Intuit launches a much more 'Minty' Quicken 2011
Mountain View software company Intuit has launched a new version of its Quicken personal finance software that offers a slick new interface that comes from the Mint.com product engineering team the company acquired one year ago.
For the 20th anniversary of Quicken, Intuit has taken big steps to make the software more approachable for new users, more in tune with online financial services, and better at automatically categorizing transaction data it receives.
Bing will use your Facebook friends to personalize search results
Microsoft and Facebook Wednesday unveiled some new search tools for Bing which integrate data from a user's circle of friends into Bing's search results.
In the Bing blog on Wednesday, Microsoft Senior Vice President of online services Satya Nadella said 50% of users consider their friends' opinions when making a decision online. Bing is trying to capitalize on this by incorporating the "likes" of a user's friend list into search results.
Apple patents parental controls for texting, 'sexting' a target
Apple was awarded a patent on technologies that would allow for the control of content sent and received to a mobile device, essentially filtering out any objectionable content within text messages. With "sexting" becoming ever more prevalent, a read through the patent which was published online Tuesday has lead some to call it the "anti-sexting" patent.
Parental controls are added to the device, which allows the administrator to choose how content is filtered. The filtering occurs as the message is typed, blocking certain text from being entered before it is sent. It could even be blocked altogether depending on the settings. In any case, the filtering occurs before the text is either sent or received.
Apple hosting October 10 event: Is the king of the beasts the next version of OS X?
On 10/20/2010 at 10am Pacific, Apple will be hosting an event that promises to take a look at the Mac OS platform, which has been suffering a decreased amount of attention since iOS became a multi-device platform for Apple.
In typical Apple fashion, the press invitation, shown above, gives a clue as to the subject of the event. This time around, it's a picture of a Lion peering around the Apple logo. This image fits into Apple's OS X nomenclature, which has included Cheetah, Puma, Jaguar, Panther, Tiger, Leopard, and Snow Leopard.
Which Windows Phone 7 smartphone will you buy?
Surely that question isn't unexpected. Last week I asked "Will you buy Windows Phone 7?" and the majority of Betanews readers responding by e-mail said they will buy, while some said they will not. You've had two days since Windows Phone 7's official launch to explore the features and learn about the nine handsets that will be available later this month (across Europe) and next month (in the United States). Now it's time for you to share with the world which phone you will buy or would buy if available on your carrier. Please answer in comments or e-mail joewilcox at gmail dot com.
Fred Schultz was among the Betanews readers who wants to buy a Windows Phone 7 handset but won't because there is no device yet available for Verizon (in the United States, AT&T and T-Mobile initially will carry WP7 smartphones). Last night he e-mailed: "OK, now after seeing it I am obsessed, and a little PO'd that Verizon doesn't have it. I would buy it on day 1!" I asked: "Whoa, are saying you'll switch carriers and buy on November 8th, Fred?" To which he replied: "Too complicated, family plan, 5 cells, Fios TV and Internet at home, but I will threaten."
Google Chrome v8 developer build hints at future of Chrome OS
The latest developer preview of Google Chrome 8 has been released through the Chromium Dev channel, giving users a taste of the browser's improved GPU acceleration feature, better stability, and a handful of new labs including Google Instant in the browser's omnibar/omnibox search fields.
Many of the interesting features in this build are deactivated by default, so users must go to About : Labs to switch them on. This includes the GPU Accelerated HTML5 Canvas 2D option, and the Google Instant in Omnibar feature.
Sony launches Google TV-equipped HDTVs, Blu-ray player, crazy remote control
Consumer electronics company Sony on Tuesday evening introduced its first Google TV-powered line of products it's calling Sony Internet TV. The line includes four LCD televisions and a connected Blu-ray player which Sony put up for pre-order today.
The Sony Internet TV line of LCD TVs includes a 24-inch model for $599 (NSX-24GT1,) a 32-inch model for $799 (NSX-32GT1,) a 40-inch model for $999 (NSX-40GT1,) and a 46-inch model for $1399 (NSX-46GT1.) All models carry just about the same specs, with the exception of the backlighting. All include edge-LED backlighting except the cheapest model, which uses CCFL. Otherwise, they're all equipped with an Intel processor, built-in Wi-Fi, four HDMI ports and four USB ports, support for Android apps, and the ability to watch TV and run apps at the same time with "dual view" mode.
Georgia Tech researchers give robots ability to think amongst themselves
This week, at Robotics Rodeo 2010 at Fort Benning, Georgia, researchers from the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) will be showing off a system they have developed to let airborne and ground-based robots communicate and interact with one another without the need for a human intermediary.
The system is called CUSTD, which stands for Collaborative Unmanned Systems Technology Demonstrator, and it teams two model aircraft with nine-foot wingspans, with an unmanned Porsche Cayenne SUV. Utilizing a complex system of sensors, cameras, and computers, the two aircraft can, for example, search for a target and mark its position with GPS coordinates which are sent back to the unmanned car, which can then navigate to the target using the shortest accessible route.
iPhone game developer Ngcomo acquired in $400 million transaction
In what could be the biggest acquisition yet in the mobile gaming space, Japanese mobile Internet conglomerate DeNA said Tuesday it will acquire San Francisco-based mobile developer Ngcomo in a transaction valued at some $400 million USD.
DeNA will initially pay $300 million in cash and securities, however Ngcomo's shareholders could receive up to $100 million additionally if the company reaches certain "performance milestones" through the end of next year. The company is one of Apple's most successful developers with over 60 million downloads.
Symantec launches beta of Norton 360 5.0
Symantec today opened the public beta of Norton 360 5.0, the latest version of the company's end-to-end security suite. This beta builds upon the updated versions of Norton Internet Security and Norton Antivirus released in September, and improves the usability and performance in the backup and tune-up features exclusive to Norton 360, redesigns the UI, revamps the online backup user experience, and integrates with Norton's free online tools.
New Features
Would you be Steve Ballmer's Facebook Friend?
That's the question I started asking last night. But there is another. Would Microsoft's CEO accept me as friend? Or you?
Yesterday, Nick Eaton of Seattle PI's "The Microsoft Blog" pointed to what he believed to be "Steve Ballmer's real Facebook page." Welcome to Facebook, Steve, assuming that's really you. I've been on the service since 2006. Could I offer you some tips?
Amazon's new 'Kindle Single' format: lowering the bar for literature?
Amazon on Tuesday announced it will be trying a new format for the Kindle e-reader which it is calling the "Kindle Single."
Longer than a magazine article, and shorter than a full novel, Amazon says the Kindle Single could be the "perfect, natural length to lay out a single killer idea...well researched, well argued and well illustrated."
Really? New Windows Phone 7 commercials rock
For months I've been saying that marketing, more than technology, would define (or fail to) Windows Phone 7's launch. If Microsoft could only get the messaging right. Earlier today, I posted about how important it is for Microsoft to make phones running its mobile operating system be highly personal. I actually wrote the 1,400-word missive last night, not knowing Microsoft would make personal such a priority; I simply added quotes from today's Windows Phone 7 launch event to make the analysis current. From putting the "P" in personal to smart messaging to simply brilliant advertising, Microsoft has pulled back the curtains on Windows Phone 7 in oh-so right fashion.
Last month, I explained what Microsoft needed to do today: "There must be aggressive aspirational marketing that is at least as good as recent Bing, Internet Explorer and Windows 7 advertising...Microsoft made the right, positive impressions when rebranding Windows Live Search to Bing -- thanks to supporting marketing. Windows Mobile is dead. Long live Windows Phone. It's a new brand that buyers must rightly meet."
Firefox in the dust: Opera poised to reclaim browser performance lead
Exactly what is it that convinces a Windows 7 user to drop the Web browser that came with her operating system - Internet Explorer - and try one of its many free competitors? The very name "Firefox" implies both speed and savvy, two factors its predecessor - Netscape Navigator - did not always possess. "Faster" and "better looking" are the two factors that make folks trade up for a sports car, though with a Web browser, "free" is a nice incentive you don't find in the automotive market.
Last month, Microsoft demonstrated that it is indeed capable of robbing Firefox of all its persuasion points, with a public beta of IE9 that is faster and smoother than anything Mozilla has ever produced. If IE9 is already fast, simple enough to use, and even good looking, the incentive for consumers to try not just Firefox but any other alternative, could evaporate.
Sony launches Vegas Pro 10 video editing software, supports 3D, OFX plug-ins
The latest version of Sony's desktop video editing and production software, Vegas Pro 10, launched in retail on Monday, the company announced.
Sony's Vegas Pro is a full-featured video production suite comparable to Avid Composer, Adobe Premiere, and Apple's Final Cut. While it may not have quite the level of prestige among professionals that its competitors have, Vegas retains a strong presence among the consumer/prosumer segment thanks to the widespread retail availability of the lower-tier Vegas Studio software.
© 1998-2026 BetaNews, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy - Cookie Policy.