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DevJuice: Parse jumps to OS X Mountain Lion
If you love Parse, you'll be happy to hear that the company just released an OS X SDK. Parse helps you store, sync and push data, enabling you to build server-based apps in the cloud without having to bring your own infrastructure. The new OS X API supports Mountain Lion development and you can check out the iOS/OS X guide for details on how you can store objects, access social media accounts, create "GeoPoints" and provide push notifications. There's a QuickStart guide that helps you get going in Xcode. Parse offers a free account with up to 1 million pushes per month ($0.07 per 1,000 pushes over that amount) and a "pro" account that supports collaboration, and higher storage and API request calls volumes. I am not personally a Parse user but it has very good buzz as a service.
"Insider" Sprint doc details the Palm Pre for new users, other boring minutiae
If you've been looking for a window into the life of the Palm Pre once you're a real, actual, not pretend user, a poster at Inside Sprint Now who claims to be a rep for the provider may have some answers for you. In what appears to be pretty much the entire "quick start" guide (or whatever kind of connected, web-centric name Palm will give it), the anonymous writer reveals the ins and outs of how to get around on your new phone. Here's some of the more interesting tidbits from the document -- which, mind you, could just be the wild imaginings of someone with way too much time on their hands: Palm / Sprint will provide a "Palm profile," which will allow for OTA updates of software, App Catalog downloads, and online backups of contacts, calendars, apps, and preferences. Interestingly, this sounds like it could be related to web services we've seen mentioned in Palm's SEC filings. There will be some kind of PC-based "Data Transfer Assistant" which will allow users to migrate old Palm OS data to the phone -- but it appears to be a one-way street. The Pre will require a Simply Everything / Simply Everything data plan, or a Business Essentials Plan. Highlighting text (for copy / paste) duties in web pages won't be possible -- which is kind of a huge bummer. The Pre won't support Sprint services such as Sprint Music, Sprint PictureMail, or Sprint Digital Lounge. Finally, one of the more interesting components of this post is pictured up above -- a guide for managing cards (and memory, consequently), and a walkthrough of how to reset or hard reset the device. Okay -- we know, not exactly the juiciest scoop in the world here, but Palm isn't giving us much to work with. You guys about ready for this thing to drop? Update: People, if it wasn't clear enough (or if you didn't take the time to read the post), we don't have confirmation of this being an "official" document -- it looks like a very convincing leak, however. Don't start selling off your stock just yet. [Via PreCentral]
Splashtop 'Quick Start' comes to the Lenovo IdeaPad S10e
It looks like Splashtop -- the instant-on, quickboot Linux OS that's been cropping up on a smattering of motherboards and PCs lately -- is headed onto a smaller platform. The company announced today that it's going to be loading up Lenovo's IdeaPad S10e netbook with a healthy dose of the software -- dubbed "Quick Start" -- allowing you to get to that all-important YouTube video faster than previously thought possible. This marks the first time Splashtop is making its way to a netbook, and we expect it will be shipping on all new models, though the company hasn't been explicit about that. We'll keep our fingers crossed, and let you know if we hear otherwise.
Eyes-on with Sony's BDP-S5000ES Blu-ray player
Sony's latest high-end Blu-ray player was sitting pretty at the outfit's CEDIA booth, so we did exactly what you figured we would -- stop by and snap some pictures. Though the unit wasn't exactly compact, the build quality seemed sufficient and the design was suitably simple. As you very well know by now, the gallery is over at Engadget HD.
Sony introduces $2,000 BD-Live-capable BDP-S5000ES Blu-ray player
While some other manufacturers are churning out Blu-ray decks with price tags closer to the magical $200 mark, Sony's bucking that trend by aiming squarely at those with bulging wallets and even fatter egos. The November-bound BDP-S5000ES one-ups the BDP-S350 by being BD-Live-capable (as opposed to BD-Live-ready) and boasts an Ethernet jack, external flash memory port, a 1GB Sony Micro Vault Tiny (gee, thanks!), Quick Start mode for getting those BDs spinning quicker and an ultra-special 14-bit HD video processor, which "improves standard-definition and high-definition picture quality with the help of HD Reality Enhancer and Super Bit Mapping technologies." Infringing on Toshiba's latest playground is the highly-touted Precision Cinema HD Upscale technology, which unsurprisingly upconverts DVDs to 1080p in order to make the most of your splendid DVD collection. You'll also find niceties such as an RS-232C / IR input, BRAVIA Sync and an XMB-inspired user interface -- now, if only we could find the secret sauce that makes this package worth the $2,000 asking price. (Psst... full release after the cut.)
Touchy TV: quick start guides surface for the LG Vu
While we're all twiddling our thumbs and waiting patiently for next month's Vu release on AT&T, we suppose some reading materials couldn't hurt, right? We've found no earth-shattering surprises in these quick guides that are filtering their way into corporate stores, but we do think it's kinda funny that they're pushing Cellular Video right alongside Mobile TV on page one; then again, with a MediaFLO launch that covers just a fraction of AT&T's total coverage area, we suppose we'll still need some entertainment when we're out in the sticks. Video Share instructions are here, along with the comforting reminder that a light finger press is sufficient to operate the Vu's touch screen -- so yeah, we're pretty much educated and ready, AT&T. Bring it on.[Thanks, anonymous tipster]%Gallery-20596%
