Google

Reefcasting The Google Chromecast

Google Chromecast bite pic.jpg

If you want to watch Netflix and YouTube on your television, you have a few options -  video game console, Blu ray player, smart TV, Apple TV, or Roku Box. Google has developed an alternative that is both more affordable and easier to set up  The Google Chromecast lets any iOS or Android device, as well as any computer running the Google Chrome browser, control video streaming on your television. For $35, it's a steal. Check out my video review below!

Airport Tech: Sometimes They Get It Rignt

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One thing I really hate about airports is never being able to find an open outlet to charge your devices. There's always one random outlet located in a far off gate. To top it off, its usually not near a seat, so you have to sit on the dirtiest floor imaginable.

Another thing that disappoints me about most airports is having to pay for Wi-Fi. After paying for the cost of a ticket, transportation to the airport, baggage checking fees, and the ungodly price of horrible airplane food, I hate having to pay another fee.

Check out how St Louis Lambert Airport ranks in outlets and Wi-Fi in the video below! If you can't see it, click here!

Thank You, Internet


The internet has changed my life. I've been able to easily keep up with old friends, find new friends that share my interests, and keep myself educated on everything from history to electronics. And of course, this blog would be nothing more than a personal journal if I couldn't share it online.

The flag shown above was created by Google and is comprised of several quotes about what makes the internet awesome. Check out some of the quotes in detail in the video embedded below, and add your quote at Google's site.


Google+ is Social Networking Done Right

Source: Mashable

 

I've spent a bit of time on Google's new social network, Google+. My profile page is linked here. It's currently in a limited beta with a few participants, but so far the suite of features offered is very impressive.

The network is structured around groups of people, or circles. Any time you add someone as a contact, you can put them in one or more circles. This can be done by dragging names into these circles, which is very intuitive. For example, I have circles for close family and friends, tech pundits, forum buddies, etc.

Any status updates that I push out - whether photos, quick one liners, or essays - have to be sent out on a circle basis. There is an option to send things out publicly to anyone on the site, but the main focus is that you can easily control who you are communicating with.

It's still in beta, but I'm looking forward to seeing how Google ties this network in with other services such as Google Docs, Google Alerts, and Google Trends.  Imagine if I can search on certain terms that people are talking about (I would only see results that are within my circles or public), and can view how that topic trends over time. It's the perfect mashup of Facebook's relationships and Twitter's topic search capabilities.

The possibilities are endless if Google really puts everything behind this and implements it will. And why won't they. Reportedly, everyone's bonus at the company is tied into the success of Google's social efforts. If that won't motivate some of the greatest minds in the industry to innovate, what will?