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40 'London' stories October 2011 - October 2012

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NYTimes profiles impact of $40 Android tablet in India

Jordan Kahn Oct 19 2012 - 9:14 am PT

The New York Times has a story today on a $40 Android-powered tablet called “Ubislate 7Ci” made by London-based Datawind. The 7-inch tablet is aimed at students in India initially, and it packs an 800-by-480-pixel touchscreen, Android 4.0.3, a 1GHz Cortex A8 processor, and 512MB of RAM, USB port, headphone jack, mic, front-facing camera, and Wi-Fi. The company sold 2.5 million of the tablets so far, and it is about to provide a 100,000 unit to the government for India’s schools:

Mr. Singh says his cost of assembly for a Ubislate is about $37, and he sells it to the Indian government for $40. He keeps the price low by using Google’s free Android operating system and cheap semiconductors found in low-end cellphones. In addition, he says, his company figured out how to make its own touch panel to fit behind the liquid crystal display screen. The LCD is still manufactured by an outside company.

The tablet’s performance looks to be half-decent for the price tag from the video demo below. That is if you can get past its ad-supported apps. However, with recent rumors of a $99 Nexus tablet, we can only imagine what kind of an impact a $50 Nexus 7 could have. According to Gartner, it might be just a year or two before that is a reality.

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YouTube celebrates success of original channel initiative by launching more channels from Europe and US

Élyse Betters Oct 8 2012 - 7:09 am PT

YouTube announced 100 original channels were coming to the video-sharing platform last fall, and now it is following up exactly one-year later with the launch of new channels coming from France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States.

“From local cuisine, health and wellness and parenting to sports, music, comedy, animation and news, this new lineup of original channels will have something for everyone,” revealed YouTube on its global blog. “They are backed by some of the biggest producers, well-known celebrities and emerging media companies from Europe and the U.S.”

Along with the news about upcoming channels, YouTube also revealed a few statistics on the success of its one-year-old initiative:

Our top 25 original channels are now averaging over a million views every week
800 million of your are watching 4 billion hours every month, that’s up from 3 billion hours earlier this year
The number of people subscribing has doubled y/y
And partners this year are reaching the 100k subscriber mark 5x faster than they were just two years ago

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YouTube Creator Space opens in London to spur premium content [Video]

Élyse Betters Jul 25 2012 - 8:25 am PT

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEMqxcfIqp4&feature=player_embedded]

Google just unveiled its “YouTube Creator Space” in London.

The high-tech studio will essentially allow YouTubers to create premium content for Google’s video-sharing platform. They will have access to technical equipment, and other YouTube content producers, which will undoubtedly encourage quality videos based on fresh, collaborative ideas.

“We’re delighted to announce that in the next few weeks we’ll be opening the doors to our new creator space, housed in the offices of Google London’s Soho office,” announced the company on its YouTube Creator Hub channel.

According to the above video’s description:

Our partners from all over Europe, Middle East and Africa will be able to book time in the space to create and collaborate with other creators, learn new techniques, as well as gaining access to state-of-the-art audio visual equipment, to help them generate great new content for their channels. The creator space is complete with the latest equipment such as DSLRs and cinema cameras, two studios including a green screen and fully staffed editing suites.

The YouTube Next Lab, which is a team “focused on accelerating the growth and development of channels and creators on YouTube,” will oversee the London studio.

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Google and Tate Modern collaborate on ‘This Exquisite Forest’ project

Seth Weintraub Jul 19 2012 - 8:12 am PT

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnhJ1841K-8&feature=player_embedded]

I suspect that—a lot like both YouTube and museums— this project will benefit from a great deal of curation.
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CamUp sues Google, says Google+ and YouTube stole Hangouts feature

Élyse Betters Jul 2 2012 - 10:54 am PT

CamUp filed a lawsuit late last week that claimed Google ripped its video-chat feature for Google+ and YouTube.

The lawsuit filing revealed Marissa Mayer, Google’s vice president, along with a few Mountain View engineers, approached the New York-based startup at the South by Southwest Festival in March 2011. They later met in London to negotiate adding a Hangout-like button, called “Watch with your friends on CamUp,” to Google’s popular video-sharing platform, YouTube. Despite receiving accolades on its product, CamUp did not hear from the Googlers after the meeting.

By May 2011, CamUp detected an alarming amount of visits from Google’s headquarters in California. The startup suggested that the traffic is evidence of Google beginning to examine its product for copying purposes. Google launched Hangouts with a “Watch your friends” button just one month later, which were allegedly indistinguishable from CamUp’s offerings.

CamUp is seeking damages, an injunction to remove Hangouts on YouTube and Google+, and it is suing Google UK’s Director of Business and Markets Richard Robinson.

The filing (via GigaOM) is embedded below.

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Google’s VP of Product talks Flipboard integration and enterprise, demos Hangouts on iPad [Audio]

Élyse Betters Jun 19 2012 - 7:50 am PT

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfQrhMb18dY]

Google’s Vice President of Product Management Bradley Horowitz announced a Google+ partnership with Flipboard and teased an enterprise version of the social network at Le Web 2012 in London this morning, but he also demonstrated Hangouts…on an iPad.

According to TheNextWeb, the Flipboard partnership will stream Google+ feeds into the app as part of the Mountain View, Calif.-based Company’s new Google+ APIs that now sport limited availability for developers. The integration will also allow Flipboard users to get access to posts, media, and other data without visiting Google+ directly. Other social networks on Flipboard include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr.

Horowitz further demonstrated Google+ Hangouts at the conference with an iPad. TheNextWeb’s Jamillah Knowles was on-hand to ask the executive why he chose Apple’s tablet over an Android device for the conference, but his response was vague (as heard in the audio clip above).

The Googler was also obscure in regards to numbers. He noted the 170 million-user base for Google+ as a “stale” estimate, and he would not give specific stats on whether Google+ apps prod interaction. He did mention, however, that Google has dreams for its social network in the enterprise.

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Samsung ‘AllShare Cast’ is Airplay, and ‘ShareCast Dongle’ is AppleTV for Galaxy S III

Seth Weintraub May 3 2012 - 12:58 pm PT

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One feature that Samsung shared today at the S II launch event, which possessed more than a passing resemblance to its iOS counterpart, was “AllShare Cast.” It is a way of slinging video around the house. To go with it, Samsung is adding an “AllCast Dongle” to the mix to catch those videos and put them on an HDTV a la Apple TV.

On one hand, it is pretty blatant copying. On the other hand, it is really useful.

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Galaxy S III debuts Siri-like function ‘S-Voice’

Élyse Betters May 3 2012 - 12:55 pm PT

Samsung just unveiled the Galaxy S III in London, and the new smartphone boasted a ton of new features, such as “S-Voice.” The built-in feature is Samsung’s equivalent of Siri, but it does much more than Apple’s offering. It manages certain functions and is customizable with up to four wake-up commands. For example, set it to respond with the phrase “Wake up,” and it will automatically unlock the smartphone’s screen. The voice-control tech is also integrated with applications, such as the camera app. Just say, “Hi! Galaxy, picture,” and then say “Cheese.” Walah!—The picture is captured. Oh, and S-Voice can even control music.

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Galaxy S III TV commercial (Video)

Élyse Betters May 3 2012 - 12:24 pm PT

[youtube=http://youtu.be/2lpLGb1WW8E]

Samsung just unveiled the Galaxy S III in London and has already posted its first television advertisement for the smartphone on YouTube. A few official images for the device were also included on Facebook—check them out:

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Mark Ronson & Coca-Cola release beat maker app for Olympics

Jordan Kahn Apr 23 2012 - 7:38 am PT

With the 2012 Summer Olympics in London set to kick off in the coming months, official sponsor of the games Coca-Cola teamed with producer Mark Ronson to create an Android app called “Coca-Cola Olympic Games My Beat Maker.” As you might imagine, the app allows you to create your own beats, but it does so by letting you chop up the official Coca-Cola anthem for the London 2012 Olympic Games—”Anywhere in the World” by Ronson featuring Katy B.

My Beat Maker uses amazing technology to detect the movements of your phone and transform them into music so you can make your own beats!… Bust out your own loops and beats based on the official Coca-Cola® anthem for the London 2012 Olympic Games, Mark Ronson featuring Katy B’s Anywhere in the World, just from the motion of your phone.

Badoo nabs Google’s jack-of-all-trades Ben Ling for COO gig

Élyse Betters Apr 19 2012 - 7:36 am PT

Badoo is a social discovery website founded in 2006 that is managed out of SoHo, London and quickly reaching its 148 million user, but today it announced a very pivotal hire.

Google’s Product Management Director of Search Products and Local Business Products Benjamin Ling is leaving the search engine to become Badoo’s Chief Operating Officer. He will help Badoo expand across mobile and Web platforms, which is essential since the website is widely revered as one of Europe’s leading Internet firms.

“One of the things that attracted me to Badoo is its mainstream appeal. Badoo is putting the ‘social’ back into social networking, and it’s doing it on a massive scale. To me, that’s a thrilling opportunity,” announced Ling.

Ling’s new gig starts May 2012 in London, where he will oversee corporate matters, product, business operations, engineering, and partnerships.

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Google hires ex-Old Spice ad creator for its marketing team

Élyse Betters Apr 16 2012 - 5:01 pm PT

The creative mind behind the head-turning Old Spice advertising campaign just joined the Google Creative Lab.

Wieden + Kennedy’s Iain Tait is leaving his executive creative director gig behind and opting for a role that promotes Android, Google+, Chrome, and other Google-branded services. Aside from the slue of YouTube slapstick Old Spice videos, he is also known for his advertising work at Levi’s, Coke, and Nike.

“I’m going to be an ECD at Google Creative Lab in New York,” announced Tait in a blog post. “I can’t believe that I’m leaving W+K. And I can’t believe that I’m about to join Google Creative Lab. The whole thing is kind of unbelievable.”

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To button or not to button: Samsung reportedly keeps button for upcoming Galaxy 3

Élyse Betters Apr 10 2012 - 8:14 am PT

Samsung’s Galaxy S III will feature a home button under the display.

South Korea newspaper Korean Digital Daily (translated) added to the rumor machine today with sources that claim the upcoming smartphone will sport Samsung’s accustomed home button, despite much speculation claiming otherwise.

The Galaxy S III will even boast a five-column icon layout showcased in the Samsung Galaxy Note. This would help the device standout from other Android handsets, and the iPhone, which has maintained a four-column icon layout since its initial 2007 launch.

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First-ever Google TV Hackathon Weekend starts April 20; Hangout with Google TV execs tomorrow

Élyse Betters Apr 9 2012 - 1:20 pm PT

Google is presenting the first-ever Google TV Hackathon Weekend for television-loving Android geeks later this month.

The Internet giant announced today that it is collaborating with the Silicon Valley Android Developers Group and the London Android Group to host two simultaneous TV Hackathons with the goal of creating new experiences for Google TV.

The SVAndroid Hackathon is taking place at Google TV headquarters in Mountain View, Calif., and tickets are $20, but purchasing options end April 17.

Team ideas will be announced April 20, and the following day is “devoted to building, with breaks for demo sessions, Q&As, and a hangout with Google TV developers,” according to the Official Google TV Blog. The teams will present ideas to judges April 22 for the chance to win tickets to Google I/O and other prizes.

The Londroid Hackathon is occurring at the Google Campus in London, United Kingdom. It will run concurrent with the Mountain View event to gather Android devs throughout Europe.

“We will kick things off bright and early on Saturday, April 21, with introductions and background information on developing for Google TV. Teams will power on through Saturday night so that we can do a round of presentations and prizes at lunchtime on Sunday,” explained Google TV Senior Developer Advocate Paul Carff on the Official Google TV Blog.

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Samsung World Tour: Galaxy Note gets November 3rd UK launch, S-Pen SDK coming in December

Jordan Kahn Oct 28 2011 - 9:33 am PT

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwggXtw6z7U]

Samsung wrapped up their Galaxy event in London last night (above) where they made a November 3rd UK launch date official for the 5.3-inch Galaxy Note and also gave us a closer look into the S-Pen SDK and “S Choice” apps designed specifically for the Note’s built-in Wacom digitizer stylus tech.

Among the “S Choice” apps that will be available upon launch include OmniSketch, Zen Brush, ComicBook!, iAnnotate PDF, ZigZag virtual whiteboard, and Soonr Workplace. The majority of these apps are art-focused sketching, animation, and annotation apps, but Soonr Workplace is a productivity suite of sorts that includes document collaboration among other features.

Samsung will be making the S-Pen SDK available to devs starting in December so they can start developing apps specifically for the stylus. If you haven’t yet got a chance to check out the S-Pen in action, the video of yesterday’s event above has some live demos of artists creating some pretty incredible creations using the apps we just told you about.

The Galaxy Note packs in a 5.3-inch Super AMOLED display, 1.4 GHz dual core processor, 5100 mAmp battery, supports native 720p video, and has a 7 1/2 mm thin design. Samsung will continue to roll out the Note to the rest of major European markets by the end of November. You can check out the latest Samsung Galaxy advert here.

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HTC unveils the Sensation XL, packing Beats Audio

Jake Smith Oct 6 2011 - 3:29 pm PT

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mF0j02SuFw&feature=channel_video_title]

At the Beats Audio event in London, HTC unveiled the Sensation XL this afternoon — a massive device packing Beats audio. The XL name is definitely not exaggerating, seeing as the device features a whopping 4.7-inch display (you really see how big it is after the break). The device also ships with Beats Audio embedded and urBeats headphones, like its Sensation XE brethren.

Full specs for the device include a 1.5 GHz Qualcomm processor, Android 2.3.5 w/ Sense 3.5, 16 GB of internal memory, a 4.7-inch display (800 x 480), 8-megapixel rear-facing camera, 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera, and 1600 mAH battery.

The Sensation XL lands in Europe sometime in November. Check out Engadget’s hands-on after the break:

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