Hasta La Gadget!

Norwegian software company Opera first waded into the TV app game when they released an SDK for widgets back in 2008. Now they’ve taken another serious step by releasing the Opera Devices Content Development Kit to help HTML, CSS, XML, and Javascript savvy developers create content using technologies they’re already versed in. For those who don’t live and breathe in The Matrix, Opera’s hope is to lower the barriers of entry for bringing online content into the living room, since the software eliminates the need for physical devices to test on. It also supports W3C, HbbTV (Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV), OIPF, and CEA-2014 specifications — meaning it’s capable of running on a wide range of hardware from variety of manufacturers. For more details read the PR after the break or watch Opera’s video from 2009 on the subject, which unfortunately isn’t on par with its previous potato boiling jabs at Google. Still, learning about “Oprah’s” new widgets makes it definitely worth a watch.

Continue reading Opera gets serious about TV widget content, releases CDK

Opera gets serious about TV widget content, releases CDK originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Sep 2010 04:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Leave it to Apple to make the process of building software to work with new third party iPhone hardware sound like some Kafkaesque nightmare. Here’s the basic gist of it: Apple, just like always, has to approve any third party hardware that plugs into one of its iOS devices over the 30-pin dock connector. What’s new is that before only the first party manufacturer could build software that works with that hardware, but now Apple is allowing that manufacturer to act as a gatekeeper for third party apps that would interoperate with its hardware. That means exciting times for app developers that are raring to mix with the likes of Line 6’s MIDI Mobilizer (pictured) and AKAI’s SynthStation 25, but it’s also a far cry from the land of computers where anybody can build a plug-and-play USB MIDI device, and anybody can build software that speaks to it. It also means juggling proprietary SDKs, NDAs, and other agreements, which could become very difficult for developers if or when the hardware availability balloons. Hopefully we can get something more elegant before it comes to that. Hit up the source link for an in-depth discussion of this issue.

The iPhone gets third party apps for third party hardware, but the proprietary SDKs make the future sad originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Aug 2010 16:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When we met with Finnish startup Aava Mobile today, they pulled out the same old prototype phone… then, to our great surprise, dropped a brand-new device right alongside to show us how their Moorestown-based ambitions have grown. This is the Virta 2 reference design, which will ship to developers soon, with the same basic hardware inside but a few important tweaks. First of all, you’ll note that’s MeeGo on this screen, not the droid we were looking for, but that’s because the development kit can switch between operating systems by merely swapping out the microSD card.

Whereas the original prototype had a thin, flimsy shell, the Virta 2’s gone downright rugged, ditching the iPhone chrome for a more durable gunmetal frame, and there’s a full compliment of sensors (compass, accelerometer, ambient light and proximity) alongside quad-band radios, WiFi, Bluetooth and a pair of cameras for your video chat testing needs. At €1900 (roughly $2393) per unit, the dev handset isn’t exactly cheap, but where else are you going to get an Atom Z600 to play around with? Devices ship late August or early September, and Aava expects the platform (but not this exact handset) to see commercial availability next year. Find preorders at our source link, if you’ve got the bankroll.

Aava Mobile reveals Virta 2 smartphone development kit, we go hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Jul 2010 21:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Get ready for the second major wave of video chatting — not only is Apple about to bring video calling to the masses with the iPhone 4, but Skype today announced the SkypeKit beta SDK, which devs can use the SDK to interface their apps and devices directly with Skype’s service starting tomorrow. That means there’s no need to run the Skype desktop app — it’ll just be integrated into whatever you’re running, like the recent Panasonic VIERA connected TVs with Skype integration. Once they’ve passed a UI certification, devices and apps will be billed as “plugged into Skype,” but don’t expect to see anything happen too quickly: the SDK is Linux-only at the moment, with Windows and Mac desktop versions forthcoming, and Skype will be testing apps and devices before they go live.

The new SDK can use H.264 hardware encoding to supplement the relatively slow ARM chips that will be running Linux in an embedded manner — like the Panasonic TV, for instance, which was developed using an early version of SkypeKit. We asked Skype about its SDK membership (which costs $20), and the other slight restrictions of the SDK, and they assured us it’s to keep fraud from happening (Skype interacts with your wallet in its paid services), “not to keep out people we don’t like.” There will also be a verification process for an as-yet-undefined cost, where Skype will go over any software or hardware released with the SDK. Additionally, Skype is open sourcing its Silk audio codec (which was recently added to its iPhone app), and they’re working with the IETF to make it an open, patent-free standard for use with anything, not just Skype. Check out the Litle Webbook running some custom Skype on video after the break. It’s in early beta right now, and will be pushed as an update in September, along with video functionality (it’s audio-only right now). We also have shots of the Grandstream GXV3140 making a Skype video call in the gallery below.

Continue reading SkypeKit beta SDK adds Skype to any application or device

SkypeKit beta SDK adds Skype to any application or device originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 Jun 2010 10:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You’ve already watched pre-release versions of MeeGo fly around on a number of netbooks, but if you’re still wondering if it’s worth your while to install v1.0 on your own machine, you owe it to yourself to have a look at the video posted after the break. The fine folks over at Liliputing have installed the fresh-out-of-the-lab operating system onto their MSI netbook in order to showcase some of the features, and frankly, we’re duly impressed by what we’re seeing. It’s clearly light on its feet, with an Expose-like shifting of screens happening at speeds which we previously only dreamed of seeing on an Atom-based rig. We can’t say the rest of the world is really ready to ditch Windows 7 for something as niche as this, but judging by this vid, you should probably give it a whirl. What’s to lose, right?

P.S. – Phoronix was able to run the new OS through the benchmark gauntlet, and it certainly showed up Ubuntu.

[Thanks, Rafael]

Continue reading MeeGo 1.0 demoed on MSI netbook, looks shockingly stupendous (video)

MeeGo 1.0 demoed on MSI netbook, looks shockingly stupendous (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 May 2010 16:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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