What happens when you combine social-networking tools like Twitter and Facebook with cloud-based services from Google and make them all accessible from one desktop service? The new program called MultiMi (download) gives you access to all those accounts and lets you share items to contacts across the board using drag and drop.

"The objective of the product itself is to give them one centralized location to receive and manage their information," said Eidan Apelbaum, CEO of MultiMi's publisher, ZBang It.

Pronounced "multi me," the Windows-only program supports a wide range of services out of the box. Once you install it, it will ask you to connect accounts organized by category. Messages includes Gmail, Yahoo Mail, Hotmail, your Exchange server, and an option for a generic e-mail account. Social covers Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Events is currently limited to Google Calendar, Photos works with your locally stored pictures, Picasa and Flickr, while YouTube is the only video service supported. The Documents section talks to Google Docs, Box.net, and your local files, while Chat will let you use Facebook Chat and Google Chat from the MultiMi interface. Google+ will be included once Google releases the API, said Apelbaum.

The program's interface perhaps plays a bigger role in its usability than with other programs because MultiMi is attempting to combine half a dozen services that were never intended to be integrated. In terms of organization it succeeds handily, with a mobile-style approach that emphasizes visibility and single-clicking to dive deeper.

The interface also brings to the program a smart desktop-only feature: drag and drop. You can not only drag items like photos and documents from the desktop to MultiMi--you can also drag items within MultiMi itself. You can use it to share contacts, easily upload files from your desktop to Flickr or Google Docs, or send tweets via e-mail to people not on Twitter.

MultiMi also has an additional level of security incorporated into the program, provided by AVG LinkScanner's reputation-based technology. This means that all links shared across all your services are scanned and verified as safe when you click on them, before they resolve in your browser.

MultiMi will probably have the broadest appeal for Google fanatics, since when you add support for one Google service, it asks you if you'd like to include support for all the other Google services, including YouTube, simply checking the appropriate box.

The program is still in beta, of course. You can't yet share Facebook calendar items to Google Calendar, for example, and there's some awkwardness in attempting to share items across services that aren't allowed to be shared. There are other limitations, too, such as the fact that some of the program appears to be browser-powered, which is confusing. Isn't the browser precisely what MultiMi is designed to get us away from?

Even bigger than that, what remains to be seen is whether large-scale content aggregation will appeal to a broad segment of people. Zbang It appears to be looking for broad appeal beyond the expected geeky early adopter, with Facebook Chat support and some promotional imagery on its site depicting colorful, Crayon-style slides and non-techie looking people doing outdoorsy activities.

MultiMi is an interesting idea and would have been a major leap a year ago. Now, however, with Google services receiving tighter unification with the debut of Google+, some of MultiMi's appeal has been dulled. However, if it can provide an experience that mimics the best tools and default features of those it incorporates, along with its content aggregation, it might just gain that larger foothold it wants.

If you're an avid downloader of online videos (legal content, to which you have the rights, of course), you might want to tune into RealNetworks' latest offering. The just released RealDownloader is perhaps the quickest and simplest online video-downloader for Windows that we've seen. Unlike many of its competitors, when RealDownloader says one-click, it seriously means just one click.

When you install RealDownloader, it mingles with your browsers and automatically detects when you navigate to a Website containing embedded videos. This means you don't have to open up the program to use it, resulting in fewer clicks between you and a local copy of that online video. So let's say you navigate to a site like YouTube or Vimeo. Roll over the top-right corner of any embedded video you see, and a small RealDownloader button will pop up. From there, just click "Download This Video" and you're all set--in just one click. If you like, you can then share the original link to your downloaded video via e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, or MySpace.

RealDownloader also lets you playback videos just as simply as you downloaded them, as there's a Play This Video button right in the program. And if you don't have a capable video player installed, it gives you the option to download an add-on player, so you're never left with files that you can't access.

The free version of RealDownloader is available now on Download.com. Meanwhile, if you're interested in RealDownlaoder Plus, the upgrade is available for a limited time for $29.99 (regularly $39.99).

I wish I had invisible fingers.

That's the only way I can figure to get maximum enjoyment out of Gravitarium2, a dazzling iPad-only app driven entirely by your digits.

It works like this: you're presented with an animated star field of sorts, packed with little randomly moving blips. When you touch a finger to the screen, the stars gather and explode from that spot. Drag your finger around and the stars follow.

Doesn't sound like much, does it? Wait. The blips change color. They change speed and direction depending on how you tap and drag. And when you add a second finger to the mix, you get an entirely different pattern of movement.

In fact, Gravitarium2 has 10 different animations, each launched by how many fingers you place on the screen at once. (That's some mighty impressive use of the iPad's multitouch capabilities.) You'll be amazed at how you get sucked into trying all the different combinations of tapping, dragging, and, well, multitouching.

What really elevates the experience is the new-age/classical soundtrack that plays while you're engaging with the screen. I highly recommend plugging in a pair of headphones while you do, because in my experience, a few minutes with Gravitarium2 can melt away stress like nothing else.

Indeed, while I'm loathe to use words like "psychedelic" and "hypnotic," because it's not the '60s and I'm not a hippie, it's hard to describe this app any other way. It's the perfect way to switch your brain off and just relax for a while.

If you tire of the standard animations, you can delve into the settings and modify just about everything: speed, color, opacity, tail length, and so on. There's even a two-player option--the app can pair you with friends or strangers via Game Center--though in my testing period I was never able to connect.

My only real complaint with Gravitarium2 is the opaque nature of fingers. Once you get more than four or five working the screen, it becomes hard to see what's happening beneath them. That's not the app's fault, but it does diminish the experience just a bit.

No matter. This app is well worth the $1.99 price of admission. Not convinced? Grab the free Lite version (which is limited to five touch points) and take it for a test-drive.

Originally posted at iPad Atlas

After a two-and-a-half-week wait, the Google+ native application has finally arrived on Apple's iOS platform.

The new app, which is a free download, is currently aimed at iPhone users. It joins Google+'s Android application, giving users outside of the browser a way to keep up with happenings on the increasingly popular social network, which is still invitation-only and is operating in what the company is calling a "field trial."

At the launch of Google+, iPhone users had been left with a mobile browser-optimized version. A note by Google employee Erica Joy earlier this month pointed out that the iOS version had been submitted to Apple for approval.

The native version of Google+ follows similar user interface cues from Facebook's app, featuring a home screen of sorts with different features in finger-friendly locations. This is slightly different from the list of buttons found in the company's mobile Web version. Included is the news stream, huddle group text chat, and the Circles contact manager.

One of the key benefits in using the native app is that it serves up push notifications for any updates. So if someone leaves a comment on one of your posts, or you get a message from a group huddle chat, these can be seen without actually having to fire up the app. One other benefit is that the photo viewer includes an uploader, letting users upload shots from their camera or camera roll--something you can't do through Safari.

There are a handful of things missing from the iOS mobile experience that Google+ regulars may miss. For one, there's no video chat option to make use of the multi-user video hangouts feature, even if you're on an iPhone 4 with dual cameras. Also, the Circles organizing is just a big list of contacts, versus the drag-and-drop experience you'd get on the desktop. This makes organizing large groups of contacts more laborious but is understandable, given the smaller amount of screen real estate.

One of my few quibbles with the app, after using the service this morning, is that your group huddle chats do not show up as a conversation that can be seen by Google+ desktop users. This means that others you've invited to that conversation won't see it and can't respond, unless they're using the iOS or Android Google+ app. Ideally, Google will merge those huddle conversations it the fashion Facebook does with its chat to make everything feel more intertwined.

Last week, Google announced during its quarterly earnings call that Google+ now has more than 10 million users. The service launched at the very end of June.

Update, 11 a.m. PT with hands-on impressions. Also, Google+'s lead product manager, Punit Soni, posted an update on the app, saying Apple was originally serving a version of the application without bug and stability fixes. Soni recommended that users who may have grabbed the app in the first hour and 40 minutes it was up uninstall it, then reinstall it to get the newer version.

Update, 12:17 p.m. PT: CNET commenter jfactor05 points out that the app crashes when accessing the stream or profile features on devices running the latest beta of iOS 5. CNET has confirmed this behavior with an in-house test. Worth noting is that iOS 5 is currently only available as a beta to developers, and will be released to everyone else in the fall.

(Via 9to5mac)

Originally posted at News - Digital Media

Editors' note: Until Friday, 10 CNET personalities are showcasing their 10 personal favorite Android apps as part of the CNET 100. With each post, you can read why they hold the apps so dear and you'll get the opportunity to vote for your own favorite title. Then after the series ends, we'll collect the full list of 100 apps and announce the 10 that you, our readers, love the most.

Antuan Goodwin traveled all the way from Georgia to join CNET. Did he drive the whole distance? Well, we're not really sure, but it would make sense given his role as one of CNET's car tech reviewers. From Hyundais to Land Rovers, he's driven vehicles of all sizes and power across all corners of the Bay Area. He also tests GPS devices and car stereos and is an affirmed fan of all things Android. In fact, you can catch him every Thursday on CNET's Android Atlas podcast.

Antuan's two great loves--cars and zombies--fill his list of top apps. Indeed, when he's not finding his way on the road, he's listening to podcasts, managing his gadgets, and keeping in touch with both hands on the wheel. Outside of the car, he spends his time battling a range of zombies and playing (surprise!) the occasional auto racing game.

This week, be sure to check back each day on Android Atlas to see app choices from Jaymar Cabebe, Nicole Lee, and Molly Wood. For yesterday's list, check out the picks from Jessica Dolcourt.

Originally posted at Android Atlas

Taking pictures with your smartphone can be a fun and easy way to share moments with friends and family. With Magic Hour for Android you can improve or make variations on your photos with the app's easy-to-use features. In just a few steps, you can give a photo an antique look, a more professional feel, or maybe something more artsy for your blog. Magic Hour offers a free filter market, and you can even make your own and share it with others. Here's how to get started:

Step 1: Download Magic Hour from the Android Market. There's a free version with more limited usage, and a full version for $1.99.

Step 2: Open the app and choose to take a photo or open an existing one. Existing photos can be selected from the SD card or your Gallery.

Step 3: Move and scale the picture you want to filter. If the picture is larger than app supports, you will need to move it to fit within the scaling box.

Step 4: Pick a filter! After picking one, you can slide left and right through the other filters. The app will show you how each filter will look on your photo, and offers a small button to let you quickly flip back and forth from filtered to unfiltered.

Step 5: Now you can adjust the filter on the photo, share the one you already applied, or save the photo for later.

Creating your own filters can be time-consuming, but you can build off a filter that you have already applied to the photo. After you're done making the necessary adjustments (like brightness, frame style, and texture) you can save the filter, share the photo, or just save it.

Originally posted at How To