Mike Beasley, Author at 9to5Google - Page 4 of 16

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Cyanogen rebrands itself, partners w/ Qualcomm to load its OS on reference devices

Mike Beasley Mar 2 2015 - 3:20 pm PT

Software maker Cyanogen announced today that it has made a deal with Qualcomm to pre-load its partially-proprietary, Android-based Cyanogen OS (not to be confused with CyanogenMod) onto some of Qualcomm’s reference hardware. Reference devices for the Snapdragon 200, 400, and 600 series chips will now be powered by the Android-based operating system.

These reference devices previously ran customized versions of Android compiled by Qualcomm, with some tweaks for their own purposes. The move to Cyanogen OS could potentially put the software onto a large number of devices very quickly. It could also mean that many more reference devices will be able to receive software updates and run the latest version of Android.

Cyanogen also announced new branding (seen above) to help fit with its focus on open software:

As our values have evolved and advanced, we’ve realized that our identity as a team and a company should reflect that change.

Today we’re announcing a new look that we hope captures our commitment to openness. This new approach celebrates space, with minimal letterforms that don’t quite connect, giving the logo a sense of motion and a feeling of inherent energy.

The new Cyanogen feels open: fresh, expansive, and free.

Google purchases rights to the entire .app top-level domain for $25 million

Mike Beasley Feb 26 2015 - 5:47 pm PT

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Google paid $25 million to get exclusive rights to the .app TLD, according to a new report. TLDs, or “top-level domains” are the bits like “.com” and “.net” at the end of web domains. ICANN, the organization responsible for managing web addresses, has been launching many new, customized TLDs in recent months.

The purchase means that Google will be able to create web addresses like “google.app” or “android.app.” Google, of course, has its own domain registry where users can buy their own web addresses. The .app TLD may become available through that route, though Google hasn’t confirmed those plans.

It’s also possible that Google could have other plans for the domain. Unlike other TLDs currently held by the company (such as .how and .dad), .app provides a unique opportunity to set the Google Play store apart from competitors by offering developers the chance to get a .app domain linking directly to their Google Play page.

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Algoriddim launches free version of djay for Android, adds updated audio capabilities for Lollipop devices

Mike Beasley Feb 26 2015 - 3:45 pm PT

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[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYM8sIzHT5g&feature=youtu.be]

Software development team Algoriddim announced today that it is launching a free version of its popular djay app for Android. The free version features full support for Spotify music imports, allowing users who subscribe to the music service to pull in tunes over-the-air.

Both the free and paid versions have also gained support for new audio capabilities on Lollipop devices. Both apps now support external USB audio devices with multiple stereo outputs, enabling separate previewing without affecting the current mix.

As seen in the video above, the apps are also now compatible with the Pioneer DDJ-WeGO3 USB MIDI controller. You can grab both apps from the Google Play Store now, for free or $4.99, respectively.

LG debuts Urbane LTE, the world’s first 4G-capable smartwatch, with proprietary WebOS-based software

Mike Beasley Feb 25 2015 - 10:36 pm PT

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LG today unveiled the world’s first LTE-equipped smartwatch, dubbed the LG Watch Urbane LTE. Unlike other recent smartwatches, the Urbane LTE doesn’t run Google’s Android Wear operating system, with the maker opting to install its own proprietary software that, according to CNET, is based on the defunct WebOS. The non-LTE Urbane, revealed earlier this month, still runs Google’s OS.

The metal watch features three buttons to control the interface and sports what LG says is the “world’s first NFC-based Wallet,” allowing users to make payments with the Urbane LTE at NFC-compatible retailers. A heart rate monitor is also built-in, along with a barometer, compass, gyroscope, and GPS. Voice recognition software provides a handy auto-translation feature.

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Google reportedly planning to revamp mobile payment offering at I/O with launch of ‘Android Pay’

Mike Beasley Feb 25 2015 - 2:42 pm PT

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Google is planning to overhaul its mobile payment system in May during its I/O developer conference, a new report suggests. Google recently purchased “some” technology from SoftCard, with several major US carriers planning to pre-load Wallet on all new phones in the coming months.

The revitalized payment software is being referred to as “Android Pay” by Ars Technica, and like Apple’s own similarly named product, it will support payments in physical retailers as well as in-app sales. The entire offering will take advantage of Host Card Emulation, which essentially presents the phone to an NFC terminal as a clone of the card.

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Twitter for Android updated with ‘while you were away’ timeline recap

Mike Beasley Feb 24 2015 - 12:45 am PT

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Twitter for Android was updated tonight with support for Twitter’s “while you were away” recap feature, which surfaces tweets the app finds relevant to you when you’ve spent some time away from the microblogging service.

A lot can happen while you’re on the go. To fill in some of those gaps, we will surface a few of the best Tweets you probably wouldn’t have seen otherwise, determined by engagement and other factors. If you check in on Twitter now and then for a quick snapshot of what’s happening, you’ll see this recap more often; if you spend a lot of time on Twitter already, you’ll see it less.

The feature first rolled out to iOS users last month. You can grab the update for free from the Google Play Store.

Blogger

Google updates Blogger terms, bans explicit content starting March 23rd

Mike Beasley Feb 23 2015 - 9:43 pm PT

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Google announced tonight that it will be updating its adult content policy on the Blogger platform once again. Starting March 23rd, no sites built on Blogger will be allowed to publicly share “sexually explicit” content or media containing “graphic nudity.”

Sites that currently host objectionable content will be required to either remove it or set the blog to private. Google also suggests exporting a site and moving it to a different host if neither of those options are suitable. Blogs that violate the policy after March 25th will risk being set to private automatically. Google says no sites will be completely deleted due to this change.

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Google publishes, then pulls, video confirming Chromebook Pixel 2 is on the way

Mike Beasley Feb 23 2015 - 7:34 pm PT

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1st Gen Chromebook Pixel

We’ve seen evidence recently that Google has a second-generation Pixel Chromebook, but the Mountain View company has finally (seemingly accidentally) confirmed that the machine is on its way.

Earlier this evening Google published a video on YouTube in which Renee Niemi announced that a limited number of Pixel 2 notebooks will be available in the coming soon. No specific timeframe was given for the release, but Niemi said that because the Pixel 2 is primarily meant as a development platform, only a few would be made.

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Google adds new security features to Chrome, Search, and ads to help block malicious sites

Mike Beasley Feb 23 2015 - 4:03 pm PT

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Google has updated several online security features to help protect users from malicious sites and content. Chrome has gained new warnings about sites that attempt to fool users into downloading unwanted software, providing an option to go back to the previous page and avoid these types of sites.

Search has been updated to make it harder for those sites to show up in results, and Google has started disabling ads that link to them. All of these moves continue Google’s recent push to enhance security on its products. The company recently helped improve security by providing users an incentive to enable two-factor authentication.

Google refutes claims that most employees’ kids are not vaccinated, releases updated statistics

Mike Beasley Feb 20 2015 - 3:12 pm PT

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Earlier this month Wired called out several tech companies, including Google, as having extremely low vaccination rates among their employees’ children. Google and Pixar were quick to respond, claiming that the California Department of Public Health had outdated numbers that didn’t reflect the truth:

Google likewise says it has been working with the parents of children at its day care centers, and Thursday the company provided WIRED with updated numbers. According to Google, one facility’s overall vaccination rate is 85 percent, not 49 percent as reported by the California DPH. On the MMR [measles/mumps/rubella], they’re at 93 percent of children vaccinated. The company’s new data shows that its second facility has an overall immunization rate of 92 percent (not 77 percent as reported by the DPH), and 95 percent (rather than 90 percent) of kids having received their MMRs.

The companies have been working with their employees, who they say have failed to properly update shot records after getting their kids immunized, to obtain corrected data for submission to the DPH. You can read the entire rebuttal from both companies over at Wired.

YouTube
Kids

Google preparing kid-friendly version of YouTube app for Android for launch next week

Mike Beasley Feb 19 2015 - 5:58 pm PT

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Google revealed last year that it was working on versions of YouTube, Chrome, and other products specifically designed to be kid-friendly. Now it seems the service, called YouTube Kids, is finally ready to make its public debut next week. YouTube is preparing an Android app specifically targeted at kids looking to browse its collection of videos.

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Moto 360 update to Android Wear 5.0.2 begins rolling out (Update: All the watches!)

Mike Beasley Feb 18 2015 - 3:56 pm PT

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Update: It looks like 5.0.2 is now rolling out to most Android Wear devices.

Motorola has pushed out a Android Wear update for the Moto 360 smartwatch. The update sports “a variety of system optimizations and security updates to improve performance and stability” and includes an updated version of Google’s Play Services software.

The update is built on Android Wear 5.0.2, making the Moto 360 one of the first devices (if not the first) to run this version of the operating system.

The update is being rolled out to users over the next few days. Users who have access to the update will be alerted to its availability and prompted to install it using your smartphone’s internet connection.

NBC updates Android app w/ live streaming in select markets & partial catalog of classic shows

Mike Beasley Feb 18 2015 - 7:08 am PT

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NBC has this morning released an update for its Android app that introduces live streaming of the network’s content directly to an Android phone or tablet. Like most things in the cable industry, the feature is only available in a few select cable markets that this time and requires a subscription to a cable or satellite partner.

All users will be able to take advantage of the other new feature added in version 3.0, however…

VLC 3.0 will gain support for Chromecast streaming from Android devices

Mike Beasley Feb 17 2015 - 4:09 pm PT

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The popular VLC media player will be upgraded to version 3.0 soon, introducing a whole host of features to the software, including support for Google’s Chromecast streaming device. The change was mentioned in a VLC change log on the VideoLan website.

Chromecast support in VLC will allow users to stream their stored media to their TVs from supported devices, including Android handsets and tablets. iOS devices, and computers running OS X and Windows are also expected to get the upgrade.

VideoLan, the development company behind VLC, hasn’t announced the availability date for version 3.0 yet. You can grab the current version of the Android app from the Google Play Store.

Nexus 5 running Android 5.1 spotted on Geekbench

Mike Beasley Feb 17 2015 - 3:18 pm PT

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Earlier this month Google announced the version 5.1 update to Android Lollipop. Today the company revealed that several new devices launching in the Philippines would ship with the new operating system, but the rollout plan for the rest of the world was still unknown.

Now a new Geekbench test has provided us with the first evidence of Android 5.1 running on a flagship device. The benchmark for an LG Nexus 5 appeared on the site today, listing the upcoming build of Android as the device’s OS.

The phone scored a 2997, which is just slightly north of the where the same model scored on Android 5.0. Keep an eye on 9to5Google for continued updates on the new operating system’s release, including our complete running list of new features.

Astro Teller: Google is making a modest return on its experimental lab investment

Mike Beasley Feb 16 2015 - 8:21 pm PT

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Google X boss Astro Teller spoke with the New York Times on the topic of the experimental lab and the value it produces for the company, saying that the X lab’s goal is to find new technology markets that the Mountain View company can jump into and problems it can solve.

According to Teller, Google gives X projects a longer period of time in which to prove they can become profitable. He specifically highlights the “Neural Network Project” (previously known as Google Brain) as one project that has turned a serious profit. In fact, Brain is now bringing in enough “value” to offset the costs of running the entire X lab, Teller says:

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Google debuts Chinese version of its developer YouTube channel

Mike Beasley Feb 16 2015 - 6:14 pm PT

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[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObvaD7EcDGM]

Google today launched a new version of its developer-focused YouTube channel, continuing the company’s expansion into the Chinese market. Ironically, YouTube is still blocked by China’s nationwide firewall, so users interested in taking advantage of the channel will need to find other ways to access its content.

The English-language version of the channel contains resources for developers creating Android apps, web content, and other software projects. The Chinese channel currently only features two introductory channels, but will likely contain localized versions of new videos from the English channel.

Toshiba demonstrates its first Project Ara camera modules in 5 MP and 13 MP variations

Mike Beasley Feb 16 2015 - 5:14 pm PT

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Toshiba has demonstrated its first camera modules for Google’s Project Ara modular smartphone. The units in development will reportedly be available in both 5 MP and 13 MP versions, with a 2 MP front-facing module also in the works.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mo4GeSil9fU]

The video above shows the prototype 5 MP module capturing live images and transmitting them to the camera software. This progress marks the end of the first of three development phases. Following “basic phone functions,” Toshiba aims to introduce “up-to-date features” like NFC. The third phase will add currently undisclosed “unique features” to the system.

Toshiba’s work on these camera modules is expected to be complete in 2016. Google is hoping to have Project Ara smartphones available in a limited-market pilot by 2015.

Pebble publicly launches 2.3 software update with actionable notifications and Android Wear compatibility

Mike Beasley Feb 16 2015 - 4:17 pm PT

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Pebble announced in December that it would be launching a new update for its smartwatch software that would enable actionable notifications and compatibility with Android Wear-supported apps. By updating to the latest version of the Pebble app for Android and the lastest device software, users can take advantage of any Android Wear action right from their Pebble.

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Android Lollipop begins rolling out to Moto E and Maxx in Brazil and Mexico

Mike Beasley Feb 11 2015 - 5:33 pm PT

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Motorola announced today that it has started rolling out the latest version of Android to Moto E and Moto Maxx devices Brazil and Mexico. Only a few users will see the update at first as Google tests the software on these handsets, with additional users gaining access in the coming weeks.

The phone maker says users should make sure they’re running the latest version of Motorola Update Services from the Play Store in order to get the update when it becomes available.

Earlier today Android 5 started rolling out on the Galaxy Note 4 in Poland along with several other devices in other markets.

Purported HTC smartwatch details suggest it won’t run Android Wear

Mike Beasley Feb 10 2015 - 8:20 pm PT

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A new leak from Upleaks indicates that HTC’s upcoming smartwatch, which was previously rumored to be coming in early 2015, is codenamed “PETRA” and will sport a 3-day battery along with support for both Android and iOS devices.

The device will reportedly feature a custom operating system built by HTC, not Google’s wearable-focused version its own mobile OS, Android Wear. The software will allow the watch to operate with both Android and iOS devices, targeting a broader market than most Android-only smartwatches.

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Google brings six new Android apps to Chrome OS, including Yo and SlideShare

Mike Beasley Feb 5 2015 - 11:19 pm PT

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Google has announced that six new Android apps are available for computers running Chrome OS. The new apps include the Yo messaging service, the SlideShare presentation sharing software, and Tapatalk forum client.

Other new additions include the Dormi baby monitor software, chromatic tuner app Waves, and a shopping app called Slice.

All of the new apps run within the Android Runtime plugin for Chrome OS that was debuted last year. The company solicits suggestions from the public to determine which apps it should bring to the platform next. You can find the complete collection of Chrome-compatible Android apps on the Google Chrome Web Store.

Google partners with Disney on new series aiming to get kids interested in tech

Mike Beasley Feb 4 2015 - 6:49 pm PT

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[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnQ5gE4Rbxo&ab_channel=disneyjunior]

Google and Disney teamed up to create a new kids show with a focus on getting young viewers interested in computer science, the LA Times noted in a report today. The show, Miles from Tomorrowland, was created by Disney Junior with Google engineers sitting in as consultants.

The two companies are especially focused on getting girls interested in technology by featuring female characters designed to change kids’ perception of the industry. From the Times report:

In “Miles From Tomorrowland,” Loretta is a super cool older sister/computer whiz sidekick who records data from the adventures and discoveries and can find the answer to almost anything with the assistance of a special wrist device known as “the bracelex.”

One episode has Loretta writing code that helps her find another planet.

The show’s creator says that his cooperation with Google has shown him that “you can do anything with coding”—a message Disney hopes to instill in its audience. Miles from Tomorrowland premieres on February 6th.

Microsoft launches free Picturesque lock screen replacement for Android devices

Mike Beasley Feb 3 2015 - 5:22 pm PT

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Microsoft has launched a new lock screen replacement for Android devices called Picturesque. The app comes from Microsoft’s Garage division, which the company describes as “a 24-hour idea factory.”

Picturesque features a daily wallpaper from the Bing homepage (which you can change by shaking your phone), the ability to search the web and browse the results directly from the lock screen (also powered by Bing, naturally), along with a news feed, weather updates, app notifications, and controls for your camera and phone calls.

The free lock screen replacement is available from Google Play now. You can find the full description and feature set listed below:

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