June is the perfect time for backyard barbecues, lemonade and tablet warfare:
Microsoft is taking tablets into its own hands with the Surface. And next week, so will Google. It's expected that Google will show off the Nexus tablet at its developers conference that begins next week. And some reports have Google's tablet launching in July -- which will likely be before the Surface hits stores.
The Surface boasts solid hardware, a kickstand and a cover that also serves as a keyboard. But how much will it cost? All we know is that the light version, using Windows RT, will be somewhere near your typical tablet cost of $500. And the Pro version will be priced like an ultrabook, so it could be anywhere between $800 to $1,000. Microsoft is pitching the Pro as something that is powerful enough to be a laptop replacement. And isn't that what the post-PC world is all about?
Microsoft did not mention how it could be tied in with the Xbox 360, nor did it mention anything about phones. But that's the next step. The Windows Phone Developers Summit kicks off Wednesday, where we'll learn more about the Windows Phone 8 operating system.
But that's just scratching the surface of today's tech news. Square, the credit and debit card reader for mobile devices, is adding customer rewards to the app. Merchants can use the app to encourage customers to return and collect points, without having to carry around any actual punch or points card. The app keeps track of all that for you.
Airbnb is getting more popular. More than 10 million people have booked overnight stays with the the rental-by-owner service. The site helps travelers find places to stay in people's homes, and currently has 200,000 room listings.
When you log into Facebook on your phone, you could soon see ads based on your location, according to Bloomberg. Facebook will tap into the GPS on your phone to serve you ads about places nearby.
And the Spotify iOS app just sampled a tune from Pandora. It added a free streaming radio feature for users in the United States. You can create limitless streaming radio stations, but it takes it up a notch by letting you save a track you like to a Spotify playlist. This feature was added to the desktop version last month.
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