Google’s Daydream controller is a Wiimote for VR
Google’s new VR platform, Daydream, wouldn’t be complete without a sleek input system for its headsets and mobile devices. That’s where this little white controller comes into play. At the I/O keynote this morning, Google VP of Virtual Reality Clay Bavor showed off the new controller, which includes two buttons and a smooth, clickable touchpad at the tip. It functions a lot like Nintendo’s Wii remote, using an orientation sensor that allows users to flick a magic wand, fling projectiles, flip flapjacks and perform other motion-enabled tasks in VR.
Google will launch the controller in the fall, alongside the first Daydream-ready headset. Daydream is a VR platform that includes hardware and software baked right into Android N.
You can do some pretty awesome things with the Daydream controller. #IO16https://t.co/GMKIrNbPYS
— Google (@google) May 18, 2016
For all the latest news and updates from Google I/O 2016, follow along here.
Yahoo Mail mobile apps get extra sharing and sync features
Yahoo continues to improve its Mail app for mobile devices. After adding support for Google Drive files and GIFs last month, the company is bringing more sharing and sync features to iOS and Android users. If you’re on Apple’s platform, Yahoo Mail now lets you show links in emails as previews, with a quick snapshot of information from any site. Additionally, you can start sharing pictures directly to Yahoo Mail, thanks to a new iOS share button for the app.
Android owners are getting a couple things to help them keep better track of contacts. The People Smart View tab, for example, allows you to see a list of folks you’ve been in touch with recently through Yahoo Mail. With this update, the Android apps also syncs your Yahoo and Android contacts, something that probably should’ve been there from the beginning.
And for those of you interested in testing features like these before the public, Yahoo Mail has opened up a beta program for Android — opt-in for that starts today.
Source: Yahoo
Everything’s ‘sweet’ on Android N naming site
During its I/O keynote, Google announced that it would accept user ideas before announcing the official name for the upcoming Android N. The obvious front runners are foods like Nutella and nougat that carry on the confectionery theme. Even if you offer jokes like “Never coming to your phone,” Google’s website still responds with “sweet.” In fact, that’s the response for any suggestion. It didn’t take long for people to notice that they could submit racist terms and the website would offer that same reply. Obviously Google doesn’t think Nazis are sweet, but its a painful oversight that’s already making the rounds on Twitter.
While the activity may be intended for laughs, it still allows you to give some awful suggestions. Of course, the company already said on stage it will select the final name and that the website is meant only “for entertainment purposes.” Back in March, it was a matter of hours before the internet turned Microsoft’s AI chatbot Tay into a racist and sexist Twitter account. It seems like Google didn’t learn much from that ordeal, even if it is vowing to not review any of the submissions for Android N.
Oh man, @google, you really didn’t think this one through. “Nazi” is also allowed! #io16 pic.twitter.com/xVNR8lCnqP
— Patrick Lucas Austin (@patbits) May 18, 2016
For all the latest news and updates from Google I/O 2016, follow along here.
Source: Google
The After Math: Google I/O 2016 Edition
Google unleashed its 2016 developers conference on Mountain View, CA this morning. The company debuted a bunch of new products including its answer to Amazon’s Alexa, dubbed Google Home; a new VR headset called Daydream (along with a new VR section for Play) and two new messaging apps, Allo and Duo. Google also showed off some of the new features we can expect in the upcoming Android N operating system, a full-blown overhaul of the Android Wear ecosystem, updates to Android Auto and some new tricks for Google Pay. Did I miss something? Yeah, probably. So check out our comprehensive coverage of the event here.
Snapchat’s content feed could go algorithmic
Snapchat’s main content feed could soon get an algorithmic shakeup, Digiday reports. According to sources, Snapchat has been working on updates to its platform that would affect professional or brand accounts and re-arrange the chronological flow of content you see from the accounts you follow.
Although it is currently unclear when the changes could be implemented, an update like this would bring Snapchat’s platform in line with Facebook’s News Feed, which ranks the content you interact with based on a number of factors and shows you more of the same. While the setup can often make it easier sort through the flood of content in your feed, it also offers ways for advertisers and publishers to buy a more visible location.
Snapchat currently boasts around 100 million daily active users, most of whom fall squarely in the coveted youth demographic, but only stories posted by partner publishers on the Discover tab are allowed to carry ads. In order to get in front of that audience, other brands and publishers run private accounts and attempt to grow their audiences organically by jumping into your Snapchat stream right alongside your friends.
As Digiday points out, an app update in March that allowed users to quickly flip through updates from all the accounts they are following might hint at what the future of Snapchat’s content stream might look like. According to Snapchat ad tech platform Delmondo, however, that update led to a 40 percent increase in views, but a 20 percent decrease in completion rate — meaning more people saw the content, but it was much easier to ignore.
New phones let Japan’s government secretly track its citizens
The Japan Times is reporting that local mobile network NTT DoCoMo is embracing government surveillance. The company launched five new smartphones on Tuesday that lets the authorities to track a user’s location without their knowledge or consent. Existing handsets, however, currently alert a user when their position is being accessed by a third party. The move is in reaction to a change in the law back in June 2015 that withdrew the requirement to gain a subscriber’s permission before sharing their GPS data.
The first five devices that come with the new feature include the Galaxy S7 Edge, Xperia X Performance and Aquos Zeta. Current DoCoMo handsets will also get a similar upgrade through a firmware update, although the precise timing is not yet known. NTT, for its part, has already said that it’s previously handed GPS data over to authorities in times of crisis. It’s quoted by the Times saying that it “provided positional information” to the emergency services such as the ambulance and coastguard. The report explains that authorities will only be able to access this information if they are given permission by a court. But lawyer Tsutomu Shimizu is quoted by the paper, saying that the move is an “extreme invasion of privacy.”
Source: Japan Times
Pornhub wants to help you get fit
If there’s one thing that Pornhub is good at that doesn’t involve a satisfying break from work, it’s getting people to pay attention to its plans. The company’s latest attempt to remind everyone where to get their action from comes in the form of Bang Fit, which purports to be a smartphone-based sexercise platform. The idea, as far as the site is concerned, is that getting down and dirty is a better way to workout than whatever your personal trainer can tell you to do. Plus, it has the added benefit of keeping you relaxed and connected with yourself and your significant other(s).
Simply head over to the Bang Fit website and tell it if there’s one, two or three players enjoying a session this evening. You’ll then direct your smartphone’s browser to the mobile version of the site and use a code to pair the two together. You’ll then be treated to a hardcore porn movie on your desktop as the phone tracks your movement and awards points. There’s even a Guitar Hero / Just Dance-style icon telling you when to thrust and when to hold back.
Naturally, your smartphone can’t track your motion from the bedside cabinet, so you need to hold it close to your body. The company recommends tying it to your stomach, perhaps using a belt as an impromptu holder. The firm has also pledged to produce a limited number of dedicated smartphone sex sleeves for the purpose. although these are not available yet.
Much like the company’s other initiatives, like the WankBand through to its plan to film the first adult movie in zero gravity, there’s very rarely any follow-through. After all, your attention has been held long enough to remember that Pornhub exists, but you won’t forget when it doesn’t deliver further down the line. Of course, the company did actually produce the Twerking Butt, so maybe we all just need to learn how to delay our gratification a little more.
Source: Bang Fit
Spaces proves Google still doesn’t get social
Yesterday Google launched Spaces to help small groups work together with shared images, links, videos and, of course, text. It’s tough not to compare the service to Pinterest or Facebook Groups (it even has stickers that post as soon as you tap).
Unfortunately, instead of grabbing the best bits of both of those juggernauts in the group space and creating a great new way to chat around a topic, it’s a bungled trainwreck of confusion and missed opportunities.
Spaces is supposed to be the one-stop spot to chat about topics. With quick access to Google search, YouTube and photos, members can discuss items without leaving the app to hunt down information. A main “Space” is created and discussions take place with the subtopics of that theme.
For example: A family can use it to plan a vacation. A main topic is created, and within that, discussions can be launched around hotels, flights, dinner options, etc. Members can drop URLs of restaurants or YouTube videos of activities. It can all be in one place. Unfortunately, not all of Google’s services come along for the ride.
When you launch the app, it seems so promising. Setting up your first Space is straightforward. After tapping on “Create a Space,” you’re prompted to give it a name. Then you can tap the settings dots to add an image and adjust the color of the theme.
I expected to have access to my address book. Instead, to invite folks you have to email them or copy a link and post it somewhere like Facebook or Twitter. Google Drive lets you share without launching an email client, but Spaces decided that wasn’t a feature people would want.
Once you have a Space that’s populated with friends (or strangers, if you posted it to Twitter) anyone can create a new discussion by posting a block of text, an image, link or video. Within those threads users can chat almost in real time. Because Google search is always a tap away, sites can be shared both in chat or as a way to start subtopics.
YouTube search is also available when you want to start a discussion, but offers only 10 results. I kept having to expand my queries to find the clip I actually wanted to post. It’s also weird that the video-search option disappears once you’re in a conversation. But if you search for a video with Google, you can drop it into a chat.
The comments are the typical chronological string of text, stickers and photos. If this had launched three years ago, I could see Google being a major force in the group-collaboration world. Instead, Facebook Groups have become where people meet to chat about events and ideas. It’s easy to add members and, like it or not, we check Facebook all day.
While Facebook Groups doesn’t have quick access to Google’s search results, like Spaces you can search for anything within a topic. It also has something the search giant’s service is lacking: the ability to search for individuals. When I tried to see what Engadget’s Jon Turi said in my Spaces, I got “can’t find a match.”
Spaces seems like a half-baked idea. On one hand you have access to the greatest search engine on Earth. On the other, some Google services are limited. The lack of search for Google Photos or surfacing only 10 results from YouTube are good examples of this. Plus, I still can’t get over the fact that I can’t add friends from my address book. The app and site don’t really offer anything compelling that will pull people away from Pinterest or Facebook Groups. The company says it’ll be testing the service at its I/O Keynote this week. Maybe by the end of the week it’ll have enough feedback to make Spaces a service people will want to actually use.
Vevo revamp puts a personalized music video feed on your phone
If you’re fond of gorging on music videos while you’re waiting for the bus or lounging on the couch, Vevo has your back. It’s launching redesigned Android and iOS apps that bring its more personalized experience to phones and tablets. The simpler interface revolves around a Spotlight section that shows both recommended videos (based on what you’ve watched and liked) as well as a New for You playlist that offers a relevant feed of the latest and greatest clips. You might not have to spend any time sifting through videos just to find something you’ll enjoy, in other words.
Not that you can’t go looking if you want to. There’s a Browse section that highlights new and trending videos, and your profile will show all your favorites and custom playlists. It’s hard to say if Vevo’s update is good enough to pull you away from the likes of YouTube, but it’s likely worth a look if you spend more time watching music than listening to it.
Source: App Store, Google Play
Watch Google’s I/O keynote right here, right now
Google’s big I/O keynote kicks off at 1PM ET live from the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California. We expect big news about Android N (including its actual, probably delicious, name), a look at the future of Chrome OS, fresh Android Wear information and even some news about Android VR. Follow along with our liveblog right here, and watch the keynote with us in the video below.
For all the latest news and updates from Google I/O 2016, follow along here.
AIVAnet 