Google Now awarded Popular Science's Innovation of the Year

Popular Science has given Google Now its "Innovation of the Year" award, putting it alongside past winners like the Large Hadron Collider, the Toyota Prius and the Mars Curiosity Rover. It's august company to be sure, and the reasoning behind the decision is that it's "the first virtual assistant that truly anticipates your needs." The service has grown quite a bit since its initial launch -- from personalized recommendations to public safety alerts and the addition of a pedometer, it seems that these are early days yet for the context- and location-aware app. Hit the Android G+ source link to read a Q&A between PopSci and part of the Google Now team to get some behind-the-scenes insight of the award-winning service.

[Source: Engadget]

Gmail 1.3 for iOS now saves image attachments

The official Gmail app for iPhone recently got a nice update, and in addition to a few bugfixes and performance enhancements, users now have the ability to save picture attachments straight to their iPhone (or iPad's) camera reel. That's a nice feature -- it means that you can browse and save attachments more easily.

I can imagine some nice use cases as well: You could grab an image from Gmail and put it right into a slideshow on your iPad, or send yourself some images from another computer, and insert them on to your iPhone or iPad's lock screen wallpaper easily.

The Gmail app in general is a solid app to have. Though I usually use the Gmail web client in my browser when I'm at home, and Apple's own Mail app when I'm out and about, there are times when I'd just rather have an official Google experience when browsing mail. With this update and a few others lately (the last update added support for Notification Center), Gmail makes an even better case for owning a spot on your home screen.

[Source: TUAW]

eBay Windows 8 Metro style app now available in the Windows Store

Microsoft's app store for Windows 8 has been on a slow and steady push towards 400 apps recently, despite the fact app publishing is still reserved for a small number of developers right now. After being previewed at a Microsoft event back in December,McAkins online notes that eBay has published its own Metro style app in the Windows Store, bringing the online shopping site to Windows 8 tablets and PCs.

The app includes notifications for buying and selling activities and the ability to pin a daily deals section to the Windows 8 Start Screen. eBay has also made use of the Windows 8 Share Charm by allowing users to share details of an auction across other apps or in an email message. Although the app includes sections for feedback and messages, you'll have to load these in a browser as they're not fully baked in. eBay joins high profile apps like Kindle, WordPress, MetroTwit, and even Microsoft Office as part of the Windows Store.

[Source: The Verge]

 

New Mobile Projectors from 3M Available Now

Widescreen resolution and triple-digit luminosity are among two new enhancements announced by diversified technology company 3M in the ongoing development of its award-winning mobile projection technology.  The new additions include a battery-powered, office on-the-go, mobile projector for smaller group presentations and an AC-powered, palm-sized mobile projector for impressive big-screen presentations.

The 3M Mobile Projector MP220 is the first product in the company’s award-winning family of mobile projectors to offer widescreen (WSVGA) resolution. A strong, 65-lumen brightness helps the projector deliver high clarity while a 120-minute battery life allows users a complete mobile projection experience, staying brighter for longer.  A robust, 1GB internal memory and expandable MicroSD card slot enables easy loading and storage of files directly on the projector.

Using the adapter cable to fit Apple devices, the Mobile Projector MP220 can easily connect with iPads or iPhones to display photos and videos and instantly share with others. It is also the first 3M Mobile Projector portfolio to utilise the intuitive Android operating system. Users can take advantage of the installed Documents to Go App to view Microsoft Office documents and other files. The versatility and portability of the projector therefore makes it the ideal companion device for the burgeoning mobile worker population, enhancing professional pitches and presentations, as well as offering instant entertainment.

The 3M Mobile Projector MP410 is the strongest AC-powered mobile projector for its size on the market today.  The palm-sized projector outputs a crystal-clear, 300-lumen, HD image of up to 100inches diagonally, yet has just a 400 cubic centimetre footprint and weighs less than 375 grammes.  Like all 3M Mobile Projectors, this model boasts an impressive 20,000 hour LED life, so no expensive maintenance or costly bulb replacement is required. The Mobile Projector MP410 arrives equipped with a VGA cable for quick and easy connection to laptops, as well as international power adapters for global portability. With a simple-to-use control menu and extensive user settings (including eco-mode and keystone correction), the projector is a portable powerhouse suitable for big-screen presentations and media viewing (straight out of its own pint-sized carry case, also included).

In addition to the impressive projection performance, the Mobile Projector MP410 can also be purchased with an optional USB Wi-Fi dongle. Once connected to the dongle, the projector can wirelessly project documents, photo slideshows or videos from any smartphone or tablet device capable of running the ‘MobiShow’ App (available on Android, Blackberry or iOS). When using a netbook or laptop, users can benefit from further ‘air-play’ functionality as the Wi-Fi dongle will project a mirror of the entire screen, as if connected to the projector by a cable.

The 3M Mobile Projector MP220 (retail price: £399) and Mobile Projector MP410 (retail price: £499) are available to buy from Amazon and Personal Projector.

Available here:

Mobile Projector MP410 - http://bit.ly/3MMP410

Mobile Projector MP220 - http://bit.ly/3MMP220