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New Media News Every Morning

Mobile Skype Client Fring Releases Video Support

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Even the best hardware features need support from services with decent traction. Otherwise, they just become useless decorations. Some Nokia smartphones come with a front-facing camera, supposedly for video chat. Thanks to inconsistent network support for videocalls, nobody actually uses it. That may change soon, as mobile Skype client Fring releases video support for Nokia 5800, N97, N95 and N82 handsets. More models coming soon.

The front-facing camera on my Nokia feels as useless and disappointing as the Nokia app store. Since Skype is my primary VoIP service, the latest version of Fring should ease that disappointment.

Originally posted on November 24, 2009 @ 2:53 pm

What Chrome OS Will Look Like

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Google Chrome OS is designed to run nothing but Web apps, so a lot of OS UI concepts will have to be remapped. Your applications become browser tabs, your browser windows become multiple desktops, and your widgets become overlay panels.

Yes, it feels a little weird. With cloud computing services getting more and more robust, we may have to get used to these browser-based UI concepts by the time Chrome OS becomes available next year.

Originally posted on November 19, 2009 @ 4:03 pm

Apple’s Phil Schiller Says Devs Like Getting Screwed

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Phil SchillerApple founder and CEO Steve Jobs openly admits to experimenting with LSD in his youth. Apparently, Apple’s SVP of Worldwide Product Marketing Phil Schiller is high on crack. According to Schiller, developers are happy with the iPhone’s app approval process.

Most are approved and some are sent back to the developer. In about 90% of those cases, Apple requests technical fixes—usually for bugs in the software or because something doesn’t work as expected, Schiller says. Developers are generally glad to have this safety net because usually Apple’s review process finds problems they actually want to fix, he says.

Oh really, Phil? So Facebook developer Joe Hewitt is happy that you’re setting “a horrible precedent for other software platforms”? So Google is happy that you lied about the rejection of the Google Voice iPhone app?

Seriously Phil, lay off the drugs. They’re frying your brain. I don’t know who’s more deluded: you or Carol Bartz.

Originally posted on November 23, 2009 @ 6:42 am

Sims 3 New Moon Machinima Parody

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Leave it to new media remix culture to expose the stupidity of old media manufactured culture. The inanity of The Twilight Saga: New Moon gets suitably butchered through the hilarity of The Sims 3: World Adventures, with this machinima parody featuring more drama and more lipstick.

This is why games outpace movies.

Originally posted on November 21, 2009 @ 12:01 am

Google Buys Teracent to Make Banner Ads Less Annoying

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TeracentIf the big honking banner ads on your favorite sites suddenly get less annoying over the coming months, here’s why: Google is buying display advertising startup Teracent.

How is this different from Google’s purchase of display advertising stalwart DoubleClick? As is usually the case, Google buys companies for their technology more than anything else. Whereas DoubleClick provides the best display ad marketplace on the planet, Teracent provides new ways to target display advertising. [Read more…]

Originally posted on November 24, 2009 @ 3:34 pm