Facebook unwraps Paper news reader app Video
Facebook unwraps Paper news reader app Video Transcript
Motorola has a new mommy and Facebook keeps trying to be a newspaper. I'm Bridget Carey and this is your CNET Update. Motorola phones will no longer be made by Google. The search giant has sold Motorola's Mobile division to Lenovo for just short of $3 billion. Google acquired Motorola back in 2011 for a much larger sum, paying $12 and half billion. So, that's a big loss for Google, right? Well, some say no, and that is was a positive investment for Google when you look at the big picture. You see during the time Google owned Motorola, it scooped up a ton of patents to strengthen and protect the Android brand and in the process, it did create 2 very good Motorola phones, the Moto X and the Moto G. And now that Android is a stronger brand, Google is passing Motorola along to Lenovo, which is a company that is really eager to strengthen its smartphone presence. Lenovo is going to keep using the Motorola brand name in North American and Latin America, but Google kept a few souvenirs in the deal. Motorola's Advanced Research and Development team stays with Google and that's the team that's working on future tech like electronic tattoos and microchip pills. And even Samsung must be happy about the deal, because it doesn't have to compete with its partner Google anymore. Facebook also has some interesting news. The network said it'll be making more stand alone mobile apps. And on Monday, it'll launch a reading app for the iPhone called Paper. It's very much like Flipboard and it's trying to be your personal newspaper, blending your newsfeed with other stories from major news outlets. It's all divided into categories like sports, technology, and food. Facebook members can also write their own stories to be shared with the world. Sony announced that a slim version of the PlayStation Vita is coming to the UK next week on February 7th for about 180 pounds, or that's $300, which is cheaper than the original handheld console, but Sony gave no word on when this would be available in the US. The Vita Slim has been sold in Japan and parts of Asia since last year. It's slightly thinner and lighter, but to help increase battery life, Sony downgraded the quality of the screen from OLED to LCD. But it's still a high resolution display. And a very popular keyboard app on Android called SwiftKey has found a home on the iPhone and iPad. It's called Swiftkey Note and it's just a jazzy place to save notes with a better keyboard that predicts your next word. It also ties into Evernote. That's your tech news update, but you can find more details on these stories at CNET.com/update and be sure to follow along on Twitter. From our studios in New York, I'm Bridget Carey.
Google shows new ways to operate Glass and holds a contest for a chance to buy a $1,500 prototype; Yahoo wants to look more like your Facebook feed; and SwiftKey's app offers a new way to type with Flow.
Google releases an expanded voice control app for Android Froyo; A PSP/Android hybrid gaming device; and the first Android Trojan (if you live in Russia). Plus Justin reviews SwiftKey, and we cover all of the Voice commands achievable with the new Google app.
You can solve some of your iPhone bugs with a swift reboot.
Google demos an Asus-built 7-inch tablet running Android's new mobile OS, Jelly Bean, at Google I/O in San Francisco. The new tablet will be outfitted with a 1.3GHz quad-core processor and a screen resolution of 1,280-by-800 pixels. The cost of the device will be $299.
The retail giant could be cooking up new competition for Costco, SwiftKey adds emoticons, and the Sense Mother knows all -- depending on where you stick her sensors.
On today's show, a whole collection of Apple rumors: iPhone 5 with a keyboard? That's just crazy talk. Almost as crazy as letting Apple take a 30% cut of your magazine or newspaper subscription costs by "taking advantage" of their new subscription store. Plus, Facebook is officially the entire Internet, as it gets both dedicated phone buttons and a Facebook SIM card. Plus, the U.S. finally commits to the Internet, Netflix finally arrives on Boxee, and we finally get a Plants vs. Zombies board game. I know you were waiting. --Molly
This week on the CNET Tech Review: tablet fans enjoy the sweet taste of Honeycomb; get only the updates you want in your Facebook feed; how to root your Android phone; and a high-tech toilet--how could we resist?
Facebook releases a Messenger app for iPhone and Android, Anonymous threatens to shut down the social network, Amazon launches the Kindle Cloud Reader web app for e-books, and Wal-Mart shuts down its MP3 store.
The popular Yoga gets a buttoned-up ThinkPAd version, complete with a clever hidden keyboard.
If the iPhone is taking too long to arrive for your taste, here are two music phones that might rock your world!