Google’s App Inventor makes it easy for kids, adults
So easy a kid can do it. . .
Google’s new App Inventor program requires no programming knowledge to design apps for smartphones (much like a WYSIWYG program for web development). You design the app visually and set behavior for various elements.
There is still about a month left in summer vacation. This might be a great project for your budding software developer.
Found via CNN
See also:
Understanding the Android Operation System
Google Makes Everyone an Android Developer
Google’s App Inventors makes it easy for kids, adults is a post on Digital Landing
T-Mobile to offer free cell phones
This Saturday, T-Mobile is trying a pre-emptive strike at AT&T before the latest iPhones go on sale June 24. The company is offering free phones to customers who sign up for group calling plans at its retail stores on Saturday June 19 beginning at 8 a.m..
The “family plan” is for a calling plan that has at least 2 users. Current customers can upgrade their plans to “family plans” to take advantage of the offer.
The offer includes smartphones running Google’s Android such as myTouch 3G Slide, the HTC HD2, and the Garminfone.
More on the Verizon Android Tablet
The web has been all abuzz for the past week with the news that Google and Verizon are teaming up to offer an android tablet to compete with the iPad. Last week, Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam confirmed to the WSJ (first to report the story) that it was in fact true, stating:
“What do we think the next big wave of opportunities are?” Mr. McAdam said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. “We’re working on tablets together, for example. We’re looking at all the things Google has in its archives that we could put on a tablet to make it a great experience.”
Bloomberg quickly followed suit with additional confirmation from an interview with Verizon spokesman Marquett Smith.
So, what do we know for sure about this new Verizon Android Tablet? While no official specs have been released just yet, reports state that it will run google’s android operating system 2.2 (‘Froyo’) tweaked for a tablet of course, and it will utilize an ARM-based NVidia Tegra II chip (with some claiming possible Intel hardware as well). Also, it was confirmed today by Mr. McAdam that multiple manufacturers will be bringing their version of an Android Tablet to the network by the 4th quarter of this year, namely Motorola, Samsung and LG. This is fantastic news for those hungering for a tablet experience with Steve Jobs’ hated flash built in (neither flash nor HTML5 video capabilities are currently available on the iPad). Fall can’t get here fast enough as far as I’m concerned.
VIA: Android and Me
Source: WSJ
Geek Olympics
I can’t resist a few more Olympics bits.
Did you know the Olympic medals are made from recycled metals from electronics equipment? Nearly 7 metric tons of circuit board were diverted from landfills. In addition, the medals are individually laser etched so no two are the same. Take a 360 degree tour of the medals.
Wish you were hitting the slopes? Google’s Street View has taken on Whistler’s slopes with camera-enabled snowmobiles. You can now check out the slopes for yourself.
Learn more about Canadian culture and be a part of the virtual Olympics via CODE (Cultural Olympian Digital Edition). Visit the site to see the lives of Canadians via their uploaded short stories and photos.
Home Page
Netvibes is a new site set to rival homepages everywhere. Forget google, or yahoo, or blogline, Netvibes is way cuter.
Like iGoogle and blogline Netvibes is a free service that brings together all your favorite media sources on a single page. Weather, news updated, games, TV schedules, blogs, but they use cute widget displays instead of boxy headlines and photos. Don’t underestimate aesthetics online. It’s very cute and very convenient.
Man uses Google to deliver baby
You know, I knew things like this had to happen.
Leroy Smith’s wife was in labor. The midwife wasn’t going to make it. What did he do? Looked up delivering babies on Google from his Blackberry. Apparently he found a wiki with the details.
“I was very, very nervous. I never thought I’d actually have to do it.
“The BlackBerry told me that when I saw the head, I had to support it.
found via Gizmodo.
Office Live–Microsoft’s answer to Google Docs
If you have used Google docs you know the convenience of having your docs available wherever you have internet access and shareable with whoever you want. Now Microsoft has joined the cloud computing world with Office Live. People will enjoy its seemless interface with your existing Microsoft products. You can view the doc online or click “edit” to have it open in your computer’s Microsoft programs.
Office Live also boosts working with a team b/c it tracks comments and actions allowing multiple people to work on the same document–no more searching for the latest version.
I’ve already found it useful b/c I work back and forth b/w two computers. Rather than emailing myself stories or information, I can now just put it “in the cloud” so I can access it wherever I happen to be.
Best part–it’s free!
Found via Hands on Small Business conference ( a free small business technology workshop coming to cities across America )
Google Flu Trends
I think we are just beginning to touch the power of Google. I heard a report on the radio a few months ago about the massive amounts of data that Google processes daily and what could be learned from it. Now it is starting to make small steps into reality.
Enter Google Flu Trends. Google did an experiment tracking the rise in flu-related search terms and compared to it to CDC tracking reports. The results were strikingly accurate. Not only that–they were 2 weeks ahead of CDC reporting. The idea is that the number of people searching for flu-related articles and information correlates with people who actually have flu or flu-like illness.
Flu Trends is part of Google.org’s Predict and Prevent initiative to support efforts to :
“identify hotspots where new infectious diseases may emerge, detect new pathogens and outbreaks earlier, and respond quickly to prevent local threats from becoming global crises. “
Now you can use Google’s power to keep an eye on flu trends in your state so you can keep you and your family healthier.
A New Space Nation
South Korea has now joined the worldwide race for space. It’s not as much of a race today, but that fact is they are now ready to take their first step to joining the ranks of orbit bound countries around the rest of the planet. Perhaps it’s not privately funded like The Google X prize here in the US, but it’s still a step forward for the world as a whole.
The KSLV-1 (unveiled at the Naro Space Center in Goheung) will be capable of putting Korea’s first satellite into orbit sometime between April and June of 2009. It’s a big deal. Our new frontier is in the news again and things look to be moving forward as we continue exploration up and out.
Blogging on the go
I have a personal blog through Google’s Blogger and I recently learned some new tricks to make it even easier to use.
I have trouble using Blogger at times on my Mac so I usually post from my PC, but since all my pics are on my Mac this is a real pain. It involves way more steps than it should. But now I have a new option.
Blogger has a Mail2Blogger option that lets you post automatically from email. Within your settings you create an address that is your username1.secretword@blogger.com. Now you can email updates and pics directly to your blog for immediate updates or save as drafts for later posting.
You can also send posts to Blogger via your mobile device by sending text or photos to go@blogger.com. You can send an MMS or email to Blogger and it will reply with the address of your new mobile blog, plus a claim code. You can then post or link your phone phone to a different blog.
Now you can keep your blog up-to-date when you are on-the-go!
