I've been using Inkpad for a couple of years, which has an unthreatening Windows 98 kind of vibe to it, but I'll take a look at GK as there's probably a lot I'm missing out on.
Google Keep anyone? i'm intrigued - seems like they're trying to take a bite of the Evernote pie. I initially wasn't a fan of evernote and kept trying to find a decent notetaking app. I finally started using it after the android version was updated and it got much handier to use, and now it's my go-to notetaking app in many ways. Prior to that, and actually, even still, I'd send myself emails or store them as drafts as my way of taking notes.
But it does seem like Google Keep is firmly heading that way. It syncs up with Google Drive too, it seems: https://drive.google.com/keep/
There's rumours around too that Google are working on a product that will unify their various chat programs - like, I have Talk, Messenger and Google Voice and then Hangouts too along with that too. But each product is somewhat separate and not as unified as it should be. Like, really, shouldn't all those various communication tools be one app? Rumour is that we'll see Google Babble in May which will be that unification of all the various existing apps.
Interestingly, I just got an email from the Google Play store for music saying that they're now introducing variable pricing for music, which is great. Artists can set how much they want their music to cost, which is a step away from the iTunes model and more towards the Bandcamp one, which is a step in the right direction in my opinion.
I'm a complete Google fan these last few years, and I think all the change they've made has been change in the right direction. Their products are exciting in the way I used to find Apple's innovations exciting. They've gone wrong a few times, but the recent more unified design ethos and overall focus on a more integrated experience with all their products is really wonderful in my opinion.
I've been using Inkpad for a couple of years, which has an unthreatening Windows 98 kind of vibe to it, but I'll take a look at GK as there's probably a lot I'm missing out on.
I'll check out Google Keep. I tried Evernote and lost some important notes I took at a meeting. Getting Things Done is a really nice list making and note taking app worth checking out.
And since this is the Google thread, can I just say that I don't understand why YouTube needs to become a completely different site every 3 months.
Last edited by C33; 03-21-2013 at 01:51 AM.
i have a HUGE problem with Google Blogger. they need to get their fucking shit together. my photography blog is hosted on Wordpress. when i try to comment on a fellow photographer's work whose photos are hosted on Blogger, i cannot leave a comment under the "open id" option because i continually receive the message 'OpenID error'. This has forced me to create a Google account with a URL that does not track back to my site just so that i can comment on others who use Blogger (which is about 50% of my contacts.)
^ I think the problem there is with the bloggers themselves, as OpenID is certainly an option that is open to people who use Blogspot for their blogging, they just need to select that option when setting who can comment on their blog: http://support.google.com/blogger/bi...n&answer=83064
Did the shutdown of Google Reader affect anybody? Half of my friends were freaking out but I've pretty much replaced RSS with Twitter.
I use reader to store my rss feeds. Totally. But I use feedly to log into reader and format the feeds a bit better. It suits me for the blogs I want to subscribe to. I don't want my social feeds to be full of blog links myself. But feedly have said they've set up something that will transition the feeds you follow from reader to their own set up, so hopefully it won't be a problem.
But yes, I still totally use rss feeds. More interesting than having to rely on what new stories get popular. I have my regular reads alongside those news articles that flurry up across social networks too. I guess it depends on what kind of sites you're following or what news you're interested in.
It's actually an on-going problem with Blogger itself. http://en.forums.wordpress.com/topic...nts?replies=18
Many bloggers give you the option to leave a comment under OpenID and under Wordpress.com, but when you enter the URL to your site it just returns an error message.
Here's a good explanation of the situation:
So the only way I can comment without using a Blogger account [which does not track back to my blog] is when the site allows for comments under the Name and URL setting.Blogger Staff have made some recent software chnages. However, even before the changes were made there have been long standing problems for WordPress.com bloggers with posting comments to blogspot blogs. Unless the blogspot blogger uses the Name and URL setting for comments we cannot pst them. Open ID fails more often than it works and if the blogspot blogger does not choose Name and URL the software refuses to recognize us when our usernames are not the exact same name followed by .wordpress.com as the blog URL we are posting. This has been a huge annoyance to those of us who have domains being free hosted by WordPress.com for a long time.
Ah ok. That's frustrating so.![]()
Blogger was a service I always avoided from shortly after it initially launched, as it was always such a buggy platform that I never liked it. I went LJ and then Wordpress as they were just more reliable. I never really understood why Google bought it, tbh.
I love Google. I bought a Google Nexus 7 tablet a few weeks ago. It's an amazing device. I'm glad to hear about this Google Babble coming up in May - I love to video g-chat with my friends in NYC and everything always gets mixed up what with Talk, Messenger, Google+, etc.
Google Now is also really, really cool! It stores all kinds of useful information and I can pull it up from the bottom of any screen I'm on on my Nexus 7. Driving/transit directions, local events, weather, etc...I'm still learning it.
I really love the Google Play store. I think it's super easy to navigate and I just like the look of it.
Lastly, I am all about Google Play Music - I love how it syncs so easily and everything is so organized and colorful and fun to scroll around in. Also, the instant playlists it creates for me are great!
tuna rubber a little blubber in my igloo
If you're looking for a Google Reader replacement, Feedly is going to be Johnny-on-the-spot. They're writing an API that'll pull your Reader rss links into their ecosystem. You'll link your Reader account to their frontend, and their API will scavenge the links so that when the shutdown happens, they'll be able to migrate your feeds transparently.
^ Thanks!! I will check them out.
Even though Reader isn't officially retired until July, Google went ahead and removed it as a menu option. Reader is no longer in my "More" drop down, and apparently, not in any menu? Damn Google. *shakes fist*