Google Hangouts - 2 Months After

After two months, very few updates have been released for Google Hangouts. While I'm pretty happy with the mobile app (apart from not being able to zoom in on photos), a lot is still desired on the desktop side.

A Chrome extension replaced the native Windows app. However this is severely lacking. It feels heavier than the older Google Talk app, and after a few hours of uses it feels considerably slower. Chrome has been getting heavier throughout the years, and such extensions will only continue to increase the CPU and memory usage.

However my biggest annoyance is that there is no way to disable the annoying sound notification for each and every message received. There are a number of alternative solutions such as blocking the sound by using AdBlock but certainly such a feature should be one of the first options to be included. However, 2 months on, such an option has never surfaced.

My biggest disappointed is that I expected a higher development rate of this messaging client to make it simply the best messaging app out there on all platforms. However after 2 months, I have not seen such a development rate. I prefer incremental updates to one update each year.

SmartWatch(1): Apple iPod Nano Watch - A lost opportunity?

In a few months we are likely to see the release of a number of smart watches by Google, Android, Samsung and maybe even Microsoft. The first thing I that comes to mind is the iPod Nano 6th generation.

This reignites up the questions surrounding Apple's decision to stop doing the iPod Nano in the watch form factor and switched to a larger size similar to previous generations. With the Nano 6th generation, Apple was very close to a proper smart watch. They had basic apps, what they needed to do was to build further apps and sync with the iPhone to receive messages and emails. What the Pebble does today it could have been easily done by Apple in the iPod Nano watch.

Did Apple lose a golden opportunity? By changing the form factor of the new iPod Nano, Apple threw away the huge advantage it had with the possibility of being in this market 2 years before anyone else. Now Apple will most likely release its smart watch during the same period as other competitors or even latter.

What makes it harder to understand is that the iPod watch become quite popular with a number of device accessory makers who created different types of bands for it. The answer few can answer is what led Apple to this change in direction. I repeat, it could (or should) have been leading the Tech world in a new type of wearable computers.

The iPod Nano actually looked quite nice and accessories for it included high quality looking metal bands. I would be surprised if a smart watch by Apple or someone else resembles its form factor and design.

iPod Nano 6th gen with Gunmetal Watch Band

Back in February the New York Times reported that Apple is developing “wristwatch-like devices”. These devices are reportedly made of curved glass. Innovative technology will without any doubt make it a much better device than the iPod Nano version, but the fact still remains that Apple could have been in this segment of the market a year or two ahead of its rivals

The New Google+ & Personalised Home Stream

The new three column layout opens up a lot of opportunities for Google to personalise your stream. Three column spanning posts are there to grab your attention and this is where personalisation will play an important part. If Google uses its knowledge on your interests, Google can start pushing the posts you will most likely and enjoy to the front and centre of your stream.

How is Google going to benefit from this?

If Google had to push interesting content to the relevant persons the interaction rate will increase substantially creating a very lively and close communities in Google+. Google already does something similar in Google Now where it suggests you movies to watch, automatically knows which sports team you follow and several other things.

At the end of the day one of the fundamental aims of Google is to provide people with relevant information and data. In the past the main aim was to provide you data according to what you searched for. Today the main aim is to provide you with data you want or like before actually searching for it.

Is Google already doing so?

If I had to guess I would say YES! Formula One one of my favourite sports features heavily in the three column posts Google+ is offering me. Apart from this I can also see a number of shared YouTube videos of bands which I recently search for on YouTube or Google Search. This might be coincidence but I believe Google are already doing so. If not I'm sure it will be introduced in the very near future.

How can it be done?

One of the key tools in doing this is by matching hash-tags  These can be user inputted or automatically generated hash-tags. Hash-tags are the essence of the posts and they are on the increase especially with those created automatically. More hast-tags could be being generated and associated with the posts without being shown to us.

By linking related hash-tags with your posts and those posts you +1 and comment on, Google can present you with an incredibly personalised home stream without having to go through the noise generated. Let us remember that this is not an issue of giving prominence to one particular user in your circles. We have different hobbies and interests. We might have circled each other for a particular interest but we are not interested in the rest.

Photo Tools

Google will also without any doubt use the photo tools they introduced to identify those beautiful images and push them in the centre of your stream by offering them in the 3 column spanning posts. My steam has over the fast days been full of beautiful and high images colouring my feed.

This is Just the Start

Without any doubt this is just the start. Given the quick and high developments occurring in Google+ and the other Google Products optimisations to these models and features will be rolled out frequently. From all of this we are set to benefit from tailor-made home streams full of interesting posts and comments.

Suarez - Stays or Leaves?

The question on most of Liverpool fans mind is of whether Suarez will stay or decide to leave. At the moment I'm sure no one knows, even Suarez whether he'll be staying or leaving. On the other hand Liverpool might have already decided to sell him - which as a Liverpool fan I hope not.

I believe that if Suarez leaves Liverpool he'll also leave England. I don't think Liverpool and the fans could have done anything better in his regard. They have supported throughout all his problems, something that other fans would never do.

There are a small section of the fans which immediately called for the sale of Suarez and the reinvestment of the money in one or two top class players. This could be an option if Liverpool want to sell Suarez. However the big question is whether Liverpool will attract these big players. These days there are more than one club which can 'steal' our transfer targets from under our hands - Man Utd, Man City, Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham ....

If it was up to me, Suarez stays. After getting a 10 match ban he stills trains and enjoys playing football from what I could see in the training photos. This is a trait which ain't that common any more in footballers. Suarez is madly in love with football. He is and acts as a football fan not a football superstar.

His hunger for winning, his frustration in losing (resulting in bans) and his high work rate are the three reasons I would never let go of him.

Who is damaging England's reputation? Suarez or the FA+SKY?

Many shared their views on the Suarez - Ivanovic incident, one of which was David Cameron. Cameron justified his remarks on this particular case by saying the incident "sets the most appalling example to young people in our country." 

However is Suarez at fault for all of this? He is clearly sorry and apologised more than twice. One cannot also let off the media companies who played replays of the incident for tens of times during the match. If you don't want to give a bad example to children, shouldn't the amount of replays be limited to once or twice?

In Italy there is a limit on the number of instant replays for controversial referee decisions. This was done to safeguard the referees from extreme criticism they were suffering. Shouldn't a similar clause limit the amount of replays for such incidents?

All this hype and replays all led to widely publicise the "appalling example" and harsher ban given to Suarez - a view shared by a number of former players.

At least one positive comes from Mancini who says that "Luis Suarez is his player of the year, despite the Liverpool striker's ban for biting Branislav Ivanovic."

Suarez Sorry Statement

My Favourite YouTube Reviewers

Today I'm going to share with you my favourite three tech reviewers on YouTube. The honours go to +Marques Brownlee, +Sam Pullen and +Armando Ferreira.

+Marques Brownlee aka MKBHD is the best all rounder; great content, great visuals, brilliant presentation and speaking skills. The following clip is a brilliant interview by +Euro Maestro with MKBHD.

+Sam Pullen does a number of device reviews and Top Wallpapers, Games and Apps of the week. His Channel features a number of side by side mobile camera comparisons which are must see for those interested in phone photography.

+Armando Ferreira is certainly the best in detailed reviews of certain products. Detailed videos on Android Themes and products like 10 inch tablets such as MS Surface. However he's still most likely know for 'Why is Android Better than iOS'. Below is Part 1 of 5 of this very popular series with over 950k views.

A shout out also goes to +Dave Cryer. If it was a year ago he would certainly be in the Top 3, however I have not been a big fan of his latest content. Was a big fan of the Question and Answer series which seems to have been shelved. I'm still on the look out for any future changes in Geekanoids hopefully moving back towards its roots.

Google+ Integration with Blogger

Google is widening the Google Plus integration over the whole range of product. A few days ago it was the turn of Blogger. As can be seen in the screenshot below, the description accompanying the Share Post is now added in the comments. Any replies to that Google+ post is also shown in the comments.

This is a move to eliminate the fragmentation of comments that exists across blogs and social networks where they are shared. The G+ integrated comments is the best way to bring everything together.

This shows the potential G+ has and I can't wait to see such integrations with other products. I'm sure that a similar system will be used to YouTube in the near future. YouTube is already integrated with Google+ as can be seen in a YouTube video by +martin shervington (link). Such a move will only keep increasing the G+ and YouTube integration.