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Chromium contributors developing a ‘Sidebar API,’ could be used to resurrect Side Tabs feature

Avatar for Tom Maxwell Jul 7 2015 - 10:14 am PT
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Longtime users of Google Chrome may remember a period when it was possible to display tabs vertically, in a bar on the left-hand side of the screen, rather than at the top above the address bar. That feature (pictured above) was experimental, and the Chromium team, which creates public forks of the source code behind Google’s commercial browser, eventually gave up on the idea because it was believed to be a niche feature and “nobody stepped forward to do the work to drive the feature to completion.” Sidebars may be coming back from the dead in a different but similar form, however…


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Wear 5-TILES is a text messaging app with a keyboard for your Android Wear watch

Avatar for Tom Maxwell Jul 7 2015 - 8:55 am PT
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tWsehRHHaw

You know what I haven’t once thought since purchasing my ASUS ZenWatch? “Man, I wish this thing had a software keyboard!” Nope, not even once. But someone clearly has, as the developers behind the 5-TILES keyboard for Android smartphones have brought their signature tile-based keyboard to Android Wear users in the form of a messaging app, called Wear 5-TILES.


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Google’s self-driving car takes to the roads in Austin, Texas, in next phase of testing

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Jul 7 2015 - 3:59 am PT
2 Comments
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If you live in Austin, Texas, and thought you spotted one of Google’s self-driving cars, you weren’t imagining things: the company confirmed today that it has chosen the city for the next phase of testing. Google said in a G+ post that it was important for the software to be tested in a variety of different driving environments.

We’ve chosen Austin, Texas, as a new testing location for our project, and one of our Lexus SUVs is there now, with safety drivers aboard, driving a few square miles north and northeast of downtown Austin. It’s important for us to get experience testing our software in different driving environments, traffic patterns and road conditions—so we’re ready to take on Austin’s pedicabs, pickup trucks, and everything in between.

Google first demonstrated the car to the city’s mayor, chief of police and other officials back in 2013 … 
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9to5Toys Lunch Break: Galaxy S6 (unlocked) $500, Belkin WeMo devices $31+, Samsung 64GB SDXC $30, more

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jul 6 2015 - 12:48 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:

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

Amazon Gold Box – up to 38% off Belkin WeMo devices with prices starting at $31 Prime shipped (Reg. $50)

Samsung 64GB PRO Class 10 Memory: SDXC $30 shipped (Reg. $46+), microSD $38 shipped (Reg. $47)

Sennheiser Momentum headphones: on-ears $70 (Reg. $80+), over-ears (open-box) $120 (Reg. $170), more

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:

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

Games/Apps: Dragon Age Inquisition $30, Logitech Optical Gaming Mouse $30 (Reg. $70), iOS freebies, more

Daily Deals: CyberPower 1500VA/900-Watt UPS $98, Google Chromecast $25 w/ pick up, more

More deals still alive:

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

 

New products & more:

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

Camp Google is a month long online science camp for kids, launching on July 13

Avatar for Tom Maxwell Jul 6 2015 - 11:52 am PT
2 Comments

The Internet has changed the way we access, view, ingest, and share knowledge, and Google has played a big part in that, with its mission from day one being to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible. Now through a new project called Google Camp, the company will train kids to utilize their services as early as possible — starting from the ages of 7-10 years old, specifically. The program seems to focus on online project-based science lessons…


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Lyft could see future competition from Google as Waze trials car-pooling app

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Jul 6 2015 - 4:12 am PT
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Google-owned Waze looks to have its sights set on competing with the ride-sharing service Lyft. Reuters reports that it is trialling a ride-sharing service, initially in Waze’s home market, Israel.

The new application, called RideWith, will use Waze’s navigation system to learn the routes drivers most frequently take to work and match them up with people looking for a ride in the same direction.

Waze is at pains to point out that it is not trying to compete with Uber, where drivers are able to operate full-time and make a profit. RideWith will limit drivers to just two journeys per day, allowing them to share the cost of their journey to and from work … 
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Future YotaPhone handsets will have Sailfish OS instead of Android

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jul 4 2015 - 7:26 am PT
7 Comments

Update: While we can’t verify the authenticity of this quote, it seems that Yahoo News might be wrong..

We do not have any ongoing development of Jolla version of YotaPhone. I can’t say how things will turn in the future. Maybe Sailfish will obtain a certain market share as mobile OS.

At this point of time, we are fully committed to Android and recently migrated our customer base to 5.0 and working on the next generation of Android OS.

Yota, the Russian company behind the dual-screened YotaPhone, has reportedly decided (via Yahoo News) to no longer pack Google’s Android on its future handsets. Instead, the phone maker will be going with Jolla’s Sailfish, a spin-off of Nokia’s former MeeGo Linux distribution. Sailfish, which was built by many of the same engineers that worked on MeeGo, reportedly beat out Samsung’s Tizen in Yota’s search for an Android alternative…
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9to5Toys Lunch Break: Moto E 2014 $45 on VZW or $100 unlocked, HP Chromebook 14 $250, LG freebies, more

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jul 3 2015 - 12:47 pm PT
1 Comment

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:

Verizon Wireless Prepaid Moto E 4G w/ 8GB flash: $45 shipped (Reg. $70) | Best Buy

Motorola Moto E 2nd Generation 4G LTE (unlocked): $100 shipped (Reg. $150) | Amazon

HP Chromebook 14 (14-x013dx) 2.3GHz/2GB/16GB: $249 shipped (Reg. $299)

LG offering free leather back, battery, charger to LG G4 buyers

USB-C cables $8 Prime shipped (Reg. $11), Anker 16,000mAh + Anker 3,200mAh Power Banks $37 shipped ($20 off)

Google’s Family Friendly Free App of the Week: Thomas’s Musical Day for Percy (Reg. $5)

Asus ZenWatch silver/rose gold/brown: $150 shipped (Reg. $200) | ASUS

LAST CHANCE! Giveaway: Owen & Fred’s Desk Essentials collection ups your work game while looking good, $250+ value

Review: Logitech’s Anywhere 2 Bluetooth mouse shines w/ adaptive scrolling

Review: MPOW’s pocketable iStick is the best Bluetooth selfie stick you can buy today

More new gear from today:

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

Games/Apps: Wii U bundle w/ Power A Gamer Kit $275, Car Club Tuning Storm free, more iOS freebies

Get access to every Nintendo 3DS game for only $65 shipped w/ this refurbished 2DS deal

Daily Deals: Seagate 8TB Backup Plus USB 3.0 External Hard Drive $230, HP Chromebook 14 $249, more

More deals still alive:

 

New products & more:

Sony’s three new Bluetooth/AirPlay compatible speakers with price tags to match

 

9to5Toys Last Call: Free LG G4 accessories, USB-C cables $8, Family Friendly Free App of the Week, more

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jul 2 2015 - 5:38 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:

LG offering free leather back, battery, charger to LG G4 buyers

USB-C cables $8 Prime shipped (Reg. $11), Anker 16,000mAh + Anker 3,200mAh Power Banks $37 shipped ($20 off)

Google’s Family Friendly Free App of the Week: Thomas’s Musical Day for Percy (Reg. $5)

Asus ZenWatch silver/rose gold/brown: $150 shipped (Reg. $200) | ASUS

Add creative decorations to your 4th of July picnic and save money w/ these easy do-it-yourself projects

The best lawn games to make your 4th of July cookout a success

Look like a real American hero at your 4th of July BBQ with this over-the-top USA garb

LAST CHANCE! Giveaway: Owen & Fred’s Desk Essentials collection ups your work game while looking good, $250+ value

Review: Logitech’s Anywhere 2 Bluetooth mouse shines w/ adaptive scrolling

Review: MPOW’s pocketable iStick is the best Bluetooth selfie stick you can buy today

More new gear from today:

Daily Deals: Bose Solo TV Sound System $230, Samsung 40″ LED 1080p Smart HDTV $490, more

More deals still alive:

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

 

New products & more:

 

Garmin’s Varia radar and lights system alert bicyclists of approaching traffic

New comScore U.S. data shows continuing decline in Android market share

Avatar for Tom Maxwell Jul 2 2015 - 3:30 pm PT
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comScore today released its report on United States smartphone subscriber market share for the three month period ending in May. The report, released monthly, tracks the rankings of the top smartphone OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) and operating systems by consumer adoption. Month-to-month fluctuations in market share aren’t typically major, but they can provide a look at how companies’ new flagship smartphones are doing.


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Google appears to be sunsetting the classic Drive UI

Avatar for Tom Maxwell Jul 2 2015 - 1:39 pm PT
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Are you a holdout who’s been using the classic Google Drive ever since Google unveiled the new design over a year ago? Unfortunately, it seems that your time to give in has come.

Initially spotted by a tipster talking to the (unofficial) Google Operating System blog, the toggle in Drive’s settings dropdown which allowed switching between the new Drive experience and the classic version appears to be disappearing. I can no longer see it myself. It was possible to switch to the classic version by clicking the settings icon in Drive and then choosing “Leave the new Drive”.

We don’t have our own image of it, but thanks to techinfoweb.com here’s what the toggle did look like:

 

And from a Google support page on how to switch between the two (it’s still live), here’s a comparison of the design and user interface of the new Drive and the classic Drive:

 

I know a lot of diehard users were upset when Google unveiled the new Drive, but I’m not quite sure what exactly is believed to be worse about the new experience. Maybe one of you can enlighten me?

Mysterious Google device passes through FCC, could be a new Google Glass model

Avatar for Chance Miller Jul 2 2015 - 1:07 pm PT
2 Comments
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A mysterious Google device appears to have passed through the FCC yesterday. First noticed by Droid-Life, the product was filed under the FCC ID A4R-GG1 and the filing is incredibly vague when it comes to specific features of the device. While it could be the new Chromecast that is reportedly coming later this year, many of the hints throughout the filling lend credibility the potential of it being a new version of Google Glass.


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Pushbullet for Android update makes pushing files easier with less taps

Avatar for Tom Maxwell Jul 2 2015 - 10:41 am PT
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After a major update just last week that saw Pushbullet on Android and several other platforms receive an overhauled design and rethinking of how its messaging works, the company has made a small update to its Android app based on community feedback. It’s available in Google Play or you can get the APK from APKMirror.
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Artem Russakovskii: code tags are ‘no indication’ 2012 Nexus devices will get Android M

Avatar for Tom Maxwell Jul 2 2015 - 6:24 am PT
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Update: Previous version of this story said the original post was from yesterday, when it was actually from June 11th. The story made its way to the /r/Android subreddit yesterday.

Last night a story bubbled up in the Android community that led many to believe that older Nexus devices – specifically the Nexus 4, 7, and 10 – would be receiving official updates to Android M, Google’s upcoming major release of Android. Artem Russakovskii from Android Police, however, has come out on Google+ to say that the evidence presented shows no indication that these devices will be updated.


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Yahoo trialling Google ads in search despite earlier objections by Dept of Justice

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Jul 2 2015 - 6:24 am PT
2 Comments
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Yahoo is currently including Google ads in some of its search results in what the company described to the NY Times as a “small test.” The ads were first spotted by SEO Book.

Yahoo confirmed on Wednesday that it has begun testing the use of Google search ads for a small portion of its desktop and mobile web search results. “As we work to create the absolute best experiences for Yahoo users, from time to time, we run small tests with a variety of partners including search providers,” the company said.

Google offered Yahoo an ad partnership all the way back in 2008, but pulled out after objections from the Department of Justice on antitrust grounds … 
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Pro-tip: Saying “hello” to Google Now voice search brings up command suggestions

Avatar for Tom Maxwell Jul 1 2015 - 3:06 pm PT
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Have you ever wondered to yourself, “Am I taking full advantage of Google Now’s voice search?” The point of Now is to make our lives easier through proactive assistance and easy-to-use voice commands, but there are so many of these commands available that it’s not always easy to remember all of them, especially while you’re out on the go. And how many people are going to read through all of the possible commands when they first get a phone that supports Google Now?

Fortunately, a user posting to the /r/Android community on Reddit noticed that when you activate Google voice search and simply say “hello,” Now will present you with a list of commands you can use to get things done faster. At the bottom is a card that shuffles through lots of smaller, miscellaneous voice actions like, “Post to Google+ I’m feeling lucky.” Nice touch.

9to5Toys Lunch Break: $100 Google Play w/ VZW HTC One M9, Moto 360 $150, Bluetooth selfie stick $14, more

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jul 1 2015 - 12:25 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:

Verizon HTC One M9 buyers can get $100 in Google Play credit for a limited time

Motorola’s Moto 360 Android Wear smartwatch now starts at $150

Review: At $14, MPOW’s pocketable iStick is the best Bluetooth selfie stick you can buy today

OnePlus giving away Cardboard headsets to 1,000 lucky individuals

 

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

Daily Deals: Anker Car Jump Starter & USB Power Bank $60, Samsung 5TB USB 3.0 Desktop HDD $120, more

 

Review: Logitech’s Anywhere 2 Bluetooth mouse shines w/ adaptive scrolling

 

Add creative decorations to your 4th of July picnic and save money w/ these easy do-it-yourself projects

The best lawn games to make your 4th of July cookout a success

Look like a real American hero at your 4th of July BBQ with this over-the-top USA garb

Giveaway: Owen & Fred’s Desk Essentials collection ups your work game while looking good, $250+ value

More new gear from today:

 

Samsung’s new Level U Bluetooth 4.1 in-ear headphones offer athletes another option for workouts

More deals still alive:

 

JayBird BlueBuds X Sport Bluetooth Headphones for $110 shipped (Reg. $170)

New products & more:

Enthusiasts create incredibly detailed 14-foot Starcraft II map out of LEGO

Player FM integrates Subscribe on Android for easily subscribing to podcasts

Avatar for Tom Maxwell Jul 1 2015 - 11:51 am PT
1 Comment

Player FM released version 2.6.4 of its podcast player to Google Play today, bringing with it integration of the Subscribe on Android protocol. The protocol was created to “give Android listeners the same One Click subscription experience that iOS and iTunes users have.” Basically, once you have Player FM installed, any raw XML podcast feed URLs you click will launch to Player FM where you can then subscribe to the podcast to get new episodes automatically downloaded as they’re published. It’s basically like deeplinking but works with far more URLs than deeplinking traditionally can, and is less convenient than Android app intents.

Deeplinking is a way through which constellations of apps can become more interconnected by quickly and seamlessly moving users between one another when specific links are pressed. And while Android M is bringing with it improved app linking so links from anywhere, not just from within a developer’s own apps, can launch to an app without needing to open the intents menu, this won’t work for URLs that aren’t owned by the developer. Feed URLs for podcasts found from around the web won’t just seamlessly open to your favorite podcast app, but with an app that uses Subscribe on Android like Player FM, they can. Mostly, at least, as Feedburner podcast feeds don’t seem to work.

You can get Player FM on the Play Store for free.

Local advertisers can now display places ratings in their AdWords ads

Avatar for Tom Maxwell Jul 1 2015 - 10:52 am PT
0 Comments

In a world where we’re increasingly reliant on our phones to navigate the world, online reviews can make or break local businesses. Lawsuits regarding negative reviews show up in the news at least a couple times every year, and these review pages are increasingly becoming the battleground where individuals protest against businesses partaking in practices they disagree with. On the other hand, however, a good rating online can entrench and create a moat around a business for years to come. That’s why Google now allows advertisers to include their Google reviews in their AdWords ads.
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9to5Toys Lunch Break: Acer 11-inch Chromebook $110, GoPro HERO3+ Black $262, RAVPower battery $6, more

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jun 30 2015 - 12:44 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:

Acer 11-inch Chromebook (refurb): $110 shipped (Orig. $200)

 

GoPro HERO3+ Black 4K Action Camera (refurb) $262 shipped (Reg. $280), 33-piece accessory kit $15

 

RAVPower Portable 3,000mAh Battery: $6 Prime shipped, Lightning cables under $6

The best lawn games to make your 4th of July cookout a success

Look like a real American hero at your 4th of July BBQ with this over-the-top USA garb

Giveaway: Owen & Fred’s Desk Essentials collection ups your work game while looking good, $250+ value

More new gear from today:

Daily Deals: XYZprinting Da Vinci 1.0 3D Printer $350, HP x3000 Wireless Optical Mouse $8, more

Home recording bundle: ATH-M50x over-ears, Focusrite Scarlett interface and mic kit $269 shipped ($410+ value)

More deals still alive:

JayBird BlueBuds X Sport Bluetooth Headphones for $110 shipped (Reg. $170)

RAVPower FileHub Travel Router w/ 6000mAh Power bank $35 Prime shipped (Reg. $60)

New products & more:

Bricasso scans any image and then 3D prints it using LEGO bricks as ink

Five bizarre kitchen gadgets you need to add to your cooking arsenal

Chrome for Android soon may show you alt-text when you long-press images

Avatar for Tom Maxwell Jun 30 2015 - 12:38 pm PT
0 Comments

The Android version of Google’s Chrome browser has a neat new feature in it, if you’re willing to use a beta build of the mobile browser.

Now when you long-press on an image in the browser, a new menu will appear which includes the alt-text of the image in question. Alt-text, or alternative text, is a way to describe what an image is of in the HTML of the webpage. This is particularly helpful for those with vision impairments, as screen readers which can read webpages out loud are able to tell them what images on the pages they visit are depicting when alt-text is attached.

This new feature, shared on Google+ by none other than Chrome evangelist François Beaufort, could be useful, for example, when viewing any images with writing on them that have been scanned and posted online, where the text on them may be hard to read. Including what they say in the alt-text would make reading old texts easier. Chrome Beta for Android can be downloaded from Google Play.