DigitalOutbox Episode 65
In this episode the team discuss Google, Facebook and its Back to the Mac.
Playback
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Shownotes
3:54 – Google Developing Automated Cars
– goal is to help prevent traffic accidents, free up people’s time and reduce carbon emissions by fundamentally changing car use.
– So we have developed technology for cars that can drive themselves. Our automated cars, manned by trained operators, just drove from our Mountain View campus to our Santa Monica office and on to Hollywood Boulevard. They’ve driven down Lombard Street, crossed the Golden Gate bridge, navigated the Pacific Coast Highway, and even made it all the way around Lake Tahoe. All in all, our self-driving cars have logged over 140,000 miles. We think this is a first in robotics research.
– use video cameras, radar sensors and a laser range finder to “see” other traffic, as well as detailed maps (which we collect using manually driven vehicles) to navigate the road ahead. This is all made possible by Google’s data centers, which can process the enormous amounts of information gathered by our cars when mapping their terrain.
– Our cars are never unmanned. We always have a trained safety driver behind the wheel who can take over as easily as one disengages cruise control. And we also have a trained software operator in the passenger seat to monitor the software. Any test begins by sending out a driver in a conventionally driven car to map the route and road conditions. By mapping features like lane markers and traffic signs, the software in the car becomes familiar with the environment and its characteristics in advance. And we’ve briefed local police on our work.
7:16 – Google OS out in November
– Want it….
8:59 – Google Goggles hits iOS
– Part of Google Mobile App
– Works very well – take a pic or barcode and search results returned
– Quick too
– Noogle Noggles launched too – from Delicious Monster
– Powered by Google Goggles, dif interface, free
12:55 – Sony Google TV
– All 1080p devices except the 24”, built in wifi, 4hdi, 4usb
– Also announced internet enabled Blu-Ray device
– Uses Google Chrome as browser, has the search features already announced, doesn’t have some of the video features of the logitech device
– Surprise is price – $100 more than similar specced internet enabled Bravia devices
– Keen, keen pricing – only Google enabled TV this year
– No news on pricing or availability in uk
17:34 – Sony Google TV Remote
– WTF
– So thats where the original Kindle designers went to work
– Looks truly awful – fisher price make better looking tech
19:30 – Facebook frees your data
– One of the complaints on Facebook, whether you like it or not, was there was no option to take your data from Facebook – now there is
– Can download data in a zip file
– People own and have control over all info they put into Facebook and “Download Your Information” enables people to take stuff with them
– you can access the “Download Your Information” feature from your account settings, hit the download button (see above) and Facebook will allow you to download everything off your profile, including your friends list, events, all of your messages, wall posts and all of your photos into a zip file
– Photo’s include photo’s you’ve been tagged in
– HTML, not xml or other easy to use machine readable file
– Doesn’t delete, just download
– Great, great, great – should be able to own and move/store your data
– Also launched dashboard to see how applications connect to your data – gives single view of the apps you’ve authorised and how they use your data
24:11 – Facebook Overhauls Groups
– http://blog.facebook.com/blog.php?post=434691727130
– Each group controlled by all members
– There’s group chat, group doc editing, and other apps that can be used within these groups
– Groups have an icon and logo
– Don’t replace friend lists, but may replace twitter lists – http://scobleizer.com/2010/10/06/facebook-does-twitter-lists-right-they-dont-enforce-a-power-law/
– Looks ok but nothing ground breaking…although is this really a simple Google Wave?
27:36 – Bing Likes Facebook
– Starting today, if you do a search on Bing, it will try to recognize your Facebook account through instant personalization, and you will automatically start to see links that your friends have “liked.” These will appear in a separate module, with related social links called out.
– The example Microsoft gives is if you are searching for San Francisco steak houses and one of your friends liked Alexander’s Steakhouse in San Francisco, that would appear as a result along with the name of your friend.
The same thing could happen for movie results or news articles.
– Along with adding Facebook likes into search results, Bing is also using Facebook data to do better people search. When you start looking for a person, Bing will analyze the people you know and the people they know through Facebook and return those who are most closely linked to you socially.
30:48 – Skype 5
– Version 5 launched for Windows (not Mac – boo but it is ‘coming soon’)
– Group video chat
– Cleaned up interface
– Facebook integration – facebook feed inside Skype
– For facebook friends with hone numbers you can call directly from skype
– Will next step be Skype integration in Facebook? Facebook to buy Skype?
34:54 – Windows Phone 7
– Coming Oct 21st to UK
– 10 new phones in America….10!!!!!!
– HTC HD7 looks pick of the bunch – top spec smartphone
– Is there something thats compelling though to tempt people from Android, iOS or Blackberry
– Gut feel is it’s a solid to good first release but it’s 2 years too late – will it get aggressively updated like Android and iOS?
42:17 – App Hall of Fame
– Hard to find good apps, so this is another attempt to promote ‘the best’ apps
– Launched on Oct 11th with 12 apps
– Every month, at most 12 new app’s added
– Good’ish idea, but will it help only new users?
44:01 – Back to the Mac
– October 20th, Apple holding back to the mac event
– Mac OSX 10.7. Lion? Touch integration? Big upgrade?
– New Macbook Air?
49:50 – Lovefilm on PS3 and Apple
– Rumour is that Apple is trying to do a deal with LoveFilm before releasing Apple TV stock
– Lovefilm streaming will be coming to UK-based PS3 owners sometime this autumn, with a wealth of search options available and free trials promised for those who’ve yet to buy into the outfit’s services
– Shown on video on Sony youtube channel which has since been pulled
– Lovefilm is UK’s Netflix
50:48 – GT5 Delayed Again
– We sincerely apologize to GT fans for the delay, however, creator Kazunori Yamauchi and the team at Polyphony Digital want to make certain they are creating the perfect racing experience, and we are confident that this ambitious game will exceed expectations when it launches
Picks
Ian
TED for iPad
– Free
– Great way of watching TED content
– Can highlight your favourites
– Can store videos for offline viewing
Cut the Rope
– Great game for iOS
– Addictive and makes good use of touch