Google and EA animate trash talk with the Madden ‘GIFERATOR’
The NFL regular season kicks off tonight, and to make sure you’re properly amped for the week’s action, EA has teamed up with Google for some GIF-based smack talk. The Madden GIFERATOR allows you to pick your favorite team, a star player, their environment, add some text and the software does the rest. From there, sharing is a breeze, and you can peruse creations for any franchise or by schedule from week to week. If you’re itchin’ to give it a go, you can do just that right here.
Filed under: Internet, Software, Google
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Google is bringing the Chrome OS desktop to Windows 7
The Chrome browser on Windows 8 has had a Chrome OS-like view for a while, but it now looks like that OS-within-an-OS option is spreading to other platforms. François Beaufort notes that Chrome Canary now has an experimental “Chrome OS mode” for Windows 7 that drops you into Google’s web-based desktop, complete with an app launcher; you’ll even get Google Now notifications through the app. There’s no telling when (or if) this full-screen mode will reach polished versions of Chrome, but you can try it in Canary today if you’re willing to live on the bleeding edge.
Filed under: Internet, Software, Google
Source: Francois Beaufort (Google+), Chromium.org, Chrome Canary
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Google leaps into another quantum computing research project
Though the effectiveness of quantum computing is highly disputed right now, that hasn’t deterred Google from throwing more money at it. Mountain View just announced that it’s backing another effort to build a new breed of quantum processors with scientists from the University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB). Google is already a partner at NASA’s Quantum Artificial Intelligence Lab (QUAIL), and invested some $15 million in a D-Wave quantum computer for the project. However, a study done on a D-Wave’s computer has cast doubt on the efficacy of the machine, a claim that was refuted by D-Wave as “bullshit.” Intriguingly, several researchers involved in that study were also from UCSB — like John Martinis, who has worked on quantum computing for nearly 30 years.
Google has recruited Martinis, along with several other members of his team (who will continue to work at UCSB as well). That team recently developed a method for improving the reliability of quantum processors to make them more commercially viable. However, despite the apparent friction between the researchers and D-Wave (which is developing a new, more powerful “Vesuvius” computer) Google’s Hartmut Neven sees the research as complimentary. “We will continue to collaborate with D-Wave scientists and to experiment with the “Vesuvius” machine at NASA Ames.”
Filed under: Science, Alt, Google
Via: Bloomberg
Source: Google
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YouTube and Guillermo del Toro will make one director’s nightmares a reality
Want a shot at filmmaker Guillermo del Toro (Pacific Rim, Pan’s Labyrinth, Hellboy) peeking over your macabre masterpiece? Sure you do. Come September 22nd, YouTube Spaces is opening its doors to Partners with over 10,000 subscribers and giving them access to a handful of del-Toro-inspired sets as well as pro-grade equipment, in part, to find new voices within the genre. It’s also a promo for del Toro’s upcoming horror flick Crimson Peak. Del Toro (above) will review the finished products and the best one will get the push to either a digital series or fully-fledged movie. As Variety points out, this runs along the lines of the apparently popular competition Legendary Pictures held to help promote the Godzilla reboot earlier this year. Let’s just hope the end results for this contest skew more toward Lights Out rather than, say, #GodzillaProblems.
[Image credit: Getty Images]
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD, Google
Via: AV Club
Source: Variety
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Explore the world of ‘Destiny’ through Google Street View
Whether it’s touring an insanely large cruise ship or the Polar Bear capital of the world, Google’s Street View has you covered. But the search giant doesn’t want to limit that virtual experience to tangible, real-life things, which is why it’s teamed up with Bungie to let you experience the magical nature of Destiny by way of Street View. Once inside, explorers can choose to wander around and learn more about places which are key elements to the storyline of Bungie’s new franchise. Destiny Planet View, as the map is officially known, offers detailed, 360-degree views of locations inside Mars, Venus and the moon, It gives the break down on various hotspots, more information on characters from a particular territory and allows users to Destiny tips along the way. Bungie points out that this is the first time Google’s mapped a video game world, and it’s a good one — sure, it’s pretty to look at, but the real goal is to get you even more hyped up ahead of Destiny’s launch, next week on September 9th.
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, Internet, Google
Source: Destiny Planet View
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Hackers are using Google’s antivirus tool to test their attacks
Google’s VirusTotal site can be very handy if you’re worried about malware; upload a file and dozens of antivirus tools will check to see if it’s malicious. However, it’s now clear that this site can hinder as much as it helps. Security research Brandon Dixon has spotted several big hacking teams using VirusTotal to test attacks before launch, including two linked to state-sponsored operations. They effectively treat it like a debugging tool — if one or more scanners detect a pre-release virus, the developers tweak their code until it slips under the radar. In some cases, they’ve even putting old malware through the site to make it dangerous again.
Some malware groups are smarter than others about hiding their tracks, and Dixon’s discovery may get the less clever outfits to mask their activities. However, the revelations could still help Google and security software producers catch abuse of testing services by making it easier to spot suspicious behavior; they could even prevent attacks by tracking the code and building appropriate safeguards. We’ve reached out to Google to see what it can do. Whatever it’s doing, your best defense may simply be to take a cautious attitude. Be wary of files and websites you didn’t ask to see, even if your antivirus apps give them the all-clear.
[Image credit: Shutterstock]
Source: Wired
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Android Wear updates will let you leave your phone at home
One of the biggest gripes of smartwatch ownership is the (usual) dependency on your smartphone; do you really want to carry two devices when you’re going out for a run? If you’re an Android Wear fan, you won’t have to in the near future. Google tells CNET that “several” updates are coming to its wearable platform before the end of the year, some of which will let you cut the figurative cord. Bluetooth headset support will let you put some music on the watch to listen at any time. GPS support will let you map your run while leaving your phone at home, although you’ll logically need a watch with position tracking built-in — in other words, don’t expect it to show up on your early G Watch or Gear Live.
The first of these updates is due this week, and it should improve both navigation and voice commands. Google hasn’t said just when some of the deeper feature upgrades are coming, but at least one of them will include that previously promised support for custom watch faces. Android Wear might have felt a little undercooked when it first launched, but it’s obvious that Google wants to fill out the feature list very quickly.
Filed under: GPS, Wearables, Mobile, Google
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YouTube now lets you tip your favorite video makers
If you’ve been itching to tip YouTube video producers, you’ll be glad to know that you can finally reward those people for their hard work: the Fan Funding feature has launched in Australia, Japan, Mexico and the US. If a video host sets up a virtual tip jar, you can use your Google Wallet account (including any attached credit cards) to contribute right from a video page or the Android app. You can specify any amount you like, although YouTube will take a small cut to handle the deal; in the US, it’s five percent of your donation plus another 21 cents. Support is coming to both other countries and iOS users soon, so don’t despair if you can’t contribute to your favorite channel just yet.
[Image credit: Rego Korosi, Flickr]
Via: Android Police
Source: Google Support
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Now TV comes to the Chromecast
Ever since Now TV launched, subscribers have cried out for Sky to include support for more streaming devices. Today, the company answered some of its critics by announcing that it’s built Chromecast functionality into its Now TV apps on both iOS and Android. If you own one of Google’s £30 streaming dongles, you’ll now be able to beam movies, TV shows and sports coverage over to your big screen by simply hitting the new Chromecast icon inside the updated apps. While Sky knows today’s launch will give customers less of an incentive to buy its £10 Now TV set-top box, it hopes it’ll be able to lure new subscribers to the service as it battles Netflix and Amazon for a share of the UK streaming market.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Google
Via: The Next Web
Source: Now TV (App Store), (Google Play)
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NASA explains why you won’t get a drone delivery anytime soon
Delivery drones are great at exactly one job right now: generating buzz. However, NASA has told the New York Times that actual widget-shipping drones from Amazon or Google are still far in the future. And the space agency should know: it has taken on the task of developing an “air traffic control” (ATC) system for drones flying below 400 feet. Such a system would be run by computers without human aid, and take into account weather, air traffic, geographic obstacles and other factors. The space agency is quite familiar with existing air traffic issues, as it has been advising the FAA on the NextGen system for “real” planes. Armed with that know-how, it sees a number of problems for UAV couriers.
For one, a decent gust could easily push a drone into a building and crash it, so tracking weather would be a must, adding a layer of complexity. Maintaining separation between low-flying drones and obstacles and manned air traffic would also be tricky, especially in urban areas. Though Google and other companies have proposed obstacle avoidance systems for drones, we haven’t seen any plans to tie it into the ATC system. And drones would have to fly within the existing system in order to avoid no-fly zones, airports and other classified airspace. Finally, there’s the acceptance issue. As one researcher put it, they’ll need to operate in the “presence of a grandma doing landscaping and kids playing soccer” — meaning noise and safety will be strong factors. The FAA will also have to be sure they can’t be commandeered by “rogue elements” for illicit or dangerous purposes.
On the other hand, NASA is optimistic about commercial drones in lightly populated areas. It sees drones doing crop or pipeline inspections, two jobs that have already been partially authorized by the FAA. However, NASA thinks it’ll take at least five years before remote deliveries over sparsely populated areas happen. And deliveries to densely populated areas — necessary to make such services economically viable — are much farther in the future. So enjoy the drone-and-pony shows for now, but don’t count on getting a Blu-ray disk dropped on your doorstep in the near future.
Filed under: Robots, Transportation
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