CrunchGear |  |
- The Meh-Too Crowd
- Project Glass Could Be Called Google Eye When It Lands On Your Face
- Don’t Hold Your Breath For A 3D Samsung Smartphone
- Nokia Lumia 900 Review: Head-To-Head With The Lumia 800 And iPhone 4S
- Nest 2.0 Adds Advanced Energy-Saving Features
- Here’s A More Realistic Look At Google’s Project Glass [Video]
- Microsoft’s SemanticMap: After Project Glass, Another Take On How To Make The World More User-Specific
| Posted: 05 Apr 2012 02:48 PM PDT  It’s been a while since I came to Google’s defense but I think it’s time to talk about what an absolute downer it is to dig through a lot of tech commentary these days. The most recent example came after the launch of Google’s Glass project, a HUD for future travelers that will let us connect to our world in a fairly non-obtrusive way. Arguably, the product is pretty pie-in-the-sky, but all things being equal, the potential device, even if it includes a small subset of the features we saw in the video, is pretty cool. Instead of oohing and guffawing and going back to, you know, living his life, Old Man Gruber took some time out to dump three links to examples of the potential problems Glass faces. He noted, quite rightly, that only the worst companies created flashy videos of non-existent tech. But this is Google. They have a lot of money. Even if they create a HUD display that doesn’t suck and that can connect to your Android phone, they could have something relatively cool on the market. I’m not saying they’ll sell a million (they probably will) and I’m not saying they’ll make a product as cool as it appears in the video (they probably won’t) but can’t the geek in us be happy that they’re actually trying? We’ve been promised this for years, and suddenly it’s here. I usually grunt along with Gruber and MG and the rest of the Meh-Too crowd when it comes to the hot-button fanboy issues. Android vs. iPhone? I’ll snort in derision with the best of them. Windows 8 being the next big thing? I’ll shrug my shoulders alongside the greats. But for the love of Pete, we’re in technology. We love technology. That we would wish Google to fail in this next generation of interface and user experience is akin to hoping Jeremy Lin loses a leg to gangrene because we don’t like the Knicks. It’s mean. Here’s Gruber (and trust me, I think Gruber is one of the best talkers on tech out there so I don’t even want to call him out on this but I feel I must, at least for my own sanity): Google's transition into the new Microsoft is now complete: fancy-pants sci-fi concept video to promote stunningly awkward augmented reality glasses. Sure it’s fancy-pants and it’s sci-fi and it’s a concept – but it’s a concept that can easily move from drawing board to street. There are already plenty of HUD glasses – none of them are any good – and there are already plenty of concepts for interacting with the world a la Glass that look far more sci-fi than anything in Google’s video. Google’s concept is actually fairly staid, the company is pretty solid and it can usually push its brainstorms to market – witness Google TV and Android. Say what you want about the aforementioned products. If Google can do one thing consistently, it’s ship. If Microsoft brought this video out and said Windows 8 would have a special Windows Vision mode, I’d be less inclined to believe that it would ship. Microsoft is no good at getting hardware out the door. Software, sure. But they don’t have a good track record when it comes to changing what chips we buy. Google, on the other hand, can probably pull it off. So what’s with accusing them of pre-crime? Let them try. See it fail or see it change the mobile landscape or see it become a useful and interesting new branch of UX. In any case, admit that it’s pretty cool. What did Kurt Vonnegut say? “At the outside, babies, you’ve got about a hundred years here. There’s only one rule that I know of, babies—God damn it, you’ve got to be kind.” We can disagree over politics, we can disagree over corporate directions, and we can disagree over platforms. But you can’t disagree that sometimes it’s just about wonder, whimsy, and the future we’re bequeathing to ourselves and our babies.
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| Project Glass Could Be Called Google Eye When It Lands On Your Face Posted: 05 Apr 2012 10:46 AM PDT  Project Glass sounds like a super-villain’s secret weapon, so Google may need to give its wearable augmented reality device a friendlier name. Luckily the search giant owns the domain GoogleEye.com, so the high-tech monocle may be called Google Eye when it eventually starts selling to the public. Google has the URL locked down through registrar MarkMonitor, which it also uses to handle google.com and gmail.com. Google registered the URL in June 2003, so it may have been dreaming about being mounted on your face for a long time. The easy to read, spell, and pronounce name would help differentiate the augmented reality eyewear from standard glasses. As our URL tipster noted, the Google brand wouldn’t be overpowered by a short name like “Eye”. Google may have other URLs stashed and a different market name in mind, but this seems like a logical choice. Yes, Project Glass is nothing but vaporware right now, but it gives us a hint at the future of mobile. It may be a year until a minimum viable product is ready for stores, and much longer until the product works as well as it does in the mind-blowing Project Glass mock-up video Google released yesterday. Still, the product has the potential to disrupt the smartphone market, and become a new portal to social media. That’s why companies like Apple and Facebook need to start scheming now in case eyewear computing becomes the norm. Until computers beam information directly to our brains, we’ll have to look at some sort of screen. Google’s glasses could end up so awkward that no one will wear them. Still, they’re the next step on the way to augmented reality contact lenses. So whether it makes us look like we’re on Star Trek or it’s totally invisible, we could still be seeing the world through Google Eye.
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| Don’t Hold Your Breath For A 3D Samsung Smartphone Posted: 05 Apr 2012 08:25 AM PDT  Of all the peculiar gimmicks a smartphone manufacturer could lean on to make a device stand out, 3D always seemed like one of the most pointless. Sure, it sounds great in theory — who doesn't want fully immersive video and apps — but actually using it on-the-go can be a completely different story. As it turns out, Samsung is right there with me. In an effort to combat some of the more fanciful Galaxy S III rumors floating around, the company told Engadget today that they have no intention to release a 3D smartphone any time soon. Here’s the full quote, just to make it clear:
Word of a 3D-capable Galaxy S III first surfaced back in December thanks to a report Korean news outlet ETNews, at which point the claim quickly started making the rounds. Samsung’s denial on this front shouldn’t be a shocker, seeing as rivals HTC and LG both gambled with 3D handsets last year, neither of which managed to gain considerable traction. That of course doesn’t mean that 3D as a trend is going anywhere — Samsung still churns out 3D televisions and YouTube just announced more pronounced support for 3D content — but at least in the mobile space, 3D seems like a technology relegated to the fringe. Though Samsung seems keen on quashing outlandish rumors as they come, that hasn't stopped the rumor mill from spreading questionable new information. Most recently, a supposed invitation to a Galaxy S III event on May 22 in the UK features what may or may not be half of the forthcoming handset. To absolutely no one’s surprise, it looks absolutely nothing like any of the other leaked images that have surfaced before, which means it’s either a) the real deal or b) absolute crap. I’m leaning towards the latter personally, but I really hope that Samsung starts offering details soon instead of just shooting down peculiar claims.
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| Nokia Lumia 900 Review: Head-To-Head With The Lumia 800 And iPhone 4S Posted: 05 Apr 2012 08:21 AM PDT  Yep, I’m writing another post on the Lumia 900. It’ll be my fourth in the span of 24 hours, but there’s just so much to talk about. So after receiving a fly and a die, getting checked out by our camera crew, and being weighed by yours truly, we’re putting the Lumia 900 up against baby brother Lumia 800 and the titan of smartphones: the iPhone 4S. Which will come out victorious? Well, that all depends on what you need and want, so let’s not beat around the bush any longer. If you’re new to the world of smartphones, the Lumia 900 was built specifically for you. Sure, I’d prefer a smaller display to go along with that resolution (480×800), and the specs themselves are what you’d find on a phone from last year, but I can promise you that performance is a dream on this bad boy. Plus, Windows Phone brings a welcome option to those of us who are sick of Android and iOS. Oh, and did I mention that you can nab this phone for $100 on-contract from AT&T, complete with 4G LTE connectivity? Nokia and Microsoft have managed to strike an astounding balance between performance and price with the 900. But perhaps you prefer a smaller display. The Lumia 800 has everything that the 900 has save for a 4G radio, however, the Lumia 800 display measures in at 3.7-inches as opposed to the 4.3-inch Lumia 900. The only catch is that you’ll have to pick up the Lumia 800 at a Microsoft store as a part of a ridiculously pricey bundle. For $899, you’ll get an unlocked handset, along with a Nokia Play 360 Bluetooth speaker, Nokia Purity HD headphones and a Luna Bluetooth headset. If you actually want all that stuff, the value proposition isn’t so bad, but otherwise I’d say to pass. Then, of course, there’s the iPhone 4S. What can be said other than that it’s an exceptional device? But, there are plenty of us who are ready for a change in the OS department, and the iPhone 5 will be out in a few months anyways. That will significantly downgrade the iPhone 4S’s cool point status. Past that, the most basic iPhone 4S costs double what the 900 does — prices start at $199 for the 16GB model. Obviously, the decision is yours, dear readers. But I depart with one final request: please just consider Windows Phone. You don’t have to buy it — hell, you don’t even have to like it — but giving it a chance in your mind will allow for the emergence of a third mobile ecosystem. And as competition grows, our phones will only get better and better. Check out all of our Lumia 900 review posts here.
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| Nest 2.0 Adds Advanced Energy-Saving Features Posted: 05 Apr 2012 06:39 AM PDT  An update to the Nest thermostat is rolling out to device owners over the next two days, just in time for AC season. The improvements include advanced energy monitoring – essentially more data about your current energy usage – and something called Airwave, a program that will turn down your air conditioner and run the fan for a period of time, thereby saving energy. Writes Matt Rogers, VP of Engineering: The enhanced Energy History we've launched today is for those of you who've requested more detail about your energy use and easier access to energy info. No longer locked inside your Nest, this deeper energy data is now available on the Web app, iPad and both Android and iPhone smartphones. Now you can compare how much energy you used at a glance, then click or tap on any day to see what times you heated or cooled your home and what caused a change in your energy use. Thus far, the Nest has been sort of like the first iPhone – cool-looking, but the utility was limited. Now, however, with these improvements the device can start showing its energy-saving potential. Sadly folks without AC controls may find the update a bit limited. However, if you’ve got a full-bore heat-pump forced air super system with a Mr. Slim in the back yard, you might just be in luck. You can read all about the update here and expect the software to appear on your thermostat in the next few days.
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| Here’s A More Realistic Look At Google’s Project Glass [Video] Posted: 05 Apr 2012 06:09 AM PDT Because walking and texting isn’t dangerous enough, Google Glasses will put AdSense 5mm in front of your retina. Disclaimer: I actually don’t know if Google plans on using in ads in their glasses. The video above comes by way of Reddit and was made by Tom Scott. It humorously shows what the future could hold through the eyes of Project Glass. Of course the Google Glasses are likely made in such a way that they won’t completely dominate a person’s field of vision but there’s no way they won’t be distracting to some. Instead of walking with their head down looking at their phone, pedestrians are going to wander around in a zombie-like stupor, completely immersed in a YouTube video being shown on their glasses. I can’t wait. More From TechCrunch On Google’s Project Glass: Google's 'Project Glass' Augmented Reality Glasses Are Real And In Testing [With Official Demo Video From Google] Apple and Facebook Should Be Scared Of Google-Tinted Glasses
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| Posted: 05 Apr 2012 06:07 AM PDT  Augmented reality seems to be all the rage this week: Microsoft earlier today got in touch to give us the heads up on some technology it’s been working on — its designs for how to make a user’s experience of a location specific only to that user — one day after Google revealed more details about its own take on that idea in the form of Project Glass. Called SemanticMap, the idea is technology that lets physical signage change based on a specific user, that user’s location and what that person is looking for. Unlike Google’s glasses, Microsoft’s technology doesn’t require the user to have any special headgear or other equipment; and it makes use of three key bits of technology that Microsoft is working on and will very likely become more and more ubiquitous in the years ahead: face analysis, gesture recognition and proximity detection. Microsoft has already been using some of this to good effect in the Kinect. SemanticMap’s only in prototype form now, says Sergio Paolantonio, senior research designer with the Human-Computer Interaction Group at Microsoft Research Asia in Beijing, where the technology was created. And, he adds, “There are no current plans to deploy the current scenario as a new Microsoft product.” But this is a working prototype and very much shows the direction that we might expect things to go from here on in. “The demo is here right now, in front of me and works very well!” he told me earlier today. “It is not science fiction! …it is Super-Real, using Microsoft Research Technology.” As you can see in this video, the ‘Super-Real’ technology is being used to help a woman navigate her way around an anonymous, labyrinthine office space. That’s a bit dull, but you can see how it could be used for more: marketing campaigns, games, and anywhere, really, that a wall full of information has never felt like quite enough — and a pair of glasses or a smartphone with an augmented reality app might feel like too much.
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Posted By e Readers Tips to e Readers Reviews at 4/06/2012 05:14:00 AM
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Posted By e Readers Tips to e Readers Reviews at 4/06/2012 05:14:00 AM
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Posted By e Readers Tips to e Readers Reviews at 4/06/2012 05:14:00 AM
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Posted By e Readers Tips to e Readers Reviews at 4/06/2012 05:14:00 AM
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Posted By e Readers Tips to e Readers Reviews at 4/06/2012 05:14:00 AM
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