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Microsoft Bing's plans for the iPhone (and more)

Ina Fried | Dec 04, 2009

SAN FRANCISCO--Although Microsoft would rather everyone ran out and bought a Windows Mobile phone, the software maker is aware of reality. And, since it wants people to use Bing on their phones, it knows it needs to have software that works on other devices.

"Everyone understands the popularity and the pervasiveness of the platform," said Microsoft principal group program manager David Raissipour, following a Bing event Wednesday. "We are actively working on it."

Raissipour confirmed Microsoft is working on a mobile Bing application that will combine a number of features--more than just mapping and search. However, he declined to say what all of those features are or when the software will be ready.

I probed as to whether some of the cool mapping technology Microsoft showed on Wednesday might make it onto phones. Raissipour said such mapping requires a rich platform, but could potentially be done without Silverlight, if necessary. So, what about the iPhone?
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YouTube tests "featherweight" Web video player

Josh Lowensohn | Dec 04, 2009

YouTube's new feather mode ditches many of YouTube's advanced features in favor of a faster-loading page.
(Credit: CNET)

In a nod to efficiency, YouTube recently began testing a more lightweight version of its video player pages called "feather."

Feather pages do a number of things to speed up the video-playing process, from defaulting to the standard quality version (instead of high quality or high-definition), to removing various on-page features such as being able to control the size and coloring of an embed. The idea is to get the video playing as soon as possible with fewer on-page distractions.
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Microsoft Bing Maps adds steet-level imagery

Tom Krazit | Dec 03, 2009

Microsoft's new street-level imagery in Bing Maps takes advantage of Silverlight to do things Web applications can't, according to the company.
(Credit: Tom Krazit/CNET)

Microsoft is kicking Bing Maps into a higher gear, announcing a beta version of Bing Maps that uses Silverlight to display 3D images and its own version of street-level images.

The company announced the new beta Wednesday amid a discussion of other improvements to Bing Thursday at its San Francisco offices in a presentation for the media. Bing Maps Beta is rolling out Thursday along with several other new features in the main Bing search results.
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Is printing one of Google Chrome OS' biggest challenge?

Tom Krazit | Dec 02, 2009

Many challenges will have to be solved before Google is ready to release Chrome OS, it's browser-based operating system for Netbooks. One of the biggest ones could be something as far offline as it gets.

Google is looking at unique ways of solving the problems posed by the lack of standards among printer drivers. (Credit: Brother)

Driver support has derailed many an operating system release, perhaps most recently causing headaches for Microsoft and Windows Vista. As a result, Google is paying close attention to the thorny problem of making sure Chrome OS will work with the myriad devices consumers can be expected to connect to those Netbooks, said Linus Upson, engineering director for the Chrome browser and Chrome OS.

"The good news is that for most input devices today, there are basic standards that allow them to operate without needing a specific driver for each device," Upson said. For instance, manufacturers of USB storage drives and cameras have all pretty much settled on standards that make it easy to ensure those devices will work with your software.
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Filed under: Printers, Web
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Creative demos Zii-based videoconferencing

John Chan | Dec 02, 2009

A model with the Project Lionfish 003 tablet.
(Credit: John Chan/CNET Asia)

SHENZHEN, China--Creative demonstrated the versatility of its Zii platform during its Zii Summit with different concept hardware and software products. These included various videoconferencing tools aside from yesterday's announcement of the Trinity smartphone platform.

When the Singapore-based company first announced its Zii platform, it was presented as a scalable computer that can be used to create a supercomputer efficiently. Thereafter, Creative showed off the Zii Egg, a portable media player very different from that initial idea as it now targets the consumer market. The Trinity concept smartphone is an extension of the Egg, adding cellular capabilities to the touchscreen media player.

The Trinity may be the highlight of the ongoing conference, but Creative's other concepts are worth mentioning, too. The device codenamed Project Turtle 002 is a portable videoconferencing camera with a fisheye lens so it's able to give an overview of the participants around a meeting table. Using the accompanying Zii Meet conferencing software, someone on the other end of the call can get a split-screen view and zoom in on specific participants, useful if you are addressing one person in a group.
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