Now Google Glass Knows Where You Live

Google Glass continues to expand its head-mounted toolbox: The wearable computer now has stronger ties to both Google Calendar and Maps, letting you navigate to your home or workplace with just a few spoken commands. Google has also updated the FAQ for the device, saying it won't deactivate Glass if you sell it.

The XE11 software update, announced on Google+ and automatically pushed to Glass Explorers, connects Glass to your Google Calendar better than before, allowing the wearer to use easy voice commands to see impending appointments. To see your calendar, just say "OK Glass, Google" then a calendar-specific command like "my agenda" or "what am I doing this week?" The only catch is you have to have private search enabled on your Google account.

Google also improved how Maps work with Glass, letting users get directions to Home or Work as long as the user has specified those addresses. The next time you want to get home, just speak the normal "Directions" command and then say "Home." This is great, although we'd still love to see Google introduce better in-car integration.

XE11 includes a usability tweak as well: Now a long press on the touchpad will no longer activate Google search. It turned out users were activating the feature by accident too often. Not a big change, but it shows that 

Go

Google is continuing to perfect the user experience of Glass before commercial launch, expectedearly next year.

If you're pairing Glass with an Android phone, you get an extra bonus: You can now start a screencast right from your notifications window without having to launch the app.

Finally, Google has updated its FAQ for Glass, first reported byAndroid Police. Google's terms of service for the device says it's forbidden to sell the Explorer Edition of Glass to someone else, but it also says it won't "brick" the device if you do. A few desperate developers might be breathing easier now.

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  Google Glass POV

  The virtual screen that Google Glass shows you through the prism appears to be a display floating a few feet in front of you. Although it's obviously very tiny, Google says it's the equivalent of a 25-inch screen seen from 8 feet away.

  The message screen "ok glass" is the most common one you see, since it activates whenever you tap the side or tilt your head up. The screen lets you know Glass is on and actively listening to your voice.

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  Sports Scores

  The most recent sports scores are just a single swipe away.

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  Search Results

  The screen is big enough to display a single sentence or simple text feedback extremely well. The font gets smaller for longer results, although it maxes out at about two sentences.

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  Photo

  Although photos don't look great on Glass, you can easily discern the content, and they look much better when exported to other displays.

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  Reddit Notification

  Most notifications involve both a headline and a photo, as with this one from Reddit.

  The multicolor "spectrum" effect isn't visible to the eye -- it appears in this photo because it was taken outside and some sunlight was refracted.

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  New York Times Notification

  The New York Times' notifications tell you how many articles are waiting. You can see them in a manner similar to the Reddit headlines by tapping the touchpad on the temple.

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  Twitter App

  Here's what you see when you want to share something via Twitter. GlassTweet is a third-party app.

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  Directions

  When you ask for directions, Glass first confirms the address.

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  Active Navigation

  Here's the UI for navigating with maps. The arrow moves as you turn your head.

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  2D Navigation

  Navigation in 2D gives you a bird's-eye view of the map.

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  Speech Error

  Error messages are very clear.

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  Settings Screen

  The main settings screen lets you know if you're connected to Wi-Fi and how much battery power is left.

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  Settings, Alternate View

Posted By: Pawan Lubana on Friday, 8 November 2013

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Apple: New Products Are Coming In 2014

During Apple's quarterly earnings call today, CEO Tim Cook mentioned that the company is still working on breaking into new product categories.

Cook offered very few specifics, but did say to expect to see new products from Apple in 2014.

"If you look at the skills Apple has from hardware and software services...no one has skills like this," Cook said. "We obviously believe we can use our skills to build other great products in areas we do not participate in today."

So what's he talking about?

It's been widely reported that Apple is working on a computerized wristwatch, which tech bloggers have been calling the iWatch. And there's still talk that Apple could make a television set or a new set-top box for streaming content over the Internet.

Posted By: Pawan Lubana on Tuesday, 29 October 2013

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14 Facebook Tools You Didn't Know Existed

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  Here are some apps :

  
  

  

  1. Activity Log

  You've probably seen that button on your cover photo labeled "Activity Log," but unless you're a Facebook power user you probably haven't explored this tool. It shows you every activity you do on Facebook, whether it's liking a photo, posting a status, or updating your information. You can even filter by type of activity to make it more targeted.
  Image: Facebook

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  2. Ad Create Tool

  Facebook gives you a host of tools to make sure your business's ads are well made and prominently placed, starting with the Ad Create tool. You select a goal for promoting your business or page (like more page likes, increased app engagement, etc.) and the Ad Create tool automatically selects the right combination of ads to help you reach it.
  Image: Facebook

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  3. App Center

  You've been playing Candy Crush for months, but do you use Open Table's Facebook app to book a reservation? Or use the Spotify app to share your playlists with friends? If you want to browse new games and apps, the App Center is the place to go. Access it at the bottom of the left hand menu.
  Image: Facebook

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  4. Browse

  The Browse tool will filter out a randomly selected type of content through Facebook's Graph Search, whether it's videos that you've liked or people in your networks you haven't friended yet. For those using Facebook to kill time (and aren't we all using Facebook to kill time?), it's an excellent method of procrastination.
  Image: Facebook

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  5. Conversion Tracking

  Setting up Conversion Tracking helps you track the effectiveness of your ads based on the specific action you want them to complete, like buying a product.
  Image: Facebook

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  6. Custom Audiences

  If you already have curated lists of audiences that you are using, you can upload them to your brand's Facebook account to make sharing a piece of cake. Don't worry, when you upload your lists, your information is encrypted so that no one can access it, even Facebook.
  Image: Facebook

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  7. Export Your Calendar

  If your socialite status is spread out across multiple calendars, you can export your Facebook calendar information to keep with you when you're not online. Wouldn't want to miss a party, now would we?
  Image: Facebook

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  8. Facebook Desktop Chat

  Don't want to flip back to the Facebook tab every time you get a new message? You can use one of these instant messaging softwares to chat from your desktop.
  Image: Facebook

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  9. Page Manager App

  If you're managing a brand's page and need to post on the go, the Facebook Manager App is available on the App Store and Google Play for easy access to your account even away from your desk.
  Image: Facebook

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  10. Power Editor

  If you're optimizing and managing many different ads at once, your brand should be using the Power Editor. You can easily make minor variations to the same ad to test what works the best with your audience. This is also where you can create custom audiences for sharing ads.
  Image: Facebook

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  11. Interests

  Facebook is full of great content that you don't need to miss. Treat the social site like a Feedly alternative and get content from various groups tailored to your own interests.
  Image: Facebook

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  12. Chat Keyboard Shortcuts

  Want to navigate around chat more quickly? Then try keyboard shortcuts.
  Image: Facebook

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  13. Page Insights

  Page Insights is essentially Facebook's version of Google Analytics. Track your page's traffic to better understand how audiences are engaging with your page.
  Image: Facebook

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  14. View As

  If you want to be certain that your Aunt Mary didn't see those pictures of you from last weekend's bar crawl, use the View As tool to see your profile as she sees it. There. Crisis Averted.
  Image: Facebook

You know all about Facebook's basic tools. You can post statuses and share articles with the best of 'em. But how often do you check your Activity Log? What is the Browse tool for?

You're not off the hook either, Brand Pages. You may know that Facebook Exchange targets ads based on user's online activity, but did you know you can create Custom Audiences to share content with?

For these and other Facebook tools you probably aren't using, check out the gallery. Hone those Facebook skills to get the most of out of world's most popular social site.

Posted By: Pawan Lubana on Monday, 28 October 2013

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