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Google’s free photo editing app Snapseed 2.0 gets lens blur, layers, new UI, more

Avatar for Jeremy Horwitz Apr 9 2015 - 4:28 pm PT
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Snapseed, the excellent free photo editing application, today received its first major update since Google purchased developer Nik Software back in 2012. Version 2.0 arrived in the Play Store with a brand new user interface and a huge collection of new features, most notably including spot healing, lens blur effects, perspective transformation, and a non-destructive editing system that can copy edits from one image to another. The app has been refreshed has a minimalist UI with Material Design influence on Android.

Snapseed’s unique ability to selectively fix small parts of photos — such as improving the brightness level of one dark face in an otherwise bright image — has kept it relevant as a key photo editing tool for years. Snapseed 2.0 expands upon that feature, letting you apply filters and brushes selectively with a brush tool. You can also go into individual layers and make adjustments to changes that were previously applied during the editing process.

Snapseed 2.0 is available for free from the Play Store now, although it’s still rolling out so it may not be available for your device just yet. Additional details are after the break…


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9to5Toys Last Call: Gold Moto 360 $260, Verizon Galaxy S5 w/ contract $1, Galaxy Note 4 $470, more

Avatar for Stephen Hall Apr 9 2015 - 11:59 am 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:

Moto 360 in champagne gold: $219 shipped (Reg. $330)

Samsung Galaxy S5 w/ 2-year contract on Verizon: $1 shipped (Reg. $99)

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 32GB (unlocked): $470 shipped (Reg. $700)

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 32GB (unlocked): $295 shipped (Reg. $500)

LG G3 w/ free $100 Amazon gift card for $0.01 w/ 2-yr contract or $479 w/o

GoPro HERO4 Black/Surf Camera: $400 (Reg. $499.99)

Small States Review: This is Ground’s Mod 2 is the ultimate tablet companion, giveaway worth $310

More new gear from today:

Amazon has the famous “not so bad” shitphone for $50 shipped today (44% off)

  • Games/Apps: Twisty Hollow for iOS free, Sony PS4 Last of Us Bundle w/ PS+ $395, more
  • Daily Deals: Seagate 4TB External Hard Drive $100, Foscam IP Camera $49, Jawbone BIG Jambox $185, more

More deals still alive:

Philips Hue Lux price drops make it cheaper than ever to add smart lighting to your house: single bulb $20, Starter Kit $80

New products & more:

DJI’s Phantom 3 drone shoots 4K video, uses new sensors to navigate indoor airspace

9to5Toys Last Call: Galaxy Note 3 (unlocked) $295, LG G3 w/ $100 Amazon GC, WD 2TB Hard Drive $80, more

Avatar for Stephen Hall Apr 8 2015 - 12:37 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 Note 3 32GB (unlocked): $295 shipped (Reg. $500)

LG G3 w/ free $100 Amazon gift card for $0.01 w/ 2-yr contract or $479 w/o

WD My Passport Ultra 2TB USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive $80 shipped (Orig. $140)

Philips Hue Lux price drops make it cheaper than ever to add smart lighting to your house: single bulb $20, Starter Kit $80

GoPro HERO4 Black/Surf Camera: $399 (Reg. $499.99)

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 32GB (unlocked): $470 shipped (Reg. $700)

Small States Review: This is Ground’s Mod 2 is the ultimate tablet companion, giveaway worth $310

More new gear from today:

Games/Apps: Royal Trouble Hidden Adventures free (Reg. $7), Mortal Kombat X for iOS/Android launches, iOS freebies, more

Daily Deals: DJI Phantom 2 Vision Quadcopter $599, CaseCrown Pro Case for iPad Air 2 $5, Vaas Waterproof Bluetooth Shower Speaker $15, more

More deals still alive:

Media: Harry Potter 8-film iTunes collection $50, Game of Thrones S1 Blu-ray $20, more

New products & more:

Orange Chef’s Countertop kitchen prep accessory integrates with Apple Watch and Vitamix

Month view is making a comeback in the latest Google Calendar update

Avatar for Stephen Hall Apr 8 2015 - 10:46 am PT
3 Comments

Google is usually pretty good at acting on user feedback, and today they’re doing so with the return of month view to the Google Calendar app for smartphones.

The view “provides a high level view of all scheduled events for a full month, allowing people to then tap on a specific day for a closer look,” according to Google’s blog post…


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Android Lollipop still straggling, adoption barely passes 5% in March

Avatar for Stephen Hall Apr 8 2015 - 8:03 am PT
2 Comments

Google has today updated the Android distribution data, and it looks like Android Lollipop—the Mountain View company’s latest mobile OS, which was released in November of last year—has now passed the 5% milestone in terms of adoption. In February we saw that number hit just 1.6%, and last month the data was updated to show usage at 3.3%…
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Android 5.1 now rolling out to Google Play Edition HTC One M7 & M8

Avatar for Chance Miller Apr 7 2015 - 7:34 pm PT
1 Comment

After the Android 5.1 rollout began for the Google Play Edition LG G Pad this morning, the Google Play Edition One M7 and M8 are also now receiving the update. HTC VP of Product Management Mo Versi confirmed on Twitter that the company has received approval for the updates and that the rollouts have commenced. Android 5.0 Lollipop rolled out to the Google Play Edition M7 and M8 in December of last year.


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Google appears to be developing a teleconferencing tool called GMeet

Avatar for Chance Miller Apr 7 2015 - 3:57 pm PT
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First noticed by Florian Kiersch on Google+, Google appears to be testing a new meetings service. Google Meetings, also referred to as GMeet, appears to allow users to schedule and join teleconference calls with one click. Instead of having to dial into a teleconference call, one user could create a meeting topic in GMeet, then invite everyone else to the call. People who received an invite would be able to then join the call with a single click.


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Google reportedly developing tool to allow users to compare local home repair services

Avatar for Chance Miller Apr 7 2015 - 3:06 pm PT
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According to a new report from BuzzFeed News, Google is planning to launch service that will allow users to easily communicate with providers of home repair services. The report claims that Google is interested in connecting users with plumbers, electricians, roofers, and various other handyman-type jobs.


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YouTube Kids app “deceptive to children,” say consumer groups in FTC complaint

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Apr 7 2015 - 6:39 am PT
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The YouTube Kids app, launched in February to provide access to family-friendly videos on both Android and iOS, has been accused by around a dozen consumer groups of being “deceptive to children” in the way it mixes ads into programming. The NY Times reports that a formal complaint to the Federal Trade Commission is expected to be filed today.

[The complaint] argues, in essence, that YouTube is using advertising tactics like “host selling” – having cartoon characters sell products inside their show – that would be illegal if they were on television instead of online.

The groups argue that the app should be held to the same standards that apply to TV shows … 
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Android co-founder Andy Rubin announces Playground Global, a tech hardware incubator

Avatar for Chance Miller Apr 6 2015 - 2:20 pm PT
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It was announced last year that Android co-founder Andy Rubin was leaving Google to pursue his interest in starting an incubator for startups interested in building technology hardware products. The Wall Street Journal reports today that Rubin is launching a tech incubator called Playground Global LLC. Rubin’s company hopes to provide support and advice to tech startups in search of a helping hand.


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Google reportedly looking to offer free international roaming with its MVNO

Avatar for Chance Miller Apr 5 2015 - 12:18 pm PT
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Reports of a Google MVNO have been circulating for a few months now, with Google itself even adding fuel to the fire. Today, The Telegraph reports that one of Google’s goals with its wireless network is to offer free international roaming to its customers. The report claims that Google is in talks with Hong Kong-based Huchison Whampoa, the owner of Three and soon O2, regarding its ambitions.


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Google Wallet for Android updated w/ Maps integration & new transaction search tools

Avatar for Chance Miller Apr 3 2015 - 1:56 pm PT
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Google announced today that it has started rolling out an update to Google Wallet on Android with a couple of notable new features. First off, Wallet on Android now packs Google Maps integration. With this integration, you can see exactly where you performed any given transaction on an embedded map. This feature, Google says, will make it easier to notice any sort of suspicious activity that occurs.


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Google+ Stories now showing up as a Google Now card for some users

Avatar for Stephen Hall Apr 3 2015 - 9:00 am PT
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Google+ has long had an interesting feature called “Stories” that creates a fun timeline out of your uploaded photos, but now users are reporting that these are now showing up in Google Now. The card that’s appearing in some users’ feeds shows a photo preview of the story, an associated date, the number of moments—and tapping this card takes you to the Google+ app to view it in its full form or share it with your followers.

There are a lot of things you need to make sure are in order before you might see one of these cards, but it’s not all too complicated. The hardest part for most tech enthusiasts would probably be going out and taking enough photos for Google+ Stories to have something to work with. If you’ve never used Google+ Stories before, this is how you get started (according to Google’s support page):

Make a story

Stories are automatically created and you’ll be notified when one is made for you. Stories will work best if you:

After you’ve done all of these things, it probably won’t be long before you see the above card in your Google Now feed. On the other hand, if you are receiving this card and you don’t want to or you simply have no interest in Google+ stories at all, Google says you can turn the feature off completely by disabling Auto Awesome.

(via Thomas Tenkely)

9to5Toys Last Call: Galaxy S5 (unlocked) $315, Amazon free app – Splashtop, Galaxy Alpha $260, more

Avatar for Stephen Hall Apr 2 2015 - 10:42 am 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 SM-G900V Galaxy S5 16 GB 4G LTE unlocked: $315 shipped (Reg. $500)

Amazon free app of the day: Splashtop (Reg. $5)

Samsung Galaxy ALPHA 32GB 4G LTE: $260 shipped (Reg. $400)

This no fuss cover makes it stupid easy to add USB power to any outlet

Small States Review: TM1985’s Weekend Duffel is the perfect companion for any excursion, $371 giveaway

More new gear from today:

Seagate Central 3TB Personal Cloud Storage External Hard Drive $80 shipped (orig. $180)

More deals still alive:

Beam a 300″ 1080p projection w/ this $500 Acer projector (Reg. $800)

Outsource your house chores to Amazon and get a free $20 gift card

New products & more:

Onkyo’s new portable headphone digital-to-analog converter uses a Lightning cable to boost your iPhone’s sound

Comcast combats Google Fiber w/ new 2Gbps Gigabit Pro service coming to Atlanta

Avatar for Stephen Hall Apr 2 2015 - 8:53 am PT
4 Comments

Comcast has come out today to announce that they’re prepping to beat Google Fiber to Atlanta—but they’re not just going for par; the company wants to one-up the offerings of Google and AT&T by introducing previously unheard-of 2Gbps residential Internet service. It will be “the fastest residential Internet speed in the country,” the infamous media conglomerate says.
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Next version of Chrome will stop trusting many Chinese websites as Google responds to security breach

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Apr 2 2015 - 7:52 am PT
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Users trying to connect to many websites in China through Chrome will soon see a message that the website’s security certificate is not trusted, advising against proceeding.

In a far-reaching response to a recently security breach, Google plans to cease recognizing all web security certificates issued by the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) – which includes many government, banking and ecommerce sites in the country … 
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Report: EU preparing to file antitrust charges against Google

Avatar for Chance Miller Apr 1 2015 - 7:47 pm PT
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According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, the European Commission is preparing to file antitrust charges against Google. The charges come after a five-year long investigation that’s stalled three times and caused strong political divides in Europe.

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9to5Toys Last Call: Moto X 2014 (unlocked) $360, Moto 360 $200, Amazon free app – Quell Reflect, more

Avatar for Stephen Hall Apr 1 2015 - 12:19 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:

Moto X (2nd gen) Pure Edition: $360 shipped (Reg. $500)

Moto 360 in various configurations: $50 off

Amazon free app of the day: Quell Reflect (Reg. $2)

Google Play has Guardians of the Galaxy: The Universal Weapon for $1 (Reg. $3)

SanDisk 64GB Ultra microSDHC UHS-I Card w/ Adapter $29.99 (orig. $64.99)

Small States Review: TM1985’s Weekend Duffel is the perfect companion for any excursion, $371 giveaway

More new gear from today:

Get your dunk on w/ this mini indoor Basketball hoop for $15 Prime shipped (50% off)

More deals still alive:

Home theater upgrade: Bose Acoustimass 6 speaker set $369 shipped (Reg. $400+)

Outsource your house chores to Amazon and get a free $20 gift card

New products & more:

Amazon’s Dash Service brings push button ordering to your washing machine

Google’s two-year time limit on mobile R&D projects before they are killed, adopted or sold

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Apr 1 2015 - 4:28 am PT
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ATP head Regina Dugan with some of her 100-strong team

Google’s mobile-focused research group, Advanced Technology and Projects (ATP), gives projects a maximum of two years’ work before they are killed, adopted as official Google products or sold to outside companies, reports the WSJ.

The deadline was created by former DARPA head Regina Dugan in an attempt to counter the normal tendency of companies to grow less nimble and more bureaucratic as they grow in size, said Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt.

Product cycles slow down as a company gets larger. All of us believe we could execute faster […] 

We like this model because it puts pressure on people to perform and do relevant things or stop. I’ve spent an awful lot of time on projects that never end and products that would never ship.

The company is ruthless about killing off projects which don’t deliver notable results, said Dugan, who was hired by Google in 2012, and it doesn’t always let them run as long as two years … 
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