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The official Flickr app for iPhone and iPod Touch offers search, browse, and upload features.

Better late than never? Following in the footsteps of countless third-party efforts, Flickr has finally made its official debut in the App Store.

The app hits the ground running--make that scrolling--with a slick Ken Burns-style slideshow of hand-picked images from the site.

An initial tap of the Recent, You, or Contacts button along the bottom leads you through a one-time authorization process (which requires a visit to Safari), after which you gain access to the respective user-account features on Flickr.

You can also search for photos and videos, of course, and do all the usual stuff with whatever you find: add to favorites, share via e-mail, leave a comment, etc.

Of course, the main appeal here is uploading: You can snap and upload a photo on the fly or choose an existing snapshot from your library. The app lets you assign the photo to a set, add tags (including a geotag from your current location), and choose a privacy level.

In short, the official Flickr app does just about everything you'd want it to (except batch uploads, that is), and with simplicity and style. It's free, of course, and it works with both free and Pro accounts.

So this begs the question: is there an existing third-party app that "does Flickr" better than Flickr's own app? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Yahoo Messenger 10 beta--screenshots

It seems as if it were just yesterday that Yahoo's Messenger team rolled out version 9 (it was a little less than a year ago, in fact.) The upgrade was so dramatic and overdue that it's a little surprising Yahoo has already tweaked its chat client, now parading Yahoo Messenger 10 beta to testers and curious chatters. We're glad they did. Even though the changes may not please everyone uniformly, nor should they incite ire. The features build off Yahoo Messenger 9, emphasize social networking, and improved video calling.

You'll be able to learn more about the social networking aspects from the photo gallery. This blog will focus on the video features.

VoIP and PC-to-landline calls aren't new to Yahoo Messenger, but the icon that calls out video chats is. Most of the major IM clients support voice-over-Internet calls with Webcams. It is Yahoo's attention to video quality makes this build a closer competitor to Skype for Windows, which is a VoIP client first, enriched by chatting, file sharing, emoticons, and games. Yahoo Messenger (and Windows Live Messenger, and so on, for that matter,) are chat apps at the core that have layered on other P2P features.

Skype is still ahead in terms of total features, like screen sharing, its most recent contribution to the VoIP community. However, the Web chatting experience was good enough on Yahoo Messenger 10 beta in our tests that we might prefer to use it to start a casual video call if the app is already running, rather than fire up Skype. Admittedly, our tests were limited by the callers' proximity to each other, fast data connections, and strong computing configurations. We'll need to keep up the calling with a cross-section of international users to get a more accurate litmus. Since the improved video calling only works with other Yahoo Messenger 10 beta users, we may have to wait for further adoption to test these theories.

(Credit: Screenshot by Jessica Dolcourt/CNET)

Proximity notwithstanding, there were some performance issues. The call quality was clear and the videos were as crisp as our hardware allowed. Chatting and file sharing, however, slowed to a crawl as the call progressed. This seems to be the reverse of Skype, in which chatting has, in the past, often transmitted faster than the voice packets. Again, being in the same city, let alone the same country, could at least partly explain the reversal.

In addition to both parties needing Yahoo Messenger 10 beta on their Windows computers, there are some basic system requirements. You'll need Windows XP or better with a 1GHz CPU processor and 512MB of RAM. Your broadband internet will require a minimum of 300Kbps download speed and a minimum of 128Kbps upload (test both here). Then there's the video card. You'll need at least 96MB memory. A Webcam is mandatory to output video calls, but not to see a buddy's video. However, you will receive an alert if you don't have a Webcam. The final ingredient we'll mention is that the latest version of Microsoft DirectX must be installed. Yahoo provides a full list of specs and tips in its help topics. Yahoo's Messenger team provides some common FAQs and video tips here

Briefly, some of the other video features include toggling the sound on and off and shifting the position of the Webcam windows on your screen. These convenience tools worked well and gave the application some depth; we also liked being able to transfer files in full screen mode, even though photo transfers were slow.

This bug reminders us that beta software is often a work-in-progress.

(Credit: Screenshot by Jessica Dolcourt/CNET)

One more complaint: The new Yahoo Messenger 10 beta doesn't appear to play nicely with all third-party IM clients. We noticed when chatting with a buddy who uses Digsby, that each line we type was replicated in the chat window. Odd, yes, and also irritating over time. But not all users chatting between Yahoo Messenger 10 beta and a different chat client will encounter problems, but if you do, let us know.

Want to see more screenshots and feature details? We have plenty in the Yahoo Messenger 10 beta gallery. .

The well-equipped Vizio VF552XVT takes aim at the best HDTVs available when it launches in November.

(Credit: CNET)

The Via line of HDTVs from Vizio, due this January, promises the most comprehensive suite of interactive features yet seen on any HDTV, including a Bluetooth remote control with a keyboard. The two largest models will also pack LED backlighting with local dimming, the holy grail of LCD picture quality. These highly desirable features, combined with Vizio's customarily aggressive pricing, propel the flagship Vizio TVs past their counterparts from major brands like Samsung, Panasonic, and Sony--at least on paper.

Designed foremost to compete against current Internet-enabled HDTVs, the three "Via" (Vizio Interactive Apps) models are available in 42-inch, 47-inch, and 55-inch varieties. Here's a quick rundown:

Key features of the Vizio Via 2XVT series:

• LED backlight with local dimming (47- and 55-inch models only)
• 240Hz processing
• Bluetooth remote with full QWERTY keyboard
• Integrated 802.11(n) Wi-Fi
• Support for Adobe Flash for the Digital Home
• Yahoo widgets engine
• 42-inch SV422XVT: $1,199 MSRP | 47-inch SV472XVT: $1,699 | 55-inch XV552XVT: $2,199
• Available in January

As CNET noted earlier, the Bluetooth keyboard remote and built-in Wi-fi will be firsts among interactive TVs, which typically require cumbersome virtual keyboards for text entry and expensive extra dongles or third-party solutions for wireless connectivity. Since few people have an Ethernet cable next to their televisions, Wi-fi makes setup much more convenient, while the keyboard on the remote should make accessing and using the TV's "Apps" as easy as sending an e-mail on a BlackBerry.

(Credit: Vizio)

Vizio promises to have more such applications on the Via platform than any other current maker, and the list is impressive indeed. ... Read more

With graphics like these, how could you possibly resist the selection of games on Yahoo TV Widgets?

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

When Nintendo first revealed details of its remote for the Wii, then dubbed "Revolution," focus fell on the idea of gaming with what essentially looked like a TV remote. Now, services like Yahoo TV Widgets have turned actual TV remotes into gaming devices. Funspot, which releases casual games for interactive TVs, has three games released for the platform so far that range from somewhat enjoyable to somewhat terrible.

All three games, Sudoku, QuizzMaster, and Texas Hold 'Em, are available on Samsung and LG sets with Yahoo TV Widgets. Like some other widgets we've tested, all three strain the definition of "widget" as they open up full-screen. This really limits the utility of these games. None of them are particularly good on their own, but could have been if they were playable in a window as a way to pass the time during commercials. If you're going to go through the often slow process of launching a game and have to play it in full-screen, you're ultimately better off with a real gaming console.

Sudoku

Sudoku for Yahoo TV Widgets

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

The most solid of all the games, the Sudoku widget is exactly what you would expect. The controls are responsive and intuitive. You control which box you want to select with the control pad, enter numbers with the number pad, and clear a box with the OK or enter button.

Holding down one of the directional buttons causes you to move toward boxes faster, which somewhat makes up for the lack of board wrapping. The game is level-based and increases slightly in difficulty as you go along, with hints available for the first three levels. You can pick up on whatever level you left off with level codes, but you can't save your progress mid-game. If you can get past some minor issues and the kitsch background, the Sudoku widget is a pleasant time-waster.

The Yahoo Sports widget offers informative and visually appealing headlines, among other features.

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

It's not just called the crawl because it's low on the screen; if ESPN's news ticker isn't fast enough for you, then both Yahoo and USA Today have the solution. Both have sports widgets for Yahoo TV Widgets. While each has its own unique features, the Yahoo one is just flat-out better and great on its own as well.

Both widgets open up to a window with a number of quick links, including headlines. Selecting one of these on both widgets brings up the first paragraph of the article. The Yahoo widget draws its content from the AP, and so these snippets of text tend to be pretty informative as the AP consistently puts their ledes at the top of their articles. The other widget, of course, uses USA Today for its content, which tends to have more literary or anecdotal starts. This means that, at times, the USA Today headlines are just a tease without providing the information that you're really looking for.

Each widget has its own unique features, as well. The USA Today one has a thumbnail at the top of the main window that features "Snapshots," small sports-themed infographics. The best looking and most unique feature is the integration of USA Today's famous Coaches Polls. This list charts the changes in college football and basketball rankings, but is only useful during college sports seasons, leaving it useless for the summer months.

The Yahoo Sports widget doesn't have either of these features, but it does have a menu for different leagues with the ability to add each as a favorite, making it quickly accessible from its "snippet" form on the dock. Unfortunately, you can't view scores from the snippet or log in with your Yahoo ID to track your favorite teams, even though Yahoo offers similar functionality with its Finance widget. The widget does offer video content, which you can read about in our review of the Yahoo Video widget.

Where the two widgets really diverge is in the scoreboard. Since it's baseball season, we compared how the two choose to cover baseball scores. USA Today opted for a quick and simple scoreboard that is limited to the score and inning of the game. Tabs across the top of the score window separate the board by different leagues. The Yahoo Sports widget doesn't have this same organizational feature, but it does have a far more comprehensive scoreboard. At a glance, each game gives the score, inning, runners on base and, if the game hasn't started yet, the start time and each team's record. This view also lets you know what station each team will be broadcasting on, a particularly useful feature on a TV. If you can't actually watch these games, then you can select them in the scoreboard and give you a pitch-by-pitch visual representation of the game, complete with photos and other information for the current pitcher and batter.

Next up: Yahoo TV Widget games

Other recent Yahoo widgets reviews: Twitter, YouTube and Yahoo Video.

As Internet-connected TVs become more popular, set makers are looking for ways to stand out from each other. Vizio, which made its name by undercutting much larger names in electronics on LCD sets, is no longer just looking to attract buyers at Costco. It's now trying to compete directly on the number of bells and whistles with the likes of Samsung, Panasonic, and Sony.

Announced in late June, Vizio's Via HDTV has some things going for it that its competitors' sets do not: integrated 802.11(n) Wi-Fi--which means no separate dongle for connecting to the Web--2GB of flash memory, and a well thought-out remote control.

The remote design is almost a no-brainer in retrospect, and makes you wonder why it hasn't been done before. It looks like a standard model, but with this one, Vizio took into account what the user would be doing with it: interacting with Web applications like Twitter, Facebook, Yahoo Sports, and Flickr. The TV maker put a slideout QWERTY keyboard on the back of the Bluetooth remote, so users can type as they would on some smartphones, instead of keying in letters one at a time. And, it doesn't seem to add much to the price of the Via HDTV: the 42-inch version will begin at $999 when it starts selling in stores in November.

Vizio is also looking to differentiate itself with developers who will create more applications for the TV. Yahoo developed its TV widget engine last year, which brings a range of preselected applications like Twitter, eBay, Flickr, Yahoo Sports, Showtime, and many others right onto the TV screen. Samsung, Sony, Panasonic, and Vizio each offer it. But Vizio says it wants to appeal to application developers, so it integrated Adobe Flash directly into its Via HDTV. ... Read more

A look at one of the category listings from the Yahoo Video widget for Yahoo TV Widgets.

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

Yahoo may not have the same stranglehold on online video as YouTube does, but it sure has tried. Yahoo does, however, boast a simple channel system and a large library of content from outlets like the Associated Press and cable news stations. In its video widget for Yahoo TV Widgets, Yahoo tried to focus on easy access to these channels instead of competing with a YouTube-type of service. Unfortunately, the result of this is an application that's often light on featured content and devoid of a search function.

When launched, the Video widget displays a thumbnail of a featured video along with buttons that link to channels like movies, sports and news (sadly, no finance). Some of these channels are great; the news and sports ones provide the top stories from the AP and generally content-rich. (We counted 15 videos under the US News category one day.) The Kids Movies channel is also surprisingly robust and offers a variety of trailers and clips for upcoming and recent releases. Then there are features like the regular Movies channel, which offers a handful of outdated movie trailers, and awkwardly promoted specialized content. While a strange addition, we could definitely see people interested in being able to easily access cooking advice videos from their kitchen TV. But a Nascar channel? We're still trying to figure that one out.

Disappointingly, and almost alarmingly, there's no search function. This is a major limitation on the widget and really minimizes the amount of available content. This also means that you're stuck flipping through the pages of each channel to find what you're looking for. To make this a somewhat faster process, each channel can be marked as a favorite, after which it can be quickly accessed by scrolling through the snippet form of the widget on the dock. Also, at the end of each video, four thumbnails suggest related videos to watch. Particular videos, however, can't be marked as a favorite.

Video is only viewable in full-screen and has pretty bare controls. The video quality is decent, although it stretches all content to match the wide-screen display. It's about the same quality as the AP videos on the regular Yahoo Web site; it looks a bit noisy, but it's definitely watchable and generally better-looking than the YouTube widget we recently reviewed. This, along with some of the better available content, gives the widget a good foundation. It's just a shame it doesn't have much more than this to offer.

Next up: Yahoo and USA Today Sports

Other recent Yahoo widgets reviews: Twitter and YouTube

The LG LH50 series is the first LCD that can stream Netflix without an external box.

(Credit: Sarah Tew)

If the Internet is the future of television, then LG's LH50 series hails from the day after tomorrow. This flat-panel LCD is the first to offer Netflix streaming, which allows instant, free-to-subscribers access to an all-you-can watch menu of thousands of movies and TV shows without having to connect another box. Sure, Sony has already announced the service for its own compatible TVs later this fall, and we expect Netflix to make its way to Yahoo widget-equipped TVs from Samsung (and perhaps others) sometime later this year, but for now the LH50 holds exclusive claim to Netflix. Speaking of Yahoo widgets, the LH50 delivers that feature too, and better than other TVs we've tested, and also includes its own YouTube client and network streaming to boot.

On the other hand, the LH50 costs a good couple hundred more than its non-web-enabled cousin in the company's line--easily enough to buy an external Netflix device and then some. Its performance wasn't as good as some of the better LCDs we've tested, albeit still decent enough to pass most viewers' muster, especially in terms of color accuracy. For fans of Internet video who don't want one more box, however, those issues might be worth the sacrifice for the LG LH50, which for now is the most well-featured Interactive HDTV available.

Read the full review of the LG LH50 series.

LG LH50 series--photos