The open-source personal server platform Sandstorm just became way more viable: Having previously raised just under $59,000 through a crowdfunding campaign, it’s…
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Spotify kills its app platform three years after its launch
Spotify wanted to make its desktop client more social when it introduced third-party apps three years ago. Now, those apps are getting killed off.…
Read MoreRemember Google’s Wave? Thanks to Sandstorm, it’s easy to start using again
Sandstorm's indie web app platform, which is currently crowdfunding, is picking up ports at an impressive rate. Earlier this week WordPress made an appearance, and now Apache (née Google) Wave has joined the party.…
Read MorePlay a Microsoft-made HTML5 version of Settlers of Catan in your browser right now
Microsoft's Internet Explorer team released a preview HTML5 version of Settlers of Catan that works on almost every modern device -- from Windows Phone to iPads and desktop computers.…
Read MoreGooooaal! 5 ways to participate in the World Cup online
You already know where to watch the matches online, but here's where you can go to learn how to pronounce the Croatian goalkeeper's name or see a Vine of Dutch star Robin van Persie in a cape.…
Read MoreGot an HTML 5 web app? Now you can sell it in Amazon’s Appstore
Paid web apps gain a new home in Amazon's Appstore. The company allowed such apps in the store since last August but now developers can set a price and sell their web wares.…
Read MoreGoogle launches tools to run Chrome apps natively on Macs, Android and more
Google's Chrome strategy takes another step forward with the company launching tools based on Apache Cordova to get Chrome apps running on other platforms. The company demonstrated the tech last May but now developers can start using it.…
Read MoreA newer, faster Google Sheets gains Chrome App offline functionality
Calling it "built from the ground up", the newest version of Google Sheets adds speed, new features and one very important function: The ability to work offline, just like all other Chrome Apps.…
Read MoreBetting on web apps, Google’s Chrome DevTools are easier to connect with Android
Developers wanting to build mobile web apps won't have to jump through as many hoops: The latest Chrome DevTools includes the ability to emulate an Android device or even connect one to the browser for a screen cast.…
Read MoreThe Chrome Show: HP’s Chromebook 11 and near-native Chrome web apps
There's a new Chromebook in town: We break down the hardware choices for the HP Chromebook 11 on this week's podcast. The Chrome OS Camera gets a refresh too and we explain the trick to make Chrome looks like Chrome OS on Windows.…
Read MoreFirefox OS gets major feature boost as second rollout wave looms
Version 1.1 of Mozilla's web-centric smartphone platform adds major features such as push notifications and browser downloads. But will this be enough to see signed-up manufacturers such as Huawei and LG actually produce Firefox OS phones?…
Read MoreHere’s the one thing missing in Google’s ambitious Chromebook Pixel
Google touts the new Chromebook Pixel for "what's next" or the touchable web, but the fact is we already have that experience on tablets and such. Maybe this is what's really next for the Pixel.…
Read MoreUS spends 35 percent more time using apps in 2012, while web usage drops
The modern era of mobile apps is just over four years old, but their usage continues to grow, according to new survey data released Wednesday. Time spent in apps grew 35 percent in the last year, while TV watching remained steady and web usage dropped.…
Read MoreRead-it-later service Pocket launches Mac app
Pocket, which allows users to save content from the web to view later, has added a Mac app to its lineup of iOS, Android, Kindle Fire and web apps.…
Read MoreNew Chromebook brings a little fragmentation to Chrome OS (Updated)
If a web app works on Google's old Chromebooks, it works on the new one just announced, right? Not exactly: Netflix doesn't, nor does Bastion, a fun browser-based game. Native code in the browser may require web apps to be recompiled for the new chips.…
Read MoreBookShout pulls users’ Kindle, Nook books onto other platforms
Startup BookShout lets users import their Kindle and Nook books into its iOS, Android and web-based social reading platform. But the function doesn't work very well yet, and it seems as if it's only a matter of time before Barnes & Noble or Amazon shuts it down.…
Read MoreNew York Times experiments with HTML5 iPad app
The New York Times is introducing an HTML5 web app for the iPad that will offer digital subscribers another way to access content outside the Times' website and native apps. The Times said the app is experimental and part of its larger NYT Everywhere strategy.…
Read MoreHow MemCachier went from a favor for a friend to cloud ubiquity
Hosted memcached provider MemCachier is expanding like crazy, moving from its homebase on Heroku into the AppFog, CloudBees, DotCloud and Amazon EC2 platforms. It's impressive growth for a bootstrapped company that launched in April and was little more than an idea a year ago.…
Read MoreUpdate makes Chromebooks better for work and play
Google's Chromebook continues to improve. The latest software update for all Chromebooks -- even the CR-48 laptops -- upgrades the browser to version 21 of Chrome. Even better are some user interface enhancements, more offline support and the ability to use wireless gamepads with a Chromebook.…
Read MoreShould we treat addictive web apps like drugs?
What if Facebook is nothing more than a digital drug dealer and we're all just junkies? As we head toward a future where technology is not just something we do, but a part of our biology, the answer to that question might take on grave importance.…
Read MoreTurn your Facebook fan page into a mobile Web app
For the local small business or artist building up a Facebook fan page, creating a mobile optimized web app can be another hurdle or headache. But why not combine the two efforts? That's the premise behind a new product called Fan Page Mobilizer.…
Read MoreIf web apps take off, Mozilla is prepared on mobiles
Could a smartphone run solely on web code instead of native software? Mozilla thinks so and recently demonstrated such a device on video, replacing the Google Android operating system on a Samsung Galaxy S II phone with its Boot 2 Gecko (B2G) technology.…
Read MoreSubmit once, sell everywhere? Mozilla to open mobile Web app store
Mozilla is getting ready to make a big push around HTML5 mobile apps in 2012, starting with a plan to unveil a mobile Web app store next week at Mobile World Congress. The maker of the Firefox browser is hoping developers are ready to submit apps.…
Read MorePinterest: signs of staying power
Will Pinterest be a fad that flashes and burns, as Turntable.fm shows signs of doing, or will it end up a midsize link sharer like Digg or Reddit? It is worth examining Pinterest’s growth, usage, influence and money-making potential for startup lessons and marketing opportunities.…
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