Google Play unveils 'surprise calendar countdown' promo for the holidays

Ah, the month of December, when thoughts turn to mistletoe, eggnog and excruciatingly painful trips to the mall. However, Android users could find solace in Google's recently launched "surprise calendar countdown" giveaway program that promises a daily store offer until January 1st, 2013. Of course, this sort of promo isn't unusual this time of year -- the Mountain View company offered a ten apps for ten cents sale last year and Apple's done the freebie thing over on the iOS side -- but Google appears to be upping the ante this time with extra deals. For example, if you download the free Hotel Tonight application today, you'll also get a $35 credit to be used toward a hotel stay if you use the "Google35" promo code. Sure, that won't exactly pay for a night on the town, but it might be enough for room service. We're not sure what other offers are in store, so we suggest checking Google Play every day from now until the new year for a bit of holiday cheer.

[Source: Engadget]

Facebook Nearby helps you discover your friends' hangouts, view local business ratings

You've probably managed to track down another app or two that accomplishes the same, or maybe you have no interest in a ratings-driven discovery platform at all -- either way, Facebook's decided to tap your smartphone's GPS yet again, offering up recommended venues through an updated Nearby. The new section lets you identify local establishments that your e-buds have checked into or liked. Businesses are sorted by category, so you can find a cozy coffee shop on a rainy day with ease, or stumble upon a neighborhood dog park that a special friend happens to frequent with her pooch. Perhaps most intriguing, however, is the suggestion that Facebook may "add places info from third party services in the near future," perhaps making the app a one-stop shop for all your cafe/club/shop/hotel-searching needs. You may already have a "Nearby" tab in your Android or iOS app -- Facebook has confirmed that the new tool will rollout beginning today.

[Source: Engadget]

Twitter archive downloads start rolling out to select users, lets you relive 2006 tomfoolery

Remember how you used to rave about MySpace or how excited you were to snag a brown Microsoft Zune? Twitter remembers, and it's ready to let you relive the most awkward thoughts you ever deemed fit to publish on the internet. As promised by CEO Dick Costolo Twitter is letting users download a complete archive of their digital musings. The option hasn't hit the mainstream Twitterverse just yet, but select users are finding the option hidden in the web client's settings page under the heading "your Twitter archive." Compiled archives are pretty, too -- wrapped in HTML and organized by month. Ready to relive 2006, 140 characters at a time? Check out your own archive (if you're lucky enough to have the option) and share your favorite embarrassments with us in the comments after the break.

[SourceL Engadget]

Google adds confirmation click to mobile ads to combat accidental activation

Smartphone owners have learned to cope with the extra power drain in-app advertising can cause, but accidentally launching a web browser? That's a frustration that lasts forever. Google's hoping to mitigate the pitfalls of clumsy thumbs, however, by introducing two-step click-through for mobile ads. Text banners served through AdMob will now display a humble blue arrow on their starboard side -- clicking here takes the reader directly to the advertiser's preferred destination; touching anywhere else expands widens the blue square to coax users into giving the ad a confirmation click, just in case they fumbled the advertisement by mistake. The team's preliminary tests show that confirmed ad clicks sport a notably higher conversion rate, indicating that folks who clicked through the ad actually meant to. Google says solving what it calls the "fat finger problem" will be beneficial to the ecosystem as a whole. We prefer to think of our fingers as grand.

[Source: Engadget]

London buses now accept NFC contactless payments, if you have the magic logo

Transport for London has emailed customers to announce the activation of NFC contactless payments on the city's fleet of 8,500 buses, despite any hiccups on the tube. From today, anyone who swipes a debit, credit, or charge card with the logo shown after the break should theoretically be allowed onboard for the same single fare as a traditional Oyster Card user. That's £1.35 instead of the £2.30 cash fare. The logo can also be found on Orange's Quick Tap-enabled Galaxy S III, but the official email makes no explicit mention of any smartphones being compatible. If you have the guts to swipe your GS III over the reader and test it, please let us know if it works (and it's probably better to try it discreetly, in case it doesn't). Customers are also being advised to avoid swiping wallets which contain two potential payment methods -- such as an NFC card and an RFID-based Oyster Card -- so they can control which card gets billed.

[Source: Engadget]

Google updates Currents app, adds breaking news, quick Edition browsing and more

No matter where you fall on the print vs digital divide, there's no contesting the appeal of an easy-to-read magazine-like layout. Which is why Google's Currentsapp has plenty of charm for publishers looking for an auto-formatting solution.Released a little over a year ago and updated to version 2.0 just today (Android-only), the platform now features a bevy of improvements, now adding in an Edition sidebar for quick browsing access based on genres, the ability to swipe vertically for in-Edition scrolling and horizontally to navigate to other "titles," a custom filter for highlighting sections of interest, a starring system for saving news of note, a Google News-curated breaking news section and, lastly, a new catalog design. If you're tiring of Flipboard or just feel you need a change from contentious redesigns, go ahead and download it at the source below.

[Source: Engadget]

TweetDeck for the web and Chrome gains ability to embed tweets, not much else

TweetDeck today announced a new feature that may not nab it any design or productivity awards, but, still, it'll surely be appreciated by some power users of the Twitter-owned client. And while the ability to embed tweets isn't exactly novel at this point (Twitter's had it for many months), it's still nice to now have the option present on both the web and Chrome versions of the application -- which, in turn, should make it easier to insert select snippets from the Blue Bird social network into your personal website or blog. Besides the "Embed this Tweet," TweetDeck didn't make any other additions, though the service did make it clear that it spends "a lot of time improving TweetDeck for a large consumption of Tweets, as this is one of the core uses of the product." Onto the next one then.

[Source: Engadget]

Pinterest quietly sneaks in support for Twitter Cards

Oh, the mild drama between social networks. Just as Instagram nixed its in-depth URL integration with Twitter about a week ago, now it's Pinterest getting involved -- however, the latter is taking a slightly different route. Thanks to Twitter user Kelly Lieberman, who initially spotted the changes, we have now learned that Pinterest has turned on support for Twitter Cards, allowing folks on the microblogging service to get a slightly better look at links coming from its own, pinboard-style network. Essentially, this means you can now get a preview within Twitter of what your friends are pinning -- you know, things like what type of grub they're craving or pics of insanely cute dogs.

[Source: Engadget]

Facebook privacy overhaul grants better controls for permissions, apps, photos and more

Voting for changes may never be the same on Facebook, but it sure seems as if the company is taking your privacy more seriously than perhaps it has in the past. In a move that signals bold changes on behalf of the user, Facebook has published two posts today outlining a litany of both user and developer tweaks that enable greater control over content. Today's updates include Privacy Shortcuts, an easier-to-use Activity Log, and a new Request and Removal tool for managing multiple photos you're tagged in; it's also adding "new in-product education that makes key concepts around controlling your sharing clearer, such as in-context reminders about how stuff you hide from timeline may still appear in news feed, search, and other places."

[Source: Engadget]

Linux 3.7 arrives with broader ARM support, optionally signed kernel code

If you're the sort of Linux user who won't even wait for a packaged distribution to update, you'll be happy to hear that Linux 3.7 has hit the servers. The updated foundation puts ARM chips on a footing much closer to that of their x86 counterparts: the code now supports a true multi-platform model that will load on multiple ARM designs. It's also the first instance of Linux to natively support 64-bit memory for newer ARM-based hardware. No matter what circuitry you're running, there's also a big boost to security by allowing signed kernel modules that will only accept approved code, even if a curious user gains root access. There are many (many, many) more tweaks and tune-ups in store, so those who like to push their OS limits can check release details from Linus Torvalds and developers at the source links.

[Source: Engadget]

Google Zeitgeist reveals the UK's biggest search terms of 2012

As Brits look back on a year that included a Royal Wedding, the London Olympics and other things, what were they hammering into Google this year? A British Isles-centric Zeitgeist has revealed all the biggest search terms for the UK, one that's topped by Euro 2012, shortly followed by Olympic tickets. The royal bride was knocked to fourth place by Whitney Houston, while Gangnam Style searches rounded out the top 10. Bond's latest release grabbed the top place for trending movies, and PSY's shark-jumping global hit was (unsurprisingly) the top trending song. We've crammed all the curated top tens into the press release after the break -- and we're sure Google's checking its numbers on the US version as we speak.

[Source: Engadget]

Facebook opens Gifts service to all US users, now includes a bottle of red (or white)

Previously a limited run by invite-only, Facebook's decided to open its Gifts feature to all of itsUS users. As it stands, present choices are focused around food and soft toys, but today's launch also added a core new option -- wine. According to AllThingsD, there will be different offerings from 16 different winemakers and all with the necessary age-verification checks you'd expect from a responsible social network, naturally. While options are still a little narrow, we'd expect Facebook to seriously ramp up its retail partners and gift choice through 2013 -- and hopefully no more virtual presents.

[Source: Engadget]