Want to catch up with what happened in the digital world this week? Our weekly Cheat Sheet fills you in on everything you missed while you scrambled to meet deadlines and put out fires.Read about Valve’s SteamOS, new Pinterest features, how Zubie can make you a better driver, the new Twitter Alerts and Target’s video-on-demand service.
1. Valve brings PC gaming to your living room
PC gamers all over the world will be excited to hear that Valve announced SteamOS, a Linux-based operating system for the living room. The OS will provide users access to nearly 3,000 games available on Steam that can be played using gamepads or a keyboard and mouse. Valve is also planning to work with content partners, such as Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, Hulu Plus and HBO Go, so users can watch movies and TV shows.
2. Pinterest launches ads and new article pins
After four years, Pinterest is finally taking steps toward monetizing its platform by testing ads within the search results and category feeds. It is currently working with a select group of brands to pilot the ads to ensure they will deliver value to the brands without compromising the user experience. Pinterest also rolled out an “article” pin that allows users to save and share stories they find on the Web. The new pins will include the headline, author, story description and link to the source.
3. The Zubie app will make you a better driver
Interested in making driving and owning a car easier, safer and more affordable? Enter Zubie, an app that can track your car’s diagnostics and trip data and send all the information to your phone. The Zubie Key is a device that plugs into the car’s onboard diagnostics port to capture detailed information on the car, such as location tracking, driving patterns, vehicle health and alerts. The Zubie Key is selling for $100.
4. Twitter launches alerts feature
Twitter has become one of the most popular sources for real-time updates on what is happening around the world. During Hurricane Sandy, those stranded by the storm flocked to Twitter to get updates on the storm’s progress. Now, a year later, Twitter launched an alerts feature that allows government agencies and other credible organizations to alert people during emergencies and natural disasters. Twitter Alerts delivers critical and timely information about a weather or safety emergency and is sent out as push notifications to those that sign up for the service.
5. Target Ticket video-on-demand service is now available
Target has been looking for ways to enter the on-demand video market for a while now as a response to services like Walmart’s Vudu, Best Buy’s CinemaNow and Amazon VOD. After months of being in closed beta testing, Target Ticket is now available for everyone. This new video-on-demand service allows consumers to rent, purchase, download or stream from a selection of nearly 300,000 movies and TV shows with prices starting as little as $0.99. REDcard holders will receive the same 5% discount on video purchases as they do when shopping in the store and online. As an added perk, Target is offering 10 free downloads from a pre-selected pool of movies to new users.
