Weekend Wrap-Up: Facebook Introduces 'Save' Feature; OS X Yosemite Now in Public Beta
It’s Sunday already? You bet it is. The weekend is winding down, and we have a whole new week of tech news in front of us. But before we get to that, let’s review some of the biggest stories from this past week, including headlines from companies like Facebook, Apple and Nvidia.
Facebook Introduces Save Feature
Is Facebook turning into Microsoft Word? No, it’s not that kind of “Save” feature, though it could prove very useful for those who click a lot of links on the site. Facebook’s Save is more like a “Pin This” or “Save to Pocket,” where posts and links on the website or in the mobile app can be stored away in a special “Saved” section, which lets you come back to them later. Unlike Pocket, however, Facebook’s Saved section is not readable offline, but if you want to check something out and don’t have time, it’s a nice way to bookmark.
Apple’s OS X Yosemite Now in Public Beta
If you’ve been itching to try out Apple’s latest version of OS X, Yosemite, in the words of Lumière, be our guest. The company opened its in-development desktop operating system to the public this week, so anyone can install it and try it out, developer or not. The OS adds some neat tricks, especially a feature called Hand-off that enables your OS X computer and iOS mobile device to work more closely together. OS X Yosemite is expected to launch sometime in September or October.
Nvidia Announces Shield Tablet
The Nvidia Shield is an interesting device, straddling the PC gaming world and the not-as-bountiful world of Android gaming. It’s safe to say that its upcoming sibling, the Nvidia Shield Tablet, will be just as interesting. But will it suffer from the same issues? After all, we’ve not seen any killer Android games come to market as a result of the Shield, or the Ouya, or the Gamestick. What will make the Shield Tablet any different? We’ll see if Nvidia can make those doubts disappear in time.
Phone Unlocking Bill Just Needs Obama’s Signature to Pass
With all of the FCC net neutrality stuff going on, as well as the possible mergers of Comcast/Time Warner Cable and AT&T/DirecTV, it’s pretty easy to be disappointed with the way the government protects consumers. But every once in a while, a piece of legislation does come along to make the lives of ordinary people a little better, and the bill allowing people to unlock cell phones is one. The bill, which just recently passed the House and is now headed to President Obama’s desk, would let phone customers unlock a device in order to switch to a new carrier after their two-year agreement is up. Unfortunately, even if it’s signed into law, it won’t be permanent; the Library of Congress may review it in a few years.