Weekly Mobile News Roundup – 31 January 2014

 Once again the week is coming to an end and that means it’s time for a roundup of the past weeks news!

How To Send iMessages From Your Web Browser On Any OS – Apple released Messages for OS X Mountain Lion for Mac users to stay in touch with other iMessage contacts through their computer and what a great idea it was!

A new pressure-sensitive touchscreen from Apple detailed in a application patent – Recently, a patent application issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Thursday reveals how a device that uses the same type of multitouch display as Apple’s other touchscreen devices but also packs a couple of pressure-sensitive sensors beneath the surface of the screen.

Will The Wii U Survive 2014?,Apple Says iPod Dying, Google Pulls Snapchat Apps – So that’s it and that’s all, folks. Pack your bags, Nintendo, good show, keep your chin up, you’ll get ‘em next time. Well, not quite – numbers rarely tell the whole story. Besides, we already knew the Wii U had a bad year. But let’s not dig the grave just yet.

Apple’s Tim Cook hints at expanded mobile payment strategy and more for Touch ID – While stopping short of announcing an comprehensively outlined strategy for facilitating mobile payments, Apple’s chief executive Tim Cook linked the concept with iPhone 5s’ Touch ID system.

Russian carrier, Megafon, sells the iPhone again – Russia’s second largest cell carrier, Megafon, has ended their ban on offering the iPhone to its customers, and has started selling Apple’s smartphone once again.

Parallels Access for iPad now offers full support for PC – Parallels Access for iPad has been letting users remotely access their Mac for some time now, but Windows support has remained in beta. No more. With yesterday’s announcement, Parallels Access subscribers now get full Windows functionality, support for 11 languages, and a new single port connection.

MLB begins rollout of iBeacon technology in baseball stadiums for next season – Last year it was reported that Major League Baseball fans would soon be able to take advantage of iOS 7?s iBeacon support inside professional baseball stadiums. The technology would be utilized in the MLB.com At The Ballpark app to customize the app’s interface to any given ballpark.

Sony Adapter Puts QX Lens Camera On Your iPad  – Arguably, the iPad needs an external camera add-on more than the iPhone, stuck as it is with a previous-gen camera and features. And Sony seems to agree. Now it will sell you an adapter that puts one of its neat QX lens cameras onto any table (or phablet, I guess).

Apple Hires Chief Medical Officer From Pulse Oximetry Company Masimo, Possibly for iWatch Team – Over the course of the last year, Apple has made several hires from the medical and sensor field, presumably to bolster the team of experts working on its much-rumored smart watch project, and MacRumors today learned of another high-profile sensor expert that has joined the company.

Can you believe these ads once ran on Apple’s website? – On April 28, 2003, Apple forever changed the face of the music industry when it launched the iTunes Music Store. And to help usher in a new age of digital music commerce, Apple ran a series of ads on its website that you could never imagine running today. Hell, I’m surprised some of them were even green-lit back then.

8 Apps for a Superb Super Bowl Sunday – For football fans, Super Bowl Sunday is the best day of the year — but it can also be the longest. Even if your favorite team doesn’t have a shot at immortal glory, waiting for the 6:30 p.m. EST kickoff can feel worse than being a five-year-old forced to watch the clock on Christmas Eve. But you needn’t spend the day twiddling your thumbs. Whether you’re hosting a party or watching the game alone, we’ve got eight apps to keep you occupied until the big game starts.