Hasta La Gadget!

Following up on a promise that the company made earlier this year at their annual I/O conference, Google is launching Google Play services v1.0. To put it in simple terms, it’s designed for developers who want to integrate Google services into their Android apps. With the new integration, apps can now include Google+ features, as well as OAuth 2.0 functionality.

The platform consists of two parts: a services component that runs on the device, and a client library that developers package with their apps. The services component communicates with the Google service that the developer wants to use and requests information from the client library. The service component is available as an APK through the Google Play store.

The client library includes Google+ sign-in capabilities and +1 APIs, as well as OAuth 2.0 functionality. OAuth 2.0 is particularly important in this case because it offers both scalability and better security. There’s no need to tack on more passwords than usual with the new OAuth, since it does a good job at offering improved security minus all the passwords.

Google Play services will cover devices running Android 2.2 Froyo and later, and they must have latest version of the Google Play store installed. The rollout of these services could take up to a week, and Google is advising app developers not to do anything until the rollout is complete, which is probably driving some devs crazy already. However, they can at least get started and download the required SDK and such in the mean time.

[via Google+]

Google launches Google Play services for app developers is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
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Libratone’s last AirPlay outing was a beautifully designed dud—it was just way, way too expensive. But their next stab, a compact cylinder wrapped in wool, has the chance to be the best take on AirPlay we’ve ever seen. More »

High-end Danish speaker company Libratone makes some quirky clothed speakers, and the latest, the Zipp, is no different. But like most things, appearances don’t always tell the whole story.

The Zipp, it turns out, is different than anything else available for a number of reasons. Sure, it has an interchangeable collection of Italian wool sweaters and a unique 360-degree array of ribbon-based tweeters, but how you connect to the speaker is the most interesting part about it. Not only is the Zipp AirPlay-compatible, but you can connect your iOS device or computer (Mac, PC) to it via a direct Wi-Fi connection — not over your existing Wi-Fi network. That direct connection is unique to the Zipp and allows for more data to be transferred, Soren Pedersen, chairman and CEO of Libratone told me.

Setting up your device to the Zipp is simple and quick and no different from connecting to any other Wi-Fi network. You can also jack in any device via the 3.5mm port located in the back. There wasn’t any noticeable lag when streaming music through the iPhone’s music app but there was noticeable lag when changing tracks through MOG’s app. Sound quality appeared to be quite good, but for the sake of others in the office, we didn’t crank the volume up very high. (We’ll have a review sometime next month.)

Another notable feature of the Zipp is the ability to adjust and optimize sound quality based on the speaker’s location (distance off the ground, from a wall, etc.) through the company’s existing iOS app. It’s a feature that’s been available for the other speakers in the lineup but new to me.

Pedersen also told me that it took the company quite some time to find the right material that wouldn’t hinder audio quality, and that they ultimately settled on the wool from a purveyor in Florence.

The Zipp will be available starting next month at all Apple Stores in an array of colors starting at $399. Exclusive to Apple will be red- (non-Product Red related) and grey-only versions for $399. There will also be two three-pack versions to choose from, as well. The “Classic Color Collection” includes a black, blue and red wool zip-up, while the “Funky Color Collection” includes black, pink and yellow. Both kits will sell for $449. All colors will be available a la carte for $50 a pop.

You give a friend a thoughtful gift certificate for their birthday, but how do you know it’s not going to sit in a drawer forever and just end up expiring? It’s not for lack of gratitude, but because those plastic cards are easy to forget about. Gyft is an app that gifting a whole lot simpler. More »

Networking kingpin Cisco announced on Wednesday that it had acquired ThinkSmart Technologies, a company that analyzes location data by using WiFi technology. ThinkSmart’s tech reviews a network’s infrastructure by evaluating the movement of its users, traffic patterns and hours of operation. The firm then uses these analytics to help companies optimize network and staffing configurations for business operations — a long way of saying that it’s smart enough to tell a company how to better manage information flows through a network. The terms of this deal have yet to be released, but Cisco seems to think this was a smart pick up.

Filed under: Wireless, Networking

Cisco acquires WiFi data firm ThinkSmart Technologies originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 26 Sep 2012 17:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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