Chance Miller

For those of you out there that have both a Tesla and a pair of Google Glass, here’s an exciting app. A developer has released an app dubbed GLASSTESLA that lets you control your Tesla via Google Glass. The app allows you to do things like manage the charging process, lock and unlock the car, honk the horn, flash the lights, and much more.

If you’ve parked your Tesla Model S somewhere and can’t find it, GLASSTESLA allows you to locate it on a map, but if that doesn’t help you can honk the horn and flash lights from the app, as well. You can also see what doors are open, as well as both the interior and exterior temperatures of the car. The biggest features, I think, surround the charging process…
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Via the official Project Glass page on Google+, Google has announced a major software update coming soon to Glass. The update includes things such as more voice commands, improved web browsing, new ways to connect with family and friends, and more.

First off, a host of new voice commands will be available with this update. If you get a text, you can now ask Glass to read it to you by saying  “ok glass, read aloud” or if someone calls you, simply say “ok glass, answer call.” Finally, you can now share pictures right away by saying “ok glass, share with [name].”
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Last week we told you about the HTC One variants receiving stock Android ROMs based off of the Google Play Edition model, and now it’s the Galaxy S4’s turn. A developer over at XDA has successfully ported the ROM found on the Google Edition Galaxy S4 to the Galaxy S4 on Verizon. It’s a tad unclear as to whether it is based off of the Android 4.3 build that leaked last week or the Android 4.2.2 build that it shipped with, but we’re inclined to go with the latter.

The developer has a variety of ROMs available, some with themes and rooted, and some totally bare like you’d get on a Nexus device.

Keep in mind that this is a port and there may be some bugs here and there. Whether or not it’s stable enough to run as a daily driver is purely up to you. 
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Skype on Monday announced that its Android app has been installed more than 100 million times, and to celebrate, it is pushing out a major update. The 4.0 update for Skype adds a totally new and redesigned interface that is focused on putting conversations first. In addition to the visual changes, the app has been “rebuilt from the ground up” to be faster and more reliable.

We’ve completely redesigned Skype for Android to be faster and easier – especially when you’re trying to fire off a quick message. Everything is at your fingertips. As soon as you open the app, you’ll notice the clean new look listing your recent conversations – just tap on one to catch up and reply. When you tap or swipe over to the Contacts or Favorites tabs, tapping on a person brings you right into a messaging window so you can start a conversation. And from there video calls, voice calls and everything else are just one tap away.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=vZviDTuaVlA

Mircosoft has just announced a major update to its OneNote app on Android. In a post on the official Office blog, the company announced version two of the app that includes a host of new features.

First off, the update adds a much more rich editing experience. Now, files and formatting look the same across all devices. This includes things such as text, graphs, tables, borders, and more. If you draw on a note with a Windows tablet, the markings are then visible on your other devices, as well. All devices now support the ability to sync notebooks with Office 365 and SharePoint, as well as the ability to share files with other Office users. OneNote also now lets multiple people edit a note at the same time, much like Google Drive.

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The FCC has approved Google’s “white space” database operation. This will allow for the company to operate a wireless broadband network with unlicensed TV broadcast spectrum. There are currently 10 other companies working on similar networks, but Google is the latest to complete the Federal Communications Commission’s 45-day testing period. The database will keep track of the TV broadcast frequencies in use so that other wireless broadband devices can take advantage of what’s not being used.

“If a government communications system does not require spectrum at specific times, that spectrum can be freed up for commercial purposes during those times. With dynamic sharing, multiple users, including federal, non-federal and commercial entities, can all access available bands of radio spectrum,” Google wrote.

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Google has rolled out an update to the developer channel build of Chrome OS that adds the experimental ability to edit Microsoft Word and Excel files. First noticed by Google Chromium evangelist François Beaufort, the feature is in the Chromium code review and simply reads “Improved Quickoffice editing about:flag.”

In order to use this feature, your Chrome OS device must be on the developer channel. If it is, then type “chrome://flags” into the address bar, find the “Enable document editing” entry, and click enable. Your machine will then be restarted and when it turns back on, you’ll have the ability to edit Word and Excel documents. 
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Even though they are celebrating a birthday, the Google+ team is still hard at work improving the social network. On the official Google+ blog, the company has announced several new, redesigned plugins available for websites to use.

• A new follow button – a standalone plugin that allows visitors to easily follow a site without navigating away.
• A new badge for Communities – a plugin that offers a link to directly preview a Google+ community. The community will open in a new tab and from there the visitors are able to join and view recent posts.
• Updated badges for Pages and Profiles – new, more customizable plugins that make it easy for people to circle Pages and People. Users now have the ability to change the color theme, chose whether it should be in landscape or portrait, and add or remove the cover photo and tagline. The old badges will be live for 90 more days, after which they will automatically be updated to the new ones.

With these changes, Google says it is trying to keep the visual style consistent with the recent changes it has made on Google+. View them all below…
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Earlier this month, our sister site 9to5Mac reported on a new technology from BlueStacks called “Looking Glass” that brought iOS games to your big screen via a subscription-based console. On Friday, however, the company announced another new console with that technology, but the big selling point here is that it is free and incredibly small. In fact, the company says it is about the size of a pack of gum. Just like with the company’s other Cube console (which isn’t yet released), the BlueStacks Mini does require a subscription commitment, which will run you $7 a month for a year.

It’s worth noting that the BlueStacks Cube is also free with a subscription, but that offer expires on July 1st. The company says that its goal is to always offer a gaming console for free.

“We have always planned on having a free console option,” said BlueStacks CEO, Rosen Sharma. “The biggest value of the GamePop service is its content – not the box. Hardware costs have come down so fast that we’re able to undercut the rest of the market. With the free promotion we’ve been doing in June we’re already seeing a ton of adoption. That volume then attracts more developers and therefore more and better content. It’s building momentum.”

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In wake of the Galaxy S4 and HTC One Google editions going on sale this week, Huawei now says it is working on a stock Android device. According to Kevin Ho, Huawei’s handset product division president, speaking to Pocket-Lint, the company is working with Google to create a Google Edition variant of the Ascend P6. Just like the other variants, this device would run stock Android Jelly Bean.

“We are working with Google to analyse the possibility of bringing out a Huawei Ascend P6 with Google Edition,” Ho told the blog.

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Earlier this week, the Google Play edition Galaxy S4 was finally released to the public, and while it isn’t in the hands of any consumers yet, Android 4.3 is now available for it. Fansite SamMobile has gotten its hands on a leaked Android 4.3 build for the Google edition Galaxy S4 and put it up for grabs. Within a very short amount of time, the ROM was ported to the European GT-i9505G Galaxy S4, as well.

The screenshots published by SamMobile don’t show any notable changes in Android 4.3 over Android 4.2.2. As more and more people install it on their Google edition and European Galaxy S4 variants, however, we can expect a few differences to be noted. For the time being though, it looks like Android 4.3 is a very minor bump from Android 4.2.
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T-Mobile has just sent out an invite to a July 10th press event in New York City. The invite doesn’t offer many details as to what we can expect, but the carrier does tease that we will see its “boldest moves yet.” It could be that announcement has something to do with its Uncarrier plans, as we’ve heard whispers of a “phase two” happening on July 14th, but it seems unlikely that an event would be held for just that. It’s also possible that the company will simply be formally announcing the Xperia Z, which we’ve heard will come on July 17th.

We’ll be sure to let you know whatever T-Mobile announces that day, no matter what it is. 
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As more and more companies start allowing employees to bring their own smartphones and tablets into work, Google is obviously looking to capture a portion of that enterprise market. The company on Thursday announced several new features for the growing bring your own device, or BYOD, market.

Comprehensive mobile device management is included with Google Apps for Business, Government and Education. Organizations large and small can manage smartphones and tablets – including Android and iOS – right from the Google Apps Admin console, with no need for special hardware or software.

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It’s no secret that Google has a tendency to buy a lot of companies and it is now getting a reputation for shutting a lot of products down. In fact, we’re just a few days away from its biggest closure to date in Google Reader. iGoogle, the customizable Google homepage, is also set to shut down this November. Earlier this year, the company closed up Google Talk and replaced it with Hangouts. Google has always said, however, that it “celebrates its failures,” and there have sure been a lot of them. Marketing company WordStream has put together an infographic breaking down all the services Google has closed up, including the dates they were shut down…then be sure to check the new companies Google has been buying up below…
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We’ve seen hints of Google Now coming to Chrome for a long time now, but it looks like we are getting very close to a launch. CNET has discovered a pop-up notification within the developer build of Chrome that says, “Enable Google Now Cards — Would you like to be shown Google Now cards?”

The prompt appears to be hitting those running the developer channel build of Chrome on both Windows and OS X. On Windows, the card appears in the status bar along the bottom, while on OS X it is in the menu bar up top. Google Now on the desktop could allow for directions to appear for a location you just searched or sports scores for your favorite team, which is similar to what it does on mobile.

Also on Windows is a control panel setting for controlling which web apps and extensions are allowed to send notification. This includes services like Gmail, Twitter, Google Calendar, and more. This could mean that Google is looking to open the notification technology to more and more apps. 
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Since it was purchased by Google, Motorola has been undergoing a major shift as a company. We’ve seen very few devices released over the last year, and up until the D11 conference, everyone inside the company had been very quiet. As part of the overhaul, however, Motorola looks to have a new logo. The new logo made its first appearance on the site of Techweek, an event Motorola is co-sponsoring this week. Now, this does make us wonder if the logo is here to stay or if it just for the conference, but we’re inclined to say that it’s here for good. Companies don’t change their logos all that often, as they are not something taken lightly.

The new logo is much simpler than Motorola’s old look, which was a bolded, italicized “MOTOROLA.” Now, everything is in lowercase font with a much softer color. The classic red “M” is now the same color as everything else and is surrounded by a wheel of colors. The most notable change, however, is what is underneath. To show off its new bosses, Motorola is now advertising that it is “a Google company.” 
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Google has officially listed both the Nexus Experience HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4 for sale on the Play Store. The HTC One will run you $599, while the Galaxy S4 is slightly more at $649. Both of the devices will ship by July 9th running the latest 4.2.2 version of Android.

The HTC One will still feature the Beats Audio sound quality, while the Galaxy S4 still offers the ability to use a Samsung Flip Cover. So both of these devices still have some enhancements outside of normal Nexus devices.

For those unfamiliar, Google announced the Galaxy S4 running stock Android at I/O this year, and soon after, HTC confirmed that it too would be releasing a Google Edition HTC One. 
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