Yesterday at BlackBerry World 2011 we were fortunate to sit down and chat with Chris Smith, Senior Director of the BlackBerry Developer Platform, along with Rasmus and Karl from The Astonishing Tribe. One of RIM’s recent acquisitions, TAT is known for some rather, well… astonishing user interface designs, and for infusing a bit of magic into some of the PlayBook’s apps, such as the bundled picture viewer and calculator. We were shown a number of demos, including the downloadable Scrapbook app, a rather nifty contact list, and a location-aware news reader. Over the years, TAT has built an engine and framework that make it easy for developers to create powerful and attractive UIs, and some of this will be making its way into the PlayBook’s native software development kit sometime this summer. Along with support for Open GL ES 2.0, SQLite, cURL, and POSIX (amongst others), this NDK will provide API’s to control the audio system, the cameras, and the sensors — possibly even code to enable stereoscopic 3D output over HDMI, as demonstrated before. We know that’s a lot of exciting stuff to sink your teeth into, so be sure to get a taste of it by watching our video.

TAT-astic native PlayBook development discussed and demoed on video originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 May 2011 08:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yesterday at BlackBerry World 2011 we were fortunate to sit down and chat with Chris Smith, Senior Director of the BlackBerry Developer Platform, along with Rasmus and Karl from The Astonishing Tribe. One of RIM’s recent acquisitions, TAT is known for some rather, well… astonishing user interface designs, and for infusing a bit of magic into some of the PlayBook’s apps, such as the bundled picture viewer and calculator. We were shown a number of demos, including the downloadable Scrapbook app, a rather nifty contact list, and a location-aware news reader. Over the years, TAT has built an engine and framework that make it easy for developers to create powerful and attractive UIs, and some of this will be making its way into the PlayBook’s native software development kit sometime this summer. Along with support for Open GL ES 2.0, SQLite, cURL, and POSIX (amongst others), this NDK will provide API’s to control the audio system, the cameras, and the sensors — possibly even code to enable stereoscopic 3D output over HDMI, as demonstrated before. We know that’s a lot of exciting stuff to sink your teeth into, so be sure to get a taste of it by watching our video.

TAT-astic native PlayBook development discussed and demoed on video originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 May 2011 08:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments
Engadget

Keepsy, the Menlo Park, Calif.-based scrapbook startup, has launched its first product, “Instant Album,” a way to order physical scrapbooks made from Instagram photo albums.

Keepsy is just the latest in a spate of new startups, like Sincerely and Memolane, focused on preserving and organizing the updates people publish online. But the concept of providing tools for users to create printed albums from their digital photos is nothing new: Products like Mixbook, Blurb and Apple’s iPhoto, to name just a few, do the same thing. Keepsy co-founder Blake Williams told me his company isn’t looking to compete with the existing players in the space, as Instant Album is targeted at consumers who are intimidated by the industry’s current offerings.

“The products that are out there right now allow you to do high-end stuff, coffee-table quality books that take hours and hours to build. We don’t want to compete on that level,” Williams said in an interview. “If you can’t build a great-looking album in less than two minutes with Instant Album, we’ve failed.” The company is also differentiated, for the moment at least, by being the only provider of printed Instagram photo albums, Williams pointed out.

Instant Album automatically selects what it deems the 35 most “interesting” photos from a user’s current Instagram account, based on an algorithm that takes into account, among other things, how many times a photo has been “liked” by other Instagram users. It then uses those photos to create an album within a selected template, like “Wedding” or “College.” Users can then further customize the album by adding, moving or deleting photos; changing the accompanying colors, text and fonts; and inserting clip art. Keepsy then prints the album in hardcover book form and ships it anywhere in the United States via FedEx. The company promises its 11-by-8.5 inch books, which start at .99, will arrive within 10 business days.

To date, Keepsy has raised about million in venture capital; its investors include Dave McClure’s 500 Startups fund, James Hong, and Tim Connors. The company will likely look to raise another million in the coming months to support its growth and bring on more staff, Williams said.

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To Declutter Fast Reviews a few easy tips. Work on one pile before moving to the next and make sure to deal with each item. Label five boxes: Trash, Return, Keep, Sell, and File. The file box is for keepsakes that need to be stored away.

Put items that have a practical, daily use in the Keep box. When the rest of the decluttering is finished, it should be easy to find a sensible place for these items. Make sure to only keep items that are actually used on a regular basis and need to be in arms reach. Note: the Keep box is not for keepsakes that need a home – save those for the File box. These tips have been accounted for through best review site.

The TRASH box will hold trash and recyclable items. Trash is anything that no longer has any practical or sentimental value, items that are cheaper to replace than fix, and junk that’s just lying around because it was under the pile. Surprisingly, many piles are actually comprised of things that can simply be thrown out.

The SELL box is self-explanatory, but consider this: if it’s not expensive to replace, sell it at a resale shop for now. When or if you need it later, buy another from a resale shop. This frees up valuable space now, puts money in your pocket, and allows you to buy something of better quality later if you need it.

As for the RETURN box, take some time to return items to the library, friends, or church. Put the RETURN box in the trunk or by the front door until it’s empty again. Keep this box in the garage so you’ll see it when you leave the house and grab that item on the way out. It’s also a great place for library books, borrowed clothes, CDs and DVDs, or gifts that need to be delivered.

The File box is for keepsakes and sentimental items. Anything that can be scanned into a computer file should be. After scanning, either throw it away or place it in a scrapbook. Bulky items can be stored in file boxes or bins from an office supply store, and either stored in long term storage, or in a nearby closet, depending on how often you need to access them.

Media such as DVDs and CDs take up a lot of space. Consider downloading free software that will store and organize these files online or on your hard drive. Then the boxes and cases can be safely stored away in the basement, or traded in for new items at a used CD & DVD store. The advent of portable music and movie players makes this a more practical solution than finding a place for all those cases.

Now that you’re down to only bulky keepsake items that won’t fit in a book or keepsake box, can’t be scanned, and you won’t use to decorate, purchase stackable bins from a hobby store, label them, and store them in your now clutter free closet or attic space. Since the piles are gone, you can deal with each new item as it comes into the house and decide where it should go through help from the best review site. That’s it for our Declutter Fast Reviews.

The Canon L80 printer is an excellent printer to use to produce standard office documents. If you want to have a hardcopy of an email or memo, printing it allows you to save it in a physical file. Your spreadsheet or analysis of a business plan can be printed as well.

Before getting started, there are a few things that can help you make better quality prints. You might have to make some changes on your printing preferences to come up with attractive finishes. There are some projects that might have you use more printer ink and cartridges. Therefore, find out if you can get such items affordably to lower overall costs.

If you have a scrapbook or you enjoying maintaining interesting memorabilia, a Canon L80 printer can be of good use. You can consider scanning most of these items and making spare copies. This allows you to preserve original copies so they do not get spoiled or damaged. After scanning a particular document, you can print it out and include it in your scrapbook or use it as you like.

Sometimes we collect items that we enjoy such as DVDs or music CDs. If you have a Canon L80 printer, you can have an interesting collection of the things you like that are also well organized. It can be helpful to make copies of original CDs or DVDs on blank discs. You can store the original ones safely. Print out unique labels and attach them on the copies instead of using markers.

A printer can be used to make homemade stickers that you can place on your refrigerator or desk. To make them even better and appealing, get colored paper to have variety and it also allows you to end up with unique designs. You can make bumper stickers or get well cards for your friends and loved ones.

If you are involved in projects at home or in the office, you can let other people know about the upcoming event by posting creative print outs. There is quality software such as Apple iPhoto or Microsoft publisher that allows you to come up with great designs. After printing final copies, you can have them posted on notice boards or send them via snow mail to the people concerned. It is a creative and fun way of getting word out.

If you enjoy creating and designing beautiful things, using a quality printer can make provide enjoyment while making your hobby affordably. You can make interesting and unique designs for your tee shirts, dresses, hand bags or table mats using iron on printer paper.

A Canon L80 printer with Canon toner can be used to produce interesting and customized wrapping paper. If you have anniversaries, graduations or birthday parties coming up, it is possible to design unique gift wrappers that can be printed with Canon L80 compatible toner.

Those who love to travel will benefit from choosing a hobby that allows them a chance to see the world. While many people quiet at home hobbies like crafting models or writing in a journal or scrapbook, others love to be more adventurous. Meeting others who share your hobby is exciting. There may be discoveries out there dealing with your hobby you would not learn about without mingling with your own kind. Finding a hobby that provides you with a reason to travel is a great idea. Those who are in a band will find that traveling is a major part of their hobby. You could be a drum teacher Long Island or a trumpet teacher Long Island, but public performances means lots of travel. Some musicians leave the country and perform. Since it is a hobby, there is more control over the destination and timing. Those who are also performing their hobby as a career may use their travels as a tax benefit.

Hobbies like collecting can surprisingly offer you a chance to travel. Many collectors like to gather and share their love with other people. Regardless of your collection, you will find a group who gathers at least once a year to enjoy their hobby together. Whether you have a passion for stamps, movie memorabilia, antiques, or other treasures, you are sure to find a group of people who love getting together and enjoying the company of those who share their interest.

Those who like to observe animals may find that to enjoy their hobby year round, there is a need to travel. Birds and other animals travel for survival. An exciting adventure for an animal hobbyist is to view animals around the world. In other cases, you may never see your favorite animal in person unless you travel. The good news is you can hop on a plane and see the animal in its natural habitat if you are enthusiastic enough.

If your hobby is staying physically fit, you are probably always on the move in relation to your hobby. Chances are though these travels are all fairly close to home. However, travel may make for an exciting new workout. Runners can enter marathons in other parts of the country or you can travel to other areas just to enjoy new surroundings. Biking alongside the Pacific Ocean may be a pleasant change for someone from the Midwest.

Finally, you can always choose traveling as your hobby. Instead of looking for a pastime that offers you a chance to travel, just travel as your actual hobby. Grab a map and a journal and begin your adventures. Choose exciting destinations and make it a goal to see as many places as possible. Traveling as a hobby gets you to places you may otherwise never see.