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1:45 – Google I/O
- Just one keynote this year….that lasted for 3 ½ hours
- Notable absence – no new hardware. Unlike previous years there were no hardware announcement, but all attendees did get a Chromebook Pixel. There was however plenty of new software and services (but nothing on Google TV and no new version of Android). Key announcements…
- Google: 900 million Android activations to date, 48 billion app downloads

- Google announces Play game services, Android’s cross-platform answer to Game Center
- The platform will support cloud saves, thereby allowing users to save their progress or game state and pick it up on a separate device, as well as achievements and leaderboards using Google+.
- API will enable both turn-based and real-time multiplayer
- Google Play game services will be supported for titles on Android, iOS and the Web – truly cross platform

- Google Play services updated with new location, Google+ sign-in, and cloud messaging APIs
- 3 new location API’s including Geofencing and Activity Recognition API that will help users track their physical activity

- Android Studio
- It’s an IDE based on IntelliJ.
- This tool has more options for Android Development, making the process faster and more productive. A “live layout” was shown that renders your app as you’re editing in realtime.
- Tools to support beta testing and language translations

- Google takes on Spotify with Google Play Music All Access subscription service
- web and mobile interfaces feature millions of songs you can play instantly, recommendations, charts and playlists, and instant radio stations. The Spotify competitor launches today in the US for $9.99 a month, comes with a free trial month, and sign-ups before June 30th get it for $7.99.
- Everything from your Google Music locker is automatically pulled into Google Play Music All Access. Beneath the content you own, everything else an artist has ao All Access is automatically listed and plays at a tap. More countries will get Google Play Music All Access soon.

- Google redesigning Play apps and Play Store on the web
- Google turns the Samsung Galaxy S4 into a Nexus phone, coming June 26th for $649
- Unlocked
- Vanilla Android – no Samsung crapware added
- Should get quick updates of new Android releases

- Google takes on Apple in schools with Google Play for Education
- Play store for education – currently trialling now

- Google+ completely redesigned with new cards-based interface
- 41 new features
- Multi column stream (Like Facebook or Pinterest)
- Auto tag posts
- New features for hangouts and photos
- Photos
- automatically enhance the tonal distribution in an image, soften skin, sharpen certain parts of an image and remove noise – and all of those computations happen in the cloud.
- system can now analyze your images and kick out blurry photos, duplicates, images with bad exposure (which it will try to fix). It can also recognize good images with certain landmarks, for example, and detect faces and see if people are smiling and/or of those people are in your Google+ circles. It will also try to make some decision based on aesthetics. What used to take hours of work, Gundotra said, now happens automatically in the cloud and take seconds.
- Now that Google offers everybody 15GB of free storage, users an also upload 15GB worth of full-size images to Google+ Photos. In addition, the autobackup feature provides unlimited storage space for photos at sized under 2048px.
- “Awesome” – can automatically detect when an image is part of a series and stitch it together in one image or an animated GIF. “If we detect that you took a series of photos, in burst mode or otherwise, we can stitch them together,” Gundotra told us. To recognize these images, the system does a bit of analysis to make sure the background hasn’t moved.
- This is about more than animated GIFs, though. This new feature – which Google calls “auto awesome” – can also automatically create a group photo from a series of photos and pick the one where everybody is smiling. It can stitch together landscape photos to create panoramas and create HDR images from a series of photos where it detects bracketed exposures. All of this happens extremely fast, too, thanks to the power of Google’s data centers.

- Google unveils Hangouts: a unified messaging system for Android, iOS, and Chrome
- replaces the numerous Google services that currently help you have real-time conversations with other users, such as Google Talk, Google Voice and Google+ Hangouts.
- It will launch on most major platforms later today, including iOS, Android and the Web. (iOS works well, Android – doesn’t support Nexus 7)
- Conversations can either be one-on-one or in larger groups; the new Hangouts app can do both.
- As with many other apps, such as WhatsApp or even iMessage, conversations support multimedia content, including high-resolution photographs.
- Video chats as well
- Text, emoji, photos, video, see who’s typing, read receipts
- The service’s Google+ integration is one of the best features in the entire product: every photo that you or a friend posts is automatically saved in a private, shared album on Google+.
- One flaw – doesn’t bring in SMS, so not fully unified – Google confirm that SMS is coming soon

- Google adds button-free voice search in Chrome: just say ‘OK Google’
- You should, according to Google, be able to ask it when your upcoming flight is, and where your package might be in transit.
- Search getting a lot smarter – improving knowledge graph
- Making claims that search is only starting – next generation search coming….end of search as we know it

- Google Now updated to include voice reminders, emails, and public transit data
- new cards include a location-based Reminder feature, public transit travel times, and information about books, music, TV shows and video games that might be of timely interest to users.
- Reminder feature is based on time, people and location and can be set with simple voice commands using natural language processing. It’s like the geofenced Reminders that are used by Apple in iOS, but looks to be arguably more useful since it ties into the Google Now knowledge graph. Reminders takes Now further by giving users a way to actively set and retrieve content, which should help prove its worth among users who weren’t getting much out of the automated results previously being generated by the engine.

- Google Wallet comes to Gmail
- Google announced two important features regarding Google Wallet. The first is integration with Gmail so you can pay by sending an email. The second is the launch of the Google Wallet Instant Buy Android API, which lets developers integrate payment features into apps for selling physical goods and services.
- The first feature, which is rolling out “over the coming months” to all US Gmail users over 18 years old, means you can send money to whoever you want directly from Gmail. Recipients don’t need to have a Gmail address: any email will do. Google lets you send money for free as long as your bank account is linked to Google Wallet or using your Google Wallet Balance. There are “low fees,” however if you are sending money using your linked credit or debit card.

- Google redesigns Maps for mobile – Android, iOS incl iPad version coming this summer
- New look for Android, based on iOS
- iPad coming soon
- new floating search box is the highlight of the main map view, and it incorporates a new suggestion engine that will help you find relevant places nearby and more.
- new version of maps will also have live traffic incident reporting and re-routing.

- Google Maps integrates Google Earth and Street View in completely redesigned interface
- new version of Google Maps is heavily customized for every user, with knowledge about a user contributing to discovery of new places using the same data as Google Now.
- new service collates imagery from Google Earth, Google’s Street View and special projects including its space and underwater imaging. Instead of having to bounce around between products, you’ll now be able to get all of that in one place
- new overhead view, which is also rendered in 3D using WebGL, like Google Earth:
- Flight search and place reviews are now integrated fully into Google Maps, giving you the ability to search for directions including flights in one go. Reviews and ratings can be culled from top reviewers or your Google+ circles.

- Larry Page then came on stage, said a few statements (slammed Oracle – in it for the money, then went into a 45 minute Q&A. Most was fairly interesting but there was one bizarre statement..
- Google CEO Larry Page is holding a rare Q&A session with attendees of today’s Google I/O keynote, and he’s been offering up some pretty unfiltered answers. In response to a question about reducing negativity and focusing on changing the world, Page noted that “the pace of change is increasing” and said that “we haven’t adapted systems to deal with that.” Specifically, he said that “not all change is good” and said that we need to build “mechanisms to allow experimentation.” That’s when his response got really interesting. “There are many exciting things you could do that are illegal or not allowed by regulation,” Page said. “And that’s good, we don’t want to change the world. But maybe we can set aside a part of the world.” He likened this potential free-experimentation zone to Burning Man and said that we need “some safe places where we can try things and not have to deploy to the entire world.” Google is already well-known for coming up with some pretty interesting ideas — the idea of seeing what Page could come up with in this lawless beta-test country is simultaneously exciting and a bit terrifying.

- Also, this – Every story I read about Google is ‘us versus some other company’ or some stupid thing, and I just don’t find that very interesting. We should be building great things that don’t exist. Being negative isn’t how we make progress. Most important things are not zero sum, there is a lot of opportunity out there.
- A few hours later they put out a cease and desist on Microsoft
- Following Google’s demands for Microsoft to remove its Windows Phone YouTube app, Microsoft has responded saying it’s happy to include advertising. Google sent a cease and desist letter to Microsoft recently, with concerns that the Windows Phone YouTube app does not display ads. “We’d be more than happy to include advertising but need Google to provide us access to the necessary APIs,” says a Microsoft spokesperson.
- Microsoft appears to want to rectify the situation, noting Google CEO Larry Page’s comments at I/O today. “In light of Larry Page’s comments today calling for more interoperability and less negativity, we look forward to solving this matter together for our mutual customers.” Microsoft recently released an update for its Windows Phone YouTube application to support sign-in, downloads, and a full YouTube experience. The application has been available for just over a week, but Google has demanded that it be removed by May 22nd for violating its YouTube API rules.
32:52 – 50 Billion Downloads
34:10 – YouTube launches its paid subscription channels with select partners
37:05 – Google Unifies Its Free And Paid Storage Options
38:40 – Google completes the feedback loop
40:20 – Lulzsec hacker group handed jail sentences
40:58 – BlackBerry bringing BBM to Android and iOS this summer
43:51 – Nokia unveils the Lumia 925
46:18 – HTC First to be discontinued
47:25 – Windows Keeps Getting Better
47:57 – Players force EA to drop online pass for used games
49:35 – GT6 for PS3
52:29 – Chris Hadfield – the astronaut’s best tweets, photos and videos

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Shownotes
1:17 – Windows Blue
3:33 – Microsofts Gates iPad Users Really Just Want a Surface
8:22 – Google’s decision to recognize Palestine could undermine peace efforts, Israel says
10:47 – Flipboard Brings Personalized Magazines To Android
14:18 – Adobe MAX
21:45 – Project Mighty smart stylus and Napoleon ruler
25:20 – BT offers free Premier League football in BSkyB battle
27:50 – EA confirms 10 percent of staff laid off in major restructuring
29:38 – 100 websites Capturing the digital universe

Picks
Ian
OneTab
- Whenever you find yourself with too many tabs, click the OneTab icon to convert all of your tabs into a list. When you need to access the tabs again, you can either restore them individually or all at once.
- When your tabs are in the OneTab list, you will save up to 95% of memory because you will have reduced the number of tabs open in Google Chrome.

Chris
GeoGuessr
- Random streetview, guess the location, answer shown and points awarded
- Easy but fun….and smart

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Shownotes
3:05 – Google Now comes to iOS
6:48 – Monotype deal helps Google’s fonts escape the Web
8:52 – Google adds remote desktop to Hangouts, lets users simultaneously video chat and troubleshoot
10:28 – Microsoft launch Skype for Outlook.com
12:09 – Digg Owner Betaworks Buys Instapaper To Go Big On Social Reading And Discovery
16:11 – Path texts user’s entire address book at 6am
20:17 – BlackBerry Q10 is fastest-selling ever at Selfridges as corporates snap it up
23:18 – Games Company Releases Version For Pirates That Forces Them To Fail Constantly, Irony Lost On Pirates

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Shownotes
1:38 – Microsoft introduces two step authentication for its user accounts
2:42 – Dow drops 100 points over a tweet
5:44 – Apple is doomed
10:15 – The Bearer of BadNews
12:46 – Google offers clearer search labels after EU probe
15:57 – Nick Clegg kills off Tory hopes of swift deal on revised ‘snooper’s charter’
18:10 – Virgin adds 21 new channels to its TV Anywhere service, confirms an Android app for later this year
19:14 – First UK 4G service EE reaches 318,000 LTE customers 5 months after launch
20:26 – Samsung S4 Reviews
22:51 – Nintendo posts annual loss of $366m for 2012, as its 3.45m Wii U sales fall short of 4m target
24:23 – Microsoft to unveil next Xbox at event on May 21st at its Redmond campus
26:51 – Apple auction the most exclusive cup of coffee

Picks
Ian
iPlayer Radio for Android
- Great Android app – not just an iOS port
- All the BBC radio stations and all the BBC podcasts too and on-demand content from the last 7 days
- Marks tracks as favourites as you listen, share them too
- Links to Radioplayer app so you can listen to the BBC’s competition. How civil.

Macheist
MacHeist is one of the better known Mac bundle providers and while some of the latest bundles around the web have been less than great the latest nano bundle from MacHeist is excellent. For only $9.99 you get the following apps:

• xScope – tools that are ideal for measuring, aligning and inspecting on-screen graphics and layouts.
• iStopMotion – create stop motion animations frame by frame
• Totals – create stylish invoices although many have moved to cloud services for these features
• Clarify – a tool for capturing and annotating screenshots. Looking forward to trying this.
• AirServer – AirPlay receiver for your Mac – watch videos on the Mac that are stored on your iOS devices. Who needs an Apple TV?
• Fantastical – a calendar app that you will enjoy using.
• CleanMyMac 2 – keeps your Mac clean and tidy. Includes an app unistaller and scheduler for cleanup and maintenance.
• Little Inferno – new game from creators of World of Goo and has had great review.
• Path Finder – supercharged Finder alternative which I’ve used for years. Lost without it on a new Mac. This is currently locked until there have been 30,000 bundle purchases but with the number bought sitting at over 25,000 this morning it’s safe to say that this will be unlocked for everyone.

Out of that list I use Path Finder, Fantastical and AirServer and recommend them highly. I’ve picked up the bundle for xScope and Little Inferno. As AirServer was added only yesterday and there is one window (with icon hinted at) still available on the homepage I’d expect another app to be added prior to the deal closing but hurry – this bundle is only available for another two days.

Instashare
Airdrop was introduced in Lion and allowed you to easily share files between Macs without joining wifi networks, configuring your Mac or using USB sticks. It works really well but I was always baffled as to why iOS never joined the party. Step in Instashare. Install the free Mac and iOS clients, run the Mac client and launch the app on your iOS device. You can then quickly and easily drag files between the devices.

Instashare

The app is well designed – drag an image on your iOS device and drop it on the Mac you want to send it to. A couple of seconds later and it’s there. To send to iOS, make sure Instashare is running on your iOS device, drag a file to the Instashare icon on the Mac toolbar and drop it on your iOS device. It will then be transferred to your iOS device and from Instashare you can view the file or easily send it to an application on your device. It works really well and I use it so much for grabbing images or quickly throwing text or docs onto the iPad or iPhone.

Yahoo Weather
My last pick is a bit unexpected. Yahoo Weather is a new free weather app for iOS. What’s unexpected is how well designed the app is – it’s gorgeous.

Yahoo Weather

Launching the app you can use your current location as a source or easily add multiple locations around the world. What makes this app fairly unique is the use of Flickr images as backgrounds to indicate the current weather conditions. So instead of a set of stock images you get local photo’s taken by Flickr users of your current locations. Some of them are great and really make the app stand out. The animations and icons used by Flickr are also nice and of much higher quality than I expected. The only negative is the fairly ugly app icon but thats a small gripe. If you are currently using the stock weather app on iOS do yourself a favour and grab Yahoo Weather instead.

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Shownotes
1:48 – Twitter Music
6:16 – Google Glass No advertising allowed, developers told
12:27 – Leap Motion Controller Tech To Be Embedded In, And Bundled With, Future HP Devices
15:43 – O2 Refresh
19:43 – WordPress website targeted by hackers
22:39 – Guardian launches platform for user-generated content
27:07 – Ev Williams acquires long-form journalism project Matter
30:26 – LinkedIn buys Pulse
33:26 – Gov.uk wins Design of the Year award

Picks
Chris
PointerPointer
- Just try it
Google Remote Desktop
- Why have I not heard about this yet!!
- Brilliant in browser VNC type solution for any computer you set up through Chrome App Store and your Google ID.

Ian
Instashare
- Airdrop for iOS
- Run client on Mac, run app on iOS device
- Easily share files – it just works
- Free, IAP for £0.69p to remove adverts
Macheist
- Macheist Bundle
- 8 apps for $10
- xScope, Clarify, Path Finder, Fantastical + Totals, iStopMotion, Clean My Mac, Little Inferno
- Bargain
Yahoo Weather
- iOS
- Free
- A really slick free weather client, which integrates with Flickr
- Finally making use of Flickr elsewhere in Yahoo software
- App animations are sweet too

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Shownotes
1:33 – Mayor Pumps $33M Into London Startups With New MMC London Fund
4:30 – HMV branches sold to Hilco, saving 141 branches
6:31 – LulzSec hacktivists plead guilty to cyber-attacks on NHS, Sony and NI
8:14 – Google store updates
11:22 – 4G mobile broadband speeds ‘doubling’, says EE
14:32 – HTC – Great One reviews, poor profits
18:06 – Samsung unveils 6.3in Galaxy Mega smartphone
21:48 – Facebook starts charging users up to £11 to contact celebrities
23:41 – Apple Pulls App Discovery App ‘AppGratis’ From App Store
28:05 – Googles New Inactive Account Manager Gives You Control Over Your Digital Afterlife

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Shownotes
1:29 – Facebooks New Home
8:28 – Google Forks WebKit And Launches Blink
13:05 – Mozilla and Samsung Collaborate on Next Generation Web Browser Engine
17:01 – Dropbox Now in Yahoo! Mail
18:36 – Amazon buys Goodreads
21:06 – Lodsys returns
23:52 – Disney closes Lucasarts
27:10 – British Library to archive one billion UK web pages by year’s end
30:12 – Tory MP accidentally tweets porn site instead of news
31:21 – Rumours

Picks
Chris
Kerbal Space Program
- Available on Steam. It’s still in Beta and is certainly rough round the edges but is an amazing Space Sandbox game – where you’re pretty much left to start up your own space program from scratch.
- Build rockets, send manned missions into space, to the mun, try and get everyone back safely!
- Nicely characterized but extremely technical
- Thanks to Paul for the pick.

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Shownotes
1:21 – Apple introduces 2 step verification
4:54 – Global internet slows after biggest attack in history
8:52 – Yahoo spends millions on UK teen Nick D’Aloisio’s Summly app
14:03 – Facebook launches free calling for iOS users in UK
19:59 – Blockbuster UK sold to investment firm, half its stores to close
21:03 – Jessops Returns
23:21 – Telegraph extends paywall to UK readers
26:24 – Flipboard – Now You Can Publish Your Own ‘Magazine’
30:07 – U.K’s First 4G Network Reaches Half The Population Five Months After Launch
30:47 – Google gives Nexus 4 obvious design tweaks to keep it from falling off your desk

Picks
Ian
Forecast.io
- Hyperlocal forecasts for the UK
- Web app
- Shows now, next hour, next 24 hours and the week ahead
- Nice map view
- Supports multiple locations, toggle C or F
- Install on iOS or Android for great mobile view
- Also has a time machine for locations

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Shownotes
0:44 – Samsung Launch Galaxy S4
8:45 – Dropbox buys Mailbox
12:51 – Build collaborative apps with Google Drive Realtime API
14:06 – Google Keep
16:12 – Feedly picks up 500,000 new users
19:33 – Three gobbles up large slice of EE mobile phone spectrum for free
22:00 – Press regulation deal sparks fears of high libel fines for bloggers
27:13 – Kevin Lynch Joining Apple To Become VP Of Technology
34:04 – Internet pioneers are first winners of £1m engineering prize

Picks
Ian
Alfred 2
- Free, powerpack costs $15
- Superb launcher for Mac
- Workflows are like a supercharged version of the original extension support. Create one workflow that encompasses a number of steps and scripts
- Much improved theme support