 26 Oct 2011 06:01 AM PDT

Apple has released a few updates for the EFI firmware in various Mac models from early 2011, which include new features and address a couple of prominent problems on the new devices. Firstly, the update enables Lion Internet Recovery for some systems that have not had it enabled (such as the early 2011 iMac), while improving its reliability in systems that already had it enabled.

In an odd and unexpected twist, Apple's update page for its iMac system shows an image of the first bondi-blue iMac and not the latest models (Apple may change this soon).

(Credit: Screenshot by Topher Kessler)

Additionally, the update addresses a number of problems with Thunderbolt, including the performance of Target Disk Mode and compatibility issues with Apple's Thunderbolt Display.

The updates require OS X 10.6.8 or later, and should be available for relevant systems via Software Update (in the Apple menu), but can also be downloaded from the following locations:

MacBook Pro EFI Firmware Update 2.3

iMac EFI Firmware Update 1.7

... [Read more]

Firefox and Bing--together at last?

Posted: 26 Oct 2011 12:04 PM PDT

Mozilla wants to diversify its search revenue base from Google. Microsoft's Bing wants more market share. Enter some integration that may move the needle for both parties.

In a short blog post, Microsoft said it worked with Mozilla to launch Firefox with Bing. In a nutshell, this version of Firefox has the default settings for Bing and the user won't have to change anything to use Microsoft's search engine.

Will this effort move the needle for Mozilla and Microsoft goals? It's unclear, but Firefox with Bing certainly can't hurt.

Keep in mind this Firefox with Bing comes just a few weeks before Mozilla's search deal with Google is set to expire. Hmm.

Mozilla generated $21.7 million in 2010, down from $26.5 million in 2009. Total revenue and support for 2010 was $123.2 million, up from $104.3 million, according to its annual report. Most of that revenue derived from search deals.

In an FAQ, Mozilla noted that "we have every confidence that search partnerships will remain a solid generator of revenue for Mozilla for the foreseeable future." Mozilla also touted search deals with Bing, Yahoo, Yandex, Amazon, Ebay and others, but the reality is most users go with Google. Microsoft's Bing w... [Read more]

0 comments:

Post a Comment