Opus backers argue the codec provides better sound quality and spans a much wider range of network conditions and audio needs.

The Internet Engineering Task Force has standardized the Opus audio compression technology as RFC 6716.

The move paves the way for much broader use of Opus for anything from playing music to online voice chats. Opus is what's called a codec because it defines how to encode and decode a stream of data for more efficient storage or transmission.

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At WWDC, Scott Forstall, Apple's senior vice president of iOS, promised that iOS 6 would bring 200 new features, including tighter Facebook integration, an empowered Siri voice assistant, and the capability to make FaceTime calls over a cellular network (Read what we've learned so far of iOS 6). Just three months later, we expect to hear the official launch date for iOS 6 at the Apple event tomorrow. Like every Apple event, it's tough to predict the timing, but it's safe to say iOS 6 will be coming out in the very near future.

The question is, are you ready for iOS 6? Sure, you probably like the idea of Facebook integration, the all-new Maps app, Siri on iPads, and the other announced changes, but is your iOS device ready?

To make sure your iPhone is set up for the launch of the latest iOS, I've put together a step-by-step guide for making sure it is primed for the update.

Editors' note: Apple's updates are set up to let you update no matter what iOS version you're on or what apps and music you have on your device -- as long as your hardware is eligible. Eligible devices include the fourth-gen iPod Touch; iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, and iPhone 4S; and both the iPad 2 ... [Read more]

Viber is now coming to Nokia Lumia devices.

VoIP provider Viber has hit a new milestone.

The company announced today that it now has 100 million worldwide users taking advantage of its free phone calls, texting, and photo-messaging services. It's not clear if those users are actively using the service or have just signed up. Still, the company claims to handle over 2 billion minutes of calls and 6 billion messages every month. An average of 10 million calls are placed each day.

Viber has established itself as a true competitor to Skype, the popular VoIP service now owned by Microsoft. Viber works across iOS, Android, and a host of other mobile platforms, and allows users to communicate with others for free.

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Mobile users are increasingly downloading free apps, a new study from research firm Gartner has found.

The company announced today that 45.6 billion apps will be downloaded worldwide in 2012. Out of that, a whopping 89 percent, or 40.6 billion, will be free apps. The remaining 5 billion will be downloaded after users purchase them.

Last year, free apps accounted for 88.4 percent of all downloads. Last year's total download tally hit only 25 billion.

When users actually download paid apps, they're largely unwilling to pay a significant sum. In fact, Gartner research director Sandy Shen said today that "90 percent of the paid-for downloads cost less than $3 each."

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