“OK Google” now integrates with select chat apps
Effective as of today, Google Now users can send texts by voice through some popular messaging apps. These include the latest versions of WhatsApp, Viber, WeChat, Telegram, and NextPlus, with other apps planned to be added. For now, this will work in English in any country. Other languages are coming soon.
This works almost identically to texting through the platform. Just say something along the lines of, “Ok Google, send a WhatsApp message to Joe.” This will bring up a pop-up that asks you to speak your prompt. Also, you can group it with the initial “Ok Google” statement, allowing you to skip the last step.
Google’s integration of chat apps in Now follows other recent updates to the platform, such as new cards of reminders, TV shows, books, video games, music albums, public transit, apps, and more, and the ability to send Hangouts messages.
Source: Google Inside Search
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Amazon: Buy a Chromecast, receive $10 gift card (until Aug. 9)
The Chromecast, which recently celebrated its second birthday, is one of our favorite media devices of all time. Why? Because, for $35, it’s super flexible and enhances the mobile experience and living room experience at the same time.
As one of Amazon’s top-selling media devices, the Chromecast can often be found on sale. Such is the case now where it’s selling for $29.99. But, for a limited time, it gets even better.
“Offer expires at 11:59 p.m. (PT) on August 9, 2015. “
Purchase the Chromecast through Amazon between now and August 9 and you’ll also receive a $10 gift card. Yep, the same sort of gift card that works for anything else on Amazon.com.
All you have to do is click this link and add the gift card and Chromecast to your shopping cart.
Google Chromecast HDMI Streaming Media Player
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Griddition: Maths on the go (App Review)
I’m sure most of you remember that you probably did maths at some stage of your life. And, yes, while it was probably the bane of your life, we may not appreciate maths as much as we should. Love it or hate it, there are apps for it. The app I’m talking about speciffically is called “Griddition”, and today I’ll be reviewing it.
Setup
Barring the fact that there was a tutorial, Griddition is extremely simple. The tutorial give you a good idea of what it’s about, but I was still a bit confused on my first try. I’m going stress ‘first try’ because it really doesn’t take long to get into the full swing of things. One round is all you’ll need to play at max efficiency.
There are different themes you can use later on in the game as you unlock more levels. As I haven’t yet advanced too far, I’m unable to share my views on them, although their names at least sound cool.
Gameplay
I wouldn’t exactly call Griddition a game. The ‘gameplay’ simply doesn’t fit the standards for a game, while it certainly isn’t not a game. It’s more of something that’s designed to be played in a math classroom or to pass away time on the bus. Think of it as Sodoku, but all the numbers that you input have to equal the number at the end. You simply drag the availible numbers into their slots and try beat your previous time. Your ultimate goal is to improve your score and unlock bigger grids. All of this is a treat thanks to the great but simple user interface and the lack of annoying adverts. My time spent with the app was indeed pleasant.
Is it for me?
Although Griddition is a great app, it’s not really just for anyone. I personally doubt if I would use it on a constant basis, although other people will likely differ. The fact that it is ad free and does not require internet connection means that it’s specially ideal for places like the classroom and for your offspring in the back of the car.
What we liked:
- Great user interface
- Lack of adverts
- No internet required
And not so much…
- Not much to make you want to play
- Lack of levels/storymode
All-in-all, Griddition is a great app that you probably won’t like a lot. It’ll be great for kids but no so much for grown-ups, although other people might beg to differ. The gameplay is in no way entertaining, remember how I said that it’s “not really a game”? But hey, head on over to the Play Store and give it a try!
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Pay What You Want to become a mobile game developer [DEAL OF THE DAY]
Today’s deal allows you to “Go from Gamer to Game Coder with Stone River eLearning’s Complete Training“. With three different courses, valued at over $500, you won’t have to pay anywhere near that amount to become a game developer.
The Game Development for Non-Coders will teach you the ins and outs of coding, starting from the ground up. Even if you’ve never looked at a string of code in your life, this course will walk you through the process so that you can create games for Windows, Linux, Android and more. This course will also serve as a foundation for the latter courses, so you won’t be lost along the way.
The Unity 3D Game Development & Design Course bundle will build upon what you have already learned, and help turn your sites on 3D gaming. In addition to teaching you how to create 3D games, you will also be able to improve your existing 2D games to create something absolutely awesome.
Finally, the HTML5 App & Game Development bundle will teach you how to build games that will be used on all platforms with the help of basic HTML & HTML5 code. This course will also teach you how to code in JavaScript to add more dynamic options to your games, as well as showing you how to create games with 2D physics, parallax effects and more.
As we mentioned above, this bundle of courses is worth over $500, but your cost is comparative to pennies on the dollar. Grab this deal here, and head on over and NAME YOUR PRICE for this awesome set of deals.
You can find this, and many other great tech bargains through our Deals page. Backed by Stack Commerce, there are daily promos, giveaways, freebies, and much more!
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Google Search notifies users of peak business times in results
Google is always thinking of bright ideas to make our lives more efficient. One annoyance we often have while we’re out and about is arriving at our favorite shop only to find that we weren’t the only ones with it in mind. Our delightful trip then turns into frustration of shuffling through crowds and waiting in line.
Fortunately, Google is expanding their business data collection to be able to relay to us the busiest times in a particular day that business sees throughout the week.
The information will show up when you search for a business and tap on the name to expand their details. Google states that the feature will cover “millions of places and businesses around the world”.
I would certainly love some extra time! Kudos to Google for the idea.
Source: Google+
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Google Store offering $15 discount with purchase of two Chromecasts
Google is offering a limited time promotion on its popular Chromecast device which might be of interest to you. Normally $35 a pop, you can pick up two of them for $55. Indeed, a limited time promotion sees Google shaving $15 off the cost of two Chromecasts.
It is not clear how long the deal lasts so be sure to hop on it quickly if you’re interested.
“Good for one movie rental on Google Play with the purchase of one Chromecast from the Google Store in US from July 24, 2015 – December 31, 2015. A promo code will be emailed after the device ships. “
Also, don’t forget that you can also score a free movie rental with the purchase of a Chromecast!
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Art wallpapers to class up your phone
Just because you have a high tech device doesn’t mean you can’t class it up. If you want to show off your artistic side, try one of these classic wallpapers. You may not have an extra 100 million dollars laying around to buy one of these paintings from a Sotheby’s auction, but you can still appreciate it by using one as your wallpaper. From Monet, Da Vinci, to Renoir we have you covered and best of all, they are free.
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High Court to decide Uber’s London fate in October
A long-running legal dispute between Uber and the UK’s Licensed Taxi Drivers Association (LTDA) may soon come to an end. Starting on October 5th, the High Court will hold a hearing with both parties and Transport for London (TfL) to determine whether the smartphones used by Uber drivers are technically the same as taximeters.
The argument goes like this: TfL granted Uber its private hire operator’s licence in 2012. The following year, the Licensed Private Hire Car Association and the LTDA approached TfL and argued that Uber drivers’ phones — which use GPS to measure the distance and time of a journey — were the same as a traditional taxi fare calculator. Only London cabbies can use taximeters, so if they’re correct, Uber would technically be breaking the law. TfL stood firm though and said that in its “provisional view” the two weren’t the same. It did, however, admit that the legislation was outdated and difficult to apply to Uber. “The law in this area is untested and is open to a different interpretation,” TfL said in January.
So the matter is being referred to the High Court for an official reading of the law. TfL, Uber and the LTDA will all have a chance to express their side of the argument — whatever decision is made, hopefully it’ll be enough to settle the matter once and for all.
[Image Credit: Andrew Matthews/PA WIRE]
Filed under: Transportation
Via: BBC
Livescribe’s 8GB Echo Pro smartpen connects to Mac and Windows
Livescribe has refreshed one of its older smartpens from way before it had an option that can automatically sync with iOS and Android devices. The new Echo 8GB Pro edition can save up to 800 hours of recording and connects to a Mac or a Windows computer via old-school USB connection, just like its predecessor. It doesn’t differ that much from its older sibling, so it’s presumably more powerful, with more advanced components. Similar to other Livescribe pens, Echo Pro digitizes what you write on the company’s special dot paper and records audio, such as a professor’s lecture (or incessant droning, depending on how you see it) at the same time.
Even better, you can sync your notes and recorded audio in what Livescribe calls a “pencast,” which you can upload to the computer and manage using the Echo Desktop software. The latest version of that software was designed to be easier to use, and clicking around your notes on the computer takes you to the part of the recording you want to listen to. If you’re in the US and prefer a smartpen that syncs with a computer instead of a mobile device, you can get the Echo Pro straight from Livescribe for $200. Otherwise, you can grab one from Amazon wherever you are in the world.
Filed under: Peripherals
Source: Livescribe
Samsung sensor puts 16-megapixel cameras into slim phones
Wondering how Samsung manages to cram a 16-megapixel camera into seemingly wafer-thin phones like the Galaxy A8? By developing a brand-spanking new sensor that fits, that’s how. The Korean company has built an ISOCELL-based CMOS imager that uses extremely tiny 1.0-micron pixels instead of the 1.12-micron units from the previous model. That may not sound like much of a difference, but it amounts to a sensor that’s 20 percent thinner, at a scant 5mm (0.2 inches) deep. In short, you won’t have to accept an unsightly camera hump just to get high-resolution shots.
There’s going to be some compromises with this sensor. While ISOCELL is supposed to help offset the light reception lost by using smaller pixels, the camera just won’t perform as well in dimly-lit environments as bigger sensors from Samsung or its rivals. Still, this is a big deal if you don’t want to settle for low-res pictures in slim devices — and it’s not an exclusive, so you may see it pop up in other companies’ phones before long.
Filed under: Cellphones, Cameras, Mobile, Samsung
Source: Samsung Tomorrow (1), (2)
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