Software : EARLY PREVIEW: Grudge match: Facebook Slingshot vs Snapchat |
- EARLY PREVIEW: Grudge match: Facebook Slingshot vs Snapchat
- After smartphones, Amazon's next trick could be slimmer Kindle
- This YouTube-connected app turns the Sony Xperia Z2 into lifelogging machine
- Two years on Nike FuelBand finally gets a companion Android app
- 4oD's Android app is no longer an Inbetweener with 3G/4G streaming
- Oracle may acquire Micros Systems for $5 billion
- Updated: Facebook's Slingshot app arrives to take aim at Snapchat
- Salesforce's Desk.com update includes a new console and mobile app
- Download PAINT.NET: powerful, free, not as complicated as the GIMP
- Samsung set to buy Nuance to get its own Siri?
- Facebook wants you to play more games on the iPad
- Developer Channel brings out the Internet Explorer in everyone
- Microsoft details how Azure cloud will soon predict the future
| EARLY PREVIEW: Grudge match: Facebook Slingshot vs Snapchat Posted:  It looks like it's all-systems-go for Facebook's free image sharing app, Slingshot, which should launch today on the App Store and Google Play in the US if a blog post on Facebook's media page is to be believed. In case you missed our earlier coverage, Slingshot aims to shoot Snapchat out of the sky by leveraging its insanely popular social network and provide users a way to visually communicate. What separates the two services? Well, it's a bit gimmicky, but in order to see the last image a friend has sent in Slingshot, you'll need to pony up a pic yourself. This could potentially form a positive feedback loop encouraging more pictures and more conversations between friends. That's not all that separates these two "s" named services though, so read on for a full message-a-message smack down. Friends integrationTheoretically, Slingshot has the edge here. Facebook integration is something natural and intuitive, plus everyone you know most likely already has an account. Snapchat requires your friends to download the app, create an account and then add you. In practice this only takes a few seconds, but if Facebook Messenger is any indication, people like quick and easy integration in an app that all of their friends already own. Slingshot's other ace-up-its-sleeve is the ability to send a shot to all, yes all, of your friends at once. This sounds wonderful for life-changing events: the birth of a child, buying a new home, getting engaged. But imagine getting updates from that guy you met once at a bar that shows him going to McDonald's. This could potentially open the door for too many updates and too many uninteresting chats. Oh, and remember, in order to see said McDonald's chat, you'll need to send something yourself. Joy. Snapchat has come across the bridge already and included the "stories" feature - a way to essentially notify all of your friends at once - and has come out better for it. Still, add in some way to limit the groups (a feature already built into Facebook) that an image goes to and Slingshot looks like it could be king of the fading picture castle. Slingshot 1 - Snapchat 0 Picture customizationRealistically this isn't much of a competition. No one is expecting Instagram-level filters on pictures that you can only look at for 10 seconds. As long as there's a bit of text modification and the ability to haphazardly draw doodles on the screen, this one's going to end in a draw. Slingshot 2 - Snapchat 1
Core conceptFeatures are all well and good, but it's the meat and potatoes of the product that really matter; Snapchat may be going out of style like 2013, but its core tenets make a lot of sense. Where Slingshot requires you to actually respond without seeing an incoming message, Snapchat allows for more natural reactions. Predictive chatting doesn't sound all that exciting, and even though it may inspire more back-and-forth verbal repartee. A conversation between two people doesn't work by the second person's response coming before the first has asked a question. Point Snapchat. Slingshot 2 - Snapchat 2 The early verdictSlingshot is off to a decent start, but it has a lot of ground to cover to catch up to Snapchat's early launch lead. New features are constantly rolling out to Snapchat's app - today, for example, the company unveiled "event sharing" that allows users to send pictures to an account that will bundle them all together and display a constantly updating feed - while Slingshot has barely put boots to the ground. Whether Slingshot can overcome Snapchat will largely depend on how well it's adopted by consumers and if the "you show me yours and I'll show you mine" core concept strikes a chord with its users. Both Snapchat and Slingshot are available for free on Android and iOS.
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| After smartphones, Amazon's next trick could be slimmer Kindle Posted:  With anticipation running high for this week's rumored smartphone unveiling, interest in all things Amazon is at its peak - which is a perfect time to see what's coming next with a peek behind the veil of the e-tailer's research and development walls. BloombergBusinessweek today offered a glimpse into the top-secret lair where Amazon does most of the R&D work for new hardware such as Fire TV, not to mention a smartphone expected to be announced at a media event on Wednesday. Known as "Lab126," the facilities are home to more than 1,600 employees, many who have been working there since Amazon founder Jeff Bezos set up the division to create the first Kindle e-book reader back in 2004. Amazon's hardware gurus will reportedly return to the Kindle well for a new "remarkably thin" version of the Kindle Paperwhite codenamed "Ice Wine," with insiders also dishing on a Square-style credit card reader Amazon may use to shore up its payment business. Science projectsThe report from "The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon" author Brad Stone doesn't offer details as to how Amazon plans to slim down the Kindle, instead offering a tantalizing peek into other devices spearheaded by Amazon Chief Executive Officer Jeff Bezos. According to loose-lipped employees, Amazon's rumored smartphone has been in gestation at Lab126 since 2009, along with other so-called "science projects" that include a device capable of projecting computer images onto any surface. Said to be powered by a forked version of Android similar to the company's Kindle Fire tablets, Amazon's smartphone will reportedly offer a 3D user interface that uses four infrared cameras to track the user's pupils as they're looking at the display. Known internally as "Duke," the Amazon handset may wind up an AT&T exclusive at launch thanks to the carrier's Sponsored Data program, capable of offloading some or all mobile data expenses to a user's annual Amazon Prime subscription.
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| This YouTube-connected app turns the Sony Xperia Z2 into lifelogging machine Posted:  Sony is out with a new camera app made for Xperia Z2 users who want to live stream their daily days. Xperia's Live on YouTube allows users to broadcast up to 15 minutes of video directly from their smartphone camera to their YouTube channel for viewers to see. All it takes a single press of a button and the Sony smartphone will begin streaming directly to YouTube. Sony believes users will be able to use its app to broadcast anything from their own webinars, video blogs, or share important life moments such as their child's first steps. While users are live streaming their everyday experiences, they can see a live number of views, likes and dislikes updating in real time. Additionally, Xperia live streamers will have control over which of their broadcasts go up and can setup reminders to schedule their online video feed. LifeloggingSony calls its Live on YouTube app an evolution of Social Live, which already allows users to shoot and upload videos to YouTube from their handset. Elsewhere the Japanese electronics giant has been trying to implement live streaming sharing options to its other platforms including PS4, which had a short lived video broadcasting capability. For everyone else who wants a live streaming device that's not a Sony Xperia Z2, there are devices like the Narrative Clip and Giroptic's 360cam.
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| Two years on Nike FuelBand finally gets a companion Android app Posted:  In recent months Nike has made it abundantly clear that, more than ever, its loyalties lie with Team Apple as rumours continue to circulate that a collaboration in the wearables arena may be on the agenda. However, despite reportedly winding down its own hardware operation, the sportswear giant has at least decided to pay lip service to Android by finally launching a companion app for its FuelBand wristbands. The Nike+ FuelBand app, which is available now on devices running Android 4.3 Jelly Bean and above, arrives a two years after the FuelBand hardware went on sale with an accompanying iPhone app. Fuelband and Fuelband SE is "optimized" for Samsung's Galaxy S3, Galaxy S4 and Galaxy S5, as well as the HTC One, Nexus 5 and the Moto X. However, we found that the Nike FuelBand Android app works just the same in conjunction with unlisted devices such as the larger Samsung Galaxy Note 3 phablet and Nexus 7 tablet. Android gets goalsUsers will be able to use the app to view their NikeFuel ratings in real time, view the progress towards their goals on any given day, week or month and set move reminders using their device. The app allows specific activities to be tracked during the Nike+ Sessions functionality and compete with friends on a leaderboard. The launch for Android comes nearly eight months after Nike claimed it was "working on support" for Android. That prospect had seemed slim when reports emerged Nike had fired the majority of the FuelBand team back in April. Since then the company has been rumoured to be in cahoots with Apple over a purported iBand or iWatch. |
| 4oD's Android app is no longer an Inbetweener with 3G/4G streaming Posted:  Channel 4 has updated its 4oD app for Android to offer programme streaming over 3G and 4G mobile networks. The update comes precisely two weeks after the broadcaster finally updated its iOS app to accommodate mobile data streaming of live and on demand content. Until very recently users of the application on both platforms were limited to streaming programming over Wi-Fi. Users were, and still are, available to download programmes from the last 30 days for offline viewing, but the addition of mobile data streaming will enable those spur-of-the-moment viewing decisions. ParityThe feature now gives 4oD parity with the BBC iPlayer and ITV player apps which also have the ability to stream over 3G and 4G The updated app, which can now be downloaded from the Google Play store, also brings access to 4Shorts, offering hundreds of classic clips from the archives along with a host of original shorts. Users are, of course, advised to use Wi-Fi whenever possible so as not to drain their data allowance.
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| Oracle may acquire Micros Systems for $5 billion Posted:  Oracle is reportedly in talks to acquire Micros Systems for $5 billion (around £3 billion, AU$5.6 billion), according to reports. Micros Systems provides software and hardware to organizations in the retail, restaurant and hospitality industries, including cloud-based workflow and customer service solutions. Revenue for Micros Systems eclipsed $1.26 billion (around £700 million, AU$1.29 billion) in 2013, an increase of 14.5% compared with 2012. The Columbia, MD-based company employs more than 4,600 workers and is installed in some capacity by more than 500,000 restaurants, hotels, retail locations and casinos, among other places. Oracle has spent $50 billion (around £29 billion, AU$54 billion) on acquisitions in the past decade, according to Bloomberg, which first reported the potential acquisition. If the acquisition is completed Micros Systems would be Oracle's largest acquisition since it acquired Sun Microsystems for $5.7 billion (around £3.36 billion, AU$6.1 billion) in 2009. Why Micros Systems?Last month, IBM and SAP both announced plans to focus on targeting verticals directly with cloud-based tools. SAP said it intends to deliver industry-specific solutions across 25 industries, while IBM said it will create 20 industry-specific subscription-based cloud solutions. Oracle also focuses on targeting industries with its cloud-based solutions. Last month, it unveiled its Marketing Cloud solution, which was an addition to the Cloud Marketplace, which launched in September of last year and included specific sales, customer service, finance, human resources, and software development solutions. It is immediately unclear if Oracle will leverage the acquisition to create a hospitality, restaurant or retail-focused cloud. Oracle did not immediately respond to a request for comment. |
| Updated: Facebook's Slingshot app arrives to take aim at Snapchat Posted:  Update: Well, that didn't take very long. Facebook has officially unveiled Slingshot, and it's setting its sights squarely at Snapchat. "Photos and videos that don't stick around forever allow for sharing that's more expressive, raw and spontaneous," the Sling team wrote in an announcement post, noting the new messaging platform is aimed at group sharing - snap a photo or shoot a video, then "sling it to a bunch of friends." The rub is they won't see what you've sent until they sling something back to the sender. If they don't like what they see - that beach selfie made them just too jealous - they can swipe your shot away. Or, they can reply with a reaction, like, "OMG watch out for that wave!" Or whatnot. The makers of Slingshot even gave a nod to the service's obvious competitor. "We've enjoyed using Snapchat to send each other ephemeral messages and expect there to be a variety of apps that explore this new way of sharing," the post continued. "With Slingshot, we saw an opportunity to create something new and different: a space where you can share everyday moments with lots of people at once." Slingshot is available starting today in the US on iPhones with iOS 7 and Android devices running Jelly Bean or KitKat. Original article below... Call it a clever bit of hype-building, call it a screw up, but Facebook's Snapchat competitor, Slingshot, made an early appearance on some App Stores last week before vanishing. But it might be time for Slingshot to make its proper and official debut, with one source telling 9to5mac that today is the day we'll see Facebook roll its app out at some point today. Remember Poke, Facebook's first attempt at doing the Snapchat thing? Think that but much better. The service will let users send photos and videos - a la Snapchat - to other users, with the option to deface said media with text and drawing. Sling like you're winningPerhaps the only real difference is that Slingshot also includes a "react" button that allows users to return an instant snapshot reaction to the latest picture of your friend's lunch. The app will be completely free when it arrives. The source does say, however, that Facebook may hold back the rollout if it comes up against any last-minute snags. We dropped Facebook a line but it refused to comment on the story.
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| Salesforce's Desk.com update includes a new console and mobile app Posted:  Salesforce.com has updated customer service tool Desk.com to include a new agent console, reporting engine and a mobile app. The new console is designed to provide customer service representatives with quicker access to customer profile and interaction data. The most important console upgrade allows each rep to customize the console to his/her own preferences. Salesforce has improved Desk.com's reporting engine by including comprehensive reports that are designed to identify real-time trends. Salesforce has also added more APIs that allow developers to connect the solution to other reporting applications. Desk.com's new mobile app is designed for iPhones and iPads. The app features note-taking functionality, on-the-go status-updating and case assignation. Support for Android devices will be available in the fall. Desk.com users include HotelTonight, One Kings Lane and SoundCloud. The newest version of Desk.com is generally available at $30 per month, per agent. The global customer relationship management (CRM) software market grew by almost 14% in 2013, according to Gartner Research. Revenue reached $20.4 billion in 2013, up from $18 billion in 2012. The report, Market Share Analysis: Customer Relationship Management Software, Worldwide, 2013, listed Salesforce as the market leader. Last week, Salesforce.com launched The Salesforce Wear Developer Pack, which is designed to allows businesses to create applications on wearable devices such as Fitbit, Google Glass and Samsung Gear 2, among others. |
| Download PAINT.NET: powerful, free, not as complicated as the GIMP Posted:  While the GIMP is typically regarded as the best free image/photo editor you can download, its wealth of features can be daunting for beginners and many people abandon the software, frustrated by its complexity. Where do they go instead? They turn to Paint.Net. Paint.Net isn't the photo-tweaking leviathan that the GIMP has become. But that's the big attraction of this software and one of the reasons that many people download it. Paint.Net has all of the image editing basics covered - image sharpening, red-eye removal, brightness, colour, and saturation tweakery. There are also options to resize, crop, and rotate your images (obviously), and these are backed up by a good range of selection and paint functionality, including Clone Stamp, Curve and Gradient tools. Join the Paint.NET communityUnlike some free image editing packages, Paint.Net also includes support for layers, which means that you can apply edits to part of an image only. Like the GIMP, the core versatility of Paint.Net can also be extended with plugins developed by the Paint.NET community. There are a huge array of these plugins, including helpful add-ons like Photoshop PSD (enabling you to open PSD files) and Text+ (giving you more control over line spacing and draw positioning). Best of all, though, Paint.NET's clear and straightforward interface means it's very easy to use, even if you're a complete graphics novice. A wide spread of options, plugins that extend the functionality… What's not to like? Get Paint.NET for free
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| Samsung set to buy Nuance to get its own Siri? Posted:  Speech recognition specialist Nuance Communications has apparently put itself for sale according to a report published by the Wall Street Journal, citing sources close to the process. The 40 year old company provides voice recognition products and services to the likes of Apple (who uses it for Siri) and Samsung; the latter is said to be the most likely suitor. Shares of Nuance rose by nearly 10 % since rumours emerged, pushing the company's market capitalisation to nearly $6 billion (about £3.5 billion, AUD6.5 billion). Last year, Samsung clearly spelt out the fact that it wanted to acquire more companies and currently sits on a cash chest of about $60 billion (about £35 billion, AUD65 billion). Panasonic, Nintendo and Daimler AG are some of Nuance's most recognisable customers. Interestingly, the voice recognition technologies come from a flurry of other acquisitions (Lernout & Hauspie, Dragon) as well as IBM's patents speech tehnology rights. Voice recognition however is only a small part of what Nuance does. It also offers virtual assistants, text-to-speech services, business analysis and visualization tools, optical character recognition software as well as document management solutions across a wide range of verticals. |
| Facebook wants you to play more games on the iPad Posted:  Facebook has released a new version of its iPad app, introducing a new sidebar that encourages users to check out popular games and trending news topics. The latest update, available to download now, adds a column on the right side of the screen similar to the one which on the Facebook.com website. As well as games and news, users will also see calendar events and the weather within the sidebar. Facebook said the update is being made to provide content relevant to how people use tablets today. 70% are Facebook gamers?According to the social network, 70% of all iPad owners used their tablet to play a game on Facebook over the past three months. Those stats are surprising if true, and it makes sense that Facebook would hope to capitalise on this activity by pushing titles from its developers rather than users going elsewhere to download games from the App Store. The update appears to be US-only right now. Let us know if it's appearing at your end. |
| Developer Channel brings out the Internet Explorer in everyone Posted:  Internet Explorer is hardly a browser we ever would call cutting edge but Microsoft is trying to open its web platform by launching a channel for web developers and regular internet surfers. The Developer Channel release is a fully functional version of Internet Explorer that's designed for web developers to get a sneak peek at the web platform features Microsoft is working on. Although the release is mainly targeted for devs, any curious early adopters can also download the preview release if they are running either Windows 8.1 or Windows 7 Service Pack 1. What's more the Developer Channel browser can run alongside and independently of IE11 letting everyone try out all of Microsoft's latest platform features and return to a stable browser when things don't quite click. Press X to shareAs an experimental release of Internet Explorer, the Developer Channel will let users tap into a few new features including using their Xbox 360 controller to play web games. Microsoft writes that users will be able to connect their controllers to play Atari Arcade games and try Hover.IE. There's no word if Farmville will be supported but Xbox 360 gamepads will work with Microsoft's hilariously self-made Escape from XP, a side-scrolling malware shooter. In the future Microsoft promises this will be the first of many Developer Channel releases as it plans to roll out more updates down the line. Other browsers including Chrome, Firefox and Opera have all had preview build and while Microsoft is playing catch up in this regard, the Developer Channel is a good first step for the Redmond company.
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| Microsoft details how Azure cloud will soon predict the future Posted:  Businesses looking to predict the future will no longer have to seek out the advice of fortune tellers now that Microsoft is about to merge enterprise-grade cloud services with machines capable of peering into a virtual crystal ball. The Official Microsoft Blog detailed how Redmond's managed cloud Windows Azure services will soon become even smarter thanks to the addition of "machine learning," an increasingly popular trend which allows the accurate prediction of future behavior and trends. That's a fancy way of saying machines will soon be able predict the future, essentially what Microsoft Corporate Vice President of Machine Learning Joseph Sirosh and his team plan to offer enterprise customers starting in July. Dubbed Azure Machine Learning (ML), the service will couple Microsoft's existing cloud benefits with "a comprehensive machine learning service" capable of cutting forecast times for customers and partners from weeks or even months to mere hours. Criswell predicts?An early preview of Azure ML is already in use with partners MAX451, who are using the e-commerce and brick-and-mortar sales data of a large, unnamed retail customer to predict which products customers are likely to purchase next. Initially available as a public preview next month, Azure ML is touted as the culmination of powerful technology algorithms first developed for Bing and Xbox, with new analytics tools and machine learning added to the mix. Microsoft claims the service will virtually eliminate traditional startup costs associated with machine learning authoring, development and scaling, at the same time making it as easy to use (and presumably cheap) as current Azure cloud services. To educate Azure ML customers on how Microsoft plans to implement such technology, Sirosh and his colleagues have launched a dedicated Machine Learning blog, which promises to "create entirely new solutions that bring together big data insights, the Internet of things and predictive analytics."
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