Circles
Latest
Farewell, Google+: You didn't fail, you just didn't succeed
It's the end of Google+. Eight years after its launch, Google is finally pulling the plug on its social network. It was a platform designed to take on Facebook but, despite the company's best efforts, it always existed in its shadow. As of today, there will be no more Google+ sign-in buttons, no more pages or comments, and your account will simply vanish.
The Daily Grind: What social tools do all MMOs need?
Heading into WildStar this past weekend, I was pleasantly surprised at how useful and easy the in-game social circles were. Instead of fretting about guild membership, I joined a few circles to talk with friends and made one up to keep in touch with a couple more. Somewhere Google+ is laughing haughtily, but I think that more MMOs should have a feature like this. So what social tools do you think MMOs need? I'd also nominate in-game guild finders, far more robust friends lists (that are per-account, not per-character), and handy emote buttons that eschew the need for memorizing a list of slash commands. What say you? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Circles for iPhone delivers old-school memory challenge
Circles for iPhone ($US1.99) is the latest iPhone app from Snowman. It's a fun memory game of the pick-up-and-play ilk, and it's kept me busy for the last week or so. My fellow Gen-X'ers will think of Simon, the electronic memory game from Milton Bradley that became an '80s pop culture icon. Of course, Circles is more portable, playable and fun. And challenging. Looks Circles, ambient music and creeping panic; these make up the overall aesthetic of Circles. When first launched, Circles presents its icon plus three highly legible menus on a black background. The settings menu and store are also very easy to read. The white letters on a field of black stand out wonderfully, which I like. Because I'm old. While you're playing, Circles presents anywhere from two to six colored circles. There's a play button in the center at the start of each game, and a button marked Continue appears if you're lucky enough to complete a level. Likewise, brief words of encouragement emphasize your every triumph. %Gallery-186596% The game's looks are straightforward and let you focus on the game play. Which is good, because focus is exactly what you need. Elaborate backgrounds or annoying music would have made this game even harder, so it's good that Snowman's developers left them out. Gameplay Oh boy, the good stuff. Here's how Circles works. When a game begins, Circles briefly highlights a pair of circles on the screen and plays a unique tone of each one. Your job is to tap the same pattern back. Two circles become three, then four, then five and so on. Once the app is finished playing a pattern, it notes how many taps were in that pattern, and counts them down as you repeat what you saw. As you play, you progress through the game's eight sections. Each section has several levels. Complete each level successfully to move to the next section. Section one is relatively easy, with only two circle targets to keep track of. Section two introduces an additional circle target, as do sections three, four and five, which has you keeping track of six targets at once. It's fun and becomes a true test of your short-term memory rather quickly. Section six is where Circles gets nutty. It's the "lightning round," so the patterns are presented more quickly than in previous sections (note that your response is not timed, so take your time). Section seven is even more devious, as the pattern is presented quickly and the whole field of colored circles makes a one-quarter clockwise turn after each pattern is played. Section eight is the most devilish. All of the circles are the same grey, there are no tones, the patterns are played quickly and the circles rotate. Yikes. Other features Fortunately, Circles does not send you into battle without weaponry! There's a practice mode that lets you select the number of circle targets you'd like to play with. There's also a store selling weapons and chances. As you play, you earn virtual coins that can be spent in the in-game store. Weapons are used during multi-player games via Game Center. Once you're in a game, take your turn and wait for Game Center to notify your opponent that his/her turn is ready. You could secretly add lightning to their turn, speeding up the pattern. Or "Twirl," which rotates the targets or even "Blackout," which removes color and tones. Sneaky! Chances are also available, though you must pay real money for these via in-app purchase. Basically, a chance lets you try again if you make a mistake. In a multi-player game, your opponent does not know when you use a chance. Giving back While Circles is great fun, there's another benefit to the app besides the immediate enjoyment. The developers at Snowman will donate a percentage of each sale to Alzheimer's research. Not for a week or a month, but for as long as the app exists. That's pretty great. Conclusion I like this game. It's beyond simple to learn and challenging enough to be fun. You can move to any section at any time, so you needn't complete section one, for example, to try section eight. Plus, who doesn't want to give their brain a little exercise and support a important scientific research at the same time? Circles is available in the App Store now.
Redesigned YouTube rolling out to some users, reflects the influence of Google+
From the looks of this screenshot posted by one of our readers, it appears YouTube is testing a new homepage styled more like the look that recently rolled out on Google+. The current default look rolled out last winter with more focus on channels and social integration, while this new facade features more white space and list of channels and friends to the side. We asked YouTube about the new look and a spokesperson issued a boilerplate statement about experimenting with ways to help users find the videos that are important to them. The statement in full is after the break, however the key part is that they're listening to user feedback so take a close look at this pic and the rest at the source link below then let us (and Google) know what you think. [Thanks, M.B. Goro]
Google's latest Gmail tweaks bring contact info to search results, enhanced Circle integration
By any means, this is certainly far from being one of the biggest changes Gmail's ever seen -- still, it's one that's likely to make a few tasks a wee bit easier for you. Inside the recent tweaks, Google added a new quick access trait that makes contact details -- such as phone numbers -- show up automatically in search results within your cherished G inbox. Additionally, the Android-maker has improved the Google+ integration (again), now allowing folks to narrow down conversations from specific Circles in the search box (you know, something like Circle: Awesome Engadget editors). Google says the changes will be rolling out over the course of the day, but in the meantime, you could always check out what exactly happens behind Gmail's closed doors.
Google+ Circles heading to Google Voice, creepers heading straight to voicemail
If you've spent some quality time with Google+, we're sure you've encountered Circles. You know, the feature that enables you to control who sees your G+ posts and who doesn't. Now, the folks in Mountain View have added the social network management tool to Google Voice. You can organize your contacts into groups who can actually ring your Galaxy Nexus and those who are sent straight to voicemail. Custom greetings can also be added to each Circle, should you feel the need to offer some Punch Brothers instead of the boring ol' standard ringback. Looking to take 'er for a spin? Hit the Groups & Circles tab in your Voice settings in order to customize your sets of contacts, but take note that your existing Google+ Circles are getting cozy there already.
Google+ web app adds two new features, iOS and Android soon to follow
Twitter recently revamped its web interface, and now Google has decided to do the same for the Google+ web app, bringing two new features that should be a boon for the Big G's thriving social network. You can now see who's been rolling out +1's to your latest Hello Kitty pics with a simple click of the +1 count near the button. There's also a "What's Hot" stream, a section focused on the most interesting shared content that's accessed by flicking your thumb right on the main Circles timeline. The only casualty from this update was the Incoming feed page, which was replaced due to lack of use according to its creator. The iOS and Android applications are expected to make the jump soon, but in the meantime, the web app should satisfy the need to indulge.
Google+ gets baked-in YouTube functionality, seeks your +1s
Suffice it to say, Google's been steamrolling through its services this week and laying down a variety of updates and goodies. Just a day after its short-lived Gmail iOS app was released, Mountain View's veered its wheels toward the "pluses" in its portfolio. To start, Chrome users will find two new extensions, including a +1 button and a Google+ Notifications box, to more easily mark their favorite sites, while those loyal to Internet Explorer can update their Google toolbar for a similar effect -- sadly, there's no such love for Firefox at the moment. Moving on to its social front, Google has finally enabled native YouTube support in Google+. While on G+, you'll notice a YouTube slider near the right, which when clicked pops up a video module (seen above). From it, you and your circles can quickly share your favorite viral videos and view playlists, which Google says are currently being added to G+ search results. Sure, we're still anxiously wishing for things like Twitter integration, but ya gotta start somewhere, right? You'll find a shot of those extensions below, and more details at the source link.
Google+ sneaks NFC into its Android app, gets caught red-handed
NFC is gradually turning to the social side, thanks to new functionality found within the Google+ app for Android. Software developer Ridzuan Ashim discovered that, when used on an NFC-enabled device, you can read tags and share them through the new social networking service. After scanning, the OS asks you if you want to share the associated text with Google+ or another relevant program. Though the abilities seem somewhat limited for now, we'll likely see more developer support tossed in as the service matures. Using NFC in this way could lead us into a group Huddle, check us in at a restaurant and share it with our Circles, and perhaps even add us into somebody's Circle or Hangout. It's only functional on a limited number of Android devices for now, so if you happen to use a Nexus S and have been invited to the exclusive club better known as Google+, you're a prime candidate for giving it a look-see. If the above criteria doesn't apply, check out the video below to experience all that near-field glory through someone else's phone.
Google+ for Android app (hands-on)
Given the number of apps Google's made available for smartphones, it shouldn't be much of a surprise that it's taken its suite of social networking services direct to the mobile world as well. As soon as Google+ was officially announced, an app was ready for download in the Android Market and a web app became available for Safari for iOS (with its full offering to the App Store coming soon). As usual, we couldn't resist the urge to play around with it, but how does the mobile iteration fare against the competition? Continue past the break to get a peek of the larger-than-life service squeezed into a 4.3-inch (or smaller) display.
Google+ users can now send email invites, brag about being into the service before it was cool
Google's exclusive little club just got a little less exclusive. As promised, the search giant's shiny new social network Google+ has opened up, giving users the ability to invite friends via email. (If it's not working on your system yet, trying logging out and then logging back in.) Existing users, it's time to start building out those Circles to avoid the sort of accidental social networking shenanigans Google is working so hard to curb. Everyone else, we're sure you'll be getting one in your Gmail inbox soon enough. In the meantime, how about prepping yourself by reading our detailed hands-on? Update: Looks like they've been shut down again. It was fun while it lasted! [Thanks, Ryan]
Andy Hertzfeld, 'former Macintosh wizard,' designed the Google+ Project
Google+ looks... a little different. Almost as if it didn't even come from Google. And those drag-and-drop circles? Luscious. Turns out, there's a reason for everything, and he goes by Andy Hertzfeld. According to an investigative piece put up by Wired, Andy's actually credited as being the "original Mac guy," responsible for software and user interface design while working for Apple between 1979 and 1984. He picked up a new role at Goog in 2005, but according to the report, "he had previously felt constrained because its design standards didn't allow for individual creativity." That all changed with Emerald Sea, a diddy that would eventually become known as the search giant's most ambitious foray yet into the wide world of social networking. It's bruited that Andy was given the freedom to go wild whilst designing Google+, and it shows -- the interface throughout is about as intuitive as one could ever hope. 'Course, it takes more than good design to seal a project, but there's no doubt that this is one heck of a start. The rest of the story? Tucked away in that source link, just south of here.
Google+ invite received, we go hands-on
It's hard to argue with Google's track record. The company has scored a hit in nearly every space in which it's dabbled: search, email, ads, office software, etc. There's always been one glaring exception to this rule, however: social networking. The company hasn't made much of a dent in a world dominated by Facebook (and, once upon a time, MySpace and Friendster). For Google+, however, the company dove in with both feet, launching a multi-faceted service that brings a lot to the table with features like Circles, Hang Out, and Huddle. Is it enough to end Google's streak of misteps in the social world? Join us as we take a dive deeper into Google's latest attempt to find out.%Gallery-127373% %Gallery-127362%
Google launches all out social networking assault with Google+ (video)
Social networking has long been Google's white whale. The company has done plenty of dabbling in the space, releasing Orkut, which has failed to catch on in the US, and rolling out Buzz to the relative indifference of its massive user base. Announced today after seemingly endless leaks, Google+ represents a major push for the software giant. The service began showing itself to a smattering of users last night, as a black bar across the top of various of the company's properties. A "+You" button on the far left of the bar currently brings you to the service's landing page, offering a tour of the many features that fall under the Google+ umbrella. Get to know the services better after the break.
Google code reveals inner Circles, a social secret weapon?
Nothing livens the day like a blurry screen grab of some Javascript, especially when it hints at the ghostly form of a social networking tool that doesn't officially exist. The code was spotted hiding in plain sight at Google Profiles by Austrian blogger Florian Rohrweck, who fortunately enjoys browsing computer-speak more than playing in the park. Rohrweck noticed the word "circles" used repeatedly in the context of people adding and maintaining groups of contacts, and made the connection to the Google Circles social networking platform that was feverishly rumored and then vehemently denied earlier this year (a saga fully recapped at the More Coverage link). It's impossible to know whether these few lines of code represent a forthcoming service, another social layer on top of existing services, or just pure experimentation on the part of Google devs. In any case, the circular references have apparently now been zapped, leaving us with nothing more than that screen grab -- oh yeah, and Facebook.
GDC 2010: Hands-on with Faraway
Steph Thirion's first iPhone game was Eliss, a touchscreen-based arcade game that had you combining and maneuvering planets around one another, and trying to size-match them up with black holes to earn points. As he told us (stay tuned for an exclusive interview with the indie developer), it was pretty hard -- even more so than he actually intended it to be. So, for his second iPhone game, Faraway, he's gone much simpler. Inspired by the iPhone game Canabalt, Thirion has created a one-button game in which the goal is nothing less than to explore the universe. He has it running on a Mac at the show (so he can project the video onto a bigger screen), and we got to have some hands-on time with the new game. You control a comet that flies around an inky black void speckled with dots and circles; the pixelated space aesthetic from Eliss is back. This time, however, there's only one control, and it's a tap anywhere on the screen. Doing so will cause your comet to gravitate towards the nearest static dot, which will then slingshot you around the star until you let go, and the comet flings off in a new direction. There's an arrow pointing off of the screen, and by timing slingshots correctly, you will face the comet in the direction of the arrow.
WoW Moviewatch: Circles
Circles is the first machinima creation by Moonora the Mooing Druid. She has some background in broadcasting and is apparently a long-time watcher of Moviewatch. After some consideration, she decided to try her own hand at World of Warcraft machinima. I think her first attempt is pretty successful. The video does justice to the song, which is usually the first acid test for whether or not a music video can stand on its own merit. Her animation and graphics seem smooth and convincing. The pace of the vidoe goes well with the song's vibrant energy, and the whole thing comes together fairly well. I know some folks won't like the use of Blood Elves in the video, but I think they were probably the best race for use in this kind of work. Besides, the sort of extravagance and elegance portrayed in Silvermoon as a pretty strong counterpoint to the lyrics, which means the city's natural inhabitants should probably be featured. Congratulations to Moonora on her first work. I hope to see more! Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an e-mail at machinima AT wow DOT com.
