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Apple's free Schoolwork app for teachers is available now
Apple and education have been synonymous for awhile, and this morning the Cupertino company reiterated that relationship by releasing Schoolwork. The free app suite was originally announced at an education-focused event in Chicago, and now, three months later Apple is ready to let teachers kick the tires.
Google can take you on a VR trip to the Great Barrier Reef
One of Google's more exciting announcements at least year's I/O was Expeditions, a VR kit that let educators lead students on virtual field trips to far flung locales like Mars and the Great Wall of China. Now, you can add two more places to that list: The Great Barrier Reef and Buckingham Palace. The virtual Great Barrier Reef expedition was designed by none other than Sir David Attenborough and produced by Alchemy VR, while the Buckingham Palace tour was made possible thanks to the UK's Royal Collection Trust. There's even a YouTube 360 video of the Palace, so you can easily use your phone to take a private tour of the Queen's art collection.
Google offers its Cardboard-powered VR field trips to schools for free
Google detailed its Expeditions project back at I/O, and now the company is looking to get schools more involved. To do just that, Mountain View will offer schools the VR field trip kits for free. The New York Times reports that Google is handing out the Expeditions package at no cost to help push the effort ahead. Each kit contains Cardboard VR headsets and ASUS phones for the students alongside an app for teachers that controls the virtual trips. And as you might expect, they're able to pause the action to ask questions as needed. Google isn't ruling out charging for the gear at some point, though, if it's able to make the price affordable enough for educators.
Google's Alphabet doesn't include N for Niantic Labs
Google's newly-created parent company Alphabet apparently has room for only one "N" brand -- Ingress and Field Trip creator Niantic Labs is telling users that it's becoming an independent company. Google will stick around as a supporter, but there will be "amazing new partners" helping out in the near future. Although the company is shy about where it's going (we're told you'll hear more "in the weeks ahead"), it plans to stick to its exploration-minded projects. You shouldn't expect a major shift in direction any time soon, in other words, although you can opt out of transferring your data by September 11th if you're skittish about the whole thing.
Google Now tempts you with a Field Trip to nearby sights
The folks in Mountain View have been adding new tools to Google Now, like suggesting another flight if yours is delayed. The search company's Field Trip app has been suggesting local points of interest since its launch in 2012, and now the two are in cahoots. Now already displayed a list of nearby sights, but with a recent update, the other app's more detailed info on art, architecture and more is automatically beamed to your mobile device. So when you're out of town, expect to see a few more recommended cards in that feed to entice you to change those plans. [Photo credit: Melville B. Grosvenor/National Geographic/Getty Images]
Get a behind the scenes look at Google's self-driving car this Friday
If you've been itchin' for more info on Mountain View's compact self-driving car, you're in luck. At 11AM PT/2PM ET this Friday (August 1st), Google is hosting a live Hangout as the folks from Make take a behind the scenes look at the project for its summer camp series. The so-called Field Trip is said to have a gander at how the vehicles work and provide an update on recent developments. Those who plan on tuning in can submit specific queries in advance for the Q&A session, but even if you don't plan on posing a question, taking an early (or late) lunch seems like a solid choice.
Google Glass users can now say 'Explore Nearby' to launch Field Trip, discover the world around them
When Google released its Field Trip app for Glass back in August last year, it made perfect sense. You could finally use the wearable computer as a handy visual tour guide when you're out and about, which in our opinion is a far better use-case for it than checking email or reading text messages. That said, the original Field Trip wasn't the smoothest experience, as you still had to tap the eyewear's touchpad to launch it. That changes today, however, with a new voice command feature that lets you activate the app simply by saying "OK Glass, Explore Nearby," effectively making it a top-level command similar to "Take a picture" or "Get directions." Given that the app was developed by Niantic Labs, an internal startup within Google, it's no surprise that it works so seamlessly with the Google hardware.
Google's Field Trip app adds ratings to its recreational recommendations
Google knows that not everything in Field Trip will reach the high watermark of creepy areas around New York, but it hopes that the app's latest update will make cool spots easier to find wherever you are. The search giant's Niantic Labs has added a rating system on Android and iOS and is enabling the community to possibly cull banal info from the mobile point-of-interest database. The five-star rankings should offer more granularity than the previous thumbs-ups/thumbs-down system, and soon enough the cards with the highest average score could be all you see. If your city is inherently boring though, there's nothing Mountain View can do about that.
Google+ Connected Classrooms offers virtual field trips with the help of Hangouts
Field trips are usually restricted to points of interest that can be easily reached by bus during regular school hours. Now, Google has a tool for enabling virtual visits to educational stops near and far via Hangouts. The folks in Mountain View have launched Connected Classrooms through Google+: a project that brings destinations students may never have the chance to experience in real life within reach inside their classrooms. Trips to the Seattle Aquarium, Minnesota Zoo and Solar Impulse hangar are the first three stops for the program, and soon enough, teachers will be able sign up for virtual tours with over 20 partners. There's also the ability to collaborate with fellow educators and access content all within the confines for Google+. For a glimpse at the potential, head on past the break for a quick video teaser.
Google and Abandoned NYC uncover the city's secrets with Field Trip app
Starting today, users of Field Trip for iOS, Android and Glass will be able to experience some of New York City's forgotten -- and occasionally creepy -- locations as Google's Niantic Labs brings Abandoned NYC's content to the app. Normally, Field Trip functions as a convenient mobile tour guide, delivering interesting information provided by sources like the American Institute of Architects and the Little Black Book series. With Abandoned NYC joining the ranks of content providers, Field Trip users will be able to explore obscure, mysterious and atmospheric spots across the five boroughs uncovered by photographer and project founder Will Ellis, like Harlem's Public School 186 and the Red Hook Grain Terminal. Unfamiliar with Field Trip? See it in action after the break or download it from one of the source links below.
Google reveals Field Trip app for Glass, puts recreational recommendations in your FOV
Perhaps you've been enjoying the fruits of Niantic Labs' endeavors on your handset since Field Trip's introduction on Android, and more recently, iOS. However, wouldn't it be nice to have those nifty tidbits of location-based info provided in a less obtrusive manner? Good news Explorers, because Field Trip has arrived on Glass today. That means that all those restaurant and activity suggestions upon which you depend to keep yourself entertained and fed are now delivered directly to your eyeball instead of your pocket. If you're thinking that such a Glass app makes perfect sense, well you're not alone. It turns out that John Hanke, Niantic's chief actually made Field Trip for Glass, and the mobile versions were built simply as a way to get the app out to as many people as possible. That way, the database of info for the app could be built up and more feedback could be gathered and used to refine the Field Trip UX by the time it came to Glass. For folks wanting to see the results of all that hard work (and don't have the $1,500 wearable needed to see it firsthand), a video of the app in action awaits after the break.
Google's Field Trip app gets you into 13 museums for free right now
Museum buffs and tourists might want to download Google's Field Trip app right now. As we've told you before, the location-based app shows you cool things to do while on a trip. For a limited time, the app will also get you into 13 major US museums for free, as Google announced on the Field Trip Google+ page: Rumor has it you can visit 13 museums in 6 cities for FREE with Field Trip... RUMOR CONFIRMED!!! For a limited time you can walk into any of these for free: Conservatory of Flowers, SF California Academy of Sciences, SF Walt Disney Family Museum, SF Museum of Contemporary Art, LA Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago Adler Planetarium, Chicago The Field Museum, Chicago Museum of the city of New York, NY Museum of Arts and Design, NY National Building Museum, DC Portland Children's Museum Portland Art Museum Pittock Mansion, Portland If you are around one of the following 13 museums, you will get a Field Trip card with "Free Entry" in the title (check the 'nearby' tab). Show the card on your phone to the admissions staff and they'll take care of the rest. Enjoy your Field Trips! Living in Europe I'm pretty spoiled, as almost every major museum is free. But looking at the list above -- especially seeing three of Chicago's best museums (my old stomping grounds) -- leaves me feeling a little envious of my US friends at the moment. Field Trip is a free download for iOS and Android.
Google's Field Trip app granting free admission to 13 museums (update: now 23)
While Google's Field Trip app may find attractions off the beaten path, it's been up to users to foot the bill for their excursions. Now, however, the Niantic Labs-made application is handing out freebies for an unspecified limited time, allowing those who wield it to waltz into 13 museums for free. Folks near the establishments will receive Free Entry cards in the "nearby" tab, which will let them pass turnstiles without forking over a dime. Although Field Trip has been beefed up with points of interest in over 80 countries, the participating institutions -- which range from The Field Museum to the Walt Disney Family Museum -- are all located in six US cities. Head past the break for the full list. Update: Google's let us know that they've expanded the offer to include a total of 23 venues. We've revised the full list after the break. Mountain View says it's on a "first come, first served basis," so you'll want to head out there as soon as your sightseeing self can.
Field Trip for Android gets updated with over 80 countries, auto-translation
Niantic Labs' Field Trip is a location-discovery app that runs in the background during your aimless wanderings, piping up when you stumble across something notable. Unfortunately, for software designed to help you travel, it'd only made the one journey outside the US itself -- to the UK, and no further. Fortunately, the Google-owned company has sent the Android version of the app (an update for iOS is "coming soon") truly global, helping you find attractions in over 80 countries. Niantic Labs has also jammed in 30 languages and auto-translation, so if you find a restaurant review in an unfamiliar tongue, you won't have to resort to negotiating with the locals.
How to turn off Google Now and keep your battery charged
Google has recently added its Google Now service into its search app for iOS, but there's one big drawback to getting constant weather, traffic, and other local information on your phone: Location Services runs constantly. You can tell by the little arrow icon up in the corner of your home screen. Usually, that service only flips on when your phone needs to know where it is, but Google can be greedy with that information, keeping your Location Services on all the time, and thus draining your iPhone's battery much faster than it would otherwise. So what's the solution? Inside Apple's Settings app, you can manually turn off Location Services for each app that uses it, so if you want to keep Google Now from draining your battery you could turn off Location Services altogether. Another approach, suggested by Mac OS X Hints, is to turn off the Now feature within the Google Search app, and only re-enable it when needed. Not the best solution, but it works for sure. Our commenters point out a somewhat less draconic approach to toning down Google Now's location access: in the Privacy settings within the Google Search app, you can disable Location Reporting. With that option turned off, Google Now won't keep track of your location in the background -- it will only check when the app is actually open and in use. This may decrease the utility of the traffic cards, for instance, but it should help battery life. I had the same issue, actually, with Google's Field Trip app. I thought the app worked great, but it definitely drained my battery, and the constant notifications got to be a bit much. The solution I found there was simply to sign out of the app when I didn't want to hear from it, and that's worked all right; it does reduce the spontaneous discovery of nearby attractions that Field Trip tries to deliver, but that's a trade I am willing to make. Ideally, both of these apps would have big on/off switches included, so users could make sure the apps were only active when they were needed. We should note that Google's help document for Google Now suggests that the location reporting feature ought to have minimal impact on battery life, but that isn't necessarily matching up with the real-world experience of users with this first version on iOS. Hopefully, Google will hear some of these complaints, and we'll see the apps work a little less greedily in the future. Post updated to clarify MacOSXHints recommendation. Update: Google has gotten in touch with TUAW to say that these claims of battery draining simply aren't true. The company says they tested the apps thoroughly, and while other apps using Location Services may drain your battery, Google tells us that these apps won't. Whether or not you want to leave these services on, then, is up to you. Here's Google's full statement: Reports that Google Now drains battery life are incorrect. We understand people's concern about seeing the Location Services icon stay on when they use Google Now. Many apps that keep the icon on actually do drain the phone's battery because they require very accurate location. (For example a navigation app has to run your GPS all the time to keep you from missing your turn.) Google Now is built very differently: it uses cell towers and wifi hot spots for much lower battery impact. We extensively tested Google Now on iOS for months and didn't see reports of significant battery impact -- we would encourage you to try it in the Google Search app for a few days and we don't expect you to see significant impact on your battery. If you are seeing a problem, please do tell us (just tap feedback in the app settings). We take user feedback very seriously.
Google releases new iOS app 'Field Trip'
Google has released a new iOS app today called Field Trip. The app had previously been an Android-only one before today's launch. The app is a location-based augmented reality app that displays information on your screen or via audio into your Bluetooth headset when you are near an area of interest. Field Trip uses technologies from a little bit of everybody to accomplish its goals. It uses code and search from Google, maps from Apple and hyperlocal place information from companies like Thrillist, Food Network, Zagat and Run Riot for food results; Sunset, Cool Hunting, WeHeart, Inhabitat and Remodelista for shopping results; and Songkick and Flavorpill for local music gigs. From the app's App Store listing, these are some of its highlights: Discover thousands of interesting places/experiences that fall under the following categories: Architecture, Historic Places & Events, Lifestyle, Offers & Deals, Food Drinks & Fun, Movie Locations, Outdoor Art and Obscure Places of Interest around you. Choose from three different modes to set frequency of Field Trip notifications. See "Field Trip"-worthy places around you on a map, by tapping on cards in map view to pull up enthralling points of interest around you. Go on a Field Trip while you drive. Field Trip can detect when you're driving and automatically "talk" about interesting places and experience around you. Came across an amazing story or restaurant? Mark it as a favorite to easily come back to it at any point. Capture the memory of a special place, by sharing a wondrous discovery through email and social networks such as Google+, Twitter and Facebook. Wondering where the gem that you recently discovered is? Find your discovered field trip cards in the "recent" section. Field Trip is a free download.
Google's Field Trip location-discovery app comes to iOS
Android users have had access to Google's Field Trip for several months now, but the location-discovery app is just making its way to iOS now. The service runs in the background on your smartphone, alerting you when you're near a historic spot or Zagat-recommended restaurant, for instance. In addition to helping you discover new POIs, the app can act as a tour guide with audio read-outs about nearby places, and you have the option of posting newfound locales to Google+, Facebook and Twitter. Click through to the source link to give the free download a whirl on your iPhone or iPod.
Google Field Trip makes its way to the UK, helps you one-up the Queen with Buckingham Palace trivia
Want to learn a bit about that giant obelisk just outside your bedroom window? Or perhaps you're curious about the 16th century structure a few blocks away. As you approach, Google's Field Trip app will chime in with a bit of trivia, along with a photo of the site -- and, if you're wearing headphones or using Bluetooth speakers in your car, it'll even "read" that description to you. The app has been available to Android users in the great US of A since September, but it's now making its way to the UK as well, displaying content from local partners Dezeen, Historic UK, Historvius, Time Out and Run Riot, among others. Looks like it's time to dust off those walkabout shoes and hit up the source link to snag the latest version for your smartphone.
Google's Niantic Labs launches Field Trip app for Android, helps the working world play hooky
While Apple struggles to figure out how to help its users find their way, the mapping experts at Google have just launched a way to get folks to diverge a bit from their given path. Field Trip, released for Android by Google-owned Niantic Labs, runs in the background on your Android handset, eagerly waiting for you to get near a point of interest. Once that happens, it leaps into action, showing you a card for one of thousands of cool locations -- historic spots, museums, restaurants and the like. Google's partnered with a bunch of taste makers for the project, including Flavorpill, Cool Hunting and its own Zagat, to get things done. You can vote choices up and down, change the frequency of pop ups and post your findings to Twitter, Facebook and that one Plus social network. There's also a driving mode serves as an auditory tour guide when you're behind the wheel. The app's available now as a free download in Play. The iOS version, on the other hand, is coming soon. Psst... yes, it appears to be US-only for now. Bah, humbug.
Apple preps 2010 school field trips
Apple, through the Apple II, served as the gateway to computing for me; my third grade classroom had two Apple IIs neatly tucked away in metallic lock cases. With them, I was exposed to word processing, printing and, most importantly, Carmen Sandiego. Education is deeply ingrained in the Apple ethos. During his keynote at Macworld 1997 -- where he made his return -- Steve Jobs, in a not so understated way, said that "Apple is the largest education company in the world" and that this provided the company "an incredible foundation...and legacy to build off of." This legacy lives on, as Apple, through its retail stores, offers a variety of mediums to teach kids about and expose them to computing and content creation. Last week, Apple opened up spring registration for field trips to its retail stores. Breaking with the tradition that students are to bring apples to their teachers, Apple provides a way for teachers to their students to the Apple...store, that is. During these field trips, K-12 students can create a variety of digital masterpieces: a photo album using iPhoto, an edited video using iMovie, or a song in GarageBand, among them. When complete, students can showcase their creations with others in the store. Now that's a class act. [hat tip to The Loop]
