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Meet Google's 'Project Loon': Balloon-powered Net access

Google has officially announced "Project Loon," its plan to connect the entire world to the Internet that uses a decidedly 19th century technology: Balloons.

According to a post on the official company blog:

We believe that it might actually be possible to build a ring of balloons, flying around the globe on the stratospheric winds, that provides Internet access to the earth below. It's very early days, but we've built a system that uses balloons, carried by the wind at altitudes twice as high as commercial planes, to beam Internet access to the ground at speeds similar to today's 3G networks or faster.… Read more

LiveMap offers augmented-reality helmet for motorcyclists

Imagine a souped-up Google Glass built into a motorcycle or bicycle helmet that superimposes information and directions in front of your eyes as you speed down a highway or move through a congested downtown area.

LiveMap, a startup based in Moscow, is developing a motorcycle helmet with a head-mounted display, built-in navigation, and Siri-like voice recognition. The helmet will have a translucent, color display that's projected on the visor in the center of the field of vision, and a custom user interface, English language-only at launch, based on Android.

Unlike visor-mounted heads-up displays, which have been available for a … Read more

Google Glass search shown off in new video

This week Google's Project Glass team released a video demonstrating just how good the augmented reality specs are at what Google does best, search.

Much of the hype around Glass has centered on its ability to capture a true first-person perspective (we've already seen the first marriage proposal through Glass), but the 20 sample searches in the embedded vid below showcase the power of what's essentially Google Now at its best, integrated into the new hardware.

We've heard plenty of rhetoric from Sergey Brin and others at Google about using Glass as a means of getting the device out of the way; providing a more seamless experience that allows a user to search without having to translate a query into a series of swipes and taps. The video shows off some of the most realistic uses for a Glass search, such as accessing flight information while driving, checking last night's sports scores, and even the requisite pictures of cats in pajamas.… Read more

Office for iPhone? Not without a subscription

CNET Update wonders if Clippy can help:

In this episode of Update:

- Get disappointed with the new Mobile Office app for iPhones.

- Practice saying the names of new Android-based video game consoles: M.O.J.O., Ouya, & GamePop.

- Bid farewell to ads in your Facebook search results.

- Double check your Android downloads for malware app impostors.

- End nagging notifications with updates to Google+.

CNET Update delivers the tech news you need in under three minutes. Watch Bridget Carey every afternoon for a breakdown of the big stories, hot devices, new apps, and what's … Read more

You can limit the amount of data Google Music uses on Android

Google's music-streaming service All Access launched last month during I/O. The service, similar to that of Spotify or Slacker, allows Android users to create radio stations or stream entire albums directly on an Android device.

Streaming isn't a new feature in the Google Music app, as you have been able to stream music library stored in the cloud service for a while now. But All Access has increased the amount of streaming, and thus increased data usage.

Google on Thursday updated the Android Music app, which now allows you to choose the audio quality streamed through the … Read more

Too many stars in the 'S4' galaxy dull Samsung's brand

In just two short months we've seen the debut of five Samsung Galaxy S4 phones: the Samsung Galaxy S4, the Galaxy S4 Active, the Galaxy S4 Google Edition, the Galaxy S4 Mini, and the Galaxy S4 Zoom. There are already rumors of a sixth, the 6.3-inch Galaxy S4 Mega.

Making matters more confusing is that the phone specs vary, and some Galaxy S4 phones may offer an experience that's quite different from the original top-rated S4's. From my perspective, Samsung is simply muddying its S4 brand name with too many Galaxy S4s.

When I think of … Read more

View your recent Google account activity

Your Google account is responsible for giving you access to more than just your e-mail nowadays. Your Google account provides you with access to a wide range of Google services, including Google Music, Google Drive, and Google+. It also allows you to log in and set up devices, like Android smartphones, tablets, and Chromebooks.

To help you keep an eye on your Google account, Google tracks your recent account activity and allows you to review them from your Google Dashboard. It's similar to the Gmail "Last account activity," but includes more than just your Gmail activities. To … Read more

Google's Android faces EU probe over licensing practices

Google has faced some European Union antitrust scrutiny as of late, but the company's troubles might have only just begun.

The Financial Times reported Thursday, citing EU documents it claims to have seen, that the governing body's competition watchdogs are conducting an informal investigation into whether Google is violating competition regulations with its Android operating system. According to the documents, Microsoft and Nokia, among other competitors, have complained to the EU that Google is violating competitive rules with its handling of Android.

The Financial Times story follows a report from The New York Times in April, saying that … Read more

Acer now eying wearable tech too

Acer is looking at wearable technology as its next big opportunity, a high-level executive told tech Web site Pocket-Lint.

The wearable technology market could be worth billions of dollars to the industry, ST Liew, president of the smartphone business group at Acer, told Pocket-Lint in an interview. He teased some wearable tech product to emerge in 2014.

Acer is just the latest company to look into wearable tech, a burgeoning market that is starting to see interest from major players. From Google Glass to the Nike Fuelband, the category has begun to pick up steam. The products are often seen … Read more