Hello Roboto

Hello Roboto
When we announced Ice Cream Sandwich I also got a chance to introduce Android’s new typeface Roboto. Today I’d like to talk about how Roboto was born — why we decided to create it, and the design choices we made in the process.

Why replace Droid?
Droid is a great font family which served Android well over the years, but it was designed and optimized for screens that were much lower in pixel density than today’s HD displays. To be legible at smaller sizes, and to avoid turning to anti-aliased grey mush, the letter forms had to be quite dramatic. They had a tall x-height and a very regular rhythm so that they snapped to the pixel grid crisply. The bold variant was significantly wider than the regular text, because when a letter’s vertical strokes are one pixel thick, the only way to be bold is to double! It’s no surprise that on high rez screens, and at larger more dramatic headline sizes, Droid struggled to achieve both the openness and information density we wanted in Ice Cream Sandwich.

What were we looking for?
Most important was to create something that matched our ambitious design goals for Ice Cream Sandwich. Emotionally we wanted Ice Cream Sandwich to enchant you, to be attractive and eye-catching. Our new typeface had to be modern, crisp, and structured to match our new emphasis on open layouts and rigid grid alignments, but also friendly and approachable to make Android appealing, and a little bit more human.

Interactive display is a new and still evolving medium and what it demands from type design is subtly and uniquely different from print. We wanted to take maximum advantage of ultra high density screens like that of Galaxy Nexus, yet still be crisp and legible on lower resolution displays like that of Nexus S. Because Roboto would be used for the UI we wanted to make the bold very similar to the metrics of the regular weight, so that text could gracefully switch from bold to regular (like when you read emails in your inbox). We also wanted to include tabular figures (numbers that are all the same width) so we could display times, dates and other counters without having the characters jump around.

Finally we wanted Roboto to make a design statement in and of itself, in the same way that we wanted every screen on the device to have a strong and unique design point of view. Yet, just like the rest of the UI, Roboto is ultimately a medium for your content. We wanted Roboto to have a design character that made it recognizable, to be distinctive when you were paying attention, but never be overbearing or distracting.

How did we make it?
We realized early on that we needed something with a strong geometric backbone to hold up to our new open “Magazine UI” layouts. When we got rid of the boxes and bevels, dividers and other structural crutches, the more humanist fonts of our legacy felt uncomfortable and a little chaotic. Naturally we looked at some of the circle based geometrics like Avenir and Futura, but they’re very demanding in the rhythm of their metrics and ultimately were a little too soft for the crisp corners that we were using in the UI. The breakthrough came quickly when we settled on a straight sided grotesk.

Roboto’s straight sided capitals and distinctive racetrack-shaped rounded letters turned out to be perfect for our needs in a system font. It is space efficient and and holds its own for the short terse messages that are so common in UI. It has a high degree of compatibility with legacy designs created for Droid, because in almost all cases the same size Roboto sets in the same amount of space. Yet because of Roboto’s more structured forms we can actually set it smaller and with tighter line spacing, allowing us to put more information on the screen without inducing claustrophobia.

One of the potential drawbacks of a grotesk font is that the structured evenness of the type can make it more difficult to read. We started by softening up the lower case letters, and then experimented with opening up some of the glyphs to get a more diverse rhythm. We found that by adding a little more diversity to the lower case the font become more readable. In particular, we opened up the ‘e’ and ‘g’ while keeping the ‘a’, ‘c’ and ‘s’ characters closed. The rhythm starts to compare more to book types and makes for really nice reading over longer spans of text.

In the end we were iterating ceaselessly on minor details of the letters, extending the character set to Greek and Cyrillic, and tweaking the rendering so that Roboto would look just as good at all sizes and resolutions. In fact our work is not yet done as we continue to extend the character set and begin to hint Roboto so it works as well on computers as it does on Android devices. Still, I’m terrifically proud of the work the team and our lead typographer did in an ludicrously short amount of time. Roboto is a new foundation for Android and the team really deserves kudos for their accomplishment.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this little ‘behind the scenes’ peek at Android’s evolution. I had fun writing it, so let me know if you’d be interested in hearing more.

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Opera 11.60 beta debuts with double-rainbow support

We’re not kidding

Opera Software released the beta of Opera 11.60, the next update of its flagship desktop browser. The beta introduces Ragnarök, Opera’s implementation of the new HTML5 parsing algorithm. Because HTML5 specifies how browsers should handle incorrect code, browsers will soon handle coding missteps the same way — a big win for web-application compatibility across browsers.

“HTML5 actually specifies how browsers should handle code errors,” explains Bruce Lawson, Web Evangelist, Opera Software. “Before, browsers had to guess, and they all guessed differently. That led to a lot of site incompatibilities and meant more work for developers. Now that we have the ever-so-sexy unified error parsing as part of Ragnarök, I spend less time helping developers tweak their sites to work in all browsers and more time on my true passion — making double rainbows in CSS.”

Double rainbows?

That’s right. Opera 11.60 adds CSS3 radial gradients, so front-end designers can create hypnotic ellipses or awesome double rainbows like Bruce made right here: http://media.opera.com/media/press/2011/unicorn/. (Tip: right-click and select Inspect Element to see how he made it.)

In other news, Opera 11.60 supports ECMAScript 5.1, the newest version of the JavaScript standard. You can also use JavaScript (and a little bit of Canvas) to make a double rainbow, if you so desire.

And, this just in: Opera 11.60 is the first browser to support HTML5 microdata. This is the basis for the markup patterns that Bing, Yahoo and Google use to enhance their search results.

Get Opera 11.60 beta here: http://opera.com/browser/beta/. Please note that downloading this beta will override your stable Opera installation, so make sure to back up your files before installing.

About Opera Software ASA

The worldwide World Wide Web — any device, any platform, any bandwidth, absolutely anywhere in the world. Opera Software was founded in 1994, based on the idea that access to the Web should be a universal right. 200 million people (and counting) use the Opera web browsers for computers, mobile phones, TVs and other connected devices. Opera also delivers tools, distribution, engagement, monetization and market insights to developers, publishers and brands around the world. We are passionate about breaking down barriers, so everyone can share in the power of the Internet. Our vision of one Web for all remains at the heart of what we do, because we believe that participation changes everything. Opera Software ASA is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol OPERA. Learn more about Opera at www.opera.com.

Amazon Appstore receives 2.0 update ahead of Kindle Fire launch

Amazon's Appstore for Android has received an update, just in time for the Kindle Fire's release next week.

The update, which brings the app to version 2.0, is largely focused on UI improvements. The look and feel of the entire Appstore experience has shifted as the white backdrops that used to be ubiquitous have been changed to shades of gray.

More settings have been added as well as you now have the ability to enable In-App Purchases, Parental Controls and get an easier view of your gift card balance.

If you don't yet have the appstore and would like to check it out, visit Amazon's Appstore page.

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Progorod out the iPad and iPhone

The company "Sidikov navigation» today announced the release of version navigation system "Progorod" mobile company Apple - iPad Tablet and the iPhone. The features of the new version of "Progorod" was to support the technology OpenGL 3D, which allows you to display on maps three-dimensional models of buildings with a high level of detail, maps can be scaled and rotated around the axis with the help of technology "multitouch" in real time. In addition, "Progorod" support service MapStore, allows downloading maps from the Internet directly from your device. Version "Progorod" for Apple's products include integrated "mirror" service. "Progorod" for the iPhone and the iPad is already available in the Applications folder App Store : 30 day full functional demo version and full version costs 950 rubles. The new version of "Progorod" is designed for devices with the operating system iOS 4.1 and above. Users "Progorod" cards are available in Russia, as well as maps of foreign countries (supported by standard OpenStreetMap). Map catalog is regularly updated. With the help of service MapStore user can select the cards you need and download them directly from the device. It can boot as maps across Russia and the regions of hotel - to save memory.

Will there be a Silverlight 6 (and does it matter)?

Summary: Microsoft is poised to release to manufacturing Silverlight 5. There’s word from some of my contacts that this might be the last major release of Silverlight, but Microsoft isn’t confirming or denying.

Silverlight 5, the most recent — and possibly last — version of Microsoft’s cross-platform browser plug-in, is poised to be released to manufacturing (RTM) before the end of November.

Several of my customer and partner contacts have told me they have heard from their own Microsoft sources over the past couple of weeks that Silverlight 5 is the last version of Silverlight that Microsoft will release. They said they are unsure whether there will be any service packs for it, and they are also not clear on how long Silverlight 5 will be supported by Microsoft.

(There’s no end date yet on Microsoft’s lifecycle page for free support for Silverlight for Silverlight 4. According to the page, Microsoft must give developers and customers a year heads-up before ending support for any given Silverlight version. Free support for Silverlight 3 ended in April 2011.)

One of my contacts said he believed that the final version of Silverlight 5 may only work with Internet Explorer on Windows and won’t work on Mac OS platforms or with other browsers at all. (Silverlight 4 supports Windows and Mac OS X and the IE, Chrome and Safari browsers.)

Yes, I know — everyone’s been rushing to proclaim Silverlight dead for more than a year now. In fact, I’m frequently cited as the source of that prognostication, in spite of the fact that all I’ve actually reported is that Microsoft’s strategy with Silverlight shifted and that Silverlight is no longer Microsoft’s cross-platform runtime solution. Instead, Microsoft currently positions Silverlight as a tool for creating rich media, line-of-business and smartphone apps. When I wrote about Microsoft’s morphing Silverlight strategy back in the fall of 2010, I noted that company officials only committed to one more release after Silverlight 4 and said nothing more about the Silverlight platform’s longer-term future.

Microsoft officials are remaining mum about whether there will be any more Silverlight releases after version 5. I asked again on November 8 to see if the Softies would say anything at all regarding the company’s post-Silverlight 5 plans and was told by a spokesperson that the company had “nothing to share at this time regarding exact timing, future releases or support.”

There is some anecdotal evidence suggesting Silverlight 5 may be the end of the road — beyond the continued reassignments and/or defections of many at Microsoft formerly working on Silverlight and the major reorg affecting the Silverlight team earlier this year.

Here’s what we know. In an October 26 Webcast with the Linked.Net user group, Scott Guthrie said that Silverlight 5 would ship “next month,” meaning November. (I’m hearing the actual RTM date could be this week, in fact.)

Guthrie also said during the same Webcast that Microsoft was close to shipping Silverlight on “other devices” (meaning the Xbox 360, I’m assuming). In his responses to Webcast participants’ questions about the future of Silverlight, Guthrie didn’t mention anything about Silverlight being continued beyond Silverlight 5 or provide any indication there would be anything coming beyond Silverlight 5.

As many will be quick to note, Guthrie’s decision not to talk about the future beyond Silverlight 5 may simply be due to Microsoft’s increasing information lockdown on futures and roadmaps. It’s also worth noting that Guthrie is, as of earlier this year, focusing on Windows Azure app development and not leading the Silverlight team.

Those caveats aside, I found Guthrie’s choice of wording on the Webcast interesting. He talked about Microsoft’s mission in making XAML “a first class citizen” and differentiating from its competitors using XAML. He emphasized that Microsoft is neither moving away from XAML nor discontinuing its support of XAML. He didn’t say the same of Silverlight.

Is the distinction a big deal? I mean, do developers really care whether Microsoft continues to crank out new Silverlight releases, as long as those who want to use Silverlight to develop for Windows Phone, Windows 8 and Xbox can use their XAML skills to develop for those platforms for (some unknown number of) years to come?

One tech consultant with roots in the Microsoft world said the XAML/Silverlight lines are blurring.

“It’s pretty clear to me that the principles of Silverlight, including the use of XAML as a markup language, C# and VB .NET as programming languages, a streamlined .NET CLR (Common Language Runtime) profile, packaged deployment over HTTP and a sandboxed security environment, are alive and well in the native XAML/.NET approach to developing Metro-style apps on Windows 8. It may not be not Silverlight to the letter, but it’s Silverlight in spirit and natively supported by the operating system to boot,” said Andrew Brust, a Microsoft Regional Director and founder of Blue Badge Insights.

(Brust noted, for the record, he hasn’t heard whether Silverlight 5 is the last version of Silverlight or not.)

If Silverlight 5 is the end of the line for Silverlight, do you care? Why or why not?

Update: Looks like Microsoft isn’t the only one wrestling with what to do with its rich media plug-in and runtime. As unearthed yesterday by my ZDNet blogging colleague Jason Perlow, Adobe announced on November 9 that it is discontinuing work on the mobile version of Flash and is instead focusing on HTML5. Adobe is continuing to develop new Flash releases but is focusing that work for PCs and mobile apps. It would be great to see Microsoft issue a similar, comprehensive statement about its future intentions with Silverlight….

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MTN Rwanda subscribers get Opera on their phones

Rwandan MTN subscribers will now have access to the Opera Mini browser, which gives them faster and cheaper access to the Web through their mobile devices, as well as quick access to their favorite sites and MTN portals.

MTN subscribers will have one-click access, through Opera Mini, to MTN CallerTunez, MTN Play, The NewTimes, Igihe, Facebook, Yahoo! and Mobile Store.

MTN Rwanda has close to three million subscribers, and its network coverage extends to over 98% of the population. Rwanda has embraced the Internet and is also a key partner in the One Laptop per Child project and has a major e-government program.

While mainstream Internet access is still a way off, 40% of Rwandans have mobile phones, as opposed to less than one percent with fixed-line Internet access. This means the bulk of the country goes online through a mobile device – usually a feature phone. Some of the most visited mobile sites in Rwanda include Facebook, Google, Yahoo!, Igihe, YouTube, Wikipedia, BBC, Inyarwanda, NewTimes and Umuseke.

Khaled Mikkawi, CEO MTN Rwanda described Opera Mini as “a great tool that will further emphasize the dedication of MTN to facilitate the ease and growth of data usage in Rwanda and a strong affirmation of MTN’s commitment to be at the heart of the ICT revolution in Rwanda”.

Opera Mini compresses the Web by up to 90%, providing faster delivery of webpages faster and at a lower cost, to more than 3000 different types of mobile devices on the market.

“We are excited to see MTN Rwanda customers join the Web using Opera Mini,” says Lars Boilesen, CEO, Opera Software. “Clearly it is a nation that is committed to growing everyone’s access to the Web, and MTN is an integral part of that. Our global agreement with MTN is one that allows us to really deliver on our belief that the Internet is a basic human right.”

About MTN Rwanda

MTN is a global communications company and world-class cellular network. As a major communications company, MTN is specifically focused on the Africa and the Middle East. We believe that through access to communication comes economic empowerment. Being in operation since 1998, MTN Rwanda continues to expand its network, offer new and innovative packages and services, and keep up with the latest trends in communications while maintaining affordability. MTN Rwanda has over 2.8 million subscribers and its network coverage extends to over 98% of the population.

About Opera Software ASA

The worldwide World Wide Web — any device, any platform, any bandwidth, absolutely anywhere in the world. Opera Software was founded in 1994, based on the idea that access to the Web should be a universal right. 200 million people (and counting) use the Opera web browsers for computers, mobile phones, TVs and other connected devices. Opera also delivers tools, distribution, engagement, monetization and market insights to developers, publishers and brands around the world. We are passionate about breaking down barriers, so everyone can share in the power of the Internet. Our vision of one Web for all remains at the heart of what we do, because we believe that participation changes everything. Opera Software ASA is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol OPERA. Learn more about Opera at www.opera.com.

Nokia Maps for Series 40

Nokia Maps for Series 40 http://nokia.ly/vhBzsT A complete improved coverage to find all the places around the world. Now, twice as fast -- optimized for device performance. More routes and places.

Nokia_Maps_v0.8.0.0.xap

Nokia_Maps_v0.8.0.0.xap
http://www.multiupload.com/DUG195PME3

help out nokia and join the feedback program when it asks you the first time it starts up.

cheers

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Routes, taxis and buses - in the new Yandex.Maps for Android

The developers have updated Mobile Yandex.Maps for users of smartphones based on Android. Most of the changes awaiting motorists, but something is prepared for those who move around the city by public transport. Living in Kazan, who have downloaded the new version, forget the question: "Well, where this bus?". The application can display bus routes and the time after which they come. Just click on the stop - and you will see whether we add more step or warm at home or in the nearest store. Nizhny Novgorod can do the same thing, only with a small correction to the mode of transport - a bus, rather than buses. The data are obtained directly from buses and minibuses. All are equipped with navigation systems GPS / GLONASS. Service until the pilot, so developers are waiting for Nizhny Novgorod and Kazan reviews. As for HGV, many will recall that Yandex.Maps able to plot a route. But now they are still able to keep him. Maps show the distance from the start and end points, and determine the time and speed. The last two parameters are adjusted directly on the move, depending on how fast you drive. If you are not there accidentally turned off or slipped, "a" crossroads - do not worry, the route need not be rebuilt, picking up the phone. Maps rebuilt automatically. For those who prefer to ride without breaking, we published in Maps location of devices that determine the speed of cars - hopefully this will help you observe the speed limit. Approaching the camera can not only track on the map through the eyes - the application will report on it beeps. Download the new version is available in the Android Market .

"Begun" monetizing applications for Windows Phone

Partners "Runner" will be able to receive the income from the first days of cooperation. The technology allows you to embed ads in any area of the mobile screen at the discretion of the application developer. Ads are selected for broadcast by using behavioral, socio-demographic technology, as well as specific applications, user data, which he allowed to use, and preferences. "Begun" started to develop the mobile area since 2009. Then opened an affiliate program for owners of mobile sites. This summer, the company released the solutions to monetize mobile applications for Android and iOS. Development of technology for the placement of mobile advertising platform for applications under Windows Phone is the next step in the development of the mobile product line, "Runner." Example of ads in the application for the mobile platform Windows Phone, SDK for use, as well as detailed information on installation code available on the site "Runner" at: http://wp7.begun.ru .

Adobe ceases development on mobile browser Flash, refocuses efforts on HTML5

Summary: Adobe has briefed developers on the impending cessation of mobile flash browser plugin development.

Sources close to Adobe that have been briefed on the company’s future development plans have revealed this forthcoming announcement to ZDNet:

Our future work with Flash on mobile devices will be focused on enabling Flash developers to package native apps with Adobe AIR for all the major app stores. We will no longer adapt Flash Player for mobile devices to new browser, OS version or device configurations. Some of our source code licensees may opt to continue working on and releasing their own implementations. We will continue to support the current Android and PlayBook configurations with critical bug fixes and security updates.

Additionally, the e-mail briefing to Adobe’s partners has been summed up as follows:

Adobe is Stopping development on Flash Player for browsers on mobile.
Adobe is now focusing their development efforts on:

Applications for mobile
Expressive content on the desktop (in and out of browser)
Increasing their investments in HTML5 in general
The full content and scope of the announcement is expected to be posted on the Adobe web site in the next day.

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HP has returned to being able to sell webOS

The acquisition of the operating system webOS Palm with company did not get a good management decision to call Hewlett-Packard. Moreover, the operating system webOS not too successful, and within the company Palm - models came out quite a bit with the task to save the company, the developer is unable to cope. Not too long as it copes with perfecting invested in the acquisition of Palm 1,2 billion - smartphones are produced and sold in very small quantities, but only one plate was removed from the market just a month after launch. Sales of HP Touchpad headway only when they started to sell for less than $ 100. However, since HP had to change the executive director and the company began to reorganize the revision of priorities. Even there was a proposal to sell the business of manufacturing computer hardware, but later this idea was still rejected. Now, on these Reuters news agency guidance HP is considering the possibility of selling the operating system, webOS. According to some, it can be sold for several hundred million dollars. Among the possible buyers of the company called Oracle. Development costs of the operating system inside HP is clearly not possible to calculate a profit in the foreseeable future, and the sale could offset some of the costs incurred in acquiring Palm. At the same time, the question remains open to the fact that webOS is associated with a number of patents that affect other devices, except for smartphones. According to an anonymous source Reuters, the idea of selling the operating system was not born inside HP, and it was advised by representatives of Bank of America, while in the company of the owner considered the possibility of a simple termination of the OS.

Mozilla is testing a mobile operating system

The network has more details on the development of the Mozilla operating system for mobile devices. This operating system is called the Boot until 2 Gecko or abbreviated B2G. The project has reached the stage of testing by developers. In general, this system became known, like the Chrome OS from a company Google - it's optimized for the network and is designed to use HTML-5 application. But, in contrast to suggestions from Google, it has a kernel-based Android, while philosophy is to use "as little as possible Android», bringing experience to the Chrome OS mobile phones. At the moment, developers are busy on several fronts, including consciousness of the new API, and portiovanii or building applications for the platform. Because the operating system is built on open network standards and network applications will use HTML-5, its applications will also be compatible with those for iOS or Android. Despite the fact that the active development of the operating system Mozilla Boot 2 Gecko became known only recently, its testing has been going on for several months. It is reported that the beta version will be ready in the first quarter of 2012 and ready for delivery to market the product may appear in the second quarter of next year.

Opera and Mxit team up in Africa

Mxit, the leading mobile social platform in Africa, announced a partnership agreement with Opera Software. Opera and Mxit will work together to bring the best mobile experience to consumers in South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria.

Opera users in these African countries will now have one-click access to Mxit services, and Mxit users will be introduced to the Opera Mini Browser.

Mini browser through the chat client. Opera Mini will appear under the Apps menu. Mxit will appear on the Opera Mini start page. Both are accessible via virtually any data-capable handset.

Mxit is an African social network that allows users to chat to one another on their mobile phones or PCs anywhere in the world. Mxit does not charge for the sending and receiving of multimedia messages to and from mobile phones and PCs, as it uses the Internet.

Mxit has a global registered user base of over 45 million, with the majority of these users residing in Africa. It records about 45,000 to 50,000 new registered user accounts per day and processes over 750 million messages every day.

According to Mxit’s CEO Alan Knott Craig, “Mxit empowers African people by helping them build community and make money via their mobile phones. We believe the alliance with Opera will bring us a step closer to fulfilling that vision.”

The Opera Mini browser delivers the Web faster and at a lower price than any other mobile browser. It does this by compressing the pages before they are sent onto consumers, leaving all the functionality but reducing the size of each page by up to 90%. A good example of this is how, using Opera Mini, people can access a news site, like www.24.com, nine times more frequently than other browsers, using the same amount of data.

Opera Mini shares many features with Opera’s browser for the desktop, including tabbed browsing, password manager, bookmarks and Speed Dial.

“Mxit and Opera Mini are hugely popular in South Africa, and this partnership will provide consumers with easy access to South Africa’s favourite web services,” said Lars Boilesen, CEO, Opera Software.

About Mxit

Mxit is the biggest social network in Africa, allowing tens of millions of people to community fast and affordably.

About Opera Software ASA

The worldwide World Wide Web — any device, any platform, any bandwidth, absolutely anywhere in the world. Opera Software was founded in 1994, based on the idea that access to the Web should be a universal right. 200 million people (and counting) use the Opera web browsers for computers, mobile phones, TVs and other connected devices. Opera also delivers tools, distribution, engagement, monetization and market insights to developers, publishers and brands around the world. We are passionate about breaking down barriers, so everyone can share in the power of the Internet. Our vision of one Web for all remains at the heart of what we do, because we believe that participation changes everything. Opera Software ASA is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol OPERA. Learn more about Opera at www.opera.com.

Mozilla developers building entirely web based mobile OS

Mozilla is working on a new entirely web based operating system called Boot 2 Gecko. Pics of the B2G interface appeared on the Mozilla wiki and show an icon based OS, not unlike Apple's.

Developers are currently testing B2G and its "proprietary, single-vendor stacks". They are building new APIs for things like camera, telephone and SMS capabilities.

Without getting too bogged down in technical details, Mozilla is essentially working on the basics of a mobile OS, like contacts and actual phone functionality. They are also getting everything ready for deadline and on track for what is said to be a product demo by the end of the year.

The first screens of the OS hint at some rather interesting ideas. Swiping icons to jump straight to an app, a la HTC Sense 3.5 is a particular favourite. There is also the ability to have either hardware or non-physical buttons for things like back and menu.

Last we heard from Mozilla on the OS was that it was going to be HTML5 powered and use Android just for booting and drivers.

Not much else is known about the Mozilla OS other than the above. One thing's for sure, it is a brave move entering into a mobile market as OS-saturated as the current. B2G is going to have to be pretty special in order to steal any of the limelight away from Android, iOS and WP7.

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Greed Corp coming to iPad, Mac OS X & Android Tablets

Invictus Games is bringing the console and PC Turn-Based Strategy hit Greed Corp to Mac, iOS and Android mobile devices!
Greed Corp released last year on Xbox360, PlayStation3 and PC to critical acclaim and commercial success. Over the last few months, Invictus Games has been working closely with the team at Vanguard Games to bring the best possible version of the game tomobile devices and the Mac.

Greed Corp is all about finding a balance between harvesting the land for resources and preserving it to stay alive. Will you defend your territory or sacrifice it to keep it out of enemy hands? Manage the finite available resources to build your army and use the collapsing terrain to your advantage. Destroy your enemies, or destroy the very land they stand on, before they do it to you!

Yahoo! Launches Livestand, a Personalized Living Magazine for iPad

Content from more than 100 publications comes to life in a new, visually stunning experience

Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ: YHOO), the premier digital media company, announced the availability of Livestand from Yahoo! ― a personalized living magazine designed first for iPad — available exclusively on the App Store at launch. Livestand weaves together content from leading third-party publishers and Yahoo!'s global media network to create a visually stunning and deeply personalized digital experience tailored to people's interests and passions. Livestand is built on Yahoo!'s new Cocktails platform, which powers rapid development and distribution of experiences globally.

"Tablets are profoundly changing how we interact with media and Livestand captures that shift in a deeply personal and imaginative new experience," said Blake Irving, EVP and chief product officer at Yahoo!, from a press event at the company's Sunnyvale headquarters. "No one does personalization better than Yahoo!. The technology behind Livestand, combined with its stunning design and fantastic variety of content, redefines what digital media can be."

Livestand leverages years of Yahoo! innovations, including the C.O.R.E. (content optimization relevance engine) personalization platform, YUI3 JavaScript library, Yahoo! Query Language (YQL), and Hadoop. Built with HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript, Livestand was also created in tandem with Yahoo!'s new Cocktails platform: Yahoo!'s Mojito, which automatically packages apps for multiple device formats, and Yahoo! Manhattan, which leverages the Yahoo! Cloud to distribute apps and content globally in minutes.

Features of Livestand from Yahoo! include:

Deep Personalization

My Library: A living, personal collection of publications and topics.
Personal Mix: A personalized magazine that is customized by tagging topics and articles.
Yahoo! Today: A new Yahoo! publication, exclusive to Livestand, that captures personalized daily essentials like weather, stocks, entertainment news, sports, and TV listings.
News for You: A personalized set of headlines continuously updated 24/7.
Content Guide: An ever-expanding directory of all the content in Livestand organized by topic for easy discovery and browsing.

Visually Rich Design

Intuitive navigation: All content in Livestand is easy to find, plays within the app, and is easy to share via email or Facebook.
New design formats: With features such as News in Pictures and Sports in Pictures, Livestand presents timely stories and headlines in new, visually compelling ways.
Optimized for tablets: Whether it's presenting the latest recipes, timely tweets, breaking news, or blog posts, the layout on Livestand is optimized to look its best on iPad.

Premium Content All in One Place

Leading third-party publishers: At launch, Livestand includes more than 100 popular titles and topics, including content from publishers such as ABC News, Bonnier (Parenting), Forbes, and Source Interlink Media (Bike, Powder, Surfer) — with more added weekly.
Flagship Yahoo! content: At Launch, Livestand features content from major Yahoo! sites such as News, Finance, Sports, and omg!.
Diverse topics: Livestand organizes content according to easy to navigate topics, such as Arts and Culture, Business and Finance, Sports, and Technology.

Unmatched Creative Canvas for Advertising

Living Ads from Yahoo!: A first-of-its-kind immersive, interactive, and adaptable digital ad that uses video to increase engagement and take full advantage of the tactile and motion-sensing capabilities of tablets.
Rich media ads: Graphically rich display ads that use HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript, and feature animation, interaction, and analytics to bring more compelling ads to mobile devices.
Image ads: Simple and elegant, this magazine-style ad enables brand creative to be used on tablet devices to engage target audiences.

Toyota and DreamWorks Pictures, Yahoo!'s official Livestand advertising partners at launch, debuted new campaigns today:

Toyota will be running a Living Ad execution along with a Rich Media unit to promote the new Prius v launching in November. The Prius v Living Ad enables Toyota to bring the Prius to life for consumers in a way never before seen on a tablet device.
DreamWorks Pictures debuts a highly interactive rich media campaign on Livestand promoting their upcoming holiday film: "War Horse" set for release on December 25th, 2011.

Pricing and Availability

Livestand from Yahoo! is available for free from the App Store on iPad or at www.itunes.com (http://www.itunes.com/appstore). Now available in the United States, Livestand will expand to additional platforms and international markets throughout 2012.

For more information about Livestand from Yahoo!, visit http://livestand.com and our company blog, Yodel Anecdotal, at http://yodel.yahoo.com. You can also follow Livestand updates and news on Twitter (@Yahoolivestand) and on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/livestandfromyahoo).

About Yahoo!

Yahoo! (NASDAQ:YHOO) is the premier digital media company, creating deeply personal digital experiences that keep more than half a billion people connected to what matters most to them, across devices and around the globe. And Yahoo!'s unique combination of Science + Art + Scale connects advertisers to the consumers who build their businesses. Yahoo! is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California. For more information, visit the pressroom (pressroom.yahoo.com) or the company's blog, Yodel Anecdotal (yodel.yahoo.com).

One Yahoo!, Many Screens: Yahoo! Debuts New Products for Mobile, Tablet, and PC

Beautifully designed, personalized products give people new ways to discover, engage, and share digital experiences

Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ: YHOO), the premier digital media company, launched several new mobile, tablet, and PC experiences that empower its 700 million monthly visitors to seamlessly discover, engage, and share the media and content that's most important to them. From a new tablet app that tailors news, sports, and entertainment publications, to new ways of connecting with friends while watching TV, Yahoo! is delivering products that enable people to have more deeply personal digital experiences.

"Hundreds of millions of people rely on Yahoo! every day, yet no two users are alike," said Blake Irving, EVP and chief product officer at Yahoo!, from a press event at the company's Sunnyvale headquarters. "Today's product launches reaffirm our commitment to personalize experiences across devices. By building these products on top of our powerful platforms with beautiful interactive design, we are getting closer to a truly 'personal Web' for every Yahoo! customer."

The products introduced today bring together years of Yahoo!'s scientific research, technical innovations, and cutting-edge platforms with compelling new design formats:

Livestand from Yahoo! (for iPad): A personalized living magazine, Livestand weaves together content from leading third-party publishers and Yahoo!'s global media network to create a visually stunning and deeply personalized digital experience tailored to each people's interests and passions. Additional details are available in today's accompanying Livestand press release. Available in the United States as a free download from the App Store on iPad or at www.itunes.com/appstore.
C.O.R.E. + Cocktails Platforms: Livestand builds upon years of Yahoo! innovations, including the C.O.R.E. (content optimization relevance engine) personalization technology and Yahoo!'s new Cocktails platform: Yahoo!'s Mojito, which automatically packages apps for multiple device formats, and Yahoo! Manhattan, which leverages the Yahoo! Cloud to distribute apps and content globally in minutes.
IntoNow from Yahoo! (for iPad): IntoNow, the app that makes watching TV more engaging, social, and fun with the touch of a button, is now available for iPad users. IntoNow identifies what people are watching, whether live or recorded; shows related content and personalized recommendations; and enables discussions with friends. IntoNow from Yahoo! is available in the United States for free download from the App Store on iPad or at www.itunes.com/appstore
Yahoo! Weather (for Android): Yahoo! brings weather to life with beautiful photos that correspond to location, time of day, and current weather conditions. Photos are powered by the Flickr community, with a crowdsourcing effort launching at http://flickr.com/projectweather to create a global weather image library. Available as a free download in the Android Market in 35 languages and 63 countries.
Yahoo! Mail (for iPad): Yahoo! Mail offers people a rich, vivid entry point on tablet web browsers for viewing unread emails from their contacts as well as personalized news, local weather, and Trending Now videos. Available in the United States at http://mail.yahoo.com on iPad devices.
New Social Features on Yahoo!: Three new social features expand upon Yahoo! News activity and encourage social discovery and navigation of content through the lens of people's friends. Conversations enable people to have small group conversations within Yahoo! News. Notifications will inform people of activity on Yahoo! that interests them. The Social Sentiment Slider is a news-driven social opinion poll that connects brands to the conversations that matter to people. The Social Sentiment Slider is available in the United States on Yahoo! News now. Conversations and Notifications will be available in the coming weeks.

For more information about Yahoo!'s new products and features, visit our company blog, Yodel Anecdotal, at yodel.yahoo.com.

Sony Ericsson launches Xperia™ Studio for artists and creative collaborators

Sony Ericsson has launched Xperia™ Studio, an online entertainment platform for artists and collaborators to create and share their most innovative content. The initiative reflects Sony Ericsson’s ongoing commitment to engage with consumers through high-quality entertaining content to inspire them to explore their Xperia™ phones in new ways.

Remaking Reality:
The Sony Ericsson’s Xperia™ Studio invites creative thinkers, artists and intellectuals – from collaborative artists in Denmark to astrophysicists in New York – to take the range of Xperia™ handsets to their absolute limits and ultimately ‘remake reality’. Content on the platform will be updated at regular intervals from the growing pool of contributors.

Blurring the boundaries of entertainment, technology and communications:
The first phase of the project has seen collaborators from around the world use Xperia™ handsets to create content in unconventional and interesting ways – a flame-thrower camera flash, a view of the universe through the naked eye, capturing the perfect wave, creating a song from the ambient sounds of Paris and most recently capturing the extreme tricks preformed by a BMX crew in Brooklyn. Each project has been video-documented and can be viewed on the Xperia™ Studio platform.

Collaborators from around the world:
The project underlines Sony Ericsson’s heritage as an innovator that continually strives to blur the boundaries between entertainment, technology and communications. The first round of collaborators involved in the Xperia™ Studio project includes:

Illutron, a collaborative interactive art studio in Copenhagen
Dr. Joshua Peek, a Hubble Fellow and astrophysicist at Columbia University, NYC
Ed Sloane, a lifelong surfer and innovative surf photographer from Victoria, Australia
Annabel Linquist – an artist and musician from New York
Torey Kish – an extreme sports enthusiast from Brooklyn
For full details, please visit www.xperiastudio.com. Xperia™ Studio content is also available to Sony Ericsson communities on Facebook (www.facebook.com/sonyericsson) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/xperiastudio).

Legal
1) Facts and features may vary depending on local variant. 2) Operational times are affected by network
preferences, type of SIM card, connected accessories and various activities e.g. playing games. Kit contents and colour options may differ from market to market. The full range of accessories may not be available in every market.

© Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB, 2011

The Liquid Identity logo is trademark or registered trademark of Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB. Sony, Walkman and Zappin are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Corporation. Ericsson is the trademark or registered trademark of Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson. Additional information regarding trademarks may be located on our website at: www.sonyericsson.com/cws/common/legal/disclaimer.

Other product and company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. Any rights not expressly granted herein are reserved. All terms are subject to change without prior notice.
Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB, SE-221 88 Lund, Sweden.

About Sony Ericsson
Sony Ericsson celebrates its 10th year as a joint venture between Sony Corporation and Ericsson in October, 2011. Over the years Sony Ericsson has brought together the best communication technologies with superior entertainment user experiences to create its Xperia™ line of the ‘most entertaining smartphones’ in the mobile handset industry. With its global corporate functions in London, Sony Ericsson has sales and marketing operations in all major regions of the world, as well as manufacturing in China, and product development sites in China, Japan, Sweden and Silicon Valley, California. For more information, please visit: www.sonyericsson.com/press.

A new version for Android 1.2.4 Shturmann

The company "Content Master", which produces navigation products under the brand name Shturmann, announced a new version 1.2.4. Shturmann navigation software for devices based on operating system Android. Currently, 15-day trial version 1.2.4. Shturmann navigation for Android is available free of charge. The main features of the new version 1.2.4. Shturmann navigation for Android:

New maps Navteq: version Q3'11. Includes maps of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Scandinavia and the Baltics.
Potholes on RosYamy: actual base defects road.
Service Yandeks.Probki: improved display format jams, as well as added an indicator to reduce and increase traffic on the roads.
The updated address search algorithm.
A more accurate estimate of time to the point of arrival.
Current base SpeedCam.
Ability to customize the display format of functional panels.
Improved routing, taking into account traffic jams.
Improved algorithm of the section "Selected" with regard to frequency and time of use.
Gasoline prices: The latest information on the cost of fuel at gas stations.
My.shturmann.com - management services on-line, access to content and reference information, integration with social networks.