Facebook has launched its own app store to promote mobile programs that operate using the social network. The company said the App Center will become the “new, central place to find great apps like Draw Something” and other titles. Developers will have the ability to charge a fee for apps sold in the store in the near future, Facebook said. The announcement came as Facebook admitted growth in mobile use could hurt future advertising revenue.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-18017379#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

The new social results will appear in a grey column on the right-hand side of Bing’s results page. Microsoft is revamping its Bing search engine to include advice from Facebook and other social media platforms. The move involves the introduction of a new sidebar which seeks to connect users with friends and other enthusiasts who can provide help. The firm says it is based on the fact “90% of people consult with a friend or expert before making a decision”. Surveys suggest Bing has about a 15% share of the US search market, lagging behind Google’s 66% portion. The new service appears on the right-hand side of all results and includes a feature dubbed Friends Who Might Know.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-18029771#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

Sales of video games in the US have shown a sharp drop in early 2012, figures suggest. Gamers spent 42% less on video games in April compared to the same period last year, said market research firm NPD. The entire market, which includes sales of both consoles and games, was down 32% overall in April, the figures indicate. Analysts blamed some of the decline on the lack of compelling games being launched in the opening months of 2012.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-18033328#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

In the not-so-distant future, you might be rocking out at a Katy Perry concert when your smart phone’s screen lights up with a sneak peek of the pop star’s new music video. Or perhaps you’ll be watching a police drama at home when your iPad lights up with clues about the identity of the serial killer being chased by the on-screen detectives. At least, this is the hope of Alex Bell, cofounder of Sonic Notify, a company that offers technology to broadcast data to smart phones and tablets via high-frequency sound waves. Rather than trying to gain critical mass for its own smart phone app, Sonic Notify offers its software to developers so they can build it into theirs—a move that could also result in more creative uses for the technology than the company might come up with on its own.

http://www.technologyreview.com/computing/40383/?p1=A3

Today’s technology scene seems overheated to some. Apple is the most valuable company on earth. Software apps are reaching tens of millions of users within weeks. Major technology names like Research in Motion and Nokia are being undone by rapid changes to their markets. Underlying these developments: the unprecedented speed at which mobile computers are spreading. Those technologies with “last mile” problems—bringing electricity cables or telephone wire to individual homes—appear to spread more slowly. It took almost a century for landline phones to reach saturation, or the point at which new demand falls off. Mobile phones, by contrast, achieved saturation in just 20 years. Smart phones are on track to halve that rate yet again, and tablets could move still faster, setting consecutive records for speed to market saturation in the United States.

http://www.technologyreview.com/business/40321/?p1=BI

Given the headlines associated with invisibility cloaks, you could be forgiven for thinking that a Star Trek-style cloaking device will be available in stores before the holiday season. Sadly, no. It’s true that in recent years researchers have made great strides in their theoretical understanding of how these cloaks work and consequently built increasingly complex and impressive devices. But these devices generally work in the microwave region of the electromagnetic spectrum, where wavelengths are measured in centimetres. A few teams have made devices that work in the optical realm but only in two dimensions and over extremely short distances.

http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/arxiv/27838/?p1=blogs

Google’s Project Glass glasses might not be the most stylish pair of lenses you’ve ever worn, but a new image released by the search company shows how far they might go in changing the state of photography. Google fellow and vice president Sebastian Thrun yesterday posted an image he took while wearing his Project Glass eyewear. In it, he’s spinning his son, Jasper, around with both hands while the glasses he’s wearing snap the photo. Soon after it was posted, the image went viral on the Google+ social network, and it was reposted by company co-founder Sergey Brin, who called it “an amazing capture.” Thrun’s posting has 500 comments — nearly all of which laud the photo — and about 1,800 +1 votes. It’s just as popular elsewhere it was posted across the social network.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57430676-93/googles-project-glass-action-photos-from-your-eyewear/?tag=mncol;topStories

Microsoft has pledged to help protect the environment by reducing its carbon footprint. From July 1st 2012 its data centres, software development labs and office buildings would all be carbon neutral, the firm announced. Environmental groups have called on the technology industry to adopt more renewable energy sources. Rivals Facebook and Google have pledged to move away from coal-powered data centres.

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-17991865

Microsoft has shown off an augmented reality system that allows users at different locations to work together on tabletop activities, sharing objects which they can both handle. The MirageTable was demonstrated at a conference in Austin, Texas and is outlined on the firm’s research site. Researchers said it could “fool” the eye to suggest both parties were using a “seamless 3D shared task space”. The team admitted more work was needed before the system could be marketed.

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-18005498

Not too long ago, “wireless” meant having a cell phone that could be used to make calls and send text messages. That has changed significantly over the past couple of years, with the rapid adoption of smartphones and tablets, and the billions of dollars wireless carriers like AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint and T-Mobile have spent to upgrade their network infrastructures. That competition is only expected to intensify as these carriers build out Long-Term Evolution (LTE) 4G networks in the coming year. Wireless now has become a way of life for consumers and is quickly becoming the way organizations do business. The devices also are coming in all shapes and sizes, from traditional smartphones to tablets the size of Toshiba’s 13.3-inch Excite 13. In addition to the various devices, there also was an emphasis on wireless security, which is a growing concern. As smartphones and tablets become more popular with consumers and business users alike, they also will become more attractive targets for cyber-criminals.

http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Mobile-and-Wireless/Samsung-HTC-Toshiba-LG-Show-Off-Smartphones-Tablets-More-at-CTIA-267082/