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Posts Tagged ‘Multimedia Content’

WSJ: Tablet confirmed, Apple to reinvent old media

Filed under: Hardware, Software, Apple

In all the years I have spent as an Apple fan, following various rumor sources and keeping my own mental list of who had the most credibility on various types of Apple theories, I never thought in all my days I would ever read, let alone write, the following sentence: The Wall Street Journal has just announced that Apple is releasing a tablet computer.

All of their information is centered on the alleged mystery device that will allegedly be announced at a now official event next week. Here are some of the juicier tidbits they passed on from those mysterious people “familiar with” what’s happening on Inifinite Loop:

• Always partial to the education market, one thing this device might be used for is e-textbooks, presumably including the sort of multimedia content that goes beyond the printed page.
• Textbook publishers aren’t the only publishers Apple has been talking to. They’re chatting up Conde Nast, Harper Collins, The New York Times, and even CBS, Walt Disney Co, and Electronic Arts (for games).
• A “Best of TV” service is possible, with a subscription to a set of on demand programs chosen by the consumer.
• Those same people are also reporting there is a revamp of iTunes coming, which would separate the purchase of iTunes content from the iTunes application.
• The device will have a 10 or 11 inch screen, a virtual keyboard, and “sharing” is mentioned — two ideas being thrown around are the ability to leave sticky notes on the device or even have the camera recognize faces of those using it.
• Price is expected to be around $1000, and they’ll be selling it to people who already have iPhones and laptops as well.

Of course the piece itself doesn’t have a full confirmation from Jobs, so we’ll have to wait until next Wednesday for that: Apple’s invitation to the media event on January 27th is titled “Come see our latest creation”, and is generally considered to be the public debut of a tablet-style device. But when the Wall Street Journal says there’s a tablet coming, there’s very likely a tablet coming, and if everything they’re saying about this device is true (which would make sense — we’ve heard most of it before in rumor form), look out world.

TUAWWSJ: Tablet confirmed, Apple to reinvent old media originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 21 Jan 2010 01:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TwitAlbums: Private, Collaborative Content Sharing Via Twitter

Have you ever wanted to share a set of memories with some of your Twitter friends, keeping the content private while still allowing for collaboration between certain folks?

It’s not anything we thought we wanted, either, but after playing with TwitAlbums, we find the concept charming. Here’s how it works: Using Twitter’s OAuth function, users log in and create collections or “albums” containing multimedia content and text comments. They can invite whatever users they like to join them in adding files, and only the users they invite can see the content or comments. Best of all it looks like this little app already has a monetization strategy in place.

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The concept is inherently charming. Users create an album with a single click. They can then proceed to upload movies, pictures and audio files. We’d like to see options for adding more file types, such as web pages, text files and more.

Users can then choose others to collaborate with them on the album. A tweet is sent inviting the collaborators to the album, and they are prompted to sign in via OAuth when they click the tweet in the link. This immediate request for account access without an explanation of the app might be a bit disconcerting for some, however. If an uninvited Twitter user clicks the link, they are given an “invite only” notice and denied access to the content.

Collaborators can add content, leave comments and invite other users, depending on the permissions set by the original album creator.

Finally, it’s interesting to note that the app’s creators have built in a mechanism for modest financial returns. Each uploaded file costs the user a single onsite credit, called a TwitSeed. Accounts come with 50 TwitSeeds, and more can be purchased in bundles of 100 for $1, 500 for $4, or 1000 for $8.

One thing we don’t like is that the app pushes a ton of link- and hashtag-studded notifications into the user’s Twitter stream. As with other apps that gain access via OAuth, from the infamous Spymaster to the successful TinyChat, this is a very fine line that most users would appreciate the app not cross.

Generally speaking, users won’t have a problem with a single tweet or two, but a constant stream of app-related messages when the user is active on the site can only end badly. Worst of all, we don’t see a way to opt out of these notifications, so we’ve had to delete these tweets manually, which does nothing to mitigate the swarm of updates for our friends using Twitter clients such as Tweetdeck. Particularly since the content is set up to be private, it doesn’t make sense to broadcast tweets about each user’s on-site activity.

We think this app would work well for younger users, social media addicts and long-distance friends, especially if the above-mentioned issues are addressed. What do you folks think so far; does TwitAlbums have what it takes to become a widely used Twitter application? Would you use it, and what would you use it for? Let us know in the comments.

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Make Your Own Online Magazine From Your Flickr/Facebook Photos With YouTellYou

We love site-building and story-telling applications, and social webizens love sharing their content – particularly multimedia content – in new and compelling ways.

YouTellYou is a fun and simple tool that allows users to grab, annotate, tag and share their pictures in an online magazine-type format. Users can pull in photos from Smugmug, Facebook, Flickr or one’s own computer, then go to town in a frenzy of sequences, captions and true pictorial story-weaving.

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In about 10 minutes, we created this story about SxSW 2009. We were able to get access to all the needed Flickr photos through a simple interface. Pics were then organized into layouts of one or two photos per section with optional captions for most layouts.

When we published, we were pleased to see links with each photo to enlarge it or to find the original URL for each pic. The finished product also has a thorough commenting system and the option to share zines via email and Twitter.

Our wishlist for this app would be a drag-and-drop interface for pulling photos into the magazine, Facebook Connect for easier account creation, some kind of theming for finished zines, the ability to add photos from other users and the ability to reblog or share the content we created in more ways. Finally, the site navigation and overall design needs improvement; however, for a free app with no advertising, we can’t complain too much.

We’re torn on whether we personally would use the app again – for most on the RWW team, it’d be worth the effort to just build a webpage from scratch. But for end users, this kind of tool is indicative of a trend for amateur content creation and sharing in more polished ways than a simple Flickr slideshow or Facebook set.

What do you think – would you use YouTellYou to tell a story with your photos? Let us know what you think of the app in the comments.

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5 Very Last-Minute Gifts from the Internet Hero/Shopping Mall Zero

If you’re reading this, you already know you’re screwed.

Someone, somewhere has been forgotten on your gift list, and you’re scrambling. As per usual, we at RWW have got your back. Here are five ideas that will not only save you from certain disgrace but just might make you look a little more with it and wired than your loved ones expected.

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1) Of-The-Month Clubs

Flowers, beers, books, even dog treats – for every hobby, there’s a club membership that will bring the recipient monthly or even weekly gifts. With this kind of gift, you’ll be the hero all year round – in fact it’ll give you and the lucky recipient added incentive to communicate more often if you don’t now.

2) Netflix Membership

For the movie buff or couch potato in your life, this gift says you condone and embrace the cinematic lifestyle. Memberships are tiered, so you can be as budget-conscious (or as generous) as you like.

3) Pro Apps or Paid Features

For all the free web apps we use and enjoy, there are often pro versions with special benefits. I’ve personally enjoyed a pro Flickr account for ages, and the RWW gang love the speedy, unlimited-HD goodness of our pro Vimeo account. If you have new parents in your life, try a kid-centric subscription model web service such as LilGrams.

4) Multimedia Gifts

Piracy is a dying art, so for the music, movie and game aficionados on your gift list, look around the web for legitimate sources of multimedia content. Gamers will love Microsoft Points for XBox Live or similar goodies for Wii and PS3. And for the youngsters and musicians, you can’t go wrong with an eMusic or similar subscription.

5) Know Thy Geek: Fonts, Domains, and Software

I’ve been lusting after a particular domain name for a few months now. If someone knew me well enough to buy it, that lady or dude would be the most awesome Santa to date. And I won some brownie points myself for buying a special person a very special font he’d been wanting for quite some time. Likewise, if you’ve heard a hobbyist or nerd enthusing about a software update that might qualify as a bit of a splurge, the holiday is the perfect time to surprise him or her with a shiny, new email notification or ZIP file.

These kinds of gifts show that you know the person well enough to understand and support his or her need to geek out. And what better gift is there, after all?

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Spring Design Announces Android-Based Dual-Screen eReader

Spring Design, a relatively unknown hardware design company, just announced that it will enter the eBook market with a dual-screen eReader based on the Android operating system. This device, the ‘Alex,’ will combine a 6-inch eInk display with a 3.5-inch color LCD touchscreen. According to Spring Design’s press release, the company will use an ‘enhanced’ version of the Android OS that has been optimized to facilitate the integration between the two screens. Spring Design plans to release this device later this year.

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Hardware

The dual-screen concept is definitely interesting and somewhat reminiscent of the rumored Barnes & Noble-branded eReader that is scheduled to be announced tomorrow. For now, Spring Design’s press release remains quiet about any content partnerships. Even though the company says that the device will be able to connect to 3G, EVDO/CDMA and GSM networks, Spring Design doesn’t appear to be ready to announce any partnerships there either.

Multimedia Books

Maybe the most interesting aspect of the device is that the company plans to give developers and publishers the ability to enhance the text that appears in the eInk screen with multimedia content on the LCD screen. This could open up a lot of new avenues for publishers, but at the same time, we have to wonder if a lot of publishers will be willing to develop new content for this device. Creating an eBook version of a manuscript is easy, but adding additional content to this text could quickly become a costly undertaking.

Color us Skeptical

Given how vague the details are, we remain skeptical about this device until we get more details. For now, all we know is that it will run Android, feature two screens, that it will have an SD card slot, and that users will be able to cache web content on the device and then display it on the eInk screen.

We also can’t help but look at the device and think that it would be rather unwieldy to use. It is definitely exciting to see that somebody is using Android to develop an eReader, but this device seems to forego usability for novelty. While we are all looking forward to color eInk displays, this device looks like an odd chimera that is meant to bridge the gap between these two generations. In the long run, this concept probably doesn’t have much of a future.

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Yahoo! Revamps Mobile Homepage with Better RSS & Multimedia Content

Today, Yahoo!Mobile SVP David Ko introduced the company’s new mobile homepage calling it “the world’s most advanced mobile homepage.”

At once rich and simple, the new homepage is accessible by more than 1,900 different mobile devices, which Yahoo! says represents a 500 percent increase since the mobile site launched in April. We checked out the site on a BlackBerry Storm tonight and were impressed by the features Yahoo! is offering for discovery and filtering of content. From tech-related videos to dynamically refreshed news feeds, Yahoo! gives mobile users plenty of room to play.

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A few features of the mobile homepage include dynamically updated content with pagination. For example, the “Today” section now displays ten of the leading stories from all over the Internet. Users are shown top news, business, entertainment, and sports content. Also, Yahoo!’s enhanced mobile RSS reader now supports photos with captions and allows users to scroll through more headlines without having to refresh content.

One of our favorite features was the site’s enhanced mobile video integration. Video clips were quick to load and were available in three As previously mentioned, we got to browse through the Tech Ticker, which, as it turns out, is stocked with Yahoo!-produced video content all about tech, business, and financial news. Other mobile video feeds include Prime Time in No Time, a recap of the previous night’s TV shows, and general news, entertainment, and sports videos from the Associated Press.

Users can also use the “My Favorites” tab to integrate content from nine social networks, including YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter, as part of its Social Pulse feature. From this tab, users can also pull in any RSS feeds or other types of content, such as email, weather, and theatre information.

And speaking of theatres, Yahoo! is also nearing perfection with their with their newly revamped movie results. Users can get results on what films are showing at nearby theatres; they can watch movie trailers; they can read reviews from multiple sources. Best of all, users can buy tickets from participating theatres all directly from their mobile devices.

In short, the new Yahoo! mobile homepage is an well executed, updated version of the portal that ruled a much younger Internet. It’s accessible, fast, full of interesting content, and infinitely customizable. In an age of Y!-bashing, dare we admit to liking a Yahoo! product?

We encourage our readers to take the site for a quick test drive and leave opinions in the comments. Can you see yourself using this feature-packed but still lightweight homepage on a regular basis?

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Back to School: Apps Every College Student Should Try

College is a horrifying time in one’s personal development. Aside from being “the best years of your life,” those years are also those in which your expenditures outstrip your income by more than they ever will later (with any luck and ambition on your part, at least). They can also be some of your more strapped-for-time years and attention-deficit-overload years.

Here are a few tools we wish we’d had when we were still dorm-dwelling nobodies. Forward these links on to the collegiate folks in your life, and add your own favorites to the list. Together, we can rid the world of dropped classes and “ramen starvation.”

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One-Stop Comparison Shop for Textbooks

BigWords is a site and iPhone app that source a slew of online retailers to get students the cheapest possible textbooks, taking the legwork out of online comparison shopping. BigWords also claims to optimize prices by looking for multi-item specials, shipping discounts, coupons, and other exceptional deals. Students (or textbook-shopping parents and guardians) can also share “bookbags” with others, and the site claims an average $225 savings on multi-item orders.

Study Socially

When students can use Facebook Connect to sign into an app designed to optimize study time, you know the world has changed. StudyBlue takes advantage of your virtual Rolodex to help you share notes, flashcards, and other study tools. Notes can be recorded as text or as multimedia content – that means you can share audio and video with your class-skipping colleagues. If only it counted as attendance, no? Best of all, the StudyBlue team has announced mobile capabilities for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Another app we like in this space is Quizlet, an online flashcard and quizzing resource that also uses Facebook Connect.

Rent and Return Textbooks

BookRenter soothes the eternal frustration of spending a triple-digit amount on a textbook you’ll use for four months and then resell to your college’s bookstore for a princely ten bucks. Renters register and have access to the company’s catalog of millions of titles. Prices are refreshingly reasonable; shipping options and rental periods are flexible; and return shipping is free.

Situate Yourself

DesignYourDorm is a new-this-year app that allows college students to design their dorm room interiors in 3D and purchase their decor selections online. Not only can students often choose their exact room dimensions and layout from the DYD database and collaborate with dormmates to get rooms furnished based on thorough checklists; parents can also send care packages from a gallery that calls to mind an edible version of 1800Flowers.

Mobilize Your Textbooks

Coursesmart, a leader in the e-textbook game, just released an iPhone app, which we reviewed recently. Their catalog so far includes 7,000 ebooks, and their software works for both Macs and PCs. The desktop apps also allow students to take notes while reading, and both desktop and mobile apps have built-in search function.

Research on the Fly

The mobile version of Wikipedia has long been available for on-the-go consumption, but did you know Wikipedia also just released an official iPhone app, which we recently reviewed? You can also try iPhone apps such as Wapedia, Wikiamo, or Wikipanion.

Get Yourself and Your Group On-Task

Remember the Milk is one app we like for individual or group tasks. This full-featured program allows users to keep track of tasks through RSS feeds, share tasks via email, add tasks via email or SMS, and even assign tasks a specific location. There’s an iPhone app, and RTM plays nicely with Gmail, Twitter, and Google Calendar, as well.

Hit ‘Em With Your Best Shot

Finally, after all your hard work and study, you’ll need to create a certain number of papers, presentations, projects, and perhaps even a website or two during your time in school this year. We have a whole list of code-free website creation tools that range from easy to use to ridiculously easy to use, and with a little finessing, they’ll definitely impress a professor or two. For creating multimedia presentations, we like Empressr, Drop.io, and SlideShare, all of which have different social sharing/embedding and multimedia capabilities.

Back to Basics

For staying organized, keeping in touch, taking notes, and generally keeping yourself sane, your old friends are more useful now than ever. And by “old friends,” we mean those apps you already use so much you don’t even realize they’re apps anymore. Try seeing Facebook, Google Docs, Google Notebook, Gmail, Twitter, and Skype as study and communication tools rather than just time-wasters, and you’ll notice that you can get a lot done on your favorite sites.

So, what apps are you using to get organized, get smart, get together, or just get it right this year? Let us know in the comments!

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Litmos: Online Training Management That Needs Improvement

Affiliated with both Rackspace and BizSpark and armed with an aggressive PR strategy, Litmos is an online training management app suite poised for a big splash in the startup pool.

Ostensibly a power player in the online education game, Litmos comes with its share of challenges, drawbacks, and shortcomings, as well. Between site glitches and a UI that leaves much to be desired, the apps we reviewed were frustrating for users and showed little promise for actually measuring trainees’ learning. Check out our screenshots and feedback below.

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Litmos is a web-based training system for the development and delivery of training courses. Courses are built by uploading videos, PowerPoint presentations, OpenOffice documents, and other content. Assessments and surveys are added to test knowledge retention and gain feedback.

We found course creation to be simple enough. In-browser survey creation was easy and quick. We were also able to embed multimedia content from other sites. However, the site failed to upload our own videos, and creating a slideshow through the site led to browser crashes and timeouts. Worse yet, adding users to courses was a tedious process that would be completely unusable for training or educational programs with more than 20 users or so.

From the trainee end, user experience was a disaster. Comments from our testers ranges from “lots of ordinary” to “hard to navigate” to “really, really bad.” One reviewer said, “This might be the worst UI ever.” We can’t honestly disagree with any of these comments.

In addition to suffering through the usual navigational site bugs and tedious UI issues that plague newer apps, we couldn’t find a way to test trainee knowledge through the site. In other words, although we could survey those involved in the course, we couldn’t designate correct answers or assign grades for individual users, nor could we view individual users’ answers to our survey. This is a huge gap in the app suite’s capabilities that cripple Litmos’ ability to compete in an ever-more-competitive market.

Even the worst interfaces can be excused when innovations or integrations of technology promise to make a product greater than the sum of its parts. Unfortunately, though, we couldn’t see any evidence of outside-the-box thinking here. Litmos doesn’t integrate particularly well with existing online groups or media, and it doesn’t allow for easy importation of contacts via email or other social networks, even LinkedIn.

According to the Litmos blog, “People pay a lot of money to go to college, stay in dorms and get into the lifestyle. If students or parents realise that for considerably less money their kids can study online and not really miss out on anything, then the campus could be at risk of becoming obsolete for some faculties.”

While we won’t argue that college courses cost a lot of money, we also can’t vouch for an online app or app suite – especially one with so many readily apparent glitches and omissions – replacing traditional instruction methods any time soon.

And while Litmos modules might someday be able to provide a welcome online companion to standard methods of education, we also know that most online education clearinghouses have their own tested and reliable proprietary systems in place for delivering materials. Litmos needs a major instutitional partnership from either a well-known company training its employees or one of the new guard of online, for-profit educational entities if it is to be a major player in this game, and that kind of partnership will not come while so many UI problems still exist within the site.

In the end, many online training modules exist outside the startup realm. Although they may not be particularly innovative, neither is Litmos. And the tried-and-true products will at least work.

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