Jordan writes about all things Apple as Senior Editor of 9to5Mac. He covers Google for 9to5Google.com, the best gadgets and deals on 9to5Toys.com, and delivers a weekly roundup of EV and solar news on Electrek.co. Sometimes he makes weird electronic music as one half of Makamachine.
Contact Jordan with news tips and long-winded complaints:
Google has been slowly rolling out its Google Fiber gigabit Internet service to more neighborhoods in Kansas City, Provo, Utah, and Austin, Texas, but it’s now opening up the service to small businesses for the first time. Google announced today on its blog that it’s kicking off an “Early Access Program for Google Fiber for Small Business” starting with select fiberhoods in Kansas City.
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While so far we’ve only seen hints at carrier launches for Google’s new Nexus 6 smartphone expected to ship later this month, AT&T has now made things official (at least for preorders) by announcing it will begin selling the device tomorrow, November 12.
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Google has announced that it’s opening up sales of Chromebooks to consumers in Japan after previously selling the devices only through enterprise channels.
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Samsung’s new Gear S smartwatch officially launches on T-Mobile today allowing customers to pick up the device for $350 or for $0 down with the carrier’s monthly installment plans.
On an instalment plan, that brings the cost to $14.58/month for 24 months for a total of $349.92. T-Mobile notes that “post-paid voice customers can add service to their Gear S for as little as $5 more a month.”
The highlight feature in the newly launched Gear S is network connectivity for making calls, managing contacts, messaging, notifications and email over a data connection. The device also packs in 4GB of internal storage, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.1.
Verizon started offering the Gear S for the same $349 price on contact last Friday, while AT&T is offering $199 on-contract price ($299 off contract) and Sprint is offering a 24-month instalment plan at $16/month.
With preorders for Google’s new Motorola-made Nexus 6 smartphone going live late last month, the only option or getting a device so far has been Google Play. That hasn’t gone so well for everyone, however, as the store is fast running out of stock despite Google’s best efforts to restock the device every week. Now there is at least one more option with Motorola kicking off sales of the device direct through its website. That doesn’t mean you’ll get your hands on one faster than units shipping from Google Play later this month, though, as the site currently lists all models of the phone as “backordered.”
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Motorola just announced additional hardware options and software features for its Moto 360 smart watch including new metal, slim and interchangeable watch bands.
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Microsoft announced today that it’s rolling out a preview of its Office apps for Android tablets after releasing Word, Excel, and PowerPoint apps exclusively for iPad earlier this year. Microsoft has an “Office Mobile” app that integrates some features of all three Office apps for Android smartphones, but today’s release of standalone Word, Excel, and PowerPoint apps for Android tablets is the first time the platform gets access to the full-fledged, standalone Office mobile apps.
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The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) today released a report examining three dozen messaging services and ranking them based on what it deemed are seven “security best practices.” While Apple scored the best among what the EFF called “mass-market options”, it along with Google and others didn’t do as well when compared to all 36 messaging services included in the report. Specifically, EFF noted Google’s services “lack the end-to-end encryption that is necessary to protect against disclosure by the service provider.”
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Googler Francois Beaufort points out a feature in the latest Dev build of Chrome OS that will let users easily revert to a previous version of the operating system. The feature, as Beaufort points out, will come in handy for users that update and for whatever reason find themselves wanting to revert to version of Chrome OS previously installed before performing the update.
Let’s say you update to a version of Chrome OS that doesn’t work well for you and you’re kinda sad. Until now, you either had to wait for the next update or go through the recovery process. Bummer! But it’s over!
The new revert feature, which is currently only available in the Developer build of Chrome OS, is available from the bottom of the Chrome OS Settings page. Beaufort explained how it works: “Scroll to the very bottom, click on the “Powerwash” button and restart to reset your device to be just like new. Then, here’s the magic trick, on the reset screen, press simultaneously <Ctrl> + <Shift> + <Alt> + R to reveal the brand new “Powerwash and Revert” button.
Pushing the revert button will also wipe “all user accounts and local data.” It’s possible we’ll see this feature headed to all Chrome OS users in the near future.
Google announced today that it’s releasing a new Chrome extension called Application Launcher for Drive that allows users to open files directly from its Google Drive service in compatible apps on a Mac or PC. The extension adds an “Open With” option that will let users launch files in apps like, for example, Mac OS X’s Preview app or third-party editing apps like those from Adobe and Microsoft.
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Google announced today that live NBA and MLB games are now available for streaming through just released NBA Game Time and MLB.TV apps for Android TV. That means that new Nexus Player owners, Google’s new Android TV set-top box product that just started shipping, will now have access to the official NBA and MLB streaming services:
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[youtube=http://youtu.be/PzFc5zGMjCk]
After releasing the the new PS4 Remote Play app for Xperia Z3, Xperia Z3 Compact and Xperia Z3 tablet, Sony today announced it’s bringing the feature for remotely playing games from a connected PlayStation 4 to its Xperia Z2 lineup. That means following an update for the Xperia z2 and Xperia Z2 tablet, users will now have access to the PS4 Remote Play app and full support for the PS4 DUALSHOCK4 wireless controller.
The update for Xperia Z2 and Z2 tablet also brings hi-res audio, the latest Battery STAMINA Mode feature, Sony’s Smart Social camera apps including Sound Photo, AR fun, Multi camera and Face in, and much more.
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Verizon and AT&T announced today that they are working together to allow Voice over LTE calls between their customers. The carriers, which both previously announced the roll out of VoLTE technology earlier this year, said they expect VoLTE interoperability between their customers to arrive next year:
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With the first Android 5.0 Lollipop devices becoming available— Nexus 9 today and the Nexus 6 later this month— Google is also showing off its new Google Calendar app arriving for other devices in the coming weeks. The new app comes on devices running Android 5.0 Lollipop, but Google also confirmed today it’s arriving for Android 4.1+ devices through Google Play in the coming weeks.
Google highlighted a few of the app’s new features including events from Gmail, suggestions that learn from your habits over time with a new feature called “Assists”, and a brand new schedule view:
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Ahead of the much anticipated release of Call of Duty: Advance Warfare on consoles tomorrow, Activision has now released the official Android companion app for the game on Google Play. In case you’re unfamiliar with the upcoming title, the latest in the first person shooter Call of Duty franchise makes a move to futuristic weaponry:
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare envisions a powerful future, where both technology and tactics have evolved to create a ripped-from-the-headlines-of-tomorrow story. Kevin Spacey stars as Jonathan Irons – one of the most powerful men in the world – shaping this chilling vision of the future of war. Based on plausible technology and extensive research, the all-new story, conceived by the storytellers at Sledgehammer Games, introduces a world where private military corporations (PMCs) wield more might than national governments, and soldiers fight not for country but for profit; militaries for the highest bidder. These PMCs are outfitted with the latest in combat technology – the exoskeleton – empowering soldiers to overcome enemies with incredible and varied abilities, giving them a whole new way to traverse the battlefield. This is war like never before… Advanced Warfare also introduces the exoskeleton – the biggest core movement change in franchise history. With the power of the exo, players can boost jump, dodge, slam and more through a visceral and compelling new story; built from the ground up multiplayer experience; and a brand new cooperative mode for the complete entertainment package that only Call of Duty can deliver.
The app allows users to manage clans with the ability to make game player and clan emblems, participate in clan chats, get access to in-game items, view profiles and more. The free app of course pairs with the Sledgehammer-developed console title of the same name, which is officially landing tomorrow on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC.
While the official release of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is set for tomorrow, a “Day Zero Edition” of the game is available worldwide starting today with exclusive content.
The Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Companion app is available for free on Google Play now for both Android smartphones and tablets.
In June a report detailed a feature in development by Google that would reportedly allow Android devices to alert “people, places, and things” to the presence of nearby users. At the time, reports referred to the feature as “Nearby” and described it as a location-based feature for Android devices in close proximity to one another. Today, AndroidPolice is back with more info pointing to evidence that the feature will be cross-platform and allow Android and iOS devices to share content and communicate when nearby.
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Verizon is increasing data for customers on $80 and $100 More Everything plans, the company announced today following a similar announcement from AT&T. The carrier is now offering 10GB for $80 and 15GB for $100 up from the 6GB and 10GB those tiers previously offered. Verizon notes that the deal isn’t restricted to new customers, but it is a limited time offer available through its website.
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Sprint announced today that it’s now offering the Samsung Galaxy S5 and S5 Sport through its Sprint Lease program allowing customers to get the device for $20 monthly payments over 24 months.
Beginning Friday, Oct. 31, new and existing customers and businesses can acquire Galaxy S 5 and Galaxy S 5 Sport for $20 per month (excluding taxes and fees) through Sprint Lease… The new Sprint Lease allows customers to lease a 16GB Galaxy S 5 or Galaxy S 5 Sport for $20 a month for 24 months. Qualified customers pay zero out of pocket at lease signing for the phone
Following the 24 month lease period, customers will have the option of either handing in the device and leasing another at $0 down, purchasing the leased device outright, or continuing leasing on a monthly basis. You can also hand in the device and cancel service if you wish.
Sprint also has a promotion through Jan. 15 that will let users get a $15 monthly credit making a leased Galaxy S5 only $5 a month. The offer is available to those with Unlimited My Way, My All-in, Simply Everything and Everything Data (Share) plans. “Sprint customers who participate in Sprint Lease will receive a $15 monthly loyalty service credit when leasing Galaxy S 5. After the monthly credit is applied to the customer’s account, it’s like paying $5 per month, per line for Galaxy S 5 or Galaxy S 5 Sport.”
You won’t find this display on a smartphone you can buy just yet, but LG Display is today showing off a new 5.3-inch LCD smartphone panel that includes an almost non-existent 0.7mm bezel. That’s even thinner than some of the other super thin bezels to hit recent devices like the Sharp Aquos line and, according to LG, the world’s thinnest.
LG explained how it’s been able to achieve the extremely thin bezel, which it points out is thinner than the 0.8mm thickness of a credit card:
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<em>Worldwide unit shipments for the top 5 tablet plus 2-in-1 device vendors over last five quarters</em>
New data from IDC tracking worldwide tablet shipments shows that Apple has maintained its lead during the third quarter despite “a decline in overall iPad shipment volume in 3Q14.” Specifically, Apple grabbed 22.8% of the market with 12.3 million shipments during the quarter compared to 14.1 million units and 29.2% share in the year ago quarter. That compares to Samsung at 18.3% of the market and 9.9 million units shipped up from 19.3% and 9.3 million units shipped in the third quarter last year:
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Google today announced it’s adding new ways to add money to its Google Wallet service in addition to some new features that will make keeping an eye on your balance easier. The app also appears to be getting a bit of a Material Design update on Android (as pictured above).
First up, you will now be able to setup automatic bank transfers that will ensure there is always money to spend in your Google Wallet account. The recurring transfers allow you to schedule weekly, bi-weekly or monthly deposits and can be cancelled at any time:
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Google today announced that it’s rolling out an updated Google Play Movies & TV app for Android that introduces a second-screen experience when streaming TV shows and movies to a Chromecast or Nexus Player-connected TV. That means that your Android smartphone or tablet will now display actor or soundtrack information related to the content streaming to the big screen.
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Time Warner Cable today announced a new smartphone app that will let its customers use their home phone service on mobile devices for no additional fees. That means that users with a Time Warner Cable home phone service, which starts at $10/month, can now text and call through the new Phone 2 Go app available for both Android and iOS smartphones and tablets. The service requires a Wi-Fi or cellular data connection and will also work for international calling and texting:
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Google previously allowed developers to make add-ons that bring extra functionality to its Google Docs and Sheets web apps, and now Google is bringing the same feature to its Forms app. Google gives a few examples of add-ons that might be handy for Forms. Imagine, for example,“setting a survey end date, sending custom emails based on responses, storing lists of choices that you frequently add to questions, and more.”
Over the last few months, Forms has been getting a bunch of updates to help you make good looking surveys, like new theme choices and the ability to create your own personalized themes. To give you even more flexibility and options, we’re introducing add-ons for Forms—new tools, created by developer partners, that deliver even more features to your surveys (just like add-ons for Docs and Sheets).
Google highlighted a few add-ons that are already available:
Add-ons for Forms are accessible from a new “Add-ons” menu in the app or this link. Developers interested in learning more about developing add-ons can do so here.