On Wednesday, Google announced it is accepting applications for people who want to try out its futuristic Google Glass eyewear. Previously, they’d only been made available to software developers, but it is clear the company wants to find out what the public thinks of the anticipated product. Additionally, Google announced more information about the product, whetting the appetite of the curious. Continue reading Public Testing: Google Glass Available to Select Consumers

In its latest version of the Android mobile operating system, Google installed a voice recognition system based on a neural network, or a computerized learning system that behaves like the human brain. The voice error rate on Android’s latest Jelly Bean is about 25 percent lower than previous versions of the software, making it far more comfortable for people to use voice commands on their devices. Continue reading Google Improves Voice Recognition with Neural Algorithms

YouTube has opened another digital video production facility intended for its content partners. Officially called “YouTube Space LA,” the new 41,000-square-foot Playa Vista facility features four soundstages, three green screens, high-end production equipment, 20 post production bays and a screening room with 4K projector. The over-sized lobby, designed for fostering collaboration and hosting big events, touts an HD video wall comprised of 36 monitors. Continue reading YouTube Space LA: Production Facility Opens in Playa Vista

The Web series “Video Game High School” (“VGHS”) premiered on YouTube in May of 2012 and became a meteoric success. The series subsequently earned sponsorships from Sony and Monster Energy Drinks, and is now available on Netflix. Season Two of the critically-acclaimed series, currently in production, raised more than $808,000 on Kickstarter and could end up becoming the model for future online series. Continue reading Successful YouTube Show May Serve as Model for Web Series

According to 9to5Google, an “extremely reliable source” has confirmed that Google plans to build standalone retail stores in the U.S., with major metropolitan area flagship outlets opening in time for the holidays by the end of this year. The goal is to get new Google Nexus, Chrome and other upcoming products into the hands of customers, similar to the approach taken by competitors Apple and Microsoft. Continue reading Will Google Look to Compete with its Own Retail Stores?

To better compete in the mobile space, HP plans to adopt Google’s Android operating system for a number of upcoming mobile devices. According to two sources familiar with the matter, the company’s first scheduled Android device will be a high-end tablet featuring NVIDIA’s new mobile Tegra 4 chip, announced at CES in January. The move marks a significant win for Google, adding a major partner to the Android ecosystem. Continue reading Good News for Google: HP Turns to Android for Mobile Devices

Tonight’s State of the Union Address will provide citizens with unprecedented access and interactivity. “When the President addresses the nation, the White House will provide something you can’t find anywhere else: an enhanced version of the speech that offers charts, facts and other info as the President speaks,” explains the White House blog. There will also be a wide variety of online streaming options and opportunities for social interaction. Continue reading White House Goes Digital with State of the Union Tonight

HP unveiled its first Chromebook last week, joining Samsung, Acer and Lenovo as companies manufacturing hardware that now supports Google’s Chrome OS. The Pavilion 14 Chromebook is the largest offering to date, with a display that is about 2-inches wider diagonally than any Chromebook currently on the market. It also comes with 100GB of free storage on Google Drive for two years. Continue reading HP Releases $330 Pavilion 14, Largest Chromebook on Market

A new free version of Ubuntu is being readied for release as smartphone software from UK-based Canonical. The Linux-based operating system is widely used for laptops, desktops and servers. The company hopes the mobile version will compete with Apple and Google. While the first commercial handsets running the OS won’t appear in stores until the end of the year, an early version of the software will be available in the upcoming weeks. Continue reading Ubuntu: Another Mobile Operating System is Ready to Launch

The future of search may have very little to do with traditional search. “Rather, next-generation applications will surface the information we need when we need it — whether we know we need it or not,” writes GigaOM. “We’re talking about doing a video chat, sending an email or just surfing the Web, and seeing relevant content appear before your eyes.” The article refers to the model as “anticipatory computing” or “information gravitation.” Continue reading Information Gravitation: A More Personalized Search Future

Google and Disney have teamed with UK app and Web developer Unit 9 to launch a Chrome Experiment to promote Disney’s upcoming film, “Oz the Great and Powerful.” Wired describes it as “Hollywood marketing machine meets tech evangelism in the future of online storytelling.” The project illustrates “the sort of immersive experiences possible when using Web technologies such as WebGL, CSS3, WebAudio, WebRTC, and other HTML5 tools.” Continue reading Disney and Google Launch Stunning Immersive Chrome Project

Google announced plans for its Trekker project last October. And last week, it revealed the first results with “some of the most detailed and amazing interactive imagery of the Grand Canyon, as promised, showing off Google’s vision for how the world can be catalogued and detailed for everyone’s daily tasks and travels,” writes TechCrunch. These images are now showing up on Google Maps for public availability. Continue reading Google Maps Goes Off Road with Impressive Trekker Project

The Federal Communications Commission is looking to develop powerful Wi-Fi networks across the country. The proposed networks would be so broad in reach that consumers could potentially make calls or surf the Internet without having to pay a cellphone bill every month. The FCC proposal, which could undermine phone and Internet service providers, has resulted in the wireless industry launching a campaign to persuade reconsideration. Continue reading Wireless Industry Responds to FCC Proposal of Public Wi-Fi

Google is changing AdWords to eliminate mobile-only campaigns after Wall Street critics began questioning poor mobile cost-per-click numbers. All campaigns will now include desktop as well as mobile, while advertisers will not be able to target specific devices (like tablet-only campaigns, for example). Advertisers can adjust their preferences to prioritize mobile much more than desktop or desktop much more than mobile, but cannot choose only one. Continue reading Google Updates AdWords for Desktop and Mobile Advertising

YouTube’s “de-spamming” initiative aims to remove unintended views from videos. The initiative has removed millions of views from videos, and large channels like Sony, Universal and RCA have been among the most affected. Together, these channels have lost upwards of 2 billion views since the Google-owned video site began its de-spamming efforts in December 2012. Continue reading YouTube Channels Lose Millions of Views to De-Spamming