Apps

FitBark, a kind of Fitbit for dogs, launches on Kickstarter

NEW YORK--Worried about Fido getting a little too chunky? Now you can track how active your dog is by using FitBark, a sort of Fitbit for pets.

FitBark, a New York-based startup, launched the product Thursday on Kickstarter and at the NY Tech Day tech show in Manhattan, seeking funding to produce its wearable fitness tracker for pets.

For a $99 pledge, people receive a wearable bone-shaped device, a home base that collects data, and a three-month subscription to the service. The FitBark mobile app itself is free. (FitBark is not affiliated with Fitbit.)

"We all wondered how we … Read more

Apple to award 150 free WWDC tickets to student programmers

Students who impress Apple by creating their own app have a chance at attending this year's Worldwide Developers Conference for free.

Apple's WWDC 2013 scholarship will reward 150 winners with one free ticket apiece to join the conference, which runs from June 10 to June 14 in San Francisco. To qualify, you must be a full-time or part-time student, 13 years or older, and a current member of Apple's iOS Developer Program, iOS Developer University Program, iOS Developer Enterprise Program, or Mac Developer Program.

Assuming you meet those qualifications, what's your homework assignment to score a … Read more

Apple sets WWDC for June 10-14

This year's edition of Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference, the place to find out about what's in the works for Mac OS and iOS, is set for June 10 to 14.

The five-day event will take place at San Francisco's Moscone West Center, bringing together Apple executives and engineers with developers from around the world working on apps and other software technologies for the iPhone, iPad, and Macs.

"Our developers have had the most prolific and profitable year ever, and we're excited to show them the latest advances in software technologies and developer tools to … Read more

Apple's Q2: By the numbers

Wall Street will have to make up its mind about Apple's downbeat forecast for the next quarter. But the company came in ahead of estimates during its first second quarter. Here's how Apple fared in the quarter compared:<>uct:

iPhones: 37.4 million iPhones compared to 35.1 million year-over-year iPads: 19.5 million compared to 11.8 million year-over-year Macs: 3.95 million, compared to 4 million year-over-year iPods: 5.7 million compared to 7.7 million year-over-year iTunes revenue up 28% App Store now in 155 countries and 350,000 apps 91 million visitors … Read more

Intel loses key TV business engineer

Intel's fledgling TV business has lost one of its lead engineers, the company confirmed, potentially dealing a blow to its efforts to get the business off the ground.

Jim Baldwin, who served as vice president and general manager of engineering for Intel Media, has left the company to pursue other opportunities, an Intel spokesman said. Baldwin's LinkedIn profile, meanwhile, said he has retired from the company.

Baldwin couldn't immediately be reached for comment. The Intel spokesman said that the company has "a deep engineering leadership bench" and has taken steps internally to address the transition. &… Read more

CBS invests in TV-streaming tech provider Syncbak

CBS has made an investment in Syncbak, the company said today, giving it a minority stake in the television-streaming technology provider as it continues its focus on mobile.

Syncbak, a privately held company founded in 2009, makes location-based authentication technology that allows local television stations to stream their signals to in-market customers. Essentially, Syncbak "localizes the Internet" for broadcasters, networks, and TV studios, allowing retransmission of live television over the Web in much the same way it works over cable and satellite. The company's app is available for iOS and Android smartphones and tablets, but it doesn'… Read more

Yahoo brings Summly to iPhone app

Yahoo has wasted no time turning its Summly acquisition into a lure for mobile users.

The Internet company Monday introduced a new app for iPhones and iPod Touch devices that features quick story summaries delivered by Summly's natural-language algorithms and machine learning. It's available to users in the United States.

Yahoo made a splash when it acquired Summly -- reportedly for a hefty $30 million -- from teenager Nick D'Aloisio just a month ago.

D'Aloisio developed the technology behind Summly when he was just 15 and, for his schoolwork, needed a way to quickly sort scads … Read more

Feet-on with Zombies, Run! 2 jogging game

Out of steam? Can't bring yourself to finish that last mile? Maybe a zombie horde breathing down your neck will give you the adrenaline boost you need.

That's the idea behind Zombies, Run! 2 (Android|iOS), which bills itself as an "immersive running game and audio adventure" for your smartphone.

It works like this: Before you start your run, you load the app, choose a mission, put in your earbuds, and then hit the road. Along the way, you're treated to audio segments that gradually reveal the story of Abel Township and the zombie apocalypse … Read more

Apple hangs onto your Siri data for two years

All those curse words and other commands you yell at Siri hang around a bit longer than you may think.

In response to a Wired story expressing concern about Siri's privacy policy, Apple has revealed exactly what happens to your Siri chats. Apple spokeswoman Trudy Muller told Wired on Thursday that Apple may keep your Siri data for up to two years, albeit in an untraceable state.

Here's how the process works, according to Wired.

Whenever you talk to Siri, your commands are uploaded to Apple for analysis. Apple then assigns you a random number, which it associates … Read more