April Fools’ 2014 roundup: selfie-taking drones, smartgloves and more
For the last 24 hours (and likely the next 12), excitable company execs have been barraging our inbox,YouTube and your social media networks with their best shenanigans. Love it or loathe it (and you’re probably starting to loathe it by now), the April Fools tradition continues, even stronger, in 2014. Google went a little overboard, but hopefully, after today, selfies will die a death. Hopefully.
Google has too much fun, again
Aside from its Pokemon mapping efforts, Google wants the world to see the web differently… peppered with emoji icons.
Google Japan also has a new “Magic Hand” for touchscreen text input, featuring a very necessary cat paw add-on.
Then there’s Gmail’s shareable selfie, the Shelfie and a new auto-Awesome photobomb feature, ruining your photos with David Hasselhoff.
HTC’s GLUUV lays down the gauntlet to Samsung Fingers
Who was first? We’ll call it an awkward draw, as both Samsung and HTC had largely identical ideas for AF 2014: smartgloves. HTC’s Power Glove knock-off Gluuv promises holo-calls and an 87.2-megapixel camera. Finally. We also like the companion BoomBass speaker though: “durable, humongous, and completely wireless” … and carried on your shoulder.
Samsung Fingers‘ blog post outlines a palm-based flexible screen, another mention of selfies, and in a nod to its own often superfluous software add-ons, an increasingly bizarre list of feature, showcased with sketches like these:
Sony reveals the future of gadget power sources
“Our engineers and culinary technicians have come up with a way to tap into the amazing energy of food,” says the nondescript Sony spokesman. An enzyme that transfers food energy to gadgets and it involves a “voltaic enzyme.” Sony’s planned cereals and protein bars, filled with “protein, fiber and charged lithium.”
Nokia brings the 3310 back from the dead, pumps it full of megapixels
Nokia’s most iconic phone, the 3310 is making a return. Nokia’s best-selling handset returns with Windows Phone OS, a 41-megapixel camera sensor and most importantly, preloaded with Snake 2. We almost wish it was real.
HERE maps goes back to basics (and paper)
Apparently, you can still HERE maps without a smart device. This is HERE Papyrus, and we’re particularly taken with this augmented reality trace sheet.
CERN gets serious, switches to comic sans
Truly, the thinkers’ font.
Nest / Virgin America
Total temperature control for every passenger.
Kodak Picture Kiosk Drone
We can tell it’s a fake because Kodak’s blog post mentions calling and texting a phone number. Oh and hands-free selfies. (Also, how is this any more ridiculous than Kodak’s very real nuclear reactor?)
Samsung’s Fli-Fy
Why not just utilize the rats of the skies to be your drones… and boost your WiFi.
GoPro: #STOKED, the energy drink
Has its own hashtag. Must be legit.
iFixit
iFixit gets an offer it can’t refuse.
Swiftkey Flow Hard for your physical keyboard
No touchscreen needed.
‘Make your own smartphone, piece by piece, with this magazine subscription’
In just 10 years, you can make your very own smartphone, in this tie-up between Japan’s KDDI network and magazine publisher Deagostini.
Sega returns: MEGAne DRIVE, the wearable
That should equal 32-bit gaming.
The Roku Watch
Look at the size of the remote. Coming April 31st.
TechCrunch introduces Crunchcoin
Filed under: Cellphones, Displays, Gaming, Wearables, Science, Internet, Mobile, Alt, Samsung, Sony, HTC, Google
Daily Roundup: interview with Xbox’s Phil Spencer, Google’s Pokémon Challenge and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours — all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Interview with Microsoft’s new Xbox Head Phil Spencer
Today, Microsoft announced that longtime employee Phil Spencer is replacing Marc Whitten as head of the Xbox division. What does this mean for the future of Xbox’s current brand reorganization? Well, we managed to speak with Phil about just that.
Toshiba’s 8-inch Encore review
Toshiba’s 8-inch Encore may not be the fastest or prettiest Windows tablet on the market, but it gets the job done. For $285, you’ll get 32GB of memory and satisfactory battery life. The rear camera, however, leaves much to be desired — even for a low-budget device. Read on for our full review.
Google chooses you to become a Pokémon Master on April Fools’
Google has a history of elaborate April Fools’ Jokes, but this year’s may top them all. Welcome to the “Pokémon Challenge,” the “latest” build of Google Maps. Hurry and catch them all before 2pm PT on April 2nd.
Samsung looks to Google for help in its latest legal battle with Apple
Samsung and Apple just can’t seem to get along. The latest news surrounding the ongoing legal battle has Cupertino seeking $2 billion in damages from the Korean manufacturer for infringement on five patents. What’s more, Samsung plans to use Google engineers as witnesses.
You also might like:
Filed under: Misc
Google+ adds page view counts to user profiles
Earlier this month, we learned that Twitter’s considering introducing view counts to individual tweets, and it looks like Google+ just flipped the switch on a similar initiative. Follower counts are now joined by the total number of page clicks, which includes the sum of your profile, post and picture views since October 2012. Some profiles have already begun showing the count by default, but you may need to check a box in your profile settings before it appears for you. Similarly, you can disable the feature by unchecking the box.
Source: Google+
April Fools’ Day 2014: Google Style
Ah, yes. It’s that time of year again. Google is taking to the web to mislead it’s faithful followers by pulling some pretty elaborate stunts. Last year they tricked users into thinking Google Nose, Google Treasure Maps, and the Closure of YouTube “Submissions” were real. Can they beat the progress they made last year? Let’s find out!
Here’s a list of all official Google April Fools’ Day jokes, and one unofficial entry.
The Magic Hand
The Magic Hand comes all the way from Google Japan, offering an innovative input method for your smartphone. It’s basically a hand attached to a few levers, controlled by the user.
Once you have set in front of this device a smartphone on hand, just hold the lever afterward. Instead of you, magic hand takes care of operating the smartphone. Problem of the touch panel of the past, I can solve all. Operability of comfortable buttons and levers, will make for some of the space further, the mobile life of you.
The entire announcement can be seen through Google Translate, so it’s a bit difficult to read. Check out the official announcement here.
Gmail Shelfie
Here to celebrate it’s 10th birthday, a new feature is rolling out to Gmail called “Gmail Shelfie”. It’s an option in Gmail to send your selfie to others so they can set it as their Gmail theme. The idea of Shelfie (SHareable sELFIE) is based on this perfectly-drawn graph:
With just a few clicks, your mom, your aunt, or that girl you have a crush on can set your Shelfie as their Gmail theme so they can enjoy checking, reading, and writing emails while seeing your friendly face in the background.
Google Maps: Pokémon Challenge
The Pokémon Challenge is quite possibly the most cruel thing to happen on April Fools’ Day. Want proof?
Google outed a “challenge” in Google Maps today, urging users to find Pokémon around the world. Tap into your inner Pokémon Master by leaving no stone left unturned. Pokémon of all types are hidden everywhere, and it’s your job to catch them all.
Dozens of wild Pokémon have taken up residence on streets, amidst forests and atop mountains throughout Google Maps.
To catch ‘em all, grab your Poké Ball and the newest version of Google Maps for iPhone or Android. Then tap the search bar, “press start,” and begin your quest.
To further their joke, they created an awesome video explaining why people should bother catching Pokémon – for a chance to be hired at Google as a Pokémon Master. If you aren’t sad enough that this doesn’t actually exist, check out the announcement here.
Total Temperature Control
Virgin America and Nest team up to create a temperature control system for airplanes. Each plane passenger will get to control their own personal Nest thermostat to create the most comfortable plane ride to date. Tony Fadell and Sir Richard Branson explain the new features in Total Temperature Control:
Honorable Mention: Google Naps
This one wasn’t outed by Google themselves, but it’s still worth checking out. The site is called Google Naps – a Google Maps parody for mapping nap locations. It was created by Kakhiel and Venour, both based in Netherlands. Easily add your favorite nearby napping location and describe what it is – either a bench, park, bridge, field, or more.
Google has absolutely out done themselves so far, and it’s not even officially April Fools’ Day yet (at least for the US). Which joke is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!
The post April Fools’ Day 2014: Google Style appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Rdio and Crackle can now send music and free videos to your Chromecast
The Chromecast’s media universe just got a little bit larger today. You can now stream Rdio’s music service through the Google TV adapter using Android, iOS and web apps; you’ll get both album art and track details when you send tunes to the big screen. Meanwhile, Crackle has updated its own Android and iOS apps to let you watch its free movies and short videos through Chromecast. Whether you’re itching to play Chvrches’ album or Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, you’ll find the relevant app updates at the source links.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD, Google
Via: TechCrunch
Source: Rdio, Crackle (App Store), (Google Play)
Vudu’s 1080p movies and TV shows are now streaming on Chromecast
After a short test period, Walmart’s movie streaming service Vudu has launched Chromecast support across its website and mobile apps, adding to the long list of devices it’s already available on. A far cry from Vudu’s $399 set-top box that launched in 2007, owners of Google’s $35 HDMI dongle can now stream their entire collection of movies and TV shows in 1080p with just a press of the Cast button. That includes Ultraviolet digital copies, and while the code redemption process has been a source of frustration for many, Chromecast support means easy and cheap access without needing to log in, activate another device or set up an account again. In updated apps on Android or iOS the feature should already be live, and on Vudu.com if you have the Google Cast browser extension installed.
Filed under: HD, Mobile, Google
Source: iTunes, Google Play
Google wants you to become a Pokémon master on April Fools
Google’s known for its weird and wonderful April fools jokes, but this year’s edition might be the best we’ve seen to date. Because it’s already April 1st in Australia and Japan, Google has introduced its “latest” build of Google Maps, laying down a “Pokémon Challenge” that requires you, a budding Pokémon Master, to discover and capture all of manner of creatures to fill up your Pokédex, simply by navigating around your local area. To start playing, make sure you have the latest version of Google Maps for iPhone or Android, hit the search bar and select “Press start.” You’ll have to be quick though, you’ve got until 2am on April 2nd to catch ‘em all.
Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Software, Mobile, Google
Samsung looks to Google for help in its latest legal battle with Apple
No matter how much we hope and pray, the legal wrangling between Apple and Samsung never seems to end. The latest court battle has Apple seeking up to $2 billion in damages from the Korean manufacturer for infringing on five patents, including tap to search and slide to unlock. This time around though, Samsung is looking to drag Google engineers into the courtroom to testify about the creation of Android — including, potentially, Andy Rubin. The hope is that their testimony and the evidence they provide would prove once and for all that the mobile operating system was developed independently of iOS and put to bed the back and forth over patent battles.
While Mountain View has successfully stayed above the fray for the most part, it makes sense for Seoul to drag the company into this particular battle. Apple is seeking up to $40 per device sold in royalties — far more than it ever has before. As part of its counter offensive Samsung is countersuing, claiming that Cupertino stole two of its technologies for use in the iPhone and iPad. Like other cases in the war, this will probably take some time to settle. And jury selection starts this week.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Apple, Samsung, Google
Source: Business Insider, Wall Street Journal
How would you change the Nexus 10?
It’s a 10.1-inch tablet with a 2,560 x 1,600 display, and that’s all we need to know. Google’s Nexus 10 may have been the Galaxy Tab that everyone wanted, but what did our reviewer think of it? Sadly, strapping a laptop-class display onto a tablet doomed the device’s battery life, making it last around three hours less than its closest rivals. Did that deter you from buying one? We doubt it, so why not share your feelings about this product over on our forum?
Filed under: Tablets, Samsung, Google
Source: Engadget Product Forums
IRL: A closer look at the Moto G
I love low-cost smartphones that punch above their weight, like the Lumia 620. They’re proof you don’t need high-end hardware to get a full smartphone experience. As you might imagine, then, I was eager to try the Moto G. A modern quad-core processor, a 720p screen and an up-to-date version of Android for under $200 off-contract? In theory, that’s an astounding bargain. With that in mind, I’ve been testing a Moto G on Telus’ network here in Canada to see whether I could live with it instead of the flagship phones I’m used to.
For the most part, I’m impressed. After several weeks of use, it still feels like a mid-range device in budget phone’s clothing. The Moto G is well built, lasts for more than a full day on a charge and is very quick handling most day-to-day tasks. There are a few clues this isn’t a speed demon, most notably the modest 3D gaming performance, but it’s otherwise responsive. I don’t even mind the absence of LTE. Here in Ottawa, Telus’ 3G service gave me download speeds around 6 Mbps. That’s plenty of bandwidth for Instagram and Twitter.
I also appreciate Motorola’s commitment to software updates. The Moto G was one of the first devices to get Android 4.4 KitKat, and there have since been significant upgrades to Assist, Gallery and other key apps. Few of the entry-level handsets I’ve tried have received more than a handful of noteworthy updates during their lifetimes. Hopefully Motorola will keep up the pace — it’s great to have a cheap phone that’s constantly evolving.
It’s just a shame about the camera. Even after the KitKat refresh and a separate camera update, the Moto G’s photo quality is merely okay for the price. The sensor occasionally focuses on the wrong subject right as I’m taking the shot, and low light pictures often turn out blurry. The quality isn’t bad enough to keep me from recommending the device to friends, but I would suggest ponying up for the Nexus 5 if you care about imaging in a frugal, off-contract smartphone.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Google
AIVAnet 