multitasking
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Split-screen multitasking on an iPad could work like this
In the run-up to the reveal of iOS 8, there was a frission of eager rumors that Apple could add split-screen multitasking to the iPad, but then... nothing. Well, the good news is that code referring to it has been found nestled inside Apple's incoming mobile OS upgrade, although we can't regard this as confirmation that it'll ever launch on iOS 8. More hopefully, however, Steve Troughton-Smith has gone as far as to tinker with the iOS 8 iPad Simulator to enable (at least partially) said split-screen skills, with a two-finger swipe to the side. The Safari web browser, at least in this test, can be swiped to take up specific quadrants of the screen, down to 75 and 50 percent, while at 25-percent size the browser looks awfully similar to the iPhone iteration -- which, well, makes a lot of sense.
Chrome OS now lets you dock small apps on the side
Chrome OS just became much more useful for multitaskers. Google has updated the web-centric platform with support for docking smaller apps along the screen edge, à la Windows 8; you can now keep a Hangouts chat or shopping list in view without having to carefully resize windows or switch tabs. If you're the sort who wants to always have information close at hand, you just have to restart your Chrome hardware to try the app snapping feature for yourself.
Chrome OS 32 beta makes it easier to find the right window
Windowing has been a familiar sight in Chrome OS for a while now, but it hasn't always been easy to find the window you're looking for. That search should be much quicker if you're running the just-launched Chrome OS 32 beta, though. The test release brings Vista-style window thumbnails when using Alt-Tab to switch tasks, and the overview button now shows an organized view of all those panes. Early adopters can get the beta today, although it's not currently available for either the original Acer C7 or the HP Pavilion 14 Chromebook.
Xbox One's Snap multitasking feature demonstrated with Killer Instinct and IE (video)
The Xbox One's launch is moving ever closer, but we still have yet to see many of its vaunted software features running live in the wild. While there are a number of stories about why that is (unfinished / buggy software, licensing issues etc.), this video taken on a dev kit shows the console's "Snap" multitasking feature at work. Posted by Game On Daily, the video (embedded after the break) shows a user navigating through websites using Internet Explorer on a side window while taking a break from Killer Instinct. The description says it's from an Xbox One devkit, and it's not clear how recent the software build shown is -- according to Microsoft's Albert Penello it's an old build, games no longer get squished and current builds are "way faster." Things seem to work quickly and smoothly, flashing from the game, to the browser playing a YouTube video, to the dashboard and back again, although the game is unceremoniously squashed to the side. For a more polished and packaged impression of what multitasking can do, there's also the demo video recently posted by Machinima (also included after the break), showing its "wingman" feature in action. A Snap feature that's apparently optimized for certain titles including Dead Rising 3, it brings relevant game tips and info to the TV screen while you play, and can be controlled by voice commands with Kinect. We'll have to get our hands on the final hardware to see what this feature brings to real life gaming experiences, so for now these videos will have to do.
Microsoft shows off Xbox One dashboard and multitasking in latest video
Microsoft focused on big name games in its "Invitation" ad last week and now it's turning its attention to the Xbox One's entertainment and multitasking abilities. In a video entitled "Meet Xbox One," the company highlights the console's dashboard but also its Kinect integration, demonstrating switching between games, videos, TV and apps like Internet Explorer and Skype simple "Xbox" voice commands. We see a user jumping between a movie and the Xbox One exclusive, Titanfall, then recording and sharing some in-game footage before switching to the console's TV app. Kinect functionality may have been limited on the Xbox 360, but new voice commands can apparently achieve some complicated tasks -- such as snapping an app into split-screen mode -- with greater ease than regular Windows 8 swipes or keyboard shortcuts. Then again, it's a publicity video that looks to have had some rough edges smoothed off, so we'll have to wait until next month to see if the reality matches Microsoft's vision.
Amazon's Instant Video apps for iOS improve AirPlay support, let users multitask
Amazon added AirPlay support to its Instant Video (US) and Lovefilm (Europe, iPad only) apps for iOS devices in September, and now it's pushed simultaneous updates to make it better. Both apps now support multitasking (the Instant Video app notes iOS 6+ is required, with AirPlay Mirroring disabled). That should make streaming to Apple TV boxes even easier, although Amazon's lack of a generic app for Android and/or Chromecast support from the Kindle continues to disappoint.
iOS 7: Multitasking has a brand-new look
Multitasking functionality in iOS was first introduced alongside the release of the iPhone 4 back in 2010. Since then, multitasking on iOS has largely remained the same. In iOS 7, Apple has completely retooled the way multitasking (or switching between apps if we want to be a tad more precise) works. While beckoning the app switcher in iOS 7 remains the same -- a quick double tap on the home button -- the entire implementation has been completely retooled. Whether or not you're a fan of Apple's arching aesthetic changes in iOS 7, it's readily apparent that multitasking in iOS 7 is more useful, intuitive and eye-catching than ever. Switching between applications Again, you can get started by simply double tapping the home button. Right away, you're presented with Apple's new app-switching layout. As evident from the photo below, Apple has made app switching a much more engaging and immersive experience. In place of an icon grid located at the bottom of the screen, the app switcher in iOS 7 is comprised of live representations of your most recently used applications. It's a clever card-style implementation that harkens back to the days of Palm's WebOS. Overall, the visual effect of the card implementation should make it much easier for users to find what they're looking for. You can easily navigate through the application listings by swiping to the left or right. As you swipe in either direction, you'll notice a cool intertial scrolling effect wherein the icon associated with each application smoothly glides into place directly below its corresponding "card." When you find an app you want to switch into, simply tap the card (or icon) of your choosing and, just like that, you're whisked away to that app. Overall, the entire implementation is much more intuitive than it was in previous versions of iOS. Removing applications Removing applications in previous versions of iOS involved accessing the application switcher, pressing and holding an icon until all the icons in the icon grid began wiggling and then tapping a horizontal red bar atop each icon. From here on out, you can kiss this view goodbye. In iOS 7, removing applications from the app switcher is not only a whole lot easier, it's also much more, dare I say, fun. To remove an app from the multitasking pane, simply tap (and hold) an app card and then swipe upwards. Just like that, the app has been removed. You should be aware of three things when it comes to dismissing apps from the app switcher. With two fingers, you can actually tap and simultaneously select two cards for rapid fire app dismissal. Swiping an app away only works if you tap and hold on the actual app card. Tapping on the app icon won't work in this regard. You must swipe the app card in question upwards. Swiping a card towards the bottom of the screen simply results in a rubber banding effect. So that's the app-switching aspect of multitasking functionality in iOS 7. It's clean, simple, fast and again, a whole lot more intuitive.
YouTube app for Android gets multitasking, playlist searches and a new UI
The YouTube app for Windows Phone may be having some troubles these days, but the Android version continues to get better and better. Today, YouTube started rolling out a big update for users, with the headlining feature being in-app multitasking -- meaning you can minimize a playing video while you search through the rest of YouTube's trove of moving pictures. The feature allows users to minimize a playing video to thumbnail size with a single tap, which relegates it to the bottom right corner of the screen. From there, you can dismiss said video by swiping it left or right, and bringing it back to full size is accomplished by tapping the video or an upward swipe. In practice, we found that the feature really shines when building out music video playlists, as you can listen to the tunes you've added while you search for new ones. Plus, the shrunken video can get a bit jittery at times and is too small to watch (especially on a phone), but the audio plays flawlessly. Multitasking's not all users get with the new version, of course, as the update has also made playlists searchable and improved the YouTube Chromecast experience, too. Now, once you've hit the cast button in the app and tap to play a video, a window pops up with a thumbnail image, video description and the option to either play the video or add it to your playlist. And, along with that particular improvement, the entire app has been refreshed with Google's near-ubiquitous card UI first favored by Google Now. The update has just started rolling out to some Android users today, with more platforms set to receive the new features soon.
Paranoid Android's HALO does Chat Heads-inspired multitasking, goes open source
It's been a couple months since we first saw the fruits of team Paranoid Android's labor around in-app pop-up window multitasking, and it looks like Paul Henschel and co. are finally sharing the finished product. HALO, as it's called, loosely combines the ideas behind Samsung's Multi Window and FaceBook's Chat Heads into a slick multitasking interface. The feature is activated from the notification tray. It places an icon -- or halo -- on the display, which can be moved around very much like Chat Heads, or dismissed by double-tapping and dragging it towards the red X at the top. Swiping sideways from the halo shows a series of white lines and text bubbles that match and highlight the notifications in the status bar. Releasing your finger is like tapping on the selected notification, but instead of launching full-screen, the app opens in a pop-up window on top of whatever's already running, just like Multi Window. The background app continues to run while you interact with the foreground app -- to dismiss the pop-up window, simply tap outside of it. Other cool functionality includes swiping up to dismiss the last notification and the ability to pin apps permanently to the halo. But what's really most exciting is that team Paranoid Android's decided to make HALO open source so anyone can be involved. Check out the awesome demo video after the break.
Multitasking and notifications revamped in iOS 7
Tim Cook just said during WWDC 2013 that multitasking in iOS has been revamped completely. iOS 7 will now monitor your app usage even more closely than before, meaning it will have apps like Facebook pull in news and other updates in the background, getting them all ready to roll when you launch the app. There's also a new panel for app controls called Control Center and a new look for UI when switching apps The iPhone will now also adjust networking conditions to save battery life (so hopefully no more running out your battery while frantically trying to connect to WiFi), and there's a new notification management system that looks a lot cleaner and straightforward than the current implementation. These new features look terrific -- we'll get a look at them running in iOS 7 hopefully soon.
Breakfast Topic: What do you do while you play?
A lot of us here at WoW Insider have been playing WoW for a long time -- and we suspect most of you have, too. A long enough time that parts of the game are, dare we say, boring. So while doing our dailies (again) or grinding an alt through a zone we've done half a dozen times before we admit, we're usually multitasking. Sometimes we'll have a movie or television show on, and others we might be reading email or catching up on RSS feeds in another window. It's not that we don't still love the game -- it's just how we stay sane while leveling our dozenth alt. So, fellow WoW players, we pose this question: what else are you doing while you play WoW? Do you have a favorite television show to put on? A much-loved playlist? Twitter or Facebook in another window?
Paranoid Android teases in-app pop-up window multitasking (video)
As advanced as multitasking gets on smartphones, many times you're still left to completely switch between apps. Paranoid Android is looking to set things into overdrive with in-app, multiple-window multitasking for its skin of Android, going beyond the similar (but limited) functionality seen in the likes of Samsung's basked-in Galaxy apps. PA's Paul Henschel recently posted a demo to YouTube highlighting the feature working with various apps on both an Android tablet and a Nexus smartphone, with a post to Google+ saying it shows less than 10 percent of the planned functionality. If that weren't enough, the post further clarifies PA's drive to build out its version stating: "We think these [Samsung, Cyanogen & Cornerstone] implementations suck and we want to get it right this time." Thirsty for more info? Hit the source link and the video after the break, while we eagerly wait further updates.
Samsung said to be pushing Android 4.1.2 to some Galaxy S III owners, multi-window included
Samsung has only just started seeding Jelly Bean to some Galaxy S III owners, but it may already be delivering a second round to others. SamMobile claims that Android 4.1.2 is starting to reach those using the international 3G model, with hinted-at multi-window support still intact. The Galaxy Note II's gallery app, Smart Rotation and other apps or (at times subtle) features may come with the extra 0.0.1's worth of code. Don't expect to see a notice on your particular phone or in Kies just yet, however. As we write, only Poland is believed to be in line for an immediate upgrade -- our UK team isn't seeing it, which makes the rollout difficult to confirm unless it spreads. Let us know if you're seeing the split-view multitasking on your Galaxy S III in Krakow.
Breakfast Topic: Do you multitask while playing WoW?
If whatever you're doing in game is so rote that you're doing something else on the side while you play, does that mean the game itself is dull or that you're not enjoying it? For me, the issue's quite clearly divided between routine activities such as gathering and current content. I love farming. More specifically, I love herbalism -- and even more specifically, I love gathering herbs in Zangarmarsh. You'll know you share a realm with one of my herbalists when you see those herbs up on the AH on a regular basis. Zangarmarsh is a serene, evocative zone with a predictable herb circuit. I can chat in guildchat with my WoW guild, on TeamSpeak with my other gaming buddies, and keep Facebook, Twitter, or Google Reader up on the other monitor. The total experience isn't the same without all the elements, but it never fails to satisfy after a deadline-driven day. On the other hand, I'm put off by players who let slip that they're watching a movie while they're tanking my group or eating pizza during a raid. These are the activities I do for the challenge, to explore the limits of the story, the setting, the gameplay. Being fully immersed and fully engaged is what makes them fun; when they stop being immersive or engaging, I stop running that content (unless I'm playing with a group of friends strictly for kicks and giggles). Different strokes for different folks -- sure, I get that. But this is one common player habit that stumps me. If you do enjoy doing something that calls for significant attention while you're grouping or raiding, 'splain this: Wouldn't you enjoy each activity more if you gave it your full attention?
Is Samsung's multi-window mode coming to the Galaxy S III?
While the productivity-boosting wiles of the Galaxy Note II's multi-window feature have been promised to the original Note, these screenshots suggest that its slightly smaller brother might also add them to its repertoire in its next software update. According to TGSpot, these screens show how dual-browsing would look on the Galaxy S III's slightly smaller 4.8-inch screen -- we reckon Samsung's floating keyboard might shrink a little too much here. SamMobile made a similar claim just last month and posits that users could see the update before the end of the year. Nothing quite like the holidays to bring out the multi-tasker in all of us.
Neo Geo X hands-on
When the Neo Geo AES hit the scene 20 years ago, it was one of the largest, most powerful and most expensive game consoles the market had to offer, ringing in at a steep $650. Used AES machines aren't much cheaper, and modernized slim variations don't cost a penny less than the original hardware, either. A full home console might be a bit outside of the average gamer's budget, but SNK's 20th anniversary Neo Geo X hits a little closer to home: $200 for a portable handheld, 20 pre-loaded games, a faithful recreation of the original console arcade stick and an AES-shaped charging / controller dock that pipes video and audio out to a proper television. The end result? A handheld dressed up in a home console's skin. This is something we needed to see -- we spent some time with the setup to give it a once over.
LG tells the story behind QSlide multitasking, won't be mad if you tweet at the same time (video)
LG's been stepping up its mobile game recently, with the Optimus G being the firm's clearest display of podium-position ambitions yet. And just like its regional neighbors, it's getting in on the "explaining-ideas-behind-concepts" video action. In this clip we see senior research engineer, Sebastian Hochan Song, explain the inspiration and process behind the new phone's QSlide multitasking function. Again, like its fellow Korean nationals, nature and the real world play a heavy part in the idea process. Head past the break if you want to see LG's thoughts about pushing Android multitasking forward, and keep an eagle eye out for one of our very own editors' quick cameo appearance.
The Daily Grind: Do you multitask while playing MMOs?
Yesterday evening was pretty typical of weeknights at the old homestead. There was a bit of MMO playing and a bit of television watching. Atypically, though, these two events occurred simultaneously. I might have been bored with my MMO or bored with Star Trek: Voyager on Netflix. I honestly can't remember but the point is that neither activity was engaging enough to pursue exclusively. What about you, morning crew? Are you usually immersed in your MMOs or are you prone to multitasking? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
The Summoner's Guidebook: Learning to multitask in League of Legends
Multitasking is a skill that is fairly useful in any competitive game. Even if there's not a huge need for external situational awareness, the ability to multitask lets you do things while paying attention to other elements of a PvP match such as in-game resources, the timer (if present), and the actions of enemy players. If you can't multitask, you are stuck focusing mostly on what you're doing and can't adequately counter what the enemy is doing. League of Legends requires a lot of multitasking. While it's not a true real-time strategy game, LoL still requires players to be aware of the minimap, the current state of minions at their location, and the potential positions of enemy players who are not visible on the minimap. Couple this with the "normal" flow of a PvP game where a player must juggle her positioning with that of her opponent, and you have a game that is very taxing on a person's mental resources. While multitasking is a hard skill to develop, learning it is intensely satisfying when knowledge about the "big picture" leads to a decisive, game-winning play. This week in The Summoner's Guidebook, we'll look at how you can improve this critical skill. Even if you don't play League of Legends, it might be worth it to follow along. While many examples I'll be discussing will be LoL-specific, the broader concepts we'll cover after the jump can be applied to many different games, whether competitive or not.
Microsoft brings true, background multitasking to Windows Phone 8
Well, Microsoft has officially left Apple as the only player in the Mobile field to not support real multitasking. With the next version of Windows Phone, background multitasking will be opened up to all devs, thanks to libraries provided directly by Redmond. During today's presentation two different background tasks were demoed, VoIP and location. The VoIP integration allows users to have calls come in, preferably via Skype if Microsoft has its way, without having the app running in the foreground and have them appear the same as a standard phone call. While watching for incoming calls is nice, a more commonly used feature is location monitoring. Now apps will be able to monitor location in the background while you perform other tasks. One by one, Microsoft is checking off boxes on our list of complaints about Windows Phone.
