April, 2013 - Softonic English

Updated Google Drive SDK allows developers to store app data in the cloud

Google Drive and iCloud have always been different cloud syncing and storage services. iCloud keeps users’ photos, preferences, and app data stored in the cloud, but it has never been a replacement for cloud storage services like Google Drive or Dropbox. Currently, Google Drive is just a place for users to store files but that’s about to chance with the updated Google Drive SDK.

Developers will be given more control over what the user can see and what information an app can store in Google Drive. App data folders will allow application data like preferences, configuration files, and app state data to be stored in Drive. Another addition to the SDK is the ability to use “key-value pairs” that can be kept private or can be shared with other apps. This offers a distinct advantage over iCloud as app data remains private.

Perhaps the most interesting thing is that the Google Drive SDK will support apps from both iOS and Android, making syncing app data between the two operating systems possible.

Source: Google Apps Developer Blog

Nokia Music released for Windows 8 and RT

Nokia announced its music subscription service, Nokia Music+, at the beginning of the year but it was only available to Windows Phone 8 users. Today, the company released its Nokia Music app for Windows 8 and Windows RT. There have been some improvements made to the service, most notably the improved Mixes feature, which lets you listen to playlists that are “hand-crafted” by Nokia employees. This is similar to what Songza has with their human-created playlists. Nokia Music will also include the ability to make radio stations from multiple artists. Mixes can be downloaded for offline listening as well.

While Nokia Music for Windows 8/RT is free, only Nokia Music+ subscribers will get all that the app has to offer. Subscribers will be able to listen to music at a higher bitrate, have unlimited skips for radio stations and mixes, and lyrics that are synced with each track. Free users are given a free 7 day trial and the subscription service will only cost $4 per month but it’s much more limited than services like Spotify. It’s more similar to Pandora’s premium service since you can’t listen to and download full albums like you can with Spotify Premium.

The app itself looks really great with huge pictures of the artists in the background of the now play screen. There are also artist bios, recommendations, and information on where the artist is performing if he or she is on tour. The app can be snapped left or right so you have a persistent media player while you multitask in another app.

Nokia Music is up against some stiff competition as Microsoft has its own music subscription service in the form of Xbox Music, which offers similar functionality. Still, users may find Nokia’s Mixes and multiple artist radio stations compelling features.

Be sure to check out our full review for Nokia Music here.

Source: Nokia

Legal terms for Steganos Online Shield 365 giveaway

1. Object

With the purpose of promoting Windows application, Steganos Online Shield 365, Softonic International, S.L (hereinafter, “Softonic”), a Spanish Company, with corporate address in Barcelona, c/ Rosselló i Pòrcel, 12 and Spanish Tax Identification Number B-63920920 plans to develop an international campaign to be carried out between 12th April 2013 and 19th April 2013 and which will allow 25 users to win a license for Steganos Online Shield 365 according with what is set forth herein.

2. Scope of the promotion

The scope of the promotion includes the following sites and countries:

http://en.softonic.com/ (Worldwide)

http://onsoftware.en.softonic.com/ (Worldwide)

3. Length of the promotion

The promotion shall start on 04/12/2013 at 8am PDT (Pacific Daylight Time) and shall end on 04/19/2013 at 8am PDT. After this period, the best 25 entries as judged by Softonic win one full version of Steganos Online Shield 365 each.

The winners shall be notified on 22nd April 2013 by email.

4. Spreading of the promotion

The campaign shall be spread via a blog post, with support from Twitter and Facebook linking to the blog post.

Such spreading shall take place between 12th April 2013 and 19th April 2013. Moreover, it shall detail the following information: Information regarding the prize, how to participate in the promotion, start and termination date, free promotion.

5. Procedure

In order to participate, each contestant shall leave a comment on the blog post [we will contact winners using the email address they leave in our commenting system].

6. Prize

25 codes to unlock a full version of Steganos Online Shield 365, with 25 winners of one code each.

The Complete Guide: Moving from Messenger to Skype

Windows Live Messenger, or MSN as lots of people still call it, is no more. Are you ready for the move to Skype?

This isn’t the first time we’ve mentioned it, so lots of you will know that at the end of 2012, Microsoft announced that it was “retiring” old-age chat client MSN. Even though it’s practically a granddad in software terms, lots of people still swear by it, and are upset at its upcoming demise. Unfortunately, there’s no way around it – on April 8 2013, Microsoft is hitting the “off” switch, encouraging you to make the jump to VoIP heavyweight Skype.

Continue reading “The Complete Guide: Moving from Messenger to Skype”

Solar, the cool iOS weather app is now free

One of the many iOS basics that’s in dire need of a refresh is the Weather App, but a few companies have stepped up with fresh looking alternatives for your iOS home screen. Solar: Weather is one such app, which uses color and movement to give you a feel for the weather.

The interface is very basic. The bottom color shows you the the temperature, while the top shows you the weather (with animated rain if that’s what’s happening). Dragging the screen down reveals a three day forecast, while pushing up allows you to see how the weather will develop over the next 24 hours.

Continue reading “Solar, the cool iOS weather app is now free”

Facebook Home: more questions than answers

After a series of rumors and leaks, Facebook revealed that Facebook Home would function as a launcher that brings Facebook integration to the core of your Android phone. Instead of a standard home screen, Facebook will replace it with your Facebook Newsfeed, but called Cover Feed. Essentially, the moment you unlock your phone, you will be inside Facebook’s Cover Feed. The lockscreen is simple and only shows the time and your profile picture.

Launchers on Android are best when they add more options to customize your device like better data usage information or customizing features not standard in Android. Facebook Home denies most of those features by forcing the newsfeed in your face. Facebook Home looks like an “always-on” app; it could run in the background constantly. When traveling or simply commuting, you don’t always have access to a data connection, so what will Facebook Home do in those situations? Will it just say “No Connection” like it does when trying to refresh the app while having no data?

Facebook Home isn’t anything amazing and it’s difficult to get excited about a launcher that removes one of the best features of the Android OS – customization.

Continue reading “Facebook Home: more questions than answers”

Google Chrome to use modified version of WebKit rendering engine called ‘Blink’

In a sudden move, Google announced yesterday that it would be abandoning the stock version of the WebKit rendering engine for its Chrome browser. Instead, Google will use a modified version of WebKit called “Blink” for its future browser releases. This decision wasn’t made lightly as the WebKit rendering engine is quite popular (Apple’s Safari uses it) and standardized for web developers. Google Software Engineer, Adam Barth, stated in a blog post:

“This was not an easy decision. We know that the introduction of a new rendering engine can have significant implications for the web. Nevertheless, we believe that having multiple rendering engines—similar to having multiple browsers—will spur innovation and over time improve the health of the entire open web ecosystem.”

The reason why Google made the decided to develop and open source Blink is because the current version of WebKit “has led to increasing complexity for both the WebKit and Chromium projects,” writes Barth. Blink aims to have as minimal of an impact on web developers as possible. For now, it seems that Blink will only contain architectural changes and cleaned up code. What this means is the browser will be less resource intensive, which is great news for mobile users.

Google will still be committed to open standards for the web and has a long documentation about Blink’s changes on its project page.

Source: Google Open Source Blog

Facebook Home will completely change how you use your Android device [video]

Facebook just wrapped up its event announcing the new Facebook Home Android launcher and the aptly named HTC First, which will be the first phone to run Facebook Home. The rumors leading up to the event were pretty spot on, but now we finally have an in-depth look at how Facebook Home will actually work. While there are other home screen launchers for Android devices, none integrate as deeply with the operating system as Facebook Home.

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During the event, Mark Zuckerberg gave a presentation that showed how Facebook Home is the best possible solution for its 1 billion plus active users. By creating Facebook Home for Android, the service will be to accessible to many users instead of having to purchase a phone specifically to use it. This is a smart move by Facebook to create a platform for users instead of being limited by the number of phones that can be sold. Continue reading “Facebook Home will completely change how you use your Android device “

Disney closes LucasArts

All internal game development at LucasArts has finished, a result of Disney‘s $4.05 billion purchase of LucasFilm last year. Games based on LucasFilm franchises like Star Wars will be distributed under the LucasArts name, but development will be given to other studios.

This ends 30 years of games from George Lucas’ game studio, which opened in 1982. It’s very likely that the closure will mean Star Wars 1313 and Star Wars: First Assault will never see the light of day.

Recently, LucasArts had only been focusing on Star Wars games, and its last few releases didn’t set the world on fire. But LucasArts will be fondly remembered for its 80s and 90s heydays, when it was producing well loved adventure games and the first really good Star Wars games.

Continue reading “Disney closes LucasArts”

Rdio launches social video service called Vdio

After four years in development, Rdio has finally launched its video streaming service, Vdio. The app takes a lot of social cues from the Rdio music streaming service, allowing users to display and see what their friends are watching. Vdio users will be able to follow their friends as part of its recommendation engine. Users will also be able to make video playlists and share them. This provides much more of a social experience than Netflix, even though Netflix recently announced integration with Facebook.

Vdio won’t survive long without a robust content library and it’s nice to see that Vdio does indeed have a good amount of content available. Currently, there are shows and movies from networks like ABC, CBS, Fox, Showtime, Comedy Central, BBC, NBC, Disney, Universal, and Warner Brothers. TV shows cost $2.99 while entire seasons will run you between $14.99 and $42.99. New movies will cost $4.99 to rent and $14.99 to own. Strangely enough, Vdio isn’t a subscription service like its music counterpart, Rdio. This may prove to be a misstep if Vdio wants to compete with Netflix.

Vdio is still quite new so it’s only available on the web and iPad. The iPad version does support AirPlay so you can stream movies to your TV using an Apple TV. Apps for other platforms should be coming down the pipeline as well. Rdio is giving away $25 worth of credit for current Rdio subscribers to play around with content from Vdio. New subscribers can get this “free” $25 credit also by signing up within the next 60 days.

If Vdio is successful, music streaming competitors like Spotify may follow suit to provide music and video content.