Courtesy of Google I/O Picasa album

This was a big year for Google I/O  (Google Developers Conference). It was from May 15-17, at Moscone Center in San Francisco. The Keynote came in close to a whopping 4 hours long.  If you are a Google or Android user it is defiantly worth a watch  if you have the time.  Just a few of the highlights.

Google+ has a new interface. It has many new features including auto #hashtagging and a complete layout redesign. I personally am a fan of Google+ over Facebook, but that is just me. Animations and flipping tabs have been added as part of the redesign and are pretty cool. It is very different from the single column you are use to. If you have not signed in your Google+ page in a while you should check it out! You may like the new design.

Google Drive upped the ante by extending every user from 5gb to 15gb of space. That is shared space across all of your Google apps and drive.

Android Studio IDE (ASIDE)  was also introduced at Google I/O. Here at Disc, we have not had a chance to download it yet but what we saw in videos we are really excited about. We will write more on ASIDE application later when we have had a chance to work with it.

Google Play Store will now ranks everything higher based on your friends in your Google+ Circles. It will show what your friends have 1+ giving you an ideal of what people in your circles have liked. This is a pretty cool feature, but not always the best thing. Sometimes it is just an overshare.

Google Play Music All Access is now available for 9.99 month. The drawbacks we have found is they really only have three main stream record labels on board at the present time. While this sounds good we will be sticking with Slacker, our streaming service of choice ($9.99 vs $3.99 per month).

Then we have “Hangouts” yet another messaging system. The one thing that we really like about this app (I personally would really love for it to take off) is it is pretty much across all OS platforms. On the release date (May 15th) they released apps for all major phones and the desktop. It has combined many of the current Google apps into one really pretty amazing app. There is no more Hangout, video chat, or text chat. It has all been rolled into one app called “Hangouts” and is available for free in your favorite app store. Integration of SMS messaging has been announced as “coming very soon”.

Well I have to say we are Apple fans here at Disc, Inc. We have many Android demo devices we use here for testing projects. We have always been impressed with Google, Google+, and Android we just can’t give up our iPhones.

What are your thoughts on the new product roll out at Google I/O 2013?

I Don’t know if you have heard but Clive Palmer, Aussie Billionaire, is behind the rebuild of the Titanic II, which plans to maiden voyage in 2016.  The rebuild will maintain many of the original most famous features, like the lavish staircase.  Guest will have the option of dressing in the time period to give the full effect of the original 1912 era.  Besides the modern engineering, there are two critical differences. First there is more than enough room in the lifeboats for everyone and second the owner’s refusal to say its “unsinkable”.  Clive Palmer says, “anything will sink if you put a hole in it.” Visit Now MSN to see some pictures of the Titanic II. 

Would you want to go on a Titanic II cruise?

One of Disc, Inc’s favorite conferences is OTC (Offshore Technology Conference) and it is finally here and starts today at Reliant Park in Houston.  May 6-9, OTC, the World’s foremost event for development of offshore resources in the fields of drilling, exploration, production, and environmental protection will be held.  OTC is held annually at Reliant Center, each year it attracts more than 80,000 attendees from 110+ countries and 2,500 exhibiting companies.  For many years we maintained a booth, but for the last few years we have all enjoyed the conference as visitors.  We have always found it to be a great event for companies to gain technical knowledge and make many valuable contacts.   Hope to see you there!

This weekend we will be celebrating Cinco de Mayo! This festive holiday commemorates the Mexican army’s 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War (1861-1867). There is a Celebration @ Miller Outdoor Theater in Hermann Park with a ton of festivities including a downtown parade, mariachi bands, dancers and food will help spice up the victory celebration. The 18th Annual LULAC Cinco de Mayo Parade  begins at 10 a.m., Saturday, May 4, 2013, on Hamilton and Texas Ave., and ends at Preston and Crawford St.  Several of us at Disc plan to have some fajitas, margaritas and attend the party. How will you be celebrating?

Celebrate the close of another year in your students life by transferring their photos into Digital Files or DVD Video from Disc, Inc.

What better way for students to remember their year than with a custom-printed DVD filled with their memories. Sending your student off to college? This is a great way to send announcements to friends and family. Gather up those pictures from friends, teachers, and parents and let’s get started today with your memento

Bring us up to 200 digital pictures or photos to scan and we will create a Digital file or DVD Video with public domain music for you to share with your friends and family for $150.00.

Don’t miss out on Disc, Inc’s End of the School Year Savings!  Offer ends May 31st.

Girl Scouts has always been close to our hearts here at Disc, Inc.  Carrie is a life-time member starting  in scouting when she was 7 with her mother then with Jacqulyn at 6 and now Jacqulyn is a troop leader.  We were all very excited when we heard about a new badge that is being brought up in the ranks.  The “My Badge Sash is an App” is taking the 100-year tradition mobile. Utilizing a grant from the 4th Digital Media and Learning Competition, the Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana, Motorola Mobility Foundation and Mentor Mob will work together to teach Girl Scouts about app development.

The Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles and Women in Games International (WIGI) are working to create a patch that girls can earn by designing video games.  They are using Gamestar Mechanic as their learning platform for the girls.  According to Girlgamer, which first reported the news, the patch will use a version of E-line’s Gamestar Mechanic creation tool that has been customized to meet Girl Scout patch requirements. The aim is for girls to develop skills related to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) subjects, along with an interest in the video games industry as a career path.

We hope that the Girl Scouts adopt the series of “App Boot Camps” for all of their councils as we feel learning to code for any child, boy or girl should become part of the fundamental learning in the near future.

According to the Weather Channel’s 2013 Atlantic hurricane season outlook, we are going to have a very active hurricane season.  Their forecast calls for a total of 16 named storms, 9 of which are expected to become hurricanes, including 5 major hurricanes category 3 or higher.  So are you ready for an active season?  Remember to backup and charge your electronics daily. Keep your vehicles in top shape and fueled.  We live in Houston, we never know what the weather is bringing tomorrow. Visit http://www.readyhoustontx.gov for a free DVD with tips and information to keep you and your loved ones safe during this active season.