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Flickr launches prettified 'liquid' layout, brings high-resolution eye candy to the forefront
After refreshing the uploading tool (and throwing in some better editing functions), Flickr's decided to work on its looks. Its latest design update will now show a high-resolution version directly from a picture's main page. The size will also adjust itself to the resolution and size of your screen -- that's the fluid part of it -- avoid any nasty upscaling business. Hit up your own Flickr gallery to see the new design in action and expect more changes in the near future -- the developers are promising more to come.
Facebook snaps up mobile photo sharing firm Lightbox, decides Instagram isn't enough
We get the impression that Facebook is on a big mobile photo sharing kick: just weeks after it bought Instagram for a cool billion, the social network has just hired the staff behind Lightbox. The two-man team of Nilesh Patel and Thai Tran is bringing its mostly Android- and HTML5-focused knowledge over to Facebook, where it's hoping to reach many, many more people. You'll have to wait awhile to see what the Lightbox team brings to Facebook's ever more mobile platform, but you'll also want to hurry if you want to keep anything hosted on Lightbox: the service shuts down on June 15th. As a consolation for the shutdown, the startup's code is being posted to GitHub so that the fruits of its efforts live on in open-sourced form.
Adobe Muse is ready to let you design websites without the coding headaches for $15 a month
If you've been looking to get that web project off the ground but despise the idea of coding it, Adobe's recently announced web design tool has just landed. Muse, the program that allows you to design websites without having to get your hands dirty with HTML5 is now available. The kit behaves more like a layout program (like InDesign) instead of a web publishing / programming tool, allowing those who are more design-minded to feel right at home. As you might expect, the software is available with an annual $49.99 per month Creative Cloud subscription alongside CS6 heavyweights like Photoshop and Illustrator. If Muse is all you're after, you can snag it alone for a $24.99 month-to-month fee or $14.99 for a twelve-month commitment. Need to see it in action before you open your wallet? No worries. Hit the coverage link below for a look at what the application can do.
Tizen 1.0 Larkspur arrives, fuels your open-source phone dreams
The unveiling of Tizen left many mobile open-source aficionados wondering when the OS would reach its all-important 1.0 status. The answer is now: the coalition between Intel, Panasonic, Samsung and a raft of carriers has posted the first non-beta release in both source code and software development kit forms. The finished versions of either carry new features to reward developers for the wait: SDK users get a new browser-based simulator and a faster emulator, while those scouring the source code will find new point-of-interest and route searching features in location-aware apps as well as WiFi Direct and more HTML5 support. About the only wait left is for an actual Tizen phone to ship. [Image credit: Realnorth]
Financial Times to discontinue iPad, iPhone apps, move to HTML5
The Financial Times has announced that it is killing its iPad and iPhone apps. That doesn't mean that iOS users are going to be left out in the cold in terms of getting the latest financial news; it just means that the company is completing the move from an app-based edition to an HTML5 web app. The FT pulled its iOS app from the iTunes Store last year, but subscribers who had it installed could still use the app to grab and view content. The Financial Times is now going to make the app unusable, forcing the few remaining users to move to the HTML5 edition. It was reported that the user base for the web app actually overtook that of the iOS app within three months of being launched. The mobile site provides 12 percent of all new Financial Times subscriptions and contributes to 19 percent of all the FT.com web traffic.
BlackBerry 10 developer toolkit released in beta, adds Native and WebWorks SDKs for app-building flexibility
Will BlackBerry 10 be the hallowed OS that heals Waterloo's recent wounds or yet another RIM-shot to highlight its foibles? Only the fickle tide of consumer interest will certainly tell. But while the success and awareness of that new platform undoubtedly rests on the company's shoulders, a great deal of it also hinges upon crucial developer support. To spur things along in that latter department, RIM's released its developer toolkit in beta today. The tools, launched ahead of forthcoming BB 10 devices and the nascent ecosystem that they'll depend upon, are designed for flexibility, allowing third parties to choose between the Native SDK with its OS-specific APIs or the WebWorks SDK for HTML5 and CSS. The company's even gotten a head-start and partnered with the likes of Gameloft, which has already committed to optimizing 11 of its software titles for use on the platform. There's still a long road to US recovery ahead for the ailing BlackBerry brand, so let's hope this latest call-to-arms isn't lost on the dev community. Click on past the break for the official PR.
Flickr outs new Uploadr feature for image uploads: HTML5-based, drag-and-drop UI
If you'll recall, it was only a few weeks ago when Flickr announced Aviary was replacing the vanished Picnik as the main photo-editing tool on the site. Now, continuing its ongoing makeover, the Yahoo-owned image hosting service is introducing yet another feature. Uploadr, as it's very cleverly dubbed, is an HTML5 web apparatus, which Flickr says will make for a "completely new uploading experience." There's a few major attributes Uploadr brings to the table, including improvements in the speed department, a drag-and-drop UI and bigger file size limits for paid and free users. Flickr notes that folks will now see a boost in uploading speeds of up to 30 percent, while "some" international users may see a spike of somewhere between 50-60 percent. As for file sizes, the limits have been bumped to 50MB for Pro hogs and 30MB for those enjoying the freebies. Uploadr's set to be rolling out over the "next couple of weeks," and is currently offering browser support for Chrome, Safari and Firefox.
Adobe unveils CS6 and subscription-based Creative Cloud service, up for pre-order now (video)
Adobe's biggest day of 2012? Go ahead, don't be afraid to call it what it (probably) is. For starters, the outfit is introducing Creative Suite 6 to the world in formal fashion, with 14 applications either unveiled or refreshed. Photoshop CS6 is graduating from beta -- seeing an update that'll provide "near instant results" thanks to the Mercury Graphics Engine -- while Content-Aware Patch and Content-Aware Move are sure to please artists suffering from the "Surely you can fix this in post!" clientele backlash. Adobe Muse is happily entering the scene for the first time, described as a "radical tool that'll enables designers to create and publish HTML5 web sites without writing code." (We're still waiting for Flash to comment.) In related news, those who aren't up for paying $1,299 (and up) for one of the new suites can try something a bit different: monthly installments. That's coming courtesy of Creative Cloud, an quasi-new initiative designed to harness the power of cloud-based app distribution and streaming in a way that'll make CS6 more accessible than any of the packs that came before. You can tap into CS6's amenities over your broadband connection for $74.99 per month, while those who agree to an annual subscription can get in for $49.99 per month. To be clear, that provides unbridled access to any CS6 tool: Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Premiere Pro and AfterEffects, and the rest of the gang. If you're jonesing for Photoshop alone, that one will be available for $29.99 per month (no contract) or $19.99 per month (annual agreement). There's no set release date just yet, but we're told to expect the new goods "within 30 days," and pre-orders seem to be a go. Head on down to the source links for more details on each individual aspect, and catch a promo video for the cloud-based subscription offering just after the break.
Mozilla: Brazilians to get first phones running Boot to Gecko
We got to fiddle with Mozilla's HTML5-based mobile OS, Boot to Gecko, for the first time a couple of months ago, and found it to be a promising platform, but one that wasn't ready for prime-time. However, it appears that Brazilians on Telefonica will get the first crack at buying BtG phones, and the handsets are set to go on sale by the end of this year or in early 2013. The good news -- for our South American readers, at least -- came from Gary Kovacs, Mozilla's CEO, who made the announcement in São Paulo today. Unfortunately, Kovacs failed to say what kind of hardware will run the web-based OS, but Pablo Larrieux, the chief innovation officer of Telefonica Vivo, indicated that the handsets will be unlocked and priced to move: they'll cost as much as a featurephone. [Thanks, Henrique] [Brazil flag photo via Shutterstock.]
Microsoft job ads hint at a browser-based version of Skype based on HTML5
There's something thrilling about using job postings to parse a company's strategy, especially when the advert is so gosh darn low on secrecy. Take Microsoft, for instance, which posted four openings for developers to work on its Skype for Browsers project. If that weren't self-explanatory enough, the various ads each explain that Microsoft is looking for code monkeys to help "bring [the] Skype experience on to the Web," a position that calls for HTML5 know-how, along with proficiency in C#, Java or C++. That's as official a heads up as any, though if you've been paying attention you know Skype already powers Facebook's web-based video chat service. So it shouldn't exactly be surprising, then, that a Skype-branded version is likely in the works as well. Armchair investigators can find the postings at the source links, where any brilliant, Europe-based developers can try their hand at one of the four openings.
Google Play Music switches on labs features: HTML5 player, star ratings and notifications
We're so used to Google Labs features on commonly used services like mail and maps that we often forget they're technically experimental and now Music has a few of its own. The new features available on the desktop version of its web player include toggles for an HTML5 player (there was already a mobile version for iOS) instead of Flash, Gmail-style desktop notifications (Chrome only) and the ability to rate music on a five star scale instead of just thumbs up or thumbs down. There's been a steady of stream of updates to the Music arm of Google Play since it was first announced last May, now that the velvet invite rope has been lifted has it become a part of your daily soundtrack?
Mozilla demos WebRTC integration, browser-powered video chat (video)
Last week at IETF 83 in Paris Mozilla gave a little demo that went almost completely unnoticed. The team behind Firefox showed off an experimental built of its flagship browser with integrated WebRTC support. To showcase the real-time communication plug-in's capabilities, the foundation built a simple video chat client based around Persona and SocialAPI. Whether or not such a feature will ever make it into an official build of the browser remains to be seen, but for now you can check out the simple, yet impressive, HTML and Javascript demo after the break.
Flickr adopting Aviary for photo edits, waves goodbye to Picnik
With Google set to close the Picnik shop on April 19th, it was obvious that Flickr had to go out and seek a fresh replacement. Today, the Yahoo-owned service is announcing Aviary (a Jeff Bezos-backed startup) as the new photo editing tool on its site. Along with promising to be simpler and speedier than its soon-to-be deceased predecessor, Aviary brings expected features like cropping, rotating, sharpening, red-eye reduction and cosmetic whitening, just to mention a few. Of note, Aviary is written in HTML5, opening the doors to become useful on a handful of slates and handsets. Flickr is set to commence the rollout later today, though it may take a few days until you can check out the changes.
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.
Mozilla releases BrowserQuest for HTML5 gamers and warriors (video)
Mozilla is flexing its HTML5 muscles today, with a new game called BrowserQuest. Designed specifically for browser-based gaming, BrowserQuest brands itself as a "tribute to classic video games with a multiplayer twist." The game's plot is relatively routine -- warriors, hidden treasure, etc. -- but what's most interesting is its underlying architecture. Its 2D tile graphics engine is powered by HTML5 Canvas, with browser-to-server communications handled by WebSockets. Sound effects, meanwhile, are powered by HTML5 audio APIs, and each player's progress is saved using localStorage. The game also supports lots of simultaneous players, thanks to a JavaScript-coded backend that runs on Node.js. You can keep track of the player load in real-time at the BrowserQuest Dashboard (linked below). For more details, check out the source link at the bottom of the page, or click past the break for a brief demo video.
Telenav offers "Scout for Apps" service to developers (Updated)
Earlier this year, TeleNav launched a free Scout app and promised an online, HTML5 navigation service. Perhaps those weren't gaining enough momentum, because TeleNav is now offering the service to developers, who can embed TeleNav's turn-by-turn Scout.me services into their apps. Read more about Scout for Apps using HTML5 on the TeleNav blog. Apparently the first to do this will be the Yellow Pages app. TeleNav's developer blog has a few more details, although no mention of cost to developers. Instead, there's a mention that "you'll also be able to participate in future revenue sharing opportunities with no additional effort" -- which sounds like advertising may appear at some point to monetize this whole thing. Still, if you're looking for a quick mapping solution in your app with voice turn-by-turn directions, Scout for Apps is definitely one solution. Update: A note from their PR and the press release is below. Turns out you can turn off ads for a fee. "Scout for Apps is free to developers (ad-supported). For developers who prefer not to support ads, we can provide other licensing options. This info is on the press release (pasted below)." Show full PR text Scout™ for Apps, Telenav's HTML5 Voice-Guided GPS Navigation Service, Now Open to All Developers Available for consumers on Scout.me and shareable via text, email, Facebook and Twitter; Also launching today on Avantar's Yellow Pages app and available soon on other mobile apps including AroundMe, Life360 and WedVite Sunnyvale, Calif. - March 27, 2012 - Telenav, Inc. (NASDAQ: TNAV), the leader in personalized navigation, today opened its free Scout for Apps service to all mobile web and app developers. Scout for Apps gives developers an easy way to offer consumers free, turn-by-turn, voice-guided GPS navigation, directly from their app or website. Scout for Apps is the first HTML5, browser-based, voice-guided turn-by-turn GPS navigation service for mobile phones. Developers can integrate the service by simply adding one line of code, making it ideal for social, travel and shopping apps, or any other app or website that includes points of interest, places or addresses. Avantar, the media company behind the Yellow Pages app with more than 90 million monthly listings, was one of the first developers to test Scout for Apps and today launched Scout for Apps with an update of its popular app. "Previously, when users clicked on an address in our Yellow Pages app, we provided a standard map experience to help users get to their desired destinations," said Adrian Ochoa, CEO of Avantar. "Now with Scout for Apps, our customers will receive full-blown turn-by-turn, voice-guided directions, and they will never have to leave our app to get those directions and guidance. We love being able to offer this type of service on our platform." Additionally, Telenav has integrated its browser-based navigation service on the Scout website (www.scout.me), which helps people discover and explore new places and events before they hit the road. Once a user has found an event or place on Scout.me, they can select "Navigate" and choose "Phone" or "Email" in order to send the link to themselves or to someone else via a text message or email. In addition, they can post it to their Facebook wall or share the link via Twitter. Users with compatible phones can then click on the link to launch voice-guided, turn-by-turn directions from Scout for Apps. "Because Scout for Apps is browser-based, we will be able to rapidly and consistently update the service moving forward," said Sal Dhanani, co-founder and vice president of products for Telenav. "Further, these updates will roll out immediately to consumers, so developers know that their customers will continue to receive our most updated technology. We will continue to work with developers to add or update features and enhance usability based on feedback." Other developers who are already working to implement Scout for Apps and plan on soon launching the HTML5 navigation service as part of their apps include: · AroundMe provides its users the ability to search for nearby restaurants, hotels, movie theaters and other businesses based on category and distance from their current location. AroundMe will integrate Scout for Apps to give users navigation to any location they select. Life360 Family Locator uses GPS and other location technology that allows more than 14 million people to locate their family members using their phones, providing a convenient safety tool that delivers peace of mind. Life360 Family Locator will include Scout for Apps so that, for example, parents can navigate with turn-by-turn directions to pick up their kids at their current locations. WedVite is a mobile invitation app that allows brides and grooms the ability to share their wedding day information with guests. The app includes details such as directions to the venue, the guest list and gift registry information. WedVite will soon include Scout for Apps to provide guests with the ability to get directions to the wedding and reception. "Kids aren't always great about keeping track of what time it is and where they should be. Maybe soccer practice runs over and then they head to the nearby store for a treat afterwards without notifying their parents. Knowing where your kids are at any moment provides peace of mind in these situations," said Chris Hulls, CEO of Life360. "Scout for Apps means there's one less thing for our customers to have to worry about when it's time to pick their kids up – no more following a dot on a map, reading written directions, or cutting and pasting an address into a GPS device. Scout for Apps was so simple to add to our app and it offers so much value to our customers. If you have a location component to your app, I don't know why you wouldn't use it." Scout for Apps is currently optimized for the iOS platform. Telenav plans to optimize Scout for Apps on Android later this year. "Launching Scout for Apps allows us to offer our services to more people and is a huge milestone for us as we continue to work toward our vision of bringing daily personalized navigation to people wherever they go and whenever they need it," added Dhanani. About the Scout for Apps Open Developer Program Telenav's standard open developer program is free for developers and is supported by mobile ads. If developers would prefer to offer Scout for Apps without ads, Telenav will provide flexible licensing options. Interested developers can find more information on integrating Scout for Apps into their mobile website or app at developer.telenav.com. Telenav has also launched a support community for developers using Scout for Apps and encourages developers to visit this community to ask questions, share ideas or give feedback. About Telenav, Inc. Telenav's mission is to help make people's lives easier, less stressful, more fun, and more productive while they are on the go. Our personalized navigation services help people make faster and smarter daily decisions about where to go, when to leave, how to get there, and what to do when they arrive. Each day, more than 30 million people have access to personalized navigation that we deliver to their mobile phones, tablets, computers and cars. To date, we have scouted more than 1.3 billion personal journeys. We aim to be everywhere people need us. Our partners are wireless carriers, automobile manufacturers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), app developers, advertisers and agencies, as well as enterprises large and small. Our partners include AT&T, Bell Mobility, Boost Mobile, China Mobile, Ford, NII Holdings, QNX Software Systems, Rogers, Sony, Sprint Nextel, Telcel, T-Mobile UK, T-Mobile US, U.S. Cellular, Verizon Wireless and Vivo Brazil. You can also find us in mobile app stores and on the web at www.telenav.com and www.scout.me. Follow Telenav on Twitter at www.twitter.com/telenav or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/telenav Copyright 2012 Telenav, Inc. All Rights Reserved. "Telenav," "Scout for Apps," the Telenav and Scout logos, "telenav.com" and "scout.me" are registered and unregistered trademarks and/or service marks of Telenav, Inc. Unless otherwise noted, all other trademarks, service marks, and logos used in this press release are the trademarks, service marks or logos of their respective owners.
Nivio brings the Windows desktop to your iPad and Galaxy Nexus, we go hands-on
Remember the hoo-hah OnLive cooked over some supposedly fast-and-loose Windows licensing? Well Nivio's been quietly rolling out its own, proudly licensed, version of a cloud-based Windows desktop. Its minimum requirement is the ability to handle HTML5, meaning that a Microsoft-powered OS can be used across iPads, Android phones, MacBooks and everything else in between. Nivio offers up a cloud storage platform alongside a Windows 7-style (it's based on the Windows 2008 R2 Server; same building blocks) OS that allows the user to sync up to 10GBs across devices. What else does it have? Microsoft Office -- on your tablet or smartphone of choice and all licensed through Redmond's very own Service Provider License Agreement (SPLA). The service launched in February, and is currently clearing a backlog of users on its books, attempting to gauge how people are using the service before exploding any servers. It's also started making its first steps in Europe, so we decided to take a look while its makers were in London.
VMware's WSX promises to bring virtualized desktops to the web browser with HTML5
It's not quite ready for widespread use just yet, but it looks like we could soon have yet another way to virtualize one computer desktop on another device. Tentatively dubbed WSX, VMware's latest option relies on HTML5 to do away with plug-ins or dedicated applications altogether (a "lightweight Web server" acts as an intermediary), which means that you'll need nothing more than a web browser to run Windows or other operating systems on any capable device. As of now that includes laptops and desktops running Firefox, Chrome, and Safari, as well as iPads, but not Android devices (though that is apparently in the works). What's more, while it's still described as experimental, it apparently offers "near-native quality and framerates" when viewing 720p YouTube videos, and VMware is already toying around with optimizing it for the new iPad's Retina display. Those interested in a sneak peak can try it out with VMware's Workstation Tech Preview for Linux, although there's no word yet on a wider release.
Free Indie Games does what it says it will, offers online and downloadable titles
It's easy to get bored of safe, monetized, mass-gaming fare -- even if it's set in space. Good news, then, that the indie game intellect behind the likes of VVVVVV and At a Distance, Terry Cavanagh, has curated a whole raft of free indie games, housing his choices at a site with the same name. We've dipped into the eclectic selection, which includes both downloadable and online titles, with current favorites including Socially Awkward Conversations and Wolfenstein level generator Meinstein 3D. However, given that all the games are gratis, there's plenty more to sample (and then drop) guilt-free. Check the source below for the full selection.
Mozilla caves, will support H.264 to avoid 'irrelevance'
It looks like Mozilla is ready to throw in the towel in its battle against the patent-laden H.264 video codec. Over the last week or so, the software foundation has struggled publicly with whether or not to support the MPEG-LA-owned format. Now several of Firefox's biggest players have all come out in support of the move and all that's left is to actually bake the appropriate code into the browser. Both chairman Mitchell Baker and CTO Brendan Eich embraced the decision this weekend, however begrudgingly, in blog posts. Both admit that success in the mobile space requires them to abandon the quest to make WebM the standard for streaming video in HTML5. Even with Google's support, at least on the desktop, VP8 was never able to seriously threaten the entrenched and battery-friendly (not to mention, Apple and Microsoft backed) H.264. For more details check out the source links.
