Year: 2016

Nintendo

Nintendo pre-registering for 'Miitomo' coming to iOS starting February 17th

Dan Uff February 3, 2016 0

Nintendo will be introducing its first-ever smart phone app, called Mittomo, will launch sometime in March. Interested users can pre-register for access starting on February 17th.

Starting that day people will be able to register for a new Nintendo Account service using email, a social network account, or an existing Nintendo Network ID. Doing so will earn early notification of Miitomo's availability, as well as a special unspecified bonus.

Rather than a true game, Miitomo — first teased in October — will actually be a "social experience" based on the Mii avatars featured on Nintendo devices. Users will be prompted to learn more about each other by asking and answering questions. The app should also support sharing photos of Miis, and connecting with a My Nintendo rewards program launching at the same time.

Nintendo is planning to launch five smartphone apps by the end of March 2017. The second of these is still mostly in the shadows, but shouldn't be communications app, and will feature a familiar (though still undisclosed) character.

Nintendo's new mobile efforts are the result of a partnership with developer DeNA, struck in March 2015. The company has been forced to adapt to a rapidly evolving gaming world, as its Wii U console has struggled in sales, and handhelds like the 3DS are being supplanted by phones and tablets for many people. Indeed rumors suggest the company's next console, commonly referred to as the NX, will try to bridge the gap between the mobile and console environments.

Parts of this article was from: AppleInsider.com

 Apple, Inc.

Apple TV Users can Get their own, personalized Newscasts with WatchUp

Dan Uff January 28, 2016 0

“Apple TV users now have access to free, personalized newscasts from Watchup, a startup that aggregates content from 160 partners including CNN, Fox News Channel, CBS News and Tribune Media,” Todd Spangler reports for Variety. “The new Watchup app supports the fourth-generation Apple TV, which the tech giant launched last fall… [and lets] users generate individualized newscasts by selecting topics of interest, and fine-tune those by liking or disliking reports.”

Personalization is the future of TV news, and Watchup for Apple TV fulfills that promise with custom made newscasts, a seamless user experience and an unparalleled breadth of content. It’s the best selection of video news on Apple TV. — Watchup founder and CEO Adriano Farano

“Watchup for Apple TV, available starting Thursday, features on-demand streaming of a user’s personalized newscast in addition to continuous streaming by topic (such as business, entertainment, technology and sports), location or outlet. Viewers can stream their news continuously or set up a daily custom newscast delivered at a preset time of their choice,” Spangler reports. “Currently, Watchup is available only in the U.S., but the company expects to expand internationally in the future, Farano said. Watchup’s partners sell ads, which are typically preroll spots, and the startup receive a cut of the sales.”

Read more in the full article here.

Apple Recalls some AC Adapters and World Travel Kits

Dan Uff January 28, 2016 0

Apple on Thursday issued a recall for two-pronged AC wall plug adapters designed for Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Continental Europe, New Zealand and South Korea over a potential risk for electric shock.

Apple said that it was aware of 12 incidents around the world in which a two-pronged AC wall plug adapter broke and resulted in an electrical shock when the user touched it. The recall includes many two-pronged wall plugs shipped with Macs and iOS devices between 2003 and 2015.

To determine if your wall plug is affected by the recall, check the inside slot where it attaches to the main Apple power adapter. Affected wall plugs will have either four characters, five characters, or no characters printed inside the slot.

Consumers who find themselves with an affected adapter can visit www.apple.com/support/ac-wallplug-adapter for information on exchanging their adapter for a new, redesigned model.

Safari

Mac and iOS Versions of Safari Crashing due to Search Suggestions Feature

Dan Uff January 27, 2016 1

On Wednesday, reports started coming in that the Mac and iOS versions of Safari were crashing due to a popular feature with search engines.

When someone goes to one (such as Google.com) and types in a search term, the web site comes back with suggestions on what it thinks the user is searching for. When that happens, Safari errors out and exits.

The problem comes up regardless of what the user uses for a search engine. This is because all search engines flow through the same API that Safari uses for those web sites.

People who still have a working copy of Safari should avoid actions that will reset their cache, such as turning on Airplane Mode, since once back online Safari will start trying to fetch suggestions if the feature isn't already disabled.

Apple has yet to comment on the matter or offer a timeline for a fix.

We'll be monitoring this and update as necessary.