Netflix web streaming interface gets a new look with bigger icons, embedded previews

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/16/netflix-web-player-updated/

With the exception of tweaks for new features like HD video and closed captioning Netflix's Silverlight-based web player has been largely unchanged for years, but today everything is being reworked. As detailed in a post on the company's blog, PC and Mac users (no word on ChromeOS) the size of the player controls now scale to the window they're in and replace words with icons. Other new features users will notice is the ability to preview additional episodes of TV series without stopping the stream, title information that pops up when the stream is paused and that full screen viewing now has the same options as the windows player. The finale tweak is that the back to browsing button that brings viewers back to their queue has shifted from the bottom right to the top left. Hit the blog for the full breakdown, or just expect a surprise tomorrow when you're watching Downton Abbey at work Drive in the comfort of your own home during leisure time.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Netflix web streaming interface gets a new look with bigger icons, embedded previews originally appeared on Engadge t on Wed, 16 May 2012 20:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google bots learning to read webpages like humans, one step closer to knowing everything

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/17/google-bots-read-webpages-like-humans/

Google just launched its Knowledge Graph, a tool intended to deliver more accurate information by analyzing the way users search. Of course, with a desire to provide better search results comes a need for improved site-reading capabilties. JavaScript and AJAX have traditionally put a wrench in Google bots' journey through a webpage, but it looks like the search engine has developed some smarter specimens. While digging through Apache logs, a developer spotted evidence that bots now execute the JavaScript they encounter -- and rather than just mining for URLS, the crawlers seem to be mimicking how users click on objects to activate them. That means bots can dig deeper into the web, accessing databases and other content that wasn't previously indexable. Looks like Google is one step closer to success on its quest to know everything.

Google bots learning to read webpages like humans, one step closer to knowing everything originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 00:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hillcrest Labs open sources Kylo web browser for TVs, hopes the people want one

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/17/hillcrest-labs-open-sources-kylo-web-browser-for-tvs-hopes-the/

We didn't hear much from Hillcrest Labs' Kylo web browser for TVs after it launched in 2010, but now the company is apparently turning its fate over to the community. A Mozilla-based browser, Kylo will work with any mouse but is designed specifically for its Freespace pointer controls. It's available under the Mozilla Public License which means others can use it for commercial products, but so far web connected products have been slow to take off and even Google TV has had trouble pushing a typical browser experience on HDTVs. Interested devs can snag the code at Kylo.tv or GitHub, we'll see if anyone builds anything with more market impact.

Continue reading Hillcrest Labs open sources Kylo web browser for TVs, hopes the people want one

Hillcrest Labs open sources Kylo web browser for TVs, hopes the people want one originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 03:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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90-9-1 or 1-9-90 Rule of Social Media Participation

90-9-1 or 1-9-90 Rule of Social Media Participation

Read more: 90-9-1 or 1-9-90 Rule of Social Media Participation » go-Digital Blog on Digital Marketing 

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Meet Electric Imp, The Brilliant Gadget From The iPhone's Former Hardware Boss

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/electric-imp-2012-5

We're going nuts over this one.

Hugo Fiennes, the hardware boss behind the first four iPhones, has a brilliant new startup called Electric Imp. (We first got word of the company from Gizmodo.)

Electric Imp is more of a system than a single gadget. You can install a tiny card (it looks like your phone's SIM card) to just about any device in your home and connect it to the web. Each card has a built-in Wi-Fi antenna and processor.

The system is fully programmable. For example, you can tell your dishwasher to send you a tweet or text when it's finished. Or you can turn off your home's lights from your iPhone. Or you can get a text message whenever your doorbell rings...

You get the idea.

Manufacturers can also add Imp card slots to their appliances. (If an appliance doesn't have the slot, you can buy one and install it.)

Each Imp card will cost $25, but no word yet on when you can buy it. Developers can get their hands on a development kit in late June to start writing apps.

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