Google has today announced a new update to its Google bar, its rolled out after listening to feedback from users. Originally Google launched the new Google bar design back in November last year. With the goal of creating a beautifully simple and intuitive experience across Google.
Now Google has listened to feedback and tweaked their Google bar design, to provide an even better experience say Google. One of the biggest changes to the Google bar is the redesign of the drop-down Google menu. Which has been replaced with a consistent and expanded set of links running across the top of the page.
Google explains that they will be rolling out this new version of the Google bar over the next few weeks. In the meantime, Google invites you to read about the new design in their Help Center, and send them your feedback.
If like me you seem to always have your head down whilst using your smartphone, even when walking around. This new transparent screen application designed for Android devices might help you stay a little safer as you walk and type on your device.
The new transparent screen application for Android is now available to download for free from the Android Market and first reviews of the new application seem good. Although a few users have brought up the point that the transparency of the screen whilst in use can’t be adjusted. The application developer explains:
“You want to use your phone while you’re walking? Make your screen transparent! This app gives you the opportunity to use your phone as usual, while being able to see the image of your camera transparently on the entire screen.”
You can now download the new Transparent Screen app from the Android Market for free.
Phillips has this week launched a new iPhone/iPod speaker dock in the form of the Philips DS6100. Which has been designed with desktop machines in mind and in particular the Apple iMac, as it sits neatly along the length just underneath the screen.
Providing you with a handy docking station for your iPhone and extra speakers for media and audio enjoyment. Philips DS6100 is constructed from aluminium and sports a pair of neodymium speakers with 20 watts of total power. Phillips explains:
“Bring quality sound with a stylish, modern twist to your desktop with Philips Computer Docking Speaker for iPod® or iPhone®. Finished in sleek, high-quality aluminum for a sophisticated look, the docking speaker delivers pure, balanced sound that fills your study or work area, and works with any desktop iMac or PC. The convenient, versatile iPod/iPhone docking feature charges your device, and allows easy synchronization to your iTunes library. Plus, AUX-in connects to the headphone jack of other electronic devices.”
The new Philips DS6100 will be arriving in stores during May and will retail at around $180.
We are expecting Apple to launch the new iPad 3 some time in the first week or March, and the device is rumored to come with a high resolution display with a 2048 x 1536 resolution.
According to a recent report by the next web, Apple is in the process of selecting applications that will be used in the iPad 3 launch event to show off the tablets new display and its graphics capabilities.
Apple normally selects a number of applications from different developers and has the applications demoed by the developers, and according to the report this process has become more frequent over the last few weeks.
We suspect that with the launch of the iPad 3 we will see a number of applications new and old which have been optimized for the new high resolution display.
WordPress has rolled out a new update for its Android application this week. Bringing with it support for both Amazon’s Kindle Fire Android tablet and B&N’s Nook tablet. WordPress for Android is now available for the Nook Colour/Tablet and Kindle Fire. The 7″ screen on these tablets make an excellent home for the all-new Dashboard UI which has now been added in WordPress for Android 2.0.
WordPress say they have paid special attention to the post editor on theses Android devices, enhancing the layout to make it super simple to edit your post content in either landscape or portrait orientation.
Also WordPress have now added everything you would want in a WordPress app, including support for editing post content, adding media, viewing your stats, comment notifications, and more. You can now download the specific applications from the links below. If you have a Samsung Galaxy Tab, Motorola Xoom, or another Android tablet you’ll find the WordPress app in the Android Market. Enjoy!
Microsoft is so pleased with its new Nokia partnership that it began taking pre-orders for the Nokia Lumia 900 at its retail locations last week, even though there hasn’t been a release date announced for the phone. However, the pre-order process has come to an end, and it’s unclear if this is because of high demand or if the company decided to pull out of the process for some other reason. Like, perhaps, because it wanted to actually have a release date to give to customers.
Theverge.com, which reported on the halt of Lumia 900 pre-orders, said users will see information on the official Microsoft Store Facebook page regarding updates on the phone. The Lumia 900 follows on the heels of the successful Lumia 710, though this time it will be slightly more powerful, slightly more expensive, and available at AT&T instead of T-Mobile.
Nokia has managed to garner a fair amount of attention since it launched the Lumia 710 in the US last month. It was a confirmation that the company made the right decision in ditching Symbian, and because Windows Phone is much less competitive of a market than Android, it has earned enough of a splash to make a difference. The question is whether or not the momentum will continue to grow at the same rate.
Forget Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Nike, Disney, or even Google. The one company that people have flocked to more than anyone else in the search giant’s increasingly massive social network is discount clothes retailer H&M. Sure, that Super Bowl ad featuring David Beckham in his underwear must have built a lot of brand excitement among at least part of the online population, but what is the real driving factor behind H&M catapulting ahead of so many other iconic companies?
Granted, Google+ is still a nascent platform. To demonstrate, even though H&M is the most popular brand page on the network, its number of fans (or “circlers”) is just 456,365. Compare that to, say, Coca-Cola, which may fall behind on Google+ (326,096 circlers) but has nearly 39,000,000 fans on Facebook. Nevertheless, it’s a testament to H&M’s marketing that it has managed to surpass so many other well-established names.
The clothing chain has apparently linked to its Google+ page more than any other brand on the network, with one exception. The only one with more Google+ spamming is Ferrari, but that company only has 8,027 circlers, proving that just massively posting links to your social networking page isn’t enough to generate interest. H&M is doing something right. At least for now. Its hip and modern appeal is perfect for the generation that’s most likely to sing up for Google+. If and when Google ever makes its online network as ubiquitous as Facebook, we could see a power shift.
