Hasta La Gadget!

A triumvirate of television titans — LG, Sharp and Philips — are joining forces to create a development kit, defining a common standard for their Smart TV apps. The power play addresses the problem of fragmentation, since developers will only need to make one version of an app for it to work across all three of the ‘tubes operating systems. Based on open standards like HTML5, CE-HTML and HbbTV, developers should get their hands on a beta version by early October, with the finalized version due by the end of the year. The better question now is whether the Romanesque trio can drum up enough developer support to beat out competitors in an app-tastic coup d’etat, or if the likes of Vizio, Sony and Samsung will eventually join in. Needless to say, we’ll be digging for more at CEDIA later this month.

Continue reading LG, Sharp and Philips to build developer’s kit, create Smart TV app standard

LG, Sharp and Philips to build developer’s kit, create Smart TV app standard originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Sep 2011 09:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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One of the things that made Google apps the web-based productivity suite to beat was the ability to access your information offline using Gears. When that experiment was killed, many of us let loose a single tear as we contemplated returning to our desktop apps. Well, as promised, HTML5 is finally returning Gmail to its former offline glory. Docs and Calendar will follow in the coming days, but anyone can get access to their Gmail accounts offline now by installing the Offline Google Mail app for Chrome. Before we had even finished spreading the wonderful news we already had it installed and fired up. So, how’s it work? Well, you’ll just have to keep reading after the break to find out.

Continue reading Offline Google Mail hands-on

Offline Google Mail hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 31 Aug 2011 14:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s been something of a long time coming, this emboldened Bold. We got our first glimpse of the thing in February, spent some quality time with it back in June, and since then have sat around eagerly awaiting its release. Now, here it is. From a distance, or at a quick glance, it looks little changed from 2008’s Bold 9000. But get closer, pick it up, and the difference is astonishing.

RIM has gone to great pains to talk up this device’s high-end design, its luxurious stylings, its sophisticated aesthetic. We’re far from Vertu territory here, but the first time this phone hits your palm you know a lot of people spent a lot of time making it feel just right — even if it still looks just the same. Of course, it’s what’s inside that counts, so join us as we find out whether the soft and hard bits beneath the surface can do the business too.

Continue reading BlackBerry Bold 9930 review

BlackBerry Bold 9930 review originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Aug 2011 09:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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While we keep waiting for the BBC to release a version of its iPlayer on this side of the Atlantic, it’s already upgrading UK PlayStation 3s with a brand new interface. Designed to be navigated by any standard remote, the main focuses are personalization and enhanced navigation to avoid scrolling through long lists, as well as bringing over synced iPlayer Favourites from the PC. The new UI is built on HTML5 and CE-HTML with an eye towards rolling it out easily on other devices soon, but there’s also plans for a version built with Adobe Flash and AIR technology. Check after the break for a quick video demo of the new features which sadly does not include a new episode of Top Gear (UK version) — we checked.

Continue reading BBC iPlayer app gets a new look on the PS3 now, other devices later

BBC iPlayer app gets a new look on the PS3 now, other devices later originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Aug 2011 19:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Chrome Web Store welcomed a new arrival today, and it goes by the name of appMobi XDK. While the addition is targeted squarely at developers, it’s entirely free and packs quite a doozy — cross-platform HTML5 software development from within the web browser. As you might expect, the tool is perfect for making applications to run within Google Chrome, but get this… it’s also capable of creating native apps for submission to Apple’s App Store and the Android Market. Like any competent development environment, it features a full set of debugging tools, along with the ability to test your apps via on-screen emulation and directly from your target device. Hardware integration is accomplished with JavaScript hardware abstraction, which enables access to the camera, GPS, accelerometer and the like. Further, the platform boasts full compatibility with PhoneGap, which means you can easily transition if you’ve got a project in the works. If you’re already hooked, be sure to check out the PR after the break, which describes such goodies as in-app purchasing and secure user authentication, which are made possible with appMobi’s cloud services.

Continue reading appMobi XDK delivers free cross-platform dev environment to Chrome Web Store

appMobi XDK delivers free cross-platform dev environment to Chrome Web Store originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Aug 2011 01:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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