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Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Google+ Hangouts Capture tool lets you snap screenshots with a click

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/19/google-hangouts-capture/

Beginning soon, Google+ users will be able to take screenshots of content within a Hangout using the new Capture tool. Once the feature rolls out, simply click the camera button at the bottom of the Hangout window to grab a frame. The addition helps to simplify workflows a bit, while also serving to boost privacy -- unlike third-party screenshot offerings, this integrated tool notifies fellow users in your Hangout whenever someone enables the feature and when a picture is taken. Additionally, snaps are saved to a shared album, which other attendees may access from within the Hangout or through your photo albums. Privacy-obsessed users beware, though: You'll only be notified if the official Google tool is used -- apps like Skitch and Grab can still snag frames without a public warning.

Filed under: Internet, Google

Via: TechCrunch

Source: Jeremy Ng (Google+)

Skitch 2.0 for Windows improves layout, performance, adds social sharing

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/20/skitch-2-0-windows-desktop/

It's only been a few short months since the last Skitch for Windows 8 update, but before you can say "spring equinox," it's time for another one. Release 2.0 boasts a number of improvements over its predecessor that include an improved and streamlined layout which showcases the Capture menu, enhanced sharing with services like Twitter and Facebook, and a snappier performance overall. It's available today from Evernote.com or you can wait to snag one from the Windows Store in a few days.

Filed under: Internet

Source: Evernote Blog

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

This leaked 5-inch ZTE handset could be headed to Sprint's LTE lineup

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/19/zte-handset-leak-sprint-lte/

Much of ZTE's MWC 2013 focus was its desire to go from white label to global brand name. And from the looks of these leaked shots, the Chinese OEM's taking that goal seriously, purportedly prepping a new handset for Sprint. Going by the rumored name "Quantum," the handset falls below flagship status, allegedly running Android Jelly Bean and bearing a Snapdragon S4 processor, 5-inch 720p display, 1GB RAM and a 13-megapixel rear camera housed in an outsized circular module. There's no visible carrier branding anywhere on the device to confirm its possible Sprint LTE destiny -- only a logo in the notification pane and an anonymous tip, as reported to Android Police, pegs it for that. If this leak does indeed pan out, then that's good news for Sprint subs looking for more hardware choice, giant screens and 4G. And if not, well, no one will know the difference. Check out the source for additional shots.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Sprint

Source: Android Police

NVIDIA reveals Volta next-gen GPU platform

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/19/nvidia-roadmap-volta-gpu/

We're here at NVIDIA's GPU Technology Conference in San Jose, and company CEO Jen Hsun-Huang has just revealed the next step in its GPU roadmap. Called Volta, it's scheduled to arrive after Maxwell, and will advance GPU technology with a ridiculous amount of memory bandwidth. Volta GPUs will have access to up to 1TB per second of bandwidth by stacking the DRAM on top of the GPU itself, with a silica substrate between them. Then, by cutting a hole through the silicon and connecting each layer it's possible to move, according to Huang "all of the data from a full Blu-Ray disc through the chip in 1/50th of a second." We aren't exactly sure what that means for graphics, but being able to process data that quickly is bound to be a boon for gamers... whenever Volta actually arrives, of course.

Filed under: Desktops, Gaming, Laptops

Google Drive Realtime API arrives, lets developers make collaborative apps

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/19/google-drive-realtime-api-lets-developers-make-collaborative-apps/

Google has been eager to have programmers weave Google Drive sharing and syncing into their apps, but the coveted live collaboration has remained solely in Google's domain. Until today, that is. The company has posted a Google Drive Realtime API that lets third-party apps integrate the same simultaneous collaboration as Google Drive, including important nuances like conflict resolution and presence. More enterprising coders can create custom objects beyond what Google offers on its own. A handful of companies are already using the Realtime API for apps that everyday users can try right away, such as Draw.io, Gantter and Neutron Drive; other developers just need to visit the source link to get started.

Filed under: Storage, Internet, Google

Via: Google Developers Blog

Source: Google Developers

NVIDIA updates its mobile roadmap: Logan and Parker, mobile SoCs packing Kepler and Maxwell GPUs

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/19/nvidia-mobile-roadmap-logan-and-parker/

Thought the new Tegra 4i was the bees knees when it we saw it last month? Well, NVIDIA gave us a bit more info on the next steps in the Tegra roadmap, Logan and ~~Stark~~ Parker. It turns out that these next two mobile platforms will both utilize NVIDIA's CUDA technology, with Logan packing a Kepler GPU and Parker running a Project Denver 64-bit ARM CPU and a next-gen Maxwell GPU. Logan arrives early next year, while Parker won't be in devices until sometime in 2015.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile

Monoprice MHD Action Cam Review: Not Bad for $100

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5988435/monoprice-mhd-action-cam-review-not-bad-for-100

Test Notes

We dropped and kicked around the cam a bunch to test durability. It occasionally decided to not respond to the record button afterwords, but it always recovered and seemed fine overall.
The MHD's photos are of better quality than the video, but are only 5 megapixels.
Battery life is better than other higher-end action cams, at around 3 hours of use.
The lens is dual-axis, meaning if you mount the MHD upside down, the image will flip itself so it is right side up when you look at it later.
The rear cap can be an utter pain in the ass to put back on.
Audio is never great on action-cams, but the MHD's audio is just bad. You can hear it compared to the GoPro's audio in our test video.

Should You Buy It?

If you have a desperate need to throw down right now for a basic, no frills camera, we have no qualms with recommending the Monoprice MHD. Go for it. But tread lightly. If you take longevity and versatility into account, it might be worth saving up for a GoPro Hero3—the White edition is only $199.

Monoprice MHD Action Cam
• Lens Field of View: 120 degrees
• Water Proof: up to 10 meters
• Video: 1920 x 1080 / 1280 x 720 @ 30p
• Photo: 5 megapixels
• Price: $99

Gizmodoscope! Move your mouse around the top photo to move the One. Magic!

Wacom Cintiq 13HD graphics display hands-on (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/19/wacom-cintiq-13hd-hands-on/

Here's the thing with Wacom's latest Cintiqs: the bigger the display, the more straightforward the buying decision tends to be. The Cintiq 22HD and 24HD dominate at the professional high-end, but, as you get smaller and cheaper, more options come into play -- whether they're non-display tablets like the Intuos5 or complete PCs like Microsoft's Surface Pro (software issues aside). However, if you're looking for full-fledged Cintiq qualities in a smaller package, then this morning's announcement of the $1,000 Cintiq 13HD probably caught your interest. No, it's not the rumored standalone tablet, but our first impression is that it's a lightweight and handy option for serious work. Read on for more.

Gallery: Wacom Cintiq 13HD hands-on

Filed under: Displays

Dragon Mobile Assistant Offers Completely Hands-Free Texting, Shares Your Location with Loved Ones

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5991258/dragon-mobile-assistant-offers-completely-hands+free-texting-shares-your-location-with-loved-ones

Android: We've discussed how useful Dragon Mobile Assistant, (the spiritual successor to Vlingo, our favorite virtual assistant for Android), is as a hands-free mobile assistant. Now the app has updated to include truly hands-free SMS, and location sharing that will tell someone you're waiting for or traveling to exactly where you are and when you'll likely arrive.

Dragon Mobile Assistant is already a great tool for managing your calendar, placing calls, sending text messages, and staying organized on the go with little fuss. The latest update adds on many of those features. For example, the new hands-free SMS features let you start, dictate, and send SMS messages without touching the phone once, even to send the message out. Plus, when a response comes in, Dragon will read it aloud, giving you the option to reply right then, completely by voice.

The location sharing feature is the other major feature in the new version of the app. You can say aloud, "Tell [X person] where I am," and that person will get a text message with a link to your current position on a Google Map. If the other person is also using Dragon, you can ask your phone "Where's [X person]?" and Dragon will query their device, and if the other person approves, show you exactly where they are so you can meet up with them.

The app has a few other new bells and whistles as well, like the option to automatically dial in to any conference call or scheduled phone call on your Google Calendar, and even more supported voice commands. Check it out at Google Play below.

Dragon Mobile Assistant (Free) | Google Play via Android Police

Report: Google to Unify Chat as a New Service Called Babble

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5991263/report-google-to-unify-chat-as-a-new-service-called-babble

Report: Google to Unify Chat as a New Service Called Babble Google Talk is great: lightweight and fast. But then, Google's also got G+ messenger, Hangout, and even Drive Chat. There are currently so many options across its different platforms that it can get confusing—but Google Babble is apparently set to end that, with one unified, cross-platform chat solution, which will span Android, iOS, BlackBerry, and the cloud.

According to multiple sources talking to Geek, Google's building a whole new service, fresh from the ground up, to unify messaging across Google's various platforms, as well as the likes of iOS and BlackBerry too.

Babble will apparently work in a similar, melded fashion to the best of Google's current chat implementations. You'll be able to dump images in there, fire-up video chat Hangout-style, and chat in a threaded, conversation-organised style.

There's no timescale attached to the report, although Geek says that we'll see more come Google I/O this year. We just hope that it'll blend the best of both worlds when it comes to apps on the mobile side. [Geek]

Our newest offspring Gizmodo UK is gobbling up the news in a different timezone, so check them out if you need another Giz fix.

Just Re-Stack and Twist This Lamp When You Get Bored of Its Design

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5991135/just-re+stack-and-twist-this-lamp-when-you-get-bored-of-its-design

Simply re-organizing a room is the easiest—and cheapest—way to give it a fresh look. And the same applies to this Babele layered wooden lamp created by a studio calling themselves Manifattura Italiana Design, or MID for short.

Like a glowing version of the Tower of Hanoi puzzle, the central support of the Babele lamp lights up and is visible through a gap on all of the stacking pieces that define the lamp's shape. When assembled 'properly' it looks like a traditional lamp complete with a shade, but you're welcome to easily re-stack the layers however you want if a more abstract look is what you're after. The only real puzzle here is how to get your hands on one since there's no indication MID is putting the lamp into production.

[MID via Design Milk]

Google Maps brings you to Everest, Kilimanjaro with all your toes intact

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/18/google-everest/

Living vicariously just got a bit more exciting. Google Maps had added some of the most famous (and highest) mountains in the world to Street View. The list includes Aconcagua, Kilimanjaro, Mount Elbrus and Everest Base Camp -- four members of the Seven Summits, letting you explore some of the of the highest points on Earth without the aide of a breathing apparatus. According to Google, the shots were captured with the help of a tripod and a fish-eye-sporting digital camera. All of the aforementioned mountains can be reached in the source link below -- or with the assistance of a good support team.

Filed under: Alt, Google

Source: Google

Wacom announces the Cintiq 13HD: a 13-inch pen display with Pro Pen in tow for $999

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/19/wacom-announces-the-cintiq-13hd/

Sure, Wacom's Cintiq 24HD is an excellent piece of kit for design pros, but the unit is quite the behemoth and the 22-inch offering still requires a lot of desk space. There's no need to worry about that anymore, though, as the graphics peripheral outfit has outed the Cintiq 13HD: a 13-inch HD pen display with an adjustable stand and a retooled Pro Pen. Much like its larger siblings, the 13HD offers customizable ExpressKeys and Rocker Ring to keep that workflow as efficient as possible. The aforementioned stand can be situated flat or positioned at angles of 22, 35, and 50 degrees for that next Illustrator session. Details are scarce on the full list of improvements for the Pro Pen, but we do know that it sports 2,048 levels of sensitivity and tilt recognition to boot. If all of that sounds too good to resist, these bad boys will start shipping in early April with a price tag of $1,000 or £749.99 (incl. VAT). The full press release and a couple more snapshots await just past the break.

Gallery: Wacom Cintiq 13HD

Filed under: Peripherals

Source: Wacom eStore

Monday, March 18, 2013

This LinkedIn Trick Will Help You Get Updates From The Professional Connections That Matter (LNKD)

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-block-linkedin-updates-2013-3

Most of us know how to stalk or ignore updates from your Facebook friends clogging your News Feed by now.

If you are an active LinkedIn user, you can use similar tactics to manage your professional connections as well. Watch and learn below.

Please enable Javascript to watch this video

Produced by Robert Libetti

SEE ALSO: How To Sync Your Bluetooth Keyboard To Your iPad

SEE ALSO: How To Stalk Or Ignore Your Facebook Friends

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Join the conversation about this story »

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Explore This 3D, Neon Map of the Internet Right From Your Phone

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5990975/explore-this-3d-neon-map-of-the-internet-right-from-your-phone

Right now, as you read this, you are cruising through a mind-numbingly complex pathway of wires and cables that shoots bits of data from point-to-point around the globe. And Peer 1's Map of the Internet lets you see what it looks like...as a neon disco map.

Available for Android and iOS, tablets and phones alike, Peer 1's Map of the Internet shows all the points and nodes of the Internet in one of two ways. First, you can look at all those colored dots mapped out on a standard globe. Or, you can look at the whole thing in a big jellyfish-lookin' hierarchical map. And in addition to just swiping around and gawking, you can tap different nodes for information or even perform a traceroute from your own network to get a bearing on where you are.

The Map of the Internet is a fantastic and beautiful few minutes of fun, and it's free so you've got nothing to lose. So go grab a copy (Google Play, App Store) for your device and take a deep dive. [DVICE]

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