The Mysterious Google Entertainment Device
Last Updated on Sunday, 5 February 2012 04:36 Written by Alan Sunday, 5 February 2012 04:36
Most people think of Google as a search company, but their primary source of revenue is actually advertising. It permeates everything they do – there are ads in the search results, they sell ads to advertisers through AdWords and publishers through AdSense, and much more. Last year they made their first tentative steps into the entertainment business with Google TV, which met with a less than ideal response, although that is beginning to change. Now it appears Google in beginning to test a new entertainment device.
There’s a real possibility that this is nothing more than the next generation of Google TV, but at this point it all seems a bit mysterious. Google has filed a request with the Federal Communications Commission to test a WiFi and Bluetooth enabled device in the homes of employees in four different cities. From the FCC request:
“Google is developing an entertainment device that requires testing outside the laboratory environment. The device is in the prototyping phase and will be modified prior to final compliance testing. … Users will connect their device to home WiFi networks and use Bluetooth to connect to other home electronics equipment. This line of testing will reveal real world engineering issues and reliability of networks. The device utilizes a standard WiFi/Bluetooth module, and the planned testing is not directed at evaluating the radio frequency characteristics of the module (which are known), but rather at the throughput and stability of the home WiFi networks that will support the device, as well as the basic functionality of the device. From this testing we hope to modify the design in order to maximize product robustness and user experience. Utilizing the requested number of units will allow testing of real world network performance and its impact on applications running on the device, so that any problems can be discovered and addressed promptly.”
The test will be carried out in Mountain View, CA, New York City, NY, Cambridge, MA, and Los Angeles, CA. The test period will run from January 17th until July 17th. That means it will likely be quite some time before we get any real information on what this product is.
Google+ Hosting a Q&A with President Obama
Last Updated on Monday, 23 January 2012 01:39 Written by Alan Monday, 23 January 2012 01:39
Google announced today they, in conjunction with YouTube, will be hosting a special question and answer interview with U.S. President Barrack Obama on January 30th. The President will be on a Google+ Hangout live from the White House answering questions which will be culled from those posted by everyday Americans to YouTube which, not coincidentally, is also a Google property.
“On Monday, January 30, a few days after delivering his State of the Union address to the nation, President Obama will answer a selection of top-voted questions you’ve submitted in a live-streamed interview. Starting today through January 28, you can visit the White House YouTube channel to submit your video and text questions and vote on your favorites. Your YouTube questions will drive the interview, and several participants with top-voted questions will be selected to join the President in the Google+ Hangout to take part in the conversation live.”
Everybody can post their questions via youtube.com/whitehouse, but obviously this will be a big event so if you want yours answered you will have to likely make it relevant and unique. Google will also accept text questions, although they have stated that they would prefer video format. They also request that your question be kept to around 20 seconds.
This is a unique opportunity, as it’s the first time a sitting, or even former, U.S. president and consented to do such a public meeting. Of course, with all things political, we can expect some slight-of-hand, such as the questions being hand-picked to fit the current climate. Still, this is a chance for everyone to get heard and even if your question isn’t answered you can at least know it was heard by the President or his people.
Picnik Is Going Away, Everything Must Go Deal!
Last Updated on Saturday, 21 January 2012 02:26 Written by Alan Saturday, 21 January 2012 02:26
You have probably heard the news that one our favorite Photo editing services, Picnik, is being shut down by Google. They will cease to exist on April 19th , 2012. Picnik was founded back in 2005, and acquired by Google on March 1, 2010. While this is very bad news for the service itself, as well as it’s users, they are making the best of it and allowing their loyal users to do the same by offering a host of deals in their final days.
They have added a new feature that allows users to rescue their photos, Premium members will be receiving full refunds, and Premium services will be available to all users from now until the Picnik web app closes it’s doors, so to speak.
The full announcement from Picnik is posted below. Some users have also begun a petition over at SignOn to try and prevent this shutdown.
Since joining Google in 2010, we have been creating editing magic in Google products while continuing to keep Picnik awesome. But now we get to focus on even awesomer things. Picnik will be closing on April 19, 2012.
Your photos liberated
Amazing photos are created in Picnik, so we have launched a new feature, Picnik Takeout, that easily downloads your photos to your desktop in convenient zip files. You may also elect to copy your photos to Google+ where you can store and share your creations. You may request your photos at any time and use this handy tool as many times as you like until our closing date of April 19, 2012. Learn more.
Premium Refunds
To our primo Picnik Premium members, we’ll begin processing a full refund of your current membership fee within a week of this announcement. By “in full” we mean the whole darn thing. Yep, this means even if you are on your very last day of an annual membership, we will refund you the entire $24.95. Just because we want to say thanks.
Now the Good News – Free Premium for ALL!
To express our gratitude for your support over the past 5 years, Picnik Premium is free for everyone! Use Picnik in all of its premium glory, for free, from now until our actual closing day. Touch-up, Textures, Advanced, and more are all free for you to use!
We have been incredibly proud of building a product that is used and beloved by so many of you. We continue to be amazed and humbled by the photos you create and we are immensely grateful for all of your support, creativity, and passion.
We are excited by the photo-editing fun we have already brought to Google products, like Google+, where you can find many of your favorite Picnik effects in Creative Kit. We encourage you to visit Google+ and give it a whirl.
Please visit the Help Hub for more information on our wind down, and check the Picnik blog for updated information on our April closure.
It’s been awesome,
Team Picnik
