Mark Hearn

Google Maps has just been blessed with a nifty new feature that inserts info cards loaded with snippets of info from Mountain View’s Knowledge Graph. A pop-out window called “quick facts” spews out details about popular tourist attractions from around the word, including places like the temples of Angkor. Google’s new virtual tour guide is currently limited to Maps’ desktop software, however we expect the outfit’s mobile app to catch up soon. Too bad Clark Griswold didn’t have access to this type of tech while on his way to Wally World.

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There’s no place like home and when you’re Google, this age old expression has an even deeper sentiment. The search giant’s plans to build a new 950, 000 square foot London HQ have been placed on hold. The £650 million build at King’s Cross won’t happen until at least 2017, according to the project’s contractor BAM Construct.

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Last month, HTC acknowledged a bug that blocked its Advantage customers from redeeming 50GB of Google Drive storage space. The Taiwanese manufacturer advised that it was working on a fix for the matter and said that it expected a patch to be ready a few weeks later. Today, the company announced that AT&T had approved an update for the HTC One M8 and that users could download the update and claim their cloud storage. 

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The University of California, Irvine School of Medicine will be adding Glass to its four year curriculum as a part of its first and second year anatomy courses and clinical skills training. The school’s faculty feels that Google’s wearable has the ability to fluidly deliver information through voice commands and other means while remaining hands-free. The university will use a proprietary secure software to record and broadcast patient care and student training.

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Samsung is working on a competitor for Google Glass that will be announced in September during IFA in Berlin, according to Business Korea. Aptly referred to as “Gear Glass,” the unannounced wearable is expected to be revealed alongside the Galaxy Note 4 and it’s rumored to run the Tizen operating system used by the Samsung Gear 2.

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Let’s face it, most of us are in a love/hate relationship with spellcheck and autocorrect software. However, “misteaks” do happen from time to time, plus classrooms and textbooks can be so boring. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a way to beef up your vocabulary without being put to sleep? Enter: Spell Up, a voice-activated, web-based spelling game that’s kind of like a mashup between Jenga and Jumble that can be played from Chrome on your desktop or mobile devices. The concept is that you spell things out using your voice to build tower of words and if you happen to run into a stumper, it all falls down. I’ve personally tried it with Chrome for Mac and for the most part things worked nicely. Just be warned that this game doesn’t jive too well with background noise. So be sure to find a quiet place to play and remember to enunciate your letters.

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If you focused too hard on Motorola’s new and improved handsets, you most likely missed Moto Alert, the company’s newest Android app. Currently exclusive to the Moto E, and in the vein of Google Latitude, this new software is designed to keep you in touch with your close group of friends. The app lets you set up periodic alerts that help the people you care about track your whereabouts. Kind of creepy? Maybe, but it could come in handy if you find yourself in a pinch. Lastly, the app features specific locations like home, work or school that automatically notify your stalkers loved ones of your departure and arrival.

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Many believe that healthy wearable tech is the wave of the future and LG definitely wants its piece of the pie granola bar. Today, the South Korean electronics maker announced its new Heart Rate Earphones and Lifeband Touch fitness band. While the former reminds us of a recent internet fib, we assure you that it’s the real deal. LG’s new earphones are designed to do more than crank out tunes during your spin class. These over-the-ear buds are loaded with sensors that track your heart rate by measuring blood flow signals in your ears. They can be used with a compatible smartphone via Bluetooth, however LG would prefer that you use them with its Lifeband Touch.

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The Nexus 7 might be due for a replacement, however UK residents who have their eyes on last year’s model can score a deal on Google’s reigning 7-inch slab. The search giant has partnered up with Asus to offer £50 in Play Store credit to people who purchase a 16GB model of the 2013 Nexus 7. The offer is available from now until June 1st from the following retailers:  Asda, Carphone Warehouse, Currys and Tesco. 

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Google is at odds with German regulators that are accusing the company of pooling customer information without consent. Mountain View’s practice of storing data from web search histories, video viewing habits and other activities into a single group, has caused officials to step in and review the firms operations.

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Google’s Chromebook might be busy trying to hammer the final nail in the netbook’s coffin, however the search giant’s Chrome OS platform will soon receive a little competition from a familiar operating system. Today, Archos announced its new ArcBook, a $170 touchscreen netbook powered by Android.

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Perhaps warming up for tomorrow’s big announcement, Motorola Mobility introduced the Twittersphere to @MotorolaIndia, along with a tease for its next device. In addition to a nod to its Indian arm, the company tweeted a picture of a rocket blasting off with a caption that read “BIG day tomorrow!”

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When it comes to smartphones, Samsung has a history of pushing towards bigger displays, so why would the company treat tablets any differently? We’ve already seen a 12.2-inch slate from the South Korean electronics maker and according to GSMArena, an even bigger slab is already in the works. A device codenamed “Warhol” is in development and it will feature a 13.3-inch LCD with a 2,560 x 1,600 resolution. 

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As we predicted last month, screenshots of a redesigned Gmail Android app loaded with new features hit the web. Not stopping at its mobile mailbox, new images of an overhauled desktop version of Gmail have surfaced and they look very similar to what we saw a few short weeks ago.

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A picture of a phone listed as the Moto E recently made a brief appearance on Motorola Mexico’s Facebook page, only to be pulled by its publisher. This quick sneak peek gave us a look at what we might see during the company’s media event on May 13th, however the Moto E’s hardware was still pretty much a mystery.

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Overall, the HTC J Butterfly had a good showing in several different markets, so why not give it a follow up? HTC might be doing just that, as famed phone leaker @evleaks recently posted a render of a device referred to as the “HTC B2” While there’s only a front-facing shot of this phone, it shows off a whole lot of display real estate. Also worth noting, is that unlike the successor to HTC’s other high-end handset, the B2 appears to be cutting back on the precious metals in favor of a more cost-effective build.

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In what seems like a natural step forward, CNN is opening its iReport platform to Google Glass users. Until now the citizen journalism initiative was available through traditional mobile apps, but this has just changed. Glass explorers can now share photos and videos with CNN from the comfort of Google’s popular wearable.

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Motorola has already announced that its next smartphone will be revealed on May 13th and that it will most likely be budget-friendly. An affordable phone isn’t necessarily a bad thing, however if a recent photo of the alleged Moto E is the device in question, consider us slightly underwhelmed. Posted and removed from Motorola Mexico’s Facebook page is a photo of what is said to be Motorola’s new affordable smartphone. Pictured next to the highly praised Moto G, the Moto E (or whatever it might be) looks like a throwback to about four years ago.

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