Rumours

Here Come the April Fools’ Jokes

1 April 2015 3:54 AM
April Fool 2015

April Fool 2015

Well, get ready for it – April Fools’ 2015 has already started. Google is in on the act as usual, with a Pac-Man version of Google Maps that went live moments ago. Samsung is playing as well today, with the introduction of the Galaxy BLADE edge.

We’ll try to keep track of some of the best as we see them.

You can play Pac-Man on Google Maps by visiting Google Maps on the web and then clicking the Pac-Man icon in the bottom left corner.

Pac-Man is also on Google Maps for Android and iOS. You should be able to play in the newest version of Google Maps, but you have to search for locations that you might think Pac-Man would be. Google offers up a whole guide to Pac-Man in Google Maps here. They also provide clues on where you can find him (just go search for “Arc de Triomphe” and you’ll be able to play). Also, more info at the Google Maps blog.

Samsung Galaxy BLADE edge

Samsung Galaxy BLADE edge

As for the Samsung Galaxy BLADE edge, you are looking at a clear, glass-like phone with a foldable handle, is ergonomic and ceramic, has a diamond edge, is waterproof (unlike the S6 and S6 Edge), and even has a thermometer stylus!

Amazon Dash Button (real or?)

Amazon Dash Button (real or?)


Amazon has introduced the “Dash Button” which are 1-click buttons to help you instantly and directly order the things you need the most…from Amazon Prime. Major news outlets think this is actual real. I still think it’s a joke. Amazon remains saying it’s a real thing!

Google unveiled the Google Panda at a fake press event in Japan.

Introducing Smartbox, by the Inbox team! A smart mailbox

Reddit’s Android subreddit just went Apple. (April Fools)

Reddit’s Android subreddit just went Apple. (April Fools)


Reddit’s Android subreddit just went Apple.

Motorola just gave us custom selfie sticks

Motorola just gave us custom selfie sticks


Motorola just gave us custom selfie sticks.

Seeing any other April Fools’ jokes yet? Let us know in the comments and we will add them!

Source: Droid-life, Seeing any other April Fools’ jokes yet?

Rumor: Leaked GTA V Config Code Reveals PC, PS4 Versions?

17 September 2013 12:45 AM

Grand Theft Auto V isn’t technically out until tomorrow (it’s out **), but it hasn’t stopped pirates from getting their grubby little hands on it. And pirates, being the crafty little buggers they are, aren’t just playing the game, they are disassembling it and poking around in its guts. As such, code from a configuration file allegedly coming from a pirated Xbox 360 version of the game has appeared on pastebin, and apparently points towards a PC and PS4 version of the game. Here are two screen-grabs of the relevant sections of code:

GTA V Source-code?

GTA V Source-code? (full size version)

The PC code is fairly obvious, and if you’re wondering what the hell “Orbis” is, it was the original code name of the PS4 back when the dev kits were being handed out to developers. Take this all with a grain of salt however, it is after all, the word of a pirate, and could have been entirely faked. But given GTA’s history of releasing on PC, and the fact that the PS4 and Xbox One are right around the corner, it does seem pretty likely that we will see a next-gen release of the game at some point.

* The code comes from a pirated version of Grand Theft Auto V for Xbox 360.

** The cheapest place to order Grand Theft Auto V currently is Amazon and eBay. – As of the time of writing.

Source & Images: Dualshockers

Google Is Retiring Its Meebo Bar On June 6 To Focus On Google+

29 April 2013 4:43 PM
Meebo's homepage as of December 2011.

Meebo’s homepage as of December 2011.

Google will retire the website widget service Meebo Bar just one year after buying the company that built it. Google bought Meebo on 4 June 2012 reportedly for $100m (£643k), before proceeding to strip away much of its functionality.

The advertising giant confirmed this in an early email this morning to all publishers saying it reason for scrapping the tool is to focus on its Google+ plugins.

It started as an instant-messaging service compatible with other web chat programs. It then evolved into the Meebo bar, which could be installed by webmasters along the tops of their sites and allowed visitors to easily share links with friends. It also slurped up data about people and used that to hit them with advertising.

Before Meebo’s demise, Google stripped away all its features until it only consisted of the Meebo bar with added Google+ capabilities.

It will be retired on 6 June, a few weeks before Google Reader is due to be scrapped, here is the email the advertising giant (Google) sent out this morning:

Dear Meebo Bar Publisher,

Five years ago, we launched the Meebo Bar to bring community, engagement, and revenue to publisher sites.

As part of the Google team, this continues to be our focus, but we want to best serve mobile and desktop publishers moving forward. Therefore, we have decided to focus our resources on initiatives like the recently launched Google+Sign-In (which includes interactive posts and over-the-air app installs) and the Google+ plug-ins.

This means we will retire the Meebo Bar, effective June 6, 2013.

Thank you for being a Meebo Bar publisher. We have truly appreciated the opportunity to serve you.

Sincerely,
Sandy, Seth, and the Meebo Team

Is it unclear what will happen to the “Sandy, Seth, and the Meebo Team”, who signed the statement, although it is possible they will be taken on by the advertising giant to create new features for It’s Google+ servicew.

Before Google bought Meebo, it was used by 100 million people a month, apparently.

Source: Email / https://www.meebo.com

Formspring is shutting down

16 March 2013 10:02 PM
Formspring Logo

Formspring Logo

Formspring, a start-up that helped pioneer the “ask me anything” format of anonymous Q&A online, is shutting down. The San Francisco company announced the news in a blog post yesterday afternoon.

The closure of the Q&A platform will occur March 31st, and users will be able to export their data until April 15th, Formspring’s founder and CEO Ade Olonoh wrote in the closure announcement.

Formspring may have been the first mover in its space when it launched back in 2009, but its brand was certainly hurt when parts of its service were replicated by larger existing players such as Tumblr. The company, which raised a total of $14 million in venture capital, worked to keep its independent edge: For instance, last year Formspring rebranded itself with the launch of an “interest-based social network” that downplayed the anonymous Q&A aspects which had been copied by others. But it seems that it just wasn’t quite enough to keep things growing as Formspring and its investors may have hoped.

Rumors had swirled in recent months that Formspring had made internal cuts of key staffers, and also saw the departure of its charismatic COO Ro Choy. Today’s news shows that it was unfortunately all leading to this closure, and not to an acqui-hire situation.

Here is the blog post announcing the shut down in full:

Formspring launched in November 2009 as a unique way for people to have engaging conversations about anything. Eventually reaching over 30 million registered users and 4 billion posts, Formspring grew beyond my wildest dreams to become an important part of how people interact online.

I’m grateful to each of you that helped make the site better by asking questions and posting responses. None of this would have been possible without you. Through the community you created, we’ve met new people, strengthened relationships, opened our minds to different points of view, and made each other smile.

Unfortunately, and with great sadness, I must announce that Formspring is shutting down. While we’ve had great success in reaching a broad audience, it’s been challenging to sustain the resources needed to keep the lights on.

Sunday, March 31st will be the last day you’ll be able to ask questions or post content on Formspring. You’ll be able to export your responses from now through Monday, April 15th, after which the site and apps will go offline, and any content will be permanently deleted.

You can export the responses you’ve posted by following these steps:

  1. Log into your account and visit http://www.formspring.me/account/export
  2. Click the export button
  3. When your export is ready you’ll receive an email
  4. Visit http://www.formspring.me/account/export again to download a zip file with your data

Sincerely,
Ade Olonoh, Founder and CEO.