Google Web Designer has received an update this afternoon with several new features, including publishing to Google Drive and DoubleClick Studio, a new events system and timeline, rewritten web components and CodeMirror3 integration. The latest release also contains 22 bug fixes related to the shell, user interface, publishing, text, components and other miscellaneous issues.
Expand
Expanding
Close
After the decision last year to make unlocking smartphone and tablet devices illegal, the US House of Representatives today voted yes to allow the practice to become legal once again. This is already the second time the government has voted on this issue, as just a few weeks ago the US Senate approved the legislation to move on to the House. The final step in getting the law approved is the President’s signature, which should come with little delay as he has already spoken out in favor of the bill.
Expand
Expanding
Close
Verizon has been throttling unlimited 3G data subscribers for years now, but never 4G LTE users. Until today, when they announced this morning that beginning October 1st, the top 5% of 4G LTE data users who coincidentally meet a series of other factors will get throttled. According to DroidLife, a recent report showed that over 20% of Verizon data users were still on an unlimited data plan, so it’s no surprise that Verizon would want to push these users to a tiered data plan.
According to VentureBeat, citing sources familiar with the matter, Google has reached an agreement with Twitch to acquire the live streaming video platform for $1 billion. While the deal appears to have been finalized, the two companies have yet to make a formal announcement regarding the acquisition. Google’s YouTube division is reportedly in charge of the acquisition.
Expand
Expanding
Close
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b37wPPTVvX8#t=122]
In a video posted on TechCrunch’s YouTube channel featuring a hands-on with the upcoming Moto 360 smartwatch, a Motorola demonstrator revealed the smartwatch includes an ambient light sensor, a feature yet to be seen on any other Android Wear device. The light sensor could be the key to greater battery life compared to the other Android Wear devices, as it will most likely be used to adjust the display’s brightness depending on the lighting conditions.
LG Electronics shared its second quarter earnings results on Wednesday, announcing that it shipped a record-high 14.5 million smartphones during the three-month period ending June. The successful quarter for the Korean electronics maker saw its net profits rise 165 percent to $399.8 million over the year-ago quarter, with consolidated revenue of $14.93 billion and operating profit of $588.5 million.
Expand
Expanding
Close
Google has released an update to Gmail for iOS this afternoon that brings “Insert from Drive” and “Save to Drive” functionality to the iPhone and iPad. Just like with Gmail on the web, iOS users can now insert files directly from Google Drive into emails.
If the recipient does not have shared access to the Google Drive file you are sending them, Gmail for iOS will inform you so that you can change the sharing sendings before sending it.
“Important stuff doesn’t always happen when you’re conveniently sitting at your desk. Maybe you’re out to dinner when your boss tells you that she needs the latest project proposal ASAP, or your daughter calls you on your commute home to ask you to proofread her college essay (that’s of course due that night!). While we can’t make your life more predictable, today’s update to the Gmail iOS app, along with earlier updates to the Gmail Android app, makes it easier to get stuff done on-the-go.”
Gmail for iOS also now allows you to change your profile directly through Settings, allowing you to set a profile picture or update your personal information right from your iPhone or iPad.
Lastly, the latest version of Gmail for iOS allows you to choose which signed-in accounts you want visible in the app for users with multiple accounts.
The update is rolling out on the App Store now.
• Save attachments directly to Google Drive so you can access them anywhere while saving space and bandwidth on your device
• Insert Google Drive files directly into messages
• New account management options to choose which accounts you want to have visible in Gmail without removing accounts from your device.
• Change your profile picture (in Settings)
Google this morning announced the beta release of Chrome 37 on Android.
According to Google’s blog post about the new version, Chrome 37 will feature the new material design language shown off at Google I/O and most recently found on the updated Play Store that rolled out this week.
Motorola announced on Thursday that it is now rolling out Android 4.4.4 for the Moto G on Verizon, just two days after seeding the software update for the UK version model of the smartphone. The latest version of KitKat for Moto G includes an OpenSSL security fix, video recording pausing, updated phone dialer, new Motorola Alert app download, stability improvements and more.
Expand
Expanding
Close
Google announced on Thursday that, starting today, all Google Maps Engine Pro users will now have access to the Maps Coordinate suite of productivity tools. Google is also opening the Coordinate app for Android to anyone with a Google account, whereas you previously needed to be a Google Apps user.
Expand
Expanding
Close
Sony’s current Xperia Z2 smartphone
We’ve already seen several leaks this week, and today evleaks posted the specifications of the upcoming Sony Xperia Z3 with a purported model number of ‘D6653’.
Expand
Expanding
Close
Samsung this morning began rolling out an update to European models of the Galaxy S5 only citing “improved performance” as the description.
Expand
Expanding
Close
Google has acquired 3D graphics firm drawElements, which offers cutting-edge GPU quality analysis solutions. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, although ArcticStartup reports that it has narrowed down the dollar value to eight figures.
Expand
Expanding
Close
Android Wear is still in its infancy, with the LG G Watch and Samsung Gear Live the only devices on the market, but that hasn’t stopped developers from taking advantage of the new opportunities that the platform presents. SWIP3 is a new match-three puzzler that now holds the accomplishment of being the first game designed specifically for Android Wear.
Expand
Expanding
Close
Google has expanded its catalog of online training courses offered in partnership with educational website Udacity with a new course called “Developing Scalable Apps,” teaching Java developers how to build apps using the Google App Engine. The course costs $150 per month to enroll, providing projects with ongoing feedback, guidance from coaches and verified certificates.
Expand
Expanding
Close
Google Drive has been updated with a new Filter Views feature that makes it easier to sort and filter data on view-only spreadsheets. Google Sheets users can now turn on a “temporary filter view” from the toolbar or Data menu to make adjustments that appear on their screen, but do not permanently apply to the shared spreadsheet.
Expand
Expanding
Close
Yesterday, Evleaks posted a photo of an alleged T-Mobile exclusive phablet device made by hardware manufacture ZTE. No specs had been leaked other than the lone photo…until today. T-MoNews this afternoon was able to get their hands on a partial purported spec sheet. According to the report, the device is being dubbed the ‘Olympia’, with a model number of ‘Z970’. It features a 6″ inch display of an unknown resolution, and an 8MP rear-facing camera capable of shooting in full 1080P, with a measly 0.9MP front-facing counterpart. The device is said to be running stock Android 4.4.2 aside from a few T-Mobile apps preinstalled. Although initial photos of the device show it featuring a metal chassis, the report claims ZTE is pulling a Samsung, coating plastic in a metal looking paint.
The rest of the device’s specs, such as its processor, RAM and price remain unknown, but those can go either way. T-Mobile and ZTE might launch the Olympia as a high-end, Galaxy Note 4 competitor, or leave the Note 4 in a realm of its own, launching the Olympia is a mid-range option for those interested in treading into phablet territory without dropping bottom dollar.
via T-MoNews
After weeks of leaks, rumors and speculation, the NVIDIA Shield Tablet and Wireless Controller have officially been announced this morning. NVIDIA posted a series of videos on their YouTube channel promoting the new device with the slogan “high-performance gaming everywhere”.
In terms of aesthetics, the device looks like we imagined. It features dual 5MP cameras, dual front-facing stereo speakers, and an 8-inch, 1920×1200 display. The specs under the hood are equally impressive. The device boasts an NVIDIA Tegra K1 GPU, an ARM Cortex A15 CPU clocked at 2.2GHz, and 2GB of RAM.
In terms of pricing, there are two different models of the device. A 16GB WiFi variant and a 32GB WiFi + LTE version, selling for $299 and $399, respectively. Both models will ship for a July 29th release.
Expand
Expanding
Close
Following the release of YouTube Creator Studio for iPhone a few weeks ago, Google seeded the first update for the app this afternoon on the App Store. Creator Studio 1.0.1 features editable tags and categories, comment settings, accessibility improvements, more analytics and a general facelift across the app.
Expand
Expanding
Close
While the Senate recently passed a bill that could make it easier for Android smartphone users to switch carriers after their contract is through, unlocking a smartphone remains a tedious and often costly process in the United States and elsewhere. T-Mobile, continuing its efforts to eliminate the so-called “pain points” associated with carriers, is aiming to solve that problem.
Expand
Expanding
Close
Two weeks ago, HTC posted a video on their YouTube channel titled “HTC Design – ‘Behind the Scenes'” The video shows one of HTC’s offices with a voice over explaining their design philosophy. And while the video may be the usual mumbo-jumbo you’d expect from any companies YouTube channel, something interesting appears at about the 0:35 mark.
Expand
Expanding
Close
Samsung this afternoon posted a new advertisement on its YouTube channel in which two friends, an iPhone user and a Galaxy S5 user speak to each other about the next iPhone possibly having a larger display. “Dude, iPhone might be getting a bigger screen” excitedly states the iPhone user “That hasn’t happened yet?” slyly responds the Galaxy S5 user. Check out the full advertisement after the break.
The popular Bitcoin wallet app Blockchain received a major update over the weekend with several new features, including improved sending of bitcoins and a map view of merchants that accept the cryptocurrency. The update is centered upon making Bitcoin more accessible, in addition to educating new users about the importance of setting two-step authentication and other security measures.
Expand
Expanding
Close
While it was originally rumored that the so-called HTC “One Wear” smartwatch could be round, an artist rendition of what HTC’s first Android Wear smartwatch suggests otherwise. The mockup, which surfaced this morning, looks more like an LG G Watch than a Moto 360.
Originally published by @evleaks, the mockup shows off a metal wristband and square display with a thin black bezel. The smartwatch has a split-screen user interface with three panes showing the date and time, weather, traffic and a Hangouts notification.
The Samsung Gear Live and LG G Watch remain the only Android Wear smartwatches currently available for purchase.