What time is it? Just ask... Firefox OS?

Posted by Harshad

What time is it? Just ask... Firefox OS?

What time is it? Just ask... Firefox OS?
15 best Android games
Bring Instagram thumbnails back to Twitter in Chrome
Podcasts app update adds iCloud sync, custom stations
Apple, Google: Google Now not submitted to App Store
How to remove 'Yontoo' adware Trojan from your OS X system
Schmidt: Google Now for iOS waiting on Apple for approval
New Google Play user interface on the way -- report
Google to fix some WebP image format shortcomings

Posted: 21 Mar 2013 06:08 PM PDT

The Bambook Smart Watch will reportedly run Firefox OS and Android.

(Credit: Shanda)

Rumors have been swirling about Apple and Samsung building smartwatches, but they're not the only ones. One Chinese company is reportedly looking to get into the time-keeping game Firefox OS.

Known for its e-readers and an Android-fueled smartwatch released last year, a subdivision of massive Chinese tech outfit Shanda called Guoke plans to sell a smartwatch in June called the Bambook Smart Watch. The Bambook will come in two flavors, according to TechNode. One will run Android, the other Firefox OS. Reportedly, the watch will cost more than $100, and will have an e-ink screen.

Like Samsung, Shanda has its fingers in a lot of pies, including e-ink screens and Web services. Tech in Asia speculated that the smartwatch could be a big boon for the company, as a smartwatch could read you e-books and other digital literature, update you on Shanda-owned massively multiplayer games that are popular in China, and sync reminders from a Shanda note-taking app.

If the watch is running Firefox OS, though, it coul... [Read more]

15 best Android games

Posted: 21 Mar 2013 06:06 PM PDT

(Credit: Screenshot by Jaymar Cabebe/CNET)

When it comes to finding games for Android, everyone knows that Google Play, with all its offerings, can feel downright overwhelming. With that in mind, I'm here to help you navigate through some of the clutter.

Here are some of my current favorite games for the Android platform, displayed in alphabetical order. Of course, with so many new titles being released almost on a daily basis, there's a good chance I missed some of your favorites. So, feel free to give your thoughts and even some of your recommendations in the comments, and I'll do my best to update this post frequently.

Click on any image to start the slideshow.

15 best Android games (pictures)

1-2 of 15 Scroll Left Scroll Right

... [Read more]

Bring Instagram thumbnails back to Twitter in Chrome

Posted: 21 Mar 2013 04:06 PM PDT

My Instagram photos shared on Twitter

(Credit: photos by Nicole Cozma/CNET,Screenshot)

This is done through the use of a Chrome extension called Previeweet. The extension actually works for more than just Instagram. While testing it out, I was able to see previews from Instagram, Photobucket, Facebook, Yfrog, Twitpic, Twitvid, Flickr, and Imgur -- which is great, since those are in the list of services that Previeweet says it supports.

To get started, just ... [Read more]

Podcasts app update adds iCloud sync, custom stations

Posted: 21 Mar 2013 02:13 PM PDT

Apple's tweaked Podcasts playback screen.

(Credit: Apple)

A new update to Apple's standalone app for podcasts adds a handful of new features and fixes some bugs.

Key among the new stuff is a way to create custom stations that get new episodes of podcasts when they're published. You can also set whether you want these stations to start with the oldest or newest episodes. These stations are stored on Apple's iCloud, so if you're switching between two different iOS devices, they'll stay synced up.

Apple's also tweaked the Now Playing view that looks a bit more like Apple's standalone Music app. This is a departure from the previous design, which tried to mimic an analog tape player.

Podcasts remains one of Apple's ill-received apps. Since its release, it has accumulated more than 21,400 reviews, though the average is two out of a possible five stars, or what Apple considers as "I don't like it."

The release notes:

Create custom stations of your favorite podcasts that update automatically with new episodes.
Choose whether your stations begin playing with the newest or oldest unplayed episode.
Your stations are stored in iCloud and kept up-to-date on all of your devices.
Create an On-The-Go playlist with your own list of episodes.
Playlists synced from iTu... [Read more]

Apple, Google: Google Now not submitted to App Store

Posted: 21 Mar 2013 11:16 AM PDT

Google Now has not been submitted yet to Apple's App Store, the iPhone maker told CNET. And Google itself has now confirmed this.

Earlier today, Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt spoke at the Big Tent Summit in India and was asked when Google Now would be made available to iOS devices. In a coded response, Schmidt stopped short of calling out Apple but did seem to hint that the iPhone maker was playing a role in the app's availability on its platform.

"You'll need to discuss that with Apple," Schmidt said. "Apple has a policy of approving or disapproving apps that are submitted into its store, and some of the apps we make they approve and some of them they don't."

The malware, called "Yontoo," will be first encountered as a media player, download manager, or other plug-in requirement for viewing contents on some maliciously crafted Web sites disguised as sources for file sharing and movie trailers. When the plug-in prompt is clicked, you're redirected to a site that downloads the Trojan installer and requires you to run it. The installer is for a fake program called "Twit Tube," that when installed will place a Web plug-in or extension called "Yontoo" that will run in popular browsers like Safari, Chrome, and Firefox.

When the malware is running, affected systems will be actively tracked for browsing behaviors, and legitimate Web sites will be hijacked with ad banners and other content that attempts to lure you into clicking it.

This menu option in Safari will show you the installed plug-ins, which you can review for the presence of Yontoo or any other unwanted plug-ins.

Posted: 21 Mar 2013 09:43 AM PDT

Note: Since this story was published, first Apple, then Google, told CNET that Google Now was never submitted to the App Store. See this article for more.

Google Now, the app that pulls in relevant information based on a user's location, might be being held up by Apple for inclusion in its App Store.Speaking today at the Big Tent Summit in India, Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt was asked when Google Now would be made available to iOS devices. The coded response didn't necessarily call out Apple, but did seem to hint that the iPhone maker is playing a role in the app's availability on its platform.

"You'll need to discuss that with Apple," Schmidt said. "Apple has a policy of approving or disapproving apps that are submitted into its store, and some of them they approve and some of them they don't."