applications

TripAdvisor gobbles up GateGuru for better flight, airport info

TripAdivsor has acquired a small mobile startup in the travel industry.

The travel company announced on Wednesday that it has acquired GateGuru, a mobile platform that provides a wide range of information for travelers, including details on itineraries, airports, and rental cars.

In a statement, TripAdvisor said that GateGuru will complement its other popular application, SeatGuru, which tells people the best spots to sit on a plane. TripAdvisor didn't announce the terms of its deal with GateGuru, but did say that the app maker will continue to operate its business out of its headquarters in New York City.

WhatsApp sets new record with 27 billion messages in a day

WhatsApp, the mobile service that has established itself as a free alternative to texting, has reached new heights.

The company announced on its Twitter page on Wednesday that in the previous 24-hour period, it had set a new one-day record of handling 27 billion messages. According to the company, its users sent over 10 billion messages during the period, and received 17 billion messages.

WhatsApp has been growing by leaps and bounds. On December 31, the company hit a new record for itself of handling 18 billion messages in a day.

Apple eyes better iPad gaming with joystick controller patent

Apple is eyeing a better way to play on its toys.

Dubbed "Clickable and tactile buttons for a touch surface," a patent published Tuesday by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office envisions a gamepad and joystick for iOS devices.

Mobile gaming is a surging area of growth, something puttting console makers ill at ease. Last year an NPD Group report found that games for mobile devices account for almost half of all game downloads.

The patent describes accessories that simply stick on the touchscreen of an iPad display and engage the touch-sensitive areas with buttons and a … Read more

Apple envisions digital wallet with perks for watching ads

Apple is eyeing yet another way to dabble in the mobile payments market.

Dubbed "Method and system for managing credits via a mobile device," the application published Thursday by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office envisions a system whereby mobile users would receive credits or coupons to be stored in their account. Acting as virtual currency, such credits could be used to help pay bills or buy items at a point of purchase.

Apple already offers a digital coupon system through its Passbook app. But the service highlighted in the patent application would take the concept a … Read more

Apple launches WWDC app in time for big show

Apple has launched its official Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) application for iPhone and iPad.

The free application popped up on Apple's App Store on Monday. The app lets conference attendees keep track of when and where sessions are taking place. It also offers up maps to help them find their way around the Moscone Center in San Francisco, where WWDC is being held.

For those who won't be in attendance, the app provides a way to watch daily session videos and get other information coming out of the conference.

Apple's WWDC event kicks off next Monday with a keynote by the iPhone maker. … Read more

Chrome starts staking out mobile-browsing turf

The Android version of Chrome has begun carving a niche for itself in the mobile browsing market.

In May, usage of the mobile version of Google's browser on smartphones and tablets accounted for an all-time high of 3.2 percent, according to Net Applications' usage statistics. That figure may not sound like a lot, but the browser only crossed the 1 percent threshold in November 2012, and it's now surpassed Microsoft's IE at 2 percent of mobile browser usage.

At the same time, Google's unbranded Android browser, which predates Chrome, appears to be waning. Its usage … Read more

Ways to hide applications in OS X

Though OS X offers great multitasking features, having multiple windows open in multiple applications can sometimes hinder concentration. If you don't want to put the application you're mainly working with in full-screen mode, there are other options.

For example, you can minimize windows to the OS X Dock, but this has its limitations, including filling the Dock so it expands across your screen. Additionally, it requires you to click and expand the window from the Dock to preview its contents, which results in the documents being reordered in the Dock when you minimize it again.

If you're … Read more

How to edit application permissions on BlackBerry 10

The first time you install a BlackBerry 10 app you're required to approve or deny the app access to various types of information on your device. For example, the Foursquare app requires permission to access your location (among other things) in order to find nearby venues. While other apps may request permission to access your photos, music or connect to BBM.

Denying an app permission to one of the requested categories is a good way to protect your personal data, but should you mistakenly deny an app permission, you'll need to know where to go to edit these … Read more

Deletion of Apple's AppGratis a sign of things to come -- report

It looks like AppGratis might not be the last app-discovery application to be removed from Apple's App Store.

Apple is planning to remove several app-discovery programs currently available in its App Store on the same grounds that it removed AppGratis, All Things Digital is reporting, citing people who claim to have knowledge of Apple's plans. The site's sources say that Apple is worried that app-discovery applications that help promote programs from other developers threaten the App Store's rankings.

AppGratis was removed from the App Store last week in a move that shocked Simon Dalwat, chief executive at AppGratis. … Read more