Google+ puts your social feed on a TV with Chromecast
Just when you think the Chromecast can’t get any better, it does. So, with more and more services offering support for the diminutive (and very cheap) device, it’s only natural for Google to make its own apps work better with it. To that end, Google+ on Android now lets you display photos from your social stream on a nearby television, thanks to a newly added button in the search giant’s networking application. Technically, doing that was already (sort of) possible with Android’s screen mirroring on Chromecast, but this is something actually designed to be viewed on a TV. Once it starts casting, the Google+ app can cycle through posts from your feed and put them in a loop — that said, you also have the option to pause, in case there’s a photo you really like and want to use as a wallpaper of sorts. Right now, the feature appears to be limited to Android, though it wouldn’t surprise us to see it come to the iOS version of the app later on.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, Software, HD, Mobile, Google
Via: Android Central
Source: Google Play
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Chrome now lets you see some websites when you’re offline
Ever been knocked offline right before you get to read a story on the web? If Google has its way, you won’t be left high and dry in these situations for much longer. The company has posted a test release of its Chrome browser that include a “show saved copy” button on the connection error page. Click that and you should see the last cached version of whichever site you were trying to reach. There’s no guarantee that this offline support will reach polished versions of Chrome, but it would be surprising if that didn’t happen — the feature would be handy for both offline directions and reading material on long flights. If you can’t wait for a complete release, you can visit the source link to grab the Canary build and try the button yourself.
Filed under: Internet, Software, Google
Via: 9to5Google
Source: Chrome Canary
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Motorola Shamu may be the Nexus 6, reports suggest
What appears to be a Motorola-made device has appeared in the GFXBenchmark database, sparking speculation that the next Nexus 6 will be made by Motorola. The device, codenamed Shamu, has appeared in Google’s code before but was assumed to be a tablet. Whilst not much can be gleamed from the benchmark rating itself, and there is… Read more »
The post Motorola Shamu may be the Nexus 6, reports suggest appeared first on AndroidGuys.
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Introducing the Acer Chromebook 13
The Chromebook line was created with a mobile life style in mind. At a low cost, they do everything the average user needs out of a laptop. They are portable and easy to work with and give users almost instant access to the internet. Today, a new Chromebook has joined the family. One that has… Read more »
The post Introducing the Acer Chromebook 13 appeared first on AndroidGuys.
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Google backs an undersea cable that will give the internet a big speed boost
The internet is quickest when you have a direct connection to the sites you’re trying to reach, but that’s a daunting challenge in the Pacific — undersea network cables can cost hundreds of millions of dollars. It’s therefore good to hear that Google and a host of telecom giants (China Mobile, China Telecom, Global Transit, KDDI and SingTel) are backing FASTER, a $300 million fiber optic cable that runs between Japan and the US. As the name implies, it’s all about speeding up data transfers between Asia and the Americas; the cable should offer a whopping 60 terabits per second of bandwidth between the two regions, which makes even Google’s gigabit home internet service look puny by comparison. You won’t see the difference until FASTER is finished in the second quarter of 2016, but it promises to improve the internet as a whole when it’s ready. Don’t be surprised if foreign multiplayer games and video streams get noticeably smoother within a couple of years.
[Image credit: US Pacific Fleet, Flickr]
Filed under: Networking, Internet, Google
Source: Urs Holzle (Google+), NEC
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Will Steam challenge iTunes and Google Play for your media-buying cash?
The only thing that’s better than using Steam is digging through its source code to see what’s coming in the future. On a recent trawl through the digital store’s inner workings, Twitter’s @SteamDB found the words film, tvseries and music as app types that people could, theoretically, buy. If so, then Valve might be ready to get serious about Steam’s ability to rival other digital storefronts from Google and Apple, which is logical, since Valve’s platform has around 75 million registered users. Of course, these options might be just be tweaks to existing functionality, since game soundtracks and one movie are already available on the service. Hell, it could even be an amendment to the Steam Music Beta, enabling people to binge on locally-stored content while playing — but we’d give props to the person who could enjoy DOTA 2 and Breaking Bad at the same time.
[Image credit: @SteamDB]
Via: IGN
Source: SteamDB (Twitter)
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Acer’s Chromebook 13 lasts a stunning 13 hours on a charge
Until now, if you wanted a Chromebook with a full HD display, you only had one option: the 13-inch Samsung Chromebook 2. Want epic battery life? Yep, all roads lead to Samsung there, too. Well, not anymore, anyway. Acer just announced the Chromebook 13, and it matches Samsung nearly spec for spec with an optional 1080p display and NVIDIA’s quad-core Tegra K1 chip, promising up to 13 hours of runtime (details on that after the break). This is interesting for two reasons. First off, although this is essentially the same class of product as what Samsung is selling, it costs $100 less: $299, versus $400 for the Chromebook 2. Sounds good, right? What’s more, this is the first-ever Chrome OS device with an NVIDIA processor inside.
This is potentially good news even if you’re not a self-described chip geek: Tegra K1 offers long battery life, just like Samsung’s own Exynos chip, but the graphics should be better for things like gaming and interactive websites — the sorts of rich web apps frequently used in classrooms. And if you’ve ever used a Samsung Chromebook, you know there’s room for improvement there: For all of Samsung’s plus points (a crisp display, comfortable keyboard), the Chromebook 2 is relatively sluggish. But will this be more robust than those new Core i3 models we’re seeing? That remains to be seen.
On a superficial note, the Chromebook 13 is definitely more basic-looking than the Chromebook 2. Whereas Samsung’s model comes kitted out with a fake-leather lid, the Chromebook 13 is made of plain white plastic. It’s clear that if Acer made any sacrifices to reach that lower price point, this is it. Then again, this is a perfectly serviceable, if unexciting, design, and the full-sized keyboard is naturally more spacious than what you’ll find on Acer’s older 11-inch Chromebooks.
The Chromebook 13 is up for pre-order today, starting at $279 with a 1,366 x 768 display, and $299 for the full HD model. Of note: The full HD machine is rated for 11 hours of battery life, compared with 13 for the 1,366 x 767 version. In addition to the US, it will be sold in various European countries, including the UK, Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, France, Germany, Russia, Italy, Spain, South Africa and Switzerland. As a heads-up, the Chromebook 13 doesn’t have a touchscreen for now, though that could change: When we asked an NVIDIA rep if a touch edition was in the works, he winked and said “That’s an interesting idea.” Consider it confirmed, folks. Almost.
Filed under: Laptops, Google, Acer, NVIDIA
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First satellite with high-resolution public imaging launches on August 13th
If you’ve been wondering just when a company would take advantage of the US’ relaxed rules for accurate satellite imaging, you now have a date to mark on your calendar: Lockheed Martin has set the launch of DigitalGlobe’s high-resolution WorldView-3 satellite for August 13th. You won’t see results from it right away, but its creators can start selling extra-sharp pictures (with detail down to the 10-inch level) six months after the craft is up and running. The data should lead to much nicer imagery in online mapping services from companies like Google and Microsoft (both of which are DigitalGlobe customers), although it’s not just cosmetic. Higher-res photos will help track large farms, spot mineral deposits and otherwise deliver a clearer view of our planet that has previously been limited to the government — don’t be surprised if it’s easier to spot landmarks on a map without using markers.
Filed under: Science, Internet, Microsoft, Google
Source: DigitalGlobe
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Watch the ISEE-3 lunar flyby live, beginning at 1:30PM ET
A few months ago, the ISEE-3 Reboot Project managed to raise $160,000 to bring the spacecraft back to Earth after 36 years roaming outer space. The team behind the campaign successfully took control of the spacecraft and reactivated some of its scientific instruments, but they found it impossible to reignite its thrusters, so it’s sadly never going to make its way back home. That doesn’t mean you’ll never be able to see the ISEE-3 for yourself, though — on August 10th, Google will be hosting a Hangout session to livestream the spacecraft’s lunar flyby as it passes the dark side of the moon. The tech giant will broadcast from McMoon’s, an abandoned McDonald’s near the NASA Ames Research Center, and you can tune in through a website built for this occasion called A Spacecraft for All.
If you visit the website now, though, you’ll also be able to relive ISEE-3′s journey from the time it launched in 1978 through graphics made using Chrome’s WebGL technology (thus, it’s optimized for the browser — we weren’t even able to load it on Firefox). This website also provides access to the data gathered by the remaining onboard instruments, as well as to the spacecraft’s current position and trajectory. ISEE-3, which stands for International Sun/Earth Explorer 3, was originally sent to space to measure particles, waves and plasmas. It was eventually repurposed to study the interaction between solar winds and comets until it was decommissioned. While it won’t make it back to Earth, the four instruments that the Reboot Project managed to revive will be sending data through ground radio dishes for a whole year. After that, the ISEE-3 will continue its journey around the solar system and won’t be this close to our planet again until 2029.
Filed under: Transportation, Science, Google
Source: A Spacecraft for All, Google Chrome
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Recommended Reading: ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ makeup magic
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you’ll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read.
Under the Skin of “Guardians of the Galaxy” with Makeup FX Wizard David White
by Scott Pierce, Fast Company
If you’re into getting a peek behind the scenes at some movie magic, Fast Company caught up with FX artist David White to discuss Guardians of the Galaxy. Specifically covering the makeup special effects, White chats about Marvel, key characters and the process of making aliens.
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The Neuroscience Of Emoticons There’s no question that emoticons have taken root in daily communication for the masses. But now, neuroscientists are studying how our brains sort through the bits of art. Interestingly enough, researchers have discovered that the portion of the brain that processes emotion tends to react to the tiny pieces of communication rather that the part that handles facial recognition. Pocket!function(d,i)if(!d.getElementById(i))var j=d.createElement(“script”);j.id=i;j.src=”https://widgets.getpocket.com/v1/j/btn.js?v=1″;var w=d.getElementById(i);d.body.appendChild(j);(document,”pocket-btn-js”);
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Silicon Valley Takes on North Korea Folks who work in Silicon Valley are known for creating a wealth of innovation, but at a recent event, the focus shifted to lending a hand. During the “Hack North Korea” festivities, hackers, coders and more put their heads together to devise ways of getting info past that country’s strict curtain. Attendees were briefed on a situation, and then came up with ways of using tech to get messages to those on the ground there. Pocket!function(d,i)if(!d.getElementById(i))var j=d.createElement(“script”);j.id=i;j.src=”https://widgets.getpocket.com/v1/j/btn.js?v=1″;var w=d.getElementById(i);d.body.appendChild(j);(document,”pocket-btn-js”); |
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[Photo credit: (stephan), Flickr]
Filed under: Misc
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AIVAnet 