Chromecast app update gives a clearer look at your streaming devices
If you’re fortunate enough to have more than one Chromecast device at home, you should now have an easier time making sense of your streaming options. Updates to both the Android and iOS Chromecast apps give you a reworked hardware view that gives each device its own card, complete with its current backdrop and casting status. You won’t be as likely to hijack the kids’ TV by accident, in other words. On top of this, you can browse through your backdrop history and change how quickly those pictures cycle. Swing by the App Store or Google Play if you’ve been itching for better control over your TV streaming.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD, Google
Source: App Store, Google Play
New look at Google Photos starts to reveal direction for the app
As Google edges closer to separating their Photos app from the Google+ platform, an early version of the new app has surfaced for sources to take a look at the direction being taken by Google. Many core features appear to carryover from the way they operate in Google+, but other features are being added along with some new adjustments for users to polish up their photos.
Once past the initial launch screen, which Google has animated, on first launch users will be walked through some setup items. Notably, users will still be able to select auto backup to the Photos app. Once into the main app itself, users will find an updated interface with several view options to choose from. A familiar “comfortable view” will be available that tiles photos by day like on the web interface. Users will also get sort options for day or month views.
When going through their photo library, users will be able to pinch into photos or swipe out of them. A new capability for dragging to select multiple photos will also be included.
For filters and sharing prep, Google appears to being replacing “autoawesome” with a new “Assistant” feature. The Assistant will be capable of generating stories and animations on its own. However, users will now get access to more manual controls for creating albums, movies, animations or collages.
Amidst all the filters and adjustments, Google did not forget the stalwart cropping interface. That now gets some presets to different aspect ratios and a nice rotation wheel will be available.
Finally, an analysis of the app shows access to photos when not using the app will be possible at photos.google.com. That address is currently redirecting to plus.google.com/photos. Most users are waiting to see how the new storage option may make it easier to share photos to the places users visit on the web.
source: Android Police
Come comment on this article: New look at Google Photos starts to reveal direction for the app
Signatures and improved delete options on the way to Inbox by Gmail
The Inbox by Gmail app was an attempt by Google to start re-thinking the traditional mail client and how users maintain control over their incoming email. Despite a lot of positive buzz at launch, users quickly discovered several limitations and sizable numbers went back to the Gmail client. New information shows the development team is working on at least a couple of the more critical issues that troubled users.
In a thread on Google+ regarding reasons for users not making the jump to Inbox by Gmail, the development jumped in with their official account to comment,
“We’re working on both Signatures and Delete. Pin and Snooze are both designed to replace mark as unread.”
The lack of signatures to be used when composing email messages is a big problem for users, especially for anyone using Gmail for a business or organization. Adding a signature feature will be welcome relief for all the users looking for that.
Another big gripe has been the difficulty in deleting email, especially bulk deletes. Making this function easier will probably help entice lots of users to give Inbox by Gmail another look.
Sources have noted that based on the response from the development team, a traditional “mark as unread” feature will not be available. Instead, users will be expected to use either Pin or Snooze if they are going to want to revisit an email later.
Would you consider trying Inbox by Gmail or taking another look at it with these changes?
source: MobileSyrup
Come comment on this article: Signatures and improved delete options on the way to Inbox by Gmail
Unorthodox Sprite drone tolerates abuse and actually flies
When you picture a consumer drone, something bulky with four or six props à la DJI probably pops to mind. But the folks behind a new model on Kickstarter think that such UAVs have two big problems — namely, they’re hard to carry and break easily if you mess up. They built The Sprite to overcome those limitations with a cylindrical, waterproof body and retractable blades. The design makes it easy to throw it into a pack, and when landing, the rotors halt in a half a second and fold into a retracted position. From there, the craft can safely alight on rocks, a bush or even a swamp without issues.
Though the design looks more toy-like than something from, say, 3D Robotics, Sprite is actually targeting pros. It has fully autonomous flight using waypoint navigation and “follow me” modes, along with a built-in 1080p camera (with optional 3rd party FPV) and a 2-axis stabilized gimbal. You’ll also get a GoPro compatible 2-axis gimbal that can be swapped without tools, and control via a smartphone, tablet, or optionally, an R/C transmitter. The current flight time is around 12 minutes with the LiPo batteries, but the makers are striving to improve that before it ships.
At $799 sans transmitter, the Sprite is targeting the mainstream semi-pro market. You’ll need to pay an extra $150 for the transmitter and around $300 for first person view (FPV) capability, putting the sticker at $1,249 for the same capability as a $1,099 DJI Phantom 3 Advanced. In other words, you’ll need to have faith not only in the concept, but also the company’s ability to ship it. That said, it’s well over half way to its $200,000 goal with 21 days to go, so it’s more likely than not to get backed. If all goes well, delivery is slated for December 2015.
Filed under: Robots
Source: Kickstarter
Android’s stand-alone Photos app will give you more creative control
Wondering what will happen when Android’s Photos app finally makes a clean break from Google+? You should now have a pretty good idea. Android Police has peeked at a leaked copy of a reworked Photos app, and it’s clear that Google is using the service split as an incentive to shake things up. The highlight may be Assistant (below), an effective substitute for Auto Awesome that gives you more creative power — you can produce more content yourself (such as Stories) instead of waiting for it to show up. The interface should also be more intuitive across the board, with more options for viewing your photos, a better editing interface, privacy-minded sharing and pinch-to-zoom gestures for opening pictures. There’s a chance these features could change or disappear before they’re official, but it won’t be surprising if you see this Photos redesign on the Google I/O stage this week.
Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Mobile, Google
Source: Android Police (1), (2)
Instagram wants to reel you back in with emailed photo highlights
Instagram’s photographic social feed isn’t as novel as it once was, and you may be tempted to stop using it if you’re overwhelmed by that never-ending stream of square pictures. How is the company supposed to keep you coming back for more? Though regular email blasts, apparently. TechCrunch has confirmed that Instagram is now sending “Highlights,” email digests that showcase some of the better photos from those you follow. While this see-what-you’re-missing strategy isn’t new (Facebook and Twitter have done this for a while), it acknowledges that only some of Instagram’s 300 million users are active shutterbugs — this could help you remember the service and catch photos that would otherwise slip under the radar. Yes, the highlights are ultimately meant to get you viewing more ads, but they may be useful if you’d rather not spend every day wading through an image stream.
Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Mobile, Facebook
Source: TechCrunch
Some of Hollywood’s best animatronics are going to auction
If you’re a movie buff who can’t get enough of Hollywood’s monsters, you might want to brace your wallet for impact. Famed special effects guru Rick Baker is auctioning over 400 items from his collection, including animatronics that were key to livening up aliens, apes and other creatures in big movies ranging from Gremlins 2 to the Men in Black series. The amount of technology involved might surprise you — in many cases, what you saw on screen was just a small part of what was going on. The bidding doesn’t start until the 29th, but we’ve rounded up some of the highlights in the gallery below if you can’t wait to see what’s up for grabs.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Robots, HD
Via: CNET
Source: Prop Store
Clip-on adds gesture control to Pebble Time and Android Wear watches
Aria is a small add-on that clips underneath a smartwatch band and lets you control the device with finger gestures. It’s an accessory for an accessory, which sounds kind of ridiculous, but it’s not like you have a lot of choices when it comes to adding gesture control to your gadget anyway. The remote control-like clip-on can access any feature you’d usually access through the touch screen or the watch dial, completely freeing up your other hand for tasks like eating, drinking or talking on the phone. Possible gestures include tapping, flicking your fingers, and closing and opening your hand — you can configure it all through its companion app.
Aria connects to a smartwatch via Bluetooth Low Energy, and it doesn’t need a battery of its own. Its designers created two versions of the accessory for Pebble Time and Android Wear watches, and they plan to put a campaign up on Kickstarter within the next few weeks. The Android Wear version will cost you quite a bit at $169, since it was created specifically for developers. If you own a Pebble Time, though, you’ll only have to pledge at least $69. According to TechCrunch, the clip-on can also control iPhone and iPad apps, but It won’t work with any Apple Watch, even if it’s the fancy 18K gold kind.
Filed under: Wearables, Mobile
Via: TechCrunch
Source: Aria
[Deal] Grab a Moto 360 for $149.99 from BestBuy
Earlier today, BestBuy kicked off a brand new deal on all three colorways of the Moto 360. However, unlike any of its other previous promotions, the company has decided to host this one via eBay.
Buying a Moto 360 with this promo saves customers a whopping $100; meaning you can pick one up for $149.99. However, stock is extremely limited — so if you want to get your hands on one, better act fast.
You’ll find the links for each of the colorways below:
Will you be taking advantage of this offer? Let us know below!
Come comment on this article: [Deal] Grab a Moto 360 for $149.99 from BestBuy
Inhabitat’s Week in Green: rain lamps and solar-powered pod homes
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week’s most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us — it’s the Week in Green.
Everything about Tesla is groundbreaking, including its direct-sales model. Laws in New Jersey, Ohio, Texas and Michigan have sought to prevent the electric carmaker from bypassing third-party dealerships and selling cars directly to customers. Last week, Tesla scored a big win in Maryland, when the state’s governor signed a bill allowing the company to operate its own dealerships in the state. In other green transportation news, a 28-year-old woman is preparing to row all the way from Japan to San Francisco in a rowboat, with no support vessel. Airplane manufacturers have yet to unlock the potential of 3D-printing airplane parts, but the engineers at GE Aviation recently conducted a test, offering a possible glimpse of the future. The team created a mini jet engine that can roar up to 33,000 RPM, and it comes right out of a 3D printer.
3D printing can be used to create much more than just jet engines; the emerging technology is also being used to help injured animals. An injured sea turtle received a new, custom-made 3D-printed jaw, giving it a second chance at living a normal life. The French cosmetics company L’Oréal recently announced plans to begin 3D printing human skin. The company is partnering with the San Diego-based startup Organovo to ramp up the production of lab-grown skin. Humans have never been content with just letting the natural world do its thing. Scientists in Italy have been experimenting with spraying spiders with graphene, creating super spiders that can spin webs that are six times stronger than normal ones.
Sony has produced a new energy-efficient LED lightbulb that doubles as a Bluetooth speaker. But if you’re thinking about buying one, you’ll have to dig deep: The LED bulbs retail for $200 apiece. In other green tech news, YiREGO announced pre-orders for Drumi, its $129 foot-powered clothes washer, and designer Matt Dalio has developed a new gadget that transforms your family TV into a computer. On the design front, this week Inhabitat reported live on the best new products from New York Design Week — including 28 inspiring lighting designs. We also featured eight transforming furnishings that do double duty, a new line of mind-bending 3D wallpaper and an amazing water-filled lamp that makes it rain inside your house.
Concrete is one of the strongest and most resilient building materials in the world, but there’s always room for improvement. A team of Dutch researchers has been working on creating a new type of concrete that uses bacteria to repair its own cracks. In other architecture and design news, Airbnb celebrated a new law allowing Londoners to rent out their homes by floating a two-story house down the River Thames. If you prefer a more out-of-this-world lodging experience, there’s a hotel in Slovenia that features levitation suits that suspend guests from the ceiling, making them feel like they’re in a zero-gravity environment. But if staying in hotels isn’t your thing, you might try Travelbox, which allows you to carry around your own pop-up hotel room in a box. The box weighs in at just 132 pounds, and it unfolds into a bed, chair, table and even a bike. Or check out the Ecocapsule — a tiny, solar-powered pod house that lets you live off-grid anywhere in the world. As the world’s population continues to grow, food shortage is a very real issue. To deal with the problem, Spanish design firm Forward Thinking Architecture proposes to build floating farms to promote long-term food security and resilience.
Filed under: Misc, Household, Transportation, Science
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