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:
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Facebook announced today that it’s rolling out a new feature for its mobile apps that will let users save content for easy access at a later date. A list of saved content from Facebook— including links to things like places, movies, TV, and music— will appear in the Facebook mobile apps in the “More” section and on the left side bar on the web.
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Google announced today that it’s expanding its Flight Search service to users in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. While all users worldwide can access the service to search, compare and book flights at www.google.com/flights, this allows users in these countries to search for flights directly from Google, in their local languages, and with prices in local currency on both mobile and the web.
Let’s say you live in Norway and you want to plan a summer getaway. If you access Flight Search, you’ll immediately see the price, duration and type of flight for several popular destinations you might like to visit — based on your preferences and previous searches. If you set your dates and tap to expand the map, you’ll see live prices for destinations around the world. A trip to Kristiansand sounds nice.
The localized Flight Search service is available to users in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden through www.google.dk/flights/, www.google.no/flights/and www.google.se/flights/. Users searching flight related queries will also start to see Flight Search in search results as well.
Google is offering yet another promotion for those that purchase its $35 Chromecast HDMI streaming stick. Google’s $10/€10/month All Access Google Play Music streaming service usually comes with a month’s free access, but for a limited time Google is extending the trial to 90-days with the purchase of a Chromecast. The deal is already live in at least the UK, France, Germany, and Canada, but not in the US.
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Google’s François Beaufort shared a screenshot today of a completely redesigned user experience for Chrome OS that he says the Chromium OS team is currently experimenting with. The screenshot shows a first draft that “consists in a collection of windows with some simple window management.”
The project is called Athena and Beaufort shared instructions for checking it out in the Chromium source code (the open source project that Google’s Chrome OS shares its code with):
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[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jc29eU9ls1I]
Samsung has been dropping a ton of ads in recent weeks for the Galaxy Tab S, most of which focus on the device’s Super AMOLED display and how it compares to the competition. It’s not calling out Apple or anyone else by name this time, but it does take on tablets with LCD displays in general comparing things like outdoor visibility and color accuracy.
Earlier this month Samsung released two other Galaxy Tab S ads that showed off the device’s multitasking features and the contrast ratio of its Super AMOLED display. Samsung has been known to call out Apple by name in its ads and do direct comparisons of the iPad and iPhone to its Galaxy smartphones and tablets, but for the majority of its most recent Galaxy Tab S ads it has done “general comparisons” to LCD technology and not specific products.
Samsung’s new “Optimized Display” ad is above and another titled “Wide Color Range” is below:
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGj0f7Hz3v8&feature=youtube_gdata]
Following a release for iPad back in March, HBO’s Game of Thrones Ascent game developed by Disruptor Beam & Kongregate is now available for Android. The game already racked up around 2,500,000 players on Facebook and the web before making its way to mobile devices, and it comes to the smartphones with new art, optimized imagery, and leaderboards.
With Game of Thrones Ascent, fans can immerse themselves beyond the books and show, living the life of a noble in Westeros, working with (or against) each other in a persistent, authentic game world. Taking part in thousands of story-driven quests, players delve deeply into the lore and develop their own lands and reputation among the Great Houses. Players explore an expansive world filled with deep political and social play involving diplomatic agreements, pacts, marriages, and betrothals. Through Alliance challenges, players work with hundreds of others to accomplish great tasks and rise to the top of the Power Rankings.
The developers update the game weekly and alongside new episodes of the TV show when it’s airing. That includes new quests, in-game items and more that follow the storyline of the show.
Game of Thrones Ascent is available for Android now as a free download on Google Play.
Google today announced new features for its Google Wallet app for both iOS and Android that makes it easier to manage gift cards and request and send from debit cards.
Like Google Wallet already allowed for loyalty cards, the app now lets users store, redeem, and check gift card balance:
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In case you were wondering why Hangouts isn’t working this afternoon: Google reports it has been experiencing outages for Google+ Hangouts since earlier today. The company has been providing updates on its app status page but is yet to resolve the issue.
Google says the “the problem affecting a significant subset of users” and that some “will not be able to start new video hangouts.” The company’s most recent update notes that the issue is ongoing mostly for users in Europe.
We’ll update here once the problem has been resolved.
Sony today announced it’s rolling out a new software update for the Xperia T2 Ultra & Xperia T2 Ultra Dual that brings Android 4.4 KitKat alongside other features to the devices.
You’ll also notice a few other goodies in the update aside from KitKat, including: Sony’s newly tweaked Status Bar and customizable Quick Settings, a new UI and animations similar to those on the PS4, Xperia Themes, and a number of improvements to some of the company’s stock apps:
We’re also uplifting Sony’s entire native app portfolio to the latest versions – bringing tweaked / improved / current experiences for (to name but a few): Messaging, MyXperia, Smart Connect, Small apps, TrackID, TrackID TV, Sony Select, Smart Social Camera and…Sony’s Media apps: WALKMAN, Album and Movies, with Sony Entertainment Network cloud service integration* – a more converged and full Sony entertainment experience – Sony Entertainment Network & PlayMemories integration with a more intuitive UI, better download speeds, and more!
The update also brings support for Sony’s “SmartWear Experience” with the SmartBand SWR10 and Lifelog app.
A full list of what’s new in today’s update is below:
Sony says you can expect the update to arrive for other devices, including Xperia E1 and Xperia M2 (& M2 dual variants), in the near future.
Google has been rolling out Play Store services like music, books, and movies to a ton of new countries recently, and today its Google Play Music and All Access streaming services arrive in a total of 6 new countries. The new countries include Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Peru and Ukraine and bring the total number of countries with access to Google Play Music to 34.
Google notes that all new users of All Access, the $10/month streaming service of Google Play Music, get the first 30 days free.
New All Access members (in any country) will get 30 days of music on us, and gain instant access to 20 million songs online or offline from any Android device. In related news, dance parties around the world are predicted to reach dangerously high levels of awesome any day now. http://goo.gl/SRSHXt
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZqRhbiokow&feature=youtu.be]
Following the launch of WiFi-only models of the new Galaxy Tab 4 series in May, today AT&T announced an LTE variant of the Galaxy Tab 4 8.0 will arrive for its customers today. You’ll be able to get the tablet through AT&T for $270 on the usual two year contract or for $0 down and $18.50/month for 20 months on the company’s instalment plan. The instalment plan brings the total cost of the tablet not on contract up to $370.
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After Google made its new Android L developer preview available to Nexus 5 and Nexus 7 last month, it wasn’t long before we saw an unofficial port to other devices. First we got the Nexus 4, and now a user at the xda-developers forums was able to get the developer preview up and running on an HTC One (M7).
Not many expected to see a HTC One (M7) port, but XDA Senior Member ssrij and a team of developers managed to port the Android L Developer Preview to this former flagship device… The port is still in alpha stage, and some things simply don’t work. Running Android L on first generation HTC One was made possible thanks to ramdisk and kernel modifications, so it might not run as it should. However, the Developer Preview was made to show people how the Android L will look like and what functions we should be expected.
You can expect lots of stuff not to work at the moment, including: WiFi, Bluetooth, data, camera, and sound, but the developers are working to fix some of the issues with the initial alpha release for the M7. More info on the original forum post here.
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While it’s not taking on the iPad directly this time around, Samsung has posted another set of ads for the Galaxy Tab S showing off the device’s Super AMOLED display and the device’s side-by-side app multitasking features. Like it’s been doing with all of its US ads for its Galaxy devices, Samsung focuses on features the competition, namely the iPad, doesn’t yet have.
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If your Android device is not yet a supported device for Google’s new screen mirroring feature for Chromecast, a new workaround might enable the feature for your device ahead of official support.
Earlier this week Google officially started rolling out support for mirroring Android from a smartphone to a TV via the company’s $35 Chromecast HDMI streaming stick. After tapping a new “Cast Screen” button in the Chromecast app on Android, your entire display will be mirrored to the larger Chromecast connected screen. Unfortunately the feature is currently only available to a limited selection of 14 devices including popular handsets from Samsung, HTC, LG. etc.
Today, XDA-developers point us to a root-enabled app that will trick the Chromecast app into thinking your device is supported:
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Acer announced today that it’s releasing a variant of its Chromebook C720 model that comes with an 4th gen Intel Core i3 processor. That makes Acer the first to do so and it also represents quite the upgrade in performance from the Intel Celeron processor in the previous generation C720 Chromebooks from Acer. The company also promises you won’t lose any battery life in the process with the same approximately 8.5 hours battery life quoted as the previous models.
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Nike is today launching a brand new app called Nike Football (or Nike Soccer in the US), that will act as a hub for all things Nike Football from exclusive content and Q&A sessions with athletes to the latest product launches for the company’s line of football products. Nike is also including some social features that let users organize their own pick-up games, trash talk among friends and teammates, and more:
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Google announced today that some notable new updates are available now in its Google Play Games SDK allowing developers to make even better cross-platform gaming experiences across Android and iOS. Some of the features were announced during its Google I/O developer conference late last month, including an update to the Play Games C++ SDK that brings turn-based multiplayer, quests and events, and saved games support:
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Minecraft Pocket Edition, the Android version of the popular Minecraft PC game, today is getting what developer Mojang says is the app’s biggest update yet. Version 0.9.0 introduces a number of new features carried over from the original game including infinite worlds, much improved caves, wolves, new items, and much, much more.
In addition, Mojang is bringing over new biomes from the PC version of the game with mesas, jungles, swamps and extreme hills, and you’ll also notice abandoned mineshafts, villages and “new feature generation, including lakes, vines and monster rooms.” That doesn’t even include a fraction of what’s actually included in today’s update. A full list of new features from new blocks to new and updated features for biomes, mobs, AI and feature generation is below.
The game also receives some welcomed UI tweaks in the update including a new “interaction” button that Mojang hopes will cut down on accidental sheep punches.
Infinite worlds!
Caves!
Loads of new blocks and items including Monster Eggs and huge mushroom blocks.
Wolves! Tame a loyal companion.
Loads of new flowers! So pretty.
New mobs, including the spooky endermen and less spooky Mooshrooms.
New biomes from the PC version, including mesas, jungles, swamps and extreme hills.
Abandoned mineshafts, villages, and many other cool places to explore.
A brand-new “interaction” button. Never accidentally punch a sheep again!
New feature generation, including lakes, vines and monster rooms.
Many bugs fixed, and possibly a few added.
The updated Minecraft Pocket Edition version 0.9.0 is available now on Google Play now.
The full huge list of what’s new via Mojang is below:
New features
New blocks
New mobs
New and updated biomes
New world feature generation
Tweaks to caves
New AI
Tweaks and bug fixes
Known Bugs
Known bugs requiring attention
Google today released an iOS app for its AdWords Express advertising service. The app, which is available for only Google’s automated AdWords Express advertising service aimed at small businesses, allows users to view stats from advertisements created with the service, edit the advertisements, adjust budgets, and get notifications related to campaigns directly from within the iPhone or iPad app:
AdWords Express helps you reach new customers on Google. Create your ad in less than 15 minutes, and only pay when potential customers click your ad to visit your website or give you a call. Stay connected to how your ad is doing — all from your mobile device.
– See how many calls, clicks and views your ad is getting
– Edit your ad text or adjust your budget anytime
– Get notified with important messages in your account
– Have questions? Call us at 1-855-235-8904 for free setup help
The app is free to download, but you’re required to enter billing information to pay for your ads.
Google already had an AdWords Express app available for Android users, but it doesn’t yet have mobile apps for its full-fledged AdWords service. On the flip side of the AdWords business, last year publishers got an official AdSense iPhone app from Google for monitoring advertising and revenues.
The Google AdWords Express app is available on the App Store now for iPhone and iPad.
iPad screenshots below:
Google announced today that its Google Ventures investment arm, which has invested in around 250 portfolio companies in its 5 year existence, is coming to Europe with a new office in London to support the next-generation of European entrepreneurs. To kick things off, Google is dedicating an initial $100 million fund to invest in projects in the EU:
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In a statement published on its website today, Samsung said it’s “urgently looking into the latest allegations” of child labor in its supplier facilities and will adhere to a zero-tolerance policy going forward. The statement follows news from the China Labor Watch via The Wall Street Journal that exploitation of child labor has been discovered at Samsung supplier in Dongguan, China. The allegations also follow Samsung’s 2014 sustainability report published in late June where Samsung claimed “no instances of child labor were found”.
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Just as Nike’s dismantled FuelBand team continues heading to Apple and Android Wear devices official hit the market, Adidas thought it would be the perfect time to introduce its own FuelBand-like fitness tracking wearable. Today the company introduced FitSmart, a wrist worn fitness tracker that pairs with the company’s miCoach fitness apps for mobile devices including iOS and Android.
The device packs in a heart rate sensor, accelerometer, and is capable of tracking the usual fitness metrics including calories, pace, distance and stride rate. The company says the Fit Smart will offer up to five days on a single charge with its 200mAh battery, but that estimate includes only a 1-hour workout per day.
Designed for running, training and fitness, FITSMART is unlike many of the activity trackers on the market today as it measures heart rate response to physical activity and then guides the user train at the right intensity for the best results… Intended for those seeking meaningful guidance and feedback, FIT SMART works with an all-new mobile app experience aimed at helping people set and reach weekly goals, as well as commit to longer term training plans. Weekly goals are a key feature update in the August release of the popular miCoach Train and Run app. and, uniquely combine the effectiveness of heart rate based training with the flexibility and motivational benefits of short-term attainable goals.
It weighs 58 grams, has a silicon strap, and uses a 17×11 LED light array as its UI. That includes “at-a-glance visual guidance on the user’s current workout intensity presented in color zones: blue, green, yellow and red.” Adidas also notes the Fit Smart will use vibration and visual indicators with the LED display to “provide feedback and coaching so the user can make the most out of every workout.”
The Adidas Fit Smart is arriving for $199 late August at Best Buy in the US and in markets around the world on August 15th through adidas.com.
Google has just updated its Camera app to version 2.3 and with it comes the ability for users to snap pictures remotely using only their Android Wear smartwatch.
As first noted by AndroidPolice, once users open the updated app on their Android device, a connected Android Wear smartwatch will automatically present them with a shutter button that includes a countdown. Android Wear users will also be able to preview the shot they take on their wrist after snapping the photo.
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Google today announced the winners of its “Giving through Glass” initiative that will see the company work with nonprofits to develop apps for the platform. The winners will not only get Glass, but also “a $25,000 grant, a trip to Google for training, and access to Glass developers who can help make their projects a reality.”
The winners include: 3000 Miles to a Cure, Classroom Champions, The Hearing and Speech Agency, Mark Morris Dance Group and Women’s Audio Mission… Developers are already working with these inspiring groups, and next week these five nonprofits will descend on Google Glass’ Base Camp in San Francisco for training, and to connect with their Google mentors. Stay tuned for updates on how the projects unfold!
Google shared some of the plans that the winners have for Glass. Classroom Champions, for example, will be looking to inspire with an app designed to offer “a look through the eyes of Paralympic athletes as they train and compete.” Others are working on a educational experiences for the classroom as well as Glass apps to help improve the communication process for individuals with speech language challenges, hearing loss and autism.
You can read more about Google’s Giving through Glass initiative here.