Leak hints Google may shut down its Schemer goal sharing service

We can't blame you if you haven't heard of Google's Schemer; the goal sharing service launched at the end of 2011, but it hasn't received much publicity (or traffic) since. Accordingly, the crew in Mountain View may be close to shutting Schemer down. Google Operating System has leaked an internal version of Schemer's website that includes an unfinished closure page inviting users to export their data. It's not clear how serious Google is about closing Schemer, however. The internal site may reflect real plans, or it could be a just-in-case placeholder; we've reached out to the company for a definitive answer. We won't be surprised if Schemer gets the axe, though, when Google has shut down more beloved services in the past.

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Via: VentureBeat

Source: Google Operating System

Tags: goals, google, internet, leak, planning, schemer, shutdown, web Next: Sony's first PlayStation 4 ad for Japan teases the Japanese with everyone's joy .fyre .fyre-comment-divider

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Apple iOS 7 beta update hints at upcoming 'car display' feature

(Credit:Apple)

Apple on Friday released a second version of its iOS 7.1 beta to registered developers. It's an incremental update that fixes some bugs and moves some things around. For example, TouchID and passcode settings are displayed more prominently.

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But one nugget worth noting is a setting in the "restrictions" menu that lets a user turn the "Car Display" on and off. The addition of the toggle setting suggests that Apple may release its "iOS in the Car" feature sooner rather than later. The car integration feature, according to 9to5Mac, will let users attach an iOS device to a car's console and provide an interface that lets them control things like music, messages, and maps right through the vehicle.

Sources also told 9to5Mac that there were other references to "iOS in the Car" elsewhere in the new beta update, and in the first iOS 7.1 beta update, released to developers last month. Apple's car integration launch could of course be pushed back, but it looks like the goal is to take the wraps off alongside the wide rollout of iOS 7.1.

(Via 9to5Mac)

Topics: iOS Tags: iOS 7 in the Car, Apple, iOS 7

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Sony patent hints at a touch-enabled PlayStation Move controller

Sony's PlayStation Move controller has helped bring motion-enabled gaming to PlayStation consoles for over three years, but hasn't exactly set the world alight. To better compete with Microsoft's controller-less Kinect and Nintendo's Wii motion accessories, the company has been looking to extract more functionality from its wireless joystick, as evidenced in a recent filing with the US Patent Office. The patent, entitled "Flat Joystick Controller," describes a controller not dissimilar to the PlayStation Move handheld we've come to know and kinda love, but Sony hints that an upgrade could come in the form of a touch-sensitive surface on the front of the handle.

The company says the new controller "enables control for a variety of applications and simulations while providing an intuitive interface," allowing gamers to better control in-game characters and select elements without having to alter their grip. While the patent suggests Sony is only experimenting with the feature, similar to the hybrid DualShock/PlayStation Move controller patent it filed last year, we know that the company mulled an all-touch PS4 controller before settling on the DualShock 4, indicating that touch still has a big part to play in PlayStation's future.

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Via: Joystiq

Source: USPTO

Tags: controller, gamepad, motion, playstation, playstation move, ps3, ps4, sony, touch Next: Microsoft adds

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