| Google's Project Glass gets some more details Jun 27th 2012, 18:22  Google's Project Glass has been one of the most anticipated and hyped projects to come out of Google in quite some time. After a rather epic demo the company finally gave us a slightly deeper look at the wearable computer of our (supposed) future. Inside is the usual set of components you'd expect inside any mobile phone. There's a "powerful" CPU and "lots" of RAM (though, there was no mention of specifics) alongside an accelerometer, gyroscope and wireless radios for pulling in data. There's a mic for voice commands, a speaker and a camera, which can also be controlled by the touchpad that lines the side of the wearable device. All of those components sit off to one side, though Google says they're still well balanced and actually lighter than some pairs of sunglasses. The tiny transparent display doesn't actually sit directly in front of your eye. It's slightly above your line of vision, so that it shouldn't interfere with your normal life. Sergey Brin had three different prototypes on stage -- a light blue pair, a white pair and a black pair -- indicating that personalization and style were a concern. And that's a good thing since Glass is meant to be worn in public. Ultimately Google hopes that the project will be the next step in its quest to make information quickly and universally accessible. The ability to capture images from the first person perspective seems to be key to the device. In a new demo video, a new mother waxes about how hard it is to capture those perfect moments with her child. She "smiles at faces not devices" which makes sticking a D5 in the baby's face a bad idea. If you're impatient and lucky enough to have been at IO (and live in the US), you can actually pre-order an Explorer Edition of the wearable computer for $1,500. The dev focused units will be shipping early next year. But, be warned, this is not a mass consumer item and will likely be more than a little rough around the edges. Check out our full coverage of Google I/O 2012's opening keynote at our event hub! Google's Project Glass gets some more details originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jun 2012 14:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | Sergey Brin demos Project Glass onstage at Google I/O (video) Jun 27th 2012, 18:05  It's hard to ignore Google's X Lab-born Project Glass. News of the slim-lined, scifi goggles' existence first surfaced this past February and it wasn't long after that Mountain View's own elite began to flaunt the heads-up display in public. While little of the device's true purpose and functionality is known, we have been privy to certain features over the past few months, like photo sharing to Google+ and even its ability to overlay Maps. Though product lead Steve Lee shrugged off rumors of a late 2012 launch, it does appear the company's itching to spill a few more (jelly) beans at today's I/O conference. To do that, Sergey Brin rushed onstage at Google I/O wearing the glass units to give us a brief live action demo courtesy of a skydive over San Francisco. Video of the jump, performed by four divers in a blimp, was streamed live through Google Hangouts to attendees at the Moscone Center. In keeping with the extreme vibe of this demonstration, the showcase was handed off to bikers on the rooftop, also outfitted with the lenses, who jumped from building to building via ramp and then eventually cycled into the arena and right up to Sergey, himself. As a finishing touch, Brin also snapped a shot of the team using his own headset. All told, it's a pretty incredible way to once again officially tease this forward-looking tech. Check out our full coverage of Google I/O 2012's opening keynote at our event hub! Continue reading Sergey Brin demos Project Glass onstage at Google I/O (video) Sergey Brin demos Project Glass onstage at Google I/O (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jun 2012 14:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | Google+ has 250 million users, more mobile than desktop Jun 27th 2012, 17:59  Google wasn't going to leave its budding social layer (don't call it a network) out of today's IO fun. It gave itself a bit of a pat on the back for (probably) exceeding people's expectations. For all the jokes that have been made (some of them on this very site) at Google+'s expense, it's racked up more than 250 million users. Sure, only 150 milllion actually active, but simply getting people signed up is a victory in itself. And, hey, about 50 percent of them sign on every day. More interestingly, Vic Gundotra says that more users are signing in with the mobile app than visiting the desktop site. That's great news to go along with the dedicated tablet version that was also announced. Check out our full coverage of Google I/O 2012's opening keynote at our event hub! Google+ has 250 million users, more mobile than desktop originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jun 2012 13:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | Google+ on Android, iPad goes tablet-sized Jun 27th 2012, 17:59  Google+ just got a makeover very recently, but it was still very much oriented towards phones -- that's been solved as of today. The social networking app is now optimized for Android tablets and the iPad, with a whole new navigation system and Hangout video chats suited to bigger screens. The layout is landscape-friendly and, if you have a new iPad, will take advantage of every pixel on that Retina display. Android users can get the update today; iPad owners will have to wait for a release coming "soon." Android phone owners are getting some of the benefits of the supersized interface in their own, more modest screen sizes as well. Check out our full coverage of Google I/O 2012's opening keynote at our event hub! Google+ on Android, iPad goes tablet-sized originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jun 2012 13:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink |  Google Play | Email this | Comments | | Google Nexus Q is 'Designed and Manufactured in the U.S.A.' Jun 27th 2012, 17:58  Google didn't touch on it during its keynote, but The New York Times' John Markoff has the story on one fairly unique feature of its new Nexus Q home media device: the base of the unit proudly boasts that it's "Designed and Manufactured in the U.S.A." That includes an unnamed company in the Midwest that manufactures the metal base and another in Southern California that makes the case, while the device itself was reportedly being assembled just last week at a large factory 15 minutes away from Google's HQ. According to Google, it hopes that people will be willing to pay more for the device as a result ($299, if you missed it), but it has no plans to play up the "Made in the U.S.A." angle in its marketing. Wired also has an in-depth piece of its own on the making of the device -- you can find it linked below as well. Check out our full coverage of Google I/O 2012's opening keynote at our event hub! Google Nexus Q is 'Designed and Manufactured in the U.S.A.' originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jun 2012 13:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | The New York Times | Email this | Comments | | Google wants you to join the party, announces Google+ Events Jun 27th 2012, 17:58  At the tail end of today's Google I/O keynote, the company demoed Google+ Events, which, as you might imagine, let's you invite your virtual buds to an in-person hangout. You've probably already guessed that there's some pretty tight integration with Mountain View's other virtual properties, including Calendar, which means that sending your friends or coworkers a "save the date" to brunch or brainstorming no longer requires clunky email, or a phone call. That's not to say that your contacts need to opt-in to the search giant's social networking site to join the fun -- email invites are still available by typing your friend's address alongside your circles, or individual friends should you wish to plan an awkward inter-group soiree. You can choose from a variety of themes for your e-vite, which integrate motion or static banners. Once the fun begins, you can hop into Party Mode from your mobile, and photos you shoot during the event will appear beside the invite -- friends can add pics to the page as well, which you can later download. For now, please accept our invitation to jump past the break, where a Google demo video awaits. Check out our full coverage of Google I/O 2012's opening keynote at our event hub! Continue reading Google wants you to join the party, announces Google+ Events Google wants you to join the party, announces Google+ Events originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jun 2012 13:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | Google Nexus Q lets Android owners stream media from the cloud, shipping for $299 in mid-July Jun 27th 2012, 17:39  ...And the Nexus Q is official. Google's first consumer electronics product is a small, sphere-shaped device that will work with the Nexus 7 tablet and other Android devices to stream media from the cloud. It's designed to hold court in your living room, pulling content from YouTube and the Google Play music app, among other services, to let you stream music and video. Anyone with an Android device will be able to take control of the Q to play content from their library; basically, everyone can be the DJ. What's more, the device can double as an amplifier, letting users plug in external speakers to receiver power from the Q's 25-watt amp. Under the hood, there's an OMAP 4460 processor -- the same as in the Galaxy Nexus -- along with 16GB of storage and 1GB of RAM. There's also dual-band WiFi and Ethernet, along with Bluetooth and NFC for tapping a device to the Q to exchange software and media. The media streamer will go on sale for $299 in mid-July. As we mentioned before, Google will also sell a set of $399 Triad bookshelf speakers to go with the Q. More coverage to follow -- in the meantime, check out Google's videos about the new product. Check out our full coverage of Google I/O 2012's opening keynote at our event hub! Update: Excuse the dyslexic typo. The Nexus Q is powered by an OMAP 4460 CPU. Continue reading Google Nexus Q lets Android owners stream media from the cloud, shipping for $299 in mid-July Google Nexus Q lets Android owners stream media from the cloud, shipping for $299 in mid-July originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jun 2012 13:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | Google modifies Maps, YouTube for Nexus 7 tablet Jun 27th 2012, 17:30  We've seen Google take Maps indoors, with interior schematics and even photos, but the Nexus 7 tablet brings a new twist to that familiar nav experience with 360-degree venue photos. Engineering Director Chris Yerga demonstrated the new feature within a local San Francisco bar called District, moving the device to show us how the compass and gyroscope work to provide 360-degree views based on your current direction and angle -- it's a pretty slick effect. There's also offline map viewing that expands the Google Labs map caching to include entire cities, which should definitely come in handy for navigating beyond your comfort zone (and mobile coverage area). Naturally, there's also an updated YouTube app, letting you take full advantage of that 7-inch display with video preview grids and HD playback, with a familiar Play store-like interface. Stay tuned for a closer look at these apps and more in our Nexus 7 hands-on. Check out our full coverage of Google I/O 2012's opening keynote at our event hub! Google modifies Maps, YouTube for Nexus 7 tablet originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jun 2012 13:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. 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