Google is thinking about adding a new feature to Chrome OS that will give users advanced remote access to their devices. Internally known as “consumer management,” this work in progress will let people remotely lock, erase and locate their Chrome OS equipment. As of now, the feature isn’t available, but you can get a look at it by switching to the Dev channel, going into Dev mode and running a specific set of code.
Earlier this week, we received word that Samsung was working on an unannounced AMOLED tablet called the Galaxy Tab S. This new slate is rumored to ship in two different sizes: 8.5-inch and 10.5-inch. Pictured above is a purported shot of the latter. Obtained by SamMobile, the device’s appearance lines up with most of the recent rumors. At first glance, the Galaxy Tab S bears a strong resemblance to the Galaxy Tab Pro, however it sports a textured back similar to the Galaxy S5.
We knew it was coming and now it’s here. Today, Google rolled out a new version of Drive for Android that removes document editing from the cloud-storage application. This change in direction is an immediate follow up to Google’s new trio of productivity apps that released last month. If you still haven’t picked up Docs and Sheets, the updated version of Drive will now display a view-only version of documents and will prompt you to install Google’s new standalone apps for editing options. Although some users will need to download three apps, document editing can now be done offline, so that’s a plus.
Sprint recently announced that it would carry a special edition of the HTC One M8 that would feature sound enhancing software from Harman Kardon. While we’re happy for the carrier and its legions of customers, we couldn’t help but feel sorry for M8 owners outside of Sprint’s service. If you happen to be a part of this group, turn that frown upside down! We’ve got some good news for you today! This crafty individuals over at The Unlockr how found a workaround that brings Harman Kardon’s Clari-fi tech to just about any version of HTC’s new flagship phone.
Historically, Google has been known to use quirky codenames when working on internal projects and Nexus devices are no exception. In the past the company’s homegrown Android products have carried in-house names patterned after aquatic animals when being under development. For example: Maguro was used for the GSM Galaxy Nexus, Mako represented the Nexus 4, Hammerhead covered the Nexus 5 and Mantaray was the moniker for the Nexus 10. When it comes to Nexus devices, Google has a thing for sea creatures.
Over the past few weeks, we’ve had a pretty good look at LG’s upcoming G3 and while the phone is differentiating itself from its predecessor, the latest purported photos of the device suggests that it’s taking its cues from its competition. Pictured above is a front to back view of a gold G3, yes, gold like the iPhone 5s, Samsung Galaxy S5 and HTC One. It’s like gold is the new white. Remember a few years back when everyone wanted a white phone because of the iPhone? Sadly, Apple releasing the iPhone 5s in gold appears to be having the same effect on smartphone manufacturer’s today.
An experimental feature in Chrome that is set to prevent phishing attacks, may be backfiring, according to security firm PhishMe. Google is in the process of testing an “Origin Chip” that hides the view of a website’s full URL. This new setup instead displays the domain name of the site being visited, along with a search bar available for fast access. The idea is that only displaying a site’s domain name is far less distracting than a lengthy URL.
Google is currently sending out emails for a Play Music promo that offers up to five bestselling albums for $1.99 a pop. Invitations appear to be hitting random Gmail users, as some of our staff has received the offer and others have not. The offer’s disclosure says it’s only available to new Google Play Music users, however it appears to be rolling out to casual customers as well.
As for the music being offered, there are fairly new full albums from artists like Drake, Blake Shelton, Childish Gambino, Arcade Fire, Rihanna and dozens more. If you’re lucky enough to score an invite to the deal, you’ll have until 11:59pm PST to take advantage of this offer.
Not stopping at its Camera app, Google has also rolled out an update for its Android and iOS Wallet apps. While both versions aren’t identical, the biggest standout of today’s software releases is the ability to use multiple Google accounts from within Wallet’s Android app. To accommodate this new addition, Mountain View has made a few adjustments to the payment software’s UI. User accounts are accessible via a pull-down panel on the upper left-hand corner of the app, along with a slide-out section for your list of cards and bank accounts. Rounding things out is the ability to receive package shipment updates on purchases made with Wallet.
iOS users rocking Google’s mobile payment system are being treated to unidentified enhancements to the app’s loyalty programs and orders features, along with some token performance fixes. If you haven’t updated Wallet yet, you can pull down this new software from your mobile platform’s respective source link below.
(via Google Play, iTunes)
Last month Google released a new Camera app for Android and while we enjoy most of its new bells and whistles, the price of progress came at the expense of a beloved feature. Absent from Mountain View’s new photo taking software was the ability to snap a picture while recording a video. Today, however, the search giant has made amends in the form of an update for its camera app that brings back this highly requested feature.
An update with today’s date is listed in Google Play, but its changelog has yet to be added. The folks at Android Police have already dissected the app and the returning photo feature is all they’ve found so far, but there could possibly be a few minor performance tweaks lurking in this new release.
The impact of climate change is a hot topic and many environmentalists are urging the powers that be to take action. To help spread awareness and promote World Environment Day on June 5th, an eco-friendly crowdfunding outlet by the name of CarbonStory has put together an interactive website called World Under Water. Available exclusively on Chrome, this modified version of Street View paints a dramatic picture of what the world’s cities will look after sea levels have risen.
Samsung’s Galaxy S5 might be dust and water resistant, but the company’s flagship smartphone is now ready to take on the roughest of terrains — the office. Today, the South Korean electronics manufacturer announced a new version of its Knox security software that lets GS5 owners use their phone at their job. Rebranded as Knox Workspace, this updated platform features two new cloud-based services Knox EMM and Knox Marketplace. The former gives your employer’s IT department remote access to your device, while the latter is the software’s dedicated app store.
Today during a press event in Paris, Chinese phone maker Huawei announced its newest smartphone, the Ascend P7. At a glance, this slim 6.5mm device bears a small resemblance to an iPhone, but there’s definitely some noticeable differences going on here. The Ascend P7 features a 5-inch 1080p display, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, a 13-megapixel rear-facing shooter accompanied by an 8-megapixel front-facing camera and a HiSilicon quad-core 1.8GHz processor.
The Galaxy S5 mini could be branded as the as the Galaxy S5 Dx, according to a purported screenshot from Samsung’s UK website. This slight name change would follow suit with the company’s recent rebranding of its camera-centric phone line, now known as the Galaxy K Zoom. If you look closely, the photo’s url reveals a model number of SM-G800, so that’ll be something to keep an eye out for going forward.
If you’re using your Android device to moonlight on Drive with Microsoft’s OneDrive, your infidelity just got a little easier. Today, the folks in Redmond released version 2.5 of its cloud storage app for Android. Users can now share files and folders via invite, link or by sending files to another app. If that’s not enough, you can select multiple files to download at the same time, while moving and sorting individual folders as needed. Head on over to Google Play to take this update for a spin and don’t worry, your secret is safe with us.
Google and Microsoft are rivals in just about every sense of the word, but every now and then these two juggernauts play nice with each other. Case in point, the newest version of Chrome Canary features a new tab page loaded with Bing’s famous images for people who use Google’s browser, but prefer Microsoft’s search engine.
Google X, Google’s top-secret lab thought about creating a jetpack, but determined the idea wasn’t practical. The same R&D group that didn’t shy away from trying to build a space elevator felt that such a contraption might not fit in with Google’s eco-friendly projects.
Astro Teller, Google X’s “Captain of Moonshots,” is tasked with overseeing long-term projects that think outside of the box to solve serious world problems. We’ve seen some exciting things like Glass come out of Google X, but sometimes things just don’t work. One of the team’s abandoned ideas was a secure jetpack.
Today in San Francisco, Google and Intel announced a brand new fleet of Chromebooks in various shapes and sizes. While some of these devices will be powered by Intel’s familiar Haswell processors, the big news today is that the chip maker is bringing its newer Bay Trail platform to Mountain View’s take on the notebook. Partners like ASUS, Lenovo, LG, HP and Acer will all be producing Bay Trail-powered Chromebooks.
In celebration of Teacher Appreciation Day, Google has announced a preview of Classroom, a new tool that will help educators arrange curriculum for their classes. This free parts of Google’s Apps for Education will serve as a platform that helps teachers create and organize assignments, provide feedback and communicate with their students. As expected, the software will lean on apps like Docs, Drive and Gmail to carry out these tasks.
JPMorgan Chase’s Jamie Dimon isn’t just keeping an eye on other financial institutions like Wells Fargo and Bank of American. The company’s CEO is also sizing up Google and its online services like Wallet. “We move $10 trillion a day,” Dimon said today at the Euromoney Saudi Arabia conference in Riyadh. “We’re one of the largest payments systems in the world. We’re going to have competition from Google and Facebook and somebody else.”
Google may be publicly denouncing some of the NSA’s recent tactics, but the search giant might be closer to the agency than it has led people to believe. A chain of emails between Google execs and former NSA director Keith Alexander suggests that the company may have downplayed how closely the two have worked together in the past.
If you find yourself constantly searching the web for new toys, you’re really gonna dig Google Now’s newest trick. As a follow up to a recent update that helps you locate stores while cruising the mall, this new software push takes things to another level. Starting today, Google Now will display a product information card whenever you’re near a shop that carries an item that you’ve been searching for online.
Today, Google updated Docs with a simple set of editing tools, placing it on a par with the company’s Slides application. Users can now crop, rotate and add borders to images directly from within Docs, so there’s no need to jump into a different app when working on a document loaded with pretty pictures. Google recently added these type of features to Slides and from the look of things, Docs’ tools are identical. Today’s update leaves Sheets as the odd app out in Mountain View’s office software suite, however you’re probably less likely going to find yourself inserting any photos into that data-heavy spreadsheet.
{via Google)
The Verizon variant of the Galaxy S5 may be having a little camera trouble, but depending on who you ask, this might not be the handset’s biggest issue. Although Android’s setup offers a lot of flexibility, Big Red’s version of Samsung new flagship ships with a locked bootloader. This makes it extremely difficult to take advantage custom ROMs and early software updates. Verizon locking down the Galaxy S5’s bootloader has become such an issue, a band of developers are offering a bounty (now over $11,000) to whoever can find an effective workaround to this problem.