Microsoft ending several Lumia mobile apps in preparation of Windows 10 on phones

As Microsoft moves towards a post-Nokia direction with Windows 10 on phones, it has decided to deep-six to get rid of various, once-innovative Lumia apps. So, we pour one out for Lumia Storyteller, Lumia Beamer, Photobeamer, Lumia Refocus, Lumia Panorama and Video Uploader which are no longer going to be available.

Moreover, these apps will no longer have online services available and will no longer be supported after October 30, 2015. While none of these apps will be forcefully dissapeared from exisitingd devices, the fact that they are dead to Microsoft simply means that they are just taking up space, so it is best to move on.

Too bad, though. These were some of the apps that made Windows Phone really special and different, but I guess they have no place in a world where Nokia can no longer make a plea for them to exist.

Source: Thurrott.com

The Apple Beat: Is Apple TV ready for primetime?

 

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

A new voice-control interface powered by Siri would be a killer feature, specially for an Apple TV priced in the US $149 range. But Apple will need to step up its game to make the device a true platform. So, aside from iTunes movies and TV shows on demand, we can expect the advent of iOS apps and games to come to Apple TV.

In a few days, we will know what Apple plans on revealing as it takes over the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco. The September 9 event is guaranteed to involve the next generation iPhone as well as iOS 9 and possibly some considerable Apple Watch and watchOS 2.0 news, since it has been a year since we first saw Apple’s wearable.

Rumors are getting frenzied right now, as they always do before a huge Apple Event. Since, there haven’t been any significant leaks or spoilers as to what we will see (smartphone case prototypes don’t count), blogs and even established news agencies are scrambling by playing guessing games and giving time to any rumour that seems to make sense (like new colours for Apple Watch Sport straps... ).

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BlackBerry acquires Good to expand presence in cross-platform enterprise and government mobile device management solutions

BlackBerry CEO John Chen:"“By acquiring Good, BlackBerry will better solve one of the biggest struggles for CIOs today, especially those in regulated industries: securely managing devices across any platform."

BlackBerry has provided the world’s most secure mobility solutions for more than two decades, and has earned more than 70 government certifications and approvals, greater than any other mobile vendor. 

BlackBerry just acquired Good Technology which is a mobile device management (MDM) solutions provider Good makes products for managing and securing mobile devices in a business environment, it's strenghts are catering to cross-platform devices, 60 per cent of which are iOS. BlackBerry, which is bolstering its enterprise and government secure mobile solutions offering can integrate Good's technology into its already expansive solution arsenal.

"BlackBerry and Good are part of a very competitive market that’s constantly evolving. But, this move brings together complementary capabilities from both companies to create the most comprehensive secure mobile platform in the market," a BlackBerry spokesperson said. BlackBerry acquired Good for $425 million in cash.

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Superfans awaken early for their #ForceFriday haul

By Sonya Davidson

Yesterday, the world's first ever global live Star Wars: The Force Awakens toy unboxing event was unleashed by Disney just a few months ahead of the highly anticipated film release. The event unfolded over 18 hours in 15 cities and 12 countries revealing the epic line up of never-before-seen toys causing fans to explode with excitement.

The roll-out announcements were viewed via live stream on the Star Wars YouTube channel and featured online personalities including Einshine (Tokyo), Reyst (Berlin), GamingBeaver (London), EvanTubeHD (New York), Quill18 (Toronto), ExpCaseros (Mexico City), and many more. Chris Pirillo finished off the announcements in San Francisco. 

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