Author: Shivaank Rana

Apple Updates Find My Friends, Introduces Revamped Location Alerts

Apple has updated its Find My Friends app. Version 2.1 now features a new UI to search and set location-based notifications. Probably the nicest part of the update is the ability to set a distance threshold from a certain location.

While Find My Friends is a little harder to setup and tweak compared with the very simple Find My iPhone app, it is a nice way to share your location with friends and family who are using iOS devices.

Find My Friends “Notify Me” page now features a customizable boundary, or geofencing, option that can be expanded or contracted around a located iOS device. Users can adjust the monitored area around a device by selecting the “Change Location” button, which resets the geofencing threshold to allow for more accurate location-based notifications.

With the added functionality, users can select and manipulate the purple circle representing the geofencing around a tracked device, giving a bit more customization to the previous set threshold.

The Next Web reports :

The new interface for setting up those alerts has been tweaked to let you set the exact distance threshold from a location. This lets you fine-tune the sensitivity of an alert for, say, two different buildings on a campus. If you just wanted to know when someone is ‘home’, the older process with a ‘fixed’ zone was fine, but if you were looking to get notices when someone gets into a neighborhood, it was pretty much impossible.

[TNW, Apple Insider]

March 29, 2013
New Windows 8 Hardware Specs Point At 7-Inch Tablet

Up until a couple of weeks ago, Microsoft required that all tablets made specifically to run Windows 8 have a minimum display resolution of 1366×768. This was because Microsoft also made 1366×768 as the minimum for Windows 8 Modern apps to run while in snap view mode.

A few days ago, it was discovered that the leaked build of Windows Blue actually lowered that app snap view minimum resolution down to 1024×768. As it turns out, Microsoft recently, and quietly, announced that Windows 8 tablets can now be made with a 1024×768 resolution screen, down from the previous requirement of a 1366×768 resolution.

The change is thought to be a sign that Windows 8 devices are about to arrive with mini sized screens (and prices?) to compete head on with the likes of the Google Nexus 7, Amazon Kindle Fire and Apple iPad mini and other successful devices that have with 7- and 8-inch displays.

One of the headline multitasking features of the currently shipping version of Windows 8, snapping, won’t work at this lower res. However, a leaked build of Windows Blue has revealed that Microsoft is changing its Snap View support to let 1024 x 768 users take advantage of a 50 / 50 Snap View. The changes are all part of improved support for 7- and 8-inch form factors and Microsoft’s official guidance notes that “partners exploring designs for certain markets could find greater design flexibility helpful.”

The change was announced on Microsoft’s Windows Certification Newsletter earlier in March. In making the change, Microsoft stated that while their were not encouraging PC OEMs to offer a lower resolution for their Windows 8 tablet products, they admitted, “We understand that partners exploring designs for certain markets could find greater design flexibility helpful.”

[Neowin, ZDNet]

March 29, 2013
India’s Prana Studios Takes Over Rhythm & Hues, VFX House Behind “Life Of Pi”

The Los Angeles Times reports that American animation/visual effects studio Rhythm & Hues, the VFX house behind “Life of Pi” has been acquired at auction by Indian company Prana Studios.

The Oscar-winning visual effects house had filed for bankruptcy protection last month, a source close to the deal said Thursday night.

A court hearing on confirmation of the winning bidder is scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday.

Prana Studios is a VFX and animation studio with bases in Los Angeles and Mumbai. It is currently providing animation for Disney’s upcoming 3D feature Planes.

Other bidders in the auction included India’s Prime Focus; a Chinese entity involving Jiang Yanmin, president of China Lion (and a founder of Technicolor Beijing); and bicoastal animation company Psyop.

The sale also underlines the growing influence of Indian companies in Hollywood’s post production sector. India’s Reliance MediaWorks last year joined China’s Galloping Horse film and TV company to acquire the Venice-based Digital Domain, the studio co-founded by “Avatar” director James Cameron.

Rhythm & Hues has been known as one of the most artist-friendly visual effects companies, with generous salaries, vacation time and benefits. Critics of its management complain it was overstaffed, especially in North America. Before its financial troubles Rhythm & Hues was sending 40% of its work abroad. Court documents signal that R&H expects to send much more work to Asia, perhaps 80% or more.

Prana Studios is expected to assume responsibility for a nearly $16-million loan extended to Rhythm & Hues by Universal Studios and 20th Century Fox. The loan was part of the effects company’s plan to avoid liquidation, enabling it to complete work on current projects, including “R.I.P.D.” and “Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters.”

[LA Times]

March 29, 2013
BlackBerry Ships 1 Million Z10 Phones In Q4, Reveals Q4 Profit
BlackBerry announced their Q4 and year-end results for fiscal 2013. In what was a year of turmoil, job losses and limited device releases, BlackBerry declared Q4 a profit of $98 million (19 cents a share), but revenues were $2.7 billion, down 36% ($4.2 billion) when compared to Q4 2012. BlackBerry noted that they shipped about 6 million BlackBerry smartphones and approximately 370,000 BlackBerry PlayBooks.

This quarter ended March 2, 2013 and BlackBerry launched the new BlackBerry 10 OS and the BlackBerry Z10 in a few countries within this timeframe. Included in the 6 million smartphones shipments were 1 million BlackBerry Z10 devices. The worldwide BlackBerry subscriber base is now sitting at 76 million, down from 79 million last quarter.

Thorsten Heins, President and CEO of BlackBerry said “With the launch of BlackBerry 10, we have introduced the newest and what we believe to be the most innovative mobile computing platform in the market today. Customers love the device and the user experience, and our teams and partners are now focused on getting those devices into the hands of BlackBerry consumer and enterprise customers… We are also excited about the new, dynamic culture at BlackBerry, where we are laser-focused on continuing to drive efficiency and improve the Company’s profitability while driving innovation. We have built an engine that is able to drive improved financial performance at lower volumes, which should allow us to generate additional benefits from higher volumes in the future.”

Q4 Highlights:
- Revenue of $2.7 billion
- GAAP income from continuing operations of $94 million, or $0.18 per share diluted
- Adjusted income from continuing operations of $114 million, or $0.22 per share diluted
- Gross margin of 40% driven by higher average selling prices and hardware margins
- Shipments of 6 million smartphones, including approximately 1 million BlackBerry 10 units
- Subscriber base of approximately 76 million
- Cash flow from operations of $219 million, cash and investments balance of $2.9 billion
The Company will be increasing its marketing investment in the first quarter of fiscal 2014 in support of the global launch of BlackBerry 10. Including the anticipated 50% sequential increase in marketing spending, the Company believes it will approach breakeven financial results in the first quarter based on its lower cost base, more efficient supply chain, and improved hardware margins.

Things looking better for BlackBerry now?

[Mobile Syrup, Market Wire]
March 28, 2013
Apple Alleges $85 Million Error In Court Damages Order

Samsung can’t seem to shake Apple off its back and although damages of $599 million were awarded to Apple, the tech giant still isn’t satisfied. In documents filed by Apple, they claim Judge Lucy Koh made an $85 million error in calculating damages. Supposedly, Koh thought the jury had granted $44,792,974 for the Infuse 4G and $40,494,356 for the Galaxy S II on AT&T, Florian Mueller reports for FOSS Patents. However, according to Apple, Samsung’s own statements prove that “disgorgement of profits for design patent infringement”, were permissible.

“The number of products for which the damages award can stand would go up from 14 to 16, while the number of products for which a new determination is needed would go down from 14 to 12. The affirmed damages award would increase from $600 million to $685 million, almost two thirds of the $1.05 billion verdict”.

Apple now seeks the court’s permission to bring a motion for reconsideration, though the request to bring such a motion is, for the time being, conditional.

Apple’s conditional motion cites Civil Local Rule 7-9(b)(3). The related rule of the Northern District of California allows a motion for reconsideration in the event of “[a] manifest failure by the Court to consider material facts or dispositive legal arguments which were presented to the Court before such interlocutory order”.

This is getting interesting!

[FOSS Patents]

March 28, 2013
Mozilla, Epic Games Team Up To Bring Unreal Engine 3 To The Web

For the longest time, HTML5 was far behind Flash in terms of game development as it didn’t offer a native experience. Mozilla and others have been bridging that gap over the last year, however, and the non-profit’s latest move inspires more hope that HTML5 can deliver native gaming experiences sooner rather than later.

Mozilla and Epic Games announced at GDC that Unreal Engine 3 is now available to HTML5 developers. This was made possible through Mozilla’s work in developing “a highly-optimized version of JavaScript” that allows game developers to bring graphically intensive content to the Web.

Epic had already ported the engine to Flash and there have been a few other attempts at building or porting a 3D game engine to JavaScript, but nothing approaching the size and scope of Unreal Engine.

Epic’s port is based on a very new piece of technology, asm.js and the OdinMonkey JavaScript engine module for Firefox. In essence, asm.js enables code that’s been automatically ported to JavaScript from C/C++ to run almost as fast as the same code compiled as a native app. OdinMonkey adds support for asm.js, which is a subset of the JavaScript spec, to Firefox.

With Firefox OS and the Firefox Marketplace launching later this year, this is a significant win for Mozilla. No, the porting of Unreal Engine 3 doesn’t mean that Mass Effect 3 is going to find its way onto sub-Rs 6000/- Firefox phones, but it does mean that mobile hits like Infinity Blade and Dungeon Defenders will. It should also mean that we’ll see more developers offering up browser-friendly versions of their mobile hits — particularly if the porting process is relatively painless and offers an additional revenue stream.

March 28, 2013
Microsoft : Windows Phone Is Outselling iPhone In 7 Markets, Including India

On Wednesday a blog post from Frank Shaw, head of PR at Microsoft, revealed that Windows Phone is outshipping the iPhone in seven countries.

According to the IDC, who measures shipped numbers, more Windows Phones were shipped into 7 markets than iPhones and more than Blackberry in 26 markets.

But before Apple fans explode with indignation, yes there is a catch. Windows Phone outsold the iPhone in a smattering of emerging markets, where the high price of Apple’s trendy phone is probably a barrier to sales success. In total Windows Phone led the iPhone in Argentina, India, Poland, Russia, South Africa, Ukraine, and “rest of central and eastern Europe”.

In India, the arrival of low-end Windows Phone devices — namely Nokia Lumia 510/620/820 – has certainly boosted Windows Phone. Nokia’s also trying to market its Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 handsets via television and print campaigns. So it won’t come as a surprise if shipments are higher than that of the iPhone given that the iPhone commands a much higher retail price.

IDC’s numbers also reflect only the official number of cellphones imported into the countries. IDC said that in some countries, like Argentina and India high government taxes mean there is a very significant gray market in cellphones, which IDC doesn’t track. So it is hard to know actual market share in those places.

While it’s certainly good news that Windows Phone is breaking into emerging markets, Windows Phone has had issues breaking in to the tough, and arguably more significant North American market as of late. Tackling the developed markets is no doubt a priority for Microsoft at the moment, and with Nokia continuing to release new devices, hopefully for Microsoft, progress will come.

Do these facts diminish Microsoft’s announcement that Windows Phone outshipped the iPhone in seven countries — or not? Tell us in the comments, below.

[Mashable]

March 28, 2013
PS4 Blu-Ray Drive Is 3x Than PS3’s, Features Boosted Storage Sub-System

The Game Developers Conference in San Francisco is well under way, with some details on Sony’s upcoming next-gen console, the PlayStation 4. Sony Senior Staff Engineer Chris Norden went into greater technical detail on some of the PlayStation 4’s underlying hardware.

Contrary to rumors stating that Sony would abandon the numbering structure for its next-gen console, the next PlayStation will, indeed, be called the PlayStation 4.

PS4’s Blu-Ray drive is three times faster than the current PS3 drive, Norden confirmed. Keeping in mind that the PS3 is equipped with 2x BD drive capable of reading Blu-ray discs at up to 9MB/s speed. The three times faster solution is a 6x BD drive that can read discs at up to 27MB/s, which should be enough not only for modern games, but also for next-generation 4K video discs, assuming that they are Blu-ray or compatible with the drive (or use the same 405nm wavelength as BD).

He added that the hard drive in every console will be “very large” and that real names can be used within PS4’s friend system, subject to the players’ approval. PS4’s social functionality will also allow for more than 100 friends, the current limit on PS3.

PS4’s Eye motion camera comes with a tilt sensor so it can tell when a player is facing in the wrong direction, or if the camera itself has fallen off of your TV stand (or wherever you choose to place it).

Norton explained that PS4s memory outperforms the DDR3 you can find in many high-end PCs, and that its 8GB of GDDR5 RAM offers developers “Crazy high bandwidth”. Simplicity was also key, said Norton.

“If you’re coming from the PS3 you’re probably quite used to the headache of having to split memory architecture, you can’t quite use all of it, the speeds are really wacky on some of it – we don’t have that with PS4. It’s eight gigs, it’s there, it’s easy,” he said.

“You’re getting some really amazing memory with PS4 and we’re really excited about it.”

Other hardware related improvements that the engineer mentioned are all-digital buttons and sticks on the DualShock 4 controller, ability to charge the controller while the console is off as well as a mono headset in every PlayStation 4 box.

[Engadget]

March 28, 2013
EA Reveals Battlefield 4 With A 17-Minute Trailer

Battlefield 4 will land on PCs this autumn following EA’s reveal of the upcoming shooter within a 17-minute gameplay trailer.

Powered by the Frostbite 3 game engine, EA touted a more open world single player than previous entries to the Battlefield series, and stated that users would “experience huge environments”, although the 17-minute trailer, which you can view below appears to show the title’s more linear elements.

“We are so humbled and proud to debut Battlefield 4 on a global stage with simultaneous events in San Francisco and Stockholm,” said EA executive Patrick Soderlund.

The 17-minute video is jam packed with amazing graphics, intricate story lines, and plenty of action.

Small details like facial animation and ridiculously realistic lighting effects are definitely very apparent. Maybe a new graphical coat of paint is all it’s going to take for us to get excited about the first-person video game genre again. It’s expected that Battlefield 4 will go head-to-head against Activision’s still un-announced, but very expected, next-generation Call of Duty title later this year.

The YouTube video is titled “Fishing in Baku” and was released on Battlefield’s website as well as the “Battlefield 4” YouTube page.

“These 17 minutes of ‘Battlefield 4’ gameplay provide an exclusive look atBF4‘s single-player campaign. With dynamic destructible environments, epic vehicular combat and the chaos of all-out war, ‘Battlefield 4’ gives you the freedom to do more and be more for an unrivaled entertainment experience,” says a statement on the video game’s website.

The game will be released on the PlayStation 4 and next-generation Xbox but it will also, surprisingly, receive a pared down PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 release.

Players can pre-order Battlefield 4 now, which will entitle them for a Premium expansion pack. Meanwhile, PC gamers can order the Digital Deluxe edition currently on Origin, which includes the title and additional in-game items.

Those who pre-order will also be granted access to Battlefield 4’s multiplayer beta once it launches.

Check out the trailer for Battlefield 4 below.

[PCR, YouTube]

March 27, 2013
Microsoft To Release Windows Blue Public Beta At BUILD 2013

There’s certainly been no shortage of leaks surrounding Microsoft’s Windows Blue in recent weeks, but now the company has confirmed that the long-rumored Windows 8 update is underway.

Microsoft confirmed to The Verge on Wednesday that the public preview version of Windows Blue will debut at its Build developer conference in late June. Sources familiar with the company’s plans revealed that Microsoft began working on a “milestone” preview of the software update earlier this month.

Some of the features that have been exposed in the new build include a new File Manager app, improved multi-monitor support, more customisation options for the Start screen and a Windows Phone-style”slide-to-shut-down” feature.

Microsoft is also said to be working on various new first-party apps for Windows Blue, in addition to some of those already revealed in the leaked build. Further, it’s said that Blue will indeed introduce optimisations that will bring Windows 8 to smaller 7- and 8-inch tablets. The leak has already revealed that the minimum resolution that will support the side-by-side Snap View for apps has been lowered to 1024x768px.

Frank X. Shaw, Corporate Vice President of Corporate Communications at Microsoft states that customers have already experienced the “ongoing rhythm of updates and innovations” – aka new devices, services and apps — that have rolled out over the last six months. This continuous development cycle is the new normal across Microsoft.

What’s more, Microsoft is very likely to choose a different name for Blue, as this is only the internal codename for the company’s new “set of plans.”

The BUILD 2013 conference is happening in June this year at San Francisco.

[The Verge]

March 27, 2013
Unreal Engine 3 To Get Oculus Rift Support In April (PR)

Unreal Engine 3, widely known as the driving force behind a plethora of successful PS3 and Xbox 360 games, is going to add support for the upcoming Oculus Rift headset via a development kit update.

Today, the companies are announcing that Epic’s latest Unreal Development Kit (UDK) will be available with Oculus-ready code for every developer who has purchased the Oculus Rift game development kit. On top of that, all Unreal Engine 3 source licensees will receive the Oculus-Unreal Engine 3 integration code for free. The idea is that this will jumpstart the market for virtual reality games on the Oculus Rift platform.

“Developers have used Unreal Engine technology to create some of the most memorable games in history,” said Tim Sweeney, founder and CEO of Epic Games. “We view virtual reality as a massive technological step forward, and are arming all developers with the tools to create game experiences that represent the future. Our partnership with Oculus will bring the highest quality experiences to virtual reality games.”

Slated for the first week of April, the new UDK will include an updated Epic Citadel cross-platform tech-demo, which depicts a graphics-rich medieval castle village, with Oculus Rift support to go on.

On the other hand, Oculus Rift dev kits will begin shipping out to Kickstarter backers this month.

[toggle title=”Press Release”]Custom UDK to Ship with All Oculus Rift Developer Kits
Epic Games and Oculus VR Partner to Help Unreal Engine Developers Build the Future of Games

IRVINE, CALIFORNIA (March 25, 2013) – Oculus VR, Inc., developer of the highly anticipated Oculus Rift, announced that it will provide a custom, Oculus-ready version of Epic Games’ Unreal Development Kit (UDK) to every developer who has purchased the Oculus Rift development kit. In addition, all Unreal Engine 3 full source licensees will receive the Oculus – Unreal Engine 3 integration code free of charge. These new offerings mark Oculus’ entry into Epic’s premier UE3 Integrated Partners Program (IPP). The deepened partnership between the two companies is designed to support all Unreal Engine developers wanting to take their games to a completely new level of immersion.

“Developers have used Unreal Engine technology to create some of the most memorable games in history,” said Tim Sweeney, founder and CEO of Epic Games. “We view virtual reality as a massive technological step forward, and are arming all developers with the tools to create game experiences that represent the future. Our partnership with Oculus will bring the highest quality experiences to virtual reality games.”

Epic Games and Oculus have been collaborating since the launch of Oculus’ Kickstarter campaign to improve and optimize the integration with UE3. The custom Oculus-ready version of UDK, the free edition of UE3, will include the Epic Citadel tech demo, a medieval castle and village which developers can explore in virtual reality with the Rift.

“We’ve said from the start that independent developers were as important to us as AAA developers,” said Brendan Iribe, CEO of Oculus. “The Unreal Engine and UDK have proven time and again that they are premiere engines for all game developers. Our relationship with Epic shows our commitment to give every developer the chance to create the next amazing game experience.”

The Oculus Rift is a virtual reality headset that allows users to step into the game. It provides an immersive, stereoscopic 3D experience with a huge field of view-110 degrees diagonally-and overcomes the latency problems that have plagued previous VR gaming headsets, where movement in the game lags behind movement of the player’s head. Developer kits for the Oculus Rift, which game developers can use to create Oculus-ready VR applications and interactive content, will begin shipping to backers at the end of March 2013.

The custom, Oculus-ready version of UDK will be available from the Oculus Developer Center the first week of April.[/toggle]

[Via Engadget]

March 26, 2013
Mystery Buyer Of 1 Million BlackBerry 10 Phones Turns Out To Be e-Distributor Brightstar

Earlier this month a mystery company purchased one million BlackBerry 10 smartphones from BlackBerry. It was was a notable transaction because BlackBerry 10 just launched and because it was the biggest single order BlackBerry (formerly RIM) has ever received in one fell swoop.

Fast forward to Monday, and we now know the identity of the buyer. According to perennially bearish investment firm Detwiler Fenton, the buyer of the 1 million Blackberry 10 units was wireless distributor Brightstar, reports AllThingsD.

“A couple of years ago, Nokia, RIM and Samsung made up over 80 percent of Brightstar revenues, with RIM potentially comprising nearly half of that, I believe,” Wedge Partners analyst Brian Blair told AllThingsD. “So [this is] no surprise.”

Brightstar is a massive distributor of cell phones and other gadgets. AllThingsD had originally predicted that the partner was Brightstar competitor Brightpoint, but its sources said the speculation was “a point off” but that they had the “bright” part correct. Putting two and two together, the news outlet was able to guess Brightstar.

The mystery is solved and regardless of who made the purchase, it still represents a risk-taking investment on someone’s part. So when you look at it that way, someone still has the hots for BlackBerry 10.

BlackBerry reports quarterly results March 28 and its early Blackberry 10 sales–in more than 25 markets–are sure to be hot topics on the company’s earnings conference call.

[Via All Things D]

March 26, 2013
Google+ Now Supports Animated GIF Profile Pictures

Google is taking a page out of Facebook’s book and is pushing images as a main part of Google+. As part of this initiative, it has added support for Gifs to be used as Google+ profile pictures.

[pullquote_left] “Our gif to you. You can now use animated gifs for your profile photo,” the official Google+ account announced on Monday. [/pullquote_left]

Some users are happy about the new feature, taking advantage of it to post animated snippets of themselves in various states as an avatar 2.0 kind of deal. Others, however, are expressing displeasure at the change, stating that animated profile pictures are distracting and ugly, and detract from the Google+ experience.

According to the announcement, animated Gifs are now supported on both desktop and mobile devices. However, TNW reports that this feature does not apply to iOS devices as of now.

As Matt Steiner, the person who first posted that Gifs are now supported, said, “[it is] like newspapers in Harry Potter.” We imagine some creative people will make use of this to do some funny and interesting things, much like people did with Facebook cover photos when they were first introduced.

Google also provides a link directing users to a search on “How to make a GIF” in an attempt to encourage users to have one such animated image of their own.

[Via Google+, Slashgear]

March 26, 2013
Windows 8 Mail, People, Calendar Apps Updated, Ditch Google Calender Support

Microsoft previously promised to release updates to Windows 8 core apps before Windows Blue becomes available, and it seems we don’t have to wait long before that happens – these updates will roll out tomorrow, Tuesday, March 26, according to a post on the company’s official blog.

None of the updates reinvent the proverbial wheel, but each app is receiving numerous tweaks designed to improve basic usability. Windows tablet owners will be especially happy with the new-look apps.

The Mail app will support organizational functions like flagging emails and creating folders. The Calendar app will get a new look and meeting scheduling support. And the People app will sport a new command bar to make it quicker for you to navigate through your contacts. There are a few other changes too of course.

When Microsoft released Windows 8 in October, its core productivity apps lacked deep functionality and features. Mail couldn’t even compare with Outlook.com, let alone with the full-blown Outlook Office application. Calendar had the basic bones, but again, lacked functionality compared to the Outlook calendar. And People was more novelty app than something actually useful.

However, it turns out that the newly updated Mail, Calendar, People and Messaging app for Windows 8 has removed support for Google Calendars entirely, pulling the ability to sync both new and existing calendars due to Google pulling the plug on Exchange ActiveSync support. Upon attempting to use the updated app you’ll receive a message similar to the one below, instructing you to reconnect your account.

We can’t connect to [address]@gmail.com because Google no longer supports Exchange ActiveSync. Reconnect to get your emails and contacts using a different method. Cancel to save your drafts and reconnect later

Once the update is available tomorrow, just tap or click on the “Updates” link that appears in the top right-hand corner of the Windows Store to install the update. If you have the Windows Store pinned to your Start screen, its live tile will alert you that you have an update available. You are required to go to the Windows Store to get the update as it won’t install automatically.

March 26, 2013
Yahoo Acquires Mobile News Start-Up Summly

A London teenager has sold a mobile app he first designed in his bedroom for between £20 million and £40 million.

Nick D’Aloisio, 17, said he would probably buy a new computer and trainers after Yahoo bought his Summly software for an undisclosed sum.

Yahoo said today on its blog that Nick D’Aloisio will join Yahoo along with the rest of his team.

The free iPhone app automatically boils down lengthy news stories and features to make them more “user friendly” for a mobile screen.

Chief Executive Officer Marissa Mayer is focusing Yahoo on providing Web services that are customized for individual users, and aims to add engineers by buying small technology startups, she said on a conference call last year. Yahoo has acquired at least six such teams — including Jybe Inc., Stamped Inc., OntheAir, Snip.it and Alike — since Mayer took over in July.

“Most articles and Web pages were formatted for browsing with mouse clicks,” Yahoo said on the blog. “The ability to skim them on a phone or a tablet can be a real challenge. We want easier ways to identify what’s important to us.”

Mayer has said she sees the company building sites and technologies that are daily habits for consumers, such as checking e-mail and stock tickers. In January, she said she’s focused on technology that will personalize content from the Web and deliver it to people on their handheld devices.

“We think about how do we take the Internet and order it for you,” Mayer said. Yahoo intends to be “a feed of information that is ordered, the Web is ordered for you and is also on your mobile phone.”

[Via Bloomberg]

March 25, 2013