We have released a simple Notes widget. It’s v0.1 so don’t expect it to have lots of features. We are just experimenting with AIR since we wanna release an AIR version of Qoove itself in the near future. You can download it from our start page: http://www.qoove.com
I’ve just rolled out a new version of our Website. It’s a complete redesign and provides more information about what we are doing. It’s still far from beeing final yet but we will iterate fast now. We also plan to bring the blog, the logins and some other stuff on the new design this week. Hope you like…
Here are some screenshots of the Qoove Alpha. We’re gonna send out alpha invitations soon.
An US based company called Ribbit is creating a Flash based Voip client. The cool thing about this Voip client is that it’s 100% Browser based. No Plugin, no Installation and no call back service like Jajah. It’s a true Voip client based on just Flex/Flash. They also have a developer component and we are planning to integrate it into Qoove.
Unfortunately it’s still closed and therefore I haven’t seen it live but it still sounds promising.
It’s been a long time since my last blog post but I’m back now. Reason for my silence was that we were working like crazy on our project. This is my first big software project and I didn’t expected it to be that hard.
Nevertheless, Qoove is turning into reality. We are just days away from our closed alpha release. There are still a lot of bugs and I don’t think that the new design will make it into the alpha but rome wasn’t built in a day neither. We are also preparing a new Website and some other stuff to be released in the next few weeks. I’ll keep you updated.
If you want an Alpha access just leave me comment here!
To be honest. At Qoove, we are by no means reinventing User Interface Design. In fact we are just copying elements from other services like these:
iTunes
Apple’s iTunes Software is one of the best, if not the best music player availiable. It’s so simple and slick and just does it’s job. The easy way iTunes handles even large amounts of songs is very impressive and one can learn a great deal from it. I think that a great part of the iPod success story is due to iTunes.
Gmail
If you run a website you will immediatly recognize one thing: Most early adopters (tech savvy) use Gmail. It’s the single best Email application out there. I especially like the mobile J2ME based version. Gmail is also a perfect example for how you can handle large data amounts, without becoming too complex.
Facebook
Facebook is not really an application but it’s hell of an impressive user interface. They way they seamlessly integrate their application platform into their core service is groundbreaking. Facebook is definetily a company to watch anyway.
If you have some time also try this app: Picnik
Picnik is an online photo editor which uses Flex (the technology Qoove is based on) and really shows off how far browser applications have come today.
So what’s the lesson:
Learn from the best. Find out what works and what not. Copy the good and add your own ideas. In fact, it’s that simple…
Look at those 3 pictures showing Austria in Google Maps, Yahoo Maps and Microsoft Live Maps.
No matter how you put it, but to me Google Maps is by far the best. They follow the less is more principle. Yahoo’s maps service is somehow acceptable but Microsoft’s Maps Service is a complete mess and furthermore it is annoying me with a Virtual Earth 3D installation.
Here you have it. The excactly same app, made by 3 deep pocketed companies but some still just don’t get it right…
(This post is in German, because it’s a response to a local event in Austria)
Aus einer Podiumsdiskussion österreichischer IT-Experten über Software as a Service ( http://derstandard.at/?url=/?id=2930309 ):
Software nicht mehr kaufen, sondern für eine bestimmte Nutzungsdauer mieten: Was vor wenigen Jahren unter dem Kürzel ASP (Application Service Providing) mehr oder weniger floppte, soll nun als “Software as a Service” (SaaS) den Durchbruch schaffen.
Floppte? Salesforce macht rund 500 Millionen Euro im Jahr und viele andere sind auch sehr erfolgreich mit SaaS. Es wurden jedoch viele falsche Erwartungen in ASP gesteckt. Es macht einfach nicht Sinn jedes Stück Software in einen Browser zu stecken, vor allem dann nicht wenn Reaktionszeiten, Hardware-Integration und Offline Verfügbarkeit eine Rolle spielen. Zudem ist Online nicht gleich Online. Es reicht nicht aus ein bestehendes Modell einfach 1 zu 1 im Internet nachzubilden. Das haben vor allem Zeitungen im Medienbereich zu spüren bekommen. Man muss die Vorteile einer neuen Technologie sinnvoll nutzen zu wissen.
Der heimische IT- und Softwaremarkt hat dadurch neue Möglichkeiten, sich gegen beziehungsweise gemeinsam mit den Branchenriesen am Markt neu zu positionieren. Allerdings ist man hierzulande sehr konservativ und zu wenig offensiv”, kritisierte der Experte. Außerdem stelle die mangelnde Verfügbarkeit von Venture-Kapital für innovative Dienste eine Katastrophe dar. “Kreative Köpfe haben es in Österreich schwer”, sagte Dorfmeister.
Ach was…
Der wirkliche Markt liegt jedoch in der Ergänzung fix installierter Softwaresysteme um Mietsoftware, etwa Programme zum Kundenbeziehungsmanagement.
An unsere “Experten”: Der Zug für Web-CRM ist schon längst abgefahren. Sollen wir wieder nur hinterherlaufen?
Neue Technologien wie zb: Adobe AIR ermöglichen neue Lösungen. Produktivitätssoftware und Bürosoftware stecken in den Kinderschuhen einer neuen Revolution und erfordert neue, offensive Ansätze. Wir müssen viel probieren und auch viele Bedenken aus den Weg räumen um die nächste Generation von Business Software aktiv mitzugestalten. Für konservatives Denken ist hier tatsächlich kein Platz.
If you hate the long loading times of the Adobe PDF Reader then try out the new Adobe Digital Editions. It’s an eBook Reader from Adobe and it supports PDF too. Digital Editions is in many ways very unique:
I was bored in the evening so I designed an Application Icon for Qoove. I just want to know what you think about it…
