 On the same day Verizon and Redbox announced it had formed a partnership to create a new video streaming service, Redbox appeared a second time with another announcement. Redbox has agreed to purchase assets from NCR Corporation. NCR Corporation specializes in operating a range of self-service kiosks including Blockbuster Express.
The deal is worth up to $100 million. For its money, Redbox is getting DVD kiosks, DVD inventory and contracts with unspecified retail partners. Redbox’s parent company Coinstar will be obligated to purchase products and services from NCR once the transaction is finalized during the third quarter of 2012. The obvious question here is what will happen to the Blockbuster Express kiosks. We’ve asked the folks at Blockbuster that very question and will update you when we learn more. Read [Engadget]  
Google is ready to star laying down fiber for the Google Fiber initiative. The company will soon start laying the backbone for the 1Gbps connection that it plans to bring to Kansa City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri. The backbone is the first step to bringing fiber to both cities, Google needs to set up the main connection. Then the search giant can start connecting communities and homes to the network. Google has said that it wants to have the project completed in 2012, but there’s not set date for when it’ll be ready. Google will update the timeline as it starts building the backbone, but for now it just needs to start building. Read [Google Fiber Blog] via [Electronista]  
Mobile music discovery Android app, Rdio has just updated their app bringing in newly redesigned interface as well as some other nice features that will make you like the app even more. The updated Rdio Android app now offers more intuitive navigation using one-click access to its features. The updated also introduced enhancements to its key features such as collection, playlists, new releases, top charts, recommendations, and support for Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich’s new remote control client. The app also now gives you more social features and options for discovering new music. The new features of the Rdio Android app include – streamlined top-level navigation, convenient control, new releases, top charts, recommendations, enhanced search, synched collection and playlist views, user profiles, and the other features of the previous versions including activity, collection, heavy rotation, playlists, listening history, synching for offline access and other control settings for synching and streaming on Wi-Fi or 3G. The updated Rdio app is available now as a free download from the Android Market for the US, Canada, Brazil, Germany, Australia and New Zealand markets. You need to have an unlimited subscription though to access Rdio on your Android devices though. The good news is that Rdio offers several subscription options depending on your music streaming needs. Pricing starts from as low as $4.99 monthly. Via [PR Newswire]  
In case black isn’t your preferred color of choice for the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, then you will be happy to know that the white variant of the Android 4.0 device is just a week away from launch. However, it is important to remind our readers that the white version will be available in the United Kingdom first, before hopefully making its way to the United States. The front portion of the Galaxy Nexus will remain black, as depicted in the image above, but the back and sides of the device will turn white. We first learned that the Samsung Galaxy Nexus would launch eventually in the UK in white because of a prematurely published product listing by Clove. As always, however, it is nice to have official confirmation from the manufacturer itself. Expect the white Galaxy Nexus to retail for the same price as the black model, which is currently available. Again, it will be available in retail stores in the United Kingdom starting February 13. Via [Android Central]  
Rogers Canada via its official blog has just announced the coming of two new LTE devices, the Sierra Wireless AirCard330U model of the LTE Rocket stick and the Sierra Wireless AirCard 763S LTE Rocket mobile hotspot. Offering maximum theoretical speeds of up to 100 Mbps, these devices were said to be the first devices to support connectivity on both the 1700/2100 Mhz and the 2600 MHz spectrum on Rogers LTE network. Download speeds for this network is up to 40 Mbps as compared to 12-25 Mbps for devices on 1700/2100 MHz only. To make these two LTE devices even more worth-getting, Rogers will be extending its range of 4G HSPA+ mobile internet plans to LTE such as the Flex Rate plan for the Rocket stick and mobile hotspot. Pricing for these plans starts from $22.93 per month and Flex Rate plans for tablet beginning from $7.93 per month. Rogers will also continue offering the LTE Introductory Plan which costs $52.93 for 10 GB/month on a three-year term. For smartphones, Rogers will also be expanding its range of LTE-ready plans including Voice and Data plans starting from $52.97 per month and $25/500MB Data plan options that you can opt to be added on any voice plan. All the pricing options for these LTE devices and data plans will be available starting this week. Via [RedBoard]  
Recently a rumor popped up that Nokia was lining up a quick successor to the Lumia 900 in the form of the Lumia 910. Now Nokia has come out and said that no such device is in the works. The Lumia 910 was said to be similar to the Lumia 900 with a 12MP camera on the back, as opposed to the 900′s 8MP camera. Now there should be no fear that the Lumia 900 will be quickly outdated by Nokia, an idea that fits with Microsoft’s idea of quality over quantity. Windows Phone still runs on single core CPUs with 800×480 screens, it doesn’t make much sense to start warring over megapixels when Android can beat pretty much every spec. Instead the idea is to focus on creating a great experience, one that looks different than Android and iOS and builds in a lot of social network connections. Of course the news is sad from a smartphone photographer’s point of view, but I find this to be great news. I was already contemplating picking up the Lumia 900, but the idea of a new, slightly better version coming out within just a few weeks made worried. The same sort of feeling, I’d imagine that Droid RAZR owners felt when the RAZR MAXX was announced. For Windows Phone, there’s the looming Apollo update which could make for better phones, but that won’t be out for a few months. Read [The Next Web]   We’ve all been in a situation when we’re walking around in public with our eyes glued to our smartphones. We have to keep looking up whenever we do this because there’s always the risk of running into someone or something while our attention is diverted. That’s where a new app called Transparent Screen comes in. Transparent Screen uses the rear camera on an Android phone to provide a window into the real world while allowing you to use your phone as normal.
Transparent Screen is free, but there’s another version with no ads for $0.99. The app lets you adjust the transparency of your screen with a simple slider. You can also increase the screen’s resolution at will. It may all sound like a sweet deal, but Transparent Screen needs a lot of resources to function. It’s a guaranteed battery eater. You may also experience problems with lag even if you’re using a fairly modern phone. It’s worth checking out just to see how well the app works for you. Use it sparingly though. Download Link [Android Market]   You may not have noticed, but a bogus Instagram for Android app recently appeared in the Android Market. The fake Instagram app played on the desires of Android users to finally have access to one of the most popular apps on iOS. Unfortunately, it turns out this app did nothing but fill phones with malware.
We’re mentioning the fake Instagram app because In Flex We Trust received a notification to download Instagram for Android on their Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. However, the Android Market link to the Instagram app didn’t work. This leads us to believe there’s a possibility Samsung was suckered into believing the fake app was legit as well. The bogus Instagram app apparently made users give it a five-star rating before they could use it. As a result, the app received a high rating before it was removed from the Android Market. Read [AndroidGuys] Also Read [In Flex We Trust]   A lot of us out there are waiting for a company to provide a true Netflix-like experience for e-books. Amazon and Kobo have dabbled in this kind of service with the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library and the Kobo 2012 Book Club, but there is no all-you-can-eat option from either of these companies. On the other side of the spectrum, we have Audiobooks.com. This website has taken the Netflix approach and applied it to audio books. For $24.95 a month, Audiobooks.com provides unlimited access to over 10,000 audio books. The audio books can be streamed across a variety of platforms. We’re here to tell you how it all holds up.
The BasicsWhen you sign up for Audiobooks.com, you’ll need to visit the website every time you want to listen to an audio book. Audiobooks.com supports Firefox 9, IE9, Safari 5.0 and Chrome 16.0 on desktops, and is also optimized for iOS and Android. One downside I noticed is there is no standalone application for Audiobooks.com. Instead, you’re taken to a HTML 5 mobile version of the site that has individual tabs for Home, Browse, Search and Account. The mobile site works well enough, but it would be so much faster and more convenient to access audio books from a dedicated application. A mobile app could also contain features that aren’t present on the mobile site such as a section containing books you intend to listen to, or a wishlist that could inform you when certain audio books become available. One of the biggest advantages Audiobooks.com has is streaming from the cloud. There’s no need to download any audio books. You can also stop listening to an audio book on one device and resume listening on another. Audiobooks.com does a good job at remembering where you left off. Usually, I never had to re-listen to more than a few seconds of dialogue whenever I switched platforms. Speaking of platforms, let’s go over how Audiobooks.com performs on PC, iOS and Android. The Desktop Experience
Listening to audio books from the desktop is the easiest way to experience Audiobooks.com. You’re immediately presented with a list of new arrivals and staff picks when you sign in. Once you’ve listened to a few books, a recommended section and a list of the books you’re currently listening to will also populate the home page. Much like Netflix, you can give each book a star rating from one to five. Your ratings help dictate which books are presented to you in the future. There’s also another section of the site labeled “My Books.” In this section, you select which genres you are interested in, and Audiobooks.com will factor that into which books are recommended to you. Once you pick an audio book to listen to, a separate window will open that contains the media player. The media player has four functions – play, pause, rewind 30 seconds and fast forward 30 seconds. It would be nice to be able to select certain chapters instead of fast forwarding to an unknown section of the book, but such a feature doesn’t exist at the moment. 
I was pleased with the audio quality in every audio book I tested. The only issues I see anyone having with audio deals with how well the narrator articulates him or herself. The Android ExperienceMy first experience with Audiobooks.com was on an Android device. Specifically, the device I used was the HTC Sensation. It was admittedly a bad first experience. Make sure you allow your Android device to access mobile web pages or you may have problems. I could never get an audio book to play in the default HTC browser from the desktop site. The media player was also very ugly with the timeline stretching well outside its intended boundaries. 
Once I enabled the browser to view mobile web pages, the difference was astounding. The media player fit within its borders, and I was free to open other applications on my phone while the audio book played. 
That’s not to say I didn’t have any problems. There were occasions across all platforms when audio books would not play. I had to reload the page and start another audio book in order to get everything to work again. This didn’t happen most of the time, but it happened enough to concern me each time I wanted to listen to an audio book. The iOS Experience
Surprise, surprise there were little issues when I listened to audio books on iOS. My iPod Touch played well with the Audiobooks.com mobile website. The same intermittent audio issues I experienced on PC and Android remained. Also, much like on Android, audio books can be listened to while using other apps outside of the browser. The VerdictAudiobooks.com has a lot of room for growth. The HTML5 mobile website is a good start, but an official mobile app is desperately needed to make Audiobooks.com the best it can be. It can also benefit from additional features I previously mentioned such as wish lists, and a way to add books to your collection without needing to listen to them first. All things considered, I still recommend Audiobooks.com for those who dozens of hours listening to audio books on a regular basis. This service probably isn’t for those who occasionally partake in audio books. If you’re unsure, you can sign up for a seven-day free trial. Site [Audiobooks.com]  
Amazon struck a gold mine with its online retail business, but the company may be looking to expand its reach. Sources speaking to Good e-Reader has informed the site Amazon is planning on opening a retail store in Seattle in a few months time. The design of the store is rumored to be small and boutique-like and will contain higher-end items. Even though Amazon has the means to create a massive store stocked with just about anything you’d ever want to buy, its first retail store is an experiment to gauge potential success. The store will supposedly focus on selling Amazon’s various Kindle e-readers, the Kindle Fire and accessories. Amazon may also use the store to sell books that it exclusively publishes. In a sense, Amazon’s first retail store is starting out in the same way the website did. Via [Good e-Reader]  | 
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