Software
Google Voice heading for Europe?
Google Voice may be heading for Europe. A filing with US regulator the FCC reveals the number of subscribers to the service, and that Google already has deals in place with companies outside the US.
Google Voice gives users a single phone number, which forwards calls to specified mobiles or landlines. Features include free calls, SMS and voicemail transcripts. Continue reading...
Twitter retweets rolled out to beta tweeters
Twitter has begun rolling out Project Retweet to users.
Like lists, which were rolled out to 25 per cent of users before every user could access them, the new retweet function is available to selected beta users. The new feature shows an icon to indicate retweets, although users who aren't in the beta group will still see the letters RT at the start of retweets. A counter shows which users you follow have retweeted the post, and how many people in total have shared the post with their followers. Continue reading...
Beatles on a stick: Crave alternative headline competition results!
Yesterday we reported that EMI is to make the Beatles back catalogue available on memory stick. The combination of the Fab Four and the humble USB stick had our pun-sense tingling, so we threw it open to Twitter. Here are some of the most chucklesome responses... Continue reading...
Ordnance Survey and GeoVation map the future with mashup competition
Mapmeisters Ordnance Survey have teamed up with GeoVation to award £21,000 to anyone who can think of exciting new mapping mashups.
The cartographic competition is designed to encourage innovation in geography with a real-world use. Suggested themes include crime, health and the environment, although good ideas on any subject are welcomed. Entrants are free to suggest the use of any resources, such as Google Maps or OS OpenSpace, and Ordnance Survey will have no claim to any of the entries. Continue reading...
What does Google Suggest suggest about the state of humanity?
Why would a little girl in Yorkshire think Jesus was born in an egg?
It's a question we must all ask ourselves. And apparently it's a popular question on Google. The search engine offers a feature called Google Suggest, which, as you begin to type in a search query, offers popular searches that begin with what you've typed.
It highlights some worrying concerns that humanity struggles to deal with. For example, We typed 'why would a...', to which Google suggested the above query. Fear gripped our hearts -- fear for the future of the species. Continue reading...
The 10 dumbest Firefox add-ons ever
Firefox is one of the towering achievements of the open-source movement, accounting for almost a quarter of all Web site visits just five years after its launch. One of the reasons for its enormous popularity is that it can be easily customised with a range of add-ons -- from download accelerators to funky themes, they make your browsing experience faster, slicker or just better looking. The official Mozilla Firefox add-ons site now lists over 10,000 extensions for download.
But along with the really useful stuff, there's also plenty of total dross in there. Some have sprung up to mediate the crassness of the Web -- ruefully saving you from the idiocy out there -- while others are just plain stupid. Either way, we thought it was time to check out the dumbest add-ons on offer. Continue reading...
Best iPhone Apps of 2009: CNET UK's Home Screen Awards
With 85,000+ apps to choose from on iPhone's App Store, it's increasingly tricky to sort the wheat from the chaff. Apple is serving up recommendations with its Genius feature, while user ratings and social-media buzz are also helping the best apps bubble to the top.
There are certainly more than 16 worth having, yet you can fit 16 app icons on every individual iPhone screen. So in a daring and in-no-way spurious move, here are the 16 applications that should take up those slots on the discerning iPhone owner's home screen. Lovingly cradling your iPhone for the first time? These are the apps you need. Continue reading...
MSN Music relaunches with free streaming
Microsoft has revamped its MSN Music service, with free streaming and the return of downloads.
MSN goes up against Spotify and other similar services. Unlike most other services, MSN offers free, ad-supported streaming. Unlike Spotify, ads are visual so there's no interruption to your listening pleasure. Continue reading...
Is it okay to call someone boring on Twitter?
We've been thinking about Twitter etiquette, after a storm in a tweet-cup ignited this week when hapless normal chap Brumplum mentioned he thought Stephen Fry's tweets were "boring".
Having added Fry's username in the tweet, the national treasure himself saw it, and announced he was quitting Twitter. The papers went nuts, tweeters slammed the offending normal chap, and the usual columnists fell over themselves to declare Twitter the end of civilisation as we know it. Continue reading...
IT execs: 'UK will never create a tech giant'
The UK will never create a giant, world-beating software company like Microsoft or Google, according to leading British IT executives. CNET UK's sister site silicon.com interviewed 12 CIOs for its regular CIO Jury feature, and ten concurred that the UK didn't have the skills, economic environment or governmental help to make a truly global tech company. "Development costs are too high and staff retention is very difficult," one commented. Continue reading...
