Google

In honor of the 100th Tour De France, Google has published an interactive game that takes you through each stage of the event. The game, called Your Tour, takes you through the entire 3,000km route with a combination of Google Maps and Streetview data. You start off on June 29th at the “Grand Depart” and move through each stage, though some are still locked until the event actually happens in real life.

The game is centered around using your mouse to scroll along each stage of the event. You can choose between a realistic view from the eye of the bike rider, or a simple Google Maps interface.

You can play the game here. 
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Update: According to a source speaking with CNET, Motorola does not plan to unveil the X Phone at the press briefings next week, saying the event is about “something else.”

We already know a lot about the upcoming Moto X Phone. Motorola CEO Dennis Woodside announced it at the D11 conference earlier this year, and since then, we’ve seen images, specs, and details regarding customization options leak. The main thing we need to know is when it will be announced and when it will be released. On an episode of his This Week in Google show, podcaster Leo Laporte stated that he has been invited to an event at the Google campus on July 10th by Motorola employe Guy Kawasaki. It’s a small event, according to Laporte, with only 50 journalists being invited. The same event will also be held on July 11th with another group of reporters.

There are all sorts of things Moto/Google could have up its sleeves for this event, but Laporte seems pretty adamant about it being the Moto X Phone. It could also be something simple, such as Motorola wanting to further introduce its new strategy with reporters. Given the fact that it will be held on the Google campus, it could also be something entirely unrelated to Motorola, such as Android 4.3. As Google has said before, Motorola is supposed to be operated entirely separate with no direct access to Google.

On the ad released by Motorola earlier this week, two people were jumping into a lake forming “XI” with their bodies. In Roman numerals, X1 is obviously the number 11, which further leads to the possibility of the X Phone being announced at these small events. However, that’s a lot of speculation on top of very little information, so we’ll just have to wait and see.

For all of the details from Leo Laporte (not many) jump to the 40 minute mark in the video below:

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Acer’s C710. A bigger, thicker battery and more RAM (compared to Pixel and Samsung Chrombooks)

I’m an Apple snob – I’ve been using MacBook Pros and Airs almost exclusively for over a decade – in fact, it has gotten so bad that I can barely use or figure out Windows anymore. I often find the experience with anti-viruses, updates and crapware infuriating to the point where I’m no longer curious what happens in the Windows world.

On the other hand, I never have a problem jumping on a Chromebook (or Box) because it is almost exactly like using a browser in a desktop OS.  That makes using Chromebooks quick, easy and productive for me. I liked the cheap, ARM-based Samsungs and loved the decked out Pixel even though I’m still not able to give native apps up entirely (Twitter, Skype, iTunes, etc keep pulling me back). But for a second computer to use as either as a backup or special occasion device or for light computer users, I wholeheartedly recommend Chromebooks.

Acer initially had a bad rep in their Chromebook department because the initial offerings seemed to be repurposed Windows netbooks (and the problems that come along with them – including little RAM, bad battery life, HDDs instead of SSDs and cramped plastic-y keyboards). To be fair, I’m going on a few minutes of use at a Best Buy and a bunch of online reviews for those assumptions.

Last month, I finally got my hands on the updated Acer ‘C710-2055’ version which has a 50% bigger battery pack than earlier models, 4 GB of RAM, and an Intel Celeron 847 processor. The price was also bumped to $279 from $199.

So, $80 later, does Acer have a compelling Chromebook here?

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Back in May, we reported on many of the customization options that would be coming with the Moto X Phone. Our sources claimed the device would be offered with 25+ color options in the form of skins/protections, and now ABC News is reporting something very similar, but with a few more details.

According to the report, users will be able to buy the device in a variety of colors, just as we said earlier. One of the colors will be used for the back case and the other for the trim. Much like with iPhones, iPads, and iPods, users will be able to have a custom message engraved in the back cover, which is something we’ve yet to see with Android devices. Finally, users will supposedly be able to upload a custom photo and have their device arrive with that photo set as the wallpaper.

So the big thing with the Moto X will be the 'awareness' features. Keep an eye on @9to5Google for more on this soon.

— Seth Weintraub (@llsethj) July 3, 2013

More details were also offered regarding the sensors that the X Phone will feature.

The biggest tricks of the phone come with what Motorola has been doing with the hardware sensors, sources say. Instead of having to fumble to find the camera icon or button, users will be able to flick the phone to launch the camera. There are also added voice capabilities, which leverage Google’s advanced voice recognition technology. The phone is said to be smart enough to know when you are driving and will automatically launch the speakerphone function.

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Click to view the full ad

Motorola’s latest flagship device, the Moto X Phone, is set to be released sometime this fall, but despite not having released any images of it, the company is getting ready to run its first ad for the phone. The ad, as shown by Ad Age, shows some definite Google influence, as well as the logo we reported on last month.

The ad is centered around the Fourth of July festivities and focuses on the fact that it is made in the United States.

“What we are doing which is very different is assembling [Moto X smartphones] here in the U.S. in our assembly plant in Ft. Worth, Texas,” Motorola’s VP-global brand and product marketing Brian Wallace said in an interview. “What better time than July 4th to come with a message like that?”

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For those of you out there that have both a Tesla and a pair of Google Glass, here’s an exciting app. A developer has released an app dubbed GLASSTESLA that lets you control your Tesla via Google Glass. The app allows you to do things like manage the charging process, lock and unlock the car, honk the horn, flash the lights, and much more.

If you’ve parked your Tesla Model S somewhere and can’t find it, GLASSTESLA allows you to locate it on a map, but if that doesn’t help you can honk the horn and flash lights from the app, as well. You can also see what doors are open, as well as both the interior and exterior temperatures of the car. The biggest features, I think, surround the charging process…
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A successor to the Nexus 7 was a no-show at Google I/O this year, but that doesn’t mean a V2.0 of the tablet isn’t coming soon. Back in May, we reported that according to a KGI analyst, Google was planning on announcing the Nexus 7 2 at I/O with a full 1900×1200 HD display, a lighter and thinner body, with a Snapdragon 600 processor, 4Ah battery and both front and rear (5MP) facing cameras. The second version of the Asus tablet was also slated to be the first device with Android 4.3 on it.

Although this is all a rumor, a curious buyer decided to ask an Asus live chat representative if they had any idea what the specs were. Despite the fact that chat representatives don’t normally have access to upcoming products, one offered up the exact same specs as above:

Interestingly enough, the spec sheet they repeated matches the same exact spec sheet that KGI reported on in May. The chat rep. also said that we should expect to see version 2 of the tablet sometime in Q2 of the year, specifically late July.

Chat representatives don’t typically know future product roadmaps, especially specs, so it’s more than possible that this chat rep. simply Googled KGI’s report and reported it back to the person they were chatting with. On the other hand, they could both line up because they are both right. We’ve contacted Asus and we’ll be sure to report back any news.

Via the official Project Glass page on Google+, Google has announced a major software update coming soon to Glass. The update includes things such as more voice commands, improved web browsing, new ways to connect with family and friends, and more.

First off, a host of new voice commands will be available with this update. If you get a text, you can now ask Glass to read it to you by saying  “ok glass, read aloud” or if someone calls you, simply say “ok glass, answer call.” Finally, you can now share pictures right away by saying “ok glass, share with [name].”
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The FCC has approved Google’s “white space” database operation. This will allow for the company to operate a wireless broadband network with unlicensed TV broadcast spectrum. There are currently 10 other companies working on similar networks, but Google is the latest to complete the Federal Communications Commission’s 45-day testing period. The database will keep track of the TV broadcast frequencies in use so that other wireless broadband devices can take advantage of what’s not being used.

“If a government communications system does not require spectrum at specific times, that spectrum can be freed up for commercial purposes during those times. With dynamic sharing, multiple users, including federal, non-federal and commercial entities, can all access available bands of radio spectrum,” Google wrote.

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Even though they are celebrating a birthday, the Google+ team is still hard at work improving the social network. On the official Google+ blog, the company has announced several new, redesigned plugins available for websites to use.

• A new follow button – a standalone plugin that allows visitors to easily follow a site without navigating away.
• A new badge for Communities – a plugin that offers a link to directly preview a Google+ community. The community will open in a new tab and from there the visitors are able to join and view recent posts.
• Updated badges for Pages and Profiles – new, more customizable plugins that make it easy for people to circle Pages and People. Users now have the ability to change the color theme, chose whether it should be in landscape or portrait, and add or remove the cover photo and tagline. The old badges will be live for 90 more days, after which they will automatically be updated to the new ones.

With these changes, Google says it is trying to keep the visual style consistent with the recent changes it has made on Google+. View them all below…
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Those currently singed up for Google’s Search Field Trial, a program that lets users test out new, yet-to-be-released features of search, will now have the ability to search for Gmail contacts. Google announced on its Google+ page that the feature is available now and will also work with its new Voice Search functionality. Asking for a person’s address or phone number will display any relevant Gmail contact results directly within Google’s search results.

The Contact results will include maps with built-in turn-by-turn directions, as well as links to phone numbers allowing users to place calls with a single tap:
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As more and more companies start allowing employees to bring their own smartphones and tablets into work, Google is obviously looking to capture a portion of that enterprise market. The company on Thursday announced several new features for the growing bring your own device, or BYOD, market.

Comprehensive mobile device management is included with Google Apps for Business, Government and Education. Organizations large and small can manage smartphones and tablets – including Android and iOS – right from the Google Apps Admin console, with no need for special hardware or software.

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It’s no secret that Google has a tendency to buy a lot of companies and it is now getting a reputation for shutting a lot of products down. In fact, we’re just a few days away from its biggest closure to date in Google Reader. iGoogle, the customizable Google homepage, is also set to shut down this November. Earlier this year, the company closed up Google Talk and replaced it with Hangouts. Google has always said, however, that it “celebrates its failures,” and there have sure been a lot of them. Marketing company WordStream has put together an infographic breaking down all the services Google has closed up, including the dates they were shut down…then be sure to check the new companies Google has been buying up below…
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We’ve seen hints of Google Now coming to Chrome for a long time now, but it looks like we are getting very close to a launch. CNET has discovered a pop-up notification within the developer build of Chrome that says, “Enable Google Now Cards — Would you like to be shown Google Now cards?”

The prompt appears to be hitting those running the developer channel build of Chrome on both Windows and OS X. On Windows, the card appears in the status bar along the bottom, while on OS X it is in the menu bar up top. Google Now on the desktop could allow for directions to appear for a location you just searched or sports scores for your favorite team, which is similar to what it does on mobile.

Also on Windows is a control panel setting for controlling which web apps and extensions are allowed to send notification. This includes services like Gmail, Twitter, Google Calendar, and more. This could mean that Google is looking to open the notification technology to more and more apps. 
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On the same day that Google updated all its mapping products, it also demonstrated the gentle art of making a really cool piece of new technology appear deathly dull.

Today we’re announcing a new way for developers to visualize and interact with data hosted in Maps Engine: DynamicMapsEngineLayer. This class performs client-side rendering of vector data, allowing the developer to dynamically restyle the vector layer in response to user interactions like hover and click.

Sure, the blog entry is aimed at software developers, so can be forgiven its language, but the example they use to promote the feature seems more suited to a dusty geography textbook than an illustration of something that could really transform the way we use Google Maps. What it actually means is that you can mouse-over a map to really quickly and easily explore anything from tourist info to property ownership. Read on for more …

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Since it was purchased by Google, Motorola has been undergoing a major shift as a company. We’ve seen very few devices released over the last year, and up until the D11 conference, everyone inside the company had been very quiet. As part of the overhaul, however, Motorola looks to have a new logo. The new logo made its first appearance on the site of Techweek, an event Motorola is co-sponsoring this week. Now, this does make us wonder if the logo is here to stay or if it just for the conference, but we’re inclined to say that it’s here for good. Companies don’t change their logos all that often, as they are not something taken lightly.

The new logo is much simpler than Motorola’s old look, which was a bolded, italicized “MOTOROLA.” Now, everything is in lowercase font with a much softer color. The classic red “M” is now the same color as everything else and is surrounded by a wheel of colors. The most notable change, however, is what is underneath. To show off its new bosses, Motorola is now advertising that it is “a Google company.” 
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Google has released an update for its Google Search app for Android that adds a host of new features purely for Jelly Bean users. First off, the app will now show you information about show you are watching via an internet connected TV. This feature is only available in the United States, however, and Google wouldn’t say when it is going to roll it out to other nations. Your device also has to be connected to the same network as your TV, which means you won’t be able to get show information while on the go.

The update also adds the ability to control your music via a voice actions and new voice action tips.

The full change log is below:

For Android 4.1+ (Jelly Bean):

• Information about shows you’re watching on your internet-connected TV (US only)*
• Saved offers when nearby a redemption location
• New voice action: play music from your phone or the Play Store
• Voice actions tips

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