Seth Weintraub

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=i_eqxf85ex8#at=60

Droid-Life notes that Google Glass was tested by some St. Louis Rams this week and even put through some drills. Immediately the GM thought that play calling/decision making could get much easier while the players were concerned about getting distracted.

Superbowl L to have Glasswear? Doubtful but Superbowl C likely will.

Either this kid is really fast, or today’s phones are really slow. #AlmostGotIt pic.twitter.com/mdMEOGqfhr

— motorolaus (@MotorolaUS) July 13, 2013

Or something like that. The camera hasn’t been discussed but expect a differentiator there.

From 9to5Toys:

Staples offers the Google Nexus 7 tablet for $179 and $199 respectively in 16GB and 32GB configurations (already a low price). Adding coupon code 20098 drops the prices $30 again to $149 and $169. 

The Nexus 7 is google’s current flagship reference device running the latest Android 4.2.2 with a 1280x800HD display, NVIDIA Tegra 3 1.2GHz quad-core processor, 1GB RAM, 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera, 802.11n wireless, Bluetooth and much more.
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As part of the maps update announcement last night, Google noted that it would be retiring Latitude, just the latest in a string of high profile service closures including perhaps the most missed: Google Reader. Unlike Reader, Google seems to have some fallbacks in place:

One important change you should know about is that Latitude and check-ins are no longer part of the new Google Maps app, and will be retired from older versions on August 9. We understand some of you still want to see your friends and family on a map, which is why we’ve added location sharing and check-ins to Google+ for Android (coming soon to iOS). More details about Latitude and check-in changes can be found in our help center.

Google risks alienating early adopters and mainstream users alike with its now common closures of valued services. 
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One of the problems with the Samsung Galaxy Beam and its anticipated successors is that the projector and batteries that need to go along with it make the phone a bit of a brick.  You carry a phone with you every day and trying to sell a device that double the thickness and weight for a function (projecting) that you only use on rare occasions is tough.

But, with new DLP and LED technology that is reducing the battery drain and a bigger form factor (read: tablets) you can almost miss the additional weight and size required to add a projector to a portable device.  TI gave me a SmartDevices U7 projector-tablet to play around with for a few months to see how I liked the form factor.

Taking it out of the box, it feels like a more dense Nexus 7. While the form factor is largely the same, this SmartDevices tablet contains a 35 Lumen DLP projector that comes out of one of the sides of the tablet. That’s up for 15 Lumens on the Samsung Beam and a very noticeable improvement. While the beam requires a lowering of the lights, this projects to the 50-inch size in well-lit rooms. We’re not talking real projector quality but certainly viewable…
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Acer’s C710. A bigger, thicker battery and more RAM (compared to Pixel and Samsung Chrombooks)

I’m an Apple snob – I’ve been using MacBook Pros and Airs almost exclusively for over a decade – in fact, it has gotten so bad that I can barely use or figure out Windows anymore. I often find the experience with anti-viruses, updates and crapware infuriating to the point where I’m no longer curious what happens in the Windows world.

On the other hand, I never have a problem jumping on a Chromebook (or Box) because it is almost exactly like using a browser in a desktop OS.  That makes using Chromebooks quick, easy and productive for me. I liked the cheap, ARM-based Samsungs and loved the decked out Pixel even though I’m still not able to give native apps up entirely (Twitter, Skype, iTunes, etc keep pulling me back). But for a second computer to use as either as a backup or special occasion device or for light computer users, I wholeheartedly recommend Chromebooks.

Acer initially had a bad rep in their Chromebook department because the initial offerings seemed to be repurposed Windows netbooks (and the problems that come along with them – including little RAM, bad battery life, HDDs instead of SSDs and cramped plastic-y keyboards). To be fair, I’m going on a few minutes of use at a Best Buy and a bunch of online reviews for those assumptions.

Last month, I finally got my hands on the updated Acer ‘C710-2055’ version which has a 50% bigger battery pack than earlier models, 4 GB of RAM, and an Intel Celeron 847 processor. The price was also bumped to $279 from $199.

So, $80 later, does Acer have a compelling Chromebook here?

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From Electrek,net:

Interesting bit from a BBC Interview of Lord Drayson of Drayson Racing who had just set a record of over 200MPH in his lightweight electric car. In discussing a conversation with Google Chairman Eric Schmidt ahead of the record breaking run, Drayson said:

“Google has a very active R&D programme with regard to electric vehicle technology so it’s great that one of the world’s leading technology companies came to our event today,” Lord Drayson added.

Will Google be giving Tesla a run for its money or is the former Parliament member confusing self driving car and mapping technology with that of electric vehicles? It would seem silly at this point to count Google out of any industry but we’re thinking there probably won’t be too many Electric Vehicles coming of of the X Labs.  Except maybe this one:

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtisk0-mY_0

We’re keeping track here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3RQpQV9_3oM

Well, you’ve got to make it seem ok to use a camera to make a call and having a model give it a go is one way to start. All snark aside, I do like the Galaxy S4 Zoom idea even if it may not come stateside for awhile.  I would try to avoid traditional phone usage in public though.

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. Globes.co.il is again reporting that Waze the crowd-sourced Israeli mapping company is being acquired. The rumored suitor this time around is Google and they are prepared to spend $1.3B for the mapping software. The deal could close as early as Tuesday. Bloomberg also thinks this deal is happening but puts a slightly lower $1.1B price tag on the deal.

Unless this is a defensive move, the purchase doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. Google already has one of, if not the best Maps DB out there and there would be a lot of overlap with Waze’s Data.

Also, Waze appears to use the media to help with negotiations (see previous ‘leaks’) – perhaps a Facebook, Apple or Microsoft deal is going down. We’ll see, we’ll see. 
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Well, I did it. I got my hands on a White Nexus 4 to review. And, as you probably would have guessed it is a lot like the black version. In fact that’s pretty much all I have to say for this ‘review’: It is white and just as, if not more, attractive than the original – and that’s the back. The front is identical and still black. See gallery above.

But there are some things to note here, not the least of which is the white bumper that came along with it. It is great! Fits like a glove, and will help prevent breakage. The downside is that it adds a bit of size to the phone and doesn’t completely cover the glass backside.

Also, the Nexus 4 has been my daily driver since I got it in October. It is still my go to phone after reviewing such beauties as the HTC One or the Samsung Galaxy S4 or even its recent cousin the LG Optimus Pro. How is the Nexus 4 holding up and why do I like it more than the ‘superphones’ released this year?
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You don’t get any more tenacious denials than this.

First, we have not joined any program that would give the U.S. government—or any other government—direct access to our servers. Indeed, the U.S. government does not have direct access or a “back door” to the information stored in our data centers. We had not heard of a program called PRISM until yesterday.

Second, we provide user data to governments only in accordance with the law. Our legal team reviews each and every request, and frequently pushes back when requests are overly broad or don’t follow the correct process. Press reports that suggest that Google is providing open-ended access to our users’ data are false, period. Until this week’s reports, we had never heard of the broad type of order that Verizon received—an order that appears to have required them to hand over millions of users’ call records. We were very surprised to learn that such broad orders exist. Any suggestion that Google is disclosing information about our users’ Internet activity on such a scale is completely false.

Finally, this episode confirms what we have long believed—there needs to be a more transparent approach. Google has worked hard, within the confines of the current laws, to be open about the data requests we receive. We post this information on our Transparency Report whenever possible. We were the first company to do this. And, of course, we understand that the U.S. and other governments need to take action to protect their citizens’ safety—including sometimes by using surveillance. But the level of secrecy around the current legal procedures undermines the freedoms we all cherish.

I gave myself a few weeks to use the $199 w/plan LG Optimus Pro on AT&T to see if a phablet could replace my normal Android device, the LG Nexus 4. The Optimus Pro is very similar to the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 which I reviewed and liked. LG doesn’t include the stylus, which I considered a downside on the Note 2. It also has a less intrusive overlay and a bunch of other handy features which I found helpful…

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In a Google Plus remark, Google said that it would block all facial recognition apps from Google Glasses

Glass and Facial Recognition

When we started the Explorer Program nearly a year ago our goal was simple: we wanted to make people active participants in shaping the future of this technology ahead of a broader consumer launch.  We’ve been listening closely to you, and many have expressed both interest and concern around the possibilities of facial recognition in Glass. As Google has said for several years, we won’t add facial recognition features to our products without having strong privacy protections in place. With that in mind, we won’t be approving any facial recognition Glassware at this time.

#IfIHadGlass winners are expected to begin receiving their Glass prototypes over the coming weeks. Clearly, this move is to help the new wave of  non-developers get along in a skeptical world.
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[protected-iframe id=”e576361492756449ef372965c1311c87-22427743-13611283″ info=”http://live.wsj.com/public/page/embed-A0EF86EC_0520_4465_B915_FDC7B366778A.html” width=”512″ height=”288″ frameborder=”0″ scrolling=”no”]

The big news out of the event was obviously the Moto X but there was a lot more to talk about.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZzvk97L4AE&feature=em-uploademail

Good thing she had the phone. Samsung teased this new ad back in April. 

[ooyala code=”RiOGV1Yjr9VQ_1XpY_42igQqa24801Me” player_id=”null”]

According to Bloomberg, the FTC is now investigating Google over its Display ad business which it picked up originally in its purchase of DoubleClick almost a decade ago.

The fresh inquiry, which follows the FTC’s decision to close a review of Google’s search business in January without taking action, is in the preliminary stages and may not expand into a larger probe, said the people, who asked not to be named because the matter hasn’t been made public.

FTC investigators are examining whether Google is using its position in U.S. display ads — a $17.7 billion industry that includes the sale of banner ads on websites — to push companies to use more of its other services, a practice that can be illegal under antitrust laws, the people said.

Out of the FTC Frying Pan, into the Fire.
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https://twitter.com/projectglass/status/337261684433510400

We were told at I/O that Google would start sending #IfIhadglass invites out after I/O and now we have an announcement.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be slowly rolling out invitations to successful #ifihadglass applicants. If you were one of the successful applicants, please make sure you have+Project Glass in your Circles so we can send you a message.

We’re thrilled to be moving into the next phase of our Explorer Program and we hope to expand in the future. Unfortunately, we aren’t taking any more applications right now, but you can sign up here to stay informed: google.com/glass/start/how-to-get-one

https://twitter.com/projectglass/status/317719695555952640

Yet another Google service bites the dust.  This one’s not as cut and dry as Google Reader, for instance, because some of the Google Checkout functionality will transfer to Google Wallet.

Merchants can continue to accept payments using Google Checkout until November 20, 2013.

• If you don’t have your own payment processing, you will need to transition to a different solution within six months. To make things easier, we’ve partnered with Braintree, Shopify and Freshbooks to offer you discounted migration options.

• If you are a U.S. merchant that does have payment processing, you can apply for Google Wallet Instant Buy, which offers a fast buying experience to Google Wallet shoppers.

At some point, Google’s brand is going to get tarnished by these closures. How am I going to feel comfortable getting behind a new Google product if I know there’s a more than 50% chance it will close? 
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There’s some noise being made about the Nexus 7 in the Hangouts video (above at 21 seconds in).  I’ve just talked to a Google rep who said, “That’s not the new Nexus 7… if hypothetically there was such a thing.”
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