Here’s today’s Technology News Update, a look at a few of the news reports, previews, reviews and tech gossip that are making waves today, including news from Bloomberg Law, Amazon, Apple and Google:
Bloomberg Law, an alternative to LexisNexis and Westlaw for the uninitiated, is changing its name to Bloomberg BNA, according to a report from the Law Technology News. Some industry analysts believe that the re-branding is a tacit acknowledgment that Bloomberg’s strategy to compete in the field of legal research lacked the name recognition of BNA, hence the switch. The company will remain headquartered in Arlington, VA, and it is believed that employees located in New York will be encouraged to relocate to Virginia.
Amazon announced the specs for its new lineup of Kindle devices today, including the surprise announcement that all three of the new Kindle models will come equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon chip set. What does this mean? Basically, it means that all the work that was put into advertising the new Nexus 7, particularly its processor, is about to go to waste, because the cheaper Kindle Fire will run circles around it.
To see available reviews of Google’s Nexus 7, click here.
The latest beta version of Apple’s iOS 7 appears to include an option for unlocking the phone with your fingerprint, rather than a passcode. An investigation by Extreme Tech revealed code that demonstrates support for fingerprint scanning through the home button, but it is unclear whether, if such functionality exists, the functionality would be available to other applications.
And finally, Google Chromecast is getting more impressive by the day. Vimeo and Redbox Instant have confirmed that their services are supported on Google’s newest toy, joining the ranks of YouTube, Netflix, and Google Play. That said, good luck getting your hands on one, as the Amazon wait times are currently clocked at one month.