Google Glass Explorer Programme now open in the UK – £1000

23 June 2014 5:48 PM
Google Glass launches in the UK

Google Glass launches in the UK

More than two years after Google launched its Glass Explorer scheme in the U.S, it has finally made it available in the UK – but will set you back £1,000.

From today, any British resident aged over 18 can buy a Glass prototype from the official website for £1,000 – as long as they have a valid credit card. Google Glass was developed by Google X – the facility within Google devoted to technological advancements, such as driverless cars.

The wearable headset has also launched with partner apps including Zombies Run and Goal.com. It was initially designed in 2011 to resemble standard eyeglasses, but with the lens replaced by a heads-up display (HUD). Google later engineered a prototype that weighed 8lb (3.6kg), and the current version is now lighter than the average pair of sunglasses at 1.6oz (50g).

In April 2013, the Explorer Edition was made available to Google I/O developers in the U.S for $1,500.

The email from Google:

Hi there

The UK is known as a centre of innovation, where people like you are excited to explore new products and ideas. After many months of development, we’re expanding the Glass Explorer Programme to the UK, to bring together bold, creative individuals who want to help shape the future of Glass.

We wanted you to be among the first to know, as places on the Explorer Programme are limited, so join us soon.

Purchase Glass

Want to learn more about Glass, or try it with different frames and accessories? Schedule an appointment at our new London Basecamp. You’ll meet with a Glass Guide and learn how to make Glass your own.

Schedule an appointment

Until next time,
The Glass Team

We’ve had Google Glass for over a year now (shipped from the U.S) what do you think about this eyewear technology? Let us know down in the comments.

BGT: 2014 voting results revealed!

7 June 2014 10:47 PM
BGT 2014 ITV Promo

BGT 2014 Promo © ITV

Collabro have won this year’s Britain’s Got Talent.

The musical theatre group take home the £250,000 prize and will be performing for the Queen at the Royal Variety Performance. The boys who wowed tonight with their version of Stars from Les Miserables thanked their fans.

Lucy Kay came second with Bars and Melody taking third place.

Now that we finally know who this year’s winner is, let’s have a look at the percentage of votes from each day of the live shows! You can see last years voting results – which saw Attraction win by clicking here.

Semi Final 1

Collabro 62.3%
Darcy Oake 15.5%
Jon Clegg 9.4%
CountryVive 4.0%
Micky Dumoulin 3.0%
Lauren & Terrell 2.8%
Patsy May 1.3%
Christian Spridon 0.9%
Henrietta Adewole 0.8%

Semi Final 2

James Smith 41.3%
Jodi Bird 16.5%
The Addict Initiative 11.4%
Mini Moves 7.3%
Ed Drewett 7.0%
BoldDog FMX Team 6.4%
SweetChix 5.5%
Ricky K 4.1%
Kony Puppets 0.5%

Semi Final 3

Lucy Kay 45.8%
Yanis, Arnaud & Mehdi 21.5%
Cartel 11.5%
Ellis Chick 9.7%
Reaformed 5.2%
Sam Jones 2.4%
Crazy Rouge 1.9%
Kitty & Rosie 1.5%
Brian Chan 0.5%

Semi Final 4

Bars & Melody 47.5%
Lettice Rowbotham 16.8%
Innova Irish Dance Co 13.8%
Light Balance 11.7%
Eva Iglesias 5.6%
Toju 1.9%
Kieran & Sarah 1.5%
Pyroterra 0.7%
Allan Turner-Ward 0.5%

Semi Final 5

Jack Pack 57.0%
Paddy & Nico 13.9%
Bailey McConnell 12.4%
Jenson Zhu 4.1%
Kings & Queens 3.5%
La Voix & LGBB 3.3%
Andrew Derbyshire 2.3%
Kieran Lai 2.0
Peat Loaf & Elaine 1.5%

Live Final

Collabro 26.5%
Lucy Kay 17.0%
Bars & Melody 14.3%
Jack Pack 10.6%
Darcy Oake 8.5%
James Smith 6.9%
Jon Clegg 5.2%
Lettice Rowbotham 4.0%
Paddy & Nico 3.6%
The Addict Initiative 2.4%
Yanis, Arnaud & Mehdi 1.0%

Are you super-thrilled that Collabro took the title of Britain’s Got Talent 2014 series 8? Let us know down in the comments below!

That’s it from this year, we will see you in two-thousand-and-fifteen!

Viber Revamps iOS App, Goes Flat for iOS7

23 April 2014 8:03 PM
Viber Revamps iOS App - iOS7 Ready

Viber Revamps iOS App – iOS7 Ready

Showing up a bit late to the iOS 7 party, Viber, the free calling and messaging app that Rakuten bought for $900 million, has released a significant update for its iOS app that introduces a new flat design (iOS 7) and a number of additional features.

Viber 4.2, as it’s being called, now features an iOS 7-style design — which the company describes as clean and flat — with a stronger focus on multimedia. Users can now share multiple images at the same time, while they can also record and share longer video messaging and block specific phone numbers. Finally, the indicator that the other person is typing has been switched on for the Android tablet app, and its Linux, Windows and Mac versions.

Viber 4.2, as it’s being called, also offers longer video messages and the ability to see the typing status indicator (Jordan is typing…) for users on Android tablets and desktop.

Here’s what Viber CEO Talmon Marco had to say about the new changes

“Viber has been redesigned from the start for simplicity and ease of use. Taking our cue from the clean, flat look of iOS 7, we wanted Viber to feel like a completely seamless part of your device. Our top priority is the enthusiastic community of users who rely on Viber every day to communicate with their friends, family, and important contacts. The new iPhone version we released today will make it easier and more fun than ever before to stay connected.”

Viber is available across a wide array of platforms. You can learn more here.

Viber is available ad-free for Windows Desktop, Windows 8, iOS, Android, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, Bada and Nokia.

Viber for iOS [iTunes UK Link] [iTunes US Link]

Dropbox releases Mailbox App for Android

10 April 2014 9:25 PM
Mailbox on Android

Mailbox on Android © Dropbox, Inc

Dropbox has released its Mailbox email client for Android devices.

The cloud storage company has also announced that a desktop beta version of the service is also in development for Mac OS users.

Already available for iOS devices [link], Mailbox arrives on Android with new features, such as an “auto-swipe” function that lets users automatically archive messages.

The application has also introduced Word, Excel and PowerPoint integration as part of a collaboration with Microsoft dubbed Project Harmony.

Dropbox says that “The desktop version of Mailbox will feature a minimal design and track-pad gesture controls. Users can apply to take part in the beta via the service’s website“.

Cloud storage company Dropbox bought Mailbox last year, shortly after the iOS app launched. The app lets users organize emails with simple swipe motions, chasing the notion of having no unread messages, or “inbox zero.” When Mailbox launched initially, it was only compatible with Gmail on iOS, but CEO Gentry Underwood said he planned to expand to other platforms and email services.

Mailbox previously reported 1 million users within a month of launching and said Wednesday that the number has grown to 275 million.

The company also announced that it’s testing a desktop version of the app, Mailbox for Mac. People who want to try the OS X Mailbox can ask for a beta invite here.

While Mailbox is finally on Android, many of the service’s limitations remain in place. It only works with Gmail and iCloud, so don’t go looking to this app if you rely on Yahoo, Outlook.com (formerly Hotmail) or a corporate email account. It also gives yet another company, in this case Mailbox’s parent Dropbox, access to your Gmail account. The app is still not available on Windows Phone.

Another change is that Mailbox will require a Dropbox login to use the app, on both iOS and Android. So, if you’re a Mailbox user, you will be required to be a Dropbox user as well.

The Android edition is now available from the Google Play store for download [link].

Apple releases iOS 7.0.6 to fix a security issue

21 February 2014 10:41 PM
Apple iOS 7

Apple iOS 7

Apple has released iOS 7.0.6, a minor update to the operating system that resolves a security issue. The issue revolved around SSL verification, though Apple hasn’t yet described exactly what was going wrong. Presumably, it was important enough to warrant releasing an update to fix it now rather than bundling it into iOS 7.1, a large update to iOS 7 that Apple has been beta testing for several months now. Many iPhone and iPad owners have been eagerly awaiting the larger update, which is reported to include a number of design improvements and a fix to the pesky bug that’s been causing devices to restart seemingly at random during use. That wait may not be much longer though: reports have pegged iOS 7.1’s release as sometime in March.

On a new security page, Apple has disclosed the basic details of the flaw fixed in iOS 7.0.6. It seems that in at least one prior version of iOS, a hacker may have been able to retrieve and alter data that should have been protected by encryption. Apple says that this happened because the operating system failed to validate the connection’s security. Given the explanation’s limited details, it’s hard to judge just how serious this vulnerability may have been. But even so, it appears that it could have been a quite damaging, suggesting Apple had good reason to release the update quickly.