Glimpse
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DevJuice: Record UIViews with Glimpse
Glimpse offers an open source library from iOS Developer Wess Cope. It enables you to create QuickTime videos from your UIViews. The library records animations and actions, collecting screen shots over time, building a movie from the results. The API consists of two calls: one to start recording, one to stop. An optional completion block processes a file URL after wrapping up the recording. The project is surprisingly simple. It consists basically of an AV Foundation asset writer (for creating the QT movies) and a wrapper. There's no reason you couldn't use Glimpse for store deployment, for recording gameplay or similar tasks as well. Glimpse is perfect for internal testing -- especially if you want to see how test subjects interact with different view layouts. (Cope's related Variant project helps execute those tests.) Got an open source project you think deserves some DevJuice love? Drop a note into our feedback form.
Cheat on your iOS or Android device with this BlackBerry 10 OS tour
The BlackBerry Z10 is now attainable on three outta the four big US carriers, leading many to wonder what a BB10 phone would be like. Well, if you haven't had a chance to fondle the handset in-store, Heins & Co's got another way for you to (somewhat) experience the OS through its "glimpse" website. Load it up in the browser of your iOS or Android device, and it'll take you through a linear tour of some of the gestures and ways to multitask, as well as show you the BlackBerry Hub, BBM and Time Shift camera feature. It's far from a full emulation, but at least you'll be a little more informed at the end of it. Point your portable's browser at the source link to see what we mean.
Microsoft teams up with shopping search engine for HTML5 digital catalogs
Dead tree product catalogs -- dated. Fortunate, then, at least for Mother Earth, that Microsoft's unveiled the results of its team-up with retail-focused search engine TheFind, several web-based Glimpse catalogs, offering the visual pizazz of a retail magazine without the carbon hangover. Injecting Redmond's HTML5 know-how into the shopping hub's catalog and social apps, it distills those functions into the single site. Stores including Brooks Brothers and Lands' End have already offered up their collections in the web store, but Techcrunch reckons the venture needs a little more work. The images appear to be little too compressed and blurred in the new format, while the detail view directs users to social network sharing rather than a product's description. But with Microsoft already offering the HTML5 juice that powers the online app for free, someone else might improve on the company's groundwork.
SOE reveals PlanetSide 2 Terran Republic character turnaround video
One thing you can't say about PlanetSide 2 info this month is that it's scarce. As the Terran Republic info has been the focus of this week, we get another shiny tidbit in the form of a video showcasing 360-degree views of the Terran Republic military characters. The video shows some up-close and personal details of the characters' armor and tools, from Standard, Light Assault, and Heavy Assault variations to the ominous Mosquito. Check it out for yourself, embedded after the cut.
Rumored iPad 2 case pictures leaking out of Asia
A steady stream of purported iPad 2 cases continues to flow out of Asia. Similar to earlier leaks, this latest case to hit the rumor mill suggests the iPad 2 will have a rear-facing camera and a slimmer, possibly more angular design than the first generation iPad. This aesthetic change may be akin to the overhaul made to the iPod touch. The latest generation iPod touch dropped the rounded feel of its predecessors and replaced it with a thinner, sharp-edged design. Apple mobile products have a long history of leaked cases that supposedly hint at upcoming hardware. Various iPhone models and the iPod touch have been targeted in these pre-release accessory leaks. Usually, these case leaks are incorrect -- remember the iPhone Nano case leak that had the world buzzing with rumors of a mini-iPhone? On a few rare occasions, though, these case leaks have been spot on and provided an early glimpse at unreleased hardware. Keeping that in mind, take a look at the three-minute, case-filled video after the break, and let us know if you think it is a harbinger of the second generation iPad or a carefully-crafted fake. [Via 9to5 Mac]
Internet Explorer 9 makes cameo appearance on Microsoft Russia site
Microsoft's gotten a little carried away with its Internet Explorer 9 excitement and posted an early screenshot of the browser up on its Russian site. The post and the image have since been diligently pulled, but not before Mary-Jo Foley managed to snag the pictorial evidence. What's new to see? A resoundingly minimal interface, that's what. The Chrome comparisons should be raining down thick and heavy if this snapshot is anything to go by, as Microsoft has done a fine job of ridding its browser from pesky menus, consolidated its controls into a few icons in the top right, and combined the search and address bars into one. Of course, given the earlier leak of screenshots, those menus could still just be hiding somewhere nearby, ready to spring at us. Another similarity to Chrome (and Firefox and Safari) is the new ability to "tear off" tabs from one window and reposition them independently. We'll see how closely the Beta aligns to what we see here when it debuts for real on September. 15.
