Review � Facebook hits 750 million users milestone

 

Facebook now has 750 million monthly active users worldwide, TechCrunch reported on Friday. That�s incredible growth since our June 1st story, which suggested that the social network was closing in on 700,000,000 users worldwide. In that report, emerging markets showed the most growth � Brazil�s user base jumped 11.4% in May alone � and the United States was the top country; U.S. users were responsible for 149.4 million Facebook accounts. Last July, Facebook announced that it had hit the 500 million user mark, but it hasn�t publicly revealed any figures since then. Facebook only measures active users and only counts those who have logged into the social network during the past 30 days.

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Review � Google Wallet introduced, and PayPal is upset

Google has recently announced their new mobile payment system with Google Wallet. It is a free Android Android App that will arrive sometime this summer that will allow users to make payments for products and/or services.

Google Wallet, which is open platform software, was officially unveiled at a massive event a few days ago. This deal has been in the works for a while, and a lot of big companies like MasterCard, Citi, Sprint, and First Data have invested in it. In order to encourage more growth an usage of this unique program, Google Wallet is going to encourage a lot of deals like discounts, promotions, loyalty rewards, and the like.

It sounds like a terrific deal for consumers, but you know who isn�t happy about it? PayPal. Yeah, they are suing Google, accusing Google Wallet�s project leader, Osama Bedier, of �feeding confidential PayPal information to Google so that it can develop the NFC mobile payment system�.

Apparently, PayPal and Google were trying to make a deal so that users could pay the Android Market via PayPal. However, it Google has their own mobile payment system, that seems like that deal is off. Something tells me that we are going to hear a lot about this in the near and far future.

However, if you need some serious open payment payment system, you�ll need to wait. I wish I had a more exact date.

http://www.ubergizmo.com/2011/05/ebay-and-paypal-to-sue-google-with-google-wallet-launch/

READ MORE - Review � Google Wallet introduced, and PayPal is upset

REVIEW >> Augmented Reality Cinema shows you the scene where it was filmed

Normally, I don�t report on Apps here, as we could do a blog for that. However, this one I just couldn�t resist, but it is sadly still a concept.

If you are a regular reader of this blog, and I am told that we have many, then you know that I am nuts over all things augmented reality. This particular one can be used a famous movie locations.

You can watch the video to see it in action, and it looks simple to use. Find the spot where a movie was filmed, like the Westminster Bridge in 28 Days Later, and you will see the scene played out.

As you can see in the video, the locations are in the UK. I hope this App will eventually come with locations for the United States.

Personally, I love going to places were movies were shot. I visited the town of Preston, Idaho, just so I could see the final shot of Napoleon Dynamite. It would have been very cool to use an App like this there.

In fact, I can see this App being used for movie-related tours. Forks, Washington could be used for a Twilight-based tour, and I�m pretty sure that L.A. and New York City have plenty of places to use this App.

READ MORE - REVIEW >> Augmented Reality Cinema shows you the scene where it was filmed

REVIEW >> Google Attempts to Integrate Video Chat in Chrome

 

Google is out to compete with Skype as the search engine giant is integrating an open-source video chat software into the Google Chrome browser. The plan would go beyond the features of Gmail and Google Voice.

The WebRTC is introduced as an open-source, royalty-free audio-and-video chat software, even promising to work with other browser developers such as Mozilla and Opera. Because it is open-source, any website can make use of the new software and create their very own program that could compete with Skype.

With these developments, you wonder whether Skype is shaking on its knees.

Source: Electronista, via Engadget

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REVIEW >> ICANN Approves a Free-For-All in Domain Names

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the organization that approves Web domains, has given a thumbs up on a new domain-naming system that enables anything to be accepted, and we mean everything like �www.face.book,� �www.green.eco,� or �computer.programming.�

You can sense that this new rule would be a field day for cyber squatters and phishers, but ICANN took care of that� in a way. Instead of the traditional $6.95 annual registration fee, coming up with such non-traditional domains would cost them an application fee of $185,000 plus a yearly $25,000 fee to maintain the domain.

The first batch of these �anything goes� domains are expected to go online within a year.

Source: New York Times and AFP, via Engadget

READ MORE - REVIEW >> ICANN Approves a Free-For-All in Domain Names

REVIEW >> New Adobe Flash Builder lets devs make iOS, Android, PlayBook apps

 

Adobe on Monday announced the availability of Flash Builder 4.5 and Flex. 4.5, a pair of tools that let developers easily code applications for iOS, Android and the BlackBerry PlayBook. Adobe�s tools now provide developers with a single platform for building apps across each of the three popular mobile operating systems. �The reaction from developers to the new mobile capabilities in Flash Builder 4.5 and the Flex 4.5 framework has been absolutely fantastic,� said Adobe�s VP of developer tooling, Ed Rowe, said in a statement. �They are amazed by how easy it is to create great mobile apps for Android devices, BlackBerry PlayBook, iPhone and iPad. Companies can now effectively reach their customers no matter what type of device they have.� Adobe�s new Flash Builder 4.5 Standard is available immediately for $249 and a premium version is available for $699. Flex 4.5 is a free open source framework. Both tools are also included in Adobe�s Creative Suite 5.5. The full press release follows after the break.

Adobe Enables Developers to Build Mobile Apps for Android Devices, BlackBerry PlayBook, iPhone and iPad

Flash Builder 4.5 and Flex 4.5 Update Available Today

SAN JOSE, Calif.�(BUSINESS WIRE)�Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today delivered an update to Adobe� Flash� Builder� 4.5 and Flex 4.5 software to enable developers to build applications for iPhone, iPad and BlackBerry PlayBook. Support for Android devices was released in April 2011. Developers now have a single platform for building highly expressive mobile applications that can be distributed via the Android Market, Apple App Store and BlackBerry App World. Offered standalone or as part of Creative Suite� 5.5 Web Premium and Master Collection, Flash Builder 4.5 enables the creation of applications that work seamlessly across leading mobile device platforms.

�The reaction from developers to the new mobile capabilities in Flash Builder 4.5 and the Flex 4.5 framework has been absolutely fantastic�

�The reaction from developers to the new mobile capabilities in Flash Builder 4.5 and the Flex 4.5 framework has been absolutely fantastic,� said Ed Rowe, vice president of developer tooling, Adobe. �They are amazed by how easy it is to create great mobile apps for Android devices, BlackBerry PlayBook, iPhone and iPad. Companies can now effectively reach their customers no matter what type of device they have.�

Today�s release accompanies the announcement of the Adobe Digital Enterprise Platform (see separate release). With consumers increasingly engaging with more content on smartphones and tablets, large enterprises are required to add mobile applications as a core part of their marketing strategy. Simultaneously, IT organizations are looking to build business process, CRM and other employee productivity applications to support the broad range of devices and platforms in use today. Using Flash Builder and Flex, enterprises can now use one tool, one framework and one codebase to create high performance applications that run on desktops as well as on smartphones and tablets.

Flex 4.5 also includes significant productivity enhancements that allow developers to rapidly build applications for the desktop, Web and top mobile platforms. Using best practice code templates, code completion and code generation features in Flash Builder 4.5, developers can accelerate the creation of Flex and ActionScript� applications and deploy them using Adobe AIR� software, Adobe�s runtime for standalone applications. This allows developers an opportunity to reach more than 80 million Android devices, BlackBerry PlayBooks, iPads and iPhones in the marketplace today. By the end of the year more than 200 million mobile devices are expected to support AIR applications.

Mobile Apps in Action
Many applications built with Flash Builder and Flex have already been published to the Android Market, Apple App Store, and BlackBerry App World. Following are a sample of those created for Android, BlackBerry Tablet OS and iOS using Flash Builder 4.5 and Flex 4.5, leveraging existing code and logic to quickly deploy to leading mobile platforms.

• Conqu is an easy to use yet powerful task management tool designed to help conquer an email inbox and get things done.
• Mr. Mixit is a spin-based matching game where users must frantically mix record labels against the clock.
• Muni Tracker tracks San Francisco Muni locations and arrival time predictions on a map updating live every ten seconds. Favorite transit stops and lines can also be bookmarked for easy access later.
• Netflix Queue Manager lets users browse, search and manage their Netflix Queue on the go. New features include viewing queues, updating queues, and adding/removing/viewing movies.
• PolitiFact Mobile App helps you �find the truth in politics,� with features including the Truth Index, Truth-O-Meter and Flip-O-Meter. PolitiFact.com is the fact-checking website of the St. Petersburg Times and received a Pulitzer Prize in 2009.
• Pyramix is an easy to learn, highly addictive word game that combines the strategy of Cryptoquote with the simplicity of Boggle.

Developer Reaction to Flash Builder 4.5 and the Flex 4.5 Framework
Nahuel Foronda, owner and president, AsFusion

• �We saved a significant amount of development time using Flash Builder 4.5. We used 100 percent of Conqu�s initial codebase and logic to quickly deploy to several mobile platforms, including Android, BlackBerry PlayBook, iPhone, iPad and the Barnes & Noble Nook Color.�

Sean Carey, president, HD Interactive

• �Flash Builder 4.5 allowed us to develop our Mr. Mixit and Pyramix apps and use the same code base to quickly and easily deploy them to multiple platforms. To create an app natively for one platform would have taken at least three times the amount of time�and then we would have had to start from scratch all over again for a native app on the next platform. It�s unbelievable the amount of time we save using Flash Builder 4.5 to build and deploy our apps.�

Bill Adair, editor, Politifact.com

• �PolitiFact�s fact-checking journalism is ideal for a mobile app because it�s backed by solid reporting and presented in a concise, creative way. You don�t have to be a policy wonk to understand the Truth-O-Meter. The app allows us to present our journalism in lively new ways.�

Jonathan Campos, founder, UnitedMindset

• �The new mobile application development capabilities in Adobe Flash Builder 4.5 allowed me to create Netflix Queue Manager quickly, and debug the application across a variety of configurations. I can now create, develop, and test mobile and multi-screen apps in one place, ultimately bringing our apps to market faster on multiple devices.�

Helpful Links

• Muni Tracker App for Android and iOS built with Flash Builder � Greg Wilson interviews Quality Engineer Shashwati Keith about using Flash Builder to develop Muni Tracker, a popular mobile app that is available for Android and iOS devices and will soon be available for the BlackBerry PlayBook.
• Mr. Mixit and Pyramix Games for Android and iOS � Senior Technical Evangelist Greg Wilson showcases two popular games, Mr. Mixit and Pyramix, both developed in Flash Builder and Flex and available on Android, BlackBerry PlayBook, and iOS devices.
• Financial Trader App for iOS, Android and BlackBerry PlayBook � Christophe Coenraets demonstrates Financial Trader, a cross-platform enterprise financial analytics app featuring 3D charts and real-time updates, which was developed using Adobe Digital Enterprise Platform with Flash Builder.
• Build iOS Applications using Flex and Flash Builder 4.5 � Developer Evangelist Serge Jespers explains how to build iOS applications using new capabilities in Flex and Flash Builder 4.5.
• Learn more about developing mobile applications with Flash Builder 4.5 and Flex 4.5

Pricing and Availability
To download or trial Flash Builder 4.5, please go to www.adobe.com/products/flash-builder.html. Street price is US$249 for Flash Builder 4.5 Standard, US$699 for Flash Builder 4.5 Premium. Flash Builder 4.5 Premium is also available as part of the Adobe Creative Suite 5.5 Web Premium and Master Collection. Upgrade pricing for Flash Builder 4.5 is $49 and volume licensing is available. Flex 4.5 is available as a free open source framework. Also, Flash Builder 4.5 for PHP today supports mobile application development for Android, BlackBerry Tablet OS and iOS.

READ MORE - REVIEW >> New Adobe Flash Builder lets devs make iOS, Android, PlayBook apps

REVIEW >> Microsoft demonstrated Windows and Internet Explorer 10 on ARM processor

 

At the MIX conference, created for developers, Microsoft announced a new version of Internet Explorer, and showed up Windows on ARM processor architecture.

Producer prepared a preliminary version (Platform Preview), which is available at Microsoft Test Drive, so that visitors can get acquainted with the features of Internet Explorer 10, such as support for CSS Gradients and CSS3 Flexible Box Layout.

During the presentation at MIX new browser has been showed in work. In this case, the computer on which it was installed, was running on Windows, as it was based on ARM architecture. More specifically, it was a single-chip NVIDIA Tegra 2 system, operating at 1 GHz.

The fact that Microsoft develops Windows for ARM became known recently. Currently, the developer is negotiating with other tablets manufacturers, trying to get them interested in their OS. It is not excluded that the first ARM tablet powered by Windows 8 will be released later this year.

READ MORE - REVIEW >> Microsoft demonstrated Windows and Internet Explorer 10 on ARM processor

HP Touchpad, Veer, and Pre3

     At an announcement recently, HP announced three new products that will run it's webOS mobile operating system. HP announced two phones and a tablet, all of which look slick and seem to be good products.

    WebOS is a mobile operating system created by Palm. Palm was then acquired by HP, who seems to be doing a good job keeping the operating system alive. 

The webOS Card UI

    WebOS's unique cards user interface gives it an appealing look. The apps it comes with catch your eye and make playing with the device fun. 

    The Messaging client combines all the messages from one person into one big flow, so a message can be sent as an instant message, and replied to as a text. 

    The web browser mostly disappears, letting you browse the entire web page without having to worry about the URL bar getting in your way. With a smart phone's small size, this can be very important.

    The email client gives you a unified inbox for multiple email accounts. With many of us getting emails at our work and personal email accounts, the unified inbox can be really helpful.

     A really interesting feature can be found in the contacts app. Many of us have spent hours entering our contacts information into the phone, all of which is available on Facebook or other social networks. WebOS's contact app just requires you to enter your friend's name. It will download info from Facebook, Google, Microsoft Exchange, and more. 

     WebOS also gives access to the Amazon Music Store. This gives access to thousands of songs, all DRM free, which means that once a song is downloaded, you can move it and copy it to any device, without any complicated copyright laws getting in your way.

     A really cool feature is HP's Touchstone. The Touchstone is dock for the phone that charges the phone wirelessly on contact. There are ways to do this with other phones like the iPhone, but these require bulky cases. The Touchstone also changes to nightstand mode when the phone is not in use. Nightstand mode displays the time and notifications. 

     The webOS operating system described above will be running on all of the devices that HP announced at the event. 

HP Veer

     The HP event started with the announcement of the HP Veer. The Veer is a small, touchscreen phone with a full, slide-out QWERTY keyboard. The Veer is only about the size of a credit card, has a 5 magapixel camera, and has a 2.6 inch touchscreen. 

     An interesting trend with the new smartphones is the lack of physical buttons. The Veer has no home button. The front is a plain, black surface. The home button is virtual. You just tap under the screen to go to the homescreen.

Palm Pre3

     The announcement then moved on to a slightly larger topic. The next product to be announced was the Pre3. It is basically a slightly bigger version of the Veer. The Pre3 adds a front facing camera, a 3.8 inch screen, and adds a 16 GB option. It has the same 5 megapixel camera as the Veer, but adds a flash.
     The last, and biggest (literally) thing of the event was the HP TouchPad announcement. The TouchPad is webOS's step into the tablet world. The TouchPad offers the same great webOS experience as the two smartphones, but makes it a bit bigger.
     An interesting thing about the TouchPad is that it straightens out the rounded corners of the webOS user interface. The card UI is gone, but the UI still looks slick.

HP TouchPad

     The TouchPad is pretty much a giant Pre3, but the extra screen real estate can sometimes really make the difference.
     The TouchPad has the same front facing camera as the Pre3, but offers a slightly higher resolution.
     Overall, these three devices look really compelling. They are missing just two slightly important things: price and release date. They give the general idea with summer or spring on the website, but no distinct date. I haven't yet played with any of the webOS devices, so I don't know how responsive they are, which could also be an issue. Another big issue is the app market. Apple has hundreds of thousands of apps in it's store, with android slowly creeping up behind it.
     With no price, a small app market, and no official release date, it's hard to know whether or not the devices will be worth it. We will have to wait for more info to come out before a decision is made.

To watch the actual event, click here.

     

READ MORE - HP Touchpad, Veer, and Pre3

Staying Connected While on the Road

     It's a few days until I take a trip to Albuquerque, New Mexico. I'll be there about three days, and have been thinking about how to stay connected. For my work, all I really need is a web browser, but some need powerful desktop machines that can do HD video editing or 3D rendering. You can't really bring a 10 pound desktop computer with you on the trip, so how do you stay connected without lugging around a giant PC?  

     There are some great, free tools to help. I use a great free remote access program called TeamViewer. TeamViewer is free for noncommercial use only. I don't know exactly what the term "noncommercial" means, but buying a licence for commercial use costs a crazy $749. TeamViewer gives you amazing capabilities for free, such as file transfer, recordable sessions and more. You also get a free iPhone and Android app ,both which allow you to connect to other PCs remotely. The android app is still in beta, which does have some serious restrictions, but expect a non-beta version soon.

TeamViewer  on Windows

     TeamViewer is pretty simple to use, but each PC has to download the free application. When you download and open the application, the first thing you see is a home screen with an ID number and a password. Next to it is a text box labeled "create session". To have someone remotely connect to your PC, tell them your User ID and password, they enter that in, and the other user is on your PC. It's just as simple to start a session.

     Once you are connected, you see the other one's screen. You use the mouse and keyboard just like you  normally would on your PC. At the top of the screen is a small taskbar which lets you record the session and even do VOiP (voice over the internet). 

     To connect normally you have to have a person at both PCs to tell you the password. You can set up unattended access by making a free TeamViewer account. You then give the computer a name and password and you're ready to go. 

TeamViewer iPhone App

     The iPhone app is also really simple and easy to use. It works almost like the desktop client, but has less customization options. It gives you a list of recent remote access connections, and a cleaner looking interface. The controls for clicking and scrolling might take some getting used to, but overall, the entire system is easy to use.

     The days of not being connected because you aren't home are definitely over. With always connected smartphones, WiFi all over the place, and even data connections in some laptops, you really don't have the excuse of "I'm on vacation." With tools like TeamViewer, you now can work wherever you are, for little or no cost.

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Netflix, iTunes, K Mart?

     Most are aware of the popular video streaming and downloading services. These include Netflix, iTunes, Amazon's Video on Demand, and more. These are all services that let you either buy individual movies or TV shows, or, in Netflix's case, stream an unlimited number of movies and TV shows for a monthly fee.
     Apparently the idea of getting content online as opposed to walking into a shop such as the slowly falling Blockbuster, which has also started getting into the on demand market, became very popular. Popular enough that Sears and K Mart partnered up with a digital media software company called Sonic to create an online movie and TV show download site called Alphaline Entertainment.

Alphaline Entertainment Homepage

     Alphaline Entertainment may have some catch-up to do, because, although this is not a giant difference, movie buying prices are a few dollars more on Alphaline. The rental prices are the same at $2.99, but iTunes has TV rentals for 99 cents, while Alphaline only has TV purchasing.
     When watching a trailer on Alphaline vs. Amazon, Alphaline's video quality was noticeably better, but took longer to load. On Amazon, the trailer played fine in my Google Chrome browser, but on Alphaline, I had to open Internet Explorer (Which crashed on me. Again). Also, to log in, and pretty much to do anything else on Alphaline, you must be using Internet Explorer or Firefox.
      I then purchased an episode of the 1962 show The Jetsons. When I tried downloading it, the Alphaline Website told me to download the RoxioNow Media Player, which is free. After I got the RoxioNow software, I tried to find a way to download the TV episode. I still have not been able to find a way to download the media.
     Until I can get either 1. My download, or 2. My $1.99 back, I don't plan on using Alphaline again, and I don't recommend it for you. Also, how much do you trust Sears and K Mart to know about downloads, web sites, and software programs?
     For now, Alphaline Entertainment seems like a big red flag. Unless you want to watch high quality movie trailers online.

UPDATE: The problem I had with downloading the video was something with Google Chrome. To download the episode, I needed to be using Firefox, not Internet Explorer or Google Chrome. To watch a trailer on the site, I needed to be using Internet Explorer. Strange, huh?

Well, I did get my $1.99 worth of video, but iTunes: better, cheaper, and easier.

READ MORE - Netflix, iTunes, K Mart?

Apple Mac App Store

     Over the past few years the idea of apps became very popular. You can now get iPhone apps from the iOS App Store, or Android apps from the Android Market (although you have to download them from your phone), you can even get apps for your Windows netbook with Intel's AppUp.

Mac App Store Running on a MacBook Air

     Apple, who kind of started the the app thing with it's iPhone and iPod Touch, is doing it again with a app store for the Mac. According to the Apple website, the Mac app store will be available for download on January 6th. It seems almost exactly like the iTunes app store for iOS, but the apps here are a lot more expensive.
     It seems that almost all of the Mac programs you can buy on the shelf at a computer store will be available for  download here. Some programs include iPhoto, GarageBand, Color Studio, and Home Watch.
     A similar program to the Mac App store exists already, called Bodega. Bodega can probably do almost everything the Mac app store can do, but must have a smaller selection.

Bodega 

     So what will the Mac app store give me that something like Bodega won't, and what benefit do I have by using this rather than going to the store and taking the software off the shelf? Why would I want to use the Mac app store?

Mac App Store Logo

     Firstly, coming from Apple, it will be a clean interface, a lot easier than surfing around the web for a download that might not even be there. Also, it will be a great place to find reviews, both good and bad, for the software.
    It seems good so far, but there a few reasons why you may want to stay away. If you have a slow internet connection, this is a bad idea. You don't want to spend hours waiting for a 1GB program to download. Also, Apple will probably have the same approval process here as they do in iOS. Apps may get pulled, and you might not be able to find the apps you want.
    So is this a good thing? For most, yes. But some may find themselves going back to the brick and mortar shops, and pulling that same old software off of those great metal shelves.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

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Startup tips: your new PC

 

iTunes

     Those first few days are really fun. You've taken the new laptop out of it's box. It smells new, looks new. Your new $500 baby. You turn it on, waiting for it's first boot, it's first time launching Windows 7, and then it hits you. What can you do with it. All it has is basically a web browser and maybe a trial version of Microsoft Office.
     What do you install, what do you download? This may help.
     First of all, get rid of Internet Explorer, at least until Internet Explorer 9 comes out. I recommend Google Chrome, a  different,  faster, and easier web browser, you can    get it at google.com/chrome.
     If you own an iPod or iPad, iTunes is a must-have, even if you don't      have an iPod, just to organize your music and videos , iTunes is my favorite, get it here at apple.com/itunes.
     You'll probably need a word processor, and if you don't plan on spending at least $150 on Microsoft Office, OpenOffice.org is a great free alternative, it includes a word processor, a presentation maker, a spreadsheet creator, and more. It is available as a free download at openoffice.org.
     A antivirus is very important, and although your PC probably came with a free trial antivirus, you probably want to uninstall that and either  buy an antivirus, or, although it won't work quite as well, install a free one. I personally use Microsoft Security Essentials. Available at .microsoft.com/security_essentials, this free antivirus should work fine for your needs.
     Windows Live Essentials is also a good free set of software. It includes an IM (instant messenger) app, a movie make, a photo gallery app, a blogging app, and more. Available at explore.live.com/windows-live-essentials. Note: many of the Windows Live Essentials reguire a free Windows Live ID, available at http://explore.live.com/.
     If you havn't already, you should look into getting a free Google Account, (available at this link and click on, on the right hand side in the middle, create an account.) which gives you access to Gmail, Google Docs, and much more, some of which might replace actual software.
     You probably will have to get some more software, some of which you will have to pay for, but to get started this is a good list of some free software to get you going.


UPDATE: I got a comment from Riley Quinn recommending ninite.com, which will install almost all of this software and more in one download. You just choose which software to install and click Get Installer. Thanks Riley.
  
    
  

READ MORE - Startup tips: your new PC