Why does Google build apps for its rival Apple's iPhone?

Why help a key competitor? Two words: Advertising and data
There isn't any other way to say it: Apple and Google really don't like each other. Apple CEO Steve Jobs vowed to destroy the Google geniuses behind the Android operating system for allegedly stealing the basic mechanics of the iPhone. Apple and Google-partner Samsung are constantly at one another's throats over patents. And most recently new Apple CEO Tim Cook gave two of Google's most popular products — Google Maps and YouTube — the boot from iOS 6.
Then the unthinkable happened: Fans started turning on Apple. Even the most gushy tech critic had to admit that Apple's replacement for Google Maps was a train wreck, a rare blight on the company's otherwise stainless track record (a failure, notes Zara Kessler at Bloomberg, which ironically might ultimately benefit Apple).
Why, then, would Google throw its chief rival a life preserver this week and deliver Google Maps to iOS — as well as handing over Chrome and an awesome new Gmail app in recent weeks? Two main reasons:
1. Potential advertising: "Google doesn't make money off of Android which is open source; they make money when people use Google services," Joel Spolsky, CEO of Stack Overflow, tells Wired. Google Maps on the iPhone doesn't have ads yet, although the Android version does. In the end, Google's primary concern is to get its services in front of as many eyeballs as possible — even if those eyeballs are peering into an iPhone.
SEE MORE: Steve Jobs' mysterious iMac-controlled yacht
2. More data with which to make its products better: Google Maps is every marketer's dream. Mapping software gives them invaluable consumer data to work with, like the city you live in, the stores you shop at, the restaurants you frequent, where you get your coffee, and much, much more. "Google needs the traffic that iOS users bring," says Casey Newton at CNET. Those millions of iPhone owners unknowingly feed Google the analytics it needs to make Google Maps the superior, celebrated product it's become. The same goes for Chrome. And Gmail.
And "Google is hardly the first company to aggressively support a rival platform for selfish reasons," says Ryan Tate at Wired.
Microsoft was a strong backer of Apple's Macintosh for decades because its core business was selling applications [Word, Excel, etc.], not Microsoft's competing operating system Windows… Google's willingness to ship iOS apps could look smarter as time goes on. The company trounces Apple when it comes to all things cloud, not just maps and e-mail; its social network, search engine, and highly optimized data centers could give its iOS apps an even bigger edge in the coming years.

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Samsung Smart TVs: The next frontier for data theft and hacking [video]

Smart TVs, particularly Samsung’s (005930) last few generations of flat screens, can be hacked to give attackers remote access according to a security startup called ReVuln. The company says it discovered a “zero-day exploit” that hackers could potentially use to perform malicious activities that range from stealing accounts linked through apps to using built-in webcams and microphones to spy on unsuspecting couch potatoes. Don’t panic just yet, though. In order for the exploit to be activated, a hacker needs to plug a USB drive loaded with malicious software into the actual TV to bypass the Linux-based OS/firmware on Samsung’s Smart TVs. But, if a hacker were to pull that off, every piece of data stored on a Smart TV could theoretically be retrieved.
[More from BGR: Has the iPhone peaked? Apple’s iPhone 4S seen outselling iPhone 5]
[More from BGR: Dell confirms it will exit smartphone business, drop Android]
As if the possibility of someone stealing your information and spying on you isn’t scary enough, according to ComputerWorld, “it is also possible to copy the configuration of a TV’s remote control, which would allow a hacker to copy the remote control’s settings, and remotely change the channel.”
ReVuln told The Register it hasn’t informed Samsung of the vulnerability and plans to sell the details of in hopes of “speeding up” development of a fix. A video of the exploit as proof from ReVuln follows below.

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Huge Wave of Google App Updates Hits iOS, Android

Google just brought iPhone and Android phone users a holiday gift. Google Maps has returned to the iPhone, this time in the form of its own separate app, while Google Currents -- the company's Flipboard-style online magazine app for Android -- received a substantial update as well.
Besides the two big updates, about a half-dozen other apps for Android and Google TV received bug fixes and new features, according to Android Police blogger Ryan Whitwam. Here's a look at what to expect, and where the rough edges still lay.
Google Maps is back
It was technically never there to begin with; the iPhone simply had a "Maps" app included, which used Google Maps' data. But a few months ago, Apple switched from using Google's map data to its own, which caused no end of problems as Apple's data was incorrect much more often. These problems were sometimes hilarious, but in at least one case they were dangerous, as several motorists had to be rescued after becoming stranded inside an Australian national park (where Apple's maps said the town they were trying to get to was).
Google Maps has also received a thumbs-down from the Victoria police in Australia, but is regarded as more reliable overall. It's a completely new app this time, and while it has at least one "Android-ism" according to tech expert John Gruber (an Ice Cream Sandwich-style menu button), it's reported to work well and doesn't show ads like the YouTube app does.
It does, however, keep asking you to log in to your Google account so that it can track your location data.
Google Currents has a new look and new features
The update to digital magazine app Google Currents brings its features more in line with Google Reader, the tech giant's online newsreader app which can monitor almost any website for updates. Like Google Reader, Currents can now "star" stories to put them in a separate list, can show which stories you've already read, and has a widget to put on your Android home screen. Other added features include new ways to scan editions and stories, and filter out sections you aren't interested in.
Bugfixes and updates for other Google apps
Google Earth and Google Drive received miscellaneous bugfixes "and other improvements," while Google Offers (a Groupon competitor) now features a "Greatly improved purchase experience."
The Google Search app received a slew of additions to its Siri-like Google Now feature, including new cards to help while you are out and about and new voice actions (like asking it to tell you what song is playing nearby). The Field Trip augmented reality app now uses less battery life, and lets you "save cards" and favorite places you visit, as well as report incorrect data to Google. Finally, Google TV Search and PrimeTime for Google TV both received performance and stability updates.

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Valve Confirms New Game Console on Its Way

In an interview with Kotaku's Jason Schreier at the Spike TV Video Game Awards, Valve co-founder Gabe Newell confirmed that a "living-room-friendly PC package," designed to "compete with next-gen consoles from companies like Microsoft and Sony," will be available for purchase starting next year.
What makes a PC a PC
Most of the machines Newell described, which he expected "companies" would "start selling" next year, would be powered by Microsoft Windows like normal PCs. However, they would be more like home theater PCs than regular computers; they would be designed to fit in the living room and plug into an HDTV, and they would use a much-simplified interface which eschews pointing and clicking in favor of using a game controller.
Getting the (Big) Picture
That interface is Steam's Big Picture mode, launched last week as a free upgrade to the Steam digital store. Gamers can click a button on the Steam window to be taken to a screen much like an Xbox 360's dashboard or PlayStation 3's XMB, where they can use a game controller to buy things from the store and play their installed games.
Games which can be played using only a controller get special branding and status in Big Picture mode. Steam held an enormous sale to promote such games when Big Picture mode launched, including titles like Sonic Generations which are also available on game consoles.
Steam-powered penguins?
Besides Big Picture mode, Valve's other big project as of late has been porting Steam to Linux, starting with the popular Ubuntu version. The Linux version of Steam, currently in beta, also supports Big Picture mode. Newell said in the interview that a working Linux version would "give Valve more flexibility when developing their own hardware," and dozens of games are already available for Linux gamers on Steam.
What will this hardware look like?
Newell's talk of "companies" making computers like this suggests a Valve-created standard, like the Intel ultrabook or like Google's requirements for Android devices, which PC manufacturers would have to adhere to. He also talked about Valve making its own hardware, which might be similar to Google's Nexus lineup of tablets and smartphones.
Besides that, these game console style PCs won't be as "malleable" as a normal computer, according to Newell. Like with today's laptops, it may be difficult or impossible to get at the internals and upgrade parts, the way dedicated PC gamers like to do with their machines.
How much will these machines cost?
Newell's statement that they will compete with "next-gen" consoles from Sony and Microsoft, which probably means the long-awaited new PlayStation and Xbox consoles expected next year, implies that they will be cost-competitive in some way. Gaming PCs typically have prices starting at $600 - $800 at the very lowest, while the PlayStation 3's $599 USD launch price made it a pariah of the game console world for years. A Steam-powered game console may have to invent its own price bracket.

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$35 Raspberry Pi computer gets its own app store

DIY developers adore the $35 Raspberry Pi and huge communities have enabled the Linux-powered computer to do cool things like emulate Super Nintendo games and run Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. What’s next for the cheap computer? The Raspberry Pi Foundation announced it’s launching the “Pi Store” – an app store created in partnership with IndieCity and Velocix. Anyone will be able to download and upload their own apps to the Pi Store for consideration according to Raspberry Pi’s website. The Pi Store will have 23 free apps at launch as well as paid content. As with the success of the Raspberry Pi itself, the Pi Store’s success hinges on the community’s support.

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6 predicted apocalypses that never happened

We have a long history of auguring our own demise
It's the end of the world as we know it. Again. This time it's the Mayan Apocalypse, which could supposedly see the planet Nibiru emerge from its hiding place behind the sun to crash into Earth on Dec. 21. If you're feeling nervous, take a look back at six other doomsday predictions from years past, and take comfort in knowing that no such prediction has ever come to pass. At least not yet.
The Rapture, May 2011
What was predicted: Harold Camping, an 89-year-old Christian fundamentalist and fringe radio host, predicted that 1994 was the year the Rapture would begin. When that didn't happen, he concluded that he must have messed up his numbers, which were based on decoded messages in the Bible. After some recalculation, Camping announced that the world would actually end on May 21, 2011. Thousands of his followers left their lives behind to help spread word of the coming apocalypse.
What actually happened: On May 22, the world still stood, and Camping was "flabbergasted." His followers, many of whom had drained their savings to promote the message, reacted with anger and confusion. But Camping quickly reassured them that the real end of the world was coming on Oct. 21, 2011. In case you're wondering, that didn't happen, either.
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Y2K, 2000
What was predicted: Chaos, widespread panic, and a shortage of food and goods — all because of a little computer bug. In the years leading up to the millennium, computer programmers used only two digits to represent years. It was theorized that when the clocks struck 12:00 a.m. on January 1, 2000, the machines would not be able to read the year "00." The Y2K panic was born, and billions of dollars were spent fixing the original source code in older computers. By 1998, 34 percent of Americans anticipated the Y2K bug would cause major problems, and the Independent newspaper even warned that the glitch could spark a nuclear war.
What actually happened: Midnight struck with no major outages. A few glitches were reported, but for the most part "1999 passed into history with barely a whimper." Experts remain divided over whether Y2K was a legitimate threat or an exercise in mass paranoia.
The Jupiter Effect, March 1982
What was predicted: In 1974, John Gribbin and Stephen Plagemann wrote a best-selling book called The Jupiter Effect. In it, they argued that the planets of the solar system would align in March 1982, triggering massive natural disasters on Earth, including an earthquake on the San Andreas Fault that would wipe out Los Angeles. Nervous residents panicked, and many considered selling their homes and leaving L.A.
What actually happened: March came and went peacefully. One year later, the two authors released The Jupiter Effect Reconsidered, which also became a bestseller. 
Halley's Comet, 1910
What was predicted: When Halley's Comet reappeared in 1910, the Chicago Yerkes Observatory made the poorly calculated decision to announce that it had detected a poisonous gas in the comet's tail. The New York Times added fuel to the fire by quoting a French astronomer as saying this gas "would impregnate that atmosphere and possibly snuff out all life on the planet." Panic ensued, gas masks were purchased, and people began loading up on "comet pills," which promised to counter the effects of the noxious gas. In an attempt to keep the fumes at bay, homeowners placed pieces of paper over their locks.
What actually happened: The planet remained undisturbed. Once the comet had passed, The Chicago Tribune announced to readers, "We're still here."
The Great Flood, 1524
What was predicted: In 1499, German-born astronomer Johannes Stoeffler predicted that the world would be engulfed in a massive flood in February of 1524. The planets would align, he said, in the constellation of Pisces, the sign of the fish, dooming the entire world to a watery death. Because of Stoeffler's position as a well-known astronomer and mathematician, his words weren't taken lightly. German Count von Iggleheim was so determined to survive the coming storm, he built a massive three-story ark. And when it did actually start to rain, panicked crowds stormed the ark and stoned the count to death when he refused to let them in.
What actually happened: When the rain stopped, Stoeffler insisted that he'd miscalculated (sound familiar?), and that the real flood would come in 1528. Stoeffler died shortly thereafter, in 1531, of the plague.
Author-mania, 2800 B.C.
What was predicted: It appears that mankind's fear of the apocalypse goes way back. An unearthed clay tablet thought to date back to 2800 B.C. reads, "Our earth is degenerate in these latter days. There are signs that the world is speedily coming to an end." What kinds of signs? Bribery and corruption. Disobedient children. Plus, "Every man wants to write a book, and the end of the world is evidently approaching."
What actually happened: Our understanding of this time period is limited, but we know the human race still thrives, kids are still mouthing off, and basically everyone still aspires to become a renowned author.

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Welcome to Tough Love with Starshine Roshell

Coming soon to TheWeek.com: A weekly advice column. Send us your dilemmas!
Give me your confused, your aggravated, your bewildered. Send me your perplexed, your rattled, your befuddled masses yearning to breathe free.
Yes indeed — I'm the new advice columnist at TheWeek.com, and I'm here to steer you right on dating dilemmas, parenting pickles, workplace woes, and every juicy quandary in between.
SEE ALSO: 10 fascinating true origin stories of America's favorite toys
As a veteran journalist, I've reported on opportunities that spring from wise decisions, and unfortunate incidents that arise from bad ones. And like you, I've been through some stuff.
Named for a song in the rock musical Hair, in which my father starred naked, I survived a Hollywood hippie childhood to become a news reporter, music critic, travel writer, and often overwhelmed mother of two. Life's messy — but advice shouldn't be.
SEE ALSO: 8 real-life wedding-day nightmares
Sensible and straight-talking, I'm the opinionated best friend you never knew you wanted. The gal who tells it to you straight. The occasionally snarky voice of reason. The this-is-gonna-hurt-you-more-than-it-hurts-me coach and confidant.
I don't like liars, I have no patience for whiners, and in truth, I'm not even a great listener. But I'm an excellent reader, so type your troubles to me — we won't publish your name! — and I'll help you find freedom from what flummoxes you.

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Did the human hand evolve for fighting?

Apes don't throw punches. And now scientists think our ability to form an effectively clenched fist is no accident
The question: The human hand is quite unlike the appendages of our great ape cousins. Our palms are shorter, and our fingers are long and lithe. For years, evolutionary scientists believed humans developed this way because it helped our ancestors use tools better — gripping hammers and fashioning spears, for instance. But now, a group of researchers from the University of Utah suggests our hands evolved for more violent reasons. They sought to determine if a person's ability to form a closed fist was favored from an evolutionary standpoint — especially when you stop to consider that no other ape throws punches.
How it was tested: The team enlisted the help of 12 volunteers who had either boxing or martial arts experience. Participants were directed to hit a punching bag as hard as possible with different types of strikes, from closed fists to open-handed palms. The idea was to determine how much force the hand shape produced, clueing researchers in on how our hands evolved.
The outcome: Unsurprisingly, the open-handed palm strike and the closed first produced the same level of force. But clenched fists are much tighter, and can concentrate that force on a smaller surface area. That means more broken bones and a higher likelihood of tissue damage for the victim. "A punch delivers up for three times more force to the same amount of surface area as a slap," says the Telegraph. "And the buttressing provided by a clenched fist increases the stiffness of the knuckles fourfold, while doubling the ability of the fingers to deliver a punching force."
What it means: In the researchers' minds, the ability to inflict serious damage through a punch may have been a big evolutionary advantage for our ancestors. After all, our hand dexterity could have evolved without the fingers and palms getting shorter. Instead, our hands evolved to favor the clenched fist — namely our long thumbs, which lock the other fingers in and better protects the otherwise delicate bones of the hand.
What the experts say: "If you stop and look at what we know about the other species, we're a relatively violent group of mammals," says co-author David Carrier, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Utah. "Once that selection for climbing [trees] went away, there may also have been this selection for physical fighting — particularly in males. And these [hand] proportions would have increased how dangerous an individual was in those fights." When threatened, our first instinct is to clench our fists. That isn't a coincidence.
The takeaway: The hand's ability to manipulate intricate objects and instantly transform itself into a cudgel-like weapon is a uniquely human trait. "More than any other part of our anatomy, the hand represents the identity of Homo sapiens," write the researchers. "Ultimately, the evolutionary significance of the human hand may lie in its remarkable ability to serve two seemingly incompatible but intrinsically human functions."

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6 movies for the end of the world

If December 21 doesn't usher in the apocalypse after all, face the final curtain vicariously by watching one of these recent Hollywood films
If you forgot to flip the page on your Mayan calendar this month, we have some bad news. The world is coming to an end on December 21 thanks to the preordained Mayan Apocalypse. At least, that's what dubious sources have spent the past few years alleging. But if the apocalypse means widespread fear and panic to the average person, it means something else to Hollywood: Great entertainment. So just in case tomorrow isn't the last day Earth exists, here are 6 recent movies that will let you the enjoy the end of the world vicariously:
1. Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012)
It's probably too late for you to find your own new friend for the end of the world, but you can revel in this underrated, underseen romantic dramedy, which stars Steve Carrell and Keira Knightley as neighbors spending their last weeks together before an asteroid destroys Earth.

SEE ALSO: Why Jon Stewart almost quit The Daily Show
2. Melancholia (2011)
If the thought of Earth's complete obliteration bums you out, you'll feel right at home with Melancholia. Kirsten Dunst plays a deeply depressed young woman whose life is altered by the announcement that a mysterious planet, dubbed "Melancholia," has emerged from behind the sun — and may be on a collision course with Earth.

3. The Road (2009)
Doomsday enthusiasts can't agree on the form the so-called "Mayan Apocalypse" will take, which makes The Road — a post-apocalyptic film in which the cause of the cataclysm is never explained — ideal viewing. Viggo Mortensen stars as a man trying to protect his son from cannibals, scavengers, and thieves.

4. 2012 (2009)
If you prefer your apocalypses of the big, stupid, Hollywood-blockbuster variety, your best bet is Roland Emmerich's 2012. John Cusack leads a cast of slumming stars as they face an apocalyptic wave of earthquakes and mega-tsunamis.

SEE ALSO: WATCH: The epic new Star Trek Into Darkness teaser
5. Wall-E (2008)
If you decide to spend the immediate pre-apocalypse with your children, you may be seeking a doomsday film that's a little more family-friendly. Luckily, Pixar created Wall-E, a film about an adorable robot who falls in love with another adorable robot, as they explore an Earth that was abandoned by the humans who devastated it.

6. I Am Legend (2007)
The cosmos ordains the Mayan Apocalypse, but man triggers the apocalypse in I Am Legend — by genetically engineering a virus intended to cure cancer that somehow mutates into a virus that turns people into zombies. (Who said apocalypse movies had to make sense?) Will Smith stars as the last man in an all-but-abandoned New York City, attempting to reverse the apocalypse by developing a cure.

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WATCH: The hyperactive new trailer for The Great Gatsby

Baz Luhrman's glittery take on the Great American Novel is slated to hit theaters in May 2013
The trailer: Director Baz Luhrmann's visually stunning adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby was originally slated for a Christmas Day release, and, although the film has been bumped to May 2013, Warner Bros. has delivered a new trailer as a form of season's greetings. (Watch the new trailer for The Great Gatsby below.) The clip does a decent job of outlining Gatsby's themes for anyone who never took a 10th grade English class. "Can't repeat the past? Why, of course you can," says Leonardo DiCaprio's Gatsby, one of several iconic lines from the novel that the trailer features. Does this new trailer do justice to the Great American Novel?
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The reaction: If the first trailer for The Great Gatsby was "all about selling the world of 1920s New York upper society," this new one "is more about selling us on the man at the heart of this fantastical world — the titular Jay Gatsby," says Kofi Outlaw at Screen Rant. And despite the hyperactive Hollywood visuals, Fitzgerald devotees should take heart: The "subtext of the characters and [the] story seem to be intact." This may be the craziest filmed take on The Great Gatsby yet, says Christopher Rosen at The Huffington Post, but it's "so insane that it just might work." Indeed, agrees Russ Fischer at Slashfilm: "Luhrman's vision of the Roaring Twenties is glorious and dazzling. Whether that will work for the story remains to be seen."

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