Archive for September, 2008

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Adobe Flash in Windows Mobile to get as good as possible sooner than later

September 29th, 2008

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Flash Support is something that Windows Mobile users have enjoyed even if by forcing it for some time now. the “even if by forcing it” part involves serious tinkering from the user unless they are willing to buy the new Opera Mobile in order to enjoy good support for it. even with good support. that only meant being able to see flash 8 and low end Flash 9 video and games. this don`t allows you to be able to enjoy high end flash 9 or Flex 3.0 apps yet. (unless you are running SkyFire of course but that is not via the device). good flash is meant to happen sooner than later if you believe what JkOnTheRun are reporting from Adobe:

“During the current Mobilize panel, we’re hearing from Gary Kovacs, the VP and General Manager of Adobe. He knows how important it is these days for Flash support in the browser and says that we will see Flash in an upcoming Windows Mobile browser for sure. Native flash support has been bounced around for years, but it sounds like it’s coming to fruition sooner rather than later.”

While that may sound vague. i can actually state that flash should indeed coming to Windows Mobile users. just with a catch. it comes in to ways. one from a better way to install the Flash Plugin from Adobe to those using WM5 and WM6. and one that should come to those using WM6.1 or with what looks to be a one of a kind update for WM users. there will be a update for WM 6.1 users that will bring a new IE browser(IEM) for Windows Mobile 6.1 and that should come with the new Flash. why?. because if memory serves me right. Microsoft has already officially licensed Flash for WM from Adobe. so there is a 90% chance i am right on that second part.

This of course means that now all Flash Widgets will work while browsing in a WM device. but it will still requires you to have either a good device or only be running the browser since Flash will still be resource hungry.

via jkOnTheRun

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Posted in Mobile

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Skyfire Beta releases for all in the USA

September 26th, 2008

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Skyfire is a Mobile Browser that takes the Opera Mini model and runs with it to provide full Multimedia and RIA Web support for Mobiles. this means that the Browsing is Server based. this way you can enjoy of a fast experience without you having to worry about the power of your device. right now it is out for Windows Mobile (5,6 and 6.1) and Nokia S60 phones. the best experience is of course for Windows Mobile because the platform is more flexible to develop in.

Skyfire previously noted that if you had it running. you could then saw the Beijing Olympics. that is because when i mean it got multimedia support is because they mean it. you can run video players in web pages, Flash,Flex, Java and of course Silverlight. this means you can not only enjoy of all kind of video. but it also means you can run all kind of web applications and widgets too.

You can now download and use it if you are in the USA. there is no word when it will be out for more countries but i wish they do release it for outside of the USA. it would make sense that it can get supported everywhere. even if it means that it will not be free to use. but that is still just speculation.

SkyFire

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Posted in Mobile

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madKast to be acquired by ShareThis

September 26th, 2008

Derek wrote about MadKast over a year ago, shortly after i joined Widgets Lab. then he implemented it here in the blog and ended up ditching it because of integration problems. back then. the differences with ShareThis were not really significant as they are now. ShareThis now offers support for more services and got better integration. this allowed ShareThis to surpass all the competing Link Sharing Widgets and gained them serious financial backing.

Madkast was the one option that at the time that looked to be the widget that would be able to compete with ShareThis. this of course never happened because madKast glacial development pace compared to ShareThis. but that not means they didn`t had interesting tech and the right ideas. ShareThis seems to think so because they are now acquiring them. something that validates the approach madKast had. the reason for ShareThis to buy them out is because they don`t want to take any chances and solidify their first place in Link Sharing. a must because of the funds they have so far raised.

The competition in this space is also hard. ShareThis continues to compete with AddThis, AddToAny and the relatively newcomer Tell-A-Friend among other lesser known solutions like Addit and iBegin Share. Tell-A-Friend is the more likely to be able to compete with ShareThis from a tech and implementation point of view if it evolves fast. AddThis is just second to ShareThis and they continue to grow fast. by acquiring madKast. ShareThis ensure their winning position against their competition. no matter if their competitors do manage to evolve fast or not. all thanks to the complemented tech and developing team refresh they will get from madKast.

The only thing i hope so. is that this means we will see ShareThis improving their implementation and ease of use in the same way some of the competing widgets have done.  my preferred executions continue to be Ibegin share and Tell-A-Friend.

I did tried out iBegin Share and found it to be superior in some ways to ShareThis. but their slow development pace and lack of proper support for Internet Explorer made me ditch them in favor of ShareThis. after some time using ShareThis and having tried all the other widgets. it is easy to understand why they are a success.  it resumes to development pace, browser support and good analytics. it will be interesting to see what the next versions of ShareThis will be like with the added value of madKast.

madKast

ShareThis

via TC

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Posted in Web 2.0

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IntenseDebate acquired by Automattic

September 26th, 2008

The second commentosphere wars heats up with a plot twist. IntenseDebate. an alternative comment system for blogs that competes with Disqus, SezWho and JS-KIT got acquired by Automattic. the company behind WordPress, Buddypress and Akismet. the argument behind the acquisition was pinpointed to the similar backend  WordPress and IntenseDebate got according to Matt Mullenweg.

While there is no doubt that it is true. i am also sure that the other main reason had to be the price. Intensedebate had no chance to catching up to Disqus and JS-KIT that are now in a competition war with one another. JS-KIT maintains the lead followed by a Disqus that counts with good founding and a good team along some pretty high profile blogs using their software. I.D being acquired by Automattic changes everything for Disqus and is a serious threat in the short term  for them. but more to Disqus than to JS-KIT. this is because Disqus main focus up to now is WordPress. JS-KIT supports pretty much everything and were more interested in Blogger.com and Blog Networks because that is where the big numbers are. this sudden move proves them right. IntenseDebate will find its way into WordPress from version 2.7 and on. there is no news right now that indicates how the level of integration and support will vary or if it will vary from the features they got now. but it is some serious bad news for Disqus and SezWho in the WordPress front because users will not have a reason to change the default comment system for other.

WordPress 2.7 is the stepping stone that paves way to 3.0. a version that is said will be the slayer of Six Apart and will aim to dethrone Blogger.com. quite high goals but a radical change for the comment system is a great selling point to gain more adepts. this move will be also dangerous in the long run if it finally manages that Blogger.com and the other main Blog Platforms finally update their pretty outdates comment systems. that to this day remains to be Blogger.com weakest point.

This also leaves SezWho in a odd spot. i wish someone will recognize the opportunity and acquires them next. that could be anybody. from Google to Six Apart or maybe Disqus or JS-KIT.

Overall a great thing. Default Blog Comment Systems are seriously lacking and they have been that way for years. this move by WordPress should shake things up for the greater good.

IntenseDebate

via TC

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Posted in Misc

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