The practice of paying for fake reviews, otherwise known as "astroturfing," seems to be growing in prevalence in the digital industry, and on a day that has seen Samsung fined a hefty some for engaging in such behavior, it looks as though the ever-desperate BlackBerry has been doing some astroturfing of its own. The Google Play Store review page of the newly-released BlackBerry Messenger has been inundated with suspiciously similar looking reviews from a number of "consumers," and although we already knew how much was at stake for BlackBerry with regards to the release of BBM, this move seems a little excessive.
Whenever a new OS is released on any platform, there usually lies a series of hidden gems and goodies within, and OS X Mavericks, which released earlier on this week at Apple's special iPad event, is no exception to the rule. As well as the new stock wallpapers, there are 43 "hidden" backgrounds on offer to those on the new, California-themed flavor of OS X, and although they don't necessarily relate to the fruit company's home state, they are still rather easy on the eye. If you are looking for some alternative backdrops for your newly-updated Mac, then check out the details after the jump!
So, having all this fancy technology is no good if it's just so slow that we just don't use it. Friction, or the lack of it, can be something that either makes or breaks a product whether that product be hardware or software. Take Google Now as an example.
There have been software updates flying around like confetti for the last few days, and while the Mac, iPhone, iPad and even the iPod touch have all received new versions of their software recently, it seems that someone inside Apple still had time to remember the company's hobby.
As fans of the show continue to lament the end of popular TV series Breaking Bad, the guy behind the main character of Breaking Bad - Walter White - has already managed to wrangle himself a pretty decent new role - as the voice of one of Apple's new ad for the iPad Air. The device, which succeeds the fourth-generation Apple tablet as of next month, has already caused a bit of a stir among tech fans, and with Cranston's influential tone now a part of the ad campaign, expect the tactically-entitled slate to sell well in its first week on sale.
You'd have thought, given that Samsung has recently garnered negative press for its benchmark faking tactics, that the Korean giant would be keeping its nose clean, but after an investigation by Taiwan's Fair Trade Commission (FTC), the company has to pay a fine of hundreds of thousands of dollars for negative comments made about competitors. As with the benchmark scandal, the issue dates back some time, and with Samsung having also been caught out paying for positive reviews, the investigation will now see Samsung pay the penalty.
A lot has been made of Apple's decision to offer a multitude of different color options with the iPhone 5c, and naturally, every buyer of the device has been faced with the dilemma of which one to pick. After all, when you're making such a significant investment, it's always best not to opt for a shade you're likely to grow quickly bored of. Thankfully, the creativity of George Michael Brower has altered the dynamic of this conundrum by helping you turn your colorful device into your very own Pokémon.
When you're on the way down it can often feel like events somehow transpire against you. It can almost feel like the world is against you, and that you just can't catch a break. We can't help but think that's exactly what the people at BlackBerry are feeling like right now.
As was the case with the iPhone releases last month, the announcement of two new iPads is likely to drum up a series of special trade-in offers throughout the retail market, and, as ever, Best Buy is leading the way. Through November 9th, the retail chain will be offering $200 credit for your old iPad, which you can then put towards a newer model, and although, as is often the case, you stand to lose quite a bit compared with selling privately, you don't then have to go through the rather tiresome rigmarole of waiting for payment, making provisions for potential dispute, packing up and sending the device.
The mobile industry is a collection of platforms through which many genres of game have thrived over the past few years, and tower defense titles have certainly found a loving home among casual gamers. No TD title has been more popular than Electronic Arts' Plants Vs. Zombies, though, and with the sequel to the original having recently been released to Android in certain parts of the world, today, it appears to be available worldwide. Full details, as well as the download link, can be found after the break.
