Category: News

The latest version of Google Chrome is available for download, or for automatic without so much as a by-your-leave update if you’re already using a previous version of the browser. Chrome 11 fixes multiple security issues in WebKit, as well as adding some new features and a cool new icon (well, I like it anyway). Get it now for Windows or Mac.

The most interesting addition to Chrome 11 is probably the HTML-powered speech input function that allows you to input text with the power of your vocal chords. The new function doesn’t work in many places yet  but you can give it a go at Google Translate. Using the latest version of Chrome, simply enter the Translate page. If you’re translating from English to another language, you should see a small microphone icon in the bottom right of the text box – click this and speak to start voice input translation. Translation via voice doesn’t yet appear to work for other languages.

If, like me, you’re a big fan of voice search in Android, you can get the same capabilities in Chrome 11 using the free Speechify add-on. Speechify works with Google, Amazon, YouTube and other sites. In general, though, I expect that we’ll see increasingly widespread use of the voice API gradually negating the need for 3rd party add-ons in this area.

Has anyone in your group of family or friends done anything that made the news lately? How about your favorite celebrity? Now you can find out right away with Newsle.

Currently in public beta, Newsle connects with your Facebook page or your LinkedIn profile and searches for published articles about your friends or colleagues. Once found, these articles are compiled for you in a newsfeed on Newsle’s site, complete with pictures where available. You can also track news stories where your own name is referenced. The more you’re mentioned, the higher your Fame Factor rises on the site. If you’re more interested in specific celebrity news on the other hand, Newsle also lets you follow popular public figures, including actors, actresses, politicians, and authors.

Newsle is surprisingly accurate with the data it pulls on each of your search queries, particularly when it comes to people with common names. The site uses a combination of information pulled from publicly available sources about your friends, as well as a natural language selection formula to narrow down its choices. It’s not fool-proof by any means (last time I checked my brother has never played competitive college tennis, for example), but overall, Newsle’s pretty accurate.

There are also talks about developing Newsle for mobile phones in the future, should the public launch of the main site prove to be popular among internet users. To use Newsle you’ll need to either grant the site access to your Facebook profile or your LinkedIn account, which you can do directly on Newsle’s frong page.

The final version of Firefox 4 for Android hit the Android Market today. Firefox 4 Mobile has been around in various guises for a while (release candidates, betas, etc.) but today it got its official full release.

Coming just a week after the release of the desktop version of Firefox 4, the mobile web browser is designed to make browsing the web as effortless and enjoyable as it is on a PC. Firefox 4 Mobile boasts a really clean, intelligent user interface, with a tabs and options hidden away in pop-out panels, so that all the screen space is utilized for viewing pages.

Firefox 4 for Android includes some very useful features, such as Awesome Screen, Firefox Sync, page sharing and a customizable search toolbar. Best of all, Firefox 4 Mobile supports add-ons, meaning you can extend the functionality of the browser in the same way you do with extensions in the desktop version.

Read our full review of Firefox 4 for Android to find out more.

Unless you have been asleep under a tree for the last week, you can’t have failed to notice that Amazon has done something pretty impressive – it has stolen Google’s thunder by launching Cloud Drive.

Even though the name is a little clichéd, it does give you a pretty good idea of what to expect. Cloud Drive is a cloud-based file storage service provided by Amazon. You upload the files you want to store and access – music, videos, photos, etc – and are then free to access them whenever you want using the Cloud Player – an internet based service for Macs and PCs, but currently only available in the US.

Cloud Drive is free for up to 5 GB of media – after that, you have to pay. Interestingly, Amazon are providing mobile access, but only for Android, Blackberry and Palm. Thinking back to last week and the release of Amazon Appstore for Android, it seems that the internet giant is intent on targeting the vast market that the iPhone hasn’t yet managed to tap.

An update has arrived for Windows Phone 7 that adds a host of new features to the mobile operating system, including copy and paste.

There are plenty of other goodies in the new Microsoft OS, dubbed ‘NoDo‘. These include faster game and application performance, a slicker Marketplace search, improved WiFi connectivity, Outlook and MMS enhancements, plus tweaks to the Facebook account sync. Check this neat little video from WinRumors, which demonstrates some of the new features.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxGKW5BaTB0[/youtube]

The update, which was announced by Steve Ballmer at last month’s GSMA Mobile World Congress, will be available to all Windows Phone 7 users through the Zune software. The rollout of updates is being done in phases, so have a little patience if you haven’t been invited to upgrade your Windows Phone 7 device yet.

With all the casual games in the App Store, it’s great to run into titles that stick in your mind, and are involving from start to finish. Scarlett Adventures Episode 1 is such a game and buying it will not only make you chuckle on the subway: all proceeds go to the Red Cross until the end of March. You can read more about this great initiative here.

Scarlett and the Spark of Life is a breath of adventuring fresh air, with its witty dialogue and memorable characters. We enjoyed playing through the game, and were left hungry for more. We decided to ask creators Tim Knauf and Tristan Clark about the time-line for Episode 2, creating games for iOS and managing a software house with just two members:

You guys are low in numbers (2 and expanding?), yet deliver an all-round experience with your games. How do you manage? What exactly are your backgrounds and how did you get involved in the gaming business?

Tim: First up, we’ve got to give credit to the very talented James Ellis for the beautiful backgrounds and character design in ‘Scarlett’. His help arrived late into the project, yet after a few incredibly intense weekends, he had turned the art style around. You can see why we’re keen to bring him back full-time for Scarlett Episode 2.

Tristan: As for our backgrounds… would you believe we both have degrees in English Literature? Completely related to game development, I know. Actually, our love of stories is what led us to both our degrees and the kinds of games we most want to make, so there’s more overlap than you’d think.

Continue reading “Interview: Launching Pad Games”