TechAddress

Offer Your Mobile Apps as Shareware Using Mogees

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 21:30:57 +0000

Founded by two early PayPal employees, Mogees is looking to be a middleman between mobile application developers and the app stores being offered by Apple, Google, and BlackBerry. While it might seem like a middleman isn’t needed here, the idea is to facilitate payment options that the app stores are not yet offering – like free trials.

Is this enough of a value-add to lure developers to give up a few extra percentage points in transaction costs on app sales? Maybe. On the Web, free trials have proven to be an effective way to get paid subscribers (see Typepad for a great example).

Mogees also provides a lot of flexibility, allowing you to offer trials that are based either on a certain number of days or a specific level of usage. Once a trial expires, Mogees will then prompt the user to pay either by credit card or PayPal, from the device. Mogees also provides tracking and stats so you can measure how your various offers are performing.

Of course, the potential problem that Mogees could run into is the app stores offering their developers similar functionality. Already, some applications are offering both a free and paid version, like the PhotoArtist app we reviewed last week. That said, if Mogees is able to prove itself as a way to improve conversions of free users into paid users, it could be an attractive option for managing payments across all platforms, all under one roof.

For the moment, Mogees only has a payment SDK available for Android, but expects to launch SDKs for iPhone and BlackBerry soon. The company is waving the first $1 million in transaction fees for the first 1,000 developers who sign up, while standard fees will be 10% of an application’s cost plus a $0.30 flat fee.

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Now You, Too, Can Look Silly Talking to Your iPhone

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 13:30:52 +0000

Source:Mashable!

I’ve never used any type of voice input on any phone. My native tongue is not English, it’s Croatian; phones don’t cope with it so well. But even in English, saying “call Julia” or something to that effect is a) not as reliable as typing a number or selecting it from the phone book and b) you look silly talking to your phone.

Hence, I’m skeptical about Google’s latest iPhone application: voice search. Instead of typing in a search phrase, you simply say it to the iPhone; “Where’s the nearest Starbucks?” is the example used by the New York Times, and it should return the results within seconds. The application is free, and should show up in Apple’s App Store sometime today.

First, let me be clear about one thing: this is a great idea, and one day, far in the future, voice input to various pieces of hardware around us might become a part of our everyday life. But right now, I’ll eat my hat if this thing is reliable enough - and we’re talking street conditions, crowded coffee house conditions; in short, normal situations - to use on an everyday basis. I bet that two times out of three Google’s software will misunderstand you and give you the wrong results. And I bet that in the end, the majority of users who try the feature out will go back to standard (virtual) keyboard input.

True, the fact that typing on the iPhone’s keyboard is nowhere near as fast as typing on a regular sized keyboard gives some credit to this idea. However, again, if you’re in Internet search/web browsing mode - meaning you’re not holding the phone next to your ear, you’re holding it in your hands - it’ll probably be easier to simply type in whatever search phrase you need.

In any case, we’ll all be able to try it out very soon, and I hope that Google will prove me wrong on this one. But somehow, at least for now, I doubt it.

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CyberSynchs: Smarter Smartphone Synching

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 23:32:02 +0000

Source:Mashable!

This post is part of Mashable’s Startup Review series, which highlights great unsung startups. The series is made possible by Sun Startup Essentials.

Company Name

CyberSynchs

20-Word Description

CyberSynchs installs a small application on smartphones that regularly syncs user data to the CyberSynchs server. If your device is lost, crashed or stolen, CyberSynchs has you covered.

CEO’s Pitch

CyberSynchs provides secure, scheduled backup of smartphone data to their server, enabling users to retrieve and transfer their files should their device become lost, destroyed or if a new device is acquired. CyberSynchs supports all Windows Mobile, BlackBerry and iPhone operating systems.

CyberSynchs users no longer worry about lost voice mails, music, contacts, photos, ringtones, videos, notes, emails and more. CyberSynchs is an economical solution to the expense and angst related to lost or crashed devices.

Mashable’s Take

Based in New York, CyberSynchs follows the likes of Zyb and iDrive into the mobile smartphone data synchronization market. This means that users can register accounts on the Web to send contacts, emails, photos, videos, music, voicemails, ringtones and more for preservation in the event that things at the handheld level go awry.

CyberSynch presently supports Windows Mobile versions 5 and 6 with its 0.9.0 beta download, with BlackBerry and iPhone compatibility arriving in December. The company provides its service for a flat $2.99 per month fee. Comparatively speaking, year-long access to Apple’s own MobileMe sync service is nearly three times the cost. With both advantages and disadvantages to consider, of course.

The fact is that as reliable as millions of smartphones presently in operation today may be, at least in a collective sense, a good number of them will fail to perform in one fashion or another. Or they’ll be lost or decommissioned. And it’s likely that many users who befall such events don’t have any choice other than to notify their carrier and manually assemble their mobile data once more.

Services like Apple’s MobileMe can help quickly regain momentum. But for CyberSynch to interact with so many forms of data across multiple software platforms is something that will reach smartphone owners searching for both a comprehensive grasp and relative equanimity in their backup engine of choice.

Editor’s Note: This post is part of an ongoing series at Mashable - The Startup Review, Sponsored by Sun Microsystems Startup Essentials. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here.

What’s Your Favorite Mobile Application?

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 19:33:17 +0000

Source:Mashable!

This article is part of the Open Web Awards, an open, international contest for the best websites and services.

It has been a huge year for mobile applications, led by the launch of the iPhone App Store and followed by the release of Google Android and its first handset – the G1. Along the way we’ve seen both the big sites like Facebook and MySpace launch powerful mobile apps, as well as breakouts designed specifically to take advantage of new mobile technologies, like iGolf and Brightkite.

We’ve covered a ton of these applications, many of which can be found in some of our resource lists:

∙ 15+ Free iPhone Apps to Navigate Your World

∙ 11 iPhone Apps That Will Clean Out Your Junk Drawer

∙ 18 iPhone Drinking Apps to Get the Party Started

∙ Android Apps Worth Paying For (and some that aren’t)

∙ Google Android Market Goes Live with 50+ Apps

Which mobile app is your favorite? Make your nomination using the widget below:

Make Your Nomination

Mashable Open Web Awards

Spread the Word

Feel free to elaborate on your nomination in the comments, or try to gain more support for your favorite service by copying the widget to your blog (click the “Grab This” link in the widget above)!

Support Our Sponsors

The Open Web Awards is made possible by our sponsors. By supporting the Open Web Awards, these companies reward and encourage innovative web technologies. We can’t thank them enough for sharing our passion: building great web companies.

Platinum Partner

“PartnerUp brings small business and social networking together to create a community where entrepreneurs find the people, resources and information to grow their businesses.”

Gold Sponsors

“iStockphoto is the world’s leading image market and a revenue-sharing social network. Browse 3.5 million images and videos starting at $1 or become a contributor.”

“With Quintura’s advanced visual-based search and analytics solution, content publishers can increase site usage while creating new ad revenues”

Prize Sponsor

“Infinite and Instant, Zazzle is the only on-demand retail platform for consumers and major brands, offering billions of retail quality, one-of-a-kind products, most of which are produced within 24 hours.”

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Zynga Launches the Ultimate Time Waster: Live Poker for the iPhone

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 17:32:17 +0000

Source:Mashable!

There are a number of microblogging engines in existence today that work the build-your-own angle of the market. The corporate and closed Yammer and the open source Laconi.ca are two such enablers.

Well, today one more joins the fold. Its name is Twingr. It comes by way of Miami and the Startups.com network and its aim is to give anyone the ability to create free custom Twitter-like forums without having to do much legwork.

Easy to Use

Suffice it to say that the promise of an easy-to-use system is realized at Twingr quite strongly:

- It sports a simple layout that anyone familiar with the 140-character messaging architecture will recognize and immediately warm up to.

- Its community-building component allows you to tap into your Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo accounts to send invites to contacts you know. You have the option to manually send messages to email addresses without having to log into one of the above mentioned services if you prefer to avoid that method.

- The settings menu provides users with switches to fine tune member-to-member messaging access. By default, the main options are as open as possible, except for follower request approvals.

Insofar as microblogging goes, there is little or nothing about Twingr that won’t appeal to registrants. Save for select circumstances for users of WordPress and 37signals webware, who have things like Prologue and Newsroom to interact with relatively small groups of people, a community on Twingr to complement your website or fanclub or whathaveyou can be the very style of forum you’re looking for. Startups.com Marketing VP Pepe Amorin says that the plan for the new venture is really to “let the flower blossom.”

And it’s free…

Again, there’s no cost of admission, at least not yet. It’s in public alpha mode for the time being. Yet even at launch stage it looks like it’s off to a good start. If I am to compare it to alternatives in the field, it has more in common with Yammer than Laconi.ca. But the fact that that it is free of cost regardless of engagement will have the attention of microblog fans who wish to limit the public thread to personal invitees only.

A few final words to cap our review: Pardon the electropop in the demo video below. Yes, it’s just as informative to watch when muted.

Source:Mashable!

HD Video isn’t just coming to every television screen, it’s making its way online as well. From well known video sites like YouTube to unknown upstarts like Vuze, many online video services are embracing the new standard.

Here’s a list of 20 great sources where you can find High Definition videos. Making the switch is easy; the only thing that’s blurred is the line between online and offline entertainment.

Tell us more about where you find HD videos in the comments.

Online HD Video Streaming

Apple - The Mac daddy site sports an excellent HD Video section with plenty of movie trailers, music videos and more. For the best experience, you’ll need to install/upgrade your QuickTime player.

Microsoft - Not to be outdone yet again by Apple, the boys from Redmond have added support for HD Video to their Windows Media player. Their WMV HD showcase has plenty of IMAX clips in HD as well as some movie trailers.

SmoothHD - This is a joint effort from Microsoft and Akamai for delivering HD content over HTTP with the help of SilverLight as part of the Open Video Player initiative.

Hulu - The hot video service has an extensive HD gallery of movies to behold. There are full-length feature films you can experience in HD for free. For example, here’s a trailer for Quantum of Solice.

Vimeo - Now supports HD in 1280×780 and lets you upload videos and convert them to HD.

Adobe - Has jumped into the HD Video arena as well by adding HD support to their Flash player technology. Here’s their HD Gallery.

Vuze - Provides a downloadable player that lets you view stunning HD Video content. The site is reminiscent of Hulu and YouTube with its search capabilities.

DailyMotion - The French video service supports the HD format.

YouTube - Well, there isn’t any special area for YouTube HD Video content because it only plays high quality video if it’s available and if you have a fast Internet connection. If you want to force YouTube to always play the high quality video whenever it’s available, change your option under account setting to do so:

MotionBox - Allows you to upload your home movies and convert them to HD Video. Go here for more information on the service.

NASA - If you’re into HD space exploration then this is the place to go. Many blasts from the past.

NY Times - The popular newspaper has recently launched an HD Video Portal based on Brightcove’s player.

Broadcast TV Channels in HD

CBS - Maintains a wide selection of HD Videos you can watch in their entirety, such as CSI: NY, The Amazing Race and many more.

ABC - Follows suit with their rival by streaming many of their shows online in HD. Requires you to install a small movie plugin for your browser.

NBC - NBC also streams their shows online in HD. Keep in mind that not all of their video content is in HD format. Look for the HD symbol next to the show name to verify. Also, you can download many shows in HD from their NBC Direct service for free.

HD TV Resources

Boxee.TV - Software that lets you connect video sites to your HDTV so you can enjoy HD video on your big screen. For example, you can stream hulu.com to your AppleTV.

vudu - Set-top Box that allows you to watch a slew of HD and HDX video instantly from an online selection.

AppleTV - Apple also provides a set-top box that lets you play HD movies, TV Shows and more.

XBox 360 - Microsoft has a set-top box that plays HD Video content such as movies and TV shows. You can find plenty of HD content at their xBox Live Marketplace.

Tivo HD - The new line of Tivo boxes support HD and Internet access, which means you can stream HD video from online services such as YouTube and NetFlix. You can also share your HD converted home movies with friends and family members.

Image courtesy of iStockPhoto, Bim

Source:Mashable!

Luckily, I don’t play poker. It’s one in the long list of addictions I’ve been lucky not to get infected with over the years. But if I did, I’d be all over Zynga’s new game for the iPhone: Live Poker.

Zynga creates games for Facebook, MySpace and other social networks. They usually don’t waste time reinventing the wheel; they go with good old ever-popular games like Texas Hold’Em, BlackJack, Scramble and Sudoku. They also have a number of action/fantasy titles such as Special Forces, Mafia Wars, Vampires and so forth. All of these translate into 4.5 billion page views, which makes Zynga the largest social gaming network around.

Their latest offering, Live Poker, allows iPhone users to play poker with their friends from social networks such as Facebook, MySpace, Bebo and Hi5. It’s the first iPhone game that leverages Facebook’s Connect platform; for the end user, it means that not only can you waste your entire workday playing poker, you can also do so on your iPhone on the way home. Goodbye, free will; hello addiction.

You can get the application in the iTunes App store; the basic version is free, while an advanced version, with a larger chip package and access to tournaments, will cost you $9.99.

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It Was Only a Matter of Time: The Facebook Phone Cometh

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 13:38:19 +0000

Source:Mashable!

No, Facebook isn’t building its own phone. But UK mobile service provider 3 is launching a mobile phone whose primary function, besides making phone calls, is social networking.

The phone is called INQ1. Its specifications? Fairly standard: a 2.2 inch QVGA screen, 3.2 megapixel camera, HSDPA, accelerometer, 50MB + 4 GB of memory. The platform that powers it was created by INQ Mobile, a company that’s specialized in mobile social networking solutions.

The phone is not available yet, and the details are sketchy; I was unable to find out what platform it’s really based on (I assume that INQ’s software will work on top of an existing platform such as Symbian of Windows Mobile), or which company built the hardware. What’s known is that INQ1 will provide quick access to Skype, Facebook, Windows Live Messenger and Last.fm, with eBay support coming soon.

This is all UK only, where INQ1 will be available for as low as £15 per month offering unlimited free Facebook, Skype, Windows Live Messenger and web access, as well as 75 minutes of calls to other networks, unlimited texts, unlimited email and unlimited free 3-to-3 calls.

Is this a revolutionary device? No. It’s pure marketing: the iPhone can probably do everything INQ1 can and possibly more. But it shows that social networking has become the buzzword in marketing circles and that we can expect practically every device connected to the net from now on to be touted as “social networking enabled.” Good news for Facebook, MySpace, and the rest; bad news for everyone who didn’t anticipate how big social networking will one day become.

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37signals’ Backpack: Now iPhone-Sized

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 21:35:09 +0000

Source:Mashable!

An iPhone application called FrontPocket, built by Jacksonville, Florida-based design firm Updatable, launched today. It behaves as a mobile extension to 37signals’ Backpack service, a business organization and data sharing utility.

As any 37signals fan might intuit, a development of this type must be one thing above all: simple and straightforward. The better to conform to the less-is-more ethos maintained by the team behind Backpack and its siblingware. I think it’s safe to say FrontPocket can feel right at home with family.

A closer look at design

The design is almost entirely plain. Only the basic template of features evident in many other iPhone applications are there. Nothing more. As for color, I would say there’s only a half-rainbow thing happening, whereas on the desktop things are a little more festive. We all know how festive data management can be, eh?

Reasonable limitations

Looks aren’t very important here, however. It’s all about information access and seamless management between desktop and mobile environs, which FrontPocket handles fairly aptly. Of course, you can only do so much with the release. You can’t post files, for instance. (You’re using an iPhone, after all.) Lists, pages, calendars, and journal entries are the extent of what the application is capable of building, maneuvering or adding to or subtracting from. But that’s pretty much all you could sensibly ask of the app for the time being, right?

Whether you’re signed up for a payment plan with the browser-based service or maintain a free account, FrontPocket does its thing. Mostly. It is by no means a replacement, functionally speaking, or an equal to its inspiration. And there’s this thing about access you’ll need to be aware of, which is that you’ll have to fork over cash to 37signals each month - $7 or more - to make use of the calendaring service. Yet that is true whether you’re iPhone-enabled or not, so it’s hard to feel disappointment about such a restriction on FrontPocket’s part.

Is it worth it?

So, is it worthwhile? I think yes. There’s enough to get out of the application’s connection to the full-fledged “home service” to make it handy in many circumstances. If you happen to encounter any technical issues with the initial release (an issue was discovered for 1.0, which was pretty hastily corrected in 1.0.1, and the developers expect to issue version 1.1 two weeks hence), any rough patches will presumably be smoothed out in short order.

Quite frankly, if you’re an ardent fan of Backpack, and simply wish you could have some variation of it to keep with you at all times, this application will make your day. I’m 99.9% sure of it.

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