Google Now lands on your desktop through Chrome Canary

Google has finally unveiled the Google Now personal assistant service on the desktop through the experimental version of the desktop browser Chrome Canary. Users can access the service by enabling the correct flag (chrome://flags/#enable-google-now) and then relaunching the browser. You will then receive a notice on the Windows system tray or Mac Notification Center once the service has been successfully integrated.

According to the support page, you can see weather, current traffic for commuting, event reminders, and sport scores cards. The other cards like public alerts and nearby photo spots will hopefully be integrated into the desktop version in the future.

Source: The Next Web

BBC now uses Instagram to disseminate news

BBC is turning to Instagram to disseminate 10-second news clips and they are hoping to get follower feedback from the new project they dubbed as #Instafax. There are so far two Instafax clips mixed in with over 200 posts from the news service’s account.

BBC is following in the footsteps of startup NowThis News and other tech sites who use Instagram videos to help present information in a different way and reach out to people.

Achvr to help Schemer users fulfill plans

With Google set to shut down Schemer next month, free iOS app and gamified site Achvr will help you keep your schemes. Schemer users can send their CSV/HTML archive from the service to AchieveYourSchemes@achvr.co to have the Achvr team migrate the data to an Achvr account and let you continue crossing off items on your bucket list.

Achvr is designed to provide a game-like environment to encourage users to try new things and have a record of all the cool things you’ve done.

Google Glass explorer gets pulled over, pleads not guilty to distracted driving charge

A California woman wearing Google Glass was pulled over and charged for going 80 mph in a 65 mph zone in San Diego. The first known incident regarding Google's wearable computer behind the wheel, it calls attention to a polarizing product that's started a revolution in heads up devices but brought out all manner of torches and pitchforks in defense of privacy.

Cecilia Abadie, who pleaded not guilty to the distracted driving charge as well as the speeding charge,  is a software developer and among the 30,000 'explorers' chosen by Google to test-drive the new technology while paying the software giant US $1,500 for the privilege. Glass is supposed to come to the mainstream this year but the pricing has not yet been revealed.

"It's a big responsibility for me and also for the judge who is going to interpret a very old law compared with how fast technology is changing," Abadie explained, she wears Google Glass up to 12 hours a day.

Abadie claims the Glasses were not on while she was driving.

Source: Calgary Herald

Update on Thursday, January 16, 2014 at 11:33PM by Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

Case dismissed