Welcome to Google Now!

Google Now a new feature in Jelly Bean designed to make it easier to search for certain kinds of information. But thanks to XDA-Developers, you can try out Google Now!

Here is how it is described:

Google Now gets you just the right information at just the right time. It tells you today’s weather before you start your day, how much traffic to expect before you leave for work, when the next train will arrive as you’re standing on the platform, or your favorite team’s score while they’re playing. And the best part? All of this happens automatically. Cards appear throughout the day at the moment you need them. Appointments, commute time to work and back, flight data, sports, and a frighteningly accurate voice search functionality are just some of the “cards” you can scroll through inside of Google Now to find just what you need.

The XDA forum thread has full instructions, but be careful: you’ll have to root your Android device, modify system files, and reboot your phone a couple of times, so it’s at least annoying. Browse the forum thread before you make any changes, and be aware that in some cases it has caused apps to force-close randomly.

But finally, what are Google Now and Siri aiming at?

Anything can be a Touchscreen

Researchers from Disney and Carnegie Mellon University have created Touché, a system that can turn any object into a multi-touch, gesture-recognizing interface. Touché could turn any object – such as doorknobs, tables, liquids, or even your own body – into touch interfaces.

This technology relies on “swept frequency capacitive sensing” capable of processing big amounts of data to detect single and multiple finger movements.

The applications can be countless. Advancing the mobile experience to include body-touch commands and updating touch technology on tablets are the first on the list, but Touché could effectively be used for almost anything.

The Like button in real life

Likify is about giving a Like button to real objects.

Here’s how it works:

• Create a Likify Code in the matter of minutes and put it on your packaging, storefront, or product.
• You decide how your landing page looks.
• Choose which social media actions you want to make available.
• Select what to do after a successful social media action.
• Track the activities of your Likify Code.

A few case histories: Nike, Social Local, Sephora.

Easy, isn’t it? Why didn’t you think about it in advance?

Make your own charts

On Good Labs you can create your own infographic in just a couple of minutes.

Just pick the pie or the venn and add your categories! You can drag and drop the images and choose the colors.

Oh wait, you have to figure out what to write in it!

Take your chances on the Listserve!

About storytelling again: the Listserve is an email lottery.

One person a day wins a chance to write to the growing list of subscribers. If you had the chance to send an email to more than 10 thousand people, what would you tell them?

An interesting experiment. Go and subscribe!