Thursday, July 21, 2011

7 Ways Google Labs Changed the Internet Forever [Video]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5823190/7-ways-google-changed-the-internet-forever/gallery/

7 Ways Google Labs Changed the Internet ForeverGoogle closed the doors on Google Labs today. The ongoing projects aren't disappearing; they'll be absorbed into other departments, and many have already "graduated" into full-fledged products. The spirit and mission of the initiative will live on, just in a decidedly less centralized way.

Here are some of the coolest and most genuinely world-changing things that Google Labs's mad scientists have cooked up through the years.

7 Ways Google Labs Changed the Internet ForeverGoogle Maps
Google Maps is basically neck-and-neck with Gmail as far as Google's most ubiquitous non-search product. It's the most widely-used map service on the planet, available to 30% of the world's population, and is still expanding and adding features.

7 Ways Google Labs Changed the Internet ForeverGoogle Suggest
Sure it's fun to troll bomb Google Suggest results into suggesting searches like "Did Hitler really perform in nude burlesque shows?" But Eric Schmidt wasn't very far off when he said that "[Google] can more or less know what you're thinking about."

Google Docs and Spreadsheets
Back in 2006, most of us were still emailing things to ourselves if we wanted to access a file on another computer; synchronized online documents were so far ahead of their time that they didn't really catch on for a few years. If Google ever wanted to hipster out on the internet, Google Docs is all the cred it would need. They've been doing the cloud thing since before you even know what it call it, man.

7 Ways Google Labs Changed the Internet ForeverGoogle Alerts
Google Alerts took the old school concept of the newsletter and mailing list and married it to the new school practice ingesting every damn piece of information on the internet. It's an ingenius fusion of online laziness and ambition: We want to know everything that's going on, but we can do without the hassle of scouting out and frequenting the actual sources.

7 Ways Google Labs Changed the Internet ForeverGoogle Scholar
One of the better identifiers of a true nerd is how devastated you were the day you lost your college access to JSTOR and other uber-nerd academic publications. Google Scholar soothed away the nerd pain with a searchable index of freely accessible full text academic papers.

7 Ways Google Labs Changed the Internet ForeverGoogle Goggles
Search-by-image is pretty awesome. It just made its way to Google desktop a month ago, and we're all pretty excited about it making an appearance in WP7 Mango. But Google's been doing it with Google Goggles since late 2009. It's really impressive, and a great example of how Google Labs helped keep Google ahead of the curve.

7 Ways Google Labs Changed the Internet ForeverMail Goggles
Sometimes knowing what you're thinking isn't good enough, and Google offers to step in and save you from yourself. Mail Goggles is a sobriety check for your email account that asks you to solve a series of math problems before you're allowed to send a dumbass 4AM message to your boss. It's the simple things, people.

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Go Green With The Sprout Biodegradable Watch [Watches]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5823276/go-green-with-the-sprout-biodegradable-watch

Go Green With The Sprout Biodegradable WatchWatches are one accessory that's crying out for some green love. They're worn daily, changed often and killed frequently with an accidental bump. Sprout understands and has developed a line of fashionable timepieces that can be tossed away without remorse.

These watches are great. They are good-looking, colorful and 80-93% biodegradable. They are made of wonderful materials such as bamboo, organic cotton, mineral crystal lenses, and mercury-free batteries. Sprout has even managed to sell them at a reasonable price. The entry-level model starts at $30, while the top-of-line model climbs to a pricey, but not exorbitant $75. [Sprout via Oh Gizmo]


You can keep up with Kelly Hodgkins, the author of this post, on Twitter or Facebook.

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Apple refreshes MacBook Air with Sandy Bridge, Thunderbolt, and backlit keyboards

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/20/dnp-stub-apple-refreshes-macbook-air-with-sandy-bridge-thunderb/

They say Apple updates its products like clockwork, releasing something new at the same time in the same place every year. Not so with MacBook Airs anyway. The outfit's gone and freshened up its 13-inch and 11-inch ultraportables -- the second such update in nine months. Although the industrial design hasn't changed much since the last generation, both models step up to Sandy Bridge Core i5 and i7 processors, Thunderbolt ports, backlit keyboards, and, of course, OS X Lion.

The 11.6-inch flavor starts at $999 with 64GB of solid-state storage, 2GB of memory and a 1.6GHz Core i5 processor. The higher-end of the two configurations costs $1,199, with the extra two hundred dollars doubling your RAM and storage. The 13-inch Air, meanwhile, starts at $1,299, with a 128GB SSD, 4GB of RAM, and a 1.7GHz Core i5 CPU. Step up to the $1,599 model and you'll get a 256GB SSD instead. Regardless, you're looking at Intel HD 3000 graphics across the board, along with FaceTime webcams, two USB ports (plus an SD slot on the 13-inch version), 802.11n WiFi, and Bluetooth 4.0. The two differ when it comes to resolution and battery life: the 11-incher has a 1366 x 768 panel and is rated for up to five hours of battery life, whereas the 13-inch model has a 1440 x 900 screen and promises up to seven hours of juice. As for that 1.8GHz Core i7 CPU, it'll set you back an extra $100 on the 13-inch version, and $150 for the 11-inch version. Whichever size you choose, it's only an option for the higher-end configuration. Hit the source link to peep the specs and buy one, if you're so inclined.

Continue reading Apple refreshes MacBook Air with Sandy Bridge, Thunderbolt, and backlit keyboards

Apple refreshes MacBook Air with Sandy Bridge, Thunderbolt, and backlit keyboards originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 Jul 2011 08:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple updates Mac mini: Core i5 and i7, Thunderbolt, AMD Radeon HD, no SuperDrive

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/20/apple-updates-mac-mini-core-i5-and-i7-thunderbolt-amd-radeon/


Need a miniature desktop to match that petite MacBook Air that Apple just refreshed? Well, there's a Mac for that. The new Mac mini packs an Intel Core i5 or i7 processor, Thunderbolt, AMD Radeon HD graphics, and Mac OS X Lion. Notably absent, however, is that familiar front-facing SuperDrive slot. Starting at $599 with a 2.3GHz Intel Core i5, the new models include Turbo Boost 2.0, letting you crank up the speed to 3.4GHz when using processor-intensive applications. Apple also announced a $999 server version that ships with a Core i7 processor and OS X Lion Server. As with the previous generation, the mini doesn't sacrifice on connectivity, including gigabit Ethernet, FireWire 800, HDMI, SDXC, audio in and out, Thunderbolt (with support for up to six devices), and four USB 2.0 ports on the rear. There's also 802.11n WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0. The Mac mini is available for purchase online today, and in Apple retail stores tomorrow.

Continue reading Apple updates Mac mini: Core i5 and i7, Thunderbolt, AMD Radeon HD, no SuperDrive

Apple updates Mac mini: Core i5 and i7, Thunderbolt, AMD Radeon HD, no SuperDrive originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 Jul 2011 08:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple rolls out 27-inch Thunderbolt Display with FaceTime HD camera, built-in speakers

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/20/apple-rolls-out-27-inch-thunderbolt-display-with-facetime-hd-cam/

In search of "the ultimate docking station" for your Mac notebook? Look no further than the new Thunderbolt Display, a single 27-inch model packing a 2560 x 1440 res 16:9 IPS display, one of Apple's fancy new connectors, integrated 2.1 speaker system, and even a Firewire 800 slot. There's also a built-in FaceTime HD camera and Mic, Gigabit Ethernet, three USB 2.0 ports and MagSafe charging for your laptop, but the big difference is that single speedy DisplayPort hookup. It can daisy chain up to six high speed devices and all those connectors mean when it's time to take your laptop on the go there's a minimum of cables mooring it to your desk. It'll cost $999 to bring home in just a few days, if resolving cable clutter to your Thunderbolt-equipped Mac (required) is a good enough reason to ditch your old Cinema Display.

Continue reading Apple rolls out 27-inch Thunderbolt Display with FaceTime HD camera, built-in speakers

Apple rolls out 27-inch Thunderbolt Display with FaceTime HD camera, built-in speakers originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 Jul 2011 08:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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