Software : New Flickr iPhone app adds Instagram-style filters

New Flickr iPhone app adds Instagram-style filters
Sky adds on-demand treats to Sky+ iOS app
Apple and Microsoft at odds over SkyDrive revenue
Redesigned Yahoo! Mail web client and apps bring email 'back to its roots'

New Flickr iPhone app adds Instagram-style filters

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Flickr has just launched a new iOS app that comes complete with filters, so Instagram and Twitter have some competition for your retro-styled mobile photos.

There are sixteen effects to choose from, along with the usual correction tools and retouching.

The new app also features a redesigned interface. Flickr Groups are integrated, so you can share your snaps with a select (or not so select) group of people, and they can comment on them.

Flickr has also improved the sign-up process, making it easier to open an account with the photo sharing site from within the app. You can sort snaps by location, too.

Photo war

The filters seem a direct challenge to the wildly successful Instagram app, as well as Twitter.

Instagram (which is owned by Facebook) stopped letting its app work with Twitter over the weekend. Post an Instagram snap to the microblogging service, and just a link will show up. Unless you have this workaround, that is.

Yesterday, Twitter launched its own filters within its app, attempting to replace Instagram.

From within the Twitter app, you can use eight filters on your snaps, from black and white to vintage. There's also a bird's-eye view so you can preview the filters' effects in a grid.

Via SlashGear

Sky adds on-demand treats to Sky+ iOS app

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Sky has added some on-demand goodies to its iOS app including on-demand listings and remote box-set downloads.

iOS-owning Sky customers will be able to browse on-demand programmes on their iPhone or iPod. They can then watch said programmes on their Sky+ boxes later.

There'll also be the option to start box sets and shows downloading to your Sky box from anywhere in the house using an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch.

Sky promises around 6,000 hours of on-demand series and shows will be available for browsing in the Sky+ app. Then one click should see them downloaded to your Sky box.

Luke Bradley-Jones, director of TV products for Sky, said: "This great new feature capitalises on the iPad or iPhone touchscreen to make it easier than ever to browse and discover something new to watch, regardless of whether you are near your Sky+ HD box or elsewhere in your home."

If nothing else, it'll hopefully help calm the squabbles over what to watch this Christmas. Hopefully.

Playing catch up

Earlier in the year, Sky added Catch Up TV to the Sky+ app, which brought episodes from Sky channels, BBC iPlayer and Demand 5. 4oD will be added in the spring of 2013.

Recently, it added a feature that lets you use your iPhone or iPod touch as a remote control.

Apple and Microsoft at odds over SkyDrive revenue

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The SkyDrive app may not have much of a future on iOS according to a new report detailing Microsoft's refusal to share revenue with Apple.

Microsoft recently introduced the ability to purchase more cloud storage for SkyDrive in-app, and reportedly balked at sharing that revenue with its Cupertino cohort.

The App Store's policy dictates Apple will receive 30 percent of all app sales, as well as 30 percent of all revenue generated by in-app purchases.

Apple would continue to earn 30 percent of the SkyDrive subscription fees even if a consumer no longer used an iOS device, which caused Microsoft to rethink its stance on profit-sharing.

As a result, Apple is now blocking Microsoft's latest update to SkyDrive, despite repeated tries from Microsoft to work out some kind of arrangement.

Third-party problems

Sources familiar with the issue told The Next Web Microsoft has been trying to work out a compromise with Apple, but hasn't had much success.

Microsoft reportedly even said it would remove all subscription options from the app, thus removing the SkyDrive app's ability to generate revenue, but Apple rebuffed the offer.

Since neither party has been able to resolve the issue, an update fixing a bug that crashes SkyDrive on iOS hasn't been pushed to consumers.

Microsoft confirmed in statement to several news outlets, including The Verge, that its latest SkyDrive iOS update is being delayed by Apple, though there was no mention as to what was causing the hold up.

"Similar to the experiences of some other companies, we are experiencing a delay in approval of our updated SkyDrive for iOS," a company spokesperson said.

"We are in contact with Apple regarding the matter and hope to come to a resolution."

Even more disconcerting are the ramifications being felt by developers who have third-party apps that work in conjunction with SkyDrive.

Several of the apps in question require users to sign into SkyDrive, but Apple's review team has denied such access claiming "the log in interface must be native and not a link or a web view."

In other words, since users won't have to log in through Apple, and would instead be able to log in through Microsoft, the apps are being cut off until Microsoft agrees to pay.

The whole story?

Though The Next Web's sources point out this SkyDrive tussle is causing mounting friction between Apple and Microsoft, there may be another twist to the story.

According to AllThingsD, the squeeze is being put on SkyDrive due to Microsoft's desire to renegotiate the 70/30 revenue split with Apple over Office 365 subscriptions.

The sources close to the matter didn't divulge just what kind of split Microsoft was seeking instead, but did say Apple is reticent to change its policies, even for a massive money maker like Office.

Office Mobile for iOS isn't due to arrive until sometime next year, which gives Microsoft some time to continue negotiations with Apple, even if those talks come at the cost of SkyDrive's users.

Apple's policies shouldn't be new information for anyone involved in developing apps for iOS, so it will be interesting to see just how much flexibility will be given to Microsoft as the discussions progress.

TechRadar asked Microsoft and Apple for further comment, and will update this article when and if the companies respond.

Redesigned Yahoo! Mail web client and apps bring email 'back to its roots'

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Yahoo! introduced a new Yahoo! Mail experience on Tuesday that purports to bring email back to the basics.

The new Yahoo! Mail includes a redesigned web client, a new Windows 8 desktop app, and mobile apps for iOS and Android, all of which are available starting today.

"The underlying premise of email is pretty simple … yet, somewhere along the way, email got a little complex," Yahoo! Mail and Messenger General Manager Vivek Sharma wrote on the Yahoo! Mail blog on Tuesday morning.

"Today, we're taking a step towards bringing email back to its roots," Sharma continued.

Making email simple again

The reimagined new Yahoo! Mail aims for three bullet points: to be fast, easy and available everywhere.

The new Yahoo! Mail apps have reportedly been "built for speed," while the redesigned web client takes users directly to their inboxes and allows messages to be composed and read more quickly. Improved search functions help as well.

Overall, Sharma wrote on the Yahoo! Mail blog, the changes will save Yahoo! Mail users an average of 36 million minutes every day.

To make the Yahoo! Mail experience easier, Sharma explained, every aspect of the web client has been simplified so users will only see the options that they need.

On the apps side, each version (iOS, Android and Windows 8) reportedly takes advantage of its respective platform's unique functions to make things easier on users.

Yahoo! Mail anywhere

Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer emphasized the improvements to the Yahoo! Mail experience in a separate post on the Yahoo! corporate blog.

"We've redesigned the new version of Yahoo! Mail with speed in mind," Mayer wrote on Tuesday morning. "Getting through your emails is faster than ever before.

"We've also made your inbox more intuitive and easier to navigate, allowing you to focus on what matters most: your messages. And, because mobile is everything these days, Yahoo! Mail now has a consistent look and feel across devices."

Mayer wrote that the new Yahoo! Mail web client should roll out to users "over the next few days," while the Windows 8, iOS and Android apps are available now.

The great email wars

Earlier this year, VentureBeat reported that Gmail had pulled ahead in the email wars, with 425 million monthly active users.

That number came straight from Google, while Yahoo! user numbers could only be estimated using third-party data from comScore. But those numbers had Yahoo! at less than 300 million monthly users (and Hotmail at 325 million).

When reached, a Yahoo! spokesperson did not have any monthly numbers to share, but did divulge that Yahoo! Mail has 105+ million distinct users every day.

In addition, according to the spokesperson, users spend a total of over 35 million hours using Yahoo! Mail every day, sending 30 billion emails with 600 million photos and 200 million attachments.

Yahuui Blog

Wednesday, December 12, 2012