Though Mozilla has long been a proponent of WebRTC for plugin-free video and voice chat, it hasn't been ready to enable the full protocol in Firefox as a matter of course. It's more confident as of this week: the newly available Firefox 22 beta turns on complete WebRTC use by default, allowing for both live web conversations and peer-to-peer file swaps. There's more to the release as well, depending on the platform. Windows users receive support for HiDPI displays, like that of the Kirabook; every desktop user also gets gaming-friendly OdinMonkey JavaScript tuning, a web notification API and a font inspector. Android users won't have WebRTC and other upgrades for now, but everyone can experiment with the latest Firefox beta at the source links.

Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Software

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Via: Mozilla (1), (2)

Source: Firefox Beta, Google Play

Adobe's Photoshop Express has been taking care of our botched photos on Android and iOS for quite some time, but it hasn't had its turn on a desktop-class platform. That changes with today's launch of a version for Windows 8 and RT. Like their mobile counterparts, Windows users can now make basic edits, apply filters and sync photos to Revel in a touch-friendly interface; the chief difference is the landscape-oriented Windows Store look. If you've wanted to use your Surface as a mobile photo workshop without paying for apps, you can grab Express for free at the source link.

Filed under: Tablets, Software

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Source: Windows Store

Jealous of the Lumia 925's flashy new imaging software? At Nokia's London event, Jo Harlow has promised that other Lumia owners won't be left out in the cold. The company will be pushing out "Amber," an update that'll bring Smart Cam, amongst other apps, to the company's wider range of Windows Phone 8 devices. There's no word on when Amber will actually arrive beyond a vague mention of "summer," but the company hopes it'll be ready in time for your next vacation.

Filed under: Cellphones, Cameras, Software, Mobile, Microsoft, Nokia

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Sometimes, the smallest and simplest apps make the most sense. Take Nuance's new Dragon Notes for Windows 8, for example. Unlike its NaturallySpeaking cousin, it's not a universal tool: instead, it's narrowly focused on the voice dictation of memos, email, social networking updates and web searches. That limited scope leads to a very simple interface, however, and slims down the price from $100 to a far more accessible $20. Fans of minimalism can grab Dragon Notes directly from Nuance on May 15th, although they'll need to spend $10 for every language they speak beyond English.

Filed under: Software

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Source: Nuance

While many browsers sync through the cloud, few know how to cope with the local network -- what if we just want to push a file to another device nearby? Maxthon doesn't think we should have to resort to an online service or a dedicated app for the purpose, so it's rolling a LAN Transfer feature into its Cloud Browser. Starting with Android and Windows versions available today, the web client lets users shuttle files directly to others on the same network, with nothing but the browser in between. Both iOS and Mac users should join the party soon, which could turn Maxthon into a rare (and very unconventional) cross-platform file manager.

Filed under: Cellphones, Networking, Software, Mobile

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Source: Maxthon

Google's cadre of Glass explorers only started receiving the headgear last month, but the folks in Mountain View are already pushing out an update. Named XE5, the fresh software carries a raft of tweaks and new features, ranging from crash reporting to Google+ notifications. Among the more notable upgrades are the ability to comment and +1 posts on the search titan's social network, alerts for incoming hangouts, improved battery life estimation and quicker transcription. One thing that may dampen spirits is a new charge to sync policy, which only allows background uploads when devices are plugged in to power sources and connected to WiFi. For the complete list of tweaks, hit the break for the changelog.

Filed under: Google

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Source: Phandroid

For many observers, the real story for Windows 8 was never going to be the 60 million licenses sold during the holiday rush -- it was always about the long term. The first indications of its post-launch impact are here, and show mixed results. In an interview on the company blog, Microsoft CMO/CFO Tami Reller says that it "recently" sold its 100 millionth Windows 8 license since the OS launched in October. That's a healthy figure, but sales of about 10 million units a month between its January stat update and today show adoption hasn't picked up again since the initial dropoff. The usual post-holiday lull no doubt played a part, although estimates of a much steeper drop in PC sales than usual suggest more was afoot. Microsoft doesn't see an immediate problem however, touting both brisk Windows Store adoption -- downloads of both free and paid apps surged from 100 million in January to 250 million -- and the pending arrival of more affordable convertible notebooks, touchscreen laptops and all-in-ones later this year.

Oh, and about that Windows Blue update everyone's been talking about? It's at last official. Microsoft isn't mentioning details beyond the Windows Blue codename, but it does promise that the upgrade should be available before 2013 is over. We're looking forward to that extra level of personalization already.

Filed under: Desktops, Tablets, Software, Microsoft

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Source: Blogging Windows

While there's an abundance of cloud storage services, few of them have dedicated conferences to help developers exploit that online space. Dropbox could well be a vanguard on that front, then -- it just announced its inaugural developer conference, DBX. The initial event takes place on July 9th at San Francisco's very familiar-sounding Fort Mason Center. Along with providing help straight from the source for the Sync API and other coding tools, DBX will serve as the launch platform for "new products." There aren't any clues as to what that entails, but we suspect that's enough of a tease to have some Dropbox diehards booking their flights.

Filed under: Storage, Internet, Software

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Via: Dropbox

Source: DBX

When Adobe first offered up Creative Cloud to those opting for its design software, the outfit promised that those members would get access to new features first. Now, the company has rebranded its Creative Suite to keep the creativity cloud-focused. Adobe has announced an entire line of CC apps at its annual MAX event, replacing the CS naming convention to follow up on last year's CS6 release. There's no word on if those numerals are gone for good too, but what we do know is that the list of newfangled tools for Photoshop CC includes revamped Smart Sharpen, upsampling for low-res images, support for Camera Raw 8 (as editable layers, too), editable rounded rectangles and more. Additionally, a few tools that were only available in the Extended versions of Photoshop (3D editing and image analysis items) are now available in this Creative Cloud version. Join us on the other side of the break for a quick rundown of the digital workbench that will arrive in June.

Update: The Next Web reports that from hence forth, Creative Cloud apps will only be available through the subscription-based service for $50 (£38.12 ex-VAT) a month. Subscriptions are discounted for Creative Suite owners for the first year and both education and team-based pricing is available. CS6 will still be available for purchase, but will not receive the support of updates and bug fixes.

Gallery: Adobe Photoshop CC screenshots

Filed under: Software

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Source: Adobe Photoshop Blog, Adobe Creative Cloud

After laying down its foundation with a mobile app, Google Keep is expanding to your desktop. Now available for Chrome, the note taking service syncs with Google Drive for a seamless transition from phone to computer. The app runs in its own separate window for fast access on the fly. In addition to keeping your grocery list in the cloud, you can add photo attachments to your memos, so there's no excuse for someone bringing home the wrong kind of coffee. Should you find yourself away from an internet connection, the app also works offline which should sooth anxious Chromebook owners. If you'd like to see if there's anything noteworthy about using Keep on your desktop, head on over to the source link below.

Filed under: Software, Google

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Source: Google, Chrome Web Store

While some people associate the word "jailbreaking" with prison riots or smartphone hacking, the most mainstream of cracking subcultures also takes on video game consoles. A mod chip developer known as WiiKey is now claiming to have reverse engineered the Wii U's disk encryption, making it possible to play "backed up" copies of games via a USB drive. The group says its "WiikeU" optical drive emulator is region free and compatible with all Wii U console models. So far the hacking brood has yet to furnish any proof of its claims, but Nintendo is very much aware of the situation.

Nintendo is aware that a hacking group claims to have compromised Wii U security; however, we have no reports of illegal Wii U games nor unauthorized applications playable on the system while in Wii U mode. Nintendo continuously monitors all threats to its products' security and will use technology and will take the necessary legal steps to prevent the facilitation of piracy.

Filed under: Gaming, Software, Nintendo

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Via: Eurogamer

Source: WiiKey (1), (2)

Couple of key updates for the 1.1 version of Twitter's pithy video app, Vine. First up is support for front-facing cameras, for those who can't get enough short web videos of themselves. Tap the icon in the lower-left corner of the app and it will toggle between your phone's cameras. Also new is mention support, so those tagged with an @ will get a notification when you drop their names into a post. The latest version is available now from iTunes -- perhaps a short video of you downloading the update is in order.

Filed under: Software, Mobile

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Via: Vine

Source: iTunes

Recording footage with Sony's Action Cam at 1080p garnered video with just 30fps, but a new update for the rugged shooter has bumped that up to 60fps. Thanks to the freshly available upgrade, the camera has also been bestowed with a water mode packing white balance adjustment for shooting when submerged, and a Beep Off option to tweak volume levels for its on / record and settings buttons. Come June, Hirai and Co. will release revamped software that allows users to upload videos via Play Memories without having to disconnect the device, and sell a raft of new attachments for the cam ranging from a dog harness to a surfboard mount. Trek past the jump for the accessory lowdown in the press release, or hit the second source link for the upgrade.

Filed under: Sony

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Source: Sony Blog, Sony eSupport

Inventory delays may stifle prospective Galaxy S 4 owners, but such pesky hurdles appear to have little effect on Android's development community. An XDA-Developers member by the name of "djrbliss" has constructed a root exploit for Snapdragon-powered variants (see: all US carrier versions) of Samsung's newly christened flagship. While burrowing into your phone's software always carries some risk, the bold will find a complete how-to at the source link below.

Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Samsung

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Via: Droid-Life

Source: XDA-Developers

The Unity 4 engine has given Flash gaming a lot of TLC by simplifying web ports of complex projects. If you ask Unity Technologies, however, that love isn't being requited -- and the company feels jilted enough to stop offering new Flash licenses, effective immediately. Adobe supposedly isn't committed enough to the plugin, having halted work on both a re-engineered Flash Player Next as well as an attractive revenue sharing model. Unity is equally concerned about the broader developer community shying away from Flash at the same time as its own plugin, Unity Web Player, has soared past 200 million installs. While those with existing licenses should have Flash support for as long as versions of Unity 4 are in the field, the exit is bound to have game creators scrambling to find alternatives for any future web-based titles.

Filed under: Gaming, Internet, Software

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Via: TechCrunch

Source: Unity Technologies

The tenth anniversary of the iTunes Store is looming on April 28th, and Apple wants to do more for the occasion than treat itself to a nice dinner. It just launched an interactive Decade of iTunes timeline (within iTunes itself, naturally) to remind us how far its music service has come since 2003. While the retrospective includes the expected sales milestones, media links and plugs for iPods, it's surprisingly detailed: you, too, can learn that Morcheeba rocked the album charts when iTunes reached Scandinavia. Apple has fiercer competition these days that not surprisingly goes unacknowledged, but it's good to have at least some context for Cupertino's more recent achievements. Catch a taste of that early iTunes Store vibe after the break.

Filed under: Portable Audio/Video, Internet, Software, Apple

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Via: The Loop

Source: iTunes Store