sharing
Latest
Qualcomm demos AllJoyn peer-to-peer sharing / gaming technology (video)
It's simple, but highly complex. You dig? Qualcomm's AllJoyn demonstration here at MWC was quite the eye-opener, but it's hard to say how much traction it'll gain in a world already inundated with short-range transfer protocols. Bluetooth, Infrared, Wi-Fi Direct... the list goes on and on (and on). Essentially, AllJoyn is an open-source software system that doesn't actually have to run atop Qualcomm hardware; if implemented in a particular app, it can enable peer-to-peer sharing with others based on location. If you're standing near someone who also has an AllJoyn-enabled application, you two (or more) can interact -- if you're both using Bluetooth, the range will be around 30 feet, but if you're both using Wi-Fi, it'll obviously be greater. Qualcomm's hoping to entwine its homegrown FlashLinq (more on that in a separate article) in order to let people use this while being up to 1km away from one another. The company describes AllJoyn as a software framework for developers that enables easy P2P access; rather than an app developer having to write this functionality in from scratch, they can simply grab Qualcomm's code and integrate it. Currently, the spec only supports Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, but Wi-Fi Direct and FlashLinq support it in the works, and those will hopefully be added by the end of the year. We're told that the company's also working to create a constant link between devices, which could one day (soon) enable streaming support. There's C++, Java and Javascript models available, with Qualcomm's goal being to have developers port this all over the place. The demo (embedded after the break) involved a foursome of phones sharing photographs with one another, while a nearby laptop was shown engaging in a multiplayer game with two smartphones. We were told that the company's currently in talks with a number of large gaming firms to get this ingrained in future titles, but no specifics were available. Another application would be within a social network, enabling AllJoyn apps to alert users when a friend is nearby. A huge boon there is that this doesn't require data, so international groups who'd like to keep tabs on one another's location will be able to do so without roaming on a foreign network. So, any app developers considering bundling this in with your next update? %Gallery-116868%
Instagram photo sharing service reaches 2 million users
Picture-sharing service Instagram (driven only by the popularity of its free iOS app) has hit a whopping 2 million users already. As TechCrunch notes, the service hit its first million users in just three months, and six weeks after that, it has doubled that number. That's pretty astounding growth -- even other popular sharing services usually don't hit those milestones until a year or more after they start operation. But Instagram certainly seems like it's hitting at the right place and time -- it's a super simple sharing service that offers a lot of features that tie in very well with all of its users walking around with connected HD cameras in their pockets. Instagram doesn't even have an Android app yet (though presumably we'll see one very soon), and also noted by TechCrunch, you can't even sign up for the service on the website -- it's all driven through Apple's iOS platform. That hints at quite a future for Instagram and its service.
LG Optimus 3D features YouTube 3D app for multi-dimensional sharing
Now that the LG Optimus 3D is official, we know what you're wondering: why would I want 3D how can I share 3D video from my new dual-core cellphone? Easy, the YouTube 3D channel. LG's new twin-lens handset features a YouTube 3D video application that lets owners upload their 3D flicks in snap. So get ready to bust out the paper anaglyph glasses folks. Our future, as envisioned by a 1950s 3D-film audience, has arrived.
CIA adds social media functions that nobody asked for to its website
The CIA just revamped its website -- that's right guys -- the CIA has a website. Now you may not spend a ton of time trolling the government's various portals of information but the new and improved CIA website is a veritable treasure trove of data. The CIA isn't immune to the world around it, either, and its refreshed design brings with it a YouTube channel, a Flickr stream (we culled the photo you see above from there), as well as Quick Links for sharing on various social media sites. Now, we can't embed the best video we found on the CIA's YouTube channel (they're not that social yet) but it's called "CIA Overview," and is surely worth your time. There's a press release after the break.
Kodak intros Easyshare Touch, Mini and Sport cameras, Playfull and Playsport camcorders
Things are just getting underway here at CES in Las Vegas, and Kodak's on-hand in order to serve up its latest smorgasbord of optical treasures. Without further ado, allow us to present to you the Easyshare Touch -- a $149.95 offering with a three-inch capacitive touchpanel, a dedicated video record button, a 14 megapixel sensor, 5x Schneider-Kreuznach lens and an HDMI output. Next up is the $99.95 Easyshare Mini, described as Kodak's smallest camera yet. It's "around the size of a credit card," offering a 3x wide-angle optical zoom lens, a built-in front mirror (you know, for those glorious self-portrait sessions), a ten megapixel sensor and a 2.5-inch rear LCD. Moving right along, there's the $79.95 Easyshare Sport, which is the outfit's first waterproof camera that can go up to ten feet underwater without any significant consequences. It'll also shrug off dirt and dust while snapping 12 megapixel shots and previewing them on the 2.4-inch LCD. Sashaying over to the video realm, there's the $149.95 Playfull camcorder, which touts an ultraslim design (it'll "fit in the pocket of your skinny jeans," according to Special K), a 1080p capture mode and an unmistakable 'Share' button to get your footage onto YouTube or a social network without any wasted time. The company's also using CES as an opportunity to launch the next generation of its Playsport video camera, with this $179.95 model being waterproof up to ten feet, shockproof, dustproof and capable of logging clips at 1080p. You can also snap stills at five megapixels, and that previously mentioned 'Share' button is predictably tacked on here as well. Speaking of revisions, the Pulse digital photo frame is also seeing a gentle refresh, with this one available in 7-inch ($129.95) and 10-inch ($199.95) sizes. The newcomers add the ability to comment on the pictures you receive from friends and family, with our favorite predetermined response being "Such a KODAK MOMENT!" Seriously. Oh, and these also have an ingrained activity sensor that turns the frame off when you walk away, and brings it back to life when you re-approach. Finally, the ESP C310 all-in-one printer will be selling for $99.99, but so far as we can tell, Kodak would rather extol the virtues of its ink-saving abilities than drum up interest in its cutting-edge feature set. Further details can be spotted in the full release after the break. %Gallery-112240% %Gallery-112328%
Skype teases video recording and sharing 'as it happens,' inventing synonyms for 'video calls'
It's hardly a secret anymore that Skype will be making some manner of video-related announcement at CES, but now the company's stepping up the hype offensive with a series of teasing videos and tweets. The common thread between the vids is that they're all shot in remote locations or on the move, eliminating the current PC / Mac dependency for video chat and forcing our minds to consider mobile, perhaps smartphone-shaped, devices instead. What Skype's promising is that we'll be able to share our favorite moments "as they happen," which together with all this video recording stuff seems to point to only one thing: video calling on mobiles. Only mystery left now is which platforms will get it when.
Lawsuit over app privacy targets Apple and developers
Apple and several mobile developers are facing two separate lawsuits over the collection and unauthorized sharing of private user data with third-party advertising networks, according to iLounge. The first lawsuit, Freeman vs. Apple, was filed in a northern California federal court and targets applications such as Pandora, Dictionary.com, The Weather Channel, Toss It, Text4Plus, Talking Tom Cat and Pimple Popper Lite. The second lawsuit, Lalo vs. Apple, was filed in federal court in San Jose, California and seeks class action stats for anyone who has downloaded an offending application between December 2008 and last week. Similar to the first lawsuit, the Lalo vs. Apple suit targets Pandora, Paper Toss, The Weather Channel and Dictionary.com. Apple is included in both suits as the App Store approval process makes the company an "aider and abetter" to the deceptive practices of these applications. The lawsuits stem from a recent Wall Street Journal investigation that revealed several iOS and Android applications were transmitting age, gender, location and device identifier information to third-party advertising companies. This information was mined by the recipients and used to serve up relevant in-app advertisements. Unfortunately, this exchange of information was done without the user's knowledge or consent. While most of the collected information is not personally identifying, the hidden nature of the exchange caused a stir among privacy advocates. It was only a matter of time before this moral outrage turned into a class-action lawsuit.
TUAW social club: What did you get for Christmas?
Were you nice and not naughty? Did Santa reward you with Apple-branded products for all your hard work and effort this year? If Santa left a few Apple goodies under your tree (and helpfully cleaned up your Safari browser cookies and milk), here's where you can share the joy of new ownership. So what did you score? A new iPad? An iPod? A Mac? Apple TV? An iTunes gift card? A patented iPhone SIM removal tool? Come share your excitement in the comments. We want to hear what you got and how you love it so far! It's time to brag about your new toys and maybe get a little peer-support for any technical issues you've encountered from our other readers. Because TUAW readers are the best. Bless you all. Each and every one of you! Happy holidays and a healthy New Year.
DropDAV: An easy way to link iWork for iPad and Dropbox
iWork for iPad is an incredibly powerful tool for folks who want to use their iPads as a MacBook Air surrogate. However, if they want to round-trip their documents through the popular Dropbox service, there hasn't been a way to save or open files from within Pages, Keynote, or Numbers for iPad. Until now, that is... DropDAV is a new service from smiles + laughs that provides a WebDAV front end to Dropbox. What that means is that any iPad or iPhone application that can open or save files through WebDAV can now link straight to Dropbox. Since iWork for iPad has always had WebDAV capabilities built-in, DropDAV provides the long-needed door between iWork and Dropbox. To sign up for DropDAV, you just need to have a Dropbox account. DropDAV provides a 14-day free trial; after that time, the cost of DropDAV is 30% of your Dropbox account price. If you have a 2 GB free account with Dropbox, your DropDAV service will be free. Hit the link below to see how it all works.
Several iPhone and Android apps sharing private user data
An investigation by The Wall Street Journal has found that some iPhone and Android apps are spying on users and potentially transmitting personal data to other companies. While both Apple and Google say that they have privacy protections in place for their customers, many apps are able to skirt around them either on purpose or by claiming ignorance as the maker of Pumpkin Maker (a pumpkin-carving app) did -- he said that he didn't know that he needed user permission before sharing the data he collected inside his app. But in speaking to the WSJ, Apple spokesman Tom Neumayr said that "We have created strong privacy protections for our customers, especially regarding location-based data. Privacy and trust are vitally important." iPhone apps transmitted more data than the Android apps tested, and two apps in particular stood out: Pandora and TextPlus 4. Pandora (a music streaming app) and TextPlus 4 (a text messaging app) sent the phone's unique ID number, along with the user's age, gender and zip code to several different advertising companies. Out of 101 apps tested in the study, the WSJ found that over half sent the ID number out to companies without the user's consent. Privacy concerns are often at the forefront of users' minds and rightly so, but I do think most people understand that companies collect some information and that whatever is collected is actually beneficial to their user experience. Apple itself recently detailed its location collection policies, which it uses to provide location-specific information, to members of Congress after the House of Representatives looked into the company's privacy policy. And as a personal example, I use the Yelp app quite a bit to discover new restaurants in my area. I do know that they are collecting location information from me, and it is probably being kept in a database somewhere. I also believe that it helps Yelp tailor my (and others') experience with their app, as they want users to share information with them and so do I -- without some of this info the app wouldn't be all that valuable. Do I want these app companies sharing my name, age, gender, mailing address, birthdate or sexual preference with ad networks everywhere? Not really, and I do believe we should have the ability to opt out of sharing anything if we so choose. Apps that are doing that without gaining my permission to do so shouldn't be allowed on the App Store. But a little location-based marketing in the apps that it is needed in does go a long way to making a more positive user experience. Macworld thinks that the concerns raised by the WSJ are overblown. What do you guys think? [via GigaOm and Macworld]
iTwin USB filesharing solution now shipping in America
Hope you didn't put your life on pause waiting for the iTwin to ship to the US of A, 'cause it took just over a full year to do so. The company's self-named device has finally been listed for sale in America this week, with just 50 limited edition builds able to head out prior to Christmas. If your memory has faded somewhat over the past 14 months, this twin-stick solution is meant to pass files between two USB-enabled devices, but unlike Infinitec's IUM, it's not making any bold promises related to media streaming. The concept is simple enough; just plug one of the twins into your computer, and the other into your pal's computer. It relies on 256-bit AES encryption to keep things secure, and if that's good enough for you, the source link is the where you need to be. These first-run kits are selling for $99 (plus $10 shipping), with a choice of gunmetal gray and lime green awaiting you, and if you miss your shot now, general availability will hit early next month.
Apple looking to patent sharable apps, considers calling them 'seeds'
You know that killer new app you just got for your iPhone? Could you beam us a copy to try? Of course you can't -- it doesn't work that way -- but someday soon it might. The fine folks at Patently Apple recently unearthed an Apple patent app that describes a way to transfer apps over peer-to-peer Bluetooth or shiny, star-filled WiFi. The idea goes that if a company wants to spread a program by word of mouth, it might as well make it shareable too, and so the owner of an app could transfer an "application seed" to friends and associates with a similar device. You'd pick from a menu of apps to beam over, where only those greenlit by their developer would be available to send, and your recipient would receive a trial version -- or somewhat less excitingly, a link to the App Store -- over the air. The patent app suggests that recipients could even share the demo in turn, generating generation after generation of word-of-mouth sales, and that companies might even reward particularly influential sharers in some way. What's that rumbling we hear? Just the gears turning in the minds of men plotting the next great pyramid scheme.
Xmarks finds new owner, isn't going anywhere
Look at that -- while I was sad to hear that my favorite bookmark syncing service Xmarks would be calling it quits after trying and failing to find a profitable business model, its users stepped in to support the service, and at the beginning of this month, Xmarks announced that it would be acquired by password manager LastPass without any interruption in service. That's great news; the basic syncing service will stay free, and there will now be two premium services available with the company. Premium membership in LastPass will get all of the password manager's features, and premium Xmarks service will enable priority support, syncing with mobile apps and more. Both services are available for US$12 each yearly, or $20 a year for the whole shebang. It sounds like this is a great deal for both companies, and together, the two services should be able to offer up some excellent features to customers both old and new. I'm just glad my current Xmarks service isn't dying; the browser add-ons let me share passwords and bookmarks across all of my Mac and PC browsers quickly and easily. Great to see that one of the most valuable sharing services I use has found a new lease on life. Thanks, Chris!
Beta Mac client for Evernote adds sharing controls, notebook stacks
The perennial TUAW favorite 'bucket app' Evernote has added two intriguing new features in the beta version of the Mac client: in-app notebook sharing controls and Stacks for notebook organization. Both are available immediately to free and paid Evernote users who choose to update to the beta (just check "include beta versions" in the application's update preferences to see the new build). The sharing controls in-app look much the same as they do on the Evernote website, and they provide the same level of custom access. You can decide whether to share a notebook with the public at large, or with specific individuals. Premium subscribers can also allow sharing partners to edit, create or delete notes if desired; they also get a history view of shared notes, so they can see exactly when things went off the rails. The organizational power of Stacks means that you're no longer limited to a flat list of notebooks; you can sort and group your notebooks into whatever piles you need, and collapse/expand them as needed in the app sidebar. Right now the only place you'll see your Stacks is in the Mac client, but as the new features roll out to the other Evernote flavors they will show up in those spots as well. I'd love to tell you how these new features are working for me, but unfortunately my notes database is hanging up during the upgrade process. You might want to backup (or redownload) the stable version, just in case. [Hat tip to DLS/Switched]
TUAW's Daily App: Flickr HD
Flickr HD (or flickr hd, as it's styled in the App Store) just got a nice update recently to version 6.0, and it's quite an excellent way to browse and view the popular photo-sharing site Flickr on an iOS device. The latest version brings a feature called "Instaswitch," which will automatically change the picture shown on the app every single minute, right on the minute (I guess it loads up in the background). The app can also display a clock and the photo information on the screen, so you can use your iOS device as a digital photo frame and bring shots in directly from your Flickr account, public photos from someone you know or even Flickr's own favorites feed. An update early next month is set to bring even more options into the app, including being able to adjust the time that each picture changes. If you spend a lot of time looking at your iPhone or iPad's battery charging screen and would rather give it a little something better to do while sitting in a dock or a stand, Flickr HD is a nice app, and it's on sale right now for just US$1.99.
Rumor: iBooks update to bring Collections, PDF emailing and printing
Update: So much for rumors. Readers have let us know about two German websites pointing to explicit discussion of iBooks collections in the iOS 4.2 documentation, of all places. We can expect to see collection support in the next version of the iBooks app, which can be updated independently of the main OS releases. Steve himself has hinted at improvements "coming" soon to iBooks, and 9to5Mac claims to have nabbed some internal Apple documents that lay out those improvements. The biggest feature is called "Collections," and it sounds like it works the same as Folders in the rest of iOS -- you can combine items in iBooks however you like, and the collections you've got in iBooks can be viewed right on your bookshelf in the main screen. Sounds handy, if not all that revolutionary. Second, PDF users will get some nice additions -- PDFs will be able to be shared via email as well as printed off with AirPrint directly from the iBooks app. That functionality won't work for actual book files, obviously, given that if you want to read one of those, you'll have to buy it. But if this document is legit, it should make things a little easier for people who want to share and print PDFs from iBooks itself. We don't know yet when these features will actually come to iBooks, but presumably we wouldn't need to wait until an iOS update -- Apple could update the iBooks app. We'll keep an eye out for that soon.
Bump adds music-sharing upgrade
Bump is an older app on the App Store that allowed you to "share" contact information with another local phone not actually by Bluetooth, but by simply placing the two phones near the same location, and then sharing the information across a wireless network. Now, Bump is apparently adding a new trick to its arsenal. In version 2.2, out on the App Store now, you can actually "share" any of the songs in your iTunes library. Bump still doesn't actually push information from phone to phone -- instead, it will read out the song's information, and then give the receiving phone a YouTube link to hear the song, as well as links to preview and buy the song on iTunes (assuming it is available). It's an interesting way of getting around the licensing restrictions that have prevented hearing the same music on multiple devices, and of course it solves the trouble of getting two phones up and wirelessly connected long enough to actually push a file across. A neat little bit of innovation for an app we installed on the iPhone a long time ago.
Amazon deal could affect Apple's publishing efforts
Amazon has just backed down a bit on its newspaper publishing program for the Kindle service, and it's possible that it happened as a result of pressure from Apple itself. Amazon has announced a new plan for newspapers and their content that would give them a full 70% royalty split, a deal very similar to the ones Apple is making with all kinds of content developers lately. Originally, Amazon had contracted various newspapers around the world to provide content to its Kindle service under a much more restrictive plan, but as we've reported here before, Apple is now trying to do the same thing for iPad, and that is likely giving newspaper content creators some leverage against Amazon's original agreement. Under the terms of the new agreement, it may even be possible for newspapers to submit their content to both Amazon and Apple, and that was previously not possible before. That means that next January (when Apple is expected to introduce a second version of the iPad), we may finally see an Apple-run way to get newspapers and even blogs on the device, perhaps through iBooks or another brand new app. This is all speculative, at this point -- right now, all we know is that Amazon has moved towards a more Apple-like deal in terms of sharing newspaper content. But it certainly seems like a deal to bring more newspapers to the iPad is coming soon.
TUAW's Daily App: Instagram
There is a plethora of various photo apps around, both for taking pictures and for sharing them on social networks. But Instagram is an excellent solution for both, and it's elegant enough to make you reconsider your current workflow. Personally, I've just been taking pictures with the standard camera app and uploading them with the official Twitter app. But Instagram adds the ability to make your photos artistic with a wide number of filters, add location and social network data to them in the app itself, then share them with any number of social networks, from simple stuff like Twitter and Facebook to more complicated connections like Flickr and even Tumblr. The app is completely free, too, and they're planning to keep it that way. There may be add-ons for filters in the future (or, I presume, some advertising on the actual Web pages created by the pictures), but how awesome that a great app and service like this appreciates the value of free. Like I said, you probably already have a workflow for taking and sharing pictures from your iPhone, but Instagram is good enough to make you give it a shot anyway. It's a free download and is available on the App Store right now.
Apple announces iLife '11, $49 upgrade or free with every new Mac, available today
There you have it. Shockingly enough, iMovie, iPhoto, and GarageBand have all been modernized sufficiently to merit having their names appended with '11. iPhoto '11 is taking the early demo lead in the live event, with hot new slideshow themes. Gee, Steve, you're building it up nice and slow, huh? There are added Facebook and email sharing enhancements and new full screen modes that make it look a lot like ... an iPad app. %Gallery-105511% iMovie '11 will freshen up the audio editing options (finally!) and add "one step effects," a People Finder that identifies individuals in movie clips, and an apparently effortless movie trailer maker. Intriguing. The audio tweaks include per-segment sound levels adjustments as well as easy fade sliders, there are also additional new audio effects for people to play around with. 24fps video editing and output is now supported, allowing you to export more film-like trailers using the templates thrown into this new software. Good news on the upload front too, as direct sharing to Facebook and Vimeo has also been added.%Gallery-105516% Apple is adding FlexTime, Groove Matching, more guitar and amp effects, new piano and guitar lessons, and finally a "How Did I Play" feature to GarageBand '11. Groove Matching can be summarized with a quote from the Cupertino crew's Xander Soren: "it's like an automatic spellchecker for bad rhythm." As to "How Did I Play," that's a mixture of post-play analysis and a Rock Band-like live note monitor, which highlights in green the notes you strike correctly or in red the ones you miss. It works with both the guitar and piano.%Gallery-105523% iLife '11 is available today, as a free extra on new Macs or as a $49 upgrade on differently new Apple machines. Full press release is now embedded after the break.
