ASUS Qube to launch on April 23rd, says GTV Source, will cost $129

Remember that Google TV device ASUS brought out at CES? It could be available later this month. When the ASUS Qube's March 2013 release window passed without fanfare, the folks at GTV Source took note and did some probing -- eventually uncovering an April 23rd launch date. ASUS hasn't made a statement regarding pricing or availability, but the site says the release date and a $129 sticker price were confirmed by the manufacturer. When the streaming box does get here, it'll feature its own shape-themed UI, controllable by either the Qube's own remote, or via any Android device running a companion app. We'll let you know when ASUS makes things official. In the meantime, feel free to check our hands-on to see if it's hip to be square.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, ASUS
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Source: GTV Source

AllThingsD: Twitter's music app launches April 12th

Hungry for the fruits of Twitter's latest acquisition? According to AllThingsD, you won't have to wait long. The usual unnamed sources have told the outlet that Twitter's new music app is due out this Friday, April 12th. True to We Are Hunted's roots, it's said the app will focus on music discovery, suggesting tunes and artists based on various factors, including who you follow on a certain social network. Soundcloud, iTunes and Vevo will apparently do the heavy lifting when it comes to music and video playback, though -- the app won't be a digital music store. Twitter itself is mum on details at this point, but we'll let you know if a little bird tells us anything.
Filed under: Software, Mobile
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Source: AlllThingsD

Google delivers EU antitrust concessions, now subject to feedback from rivals

There's no question that most of the talk between Google and EU regulators over the firm's search ranking practices have taken place behind closed doors, but now the antitrust inquiry is one step closer to a binding resolution. Following a preliminary assessment in which the European Commission laid out its concerns, Google has offered up a formal list of commitments in attempt to assuage the regulator -- and in the process, avoid a nasty fine that could top $5 billion. Reuters sources suggest that one concession may involve labels within search results that distinguish Google's services from those of its rivals, but whatever the final resolution entails, EU Commissioner Joaquin Almunia asserts that it'll be a legally binding agreement. As for the next step, Google's proposal will be subject to input from its peers, which includes complainants such as Microsoft. If there were ever an opportunity to kick up some dust, we reckon this'd be it. Then again, it could be that Redmond is more preoccupied with Android nowadays.
Filed under: Internet, Google
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Source: Reuters

Creative T3150 delivers stealthy, 2.1-channel Bluetooth audio on the cheap

Bluetooth speakers still tend to revolve around portable designs, but there's been a gradual shift toward traditional-looking speakers that just happen to have short-range wireless as an option. Creative's T3150 is proof positive: while it's an entry-level, 2.1-channel PC speaker on the outside, it stuffs in stereo Bluetooth audio to handle mobile devices in a pinch. Mind you, that's not the only thing Creative is stealthy about. Although the company is willing to say that the T3150 has an Image Focusing Plate to widen the listening sweet spot, there's no mention of the power output; we've reached out for more detail. At prices of £60 and €70 (around $100) for the planned May launch, though, we'd expect a modest amount of wireless audio power.
Filed under: Peripherals, Portable Audio/Video
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Source: Creative

Mozilla CEO Gary Kovacs announces plans to step down

It's been less than three years since Gary Kovacs came on as CEO of Mozilla and the former Adobe exec is already planning his next venture, which he says will be more commercial in nature. Later this year Kovacs will officially step down as CEO, though he will remain on the board of directors. Under his tenure, Firefox has held its own in a rapidly changing browser market while making strong moves in the mobile space: first, launching a mobile browser, then a whole mobile OS all its own. Now the company is working closely with Samsung to build a rendering engine designed from the ground up for mobile and ARM, called Servo. The search is now on for a replacement for Kovacs who will continue in the chief executive role until later this year. Whoever steps into those shoes still has a lot of work to do. While Kovacs may have helped guide the company through some rough waters to remain relevant, there are still stiff challenges ahead. Skip on past the break to read the announcement sent to employees this morning.
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Source: AllThingsD

Novation announces Launchpad S with better MIDI support, we go hands-on (video)

A couple of years is a pretty good run in MIDI controller-land. It was 2009 when Novation's Launchpad turned the Ableton world onto its simplistic charms. It appears, however, the firm's decided it was long overdue a refresh, so that's exactly what it's done. Say hello to the Launchpad S. What does the S stand for? We're not entirely sure, but it could be for speedy, as Novation has ramped up the refresh rate to give a snappier response when you switch between modes.
It could also be for superior lights, as the brightness has been dialled up in response to user feedback. It's also worth noting these pads are entirely USB-powered, making it trickier than simply sucking down more juice. One other superficial change -- perhaps more to give it its own sense of identity than anything else -- is a change of color. It's out with the original's black, and in with an almost metallic gray. So far so good, but we're really thinking that S stands for "software." Why? Because thanks to standards compliant MIDI implementation, the Launchpad S is now plug-and-play with a whole host more applications, not least core-MIDI iOS apps such as the popular FL Studio Mobile. We took a few minutes to get to know the Launchpad S a little better, which you can see in our video past the break.

Gallery: Novation Launchpad S hands-on

Filed under: Misc, Peripherals
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Dropbox for Teams becomes Dropbox for Business, adds single sign-on for good measure

As often as Dropbox has been courting serious cloud storage users with Dropbox for Teams, it doesn't feel that the name reflects the company's loftier ambitions -- so it's giving the service a rebranding. Now called Dropbox for Business, it's pitched more directly at the suit-and-tie set. There's more than just talk involved in the new strategy, though. The shift also sees Dropbox build in identity management from five providers so that Dropbox users don't have to sign into the service if they're already logged in elsewhere: they can hop on to the corporate Active Directory service, for example and have Dropbox ready for action soon after. We doubt that the new moves by themselves will sway IT managers, but they may help would-be users who've been on the fence.
Filed under: Storage, Internet
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Via: TechCrunch
Source: Dropbox (1), (2)