Google recently announced that the first minute of voice calls through Hangouts will be free in 25 different countries. The search giant’s messaging app currently supports video chats and free domestic voice calls, but the company charges a different set of rates when a user places a call abroad. While you can purchase call credit for those longwinded long distance conversations, Google’s new offering is a reasonable option for quick calls or important (but brief) messages.
Microsoft recently rolled out an update for its OneDrive mobile app and the software maker managed to show its Android variant some love in the process. The latest version of the company’s cloud storage software ships with support for the recycle bin, so users can now restore deleted files from the comfort of their compatible smartphone or tablet.
With the new YouTube WatchMe for Android project, developers can now integrate live streaming into their apps. Thanks to this new open source project, more third-party devs will be able to offer video streaming features similar to Sony’s Live on YouTube by – Xperia and HTC’s upcoming RE camera.
Just about every major Google-made app in the Play Store has been updated with a Material Design makeover, but the house of Android doesn’t want to stop there. Today, Google published a checklist to help developers build Material Design style applications.
Google is ready to take its obsession with search to a whole new level. The company’s super secret X division has been working on a new piece of tech that will help people sniff out signs of cancer and other nasty diseases. If it sounds like something from out of a sci-fi movie, it’s because it pretty much is. Today, Google revealed to The Wall Street Journal that it’s in the process of developing something that would use magnetic nanoparticles about one-thousandth the width of a red blood cell to check a person’s cells for trouble.
After rumors and speculation, Google officially announced Google Fit during its annual I/O developer conference back in June. Today, the search giant has released a new Android app for its health-conscious platform that can be used to track your fitness activities like walking, running and cycling.
Remote device management is often billed as a security feature, but Samsung’s Find My Mobile service could be doing more harm than help. Security researchers have found an exploit in the platform that lets outsiders remotely lock, ring or wipe your Samsung phone. The issue is that Find My Mobile doesn’t validate the security code information it receives and all an attacker needs to do is overwhelm the device with traffic to gain access to someone’s handset.
AT&T announced today that it will be one of America’s first wireless carrier’s to sell the LG G Watch R. Ma Bell didn’t provide any specific details about pricing and release plans, however LG recently said that the gadget’s global rollout is scheduled to start sometime next month.
The 2014-15 NBA season starts this week and while some organizations are adjusting to new ownership and new tech, a few prominent teams are hitting the hardwood with a new teammate. Today, ZTE announced that it will be the official smartphone sponsor of the New York Knicks, Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors.
Today, Google announced plans to bring a new YouTube Space to São Paulo, Brazil. Similar to existing locations in Los Angeles, London, Tokyo and New York City, this new facility will offer tools to video creators like educational courses and high-end production equipment completely free of charge.
Google announced the Nexus 6 almost two weeks ago and recently the company’s new flagship smartphone made its way through the FCC. While we’re already familiar with the device’s hardware and software, this is a required approval in order for Mountain View and its retail partners to start accepting pre-orders for the search giant’s next handset.
Google recently rolled out an update for its web search algorithm that makes it harder for people to find pirated media through torrent sites like Pirate Bay and Isohunt. This new software push comes soon after News Corp. chief executive Robert Thomson issued a letter blasting the search giant, referring to it as a “platform for piracy” and requesting that the EU enforce stricter policies against the company.
If you’ve been continuously trying to score an invite to purchase a OnePlus One, only to come up short, today might be your lucky day. In less than an hour (at 8AM PST), the Chinese phone maker will open up pre-orders for its elusive handset for exactly 60 minutes. While that may not be a lot of time to buy a device that’s been around for several months now, it’s still the closest thing to a normal purchase option that the startup has offered since launching its first smartphone.
Every now and then, the folks in Mountain View will throw us a bone in the form of some free entertainment from Google Play Music or Google Play Movies & TV. Today, the company responsible for the world’s largest search engine has decided to do the latter. If you direct your smartphone, tablet or web browser to Play Movies, there’s a chance that you’ll see a free movie available to add to your collection.
Earlier this week, Google launched Inbox, a new email management app that’s currently available on an invite-only basis. Almost reminiscent of when Mountain View launched Gmail as a beta product in the spring of 2004, the now social media-driven internet worked itself into a frenzy of tweets, +1s and likes from people vying to get hold of an invitation.
Today, Nest announced that it has acquired home automation device maker Revolv for an undisclosed sum. It’s believed that the Google-owned company made the move to acquire the firm’s developer platform. Nest recently acquired Dropcam for $555 million as part of its continued push into consumers’ homes.
Almost two years ago, Austrian daredevil Felix Baumgartner made a 128,000 foot record-breaking jump from a helium ballon to the Earth in a stunt that was broadcasted on the internet and sponsored by Red Bull. Today, Google executive Alan Eustace quietly and successfully parachuted from 135,908 feet back to Earth, breaking Baumgartner’s record. Here’s a look at the Googler making his ascension into the record books.
Google reportedly purchased six office buildings from Starwood Capital Group LLC and Blackstone Group LP for $585 million, according to Bloomberg. The facilities are located at the Pacific Shores Center office park in Redwood City, California and are about 11 miles away from the search giant’s Mountain View headquarters.
Despite poor Fire Phone sales, AT&T is furthering its relationship with Amazon and is now offering the online retailer’s Kindle Fire HDX 7-inch tablet. You can purchase the slate from Ma Bell for $100 on a two-year service agreement or take it home with no money down for $10 per month (for 20 months) under AT&T’s Next program.
It’s been 10 year since Rockstar Games released Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and to celebrate this milestone, the developer is placing some of its biggest hits on sale until November 9th. If you visit Google Play, you can pick up Grand Theft Auto III and its successor Grand Theft Auto: Vice City for the low price of $2.99.
The New York City Police Department is about to distribute 41,000 mobile devices under a new $160 million program known as the NYPD Mobility Initiative. Financed by criminal asset funds, the project will equip New York’s finest with 35,000 mobile devices and 6,000 ruggedized tablets will be added to patrol vehicles.
If you’re among the first wave of Inbox users, and you’ve got the software installed on your smartphone and tablet, you’ll probably want to swing by the Chrome Web Store and grab Google’s new web app.
If visiting historical landmarks in Egypt from the comfort of your smartphone wasn’t enough, virtual jetsetters can now take a tour of Luxembourg without leaving their home thanks to Street View. Historical sites like the medieval Grund neighborhood and the Kirchberg center for European Union buildings are now at your fingertips.
We’ve already seen a rough build of Android 5.0 running on a Samsung Galaxy S5, and now the folks at SamMobile are claiming that Google’s new mobile operating system will be coming to the device sometime in December. After months of speculation and a placeholder name, Android Lollipop became official last week and the software is set to debut across multiple Nexus devices next month.
