Google rumored to be working on task-oriented email client Codenamed Project Bigtop
Email is an aging form of communication, and many people have stopped using it simply because it has become so hard to manage their inbox. Apps like Mailbox have come along to make email management easier, and Google have added a few features like Priority Inbox to streamline your mail, but new rumors seem to indicate that Google has something planned that could change the way we use our email.
In a report on Android Police, Google’s Project Bigtop could be an update to Gmail, which recently added support for a handful of other email providers, or a standalone service available on multiple platforms. The service will allow users to categorize, pin and snooze emails. It will also allow users to mark email as “done”, which seems to be similar to archiving and will allow for a clutter-free inbox.
It is worth noting that in the screenshots there is no Google branding whatsoever, which could also hint that Project Bigtop will be a standalone service. If this service ever comes to fruition, it could be a very handy tool and could further solidify Google as the masters of email. As with any rumor, this should be taken with a grain of salt, but the evidence is pretty convincing. It will be interesting to see the final product. Any readers out there getting excited? Let us know in the comments below!
Source: Android Police
Come comment on this article: Google rumored to be working on task-oriented email client Codenamed Project Bigtop
Switching from iOS to Android: A helpful guide
When I made the switch from iOS to Android, it was pretty easy. I was already using Google services for as much as I possibly could. It was part of the reason I decided to switch. Why use Apple products to access Google services when I could use Google products to access Google services?
So when it came time to transfer over my contacts, calendar, photos, music, email and other services I used Google to log into, it was just a matter of entering my log-in credentials. And because I’m a nerd who likes to plan out technology changes like this, I made a list of all the apps I couldn’t live without, found them in the Google Play store, and bookmarked them so that when I got my first Android device, it would just take a few taps to complete the switch from iOS to Android.
Sadly, not everyone is like me. Some people use other services. Some people use Apple products to access Apple services.
For you unfortunate people out there, Google has created a handy-dandy guide for switching from iOS to Android.
It will take a bit of work, but it will make the switch pretty painless, and at the end of the day, you will have the following data on your shiny new Android device,
- Photos/Video
- Contacts
- Apps
- Music
Are you planning to make the switch from iOS to Android? Let us know in the comments how helpful Google’s guide was.
via [Google Operating System]
source [Android]
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Update brings mood lighting, better battery life to your Moto 360
When the Moto 360 last got an update, the painfully handsome smartwatch seemed to get a noticeable boost in battery life. Now, with a new bit of software, Motorola’s itching to improve its battery life just a little more… as well as stamp out a few bugs for good measure. Perhaps the most notable addition is the 360’s newfound ability to shut off Ambient Mode (which leaves the screen on, albeit at a lower brightness) automatically once its battery level hits 15 percent. Also on deck this time are some minor UI changes (you can temporarily dismiss a notification without leaving the watch face), the addition of mood lighting when you plop the thing in its dock, and some behind-the-scenes Bluetooth improvements. All of the above will be hitting your wrist sooner or later — Motorola says the update is rolling out in waves, so be patient if your smartwatch doesn’t get a little smarter as quickly as you’d like.
Filed under: Mobile
Source: Official Motorola Blog
Carnegie Mellon University wants to bring the moon home with virtual reality
Google’s Lunar Xprize is still alive and well, and researchers at Carnegie Mellon University think they have the $30 million answer to beaming video from the moon: a telepresence robot. Naturally. Instead of simply broadcasting footage of the moon’s surface, however, the scientists want to, as they say, “bring the Moon back” according to the BBC. How? By mating the spacefaring robot with Oculus Rift headsets here on Earth; turn your head on the Third Rock From the Sun and the robot on the moon will supposedly turn in tandem via head-tracking. There are a few caveats that had to be overcome, however. Namely, the Rift needs a pair of simultaneous video feeds to properly achieve a convincing virtual reality experience, and, by design it can’t accept two streams.
The team says that it overcame this and a few other hurdles (hopefully lag is one of them) with a nonstop hackathon. The team’s goals are lofty, but we can’t help but admire them nonetheless. Ultimately CMU wants hundreds of its robots on the moon and a Rift headset in every room — allowing practically anyone to see what Apollo 11’s crew saw 45 years ago.
[Image credit: Getty Images]
Filed under: Science, Alt, Google
Source: BBC
Chromecast users Cast 650 million times and its successor is on the way
The Chromecast is an incredibly valuable piece of equipment for anyone. The device was launched in 2013 by Google and no one knew what to expect. Well, the Cast feature for the $35 darling has been used 650 million times. This is up from 400 million back in August. That shows just what you can expect from Chromecast. It is so powerful due to the tens of thousands of applications available. In fact, there are more than 6,000 developers working on upwards of 10,000 apps.
Hit the break for a Google executives comments about what is next for Chromecast.
As we already know, a new version of Chromecast is incoming. When? No one knows. Google’s Mario Queiroz did not give Gigaom much information about the successor, but did maintain that the specifications will be boosted. Queiroz said “The hardware capabilities will give us a better opportunity to take full advantage of a large screen paired with a small screen.”
What do you think the next Chromecast will be able to do?
Source: Gigaom
Come comment on this article: Chromecast users Cast 650 million times and its successor is on the way
Google backs Magic Leap, a mysterious augmented reality startup
Google has just thrown its weight behind an augmented reality startup shrouded in mystery. Along with Qualcomm and film production Legendary Entertainment (among many other companies), Mountain View has funded Magic Leap to the tune of $542 million. According to The New York Times, that puts the startup’s value at a whopping $2 billion, even though we still don’t know much about the product it’s developing. Here’s what we do know about Magic Leap, though: it’s not making a chunky headset like the now Facebook-owned Oculus Rift, and while company CEO Rony Abovitz wouldn’t tell TechCrunch specifics, he said his team is working on a “lightweight wearable” solution, presumably powered by a mobile device.
He also told the publication that Magic Leap’s technology goes well beyond virtual or augmented reality and can superimpose objects that truly look real onto the world, using something called dynamic digitized lightfield signal. Legendary Pictures CEO Thomas Tull (who has already spent time with the product) even described the startup’s technology as “so badass” to Fast Company, adding that it is “a marker of the future.” Magic Leap will use the money from the latest funding round to accelerate development, in order to launch its product (which might be available to consumers almost as soon as it’s revealed, TechCruch said) in the near future.
Via: The New York Times, TechCrunch
Source: Magic Leap
FKA twigs calls on Google Glass for dance tips in her latest music video
FKA twigs already has a reputation for using technology to make artistic statements in her music videos, and her latest takes this to its logical extreme. The two-minute #throughglass promo has twigs using Google Glass to seemingly influence a music video as it’s being shot — she looks for vogue dance tutorials to start things off, and switches to looking for anime-style eyes, gymnastics and “dominant krumping.” She records some of the video from Glass’ camera, too. The production is decidedly off the wall and probably won’t have you rushing out to drop $1,500 just to emulate some slick moves, but it’s proof that you can still look vaguely cool with a computer on your head.
Filed under: Wearables, Google
Via: Slate
Source: FKA twigs (YouTube)
Engadget Daily: a real-life hoverboard, a TV show for Vine celebrities, and more!
Yes, it’s true: Our own Sean Buckley rode a real-life hoverboard. But that’s not all we have for you on this fine day — read on for the rest of our news highlights from the last 24 hours, including the Avi-on Bluetooth light switch, an app that solves math problems, and more.
Shots of Google Calendar material design overhaul surface
The calendar app on a smartphone may not be the most interesting app users access, but it is typically one of the core functions of our mobile devices. Although they may not be “sexy,” calendars play an important role and people are interested in attempts to make the data contained within their calendars easy to access. With the updates rolling out for a host of Google apps to implement their new material design guidelines and appear as part of Android Lollipop, the calendar app is on the list. Some new screenshots of the updated app have been obtained that reveal some of the work Google has done to refresh the calendar.
The main view for the new Calendar app is called the “Schedule” which puts the month on top with a bottom pane displaying weeks or days with events embedded therein. Users can quickly pull down the month to see a small display of the entire month similar to how some third-party calendar apps display things. Using the overflow icon, users can access other views for days or weeks as well as a search option.
Using the hamburger icon, users can select the calendars to be shown and figure out which colors go with which calendars. Speaking of colors, users will likely notice the abundant use of colors and headers throughout the app, consistent with other material design based apps. Like much of what Google has been pushing for, things like the event creation function feature a clean, concise interface. Sources indicate some of the fields will include an auto-suggest type feature that brings up suggestions as users are typing things like a name or a location.
We will be on the lookout for this latest update to appear in the Play Store and start hitting devices sometime in the next couple weeks leading up to the Android Lollipop official release.
source: Android Police
Come comment on this article: Shots of Google Calendar material design overhaul surface
Nexus Player is shipping in 3-4 weeks
The Nexus Player hasn’t had the best of launches so far: first it was delayed by the FCC approval, and now pre-orders have opened up, the shipping is already slipping.
It’s not clear as to if the 3-4 weeks shipping time is due to stock restraints, or if that’s the intended lead-time it takes to ship the Nexus Player, but I would put money on it being stock issues.
But let us know in the comments below – did you order the Nexus Player, and if so did it show anything other than a 3-4 week shipping time?
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