Jedi Fallen Order

I really like the concept of Google Stadia and online gaming rather than spending $600 on a console.  (Post coming soon) and FINALLY Star Wars is coming to Stadia.  Jedi Fallen Order will arrive on 11-24-2020.  

Check it out below.

More announcements today at 11 AM featured a PacMan demo and Hello Engineer.  
Here's to hoping family share is coming as an announcement this week!

Chromecast with Google TV

Ever since the first chrome cast came out I've been a big fan of it.  Being able to show YouTube and Google Photos on TV via the HDMI port.  When I had my first house and cut the cable cord I used it quite a bit.  

When I had my townhouse I cut the dish cord and went to YouTube and bought Roku's for the interface and guide like option with YouTube TV instead of having to cast channels.  Especially with kids being home when I wasn't home, this was a great option.  They could hit the home button and go to all the apps.  My chrome cast was still there to show photos, but used it much less.

Since buying the Stadia, I have used it quite a bit more and getting things more integrated all the way around with the Google/Nest Wifi and the homes and using the assistant and routines more.  

Then Google announced the new Chrome cast with the redesigned Google TV and with remote it has taken the streaming wars to a new level and come from behind and taken the lead from Roku.  The remote is universal and can replace your regular remote, can tie to volume, power and input buttons.  It also syncs to soundbars if you have that.  

Being able to search throughout all your apps on one screen is a game changer.  It's nice to not have to go from Disney+ to YouTube TV to Netflix to Hulu.  It's all there in one screen.  Add in the search with google assistant and the ability to hold a button and just speak it into the remote is great feature.  Search for all Batman movies it brings back everything you can watch.  

The guide for YouTube TV dwarfs that of Roku's version too.  When clicking around different times on the same network there is a very slow response.  On the Chrome cast its quick and very responsive and shows on the screen more than an the hour available.  You can move to the next hours in seamlessly too.

I haven't been upgraded to the Google TV app (formerly Google Play Movies) but it looks like it will be a great feature to tie to the Chrome cast.  Some features seem available already on the web searching movies and shows already.

Google does need integrate Stadia with the Chrome cast yet, but that update is coming in early 2021.  That would be one of the big negatives if you are a Stadia player.  There are ways to backload it that have been documented but may cause some game play latency.

Roku still has a market on TVs they built and are selling.  I've been a fan of those and recommended those to friends.  I also own one in my bar.  There are been some rumblings that Google would be interested in buying Roku.  This would be a HUGE play in the streaming wars vs Apple TV and Amazon with the Fire Stick.    

Chromecast with Google TV in the Google Store

Android Central Chromecast With Google TV Review

I miss Google+

Yea yea, I know I'm probably the only one.  Maybe there are others out there.  I hope there are.  Looking back at it, it really was a good social network.  And it was better than what Facebook was, and maybe what Facebook is.  

There are things that I would have updated or changed.  I really wish people would have given it more of a shot and tried it out more, maybe it would still be here.

A lot of its features were also copied by Facebook and integrated into its site.  Groups?  That was on G+ more with Communities.  Topics in groups, yea that was copied too.  Circles were a great way to show your friends and contacts.  Facebook had that with lists.  That is gone, or well hidden.  Pages?  Google and Plus already had that for businesses.  Video calling?  Meet and Hangouts was on Facebook before Rooms.  And photos, which was the best thing on G+ is amazing on Google.  Facebook has Instagram but Google Photos is the best for photos on the web.  

Everything was integrated too.  YouTube, Photos, Events/Calendar.  It all worked.  AND look at what is going on in the world today.  Bullying, hiding behind a screen name and causing chaos.  Google had you sign up with your real name.  Comments flowed into YouTube with your name.  Would you say or comment some of the things you say if your identity was shown?  NO.  That's called character.  Who are you when no one is watching.  We could really use some of that today huh?  I liked the +1 a lot better than that of the "like" and all the reactions now.  

Watching The Social Dilemma on Netflix even adds to my opinion that Google Plus was and is still better than Facebook.  Facebook and these other sites can't survive with out advertising.  Sucking your data up and showing you what you want and keeping you online with random notifications.  Google Plus had NO advertising.  Nothing random popping up.  You were in control.  Think of the integration with Stadia and communities now?

I spent a lot of time on Google+, it was my favorite social media platform with Twitter.  Here are a few things I would have changed.

• In the end it did get clunky and swamped, it needed more guidance of "Fake News" and all the groups that were posting hateful speech on it.  All social media sites need this and it needed it
• Events was great, and I used it a lot.  Here are a few things I would have changed with it.
• Header photos needed to be a certain size...It was difficult sometimes getting larger photos for it.
• Posts in it.  When posting in Events, if you would post a hyperlink, it gave just the link.  Update that like posts in the normal feed to update and show the image preview.
• With the integration into calendar, SHOW THE WHOLE IMAGE and information of the event in the calendar feed and info while on that app.
• Replies on posts were not like a reply to the comment.  That feed should have been like BULLET as a comment and sub bullets for replies to the comment.  Similar to this layout of the bullets above.  It would have flowed better.
• Same with that on Replies in communities.  It would have made that a much better experience.
• When new gmail users signed up, they got a Google+ account.  Which wasn't a bad thing, that is the way it is all across the Google Eco System.  BUT I think they pushed it to hard through the searches and what not. Google should have been the main connection then allow G+ to be secondary.
• Allow a historical/memories section.  It has it in Google Photos, that would have fed over great.  

Again I really miss it, and wish more people used it.  I have deleted more social media apps and limited my exposure and kids exposure to them.  It really is surprising how your phone reacts when you don't have them all installed.

Google+

Let the Social Network Battle begin…..Google+ is still in “TEST” mode but has got a lot of news and high demand for invites that even prompted a few to sell invites on eBay.  I finally got in a few days ago and haven’t played as much with it as I’d like to, life gets in the way.  But from what I see I like it, and more so because I use a lot of the Google products such as Gmail, Picasa, YouTube, blogger, etc. 

G+ has the wall were you can post, your own profile, friends and the +1 along with (if you Picasa) your photo albums available to share with your circles.  Circles are your friends list, and a way you can make your life a little more private on a social network where as you might not be able to on facebook, or don’t care to since it’s a little more work.  Google has made it a little easier.  Right now I’ve found it easy to create and edit my circles.  What I really like is I can view my profile as a group or someone I circled.   Nice feature.

Why I think G+ will work.

Google has had previous attempts to jump in the social network pool with Wave (didn’t know of this one till a while ago) and Buzz(I did use Buzz) but they seem to have learned and are putting every effort in to making this work. 

They already have done something that prompted a facebook/Zuckerburg response.  The Hangout/webcam chat.  This week Zuckerburg said that FB will join with Skype to provide that service on FB, but from what I’ve read so far Google’s is less clunky.  So Google at least has the Zuck’s attention.

It takes a page from Twitter.  Twitter right now is the big thing out there, IMO, bigger than facebook.  You follow someone, even famous people, and you see what they say/do.  You don’t need to wait for that person to accept requests.  The stream is almost facebook like but also twitter like.  You can have that interaction like that in more than 140 characters.

It’s Google.  When you look something up on the web, what do you do?  Yahoo it?  Bing it?  No you Google it.  In the search engine world Google is the king.  You search something you are allowed to +1 it and that goes to your feed.  Also there you probably use a bunch of Google products that you’re not even aware of.  YouTube, blogger, Google Maps (hello check in’s) and Picasa above.  Google owns a lot of brands that are there at its finger tips to tap into and use and integrate into the social network.  I can see it working well for news and weather and sports using YouTube instead of processing a twit vid or twit pic. 

Why it won’t take down Facebook.

It’s Google.  Now this may be brilliant or something untapped yet that I’m not sure of.  But needing a Google Acct to sign in.  This is brilliant to get more people to use your product (and take back to share holders) and expand your brand…but could this also scare people away?   People already have an MSN or Yahoo address, who wants to resign up for a new one?

Go back to the sing up for a new email…do people want to sign up for another site?  People at once had both Facebook and MySpace…and a lot have Twitter and Facebook now…will they want another?

Anonymity.  What’s the great thing about the internet social sites and message boards?  Hiding behind a screen name.  Google+ right now is your name.  How it shows up in an email.  Now unless on your email your sending them out as “suckitAuburn” or “TempeDude” then you hold that.  I for one do have handles on twitter and not my name, mostly because its shorter!

Those obvious are just a few and I’m sure like most sites on the web, it will go through updates and process changes.  It will add companies later this year too.  I really hope we don’t see APPs  like games show up on there.  Keep it clean of that manusha.

That being said, I think Google+ will work, will compete with Facebook and make both sites better.  Will I delete Facebook, prob not right now….will it ever go away…most likely no, but there’s another guy in the room that’s ready to stand up to the leader in the clubhouse.  I think when it goes live and as I add tweeps and facebookers to it I will probably use it more than facebook as I like to simplify my life and have my services all in one place (IE why I only do fantasy on ESPN), and I’m excited to see where it goes.