Did You Know: "litl" auto-corrects to "Kirk" on Android devices.

Last fall, the litl team made it out to the Adobe MAX conference in Los Angeles, where we showed off some of the technology we've been working on. And, in a delightful surprise, we took home one of the top honors at the Adobe MAX Awards. At a conference dominated by talk of multi-screen development, we won the multi-screen award for litl channels - our full-screen Flash applications that optimize Web content for litl's unique platform.

Our own Chuck Freedman and Chris Moody accepted the award from master of ceremonies William Shattner in what appeared to be the highlight of their lives.

Well, the trophies finally arrived in our office last week, and we have them on display atop our finest filing cabinets. We couldn't be prouder of the team who worked on litl channels. Way to (boldly) go!

Chuck Freedman, litl's developer evangelist, demonstrates the BakeSpace recipes channel on the litl webbook.

We shared our plans last week to release our first-ever software development kit (SDK). It’s pretty exciting news: starting this summer, hundreds of thousands of developers will be able to build custom applications or “channels” for the litl webbook. Better yet, these developers will be using Adobe® Flash® Player 10.1, the newest version of the ubiquitous web platform.

Our channels make the web—especially fun content like photos, music, games, video, recipes, and even news headlines—more useful and entertaining. Check out our Facebook Status channel, for example, to see how our users can already keep up with their social circle from across a kitchen or bedroom (or even on a large-screen television). Our BakeSpace recipe and NPR podcasting channels are worth a look, too.

Over time, we expect the new SDK will lead to many new channels for the litl webbook ... and many new ways for our users to enjoy the web. As they say, that’s a good thing!

Wade Roush from Xconomy sat down this week with litl's James Gardner, head of marketing, and Chuck Freedman, chief developer evangelist, to learn more about the SDK and its potential significance. He writes:

“The company announced last week that it’s getting ready to release a software development kit (SDK) that will enable Web and software developers to create their own custom channels for the Webbook. These channels are all built on Flash, the lingua franca of Web animation and the one type of content that doesn’t work on the iPhone or the iPad.

That’s good news for Litl customers, and it could also benefit developers. “By putting another screen, another kind of experience into homes, we’re bringing a unique audience into the market and giving independent and agency developers another audience to build for,” says Chuck Freedman, Litl’s chief developer evangelist.”

Read the rest of Roush’s article here. If you’re a developer and want to learn more, visit our developer resources website here.

Thanks, Wade, for your interest in litl. We appreciate it.

We announced some really exciting news this morning!

In a few short weeks, litl will be releasing our first-ever software development kit (SDK). The SDK — a set of tools for software developers — will enable developers outside of our team to create their own custom applications for the litl webbook. Better yet, the SDK will fully support Adobe® Flash® Player 10.1, the newest and most powerful version of this popular web platform. Developers can learn more at our resources website and then attend the SDK's official launch on May 14.

If you're not a developer, why is this news important to you?

The litl webbook is amazingly versatile. It goes online like a a conventional laptop and helps you visit your favorite websites with its modern browser. However, it can also stand upright like an easel when its screen and keyboard are flipped around its hinge. In this new mode, users can access web content through custom applications or “channels”. Check out litl’s fun Facebook Status channel as an example. With the SDK’s release, users will benefit from a much larger selection of free and paid channels created by independent developers.

Our planned upgrade to Flash Player 10.1 is also important. Adobe's Flash is a software platform that's popular for adding animation and interactivity to web pages. The web isn't much fun without it! The new version will use the litl's processors more efficiently and will ensure your favorite websites run faster than ever — especially the ones with games and videos. When it's released on the litl, we expect to see improved performance everywhere from Club Penguin and Farmville to Hulu and Miniclip.

And, as always, upgrades like this are done automatically and at no cost to litl's webbook owners.

Let us know what you think — here, by email, or on Twitter. We'd love to hear from you.

litl: sdk & flash player 10.1 on Vimeo
litl: sdk & flash player 10.1 on YouTube

Do you organize your weekends so you don’t miss “Wait Wait...Don’t Tell Me!”? Have your family’s music lessons taken on a new energy because of “From The Top”? Is “Morning Edition” as important to your morning as your first cup of coffee?

If you’re one of NPR’s 26.4 million weekly listeners, you know the special place their news, talk, and entertainment programming occupies in many people’s hearts and minds. Much of it is gold, pure gold.

And yet, who hasn’t missed a favorite show due to an overly busy schedule? Or wished they could schedule a “can't miss” program for when they had a few moments of downtime? Or wanted to listen to multiple episodes of a favorite show back-to-back?

We’re excited to introduce the latest channel for the litl webbook: NPR Anytime. The channel, available immediately for free to litl webbook owners, provides easy “on demand” access to more than 800 of NPR’s podcasted shows. Users can enjoy shows missed during their live broadcast, create their own custom programming schedule, and, more generally, listen to their NPR favorites when, where, and how they choose.

“Our family has always been fans of public radio, but we used to miss a lot of our favorite shows because we were so busy. Now, if we miss a show, we just use our litl to get caught up. I can also pick and choose what I listen to while I’m working in my home office, cleaning up in the kitchen, or just relaxing around the house,” says blogger and mom Mia Wenjen. “The NPR channel makes our litl even more useful for me and my family.”

Marsha Collier, author and media personality, adds, “I’m drawn to the litl because of its versatility. It does regular web browsing, but I like it just as much when it’s perched upright on my kitchen counter or night table. It’s not just a computer now, it’s also a clock, a web TV, a photo frame, a radio, a Facebook viewer, and even an NPR podcast player.”

What do you think? Will “on demand” access to NPR's shows help make the litl webbook the ideal kitchen computer for your family? Let us know—here, on Facebook, or on Twitter.

The litl webbook operates in 2 modes for maximum versatility. In its unique "easel" mode, users enjoy web content ranging from NPR's podcasts and online photos to web video and news headlines.

Even from across a room, the NPR Anytime channel quickly communicates what show is being enjoyed. By way of the litl webbook's on-hinge scroll wheel or optional remote control, users can pause playback, jump forward or backward, or browse other episodes.

Most of NPR's podcasted shows have multiple episodes available for "on demand" listening. Users can read a description of each show, review what episodes are available, and make their listening selection.

The kitchen is the heart or activity hub of the home for many families. Meals are prepared and enjoyed here, but it's also an important activity center where people dash in and out, plan and discuss schedules, check messages, make phone calls, have family meetings, and so forth.

We’ve never been satisfied with the computers we’ve brought into our kitchens. Invariably, they looked out of place, weren’t useful for everyone in the family, or took up too much precious space. They certainly weren’t fun to use.

The litl webbook may well be the ideal “kitchen computer.” Sleek and modern, the litl looks like it actually belongs in a kitchen, not a cubicle. It’s versatile too: use it with the keyboard and screen and the litl goes online like a traditional laptop. You’ll always have the web close at hand.

For a different experience, flip the screen back around the hinge and stand the computer upright in “easel” mode. Everything from family photos and local weather to an egg timer and breaking news can now be enjoyed from anywhere in the kitchen. Trust us—very fun!

If counter space is in short supply, you’ll appreciate that the litl's easel mode takes up half the space of a traditional laptop. Additionally, the litl’s screen is viewable from a full 178 degrees so you won’t lose sight of it as you move from the sink to the stove and back to the dishwasher. And you won’t be spending time taking care of the litl, either. It’s maintenance-free and is designed to always run quickly and securely.

Can a great kitchen computer get better? We think so.

We’re excited to announce the launch of the BakeSpace Recipes channel. BakeSpace, a 2009 Webby Award nominee for Best Social Network, is a free online community where members post, search and swap recipes, share cooking tips, and socialize with other food enthusiasts. The new channel provides quick and easy access to more than 50,000 member-submitted recipes and is available now at no cost to litl webbook users.

Babette Pepaj, BakeSpace’s founder and CEO, remarks, “We love the concept behind the litl webbook because it’s all about making it fun and easy to enjoy the web. With the addition of the new BakeSpace channel, the litl is now also a great tool for cooking enthusiasts. If you enjoy spending time in the kitchen, the litl webbook could be your ideal computer.”

Is the litl webbook the kitchen computer you’ve been waiting for? Check out our video and let us know what you think.

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The litl webbook's self-updating operating system is one of its most popular features: while you sleep, we update your computer for you with "new and improved" software.

Why's it so popular? For one thing, there's no computer maintenance anymore--so say goodbye to software updates, security patches, and other "computery" tasks. If you're the technology support person for your family and friends, you know what we're talking about! The litl webbook always runs fast and safe.

These updates also mean that we can add new capabilities that make your litl webbook even more useful and fun. Since our launch, we've introduced several new channels (Facebook Status, for example) and tweaked the performance of many features.

And, of course, all these updates are completely free. No subscription charges or licenses to purchase.

So, what's in store for litl webbook owners in February and beyond? Here's a few hints:

• Family games. Relax with some classic family games done litl-style. Bonus points when enjoyed on your large-screen HDMI-equipped television!
• Recipes and cooking. Cook up a storm with a recipe channel uniquely designed for the litl. Yum!
• Mediawall. View your photos stored on Google Picasa and SmugMug as we extend support to these popular photo websites.
• Photo upload. Transfer your photos directly from your memory card reader to your favorite photo website by way of the litl's built-in USB port. Easy!

Looking ahead, we're also laying the foundation to enable third-party developers to unleash their creativity and build their own channels. Watch for more news about this in the coming months.

Illustration credit: David Macaulay for litl. More of David's genius.

Want to win a litl? How about two?

In preparation for the new BakeSpace recipe channel on the litl, we are teaming up with BakeSpace for a special Valentine's Day giveaway. From now until Tuesday, February 9th, 2010, you can win not just one, but TWO litl webbooks (for you and your favorite Valentine). That means one lucky winner will take home two webbooks.

For the full details on how to enter, visit our profile on BakeSpace.

And if contests aren't your thing, you can still check out recipes from the litl team, such as Jana's Mini Goat Cheese Tarts or Anthony's Green Lentil and Bacon Scavenger Soup. Add your favorites to your BakeSpace recipe box, and you'll be able to pull them up on your litl when the BakeSpace recipe channel launches later this month.

The litl webbook operates in the cloud so it doesn't run local applications. So how do you perform simple tasks like, say, adding up the cost of flowers, dinner, and a movie? Just use the new calculator tool that we added to our card catalog. It's a web-based calculator that performs basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. It's just what you need...unless you're a scientist. For non-litl users, you can check out the tool here.

In the coming months, we've got a whole slate of other cards and channels coming out, plus the release of our SDK. But hey - sometimes even the simplest tool can be exciting. Just ask these guys.

litl is thrilled to roll out the Facebook Status channel -- available immediately, free of charge, to litl owners through their Card Catalog.  See the above video for a tour through this new channel.

Facebook Status enhances profile pictures and status updates by displaying a bustling sidewalk where friends drop in with a friendly wave to share the latest scoop.  You can either "lean forward" to browse updates and enter your own status, or "lean back" to enjoy a whimsical parade of your friends.  Connect your litl webbook to your TV using your HDMI cable, and you've got an entertaining fullscreen view that you can enjoy from across the room.  You can even use it as a backdrop at a party.

In Card View, see your friends' statuses at a glance amongst other auto-updating channels:

Of course, you can always use the litl web browser to access Facebook's full functionality, but this channel presents your stream in a fun and engaging way.  We think many web sites benefit when they're creatively transformed into different views, specialized for both active and passive experiences.  We look forward to collaborating with other sites to produce innovative litl channels.

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Watch the video above to learn more about Channels in the litl OS.

Watch on Youtube
Watch on Vimeo

"58%.  That’s the portion of computer experts who report getting helpdesk calls from friends or family at least once a week"  reports , Nat Friedman in his informal survey on computer frustration.

Litl's own Havoc Pennington responds with some insights on how we designed the litl webbook to reduce these frustrations"

via HP's Post:

Design with a computer-frustrated audience in mind

We designed litl OS with Cooper, Pentagram, and our own design team. Cooper contributed a set of personas, adding to our own thinking about who would love the litl. We focus on busy families at home. While we have big dreams for how litl OS can evolve, for now we didn't think about work computing, ignoring the needs of business travelers and IT guys.

Windows will ask hundreds of questions busy families don't care about understanding. It's not that they can't understand, but they do not care. (The most famous example might be Vista's overzealous need to "Allow or Deny?"). We can say definitively that our audience doesn't care about this stuff, and so we don't ask it. Period.

As geeks, who have been spent our entire adult lives using and administering PCs, we tend to think the entire world is like us... the more the better... we want total control. Our research (and our own families) have shown that there's a huge portion of the world, such as busy moms, who only care about results. They don't care about tech specs, and they don't care about tweaking what Tufte calls "computer administrative debris."

As software developers, we don't realize how much worthless debris we put in front of people. Stuff they don't care about or don't need to know. At litl, we're trying to take a different approach.

Make the OS automatic
If your favorite web app or web site fixes a bug, it isn't nagging you about whether you want the fix. You simply get the fix. We approached litl OS in the same way. litl OS is smart about avoiding updates while you're using the webbook, and quietly updates itself while you sleep.

Hide implementation detail - manage it for you
File management is one of the more complex features of traditional operating systems, and litl OS avoids it entirely. Web apps just store their stuff, they don't ask you where to store it. We continue the entire OS in that spirit.

Sandboxed Sites and Channels
Applications on the litl don't have free run of the operating system. We have two kinds of "app"; web apps running in our browser, and channels. (Channels are a special kind of app with three states, one for lean-forward/laptop, one for lean-back/easel, and one widget-like state in card view.) Channels are run by a custom flash player in their own process.

This gives us a number of tools to control malware (since we don't have to distinguish it from "normal" unsandboxed apps), and it throws out all kinds of complexity associated with installing and updating traditional application software.

Sandboxing eliminates a whole class of "system integration" issues where applications interfere with one another or with the OS. On the litl, web pages and channels can't (and need not) install their own annoying updater software. They can't add tray icons to your screen. They can't break other apps in unforeseen ways.

Hardware/Software Integration
Building for a single hardware platform throws out whole domains of complexity. There's no mess of interface on the litl related to hardware drivers; we know about our hardware already. We know which buttons are on the keyboard (and incidentally, a bunch of useless ones are not). We know the screen resolution.

This means no setup or configuration to start using the litl. It means our help and instructions can be precise - instead of "look for the key that says..." we can say "press the big blue key in the lower left." It means we can ship the litl preconfigured with information entered during the ordering process. It means any number of OS features "just work" instead of requiring tuning to the particular hardware the customer has.

Eliminate the hard drive
The hard drive is the number one point of failure in PCs, and when it breaks, it's a disaster - you lose all your stuff. Best practice is to use the hard drive only as a cache, keeping a backup copy of everything on some web service. litl does this by default, going further to automatically manage the cache so it only has what you're actively using. No hard drive failures; no data loss; no setting up or managing backups.

A new issue: web service integration
The webbook model isn't all positive complexity-wise (yet) - as Nat says, it may raise new issues. Here's one: a litl OS design principle is to use any and all existing web services and apps, rather than reinventing the wheel. We decided to use web mail rather than create our own litl mail app, we decided to use Flickr and Shutterfly rather than invent our own photo storage and sharing site, and so forth. We see our goal as improving the web, and helping people use the web, rather than replacing the web with a "walled garden" of litl-branded services.

There's no question that a "walled garden" of services we controlled completely would be simpler and easier to use. But we don't think our customers would be happy as hothouse flowers. We want to be the best OS for using the whole Internet, rather than a limited appliance.

A Challenge: Internet and WiFi setup
Internet and WiFi setup are tough to address, because problems on the access point side are outside litl's control. Still, on the litl itself, wifi configuration couldn't be simpler - we start with a big list of access points, instead of a tiny little tray icon. People need to recognize their network name and know their password. If they have those two things, we automate everything else.

Personal anecdote: I recently helped my sister fix her wifi; there were two problems, and both were caused by Windows complexity.

First, Dell had installed some garbage "wifi manager" software that interfered with Apple's AirPort software. On the litl, we don't ship OEM crapware.

Second, when you add a network, Windows opens this absurd, verbose dialog that makes no sense; she'd clicked the wrong answer. litl OS does not ask this sort of question, by design. If we don't think our customers care about a question, we don't ask it. (This has nothing to do with the webbook model per se; but it does have to do with our well-defined target audience. We know our customers don't care about this question.)

Only the beginning
We've come a long way with litl OS, but there's a lot more we could do. Nat's survey mentions printing; we could automatically discover printers with no driver installation. He mentions performance; we could manage CPU usage of sandboxed sites and channels to keep the "too much stuff" problem (too many open sites) from degrading performance. We could much more extensively lock down the OS using SELinux-style technology, to further restrain malware. There are so many possibilities because the OS is truly managed on behalf of our customers, not managed by our customers when they have better things to do.

To be sure we get this right, we're planning to rotate the litl development team through customer support, giving every software developer firsthand knowledge of our customers.

We would love to hear your ideas on how to further reduce computer frustration - let us know!"

Great blog write-up on channels by one of our developers, Kathryn:

"Now that we’ve launched, i’m happy to be able, finally, to talk about the lovely litl webbook and some technical details about flash-based channels. before i talk shop (which i’ll save for my next post) i should probably explain what we mean by channels. i am seeing some blogs use the word widget which misses some important subtleties about the channel experience.

you are probably familiar with the idea of channels from television. you sit down on your comfortable sofa, perhaps with family or a few friends, turn the tv on, and flip to a channel with a show you like.

now imagine that instead of flipping to a tv channel, you use the remote control to flip to your favorite website. you need an experience that allows you to enjoy the content from across the room -- preferably offering you up the newest, most relevant bits in an uncluttered, distilled way so that you can just lean back and enjoy it like a tv show.

step in litl channels. channel is the term we use to describe optimizing the web browsing experience for this new way of experiencing internet content that blurs the line between computer and tv. it's your favorite internet recipe propped up on the kitchen counter, your favorite webisodes of popular tv shows autoplaying while you brush your teeth, your syndicated news updates and your social networking, all easily experienced throughout your house instead of at your desk.

truth be told, this passive, tv-like experience (which can actually be hooked up to a tv using an HDMI cable) is just one of three “views” of the channel. it’s the view that you see when you’ve flipped your litl into easel mode with the mouse and keyboard tucked neatly out of sight. when you do surf your web content in the traditional laptop mode, there are also a small, at-a-glance view that we call card view, and a fully mouse-and-keyboard-interactive view that we call full view.

in the next post, i’ll geek out on how actionscript and the litl became bffs."

together these three views make a channel. and together, channels make the litl a whimsical, fun, and unique way of experiencing web content.