Today’s Time Warner Cable earnings call revealed that its iPad app was downloaded 360,000 times during its first month of availability. Cablevision revealed that it saw 50,000 downloads in the first five days of app availability, and when contacted by GigaOM, Comcast shared that its Xfinity TV app has been downloaded more than 1.5 million times since its launch in November.

What’s the message? Cable subscribers are highly amenable to the idea of accessing content on their iPads. Even Cablevision’s 50,000 downloads only represents the first five days, and it has a much smaller total of 3 million subscribers, versus 12 million for Time Warner Cable. Comcast had 22.8 million subscribers at last count, so it makes sense that it has the largest pool of potential users to draw from.

It’s also worth noting that Time Warner Cable lost only 65,000 subscribers this past quarter (and even gained subscribers in March, according to the Time Warner Cable CFO Robert Marcus), while it lost 155,000 during the quarter before that, and 141,000 two quarters ago. It’s probably too early to infer that the iPad app is the reason behind the decrease in subscriber bleed. But it’s worth considering that the iPad is a significant variable that’s been introduced only recently, and if these download numbers are any indication, it definitely seems to be a hit among cable subscribers.

Maybe cable companies can use these numbers to convince content providers to go easier when it comes to license requirements. Time Warner Cable is putting more time and money behind the app, too. There are now 70 channels available, whereas the product launched with 30. The company also said it plans on updating the app with ongoing improvements, including two-way communication with smart TV devices, and the ability to act as a remote and program DVRs from a distance.

Related content from GigaOM Pro (subscription req’d):

• Connected Consumer Q1: The Over-the-Top vs. Pay TV Battle Heats Up
• Got a Cable Subscription? There’ll Be an App for That
• Connected Consumer Tuned In to TVs in Q4

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Julianne Moore as Sarah Palin. (HBO)

The first photo of Julianne Moore as Sarah Palin in the upcoming HBO movie “Game Change” was released Wednesday.

Take a look at Julianne, Tina Fey, and the real deal, and tell us, who is the best carbon copy?

FOX411: ‘Temple Grandin’ star playing Bristol Palin.

Tina Fey as Sarah Palin. (NBC)

Sarah Palin as Sarah Palin.

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In the world of entry-level smartphones, there are probably few handsets that can rival the Samsung Galaxu Prevail in terms of appearance.  It just looks like a far more expensive phone than it actually is.  Sure, the specs are modest at best, but it’s still a full-featured Android device with an enticing value proposition.
Physically, it looks like a premium phone

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It’s not going so far as to expand support as far as AMD has with its CrossFireX multi-GPU technology, but NVIDIA has now at least taken one step in that direction. The company announced today that it’s finally bringing SLI support to AMD platforms — specifically, upcoming motherboards based on AMD’s 990FX, 990X and 970 chipsets. Those will be offered by ASUS, Gigabyte, ASRock, and MSI initially, with additional manufacturers said to be coming on board “shortly.” Hit up the source link below for NVIDIA’s complete statement on the matter — in which it also just so happens to point out that 93 percent of all multi-GPU systems in use today use SLI, according to Steam statistics.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

NVIDIA brings SLI support to AMD 990FX, 990X and 970 chipsets originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 15:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fring released an update Thursday for its iPhone app that brings group video chat to the service. You can now use Fring to chat with up to three friends (for a total of four people) over 3G and Wi-Fi. Android users can also get in on the action, using Wi-Fi, 3G or 4G and both platforms can talk to each other. Fring had been testing the group video chat feature in limited beta since the beginning of April.

Fring is the first app that brings group video chat to the iPhone, beating out industry leaders like Skype, and also Apple itself. Code found in FaceTime for iPhone seems to indicate that Apple plans to eventually roll out group video chat for the service, but for the time being, Fring gets to be the only game in town (for iOS; there’s a group video chat for Android and Mac/PC called Oovoo). Best of all, video calling is completely free with Fring. Enabling group video chat in the Skype desktop client requires a paid premium account.

Group video chat may not be a feature many users find themselves pining for just yet, but if you do happen to need it, not having a mobile option is a considerable drag. And even if not many users actually take advantage of Fring video calls, the company still scores a significant victory just by being first to market, especially in a field like video calling, which is expected to become huge in the next few years, especially on mobile devices. That Fring also managed to bring cross-platform support for the two biggest mobile operating systems out of the gate at feature launch is also no small victory.

Related content from GigaOM Pro (subscription req’d):

• Mobile Q1: All Eyes on Tablets, T-Mobile and AT&T
• A Media Tablet Forecast, 2011 – 2015
• A Global Mobile Handset Platform Forecast, 2011 – 2015

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Richard Quest sits with 'The Boss' Sarah Curran for a one-on-one about her experiences and life outside her business.

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Kate Moss reveals a few things on the new cover of Vogue Brazil.

First, she reveals that she has two new little tattoos on her lower back, waaaaay down low.

Second, she reveals her derriere.

HOT SHOTS: Kate Moss.

NSFW PHOTO: AFTER THE JUMP.

Of course getting naked is nothing new for the age-defying, 37-year-old supermodel. Moss has appeared in various states of undress in campaigns from Calvin Klein to Bulgari.

Moss is reportedly engaged to her longtime boyfriend, English rock star Jamie Hince. If and when the two get hitched, expect a Royal Wedding sequel.

With one revealing wedding dress.

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We’re always looking for excuses to get behind the wheel, so naturally the new Dynamic Music function in the Mini Connected app made us yearn for a chance to hit the road. Version 2.0 brings this headline feature to the iPhone, which includes exclusively-composed music that adjusts based on things like a compatible Mini Cooper‘s “longitudinal and lateral acceleration.” In other words, the faster and crazier you drive, the more exciting the music becomes. So instead of having mom in the passenger seat begging you to slow down, there’s music that encourages you to do the opposite. The press release even references a “hallmark Mini go-kart feeling,” so you might want to make sure everyone’s buckled up before you plug in. Should anyone fail to do so, a new feature called Mission Control will let you know, also nagging about poor driving conditions. How’s that for a mixed signal?

Continue reading Mini Cooper Connected app adjusts music based on driving style, stops when airbags deploy

Mini Cooper Connected app adjusts music based on driving style, stops when airbags deploy originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 09:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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All car news seems good news –  a majority of them indeed are. In case you disagree, listen to this. The latest one comes from the McLaren family, and hints at the company’s plans to introduce a new automobile every year to the market. So that could mean a car a year, without fail!

A McLaren official has been quoted as saying that between the various models under development, the company will have something new about once a year. Though the official hasn’t given us much specifications, we guess he cemented the fact that company would “stick to building two-seat sports cars.”

Previous reports and rumors had suggested that future McLaren line up involves a MP4-12C convertible, an entry-level Porsche 911 fighter and an F1 revival. Apart from this we are expecting hybrid and high performance variants too.

(via The Detroit Bureau)

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In its explanation of how and why it collects anonymized location data from iPhones, Apple provided a rare glimpse into its future plans. The company revealed it’s collecting traffic data from devices, too, in order to build “an improved traffic service” for iPhone users “in the next couple of years.” The service would be crowd-sourced, and presumably more accurate than existing iPhone Maps traffic information.

Both location data gathering and traffic information collection seem to be in service of improving Apple’s built-in Maps app and on-device location services. Apple took over the management of Maps location databases in June 2010. Devices running iPhone OS 1.1.3 to 3.1 had (and still do) rely on Skyhook Wireless’ databases of Wi-Fi and cellular tower locations. Apple also acquired mapping companies Placebase and Poly9 last year, and posted job ads looking for individuals to “take Maps to the next level” in 2009, and to “radically improve how people interact with maps and location-based services” just last month.

Apple revealed last year in its letter to Congressmen Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Joe Barton (R-Tex.) that it “used [location] data to analyze traffic patterns and density,” so presumably that’s the same thing it’s doing in order to improve its traffic service. The Maps app currently has a traffic layer that can be enabled and disabled, but the info appears to currently be supplied by Google, since it matches traffic pattens displayed on the web-based version of Google Maps. Apple seems to be intent on either supplementing that information, or replacing the Google-sourced data with its own.

Some are speculating this means Apple is keen to introduce turn-by-turn navigation to the onboard iOS Maps app, and that’s a definite possibility. But since Apple only claims “an improved traffic service” as part of its plans, it’s not the only logical conclusion one can draw. Apple has been steadily decreasing its reliance on outside service providers (and even components, thanks to its in-house designed A4 and A5 mobile chips), and a new traffic service might just be that, and not representative of any attempt to leapfrog into navigation.

Apple’s assertion that any improved service will come “in the next couple of years” hints at the long development tail it has for new products and software offerings. The Mac-maker would never release a product to market that pales in comparison to what it’s replacing, and that’s no less true of the iOS Maps app. Until it can ensure a better user experience itself than is provided by Google, it’ll stick with the Mountain View, Calif.-sourced option, because unlike its competitors, Apple seldom, if ever, rushes anything to market.

Related content from GigaOM Pro (subscription req’d):

• A Media Tablet Forecast, 2011 – 2015
• A Global Mobile Handset Platform Forecast, 2011 – 2015
• The Future of Workplaces

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