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Google's Olympic doodles get interactive with button-mashing hurdles
Google has already churned out quite a few of its trademark doodles for the Olympics, but it's upped its game considerably today for its depiction of the hurdles. Pressing that red play button on the search engine's front page will let you test your Track & Field skills (and your keyboard's sturdiness) in an interactive event -- one where you can, naturally, also share your results on Google+ when you're finished. Hit the source link below to give it a go yourself.
Google's Turing doodle celebrates his genius, reminds us how dumb we are (video)
This week sees many corners of the globe celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birth of Alan Turing. A man whose contribution to the worlds of tech and gadgets is immeasurable -- a sentiment not lost on Google. Today, geeks and norms worldwide will be waking up to possibly the most complex doodle to date. Can you set the machine and spell out "Google"? If you can, you'll be sent off to lots more information about the man himself. This isn't the only thing Mountain View's done to keep his legacy alive, having previously helped Bletchley Park raise funds to purchase (and display) Turing's papers, and more recently helping curators at London's Science Museum with its Codebreaker - Alan Turing's Life and Legacy exhibition. If you haven't already, head to Google.com and pop your logic hat on, and if you get stuck, head past the break for a helpful video.
Google goes Moogle, celebrates Moog's birthday with interactive doodle
It's time to surrender another afternoon to an interactive Google doodle. The search engine has outdone itself in celebration of the late-Bob Moog's birthday. The electronic music pioneer was born on May 23rd, 1934. Seeing as how the anniversary isn't until tomorrow, the doodle hasn't actually hit our Google front page. Thanks to the magic of timezones, however, you can check it out on some of the company's many international sites, as our colleagues at Engadget Japanese pointed out. Google's really outdone itself here, you can play the synth doodle by tapping on the keys with your cursor, or by hitting the numbers on your keyboard. Naturally, there are plenty of knobs to fiddle with, and you can also record your musical experiments for posterity. Get switched-on with the music awesomeness in the source link below.
Doodle 4 Google winner cashes in with 'Pirate Times' drawing, finds a Chromebook in the treasure chest
Avast ye! Google has announced the national winner of its fifth annual Doodle 4 Google competition, and we'd like to congratulate second grader Dylan Hoffman of Caledonia, Wisconsin for his fine work. As a response to this year's theme, "If I could travel in time, I'd visit...," Dylan created a pirate scene doodle that features a vibrant parrot, a rotund swashbuckler and a treasure chest full of loot to form the Google logo. According to Dylan, he'd ideally, "Sail a pirate ship looking for treasure, have a colorful pet parrot and enjoy beautiful sunsets from deserted islands." Sounds quite nice -- especially without the scurvy. For his creativity, Google has awarded Dylan with a $30,000 college scholarship, a Chromebook computer and a $50,000 technology grant to his school. Later this fall, Dylan's artwork will grace a special edition 64-count box of Crayola crayons. No doubt a fine plunder for an excellent work of art.
Google Doodle celebrates Gideon Sundback, unzips knowledge about your favorite wearables
We've covered no shortage of wearable gizmos over the years here at Engadget -- in fact, we've given 'em their own category -- but we most certainly haven't spent enough time praising one of the pioneers of the segment. Thanks to a highly pleasing Google Doodle, we're given the perfect chance to take a harder look at one Gideon Sundback, the electrical engineer responsible for developing the zipper. It's been called a "fly," prominently featured in an Outkast song and positively shunned on the Snuggie, and it's also a huge, huge part of worldwide culture. For those looking to learn more about the man, the myth and the mystery, head on down to the Wikipedia link below; if you just want to unzip your browser, well... click here.
Sinclair ZX Spectrum turns 30, gets immortalized as a Google Doodle
Today's Google UK doodle celebrates both St. Georges Day and the little home computer that became a British phenomenon, the Sinclair ZX Spectrum. To be competitive with the rival Commodore 64, the 16KB of RAM-packing machine retailed for just £130 ($210 in today's money), punched well above its own weight and was often the first computer bought by techno-phobic families. Designed to be as programmer-friendly as possible, the founders of Shiny, Rare and Blitz Games studios all cut their teeth on the computer that introduced the world to Manic Miner, Jet Set Willy and Dizzy. It lasted a full decade in production, selling five million units before Amstrad purchased the money-losing unit and closed it down. Despite its demise, it's still got a loyal following from a generation of fans, something we doubt can be said about the Amstrad machines that replaced it.
Google doodle gets animated to honor zoopraxiscope creator
Long before there was Flash animation in the world, Eadweard Muybridge gave us the Zoopraxiscope, a simple stop-motion device considered by some to be the first-ever movie projector. Created in 1879, the player features spinning glass disks that give displayed images the illusion of movement. Muybridge, born this day in 1830, photographed a galloping horse to help settle the question of whether all four of the animal's hooves leave the ground at the same time while galloping (they do), later animating the image via his new invention. That movement can be set in motion with a click on today's Google doodle.
Google becomes the Clark Griswold of the internet with 'Jingle Bells' doodle
Having conquered so many aspects of the software world, it's time for Google to take the next logical step in its evolution: becoming that annoying neighbor who always goes a bit overboard each year with the Christmas display. This time out, Google's doodle lets you play five notes of "Jingle Bells" manually, bringing down the lights and finishing up the song with a full-on holiday light show. Check it out, but don't blame us if your computer blows a fuse.
Doodle adds iCal connector for cloud scheduling
Mac users of the cloud-based scheduling service Doodle will be happy to learn that the company has released a beta of its iCal Connector software for Mac. Doodle is a service that lets users send out potential meeting dates to friends or clients. Those recipients see a poll with the meeting schedule options; they can vote on which date would be best for them. The tentative dates show up in that user's calendar client (Outlook, Google Calendar, etc.). Users can see what other dates people choose as well. When the original meeting organizer looks over all the dates and chooses the best one for the group, all the tentative dates are automatically wiped clean from everyone's calendar software with only the chosen one left. Until now Doodle's third-party calendar support was limited to Google Calendar or Microsoft's Exchange calendaring. With the iCal beta, now Mac users can take full advantage of the cloud-based meeting selection service, no matter what calendar service they use. If you want to learn more about Doodle, check out this short video. Doodle offers both free and premium accounts for users. The Doodle iCal Connector is a free download.
Google launches revamped doodle website, store, self-celebration ensues
Google is inviting users to take a trip down Memory Lane, with a new web archive on one of its most celebrated traditions -- the Google doodle. Last week, the search giant unveiled a revamped doodle website, replete with an interactive gallery of over 1,000 homepage designs from around the world. On the new site, users can browse, watch or play with any of Google's myriad doodles, all of which are organized by date and location. Die-hard doodle-heads, meanwhile, can commemorate their love with a customized t-shirt, coffee mug, or any other completely embarrassing stocking stuffer, available at Google's new "Doodle on Demand" store. Check it out for yourself, at the links below.
Daily iPad App: Doodlecast
Doodlecast is one of several Doodling applications for the iPad that targets kids from 3- to 5-years-old. What separates Doodlecast from its competition is the ability to narrate the Doodle while your child is drawing. The app has a record option that'll record the drawing as the child creates it and will capture the child talking using the iPad's microphone. It's an appealing combination that makes creating doodles fun for the child and enjoyable for parents who can watch the doodle after it's done. Doodlecast has many features that help with doodle creation. It launches with several preset doodles like sky and park that contain pre-made drawings. The child can add to this template, and record what they draw. There are also some idea-based doodles like "big," which ask the child to draw something he or she thinks is big. If your child wants to start with a blank slate, there's that option, too. The drawing canvas uses the entire screen of the iPad and has a straightforward interface. At the top, there is a new button, a recording button that can turn the recording feature on and off, and a done button that'll let you export the video. At the bottom is a color selector that changes the color you are using, and a clear button to erase the entire drawing. There's no tool to change the width of the finger stroke, but you don't need that option in an app meant for young children. When your child is done doodling, you can play back the video of the drawing's creation before you export it. You can save it to the iPad, or export it to YouTube to share with friends or relatives. Saving the video places it in your photos library where you can email it, watch it on your iPad or use AirPlay to watch it on your TV. If you decide to upload it to YouTube, the app lets you add a title, description, tag, and category. You can also set the doodle video to public or private. Uploading it to YouTube is as easy as hitting the publish button and it takes about a minute to prepare and upload the video over Wi-Fi. Doodlecast is an excellent app for kids. Just make sure you have a lot of space on your iPad. I handed my iPad over to my kids to check it out; my iPad disappeared for an hour and returned to me chock full of videos. The app appealed to my younger children who just doodled and my 9-year-old, who enjoyed using it to tell a story. The app costs a reasonable US$1.99 and will give your children hours of fun.
Boogie Board Rip goes on pre-order, no more tearing through notepads
The Boogie Board Rip is now available to pre-order for all your digital sketching needs. The latest stylus-friendly writing tablet from Improv Electronics adds the ability to save notes and sketches, then port them across to your computer as PDFs. Its reflex LCD only uses power when it's wiping the screen, meaning it should squeeze out a week of typical use between charges. You can reserve yours now from the maker in the US and Canada, but at $130, it's pricier than previous storage-free Boogie Boards. Europeans longing for a digital sketch pad can lay a claim to one next week, with the scribbling slate set to ship on November 1st.
Boogie Rip eWriting pad stylus-on (video)
Hey, remember that new product from Improv Electronics that we told you about yesterday? We managed to sneak in some time with the device today at IFA, and we have to say, we like what we see. The Rip (that's "Record. Image. Preserve.") is the latest addition to the Boogie eWriter line, devices that let you scribble notes and drawings and can be wiped away with the press of a button (think a more legible Etch A Sketch). The Rip ups the ante with the addition of a microUSB port, which lets you transfer notes as PDFs to your computer. Improv was careful to point out that the device is currently in prototype mode, so we won't hold too much against the company for the product's plasticy feel -- though, if its predecessor is any indication, the final version likely won't be too far from this one, and the company confirmed that the final version will have the same charcoal color. And while the product is indeed plasticy, it certainly feels sturdy. More after the break.%Gallery-132358%
Boogie Board Rip eWriting pad lets you jot down notes, save and export them too
It's been a few months since Improv Electronics updated its line of Boogie Board eWriters, and tomorrow at IFA the company's set to show off its latest variant, dubbed Rip ("Record. Image. Preserve."). The 9.5-inch pad is slightly improved from Improv's previous iterations, as it'll allow you to actually save any scribbles you've jotted down. Better yet, you'll be able to export your doodles to a computer via its onboard micro-USB port. On the device you'll find an erase lock to ensure your notes don't get deleted, along with a stylus holder in case you're prone to misplacing things. Similar to IE's other Boogies, the Rip's reflex LCD uses power only to erase what you've written, meaning you'll get about a week's worth of battery life per charge. There's no word on pricing yet, but we'd imagine it'll be a bit easier on the pockets than a Wacom Inkling -- we shall find out when it ships out on November 1st. Full PR past the break.
Babalu! Google celebrates Lucille Ball's 100th birthday doodle-style
Well, would you look at that? Two of our favorite entertainers, Lucile Ball and the World Wide Web, share a birthday. Of course, the former Mrs. Desi Arnaz would have about 80 years on the old web if she were alive today, but there's no reason the two can't get along, right? That's Google's stance anyway, as the internet giant's dedicated its latest doodle to the memory of the fiery ginger comedienne. If you love Lucy as much as we do, hit the source link, grab some popcorn and cozy up to that tiny TV to watch some of her very finest comedic performances. [Thanks, Bedan]
Google celebrates Alexander Calder and spinning things with HTML5 doodle
How to honor the life's work of an artist who has been dead for more than a quarter-century? Why, an HTML5 doodle on the Google homepage, of course. The search giant paid homage to Alexander Calder, the celebrated inventor of the mobile sculpture with its first doodle created entirely in HTML5 canvas. Those using a laptop with an accelerometer and an updated browser can move the coded sculpture around with their curser. Ironically, we had some difficulty playing around with the image on our mobile devices.
TUAW's Daily iPad App: Doodle Buddy for the iPad
Doodle Buddy is a free finger-drawing app for the iPad. It brings the fun of childhood finger-painting to the iPad as well as the grown-up need to make quick sketches to share with friends, family or co-workers. For your children or the child inside all of us, Doodle Buddy lets you draw with multiple finger on the iPad's large screen, just like finger-painting. It has over 44,000 colors in its color-picker so you never run out of choices. A variety of stamps can be added to your creation and each one makes a funny noise when you use it. It's perfect for situations when children want to draw, but parents don't have the materials or time to let them get all messy from markers, paints and ink. I've field-tested with my own children and my kids love it. For the adult, Doodle Buddy has a variety of tools you can use to mock up a quick drawing that can be shared via email. It's easy to grab the brush tool, dial down the brush size and draw out rough directions or a floor plan to send off the your significant other when apartment or house shopping. You can create each doodle on a blank slate, pre-made background, or doodle over your own pictures. The ability to mock up your own pictures can be useful for pointing an important aspect of a image, like "hey, that's me on that roller coaster." You can also use it to have some fun when you put a silly phrase on your cat picture and create your own lolcat. Overall, Doodle Buddy is fun, easy to use and great for both adults and children. The drawing app also has a rewards feature called Doodle Bucks that you earn when you download an app. Powered by Tapjoy, the Doodle buck let you buy expansion packs that include birthday, stencil, food and other theme-related tools. Doodle Buddy is available for free in the App Store. It does include advertisements which some parents don't like in an app used by children. These ads are removed with a 99-cent in-app purchase.
The Perfect Ten: Best in-game maps
I love me a good map. Seriously. When I was a boy and we'd go on vacations, I think I spent more time flipping through the detailed atlas in the car than looking out of the windows (and how sad is that?). Even today, I'm fascinated with a good map, as it allows my imagination to roam across lands quickly and imagine what they must be like. In MMOs, maps are one of the most important tools in your user interface. They help orient you, direct you to your next quest objective, allow you to plan a journey in the safest possible manner, and tantalize you with the potentials of unexplored areas. I started to think about how much we rely on a good in-game map when I was reading the Star Wars: The Old Republic dev diary on how that team is implementing their map system. I've found that in-game maps can be a mixed bag, depending on the game you visit. Some may look great but be functionally useless. Some may be uglier than dirt but hit the spot nevertheless. But the best are the ones that marry good aesthetics with practicality, and those are the ones I want to spotlight today. So without further ado, my favorite in-game maps from MMOs!
Improv Electronics updates Boogie Board writing pad lineup, gives notes more ways to get down
Love doodling but hate wasting paper? Improv Electronics' latest suite of optimized Boogie Boards may delight you -- just don't also try to go water skimming with one. To jog your memory, these dry-erase board killers let you scribble down your thoughts with a stylus or your fingers, by way of pressure-sensitive reflex LCDs. To start, there are two 8.5-inch flavors including a $45 binder-affixing slate for students, and a Brookstone exclusive fitted with an acrylic case available in black or red hues for $40. Next up, the $60, 10.5-incher has about fifty percent more surface area -- for doodles of epic proportion, and "charm loops" to step up the note-jotting style game. Lastly for owners of the original Boogie, there's a $20 cork board-sporting Message Center dock that's great for wall-mounting (and making your whiteboard feel inadequate). To sweeten the deal, each item comes with a stylus. If your writing bug is finding itself piqued, you'll find all the pre-order info in the PR after the break.
Google doodle lets you play a recordable guitar ditty in honor of Les Paul
Have you been to Google's home page recently? Do it, you've got less than 24 hours to check out its guitar-inspired doodle celebrating the birthday of Les Paul. The "Google" script is highly interactive thanks to a combination of JavaScript, HTML5, CSS, and even Flash (providing the audio). Click the compose button at the base of the second "g" and begin recording your own 30 second tribute to one of music's most innovative pioneers using your keyboard to play specific notes or mouse for virtual strumming. Unfortunately, the recording and sharing aspect appears limited to US Googlers. Impressive stuff from a typically impressive company. Update: After holding the doodle over an extra day, it looks like Google has given the tribute a permanent home, like Pac-Man before it.
