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Google Buys Word Lens Maker Quest Visual, App Will Probably Die, But All Language Packs Are Free For A Limited Time
Google Buys Word Lens Maker Quest Visual, App Will Probably Die, But All Language Packs Are Free For A Limited Time
Update: Both Google and Word Lens declined to comment on the details of the future of the app or acquisition, other than to confirm an acquisition had occurred.Makers of the exceptionally popular AR translation app Word Lens, Quest Visual, have been acquired by Google, according to the company's website. Quest's tech will be merged into Google's Translate products.The statement from the company is as follows:
Well, it is! The 2-day schedule for Google's I/O developer conference is up and running now, so you can check out all the awesome sessions that are going on this year, including those that will be streamed live via video. We're pretty excited, too.
Swype App Updated To Not Ask Where You Are 4000 Times A Day Because It Probably Shouldn't Do That, Also Fixes Other Stuff
Swype App Updated To Not Ask Where You Are 4000 Times A Day Because It Probably Shouldn't Do That, Also Fixes Other Stuff
After numerous reports that the Swype app was making OCD-level location requests on some users' devices, the company updated the popular 3rd party keyboard to, well, not do that. At least one user claimed the app requested his location nearly 4000 times in a single day, which obviously has some rather unfortunate implications for battery life.
With today's three new Google Glass apps, you can plan a trip, book a table, and check in all along the way: Foursquare, TripIt, and OpenTable have all released official Glassware.
Bike locks are a pretty mundane tool: you use one because you have to. It's not about what kind of fancy toys it has or how it looks, it's strictly about function. How tough is it, how easy is it to open, and how versatile is it in terms of locking location. Those are the questions we traditionally ask ourselves when shopping for a lock, right?
Samsung Gear 2 Review: There Has To Be A Better Way
Samsung Gear 2 Review: There Has To Be A Better Way
If you've ever eaten a cheap frozen pizza, you know it's not exactly a delicacy. It's edible, but if you had to eat it every day, you'd probably lose your mind (and your appetite). Now, if you put some sriracha on that pizza, you do make it considerably better. But it's still a frozen pizza, it just happens to be marginally better than the other, non-sriracha'ed frozen pizza.
If you haven't seen the LG G3 by now, you've been living under a rock. LG's upcoming flagship has been leaked ten ways to Sunday, but we're finally seeing it in full-on press shot mode with the latest dump from Phone Arena. Unfortunately, these photos still don't show us what the G3's software is going to look like, though that does make it easier to hold out a modicum of hope that LG will back off with its UI modifications on this new device.
AT&T Announces Mobile Share Data On 30+ GM Vehicles By Year's End, $10 / Month On Your Existing Plan
Connected cars are a rapidly expanding market in the US as more and more consumers utilize internet-connected and cloud-based services for things like music and navigation. While this is far from the first LTE-connected car announcement, AT&T's is probably the broadest-reaching to date, with the nation's 2nd largest wireless provider promising Mobile Share data integration with over 30 GM vehicles by the end of 2014.
Yesterday, we shared detailed mockups of what we believe to be a UI in testing that will likely come alongside a new release of Android. This UI basically seems to be a replacement for the existing Google Experience Launcher - and it is differenty. As we all know, change tends to spark controversy, and this story sparked like a Fox body Mustang riding on rims down the highway at 60MPH full of illegal fireworks and cheap power strips. Take a look at the main video of the launcher again right here:
After a lengthy appeal, the Oracle v. Google trial on various Java APIs is headed back to the district court for a new trial. The federal appeals court in this case sided with Oracle, agreeing that the structure, sequence, and organization of the 37 Java APIs in question constituted copyrightable material.
Both Sprint and T-Mobile announced OTA updates for two long-forgotten handsets today stuck on Android 4.1.1 - the Samsung Nexus S and the HTC One S, respectively (that is, the Sprint Nexus S and the T-Mobile One S).
Yelp's Android app was updated to version 5.9 this afternoon, adding an apparently much-requested feature: messaging support. The Yelp app did not previously allow users to send one another messages, but this has now been remedied. Hooray! I guess.
Google Wallet received a relatively minor update today, too (along with Camera), making a few subtle changes to the UI and a couple of feature tweaks. Most notable, perhaps, is that the explore offers feature has been removed altogether (offers live in Maps now, apparently). The other feature change is an addition, not a subtraction, with Wallet now allowing you to receive notification for package shipment statuses on items ordered using Wallet.
Google's Camera app received a minor update today, adding back the ability to snap photos while recording video. The feature was not present in the original release of the Google Camera app.
While Huawei's presence here in the United States has remained limited, the company's handset shipments in Asia and other parts of the world make it a serious mobile contender in the grand scheme. Today, Huawei announced its latest attempt to usurp its competitors at the high end of the market: the Ascend P7.
While Word Lens does remain one of our favorite pieces of software, there's no denying the company's product has a serious feature gap: support for Chinese and Japanese characters. Enter Waygo.
We've generally liked Dropcam's products, and the company's commitment to strong Android integration has certainly helped. Today, Dropcam announced a new product in the company's lineup, and for once, it's not a camera. Meet Dropcam Tabs - the company's take on motion sensors.