Before there was Google+ there was Google Buzz, the company’s big effort to stake a claim in the social networking space. That, of course, didn’t exactly work out for the search giant, and it even managed to spark some lawsuits and attract the eye of the FTC. Now Google has finally swept it under the rug in a bit of fall cleaning, stating in a blog post today that Google Buzz and the Buzz API will be shut down “in a few weeks,” and that it will now focus solely on Google+ instead. Also getting the axe is Jaiku, a social networking service that Google acquired in 2007, as well some of the social features on iGoogle, and the company’s Code Search service, which will officially be shut down along with its API on January 15th of next year. And, if that wasn’t enough, Google also confirmed that today’s the day that the Google Labs site will be shut down (its demise was announced this summer).

Google finally pulls the plug on Buzz amid ‘fall sweep’ originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Oct 2011 14:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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That Boxee client update we saw recently wasn’t the only thing brewing over at DVBLogic. It was part of a wider refresh of the company’s DVBLink products, including the final release of its Connect! server software that can stream live TV from a network-connected tuner out to Android, iOS and WP client apps with EPG and remote recording. Other improvements include the ability to connect up to eight virtual tuners to Windows Media Center, the promise of less painful WMC setup, as well as a DVBLink Remote API that will allow third parties to create clients for other devices. Check out the full PR for pricing and other details after the break.

Continue reading DVBLink v4 out of beta, brings live TV, EPG and remote recording on the go

DVBLink v4 out of beta, brings live TV, EPG and remote recording on the go originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Oct 2011 20:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG wants to bring the world of Adobe Flash to your living room. Yes, 2012′s lineup of Smart TVs, theater systems and Blu-ray players are all set to arrive with support for both Flash Player and AIR 3, and the Korean manufacturer is keen to get developers signed up for its next-generation Smart TV SDK. The new software development kit will include a simplified dashboard, the ability to render 2D apps in 3D and even “console-quality gaming.” Throw in Adobe’s new Game Input API, and we could see tablets, joysticks and even LG-made smartphones used to control on-screen action. LG has informed us that these upgrades will be limited to next year’s catalogue — your 2011 purchases won’t support the new software, and will have to make do with the slightly weedier Adobe Flash Lite. New Smart TVs will also be compatible with the Wiimote-esque Magic Motion Remote, bringing gesture-based awkwardness to menu selection.

Continue reading LG Smart TV goes on the charm offensive, appeals to Adobe developers

LG Smart TV goes on the charm offensive, appeals to Adobe developers originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Oct 2011 23:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The very latest software goodness from Google has arrived, with Chrome hitting its 14th iteration (celebration, anyone?). This one gives Mac OS X Lion users a little something extra, with access to overlay scrollbars within the browser. Chrome can also can also upsize itself now — accessible with a tap of the full-screen button or the more conventional Ctrl+Shift+F. The new web audio API gives developers the ability to add fancy sound effects and adjustments, whilst native client is an open-source addition; though this only supports apps in Chrome’s web store, it allows C and C++ code to be executed within the browser. Google adds that there’s been the usual bug clear-out, with the whole thing benefitting from a bit more polish — gotta keep up with those pesky web apps! If you’re already running Chrome, the automatic update should have kicked in, and new users can nab the download from the source below. If it’s good enough for Gaga…

[Thanks, Michael]

Stable release of Chrome 14 out now, brings a few upgrades for Lion users originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 19 Sep 2011 09:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Remember when we took over Times Square last month? Contrary to comments-based speculation, we didn’t drop several years’ salary to see our names and faces (and pets) up in lights. We were actually shooting a segment for the Engadget Show about a new service from Times Square2 (TS2). The NASDAQ / Thompson Reuters alliance is working to increase engagement on the giant electronic billboards it controls in one of the most heavily trafficked spots in the US. The organization has designed a free API for developers, making it possible to create applications for its giant ad spaces on the side of the Thompson Reuters and NASDAQ buildings, and it showed us some of the fruits of its labor in the video clip that you’ll find after the break.

Continue reading Engadget takes over Times Square, courtesy of TS2 (video)

Engadget takes over Times Square, courtesy of TS2 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 17 Sep 2011 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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That Google+ would eventually score an API was a forgone conclusion. And, while things have been far from quiet, we haven’t heard much about Moutain View’s plans to open up its social network to third-party access. Well, the first API is finally here and, while it doesn’t offer much in the way of interactivity (simply read access to public data), this is only the beginning. Check out the source links for more details and some sample code.

Google+ finally gets an API, doesn’t do much yet originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Sep 2011 17:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve heard of keeping up with the Joneses, but this is getting ridiculous. First it was Verizon, then Vodafone, and now Ma Bell — with an assist from Ericsson — has built an innovation center in Silicon Valley. This new center completes the triumvirate of AT&T Foundry facilities (the other two are in Texas and Israel), and is a part of the company’s strategy to accelerate the process of developing and delivering new products to its customers. Right now, there are over 100 projects in development in Palo Alto, and AT&T is looking to add more. Those who are chosen gain access to AT&T’s networks and expertise to ensure that new projects play nice with all of the company’s gear, and it’s already produced a few things that were on display at the center’s grand opening. Want a sneak peek at what’s in AT&T’s innovation pipeline? Read on past the break to get it.

Continue reading AT&T Foundry innovation center opens its doors in Palo Alto to help devs do what they do

AT&T Foundry innovation center opens its doors in Palo Alto to help devs do what they do originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Sep 2011 07:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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As Google TV gears up for a Honeycomb-based v2.0, the team announced at the I/O event that developers could get access to “Fishtank” hardware for them to test their apps on and here it is, revealed by Geek.com. The hardware itself is a relatively nondescript box packing an Intel CE4100 processor (no ARM…yet) and a Logitech Revue wireless keyboard that connects wirelessly via a USB dongle, plus a few more ins and outs than retail boxes have including coax. The software is the real star with its Android 3.1 style blues and blacks in the new menus providing access to a list of running apps, logged in accounts and notifications. Things could change before the beta ends, but this report indicates a major issue between is how developers will get to display or interact with live TV. Being able to overlay data on a live feed, or at least have Dual View picture-in-picture is a big part of many developer’s plans and so far Google has apparently not committed to making API access available. Bringing interactivity to broadcasts would be a major advantage for Google TV as a connected TV platform if it can pull it off, we’ll see if it makes it into this summer’s update or if it ends up on the waiting-for list alongside SageTV integration.

[Thanks, @ohpleaseno]

Google TV 2.0 ‘Fishtank’ developer kit revealed running Honeycomb and apps originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Jun 2011 16:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft’s App Guy has quite a job on his baby-soft hands: to boost Windows Phone 7′s numerically-challenged Marketplace by encouraging developers to port apps across from other platforms. The little fellow helped iPhone devs out a couple of months ago with an API mapping tool to makes it easier to translate iPhone APIs to WP7 code. Now he’s extended the mapping tool to work with Android APIs too, and backed it up with a 90-page white paper and a promise to get more involved in developer forums. Will the App Guy’s efforts unleash a flood of new apps for Windows Phone? We don’t know, but we dig his shorts.

Microsoft releases Android developer poaching package for Windows Phone 7 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Jun 2011 04:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Last month, Google said it intended to pull the plug on a variety of APIs, including one rather curious pick — Google Translate, which had actually been getting so much use that it was allegedly causing an “economic burden” for the company. Well, it seems Google got in touch with its capitalistic roots, because the Translate API won’t be depreciated after all. Following a public outcry, Mountain View’s announced that it’ll create a paid version as soon as possible. Hear it from the horse’s Google API Product Manager’s mouth at our source link.

Google Translate API gets reprieve, servers will accept cash for interpreter duties originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Jun 2011 01:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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