Google Docs gets a subtle facelift, shifts the focus to content

You can't say that the Google Drive crew isn't looking out for you. Following the transition of QuickOffice for Android and iOS into a freebie, the team is now blessing Google Docs with a slightly more attractive interface. First and foremost, you'll now find a familiar, colorful product icon in the upper left part of the web app, which links back to Drive. This refinement applies to Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drawings, Forms and Apps Script, and it could very well help users of another office suite feel more at home. Additionally, the headers within each of the editors are now more compressed, which Google hopes will allow users to focus more easily on their content. Naturally, these aren't the most dramatic visual changes, but then again, do you really want a card-based UI for your document editor?

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Source: Google Drive Blog

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NTT DoCoMo's vision of '5G' wireless: 100x faster than LTE, but not until 2020

We knew good and well that Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo would be divulging details about its 5G wireless plans at CEATEC, but the claims that we've stumbled upon here in Chiba are nothing short of bananas. Granted, the operator is making clear that its vision isn't intended to reach implementation until 2020, and it confesses that a 5G standard has yet to be ratified. That said, it's dreaming of a world where its network offers "1000 times the capacity and 100 times the speed as the current network."

Representatives for the company told us that the challenge is going to be dealing with range limitations in higher frequency spectrum, but it plans to employ "high-frequency bandwidth by transmitting with a large number of antenna elements." The goal for looking so far forward? It's already seeing an insane appetite for video on networks that can barely maintain poise under the load, and the notion of transferring 4K content to the masses is going to require a substantial upgrade. CEATEC's known as a place that allows companies to dream big and aim for the fences, but we'll be honest -- we'd really, really prefer that 2020 arrived sooner rather than later.

Mat Smith contributed to this report. %Gallery-slideshow99596%

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile

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Monitoring Planet Earth's 'Heartbeat'

The National Ecological Observatory is a network of more than 100 sensors located across the country that will give scientists an 'EKG' for planet Earth, a crucial tool for monitoring environmental health in a changing global climate.

Image: Kevin Gill Read more...

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LG Gate to tackle enterprise smartphone security with encryption, VPNs and more

Samsung chose to name part of its enterprise smartphone security suite after an Army post, but LG's going for something entirely more generic: Gate. The company's solution appears to work much like JK Shin and Co.'s, safeguarding both private and business data as they coexist on a phone, allowing outfits to use a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) setup. By wielding Gate, users can encrypt their hardware's data, use a VPN and make the lives of IT departments easier thanks to mobile device management features. It's not clear the software will be offered gratis, but it sounds like it'll be available just in time for the G2's trip stateside.

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Source: LG Korea Social (translated)

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Brewbot Uses Your iPhone to Help You Brew Beer

Brewing your own beer is a complicated and scientific process that requires patience and a bit of training

One company, however, is attempting to simplify the process with an appliance that automates home brewing. Called Brewbot, the device turns you into a brewmaster — without any training.

See also: 15 Creative Ways to Repurpose Your Old Beer Cans

Simply set up a recipe within Brewbot's app, and then pair your phone with the device. Brewbot connects to your phone via Bluetooth, and does everything from measuring the water for your brew to ensuring it’s at the right temperature.

The UK-based team behind Brewbot, which is currently in prototype form, has relocated to Portland, Ore. to finalize the project. What's more, it launched a Kickstarter campaign to help raise funds. Read more...

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Japanese carrier DoCoMo demos 'Intelligent Glass' wearable at CEATEC 2013 (hands-on)

Wearables are coming and DoCoMo wants to be involved from the start. Here at CEATEC, the carrier has dedicated a quadrant of its booth to prototype wearables (at least some of it was Vuzix hardware), with several different demo sessions offering glimpses into how it all might work. First, however, the wearable itself. We saw several different models and many had Vuzix written somewhere on them. It appears that NTT DoCoMo has been working more closely on the software interfaces and real world applications, and so it didn't really push (or even mention) technical specifications.

On the "Space Interface" demo, however, the headset paired a camera with an infrared sensor, both in the middle of the device, to gauge where your hands are. You could then interact with characters on screen, poke, push and pick them up and move 'em around. These are very early concepts, but DoCoMO's already working to make these virtual objects shareable, allowing multiple people to manipulate the same thing. Darren embarrasses himself while playing with a virtual bear after the break. Oh, and we've got more on the wearable too. %Gallery-slideshow99595%

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Source: NTT DoCoMo

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YouTube Music Awards take place Nov. 3rd, blend mainstream artists and internet stars

The alternate reality of Youtube -- where internet famous stars with millions of subscribers sit next to recognizable mainstream artists -- meets the real world November 3rd when Google's video site hosts the first ever YouTube Music Awards. Lady Gaga, Eminem, and Arcade Fire are some of the names you'll recognize from TV and radio that will be there, along with YouTube channel favorites like CDZA and Lindsey Stirling. Spike Jonze is penciled in to serve as creative director, actor Jason Schwartzman is hosting while VICE and Sunset Entertainment drop in as executive producers. Since YouTube is where many people go to check out music and find the newest artists, that it would launch its own live event -- taking place in New York, but with collaborations form locales as varied as Seoul, Moscow, London and Rio -- is almost inevitable. Nominations for the awards open October 17th, and the site is calling on viewers to judge contributions form the past year to determine who will be the winner.

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Source: YouTube Blog

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YouTube Announces the 'YouTube Music Awards' Show

Lady Gaga, Eminem and Arcade Fire are among the artists who will perform at the first YouTube Music Awards, a new global event that will air live on YouTube on Nov. 3.

Google's 8-year-old video sharing service announced the 90-minute awards show Monday night, saying YouTube will reveal six award categories in mid-October. Data from YouTube users will drive the nominations, and users will vote for the winners.

SEE ALSO: 13 Must-Follow Musicians on Instagram

Leading up to the live show in November, YouTube will showcase hours of pre-recorded performances across the world, including Seoul, Moscow, Rio de Janeiro and London. Those will lead to the live event at Pier 36 in New York City. Read more...

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Delta Pilots Will Use Surface 2 Tablets Instead of Flight Bags

Delta Air Lines announced Monday that it would purchase up to 11,000 Microsoft Surface 2 tablets to replace pilots’ flight bags.

Starting with Boeing 757 and Boeing 767 aircraft, pilots on 700 planes will leave behind their 35-pound flight kit in favor of the second generation of Microsoft’s tablet product. The move to tablets will help the airline save on fuel costs, as well as cut carbon emissions by 26 million pounds, according to the airline. Delta also said that all cockpits will be paper-free by the end of 2014.

In Delta’s news release and corresponding video announcing the purchase, the company touted the tablet’s ability to multitask as a selling point. “Pilots will be able to open two applications side-by-side, offering, for example, the opportunity to assess weather information alongside proposed flight paths,” the company said. Read more...

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GoPro reveals HD Hero3+: smaller, sharper, faster and available now

If you were thinking it's about that time of year that we might see a new GoPro, then you'd be right. The king of the action cams has just announced the GoPro HD Hero3+. The flagship Black edition is now 20 percent smaller -- no mean feat if you've seen the existing model. There are also improvements to the optics, which GoPro claims gives a 33 percent increase in image sharpness, while reducing artifacts by a factor of two. Feature-wise there's a new 1080 "SuperView" mode which takes footage from 4:3 aspect ratio, and presents it in an immersive 16:9 view. Other improvements include a new auto-low light mode that will adjust the frame rate on the fly, revised audio internals, four times faster WiFi and wireless camera updates via your phone. Despite all of these additions, and the smaller form, it's claimed that your new GoPro will potentially offer up to 30 percent extra battery life, too. The Silver edition gets some love, also, with 1080p now possible at 60fps, and 720 at 120 fps. So, all that's left is for you to get 30 percent better at your daredevil activity of choice for 30 percent longer, and we're all even. The HD Hero3+ will be available starting this week, with prices starting at $299 for the Silver addition, and $399 for the black. The previous flagships now retail for $329 and $249 respectively.

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NASA Goes Low-Tech: Sends Balloon to Study Comet ISON

As stargazers keep their hopes up for an awesome show from ISON, dubbed the "comet of the century," a balloon NASA sent into space is intended to bring back more information about the celestial event

But this is not your average balloon. At 671 feet tall, NASA's balloon — named BRRISON, which stands for Balloon Rapid Response for ISON — can carry up to 8,000 pounds.

See also: Cygnus Spacecraft Successfully Attaches to International Space Station

The comet ISON will whiz by the sun on Nov. 28 and it may light up brightly enough that we Earthlings can see it during the day, and without using telescopes. NASA hoped to gather more data about the comet through BRRISON, including images. According to a tweet from Sept. 28, the balloon launched successfully, and would float as high as 140,000 feet in the air. Read more...

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Omate TrueSmart smartwatch is also a phone, incorporates Fleksy keyboard (hands-on)

While most smartwatches like the Pebble and the Galaxy Gear can't live up to their true potential without the assistance of a smartphone, the Omate TrueSmart is a full-fledged calling and texting machine right out of the box. We've seen a couple of other such smartwatches of course, but the TrueSmart sets itself apart with a design that's both water- and scratch-resistant, a unique UI that runs full-on Android 4.2 and most intriguing to us, a partnership with Syntellia's Fleksy keyboard so that you can actually type coherently on such a tiny screen.

We had a brief hands-on with the TrueSmart at the Glazed conference in San Francisco, and we'll admit to a bit of skepticism that we'd be able to do much with a 1.54-inch screen. However, we did manage to flip through the four-icon menu without too much trouble. The icons were large enough for us to tap, and we simply had to slide our finger to the left to go to the previous screen. It refused to recognize our swipes on occasion, but hopefully that's just due to it being a production unit.%Gallery-slideshow99594%

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Source: Omate

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Entire Football Team Hugs Local Anchor After Daughter's Death

Dom Tiberi is a longtime sports anchor at Columbus, Ohio, station 10TV. His 21-year-old daughter Maria was killed in an auto accident after her car hit a tractor trailer on Sept. 17.

The tragedy led to one nice moment this past Saturday, however, when the Ohio State Buckeyes football team welcomed Tiberi back to his first day covering a game since his daughter's death. As shown in the video, above, seemingly every member of the Buckeyes gave Tiberi a hug after leaving the field following their crucial win over Wisconsin. Tiberi is visibly touched by the gesture at the clip's end

See also: Happy Ending: Grandpa Returns to Fenway After Internet Pitches In Read more...

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Shyp Raises $2.1 Million to Take the Pain Out of Shipping

The Launchpad is a series that introduces Mashable readers to compelling startups. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here .

Name: Shyp

One-Liner Pitch: Shyp borrows from the Uber playbook to make it easier for customers to ship random items.

Why It's Taking Off: Users can scan an item they want to ship using Shyp's app; then the startup sends over a driver to pick up the item, package it and mail it to your chosen destination

Mail delivery may not exactly sound like the sexiest space for new businesses, but in recent months, we've seen a slew of new same-day delivery services, including a company that aims to digitize snail mail and even a startup from a former FedEx employee that helps customers get refunds on late deliveries. Now, we can another company to that list: Shyp. Read more...

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Dragon Quest Metal Slime smartphone revealed by DoCoMo, looks more metal than slime

Atop a pile of gold coins, in a treasure chest. This is how you present a Dragon Quest collaboration smartphone to the Japanese public. %Gallery-slideshow99593%

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Wii U update 4.0 brings Wii games to the GamePad's screen

Nintendo's pushing out version 4.0 of its Wii U system software, and it's bringing a few unexpected -- yet welcome -- changes. Ironically, tweaks to how the hardware handles titles from The Big N's last home console headline the update. Folks taking Wii games for a spin will now be able to do so using just the GamePad's screen, and enjoy Dolby Pro Logic II surround output. With the fresh code in tow, demos from Iwata and Co. can be downloaded automatically and a variety of USB keyboards are supported, to boot. The box's internet browser also got some attention, as it's been bolstered with the ability to open PDF files and remember user login details for web sites. Check your Wii U for the update or click the source link for the full changelog.

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Source: Nintendo Japan (translated)

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U.S. Government Shutdown: Who to Follow on Twitter

As Americans consider the ominous specter of a government shutdown, here, below, is a list of Twitter accounts that will keep you informed

But before we get to that, here's a bit of background on what exactly a "government shutdown" means, and how Washington's political gridlock reached this point

See also: John McAfee Is Building a $100 Gadget to Block the NSA

Like so much of modern American political theater, this predicament has its roots in the debate over Obamacare, U.S. President Barack Obama's law aiming to restructure the American healthcare system

Against that backdrop, we have the U.S. government's standard fiscal year, which runs from Oct. 1 through Sept. 30. Among the most basic duties of Congress is passing spending bills to keep the government running for the next fiscal year. From the military to the National Zoo, these annual spending bills pay for a wide range of public services and government institutions Read more...

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Social Media Spam Increased 355% in First Half of 2013

As email clients get better at detecting and filtering spam, spammers are moving to social networks, where they have better chances of going undetected. That's why, on a typical social media account, spam has risen 355% in the first half of 2013, according to a new study.

Spam is spreading on social networks so much that 1 in 200 social media posts is spam, and 5% of all social media apps are spammy (meaning they promise a potentially useful service and then send spam updates instead). These are some of the numbers revealed by Nexgate's State of Social Media Spam Report (.PDF), which was released last week. Read more...

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NASA Won't Leave Astronauts Stranded in Space if Shut Down Occurs

In the midst of a possible government shut down Tuesday, U.S. President Barack Obama delivered a speech on Monday filled with warnings about the possible consequences — one of which would be the furlough of most of NASA’s 18,000 employees

Fuelled by a budget stuck in limbo over disagreements related to the new healthcare law, the governmental impasse could cripple a number of federal institutions, including the Department of Justice, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the National Park Service.

SEE ALSO: What's Next for NASA: Planned Missions Through 2030

But for those focused on the future of science and technology, the potential interruption of NASA's operations is just the latest in a series of budget woes that continue to stifle its development. Read more...

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