Running a country? There’s an app for that

Civl Servant developers in the U.K. have created a Web app that incorporates government data with trending topics from around the Internet and social media to help elected leaders make better decisions.

Believe it or not, governing a nation is tough work. There’s special interests to consider, tax plans to wrestle, budgets to contemplate, wars to run, opponents to blackmail. It’s almost too much for the human mind to handle. Or, in the case of British Prime Minister David Cameron, it is too much to handle. Which is why he did what any computer programmer would do when faced with a pesky problem: He got a computer to do the work for him.

The BBC reports that Cameron has begun testing a mobile Web app “to aid in decision-making and day-to-day government affairs.” The app, dubbed simply “Number 10 Dashboard,” was developed by British civil servants in the “Technology in Business Fast Stream” program. According to the app’s developers, Number 10 was designed to give government leaders “an at-a-glance overview of everything that’s happening in government and elsewhere.”

“With a few taps or swipes of his fingers, [Cameron] can see very quickly what important new information has come to light, how certain government services are performing, and a selection of relevant and important news reports,” according to those involved with the project.

According to the BBC, Number 10 will also keep its high-powered users informed about trending topics around the Web, and on social media outlets in order stay on top of events that might require government action, like “markets crash” or “bomb threat.”

Alice Newton, one of Number 10′s developers, says that Cameron likes the app, which he uses on his iPad, so much that he plans to give U.S. President Barack Obama a demo at the 39th annual G8 summit, which will take place in the U.K. next year.

“He in particular liked the statistical side, where we could give him quotable facts about what was going on,” said Newton. “He found it useful to have a hard evidence base.

“He liked it so much, he was looking forward to showing it to President Obama at the G8 summit.”

Chances are, Obama will be receptive to the app. His administration has been one of the most technology-focused in U.S. history, with initiatives concerning everything from increasing access to high-speed Internet to cyberwarfare and robotics.

Unfortunately, there’s no indication that the rest of us will have a chance to peep Number 10 anytime soon. But we imagine it working something like Apple’s Siri, but the answers take 20 times longer to appear thanks to stifling bureaucracy.

Image via DFID/Flickr

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/running-a-country-theres-an-app-for-that/

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Outdated apps may rain on Windows Phone 8′s parade

Microsoft has yet to release its software development kit for Windows Phone 8 despite the OS's impending launch, raising concerns that developers won't have time to update their apps.

On October 29, Microsoft will finally tell us everything there is to know about Windows Phone 8, its new mobile operating system. But surely we know everything already, right? After all, we’ve seen the software and all the major manufacturers have announced their hardware too.

Microsoft says it has kept some facts back about WP8 to help maintain anticipation, and revealing those will be part of the October event. Unfortunately, this secrecy has caused Microsoft to delay the release of its Software Development Kit, or SDK, presumably to help avoid thunder-stealing leaks; but the final version is expected to arrive at the end of this month.

However, the wait has angered many Windows Phone developers, as did a decision to allow certain developers limited access to the SDK in return for signing a non-disclosure agreement.

Angry developers without access to the right software could mean problems in the new Windows Phone Store, which will be a worry for anyone wanting to buy one of the new handsets. Windows Phone already lags behind Android and iPhone when it comes to quality apps. Should we be concerned by this delay?

Will app availability be a problem?

A delayed SDK means developers won’t be able to fine-tune, test, or add in additional features to get their apps ready for Windows Phone 8. They also can’t create new apps that take advantage of the new platform. The good news is Microsoft has said Windows Phone 7 apps will be compatible with Windows Phone 8, so every app that’s already in the store will still be available — they just won’t be optimized.

More good news is that those developers with early access are likely to be the big studios, as Microsoft will want to ensure high profile apps have been enhanced to show off the OS’s abilities. Don’t forget, Windows Phone 8 hardware has faster processors and higher resolution screens, so there’s plenty of scope to improve existing apps.

We asked Microsoft representatives if the lack of an SDK would be a problem. Predictably, we were assured that it’s all part of the plan:

“We’ve been quietly previewing the SDK with hundreds of top developers and on September 5 announced a broader SDK Preview Program for registered developers with apps in Marketplace. As usual we aren’t going to release the SDK to the general public until the full OS is revealed, but we feel this Preview Program delivers on the commitment we made in June and allows developers to test and update their apps for Windows Phone 8.”

Regardless of why Microsoft is being secretive, this delay brings us on to the bad news: older apps may not look all that great until they’ve been updated. It looks like some developers have been given the information needed to update, but not all of them. Remember the switch from a 320 x 480 pixel screen on an iPhone 3G/3GS to the iPhone 4’s Retina Display? While it won’t be quite that pronounced, this situation is very similar. The bottom line here is that yes, there will be apps, but most will not be enhanced for Windows Phone 8 in time for release.

There is one more thing to remember, and that’s the October 29 date isn’t the date Windows Phone 8 hardware goes on sale. Due to Microsoft holding back, manufacturers have stayed quiet on when phones will hit stores, with sometime in November being the only word.

Provided the SDK comes out on October 29, then developers will still have a few weeks to play with their apps before you get your hands on a WP8 phone. Let’s hope they work fast.

Microsoft has upgraded it developer portal, promising improvements in the app certification process and overall site performance. Another 13 countries have been added to this list too, bringing the total to 191, and more developers able to sing up means more apps for us.

Is all this normal?

Apple releases different versions of its iOS SDK between the date of its announcement and the date of final release. Not all the versions have every new feature, but they at least allow developers to start work on new apps, or update existing ones. For example, according to this chart, the first iOS 5 beta appeared on June 6 2011, and four subsequent beta versions were released before the final October street date. iOS 6 was similarly released a few months prior to the iPhone 5 going on sale.

Historically, Google has released its SDK a short while after it announces the new version of Android, with 4.1 Jelly Bean’s SDK coming out in July this year following Jelly Bean’s announcement at Google I/O.

The real star at the moment, surprisingly, is RIM (Research in Motion). Despite BlackBerry 10 not appearing until next year (current guestimates hint at March 2013), Beta versions of its SDK are already available to developers, and this week it began accepting app submissions too. It’s even offering an incentive to early bird devs, promising selected apps a prominent position in BlackBerry App World. It looks like it really is lovin’ its developers.

Microsoft’s approach is unorthodox, and does exactly the opposite of RIM’s, as it alienates developers and could potentially annoy buyers when the app selection is sparse. There’s still time to fix this, but Microsoft needs to start soon.

Will it all be OK come release day?

Maybe. Microsoft has dug itself a hole with the handling of Windows Phone 7. No one running a WP7 device will be able to upgrade to Windows Phone 8, making the old OS and hardware completely obsolete. Developers want to turn their attention to the new version, but are being hampered by Microsoft’s desire to keep things “secret.” RIM is often ridiculed, but it knows how important it is to keep developers working on its platform.

The first thing any new Windows Phone 8 owner will do is check out the available apps in Microsoft’s Windows Phone app store. If the selection is poor, or the version available is for outdated hardware, that negative experience will spread — fast. Worse, experienced smartphone buyers are already used to Google Play and/or the iTunes App Store, which are full of good apps.

Microsoft needs Windows Phone 8 to have a more successful launch that Windows Phone 7, and is playing with fire by denying developers access to the WP8 SDK right now. Or, for all we know, the software has problems and isn’t finished, requiring last minute adjustments. If it’s the former, the reasoning is bizarre but not unforgivable provided the secrets are truly exciting; but if it’s the latter, then Microsoft has got bigger problems to worry about than a software developer kit.

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/windows-phone-8-hampered-by-outdated-apps/

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Google Play hits 25 billion downloads, celebrates with app sale and special collections

The Google Play store hit 25 billion downloads this week. To celebrate, the online store is offering a bunch of 25-cent apps from some major developers throughout the week.

The Google Play store, home to more than 675,000 apps and games for Android-powered devices, hit 25 billion downloads this week, less than four years after opening for business.

To celebrate the milestone, discounts on a number of apps will be available over the next five days.

Anyone interested in picking up some cut-price software will have the chance to choose from a range of titles created by high-profile developers such as Gameloft, Electronic Arts, and Rovio. With an asking price of just 25 cents, Google Play is sure to see a spike in paid-for downloads in the coming days.

Google Play, called Android Market until earlier this year, is also offering special collections, such as “25 movies you must own, 25 banned books, 25 albums that changed the world and our 25 top selling magazines, all at special prices,” Google’s Jamie Rosenberg wrote in a blog post announcing the news.

Arch-rival Apple hit 25 billion downloads with its iOS App Store back in March, taking only slightly less time than Google Play in terms of how long the stores have been up and running. In fact, in terms of downloads and apps available (Google Play has 675,000 compared with iOS’s 700,000), Google Play and the iOS store are now pretty much neck and neck.

But there are now more Android devices in the hands of users than iOS-powered devices, so it surely won’t be long before Google Play surpasses its rival in terms of download numbers.

“Twenty-five billion is more than twice the distance, in miles, that the Voyager 1 spacecraft has travelled since its launch 35 years ago,” Rosenberg wrote on the official Android blog. “It’s the amount of time, in minutes, that have passed since some of our earliest ancestors began to set foot in Europe. And now, thanks to all of you, it’s a Google Play milestone. We look forward to the next 25 billion.”

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/google-play-hits-25-billion-downloads-2/

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Windows 8 won't be fully ready upon release, according to Intel chief

Windows 8 might be a little buggy at first

Developers, users, and Microsoft, perhaps most of all, are eagerly awaiting the Oct. 26 release of the Windows 8 operating system, what could be the biggest thing for Washington-based company since Windows 95.

However, what we see that Friday might not be a fully-baked version, at least according to Intel's CEO.

Speaking before employees in Taipei Tuesday, Otellini reportedly said the OS is launching before it's ready, with improvements still needed.

According to Otellini, Microsoft is anxious to get its operating system out in the world, especially as others companies' devices, like the Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2, and its own, namely the Surface tablet, need it in order to function.

Bugs for the holidays

Although the Windows 8 OS won't be quite ready by Halloween, Otellini reportedly told the gathered group that Microsoft's strategy revolves around getting the system into computers and tablets before the holidays.

It's actually the right move, Otellini said, allowing Microsoft to grab some market share and release improvements after the fact. Intel is Microsoft's closest partner, according to Bloomberg.

However, critics like Michael Cherry of Directions on Microsoft, a business that provides independent analysis of Microsoft technology, licensing, and strategy, have expressed concerns about an incomplete OS.

Cherry reportedly said that although the system is fundamentally sound, it lacks "robust applications" that prevent PC makers from fixing problems in "drivers," or the devices that connect hardware to software, such as printers.

Another critic wrote a research note on Sept. 13 addressing similar disquiet.

"We are concerned at the level of bugs and fine tuning that appears necessary to get the beta systems we demoed ready for prime time," Alex Gauna, an analyst with JMP Securities, wrote in response to versions of Window 8 shown at a recent Intel developers' forum.

Success is still in the cards

Although, by all appearances, Microsoft is confident in moving forward with its scheduled release, history has shown that launching unfinished OS's can backfire, as was the case with Vista in 2007.

That company launched a late version of Windows that flopped as it initially didn't work with many applications and drivers.

Meanwhile, a Microsoft spokesman told Bloomberg that, thanks to over 16 million active preview participants, Windows 8 has undergone rigorous testing and review and is "[the most] ready operating system in Microsoft's history."

With a host of devices set to launch along with the OS, no matter what state of readiness it finds itself in, Microsoft stands to at least cash in on the excitement of an operating system that isn't iOS or Android hitting the market.

TechRadar has reached out to Microsoft for further comment and will update this story if and when we receive information from the company.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/software/operating-systems/windows-8-wont-be-fully-ready-upon-release-according-to-intel-chief-1099755

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RIM: submit BB 10 apps Oct. 10, but it'll come with these social media apps

One of the big 4 social media apps on BB 10

Developers can start submitting apps for RIM's BlackBerry 10 OS beginning Oct. 10, the company announced Tuesday.

While that's exciting news for those looking to add to the 100,000 apps currently occupying App World, users might be more enthused to know that apps for Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Foursquare will come with the operating system at launch.

When that date is no one yet knows, though RIM CEO Thorstein Heins said carrier testing kicks off next month.

His company demonstrated what appears to be a native Facebook app, one reportedly developed by RIM and not Facebook itself.

Reports point to it being quite similar to the app for Apple's iOS.

Integrated messaging

The operating system's "main page," so to speak, is the BlackBerry Hub, where users can access their most time sensitive material.

Here, messages from Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn are accessible.

All this plays into RIM's "BlackBerry Flow" user interface, a design the company hopes creates a seamless experience on all fronts.

Even the BlackBerry Balance feature, which allows for a delineation between work and personal parts of the phone, seems to strive for a practical yet polished user experience.

A new version of App World will also come with BlackBerry 10's launch. The update might even include music and video downloads through the service.

Here's hoping, for RIM's sake, that BB 10 is enough to woo back users and win some new ones.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/software/operating-systems/rim-submit-bb-10-apps-oct-10-but-itll-come-with-these-social-media-apps-1099681

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Windows Phone 8 Rooms feature revealed in SDK

Rooms looks like it'll complement Groups in WP8

Developers have uncovered more evidence of the as-yet-unannounced Rooms tool within the forthcoming Windows Phone 8 OS.

Some digging around the newly-available Windows Phone 8 SDK has revealed the new sharing and collaboration feature sitting within the People Hub.

Judging from the grabs, obtained using the Windows Phone 8 emulator, Rooms would allow for shared calendars, the sharing of photos and the chance for members of the group to leave notes for each other.

The screenshots, posted on the WinUnleaked Forums, show the example of a 'Family Room', so it's likely that customisable Work and Friends Rooms will also feature within the OS when it arrives later this year.

No iOS / Android equivalent

It seems that Rooms, first rumoured back in July, will complement rather than replace the existing Groups feature within Windows Phone.

The Groups feature allows users to collate different segments of the contacts book for easy access, but those groups are only useful to the phone's owner.

Rooms looks like it'll bring a more interactive element, which currently has no baked-in equivalent within Android or iOS.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/software/operating-systems/windows-phone-8-rooms-feature-revealed-in-sdk-1099197

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Firefox OS Marketplace - leaked images emerge

Mozilla sets out its market stall

The app marketplace for Firefox OS has finally been revealed in a series of leaked images.

Although developers have been sinking their teeth into Firefox OS and all that comes with it, there's been little word on what the mobile operating system is to look like.

We know it is an update to the company's Boot to Gecko software but the leaked pictures show a storefront that's wholly different from what has come before.

For a start, it looks nice and simple. Oh, and did we mention simple? At the top of the leaked screens, there are a number of apps to choose from – Solitaire makes an appearance – while underneath these apps are the categories.

The categories on show are: Books and Reference, Business, Education, Entertainment & Sports, Games and Health and Fitness.

It's certainly not as flashy as Google Play but is a decent, functional approach to app discovery.

Interestingly, the Firefox OS Marketplace looks nothing like the app store that currently resides in the desktop version of Firefox; it seems that Mozilla is treating them as wholly different beasts.

Handsets brandishing Firefox OS are set to land in 2013, so expect more leaks and hopefully some official shots in the coming months.

Source : techradar[dot]com

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