Instagram 3.0 is out: geotagged Photo Maps, UI tweaks, snappiness

Following up on June’s big update, Instagram today pushed out a major new version to its mobile app for iOS and Android, bringing with it a bunch of changes, visual tweaks and interesting new features. The app’s explore tab and the photo upload screen have been re-worked with cleaner layout, the experience feels much snappier and you can now browse geotagged images in an all-new Photo Maps view

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Apple to take on Photoshop, Illustrator with own iOS, Mac drawing apps, patent hints

Apple could be working on a sophisticated vector drawing app for Macs and iOS devices plus a bitmap image editing app akin to Adobe’s Illustrator and Photoshop software, respectively, a new patent filing published by the United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) reveals.

The invention calls for extensive use of gestures to interact with the user interface, the tools and on-screen objects, including the ability to change any input tool property in response to any particular input gesture and a new way to handle the layers madness

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Apple pushing for e-book trial, deems DoJ settlement with publishers unlawful

As you know, the United States Department of Justice (DoJ) in April filed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple and five publishers for alleged price fixing related to digital books. Though the Government proposed a settlement with Hachette SA, HarperCollins and Simon & Schuster, Apple is now calling that deal “fundamentally unfair, unlawful, and unprecedented”, arguing that litigation is needed.

Claiming the Government has “unwittingly placed a thumb on the scales in favor of Amazon”, Apple says that the proposed settlement would “terminate and rewrite Apple’s bargained-for contracts” before the company has a chance to defend itself

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iOS devices could gain NFC and fingerprint sensors from AuthenTec

Apple’s unexpected $356 million acquisition of mobile security and smart sensors experts AuthenTec was finalized with an unusual urgency as the transaction will likely result in future iOS devices getting advanced built-in fingerprint and NFC sensors. Furthermore, it would seem Apple’s offer to AuthenTec even included an IP agreement giving Apple rights to use AuthenTec’s patents on an exclusive basis and even license them out to third-parties

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Samsung designer: work on Galaxy Tab 10.1 preceded iPad unveiling

Today, Samsung’s new 10-inch Galaxy Note tablet goes on sale in the United States, priced at $499/$549 for the 16/32GB version. The device comes with a stylus and has some interesting multitasking functionality. Samsung also has another 10.1-inch tablet, the Galaxy Tab. The device sports more traditional design akin to iPad and as such has caused contention between Samsung and Apple, resulting in Apple’s copycat accusations.

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