Check out one of Google’s biggest logo redesigns ever
Every so often, Google tweaks and changes its logo. We’ve seen subtle shifts in fonts, colors, and shading, but for the past 15 years or so the logo has stayed pretty much the same without seeing any kind of major redesign.
Today marks a relatively massive redesign of Google’s logo, complete with a brand new font and some new identity branding. You can see the new main logo above, but Google is also changing the small blue G that we’re all used to into a multicolored G that matches the logo.
This new redesign is supposed to reflect a new Google that’s on every screen you own, not just your desktop or laptop web browser. In just the past few years, we’ve seen Google dive head first into the smartphone market, the wearable sector, and even things like connected vehicles and televisions. The company has grown exponentially since the previous logo came into existence, and the new logo symbolizes that.
What are your thoughts on the new logo?
source: Google
Click here to view the embedded video.
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Nest’s 3rd Generation Learning Thermostat is here for $249
Right off the heels of announcing a new arsenal of products, Nest today announced the 3rd generation of its Learning Thermostat, available from the company today for just $249.
The new model features a bigger and sharper display, but it’s also more accurate this time around. Nest added a few more sensors in the 3rd Gen model, giving it the ability to better learn the temperatures you like.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Nest even added a new feature called Farsight, which gives the new thermostat the ability to know when you walk in the room. And when you do walk into the room your thermostat is in, Nest will automatically light up showing you the temperature.
It’s certainly getting smarter, and for just $249, it pays for itself, saving you money on heating and electricity bills.
Anyone picking it up?
source: Nest
Come comment on this article: Nest’s 3rd Generation Learning Thermostat is here for $249
Moto X Pure Edition will be available to pre-order tomorrow
Motorola took to Twitter this morning to announce that the Moto X Pure Edition in the United States will be available to pre-order as of tomorrow, September 2.
Motorola held an event in New York City last month, revealing a bevy of new products–the Moto G, the Moto X Play, and the Moto X Pure Edition.
The Moto G was immediately available following the event, and the Moto X Play launched not long after, but now US customers are anxiously awaiting the arrival of the Moto X Pure Edition. And based on this tweet, the wait shouldn’t be much longer.
That said, tomorrow consumers will be able to head on over to www.motomaker.com and start customizing their Moto X Pure Edition. Of course, there’s still no solid release date, but given the timing of the Moto X Play, consumers should only have to wait a little over week before it officially launches.
Anyone pre-ordering their Moto X Pure Edition tomorrow?
source: Motorola (Twitter)
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Google Officially Changes their Logo
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Google announced last month their big plans for the future, which a lot of you saw that was Alphabet. So with a new and bright future must come a new and fresh logo for Google, and I must say I dig it.
The video below shows us how much Google has evolved, as well as how much the logo has evolved. The new logo is simple, plain, and still has those colors that make it seem familiar, but the new font will be something to get use to. Check out the video below and let us know what you think about the new logo.
The post Google Officially Changes their Logo appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Amazon Video is first online subscription streaming video service to offer offline playback
The battle that is subscription-based online video streaming gets more interesting today as Amazon Video announces an industry first. Available as part of recently updated service and mobile apps, Amazon will now let users download Prime Videos to be played back offline.
Indeed, this is a major move as players like Hulu and Netflix don’t yet offer the capability. Even stuff like that from Google Play Movies and TV require individual purchases or rental. Nobody, today, offers a subscription service for shows and movies that also lets you work offline.
“There’s no doubt that the way people watch entertainment is changing—anytime, anywhere viewing is important and we are excited to provide our Prime members with offline viewing capabilities on iOS and Android platforms starting today.“
If you’re an Amazon Prime subscriber (you really should be) and want to check out the Prime Video downloads, be sure to update your iOS app or install the standalone video app for Android. Not an Amazon Prime subscriber? Try the service out for 30 days for free!
The post Amazon Video is first online subscription streaming video service to offer offline playback appeared first on AndroidGuys.
OnePlus begins updating Oxygen OS to 2.0.2
OnePlus 2 owners will see the beginning of phased rollout for the newest update to Oxygen OS 2. Owners of the “2015 flagship killer” have seen several updates to their phones recently and this update will bring updates to fingerprint recognition accuracy, a fix for a bug that would unexpectedly mute the phone, stability improvements for the front facing camera and UI improvements in the camera software.
In their forum post, OnePlus is sure to point out that they’re listening to their customers complaints on forums and on social media. Oxygen OS, the rather spartan OS has been criticized for its lack of customization, options and features in comparison to the more robust CyanogenMod 12.1 that can’t yet be flashed on to the phone.
The OnePlus One originally launched with CyanogenMod 11S on board but after a rocky relationship, OnePlus began to develop their own AOSP based ROM and dumped Cyanogen for Oxygen OS. Oxygen OS is available to flash on the original flagship killer but comes standard on the OnePlus 2.
OnePlus has promised a more significant update to Oxygen OS in mid-September which will bump the OS up to 2.1. Due to OnePlus’ history with software updates we’re going to put this one in the we’ll believe it when we see it category.
Source: OnePlus forum
The post OnePlus begins updating Oxygen OS to 2.0.2 appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Sony releases new Theme Portal for Xperia devices
Sony has released a new Theme Portal, where Xperia users can get themes for their devices similar to what Samsung has done for their latest Galaxy devices and what some launchers have been doing for years.
Themes are a way to change the look of your device’s wallpaper, icons, and details all with one download.
Like an actual app store, developers of new themes can submit their designs to be added to the portal using Sony’s Theme Creator BETA or by submitting it through Sony using these instructions.
In the new Theme Portal there are quite a few themes but are mainly for devices running Android 4.3 and up, so if your Xperia device isn’t up to date, you’re out of luck. There are themes from Sony who can make themes from their movies like Spider-Man 2, or from their video games like LittleBigPlanet.
It’s nice to see Sony offer more options for personalization to their Xperia fans.
The post Sony releases new Theme Portal for Xperia devices appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Apple Watch Could Launch in Austria, Denmark and India This Month
Apple is expected to provide additional details about watchOS 2 at its September 9th media event in San Francisco. Alongside that announcement, a trio of rumors hint towards Apple expanding Apple Watch sales to Austria, Denmark, India and possibly other countries later this month.
Austrian website MacMania claims that the Apple Watch will be available in Austria starting September 15, citing information it received over Facebook Messenger from a reputable source working for an undisclosed large electronics chain in the country. Apple does not have an official retail presence in Denmark.
MacMania reports the Apple Watch will launch in Austria on September 15
Danske Bank, the largest bank in Denmark, also recently issued a press release stating that its MobilePay service will support the Apple Watch when the device launches in Denmark next month (via Rec.dk), but the bank has since backtracked and now cites “rumors” about a September launch.
Danske Bank has a large presence throughout the Nordic region of Europe, with locations in Denmark, Finland and Norway, three countries where the Apple Watch is slated to launch before the end of the year per Apple’s website. The bank also operates in Sweden, where the Apple Watch launched in July.
Indian website iGyaan claims that the Apple Watch will launch in India in September, starting at Rs. 24,999 for the entry-level Apple Watch Sport. “However we have some good news for those waiting to get their hands on the device,” the report said in late August. “It arrives in the country next month.”
The full list of countries where the Apple Watch will be “available in 2015” includes Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, Finland, India, Malaysia, Norway, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Apple also has an Apple Watch preview website live in Latin America, but no launch date is provided.
Apple has launched the Apple Watch in 22 countries to date in four waves:
It should be noted that all four dates listed above were Fridays, so there is a possibility that Denmark’s rumored Apple Watch launch date of Tuesday, September 15 is inaccurate. But with “iPhone 6s” and “iPhone 6s Plus” pre-orders expected on Friday, September 11, ahead of a Friday, September 18 launch, and watchOS 2 expected midweek, Apple could go for an unusual date.
Instagram Improves ‘Instagram Direct’ Private Messaging Capabilities
Instagram today announced a major update to the Instagram Direct feature that it first introduced in 2013, allowing users to send threaded messages and content from their feeds through the private messaging function.
Prior to today, Instagram Direct could only be used to send a single photo privately to a friend or a group of friends, where it could be commented on away from the public eye. There was no way to share content from a user’s feed to a direct message, and there were no conversation management tools, both feature oversights that Instagram has now corrected.
Following an app update, it will be possible to share a photo in your Instagram feed privately with a group of friends, a function that Instagram believes will replace the practice of @mentioning people to draw their attention to a particular photo.
A new arrow located next to the “Like” and “Comment” icons on each photo will allow an image to be sent to a friend or a group of friends through Instagram Direct.
Instagram Direct is also gaining threaded messages, making it easier to manage conversations. It will no longer be necessary to start a new conversation each time you want to share a photo or a video.
Threaded messages make it easier to go back and forth with the people you talk to the most. Instead of creating a new conversation every time you send a photo or video, your threads are based on the people in them — and your moments flow along naturally. We’ve also added the ability to name your groups, a quick camera feature to respond with a selfie on the fly, and larger-than-life emoji for when there are just no words.
Instagram has introduced several significant changes to its service over the last few months. In addition to adding search capabilities to the web in July, the company also changed a signature feature last week, allowing users to upload portrait and landscape photos in addition to square photos.
https://player.vimeo.com/video/137644108?color=ffffff&title=0&%2338;byline=0&%2338;portrait=0
Instagram can be downloaded from the App Store for free. The new update will be available as of today. [Direct Link]
Bluetooth alternative sends signals through the human body
A team of researchers from the University of California, San Diego announced Tuesday that they had developed a proof-of-concept wireless transmission system that is both more efficient and more secure than Bluetooth. It works by sending data signals through your body’s natural magnetic field instead of over the air and could lead to a new class of ultra-low power wearables.
Bluetooth is the current king of short range wireless communication but it has a number of shortcomings. While BT works efficiently when there is a clear air path between the two devices, it requires a significant power boost to push the signal through obstacles like the human body, known as “path loss“. UCSD’s system doesn’t suffer from that problem because it uses the human body itself as a transmission medium to send magnetic signals between devices. In the prototype, PVC-wrapped wires coiled around the user’s extremities generate magnetic fields that transmit signal between the various body parts.
It operates in essentially the same fashion as an MRI or wireless medical implant, albeit at a far lower energy level. In fact, the research team estimates that the path loss associated with this technique is roughly 10 million times lower than Bluetooth. That should translate into significant energy savings and longer battery lives.
“A problem with wearable devices like smart watches is that they have short operating times because they are limited to using small batteries. With this magnetic field human body communication system, we hope to significantly reduce power consumption as well as how frequently users need to recharge their devices,” UCSD Ph.D student and lead author Jiwoong Park said in a statement.
Additionally, this system offers increased security over existing wireless standards. Bluetooth signals emanate omni-directionally from their source up to 30 feet. Anybody within that perimeter can, theoretically, pick up that signal and intercept the data. But because this system’s signal travels through the body, an eavesdropper would need to be all up in your grill, if not in direct physical contact, to intercept it. The team recently presented their findings at the 37th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society in Milan, Italy.
[Image Credit: UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering]
Filed under:
Wearables, Wireless, Science
Tags: bluetooth, MagneticFields, Milan, UCSD
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