Google’s new Privacy Policy

Google’s new Privacy Policy

Donal Trung 9:01 PM Add Comment
Our updated Privacy Policy takes effect today, March 1. As you use our products one thing will be clear: it’s the same Google experience that you’re used to, with the same controls.

And because we’re making these changes, over time we’ll be able to improve our products in ways that help our users get the most from the web.

While we’ve undertaken the most extensive user education campaign in our history to explain the coming changes, we know there has been a fair amount of chatter and confusion.

Here are a few important points to bear in mind:

Our Privacy Policy is now much easier to understand.

We’ve included the key parts from more than 60 product-specific notices into our main Google Privacy Policy—so there’s no longer any need to be your own mini search engine if you want to work out what’s going on. Our Privacy Policy now explains, for the vast majority of our services, what data we’re collecting and how we may use it, in plain language.

Our Privacy Policy will enable us to build a better, more intuitive user experience across Google for signed-in users.

If you’re signed in to Google, you expect our products to work really beautifully together. For example, if you’re working on Google Docs and you want to share it with someone on Gmail, you want their email right there ready to use. Our privacy policies have always allowed us to combine information from different products with your account—effectively using your data to provide you with a better service. However, we’ve been restricted in our ability to combine your YouTube and Search histories with other information in your account. Our new Privacy Policy gets rid of those inconsistencies so we can make more of your information available to you when using Google.

So in the future, if you do frequent searches for Jamie Oliver, we could recommend Jamie Oliver videos when you’re looking for recipes on YouTube—or we might suggest ads for his cookbooks when you’re on other Google properties.

Our privacy controls aren’t changing.

The new policy doesn’t change any existing privacy settings or how any personal information is shared outside of Google. We aren’t collecting any new or additional information about users. We won’t be selling your personal data. And we will continue to employ industry-leading security to keep your information safe.

If you don’t think information sharing will improve your experience, you can use our privacy tools to do things like edit or turn off your search history and YouTube history, control the way Google tailors ads to your interests and browse the web “incognito” using Chrome. You can use services like Search, Maps and YouTube if you are not signed in. You can even separate your information into different accounts, since we don’t combine personal information across them. And we’re committed to data liberation, so if you want to take your information elsewhere you can.

We’ll continue to look for ways to make it simpler for you to understand and control how we use the information you entrust to us. We build Google for you, and we think these changes will make our services even better.

Small Street By Glu Games Inc.

Donal Trung 4:00 AM Add Comment
Build your own town of shops, restaurants and apartments then grow the population of happy citizens to work and play. It’s up to you decide the future of the Small Street citizens. Keep them happy by finding them a dream house and matching them to their perfect job.Build over 40 different shops and buildings in 5 unique business types to populate your small street and employ your citizens
Compatibility-iPhone, iPod touch and iPad.Requires iOS 3.1 or later.
Awesomeness rating-7.6/10
http://itunes.apple.com/in/app/small-street/id469231744?mt=8
 

City of Warfare By Playdom, Inc.

Donal Trung 3:57 AM Add Comment
In a time of world war, can you lead an empire to dominance?Build a military base, train an army, and conquer other players in your quest to achieve world domination!ONLINE MULTIPLAYER GAME.
Compatibility- iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation) and iPad.Requires iOS 4.0 or later.
Awesomeness rating-7.6/10
http://itunes.apple.com/in/app/city-of-warfare/id474307066?mt=8
 

Bobsled By T-Mobile USA

Donal Trung 3:51 AM Add Comment
Bobsled Calling gives you UNLIMITED FREE CALLING to all your friends and family - talk to any of your Facebook friends and make free calls to any phone in US, Canada, and Puerto Rico.With a universal way to communicate, Bobsled users can easily message or call for free across devices, countries, social networks, operating system - and all mobile carriers.Bobsled is a new way to communicate, centered around your social circle. Today, that means one-touch calls with or without phone numbers. Simply tap on a friend to call them. Bobsled will find them on Facebook or their iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch, and connect the call. If they are not there, send chat messages right from the app. Always stay connected with your friends.
Compatibility-iPhone, iPod touch and iPad.Requires iOS 4.2 or later.
Awesomeness rating-7.7/10
http://itunes.apple.com/in/app/bobsled/id456700444?mt=8
 

Mafia Rush™ By Chillingo Ltd

Donal Trung 3:47 AM Add Comment
Mafia Rush is the gangster game you have been waiting for. With unique visuals, deep and dynamic gameplay as well as a ton of items and weapons to unlock, Mafia Rush is the Don of the genre. Defend yourself and your loot against waves of bad guys in four different modes of play; Robbery, Defend, Attack, and Survival. Each mode offers something different and will test you in a new way!Earn experience and cash as you complete stages that you can use to level up your character’s agility, speed and health. You can also buy new weapons and items from Sentry Guns to Rocket Launchers!(itunes description)
Compatibility-iPhone, iPod touch and iPad.Requires iOS 3.1.3 or later.
Awesomeness rating-7.5/10
http://itunes.apple.com/in/app/mafia-rush/id485277994?mt=8
 

Hidden Objects: Gardens of Time By Disney

Donal Trung 3:45 AM Add Comment
Over 40 Hidden Object Scenes! Join over 16 million players that are playing Gardens of Time!INTERNET CONNECTION REQUIRED.
Compatibility-iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation) and iPad.Requires iOS 4.0 or later.
Aweosmeness rating-7.7/10
http://itunes.apple.com/in/app/hidden-objects-gardens-time/id473326170?mt=8
 

Doodle.ly By Doodle.ly, Inc.

Donal Trung 3:42 AM Add Comment
Everyone loves Doodle.ly! Doodle.ly is a social sketchpad for self-expression, creativity and inspiration. It's a fast, fun and easy way to share hand-drawn pictures, sketches, doodles, notes, and scribbles with friends across social networks.Pick from one of several pens, markers, pencils and highlighters to express yourself through a hand-drawn picture, creating a work of art you'll want to share with friends and family. Every time you open up Doodle.ly, you'll see new drawings from your closest friends, and other creative people from around the world. Doodle.ly is for people of all levels of artistic ability.
Compatibility-iPad.Requires iOS 5.0 or later.
Awesomeness rating-7.9/10
http://itunes.apple.com/in/app/doodle.ly/id499952506?mt=8
 

Financial News for iPad By Dow Jones & Company, Inc.

Donal Trung 3:41 AM Add Comment
Financial News is Europe's leading publication for the Investment Banking, Securities and Fund Management industries.The Financial News iPad app brings you breaking news and expert analysis of the European capital markets so you can get the inside track.
Compatibility-iPad.Requires iOS 4.3 or later.
Awesomeness rating-7.8/10
http://itunes.apple.com/in/app/financial-news-for-ipad/id501167530?mt=8
 

Storify By Storify

Donal Trung 3:38 AM Add Comment
Storify's award-winning storytelling platform is now available on iPad! Storify lets you create social stories by browsing social media streams and dragging-and-dropping photos, videos and updates into a story, along with adding your own text. Now, you can use your fingers to combine social media from Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube to tell your story from the iPad.
Compatibility- iPad.Requires iOS 5.0 or later.
Awesomeness rating-7.9/10
http://itunes.apple.com/in/app/storify/id488223180?mt=8
 

GIGABYTE team up with TweakTown to give boards away!

Donal Trung 1:37 AM Add Comment

22789_1_weekly_giveaway_gigabyte_z68xp_ud3_intel_z68_and_a75_ud4h_amd_a75_motherboards

TweakTown are giving away a pair of GIGABYTE boards this week in their aptly named Weekly Giveaway Competition.  The catch? Well it’s all actually rather simple and straightforward; just head over to the TweakTown Facebook page, hit up the old ‘Like’ button, write this comment “I want to win one of two new GIGABYTE motherboards at TweakTown!” and you’re done for the day. Sit back and count down the hours til our buddy Cameron announces the winners on March 5th next week.

The prizes are a Sandy Bridge-ready Z68XP-UD3, and a Llano toting A75-UD4H motherboard. How could you possibly resist?

Check out the competition page here on the TT forums.

Scheduled Release track features update 2/28/12

Scheduled Release track features update 2/28/12

Donal Trung 5:03 PM Add Comment
The following features are now available to domains following the Scheduled Release track:
- No new features to announce

The following features are intended for release to these domains on Mar 6:
- Contacts: Google Contacts integration with profiles and Google+ circles

- Presentations: New presentations editor is now the default editor, also has discussions just like in Docs

- Spreadsheets: Menu options are now supported in right-to-left languages

Release track:
Scheduled

Editions included:
Google Apps, Google Apps for Business, Government and Education

*Scheduled Release track: Domains with ‘Scheduled Release’ option enabled in the administrator control panel. Learn more.

whatsnew.googleapps.com
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates

Christian Ney SMASHES the global memory frequency world record with GIGABYTE A75-UD4H!

Donal Trung 3:11 PM Add Comment

You don’t see this every day I must say. Overclockers push their systems so hard to reach the ultimate frequency and give it absolutely every last bit of “juice” and cold to extract the most they can out of their hardware.

Christian Ney from Switzerland did a remarkable job yesterday smashing the global RAM frequency on the Llano based GIGABYTE A75-UD4H. Yes that’s right, he beat the big boys (with their 990FX boards) using a GIGABYTE Llano board which are meant to be low end.

Now that’s overclocking!!!

normal_IMG_0050

Christian did a writeup on OCAHOLIC website, check it all out HERE and HWBOT submission can be found HERE

Clipboard01

Final result was a RAM frequency of 1868.3MHz (DDR3-3737) FAINTS!!!

IMG_0056GSkillMemoryOCLlano

Congrats man, you are killing it right now!

Understanding accessibility at CSUN 2012

Donal Trung 2:06 PM Add Comment
This week we’re attending the 27th annual CSUN International Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference. As the Internet evolves, screen readers, browsers and other tools for accessibility need to grow to meet the complexity of the modern web. Conferences like CSUN are an opportunity to check in with web users with disabilities: not just to share our progress in making online technologies accessible, but to also discuss improvements for the future.

Who are these users? In August, we conducted a survey with the American Council of the Blind, to find out more about how people with sight impairment use the web. We received nearly 1,000 responses from people who are blind or visually impaired, from a wide range of professions in 57 countries: teachers, software developers, social workers, writers, psychologists, musicians and students. The results paint a picture of why it is critical to improve the accessibility of web applications. Of the respondents:
  • Almost 90 percent reported regularly using the web to keep in touch with friends and family
  • Over half use a smartphone, and over half own more than one computer
  • Over two-thirds of respondents said they use social media
  • Over 50 percent have completed a baccalaureate degree, and of those, 30 percent have gone on to to postgraduate studies at the masters' or Ph.D. level
  • Of those who are currently students, over 70 percent have their assistive technology provided for by their school
  • However, for those who have left school and are of working age, 46 percent are unemployed
Better web accessibility has the potential to increase educational and employment opportunities, provide social cohesion and enable independence for the people with disabilities. We imagine a future for the web where the most visually complex applications can be rendered flawlessly to screen readers and other assistive devices that don't rely on sight, using technologies that work seamlessly on browsers and smartphones.


[click here for audio description]

Since we last attended CSUN, we’ve made several improvements to the accessibility of our products:
If you're attending CSUN 2012, we hope you'll come up and say hello at one of our talks on the accessibility of our products, including the use of video in Google+ and Docs and accessibility on Android devices. And Friday we’ll host a Q&A Fireside chat with Google product teams. You can also try some of these improvements out at our two hands-on demo sessions on Thursday, in the Connaught breakout room:
  • 10am to 12pm—Chromebooks and new features in Google Apps
  • 1pm to 3pm—Android 4.0 Galaxy Nexus phones
If you're not attending CSUN 2012, we'd love to hear your thoughts on accessibility in our web forum.

Open email links directly in Gmail using Chrome

Open email links directly in Gmail using Chrome

Donal Trung 1:30 PM Add Comment
When you go to Gmail in Chrome, you will be asked if you want Gmail to open all email links. Click yes, and clicking on email links in any application on your computer will open a fresh Gmail compose window.

You can set Gmail as your default mail client in Firefox and Internet Explorer as well.

Release track:
Rapid

Editions included:
Google Apps, Google Apps for Business, Government and Education

Languages included:
All languages supported by Gmail

For more information:
http://gmailblog.blogspot.com/2012/02/open-email-links-directly-in-gmail.html
http://support.google.com/chrome/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=1382847

whatsnew.googleapps.com
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates
More control for administrators with new options in chat settings

More control for administrators with new options in chat settings

Donal Trung 1:20 PM Add Comment
Google Apps administrators now have more options when configuring chat settings in the control panel. The following new options are now available and can be configured for the entire domain or at the organizational unit level:

- Allow users to place phone calls to landline and mobile phones from chat.*
- Allow users to place voice calls from chat to other chat users.
- Allow users to place video calls from chat to other chat users.
- Allow users to transfer files to other chat users.

Some existing settings have moved from the ‘Email Settings’ tab and can now also be configured at the organizational level.

Editions included:
Google Apps, Google Apps for Business, Government and Education

Languages included:
US English only (Next Generation version)

How to access what's new:
Log in to the administrator control panel and select “Settings” and then “Chat”. The new options are at the bottom under “Additional Services”.

*Note: If you do not see the new option for phone calls, then this option is not available to you because the Call Phone feature in Gmail is not available in your country. More information on this here.

For more information:
http://support.google.com/a/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=60767

whatsnew.googleapps.com
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates
Google@SXSW: A taste of the Googleplex, in Austin

Google@SXSW: A taste of the Googleplex, in Austin

Donal Trung 12:07 PM Add Comment
Part of what makes Google such a fun place to work is that there’s always something going on: diverse talks, lunchtime concerts, impromptu game tournaments, you name it—all wrapped up with a collective passion for building a better web. So when we were thinking of what we should do for this year’s SXSW, it was pretty obvious: let’s package up a few of the things that we love about Google and bring them with us to Austin, Texas.

Interactive talks
Our participation kicks off on Friday, March 9, in a fireside chat where senior vice president Vic Gundotra will discuss the future of the Google+ project with Guy Kawasaki. We also have Googlers speaking on more than 25 panels, covering topics as varied as the design of Google and YouTube, changing the world through hacking and WebGL’s impact on the web.

Google Village
On March 10-11 we’ll open up the Google Village. We’re taking over Rainey Street (just a few steps away from the Austin Convention Center), setting up shop in four houses and packing them full of demos, drinks, talks and, of course, live music. Here’s what you can expect at each of the houses:

  • Android House: We’re showcasing the latest and greatest from Android, including phones and tablets running Android 4.0, live music on the backyard stage, and a look at cool entertainment for your device.
  • Google Maps House: Interested in enhancing Google Maps with biking directions or updating the business information in your local neighborhood? We'll show you how, plus many other ways you can add more map data to the places you know and love.
  • Developer House: Participate in code labs and spend a day with the team building LEGO® MINDSTORMS® race bots controlled by Android, leading up to the ultimate rumble Sunday evening. Learn more on the Developers Blog.
  • Discovery House: Find out more about our latest creative and advertising products, and see how Google can help you expand your business—or maybe start one.

Live from the Lot
There’s no place like Austin for live music, and on March 15-16 Google Music and YouTube Presents will host Live from the Lot, two days of concerts atop a downtown parking garage. We’ll have performances by The Shins, Gossip, The Ting Tings, Best Coast and Heartless Bastards, to name a few. If you can't make it in person, tune in online for a full live stream of both days’ shows at youtube.com/presents.

Plus, artists officially showcasing at SXSW can also stop by our artist lounge at Live from the Lot to relax and recharge with food, laundry machines, massages and more.

Get more details about our plans for SXSW on our website. The trucks just finished packing up the last Android statue, and we’re all ready to go. It’s Austin or bust—hope to see you there!

Update March 2: Follow ongoing updates about SXSW on their Google+ page. And don't forget to use the hashtag #GoogleSXSW to share your experiences at the Google Village and our other events.

GIGABYTE Spring Extreme Competition is heating up

Donal Trung 10:07 PM Add Comment

I.M.O.G from USA just broke the 8 core CPU PCMARK05 world record while benching for the HWBOT’s GIGABYTE Spring Extreme Competition. He used a GIGABYTE 990FXA-UD7. He forgot to use the competition screenshot guidelines in all that excitement and promised to come back with an even higher score. I like that! hehehe

Check out the competition HERE

Check out the world record score HERE

743487743494

Google Contacts integration with profiles and Google+ circles

Google Contacts integration with profiles and Google+ circles

Donal Trung 7:45 PM Add Comment
The following features which were previously launched in Gmail, are now available to Google Apps users:

- Connected profiles. If your contact has a Google profile, their contact entry will be updated with the profile information they’ve shared with you, including phone numbers, email addresses and more. If they change it in the future, you’ll get those updates automatically. (This has worked for profiles internal to the domain for quite some time, but now we've enabled it for profiles external to the domain as well.)

- Circles in Contacts. If you are a Google+ user, your circles will appear in your contact list, making it easier for you to view the contact information for all of the members of a circle in one place

Release track:
Rapid

Editions included:
Google Apps, Google Apps for Business, Government and Education

Languages included:
All languages supported by Gmail

For more information:
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/12/gmail-and-contacts-get-better-with.html

whatsnew.googleapps.com
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates

Android@Mobile World Congress: It’s all about the ecosystem.

Donal Trung 12:43 AM Add Comment

Each and every day, we are humbled by the trajectory of Android and our partners.

With a year-on-year growth rate of more than 250%, 850,000 new Android devices are activated each day, jetting the total number of Android devices around the world past 300 million. These numbers are a testament to the break-neck speed of innovation that defines the Android ecosystem.

Last year at Mobile World Congress (MWC), we announced that there were more than 150,000 apps in Android Market. That number tripled to more than 450,000 apps today, with over one billion app downloads happening every month. Think about the astonishing number of songs Shazam’ed, places Qype’ed and foursquare mayorships! To celebrate the hard work and success of our developer community, we’ve built special “app pods” into our Android stand at MWC. Many of these featured apps demonstrate the latest Android innovations, such as Android Beam, which lets you share content like web pages, videos, directions, and apps—just by touching two Android phones back to back.

The Android Stand on the eve of Mobile World Congress 2012

If you walk around the Android stand, it’s also evident that our hardware partners are thriving. There are 100+ devices on display at the conveyor belt bar, which is just a small portion of the 800+ Android devices that have launched to date. And what better sign of innovation than the Bling Botpowered by the Android ADKwhich can bedazzle your Galaxy Nexus backplate with perfect precision.

We’re just getting started at Mobile World Congress, so keep checking android.com/mwc and the +Android page on Google+ for updates.

Posted by Andy Rubin, SVP, Mobile and Digital Content

Opening the Oscar (search) envelope

Donal Trung 11:28 AM Add Comment
Time to polish the champagne flutes and brush up on your movie trivia—it’s almost Oscar night again. Before you make any Oscar bets, get an edge by exploring Google Insights for Search. Out of the major entertainment awards shows (Tonys, Emmys, Grammys) the Oscars are the most popular in terms of search volume, and as we discovered last year, patterns in search behavior can help us predict which stars will go home with shiny gold statues. So without further delay, let’s open the (search) envelopes and see who the Oscar (may) go to this year.

Best Picture
Last year we found that for three years running, the films that won best picture had two things in common when it came to search data. First, the winning movies had all shown an upward trend in search volume for at least four consecutive weeks during the previous year. Second, within the U.S. the winning film had the highest percentage of its searches originating from the state of New York. Looking at search data for 2011, there were three films that satisfied these conditions—The King’s Speech, The Social Network and Black Swan. Our prediction was on the mark: The King’s Speech took home the Oscar in 2011.

This year, if we assume the two “winning conditions”—at least four consecutive weeks of increasing search volume plus highest regional interest from New York—will apply, then we can narrow down the nominees to a field of four: The Artist, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, Midnight in Paris and War Horse. But how to go from four to one?

Let’s again look back at last year’s finalists. When you compare search query volumes for The King’s Speech, The Social Network and Black Swan, the winning film, The King’s Speech, had the lowest search volume throughout the year leading up to the Oscars. It was the underdog that took home the statue.


We tried the same test on the Best Picture nominees from 2010. The nominated movies in 2010 that met the two conditions were The Hurt Locker and Inglourious Basterds. Once again, it was the the winning film, The Hurt Locker, that had lower search volume in 2009.

If the underdog trend holds this year, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close could be our surprise winner. If we go strictly by search popularity, however, The Artist or Midnight in Paris have the best chances—among our group of four, they’re currently blowing the competition out of the water.


If we’re having a popularity contest, it’s only fair to look at all nine nominees for best picture. A 2-step comparison shows that the most popular films by search volume are The Help and Martin Scorsese's Hugo.

Best Actor
Of this year’s five nominees for Best Actor, Brad Pitt (Moneyball) is clearly the most popular—searches for Brad in the last 12 months far outpace any of the other leading men, as was the case in 2009 when he was nominated for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. However, it could be Brad’s famous good looks that have us searching, which brings about a good point: the most searched-for nominee doesn’t guarantee a win. James Franco had the highest search volume in 2011 but Colin Firth won, and in 2010, George Clooney was the most-searched nominee but Jeff Bridges took home the Oscar.

The pattern emerging over the past few years is that the winner is generally in the middle of the pack in terms of searches and has relatively steady search volume throughout the year. First-time nominee Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) fits that bill this year, but so does George Clooney (The Descendants). Maybe it will finally be George’s year to win Best Actor.


Best Actress
For the past three years, the eventual Best Actress winner has seen a spike of interest in the preceding December. Additionally, two of the three most recent winners have had the strongest regional interest within the U.S. from the cities of Los Angeles and New York City (2010 winner Sandra Bullock is the exception).

Among this year’s nominees, Rooney Mara is the clear breakout star, with a huge surge in search volume this past December for the young lead in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. However, it’s Meryl Streep who has the highest regional interest in NYC and while Rooney is popular in LA, she’s even more popular in San Francisco. So it could be her name that is announced when the envelope is opened—or not.


Of course, we don’t have a Magic 8-Ball or access to the names in those top-secret envelopes, so our predictions are just that—but it’s always enjoyable to look at how what people are interested in online plays out in the real world. As you prepare for your Oscar viewing parties this year, put a visit to Insights for Search on your checklist before the red carpet walk begins (fun fact: searches for [red carpet] peak at Oscar time every year). Between dry cleaning your tuxedo and making hors d'oeuvres, tune in to a pre-Oscar hangout on the +Good Morning America page, where the live discussion will be the fashion dos and don'ts of the big night. You can also stay up to date on all Oscar news on +Oscars, the official Google+ Page of the Academy Awards.

Lucid Virtu MVP: What it is, and why you’ll want it on your motherboard

Donal Trung 2:53 AM Add Comment

image

One of the real standout features of our Z68 series motherboards, was the inclusion on Lucid’s Virtu software on several models. For those of you who are new to Lucid Virtu, the elevator description would be that …“it basically allows you to switch between your onboard graphics and your discrete graphics card”. HHmm… and why exactly do I need that?

Switchable Graphics

Well there are a few reasons. The main benefit from this ‘Switchable Graphics’ feature, is that you can power down your graphics card when running less GPU-intensive 2D tasks like web browsing, watching video and general purpose productivity tasks, but then engage the discrete card when you need it, i.e. when cranking up your favorite 3D games.

One of the more obvious benefits from ‘Switchable Graphics’ is that today’s discrete graphics cards tend to consume a lot of power, adding significant wattage to your PC’s overall power consumption even while idling. Being able to switch off the discrete card when it wasn’t needed offers a tangible reduction in power consumption, and perhaps most significantly, a tidy reduction of your electricity bills too.

Other benefits included having access to Intel Quick Sync technology, a popular feature that discrete graphics card users would typically have to abandon, as Intel’s Quick Sync is a processor-bound feature that required you to use Intel’s processor graphics. With Lucid Virtu’s Switchable Graphics feature you could essentially have your cake and eat it too; want super fast video encoding thanks to Intel Quick Sync? No problem, select processor graphics. Want great 3D performance for your latest DX11 games? Switch to that monster card you paid all those dollars for…

Now you’re probably saying that this is old news, but there is a new feature in MVP that gives you control over whether to use processor graphics or the discrete GPU for each application. Here’s a peak at what it looks like.

image

But wait, there’s more to come..

However, since the Z68 launch, I’ve come to the conclusion that Lucid’s first iteration of their Graphics Virtualization software, Lucid Virtu, was actually just the beginning. Here was something that would grow, gathering momentum to quickly become a ‘must have’ feature for DIY PC builders and PC gamers. Having recently spent some time with the good people from Lucid, I’m now more excited than ever.

Here at GIGABYTE we’ve been working with Lucid to bring the latest Virtu MVP technology to our new 7 series motherboards. Trust me when I say that this is going to be popular bundle, and that’s because while Lucid Virtu MVP has the same switchable graphics feature that I describe above, they’ve also added new technologies that make it truly a game-changing feature (excuse the pun).

Virtual Vsync

If you’re using a powerful graphics card you may find that you’re getting some amazing frame rates at times, especially if you’re playing slightly older 3D games - many DX9 titles like Left4Dead and Portal 2 for example are still very popular. Today’s midrange and enthusiast graphics cards can rip through those games with blistering frame rates.

However, one problem that will arise with really high frame rates is that your monitor will almost always be limited to a refresh rate of around 60 Hz (can be equated to 60 frames per sec/FPS). Now if your game is running at 90FPS or more, this frame rate mismatch can result in a phenomenon known as ‘Tearing’. Check out the door frame and mirrors in the image below. You’ll see how tearing can look within a game. Not exactly the best graphical experience.

image

Most games offer a fairly clumsy solution to the problem, euphemistically referred to Vsync. If you enable Vsync within your game’s settings, the game will basically limit frame rates to be equal to that of your display – typically 60 FPS. This will result in a wholly inferior game experience. Frame rates of 80 and 100FPS are very much preferable. Most gamers agree, Vsync is a solution that can prevent tearing, but alas, at a significant cost.

Virtual Vsync however is a much more sophisticated solution which resolves the tearing problem, but crucially, without limiting the frame rate. In fact, Virtual Vsync delivers almost the same frame rate as you originally experienced. Again, Lucid has found a solution that means you get the best of both worlds. Fast frame rates of 100 and above, without tearing.

HyperFormance

The other new feature that we’re looking forward to offering you guys is what Lucid refers to as HyperFormance, a feature which claims to substantially improve overall 3D gaming responsiveness. By responsiveness we mean how well the game actually responds to your mouse and keyboard, a key factor that contributes greatly to a better overall gaming experience.

Without getting too technical, Lucid Hyperformance basically examines each piece of data as it passes through the graphics pipeline with the aim of eliminating redundant rendering tasks. This allows for shorter rendering cycles which, in turn translates into better overall responsiveness for you the gamer. We have toyed around with Hyperformance here in our labs, and we’ve been impressed at how the game just feels faster. If you were running at 100FPS, enabling Hyperformance will most likely give you even higher FPS. Not only does the FPS show marked improvement, but so too does the feel and responsiveness of the game.

A Bundle Worth Waiting For

Although at the moment we can’ talk about when our 7 series boards will hit the market, we can tell you that when they do, many models will come bundled with Lucid Virtu MVP. We’re really looking forward to that day, and we’re convinced that this new platform will be a big hit with casual and enthusiast gamers who want to enjoy the best 3D gaming experience possible.

Helping you find what’s in the mind’s eye with improved related searches

Donal Trung 11:27 AM Add Comment
Today we’re making it easier for you to hone in on that perfect image or explore your topic visually with an update to related search links. Related search links have been around for awhile—they’re the row of blue links running across the top of your image search results—but today we’re making them more visual to help you find exactly what you’re looking for or just have fun exploring.

For example, when planning a trip to Greece, I may not know what places are worth a visit, so I search for [greece] on Image Search. Now, with more visual search links, I can hover over the links on the top of the results, like [santorini greece], and see a panel pop up with images of Santorini. Without having to type more words into the search box or clicking through, I can quickly glance at the pictures of Santorini. If I decide to click through, I find new links for further refined or related searches, such as [oia santorini greece] or [santorini greece sunset]. Now I’m sold, I want to see more Santorini images.

You’ll start to see these links whenever you search for images as we roll this change out globally over the next few weeks.




(Cross-posted on the Inside Search blog)
New presentations editor is now the default editor, also with discussions just like in Docs

New presentations editor is now the default editor, also with discussions just like in Docs

Donal Trung 7:58 AM Add Comment
The new presentations editor that was launched in October ‘11 is now the default editor for new presentations.

We’ve also added discussions to the editor just like in Docs. You can: Comment on a shape or an entire slide to give context to your discussion. Send an email notification by adding someone to a comment.

Resolve comments to let collaborators know that they’ve been addressed, and to reduce clutter in your presentation. Plus, to make it easy to get feedback without giving up control of who can make changes, you can now give others the ability to comment on (but not edit) your presentation.

If you’d like to convert existing presentations to the new version of the editor, create a new presentation and import your slides by selecting “Import slides” from the “File menu.” To learn more about how to import your old presentations, check out these instructions.

Release track:
Rapid

Editions included:
Google Apps, Google Apps for Business, Government and Education

Languages included:
All languages supported by Google Presentations

How to access what's new:
- In your Docslist, create a new presentation and it will be created with the new editor.
- Commenting:
1. Highlight the item you’d like to comment on. You can comment at the object or slide level:
- To comment on a shape, text box or other object highlight the shape.
- To comment on a slide, select it in the list of slides on the left.
2. Go to the “Insert” menu, and select “Comment.” You can also use the shortcut Ctrl+Alt+M (PC) orCmd+Alt+M (Mac) to insert a comment.
3. Click “Comment” to add it to the presentation for your collaborators to see.

Note: New Google presentations are only supported in modern browsers. For the best experience, we recommend using Google Chrome, which supports all of the new features in Google presentations.

For more information:
http://googledocs.blogspot.com/2012/02/great-presentations-start-with-great.html
Help Center:
https://support.google.com/docs/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=1685857&topic=1694827
https://support.google.com/docs/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=2459408

whatsnew.googleapps.com
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates
Collaborate and edit anywhere with the updated Google Docs for Android

Collaborate and edit anywhere with the updated Google Docs for Android

Donal Trung 7:45 AM Add Comment
The Google Docs app for Android has now been updated with the following new features:

- Edit your docs on your mobile device: Edit your docs just like on the desktop, see updates in real time as others type on their computers, tablets and phones, and you can just tap the document to join in.
- Pinch to zoom and focus on a specific paragraph or see the whole document at a glance.
- Rich text formatting for things like creating a quick bullet list, adding color to your documents, or just bold something important.

Release track:
Rapid & Scheduled

Editions included:
Google Apps, Google Apps for Business, Government and Education

How to access what's new:
Download and install the app from the Android Market

For more information:
http://googledocs.blogspot.com/2012/02/collaborate-and-edit-anywhere-with.html
Help Center

whatsnew.googleapps.com
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates

Really cool GIGABYTE mobo warranty checker

Donal Trung 5:40 AM Add Comment

I was just helping our India marketing team with some English text for their support website and came across this really easy to use GIGABYTE motherboard warranty tool: http://ggcs.gigabyte.com/service/CheckWarrantyStatus_IN.aspx.

image

Simply type in the serial number on the retail package of your motherboard (include the full serial: e.g. SN111900003001), and select the country where you bought it.

image

After clicking on the ‘Submit’ button it should tell you what motherboard you have, and how much time you have left before the warranty runs out. You can see from the screenie below that they P67A-UD7 that I’m using is under warranty until April 24th, 2014.

image

Enjoy! Let us know what you think of this tool on our facebook page.

Collaborate and edit anywhere with the updated Google Docs for Android

Donal Trung 11:17 AM Add Comment
As I was sitting on the ferry commuting to Google’s Sydney office this morning, two thoughts occurred to me. First, Australia is beautiful. If you’ve never been here, you really should visit. And second, it’s amazing how productive I can be with just my Android phone and an Internet connection. I was responding to email, reading news articles, and editing documents—just like I do at the office. Only the view was better!

We want to give everyone the chance to be productive no matter where they are, so today we’re releasing a new update to the Google Docs app for Android. We've brought the collaborative experience from Google Docs on the desktop to your Android device. You'll see updates in real time as others type on their computers, tablets and phones, and you can just tap the document to join in.

We also updated the interface to make it easier to work with your documents on the go. For example, you can pinch to zoom and focus on a specific paragraph or see the whole document at a glance. We also added rich text formatting so you can do things like create a quick bullet list, add color to your documents, or just bold something important. Watch the new Google Docs app in action:



If you want to hear about the latest Docs news or send us feedback on the new app, visit Google Docs on Google+.

Gotta run—I’ve got another ferry to catch!

By Vadim Gerasimov, Software Engineer

Collaborate and edit anywhere with the updated Google Docs for Android

Donal Trung 11:12 AM Add Comment
As I was sitting on the ferry commuting to Google’s Sydney office this morning, two thoughts occurred to me. First, Australia is beautiful. If you’ve never been here, you really should visit. And second, it’s amazing how productive I can be with just my Android phone and an Internet connection. I was responding to email, reading news articles and editing documents—just like I do at the office. Only the view was better!

We want to give everyone the chance to be productive no matter where they are, so today we’re releasing a new update to the Google Docs app for Android. We've brought the collaborative experience from Google Docs on the desktop to your Android device. You'll see updates in real time as others type on their computers, tablets and phones, and you can just tap the document to join in.

We also updated the interface to make it easier to work with your documents on the go. For example, you can pinch to zoom and focus on a specific paragraph or see the whole document at a glance. We also added rich text formatting so you can do things like create a quick bullet list, add color to your documents, or just bold something important. Watch the new Google Docs app in action:



If you want to hear about the latest Docs news or send us feedback on the new app, visit Google Docs on Google+.

Gotta run—I’ve got another ferry to catch!

Overclock 3D give away GIGABYTE-based rigs in 2012 Competition MADNESS!

Donal Trung 11:05 PM Add Comment

17114542343l

Tiny Tom Logan at overclock3D.net is running what has now become an annual event with his 2012 Competition Madness. He’s giving away three fantastic enthusiast systems that feature the GIGABYTE G1.Assassin 2, X79-UD3 and Z68XP-UD4 respectively. The competition is open to people of all regions of the world and simply requires you to submit your email address and sign up for a monthly newsletter. What could be easier? Competition closing date is Feb 28th, so you have about 6 days left…

Whet your appetite and check out the specs of the 1st Prize:

Custom BitFenix Collosus  
Gigabyte G1 Assassin 2
Intel i7 3960X
Kingston HyperX 2133MHz 16GB
Kingston HyperX 120GB SSD x2 in RAID-0
Enermax Platimax 850w PSU
GTX580 Graphics Card & 27" 3DV2 Monitor
XSPC CPU & GPU Watercooling thanks to www.specialtech.co.uk

Here’s Tom being his effervescent self, running through the details and prizes, as ever on video:

Visit the competition page on Overclock3D.net here and submit your entry!

Running Fred By Dedalord S.R.L.

Donal Trung 10:01 PM Add Comment
The anticipated sequel to Falling Fred is here!Fred is back with a new host of painful antics, awesome acrobatic/desperate moves, special items and uber-cool locations.Take control of our hapless hero as he pursues his quest to remain among the living! Running Fred combines ludicrously natural controls and furiously paced action with the shameless buckets of gore praised on its prequel, making up a fantastic third person platformer unparalleled on mobile devices!
Compatibility-iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation) and iPad.Requires iOS 4.0 or later.
Awesomeness rating-7.8/10
http://itunes.apple.com/in/app/running-fred/id492146903?mt=8

Police Chase Smash By Fun Time Games

Donal Trung 9:59 PM Add Comment
Police High Speed Chase Smash action game.Take Down the targets in this fast paced game.Avoid traffic, collect pickups to help you through your chase.Once you get to the target, Smash them!
Get points on how hard you smash them.Upgrade your Police Ride to the extreme.Collect coins and buy upgrades.Get rated for each city you finish.
Compatibility-iPhone, iPod touch and iPad.Requires iOS 3.2 or later.
Awesomeness rating- 7.5/10
http://itunes.apple.com/in/app/police-chase-smash/id499832211?mt=8

Cisco WebEx Meetings By Cisco

Donal Trung 9:57 PM Add Comment
Cisco WebEx Meetings is now a universal app for both iPad and iPhone.Take your Web meetings anywhereIt's easy to stay connected to important meetings, wherever you are. With WebEx, you can join any web conference right from your iPad and iPhone. Experience WebEx High Quality 2-way video on the iPad 2 and iPhone 4 by viewing the video feeds of the participants in the web conference and streaming your own video back to them.
Use video for better engagement: Whether you're holding a brainstorming session or making a presentation, turning your online meeting into a virtual video conference helps everyone focus on every word. The two-way streaming video on iPad and iPhone delivers an unparalleled visual experience on the go.
Getting face-to-face has never been easier!
Compatibility-iPhone, iPod touch and iPad.Requires iOS 4.3 or later.
Awesomeness rating-8.2/10
http://itunes.apple.com/in/app/cisco-webex-meetings/id298844386?mt=8

Fluff Friends Rescue ™ By SGN

Donal Trung 9:54 PM Add Comment
Play Fluff Friends Rescue™!! The adorable game where you design, build and grow your ideal pet rescue!
Find lost pets in the woods and take them to the veterinarian for a thorough health check-up, or off to the groomers for a bubbly-bath. What's the reward for being a pet hero? Non-stop cuddle time and seeing your Fluff Friends find their forever home! In association with the Humane Society of the United States! Have fun & Save the Animals!ONLINE GAME ONLY.
Compatibility- iPhone, iPod touch and iPad.Requires iOS 3.0 or later.
Awesomeness rating-7.4/10
http://itunes.apple.com/in/app/fluff-friends-rescue/id467407534?mt=8
 

LongCat Love Adventure By Garuda Games

Donal Trung 9:50 PM Add Comment
Help Tom to get the love of his life, Mimi.Mimi is sitting above the tree, and because of his special power, Tom is able to stretch himself to hit on her.Along the way, help Tom avoiding the tree branches and the love breaker (spider, snowball, and bat). Also you can get extra score by feeding Tom birds that are passing by. It is his favorite food. On each stage, Tom has to go through different setting - daytime, nighttime, and snowy; each with its own difficulty.In this arcade game, people of all ages can play. Beginning from small children to grown-ups can have fun playing Tom and Mimi. This game is also suitable for cat-lovers and cat-owners.
Compatibility- iPad.Requires iOS 4.3 or later.
Awesomeness rating-7.7/10
http://itunes.apple.com/in/app/longcat-love-adventure/id455488949?mt=8

Baseball Superstars® 2012. By GAMEVIL Inc.

Donal Trung 9:45 PM Add Comment
Step up to the plate for the best baseball experience on the App Store, now looking better than ever before in crisp HD! The sky's the limit with level restrictions unlocked, upgraded batting and pitching moves, endless customization, new super players and more play modes. Whether managing a team to the championship or training a rookie to the Hall of Fame, you're in control of it all.
Compatibility-iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation) and iPad.Requires iOS 4.0 or later.
Awesomeness rating- 7.9/10
http://itunes.apple.com/in/app/baseball-superstars-2012./id495514123?mt=8

Rogue Racing By Glu Games Inc.

Donal Trung 9:43 PM Add Comment
Get ready for a 100% personalized mobile racing experience! Create the ultimate, custom racing rig with over 50 different aftermarket parts and style options. Play your iTunes music while competing in pulse-pounding, winner-take-all events on gritty, inner-city streets.
Compatibility-iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation) and iPad.Requires iOS 4.0 or later.
Awesomeness rating-7.7/10
http://itunes.apple.com/in/app/rogue-racing/id465784898?mt=8

Cooking Dash By PlayFirst, Inc.

Donal Trung 9:41 PM Add Comment
Cooking Dash delivers fast-paced, addicting fun that is optimized for playing on-the-go. Keep customers happy by prepping everything from burgers and fries to sushi and dumplings. Tap and slide to seat customers, serve up hot dishes, and collect big tips! Help our heroine Flo keep five DinerTown restaurants up and running... if you can stand the heat!
Compatibility-iPhone, iPod touch and iPad.Requires iOS 3.0 or later.
Awesomeness rating-7.6/10
http://itunes.apple.com/in/app/cooking-dash/id329911572?mt=8
 

WinZip By WinZip Computing LLC

Donal Trung 9:39 PM Add Comment
WinZip, the leader of file compression for over 20 years and the creators of WinZip the world's # 1 zip utility for file compression, file sharing, file encryption and data backup.
Compatibility-iPhone, iPod touch and iPad.Requires iOS 4.2 or later.
Awesomeness rating-8.3/10
http://itunes.apple.com/in/app/winzip/id500637987?mt=8
 

Doraemon Fishing 2 HD By PTT Solution., Inc

Donal Trung 9:37 PM Add Comment
Start as Doraemon, Nobita or Shizuka to go fishing and trying to feed beloved dinosaur Pisu. Let’s try to find how deep can you reach and how much can you fish. Easy to play and easy to get addicted.
FREE FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY.
Compatibility-iPad.Requires iOS 3.2 or later.
Awesomeness rating-7.5/10
http://itunes.apple.com/in/app/doraemon-fishing-2-hd/id499522724?mt=8
 

Blurb Mobile By Blurb, Inc.

Donal Trung 9:35 PM Add Comment
BLURB MOBILE is a super fun and quick way to create and share short media stories using your iPhone. With your VIDEO, PHOTO and AUDIO media you can effortlessly create engaging interactive visual stories. Simply import and sequence your media to create a great story….tap share, and your network of friends and family will receive your latest Blurb Mobile story. It’s that simple. Blurb Mobile is your creative expression platform.
Compatibility-iPhone, iPod touch and iPad.Requires iOS 4.0 or later.
Awesomeness rating-7.9/10
http://itunes.apple.com/in/app/blurb-mobile/id430933688?mt=8

Spice Bandits By Chillingo Ltd

Donal Trung 9:33 PM Add Comment
These scurvy space pirates are interested in just one thing…Spice.Spice Bandits puts you in control of the invading pirate force, protect them as they mine the Earth's resources for the precious mineral, Spice. With groundbreaking online multiplayer, drop-dead gorgeous visuals, challenging and addictive gameplay, a huge amount of upgrades and outrageous weapons, Spice Bandits is the next evolution in Tower Defense.
Compatibility-iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation) and iPad.Requires iOS 4.0 or later.
Awesomeness rating-7.6/10
http://itunes.apple.com/in/app/spice-bandits/id467338170?mt=8
 

Corkulous By Appigo

Donal Trung 9:29 PM Add Comment
Family Message Center, Kitchen Cork Board, Reminder Board, Simple Mind Map, Goal Manager, Vacation/Event Planner, Vision Board, Simple to-do list, Exam Study Aid, Lesson Planner, … and more!Plan any kind of event, collaborate with friends and colleagues, manage project assignments, brainstorm something BIG, prepare or teach a lesson, track your goals, keep track of your kids' chore list, take notes, build a simple org chart, … and whatever else you might think of.
Compatibility-iPhone, iPod touch and iPad.Requires iOS 5.0 or later.
Awesomeness rating-7.8/10
http://itunes.apple.com/in/app/corkulous/id499778467?mt=8
 

Fuze Meeting HD By CallWave

Donal Trung 9:27 PM Add Comment
Signup now and get meetings with two participants free. Want larger meetings or Video Conferencing? Upgrade instantly via in app purchase. Get Fuze Meeting HD and you’ll be running online meetings from your iPad in minutes. You can also attend any Fuze Meeting without registering!FREE VERSION USEFUL FOR TWO PEOPLE ONLY.
Compatibility-iPad.Requires iOS 4.2 or later.
Awesomeness rating-7.7/10
http://itunes.apple.com/in/app/fuze-meeting-hd/id389446884?mt=8
 

Waze GPS & traffic - Social, fun! By Waze Inc.

Donal Trung 9:24 PM Add Comment
When you download Waze, you not only get a free traffic & navigation app, but also become part of the local driving community in your area, joining forces with other drivers nearby to outsmart traffic, save time, and improve everyone's daily commute!
Compatibility-iPhone, iPod touch and iPad.Requires iOS 4.0 or later.
Awesomeness rating-8.2/10
http://itunes.apple.com/in/app/waze-gps-traffic-social-fun!/id323229106?mt=8
 

MONOPOLY Hotels By Electronic Arts

Donal Trung 9:23 PM Add Comment
ARE YOU A HOTEL MOGUL? Buy, build and manage MONOPOLY’s iconic hotels in this all-new MONOPOLY experience! Take control of MONOPOLY’s luxurious 5-star hotels, from Mediterranean to Boardwalk.Upgrade hotel rooms and attract VIP guests, like MR. POTATO HEAD and other HASBRO characters.Customize your hotel with fun attractions like cupcake shops, movie theaters and bowling alleys. Keep the lights on by managing utilities like the Electric Company and collecting rent from guests.INTERNET CONNECTION REQUIRED!!!
Compatibility-iPhone, iPod touch and iPad.Requires iOS 3.1 or later.
Awesomeness rating-8.0/10
http://itunes.apple.com/in/app/monopoly-hotels/id490286269?mt=8
 

Ban.jo By Banjo

Donal Trung 9:20 PM Add Comment
Banjo is a service layer that sits on top of multiple social networks combining them to create a “social-verse” of global activity. Users can connect and interact with people and places in real time, by location across multiple social networks.With Banjo, you can be two places at once and see what’s happening where you are, where you will be or where you want to be.Banjo created the ultimate social friend alert for social that alerts you know when your friends are nearby, even if they aren't on Banjo. Now you'll never miss out on opportunities to connect.
Compatibility-iPhone, iPod touch and iPad.Requires iOS 4.0 or later.
Awesomeness rating-7.9/10
http://itunes.apple.com/in/app/ban.jo/id417076117?mt=8
 
Scheduled Release track features update 2/21/12

Scheduled Release track features update 2/21/12

Donal Trung 5:04 PM Add Comment
The following features are now available to domains following the Scheduled Release track:
- Sites: New interface when uploading images and attachments

The following features are intended for release to these domains on Feb 28:
- No new features to announce

Release track:
Scheduled*

Editions included:
Google Apps, Google Apps for Business, Government and Education

*Scheduled Release track: Domains with ‘Scheduled Release’ option enabled in the administrator control panel. Learn more

whatsnew.googleapps.com
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates

3D BIOS and 3D Power impress UMLAN.com in X79-UD3 review

Donal Trung 2:12 AM Add Comment

IMG_0996

UMLAN.com have published an interesting review of our X79-UD3 motherboard. The GIGABYTE X79 series launch saw the debut of our new 3D BIOS and 3D Power technologies, so it’s great that reviewer Alex Lusakhpuryan was impressed with what he saw during the review:

“The software which is provided by Gigabyte give you a complete control of your system from OS and from BIOS. Two signature features in GA-x79-UD3 is the 3D BIOS and 3D Power. With 3D BIOS you have a GUI based BIOS which comes in handy for adjusting setting. It comes extremely handy for pro overclockers who want to push their system beyond limits and GA-x79-UD3 is certainly capable to provide a wide room for overclocking. 3D Power application is designed for overclocking. With this tool you can easily adjust Voltage, Phase and Frequency which are crucial in obtaining best and stable performance. Along with 3D BIOS and 3D Power Gigabyte offers other monitoring and overclocking tools from the OS.”

Alex concludes the X79-UD3 review by giving it a 9/10 rating:

“Bottom line is, if you are looking for a motherboard which would satisfy every user from pro IT to pro gamer then GA-x79-UD3 just might be it. GA-x79-UD3 is comfortably priced against its competitors MSI and ASUS and offers amazing performance. Does it worth 269$? In my opinion it does absolutely! With all these great features and 5 year warranty, how can you go wrong?”

b_400_400_16777215_00___img_awards_9

Check out the full review here on UMLAN.com

More details about the X79-UD3 can be found on our website here.