Google Goggles Bring Visual Search to the iPhone

Tuesday, 05 October 2010. Posted in News, iPhone, Consumer Electronics, Upcoming Technologies, Smartphones, Google, Apple

Google Goggles for the iPhone

In December, Google introduced Goggles on the Android, allowing users to search the web using the phone's built-in camera. Well today the big G rolled out the same functionality for their Google Mobile iPhone app. To search with Goggles, simply tap the camera icon and take a picture of the item you wish to look up. The app will then scan the photo using it's image recogniton software and return what it thinks are the most accurate results.

Google has rather modestly stated that since this technology is still in it's infancy, the service works best at recognizing books, DVDs, landmarks, artwork and wine only. Having put this to the test, we've managed to successfully return the latter, alongside everything from obscure musical equipment to Spongebob Squarepants! Read on for some in-app snapshots and the G-unit's promo vid.

Today in Apple Hax: Apple TV on the iPod Touch and Chromium OS on the iPad

Wednesday, 29 September 2010. Posted in News, iPad, Consumer Electronics, Google, Apple

iOS Small Talk

Heads up iOS fans, there's a hot new UI in the house! Infact theres two, neither of which incidentally are likely to come our way anytime soon but hey, it's fun to gawk.

The crime in question: Blowing apart Apple's mobile software and installing another juicy interface.
The accused: One @DHowett and one @Hexxeh
The verdict: Guilty. Oh yes...

Google's Brainwashing, Time Wasting 'Pizza' Ad

Friday, 24 September 2010. Posted in News, Viral Video, Google, Business

Google Pizza

Google are leaving the digital world rather confused today with the viral-isation of their latest ad for 'Search with my location', fittingly entitled 'Pizza'.

The excruciatingly irritating 10-minute long video sees the (presently unknown) character cycle through a series of random backdrops, whilst attempting to search for pizza with his voice using the Google iOS app. The baffling absurdity of already finding local results 18 seconds in, before wasting a further 10 minutes of our lives is only exacerbated by the fact he's using an iPhone 4 as opposed to one of Google's heavily pushed Android handsets.

Excluding a Chrome speed test ad or two, Google hasn't exactly been a player to dabble in viral marketing. At least now we know why. Read on for the full video...

iOS Controlled Augmented Reality Quadricopter 'AR Drone' Goes On Sale

Friday, 10 September 2010. Posted in News, Consumer Electronics, Gaming, Smartphones, Apple

Wireless electronics manufacturer Parrot wowed us back in Janurary when they showed off their enemy-seeking quadricopter at CES. Now, the all-flying, dog-fighting augmented reality copter is available for purchase in selected stores and on-line, for about $300.  

After seeing the premium toy at CES, the first thing that went through our heads was the biblical quantity of madness you could wreak if you were to take one out in public. But uh-oh, looks like Parrot have beat us to it!

The first iPhone social network returns, iRovr for iOS

Written by Matt Fryy on Saturday, 04 September 2010. Posted in Mobile Apps, Reviews

Cast your mind back to 2007. Steve Jobs famously announces the iPhone, loaded with a full HTML web browser and Wifi connectivity. Well the interest in the platform quickly sparked a slew of browser-based utilities and with the addition of the 'web apps' section to Apple.com, the iPhone was firmly seeded as one of the hottest development platforms around.

Well one particular web application opened up the device to a new whole world of possibilities. iRovr launched as an iPhone-only social network, allowing users to create and browse profiles, write blog entries and the usual social shenanigans. We can only but assume that it was phased out as other web apps were, with the introduction of Apple's App Store.
 
But now, with a sense of nostalgia, we're pleased to announce the first iPhone exclusive social network is coming back, and this time you don't need to launch Safari to use it! Let's take a sneaky pre-release peak at iRovr for iOS...
 

iPod Nano Does Away With Click Wheel, It's All Touch Baby!

Wednesday, 01 September 2010. Posted in News, Apple

Perhaps the most innovative product of the bunch from Apple's September music event is the new iPod Nano. The Nano has undergone a complete re-make, ridding itself of the iconic click-wheel in way of a 240x240 1.54-inch multi-touch display.

The iPod has retained the same music playback and utilities from previous models, but spruced up in true iOS form. You can rotate the homescreen to any orientation using the same gesture you would to flip photos on Apple's multi-touch trackpad, and it'll pump out 24-hours of banging tunes before you need to plug it in.

Prices start at £129/$149 and shipping starts next week.

Which Apple annoucement are you most exited about?

Creation Date Wednesday, 01 September 2010. Posted in Consumer Electronics, Polls

Apple's music themed special event has unveiled a selection of autumn-y treats. From a re-vamped Apple TV, iTunes 10 and the 'Ping' social network, to an all new line of iPods, there really is something for everyone.

Although this time around Steve Jobs seems very proud of his TV 'hobby', it's not the update that's got us most exited. But what about you?

What's your 'one more thing...'?