Facebook acquires sport data firm

Facebook has acquired SportStream, a start-up firm that analyses social media mentions of sport.

The social networking site said that SportStream enables users to aggregate, filter and display "real-time" data.
The acquisition is expected to make it easier for Facebook's media partners to find posts about sport on its website and use them in their content.
The move is being seen as an attempt by Facebook to be a real-time social content provider like rival Twitter.
"Through this acquisition, we expect to meaningfully improve the ability for all of our partners to access and utilise the insights from Facebook's tools," Justin Osofsky, vice president of Media partnerships & global operations at Facebook, said in a blogpost.
"We will be able to build a better experience for the people who use Facebook, and for our partners who depend on us for real-time insights."
The firms did not give the financial details o

'Shared interests'

Facebook has taken various steps in recent months to make it easier for users and partners to find posts related to specific topics.

These include the introduction of hashtags, embedded posts and trending topics.
In September, it allowed selected news organisations to integrate Facebook conversations into their broadcasts or coverage by "displaying public posts of real-time activity about any given topic".
Partners have also been allowed to show the number of Facebook posts that mention a specific word over a period of time, including a demographic breakdown for the people talking about that topic.
The company said that it wanted users to be able to connect to each other through their "shared interests" and the latest move was an attempt to make that easier for them.
"A spirited conversation about sports is happening on Facebook both in real-time and over the water cooler the day after," said Mr Osofsky.
"We want to help people connect with their passion around sports, and the world more generally."

Google Glass takes photos by winking

Google said the wink feature could have various potential uses in future

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Google has introduced a New feature to its Google Glass, which allows users to take a photo with a "wink of the eye".

Google said the feature was faster than the camera button or the voice action and works even when the display is off.
The update to Google Glass, dubbed version XE12, also adds a screen lock feature and the ability to upload and share videos on YouTube.
Technology firms have been keen to capture the wearable gadgets market, seen by many as a key growth area.
Google said the wink feature in its Glass could have various other uses in the future.
"Imagine a day where you're riding in the back of a cab and you just wink at the meter to pay," the firm said in a blogpost.

"You wink at a pair of shoes in a shop window and your size is shipped to your door. You wink at a cookbook recipe and the instructions appear right in front of you - hands-free, no mess, no fuss," it added.

Privacy concerns The launch of Google Glass was accompanied with concerns over its impact on privacy. The worries were triggered by its potential to gather images, video and other data about almost anything a user sees.
Some have argued that privacy will be "impossible" if Google Glass and similar products become widely used.
Analysts said the ability to take a photo by just winking an eye would make it very difficult for people being photographed to notice that someone had taken a picture of them.
"It is a remarkable progress of technology and the possibilities of innovation around it limitless," Manoj Menon, managing director of consulting firm Frost & Sullivan.
"However, it comes with new issues that we need to understand, not least the worries over security and privacy.
"There needs to be discussion about how, and in what environments, gadgets like these can be used openly," he said.
Mr Menon added that as the technology behind these gadgets matures and companies push more for their mainstream adaption, regulations were likely to come into place "to govern their usage".
Potential growth The wearable technology market is expected to see robust growth in the coming years.
However, analysts differ over the potential size of the market.
According to Juniper Research, the sector is expected to have annual sales of $19bn (£11.9bn) by 2018, up from $1.4bn this year.
Analysts at the bank Credit Suisse have been more upbeat and have suggested a figure of $50bn figure by the same date.
Research firm Gartner has been more cautious about its predictions. It has said it expects $10bn sales for 2016. But one of its analysts suggested the sector would grow more quickly if businesses decided to equip their workers with such technology.
Growing competitionGoogle Glass is one of a number of wearable gadgets that have been launched by firms as they compete to take a a major share of the growing market.
In October, Nike launched its second generation wristband, Fuelband, which helps users track their physical activity.
In September, Samsung unveiled a smartwatch, Galaxy Gear, that can be used for voice calls and run apps.
Also in September, Japanese mobile operator NTT Docomo demonstrated glasses that can translate a menu by projecting an image of translated text over unfamiliar characters.
Earlier this year, US-based Heapsylon said it was developing sensor-equipped socks that would help their owners monitor their balance while walking or running.
Meanwhile, Chinese firm Shanda, has unveiled the Geak Ring - a finger-worn device that can unlock a user's smartphone or pass data to others.

LG reveals Chrome OS desktop PC

LG's Chromebase has much less internal storage than the PCs it resembles

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LG has announced the first all-in-one PC to be powered by Google's Chrome operating system.

Until now the Linux-based OS has only come pre-installed on laptops or boxes that required a separate monitor.
Chrome-based computers tend to be cheaper than comparable Windows-powered rivals in part because Google does not charge manufacturers to include its software.
However, they run a more limited range of applications.
Popular products including Skype, Powerpoint, Photoshop and iTunes are all unavailable.
However, Google promotes a range of free and paid web-based alternatives that can be run through Chrome OS's browser.
Rocketing sales The popularity of what LG is calling "the first-ever Chromebase" may depend on its price.
The 21.5in (55cm) 1080p full-HD screened model resembles Apple's iMacs, HP's Spectre One range and Dell's Inspiron One family, which cost £700 or more.
However, it only has 16 gigabytes of storage - a relatively low amount - as it is Google's intention that users store much of their work in the cloud. This should help cut costs.
But the South Korean firm is holding back the suggested price of its machine until at least January, when it will be formally launched at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.
Samsung has already had success selling Chrome OS laptops, which have have dominated the two-year old ecosystem.

Samsung has had most success selling PCs running Google's Chrome operating system

Samsung has had most success selling PCs running Google's Chrome operating system

In a report covering the July-to-September quarter, the market research firm IDC said other vendors - including Acer, HP and Google itself - only represented a "tiny volume" of sales.
Samsung's success has helped Chrome OS machines represent rare growth in the PC market, which has lost sales to smartphones and tablets.
IDC said ChromeOS devices had experienced 1,542% growth over the previous year, which compared with a 12% decline in the notebook and laptop market and a 10% fall in the PC sector as a whole.
The research firm notes that with 697,000 units sold in the third quarter, Chrome OS still represented a tiny fraction of the market.
Even so, a tech analyst from another firm said Microsoft still had cause for concern.
"It will still be worried about Chrome OS as a competitor to Windows because it was previously caught out by the resurgence that Apple saw with its Mac OS," said Chris Green, from Davies Murphy Group.
"Chrome OS also helps promote Google's own services, which consumers will then continue to use on Android or other smart devices instead of Microsoft's.
"Looking at the new device, while I think the desktop market is in terminal decline, consumers are still buying all-in-one units as hub devices that they can use for everything from ordering groceries to watching movies. And that's a space LG wants to be in."