The Future of Google Now
Google Now is one of the most innovative, useful features to be released in the last few years. It truly makes your smartphone a smart phone. It provides you with information before you even ask for it. It saves you from being stuck in traffic, fumbling through your email to find your plane ticket, and even helps you remember where you parked your car. What else can Google do to make it better?
Google just applied for a patent for “active watching,” to help better pinpoint where input for a task is coming from so as to get better results in speech-to-text. What else could be in store?
I would love to see the current features be fine-tuned, and be made better. For example, currently you can search for flights right from Google Now. However, once you find one and want to book it, you have to go to the site that Google found the particular flight from and book it from there. It’d be nice if I could tell Google “Find me a flight from Phoenix to Los Angeles next Tuesday afternoon for under $200 and book it,” and it’d go ahead and do it, sending me a confirmation email afterwards. Is this the ultimate form of laziness? Maybe. But would it be cool? Absolutely! This could then tie into better usage on Android Wear devices.
Our own Scott Webster says he’d like to be able to ask “Where’s my wife?” and Google Now would show him on a map where she is (with the person’s location settings turned on for sharing). This could be useful for so many reasons, but particularly in emergencies if your loved one is lost.
AndroidGuy Mitch Montague would like to have the ability to change the phrase “Okay, Google” to anything he’d like such as “Hey Nexus.” He also wants to see the ability to change system functions, such as turning Wi-Fi on and off, exist natively in the app (considering you can currently do this by other means).
Our Cooper Le says he’d like to see offline support, to set things such as alarms or reminders without a data connection.
Rob Vanasco would like to see better natural conversation, such as Google Now asking for clarification to a question it doesn’t understand, or ask for more details to give you a better result.
Jason Lund loves Google Now, but feels he doesn’t think about it enough to use it. Some way for Google to prompt him to use it would be good.
Henry Wiygul wants inter-app communication, so that if you find a great article while in Chrome, you can ask Google to “Share this on Twitter” without leaving Chrome, similar to what Project Hera is.
What features would you like to see? Do you use Google Now on a regular basis?
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Apple Utilizing Own Content Delivery Network to Help Deliver iOS 8 Update [iOS Blog]
According to data from internet research firm DeepField, Apple relied on its content delivery network along with Akamai and Limelight to handle the rollout of iOS 8 publicly this week (via The Wall Street Journal). The release of iOS 8 caused web traffic to more than double in some areas as millions of iOS users rushed to update their iOS devices.
“It really was a significant coming out party for the Apple CDN,” DeepField Chief Executive Craig Labovitz said. “This is definitely a realization that Apple is not just a software player. They’re not just a maker of PCs. They have an Internet backbone and an international Internet presence.”
Apple has not commented publicly on its content delivery network, but the company reportedly has been working on the network for several years. The CDN was believed to have gone live in the US and Europe in July of this year when Apple used the network to deliver smaller OS X updates.
In the future, the CDN likely will be used to delivery software updates, such as the upcoming OS X Yosemite release, to customers worldwide. Apple also is expected to gradually migrate its iTunes and App Store away from Akamai and other Level 3 CDNs as it strives to deliver data reliably to its customers by bringing this content delivery under its direct control.
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France passes its anti-Uber law
Remember the French law that, if passed, would make life impossible for companies like Uber, LeCab and Allocab? Last night the country’s national assembly gave a Gallic thumbs-up to the rule. The biggest change is that drivers are now banned from sharing their GPS location, preventing customers from being able to hail the nearest cab from their phone. If there is an upside, however, it’s that the late amendment that required Uber drivers to return “home” after each trip was shot down at the last minute. We won’t bore you with the more minor details, but the TL;DR version is that the balance of power is back with France’s entrenched Taxi monopoly. If we were in the mood, we’d make some sort of joke about a country with such a history of revolution is now slavishly enforcing the status-quo…
Filed under: Transportation
Via: Rude Baguette
Source: National Assembly (Translated)
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Starbucks’ shake-to-pay and tips now work on Android too
Love Starbucks but hate feeling left out of the shake-to-pay fun because the device in your pocket is running Android instead of iOS? Those days are over, my caffeine-craving friend. An updated version of the titular app has hit Google Play and it’s packing the aforementioned payment option as well as digital tipping. The coffee juggernaut’s rewards system is now on the payment screen too — all in time for the Seattle outfit’s declaration that autumn is officially here.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Google
Via: Android Community
Source: Google Play
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Samsung’s Galaxy Note 4 coming to the UK on October 10th
Not bothered about the new iPhones? After something with a big screen and Android at its heart? Well, that’s what Samsung’s Galaxy Note family is all about, and the company has announced the latest member of the clan will be hitting the UK October 10th, a week before the US. The super-sized Galaxy Note 4, with its 5.7-inch Quad HD display and high-end specs all around, is now up for preorder, but only at Samsung’s “Experience” stores. Carriers and retailers will be able to open up reservations from September 26th, with Samsung specifically naming Three and Carphone Warehouse as guaranteed partners. We haven’t got any juicy pricing information to share with you just yet, but should be able to let you know where the best deals lie nearer the time. Spoiler: it’s unlikely to be at Phones4u.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung
Via: Android Central
Source: Samsung
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The portable pop-up gaming room is here
Privacy. Sometimes we all crave a little. ‘Bocchi tent’: a 1.3 meter by 1.3 meter soft-cornered cube that makers Bibi Lab reckons offers the “ultimate gaming space”. With a slender gossamer wall between you and the rest of humanity, there’s a degree of sensorial blockage, but we could — obviously still hear the din of the Tokyo Game Show floors — headphones will be necessary if you’re looking to block out Other People. (The computer inside didn’t even have any games! What a waste.)
With all the space-age science of a popup tent, open up the storage pouch and the temporary gaming den makes itself – you’ll just have to add the furniture (and well, gaming hardware), yourself. The tent is set to retails for 5000 yen in Japan – and if you’re particularly taken with the idea of your own flatpack Internet Cafe, at least it should fit in your suitcase.
Filed under: Gaming
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MapMyFitness for iPhone lets you see all your activity in one place
The best thing about iOS 8 isn’t continuity texting or a liberated keyboard — it’s that it’ll give you rock hard abs. Which is exactly what you need if you’re going to pull off any of Under Armour’s skin-tight clothing. The sports brand wants to help you along with that, and has just updated its suite of apps (the popular MapMy… franchise it bought) to include unified activity tracking. This means if you have compatible hardware (like Jawbone’s UP, or a Withings Pulse) or an iPhone with an M7/M8 chip in it, you can fold all your activity data into the one MapMyFitness app. This also means you won’t get dupes any more if you were already tracking with the app and a tracker separately. Already working on those biceps by lifting your fancy new iPhone 6 Plus? Good, because the apps have also been given a digital nip and tuck to look extra buff on the new larger displays.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Apple
Source: iTunes
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Pebble now displays emojis and lets you dismiss alerts from your watch
Do you hate emojis? Too bad, because they’re everywhere: they’ve even arrived on Pebble and Pebble Steel via the smartwatches’ latest firmware. The software upgrade allows emoticons to show up on Pebble’s monochrome screen — sure, they’re not yellow or animated, but they’re better than those blank boxes that typically take their place. More importantly for Apple users, though, this firmware brings iOS 8 compatibility and a really neat notification management feature to their watches. Now, when they dismiss an alert from their Pebbles, it also disappears from their phones’ notification centers. (Hey, Android users, the company says it’s working on a version for your devices, as well!) Other than these, the firmware also enables the watch’s built-in compass and adds a fun Domo-kun watchface to your collection.
Hey @Pebble , we need Emoji’s STAT @aarontamachi pic.twitter.com/Kx1QaYTNO8
– Elric Truridge (@Elric77) July 4, 2013
Filed under: Wearables, Mobile
Source: Pebble
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Libratone’s got a new soundbar, and yes, it’s covered in wool
If only there was a way to combine your two greatest passions: high-quality audio and soft, fluffy fabrics? Well as it turns out, Libratone is kind of a specialist in that field, and for its next wool-covered creation, the company is revisiting soundbars with the “Diva,” announced today. Following on from its “Lounge” speaker of several years past, the Diva trades the square form factor for a curvier, oblong shape. And while it’s supposed find a home under your big-screen TV, the idea is the Diva can be your primary sound system, rather than just an accessory. Nestled beneath its woolen coat are two 1-inch, 25W tweeters taking care of the higher end; two, 3-inch 50W mid-range speakers; and one, 5-inch 75W subwoofer dealing with bass tones. In addition to the on-board digital amplifier, that sub is also supported by two passive radiators that are meant to facilitate a richer low-end sound without increasing energy consumption or weight.
There are only a couple of ports on the back of system for a 3.5mm line-in or optical input. There are several other ways to pipe music through it wirelessly, however, over WiFi or Bluetooth 4.0 (plus aptX), with an NFC chip for hassle-free pairing. Apple’s AirPlay and HTC’s Connect protocols are both catered for, as well as good ol’ DLNA. The Diva also works with Spotify Connect, which streams tunes straight to the speaker so you can use the source device for other things. An IR learning feature means you can make it play nice with any of your existing remotes, and Libratone’s iOS and Android apps will optimize output based on where it’s installed, if you feed in a few basic parameters like room size.
The Diva includes a normal stand and simple wall mount, which doesn’t need to be elaborate given the thing only weights 5.5kg (194 ounces). Since you’re likely position it under a TV, both mid-range speakers and tweeters have cup-like structures behind them that reflect some sound upwards, which is supposed to give the impression it’s coming at you from the TV. Vents in the back also bleed noise in that direction to give something of an omni-directional sound.
The Diva only comes with a black woolen cloak in the box, but you’ll get a code to order another free sheath in one of eight colors. Three more hues are due in time, which may or may not replace some of the existing options. Having been treated to demos including a live Foals concert and Batman movie trailer, it’s safe to say it sounds pretty nice. Then again, you’d expect it to at a price of £649 when it goes on sale in the UK and Europe from mid-October. We haven’t heard anything about a US release, but considering Libratone’s past history, we’d expect to see it reach the region in due course.
Filed under: Portable Audio/Video, HD
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iOS 8 helped Virgin Media smash download records
In our iOS 8 review, we said it Apple’s latest smartphone update was well worth the wait. Clearly, Brits agreed, because they helped Virgin Media set a new all-time download record. The provider’s busiest ever day came on September 17th, day one of downloads, which is impressive in its own right, as Apple’s servers didn’t actually go live until 6pm UK time. Virgin saw traffic rise 10 percent compared to the previous week, as the total data consumed reached an impressive 5,900 terabytes. To put it in perspective, that’s 11,800 PlayStation 4 hard drives or 1398 times the amount of data IBM’s Watson supercomputer had access to when it destroyed all humans on Jeopardy!
Filed under: Internet
Source: Virgin Media
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AIVAnet 