A right Smart Glass...

As an avid Xbox user, I have been playing about with Smart Glass for a few months. Smart Glass is an app that Microsoft released to allow your smartphone or tablet to act as a companion device to your gaming console. It can act as a remote control complete with swiping the screen control for moving around the Xbox interface, as an adjunct to your gaming experience, as another screen for playing back your Xbox media or a browser controller that is more familiar than using the gaming controller.

It is undoubtedly a very cool move by Microsoft, especially since they took the bold decision to create an app for a number of platforms. Old-thinking Microsoft would have only made it available on Windows Phone, giving it zero traction, but it can thankfully run on pretty much anything, ensuring a broad appeal amongst the Xbox user base.

The current usage options are a great start but I believe the system is only now scratching the surface. Only a few games have integrated in to it in any way but at simplistic levels (e.g. stats whilst playing Halo 4) and once the Smart Glass becomes more integral to the gaming experience it should be an even bigger boost to the platform. I could imagine a scenario where the gamer is fighting his/her way through a level in a first-person shooter and reaches a locked door that requires the lock to be picked. This might take the form of a puzzle that runs on the Smart Glass that needs to be completed before proceeding, bringing a focus to this narrow element of the gameplay that takes the gamer out of the big screen action and down to a macro level. Another example might be to have Halo’s Cortana (if she’s still alive of course!) solely depicted and talking from out of the Smart Glass device in the next game, mirroring many of the interactions Master Chief has with her throughout the various Halo games. It could also easily mimic many of the uses seen in the tablet controller that comes with the rival Wii U but without the heft.

The possibilities for Smart Glass are limitless really, especially as second screen devices such as tablets and phones get more powerful and it will be a platform that is worth watching closely, especially as we near the unveiling of the next Xbox. I also have little doubt that a similar approach will be used in the rumoured Android-based gaming platform Google are working on....

Chromebooks in the real world...

This is an excellent article on the real world deployment of Google Apps and Chromebooks by recruitment firm reed.co.uk. It gives great perspective from the corporate IT side of things and illustrates how effective Google's offering  an be...

How Microsoft totally blew it and lost this contract to Google Apps | CITEworld

Kept Alive by the Drive...

I was rescued recently by the power of the cloud when a presentation I was about to use in front of a large conference audience of industry peers corrupted on my usb stick.

 Thankfully I had chucked the slideshow in to my Google Drive the night before and a quick hooking up of my phone to the venue's local wi-fi network and a share via e-mail saw the powerpoint restored on the organiser's laptop. Phew!

A very real world example of why keeping things in the cloud is such a good idea!

Chromebook tidal wave...

I am a major fan of the Google Chromebook - both the hardware and the wider concept of dirt-cheap, cloud based computing and once again the Mountain View powerhouse has broken another barrier with the unveiling of another new laptop from Acer - the C7 - and it is the first under the magical £200 barrier, albeit £199.00. It's not as good a spec as the Samsung variants but the price point will no doubt broaden the appeal further.

Google Music lands on UK shores...

At long last Google's Music service (or Play Music to give it its proper title) has landed in the UK. The service offers an iTunes competitor in terms of music purchasing but of much more interest to me at least is the upload/streaming facility.

The service offers the user the chance to upload up to 20,000 songs for storage in the cloud which can then be streamed anywhere through a variety of linked devices including a browser, Android mobile phone, tablet, pc etc. It's a terrific feature and one that has been long-awaited here in the UK.

The service works smoothly with a small piece of software downloading to your pc to scan your collection and either match a song with Google's own existing library or upload ones that do not. I have over 70 gig of music but am still well below the 20,000 song limit so the potential free storage is massive.

This then enabled me try it out today by hooking up my Nexus S to an external speaker and stream a number of songs over wi-fi from the cloud...brilliant! All my music wherever I am...as long as I have a data connection.

I have little doubt this service will become the principle route for my future music consumption...good job Google!

Nexus: Ask Me Anything

Google have officially taken the wrapper off of the next version of Android although it remains dubbed Ice Cream Sandwich...it looks very cool and the new photo spheres looks terrific (the ability to shot a multitude of shots and it will stich them together in to one enveloping shot...pretty cool.

The big ticket upgrade is to Google Now which was already pretty solid but now looks even better...

ZX Spectrum turns 30 today....

Today marks the 30th anniversary of the launch of the hallowed ZX Spectrum computer, which for many was their first introduction to programming and, probably more importantly but don’t tell our parents, pc gaming!

After starting with a Commodore VIC20 (!) I moved up to a Spectrum 128+2 and loved it...I still rue the day I sold it and sorely miss playing classics such as Microprose Soccer (360 degree banana kicks!) and Typhoon amongst many many others...emulators do the job but I miss the original hulking keyboard!

Google has even gotten in on the act by featuring the device in their Google Doodle for today (23/4/2012).

The device is set to be relaunched to tap in to the feeling of nostalgia. Albeit it will only be a bluetooth keyboard that will likely link with your mobile to run a Spectrum games emulator but even so, this will appeal to many of a certain age...Manic Miner for the masses!

Google Glass goes visible...

Google have unveiled the details of their long-rumoured wearable networked glasses technology named Google Glass.

Combining the power of a number of their technologies such as GPS, Google Goggles, Google+, Maps, Search etc. the wearable gear is not as clunky and obvious as many had feared. The thinner design helps address one key barrier to uptake (how they look) but it remains to be seen whether people would use such a thing.

I could see obvious benefits for drivers who would have, in essence, their own personal HUD, overlaying directions, traffic alerts etc. and helping eliminate use of mobile phones. The Bluetooth earpiece has become an accepted piece of wearable technology so why can't this?

The following video from Google's Skunk Works 'X Division' where this and many other cutting-edge developments are underway illustrates how it might look...intriguing if nothing else...

The Joy of Chromebook

After great deliberation I finally took the plunge and bought a Google Chromebook. Regular readers will know that these are items I have debated and promoted greatly in the past and strongly believed they would be a terrific addition to the pc market. After using my Chromebook for the past week or so I am absolutely ecstatic with the product - it has been everything I had hoped for and more.

I plumped for the Samsung Series 5 wifi only model in Titan Silver (charcoal) and obtained it for an obscenely cheap price at a local discount retailer. I figured that I wouldn’t need the 3G option as my Nexus S can operate as a wireless hotspot giving me a portable connection when required.

First impressions when opening the box were that it was a refreshingly spartan product offering - no manuals, warranty cards etc. - just the laptop, charger and vga adapter cable. With everything plugged in and charging I then opened the device and hit the power button...

First boot sees you taken through a very quick walkthrough to establish a link with your wifi connection (which took seconds) and on how to use the nifty touch pad. You are then presented with your standard Google log-in page and a few keystrokes later - voila! I am then staring at Google Chrome with all my bookmarks, my own familiar desktop wallpaper (an image of the Nissan GTR if you must know!), my own Chrome apps and extensions and a rock solid internet connection. I was then off and surfing!

The device nice and quietly downloaded an update in the background which I applied at a later stage and that has been the only service activity - beyond that it has done exactly what it said on the tin - simple, web-centric computing based on the cloud delivery model. Google’s products are perfectly integrated with the device whilst I have yet to hit a glitch anywhere on other sites. As a result I have spent very little time in front of my traditional Win7 desktop pc preferring the portability of the Chromebook. What was particularly striking was the battery life (it went a whole week of use without needing charged) and the boot up speed - from off to surfing definitely takes under 10 seconds as advertised. You can tell the slowest part of the process is the establishing of a connection with the wifi - beyond that everything else just flies.

During the course of the week I was repairing a couple of friend’s laptops and had the Chromebook open to provide web-based assistance. Having a chance to compare a Windows laptop alongside the Samsung gave me further belief that the Chromebook is the future - no mucking about with patches, nagging software updates, slow boot times, limited storage space, installing apps, virus scans etc....the ability to open the lid and go is both refreshing and liberating and family members who tried the device thought it was too...

In short, I cannot rate the Chromebook highly enough and roundly recommend it to everyone...

Google Goggles Goes Real...

Rumours are emerging that Google are set to unveil their own glasses (or sunglasses) that will incorporate a number of cool technologies to provide, in essence, a portable computing solution that you wear.

The glasses will reputedly run on Android and feature a small display screen, front facing camera, gps, motion sensors and voice control to provide information on the move such as directions, real-time Google Streetview data, Goggles results, voice search, identification through Latitude if friends are nearby and other details. All controlled with head movement and the spoken word!

They are apparently along similar lines to the Oakley Thump specs that feature an integrated mp3 player and earphones. Previous rumours had centred on ski goggles with this technology.

I would anticipate that the design may need to be fairly chunky to accommodate all the circuitry and hardware which will no doubt restrict the number of potential users but for outdoor types like the aforementioned skiers or hillclimbers it would no doubt be a welcome addition to the kit list.

Anyone who has used Google Goggles will now how much potential benefit something like this could offer and it will be interesting to see if these rumours come true in the coming months...

The Galaxy Nexus lifts off...

Well the rumours have been proven correct for the most part (except the name which is confirmed as the Galaxy Nexus rather than Nexus Prime)...

The newest pure Android phone has been unveiled and looks incredible. The device features Android v4.0 (codenamed Ice Cream Sandwich) and has other nifty features not described in my previous post such as facial recognition software that unlocks your phone, tap-to-share data transferring via Android Beam, a panoramic camera, Google's new social network-focused People app and a barometer (!). It's also tightly integrated with the cloud.

Thankfully many of us running previous editions of Android will also see these benefits as 4.0 is rolled out in the coming months but there is little doubt that the Galaxy Nexus combines the state-of-the-art in terms of Android software development and cutting-edge mobile hardware, leaving its rivals in the shade...it is expected to land in November 2011

Nexus Next...

It appears that official word on the latest Nexus android phone will be unveiled shortly in an announcement delayed from the 11th of October due to the passing of Steve Jobs. The Nexus Prime, as it is apparently to be known, will now be unveiled by Samsung and Google on the 19th of October. It is significant as it is likely to be the first device released that runs the 4.0 edition of Android known as ‘Ice-Cream Sandwich’.  

The device is expected to be a beast with a 1.2Ghz processor-powered core, a gig of RAM and 32gigs of internal storage. It will also be capable of playing 720p HD video via its super AMOLED screen and recording 1080p HD video via it’s 5meg rear camera.

The device follows on from the two previous and highly popular Nexus devices - the Nexus One made by HTC and the Nexus S also made by Samsung. Nexus devices are seen as the purest Android phones, devoid of any manufacturer cruft or gloss, leaving only the cleanest Google experience from which all other Android devices are designed to flow.

It will be interesting to see if the Prime continues this legacy....

Amazon Catching Fire...

Amazon, the world’s biggest online retailer and a stealthily quiet yet powerful technology company has announced a new raft of its increasingly popular Kindle devices. The original Kindles are e-book readers that link via 3G or wi-fi to the company’s vast online digital bookstore offering a variety of digital media including books, magazines, blogs etc. Recent innovations have included colour versions and ad-supported models that have lowered the entry price, boosting popularity further.

However, their biggest and most recent innovation is their announcement of the Kindle Fire, a tablet device running a derivative of the Android operating system. The Fire, long rumoured to be in development, takes the Kindle concept even further and sets it sights on a number of the industry’s big players. Priced at only $199 it is designed as a marginal loss leader to enable Amazon to make its money from selling digital content beyond just books. Movies, music, games etc. will all be touted through the device. It also offers a web browser (more later) that enables it to act like a pc, no doubt harnessing online social draws such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+ as well as productivity options such as Gmail and Google Docs. It will also link to Amazon’s own Android marketplace, foregoing Google’s own storefront.

The device clearly intends to undercut the iPad, especially by leading significantly on price, and looks to lure more people in to the increasingly popular Amazon ecosystem. Its 7 inch touchscreen is sized to make it more portable than existing Android and other tablets, which tend to be 10.1 inches in size, and its simplified pc concept will appeal to the non-technical. 

However, the Fire’s secret weapon may well prove to be it’s Silk browser, another secret development only revealed at the tablet product’s launch. Unbeknown to many, Amazon is actually a significant player in providing the cloud-based backbone to the web. Companies such as Netflix use Amazon Web Services to power their online delivery and Amazon is looking to use it’s own capabilities to offer a whole new browsing experience on the Fire. Silk sees the bulk of the browsing processing done in Amazon’s data centres before it is delivered to the device, speeding up the process and reducing the need for powerful hardware on the tablet. It looks set to challenge other notable browsers such as Google’s Chrome, Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, Apple’s Safari and mobile favourites such as Opera and will hopefully spur further innovation in these other browser makers.

Many are wondering what Google’s take on this device will be. After all, it is based on a derivative of their operating system but it seems to directly challenge a number of Google’s core services and products including Chrome, Music Beta, Books etc. The two companies have clearly not colluded on the device and it is obviously a powerful competitor to other Android tablets that are priced much higher. However, Google have always said that more web users is good for them so it shouldn’t be too destructive for them. Besides, the Fire will help get Android further established.

Personally I think this is a superb move by Amazon, building on a strong brand and utilising their already popular online services to offer a holistic and dominant route to market for content providers. By keeping the cost of entry down, they will help put capable computing devices in the hands of more people and make the web more pervasive, a goal a number of pure technology firms such as Apple and Google have held for a long time. It is curious that it is a company that is famous for its physical product retail services that is leading the way on this approach to the web. Amazon have the ecosystem, money and brand equity to make Fire a success and no doubt this first model will be a toe in the water ahead of a launch of subsequent devices that will perhaps have other options such a 3G connectivity, bigger screens, laptop form factors etc. adding variety and appeal as they come along.

The Fire may be a loss leader in terms of the actual device cost but it will undoubtedly reap high profits through digital content delivery's higher margins, opening the door to better online services and cheaper prices through strong competition. The next 6 months will be interesting times as Google, Apple and Microsoft scramble to counteract this powerplay. 

All we need now Amazon is a UK release date!

Burning Man?

The recent revelation of a leaked internal memo from Stephen Elop, the CEO of Nokia, to his organisation’s staff hints at a looming step change in focus for the world’s biggest mobile phone manufacturer. Having seen its market share eaten away at both ends of the scale by competitors such as Apple and Google’s Android, he has hinted that the company now finds itself standing on a ‘burning platform’ and needs to make a critical decision to ensure its survival.

This decision seems to be focused on partnering with another major phone manufacturer as the current ‘ecosystem’ approach of building constantly evolving handset operating systems, applications-led interactivity, retail marketplaces etc. has left Nokia out in the cold. Its MeeGo software has failed to deliver and its Ovi store has trailed far behind the Apple and Android retail approaches. The likely partner appears to be Microsoft and its fairly new Windows Phone 7 operating system. Any joint approach would likely be a good move for both companies and Elop used to work for Microsoft so it seems logical.

He blames a loss in brand preference in key markets and the strategic foresight of Apple and Google who built much-desired high-end phones that established their credentials and high levels of public desire. Google then began the assault on the mid-range market that Nokia has dominated for so long and has now set it sights on the low-end as well with even cheaper Android powered-devices.

The memo is very frank and is an incredible insight in to a massive technology company’s corporate thinking and one can only hope they right their ship before it does indeed burn and sink…

The full memo can be found on Engadget here

Google TV

Word has recently emerged of a collaboration between Google and several of the big consumer electronics firms in Sony, Logitech and Intel.

It seems they are co-developing the next weapon in Google’s war on established media business models in Google TV – which is in essence an open source set-top box operating system that will unify a number of existing services (web, media centre-esque, Android etc.) in to a lounge-friendly box.

By making the system open source, they are bound to attract developers who would see this as a way of combining web-based services with the traditional delivery of tv-based content. YouTube would be a certainty to feature on the device, further boosting revenues from this now profitable arm of the Google empire.

However, Google’s interest lies not only in the sale of the no-doubt Google branded boxes but also in the advertising that would surely follow. Giving away the O.S. is only the foot in the door. Indeed, Google have already said that they are keen to see the Google TV’s O.S. in as may blu-ray, cable box, games console, tv or other devices as possible and the company sees this as a way of further establishing itself in the tv advertising market which it has fairly recently moved in to.

The existing media and cable companies, especially in the USA, must be quaking in their shoes as this appears to be another powerful attempt to draw people away from their walled-in, high cost, low value channels to Google’s completely open, internet-delivered services. Another wmd launched from the Googleplex arsenal…

(Photo courtesy of www.HiDefDigest.com)