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May’s self-driving car report details how Google teaches its cars to honk

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Every month, Google puts out a report for its self-driving car project. There’s not that much new this month besides the usual updated running totals (miles driven, number of vehicles on the road, etc.), but the Mountain View company did take some time to detail something that many may not have thought about yet: how it’s teaching the cars to honk…


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April’s Google self-driving car report details 2 minor accidents, one test driver’s story

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In case you’re unaware, Google publishes a sometimes interesting but usually mundane report on its self-driving car project every month. Last month the company detailed its mapping system and a minor accident in Austin, and this month the April report describes the experience of one of its test drivers as well as two more accidents — neither of which were Google’s fault.


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Sony confirms that there won’t be an Xperia Z6, Z series to be replaced by the X series

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After much rumor and speculation floating around over the last couple of days, Sony has now confirmed in a statement that its Z series of flagship smartphones is now dead. The Z line has “reached its culmination,” according to the Japanese company, and it’s now time for a “new chapter and evolution” in its product strategy…


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Freedom 251 $4 smartphone reportedly rips its home screen icons straight from iOS

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Update: A new hands-on video shows the $4 iPhone clone in all its glory (embedded below).

We told you earlier today about the insane $4 Freedom 251 phone, and now at least one publication has managed to get their hands on the device. Initial impressions aren’t great, and it looks like this phone — unsurprisingly — is just a mess of copyright infringement. Not unlike many other low-end offerings from dozens of overseas manufacturers, the phone pulls a lot of “inspiration” from the Cupertino company’s smashing successes…


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Samsung reportedly has a 360° video rig called the Gear 360 coming at MWC

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Update: SamMobile has uncovered some source code on Samsung’s event page which seems to hint at the presence of 360-degree video, although in reality, that could mean anything. It’s definitely vague, but worth noting nonetheless.

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Google unveiled its Jump camera rig for 360 degree video at Google I/O 2015, and now it appears Samsung has something related up its sleeve for Mobile World Congress later this month. According to a report this morning from SamMobile, the previously-rumored Gear 360 camera rig is real, and it’s coming at Mobile World Congress alongside the new lineup of Galaxy phones…
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Report: Google Glass successor Project Aura bringing two screenless head-mounted devices

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According to a report out of The Information today, Google is working on three devices under the umbrella of Project Aura: the next iteration of Glass (dubbed Enterprise Edition, which we extensively detailed earlier this year), and two screenless head-mounted devices that rely on audio.

The report mentions that these two audio-based devices use bone conduction just like Google Glass, but notably go without the screen. They’re like “headphones worn on your face,” Jessica Lessin says. The team that’s building the new devices (one of which is reportedly for “sport” users) is targeting a release for next year…
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Despite driving 100k miles, Google’s self-driving cars haven’t seen an accident in over 2 months

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Up to June of this year, Google’s self-driving cars had yet to be at fault in any accidents, and it seems that record has held true over the last few months. Of the dozen or so accidents up to that point, the majority had happened when the self-driving car wasn’t even moving, and the rest occurred when Google’s safety drivers were in control of the vehicles.

Unfortunately, in the months after Google released the first report, Google’s cars continued to see a couple of accidents per month. But that trend has come to an interesting halt recently. As we’ve learned thanks to Google’s recently-published October report, the self-driving cars have now gone more than two months without a single accident…
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Google’s self-driving car report for October reveals fewer cars on the road in Austin

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Google releases a report about its self-driving car project every month, and now the company has released October’s numbers. There’s not much new information this time around, but numbers like miles driven in both autonomous and manual modes have obviously increased. Interestingly, while the number of self-driving cars on the road has stayed the same, the number of cars on the road in Austin, TX has decreased…
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Rumor claims LG Nexus 5 (2015) will be called Nexus 5X, pricing starts at $400

As we near the September 29 announcement of Google’s new Nexus handsets, the rumors, reports, and speculation just keep building. According to a new report out of Android Authority this morning, the upcoming LG Nexus 5 is going to sport the name “Nexus 5X,” although a “decision on the final name has not been taken yet at Google HQ.” Additionally, the phone is said to start at $400, which is $50 more than the previous Nexus 5 launched in 2013…
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Report: Google to unveil LG, Huawei Nexus phones at September 29 event

According to a report this morning from CNET, Google is planning two unveil two Nexus handset — one from LG, and one from Huawei — at an event scheduled from September 29th. Details of both the smaller “Nexus 5” made by LG and the new “Nexus 6” made by Huawei have been steadily leaking out over the last couple months, and — just as many have suggested — the two phones are slated to made official at the end of this month…
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Glass ‘Enterprise Edition’ reports corroborated: Improved internals, robust build, not for consumers

Wearable Intelligence in Energy - YouTube 2015-07-30 17-00-20

As I first told you across several exclusive reports, Google’s next move for Google Glass is into the enterprise (via The Wall Street Journal). As I said, the device is expected to have improved internal hardware including an Intel Atom processor, a new physique that makes it more suitable for less-than-ideal working environments, and will be coming exclusively to the workplace through the Glass for Work partner groups.


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Report: Google slowing down hiring, applying stricter rules to company spending

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The Wall Street Journal reports that Google is tightening the reigns when it comes to hiring and spending as a company. The report, citing venture capitalists and others familiar with the matter, claims that new Chief Financial Officer Ruth Porat is spearheading the streamlining of the company. Portat is allegedly involved in an internal audit of the company, examining costs, revenue, and accounting systems.


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Report: BlackBerry to release an Android-powered slider device this fall

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According to a new report from Reuters, BlackBerry is considering releasing a smartphone with Android installed, as opposed to its own BlackBerry 10 operating system. The reasoning for the switch to Android is to allow BlackBerry to focus on software and device management. When asked about the report, BlackBerry said that it does not comment on “rumors and speculation” and is still committed to BlackBerry 10.


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WSJ: Google to launch wireless network as soon as Wednesday with pay-by usage model

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Google’s oft-rumored U.S wireless service could be unveiled as early as Wednesday, according to a new report from The Wall Street Journal. The report corroborates earlier rumors that the key selling point of Google’s network will be that users will only pay for the amount of data they actually use each month.


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WSJ: Former Apple expert leading new 4-person battery team within Google[x]

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According to a report today out of the Wall Street Journal, there’s a small team now working on battery tech within Google[x]—and it’s being spearheaded by former Apple battery expert Dr. Ramesh Bhardwaj. The group was originally started in 2012 with an intention of researching how other companies’ tech could be integrated into Google’s products, but “people familiar with the matter” say that the four person group has expanded to research technology that Google might “develop itself.”
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Report: Samsung’s round smartwatch to be called Gear A, include 3G & calling support

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Earlier this year, it was reported that Samsung was working on a fully rounded smartwatch for launch sometime in 2015. At the time, details were sparse, but now SamMobile has shared another report with more details of the company’s device. According to SamMobile, Samsung’s rounded smartwatch will be called the Gear A and feature support for 3G data and calling.


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Android co-founder Andy Rubin announces Playground Global, a tech hardware incubator

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It was announced last year that Android co-founder Andy Rubin was leaving Google to pursue his interest in starting an incubator for startups interested in building technology hardware products. The Wall Street Journal reports today that Rubin is launching a tech incubator called Playground Global LLC. Rubin’s company hopes to provide support and advice to tech startups in search of a helping hand.


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Google Wallet for Android updated w/ Maps integration & new transaction search tools

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Google announced today that it has started rolling out an update to Google Wallet on Android with a couple of notable new features. First off, Wallet on Android now packs Google Maps integration. With this integration, you can see exactly where you performed any given transaction on an embedded map. This feature, Google says, will make it easier to notice any sort of suspicious activity that occurs.


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Report: EU preparing to file antitrust charges against Google

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File photo shows people walking by a YouTube sign at the new Google office in Toronto

According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, the European Commission is preparing to file antitrust charges against Google. The charges come after a five-year long investigation that’s stalled three times and caused strong political divides in Europe.

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Google reportedly working on new service that lets users receive & pay bills directly in Gmail

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According to a new report from Re/code, Google is soon planning to launch a service that will allow Gmail users to manage, pay, and receive all their bills directly within Gmail. The service is dubbed Pony Express right now, although it’s unclear if that’s a codename or what Google actually plans to call the service.


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WSJ: YouTube planning new ad-targeting system after earning $4B in 2014 without profit

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youtube-croppedAccording to a new report out of The Wall Street Journal, Google’s YouTube unit posted a revenue of nearly $4 billion in 2014, but did not earn a profit of any kind. The $4 billion in revenue during 2014 is up from $3 billion in 2013. YouTube accounted for about 6 percent Google’s overall sales last year.

In an effort to remedy remaining unprofitable, YouTube is planning to launch a new ad-targeting system later this year, the WSJ says, though details remain unclear. …


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