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Before I first arrived in San Francisco last week, I had only seen glass on a select number of Google employees, or behind a glass case, preaching the future of computing through its aptly-named pulpit. But for Google I/O this year, it became quickly apparent that any unease I had about seeing this awkwardly-looking construct of glass and metal affixed to peoples’ faces would have to be overcome.

At first, the notion that anyone wearing glass could be photographing or recording me was thoroughly concerning, much like the scuttling of a mouse behind the kitchen cupboard. This wasn’t entirely true, of course: Google had made privacy a primary tenet of Glass’s functionality; any time it is recording video, the eyepiece — the heads-up display through which you view the augmented world — glows a soft yet striking blue. Similarly, it’s not easy to use Glass surreptitiously; you’re constantly looking up and touching the side of your head as if to scratch a spasmodic itch.

Maluuba came out of nowhere last year to show up both Siri and Google Now at their own natural language game. The idea was simple: input a semantic query using your voice or keyboard and have the information displayed in an easy-to-read card. What the app didn’t know natively — Maluuba partners with a number of category-specific providers such as Yelp and Rotten Tomatoes, for instance — it obtains from search engines.

The app got smarter post-release when it added voice-based shopping to its app, and then earlier this year Maluuba expanded to another platform, Windows Phone 8, on its way to becoming more than just a client-side service. The Waterloo-based startup also released a natural language API, so third-party developers could add its Siri-like functionality to their own apps. While pickup has been slow, Maluuba is steadily making a mark on an industry obsessed with immediate gratification.

Today’s update for Android and Windows Phone 8 is consumer-facing, bringing TV show information and sports scores and standings to the masses. Not only can you ask when the next episode of Seinfeld is but you can inquire about where the Ottawa Senators are in the NHL playoff standings.

For Android users, Maluuba can actually take over the function Google Now on an OS level, so when you swipe up from the home button on a Nexus 4 or hold the home button on an HTC One, you can open the search box directly. Maluuba’s Product Manager, Mohamed Musbah, claims that the app is faster than the competition, and that its 1000 cable and satellite partners creates one of the most comprehensive TV listing databases in the industry.

In our usage, Maluuba rarely steered us wrong, and the easy-to-use interface was far more immediate than Google Now, which shows its Cards on a contextual basis. Maluuba’s category listing is one right-swipe away at all times, and is there to constantly remind you what information you can find. While it may not be every Android user’s saving grace — Google Now’s newly-released location-based reminders and public transit information is pretty fantastic — that it works with Gingerbread is a boon to users on older hardware. It’s also easily the best natural language assistant on Windows Phone 8, and should be a required download for all users.

Download Maluuba for Android and Windows Phone 8.

Samsung has been a long time fan of launching rugged handsets. We’ve seen the Galaxy Rugby II and recently the Rugby LTE become available on various Canadian carriers. New images have surfaced online today that reveal Samsung might step up their game in this device category and bring those wanting a premium smartphone some extra durability.

According to GSMArena, the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active has similar specs the GS4, but is dust and water resistant. Other rumoured specs have the Active possibly coming with a 5-inch 1080p display, quad-core 1.9GHz processor with Adreno 320 GPU and an 8MP camera (GS4 has a 13MP camera). As for its design, the Galaxy S4 Active has some differences, mainly the 3 hardware buttons below the homescreen and the “metallic shell with bolts on the back.”

Yahoo! and its board have approved a cash-only deal to purchase Tumblr for $1.1 billion. The bigger-than-Instagram deal is significant not only for the perplexing match it has created, but for the price paid to a company that, despite its massive audience, has barely made any money.

Tumblr only recently started inserting ads into its 100 million blogs, and though the company gets upwards of 20 billion pageviews every month, it took home just $15 million in revenue last year. That number, according to 26 year-old founder David Karp, is set to soar to $100 million this year, but Yahoo is paying far more than the already-high $800 million valuation considered earlier this year.

Marissa Mayer promises not to mess with a good thing, saying that not only will the company stay independent, but their roadmap will keep the same course. Obviously this could change at some point, but it looks like they’re not going to kill the golden goose.

We promise not to screw it up.  Tumblr is incredibly special and has a great thing going.  We will operate Tumblr independently.  David Karp will remain CEO.  The product roadmap, their team, their wit and irreverence will all remain the same as will their mission to empower creators to make their best work and get it in front of the audience they deserve.  Yahoo! will help Tumblr get even better, faster.

But this could turn out to be one of the best moves the revamped Yahoo has made in recent years. Since coming on board as CEO, former Google VP Marissa Mayer has instigated the purchase of several large brands, largely with the intention of shutting them down and integrating their employees. Popular services like Astrid, a cross-platform to-do tool, was acquired earlier this much and will be shut down by the end of August.

With Yahoo keeping Tumblr independent for now, it will still likely begin pushing some mainstream Yahoo users towards the blogging portal, as a means to drum up advertising revenue. Instagram, for instance, has remained independent but has been more tightly integrated with the Facebook feed. Yahoo is clearly pushing for the same type of cross-demographic alignment, albeit at a scale befitting the web, not just mobile.

Tumblr CEO, David Karp, has apparently committed to staying at Yahoo for four years post-acquisition and will oversee the company he has built from nothing, likely until he is satisfied it is in good hands, or regrets the ones he left it in.

Source: AllThingsD, Yahoo

Samsung promised that they’ll be bringing some of the features in the Galaxy S4 to the previous flagship Galaxy S III. SamMobile has leaked firmware (I9300XXUFME3) for such device and shows the GSIII running Android OS 4.2.2.

Some of the new features are coming, such as the lockscreen widgets and effects (Ripple and Light), enhanced screen modes (Adapt Display and Professional Photo), new Settings UI, voice controls and the new S Voice. Of course, some of the most notable features are not making it into the GS III due to its hardware limitations, namely Air View, smart TV remote app and some camera features like eraser mode.

The reputable site says the OS is still in testing and Samsung is expecting an official Galaxy S III update sometime in June. SamMobile has made it available for download via their site, but install at your own risk.

Despite tepid successes with a few short-lived products, many Android OEMs have not been able to translate smartphone successes to the tablet market. HTC and LG have bowed out altogether, while Sony keeps plugging away, hoping for a hit product.

Samsung appears to be the exception to the rule, fashioning a line of tablets up to the task of competing with Apple’s iPad, considered to be the best option on the market today. Google is still struggling to figure out Android’s tablet strategy, but that hasn’t stopped companies like Samsung from releasing a bevy of slates ranging from enormous to pocketable.

The Galaxy Note 8.0 is the best Android tablet currently available, as it manages to be both relatable to the iPad’s best traits while taking advantage of Android’s inherent flexibility. Its integrated S Pen and Wacom digitizer makes for a stunningly responsive surface on which to write, draw and paint, and its screen size makes upsized phone apps appear less awkward, while still playing nice with native tablet apps.

Below are the top Canadian mobile stories from the past incredibly busy 7 days (BlackBerry Live, Google I/O, Samsung GS4 milestones, and Nokia’s new product launches). In addition, we’ve compiled a list of notable news from around the web.

- TELUS to acquire Mobilicity and its 250,000 subs for $380 million [Read here]
- Nokia Music officially launches today in Canada [Read here]
- BlackBerry winning back Canadians, market share now at 13.5% [Read here]
- BBM for Android and iOS launching this Summer, will be free [Read here]
- WIND adds 11,281 subscribers in Q1, APRU of $27.60/month [Read here]
- Apple: Over 50 billion apps have been downloaded [Read here]
- BBM for iOS and Android will only work on smartphones at launch [Read here]
- Mophie juice pack for HTC One Review [Read here]
- BlackBerry Q5 Hands-On [Read here]
- WIND Mobile and Mobilicity launch the Galaxy S4 [Read here]
- BlackBerry Messenger’s last stand is good for everyone [Read here]
- Google announces 900 million Android activations, 48 billion app downloads [Read here]
- CWTA issues warning about using 3rd party Android VoIP apps [Read here]
- Samsung expects to pass 10 million Galaxy S4 sales next week [Read here]
- White Nexus 4 and Android OS 4.3 rumoured to launch June 10th [Read here]
- North America makes up 57% of worldwide LTE connections [Read here]
- Rogers revamps monthly rate plans [Read here]
- Bell loses 911 class-action lawsuit: “consumers have won an important victory” [Read here]
- Nvidia Shield Hands-on (Video) [Read here]
- Contest: Win a TELUS Galaxy S4 [Enter here]

Around the web:
- Sprint closes deal to buy US Cellular spectrum, adds 420,000 customers [Engadget]
- Android 4.2 coming to One soon, “Senseless” edition later this summer? [AndroidAuthority]
- The Design of the BlackBerry 10 Experience, UI and Device [BerryReview]
- “Law of diffusion of innovation” explains why Windows Phone is about to take off [WMPU]

Stitcher Radio has been trying to convince its users that there is no need to open any other app when aiming to get all your audio-related media. Over the past few years, the company has steadily improved its mobile apps, both on iOS and Android, to offer podcasts, news clips, comedy spots and any other audio content.

Its latest iOS version, 5.3, brings some widely-requested features to the table, including a hands-off Car Mode with large icons and no distractions. This is aimed at users who have already queued up a stream of content and are just looking for the bare minimum functionality while occupied in the car.

The app also has a new front page, which gives a visual breakdown of relevant news based on your most popular or listened-to sources. Also improved is the app’s archives, so if you’re looking for back episodes of your favourite podcast, they’re much easier to find in chronological order.

There are a number of other improvements to playback, too, including a new sleep timer and faster initial program startup.

Stitcher has repeatedly proven it is a venerable choice when it comes to audio content on mobile. The ability to, as the name suggests, “stitch” multiple audio programs together from various categories — music, comedy, news, etc. — means you’ll never run out of things to listen to while commuting or on the go.

Download Stitcher Radio for iOS.

Justice Ron Veal of the Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories has dropped the hammer down on Bell by declaring a victory for thousands of customers who were charged non-existent 911 fees.

The class-action lawsuit originally started in 2007 by Yellowknife residents James and Samuel Anderson, but over the years has spread to include over 30,000 Bell Mobility customers in Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon Territories. Bell charges customers a $0.75/month fee for 9-1-1 service, however, in the North residents are required to dial a 7-digit number to receive RCMP emergency assistance because 9-1-1 service isn’t available in the area. Hence why the lawsuit was originally started – paying for services you don’t receive. The original estimation of the lawsuit was pegged at $6 million, but according to the Globe, Judge Veal said Bell was liable for the false charges, but denied the plaintiffs requests for extra punitive damages. The second stage of the trial will determine how much Bell will pay out, early estimation are between $1-million and $3-million.

Keith Landy, the plaintiffs lawyer, says the lawsuit “was a David and Goliath struggle in which the consumers have won an important victory.”

Source: Globe

Fitbit has made no bones in the past about how difficult it has been to integrate low-power Bluetooth integration with select Android phones. At issue here is not the presence of Bluetooth 4.0, which most modern Android smartphones have, but the software stack required to communicate with third-party accessories like the Fitbit One and Flex.

Every new phone we add Bluetooth 4.0 sync support for requires custom development. While many of the new phones coming out have Bluetooth 4.0 hardware, many of them don’t have the necessary software for third party apps (like ours) to access this hardware. Google recently announced that they will be standardizing support for Bluetooth 4.0 in an upcoming Android OS, which will allow us to sync to Android phones with Bluetooth 4.0 more easily in the future. We’re continuing to work with phone manufacturers and  with Google to try and get sync support for additional devices.

That being said, they’ve added support for the Galaxy S4, which is the fastest-selling Android phone of all time, and is on its way to be the platform’s most popular device. The company, which promises to launch its Fitbit Flex band in Canada later this summer, also says they’ll be adding more Android support when Bluetooth 4.0 support is standardized “in an upcoming Android OS.” This new Android release improves activity graph and sleep recording functionality, too.

Download Fitbit for Android.

Via: Fitbit Blog