Dev Tips & Technobuzz

Facebook fueled fresh talk about its own mobile phone after the leading social network scheduled a press announcement for next week. Shortly after the Facebook invitation went out for the April 4 event, the technology news siteTechCrunch reported the announcement would be a modified version of the Google  Androidoperating system with "deep native Facebook functionality." Another report on "9 to 5 Google" said Facebook designing the software for the new smartphone, which would be made by Taiwan's HTC. Facebook's invitation said only "Come See Our New Home On Android." The reports, if accurate, could explain the long speculation about a "Facebook phone" to help the social network better monetize its mobile platform by featuring Facebook prominently on the phone. Facebook has long held firm it has no intention of building its own smartphone, saying instead it would rather weave access to the social network into software run

Microsoft has envisioned a new form of 3D display that lets you feel objects on the screen by allowing you to push the screen itself to create a sense of resistance. At a demo of the very early prototype for Pocket-lint at the company's headquarters in Seattle, we were told the concept had been created to allow users to feel different properties like wood or concrete on screen through the use of haptic feedback. Haptic feedback is mostly commonly used in phones to create a sense of physical contact with something where there doesn't need to be - like when your phone buzzes when you press a key on the virtual keyboard - and the same technology is used here, but to more interesting effect, like pushing a block or feeling the contours of a ball. "This project combines the two disciplines into a 3D display experience that adds the sense of touch. The standard display monitor has been retrofitted with resistance transducers that sense the amount of pressure a

Windows Blue leaks online, includes smaller Live Tiles, new side-by-side Snap Views, and IE 11 An early build of Windows Blue, the next version of Windows, has leaked online on the same day that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer celebrates his 57th birthday. Build 9364, a partner version that was originally compiled on March 15th, has been made available on file sharing sites and includes some of the new changes that Microsoft is building into its significant Windows 8 update. Leaked screenshots posted at  Winforum  show that the company is bringing smaller tile arrangements and even a larger desktop one to its Start Screen, along with greater control over the color personalization options, and a whole lot more. ADDITIONAL SNAP VIEW TO PLACE APPS SIDE-BY-SIDE Microsoft is building in additional Snap Views into Windows Blue, allowing users to place apps side-by-side in the Windows 8 view. The new 50 / 50 view is similar to the desktop mode snapping, but Microsoft also supports