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Six second video app Vine released for Android

Vine, the six second video sharing app, has been released for Android. Available since January on iOS, the new Android version has most of the same features, with the rest promised in the coming weeks.

Vine for Android requires at least version 4.0 of the operating system. It allows you to create six second looping videos really easily, with neat touch editing for making quite interesting short videos. Simply touch the screen to start recording, and let go to stop. There’s an explore feature so you can watch other people’s videos, and a tool to find or invite your friends to Vine.

In the current version of Vine for Android, you can share your videos on Twitter, with Facebook support coming soon. Front facing camera support, search, mentions and hashtags will also be added soon. Vine videos are neatly embedded in tweets, as the service is owned by Twitter.

Vine is great fun, and it’s excellent news that now Android users can join in with the very short film making app.

Facebook launches verified accounts for pages and profiles

Facebook has launched verified pages and profiles, to make it easier to identify the authentic accounts of celebrities and companies on the social network. Verified accounts will get a small blue check mark next to their names, just like verified accounts on Twitter.

According to the announcement in the Facebook Newsroom, Verified accounts will be used for a small group of ‘prominent public figures’ and organizations with large audiences. So don’t expect to get a check next to your name unless you really are famous! Verified accounts apply to both profiles and pages.

Users can report fake accounts using the settings box that appears on a profile or page Timeline.

Verified accounts should help to stop some of the annoying spam that spreads through Facebook, pretending to be from famous people or groups. It’s not the first idea it has borrowed from Twitter, as you can already use ‘@’ tagging. There are rumors that Twitter’s iconic hashtag system could also be on its way. As that already works with Instagram, owned by Facebook, it would not be a huge surprise.

[Source: Facebook Newsroom]

[Updated] Google Calendar for Android updates to highlight events with color

Google Calendar is a great alternative to the stock calendar app installed on Android devices. With the ability to display multiple calendars from different accounts as well as syncing with your web-based Google Calendar, the app is very easy to customize and manage events.

The new update that is rolling out to Android 4.1 (4.2.1) and higher allows you to customize events with different colors directly from the device. Another update is a redesigned date and time selection tool. Add in the redesigned timezone and improved repeating event tool, Google Calendar is becoming the calendar app that Android users should use.

The only problem is that the limited Android OS support means that many users will not be able to experience the newly updated app.

Updated : Android Official Blog originally stated the update was only available for Android 4.2.1 and higher.

[Source: Android Official Blog | Download: Google Calendar]

Pre E3 screenshots released of The Elder Scrolls Online

New screenshots have emerged for The Elder Scrolls Online, Bethesda and ZeniMax Online’s highly anticipated massively multiplayer online role-playing game. We expect to see much more of the game at this year’s E3 in Los Angeles.

The new images show more of the variety we’ll see on the vast continent of Tamriel. There’s the beautiful deserts of Hammerfall, the port of Daggerfall, as well as Aldcroft and Stormhaven. The screenshots also show a battle with two giant snakes.

We don’t know a great deal about the story in The Elder Scrolls Online, but it’s set around a 1000 years before the events of Skyrim, and chronicles three factions fighting for control of Cyrodil, the capital of the empire. The game will feature both third and first person views.

Check out the rest of the screenshots below.

[Source: Gamespot]

Opera Next 15 released

Opera has announced the release of Opera Next 15, available for Windows and Mac. Despite not mentioning it in its blog post, the biggest news is the abandonment of the rendering engine Presto, in favor of WebKit, the engine of Chrome and Safari.

For better or worse, Opera Next 15 now looks closer to Chrome than ever before. There’s a unified search and address bar, which is quickly becoming the standard among browsers. There are also new configuration options. The Opera Mail client has been split off from the desktop browser, and can now be downloaded as a standalone app, again for Windows or Mac.

The move to WebKit will be short-lived, as shortly after Opera announced the change, Google itself announced the development of its own web browser engine Blink. This will be used in future versions of Chrome and Opera too.

Opera Next 15 has some other improvements. Speed Dial has been cleaned up, and now looks much brighter. There is a new feature called Stash, where you can store pages temporarily. Opera describes this as a ‘back pocket for your browser.’ Discover is like an Opera home page delivering curated content from a single place, with 13 categories and 30 languages.

Download Opera Next for Windows or Mac.
[Source: Opera Blog]

New Euro Truck Simulator 2 DLC screenshots released

SCS Software has released new screenshots for the first Euro Truck Simulator 2 downloadable extension pack, which promises a big map expansion, covering the rest of Poland, plus Slovakia and parts of Hungary.

The eastward expansion of the game, according to the developer blog, is out of respect for the incredible popularity of the game in Poland. SCS says it will look at other parts of Europe like Spain, Russia or Scandinavia once this DLC is completed. There is still no release date for this Euro Truck Simulator 2 expansion pack, but it will be announced ‘soon’.

As well as an expanded map, the expansion pack will feature ‘more objects, new objects, improved forests with larger density,’ and improve game speed on average machines. The original Euro Truck Simulator 2 will still be patched and updated too, so you will not be forced to buy the DLC pack to get the game running as well as possible.

Check below the break for a full gallery of Euro Truck Simulator 2 DLC screenshots.

Continue reading “New Euro Truck Simulator 2 DLC screenshots released”

Need for Speed Rivals launching this year on current and next-gen consoles [video]

Electronic Arts has revealed the next game in the Need for Speed franchise: Need for Speed Rivals. The game will launch this year on current generation consoles and PC on November 19th and sometime later this year for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4.

Fans of Need for Speed Most Wanted will be happy to know that developer Criterion Games will be collaborating on Need for Speed Rivals. The new game will let players choose between racing as street racers or cops. Both sides will allow you to rank up within the game, unlocking more cars, customization options, and pursuit/escape technology unlockables. Players can look forward to an open world full of challenges and collectables to unlock, much like Most Wanted and Burnout Paradise.

Perhaps the most interesting feature of Need for Speed Rivals is the ability for friends to instantaneously drop-in and drop-out of your game. This feature will be called AllDrive and will let your friends appear in your personal, open world to play with or against you. There will also be multiplayer, of course, where players can compete on live leaderboards and challenge other players.

While this game will be released on current-gen consoles, the Xbox One, and PlayStation 4, Nintendo fans will be left out in the cold. EA announced last week that it had no Wii U titles in development.

[Source: Polygon]

Google Hangouts Easter Eggs lets you change background colors, release ponies

Google’s Hangouts messaging app already includes 850 different emoji icons but what if you want something a little different? Well you’re in luck since the engineers at Google have built in some hilarious Easter Eggs into the app.

To activate these, simply refer to the chart above. These commands are simple with a “/” followed by the command. For example, “/ponystream” unleashes a torrent of “My Little Pony” looking characters across your chat window.”/bikeshed” will change your chat background to a random color.

There’s also the famous “KONAMI code,” which lets you change your background to an cartoon landscape. My personal favorite is “/pitchforks,” which unleashes an angry, pitchfork-wielding mob. To get rid of the Easter Eggs, simply close and re-open the chat window.

Unfortunately these Easter Eggs don’t work on the mobile version of Hangouts. If you want to try them out, you’ll have to use the web or Chrome app.

[Source: Moritz Tolxdorff (Google+)]

Yahoo! press event Monday, may announce $1 billion Tumblr acquisition

Yesterday, All Things D reported that Tumblr and Yahoo! may be working on a partnership or acquisition. With Tumblr’s latest valuation at over $800 million, there are rumors that the acquisition would cost close to $1 billion. Today, CNBC tweeted that Yahoo! would be holding a “product-related news event” in New York City on Monday. Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer will be speaking at the event.

Yahoo! has been aggressively reinventing itself with all new Android and iOS apps and a strategic partnership with Twitter. The acquisition of Tumblr could further Yahoo!’s evolution by providing the company with a new demographic: users 18-24 years of age. Yahoo! CFO, Ken Goldman, said that the company needed to be “cool again.” Goldman goes on saying “One of our challenges is we have had an aging demographic. Part of it is going to be just visibility again in making ourselves cool, which we got away from for a couple of years.”

Yahoo! seems to be on a buying spree, with reports that the company is in talks to purchase Hulu. Recently, Yahoo! tried to buy the video streaming site, Dailymotion, but that deal fell through.

The event on Monday will take place at 5PM EST.

[Source: All Things D | The Verge | Image: Lewis Leong]

Windows 8.1, Google Hangouts and GT6 in the Softonic Minute

Google Maps, Windows 8.1, Google Hangouts and Gran Turismo 6 in the Softonic Minute

Here’s your Friday dose of this week’s top news in the world of software.

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Windows 8.1 has a release date. Microsoft has confirmed that on June 26, you’ll be able to download the first version. It will be a completely free update and could include features that users have been demanding since day one, like a start button.

Gran Turismo 6 confirmed. The driving simulator will go on sale at the end of the year for PS3. An official trailer has been released and this July, we’ll see an official demo.

Google reinvents Google Maps. Significant improvements were presented during the Google I/O developer’s conference and include the best features of Google Earth and a recommendations feature. The design is notably better and focuses on providing information that’s of use to you.

Google Hangouts can be downloaded. A new threat to Whatsapp and LINE was one of the major announcements at Google I/O. A multiplatform messenger that spans all the Google services, it also offers group videocalls. All that, and free.

For all these stories and more, click here.