Daily Roundup: Google's 15th anniversary, Stir's Kinetic Desk, iOS 7.0.2 and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Google gives search a new engine and card UI for mobile, reveals new iOS search app
Today, as it so happens, is Google's 15th birthday, and the company is feeling particularly nostalgic. At a press announcement this afternoon, Senior VP of Search, Amit Singhal, announced plans for a new search engine called Hummingbird, which was rolled out to users last month. Other updates include a new iOS search app, an improved Knowledge Graph, and a cross-platform card-based UI. Click through for the full details.
Stir's Kinetic Desk is a standing desk that learns your sitting habits, moves when you need a break
Stir is a Los-Angeles startup composed of ex-employees from Apple, Disney, and IDEO. Today the company announced its Kinetic Desk, a fashionable redesign of a normally mundane item. The Kinetic desk is packed to the brim with features, including WiFi, Bluetooth, and a thermal sensor that can tell when you've arrived, and when you leave. Over time the desk learns just how long you prefer to be on your feet, and prompts you to take a break by rising gently up and down. For more info on the 26-inch work desk, head on up to the link above.
LA officials may delay school iPad rollout after students hack them in a week
Just seven days after the Los Angeles school district began rolling out iPads to its 640,000 students, the $1 billion program has come to a pause. Why? The answer comes in the form of 300 students at Theodore Roosevelt High School who managed to hack the devices, gaining access to blocked features, like Facebook, Twitter, and other third-party apps. To learn how these kids bypassed the protective measures Apple places on its slates, click the link above.
Samsung exec admits Galaxy Gear smartwatch 'lacks something special'
Companies like Samsung usually keep their comments regarding products to themselves, but in a strange bout of frankness today, a Samsung insider "acknowledged that [the company's] Gear lacks something special." We're not sure who the source of these comments is, but the same person is also quoted telling the Korea Times that the watch is "definitely receiving a warm response." Read on for more.
