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Posts Tagged ‘Apps’

RIM marries apps with social networking by launching BBM6

Saturday, July 30th, 2011

Just as Facebook has apps and games on its social networking platform, Research In Motion (RIM) is allowing BlackBerry apps to leverage the extensive BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) network and its social networking features – in its newly released BBM6.

BBM allows BlackBerry users to communicate and interact with each other with ease The BBM platform hosts one of the largest mobile social networks in the world. BBM version 6 (BBM 6) provides support for “BBM connected” apps, allowing users to easily interact with each other from within the BBM connected app.

With a BBM connected game app, users can invite their BBM friends to join them in a game and then chat with one another in real time while the game is being played – without having to leave the game app.

New functionality

Some of the additional functionality users can expect to see with BBM connected applications include the ability to:

Share app experiences with friends – When users discover a new BBM connected app they likes, they can instantly let their friends know about it. Users can simply select a BBM contact directly within the BBM connected app they are using.

Have a BBM chat within apps – Users can simply pull up their BBM contact list directly from within the BBM connected app and start chatting. The functionality can enable everything from enhanced social game play to collaboration through productivity apps.

Discover apps through friends – Users can also discover new apps by viewing the list of apps that are posted to a BBM friend’s profile. They can also click on an app within the list, and instantly download it from BlackBerry App World.

The BBM 6 software is available for free download. A selection of BBM connected apps are already available on BlackBerry App World. Some Asia-based developers who have integrated BBM6 into their apps include:

“BBM6 represents an incredible opportunity for developers to leverage the viral nature of the BBM service,” said Alistair Mitchell, VP, BBM Platform & Integrated Services at RIM.

Koprol – A location based social networking app now integrates with BBM6 to enable users to chat with people nearby.

Elasitas – The creator of several gaming apps has integrated BBM6 chat functionality into its Menoo, Gamemachi and MiMoMachi apps.

Bouncity – The location based gaming company has integrated BBM6 into its app to enable users to simply share what they are doing with their social network.

Tags:Apps, BBM, BBM6, BlackBerry, RIM
Posted in App, BlackBerry, Gadgets, Launch, Phones, RIM, Software | 3 Comments »

Microsoft to release web-based Office to stave off Google

Tuesday, June 28th, 2011

Microsoft is offering for the first time a full Internet-based version of Office 2010, in an attempt to counter Google’s Apps for Business – the latter’s equivalent office productivity software online.

Available today in 40 markets, the cloud-based Office 365 suite of programs will cost small businesses $6 per user per month for software that includes Office Web Apps and Exchange e-mail software. For an additional $12 a month, companies can add a full version of Office, including Word and Excel programs, reports Dina Bass in Seattle for Bloomberg. The full online version of Office is a follow-up to last year’s release of the more basic Office Web Apps.

Google charges companies an annual fee $50 per user for its office-productivity software – Apps for Business, and offers a free version for consumers.

Both Microsoft and Google are going after users who want to work on applications hosted on the Internet, rather than software installed on a local hard drive.

Microsoft claims that it has almost 50 million users for its consumer version of Office Web Apps, which are scaled-down versions of the Office applications. Google claims 30 million active users for it Google Apps. This includes some 3 million corporations and other organizations that use its Apps business software.

Work on your documents anytime, anywhere. Microsoft Office 365.

This update represents the first time Microsoft will sell a full version of Office through an Internet-based cloud service, and also marks the first time companies can license the programs on a per-user, per-month basis, said Wes Miller, an analyst at Directions on Microsoft in Kirkland, Washington.

For larger businesses, $2 is enough for just basic e-mail, whereas $24 a month will get a full copy of Office and other programs like social networking and videoconferencing. These software services are an update to an earlier product called Business Productivity Online Suite, or BPOS.

“Microsoft released Office 2010 a year ago, and said earlier this month that it’s being adopted by business customers five times faster than the previous version. Sales in the business division, which is mainly revenue from Office, rose to $5.27 billion last quarter, exceeding the $4.9 billion average of analysts’ estimates compiled by Bloomberg. The unit is Microsoft’s biggest in terms of revenue,” reports Bass.

Tags:Apps, Google, Google Apps, Microsoft, Office, Office 365, Office Web Apps
Posted in Google, Microsoft, Office, Software | No Comments »

Apple iWork available for iPhone & iPod Touch today

Wednesday, June 1st, 2011

Apple’s iWork productivity apps – Keynote, Pages and Numbers – are now available for the iPhone, iPod touch,and iPad. iWork apps are available on the App Store for US$9.99 each to new users and as a free update for existing iWork for iPad customers.

Originally created for the Mac and now completely redesigned for Apple’s iOS and Multi-Touch interface, Keynote, Pages and Numbers allow users to create and share presentations, formatted documents and powerful spreadsheets on the go.

“The incredible Retina display, revolutionary Multi-Touch interface and our powerful software make it easy to create, edit, organise and share all of your documents from iPhone 4 or iPod touch,”said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing.

Keynote, Pages and Numbers import and export documents from iWork for Mac and Microsoft Office; print wirelessly using AirPrint; and include beautiful Apple-designed themes and templates.

All iWork apps now include improved document management with thumbnail images that let users find files quickly, organise them and group them into folders using intuitive gestures.

From the Tools button in the toolbar, presentations, documents or spreadsheets can be shared directly without leaving the app.

Keynote makes it easy to create impressive presentations, complete with animated charts and transitions. Presentations can be played in Full Screen view on the high-resolution Retina display or be connected to a projector or HDTV for a large audience. Available separately, the Keynote Remote app allows an iPhone or iPod touch to control a Keynote presentation on any iOS device or Mac.

Pages is a word processor specially designed for a mobile device and has everything needed to create documents. Pages takes full advantage of the high-resolution Retina display on iPhone 4 and iPod touch so users can see all the detail and richness of their documents. To make working with text easy on iPhone and iPod touch, Smart Zoom automatically zooms in to follow the cursor during editing and zooms back out when done.

Numbers uses Multi-Touch gestures and an intelligent keyboard to help create compelling, good-looking spreadsheets with over 250 easy-to-use functions, flexible tables and eye-catching charts. Similar to Pages, Numbers takes advantage of the high-resolution Retina display and Smart Zoom to make working with text and cells on iPhone 4 or iPod touch easy.

Pricing & Availability

Keynote, Pages and Numbers are universal apps that run on iPad and iPad 2, iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 and iPod touch (3rd & 4th generation). Keynote, Pages and Numbers are available from the App Store for US$9.99 each for new users, or as a free update for existing iWork for iPad customers. Keynote Remote is sold separately via the App Store for US$0.99.

Tags:Apple, Apps, iOS, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, iWork, Keynote, numbers, Pages
Posted in App, Apple, iOS, iPad, iPhone, Launch, Phones, Software, Tablets | No Comments »

Roundup of RIM releases for BlackBerry World 2011

Wednesday, May 4th, 2011

BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 smartphones on BlackBerry 7 operating system, new Facebook and Video Chat apps for the PlayBook tablet — these are some of the initiatives unveiled by RIM just prior to the BlackBerry World 2011 conference.

A range of enterprise solutions for unified communications, device management and mobile security for smartphones and tablets were also announced.

Research In Motion (RIM) BlackBerry World 2011 The annual BlackBerry World is now ongoing at the Orlando World Center Marriott in Florida from 3 – 5 May. Typically, new devices, solutions and initiatives are announced during this period. This year, there is much anticipation on what devices will be unveiled, given the large number of leaks about Research In Motion’s (RIM) lineup of smartphones for 2011.

Here is a roundup of releases just prior to BlackBerry World. Some are for RIM’s consumer devices while others are from their traditional stronghold of mobile IT solutions.

New BlackBerry Bold Smartphones on BlackBerry 7 OS

The BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 smartphones will be the thinnest and most powerful BlackBerry devices yet. The easy-to-use BlackBerry keyboard is integrated with a brilliant, high resolution, capacitive touch screen. These smartphones are built on a new platform powered by the BlackBerry 7 operating system and designed to deliver high performance in communications, multimedia and productivity for users around the world.

Sporting a 1.2 GHz CPU, a 2.8 inch 640×480 pixels VGA display at 287 dpi resolution, the smartphones support 4G and NFC (Near Field Communications).

The two Bold models are expected to be available from carriers around the world beginning this summer.

New Facebook and Video Chat apps for BlackBerry PlayBook tablet

Following the release of the Facebook for BlackBerry® smartphones app, RIM has announced the Facebook for BlackBerry PlayBook app. This new app delivers popular features of Facebook, optimized for the 7″ high resolution, multi-touch LCD display of the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. Facebook for BlackBerry PlayBook offers users a highly engaging experience by integrating popular features such as viewing and adding friends, seamless photo and video viewing, connecting with friends by using Facebook chat, and viewing and interacting with the News Feed.

The app be available on BlackBerry App World later this month.

BlackBerry App World RIM has also announced the availability of the BlackBerry PlayBook Video Chat app – an easy and fun way for friends and family to place and receive video calls between BlackBerry PlayBook tablets over an internet connected Wi-Fi network. Key features of the PlayBook Video Chat application include: one-click video and voice over Wi-Fi calls, incoming call notifications, powerful in-call functions and a friends list.

The app will be distributed to existing BlackBerry PlayBook customers through an over-the-air software update and is available on BlackBerry App World.

BlackBerry Balance for Work-Life Balance on BlackBerry

RIM is advancing work-life balance on BlackBerry smartphones with BlackBerry Balance. This new technology allows the convenience of using a single BlackBerry smartphone for both work and personal purposes without compromising company security or personal privacy. RIM is introducing this technology in response to the growing trend by businesses to allow employees to use personal BlackBerry smartphones for work, or company-owned smartphones for personal, and the need for businesses to secure, manage and control confidential company or client information.

Multi-Platform BlackBerry Enterprise Solution for Smartphones and Tablets

RIM has announced plans for a multi-platform BlackBerry Enterprise Solution for managing and securing mobile devices for enterprises and government organizations.

The solution will make available the market-leading management, security and controls of BlackBerry Enterprise Server and BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express for BlackBerry devices. In addition, through RIM’s pending acquisition of ubitexx (creator of the ubi-Suite device management solution), the solution is expected to incorporate secure device management for Android and iOS based devices and tablets, all managed from a single web-based console.

The multi-platform BlackBerry Enterprise Solution is planned for general availability later this year.

BlackBerry Mobile Voice System 5 with Voice Over Wi-Fi Calling for Avaya and Legacy Nortel Communications Systems

To help more businesses bring together the desk phone and smartphone. RIM announced plans to make BlackBerry Mobile Voice System 5 (BlackBerry MVS 5) available to more corporate phone systems and unified communications applications. BlackBerry MVS 5 with voice over Wi-Fi calling will soon be available for Avaya Aura 6.1, Avaya CS1000 Communication Server, as well as legacy phone systems such as Avaya Communications Manager and Nortel Communication Server. BlackBerry MVS 5 has also been re-architected to be more extensible with third party applications and phone systems.

Tags:Apps, BlackBerry, Bold, enterprise IT, Facebook, Playbook, RIM, smartphone, Video chat
Posted in BlackBerry, BlackBerry OS, Bold, Events, Gadgets, Launch, Phones, RIM, Tech news | 3 Comments »

New update to the TomTom App for iPhone

Friday, April 29th, 2011

The update to the TomTom App for iPhone offers TomTom’s latest release of the maps of Malaysia and Singapore. Current owners of the TomTom App can update to the new version for no additional charge.

For new users, the updated TomTom App (Version 1.7) for iPhone is now available in the App Store for USD $59.99. The app is available on iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS & iPod touch 3rd Gen running iOS4.

Tags:Apple, Apps, GPS, TomTom
Posted in Gadgets, GPS, iOS, iPhone, TomTom | No Comments »

Android compatibility for the PlayBook

Saturday, April 2nd, 2011

Having had only 25,000 apps in BlackBerry App World, RIM’s PlayBook will tap the 150,000 apps in the Android Market to give it a headstart, while ramping up the number of PlayBook specific apps to stand against the staggering 350,000 apps in Apple’s App Store.

RIM will be opening the PlayBook to Android apps to provide customers a wider choice of apps.

Software tools for making Android apps work on the PlayBook will be available this summer, Tyler Lessard, head of RIM’s developer relations told Bloomberg in an interview.

Android is the world’s fastest-growing smartphone platform and is also gaining market share for tablet computers, based on data on global shipments from Strategy Analytics below.

Percentage of global shipments	Android	iPad
Oct to Dec 2010	22 %	75%
Jul to Sep 2010	2.3 %	95 %

Although developers can port Android apps for the PlayBook, Lessard states that developers should still create programs specifically for the PlayBook to make the most of its multimedia performance and ensure their apps work as well as possible.

Bloomberg reports that “Dozens” of games for the PlayBook will be released this year through Unity Technologies’s Union game development tool.

Tags:Android, Apple, Apps, BlackBerry, Google, iPad, RIM
Posted in Android, Apple, Figures, Gadgets, Google, iOS, iPad, PlayBook, RIM, Tablets, Technology | No Comments »

RIM readies itself for launch of its PlayBook

Friday, April 1st, 2011

RIM positions PlayBook to capture market share from its Apple and Android tablet rivals from the consumer market, even as it opens up for Android app compatibility and ramps up on building its own ecosystem of PlayBook specific apps.

Research In Motion (RIM) whose BlackBerry smartphone was a hit with corporate customers, is also targeting developers of consumer applications, including games and magazines.

The 7-inch tablet will be preloaded with applications such as Tetris – my favourite game on an Apple Macintosh during my college days, and the Kobo e-book reader.

An online version of Pro Football Weekly magazine will also be available for sports aficionados.

The PlayBook goes on sale in the US on April 19 and will feature a new operating system, a dual-core processor, and the capability to play applications for Google’s Android platform.

I had the chance to play with a beta release version of the PlayBook when it was first brought to Singapore three weeks ago and the display not only looked great, the processor was lightning fast, multi-tasking 8-10 CPU/graphics-intensive apps without showing any latency.

Although RIM has not been as successful as Apple or Google in attracting independent developers to write consumer apps for the BlackBerry, it is trying to rectify this with the PlayBook.

Hugo Miller from Bloomberg quoted Travis Boatman, senior vice president at Electronic Arts as being impressed with the PlayBook.

“It’s one of the fastest devices out there … You take a good software environment and great hardware, you’ve got a device that designers and developers can create great content on.”

The Redwood City, California-based company will release “Tetris” and “Need for Speed Undercover,” a car racing game, on the PlayBook.

Research In Motion launches the PlayBook on April 19 RIM will be opening the PlayBook to Android apps to provide customers a wider choice of apps. There are more than 150,000 apps in the Android Market, compared with more than 25,000 in BlackBerry App World and more than 350,000 in Apple’s App Store.

“We are absolutely targeting the consumer, personal apps market as much if not more because there is such a vast market out there,” Tyler Lessard, head of RIM’s developer relations told Bloomberg in an interview.

Polar Mobile, a Toronto-based developer of apps for magazines including Time, GQ and Sports Illustrated, is building over 100 PlayBook apps including Pro Football Weekly, that will be ready in July, said Polar CEO Kunal Gupta.

Like other newcomers to the tablet scene, the PlayBook will be hoping to chip away at the market share of Apple, the market leader who has enjoyed little competition since the launch of its iPad in April 2010.

Analysts estimate that Apple has shipped more than 15 million iPads so far, and sold about 500,000 of the newly launched iPad 2, over its March 11 debut weekend.

Tags:Android, Apple, Apps, Google, iPad, iPad2, Playbook, RIM
Posted in Android, BlackBerry, Gadgets, iOS, iPad, PlayBook, RIM, Tablets | No Comments »

Adobe launches Photoshop Express 2.0 for iOS

Thursday, March 17th, 2011

Adobe has announced the release of the free Photoshop Express 2.0 for iOS devices, as well as a new $3.99 Adobe Camera Pack that you can purchase from within Photoshop Express.

Adobe Photoshop Express has more than 20 million subscribers on iOS and Android devices. It provides easy-to-use features for capturing, organising, editing and sharing of photos on popular social networks like Facebook, giving users on the road the ability to work on their digital photos on smartphones and tablets.

Adobe Photoshop Express 2.0 for iOS devices can be downloaded free on the Apple iTunes Store. From within the app, you can purchase the new Adobe Camera Pack which includes the following features.

Reduce Noise: Removes and smooths out grain and speckling from photos to improve them.

Self Timer: Set a camera timer to three or 10 seconds to control when a photo is to be recorded.

Auto Review: Provides a quick look at photos taken before saving or deleting it.

Photoshop Express 2.0 requires iOS 4.2 or later. To use the Adobe Camera Pack, customers must have an iPhone 3Gs, iPhone 4, iPod Touch (3rd or 4th generation), or an iPad or iPad 2 (note that Photoshop Express does not include support for the iPad 2 camera at this time).

Tags:Adobe, Apps, image editor, iOS, photo editor, Photoshop Express
Posted in Adobe, Cameras, Phones, Photography, Photos, Photoshop, Tablets | No Comments »

Apple Subscriptions versus Google One Pass

Friday, February 18th, 2011

Here’s a quick view of how the two newly announced subscription platforms from Apple and Google stack up against each other. Either way, it’s a good thing for consumers in terms of both choice and convenience.

Platform	Apple Subscriptions	Google One Pass
Viewable on	Web browsers: smartphones, tablets, computers.	iOS: iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch
Commission	Apple keeps 30%	Google keeps 10%
Billing system	Apple App Store	Google Checkout
Link to website subscription outside App	Not allowed	Yes
Share customer info with publishers	Opt-in by subscribers	Opt-out by subscribers
Subscribe from	Almost global	US, UK, Canada, Germany, France, Spain for customers,
Publish from	Almost global	Wherever Google Checkout is available
Content	Magazines, newspapers, video, music etc.	Magazines, newspapers.

Tags:Apple, Apps, Google, One Pass, Subscriptions
Posted in Apple, Google, Tech news | No Comments »

Apple’s new subscription service for content-based apps.

Wednesday, February 16th, 2011

Subscriptions for content-based apps – magazines, newspapers, video, music etc – can be purchased from within Apple’s App Store using the same billing system that has thus far been used for normal apps and In-app purchases.

Apple will get 30% of the subscription for purchases through its App Store – the same share that it charges today for other In-App Purchases.

Apple launches subscriptions in App Store The billing model is the same as the digital subscription billing service that Apple recently launched with News Corp.’s “The Daily” app.

Publishers set the price and length of subscription (weekly, monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly, bi-yearly or yearly). Customers pick the length of subscription and are automatically charged based on their chosen length of commitment.

Customers can review and manage all of their subscriptions from their personal account page, including canceling the automatic renewal of a subscription.

“Our philosophy is simple—when Apple brings a new subscriber to the app, Apple earns a 30 percent share; when the publisher brings an existing or new subscriber to the app, the publisher keeps 100 percent and Apple earns nothing,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO.

“All we require is that, if a publisher is making a subscription offer outside of the app, the same (or better) offer be made inside the app, so that customers can easily subscribe with one-click right in the app.”

Publishers who use Apple’s subscription service in their app can also leverage other methods for acquiring digital subscribers outside of the app.

For example, publishers can sell digital subscriptions on their web sites, or can choose to provide free access to existing subscribers. Since Apple is not involved in these transactions, there is no revenue sharing or exchange of customer information with Apple. Publishers must provide their own authentication process inside the app for subscribers that have signed up outside of the app.

However, Apple does require that if a publisher chooses to sell a digital subscription separately outside of the app, that same subscription offer must be made available, at the same price or less, to customers who wish to subscribe from within the app.

In addition, publishers may no longer provide links in their apps (to a web site, for example) which allow the customer to purchase content or subscriptions outside of the app.

Tags:Apple, Apps
Posted in Apple, Tech news | No Comments »

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