Software : Finally! A date! Google Chromecast UK release date set for March 19

Finally! A date! Google Chromecast UK release date set for March 19
Google Maps for Android is becoming a neat 'what's on' app too
Google bumps up Google Play password options, after in-app purchase lawsuits
Firefox 'Metro' app abandoned because no one wants Microsoft's Modern UI
Xbox One Skype app now has push notifications, Captain America emoticons
Looks like WhatsApp's VoIP feature will fit right in with iOS 7
Fresh iOS 8 leak takes aim at CarPlay, Notification and Game centers

Finally! A date! Google Chromecast UK release date set for March 19

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After months of waiting and procrastinating, the long-awaited Google Chromecast streaming dongle will finally go on sale in the UK this coming Wednesday 19 March, according to leaked retail inventory.

Hours after a retail source told TechRadar the HDMI stick would be going on sale "very soon," a leaked screenshot, purportedly from Dixons' internal systems, emerged showing the actual launch date.

The screenshot obtained by Android Police explains how stock of the device is showing up at retail locations, but "must not go on sale before 9am on Wednesday."

Just yesterday, a Twitter user posted an NDA-smashing photo of "a box of Chromecasts," apparently from a Curry's or PC World store. Unsurprisingly, the picture has since been deleted.

Google recently updated the Chromecast Android app with support for over 50 languages, seemingly signalling that the international roll-out is imminent.

Worth the wait?

The update comes after the retail source strongly hinted the device would be on sale for £30. It costs $35 (around £21) in the United States. Brits will seemingly have to pay a little more for the privilege of owning a Chromecast dongle.

Will you be snapping up Google's streaming stick this week? Is it worth the wait? Let us know in the comments section below?

To tide you over, check out TechRadar's Chromecast review

Google Maps for Android is becoming a neat 'what's on' app too

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Google has rolled out a new version of Google Maps for Android, which won't just tell you how to get to your venue, but also what's happening when you get there.

Launched this week, the free update now features upcoming event listings for featured venues.

In theory, for those seeking something to do this weekend, the app becomes a 'what's on' guide, for local venues.

As the company points out on the Maps Google+ page, users can also search for specific genres of entertainment and see what's happening in their locale at any given time.

Jazz... nice!

"Like jazz? Find jazz. See a list of upcoming events and performances where listings are available," the company wrote.

As one commenter pointed out, the feature could be improved by allowing users to see events that are happening in the area rather than searching the individual venues. From there, the firm could potentially access one-touch directions to the venue.

Perhaps that's something Google is planning to integrate into a new version of Google Maps, but for now Android users have a neat new feature at their disposal.

Have you read our Google Glass review yet?

Google bumps up Google Play password options, after in-app purchase lawsuits

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Google has silently rolled out a new version of the Google Play store, giving users the option to require a password every time an in-app purchase is made on their Android devices.

The changes gives parents the option of restricting in-app purchases made by children playing freemium games, while preventing those accidental purchases of new content for media apps.

The current system allows in-app purchases to be made within a 30 minute window of the last time the password was entered.

That system was the subject of a recent lawsuit brought by a woman in New York, whose son racked up $65.95 playing the Marvel Jump Smash game without having to enter a password.

Ramifications

As well as the password tweak, which remains optional for users, Google is also identifying which apps have in-app purchases available within the product description.

Google's change comes after Apple, which is now refunding 'accidental' purchases, has taken the brunt of the fury over in-app purchases so far.

Following a Federal Trade Commission ruling in January, the firm forked over $32.5m in refunds to customers who'd been unwittingly charged for in-app purchases.

Are these the first ramifications of the recent talks with European regulators? Are more to come? Let us know your thoughts below.

iPhone and iPad gaming is broken: Here's how to fix it

Firefox 'Metro' app abandoned because no one wants Microsoft's Modern UI

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Don't expect Firefox to surface on your Surface 2 or Windows 8.1 start screen, as the open-source software developer behind the browser has abandoned its Metro-styled app.

Mozilla realized launching the 1.0 version of its Microsoft Modern UI app "would be a mistake," wrote Johnathan Nightingale, vice president of Firefox, in a blog post.

"It looked like the next battleground for the web," noted Nightingale. Now he says, "we've been watching Metro's adoption. From what we can see, it's pretty flat."

While pre-release versions of Firefox's desktop browser are beta tested by millions of people, the company never saw more than 1,000 active daily users taking advantage of Metro.

If a bug exists in a Metro app, does anyone hear it?

The problem with Microsoft's new design language isn't just that it's unpopular; it's also hard for app developers to properly bug test their software.

Nightingale theorized that Mozilla could have eventually shipped the Firefox Metro app, but without real-world testing, a lot of glitches would have been discovered by end users.

This decision to pull the plug on this Mozilla app ends its arduous two-year development cycle. It was first announced in February 2012 and slated to finally release in December of last year.

It was even previewed just before the end of last year, but delayed as recently as January of this year and now won't come out any time soon.

Instead, Mozilla will focus on its development efforts on existing Firefox platforms, including Mac, Linux, Android and straight-up Windows.

Maybe when Windows 9 rolls around, it can consider giving Metro another go, but for now it says the real costs of investment in a platform its users have shown little sign of adopting isn't worth it.

Firefox is still available on Androids like the Samsung Galaxy Note 3

Xbox One Skype app now has push notifications, Captain America emoticons

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Microsoft has unleashed an update to Skype for Xbox One that adds contact filtering, longer chat histories and a set of Captain America: The Winter Soldier emoticons.

This is the first update to the Xbox One's Skype app, and the contact filtering in particular is a much-needed improvement.

It allows users to sort their contacts by availability, rather then requiring them to scroll through their entire friend lists to see who's online.

The update also improves the experience with superior conversation syncing between devices, less missed messages, and a conversation history that stores up to 1,000 messages instead of just messages from the last seven days.

First time for everything

The new Xbox One Skype update also adds a tutorial for first-time Skype users, and Microsoft says it's eliminated several bugs.

Skype for Xbox One marks the first time the Microsoft-owned service has been available on Xbox game consoles.

However, it's not available to everyone, as it requires an Xbox Live Gold subscription.

Microsoft recommends users visit the Skype Community with any questions.

Skype turns 10: how the video star changed communication forever

Looks like WhatsApp's VoIP feature will fit right in with iOS 7

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Alleged screenshots of WhatsApp's upcoming Voice over IP feature have surfaced, and they show an app that looks a lot like iOS 7's Phone app.

The images come from iPhoneItalia, which also claims that besides the addition of VoIP, the new WhatsApp won't be very different from the existing app.

The VoIP feature will allow WhatsApp users to make voice calls with their smartphones and tablets over Wi-Fi and cellular connections.

Facebook-owned WhatsApp has been expected for weeks to introduce VoIP soon, but there's still no official arrival date.

Competition by imitation

WhatsApp announced that it would soon add VoIP at MWC 2014, shortly after Facebook bought the company for $19 billion (about £11.4b, AU$21b).

As has been pointed out, the VoIP design seen in these alleged screenshots pretty closely resembles the Phone app in iOS 7, from the blurred background image to the circular, red end call button.

The other semi-big change supposedly coming in the next WhatsApp update is that the camera button to attach photos to messages will be located right above the keyboard instead of tucked away behind the "more" button.

Despite the info, there's still no word yet on when this update is coming.

Here's everything TechRadar knows about the iPhone 6

Fresh iOS 8 leak takes aim at CarPlay, Notification and Game centers

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iOS fans have had a veritable smorgasbord of leaks this week that could offer insight into what Cupertino is planning for iOS 8, and there's still more to come.

9to5Mac is wrapping up a busy week of iOS 8 reports by detailing a number of other areas Apple appears interested in tweaking.

According to an unnamed source, a more streamlined Notification Center is in the cards. It would remove the third and seldom-used "Missed" tab and instead rely on the far more useful "Today" and "All" views to make information presented there easier to access.

The built-in Messages and Voice Memos apps are also said to get modest overhauls, with the former adding an option for automatically deleting message threads after a certain period of time. A more refined button arrangement is tipped for the latter.

RIP Game Center?

Moving on to potentially larger changes with iOS 8, Apple is said to be considering the removal of its Game Center app. It would instead push its somewhat limited functionality into apps that tap into the social gaming service.

Although no drivers are actually using CarPlay now that iOS 7.1 is available, Apple also appears to be working on cutting the Lightning cord requirement, allowing compatible vehicles to work wirelessly over a presumably ad-hoc Wi-Fi network instead.

Last but not least, a new developer API is rumored to be in testing that provides an "XPC" service, which apps can use for better data sharing and communication between one another.

Earlier rumors this week revolved around changes to Apple Maps, the potential for iTunes Radio to become its own app and the possibility of new Preview and TextEdit apps, but keep in mind this is all just speculation until we have official confirmation.

Don't forget to check out the latest iPhone 6 rumors!

Yahuui Blog

Saturday, March 15, 2014