VIDEO VIEWER
Watch any movie file format on your iOS device
One of the biggest drawbacks to the iPad is Apple’s decision to restrict the types of videos users can view on the tablet. You’ll need a third-party app to view AVI, MKV and many other popular movie formats. GPlayer is a solid option for $3. Movies sync fast via iTunes and you can upload using Wi-Fi. There’s a handy in-app option that allows you to lock the screen while viewing the video. The app also works on iPhones and iPods running iOS 3.2 or later.
Andy Vuong, The Denver Post
KIDS TRAVEL FUN
Crayon box update
Here’s a tip for parents who aspire to prepare what they hope will be hours of activities to keep kids occupied during summer travel. Instead of cumbersome crayons and coloring books, children’s packing and travel expert Rachel Stephens recommends Crayola’s new ColorStudio HD ($29.99). This boxed set includes an iMarker digital stylus that works with an iPad and takes the place of crayons, markers, colored pencils — even a paintbrush. It puts about 100 colors right in a kid’s palm, including fun shades like “macaroni and cheese.” And the accompanying app will turn even the most avowed scribbler into a budding Picasso, with a blank sketchbook and a whole animated world (sound effects and music included) that kids can pour their imaginations into, then print, Facebook and e-mail to friends.
Kathy Witt, McClatchy-Tribune
GOOGLE SHIFT
Shopping site to favor advertisers
Google Inc. has unveiled major changes to its shopping business that will likely prove controversial in the e-commerce world. Starting in the fall, product search results for users in the United States will be influenced by how much retailers and advertisers pay, a company executive said. In the past, product search results were based mainly on relevance and the program was free. Google, the world’s most popular Internet search engine, also will rename its service Google Shopping from the current Google Product Search. The company has been in the product listing and search business for about a decade. During that time, it has provided merchants with free access to shoppers. “Today, that model goes away,” said Eric Best, CEO of Mercent, which helps retailers sell through Google and other e-commerce websites. “It’s a very big deal.”
Alistair Barr, Reuters
