There’s a new bank and finance service that’s been gaining a lot of traction lately, and it’s called Simple. As an online-only alternative to traditional banking, Simple may seem risky to some, but the company has been wooing users with a gorgeous iPhone and web experience. Simple also costs nothing; you just need to apply for the beta or get invited by someone who already has an account.

After launching a very well done iPhone app, Simple has released its official Android client today in Google Play.

President Obama will be officially sworn into office for his second term on Monday, January 21st at the nation’s capital. If you can’t be in DC to witness the event, The Presidential Inaugural Committee has you covered with a dedicated app for your Android handset or iPhone.

The free Inaugural 2013 app is available for free in both Google Play and the App Store.

Blake Krikorian, the guy who made the Slingbox, founded a new startup last year called “id8 Group R2 Studios.” Since then, R2 Studios has released an Android app for controlling a home’s heating and lightning with Cestron. The firm also owns some secretive patents relating to remote device and interface control.

According to a new from The Wall Street Journal, a number of big tech companies (including Google and Apple) have been in talks with R2 Studios about a possible buyout:

Back in August, Google-owned Motorola Mobility sued Apple for violating 7 of its software patents. Motorola accused Apple of infringing on patents relating to everything from location-based reminders to email notifications.

Now The International Trade Commission (ITC) has thrown out Motorola’s claim that the iPhone violates a patent on “a sensor that prevents accidental hang-ups,” according to Bloomberg. Motorola’s proximity sensor patent has been deemed invalid by the ITC for the second time, and it looks like Motorola won’t have much luck at appealing the decision.

No more waiting in line in front of Walgreens to rent a DVD.

When you think of Redbox, you probably don’t think of streaming movies to your TV or smartphone. Redbox has represented the last remnants of paying to rent physical media, but that’s about to change. Today Redbox announced its plans to take on Netflix with its own movie streaming service. Accompanying apps for Android and iOS will come out when the service begins its invite-only rollout later this month.

For $8 per month, Redbox will give you unlimited streaming and four nights of physical DVD rentals from any Redbox kiosk. Pay $1 more and you’ll get four Blu-ray rentals as an upgrade. Netflix customers can either have unlimited streaming or only unlimited DVD rentals for $8 per month.