Touring the world’s first ‘Google Shop’

For a while now, Google has been using Currys PC World stores across the UK to promote its latest Chromebooks, Chromecast and Nexus devices. The company normally takes over a small section of the shop with its own decor, demo stations and staff, which naturally attract the attention of curious customers. Google still hasn’t built an Apple-style retail store of its own, but this week it moved one step closer with the launch of a new “Google Shop” inside the Currys PC World store on London’s Tottenham Court Road. The company says it’s the first “Google shop experience” to be opened anywhere in the world and will be joined by two more in Fulham, London and Thurrock, Essex later this year.

Before you’ve even stepped through the door, the scale and ambition of Google’s new store is apparent. The company’s huge logo dominates the window, although it’s been constructed from typically British objects to give it some extra flair. A sign for the nearest tube station, Warren Street, has been used for the red “o” and a suspended bicycle represents the first lower case “g.” It’s bold and eye-catching, and if you wait a few moments you’ll see a steel ball whizzing over, under and around all of the letters.

The store is actually quite small, but there’s a lot to keep both children and adults entertained. A large “Doodle Wall” lets you create your own Google Doodle with artificial spray cans; the motion tracking is surprisingly accurate and once you’ve created an artistic monstrosity, you can choose to save your handiwork as an animated GIF. A second installation called “Portal” combines nine 1080p screens for an immersive Google Earth experience. A large podium houses a touch screen for easy navigation, as well as a giant “space navigator” nub that helps you pull the perspective in different directions. There’s even a Leap Motion sensor so that when you land on an interesting spot, you can raise your hand and see both the co-ordinates and estimated population for the area.

A Google-blue Chromecast pod demonstrates the streaming capabilities of Google’s tiny streaming dongle, while a table slap-bang in the center of the room offers a couple of Nexus 6 and Nexus 9 devices. Finally, a long demo station on the left-hand side offers a bank of Chromebooks and Android Wear smartwatches, including the Moto 360 and LG G Watch R. No Nest products though, which feels like a bit of a missed opportunity.

Before you leave, you can walk around the back of the huge Google logo in the window and push a couple of bright buttons and levers. They’ll release a new steel ball or spin the bicycle wheel, and at the end you can take a photo booth-style montage with Google-themed filters and borders. Staff say the store has been designed to sell Google hardware, but it’s clear this is more of a showpiece for the company. The installations are fun and memorable, but it’s not like anyone needed reminding of Google Maps or the ever-changing Google Doodles. Still, “the Google Shop” is easily one of the most exciting retail projects Google has ever undertaken, and it’s probably our closest look at what a permanent, standalone store from the company could look like in the future.

Filed under: Misc, Google

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Google unveils ‘The Google Shop’ located in a Curry’s PC World store in London

Google is predominantly known as ‘the Search Giant’ as well as the guiding force behind the Android operating system, but now it has just opened its very first branded store called The Google Shop. Google’s retail outlet is a store-within-a-store and is located within a Currys PC World shop on Tottenham Road in London. 

As you would expect, Google is showing off its Nexus smartphones and tablets, Chromebook, and Chromecast TV devices. Google is also offering a few unusual experiences that include being able to spray paint on a wall with a digital can and navigating on-screen via Google Maps.

Google’s Marketing Director for the UK, James Elias said that:

The pace of innovation of the devices we all use is incredible, yet the way we buy them has remained the same for years. With the Google shop, we want to offer people a place where they can play, experiment and learn about all of what Google has to offer; from an incredible range of devices to a totally-connected, seamless online life

The Google Shop will also host tutorials on how to use various Google apps and Open House events allowing teachers to try out new educational tools. Google plans on opening 2 more Google Shops, in Fulham, West London and Thurrock, which is in Essex. Both shops will also be located within Currys PC World outlets.

Source: Telegraph
Via: AndroidCentral

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Stock Android could be getting its own mult-window feature

Various Samsung and LG devices have a feature that allow two applications to run simultaneously on the same screen. It eliminates the need to jump between apps, something that is especially tedious when the two apps are needed at the same time. Samsung calls the feature Multi Window while LG uses the term Dual Window. Soon, Google could be getting into the enhanced multitasking game. The term “multiwindows” was listed within the code for stock Android.

There were not any details included with the term, but it does show that Google’s attention to what the hardware manufacturers are doing. We should find out more later this year at Google I/O 2015.

Source: Google
Via: Phone Arena

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Google’s Interactive Events App appears in Play Store, [APK Download]

Here we have a new application from Google called Interactive Events that has appeared in the Play Store and appears to be for conference goers. All it says in the app description is “The Google Interactive Events App provides agenda details and speaker bios for managed events.” Images and download links are after the break. 

When installing the app, you get the feeling that this isn’t quite ready for primetime thanks to the “Shh! This is a confidential dogfood version of the Interactive Events app” that appears on the startup page. After that, there’s the terms and conditions page, and then you get asked to scan or type in an event code. Basically. it would seem that the Interactive Events app will act as a conference guide/diary, giving detailed information about the Agenda, Speakers, as well as Notes, related videos, as well as the events location.

One could imagine the Interactive Events app being extremely useful at Google I/O in May perhaps? Who knows? You can download the app directly from here, or you can just click the Google Play Store link or scan the QR code below.

Play Store Download link

Source: AndroidPolice

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