Google brings premium Google+ features for Apps customers

Google aims to entice more enterprise and business users to use its Apps services with new Google+ “premium” features. App customers will have access to HD-quality hangouts and they can invite up to 15 people per session. These users also have more control over their privacy settings including restricting their domain to being visible only to employees and colleagues as well as hide their profiles from public searches.

Source: The Next Web

Microsoft developing passive voice activation for Cortana

Looks like Microsoft is keen on bringing Cortana up to par with Google’s and Apple’s own digital personal assistants with the new features they are throwing in. Marcus Ash, the group program manager for Cortana on Windows Phone, tweeted that their team is currently working on passive voice activation for their service. This would mean you no longer have to hold the search button or tap on the live tile to activate Cortana. You would just need a voice command like when you say “Ok, Google” for Google Now or "Hey Siri," for iOS 8.

Something to think about as we design voice activation for #Cortana. Don't want Jesse sending texts on your behalf. http://t.co/Vq4uXB0P6q

— Marcus Ash (@marcusash) June 17, 2014

Source: Ubergizmo

Sharp introduces new AQUOS BOARD interactive displays

If you work in the creative field or need more tools for collaboration, Sharp has introduced at new line of interactive displays for boardrooms and even video conferences. The AQUOS BOARD allows for up to 10 points of contact and up to four people writing simultaneously on the screen using either their fingers or the Sharp touch pens. It can push content directly to connected mobile devices and a faster touch response rate of up to 200 times per second for nearly zero delay as possible. There is also an anti-glare film that helps reduce reflections and glare and minimize fingerprint marks on the board.

The AQUOS BOARD is available in 70-inch and 60-inch and has to two configurations users can choose depending on their requirements. The PN-L703B and PN-L603B are open-platform models that need an external PC. This will allow users to run any Microsoft Windows-based applications on the AQUOS BOARD. Meanwhile, the PN-L703A and PN-L603A come equipped with Sharp Pen Software and Touch Display Link 2 functionality so users will no longer need an external PC to operate the device. The PN-L703B and PN-L603B are currently available at authorized Sharp distributors and dealers, while the PN-L703A and PN-L603A will be available in the summer of 2014.

Apple offers FREE Summer Camp Workshop for Kids

Apple has official started registration for free summer camp workshops for kids. Parents can registered their kids (ages 8 to 12) for three-days of workshop fun bringing their imaginations to life. Kids will learn to interact with technology by making movies or creating interactive books complete with their own illustrations and sound effects. Each workshop ends with the Apple Camp Showcase that features their finished projects.

Stories in Motion with iMovie: campers will learn to create their own movies using storyboard ideas, shoot videos, create an original soundrack in GarageBand and then edit it all together in iMovie.

Interactive Storytelling withiBooks: campers will create their own interactive books by using their own illustrations drawn on the iPad, then add their own sound effects using iBooks Author on a Mac.

The workshops take place at various Apple Stores and are completely free. Kids do not need to bring anything but themselves. This is one of the many youth programs that Apple offers. 

To register, parents should visit www.apple.ca/retail/camp 

Camps run across Canada between July 4th to August 1st, 2014.