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Google planning to distribute Glass ‘Enterprise Edition’ exclusively through Glass for Work partners

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jul 13 2015 - 8:45 am PT
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We told you earlier this month that Google is internally referring to the next iteration of its Glass hardware as “Enterprise Edition,” and rightfully so — the Explorer Edition is long gone, and people close to Google have said that the company is planning to go full-force with its wearable computer in the workplace. But how are they going to do that? People familiar with the company’s plans have told 9to5Google that Google is currently planning to distribute the device exclusively through its certified set of Glass for Work partners…
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No, Google’s Photos app isn’t uploading photos without you knowing it

Avatar for Cam Bunton Jul 13 2015 - 8:22 am PT
0 Comments

Over the past day or so we’ve seen a number of reports across the web claiming that Google’s Photos app is uploading photos even after it’s been uninstalled. Of course the worry is that customers could be racking up huge cellular data overages from having it “switched on without them knowing it”. The truth is, having the Photos app installed or uninstalled makes no difference to whether or not your snaps are being uploaded to Google’s drive in the sky.


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PSA: Camp Google kicks off today, starting with a live dive in the Atlantic Ocean

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jul 13 2015 - 7:45 am PT
4 Comments

Google’s summer “camp” program focused on online project-based science lessons has officially launched today, as we told you would happen last week. The first week of the program is called Ocean Week, and it’s getting started later today with National Geographic diver Erika Bergman taking kids on a live dive in the Atlantic Ocean at 12 p.m. PT. You can tune in at the Camp Google website.

Today at 12 p.m. PT, National Geographic diver Erika Bergman and I will take kids on the first adventure—a live dive in the Atlantic Ocean. We’ll head to the northernmost part of Florida Reef Tract, the most extensive living coral reef system in North America. Whether it be the Hammerhead Reef or shipwrecks like the Jay Scutti, it will be exciting to see what we’ll find down there!

There are already a bunch of activities to do on Google’s site, including one about buoyancy and how things float in the ocean, one about building a sonar system, and more. Kids will complete these projects, and as they go, they’ll “earn camp badges to celebrate the new skills they learned.” Next week, Google is kicking off “Space Week” in collaboration with a NASA astronaut and VSauce.

Android Wear getting watch-to-watch communication and easier gestures in future?

Avatar for Cam Bunton Jul 13 2015 - 5:47 am PT
1 Comment

Google is working on some tantalizing new features for upcoming versions of the Android Wear software, according to a new report published by Phandroid. Citing anonymous sources, it claims that the next update to Google’s wearable OS will include direct watch-to-watch communication along with some new interactive watch faces. Purportedly, these features were due to arrive on July 28th, but are now not likely to appear until August.


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Google Maps tip: Send directions to your Android phone from your desktop (Video)

Avatar for Cam Bunton Jul 13 2015 - 4:22 am PT
2 Comments

Late last week, Google updated its Maps Android app to version 9.11.0. Although its user interface remains the same, it has one new, awesome feature: you can now send locations, navigation instructions and directions straight to your Android phone.

We put together a short video to guide you through the very quick and painless method. This feature competes directly with that built in to the Mac Maps app included in OS X Mavericks which allows iPhone users to send directions direct from Mac to their phones.


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Google displaying product review snippets in product knowledge cards

Avatar for Tom Maxwell Jul 10 2015 - 3:09 pm PT
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Search for a product on Google and you might see a Knowledge Graph card to the right of the result links containing details on the product as well as links to sites selling it and the full Google Shopping reviews page. You may now also see snippets of what people are saying regarding certain aspects of a product.

First spotted by Search Engine Land, Google seems to be pulling quotes from the product reviews that it aggregates from other websites and placing them inside Search product cards. The company gets most of these reviews from the product pages of websites selling the item – Rakuten.com Shopping and B&H Photo are two places the reviews for the above speakers come from, for example.

As Search Engine Land notes, you can click through to see all the reviews for a product, but on the full reviews page the only link provided against each review simply goes to the product page hosting the review – it doesn’t take you to that exact review on the host site.

Google is constantly adjusting its Knowledge Graph cards, most recently removing Google+ posts from the cards for popular businesses.

9to5Toys Lunch Break: LG G4 (unlocked) $500, Galaxy Tab 4 7-inch $100, 32GB Wi-Fi Flash Drive $30, more

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jul 10 2015 - 12:40 pm PT
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Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

LG G4 brand new smartphone 32GB (unlocked): $500 shipped (Reg. $800) | eBay

Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 SM-T230 7″ White 8 GB: $100 shipped (Reg. $200) | GameStop

SanDisk Connect 32GB Wireless iOS/Android Flash Drive $30 shipped (Orig. $60)

SanDisk Connect Wireless Media Drive: 32GB $40 (Reg. $80), 64GB $55 (Reg. $120)

Asus ZenWatch Android Wear (Silver / Rose Gold / Brown): $150 shipped (Reg. $200) | Newegg

Champagne Motorola Moto 360 18mm Android Wear: $230 shipped (Reg. $330) | Best Buy

ravpower-car-jump-starter

RAVPower Portable Car Jump Starter w/ Dual USB Charging Ports: $60 shipped (Reg. $75)

Newegg 10% off sitewide w/ .edu email: VIZIO 43-inch 4K 120Hz Smart UHDTV $538 (Reg. $598), more

 

American Express rolls out PayPal competitor, offers $10 statement credit for trying it out

Amazon is throwing itself a birthday party so big it’ll make you forget about Black Friday

Amazon is now treating its Prime members to extra savings on new/upcoming video game

It’s now possible to 3D print customized video game characters right from Amazon

More new gear from today:

Logitech Z506 75W 5.1-channel Surround Sound System: $40 shipped (refurb) (Orig. $100)

The Call of Duty Black Ops 3 Juggernog Edition comes with a mini fridge to keep you frosty

More deals still alive:

WD Elements 2TB USB 3.0 Hard Drive $70 shipped (Orig. $100)

Beats Headphones: Solo HD Drenched on-ears $100 (Reg. $139+), Studio wireless $250 (Reg. $300), more

Beats Powerbeats2 Wireless Headphones (multiple colors): $140 shipped (Reg. $200)

New products & more:

Become the Knight Rider with the K.I.T.T. USB Car Charger

Microsoft HoloLens partners with Case Western to make medical school like a video game

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Google releases ‘Ivy’ app for iOS, an experimental big number calculator

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Jul 10 2015 - 12:21 pm PT
2 Comments

Google has quietly launched a new iOS app today called Ivy that it describes as an experimental big number calculator.
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YouTube creating ‘Trusted Tester’ preview program for Creator Studio app

Avatar for Tom Maxwell Jul 10 2015 - 11:35 am PT
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YouTube Creator Studio is YouTube’s app through which creators can manage their accounts on the go. Now the company is creating a “Trusted Tester” program through which passionate Creator Studio users will be able to receive new updates to the app prior to their public release, and in return provide feedback and insights that will help YouTube improve the app.


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Google fined $16k in Brazil over ‘morbid images’

Avatar for Cam Bunton Jul 10 2015 - 8:19 am PT
0 Comments

Google and Facebook have each been slapped with a R$50,000 fine ($16k USD) in Brazil for not removing or blocking morbid images. The move comes after pictures of a Brazilian musician in a mortuary made their way online. Christian Araujo, the artist in question, died alongside his girlfriend in a car crash last month.

The Guardian reports that Judge Denise Gondim de Mendonca declared both companies had acted in “bad faith” after ignoring an earlier ruling. In response to today’s news, Google had the following statement prepared:

The Marco Cilvil of the Internet (local law which regulates removals) requires that any court order for content removal specify the URLs to be removed. In parallel, we have already taken down many of the videos which have been flagged by users due to YouTube’s policies regarding offensive content.

Facebook is yet to comment officially on the ruling, but Google has stated that it will be appealing the decision. In an age where it’s so easy to share any kinds of images online, it brings in to question how much of this can be blamed on Google and how much is down to those who took the photographs or shot the videos to begin with.

Not to be too crude or disrespectful, but I couldn’t think of much worse than someone pulling out their smartphone to snap a picture of my dead body lying in a morgue. The fact the picture is posted online afterwards is more of a side effect, surely?

That’s not to downgrade the severity of the companies supposedly not taking action. As huge corporations, they too have a responsibility to ensure these kinds of images aren’t seen by anyone. It certainly brings in to question where the line should be drawn.

9to5Toys Lunch Break: Asus ZenWatch $150, New LG G4 (unlocked) $500, 802.11ac Router (refurb) $30, more

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jul 9 2015 - 12:33 pm PT
0 Comments

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Asus ZenWatch Android Wear (Silver / Rose Gold / Brown): $150 shipped (Reg. $200) | Newegg

LG G4 brand new smartphone 32GB (unlocked): $500 shipped (Reg. $800) | eBay

Networking: D-Link 802.11ac Wireless Router (refurb) $30 (Orig. $130), TP-LINK AV500 Powerline Kit $30 (Orig. $60), more

Champagne Motorola Moto 360 18mm Android Wear: $230 shipped (Reg. $330) | Best Buy

Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 SM-T230 7″ White 8 GB: $100 shipped (Reg. $200) | GameStop

Samsung Galaxy S6 smartphone 32GB (unlocked): $500 shipped (Reg. $800) | eBay

Review: JBL’s new Charge 2+ and Clip+ deliver big sound in a portable Bluetooth package designed for outdoor activity

GoPro’s new HERO4 Session waterproof action camera is the size of an ice cube with an iceberg-sized price

Amazon is throwing itself a birthday party so big it’ll make you forget about Black Friday

More new gear from today:

American Express rolls out PayPal competitor, offers $10 statement credit for trying it out

More deals still alive:

WD Elements 2TB USB 3.0 Hard Drive $70, Samsung 850 EVO 500GB SSD $150, more

GoPro HERO4 Action Cameras: Silver $350 shipped (Reg. $400), Black $399 shipped (Reg. $500)

New products & more:

Dot is the “world’s smallest” set of Bluetooth earphones with a battery life to match

Slip Cup Beer Pong inserts keep your balls clean and your cups full

Capcom’s official life-size Mega Man helmet includes working LED lights

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Google Docs, Sheets, & Slides for Android get improved editing, collaboration features

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Jul 9 2015 - 11:15 am PT
1 Comment

Google is rolling out updates today for its Docs, Sheets, and Slides apps for Android, bringing a few improvements to editing and collaboration features in the process.

First up, Google will now offer quick access to editing titles for documents, spreadsheets, and presentations directly from the app’s overflow menu in the top right corner of the UI across all three apps (as pictured above).

In addition, the Google Slides Android app gains the ability to switch layouts of existing slides: individuals can now change the layout of an existing slide to one of several predefined layouts, allowing them to update presentations on mobile more effectively.

Lastly, the Docs app get improved collaboration features for those using the Office Compatibility Mode:

People can now reply to comments when working in Office Compatibility Mode in the Docs app. In addition, when in OCM, suggestions and comments now appear in the Comments panel in the order they were made—rather than as all comments first and all suggestions second.

All three app updates should be arriving on Google Play for Android users sometime today.

Google and Legendary release Cardboard VR experiences for Warcraft, Pacific Rim, and Crimson Peak

Avatar for Tom Maxwell Jul 9 2015 - 9:56 am PT
0 Comments

Legendary Pictures is debuting its new Warcraft movie today, slated for a June 2016 theatrical release at San Diego Comic-Con. The company has partnered with Google to create a new app with virtual reality experiences based on the upcoming film as well as Crimson Peak, in theaters in October, and 2013’s Pacific Rim. To make sure people give it a spin and get excited for the new films, Legendary will also be giving out 50,000 branded Google Cardboard units (pictured above) throughout the expo this week.


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Apple Music vs. Google Play – Which is the best streaming service?

Avatar for Cam Bunton Jul 9 2015 - 7:49 am PT
17 Comments

Until recently, Google’s Play Music streaming feature was one of the company’s few markets where it didn’t face strong, direct competition from Apple. But just like everything the Cupertino-company does, it has taken its own sweet time to finally launch a product we always knew was coming. And as always, the company claims it has done things differently, with a more human element.


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Android 5.1.1 to begin rolling out to Project Fi devices over the next few days

Avatar for Chance Miller Jul 8 2015 - 7:09 pm PT
0 Comments

Google announced today that all Project Fi phones will receive Android 5.1.1 within the coming days. The update will rollout over-the-air to users of Google’s wireless service gradually. Android 5.1.1. includes a handful of under-the-hood improvements and bug fixes for users. It’s slowly been rolling out to various devices following the release of the more significant Android 5.1 that brought a variety of new features.

Project Fi was officially announced earlier this year and is Google’s MVNO. For $20/month users get unlimited talk and text. Data runs $10/gigabyte and is sold at a pay for what you use method. The service is still invite-only at this point and wait times for invites are around the three-month mark.


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9to5Toys Lunch Break: Gold Moto 360 $200, GoPro HERO4 $350, Sony 128GB SDXC Memory Card $40, more

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jul 8 2015 - 12:47 pm PT
0 Comments

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Champagne Motorola Moto 360 18mm Android Wear: $200 shipped (Reg. $330)

GoPro HERO4 Action Cameras: Silver $350 shipped (Reg. $400), Black $399 shipped (Reg. $500)

Sony 128GB SDXC Class 10 Memory Card: $40 shipped (Reg. $65+)

Android smartphone cases for Samsung S6/Edge, S5 and others from $2 shipped

Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 SM-T230 7″ White 8 GB: $100 shipped (Reg. $200) | GameStop

Samsung Galaxy S6 smartphone 32GB (unlocked): $500 shipped (Reg. $800) | eBay

 

Review: JBL’s new Charge 2+ and Clip+ deliver big sound in a portable Bluetooth package designed for outdoor activity

GoPro’s new HERO4 Session waterproof action camera is the size of an ice cube with an iceberg-sized price

Amazon is throwing itself a birthday party so big it’ll make you forget about Black Friday

More new gear from today:

WD Elements 2TB USB 3.0 Hard Drive $70, Samsung 850 EVO 500GB SSD $150, more

More deals still alive:

 

HooToo TripMate portable router w/ 6000mAh power bank: $33 Prime Shipped (Reg. $45)

 

New products & more:

Palette puts Adobe’s Creative Suite in the palm of your hands with its new modular control surface

Ubisoft unveils the debut trailer for its new Rayman Adventures mobile game

Google has a new ethernet adapter for the Chromecast, costs $15 shipped

Avatar for Tom Maxwell Jul 8 2015 - 12:47 pm PT
3 Comments
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Remember ethernet? It’s that technology that can transmit an Internet signal to devices through a cable — so long as they have an ethernet port, that is. Many devices no longer do, to the dismay of a diminishing minority. But ethernet has its benefits, like not being susceptible to reliability issues when there are two walls between your device and your router and/or modem.

Fortunately, Chromecast users are in luck, as Google is now selling an ethernet adapter for the device.
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YouTube channel card now available, lets you promote other channels in your videos

Avatar for Tom Maxwell Jul 8 2015 - 11:19 am PT
0 Comments

In a recent video uploaded to the YouTube Creators channel, employees from the video platform outlined changes and new features coming soon across mobile and desktop including a new channel card. The purpose of the card is to add a heightened level of interactivity to videos by allowing creators to embed an inline link in the video player to another channel they may want to promote — maybe because they’re featured in the video, for example.

According to a tweet from YouTube, that card just went live for creators today.


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Google’s Messenger 1.4 lets you send animated stickers, quickly share your location

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jul 8 2015 - 9:27 am PT
1 Comment

Google has today updated its default Messenger app to version 1.4, bringing some minor enhancements along the way. In the new version, you’ll find you can now send cute little animated stickers as well as more easily send your location to others…
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Microsoft de-emphasising phone hardware, writes off more than it paid for Nokia, cuts 7,800 jobs

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Jul 8 2015 - 8:09 am PT
0 Comments
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Windows Phone has not been the greatest success story in the world, and Microsoft’s purchase of Nokia to produce its own handsets looks to have been an even bigger flop. The company today announced that it is writing off $7.6B against the Nokia business – more than it paid for the company in the first place.

Microsoft has also revealed that it will be laying-off 7,800 staff – more than 6% of its workforce – over the next few months, mostly from the Phones business … 
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Activist group calls for Google to offer ‘right to be forgotten’ in the United States

Avatar for Chance Miller Jul 8 2015 - 7:20 am PT
1 Comment
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It was ruled as part of the ‘right to be forgotten‘ case in Europe last year that individuals could request to have links removed from Google search results, and now another group is calling for that right to be expanded to the United States. An activist group on Tuesday filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission that Google needs to expand the ‘right to be forgotten’ ruling to the United States, arguing that users should have the right to have inaccurate links removed from search results (via The Hill).


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Google Glass ‘Enterprise Edition’ brings new larger prism, Intel Atom CPU, optional external battery pack

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jul 8 2015 - 6:06 am PT
3 Comments

Google Glass Explorer Edition

We told you last week that Google is internally referring to its next iteration of Google Glass as “Enterprise Edition” or “EE,” and now we’ve uncovered information about the soon-to-be-launched device’s hardware. According to several sources familiar with advanced prototypes of the device, the Enterprise Edition includes a larger prism display, as well as an Intel Atom processor that brings better performance and moderately improved battery life…
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9to5Toys Lunch Break: Galaxy Tab 4 $100, WD 2TB USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive $70, Galaxy S6 $500, more

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jul 7 2015 - 12:42 pm PT
0 Comments

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 SM-T230 7″ White 8 GB: $100 shipped (Reg. $200) | GameStop

WD Elements 2TB USB 3.0 Hard Drive $70, Samsung 850 EVO 500GB SSD $150, more

Samsung Galaxy S6 smartphone 32GB (unlocked): $500 shipped (Reg. $800) | eBay

25% off many Galaxy Note 4 and Note 3 cases at OtterBox w/ free shipping

Review: JBL’s new Charge 2+ and Clip+ deliver big sound in a portable Bluetooth package designed for outdoor activity

 

GoPro’s new HERO4 Session waterproof action camera is the size of an ice cube with an iceberg-sized price

Amazon is throwing itself a birthday party so big it’ll make you forget about Black Friday

More new gear from today:

Daily Deals: Denon 7.2-Ch Network A/V Receiver $299, Logitech Spill Proof Bluetooth keyboard (refurb) $25, more

Ubisoft unveils the debut trailer for its new Rayman Adventures mobile game

More deals still alive:

SanDisk Connect Wireless Media Drive: 32GB $40 (Reg. $80), 64GB $55 (Reg. $120)

Logitech Master MX Wireless Mouse $87 shipped (Reg. $100)

 

New products & more:

Must-have gear to take on summer concerts and festivals like a pro

Samsung takes the wraps off a pair of monstrous 2TB internal solid-state drives