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Google Docs for Android updated w/ Office Compatibility Mode improvements, more

Avatar for Chance Miller Feb 18 2015 - 1:48 pm PT
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Google today has started rolling out an update to the Google Docs app on Android with a few new enhancements. First off, the update adds support for selecting, cutting, copying, and pasting text, images, tables, and charts in Office Compatibility Mode. The update also adds the ability to insert links into Google documents.

From the Google Apps blog:

A new version of the Google Docs Android app is now available on Google Play. New features include:

  • Support for selecting, cutting, copying and pasting text along with images, tables, and charts in Office Compatibility Mode
  • Ability to insert links in Google documents

The update is available now via the Play Store, although it is a staged rollout and may take a little while to hit your device.


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FBI wants more ‘remote access’ search freedom, but Google doesn’t approve

Avatar for Stephen Hall Feb 18 2015 - 1:17 pm PT
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The US government is seeking to have more regulatory control over the digital realm, and many tech companies are taking a stand. Google is definitely one of those, taking to its Public Policy Blog today to tell the world about proposed changes to Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 41, a procedural rule that sets limits on search warrants. The Advisory Committee on the Rules of Criminal Procedure, at the request of the Department of Justice, is proposing a big change to this rule, and Google says it could be a “monumental” threat to constitutional rights.


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Google reportedly working on new ‘Tablescape’ social network for sharing food pics

Avatar for Chance Miller Feb 18 2015 - 11:04 am PT
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Google is working on a new social network community called Tablescape for sharing photos of food, according to a new report from Android Police with additional information from El Androide Libre. The service is somewhat of an extension of Google+, but with heavy optimization for users looking to share and browse photos of food.


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Google kicks off annual Science Fair w/ $100k in scholarships & grants up for grabs

Avatar for Chance Miller Feb 18 2015 - 10:04 am PT
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAVIkr7HRMk

Google today has kicked off its fifth annual Science Fair in conjunction with LEGO Education, National Geographic, Scientific America, and Virgin Galactic. Starting today and running through May 18th, students between the ages of 13 and 18 can submit projects to Google across a variety of scientific fields for a chance to win one of a handful of prizes. Possible topics include biology, computer science, anthropology, and any other scientific field.


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Google Play Music for iOS updated w/ Material Design, first ever iPad version

Avatar for Chance Miller Feb 17 2015 - 11:40 am PT
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Google this afternoon has begun rolling out a major update to the Play Music app on iOS. The update packs a handful of new features and enhancements, including a totally refreshed Material Design interface, and for the first time, an iPad optimized interface, as well.


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Apple CEO Tim Cook on Google Glass: ‘We always thought it would flop’

Avatar for Stephen Hall Feb 17 2015 - 9:50 am PT
18 Comments

As Apple prepares to bring its new smartwatch to the market, an extensive profile of Jony Ive from The New Yorker (you can find more over at 9to5Mac) has revealed how the Cupertino company sees Google Glass. But it wasn’t Ive, Apple’s design head, that made the comments. Rather, Apple CEO Tim Cook was very straightforward in saying that Google’s head-mounted display was putting a wearable in “the wrong place,” and that “glasses were not a smart move.”
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Google removes Sparrow email client from iOS and Mac App Stores

Avatar for Chance Miller Feb 17 2015 - 8:35 am PT
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Google acquired the popular email client Sparrow back in 2012 and announced that the entire team would be joining Google to work on Gmail. Since that acquisition, Sparrow apps received only a handful of updates and have been seemingly neglected in favor of Google’s new Inbox initiative. Over the past few days, however, Sparrow appears to have received the final nail in its coffin as it has been removed from both the Mac App Store and iOS App Store (via TechCrunch).


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AT&T launching GigaPower in Kansas City, exactly matching Google Fiber speed and price

Avatar for Stephen Hall Feb 16 2015 - 12:55 pm PT
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Google Fiber has been instigating the growth of fiber Internet in the United States for a few years, and now AT&T is feeling the heat more than ever. Announced at midnight last night, AT&T said it’s finally ready to start selling fiber Internet services in Kansas City and its surrounding areas (via The Kansas City Star). The company finished the rollout of 1Gbps “GigaPower” service in Austin late last year, and now it seems it’s finally time for AT&T to live up to its promise to bring the service to other cities around the country…


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Google adds two-week grace period to Project Zero bug squashing initiative

Avatar for Stephen Hall Feb 16 2015 - 8:39 am PT
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Google announced its Project Zero initiative in the middle part of last year, and now the Mountain View company is making some amendments to the rules for disclosure of bugs it finds in vendors’ software. There has been a 90-day deadline in place since the launch of the program, and that seems to be working well according to a post on the Project Zero blog, but the company says that it has taken into consideration “external feedback around some of the corner cases” and made some changes.
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Google’s ‘Helpouts’ mobile apps are no longer available for download

Avatar for Stephen Hall Feb 13 2015 - 8:31 am PT
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Google has today pulled the mobile apps for its Helpouts service from the Play Store and the App Store (via TechCrunch), less than a year after they launched. The service, which allows you to offer on-demand real help to others in live time for a price (or for free), is seemingly no longer available on mobile despite the fact that the apps only launched in April of 2014.
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Google launches Android WebView beta channel for developers

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Feb 13 2015 - 7:55 am PT
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Google today announced that it’s launching a beta channel or Android WebView, the API many apps use to display webpages. Google noted that with Android 5.0 Lollipop, it now “has the ability to update WebView independently.” It will begin to allow developers to use the new beta channel for testing the latest updates to WebView starting today:

WebView updates bring numerous bug fixes, new web platform APIs and updates from Chromium. If you’re making use of the WebView in your app, becoming a beta channel tester will give you an early start with new APIs as well as the chance to test your app before the WebView rolls out to your users.

Developers interested in becoming beta testers can join the community here in order to sign up for the program and install the WebView beta from Google Play.

9to5Toys Last Call: Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 $65, unlocked Galaxy Note 3 $300, free streaming stick w/ Sling TV, more

Avatar for Stephen Hall Feb 12 2015 - 10:16 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:

Samsung SM-T2105 Galaxy Tab 3 7” Kids 8 GB flash storage (yellow/orange): $65 shipped (Reg. $230)

Samsung N9000 Galaxy Note 3 32 GB factory unlocked for GSM networks: $300 shipped (Reg. $500)

Get a free Fire TV/Roku streaming stick or 50% off Fire TV/Roku 3 when you sign up for Sling TV

PNY Turbo 128GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive: $35 shipped (Reg. $70)

Canon EOS Rebel T3i DSLR (refurb) w/ 18-55mm Lens Kit $336 shipped (orig. $599)

Valentine’s Day Roundup: ProFlowers 30% off, Gap/Timbuk2/J.Crew up to 40% off, more

More new gear from today:

More deals still alive:

New products & more:

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Google Japan choir of 300 Android smartphones and tablets sings a hymn (Video)

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Feb 12 2015 - 5:44 am PT
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[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7lKihNI-K4]

File this one under ‘only in Japan.’ Google has posted a video to its Asia Pacific Blog of its Tokyo team connecting 300 Android smartphones and tablets in order to have them sing a hymn. The obvious thing to do, really.

300 different Androidify characters singing the same song using only the device speakers. We call it “Android Chorus”

The result is, says Google, just another illustration of how Android is about being together not the same. Ookay …

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Google patents the craziest wearable yet: keeps you clear of friends if you smell …

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Feb 12 2015 - 4:37 am PT
3 Comments

Android Wear may not have been the success Google had hoped, and Google Glass may be “paused,” but it seems the company has another idea for a wearable up its sleeve–literally. If you’ve hit the gym hard and not had time for a shower, or are just sweating from rushing around the city, Google has a plan to ensure you don’t bump into any of your friends or colleagues while you’re a smelly, sweaty mess.

The NY Daily News reports that the company has been granted a patent for a portable fan attached to your body which detects exertion and sprays a fragrance to reduce body odor. Just in case that doesn’t do the trick, it connects to social networks to find out where your friends and contacts are, and provides a route to your destination that ensures you don’t run into any of them along the way.

A device is provided which includes an activity sensor, a communication portion, and a route suggesting portion. The activity sensor can detect physical activity of a user of a device. The communication portion may provide access one or more social networks via a communication network, in which the device may communicate with a social network of contacts. The route suggesting portion may provide an alternate route to travel such that the predicted odor may not offend others that are socially connected to the user and that travel the same routes as the user.

Google CFO Patrick Pichette recently talked of the need to make tough decisions to cancel projects; we suspect this one may not be too tough a call …

Evidence of a Chromebook Pixel 2 codenamed “Samus” appears

Avatar for Chance Miller Feb 11 2015 - 4:46 pm PT
6 Comments
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1st Gen Chromebook Pixel

According to a bug reported spotted in the Chromium project issue tracker, Google is currently working on a second-generation Chromebook Pixel. Noticed by OMG Chrome, a Google employee recently filed a bug report associated with the Samus development board, which at this point, is unreleased to the public. The original Chromebook Pixel was codenamed the Link within Google’s headquarters.


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Google powering Mountain View HQ from wind power as of next year

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Feb 11 2015 - 7:48 am PT
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Google has announced that it will be powering its Mountain View headquarters with wind power from 2016–or, more precisely, that it will be purchasing enough wind-generated electricity to cover the power used by its HQ.

The agreement with NextEra Energy Resources will help to repower an iconic Bay Area wind farm at California’s Altamont Pass with new turbines that will pour 43 MW of electricity onto the grid starting in 2016 […]

Even though the electrons follow an untraceable path through the California electricity grid, we can be sure that we’re offsetting the electrical consumption of our North Bayshore headquarters with the renewable energy from the new turbines.

Google has been a carbon-neutral company since 2007, and already uses renewable energy to power its data centers (winning praise from Greenpeace), but this is the first time the company has made a direct commitment regarding its offices. Google also runs a free electric shuttle bus service for local residents.

Google shared the news the day after Apple announced that it is building a solar farm to offset all its California operations, including its new campus building currently under construction.

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Google’s search and YouTube expert Udi Manber announces departure

Avatar for Chance Miller Feb 10 2015 - 12:41 pm PT
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Google’s Udi Manber

Google this afternoon has announced that Udi Manber, a computer scientist who worked on search and YouTube, is leaving the company. Manber says that he will be joining the National Institutes of Health.

“I had a wonderful nine years at Google and YouTube, but I could not resist the amazing opportunities at NIH,” Manber said in a statement obtained by The Wall Street Journal. “Improving access to medical knowledge can have a big impact. I hope to help.”


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Mark your calendars: Google I/O 2015 is happening May 28-29, 2015 at Moscone Center West

Avatar for Stephen Hall Feb 10 2015 - 12:14 pm PT
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Google has today announced the dates for this year’s Google I/O developers’ conference, with the annual event being set for May 28th and 29th, 2015. According to the event’s website (which is notably completely plastered with Material Design), registration begins March 17th, 2015 at 9 AM PDT.


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Take 30 seconds to check your Google account security, get 2GB extra on Google Drive

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Feb 10 2015 - 6:04 am PT
3 Comments

Google wants you to check your account security, and its willing to bribe you to do it. In return for taking 30 seconds or so to complete a security checkup by February 17th, Google will add 2GB to your Google Drive storage allowance around the end of the month.

This Safer Internet Day, we’re reminded how important online safety is and hope you’ll use this as an opportunity to take 2 minutes to complete a simple Security Checkup […] As our way of saying thanks for completing the checkup by 17 February 2015, we’ll give you a permanent 2 gigabyte bump in your Google Drive storage plan.

The check makes sure you have up-to-date account recovery information, that recent activity looks legit, and that only the right apps and devices have permission to access your account. You can complete the check here.

Google adding fact-checked health information to Knowledge Graph

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Feb 10 2015 - 3:59 am PT
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Google’s Knowledge Graph–which highlights fact-checked info at the top of certain types of search results–is being expanded to include health-related searches. So next time you want to check whether you have the common cold or a rare strain of Ebola, Google should provide the necessary reassurance.

Starting in the next few days, when you ask Google about common health conditions, you’ll start getting relevant medical facts right up front from the Knowledge Graph. We’ll show you typical symptoms and treatments, as well as details on how common the condition is—whether it’s critical, if it’s contagious, what ages it affects, and more. For some conditions you’ll also see high-quality illustrations from licensed medical illustrators.

Google says that the information is pulled from “high-quality medical sources across the web” and then checked by both its own doctors and others from the Mayo Clinic … 
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Google introducing Upgraded URLs to improve tracking through AdWords

Avatar for Zac Hall Feb 9 2015 - 12:12 pm PT
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Google today announced a new feature for AdSense users called Upgraded URLs that aims to make managing and tracking information easier for advertisers. The new URL feature allows advertisers to update tracking info while avoiding having to reset ad stats. Specifically, Google says the new Upgrade URLs offer advertisers these benefits:

  • less time spent managing URL tracking updates
  • reduced crawl and load times on your website
  • new ValueTrack parameters that help you gain additional insights about your ads.

Google says it will begin rolling out its Upgraded URLs feature to advertisers this week while the company is encouraging advertisers that use tracking to upgrade to the new system by July 1, 2015. Google also mentions advertisers that use tracking platforms to manage URLs to work with them to take advantage of the new feature.

Google Talk app for Windows getting the final axe on February 16th

Avatar for Stephen Hall Feb 9 2015 - 9:40 am PT
1 Comment

If you’re still using the Google Talk app for Windows, it might be a good idea to make your way over to Hangouts. According to a message that some users are receiving when logging in, Google Talk is going to stop working in about a week (via BI India).

Google Talk app for Windows will stop working on 16 Feb. 2015. It is replaced by the new Hangouts Chrome app. Install the Hangouts app from http://goo.gl/yglfk6

Chances are that you stopped using the service, called Gtalk by its loyal users, years ago. But it looks like even those who still do—and, trust me, there’s a loyal fanbase that does exist—will be forced to move over to Hangouts effective February 16th.

This message is very similar to others that we’ve been seeing over the last year. Here’s one from November of 2014 (via Mark’s PC Solution):

We’ve reached out to Google for confirmation.

Google acquires Odysee, team behind photo backup and sharing app joins Google+

Avatar for Stephen Hall Feb 9 2015 - 6:51 am PT
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An app called Odysee has been acquired by Google, and the “Platform Team” behind it will be joining the Google+ team. The app, while definitely not all too well known, let users automatically back up their photos and videos from their smartphones to the cloud as well as a home computer.

The team will continue to work on “building amazing products” at Google, but it’s not exactly clear yet what the team is going to be doing—or what parts of Odysee may or may not be making it into Google+. Auto-upload of photos to Google+ has been pushed in the company’s official app for quite some time now, so maybe the team is coming on board to flesh out and expand that functionality of the service…
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Verizon Nexus 6 purportedly launching on February 26, will sport carrier branding on its backside

Avatar for Stephen Hall Feb 6 2015 - 10:46 am PT
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It’s been a long time coming for the Nexus 6 on Verizon. Earlier this week, it was discovered that the carrier had updated one of the pages on their website with a banner saying that the device would be “coming soon,” and now we have a bit of confirmation that “soon” might mean “before the end of February.” A new image that has surfaced this morning (via Android Police) shows purported release dates for both the Nexus 6 and the Galaxy Core Prime.


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