Hasta La Gadget!

“We’re missing a nut,” says a bemused Matt Hershenson, former Danger founder and now Google’s director of hardware for Android, pointing at a vacant spot on an exploded photo of the Nexus Q. Its parts are strewn out across a white background, perfectly arranged in a linear pattern that starkly contrasts with the spherical nature of the thing. “Wow, you’re right,” agrees Joe Britt, engineering director at Google and another former Danger founder. “It’s like the illuminators, you know, the monks who used to draw up the codexes.” Hershenson picks up the reference without missing a beat: “Everybody needs to make at least one mistake. Nothing can be perfect.”

That goes against everything else we’ve been learning from the pair, who spend 45 minutes walking us through every detail of what went into the development of the new Nexus Q. They worked hand-in-hand with engineers and designers and materials experts, ensuring everything from the bearings to the LEDs were, well, perfect. But there is one thing, something larger, that many have said is a crucial flaw in this illuminated device: pricing. Will people pay $299 for a high-concept, low-functionality social media streamer? Join us after the break for how the Q came to be, and why Britt and Hershenson think it will be a success.

Continue reading Cracking the Nexus Q, Google’s 25-watt amplified obsession

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Cracking the Nexus Q, Google’s 25-watt amplified obsession originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Jun 2012 15:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The coolest thing at Google I/O this year isn’t a cheap tablet or a pair of overpriced glasses or even a killer keyboard. It is, believe it or not, an alarm clock. But not just any alarm clock — this is an alarm clock with potential. What you see above, and demonstrated in the video after the break, is the gadget that was handed out to attendees who went to learn about the Android Accessory Development Kit. It has an array of RGB LEDs on the front which it can use to display simple numerals and digits, but thanks to a bevy of sensors — and plenty of connectivity options — that’s just the beginning. USB? Check. NFC? Definitely. Accelerometer, colorimeter, magnetometer, barometer, hygrometer, thermometer? Yes, all that and more.

What starts out as an oddly shaped clock held together only with magnets has the potential to be hacked into something truly amazing — and that’s the point. With this, developers have what they need to try out all sorts of crazy ideas relying on a wide assortment of sensors. It’s an empowering collection of abilities and, when a dev finds some combination that works, they can turn around and spin that into something new. We’re very eager to see what eager engineers do with their ADK demo units, but for now you can see what it can do right out of the box in the video below.

Continue reading Inside Google’s amazing Accessory Development Kit demo hardware (video)

Inside Google’s amazing Accessory Development Kit demo hardware (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Jun 2012 09:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Just when we wondered what was going on with the lack of Google TV news, an official blog post comes with some bits of progress. The most important part is that Google TV is going to get more content. This was an issue with the original version and it looks like the number of paid movies, shows etc is going to rise, which is a good thing. I’d rather pay for content, than not having content at all.

Secondly, the Google TV  team has announced that Sony, Vizio and LG will launch products that feature Google TV in “nine countries”. Additionally, the team said that more manufacturers were coming on board. Finally, Google Play (the store) for Google TV is going to get an updated user interface which should bring it closer to what handsets and tablet have. (more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Google Drive for iOS and PC offline editing introduced, Google Glass will reach consumer in 2014 says Google Co-Founder,

Earlier today we mentioned a little bit about Recon Instruments and their new MOD Heads-up Display technology. They offer something similar to Google’s Project Glass, only it is available today for just $399. These will be your ultimate companion while going skiing or snowboarding, and much more is planned for the future.

Imagine getting directions while snowboarding down a mountain. Weather conditions, time, speed MPH readings and much much more. That is exactly what you can do with Recon Instruments new MOD HUD. What makes this even better is it’s available now — not 2013 — and they’ve just dropped their Android SDK so developers can start working on companion apps. Here’s a short video explaining the product a little better:

Here at Google IO Recon has unleashed their developer SDK so those interested can start building apps to accompany them down the mountain while using Recon’s HUD. These apps will then be connected to the HUD via a smartphone or tablet and the options are limitless. While talking with Tyson Miller from Recon he explained that they are working with multiple Goggle companies like Smith and more to integrate their product into wearable units. Currently the device in the video and pictures below is just a prototype, as they only sale the HUD, not the actual Goggles too.

Recon also states that while this is currently only available for Ski and Snowboard goggles, they plan to bring to market multiple different offerings for any type of activity. Once developers dive into the SDK the options for apps and uses will greatly increase. Developers can get started here, and the Recon Instruments MOD is shipping now for just $399.

Recon Instruments MOD HUD Hands-on is written by Cory Gunther & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

This week Google has introduced a new component to their search and location-aware ecosystem in the mobile realm called Google Now. This system sits at the heart of Android, with your ability to access it sitting right in your lock screen. Google Now is effectively an add-on to the Google Search experience, adding a selection of “cards” that show you where you are, how you’ll be getting to the next place you’re going, and where you might very well want to go.

To access Google Now, you’ve only to access it from your lockscreen or to tap on the Google Search widget or app icon. From here you’ll find that you’ve got a lovely and super simple search bar at the top that’s ready to accept all typed or spoken voice commands as well as search terms. The real magic of course is in the cards that sit below the search bar before you do your search.

Above you’ll see the Nexus 7 connecting to this service via the lockscreen – in the hands-on video below you’ll see the Galaxy Nexus working with Google Now.

These cards include Weather, Public Transit, Places, Traffic, Flights, Sports, Appointments, Translation, Currency, and Time Back Home. The last item on this list is something you’ll have to program, it simply needing to know when you’ll want to see a map back home – and it’ll need you to mark where your home is, but just once. Appointments are connected to your Google Calendar, Translation and Currency appear when you go to a foreign country, and Sports show the scores of your favorite teams.

Flights is a card that’s able to track your flight information, how late you’ll be, and how long it’ll take you to get where you’re going. The same is true of Traffic and Public Transit, these connecting to Google Maps and Navigation to bring you the information you need, while Weather and Places are the most common cards as they’ll almost always be active to bring you information on the place you’re physically at.

Once you’re done with the info these cards can bring you, you can head straight back up to the search bar where results will spill over the cards to bring you deeper into the web.

Stick around as we continue to bring on the heat via our I/O 2012 and Android portals all week!

Google Now hands-on is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.