Nokia has let slip that Windows Phone 7.8 could be landing on users' handsets in just weeks, if not days, as the updated software has now been released to manufacturers.
The news comes from a developer seminar in Singapore, where the head of Nokia Asia Pacific Developer division let slip that the RTM had happened.
Reportedly, he told devs that the consumer roll-out would definitely happen before 2013, and added that WP7.8 won't be getting the swish new IE10 browser because the aging hardware can't support it.
Nearly but not quite
The not-quite-Windows Phone 8 software update will see Windows Phone 7 devices get some almost-WP8 updates like a revamped Start screen and Xbox Music, among other consolatory prizes.
We'd previously heard tell of a Windows Phone 7.8 release date following shortly after the Windows Phone 8 launch date (which was October 29), thanks to a post on the Italian Windows Phone Facebook page.
This was also backed up by a leak on a Chinese blog last week; so although nothing's for sure, all signs point to an imminent software treat for WP7 users.
The rise of digital goods and software-reliant gadgets has thrown a wrench in the contemporary concept of ownership. Here are eight products that, even though you paid for them, aren't entirely yours.
This week, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in a case called Kirtsaeng v. Wiley, which will test the limits of something called the “first sale” doctrine. First sale is the legal doctrine that governs our right to buy, sell, and loan things like CDs, books, DVDs, and any other product that is covered by copyright without first having to obtain permission from the product’s copyright holder.
If the Supreme Court sides with textbook publisher John Wiley and Sons, which sued Thai-born student Supap Kirtsaeng on copyright infringement grounds for buying the publishers books in Thailand and selling them to U.S. college students at a profit, you may no longer be able to freely buy or resell used, copyrighted goods. It could even put a stake through the heart of companies like eBay, Amazon, and Craigslist, all of which deal heavily in the sale of used goods.
Regardless of the outcome of Kirtsaeng v. Wiley, a decision for which is expected in June, there appears to be broad confusion among consumers about what “ownership” really means these days. So, in the spirit of clearing things up, here is a quick rundown of the products that, even though you paid for them, aren’t entirely yours.
Smartphones
While it’s currently legal to buy or sell a used smartphone, the law says you may not necessarily do whatever you like with the device. According to the most recent round of exemptions to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) from the Library of Congress, smartphone owners will soon no longer be allowed to unlock their devices for use overseas or with another wireless provider, unless their current carriers give them permission to do so.
Tablets
Unlike smartphones, which may be jailbroken for the purposes of installing apps not approved by the respective app marketplace, tablets are not exempt, according to the new DMCA rules. The reason being: Jailbreaking requires making changes to the device’s firmware, which is currently a copyright violation, at least when tablets are involved. So, why is it allowed for smartphones and not tablets? Two reasons: First, the U.S. government says the definition of a tablet is still too broad to write in an exemption for devices that fall under that name. Second, because tablets are less widely adopted than smartphones, copyright holders were able to convince the government that adding an exemption for tablet jailbreaking would adversely affect the devices.
In short, if you have an iPad, you’re only allowed to install apps from the iTunes App Store. Try to jailbreak it, and you’ve broken the law.
Kindle e-books
If you think you just bought that Kindle e-book, you’d be wrong. You licensed it – a concept everyone needs to be familiar with these days. Amazon’s Kindle Terms explicitly state that “Kindle Content is licensed, not sold,” and that, “you may not sell, rent, lease, distribute, broadcast, sublicense, or otherwise assign any rights to the Kindle Content or any portion of it to any third party.”
The control Amazon has over your Kindle e-book collection came under intense public scrutiny last week after a woman named “Linn” alleged that the company had shutdown her Amazon account and deleted the entire contents of her Kindle e-reader due to some suspicious activity linked to her account. Amazon later stated that “account status should not affect any customer’s ability to access their library.” But Linn is not the only one who has experienced similar loss of access.
Music
Just like e-books, “purchasing” a song on, say, iTunes does not mean you’ve bought the song itself. Instead, you’ve paid for the right to play that song in your personal life (provided your “personal life” doesn’t involve playing songs for large groups of people). Furthermore, it is – believe it or not – against the law to burn a copy of a song you “purchased” onto a CD, or to give a licensed MP3 file to a friend.
In terms of being able to resell music you’ve paid for, things are even more complicated. A company called ReDigi is currently being sued by Capitol Records for giving users the ability to resell their MP3 files, just as used record stores sold, well, used records. This, despite the fact that ReDigi’s technology automatically deletes the seller’s copy of a song or album when it goes up for sale. And no copies of a track are made — the actual file is transferred from one machine to the other, which the company says is a perfectly legitimate way to resell music. Capitol, of course, disagrees.
Movies and TV shows
Movies fall into the same category as music and e-books. As such, making copies of a DVD, or ripping a DVD so you can watch it on a device that does not have an optical drive, are violations of copyright. Now, if you’re copying DVDs on a small scale, just giving a copy to a friend or relative, then there is little chance that you’ll get served with a lawsuit from the MPAA. But not getting caught and being allowed to do something are, as you likely realized by now, two entirely different things.
Oh, and if you’re wondering, the whole “licensed, not sold” thing goes for digital movies purchased through Amazon, iTunes, and other online digital movie marketplaces, too.
Video game consoles
As with tablets, it is perfectly legal (for now) to resell your used Xbox or PS3. What you may not do is mod your video game console (or handheld gaming device) to run an alternative operating system due to copyright on the device’s firmware. Furthermore, jailbreaking your Xbox (or other console) is also forbidden because, according to the Library of Congress, “video games are far more difficult and complex to produce than smartphone applications” and anti-jailbreaking mechanisms are in place to “protect highly valuable expressive works.”
Apps
Don’t even think about trying to give away or resell any of your mobile apps. Not only is this technically difficult, both Google Play and Apple’s iTunes App Store – the two largest online mobile app marketplaces – firmly forbid the reselling of your apps. According to the Google Play terms of service, customers are not allowed to “copy, sell, license, distribute, transfer, modify, adapt, translate, prepare derivative works from, decompile, reverse engineer, disassemble or otherwise attempt to derive source code from” purchased apps. And Apple goes even further, saying that customers may not “rent, lease, lend, sell, transfer redistribute, or sublicense the Licensed Application,” and must “remove the Licensed Application from the Mac Computer or iOS Device” before reselling the device.
Pre-loaded devices
Which brings us to our final item: Pre-loaded devices. Because of the copyright rules governing e-books, movies, e-books, apps and other software, selling a device that already contains these copyrighted items means you would likely be in violation of intellectual property law were you to do so. So if you were thinking about offloading your old iPod with 40,000 songs already on it to your mom’s best friend, just make sure the RIAA doesn’t catch wind of your little scheme, or you could be in hot legal water.
Apple has announced some major changes in the company's management, starting with the exit of senior vice-president of iOS software Scott Forstall from the company. Forstall will leave Apple in 2013 and till then will act as an advisor to CEO Tim Cook.
In the wake of him leaving the company, his responsibilities will be shared by four of Apple's current executives. Jony Ive, who is in charge of the Industrial Design department at Apple will now head the Human Interface department as well. This means Ive will now be in charge of the hardware as well as the software designs at Apple.
Meanwhile, Eddy Cue will take on responsibilities of Siri and Maps, Craig Federighi will lead both iOS and OS X and Bob Mansfield will lead a new group called Technologies that covers all the wireless teams at Apple.
It is said the Forstall was liked by few people within the company, least of all by Jony Ive, who apparently wouldn't even sit in the same meeting room as Forstall. According to John Gruber of Daring Fireball, Forstall's "design taste, engineering management and abrasive style, and the whole iOS 6 Maps thing" were key factors in Forstall leaving the company, or to put it bluntly, him being made to leave the company.
According to The Verge, Forstall's biggest mistake was him refusing to sign his name on the apology letter that Apple issued regarding the customer dissatisfaction with the new iOS 6 Maps software. He thought the complaints over the data quality were over-blown, so instead Tim Cook signed his name on the letter.
With Craig Federighi leading iOS and Jony Ive handling the design department, we are really looking forward to some new design innovations in iOS in the future versions. Jony Ive's minimalist design taste with the hardware is almost universally loved and we would love to see more of that in the software, with less leather and linen backgrounds. Still, we would like to give credit where it's due and would like to thank Scott Forstall for giving us one of the best mobile operating systems of all time, which was nothing short of groundbreaking at the time it came out.
In other news, Apple's head of Retail John Browett is also leaving Apple. Browett joined the company in January this year and was apparently not one of the best employee choices made by Apple.
According to SamMobile, the company plans to extend the reach of the multi-window functionality recently included in the Galaxy Note II.
Multi-window is really a neat feature as it allows for true mobile multi-tasking; not just the ability to switch seamlessly between apps, but to use two apps at the same time.
For example, users can browse the internet using Chrome and send an email using Gmail while both apps are displayed in a split screen.
Welcome addition
The multi-view feature would be a welcome addition for Galaxy S3 owners, given the abundance of screen real estate offered by the 4.8-inch Super AMOLED HD device.
SamMobile claims that the update will arrive by the end of the year and also bring with it some minor stability improvements.
Will Google's special event on Oct. 29 see the announcement of some new Jelly Bean features that could also hitch a ride with this rumoured S3 update?
The compact but highly popular member of the Samsung Android lineup, Galaxy Y has received a minor software update. Available over-the-air, the update doesn't bring many substantial changes to the device, but rather improves the system stability.
Additionally, according to our tipster, who has received the update, the screen responsiveness is also improved. The update changes the baseband version to S536ODDLF1 and the firmware version to S536ODDLF1.
So, Galaxy Y users, go to the Settings menu and check for a Software update. Unfortunately, there's no official word from Samsung on which regions should expect the update and when.
Microsoft has yet to release its software development kit for Windows Phone 8 despite the OS's impending launch, raising concerns that developers won't have time to update their apps.
On October 29, Microsoft will finally tell us everything there is to know about Windows Phone 8, its new mobile operating system. But surely we know everything already, right? After all, we’ve seen the software and all the major manufacturers have announced their hardware too.
Microsoft says it has kept some facts back about WP8 to help maintain anticipation, and revealing those will be part of the October event. Unfortunately, this secrecy has caused Microsoft to delay the release of its Software Development Kit, or SDK, presumably to help avoid thunder-stealing leaks; but the final version is expected to arrive at the end of this month.
However, the wait has angered many Windows Phone developers, as did a decision to allow certain developers limited access to the SDK in return for signing a non-disclosure agreement.
Angry developers without access to the right software could mean problems in the new Windows Phone Store, which will be a worry for anyone wanting to buy one of the new handsets. Windows Phone already lags behind Android and iPhone when it comes to quality apps. Should we be concerned by this delay?
Will app availability be a problem?
A delayed SDK means developers won’t be able to fine-tune, test, or add in additional features to get their apps ready for Windows Phone 8. They also can’t create new apps that take advantage of the new platform. The good news is Microsoft has said Windows Phone 7 apps will be compatible with Windows Phone 8, so every app that’s already in the store will still be available — they just won’t be optimized.
More good news is that those developers with early access are likely to be the big studios, as Microsoft will want to ensure high profile apps have been enhanced to show off the OS’s abilities. Don’t forget, Windows Phone 8 hardware has faster processors and higher resolution screens, so there’s plenty of scope to improve existing apps.
We asked Microsoft representatives if the lack of an SDK would be a problem. Predictably, we were assured that it’s all part of the plan:
“We’ve been quietly previewing the SDK with hundreds of top developers and on September 5 announced a broader SDK Preview Program for registered developers with apps in Marketplace. As usual we aren’t going to release the SDK to the general public until the full OS is revealed, but we feel this Preview Program delivers on the commitment we made in June and allows developers to test and update their apps for Windows Phone 8.”
Regardless of why Microsoft is being secretive, this delay brings us on to the bad news: older apps may not look all that great until they’ve been updated. It looks like some developers have been given the information needed to update, but not all of them. Remember the switch from a 320 x 480 pixel screen on an iPhone 3G/3GS to the iPhone 4’s Retina Display? While it won’t be quite that pronounced, this situation is very similar. The bottom line here is that yes, there will be apps, but most will not be enhanced for Windows Phone 8 in time for release.
There is one more thing to remember, and that’s the October 29 date isn’t the date Windows Phone 8 hardware goes on sale. Due to Microsoft holding back, manufacturers have stayed quiet on when phones will hit stores, with sometime in November being the only word.
Provided the SDK comes out on October 29, then developers will still have a few weeks to play with their apps before you get your hands on a WP8 phone. Let’s hope they work fast.
Microsoft has upgraded it developer portal, promising improvements in the app certification process and overall site performance. Another 13 countries have been added to this list too, bringing the total to 191, and more developers able to sing up means more apps for us.
Is all this normal?
Apple releases different versions of its iOS SDK between the date of its announcement and the date of final release. Not all the versions have every new feature, but they at least allow developers to start work on new apps, or update existing ones. For example, according to this chart, the first iOS 5 beta appeared on June 6 2011, and four subsequent beta versions were released before the final October street date. iOS 6 was similarly released a few months prior to the iPhone 5 going on sale.
Historically, Google has released its SDK a short while after it announces the new version of Android, with 4.1 Jelly Bean’s SDK coming out in July this year following Jelly Bean’s announcement at Google I/O.
The real star at the moment, surprisingly, is RIM (Research in Motion). Despite BlackBerry 10 not appearing until next year (current guestimates hint at March 2013), Beta versions of its SDK are already available to developers, and this week it began accepting app submissions too. It’s even offering an incentive to early bird devs, promising selected apps a prominent position in BlackBerry App World. It looks like it really is lovin’ its developers.
Microsoft’s approach is unorthodox, and does exactly the opposite of RIM’s, as it alienates developers and could potentially annoy buyers when the app selection is sparse. There’s still time to fix this, but Microsoft needs to start soon.
Will it all be OK come release day?
Maybe. Microsoft has dug itself a hole with the handling of Windows Phone 7. No one running a WP7 device will be able to upgrade to Windows Phone 8, making the old OS and hardware completely obsolete. Developers want to turn their attention to the new version, but are being hampered by Microsoft’s desire to keep things “secret.” RIM is often ridiculed, but it knows how important it is to keep developers working on its platform.
The first thing any new Windows Phone 8 owner will do is check out the available apps in Microsoft’s Windows Phone app store. If the selection is poor, or the version available is for outdated hardware, that negative experience will spread — fast. Worse, experienced smartphone buyers are already used to Google Play and/or the iTunes App Store, which are full of good apps.
Microsoft needs Windows Phone 8 to have a more successful launch that Windows Phone 7, and is playing with fire by denying developers access to the WP8 SDK right now. Or, for all we know, the software has problems and isn’t finished, requiring last minute adjustments. If it’s the former, the reasoning is bizarre but not unforgivable provided the secrets are truly exciting; but if it’s the latter, then Microsoft has got bigger problems to worry about than a software developer kit.
BlackBerry 10 is a brand new operating system from RIM, which has been built to run on both smartphones and tablets, much like Android and iOS, and will be absolutely key in deciding the company's future.
Get it wrong and BlackBerry 10 could well sink the Canadian firm, so here's hoping that BB10 (and not BBX after a lawsuit was filed) will be the blockbuster revelation which RIM so desperately needs it to be.
Update: Research in Motion is pretty bullish about the chances of BlackBerry 10, with CEO Thorsten Heins saying: "We have a clear shot at being the number three platform on the market. We're not just another open platform on the market, we are BlackBerry." - powerful stuff.
BlackBerry 10 release date
Initially RIM was planning to launch BB10 before the end of 2012, with at least one flagship device running the operating system arriving in time for Christmas.
However CEO Thorsten Heins confirmed in July that BlackBerry 10 will be delayed until early 2013, as the company continues to fine tune the software, to ensure it launches in the best possible state.
Heins said: "We expect a successful launch of BB10 in the first calendar quarter 2013 – this is our number one priority.
"The timeline has shifted to [this date] and is related to the large volume of software code to work through over last few months.
"This is taking more time than anticipated. To be clear, the change in timeline is not related to architecture, but the integration challenge of bringing all this code our diligent R&D teams have created and get it ready for use globally."
BB10 sees the implementation of a whole new user interface, with RIM doing away with the familiar BlackBerry system we're all used to, in favour of something which resembles the likes of Android and iOS, although with its own unique features.
With BlackBerry 10, RIM has merged homescreens, widgets, app lists and a unified inbox into one slick interface, offering up an easy to navigate user experience.
Although the operating system is still very much in early stages of its development we must say that we were impressed with how smooth and slick the interface felt under out fingers – seamlessly zipping around without fuss.
BlackBerry assured us that this smooth experience would still be present in the final product, thanks to the clever integration of the HTML 5 system, which optimises the performance of the software. We certainly hope they're right.
To find out more about the initial features make sure you read out hands on: BlackBerry 10 review.
Update: A particularly enticing new feature is BlackBerry Peek, which allows users to glimpse their hub screen from any application without exiting the program.
It's a one-finger feature, meaning all it takes is a thumb swipe to see what emails, texts, and other messages are waiting on a phone.
Update:BlackBerry Balance draws a line between professional and personal use, so company phones have a set of rules laid out by the boss on one part of the device while allowing workers more freedom elsewhere.
Update: If you need any more convincing RIM CEO Thorsten Heins has said: "we believe BB10 will advance the OS environment to the next level" - so yeah, watch out Android/iOS/Windows Phone.
BlackBerry 10 keyboard
BlackBerry handsets are famous for their physical boards and RIM is keen to bring this typing experience to its BB10 touchscreen smartphones with its own offering.
RIM has developed its own keyboard, with a design which reflects the physical offerings on its Bold range and a new next-word prediction system which sees suggestions appearing above characters on the board itself.
It's critical that RIM nails the keyboard in BB10, as BlackBerry handsets are synonymous with typing on the go, and if dedicated fans can't easily transfer from physical boards then touchscreen BB 10 handsets may be hard to shift.
To find out more about the BB10 keyboard make sure you read our hands on: BB10 review.
BlackBerry 10 - BlackBerry Hub
The BlackBerry Hub will be the brain center of all BB10 devices, a one-stop shop to access email, Gmail, Twitter, Facebook, BlackBerry messenger, text messages, and other time-sensitive information.
BlackBerry 10 camera
A brand new camera application has been developed for BB10, bringing the operating system inline with the camera functions found on Android, iOS and Windows Phone handsets.
The new app allows for photographs to be "rewound" in case you've mucked up the image.
Say for instance your friend is blinking in a shot, with the new app you would be able to "rewind" the image to the point where they weren't and save it.
With the launch of Blackberry 10, RIM has also revealed a developer toolkit for the platform, which could mean that more photography and image-editing apps are in the pipeline.
BlackBerry 10 apps
Your current BlackBerry apps won't run on BB10, so you'll need to download/purchase a new set of applications onto your new device when they eventually roll out.
Apps are big business in the smartphone and tablet world and RIM is very aware of this, as it's guaranteed developers $10,000 of revenue in the first year of an app's life on BB 10.
The current PlayBook, and to an extent BlackBerry handsets, suffer from a lacklustre offering in the App World store – with the likes of Google's Play Store and Apple's App Store dwarfing RIM's offering and thus putting some consumers off.
As well as the revenue incentive for developers, RIM has also made it easy to port Android applications on the BB10 platform, with an easy to use API helping devs to do this - and hopefully boasting the portfolio of apps available at launch.
BlackBerry 10 devices
The first BlackBerry 10 devices are now expected to arrive in January 2013, and RIM has confirmed that it will offer both full-touchscreen and QWERTY keyboard handset options.
According to leaked BB10 roadmaps, the first touchscreen phone will be called the BlackBerry London, while the first to sport a full keyboard and the new OS will be called the BlackBerry Nevada – both pegged for a first quarter release next year.
The same roadmap also shows RIM isn't going to be giving up on the tablet market after the poor performce of its PlayBook, with another slate, codenamed Blackforest, scheduled for release in the middle of 2013.
It's thought that the Blackforest will also sport a larger screen than the 7-inch PlayBook – possibly putting it in contention to challenge the new iPad and 10-inch Android crowd.
Update: Heins said BB 10 phones will use the same HDMI and USB connectors as past BlackBerry devices, noting, "We all can save some money" - a cheeky dig at Apple and the new port on the iPhone 5 right there.
Update: RIM CEO Thorsten Heins reckons the display on the new touchscreen BB10 device is going to be top notch: "The display in full touch will be beyond what iPhone 5 launched with, it will actually be true HD."
However RIM has also ruled out any chance of us seeing the BB10 handsets before the end of 2012, with the Canadian firm determined to make us wait until the new year.
Update: But wait, what's this? We may have got our first peek at the fully-touchscreen L Series and QWERTY keyboard touting N Series, thanks to a leaked video claiming to be an internal promo clip for RIM.
BlackBerry 10 on PlayBook
RIM has already confirmed that the BlackBerry PlayBook will receive the update to the BlackBerry 10 operating system, and while there's no firm date for this to be rolled out, we'd expect it to happen pretty soon into the new year.
BlackBerry 10 in cars
The current PlayBook OS is based on the version of QNX built for car makers and "the next generation of QNX for cars is going to be built from BB 10," Alec Saunders told us; car makers are keen to use HTML5 for in-car information and entertainment.
That makes it easier to treat your car as another device, he suggested, and to share information. "Ultimately you will be able to transition from your smartphone to your tablet to your TV to your car. Sync will be important. I think you'll start to see devices do things like Bridge today, where it mirrors [on the PlayBook] what's on the BlackBerry handset.
"You'll use one device to access what's on another. QNX is made for these kind of scenarios, projecting information from one device to another. You won't have five devices and have all your content on everything; it's going to have to grow seamlessly across them."
BlackBerry 7 devices
There's bad news for anyone who currently owns a BlackBerry though, as all BlackBerry 7 handsets will not receive the update to the new BB 10 operating system, as RIM has completely rebuilt the platform from the ground up, which means the current crop of phones will be unable to run it.
The moment Samsung Galaxy S III owners have been waiting is upon us, as the rollout of the the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update has begun. After many leaks, the software update has started its official march to your Galaxy S IIIs.
The first country to start receiving the update is Poland, but the rest of Europe should join the fun soon. The firmware can be obtained OTA or via KIES. Samsung recommends you are on a Wi-Fi connection with at least 50% battery when you apply the update.
Jelly Bean does a lot to improve the Galaxy S III user experience. While you are waiting for your smartphone to finish updating itself, make sure to check out our extensive preview of the Jelly Bean update and the new features it brings to the S III.
With Google scooping up Nik Software and its iOS app, Snapseed, Google Plus users might be seeing some dramatic changes to the way we publish images on the social network.
Facebook has an emerging competitor in the wake of the Instagram acquisition. Google has acquired Nik Software, a 17-year-old company that develops digital image editing tools. But there’s a catch: A report from TheVerge says that the acquisition’s motivation was so that Google can get its hands on Snapseed, an iOS photograph app.
The acquisition should bring the coveted photography-based mobile reach (a huge motivation for Facebook’s acquisition of Instagram) to Google’s social network, Google+. Like Instagram, Snapseed adds a vintage flair to your photos, although it also has comprehensive in-app photo editing functions and photo-altering filters including tilt-shift effects. It was also an iOS first app – Snapseed started out as an iPad app and followed up with an iPhone app launched in August 2011. The differences lie, of course, in the fact that the number of Snapseed users is dwarfed by Instagram’s user base. In Snapseed’s latest figures (released in the middle of June), Nik Software revealed said it had amassed more than nine million users. It’s defintiely a far cry from Instagram’s 100 million users.
Currently Snapseed claims the spot of the 13th top paid app in the photograph genre in Apple’s App Store (it costs $4.99) and the 178th top grossing app, according to Appdata.
Snapseed may not have the largest number of users, but is has a decent reputation and Google now also has unprecedented access to Nik Software’s product line of photography software that typically runs for just under $100 dollar to upwards of $300. We could see Google wrapping Nik Software products into improving photos and maybe even videos on Google+.
In a Google Plus post by Vic Gundotra, the Senior Vice President of Engineering at Google, the acquisition was confirmed and corroborated by the official announcement by Nik Software. “We are pleased to announce that Google has acquired Nik Software. For nearly 17 years, we’ve been guided by our motto, ‘photography first,’ as we worked to build world class digital image editing tools. We’ve always aspired to share our passion for photography with everyone, and with Google’s support we hope to be able to help many millions more people create awesome pictures,” said Gundotra.
What hasn’t been announced yet is whether Snapseed would continue to live on iOS devices, although we can’t see why that wouldn’t be the case. Of course launching the Android app will be a major priority for Google. We checked out Snapseed’s site, and noticed that the Android app was in the works and will only work on operating systems running the Android OS 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) version or later.
Google has picked-up its own photo-sharing app to rival Facebook's purchase of Instagram, by acquiring the German photography software company Nik.
Nik developed the Snapseed application for iOS devices, which was the iPad App of the Year in 2011 and grabbed nine million users in its first year.
The application costs $4.99 from the App Store and it is thought that an Android version of the software is in the works too. You'd imagine that process may be sped up a little now.
The app garnered huge popularity thanks largely to its multi-touch enabled editing capabilities, but Nik also boasts a range of photography software which is now also under Google's control.
Joining Google+
The Snapseed team will relocate to the Mountain View HQ to join the Google+ team, so Google's intentions are pretty clear on this one.
"We want to help our users create photos they absolutely love, and in our experience Nik does this better than anyone," said Google+ boss Vic Guntora.
In a statement on the Nik website, the company said: "We are pleased to announce that Google has acquired Nik Software. For nearly 17 years, we've been guided by our motto, "photography first", as we worked to build world class digital image editing tools.
"We've always aspired to share our passion for photography with everyone, and with Google's support we hope to be able to help many millions more people create awesome pictures."
Owners of the Atrix HD, rejoice, as Motorla has launched a new software update bringing lots of improvements and bug fixes.
The new enhancements list begins with improved Wi-Fi connectivity allowing for stronger connections. The power consumption has also been optimized, which Motorola says will definitely result in longer battery life.
The camera is improved as well and now performs better under low light conditions and boasts better color accuracy. Motorola has event went as far as to optimize the performance of EA and Gameloft games.
The update will be pushed to devices over-the-air. and if you haven't been prompted to download it yet, you can check manually from Settings -> About phone -> System Updates. Motorola advises you have at least 50% of battery charge before applying the update.
