Facebook ha añadido hoy una nueva función a su aplicación Messenger para dispositivos iOS y Android. Ahora la app permite grabar mensajes de voz y enviarlos directamente al receptor del chat. Un sistema a lo "walkie-talkie" que ya popularizaron algunas aplicaciones como HeyTell para Android, pero que ahora llega a la red social más popular para que puedas utilizarlo con todos tus contactos.

La nueva función está accesible desde el menú "+" y aparece como "Grabar voz". El funcionamiento es similar al que introdujera hace unos años MSN Messenger. Basta con pulsar el botón de grabación, grabar el mensaje deseado y, al soltar el botón, el mensaje se envía automáticamente a su destinatario. Un detalle interesante es que, si deslizamos el dedo a un lado en mitad de la grabación, podremos cancelar el envío.

Facebook se suma así a Skype, Line, Viber y un largo etcétera de aplicaciones que ofrecen la posibilidad de enviar mensajes de voz a través de internet. Una opción más para los usuarios y otro dolor de cabeza para las operadoras de telefonía, que este año verán amenazados todavía más sus ingresos por llamadas convencionales.

An Apple patent published yesterday by the USPTO and unearthed by Patently Apple is a reminder that Apple was actually working on wearable tech in the form of content-delivery glasses, at least on paper, long before Google debuted Google Glass. Apple originally filed a patent for its own Glass Project back in 2006, and this latest patent sketches out the details for a device that could someday go head-to-head with similar offerings from both Google and Microsoft.

In the new patent, Apple describes a “portable presentation device” which could be any device that a user wears that also provides them with access to visual or audio media content. It’s a fairly broad description, and I think that’s the intent: Apple has always had a habit of patenting ideas first, and worrying about bringing them to market later. That’s why the company is in such a strong position with regards to smartphone patents, despite actually being a relatively late entrant to the market vs. other cell phone makers.

The patent goes on to note that a portable presentation device could take the form of “a set of goggles that fit over the user’s eyes with display and perhaps sound producing capability, a faceplate that covers the front of the user’s face with display and perhaps sound producing capability, or any other headwear that has display and perhaps sound producing capability.” They could also contain sensors to detect a user’s presence, and in one version of the system described, the device is able to tell from how it’s being worn whether the user wants it to be active or not – so that lifting glasses with the tech built-in, for instance, would pause media playback.

So far, it sounds like Apple is essentially describing what could be an iOS-powered version of the virtual big screen home video goggles already available on the market, but the patent also describes ways in which they could activate communicate features, like making a phone call or connecting to a video conference. It also describes potential integration of live media services, streamed from Internet sources, as well as cable or satellite, yet another indication Apple is actively looking into the future of television.

Apple’s vision is still more focused on wearable media delivery, versus the AR-type features that Google is making the central feature of its Project Glass device, which is also where Microsoft seems to be headed according to its own recent patent filing. But all of these massive tech companies are clearly trying to plant their flags for the next stage of mobile tech, which begins to look increasingly like it’ll take the form of something we wear, not something we carry.

Source http://techcrunch.com

Though the announcement of the iPad mini was not a surprise at Apple’s product event on Tuesday, Apple did introduce a new memory drive few people in the audience had heard of called Fusion Drive, for the newly released iMac and Mac mini.

Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing, Phil Schiller, unveiled Fusion Drive during his presentation of the new Mac products and upgrades. Fusion Drive is an optional feature that merges a 128GB flash drive (SSD) with a 1TB or 3TB hard drive — both into a single volume. It can be purchased as part of the new Macs, and in lieu of the traditional HDD or the latest Flash drives.

Schiller said the hybrid Fusion Drive will mean faster read and write performance for disk-intensive tasks and applications, such as increased speed for importing photos into Aperture and iPhoto, faster video rendering in iMovie, a 1.7x boot system rate for launching apps, and much more. Fusion Drive kicks in automatically with no prior need for setup or drive management.

El 19 de septiembre pasado se presentó iOS 6, el nuevo sistema operativo para iPhone 3GS/4/4S/5, iPod Touch, iPad 2 y el nuevo iPad. iOS 6 es para muchos el sistema operativo más avanzado que existe para dispositivos móviles por la forma en que busca mejorar la experiencia de usuario, algo que se experimenta en cada detalle de sus aplicaciones.

Después de habernos quedado con un sabor amargo el año pasado esperando el iPhone 5 y desayunándonos con el iPhone 4S llegó el momento, Apple finalmente presentó hoy su nuevo iPhone.

As part of the recent iPhone 5 media event, Apple demonstrated and reviewed their next operating system update, iOS 6, for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. The iOS 6 update will be available for download on September 19, followed by the sale of the new iPhone on September 21st. The 5th generation iPod touch will go on sale in October.

The vice president of iOS software, Scott Forstall, gave a basic overview of the new release which will include changes and enhancements to all the built-apps for iOS devices, including Siri, Maps, Music, FaceTime, Messages, Safari, AirPlay, and Game Center. The iOS 6 update will be free and will run on all iOS devices including and since the iPhone 3GS. Here are a few highlights.