Bluetooth beacons coming to ballparks
Google is quite the complicated teenager.
I'm Bridget Carey and this is your CNET Update.
Google has made another tweak to its search engine, and for its 50th birthday, the company announced that search has evolved to better understand long and complex questions.
It's the first major update to the search engine in 3 years and Google executives said that they observed more people typing in long questions and phrases
into the search bar rather than just 1 or 2 keywords as people did years ago, but this upgrade also involves Voice Search.
If you've been following Google's changes you've seen that they've been rolling out new ways to do voice searches not just on a smartphone but also from your desktop browser.
Understanding the different ways we may ask a question is also a new challenge for Google and some answers to basic questions are now popping up right in the search results.
For example if you type in how many calories are in a milkshake, you instantly get the
full nutritional breakdown and that means you don't have to click the FitDay or MyFitnessPal websites for the answer.
If you're nostalgic for a time when Google was more simple here's a little Easter egg that'll take you back.
In the search bar, just type in the phrase Google in 1998.
For those of you buying the new Xbox One, the LIVE Gold Membership will include fitness training that uses the Kinect sensor along with interactive workout videos featuring celebrity trainers.
The Xbox Fitness online workout program
uses the Kinect to check your vitals.
It can measure your heart rate, your muscles and evaluate your performance like how hard you're punching or how high you're jumping.
The program is free through the end of 2014.
Apple's iOS 7 comes with many updates but one of them is a feature that helps make it easier for programmers to use radio frequencies to send messages to smartphones.
It's called the iBeacon and Major League Baseball is in the process of using it to enhance its app called At The Ballpark.
I got a chance to
see a demonstration of the technology at Citi Field, home of the New York Mets.
The developers of the app put Bluetooth beacons in different locations throughout the stadium.
In this test the app had to be running in the background and the phone needed Bluetooth turned on.
Walking through the main gate showed a pop-up notification welcome message.
The app suggested I go near the old Shea Stadium Home Run Apple to learn more about it and when I did a video began to play.
It also pushed a coupon for hotdogs at the ticket gate and another
coupon for merchandise when I got near the main store and will be plans to roll this out to stadiums for the start of next season.
It works for the new iPhones as well as the 5 and the 4S.
Down the line they can also program the same beacons to work with the Android app.
That's your tech news Update.
You can get more details on these stories at CNET.com/Update.
From our studios in New York I'm Bridget Carey.
Up Next
Download Netflix shows to watch offline
Up Next
Download Netflix shows to watch offline
Amazon's next Echo said to come with a screen
Amazon's next Echo said to come with a screen
Curved iPhone 8? Apple said to be exploring OLED screens
Curved iPhone 8? Apple said to be exploring OLED screens
Black Friday and other turkey traditions are evolving
Black Friday and other turkey traditions are evolving
Facebook drone accident under investigation
Facebook drone accident under investigation
Facebook needs you to fight fake news
Facebook needs you to fight fake news
Airbnb wants to be your travel agent
Airbnb wants to be your travel agent
Wait, how fast can Qualcomm charge a phone?
Wait, how fast can Qualcomm charge a phone?
Snapchat may be worth $30 billion with IPO filing
Snapchat may be worth $30 billion with IPO filing
Nintendo puts a price on Super Mario Run (and the Switch?)
Nintendo puts a price on Super Mario Run (and the Switch?)
Tech Shows
Latest News All latest news
Did a Week With the Apple Watch Make Me Use My iPhone Less?
Did a Week With the Apple Watch Make Me Use My iPhone Less?
How Google Tests the Cameras in Its Pixel Phones
How Google Tests the Cameras in Its Pixel Phones
Boston Dynamics' New Electric Atlas vs. Tesla's Optimus
Boston Dynamics' New Electric Atlas vs. Tesla's Optimus
What is the Fediverse?
What is the Fediverse?
The Missing Piece to Apple's Eco-Friendly Mission
The Missing Piece to Apple's Eco-Friendly Mission
First Drive in the All-Electric 2024 Fiat 500e
First Drive in the All-Electric 2024 Fiat 500e
Most Popular All most popular
First Look at TSA's Self-Screening Tech (in VR!)
First Look at TSA's Self-Screening Tech (in VR!)
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Review: More AI at a Higher Cost
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Review: More AI at a Higher Cost
'Circle to Search' Lets Users Google From Any Screen
'Circle to Search' Lets Users Google From Any Screen
Asus Put Two 14-inch OLEDs in a Laptop, Unleashes First OLED ROG Gaming Laptop
Asus Put Two 14-inch OLEDs in a Laptop, Unleashes First OLED ROG Gaming Laptop
Samsung Galaxy Ring: First Impressions
Samsung Galaxy Ring: First Impressions
Best of Show: The Coolest Gadgets of CES 2024
Best of Show: The Coolest Gadgets of CES 2024
Latest Products All latest products
2025 Audi Q6, SQ6 E-Tron: Audi's Newest EV Is Its Most Compelling
2025 Audi Q6, SQ6 E-Tron: Audi's Newest EV Is Its Most Compelling
Hands-On with Ford's Free Tesla Charging Adapter
Hands-On with Ford's Free Tesla Charging Adapter
Nuro R3 is an Adorable Self-Driving Snack Bar
Nuro R3 is an Adorable Self-Driving Snack Bar
First Look: The $349 Nothing Phone 2A Aims to Brighten Your Day
First Look: The $349 Nothing Phone 2A Aims to Brighten Your Day
Best of MWC 2024: Bendable Screens, AI Wearables and More
Best of MWC 2024: Bendable Screens, AI Wearables and More
This Concept Laptop from Lenovo Has a Transparent Display
This Concept Laptop from Lenovo Has a Transparent Display
Latest How To All how to videos
Tips and Tricks for the AirPods Pro 2
Tips and Tricks for the AirPods Pro 2
How to Watch the Solar Eclipse Safely From Your Phone
How to Watch the Solar Eclipse Safely From Your Phone
Windows 11 Tips and Hidden Features
Windows 11 Tips and Hidden Features
Vision Pro App Walkthrough -- VisionOS 1.0.3
Vision Pro App Walkthrough -- VisionOS 1.0.3
Tips and Tricks for the Galaxy S24 Ultra
Tips and Tricks for the Galaxy S24 Ultra
TikTok Is Now on the Apple Vision Pro