Hasta La Gadget!

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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IPhone prototypes may be locked up tighter than this lamppost in Naples, Italy. Photo Charlie Sorrel

Does the name of today end in a “y”? Why, yes. Then it must be time for another iPhone 5 rumor. This one, as unsubstantiated as any other, is worth passing on simply because of the crazy levels of paranoia contained within.

According to Charles Arthur at the Guardian, iPhone 5 units are already installed in carrier facilities and are undergoing testing. Of course, being an Apple product, it must remain secret at all costs, and you can be sure that the handsets weren’t tossed into a Jiffy bag and mailed over to AT&T and Verizon. Nope. The iPhone 5s are locked inside specially constructed boxes, like pirate treasure:

[M]y understanding is that barely anyone inside the carriers gets to open those boxes, and even when they do the hardware is encased in a dummy body which means there’s no clue to what the actual phone will do.

Arthur goes on to speculate on the methods Apple might have to instantly identify any leaks, and also asserts that the whole Antennagate mess could have been avoided if Apple had simply let more people test the handset in the wild before launch.

I love this story, and I imagine that top level telco employees have to undergo an Indiana Jones style quest every time they need to access to iPhone 5. The liver-spotted, besuited executive enters a secret floor of the AT&T building carrying aluminum briefcase which is handcuffed to his emaciated wrist. At each of several progressively heavier doors he has to scan his watery retinas and worn-out fingerprints to gain access.

Finally, in the Testing Chamber, he unlocks the case. It hisses as the air pressure equalizes, and he draws out a small light gray microfiber bag, printed with the Apple logo in darker gray. Inside the bag is a small, polished weight, perfectly spherical but for a small flat circle the size of a dime. The executive places it on an empty plinth next to the unibody aluminum box securing the iPhone. He waits. His breathing stops. The sphere sinks a millimeter and something inside the box clicks. The lid pops open. The executive breaths, and the giant stone ball remains safely in its niche in the wall, ready to chase an unauthorized invader at a later date.

Next iPhone in October? I’ll stick to September – and here’s why [Guardian]

See Also:

• IPhone Developer: Apple's Secrecy, Slowness Makes Things Difficult …
• After a Decade of Secrecy, Apple Reluctantly Tries Out …
• Apple Employees Tell the Secrets Behind Steve Jobs' 'Magic …

Groupme, the little group messaging service that made a bit of a splash at Google I/O, turns 3.0 today. There are some shiny new features on board, including a simpler way to exchange private messages and “Questions” for sparking conversations when you’re not sure who to talk to. But, the big news — Groupme 3.0 is now platform and nation agnostic. With the latest update, the service will be available in 90 countries and add Windows Phone 7 to its list of supported OSes, alongside iPhone, BlackBerry, and Android. Even if you’re sitting in front of your desktop you can still take part in the mass messaging fun. The website has been overhauled and now sports all of the same features, like photo-sharing and group management, as the mobile apps. Check out the source link to get the latest version for your handset of choice — provided you’re not a Symbian fan — and don’t miss the gallery below.

Groupme 3.0 goes international and cross-platform, questions everything originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Aug 2011 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How to get a hefty new hard drive for your Mac without making your other gadgets jealous? Iomega is offering up a solution with the fairly elegant Mac Companion Hard Drive, a two or three terabyte external drive designed with Apple computers in mind that adds a high-powered charging port for your peripherals. The drive also packs additional USB and FireWire ports (no Thunderbolt, guys?), plus a set of four LEDs, which let you know how full it is with a glance. The drives are available via Apple at $195 and $295, for 2TB and 3TB, respectively.

Continue reading Iomega Mac Companion Hard Drive offers 3TB of storage and a filling station for your iPad

Iomega Mac Companion Hard Drive offers 3TB of storage and a filling station for your iPad originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Aug 2011 14:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MobileMe’s impending demise just got one step closer, folks. Apple’s updated iCloud.com to now sport an official login page with what we’re assuming is Cupertino’s rendition of a CNC-machined aluminum unibody badge. It looks like those of you rocking iOS 5 or OS X 10.7.2 and who’ve also created an iCloud account are probably already busy frolicking through email, editing contacts and slinging calendar events all from the comfort of your browser. Those services already existed under its predecessor, but it looks as if Cupertino has spruced ’em up with fresh paint jobs. A screenshot from MacRumors also shows the addition of an iWork section, which we’d surmise means the previously siloed iWork beta now has a new place to call home. We couldn’t get past the migration step with our trusty MobileMe account (disappointing proof is after the break), but you’re more than welcome to tap the more coverage link and have a go yourself.

Oh, and if you’re wondering how much it’ll cost you to claim more than those 5GB that Apple’s tossing in gratis, the folks over at Electronista have confirmed that an extra 10GB will cost $20 per year, while an extra 20GB runs $40 / year and an extra 50GB will demand $100 per annum.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading Apple launches iCloud and iWork betas, confirms pricing for extra capacity

Apple launches iCloud and iWork betas, confirms pricing for extra capacity originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Aug 2011 21:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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