Hasta La Gadget!

Opera for desktops may be a couple of steps behind the recently finalized Android version, but it’s coming along nicely. A preview build of the now WebKit-based browser (or, technically, Blink-based) is available to try on Windows and Mac with a bunch of features which in some ways look similar to other browsers and add-ons, but which also do things a bit differently:

• Speed Dial — a home tab that brings large tiles and folders for quick access to favorite sites
• Stash — a web clipping tool that follows a similar big-tile aesthetic (shown above)
• Smartbox — a search box that not only predicts what you’re looking for but also offers to hunt for it on different search engines, such as Google or Twitter.

One thing you won’t find is an integrated Opera Mail client, since that’s been split from the desktop browser (due to “popular demand”) and is now available as a release candidate for a forthcoming standalone product. You’ll find full download linkage below.

Filed under: Desktops, Internet, Software

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Source: Opera Next for Windows, Opera Next for Mac, Opera Mail

It’s not quite ready for the stable release of the browser, but Chrome beta users can now get a taste of a new notification system that should be rolling out to everyone sooner or later. Currently limited to the Windows and Chrome OS versions of the browser (Mac and Linux support is promised “soon”), the new notifications offer richer options than before, including formatted text and images, as well as the ability to incorporate actions directly inside the pop-up — Google offers the example of responding to an email right away. A new notification center will now also let you view a list of all notifications you might have missed, and you can thankfully disable notifications from as many sources as you like.

Filed under: Internet, Software, Google

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Source: Google Chrome Blog, Chromium Blog

Leap Motion, the device built to bring touch-like gesture controls -without a touch screen- will enter into its beta phase soon. Before that, the company has posted a video to show what its vision for Leap Motion on Windows 8: […]

Like It , +1 , Tweet It , Pin It Original content from Ubergizmo.

A few months back Chromium whiz François Beaufort spotted a piece of code in the open source web browser that hinted at Google Now possibly coming to Chrome. Today, the programmer has uncovered an issue log pointing out notification center enhancements for OS X. An entry, listed as “[Mac][MC] Implement notification updates and relayouts” could possibly indicate Google Now having a future on Apple’s desktop platform. With Google’s I/O a little over a week away, hopefully we won’t have to wait too long to find out. In the meantime, we’ll reach out to the company for a comment on Beaufort’s findings and see what turns up.

Filed under: Internet, Software, Google

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Via: The Next Web

Source: François Beaufort (Google+)

The connection between Microsoft and Facebook is becoming tighter as Microsoft has announced what they’re calling the Facebook for Windows Phone Beta app program. This marks the first time that the Facebook app for Windows Phone will enter into an extensive beta program, but it will allow users to submit bugs and feedback to improve on the app.

Microsoft says this new beta program is targeted to those who like to mess around with experimental software, so folks that hate when apps crash or don’t perform smoothly most likely don’t need to apply. However, anyone can join in, as it’s not just limited to developers, and Microsoft is encouraging anyone to try it out.

The beta app for Facebook underwent major redesign, and it comes a lot of new features, including support for high-resolution photos, improved post sharing, and Facebook’s Timeline. If you spot a bug or just want to give your overall feedback about the app, you can head to Settings > About in the app to report information.

If you didn’t know Microsoft actually develops the Facebook app for Windows Phone, and it’s the same way with BlackBerry, so essentially, Facebook only actively develops mobile apps for iOS and Android. However, with the social network’s permission, Microsoft can develop their own Facebook app for Windows Phone users.

Facebook for Windows Phone enters beta, brings high-res photos and Timeline is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
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