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This week in the Google Apps Developers news, “to improve latency for users of the Google Documents List API who until now had to perform individual export operations in order to export their documents, Google now have added the “Archive Feed to the API.”

“Archives allow users to export a large number of items at once, in single ZIP archives. This feature provides a useful optimization for users, greatly increasing the efficiency of export operations. Additionally, users can receive emails about archives, and choose to download them from a link provided in the email,” explains Google.

For more information, please see the Archive Feed documentation.

Also, Google announced Doodles for Google Apps domain — with this Google App users can change their company logo for selected events or holidays, just like doodles, as in the following screenshot:

“The Admin Settings API allows domain administrators to write scripts to programmatically change the logo of their Google Apps domain, and Google App Engine offers the ability to configure regularly scheduled tasks, so that those scripts can run automatically every day,” Google informs.

Here is the Python App Engine script called doodleapps.py. Once the application is deployed on App Engine, it will run the script on a daily basis and update the logo:

import gdata.apps.adminsettings.service from google.appengine.ext import webapp from google.appengine.ext.webapp import util from datetime import date  class DoodleHandler(webapp.RequestHandler):   # list of available doodles   DOODLES = {     '1-1': 'images/newyearsday.jpg',     '2-14': 'images/valentinesday.jpg',     '10-31': 'images/halloween.jpg',     '12-25': 'images/christmas.jpg'   }    # returns the path to the doodle corresponding to the date   # or None if no doodle is available   def getHolidayDoodle(self, date):     key = '%s-%s' % (date.month, date.day)     if key not in self.DOODLES:       return None      return self.DOODLES[key]    # handles HTTP requests by setting today's doodle   def get(self):     doodle = self.getHolidayDoodle(date.today())     self.response.out.write(doodle)      if doodle:       service = gdata.apps.adminsettings.service.AdminSettingsService()       // replace domain, email and password with your credentials       // or change the authorization mechanism to use OAuth       service.domain = 'MYDOMAIN.COM'       service.email = 'ADMIN@MYDOMAIN.COM'       service.password = 'MYPASSWORD'       service.source = 'DoodleApps'       service.ProgrammaticLogin()        # reads the doodle image and update the domain logo       doodle_bytes = open(doodle, "rb").read()       service.UpdateDomainLogo(doodle_bytes)  # webapp initialization def main():     application = webapp.WSGIApplication([('/', DoodleHandler)],                                          debug=True)     util.run_wsgi_app(application)  if __name__ == '__main__':     main()

In order for the script to be deployed on App Engine, you need to to configure the application by defining a app.yaml file with the following content:

application: doodleapps version: 1 runtime: python api_version: 1  handlers: - url: .*   script: doodleapps.py

To make the script to run automatically every 24 hours, without the need for the administrator to send a request, just define another configuration file called cron.yaml:

cron: - description: daily doodle update   url: /   schedule: every 24 hours

Also, note that, Google Apps Provisioning API allows developers to write user management applications in the programming language of their choice, but many system administrators prefer a script-based solution instead. To this end, Google recently launched “UserManager Apps Script” that provide Apps domain administrators an easy way to automate tasks such as batch user creation or update.

With the new Apps Script service, creating a user will be as easy as writing a single line of code:

var user = UserManager.createUser("newuser", "John", "Smith", "mypassword");

UserManager service also makes it easy to perform the same task on each account in the domain. The following sample shows how you can force all users to change their passwords at the next login:

var users = UserManager.getAllUsers(); for (var i in users) {     users[i].setChangePasswordAtNextLogin(true); }

Calls to the UserManager service can also be scheduled to run hourly or daily, or in response to certain events thanks to Apps Script Triggers.

To learn more what else can be done with the UserManager service, check the documentation.

D’ Technology Weblog

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Since Microsoft launched Kinect for Xbox 360, the controller-free device has been adopted for a growing number of non-gaming uses, many of them in the healthcare field. Helping seniors is just one of a growing number of healthcare applications for Kinect.

Microsoft also revealed that it has sold a world-record 8 million Kinect devices in its first 60 days on the market, making the Kinect the fastest-selling consumer electronics device in history, according to Guinness World Records.

Rantz, a University of Missouri nursing professor, and her colleagues are researching just that, using Kinect to measure and monitor subtle changes in the gait and movement of older people. Using technology to measure the way people walk more completely and daily, rather than at bi-yearly doctor’s appointments, can give healthcare professionals a chance to intervene sooner.

“Falls lead to functional issues and other health problems, and can be a precursor to mortality. My mom was a pretty classic case,” said Rantz. “It’s an age-old problem of aging. So much spins on this particular issue.”

Doctors are using Kinect to help stroke patients regain movement. Surgeons are using it to access information without leaving the operating room and in the process sacrificing sterility. Healthcare workers are even using it to help with physical therapy and children with developmental disabilities or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Bill Crounse, a medical doctor and Microsoft’s senior director of worldwide health, referring to medical uses of Kinect says “Everywhere I go in the world – every hospital, college or public health organization, people are already doing something with Kinect or they plan to.”

Keen on encouraging the fast-growing wealth of non-gaming applications that have sprung up for Kinect, Microsoft released an academic and enthusiast software development kit for non-commercial projects in June and will release a similar kit next year for commercial uses.

Thus, the genesis of the so-called “Kinect Effect” – a term coined in the hallways and conference rooms of Microsoft to describe the device’s increasingly widespread appeal and diversity of uses.

In the video below, see how rehabilitation therapists are making Kinect an important part of the rehabilitation process for stroke and other brain injury patients at Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading, England:

D’ Technology Weblog

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The Gadgeteer

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Following the huge security breach of the PlayStation Network, Sony realized that not only did it require better security for PSN, it also needed to protect itself as a company from millions of gamers potentially suing it in the future. The solution: add a new clause to the PSN terms of service that had gamers agree never to sue the company.

It was such a clever and sneaky workaround both EA and Microsoft decided to do the same thing. It meant if anything goes wrong with your Sony or Microsoft online services, there?s not much you can do about it. The same is true for EA?s Origin service.

While it may seem like a great solution to an otherwise potentially very expensive problem, not all gamers are happy to accept these new terms. You can opt out of the don?t sue clause, but there was limited time to do so (30 days from the time you agreed), and Sony didn?t exactly advertise this had been added to their terms and conditions.

So guess what has happened? A class action lawsuit has been filed against Sony for unfair business practices relating to the introduction of this clause. The lawsuit represents anyone who owned a PS3 before the don?t sue clause was introduced, and accuses Sony of forcing gamers to make a choice between giving up their rights or losing access to the online gaming network they are entitled to.

Sony has yet to make comment on the lawsuit, but it does pose a problem for them. If successful, it means the clause has to be removed. It would also mean both Microsoft and EA would likely have to change their terms too or risk facing similar action.

via GameSpot

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If you did a quick specs comparison of the Sony PS Vita and the Nintendo 3DS, I think most people would choose the 3DS as having the longer battery life. It?s hardware isn?t as powerful and it has two low resolution displays. The Vita on the other hand has a 5-inch touchscreen, another touch panel on the back, and a 4-core ARM processor and 4-core graphics chip pumping out HD visuals.

Even so, the PS Vita thrashes the 3DS on battery life. And by thrashes I mean offers an additional 1 hour and 10 minutes between charges.

Proof of this comes in the form of a video recorded by a Japanese gamer who owns a 3DS, PS Vita, and PSP-3000. His simple test was to turn on all three fully-charged handhelds simultaneously and time how long they ran for just looping a game. The Vita played Uncharted: Golden Abyss, the 3DS played Monster Hunter 3G, and the PSP played Monster Hunter Portable 3rd. All three machines had their brightness set to full, and the 3DS had 3D on the highest setting too.

The 3DS empties its battery first after just 2 hours and 35 minutes. The PS Vita went 46% longer achieving 3 hours 47 minutes. The PSP was the clear victor though, managing over 9 hours. However, the PSP cheated by having an extended battery installed (2200mAh).

The reason for the large time differences between the 3DS and Vita can be put down to two aspects of the systems. The 3DS uses significantly more power when 3D is turned on and it has a much smaller battery: 1300mAh compared to the Vita?s 2100mAh. The Vita still impresses though when you consider the hardware it uses.

What this does show is that the Vita is surprisingly the better portable gaming unit to take on a trip away from a power outlet. It also offers much better visuals and will soon catch up on the breadth of games offered too.

Geek.com

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If you don’t know what Dropbox is by now, you probably don’t need any free cloud storage space. Just in case, it’s a great free service that lets you store files, music, pictures, or whatever you want up to the “cloud” with the ability to view, download, share, retrieve from almost any computer or mobile device. Today some of us in the beta test program got an email with a link to the new beta. The current stable app is available on the market but since it has been officially release, little has been done to improve the UI or overall user experience. I promptly downloaded the new app to my Android phone and was Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Gear Diary

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By Tyler Lee on 12/21/2011 05:19 PST

If there?s one thing you?ve got to love about all these obscure tech companies in China is that they don?t play according to the rules. The results are devices that are rather innovative in design, although we?re not sure how marketable they are, and one such device is a tablet by a Shenzhen based company, RenBen.

It?s essentially a tablet with phone calling capabilities, putting it up there with other ?hybrids? that seem to combine devices like smartphones with a tablet-sized body. The tablet will feature a 7? touchscreen with a 800×480 display resolution. It is powered by an MTK 6573 processor clocked at 650MHz along with dual-cameras, 3G, WiFi, Bluetooth with Android?s Gingerbread on board.

It will also feature dual-SIM capabilities, so essentially you could load it up with one SIM card with a calling plan, and the other SIM card purely for data usage. A rather interesting idea, no? Unfortunately pricing is unknown and we?re guessing that it?s unlikely that this tablet by RenBen will make its way outside of China.

Ubergizmo

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The Espro Press filters out the gunk a regular French press leaves behind

Some people, including Gizmodo’s OCD coffee nerd Matt Buchanan, say you should never make coffee in a French press (or cafetiére, as it is known in most of the world). The reasons? Under-extraction, and too many muddy grounds making it through the filter and into your cup.

The Espro Press aims to fix at least one of these problems with the inclusion of a double filter. The first is a cup-shaped filter that sticks out from the filter unit and digs under the floating grounds. As you press the plunger, the clean-ish coffee bubbles through this filter, and is then forced through a second even finer micro-filter. The result is an almost sediment-free cup of coffee.

The body of the Espro Press is double-walled, vacuum-insulated stainless steel, to keep the brew temperature constant and the resulting coffee and warm.

Unlike Matt, I quite like French press coffee (or at least I did last time I tried it), but I never liked the gunk it leaves behind. I’m going to try out the Espro Press in its current 8-9 ounce incarnation, which can be bought for around $ 70. If you want something larger, a 30-ounce version is currently making its way through Kickstarter, where you can snap one up for just $ 85 (retail will be $ 100).

Espro Press product page [Espro. Thanks, Bruce!]

Espro Press [Kickstarter]

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Some music countdowns are based on so-called experts picks. Others are created by fan votes.

Slacker Radio took a different approach to determining the Top 50 Songs of 2011- they looked at what Slacker listeners actually LISTENED to, shared and “hearted”. In other words, their list of the top 50 songs of 2011 consists of the top 50 songs people actually listened to in 2011. How unique!

They also have released Top 50 Indie Songs of 2011,
Top 50 Country Songs of 2011 and the Top 50 Alt/Rock Songs of 2011. I’m enjoying the Top 50 Alt/Rock Songs of 2011 right now and it is Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Gear Diary

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A very young, albeit VERY geeky, tech-person peaked my interest this morning; no, it?s not an attractive female (just lost half my audience, I guess). But the guy is quite fascinating and knows his stuff; so I?ve posted his video at the end of this piece so that you can all learn why Ritalin was created in the first place!

This is the first installment of a new DeviceMAG series entitled ?Question of the Day? and you will find it heart-warming to know that it WILL NOT appear every day. However, on occasion, a topic so relevant to today?s cultural paradigm rears its ugly head, and we must ask the Question of the Day!

Today?s topic, while inspired largely by the referenced Lockergnome post, is extremely relevant anyway due to the current issues arising out of media content production (e.g., movies, music, even news articles) and the digital blight called pirating of those materials. It?s been in the news and DeviceMAG has been following it all for you in numerous previous articles. Here is a breakdown of pirated materials by category (Envisional).

In the video below, young Chris raises an interesting debate over where to draw the line between piracy and mere entertainment. He has been inspired by recent changes in the Google+ Hangouts service. Google+ account holders are now able to record events that have transpired inside a Hangout session that may include up to ten participants.

Since you, the host of the session, have created this recorded content with your circle of friends, it is considered an original work. The problem lies in the fact that, if you all view a movie, read a book, or listen to music during the session - and it is discussed within the recorded Hangout - the movie producers would consider this piracy of their copyrighted content and, therefore, demand compensation for its usage!

This brings us to the Question of the Day: How is this different from you inviting nine of your friends over to your house to view the same movie, discussing the content, and recording it with your videocam?

Additionally, what happens if you decide to post the recorded Hangout session and ?broadcast? it to your Facebook page? Let us know what you think by posting a comment below, or by emailing us privately. Many thanks, to Mr. Chris Pirillo!

DeviceMAG

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It’s becoming quite clear that Verizon is gearing up to announce the Motorola Droid 4 and today’s evidence comes in the form of the device making a quick appearance on Verizon’s Droid Does website. Remember, we have heard that Verizon is going to be launching this bad boy on December 22nd which isn’t too far-fetched considering the timing of previous smartphone announcements.

Verizon often announces phones just a day before they are released so it’s certainly possible that we’ll see an announcement from the carrier, in regards to the Droid 4, at some point tomorrow.

The screenshot of what is alleged to be the Droid 4′s promo page doesn’t reveal anything we didn’t already know. The Droid 4 is no secret.

It’s going to be a 4G LTE device with a full, illuminated slide-out QWERTY keyboard and it’s going to be running an older version than the current Android software in Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread.

It’s also said to include other features like a 4-inch qHD display with Gorilla Glass, a dual-core 1.2GHz processor – an upgrade over the Droid 3′s processor, 1GB of RAM, an 8MP rear camera, a front-facing camera, and a 1785mAh battery.

The form factor is going to be quite similar to the previous Droid which Verizon surprisingly released back in July with mere 3G speeds.

As for pricing, we’re still unsure but if Verizon goes down a similar road to the Galaxy Nexus and other 4G LTE smartphones, we may see the Droid 4 initially offered for $ 299 on a new two-year contract.

Via: Pocketnow

Motorola Droid 4 Appears on Verizon’s Droid Does Site is a post by Adam Mills from GottaBeMobile.

GottaBeMobile

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Kevin, Phil, Derek, Daniel, Georgia, and Rene take at look at the year in mobile, from BlackBerry to Android, webOS to Windows Phone, iPad to iPhone. Highs, lows, great new devices, frustrating delays, devastating losses, and a look ahead to 2012. This is Mobile Nations!

read more

Android Central – Android Forums, News, and Help

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“PrECISE” is the name given to legislation recently introduced by the U.S. House of Representatives’ Homeland Security Committee. If passed, it would put more cybersecurity responsibilities on the DHS’ shoulders and facilitate the creation of cybersecurity information sharing network for public and private spheres.

TechNewsWorld

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Samsung has cemented its plans for the roll-out of Ice Cream Sandwich, and it looks likely to land on most of its top drawer Android devices. This (unsurprisingly) includes the Galaxy S II, its LTE variant, the Galaxy Note, the Galaxy R and whole range of Samsung tabs, from the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus to the Galaxy Tab 10.1. The update is penned to arrive first on both the Galaxy S II and Note in Q1 2012, with other devices following, although the Korean giant says that separate announcements will be made on the finer points — depending on the “market situation and carriers’ requirements”.

Engadget

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For all of you macho gamers out there that jump at any chance to show off your ?guns? to the ladies, a biomedical company named Advancer Technologies has created a video game controller just for you. Using electromyography (EMG) sensors tied into a modified Arduino Uno board, the company has successfully created a plug-and-play device that lets a user interact with a game using their muscles rather than fingers.

Using Super Mario Bros. 3 to demo the device, an employee of the company runs through the first level without ever touching a gamepad in the video below. Using his forearms for the A and B buttons from the classic NES controller, the player makes Mario run and jump. You can see that by flexing his left forearm he builds up the speed to make long jumps using his right forearm.

To make Mario run left or right, the player simply flexes the appropriate bicep. The real aim of this system is to aid patients undergoing rehabilitation after injury or surgery. By making the flexing motions fun, therapists can speed up recovery time while taking the patient?s mind off of the pain of getting back into working shape.

Building one of these units yourself is not very hard if you have a little bit of know how. Advancer Technologies has put a great tutorial up on Instructables sharing its knowledge. Alternatively, you can buy a turn key package from the company directly.

Geek.com

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We wouldn’t bet the farm on those “Apple is building an HDTV” rumors just yet, but tonight the Wall Street Journal reports the company is still interested invading the living room in a real way, based on “vague” talks with media executives. That vision includes a TV that packs wireless streaming with AirPlay to deliver TV shows and movies as well as technology it’s developed to tie-in DVR storage and iCloud, but also focuses on personalized, synchronized access across other devices including phones and tablets. Naturally, voice and gesture recognition are mentioned, although the reports indicate Apple itself is staying cagey about what devices it’s working on and that it hasn’t tried to license content for any new products — yet. Getting media and telecommunications companies to play ball with any solution will be the key (just ask CBS why it turned down Apple once before) to making this all go — or at least beating efforts by Google and Microsoft to the punch — so there will likely be more boardroom leask before we find out exactly what hardware plans may be in store.

Apple reportedly discussing its ‘vision for the future of TV’ with media execs originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 18 Dec 2011 23:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft has released new video ads that Microsoft’s private cloud solutions are definitely a bit of a stretch in the Utopian sci-fi direction.

“For a growing number of businesses, the journey to cloud computing begins with a private cloud implementation. Microsoft private cloud solutions, built on Microsoft Windows Server and Microsoft System Center, enable you to transform the way you deliver IT services to the business at http://www.microsoft.com/readynow/,” Microsoft states.

Learn how a private cloud can help you leverage your existing infrastructure investments for greater agility and cost-savings, while positioning you for the future of cloud computing.

The first video Microsoft Private Cloud Advertising: Elevator Visitor:

Second video titled “Microsoft Private Cloud: You Chose The Right Solution:

Third in the series is Microsoft Private Cloud: Go Beyond Virtualization Today:

D’ Technology Weblog

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I have overlaid two versions of the same image so you can see the various blending modes

Poly is an iPad photo-editing app that comes on more like a game than a serious productivity tool. And lest you think that you’re wasting your time on mindless frivolities, Poly is based on good, hard math.

The math used is called Delauney Triangulation, invented by Boris Delaunay in 1934. If you want to study it, you can check the Wikipedia page. If you just want to make cool, pointy pictures like the one above, you can just grab the $ 1 app and start playing.

These images, from the Poly iTunes page, show what you can achieve if you know what you’re doing. Unlike me

Select a photo from your camera roll or just take one with the camera. You can then start tapping. This adds points to the image and starts the triangulation process. Whatever clever stuff is going on behind the scenes lays triangles over the image based on the colors behind them. You can set the blending amount to show no triangles, only triangles or a mixture of both.

The controls are very simple, with just add, erase and undo, as well as a few viewing options, and images are saved to your camera roll to be shared by other apps.

It’s a lot of fun. Now I’m going to go find a neighbor with a Christmas tree, snap a picture and make a blocky, triangulated version to use as a Christmas card. It’ll be just the same as the crap my two-year old nephew “sends” to me, only done with cool tech instead of stupid crayons (he can’t even stay inside the lines).

Poly product page [iTunes]

Gadget Lab

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My 7-year-old asked for an iPad for Christmas. When I was his age, asking for a $ 20 electronic toy seemed a stretch.

But a $ 500 gadget? Absolutely unimaginable.

Sure, sure, with  inflation and everything, that figure is a bit higher now. But to even hope that your parents were going to buy a video game system, nevermind an expensive electronic gadget, was almost beyond belief. Especially if you were among the under-10 set.

Even so, the iPad is the most desired consumer electronic device for children aged 6 to 12 this year (and for those older than 12, too, just sayin?). So my son isn?t alone in his desire for the device.

In fact, those 12 and younger have a nearly insatiable appetite for Apple electronics, according to this infographic from Milo and sourced by Nielsen. iPhones, iPads, iPod Touch ? all have increased their value on the holiday lists of the pre-teen set this year.

All other smartphones, all other cell phones ? meh. Video game systems? Well, they?re not awful, but not that exciting, either.

But gadgets that Steve Jobs had a hand in? Well they?re another story entirely.

DeviceMAG

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Here is yet another superlative on the opposite end of the biggest ? Audman lays claim to delivering the world?s smallest speaker dock that will come complete with battery charging capabilities, in addition to the super cool retro styling that will clearly place it a cut above the rest. The Audman team intends to turn the common speaker dock and ultra-portable charger market by introducing a twist with those, hoping to end up with a fun and distinct brand thanks to the introduction of cassette player design elements as well as the integrated mixtape creation App.

Right now, the Audman is up for pre-order on crowd-funding website Kickstarter, although they do seem to be pretty far away from their dream as they are still short of $ 42,000 prior to midnight on New Year?s Eve before production can begin. Perhaps if you buy into their idea enough, you might want to contribute to chip away at their rather sizeable fund, don?t you think so? What makes the Audman interesting is the fact that it extends the interface of the iPod and iPhone via functioning analog style pushbuttons and volume wheel, rolling back the years all the way to Sony?s maiden outing with the Walkman. [Press Release]

Ubergizmo

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Researchers over at the National Renewable Energy Lab have reportedly made the first solar cell with an external quantum efficiency over 100 percent. Quantum efficiency relates to the number of electrons-per-second flowing in a solar cell circuit, divided by the number of photons from the energy entering. The NREL team recorded an efficiency topping out at 114 percent, by creating the first working multiple exciton generation (MEG) cell. Using MEG, a single high energy proton can produce more than one electron-hole pair per absorbed photon. The extra efficiency comes from quantum dots ‘harvesting’ energy that would otherwise be lost as heat. The cell itself uses anti-reflection coating on a transparent conductor, layered with zinc oxide, lead selenide, and gold. NREL scientist Arthur J. Nozik predicted as far back as 2001 that MEG would do the job, but it’s taken until now for the concept to leap over from theory. The hope is, of course, that this will lead to more competitively priced solar power, fueling the transport of the future.

Engadget

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My eldest son had a birthday recently, receiving numerous presents. This in and of itself is not unusual, but there was an aspect to one of those presents that triggered a revelation of sorts for me. Before I delve into that, let me preface it with a disclaimer: I currently own no Apple products. Zip. Nada. Zero. In the realm of cell phones, I?m partial to Android. I love the customizability of it, the screen widgets, and how I can choose to integrate it with my PCs. My son, not yet a cell phone user, owns an iPod. Consequently, towards his birthday he wanted some accessories for it. A quick trip to the internet revealed Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Gear Diary

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Earlier today, Google started rolling out the Android 4.0 update for the GSM version of the Nexus S. The update is currently rolling out OTA, over-the-air, and that means that some of you with a Nexus S probably have yet to see the update. Well, if you’re the impatient type, there is a way to get your Nexus S upgraded to Android 4.0.3 at this very moment if you so choose.

The process is simple but it only applies to the GSM/T-Mobile version of the Nexus S.

If you don’t own that version of the Nexus S, then you do not want to follow these instructions. If you do own a T-Mobile GSM Nexus S, let’s take a look, courtesy of Android Central, at how to get your phone upgraded right now.

Here is how to do it:

1. Download this file.

2. Rename it update.zip.

3. Copy it over to the internal storage space on your Nexus S.

4. Power your device off and then hold power and volume up to boot into the device’s bootloader.

5. Select Recovery using the volume keys and then confirm.

6. You’ll soon see a warning triangle and an arrow. Hold the power button and hit volume up.

7. A menu will pop up where you’ll want to select Apply update from /sdcard. Select update.zip.

8. It will install and you’ll want to select reboot system now.

9. Boom. Android 4.0.3 should be on your Nexus S.

Painless, as all Android updates should be.

How to Manually Install Android 4.0 for the Nexus S is a post by Adam Mills from GottaBeMobile.

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Winters arrvied, Christmas is upon us, in the spirit of the festivity, Google now has a new easter egg on Google.com search results pages — Search the words “let it snow” and you’ll have a hard time checking the search results.

Google uses a JavaScript animation that adds some snowflakes and covers the entire page with snow.

Watch your browser fill up with snow, and then skate around with your mouse, where your browser acts just like a frozen lake, showing the path your cursor has taken.

The search results are not clickable during the snow fall, in order to get the results clickable, you will have to click “dfrost” button.

You can also click anywhere on the page and move your mouse to “defrost” the page or draw something. Click the “+” button and you can share the Easter egg with other Google+ users.

Here are some screens and the video of the Snwy Easter egg:

Google is also celebrating Hanukkah! Type the word “Hanukkah” on the Google search form and you’ll see a special surprise.

Google will bring up a string of lights on Google’s search results page.

Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple (the Second Temple) in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE. Hanukkah is observed for eight nights and days, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar, which may occur at any time from late November to late December in the Gregorian calendar.

The festival is observed by the kindling of the lights of a unique candelabrum, the nine-branched Menorah or Hanukiah, one additional light on each night of the holiday, progressing to eight on the final night. The typical Menorah consists of eight branches with an additional raised branch. The extra light is called a shamash and is given a distinct location, usually above or below the rest. The purpose of the shamash is to have a light available for use, as using the Hanukkah lights themselves is forbidden. [Wikepedia]

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Point 1: As much as I love my iPhone using it as a phone isn’t all that comfortable. As a result, even when I’m not on the go, I will often use a headset, wired or Bluetooth, when using my iPhone for a call. In other words, if I use my iPhone a headset is a must.

Point 2: iOS 5 .0 isn’t giving me the battery life that I am used to and need. That may change with the next iOS update but for the time being it is an issue with which I need to deal. That means I need to charge my phone more often than ever. In other words, if Continue reading on Gear Diary …

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