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Telenav opens up Scout for Apps, the HTML5 GPS navigation service, to all interested devs
At the end of last year, Telenav revealed its browser-based HTML5 turn-by-turn navigation system and made it available to a select few devs to put it to good use. For an encore, it unveiled its personalized GPS service, Scout, at CES. Now, the company has created Scout for Apps and made the service available to all developers who want it, assuming they're coding iOS or HTML5 applications (Android support is in the works, and is slated to arrive later this year). That means that apps and websites can now incorporate turn-by-turn navigation directly, as opposed to launching a separate application to get you where you want to go. Keep in mind that Telenav isn't pitching this as a full GPS replacement -- more a value added proposition to developers -- and after spending some time using Scout, we can see why.We tested the browser-based Scout service on our Android handset to run a few errands, and we found it a useful tool, but it certainly pales in comparison to its application counterparts. There's noticeable lag when attempting to swipe around maps, no pinch to zoom (onscreen buttons are the only option), and it lacks features like traffic reports or a way to remember favorite locations. That said, it does do a good job of getting you where you want to go, and the rudimentary nav functionality is certainly more appealing than the static maps found in apps currently. Plus, it's quite nice to not have to launch a separate application to get directions. If you want to test Scout for Apps on your mobile, hit the source link below, but check out the PR and video after the break to learn a little more before you do.
BlueStacks App Player hits beta, supports ARM-written Android apps on x86-based Windows (video)
We've been eagerly anticipating the full-on release of BlueStacks' App Player, so imagine our excitement now that the software has officially made the leap from its brief alpha stage to "beta-1" status. If you'll recall, the App Player can virtually run over 450k Android apps on Windows XP, Vista and 7, all without developers needing to tweak their respective coding. Notably, this latest build has a host of updates including LayerCake, allowing x86-based machines to run apps written for ARM -- and with hardware graphics acceleration, no less. Other notable goodies from the beta build include official localization in 10 countries, mock accelerometer support (arrow keys), an updated UI and Direct AppStore Access. If the mere thought of running Android Angry Birds on Windows has your interests piqued, you'll find further details about BlueStacks in the full press release and video overview past the break.
Nokia and Microsoft create AppCampus to teach devs how to make more Metro apps
Windows Phone may be picking up the pace in the hardware department thanks to some Nokia know-how, but the platform still lags behind its competition in the apps department. Team Redmond and team Espoo are taking steps to remedy that dearth of software, however, with their new AppCampus development program. The program will call Finland's Aalto University home, and is being created to provide design and technological support in addition to business coaching to help app developers build quality apps that make money. (Sound familiar?) In keeping with the motive to help developers grow their businesses, the program lets devs who utilize its services keep all the IP rights in their apps as well. AppCampus isn't only preaching the Windows Phone gospel either, folks wanting to code for Symbian and Series 40 are invited, too. Of course, supporting such a program isn't cheap, which is why both Microsoft and Nokia are kicking in 9 million euros ($12 million) each to make it happen. It's a good start, guys, but you've got a long way to go.
Microsoft: there's a limit to Tango's love (for 256MB devices, anyway)
Microsoft's going after the low-end market with devices like the Lumia 610 and its brethren. The handset's biggest limitation is that it only packs 256MB RAM and Redmond spent last week imploring developers to slim down their apps or face ghettoization. Now the company's revealing what else will be missing from Tango's cheapie iteration: Video podcasts, Bing local scout, fast app switching, automatic photo uploading, HD video playback (with certain codecs) and background agents will all be disabled. On the upside, this efficiency drive should ensure Windows Phone's apps remain as lithe and responsive as its interface is. Developers interested in learning more can head down to our source link for a dash of nitty and a spoonful of gritty. Update: To clarify, the fast app switching situation is a little more nuanced: apps which uses upwards of 90MB will be "tombstoned" on deactivation, but those occupying less memory should fast resume just fine.
PlayStation Suite open to all developers from April, full SDK coming 'later'
It's been many months since we first heard about this PlayStation SDK, which entered closed beta for a chosen few back in November. Now we're told the open beta will arrive in April, allowing any interested developer to create content for the PS Suite, which will ultimately be accessible to all PlayStation-certified Android smartphones and tablets as well as the PS Vita. This beta of the SDK will be free of charge, while the official version will come "later this year" and require a $99 annual subscription in return for allowing devs to make their wares commercially available on Sony's platform. This should herald good times for users too: People still have to go to crazy lengths just to access homebrew on their Sony handheld.
Unofficial VLC beta hits Android, no video format is safe
VLC is the Swiss Army knife (nope, not you Perian) of media players and it has never baulked at any of the increasingly weird and wonderful formats we've thrown at it -- which is good because now it's available on Android. The unsupported, unofficial beta by user adridu59 is tailored to run on selected Gingerbread and Ice Cream Sandwich handsets. It's available to grab from the source link, with the caveat that as an unofficial build, it'll require a little bit of tinkering at your end
Qualcomm, Microsoft giving Snapdragon S4 PCs to Windows-on-ARM developers (update: NVIDIA handing out Tegra 3 PCs, too)
Microsoft spent a big chunk of MWC today telling everyone about Windows 8 and if you're the coding type, the news gets even better. If invited, you'll be expecting something nice in the mail to arrive from Redmond very shortly. It's sending out test PCs powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon S4 MSM8960 that includes the beefy LTE, camera and sensor gear we played with in our hands-on. It's intended to give developers a head-start in building and refining Metro-style apps ahead of the operating system's big debut. You can check out the consumer preview of what was shown today here and if you'd like to know more, head on past the break for a sprinkling of PR. Update: It's not just Qualcomm giving away ARM silicon for free, looks like NVIDIA will be distributing Windows 8 machines powered by its Tegra 3 SoC too. PR's after the break.
Atari announces Pong contest for indie iOS devs
(Disclaimer: As you'll read below, I'm serving as a judge in this competition, though I'm not getting paid or compensated for any time I'm contributing to it.) Atari has been betting big on iOS lately. It recently released a Greatest Hits app with its own controller, as well as remakes like Breakout: Boost (our review) and Asteroids: Gunner. Now the original Atari classic, Pong, is being re-imagined and the company wants help from iOS developers. Atari is offering up to US$100,000 to indie developers who can put together an "original take" on Pong for iOS devices. The contest is essentially a publishing deal. Developers can make an iOS game and submit it to the judging panel, which includes Atari founder Nolan Bushnell, Pocket God creator Dave Castelnuovo and me, TUAW's Mike Schramm. The winner of the contest will be published by Atari on the App Store. In addition, community-based voting will help determine both a community winner and the overall winner, so you'll be able to have a voice in the proceedings as well. The contest's official rules are now available online, and it's basically an opportunity to do some spec work for Atari (some developers have objections -- see Update below). The winner gets a publishing deal with Atari, so part of that $100,000 prize is going to come from splitting up App Store sales, not just a giant check. Still, if you're an iOS developer who's been looking for an idea to jump on, and think you've got a compelling spin on Pong, here's your opportunity to work with a pioneering video game company. I look forward to your entries, and wish good luck to everyone who decides to compete! Update: The rules and regulations for the contest have made it online, and as developer Brian Robbins notes, they're pretty heinous: Atari is basically asking devs to make games for them on spec, with no real indication or guarantee that they'll make money, even if they win the contest (Atari points out that there are some cash prizes, in addition to the publishing deals: $50,000 for first place, $37,500 for second, $25,000 for third, and $5,000 each for up to seven more runner-ups. But obviously, this requires developers to "win" -- if a lot of work is poured into an idea that doesn't make it, there's no guarantee of any reward at all, and the spec couldn't ever be published separately without major changes.) I will say that even despite my reservations about a scheme like this, I am still behind the contest as a judge, and I still think it represents an opportunity to work with Atari that a lot of indie developers might not normally get. But devs, don't go into this thing blind: Know that by entering a contest like this, you're basically entering an arena in which Atari holds most of the cards. If you don't want to submit your game in this way, there's always the option of just publishing on your own. Show full PR text Atari Announces the $100,000 Pong® Indie Developer Challenge Winners Receive Cash Prize, Publishing Agreements and Industry Accolades LOS ANGELES – Feb. 28, 2012 – In celebration of Atari's and Pong's 40th anniversary, the company today announced the official start of its Pong® Indie Developer Challenge, calling on entrants to reimagine the classic game for a chance to win up to $100,000 and see their vision go from concept to market. Beginning Feb. 28, 2012, developers can submit their original take on Pong® for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices, with finalists launching their games on the App Store later this year under the Atari brand. Winning entries will also receive a long-term publishing agreement with Atari that includes development, creative resources and full marketing support. Submissions are now being accepted until March 31st, 2012, 11:59pm ET, at: www.atari.com/pongdeveloperchallenge Following the success of Atari's recent indie-developed mobile games including Asteroids®: Gunner™, Atari's Greatest Hits© and Breakout®: Boost, the Pong® Indie Developer Challenge opens the door for up-and-coming developers to deliver the next smash hit. The judging panel will include notable industry figureheads, including original Atari founder Nolan Bushnell, infamous Pocket God creator Dave Castelnuovo, TUAW's Mike Schramm, and select members of Atari's executive team. Atari fans can participate by submitting their own votes during the selection of an Atari Community Winner. An additional community voting period will also help to determine overall contest winners, details of which will be revealed soon. "The Pong Indie Developer Challenge is a great opportunity to celebrate the 40th anniversary of an iconic game franchise," said Jim Wilson, CEO of Atari. "We are enthusiastic about working with the independent developer community to evolve Pong through a wide variety of creative concepts and gameplay experiences that will further engage our Atari fan base and introduce new consumers to this pioneering video game franchise." For full details regarding the contest and rules, including how to submit, eligibility, timing of submissions and prizes, please visit: www.atari.com/pongdeveloperchallenge For more information about Atari games and the latest news: - Visit our website: www.atari.com - Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/atari - Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/atari - Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/atari
Samsung updates S Pen SDK to 2.0, SCanvasView brings Note animation and narration
Following Samsung's launch of the it's-definitely-a-tablet 10.1 Note, it's become even more clear that the company's stylus S Pen is here to stay, in a very big way. Now, it's time for third-party developers to get sketchy with version 2.0 of the S Pen SDK. The biggest feature boost is the ability to animate drawings to pair with recorded voice, while other additions include SAMM Library access, improved rendering and the ability to revert after accidentally clearing all. Ready to start jotting? Hit up our source link below and get your download on.
Study: 'App Economy' has created 500,000 jobs since 2007
It's no secret that the rise of smartphones, tablets and social networking has fostered an entirely new market for app developers, but a freshly released study has now attempted to quantify this impact, in terms of real jobs. According to TechNet, a bipartisan network of tech execs, the so-called "App Economy" has created an estimated 466,000 jobs since 2007, when the iPhone was first unveiled. The report specifies that this estimate includes all jobs at Facebook-focused companies like Zynga, as well as dev gigs at Amazon, AT&T and Electronic Arts, in addition to the obvious heavyweights, Apple and Google. As far as geography goes, California leads the way as the most app-friendly state, though New York City tops the list of metropolitan areas. It's not an entirely bi-coastal affair, though, with some two-thirds of all app-related jobs located outside of California and New York. TechNet acknowledges that the App Economy "is only four years old and extremely fluid," so it's likely that these numbers will fluctuate in the years to come, though the organization says these numbers underscore a fundamental principle: "Innovation creates jobs, and in this case, lots of them." Read the full report at the source link below.
Windows Phone exec Brandon Watson leaves Microsoft, headed to Amazon
There's some more corporate reshuffling going on in the Windows Phone universe this week, now that Brandon Watson has confirmed his departure from Microsoft. Watson, who served as head of the WP Developer Experience, announced the news on his Twitter page Friday, and later told ZDNet that he's heading to Amazon, where he'll be Director of the Kindle Cross Platform team. In an e-mail to ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley, Watson acknowledged the difficulty of the decision, but ultimately decided that "the opportunity placed in front of me that was too big to pass up." At Amazon, the exec will be charged with laying out a roadmap for Kindle app development across first- and third-party platforms, including, of course, Windows Phone and Windows 8. Microsoft has yet to announce a replacement, issuing the following statement: "We can confirm February 6th is Brandon Watson's last day at Microsoft. Brandon did a great job helping us build a vibrant developer community and we wish him well with his next adventure."
Develop an Android app, get a free Blackberry PlayBook
Still wary of dropping $200 on a BlackBerry Playbook? How does "free" sound? That's what RIM is offering to Android developers today, as part of an overt attempt to spur interest in its App World platform. RIM VP of developer relations Alec Saunders announced the offer yesterday via Twitter, reminding devs to submit their apps by February 13th in order to qualify. On the one hand, it seems like a great way to push the PlayBook out on the market. On the other, it's sort of sad. Interested parties can find all the tools they need at the coverage link below.
Google's 'Bouncer' service scans the Android Market for malware, will judge you at the door
Google has had its fair share of malware-related problems in the Android Market, but that's hopefully about to change, now that the company has announced a new security-enhancing service. Codenamed "Bouncer," Mountain View's new program sounds pretty simple, in principle: it just automatically scans the Market for malware, without altering the Android user experience, or requiring devs to run through an app approval process. According to Hiroshi Lockheimer, Android's VP of Engineering, Bouncer does this by scanning recently uploaded apps for spyware, trojans or any other lethal components, while looking out for any suspicious behavior that may raise a red flag. The service also runs a simulation of each app using Google's cloud-based infrastructure, and regularly checks up on developer accounts to keep repeat offenders out of the Android Market. Existing apps, it's worth noting, will be subject to the same treatment as their more freshly uploaded counterparts. Lockheimer went on to point out that malware is on the decline in the Market, citing a 40 percent drop between the first and second halves of 2011, and explained some of Android's fundamental security features, including its sandboxing and permission-based systems. Head for the source link below to read the post in full.
Report: Windows Phone Tango to support 120 languages, C++ development
When Microsoft confirmed Windows Phone "Tango" back in August, it emphasized its focus on developing country markets that other heavyweight manufacturers tend to neglect. Today, new details have emerged to corroborate these claims about Redmond's forthcoming update, which will reportedly support a wider range of languages than its Mango-flavored predecessor. As WP Sauce reports, a Microsoft representative confirmed the news at a developer event in India today, telling attendees that Tango will support a full 120 languages, compared to the 35 tongues that Mango currently support. (iOS, by comparison, supports 34 languages, while Android boasts 55.) One of the speakers also reportedly confirmed that Windows Phone would add support for C++ native coding, though it remains unclear whether that will apply to Tango, or Windows Phone 8 (codenamed "Apollo"). We'll have to wait and see whether or not any of this actually comes to fruition, though it's worth noting that WP Sauce has since pulled its report on today's news, apparently at the request of Microsoft.
Google, MIT bestow App Inventor to the unwashed masses
Google must be feeling generous: it donated Sky Map to undeserving armchair astronomers and it's letting the great unwashed get at its App Inventor development platform. The software toolset was cooked up in partnership with MIT: a web-based interface that lets anyone build Android apps without getting elbows-deep in code. Those Massachusetts king-geeks won't be accepting submissions just yet, however: it's still got to work out how it's going to deploy the public server and foster a "robust and active open-source project" under its new name: the moderately unimaginative MIT App Inventor.
Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 MSM8960 development tablet hands-on (Video)
We already had the deep-dish on Qualcomm's Snapdragon S4 development platform during our on-stage pow-wow with the company's Rob Chandok but we wanted to get some extra time with the device. The MSM8960 is a developer tablet: which means it'll never retail and it's packing some serious kit including a dual-core 1.5GHz CPU, 13-megapixel cameras on both side and Qualcomm's beefy LTE gear inside. We got a few minutes to play Fight Game Heroes: a tech demo game where your character fights a musclebound company executive in a steelworks. The action was fluid and rapid, particle effects like smoke and sparks were well rendered -- we think the chip's obviously got gaming gravitas considering the early nature of the software. It's harder to see if this is more noticeably powerful than Tegra 3, but on current evidence we think nVidia's a step ahead. Just as we left, 15 Nokia executives swarmed the booth, but would it be too much to hope that the company's thinking about building a Tablet? Well, yes, obviously. But it doesn't stop us dreaming, okay? After the break we've got footage so you can decide for yourself. Sean Buckley contributed to this report.
Roll up, roll up for the magical mystery Arduino tour
If this news isn't as obvious as John Obvious: Professor of Obvious studies at Cambridge University: we love Arduino 'round these parts. Phil and Limor of Adafruit Industries took a tour of the Italian foundry's Turin factory and took a gallery of pics (and video!) on the way. It's a great insight into how the building process works for the modding tool, and you can head on down to our source link to check out the gallery in full -- we've also included a direct link to the video as the guys walk down the production line in our more coverage link. We're so good to you, you know.
NVIDIA Windows 8 developer tablet eyes-on
Have you been itchin' for another taste of Windows 8 on a tablet? Well, NVIDIA obliged us with a developer model of a Tegra 3-powered slate. We'd seen a nondescript device with Intel's touch at BUILD in the Series 7 and now we've caught a glimpse of some NVIDIA handiwork alongside Microsoft's upcoming OS. Notice the three sensors on the back side. We presume those may outfit 3D camera of some sort along with flash. Of course, nothing here is guaranteed to make it on the final product. Naturally, not too many other details were offered, but you can take a look a few pics below. And start the not-so-patient wait for a consumer model to add to your wish list.
Android-style FaceUnlock ported to iOS (video)
Just because it's CES doesn't mean that other amazing innovations aren't going on elsewhere. We've spotted this video of an app being built (from scratch) for iOS that duplicates the FaceUnlock technology we know and love on Android 4.0. Simply stick your face in view of the camera and it'll start identifying your fizzog -- with live detection and rejection all demoed in the clip we've got after the break. From the video, it's promised to make a trip to the App Store soon, hopefully without earning the ire of the retail guardians of Cupertino.
AT&T announces API Catalog: U-Verse, payments, wireless and more
We're live at AT&T's Developer Summit keynote here at CES, where the carrier has just announced a revamped U-Verse API catalog. According to the company, the new U-Verse catalog features APIs that support payments, MMS/SMS, location, device capabilities and AT&T's mHealth app. The payment API utilizes HTML5, with revenue split 70 / 30 between developers and AT&T. The entire collection will be available through cloud services like Windows Azure, and developers will have to pay a $99 registration fee to get started, giving them unlimited access to the catalog through the end of 2012. The APIs will also allow devs to build apps that let you check out what's playing on TV, and use them as a remote control. There's also support for the Twonky Beam Browser app, which allows users to beam content directly from their tablets to a U-Verse equipped TV.
