Saturday, January 19, 2013

Software : Facebook for Android update adds faster photo loads, voice messaging

Software : Facebook for Android update adds faster photo loads, voice messaging

Facebook for Android update adds faster photo loads, voice messaging

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Facebook for Android update adds faster photo loads, voice messaging

Facebook has updated its native app for Android, bringing a couple of new features and improvements to the photo viewing experience.

The social network claims that photos will load faster in the new version of the app, launched on Friday, so depending on your device and connection speed, you should see a boost.

The Facebook 2.1 update, available from the Google Play store now, will also allow Android users to send voice messages, a feature previously limited to the Facebook Messenger app.

Finally, the update expands options for sharing content. As well as posting updates to their own Timeline, users can now share to Groups, friends' Timelines and to Pages they have Liked.

Going native

The update follows the last major update, just over a month ago, which rebooted the app with Facebook's own native code, bringing much faster performance than its HTML5-based predecessor.

The company has promised to update its mobile apps every 4-8 weeks as it seeks to capitalise on the ever-growing number of users doing most of their browsing through smartphones and tablets.

Sky Go Extra download service to launch this week

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Sky Go Extra download service to launch this week

Sky has confirmed that it will launch a new download service to allow subscribers to watch content offline on their smartphones and tablets.

The Sky Go Extra platform builds on the massively-successful Sky Go live streaming app and will offer unlimited downloads of popular movies and TV shows on to portable devices.

For £5 extra a month, existing Sky subscribers can download as much as their device will hold and each download will last for a month before expiring.

Up to four users per subscription will be able to make use of the service.

The broadcaster is also offering a two-month free trial to all subscribers in the hope of luring them away from the on-demand Netflix and Lovefilm platforms.

New movies wherever you roam

Sky's almighty array of new movies, which far outstrips any other UK provider's, will make Sky Go Extra an enticing prospect for subscribers who don't get much time to sit down in front of their TV sets.

Sky's Brand Director for TV products Luke Bradley-Jones said: "The way customers are thinking about the whole TV experience is changing again and it's ultimately all about the content - however people want to watch it."

The launch will make the complete Sky Go package much more iPlayer-like, with the ability to both stream live and download content for viewing at a later time on mobile devices.

More Mega details emerge ahead of full launch this weekend

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More Mega details emerge ahead of full launch this weekend

Announced back in November of last year, Mega, Kim Dotcom's ambitious replacement for Megaupload, is set to officially launch to the public on Jan. 19.

Details have been scarce on just what Mega would be able to do, though Dotcom made several promises like 50GB of free storage for users, and that Mega wouldn't (technically) be in violation of any U.S. laws.

Outside of that though, the exact inner workings of Mega have been kept relatively secret for the past few months.

However, on Friday some users were given early access, and thanks to them, we now know a bit more about just what Mega has in mind.

Beyond basic

At its core, Mega will provide cloud service storage in the same way as similar providers like Dropbox and Google Drive.

While there will be a free option, there will also be several paid tiers available for €9.99 (US$13.29, UK£8.39 , AUD$12.66), €19.99 (US$26.59, UK£16.78, AUD$25.34), and €29.99 (US$39.90, UK£25.13, AUD$38.02).

Those options will get you 500GB storage/1TB bandwidth, 2TB/4TB, and 4TB/8TB respectively should you need to access both more space and bandwidth.

Right now, there is also an inbox and a contacts tab, though as TechCrunch reported, both of those functions haven't been turned on just yet but should be once Mega opens up to everyone.

What the future holds

In addition to the base features launching this weekend, Mega also has some big plans for expanding its services in the coming months and year.

In two blog posts restricted to early access users, some of these future features were disclosed, painting quite an ambitious picture of where Dotcom wants to take Mega.

Both developers and users will see some welcome enhancements coming, such as the ability to better manage file uploads, user-to-user instant messaging, and complete API documentation in the SDK.

Most appealing though is the idea that Mega will be going mobile somewhere down the line, as well as have more support for desktop options for "major platforms."

Additionally, there are plans for Office-like options, including the ability to create documents and spreadsheets directly in Mega.

There are no details on when such facets will be added to Mega's feature set, but if the service truly becomes as robust as Kim Dotcom claimed it will, there will be another serious competitor in the cloud storage space.
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