Hasta La Gadget!

One of the cool features of the Moto X and the Android 4.4 KitKat update is that it gives Android users the ability to wake up their device simply by saying, “OK Google”. Wouldn’t it be cool if our laptops could do that as well? Turns out that it might, according to Francois Beaufort who claims that the “OK Google” feature could be making its way onto Google Chromebooks in the future. This feature appears to be the beginning of things and will need to be enabled manually, suggesting that it isn’t exactly open to mass consumption just yet. Beaufort claims that this will allow users to wake up their Chromebooks as well as open the App Launcher at the same time.

It also seems that soon users will be able to perform more voice commands on their Chromebooks, such as open their emails, initiate chats, and more. For more information on enabling this feature, hit up Beaufort’s Google+ post or check out the Chromium page for the details. In the meantime what sort of cool “OK Google” features would Chromebook owners like to see make its way onto their computers?

Chromebooks Could Be Getting “OK Google” Voice Commands original content from Ubergizmo.

Mobile writers just got a little more control over their masterpieces. An upgrade to Google Drive for Android now lets users find and replace text; they can also insert tables and named styles. A few file management tweaks are in store as well, such as a new two-column view on tablets and an option to rename scanned documents before they reach the cloud. Those eager to edit with the new Drive tools should receive the app update within the next few days.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Internet, Mobile, Google

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Via: Google Drive (Google+)

Source: Google Play

Microsoft today opened a fantastic new store within its larger Microsoft Store just in time for the good cheer of the holiday season. That store is called “Scroogled,” and it is your go-to source for the Google-hating loved ones in your life. Buy an anti-Google coffee mug or anti-Google shirt and show you really care […]

We’re go out on a limb here and say that the Venn diagram of Engadget fans and Tolkien fans looks something like this. So, we figure you’ll probably want to hear about a brand new Chrome experiment that brings various parts of Middle Earth to life, including the Trollshaw and Dol Guldur. It starts with a pretty simple interactive map, but from there you’re able to dive into several locations and learn about Hobbit lore through text, animations and audio. At the end of each lesson on Tolkien’s fantasy world, you’re challenged to complete a simple mini game that has you causing flowers to bloom or avoiding troll attacks. While the WebGL-powered games are pretty impressive, its the HTML5 audio and animations that are the real eye-candy here — doubly so since they work just as well on a phone or tablet as they do your desktop. As you swipe through slides in the story, camera angles change in coordination with your finger and characters dart across bridges. Honestly, even if you’re part of that tiny sliver in the diagram that can’t stand Tolkien, it’s worth checking out the latest Chrome Experiment, if only to remind yourself of the growing power of the web browser.

Filed under: Internet, Google

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Source: Chromium Blog

Google has built a fiber-optic network in Kampala, Uganda, the company announced today, and it is a huge step forward for the city’s Internet infrastructure. Until recently, Kampala was mostly on pre-broadband speeds. Today, the modern city of 1.2 million residents can now access the Internet at modern speeds. The initiative is called Project Link. […]