Displio, bridging the gap between widgets and the real world

Displio 1

Widgets have been around on cellphones and computers for a couple years, but now they jump into the real world becoming gadgets instead.

Widgets, the tiny displays with information about the world, are now making the jump to the physical realm in the form of actual gadgets. Pretty, cute and colorful gadgets at that. These devices have an electronic ink screen that measures 2.7″ inches and can show climate, calendar, e-mails, or even updates on Twitter as if it was a smartphone.

Depending on their position they can show a different widget, and users don’t need to use buttons to see or change them: it’s all touch-driven. In order to do the initial configuration, users can just use an app on their smartphones. Yet, the most clever aspect about Displio is is the API to expand its functionalities, so any creator can patch their own creations in it. As they claim, “if it’s on the Internet, it can be in Displio”.

The team behind Displio are trying to get it crowdfunded via Kickstarter, and with 29 days to go they have already gathered half of the funds they need. Once released, Diplio will retail for $99 USD in any of its seven color variations (white, red, blue, green, yellow, black or grey), or $119 USD for the special edition in wood.

Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories,Super Android Battery Widget Available From Google Play and Google People Widget Upgrades Chat.

Spotify Charts launch globally, showcase 50 most listened to and most viral tracks weekly

Spotify Charts launch, showcase 50 most listened to and most viral tracks each week

Taking a page out of Billboard's playbook, Spotify is using its listener data to determine the most popular music in a particular country. Available on the website or as embeddable widgets, the weekly updated charts will reveal which tracks are most listened to for the Spotify 50. The Social 50 list will contain the tracks most often actively shared by the service's users, including via Facebook and Twitter. Another new addition is the ability to see play counts for an artist's top tracks, tracking global plays since October 2008. That's rolling out to desktop clients first and will pop up elsewhere later, while the charts will update every week at noon ET. Hit the link below for this week's list topped by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and Daft Punk, although we'll know if it's really taking off when we see a green record on someone's wall in a future episode of Cribs.

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Source: Spotify Top Tracks

Google+ widget lets you embed Photo Spheres on any website

Google widget lets web devs embed photo spheres on any website

One of the biggest highlights of Android's jump to 4.2 was the addition of Photo Sphere, a 360-degree panoramic shooting mode that pans vertically as well as horizontally. It's a neat trick, but the only way to share it was on Google+ or on a device running Android 4.2 or higher. Now, thanks to a new widget that utilizes the Google+ Platform API, you can embed an interactive 360-degree slideshow on any website you choose -- so long as your photos are stored on G+ and PicasaWeb. If you're willing to play around with a bit of code, have a peek at the source to get started.

[Image credit: Colby Brown]

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Via: Colby Brown Photography, Google+

Source: Google Developers

Google Now update adds real-time package tracking, faster search results

Google Now update adds realtime package tracking, faster search results

Have an Android smartphone running Jelly Bean? You might have come across Google Now, the search giant's information hub that aggregates personalized content from your inbox, calendar and GPS. Now, an updated version of Google's Android app, which hit Play today, adds a few more features to the mix. The latest revision brings real-time package tracking from certain carriers, assuming a tracking number arrived in your inbox, a new info option that provides a basic settings readout, and faster Google search results. You should be able to snag these additions right now -- simply update your Google Search app to take advantage.

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Via: Droid Life

Source: Google Play

Google Now updated with support for widgets, added information sources

Google Now updated with support for widgets, added information sources

Google already tipped its hand on this one, but those looking for some widgets with their Google Now can get their fix today with the latest update to the Google Search app for Android. In addition to letting you add a Now widget to either your home screen or lock screen, the update also adds ratings from Rotten Tomatoes and movie passes from Fandango (including a reminder for when you need to leave for the movie), as well as real estate listings from Zillow.

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Source: Google Play, Official Android Blog

Sonos app gets universal favorites, Android widget and iPhone 5 tweaks

Sonos app gets universal favories, widget on Android and iPhone 5 tweaks

Ask a Sonos listener about flaws in the Controller app and you'll often hear about three sticking points: favorites buried in separate sections, the absence of an official Android widget and an iOS version that still isn't optimized for the iPhone 5. As of Tuesday, the company is cleaning house by curing all three hiccups at once. A new software update puts a source-independent Sonos Favorites section at the top of the menu system; Android users now have a playback widget to quickly skip tracks, and the iPhone app finally takes advantage of those 176 extra lines on the screen. All the official Controller releases should see their fixes appear at relevant app stores soon, if not by the time you read this.

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Via: Sonos

Source: App Store (iPhone), (iPad), Google Play

Google Now widget leaks, gets the ‘now’ up front and center

Google Now widget leaks, gets the 'now' up front and center

Mountain View has silently been updating Google Now for a while -- throwing in a pedometer, some travel tools and even limited desktop support. A premature update to the feature's support page has revealed what's next: widgets. The proposed tool promises to give your Now cards a suitable abode on your device's home or lock screens, presenting a summary of your card selection at a glance. A single tap will dive directly into the full Google Now experience, offering you a better look at the corresponding deets. We aren't sure when or even how this feature will land, but it's sure to be a welcome addition when it does. After all, it's all about getting the right information at the right time.

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Via: Android Central

Source: Google

Rara.com expands to iOS, Windows 8 and more countries

Rara.com comes to iOS, Windows 8 and more countries

Rara.com has been mighty busy since its luddite-friendly music streaming service launched at the end of last year, and now it's reporting the outcome of those 10 months of toil. In addition to an improved web experience and new Android widget, an AirPlay-compatible app for iOS is now available, with software for Windows 8 arriving alongside its launch. Rara's 18 million tracks haven't only invaded other platforms, but other countries, too -- residents of Brazil, Mexico, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, South Africa and Portugal have joined the party, bringing the total number of compatible countries to 27. Lenovo is also getting a piece of the action, as a worldwide agreement means Rara software will now come pre-installed on the manufacturer's Android tablets and Windows 8 gear. Want to hear more about Rara's recent accomplishments? Then head for the PR after the break.

Continue reading Rara.com expands to iOS, Windows 8 and more countries

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Rara.com expands to iOS, Windows 8 and more countries originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Oct 2012 01:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Evernote for Android gets new offline notebooks, widgets and more

Evernote for Android gets new offline notebooks, widgets and more

Evernote has already revamped a few of its offerings this month, and it's now brought some changes to its Android app as well. That includes new offline notebooks for premium subscribers that'll let you download multiple notebooks in one shot, a pared down note editor toolbar, retooled Action Bars for Android tablets and a new resizable Grid Widget for your homescreen. Not surprisingly, Evernote also says that the update includes a slew of other fixes and tweaks that promise to make the app "faster and more reliable," and it's promising that there's still "lots more to come." You can find the updated app in the Google Play store at the link below.

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Evernote for Android gets new offline notebooks, widgets and more originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Oct 2012 15:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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