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Design scrapbook Ember for Mac and iOS now features Folders to bring order to your sidebar

Mar06

by Sindy Cator on March 6, 2014 at 3:58 pm

Posted In: Apps, Around the Web, Insider, Product Updates

Ember, the app that lets you collect photos and other images in a scrapbook-like fashion, has launched a new feature for its desktop (Mac) and iOS builds today that introduces Folders for the first time.

Announced in a blog post, Ember 1.5 for Mac and Ember 1.2 for iOS both include the new option that is designed to make keeping track of your images and collections a whole lot more simple.

Realmac Software, the company behind the app, is celebrating the update by making its popular to-do list app Clear (for iOS and Mac) free for one day.

➤ Ember [App Store] | Ember [Mac App Store]

└ Tags: news, syndicated

Amazon launches a dedicated iPhone app for sellers, but it’s US-only for now

Mar06

by Sindy Cator on March 6, 2014 at 3:50 pm

Posted In: Apps, Around the Web, Insider

If you frequently use Amazon to sell things, then you may be pleased to know the the e-commerce giant has just launched a dedicated mobile app for this very purpose, as unearthed by TechCrunch.

However, the aptly-titled Amazon Seller app is only available for iPhone users in the US for now, and there’s no word yet on when this will be rolling out to other platforms either. We’ve reached out to Amazon for further details.

At any rate, the app lets you list items for sale, contact Amazon for seller support, and respond to customer questions. You can also check current prices, sales rank, and reviews, by using text-based search or scanning barcodes.

Additionally, you can estimate your profitability prior to selling an item – to do this, you enter the cost data and Amazon tells you how much you’ll make after your fees have been deducted.

For many, this app will have been a long time coming, though as noted already this is still very limited in its availability.

➤ Amazon Seller | App Store

└ Tags: syndicated

Vimeo invests $10 million to get more creatives releasing films through Vimeo on Demand

Mar06

by Sindy Cator on March 6, 2014 at 3:41 pm

Posted In: Around the Web, Insider

Vimeo wants more independent filmmakers to distribute their work using its Vimeo On Demand platform – and it’s prepared to pay some serious cash to make it happen.

Today, the company announced that it will be putting forward $10 million in fresh funding to help creators finish their films and make sure they’re seen by the largest audience possible. The extra money will be used to expand its crowdfunding program – a $500,000 pot launched at this year’s Sundance Festival for films funded on Indiegogo, Kickstarter and similar sites.

It will also bolster its film festival program, which offers funding to filmmakers who premiere their work at major film festivals, in exchange for a timed exclusivity release through its Vimeo on Demand platform.

The company said it would also be offering ‘grants’ for its PRO service – a premium tier that offers unlimited HD uploads and up to 1,000GB of storage each year – and distribution through Vimeo on Demand for filmmakers that meet the criteria for its crowdfunding and film festival programs.

Vimeo also mentioned, rather ambiguously, that some of its new investment could be used to expand its title and catalog acquisitions. “[We] will work with filmmakers and distributors to accelerate its investment in quality individual titles and catalogs suited to [our] unique audience,” the company said.

The strategy is clear. Vimeo wants its Vimeo on Demand platform to be the go-to place for distributing and viewing works by independent filmmakers. To attract a sizeable audience though, it needs some exclusive content – or high-profile creatives to upload their work on the site first. It probably won’t happen overnight, but some fresh investment on Vimeo’s side will likely tempt a few aspiring or cash-strapped filmmakers.

➤ Vimeo press release (Via TechCrunch)

└ Tags: news, syndicated

Spotify acquires The Echo Nest to build a better music discovery engine, will keep API free for developers

Mar06

by Sindy Cator on March 6, 2014 at 2:37 pm

Posted In: Around the Web, Insider

Spotify today announced it has acquired music data platform The Echo Nest, which will continue to operate out of its headquarters in Somerville, Massachusetts, and its offices in San Francisco. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.

Spotify says it will use The Echo Nest to continue on its path of growing global music consumption and bringing revenue back to the music industry “by building the best user experience and music discovery engine for millions of global fans.” More specifically, Spotify will look to leverage The Echo Nest’s musical understanding and tools for curation, not only to drive better music discovery for users, but also for brands and partners to build better music experiences for their audiences.

For developers wondering about The Echo Nest API, don’t worry: it will remain free and continue to be supported. Both companies say the developer community is crucial to their success and will remain a priority.

Spotify and The Echo Nest have a long history together. Back in March 2012, the two integrated their APIs so that any Spotify app developer could tap into The Echo Nest’s music intelligence technology. In March 2013, Microsoft, Spotify, and The Echo Nest joined forces to create Mixshape, a visual tool that automatically sorts playlists based on the properties and moods of individual songs.

“We’ve been fans of The Echo Nest for a really long time and honoured to have their talented team join Spotify,” Spotify founder CEO Daniel Ek said in a statement. “At Spotify, we want to get people to listen to more music. We are hyper focused on creating the best user experience and it starts with building the best music intelligence platform on the planet. With The Echo Nest joining Spotify, we will make a big leap forward in our quest to play you the best music possible.”

Given that The Echo Nest powers many of Spotify’s competitors, including eMusic, MOG, VEVO, Twitter Music, and Rdio, how exactly Spotify manages the API moving forward could impact online music across the board. We’ve asked Spotify to make sure that “developers” refers to everyone and doesn’t exclude other Internet radio services.

Top Image Credit: iStockphoto

└ Tags: media, syndicated

Vodafone debuts Red XXL 4G plan in the UK, but data cap still lower than top EE and Three contracts

Mar06

by Sindy Cator on March 6, 2014 at 2:31 pm

Posted In: Around the Web, Insider, UK

Vodafone is touting a new super-sized 4G plan in the UK, but it might not be the near-limitless data experience you were hoping for. Whereas before Vodafone capped its 4G plans at 3GB, 5GB (L) and 9GB (XL) per month, its new XXL plan raises the ceiling to 13GB.

While that’s a significant increase relative to its existing 4G tiers, it’s hard not to compare that with rival carriers EE – which offers as much as 50GB a month – and Three, which has a series of unlimited data plans. In fairness though, it’s still larger than O2, which offers a maximum of 8GB for its 4G-ready plans in the UK. We’re also not comparing prices here, which is always a factor when deciding if a contract is good value – regardless of its data allowance.

Vodafone also emphasizes that with 13GB per month, you could stream 26 football matches with Sky Sports Mobile TV, or 3,000 songs with Spotify – both of which are available as a free bonus with its 4G contracts. While most are unlikely to eclipse 13GB each month, its XXL branding still feels anticlimactic.

➤ Vodafone blog

Image Credit: CARL COURT/AFP/GettyImages