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Google's 'Who's Down' app is here because no one replies to your texts
Never let it be said that Google doesn't like throw weird ideas at the wall and see what sticks. Take the quietly-released "Who's Down" Android app that just hit the Google Play store, for example. It's an invite-only app that simply shows you whether you're "down" to hang out -- presumably, once you have confirmed that you are indeed "down," your friends nearby will see that status and include you in whatever wonderful activities they have planned.
Ultravisual is an intriguing iOS app for sharing photos and videos
Ultravisual (free) joins a large collection of photo-sharing apps for iOS, but it has some unique features wrapped in an attractive, but at times frustrating, GUI. The app lets you load photos from your camera roll, and arrange and label them into an attractive presentation. You can also collaborate with others, and you can include videos in your collections. Getting the images in any order is easy with a drag-and-drop interface. You can take photos from within the app, and there are filters that work in real time for things like warming up the color balance, but oddly, those filters don't work after a photo is taken. Labeling of photos uses very attractive text, and the finished presentation looks very nice. Videos can be edited in-app, and strung together. These are nice capabilities in a free app. While the UI is beautiful, it is confusing. Even help is buried, and you have to scroll way down in your collections to see the help button. There are some on-screen prompts, but I'd like to see more. You also get some cursory videos, but some of them raised more questions than they answered. I can't imagine a user starting from scratch with this app and getting all the way through to publishing without stumbling quite a lot along the way. The app allows you to easily share your work, either with people you know, or you can publish to a public collection. When you send to a friend or family member, they get a URL and can click to see your photos or videos, which are server based. The sharing opportunities can be quite powerful, and if you see some things you like, you can follow the creator. When you first use the app, you sign up for a free account. You can share your material publicly or not share that way. Ultravisual is a clever, and attractive app. At a price of free, it is worth checking out, and happily there are no in-app purchases to make. I think for people to get more use out of the app, there will need to be more obvious help built in, and an easier-to-understand workflow. None of that is impossible, and I think the app will get a large following on the strength of its features, but easier immersion would be a big plus. Ultravisual requires iOS 7 or later. It's not a universal app, so it's going to look best on an iPhone or iPod touch.
Lawsuit filed against Zynga over Farmville source code
California-based web developer SocialApps has become the latest company to file suit against social-gaming powerhouse Zynga, seeking damages for alleged "copyright infringement, violation of trade secrets, breach of written contract, breach of implied-in-fact contract, and breach of confidence." The argument is that SocialApps entered into an agreement with Zynga, wherein Zynga would receive access to the source code for SocialApps' Facebook game MyFarm in exchange for some form of compensation. According to the suit, Zynga was given the code, at which point they fled into the night, never to be seen or heard from again. SocialApps claims that MyFarm's source code provided the foundation for Farmville, as well as its many derivatives. They are seeking a permanent injunction, damages, attorney's fees, as well as any of Zynga's profits or gains which can be attributed to Farmville. While theft from other developers has been implied in previous lawsuits, this is the first out-and-out accusation of theft lodged against the company. In related news, Zynga's legal department has constructed an olympic-sized swimming pool on the Moon, and filled it with real pirate treasure.
