Friday marks the end of the March business month, which means Apple has yet to release any significant new products for the entire first calendar quarter of this year. We’re pretty sure the folks in Cupertino aren’t just taking naps at their desk, however, and we fully expect to see them unleash a lineup of new stuff soon enough. Until then, here’s what you might have missed on Thursday…
OUYA Game Console Hits Retail on June 4
Engadget reported Thursday that the Kickstarter crowdfunded OUYA game console finally appears to have a solid retail release date: June 4, 2013. The company announced the news at this week’s Game Developers Conference, which means those who missed out on buying the Android-powered game box on Kickstarter won’t have much longer to wait to buy one. The company is already accepting online preorders for , but the “official” June 4 release date will add major retailers including Target, Best Buy and Amazon.com to the mix.
Find My Friends 2.1 Improves Notification UI
Apple pushed out an update to the free, universal Find My Friends app on Thursday — sorry, the faux leather look is still there, but version 2.1 does offer one user interface improvement for users on iOS 6.1 or later. Searching for and setting location-based notifications now has a few subtle tweaks, allowing users to better establish how far away from a specific location you need to be before a notification is triggered — perfect for differentiating between different buildings on the same property, for example. Find My Friends 2.1 is now available as a free update from the App Store.
Gameloft Teases Iron Man 3 for iOS, Android
Marvel Comics fans still have more than a month of waiting before Iron Man 3 wings its way into movie theaters, but Gameloft is gearing up to unleash the official mobile game a bit sooner than that. The company has posted the first teaser trailer for Iron Man 3: The Official Game to YouTube, which promises a “fast-paced, endless runner” as players become Tony Stark and “suit up for an awesome run.” The game will touch down on iOS and Android devices on April 25, giving players just over a week before they’ll need to clean up and head to the theater to see the real thing.
Amazon Announces Goodreads Acquisition
E-tailer Amazon announced an agreement to acquire Goodreads, a popular website that connects readers with book recommendations. Goodreads has racked up more than 16 million members since launching in 2007, and counts more than 30,000 book clubs on its website. Amazon hasn’t detailed their plans for Goodreads as yet, with Kindle Content Vice-President Russ Grandinetti teasing that “together we intend to build many new ways to delight readers and authors alike.” Neither company disclosed the terms of the acquisition, which is expected to close in Q2 2013.
Google Begins Testing Same-Day Shopping Express Delivery
The Google Commerce Blog announced Thursday that the recently-rumored, same-day Google Shopping Express delivery service is indeed real and is now live in the San Francisco Bay area. Together with retail partners Target, Walgreens, Staples, American Eagle and Toys ‘R Us/Babies ‘R Us, the web-based service allows local residents to order online and receive your merchandise the very same day. Google has also partnered with a number of locally-owned retailers including Blue Bottle Coffee, Palo Alto Toy & Shop and Nob Hill Foods. Interested San Franciscans will need to sign up for Google Shopping Express online, but will receive six months of free, unlimited same-day delivery for their trouble.
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