We’ve known Facebook is serious about photos: Heck, it dropped a cool $1 billion on Instagram, the immensely popular mobile photo sharing app. What we didn’t know, however, is that Facebook was essentially building its own version of a stand-alone mobile photo sharing application, ostensibly to compete with Instagram before it took over the mobile photo sharing world completely. How do I know that? Because Facebook will launch the product this afternoon in Apple’s App Store. It’s called Facebook Camera, and it’s essentially Instagram redux. One, it’s a standalone Facebook application, separate from the Facebook app proper, much like the company’s Facebook Messages app. Facebook Photos product manager Dirk Stoop told me in an interview this morning, it’s an instant portal to one of Facebook’s ... Continue reading →
When the iPhone 4S first came out, one of its most talked-about features was Siri, the smartphone’s voice-controlled virtual assistant. The concept wasn’t new, but what made Siri special was that it understood everyday language and responded with contextual answers. Android phone users might have felt envious of Siri. But there’s no need to be jealous. The upcoming Samsung Galaxy S III will come with its own Siri-like feature called S Voice, but for other Android phone owners, there are a number of virtual assistant apps available from the Google Play Store. I spent this past week testing two of them, Vlingo and Speaktoit Assistant, on the HTC One X from AT&T. The apps aren’t exclusive to Android. Vlingo first launched on BlackBerry in 2008, ... Continue reading →
The good news: Apple’s newest Siri ads feature John Malkovich, who’s pretty cool. The bad news, if you’re an Apple fan: Just like Apple’s other recent Siri ads, these don’t make Siri seem very cool. In the first one, there’s at least the suggestion that Siri will help Malkovich find a restaurant where he can get some sausage. So that’s something, at least. But the second one, where Malkovich is sitting around by himself, just killing time with his iPhone, without any discernible purpose? That’s pretty realistic, actually. But it’s not fun to watch: But, like I said, Malkovich really is cool. There are a gazillion furniture-chewing scenes I could pick to illustrate this, but for some reason I’ve always been partial to his preposterous ... Continue reading →
Google CEO Larry Page is on a public speaking rampage this week, with at least three different appearances after having previously given a total of one press interview and a smattering of quarterly earnings calls in his first year of CEO. Talking to Google partners at the Zeitgeist event in London yesterday, Page’s big message was that he is focusing on Google while also making big bets. The day before, Page announced Google would donate New York office space to the emerging CornellNYC Tech university project and appeared on the Charlie Rose Show. “I’m trying to give you a very positive world view,” he said at the Zeitgeist event. “Anything you can imagine is probably doable; you just have to imagine it and work on ... Continue reading →
RT @youtube Check out some of the top #women on @YouTube from @HuffPostTech in honor of our 7th birthday http://t.co/lPYJrPSI RT @hugogloss Respected astronomer from Brazil says hidden planet may be lurking at solar system's edge http://t.co/vmPWKnQS Respected astronomer from Brazil says hidden planet may be lurking at solar system's edge http://t.co/vmPWKnQS Continue reading →
Welcome to D, an executive conference unlike any other. Due to the overwhelming demand, D10 has sold out weeks before anticipated. To add yourself to the waiting list, please visit http://allthingsd.com/conferences/d/d10/register/. While attendance is oversold at this time, we do have sponsorship opportunities available, which among other benefits, do include complimentary attendance. For more information on sponsoring D10, please visit http://allthingsd.com/conferences/d/d10/sponsors/. Since its debut in 2003, The Wall Street Journal’s D: All Things Digital conference has been breaking news, highlighting innovation, and bringing you straight-up, unvarnished conversations with the most influential figures in media and technology. D is different from other conferences: no canned speeches, no marketing pitches, and no bull. Instead, creators and executive producers Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher put the industry’s top ... Continue reading →
Wesley Chapel, Fla. He is the unfrozen phenom. Brian Baker was going to be a tennis star. That's where this was headed. A decade ago, Baker was one of the best junior tennis players in the world, the wiry kid from Nashville, Tenn., with the punishing game, so good he would later reach the boys' final of the French Open in 2003. His early résumé contained wins over characters you may know. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Tomas Berdych. Novak Djokovic. That's right. The Djoker, the relentless No. 1 in the world, winner of four of the last five Grand Slams. That guy. Baker passed on college scholarships and pushed right into the pros. He had a clothing deal and a racket deal and a future. Life was ... Continue reading →
San Francisco is planning a party this weekend for the 75th anniversary of America's favorite bridge. But what happens if nobody can see the famous orange spires? WSJ's Geoffrey Fowler takes a look at the contingency plans so tourists won't be left in a sea of fog. SAN FRANCISCO—What if the Golden Gate Bridge celebrates its 75th birthday and nobody can see it? The people who handle tourism on the iconic span are taking steps to ensure that a fog doesn't hang over their party this weekend. A fog-out is no idle threat. When Raul Fernandez, a tourist from Toronto, stopped by Monday to take photos with friends in front of the bridge's soaring orange towers, he could barely make out its base. The fog ... Continue reading →
