Google recently secured a patent for pay-per-gaze technology that may influence the cost of advertising for products like Google Glass. The patent notes that eye tracking systems already exist but have been limited to mostly research applications. They have never been leveraged for practical applications used in everyday life and this patent may make it […]
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours — all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
The YouTube app for Windows Phone may be having some troubles these days, but the Android version continues to get better and better. Today, YouTube started rolling out a big update for users, with the headlining feature being in-app multitasking — meaning you can minimize a playing video while you search through the rest of YouTube’s trove of moving pictures. The feature allows users to minimize a playing video to thumbnail size with a single tap, which relegates it to the bottom right corner of the screen. From there, you can dismiss said video by swiping it left or right, and bringing it back to full size is accomplished by tapping the video or an upward swipe. In practice, we found that the feature really shines when building out music video playlists, as you can listen to the tunes you’ve added while you search for new ones. Plus, the shrunken video can get a bit jittery at times and is too small to watch (especially on a phone), but the audio plays flawlessly.
Multitasking’s not all users get with the new version, of course, as the update has also made playlists searchable and improved the YouTube Chromecast experience, too. Now, once you’ve hit the cast button in the app and tap to play a video, a window pops up with a thumbnail image, video description and the option to either play the video or add it to your playlist. And, along with that particular improvement, the entire app has been refreshed with Google’s near-ubiquitous card UI first favored by Google Now. The update has just started rolling out to some Android users today, with more platforms set to receive the new features soon.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Software, HD, Mobile, Google
The other day we reported on a Google patent that through the use of Google Glass, would be able to know exactly what you’re looking at, which we’re sure can be kind of scary given the fuss that lawmakers and the public in general make over privacy these days. While we’re not sure what Google plans to do with that patent or if it will make its way into Google Glass in the future, the patent was further explored and according to new findings, it suggests that perhaps it could be used as a way for Google to get paid by advertisers. (more…)
Google Patent Describes “Pay Per Gaze” Advertising original content from Ubergizmo. 
     |
If you’re a parent and you were hoping that Google’s Chrome browser for the computer would offer up a bit more features in terms of parental control, your wish could be granted because according to the latest Chrome developer build, it has been spotted that there are aspects of the feature that have already made their way into the browser, although they are not fully working yet. Basically through this feature, Chrome users will be able to set up multiple accounts on a single computer, none of which needs to be connected to a Google profile.
Similar to a Chrome browser tied to a Google profile, each of the accounts will have their own bookmarks and histories depending on its user, with some accounts that can be set up to oversee other accounts and choose what sort of websites they are allowed to visit, which could be a way for parents to prevent their kids from stumbling across adult websites, or for school teachers to prevent students from browsing 9gag whilst in class. No word on when Google will be rolling this feature out to the masses yet, but it clearly is in development which means that it could be a while before we see them.
[Image credit – BrowserFame]
Google Chrome Could Be Getting Parental Controls original content from Ubergizmo. 
| |
Google may keep a tight lid on Glass development, but that hasn’t stopped coders at the Breaking Glass Hackathon from building some clever wearable apps. Take the event’s winning entry, GlassFrogger, as an example: the HTML5-based game recreates Frogger on Google’s eyepiece by making players hop in the real world to cross virtual roads. It’s a multi-platform title, too, with support for any device sporting a modern web browser. GlassFrogger is free to use today, but try to avoid playing while you’re out on the street — there’s enough roadkill inside the game, thank you.
Update: We’ve since been in touch with co-author Adam Singer, who has posted both source code and the GlassFrogger pitch; you can see his team demonstrating the game after the break.
Filed under: Gaming, Wearables, Internet, Google
Source: GlassFrogger
In 2011, a United Nations commission came to a powerful conclusion: access to broadband internet is a basic human right, matched by the likes of housing, sustenance and healthcare. Arguments can be made that widespread access has transformed entire economies while kick-starting others, with Finland even going so far as to command its ISPs to provide 1 Mbps connections to all homes regardless of location. Both the United States and the United Kingdom have similarly ambitious plans, and all three of these countries have one particular catalyst in common: funds.
The harsh reality, however, is the economies that stand to gain the most from sweeping internet adoption are also the least equipped to enable it. In early 2010, the European Bank estimated that a project to roll out passive optical fiber to 33 cities in the Netherlands would cost nearly €290 million. The mission driving such funding? “To stimulate innovation and keep Europe at the forefront of internet usage.” It’s the answer to a problem that could undoubtedly be categorized as “first world,” but consider this: Internet World Stats found that 92.9 percent of The Netherlands’ population routinely used the world wide web in 2012. Let’s just say it’s easier to invest in an initiative that you’re certain nearly 9 in 10 citizens will use.
In the whole of Africa, just 15.6 percent of residents are connected to the internet, which is under half of the world average. It’s also home to vast, inhospitable landscapes that are economically inviable to crisscross with fiber. All of that being said, nearly a sixth of the globe’s population resides on the continent, representing a monumental opportunity for something — anything — to connect the next billion people. As it turns out, there are actions presently ongoing to make a significant mark in the course of history. Google, Microsoft, Carlson Wireless, Tertiary Education and Research Network of South Africa (TENET) and a host of other powerful entities are collaborating to bring high-speed internet to an underserved continent via TV white spaces — a low-cost, highly adaptable technology that’s poised to explode. For now, Cape Town, South Africa, is acting as a proving ground for what will eventually be a far larger experiment. The core goal is actually quite simple: to beam hope to a disconnected society, with unused bands between TV channels acting as the medium. %Gallery-slideshow67067%
Filed under: Networking, Internet, Mobile, Google
While it’s not entirely unlikely that the HTC One Max (still not confirmed to exist in and of itself) would be delivered with a fingerprint scanner aboard, images appearing today appear slightly less finalized than past iterations. What we’re seeing in the HTC One Max thus far is a test phone, one aimed at the […]
This week the folks at AT&T have unleashed the smallest member of the HTC device family in the HTC One Mini. This device is the same size as the international release of the HTC One Mini, here coming with a few software modifications and connectivity with AT&T’s mode of 4G LTE inside the USA. This […]
Chromecast is great, except for the part where your streaming options are pretty limited. They’re getting better by the day
| |
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
