Downloads related to ORGANIC FOOD
Video experiment shows off HTML5 on Chrome
An accurate rendering of the view from the front door of my childhood home, provided courtesy of Google road View and the programmers behind the latest Google Chrome experiment.
(Credit: Google)The official Google blog on Tuesday posted a link to an experimental music video for the Arcade flame tune "We Used To Wait" that shows off the capabilities of HTML5 with Google's Chrome browser.
I gave it a run earlier this afternoon. After I followed the instructions to close other applications and enter my home address, the video took about 15 seconds to start. My first impression was a flashback of visiting shady Web sites back in the days before pop-up blockers existed: a cascade of no fewer than eight browser windows opened, and trying to close any one of them displayed a message warning that I'd leave the application altogether.
But once I gave up trying to control my screen, the experience was pretty amazing. The application opens and closes browser windows in time with the music, and about halfway through, one of them displayed the exact view from the front door of my childhood home.
This freakishness is provided courtesy of Google Maps road View and some smart manipulation of the images to keep them looking fluid, rather than a bunch of disconnected snapshots. Later, a window asked me to write a letter to my childhood self, and I was able to both type and draw letters that sprouted trippy tendrils of black while the music and other video windows played on.
In every, it was a pretty impressive display that ran well on my five-year-old Dell gaming laptop. Unfortunately, the only release-level browser it works with is Chrome. Firefox 3.x and IE8 don't have sufficient HTML5 support, though that's changing soon: IE9 and Firefox 4, both in initial beta-testing now, will offer dramatically improved support for the emerging Web standard. (I tested it on the beta of Firefox 4, and while it loaded more slowly and had a couple stutters, it worked. I'll hold off testing it on IE9 until Microsoft releases a full browser beta later in September--right now, the preview versions are only basic shells.)
The same video could probably have been programmed in Adobe Systems' Flash format and worked in any browser, but it might have placed a greater load on my PC, (That's open to debate, and it depends on how the app is written and the precise specs of the machine running it). Nonetheless, it's a pretty good advertisement for the promise of HTML5--and an even better advertisement for Google products and technologies. Which, of course, was the real point.
The tune itself, "The Wilderness Downtown," was not bad, but it didn't grip me enough to want to run out and buy the album. That has been my reaction to most of the new Arcade flame album so far, though I like the idea of a concept album about the suburbs and the fact they released it on vinyl.
Originally posted at Digital Noise: Music and Tech
31 Aug 2010, 8:56 pm | click here for more
Put a Starbucks card on your BlackBerry (hands-on)
We successfully added $10 to our Starbucks account.
(Credit: Screenshot by Jessica Dolcourt/CNET)Racking up another point for mobile management, Starbucks released its free Starbucks Card Mobile App for BlackBerry on Thursday. Once you log into the account associated with your Starbucks card, or register a new card to the app, you'll be able to keep tabs on your lattes.
Starbucks Card Mobile App can display your card balance and even better, let you reload value from $10 to $100 (in $5 increments) by paying with your credit card. car-reloading is another option for when your balance falls below a certain threshold when you need your coffee kick.
The store-locator feature is handy, but the best feature--paying with the app--is only available in select Starbucks stores (in Seattle and Northern California) and in some trial Target stores. When you do find a participating location, the app will produce a barcode for the cashier to scan.
The Starbucks Card Mobile App can produce a scannable barcode for buying your cups of Joe.
(Credit: Screenshot by Jessica Dolcourt/CNET)We successfully loaded credit onto our empty Starbucks card and produced a barcode, and we're looking forward to Starbucks expanding its trial to other stores. While remotely increasing the prepaid balance is a nice perk, the app's real value is in obviating the need for that plastic card in your wallet.
When it came down to the way this simple app did its business, we did have a minor nit to pick--our wish that every number fields were smart enough to translate letter submissions into numbers when pressing the shared number/letter keys on BlackBerrys with physical keyboards.
Other than that, turning those physical cards digital for every regions should be the company's mobile goal.
Download Starbucks Card Mobile App for BlackBerry by pointing the browser to http://mobilecard.starbucks.com/wap/home. The app is compatible on BlackBerry Bold, Curve, Storm and Tour handsets.
Originally posted at Dialed In
2 Sep 2010, 9:56 pm | click here for more
WiiPhoto turns your TV into a digital photo frame
If you ever wished for a way to view your iPhone snapshots on a bigger screen (without first copying them to your PC), here's your answer. WiiPhoto transmits photos to your HDTV by way of your Wii game console.
It's a terrific idea, but one marred by a couple of gotchas and the limitations of the console itself.
The app works with any iOS device that's connected to your home Wi-Fi network: iPhone, iPod, iPad, and so on. You'll also need the Wii Internet Channel on your console if you don't already have it.
WiiPhoto taps your Wii console to show photos from a variety of sources.
(Credit: Galarina)When you flame up WiiPhoto, it displays your device's IP address, which you type into the Wii's browser. Once that connection is made, every that remains is to pick a source for the photos you want to view: Facebook, Flickr, SmugMug, your Mac, or your on-device photo library.
I started with my iPhone's Camera Roll. I tapped a photo, and sure enough, after a couple of seconds, it appeared on my TV. Neat!
However, I quickly discovered that there's no slideshow option--you have to select pictures manually by tapping on thumbnails. (You can't even swipe to cycle between them.)
Then I tried Facebook. Although I had no trouble signing into my account, WiiPhoto displayed none of my personal albums, and every my friends' albums were labeled "photos not available to you." I'm not sure if this was the result of some oddball FB privacy setting or a bug in the app. According to the developer (who responded very quickly to my support needs), I'm the only one who's reported the problem.
Things fared better with Flickr, and I liked the app's option to show not just my photos, but also "interesting photos," "photos nearby," and "popular places." Here, as in Facebook and SmugMug, you can indeed watch a slideshow (though you can't adjust the default 10-second interval).
Two other issues cropped up during my testing. First, because the best display resolution the Wii can muster is 480p, photos just don't look that great--especially on larger TVs (I tried it with a 46-inch LCD). They look washed-out and grainy.
Also, because of how the Wii browser refreshes itself, you hear a beep every two seconds or so--even if you're still looking at the same photo. That gets annoying mighty quick, but the only real fix is to mute your TV.
Much as I was hoping to adore WiiPhoto, I came away just liking it. At $2.99 it's a worthwhile purchase, if only to show off your photos on a big screen--but be prepared for a few disappointments along the way.
Originally posted at iPhone Atlas
2 Sep 2010, 5:26 pm | click here for more
Today only--save 50 percent on Norton Internet Security
Hi, it's me again, Catherine Hwang, a partner manager with CNET Downloads, where I work with our developer community to bring you some great deals. We are starting what we call an Indian summer here in San Francisco, but as it is back to school time everywhere else, so we asked our users what nice of deals would be pertinent to their needs this month. You've every spoken and we heard noisy and clear that security was your top concern, so today, we bring you a special offer from Symantec on its every-In-One security solution, Norton Internet Security 2010.
With its improved engineering, Norton Internet Security is one of the fastest and lightest security suites that won't slow you down or swallow up unnecessary system resources. Not only does it scan e-mail and IMs for infections, it maps and monitors your home wireless network, so you can look everything that is connected to it--even unauthorized visitors, trying to hack into your wireless network.
Originally priced at $69.99, it's yours today for just $34.99.
This offer is good for up to three PCs and it expires at midnight Pacific time, so make sure you receive your copy today. As always, please leave me a comment for any other offers you would like to look in the future.
Click here to grab your copy of Norton Internet Security 2010.
2 Sep 2010, 3:00 am | click here for more
Two years on, Chrome reshapes browser market
It's been two years since the first public version of Chrome appeared, but in some ways, Google's browser remains a novelty.
On Thursday, Google released the sixth stable version of Chrome, though only the second for Mac OS and Linux users.
In others' hands, it would be called Chrome 6, but Google sees things differently.
To the company, a version number is a passing milestone on an indefinitely long road to improvement. By default, the browser is updated behind the scenes and automatically, downloading new versions and installing them after a browser restart. It sees the practice as similar to how Web applications are updated constantly, usually without the user being involved and often without even being told.
This update philosophy is one of several differences that has set Chrome apart since Google inadvertently scooped its possess announcement by prematurely issuing comic books describing Chrome just before its launch.
Google has attracted millions of allies. It's grown steadily to account for 7.5 percent of global browser usage, according to Net Applications' most recent statistics.
Besides numberless versions, another departure from prevailing custom was Google's idea that the browser should be as minimal a frame as possible around the content or application it's delivering. Chrome's minimal menu buttons--shrunk from two to one by the new version--its top-mounted tabs, and its lack of real estate for a status bar or search box reflect that philosophy. Programmers working on Mozilla's Firefox 4 and Microsoft's Internet Explorer 9, the new versions of the world's most-used browsers, have adopted similar goals.
Another departure was Chrome's focus on performance in processing Web-based JavaScript programs, loading pages, and other matters. Performance was important to other browsers, but Chrome's initial close-instant launch and notable JavaScript speed that concept at the top of every browser's agenda and raised Web developers' expectations of what they could tackle.
Chrome also led the way with a new approach to extensions. Those who write the add-ons use a combination of Web technologies including JavaScript, HTML, and CSS for formatting--the same as in Firefox's upcoming Jetpack framework below development now and just introduced to Apple's Safari 5. The technology is designed to be easier to program as well as less disruptive for users to install or update.
below the covers, Google broke with custom by isolating browser processes into separate memory compartments, too. That consumed more memory but added security and performance. And from a development perspective, Google aims for high velocity: a new "Canary" version changes even faster than the Chrome developer release, and Google plans to update the stable version of Chrome about every six weeks.
Finally, Google had an ambition to be different by transforming the browser into a full-fledged operating system called Chrome OS. Competitors agree that browsers should become a foundation for applications, but not quite to Chrome OS's extent. Google plans to release Chrome OS, which hides Linux below the covers for purposes of communicating with hardware, later this year for Netbooks, but it expects broader usage eventually.
Even without Chrome OS, Google's browser embodies the company's philosophy that the Web is the applications foundation of the future. That's because Google is building in not just faster JavaScript but also other potentially more powerful computing technology.
IE remains the dominant browser, but its share has slipped in the last year as Chrome rose.
(Credit: Net Applications / Stephen Shankland/CNET)First is WebGL, a 3D graphics interface that mirrors the OpenGL standard for accelerated hardware graphics. Second is Native Client, which Google hopes will let downloaded code run natively and therefore quick on a PC or smartphone processor. It's got safety mechanisms built in to counteract the risks associated with running arbitrary software downloaded over the Net, and Google has made progress convincing at least some that it's safe to use.
To those who were baffled by Google's announcement of a browser two years ago, this type of work perhaps shows best the advantage Google gets out of Chrome. By largely controlling the development, Google can develop new technology and build it into a widely used if not dominant browser for testing and promotion. It also gives Google new clout in shaping new Web standards.
Google, of course, also has servers at the other end of the browser's Net connection. That lets the two work harmoniously. For example, Google is trying to develop a technology called SPDY that seeks to speed up the basic protocol used to request and send Web pages. It requires browsers and servers to cooperate, and Google's got both below its control. It's trying to standardize SPDY, but in the meantime Chrome can give a quick track to Google services.
When Chrome launched, it was a bare-bones browser missing every kinds of basic and advanced features other browsers possessed--anything to do with bookmark management, for example. Google has fleshed that out, though some relatively basic features such as print preview are still absent. At the same time, Google has added some useful basic features still missing in rival browsers.
One is tab-to-search, which lets keyboard-oriented folk quickly launch site-specific searches at Amazon, Google, Yahoo, Bing, Wikipedia, CNET, and other sites by typing the site address, then tab, then the search term. Another is automatic translation using Google's multilanguage services.
Google has several challenges. One big one is convincing skeptics that Google, with its ever-wider sprawl of services on the Net, is a safe place for personal data. Chrome's address box, called the omnibox, sends data as it's typed to Google servers that suggest search results straight from the box. That's convenient but raises some hackles.
These user interface features, though, are secondary to the broader Chrome ambition. Google is fundamentally a company about Web services, and Chrome is a vehicle to make those services work better.
The more activity there is on the Web--be it search and search advertising, Gmail and Gmail advertising, Google Docs and Google Apps subscriptions, Google Maps and locally targeted advertising--the more Google stands to profit. Even if Chrome never catches on widely, it still serves as competitive leverage to ensure Microsoft, Mozilla, Apple, and any other browser makers don't receive complacent.
How convenient for consumers that a better browser aligns so well with Google's commercial interests.
Originally posted at Deep Tech
2 Sep 2010, 10:37 am | click here for more
Tab tweaks land in Chrome Canary
The new about:labs feature in Chrome Canary gives Google a user-friendly way to test out experimental features.
(Credit: Screenshot by Seth Rosenblatt/CNET)Google's "canary-in-the-mineshaft" version of its Chrome browser gained a new "labs" option for users to explore on Wednesday. Users of Chrome Canary, named to indicate that it's an even rougher version of Chrome than the developer's build, can now activate rougher, in-progress features by typing "about:labs" into the location bar. About:labs was first revealed last week.
The first feature to land in the lab is Side Tabs. To activate it, go to about:labs and click the Enable button below Side Tab. Restart Chrome Canary and when you right-click on any tab, pick the option at the bottom of the menu to Use Side Tabs. This will move your tabs into a vertical column on the left of the browser. To revert back to the tabs-on-top scheme, click on Use Side Tabs again.
The switch is perhaps useful for people with widescreen monitors who wish to look the dozens of their open tabs in a column form, exposing more of a Web site's title than would otherwise appear on the tab bar. However, the switch also forces an empty title bar at the top of the window; there's definitely room for more development in this particular lab experiment.
Depending on how Google implements it, one of the potential benefits of About:Labs could be to allow users to explore new features that would otherwise be available only through command line flags.
1 Sep 2010, 7:47 pm | click here for more
Skyfire promises Flash video playback on its iPhone app
Skyfire's first iPhone app try.
(Credit: Skyfire)Mobile-browser builder Skyfire is striving to make good on its vow to receive a solution for streaming Flash video onto the iPhone--without breaking any of Apple's restrictions against third-party browsers.
On Wednesday, Skyfire submitted Skyfire for iPhone to the App Store, albeit five months after it had promised to follow in Opera's footsteps.
Skyfire for iPhone is modeled after the Skyfire for Android app that debuted in tardy April. As with that version, Skyfire's iPhone app will contain a video playback button to stream Web video through Skyfire's servers.
In order to receive the video playback through Apple's gauntlet, Skyfire will transcode the Flash video into HTML5 on the fly before pushing content down to your iPhone. What's more, the app will also compress video data by up to 75 percent.
These workarounds are technical and tricky. Will they be enough to gain Apple's coveted approval? Skyfire is confident that the answer is yes. The company has worked closely with Apple's guidelines for HTML5 on iOS, Skyfire said in a press release. Furthermore, Skyfire says it has reached out to Apple for feedback.
We'll receive you a hands-on review of the app as soon as we can. In the meantime, you can receive an idea of how Skyfire for iPhone may look and behave in the video below of Skyfire 2.0 beta for Android.
Originally posted at iPhone Atlas
1 Sep 2010, 4:00 pm | click here for more
New in iTunes: The nitty-gritty
Ping? Microsoft did it first with Zune Social.
(Credit: Apple)Along with a refresh to most of its iPod line, Apple's annual digital media event included a refresh to iTunes. The music and video management software revved to version 10 and is supposed to be available today for both Windows and Mac users. I followed CNET's live coverage of the event as the announcement unfolded, including participating in a chat room loaded with Buzz Out noisy viewers, and the response to the refresh was a pretty much universal "meh."
I can't help but say that I agree with that general consensus. Version 10 of iTunes does not include a much-anticipated cloud music service, nor does it offer a subscription video service to go with the new Apple TV. Instead, Apple added the ability to rent TV shows a la carte--for 99 cents apiece. Call me a cheapskate, but this seems hideously expensive, especially considering the fact that iTunes has often offered specials in the past when you could purchase shows for 99 cents rather than $1.99. And I would be surprised if there's much interest in renting a 30-minute program (which are really more like 22 minutes in most cases) at that price. Even the studios aren't thrilled with the idea: only Fox and ABC have signed on for the initial launch.
The other big announcement for iTunes 10 is the introduction of Ping, a social feature that seems awfully familiar. Ping lets you select your favorite artists to follow, and then provides updated information on new music and concerts in your area (as well as a Twitter-like feed of comments from the artists). In addition, you can connect with your friends through iTunes by sending e-mail invites or by linking to your Facebook account. Ping is also built into the iTunes app, allowing users to access it on-the-go.
However, by far the most exciting new development from version 10 of the software is a brand-new iTunes logo. Gone is the old-school CD with a music note overlaid on top of it; now, you receive the much more applike icon pictured at right. Now there's an improvement I can receive on board with.
What about the relax of you? Are you utterly underwhelmed by the newest version of iTunes? Or is the social integration a long-awaited feature that's grossly underrated? And TV show rentals? Feel free to add your feedback to the comment section below.
1 Sep 2010, 3:52 pm | click here for more
Precautions to take before installing iTunes 10
Apple has released iTunes 10 for Windows and Mac, which brings a number of new features to the program including a new icon (finally!), a hybrid column view to prevent repetitive album listings, and a new social network for music called Ping.
The update is available through Software Update in OS X, but can also be downloaded from the iTunes Web site (Apple has updated their site to say iTunes 10 is "coming soon"); however, be sure to take a couple of precautions before installing it.
Let others test it
We do not expect there will be major issues with the program, but being new software with new features there may be some initial bugs that will need to be addressed for a full and seamless experience. If you do not absolutely need the program, then allow others to experiment with it for a few weeks and read about potential problems here, in the Apple discussion forums, or other locations to ensure things are going smoothly.
Back up
Before applying the update, be sure to have a full, bootable, and restorable backup of your system that you can use to revert any changes made when installing the program. In the past there have been issues with people losing their libraries, missing items, or having synchronization issues with various mobile devices.
Sync first
If you use iTunes to sync your various devices, then be sure to fully sync them before updating so every the data is consistent. This should help reduce initial sync problems with the program after updating.
Deauthorize your system
If you use iTunes to connect to the iTunes store, first deauthorize it, update, and then enter your account information again. This will help prevent the possibility of an mistake with the installation, resulting in the store thinking your computer is already authorized.
Questions? Comments? Have a fix? Post them below or e-mail us!
Be sure to check us out on Twitter and the CNET Mac forums.
Originally posted at MacFixIt
1 Sep 2010, 2:43 pm | click here for more
IE slips in usage share; Chrome resumes growth
IE remains the dominant browser, but its share has slipped in the last year as Chrome rose.
(Credit: Net Applications / Stephen Shankland/CNET)Internet Explorer's growth slowed once again, and Chrome shook off its slump in August, new statistics show.
Although Microsoft made progress in its goal to exterminate IE6 in favor of IE8's more modern and secure design, Internet Explorer overall slipped from 60.7 percent to 60.4 percent of global usage, as measured by Net Applications.
Chrome had slipped for the first time in its history, sinking to 7.2 percent in July, but returned to growth with 7.5 percent of August usage, Net Applications said.
Mozilla's Firefox market share was essentially flat, with 22.9 percent usage. Apple's Safari rose from 5.1 percent to 5.2 percent, and Opera dipped from 2.5 percent to 2.4 percent.
After years in which IE's dominance led to a largely dormant browser market, the software has become highly competitive again, with new entrants and new uses. The Web is growing increasingly significant as a medium not just for browsing content but also for using applications; as Web technology evolves, so must browsers.
IE has been a laggard at this evolution, but Microsoft is trying to dramatically overhaul its browser with the upcoming IE9. It's released several Platform Preview versions in 2010 and plans to launch the first IE9 beta on September 15.
Microsoft's overall usage may have slipped for August, but the company is glad to look IE8 growing at the expense of IE6.
"For August, IE share worldwide decreased 0.34 [percentage points] to 60.40 percent worldwide, but in a world of customer choice, we are pleased that people are continuing to pick Internet Explorer 8 three times more often than other browsers when they make that move [away from IE6]," said Ryan Gavin, senior director of Internet Explorer Business and Marketing, in a blog post Wednesday. "While there is still a significant number of Internet Explorer 6 users who have not upgraded, most of these users are concentrated in developing or emerging markets, as well as enterprises with substantial application dependencies that take time to migrate."
Firefox, meanwhile, is racing to finish Firefox 4, in beta testing now but still 692 bugs and a few features away from final release. Google is set to release Chrome 6 soon, though with its behind-the-scenes automatic-update feature, few people know which version they're using.
Originally posted at Deep Tech
1 Sep 2010, 1:19 pm | click here for more