Beeper says it reverse-engineered iMessage into an Android app

The universal chat app Beeper just got a lot more, well, universal. The company just unveiled the Beeper Mini app, which makes the bold claim to bring true iMessage support to Android devices. Even bolder? It seems to actually work, according to users who have tried it. This isn’t done in a strange hacky way that could compromise privacy and security, like Nothing’s beleaguered attempt to play nice with iOS devices. Beeper co-founder Eric Migicovsky, formerly of Pebble fame, told Engadget that his latest project is about scaling up his service. You see, the original Beeper app relied on a farm of Mac mini servers to act as relays, which left a lot of potential users on a waitlist. Then comes Beeper Mini, which taps straight into the official iMessage protocol thanks to some cunning reverse engineering. The texts are even sent to Apple’s servers before moving on to their final destination, just like a real iMessage created by an iPhone. Even weirder? All of this high-tech wizardry was created by a 16-year-old high school student. Once you open the app, it goes through all of your text message conversations and flags the ones from iMessage users. The system then switches them over to blue bubble conversations via Apple’s official platform. From then on, every time you talk to that person, the bubbles will be bluer than a clear spring day — no more social stigma linked to green bubbles. You also don’t need an Apple ID to login, alleviating many of the security concerns that... Continue reading at 'Engadget'

[ Engadget | 2023-12-05 17:22:50 UTC ]
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Apple to give away songs, ebooks, apps during '12 Days of Gifts'

Apple will be giving away digital gifts every day for 12 days after Christmas to users of an app released Tuesday.     Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2013-12-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Penguin teams up with Readmill on booksharing app

Free app allows ebook readers to share highlights and update to social media websitesPenguin UK has teamed up with the Berlin-based ebook app developer Readmill to bolster direct ebook sales.The app allows readers to share ebook highlights and to talk to each other while they're reading,... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2013-11-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #biggest brands #mission statement


Google Play update showcases big-screen optimized apps on tablets

As promised a month or so ago, Google Play is implementing a few changes today that'll push tablet-optimized apps to the forefront. That is, if you're using a device not quite small enough to be considered a phone (though we admit there are certain handhelds that bridge the gap). Indeed, tablet... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2013-11-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #tablet users #google play #android tablets


Google Play Newsstand merges Currents, magazines and newspapers on Android today, iOS in 2014

Google is not particularly great at keeping secrets. Its Nexus devices always leak and peeks at code are constantly revealing features before they're announced. So, it's no surprise that, exactly one month after we reported references to a Google Play Newsstand popping up, Mountain View is... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2013-11-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #personal data #home screen #magazine subscriptions #content hub


Former Kate Spade Art Director Develops An Adorbs Book App For Kids

My Monster, by Julianna Goodman, bridges the divide between slick digital storytelling and homemade visuals.It's rare to see and "touch" things on the iPad screen that evoke the texture, color, and unpolished feel of real life. Fortunately, a new children's book app corrects that shortcoming,... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2013-11-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #real life #ipad screen


Wheelbarrow produces Shaun Tan app

An app has been produced for author-illustrator Shaun Tan’s latest title, Rules of Summer (... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-11-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #latest title


Pitchfork Launches “Weekly Magazine” App

Most successful content sites are monetizing with sheer volume now, but Pitchfork is betting there's still a place for lean-back engagement. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2013-11-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #sheer volume


Polaroid Kids Tablet 2 comes loaded with apps from Cartoon Network, Disney and Marvel

A kid-friendly tablet often isn't enough by itself to keep little tykes happy -- you have to get the content they want, too. Polaroid is counting on this formula to lure parents to its newly available Kids Tablet 2. The 7-inch slate comes preloaded with the full versions of 70-plus apps and... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2013-11-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #cartoon network


Enthrill Reimagines “The Original Discovery Engine” for Ebooks

Enthrill's Kevin Franco discusses his company's distribution platform to make ebooks salable in brick-and-mortar stores through ebook gift cards and author cards. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-10-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #brick-and-mortar stores #distribution platform


Official Facebook app (finally!) available for Windows 8.1 users

For all the improvements Microsoft has made in bolstering the Windows Store's app selection, one insistent question has held back the company's dreams of grandeur: "Yeah, but where's Facebook?" Indeed, the largest social network in the land has been a conspicuous no-show in Microsoft app... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2013-10-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A Year of Lessons from Korea’s Book App Developer Moglue

TaeWoo Kim, CEO of Moglue — the Korean platform for book app development — reflects on the first year in business after launching his publishing-related startup. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-10-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Scribd launches subscription ebook service for Android, iOS and web

Many of us associate Scribd with embedded documents on websites, but the company has been quietly building an ebook platform -- first by selling content and later by soft-launching a subscription service. The company is now making its strategy clear by formally launching the ebook service and... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2013-10-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #back catalog #major publisher


Lucidpress: drop-and-drag publishing app simplifies document design

For professional looking design, Adobe Creative Suite products such as InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop are feature-rich tools you can use to create stunning projects. But using them isn’t cheap. Creative Cloud, which gives you Web access to these software offerings  is $50 a month, and even... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2013-10-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Facebook's new mobile ad format keeps users coming back to familiar apps

Ads for mobile apps are frequently ineffective after the first viewing -- once users install a given app, they rarely have incentives to try the software again. Facebook may have found a way to sustain customers' interest through its new deep linking ad format, however. The approach takes... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2013-10-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Goodbye typos: Facebook adds 'edit post' feature for desktop, Android

Facebook users, rejoice: You can now edit posts after they've been published.     Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2013-09-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #facebook users #facebook adds


Page Turners: The Best Smartphone Apps for Serious Readers

Bookworms are always seeking new text to devour. These apps will help procure ebooks, stories from the web, audiobooks, and even dusty analog tomes.     Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2013-09-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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How Did Newspapers Blow It? Not Enough Engineers, NYT Publisher Says

It would be hard to single out just one mistake from the news industry’s fumbled transition to the Internet era. But the most important newspaper publisher in America—Arthur Sulzberger, Jr. of the New York Times—says one ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2013-09-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Kindle's iOS app gets a flatter design to match iOS 7

We swear, we won't be giving you the blow-by-blow on every single app that gets updated for iOS 7 today, but this one seemed like a biggie. Amazon just announced that its Kindle reader for iOS has received a major redesign, with fonts, menus and other details retooled to match the flat,... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2013-09-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #major redesign #app brings #single app


The App That's Going Large

BigOven has something for everyone, and seemingly something from everyone, whether they know it or not. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-09-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Niche News Apps Reign Supreme on Smartphones

Mobile devices are fast becoming the preferred way for people to keep up on the news, but a new survey of consumers shows big usage differences by gender, app type and device. Men were much more likely than women to download news apps for the smartphone, while women often were more likely to... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2013-09-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #carlos monteiro #mobile devices