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 decided to publish uncut video from its search quality meeting today where the company discusses and makes decisions about changes to the algorithm and infrastructure used for Google search. This is the first time Google published footage from the meeting, but the company said in a post on Google+ that it would continue doing so for each weekly meeting going forward as part of its “continued effort to be more transparent about how search works.” For this week, the group discussed issues with spelling for long queries. Expand Expanding Close
With March Madness kicking off March 13, Android users now have an official app to follow as the 67 games take place between now and April 2. That free app released by Turner Sports Interactive packs a ton of features, including live radio of all games, social media streams for teams, a channel guide for TBS, CBS, TNT, and truTV, and the ability to track the live updated bracket during the tournament. You can also fill out an official NCAA Bracket Challenge bracket from within the app.
You can grab the free NCAA March Madness Live app from Google Play now. Turner is also offering a $3.99 in-app upgrade that will get you a live stream of all games, Final Four practices, and much more. Here’s what’s included in the upgraded version with a list of supported devices:
Cofounder of the leading iOS photo-sharing app “Instagram”Kevin Systrom recently announced at SXSW (via TechCrunch) that the app has now reached over 27 million registered users. He also briefly teased the highly anticipated Android version of Instagram, whichSystrom had an early build of running on his device at the show. The good news is, while we do not have a solid release date, Systrom said the company is taking its time to make sure the Android version is not just a scaled port of the iOS app:
“I don’t think it took us so long. We just had priorities. Had we tried to be both on Android and iPhone at the same time, it would’ve been tough to innovate in the way that we have”
Systrom also said the Android app is, “In some ways, it’s better than our iOS app. It’s crazy.” TechCrunch reported Instagram cofounder Mike Krieger said the Android team is “pretty impressed” with the app’s ability to differentiate itself from the iOS version. Unfortunately, the executives said the current build of the app was not ready for a full demo, which means we are likely still a few months out. We will keep you posted. Expand Expanding Close
AT&T made things official this morning for 12 new locations getting access to its LTE network starting in April. The press release does not give specifics for each location, but it said Cleveland would get access “soon” with the rollout for the other cities starting next month and stretching into the summer. Check out the full list of locations and AT&T’s press release after the break. Expand Expanding Close
Today, Sprint announced the “ZTE Fury,” which is by all accounts a great Android alternative to the iPhone 3GS, and debuts for $20 on contract (after rebate) on March 11. The device is clearly an entry-level Android handset, but it packs some pretty decent specs with a 3.5-inch display, 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 4G of onboard memory, 5-megapixel camera with flash, and up to 8 hours talk time with a 1500 mAh battery. It can also act as a 3G hotspot and is marketed as a family-friendly device due to the press release mentioning Sprint’s Family Locator, Mobile Controls, and Drive First app. However, those services will each cost extra. For example: The Drive First service allows you to redirect incoming calls to voicemail when driving over 10 MPH for just $2 per month.
Google is set to announce a new ad campaign project known as “Project Re: Brief” today at the South by Southwest Interactive Conference and Festival in Austin, Texas, according to a report fromThe New York Times. The project re-imagines four classic commercials including Coca-Cola’s “Hilltop” commercial from 1971, Alka-Seltzer’s 1972 ad, Volvo’s “Drive it like you hate it” ad from 1963, and Avis’ “We try harder” campaign from 1962. Demo videos for the new campaigns (below) show the ads are not just recreations of the original commercials, but rather interactive experiences that explore the original ads’ content. They also inject Google services, such as Gmail, YouTube, Maps, and Translate, into the experience. For example, the recreated “Hilltop” campaign will allow users to “buy the world a coke” on mobile devices by sending a free coke to someone across the world through customized vending machines. Each recreated campaign has similar interactive features. The re-imagined Volvo campaign, for instance, allows you to track Volvo owner Irv Gordon, who has put 3 million miles on his Volvo over the past 50 years, throughout his journey in real-time. All the ads, which were created by Google’s in-house advertising team and several other agencies including the creators of the original campaigns, should be available on Google’s “Project Re: Brief” website at some point today. The page already has “making of the video” clips for two of the campaigns. Below you can check out demos for two of the new mobile campaigns, including the recreated “Hilltop” commercial and “Drive it like you hate it” inspired Volvo ad.
In addition to the rollout of the paid streaming music service on its own PlayStation Vita handheld today, Sony also updated the Music Unlimited mobile app on Google Play. The update only brings one new feature: The ability to download and listen to playlists offline. To enable the new feature, “Go to My Library, choose Playlists, and press the options button (+) for the playlist you want to make available offline.” You can find the updated app on Google Play here. The separate tablet app has not received an update yet. Expand Expanding Close
There are not many huge surprises on the list, but Verizon made things official for users wondering if their device will be getting an update to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. However, Verizon did not provide any specific dates for when the updates might be rolling out. If you are still in the dark about your device, head past the break to see if it made the cut.
Following a report from Bloomberg in December featuring advice from analysts, we asked you if Apple should settle for up to a $10 royalty per Android device and not keep paying its lawyers to fight patent disputes. Today, Dow Jones Newswires reports that Apple is interested in seeking settlements. According to the report, Apple “indicated a willingness to cut deals with competitors,” including Motorola and Samsung: Expand Expanding Close
You are probably familiar with Beats by Dre headphones that HTC now packages with many of its smartphones after inking a $300 million deal with the company last year. Those devices are apparently supposed to pack the Beats Audio unique sound profile—an audio equalizer that is arguably the secret sauce to the Beats Audio and Beats by Dre success. Thankfully, all Gingerbread Android users can soon take advantage with XDA forum member fuss132 porting the sound profile to work with all Gingerbread Roms. So how do you do it? The original forum post (via TechCrunch) contains everything you need. Moreover, fuss132 explained no application is needed, simply “download the attached .zip file, flash it through CWM.” The image above compares the same song before the Beats sound profile (left) and then after (right) on a Galaxy SLc. Expand Expanding Close
The Mobile World Congress has now officially kicked off and we brought you the highlights from Eric Schmidt’s keynote presentation earlier today. In other MWC news, Samsung was awarded Device Manufacturer of the Year by hosts GSMA of MWC 2012 in Barcelona. It is an organization dedicated to protecting the “interests of mobile operators worldwide.” Samsung was also awarded Best Smartphone for the Galaxy S II. According to Samsung, the award is “in recognition of the device’s powerful performance and overwhelming response from consumers.” Samsung noted the Galaxy S II is its fastest selling device in history with over 10 million units sold in just 5 months and 20 million in 10 months.
Samsung’s President of IT & Mobile Communications Division JK Shin said the following:
If you have not yet noticed them, Google started rolling out updates to both the Google Wallet and Google+ for Android apps today. The Google+ update available does not contain much beyond the typical “stability improvements and bug fixes,” but Google Wallet received several new features including support for PO Boxes and an “increased allowable address length” for Prepaid Cards. It also has enhancements to the Core Wallet system and syncing of rewards cards. You can find the Google Wallet update in the Market here. Expand Expanding Close
Google is currently advertising a one-day leap year sale for Google Music that will let you grab 29 select albums for just $2.99 each. Among the albums offered include Lana Del Rey’s “Born To Die,” Drake’s “Take Care,” Rihanna’s “Talk That Talk,” Amy Winehouse’s “Back to Black,” Jay-Z’s “Watch The Throne,” Van Halen’s “A Different Kind of Truth,” Lil Wayne’s “The Carter IV,” Pink Floyd’s “The Dark Side of The Moon,” Eminem’s “Recovery,” and The Band Perry’s self-titled album. All 29 albums should be advertised in a special section in the Google Music store shortly, but the albums listed above are already available for $2.99. Expand Expanding Close
Samsung announced in a press release this morning that the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7, also known as the “world’s thinnest 4G LTE tablet,” would land in Verizon stores March 1 for $499 on the typical two-year commitment. In case you do not remember the 7.7-inch tablet originally introduced at CES, the device packs a Super AMOLED Plus display, Android 3.2, 16GB of user storage (up to 32 via microSD), a 3.2-megapixel main camera with LED (2-megapixel front camera), and a 1.4 GHz dual-core processor. Samsung’s claim of being the “world’s thinnest” tablet comes from the device’s 7.8mm thin profile. AndroidCommunity reported the device would cost $699 without the two-year agreement, but there was no mention in today’s announcement.
According to a patent originally filed in Q3 2011 and published by the United States Patent & Trademark Office earlier this month (via PatentlyApple), Google invented a new search gesture for future Android devices that incorporates various forms of the letter “g”.
As described by PatentlyApple, the gesture would allow users to circle what they want to search for within the letter “g” or “g + o” (as shown in the graphic above), and perform the search when lifting their finger. Google would not limit the feature to just Google searches, however, it would also allow you to access alternatives by drawing an “S”.
The patent application described different embodiments of the concept incorporating use of the various letters combine with a continuous circling motion (pictured below). For example, the user could circle various pieces of content or text in one motion, bypassing the need to copy-and-paste several items separately. Instead of simply performing a search once lifting your finger, the feature could also first present a list of context-sensitive options such as phone numbers, dictionary entries, or links to a Wikipedia article—for instance. PatentlyAppleexplained how Google could allow other companies to take advantage going forward:
Google announced on the Official Google Search blog today that it would incorporate upcoming concert listings in search results. When previously searching for a band or artist, you would usually get its official website with songs and snippets that Google introduced in August of last year. After today’s update, Google will now display concert listings from various sources underneath the result for the band or artist’s official website. The new listing also includes links to various ticket dealers and a link to “Show more events.” Site administrators can add rich snippets markup to their web pages and follow instructions to mark up events. The feature is now only available to English-speaking users searching through Google.com. Expand Expanding Close
According to translated report from MK News(via TNW), Samsung is in development on the industry’s first smartphone without a bezel. Referred to in the report as the “Galaxy B,” the device will apparently have no bezel on three sides of the display with just a small bezel at the top to hold the earpiece and camera. The device will apparently pack a large AMOLED display, but there is no specific mention of Android or other specs. We most likely will not see much from Samsung at Mobile World Congress later this month, because the company confirmed it would not hold press events. However, some are speculating the “Galaxy B” codename could eventually be the Galaxy S III. The report said Samsung plans to launch the bezel-free smartphone during the second or third quarter of 2012.
Following reports earlier this month that Google’s Senior Vice President and Chief Business Officer Nikesh Arora was rumored to run Motorola once the acquisition closes, Bloomberg reported today Google will select Dennis Woodside as Chief Executive Officer of Motorola Mobility. Woodside is currently Google’s President of Americas Operations and has been at Google in various positions since 2003.
Samsung and AT&T announced a new dustproof, water-resistant smartphone today designed specifically to withstand harsh elements. Other than some pretty decent specs for an entry-level price point, the Rugby Smart is submergible for up to 30 minutes in up to 1m of water, and it is “built to mil-std 81 0f military spec standards… for Dust, Humidity, Rain, Shock and Temperature.”
The Samsung Rugby Smart will land on AT&T for $99 on a two-year commitment and packs a 3.7-inch Super AMOLED display, 4GB onboard memory, 5-megapixel main camera (1.3MP front camera), and a 1650 mAh Lilon Poly battery for up to 8 hours talk time and 16 days standby. Expect Android 2.3 out of the box when it becomes available next month. The full press release is after the break.
When Samsung takes on Apple in one of its own commercials, it typically does so with a Galaxy S II ad mocking iPhone line sitters. However, Samsung hit the streets this time to compare its 5.3-inch Galaxy Note tablet/smartphone hybrid to Apple’s iPhone 4S. While it is not exactly a fair challenge, the video shows a Galaxy Note user performing various tasks with the integrated S Pen stylus. Meanwhile, an iPhone user stands dumbfounded at the results.
So, what exactly can the Note do that the iPhone cannot? According to the video, personal customized messages, the ability to draw and send walking maps with the stylus, and full support for editing PowerPoint presentations. The ad ends with the iPhone user announcing: “I’m jealous, and I’m upset, and I’m embarrassed.” Expand Expanding Close
California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris announced today an agreement with Google and five other tech companies including Apple, Amazon, HP, RIM, and Microsoft, that will see all companies implementing new standards for displaying privacy policies for apps that collect personal data. This took place multiple state attorneys general sent letters to Google CEO Larry Page expressing concerns over the companies new unified privacy policy rolling out March 1. The press release described the agreement:
The agreement with the platforms is designed to make sure that mobile apps comply with the California Online Privacy Protection Act. The Act requires operators of commercial web sites and online services, including mobile apps, who collect personally identifiable information about Californians to conspicuously post a privacy policy.
The new agreement will force Google and the other companies to implement a method of displaying a privacy policy to the user before an app is downloaded. The announcement noted all platforms would include the feature in a consistent place on the “application-download screen.” The news followed a FTC report criticizing privacy issues about mobile apps for children and lawmakers issuing a letter to Apple following privacy concerns over Path’s use of contacts in the iPhone’s address book. The Attorney General plans to meet with the companies in six months to assess the progress of the agreement, and we will wait to hear from Google on exactly how developers and the Android Market will carry out the privacy policies. The press release said a recent study found only approximately 5 percent of all mobile apps have a privacy policy. Attorney General Harris talked about the agreement:
Google just announced a new update to Docs for Android that brings the real-time collaboration of the desktop version of Docs to Android phones and tablets. The feature allows multiple people to view and edit a document simultaneously with changes appearing in seconds. The update also introduces a new refined interface with new pinch to zoom and focus controls, and rich text formatting with quick bullet lists, font and background color, bolding, italics, and underlining. Other new additions include cursor presence and highlighting functionality. You can grab the updated Google Docs for Android from the Market now.
T-Mobile made things official today for the Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G, a 3.97-inch device with a high-end camera and processor specs with an entry-level price. Landing in late March on T-Mobile for $149.99 (after $50 mail-in rebate and a two-year commitment), the Galaxy S Blaze 4G packs a 3.97-inch Super AMOLED display, 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S3 processor, and 5-megapixel camera (1.3mp front camera) with flash, “advanced shooting modes,” and 4x digital zoom.
Its 4G capabilities means 42Mbps HSPA+ support, and it will run Android 2.3 out of the box. We will most likely see even more of the device following Mobile World Congress kicking off later this month in Barcelona. The Galaxy S Blaze 4G is definitely looking like a decent option for those wanting a powerful Android device under $150 (or likely much cheaper at Amazon).
Canonical—the company responsible for the Ubuntu Linux distro— announced today a fully functioning build of Ubuntu for Android devices. The Ubuntu Unity build will boot after the phone is docked to a keyboard and connected to a display, providing the full experience powered by a smartphone. While Canonical might show more at this year’s Mobile World Congress set for Feb. 27, the firm already revealed hardware requirements including a minimum of 1GHz processor, 2GB of free storage, 512MB of RAM, and HDMI out and USB host mode.
The phone experience is pure Android – it’s a normal Android phone. When the device is connected to a computer screen, however, it launches a full Ubuntu desktop on the computer display. It’s exactly the same desktop used by millions of enterprise and home users on their Ubuntu PCs, and includes hundreds of certified applications, from office productivity to photography, video and music.
As Canonical described in its press release, the best part of Ubuntu for Android is the ability to access and share all Android data across both operating systems including Android apps like phone, contacts, and SMS from within Ubuntu. You might not want to run Android apps when you have access to full-fledged desktop apps in Ubuntu, but you will at least have the option to do so at anytime while docked. The full press release is after the break (viaAndroidCentral), and we will keep an eye out at MWC for Canonical: Expand Expanding Close
You are probably familiar with Beats by Dre headphones that HTC 
