For the record, we use a variety of note taking apps here at The Flickcast. The most popular, though, is Evernote.

It works well and offers a lot of features. It does cost money, however. Now Google has released its new note taking app and its simplicity (and the fact that it’s free) has piqued our curiosity, to say the least.

The new app is called Google Keep and it looks very promising. It allows you to make notes, add pictures, checklists and even take notes by voice, and all of it is securetly synched to your Google Drive in the cloud.

At the moment, you can access the notes, pictures, and more with the new app or on any computer from the webpage they have set up. Full integration with Google Drive is expected shortly.

Sadly, this new app does have one big drawback, at least for some: It’s currently Android only. We can only hope an iOS version is forthcoming. . . soon. Until then, it can’t really be a viable alternive to a lot of users.

More on Google Keep from the official video after the break.

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Microsoft has done a great job transforming the Xbox 360 from an awesome gaming console to a complete home entertainment system, offering services like like Netflix, Hulu Plus, YouTube and WatchESPN as well as premium cable services (depending on your television provider) like HBO Go, Xfinity, and Verizon FiOS.

Now, with DVD rental giant Redbox getting into the instant streaming arena, the folks out of Redmond decided to give their Xbox Live Gold subscribers a shot at one month of the brand new service for free, after creating an account with Redbox using this link, and adding a credit card to the account, of course.

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Now that the cat, er smartphone, is out of the bag, Samsung has wasted no time in releasing all sorts of cool stuff about their new flagship device: the Galaxy S IV. One such tidbit is a video highlighting some of the many featutes the device has to offer.

The video include everything from an explanation of the new display tech, how to use the phone with gloves on, group gameplay, S Translator, S Health, and more. Plus, it gives you a good idea of how the device responds to commands and the speed in which it executes various tasks.

Samsung has really taken things to a new level with the Galaxy S IV. As Apple’s only real competitor in this market, they have definitely thrown down the gauntlet.

It will be very interesting to see if Apple picks it. Our guess? They will likely just keep on doing what they’ve ben doing and, for the most part, ignore the competition. It seems to have worked pretty wel for the so far.

Check out the video after the break.

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As expected, Samsung revealed a new flagship smartphone in its quest to beat Apple and dominate the world during a press event today. That device: the Galaxy S IV.

Based on earlier leaks and reports, the device’s specs are pretty much known. However, that doesn’t make them any less impressive. In fact, they’re quite impressive indeed.

The Galaxy S IV sports a 5-inch Super AMOLED display with 1080p HD resolution, an Exynos 5 Octa eight-core processor in the international version and a quad-core Snapdragon chipset in the U.S. version, a 13-megapixel rear camera, up to 64GB of storage, 2GB of RAM, microSDXC support and Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.

It’s not all specs, though, as the new device also features some cool stuff to try and further separate it from the pack. From facial recognition for touch-free controls and adaptive sound and display functions, to new social features and a completely overhauled camera, Samsung has really gone above and beyond to make this device stand out.

Samsung’s full press release follows after the break. This really looks like a great device. Maybe it’s time to consider and Android phone and give up the iPhone? Maybe.

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With Samsung’s press event a short time away (tonight at 7PM Eastern, to be exact), more photos and videos have come out showing the new hotness that is the Galaxy S IV. These new leaks leave little doubt as to what the new device will look like and to most of its cooler features.

The high-quality photos, curtesy of IT168, show the handset’s sleek design in sharp detail and pretty much confirm what everyone already thought it would look like. The videos also do pretty much the same and highlight several of the features of the Galaxy S IV including floating touch, a new lock screen and the devices speed at browsing the Internets.

The Samsung Galaxy S IV is expected to feature a 5-inch Super AMOLED HD display, an eight-core Exynos processor or a quad-core Snapdragon chipset depending on region, up to 64GB of storage, 2GB or RAM and Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.

Check out the photos and the videos after the break.

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The film distribution landscape just got a bit bigger as online video service Vimeo revealed its new ‘Vimeo On Demand’ service this week at the SXSW Film + Interactive Festival. This new distribution feature will allow content creators to sell films and webisodes directly to viewers.

Creators with a Vimeo Pro account can set their own prices, streaming periods, and region parameters for content, and earn 90% of the revenue their content generates. Vimeo On Demand will be viewable across Vimeo-enabled platforms including online and mobile, tablets, and connected TVs.

Said Vimeo, via the company’s blog:

We’re creators ourselves, and we know how hard it can be to get your work out there and connect with an audience. Since we founded Vimeo in 2004, we’ve been dreaming of a world where more and more creators can support themselves with their work alone. Today we’re proud to be taking a big step in that direction, and there are many more exciting steps to come.

For more, check out a video from Vimeo after the break.

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One of the things people liked most about watching movies on DVD and Blu-ray, besides the movie itself, was the supplemental material. Deleted or extra scenes, making-of docs and commentary from the director and stars, in most cases, added to the experience of watching your favorite films.

With the explosive popularity of streaming and watching content online, you just don’t get the same supplemental content or experience anymore. AMC’s new service called Yeah! seeks to to change that.

Announced at SXSW this week, Yeah! will feature films “enhanced with interactive features including 400-500 individual pieces of original content curated from in-depth research.” These include facts and figures about the movie, quizzes, interviews with the directors and more. If these don’t detract from watching the movie itself, it could be quite a cool service.

Some of the films on Yeah! at launch include Superman, Reservoir Dogs, Clerks, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Pulp Fiction, Scream, 300 and The Terminator, with more being added regularly.

Yeah! is available now right here, with movies costing $5 for a 48-hour rental. An iPad app is expected to launch this Summer.

Effective commercials, and advertising in general, is an under-appreciated artform. Often, the right advertising and marketing campaign can greatly help a new product succede.

In other cases, an ill-conceived advertising and marketing campaign can hurt, and in some cases kill, a product before it really gets going. For Samsung’s upcoming new flagship device, the Galaxy S4, we’re not sure if it’s latest teaser video campaign is one that will help, or hurt.

With the unveiling of the Samsung Galaxy S4 now less than two weeks away, Samsung has begun dropping video teasers for the device featuring a kid named Jeremy, who is the “secret messenger of Samsung Unpacked 2013.”

In the new teaser released today, Jeremy is back and still trying to keep his secret, in spite of the persistance of the little girl down the street. Women. Isn’t that always the way?

Check out the latest teaser video, and the first one from last week, after the break. Do these make you want the Galaxy S4 even more, or do you care?

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If you haven’t been following along, Google’s Project Glass is something of a revolution. Or, at least it could be. It’s connected eyewear that allows you to interface with all manner of input while still enjoying your immediate surroundings.

Yeah, okay, but what can you really use it for? Well, if you’re a man, perhaps this video can help you figure out an answer (or a few) to that question.

Check out the video after the break. For more, check out Google’s actual, official site for Google Glass.

And no, Megan Fox doesn’t really have much to do with Google Glass, she’s just a woman you might end up using it on someday. Yeah science!

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Just when you thought there we weren’t going to get any tech news today (except for the PS4, of course) along comes Google. That’s right, the company just announced two new laptops which continue their idea that all your data should be on the “cloud.”

The new hotness, dubbed the Chromebook Pixel, sport a 12.85″ Gorilla Glass touch display with 239ppi (2560 x 1700), the highest pixel density of any laptop screen on the market. The Pixel also features an Intel i5 processor, 4G LTE (from Verizon), a backlit keyboard, two USB 2.0 ports, a mini-display port, 2-in-1 card reader, 4GB RAM, 32 or 64GB solid state drive, a headphone jack, microphone, and battery life of up to 5 hours with active use.

The Chromebook Pixel is already available at the company’s Play Store. Prices start at $1299 for the WiFi-only version and $1449 for the 4G LTE one.

Check out a video with more details after the break.

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If you haven’t been following along, Google’s Project Glass is something of a revolution. Or, at least it could be. It’s connected eyewear that allows you to interface with all manner of input while still enjoying your immediate surroundings.

And yeah, it’s kinda cool and yeah we kinda want one. Today, Google dropped a video showing what it’s like to use the Glass. The company also announced it is expanding the beta program beyond developers, allowing anyone to “be a part of shaping the future of Glass.”

Want to know more? Head on over to Google’s site devoted to the project and get all the details. The video showing what it’s like to wear the Google Glass is after the break.

So, what do you think? Would you wear a pair of Google Glasses?

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Two things in life we like: faster processors and lower prices. Today, Apple has given us both along it’s Retina MacBook Pro line.

That’s right, with today’s announcement, the 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro now starts at $1,499 with 128GB of storage and $1,699 for the 256GB model with a new 2.6 GHz processor. The entry-level 15-inch model now includes a faster 2.4 GHz quad-core processor and the high-end model now has a 2.7 GHz quad-core processor and 16GB of RAM.

In addition, the company also cut the base price of the MacBook Air with a 256GB SSD to $1,399. Apple’s full press release is after the break.

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Today, Twitter released it’s new iOS app called Vine, which allows users to shoot video clips and then share them by embedding them in tweets.

Vine videos are limited to a maximum of six seconds, and play in a continuous loop. They are shot using the Vine app, which you can get right here.

In a post, Vine co-founder and general manager Dom Hofmann wrote: “Posts on Vine are about abbreviation — the shortened form of something larger. They’re little windows into the people, settings, ideas and objects that make up your life. They’re quirky, and we think that’s part of what makes them so special.”

According to many, this is supposed to be “the Instagram of Twitter”, but it reamins to be seen if people will take to it in such rabid fashion as they have to Instagram. With many users already signing on to try the service, one complaint we’ve already heard is that the videos playing in a continuous loop, much like GIFs, is kinda annoying.

Yeah, we can see that. Get the new Vine app for free over at Apple’s App Store. Let us know what you think.

Because of the time it takes to really get to know a system and being limited by only those few games at launch, it wouldn’t be fair to give a full and formal review of the Wii U console just yet. Instead, I’m just going to give my first impressions of it with a full review possibly coming later.

When getting the Wii U, the first thing I noticed and was unfortunately disappointed by is its setup time. If you plan on using the Wii U to its fullest potential, you are going to need to do an update to the system right off the bat. While this is automatic when doing your network setup, it is required to use the Wii U’s full functionality including things like the YouTube app. Nintendo has never been known for their online features and like Sony doesn’t have fast download speeds for consoles.

As a result, it took almost an hour of setup and download time before my Wii U was ready to go. Tip for parents, if you are giving your kid a Wii U for Christmas, open up the box and do this before you give it as a gift. Nothing is going to disappoint little Jimmy Xmas morning than having to wait an hour before he can actually start playing his Wii U.

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Even though tablets from Apple are still the most popular, many people prefer buying a device from someone else that runs the Android OS. One very popular alternative to the iPad that does just that is Google’s own Nexus 7.

It’s getting closer to the holidays so that means we’re going to be seeing more ads trying to convince us to buy one product or another. A prime example of this is the latsst Nexus 7 commercial from Google.

In it Google continues the theme of using the tablet in your daily life to be creative and have fun with friends and family. It starts off with a girl listening to the Life Aquatic soundtrack, which then leads to a group of friends creating a life sized aquarium to call their own.

Check it out after the break. If you want an iPad alternative, the Nexus 7 isn’t a bad way to go. Pick one up here.

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