Hasta La Gadget!

Ever since the announcement of Windows Phone 8, eager app developers have been keeping an eye on the release of Microsoft‘s SDK for Windows Phone 8. Of course, they were waiting a while because Microsoft just launched it today — the day after the mobile operating system officially released.

In any case, it’s ready to be downloaded, and all developers can finally get their grubby app-making hands on the new SDK. However, before you even think about diving deep into the world of Windows Phone 8 app development, Microsoft wants you running a 64-bit copy of Windows 8 and nothing less.

So, while Microsoft is banning luddites from using its Windows Phone 8 SDK, we’re guessing that most developers who are serious about any kind of app development will most likely take the plunge to Windows 8 anyway, so Microsoft probably doesn’t have anything to worry about as far as that goes.

Now that the Windows Phone 8 SDK is out in full swing, we’re now waiting patiently and anticipating for the platform’s app ecosystem to start growing. Aside from the typical big apps like Facebook, Twitter, Pandora, etc., let’s hope we see some awesome indie developers work their magic on Microsoft’s newest mobile operating system.

Microsoft launches Windows Phone 8 SDK is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Microsoft this week at Build 2012 revealed a re-imagined version of ESPN for the world of Windows 8, including a collection of touch-friendly action. Michael Bayle, vice president and general manager of ESPN mobile, made it clear that their full collection of media – not just sports scores – will be coming to Windows 8. Scores, radio casts, photos, video, and awesome Windows 8 integration is coming up soon. The first look we’ve ever gotten at this application is right on a tablet – though it’s clear that this app is made for all touch surfaces.

“Deep Pinning” is a central piece of this puzzle, and from all sides you’ll be seeing awesome control for the app with text, images, and sound working at all times. Snap View allows you to work with ESPN in a section of your display while you work with other apps at the same time. It’s made to give you the ESPN experience at all times of the day.

This app is ready for action today – believe it or not – and you can download it starting today from Microsoft’s own store on Windows 8. If you’re ready for this action on the smartphone, you can expect a new iteration soon as well. This is just the beginning, with apps such as Sports Illustrated, Wikipedia, and more awesome news and sports entertainment apps coming soon. Dropbox is coming as well, Oprah’s own lovely app environment, and “many, many, many many many more” as Steve Ballmer noted in his follow-up talk on apps specifically.

Have a peek at our timeline below of recent announcements surrounding Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 from Build 2012 and surrounding the launch that’s happened over the past few days. We’re here at the dawn of Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 all at once – big things are going down!

Windows 8 gets fully re-imagined ESPN app to usher in new touch age is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.

If Google had to pick a device category in which it wanted Android to dominate, it would certainly be mobile phones for many reasons. Indeed, the original band of Android backers was dubbed the Open Handset Alliance. However, a strong position in tablets would not only have helped to round out the Android ecosystem, it would also have created a beachhead from which to take on Microsoft prior to the launch of its tablet strategy.

Alas for Google, sales of Android tablets have been lackluster and several PC-centric licensees — including Acer, Dell, Lenovo, Sony, Toshiba and even Android standard-bearer Samsung — are hoping to improve their standing in the tablet market with imminent products based on Windows.

Continue reading Switched On: Android’s tablet troubles

Filed under: Tablets, Software

Switched On: Android’s tablet troubles originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 14 Oct 2012 17:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mozilla is still keeping up with their promise for rapid releases of their Firefox web browser, and it actually just seems like yesterday when the company released Firefox 15 to the public. However, version 16 is out today and it comes with some pretty substantial features for several different platforms.

A few of the new features are aimed at consumers, but a significant portion are for developers. The biggest feature seems to be the new Developer Command Line, which Mozilla says “provides easy keyboard control over Firefox Developer Tools and is intuitive, completing commands and parameters for you.” Other new developer-based features include CSS3 Animations, Transitions, Transforms, Image Values, IndexedDB, and Values and Units.

For regular consumers, a couple of new features are coming your way. For Firefox’s Android app, there’s now a new Safari-like reader mode that provides users with distraction-free reading of any kind. Mac users can also now enjoy VoiceOver support, and all three desktop operating systems (OS X, Windows, and Linux) are getting web app support as well.

On top of all the new features are the usual handful of bugfixes and overal performance improvements. The full list of release notes can be found here, and if you’re interested in trying out the new features, Firefox 16 is available now for download.

Firefox 16 launches with new developer tools, Reader Mode for Android is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

If you’ve managed to stretch your hands around a Galaxy Note II smartphone already, but were hoping to get a custom ROM on it, there’s good news: Samsung has just released the source code. It’s now been posted for the international GT-N7100 model, giving developers a peek at the 5.5-incher’s inner workings and allowing them to get to work on new mods. The company has been faithfully posting its Android code for handsets like the Galaxy S III shortly after they’ve gone on sale, letting developers like CyanogenMod release custom ROMs scant weeks afterward. So, if you get tired of TouchWiz or want root control of the pen-enabled behemoth, you can be sure someone’s on the job right now.

Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Samsung

Samsung releases Galaxy Note II source code, gives modders a big fish to fry originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Oct 2012 07:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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