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Google updates Hangouts on Air to help brands promote merchandise and related products

Jul24
by on July 24, 2014 at 4:13 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Google, Product Launches

2014-07-24
Google today unveiled Showcase, a new Hangouts on Air app that allows broadcasters and brands to easily promote merchandise and related content. In particular, Google’s live streaming tool has become a popular way for the movie industry to host Q&A sessions with a group of actors and actresses. In this scenario, the tool could be used to promote theater tickets on Fandango, the latest trailer on YouTube or the film’s official website. Furthermore, music artists could use it to share their Google+ page or new records in the Google Play store. It follows the company’s experiments with “shoppable” Hangouts on…

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Imoji for iPhone turns your selfies into awesome iMessage stickers

Jul24
by on July 24, 2014 at 4:00 pm
Posted In: Apps, Around the Web, Insider

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If you’re the type of person who saves memes and reaction GIFs to your iPhone camera roll, the new Imoji app for iPhone is for you. The app lets you crop photos and turn them into stickers to send your friends over iMessage. Imoji has a simple design to it, but it’s confusing at first. To get that floating head feel on your stickers, you’ll need to drag your finger in an outline around the object you want to isolate. A zoom mode offsets the eraser so your fingers don’t cover up what you’re trying to do. When you’re finished, you place…

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Google’s Chromecast turns one: 400M casts to date and free All Access trial for owners

Jul24
by on July 24, 2014 at 3:13 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Google, Insider

Exactly 12 months ago, Google unveiled its Chromecast streaming dongle for the first time. To celebrate its first anniversary, Google is offering all Chromecast owners a 90-day free trial for Google Play Music All Access, its premium music streaming service. The offer is available now in the US and can be redeemed up until September 30, 2014. To grab the free subscription, you’ll need to head here; it’s unclear whether this offer stretches to other territories, however. To put the icing on the cake, Google today revealed that Chromecast users have hit the ‘Cast’ button 400 million times in total….

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12 things product managers should do in their first 30 days at a new company

Jul24
by on July 24, 2014 at 3:04 pm
Posted In: Analysis and Opinion, Around the Web, Entrepreneur, How-To's

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Ken Norton is a product partner at Google Ventures where he advises startups on product management and also helps organize workshops. Congratulations, a product has found its product manager. Perhaps you’re joining a small startup, or maybe you have a new project in a big company. How you approach your first 30 days will make a tremendous difference, setting you up for success or struggle. Here are some tips for how to approach that first month. Emphasize these three areas: People, Product, and Personal: People 1. Set clear expectations with the CEO or your manager You’ve been hired to fill…

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Vuzix partners with Lenovo to launch its Google Glass-style M100 smart glasses in China

Jul24
by on July 24, 2014 at 2:15 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Gadgets, Product Launches

M100 Smart Glasses on Female Photo
While Google Glass is only available to purchase in the US and the UK, video eyewear specialist Vuzix is hoping to gain a foothold in China with a similar head-mounted wearable. The company is partnering with Lenovo to launch its M100 smart glasses in the region. They’ll be marketed exclusively by the giant laptop and smartphone maker under its ‘New Business Development’ brand, suggesting the futuristic hardware will be aimed squarely at enterprise customers. First spotted by Engadget at CES 2013, the M100 bares more than a passing resemblance to Glass. Whereas before it looked like an uninspired PC headset, with a…

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