Google

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.

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

Chance Miller Apr 7 2015 - 3:06 pm PT

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.

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

Ben Lovejoy Apr 7 2015 - 6:39 am PT

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

Chance Miller Apr 6 2015 - 2:20 pm PT

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.

Google reportedly looking to offer free international roaming with its MVNO

Chance Miller Apr 5 2015 - 12:18 pm PT

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.

Plaintiffs withdraw class-action lawsuit against Google over its Android & Search practices

Chance Miller Apr 3 2015 - 8:33 pm PT

Reuters reports that the plaintiffs in an antitrust lawsuit against Google have finally withdrawn their case. The case, which was brought against Google nearly a year ago, accused the company of being anticompetitive with several of its Search and Android practices.

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

Chance Miller Apr 3 2015 - 1:56 pm PT

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.

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

Stephen Hall Apr 3 2015 - 9:00 am PT

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:

Turn on Google Location History for Android or iOS

If you store photos on Google Drive, show your Drive photos & videos in your photo library

Use Auto Backup on your mobile device or computer

Make sure Auto Awesome is on

Add your home & work addresses in Google Maps

Take a lot of pictures

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)

Android 5.1.1 existence likely confirmed thanks to Android SDK Manager

Stephen Hall Apr 2 2015 - 1:34 pm PT

Android 5.1 has only recently started hitting Nexus devices, and the general populace of Android device owners have still yet to see 5.0. But Google is already moving on past the latest 5.1 release, as evidenced by the appearance of Android 5.1.1 (API 22) in the Android SDK Manager.

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

Stephen Hall Apr 2 2015 - 10:42 am PT

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)

New! Nostalgia runs high w/ the iOS release of DuckTales: Remastered
New! 2K Drive now available for free on iOS (Reg. $7)
New! Games/Apps: Evolve $40, PS4/Xbox One controllers $42, iOS freebies, more
New! JBL Headphones: J55i $20 (Reg. $35+), J56BT wireless $55 (Reg. $70+)
New! ZeroLemon iPhone 6 battery case $31 Prime shipped (Reg. $51)
New! Daily Deals: Touch Chromebook $180, Logitech Harmony Remote (refurb) $25, more
New! Amazon Gold Box: Jackery Giant+ 12Ah Dual USB Battery: $30 shipped, Eton Rukus rugged solar battery/bluetooth speaker: $45 shipped

More deals still alive:

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

Buy Apple TV for $69 and get a free $10 Target gift car d, more savings for REDcard holders
Xbox One AC Unity bundle w/ Halo MCC & 3-months Live $350, more
Aukey 3600mAh power bank + Lightning cable $16 Prime shipped ($26 value), more
Buy a 2TB Portable HDD for $80 or a 5TB Desktop HDD for $125
Home theater upgrade: Bose Acoustimass 6 speaker set $369 shipped (Reg. $400+)
TP-LINK 300Mbps Universal Wi-Fi range extender $18 shipped (Reg. $24)
PlayStation Plus announces free games for April: Dishonored, Never Alone, more
Media: Hobbit – Battle of the Five Armies BR/DVD/Digital $13, much more
Clean up your diet w/ free Kindle downloads of these healthy cookbooks
Nintendo deals: amiibo figures 25% off, 3DS games $25, eShop 10% off
Storage: Samsung 250GB SSD $100, Toshiba 500GB Portable HD $35
Mackie speakers + ATH-M40x Pro Headphones $130 shipped ($200 value)
Headphones: Sol Republic Tracks Air Bluetooth $75, more
Apple adds 12 different iMac w/ Retina 5K models to its refurb store, up to $660 off

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

Sling TV will offer HBO plus on-demand content in time for Game of Thrones premiere
Amazon’s Dash Service brings push button ordering to your washing machine
DeNA’s new Marvel Mighty Heroes brawler is now available on iOS & Android
Quirky’s new line of home automation includes a gorgeous coffee maker w/ iOS integration
This Batman: Arkham Knight PS4 is one of the best looking consoles, pre-order
Neo smartpen N2 sends handwritten words and doodles to its app
This case lets you deck out your MacBook with LEGO bricks
Spotify finds an exclusive gaming console home w/ Sony’s new PlayStation Music service
Amazon announces unlimited Cloud Drive storage for all of your photos and files
The software used by Pixar to create visual effects for movies like Toy Story is now free
Former Apple Designer launches new iOS and Android connected timepiece
Relive the most epic battles from the Final Fantasy series in Record Keeper for iOS/Android
Here’s how to install Kano OS on your Raspberry Pi 2 for free
The iDrink iPhone case includes a built-in breathalyzer, bottle opener and driving game
InfiniteUSB cables offer an endless supply of USB ports for your laptop

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

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

Ben Lovejoy Apr 2 2015 - 7:52 am PT

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

Chance Miller Apr 1 2015 - 7:47 pm PT

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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Google Play Edition Moto G now receiving Android 5.1 OTA update

Chance Miller Apr 1 2015 - 6:04 pm PT

Google and Motorola this evening have started rolling out Android 5.1 to the Play Edition Moto G. The update carries the build number LMY47M and comes in at 171 MB. The update is rolling out now over-the-air, although as usual, it’s a staged rollout and could take a few days to hit your device (via Android Police).

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

Stephen Hall Apr 1 2015 - 12:19 pm PT

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)

New! Beam a 300″ 1080p projection w/ this $500 Acer projector (Reg. $800)
New! Games/Apps: Sunset Overdrive $40, Camera+ 50% off, PAC-MAN $3, more
New! JBL S500 Powered Over-Ear Stereo Headphones $99 shipped (orig. $399)

More deals still alive:

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

Buy a 2TB Portable HDD for $80 or a 5TB Desktop HDD for $125
TP-LINK 300Mbps Universal Wi-Fi range extender $18 shipped (Reg. $24)
PlayStation Plus announces free games for April: Dishonored, Never Alone, more
Media: Hobbit – Battle of the Five Armies BR/DVD/Digital $13, much more
Replace your car’s busted radio w/ this Pioneer CD/USB receiver on sale for $50 (Reg. $100)
Clean up your diet w/ free Kindle downloads of these healthy cookbooks
Three-year sub to Bloomberg Businessweek magazine: $20 shipped (Reg. $150)
This PlayStation 4 Bloodborne bundle includes 2 games, a gift card and is $400
Nintendo deals: amiibo figures 25% off, 3DS games $25, eShop 10% off
Storage: Samsung 250GB SSD $100, Toshiba 500GB Portable HD $35
Mackie speakers + ATH-M40x Pro Headphones $130 shipped ($200 value)
Canon imageCLASS Monochrome Laser Printer $65 shipped (Reg. $100)
iTunes Free App of the Week: Tangent, make pictures into unique works of art ($2 value)
This Netgear Wi-Fi extender will help cover your home’s dead zones for $29 (Reg. $37)
USB Chargers: Vinsic dual-port $7, Photive 6-port $27, Omaker 3-port $9
PreSonus Powered Speakers + Audio-Technica ATH-M50x Headphones $209 (Reg. $430)
Save 20% off Patagonia, The North Face and much more at the REI dividends sale
WD Elements 750GB USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive: $40 shipped (orig. $100)
Headphones: Sol Republic Tracks Air Bluetooth $75, more
Call of Duty Strike Team for iOS/Android drops to its lowest price yet: $2 (Reg. $7
Apple adds 12 different iMac w/ Retina 5K models to its refurb store, up to $660 off

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

Quirky’s new line of home automation includes a gorgeous coffee maker w/ iOS integration
This Batman: Arkham Knight PS4 is one of the best looking consoles, pre-order
Neo smartpen N2 sends handwritten words and doodles to its app
This case lets you deck out your MacBook with LEGO bricks
Spotify finds an exclusive gaming console home w/ Sony’s new PlayStation Music service
Amazon announces unlimited Cloud Drive storage for all of your photos and files
The software used by Pixar to create visual effects for movies like Toy Story is now free
Former Apple Designer launches new iOS and Android connected timepiece
Relive the most epic battles from the Final Fantasy series in Record Keeper for iOS/Android
Here’s how to install Kano OS on your Raspberry Pi 2 for free
The iDrink iPhone case includes a built-in breathalyzer, bottle opener and driving game
InfiniteUSB cables offer an endless supply of USB ports for your laptop

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

Ben Lovejoy Apr 1 2015 - 4:28 am PT

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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Roundup: Best April Fools’ pranks yet including Google Panda & Moto Selfie Stick

Chance Miller Mar 31 2015 - 8:09 pm PT

April Fools’ Day is often one of the more eventual days of the year for Google and other tech companies. This year appears to be no different as a variety of pranks have already appeared around the web. We’ve been analyzing them all, right as they come in, and have listed some of our favorites below. We’ll keep this list updated as more April Fools’ Day gags continue to roll in. We have feeling there will be no shortage of them either…

Google’s April Fools’ gag encourages you to take reaction selfies while browsing the web

Chance Miller Mar 31 2015 - 7:03 pm PT

After adding an April Fools’ Easter egg to Maps this morning, Google has since added another gem to its mobile version of Chrome. First noticed by the Google Operating System blog, there’s now a menu in Chrome mobile that lets you “share a reaction” from any webpage you visit.

Google releases Player Analytics to give developers better in-app performance data

Chance Miller Mar 31 2015 - 1:29 pm PT

Google today has officially released Play Games Player Analytics to developers. In a post on the Android Developers Blog, Google announced that these new tools will allow for game developers to better track in-game player behavior and improve in-app business tactics and performance.

Inbox by Gmail gets custom morning, afternoon, and evening snooze times in latest update

Stephen Hall Mar 31 2015 - 12:38 pm PT

Google has announced today that a useful new feature is coming to Inbox by Gmail, namely the ability to customize morning, afternoon and evening “Snooze” times. Once you have the update, all you have to do is open the app, slide left on an email, tap “Pick date & time,” and select the time you’d like to snooze to. You should see a prompt at the bottom of the app asking you if you want to make this your morning, afternoon, or evening time.

9to5Toys Last Call: LG G3 (unlocked) $320, QNAP 2-Bay NAS $149, Galaxy Note 3 (unlocked) $294, more

Stephen Hall Mar 31 2015 - 12:03 pm PT

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 G3 16GB unlocked GSM 4G LTE: $320 shipped (Reg. $450)

Amazon Gold Box – up to 50% off Hard Drives & Networking: 2-Bay NAS $149, 1TB Wi-Fi HDD $120, more

Samsung N9000 Galaxy Note 3 32 GB unlocked: $294 shipped (Reg. $500)

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

Amazon free app of the day: Riptide GP2 (Reg. $1)

Crucial M500 960GB 2.5-inch Internal Solid State Drive $293 shipped (Reg. $360)

Gold Box: OontZ Angle Bluetooth speaker by Cambridge SoundWorks: $20 Prime shipped (Orig. $80), waterproof: $35 (orig: $130)

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

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

More new gear from today:

This Limited Edition Batman: Arkham Knight PlayStation 4 is one of the best looking consoles ever, pre-order today

New! Games/Apps: Nintendo 2DS w/ Mario Kart 7 $100 (Reg. $130), iOS freebies, more
New! Daily Deals: Dell 4K 24″ monitor $465, Insignia indoor/outdoor speakers $40, more
New! Headphones: Beats Tour 2.0 in-ears $102 (orig. $150), many more
New! Home theater upgrade: Bose Acoustimass 6 speaker set $369 shipped (Reg. $400+)
New! Fisher-Price or V-Tech Toys Buy One Get One Free at Toys R Us

More deals still alive:

Media: Hobbit – Battle of the Five Armies BR/DVD/Digital $13, much more

Replace your car’s busted radio w/ this Pioneer CD/USB receiver on sale for $50 (Reg. $100)
Clean up your diet w/ free Kindle downloads of these healthy cookbooks
Three-year sub to Bloomberg Businessweek magazine: $20 shipped (Reg. $150)
This PlayStation 4 Bloodborne bundle includes 2 games, a gift card and is $400
Nintendo deals: amiibo figures 25% off, 3DS games $25, eShop 10% off
Storage: Samsung 250GB SSD $100, Toshiba 500GB Portable HD $35
Mackie speakers + ATH-M40x Pro Headphones $130 shipped ($200 value)
Canon imageCLASS Monochrome Laser Printer $65 shipped (Reg. $100)
iTunes Free App of the Week: Tangent, make pictures into unique works of art ($2 value)
This Netgear Wi-Fi extender will help cover your home’s dead zones for $29 (Reg. $37)
USB Chargers: Vinsic dual-port $7, Photive 6-port $27, Omaker 3-port $9
PreSonus Powered Speakers + Audio-Technica ATH-M50x Headphones $209 (Reg. $430)
Save 20% off Patagonia, The North Face and much more at the REI dividends sale
WD Elements 750GB USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive: $40 shipped (orig. $100)
Headphones: Sol Republic Tracks Air Bluetooth $75, more
Call of Duty Strike Team for iOS/Android drops to its lowest price yet: $2 (Reg. $7
Apple adds 12 different iMac w/ Retina 5K models to its refurb store, up to $660 off

New products & more:

Neo smartpen N2 instantaneously sends handwritten words and doodles to its iOS/Android app

This case lets you deck out your MacBook with LEGO bricks
Spotify finds an exclusive gaming console home w/ Sony’s new PlayStation Music service
Amazon announces unlimited Cloud Drive storage for all of your photos and files
The software used by Pixar to create visual effects for movies like Toy Story is now free
Former Apple Designer launches new iOS and Android connected timepiece
Relive the most epic battles from the Final Fantasy series in Record Keeper for iOS/Android
Here’s how to install Kano OS on your Raspberry Pi 2 for free
The iDrink iPhone case includes a built-in breathalyzer, bottle opener and driving game
InfiniteUSB cables offer an endless supply of USB ports for your laptop

Google Drive for Work and Apps for Education getting plethora of new security features

Stephen Hall Mar 31 2015 - 10:46 am PT

Google has today announced that it’s bringing new sharing controls, alerts and “audit events” to both Google Drive for Work and Google for Education over the coming weeks. Security is one of the biggest concerns that companies have about moving their data to the cloud, and Google hopes these new features will help make the transition just a little bit easier…

Google Maps makes the world a playable game of Pac-Man

Jordan Kahn Mar 31 2015 - 8:25 am PT

Google has started the April Fools Day fun a bit early with a new Pac-Man easter egg allowing users to play the classic arcade game on the streets of Google Maps. Here’s how to do it:
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Chair of Senate antitrust panel looking into conversations between Google and FTC

Ben Lovejoy Mar 31 2015 - 6:50 am PT