Google

In a blog post, Google today announced that it is adding product ratings to its Product Listing Ads within searches. The stars will come from a variety of reviews and sources, including merchants, third-party review sites, users, and more. Google says that adding product ratings to its Listing Ads within searches will drive higher traffic through these ads. The company claims that this change also helped increase click-through rates of Product Listing Ads in early testing.

We believe these ratings will help differentiate products across google.com and google.com/shopping and will help merchants drive more qualified traffic through Product Listing Ads. In initial tests, product ratings also helped increase click-through-rates of Product Listing Ads.

Google says it delivered patch for Android’s “Fake ID” security flaw to partners

Jordan Kahn Jul 29 2014 - 8:57 am PT

Citing research from Bluebox Security on an Android security flaw researchers have dubbed “Fake ID,” Arstechnica is out with a report today detailing how the vulnerability exposes a long list of Android users to malware threats.
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Motorola rumored to be developing phablet-sized Nexus device w/ Google as it transitions to Lenovo

Chance Miller Jul 28 2014 - 1:09 pm PT

Over the weekend, a report was published claiming that Google and Motorola were working together on a 5.9-inch Nexus device codenamed the Shamu. This afternoon, The Information published a separate report corroborating this weekend’s source.

Cable companies say we’ve got it wrong on net neutrality: Google could be the real villain

Ben Lovejoy Jul 28 2014 - 6:40 am PT

We thought we understood the net neutrality argument: the need to ensure that ISPs like the big cable companies don’t extort cash from services like Netflix to provide them with greater bandwidth than companies who don’t pay the toll.

But no, according to Time Warner, we’ve got this backward: it’s popular websites like Google who could do the extorting, reports National Journal.

In a filing to the FCC, Time Warner Cable claimed that the controversy over Internet providers potentially charging websites for access to special “fast lanes” is a “red herring.” The real danger, the cable company claimed, is that Google or Netflix could demand payments from Internet providers. Customers expect access to the most popular websites, and an Internet provider may have little choice but to pay up.

The National Cable and Telecommunications Association, a trade association representing all the major cable companies, backed this view, saying that it’s companies like “Google, Netflix, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, and Facebook” that we should be concerned about. It is, of course, merely coincidence that these are the mostly the same companies who wrote a joint letter to the FCC in support of net neutrality.

Google is on record as saying that there is no conflict between co-location – which enables faster delivery of content to consumers – and net neutrality.

We give companies like Netflix and Akamai free access to space and power in our facilities and they provide their own content servers. We don’t make money from peering or colocation; since people usually only stream one video at a time, video traffic doesn’t bog down or change the way we manage our network in any meaningful way — so why not help enable it?

The FCC has, understandably, rejected Time Warner’s claim, stating that “such conduct is beyond the scope of this proceeding.”

Motorola and Google reportedly developing a 5.9-inch Nexus phone codenamed ‘Shamu’

Chance Miller Jul 26 2014 - 12:02 pm PT

The fate of Google’s Nexus line of devices has been up in the air for several months now, with LG saying it is not working on a device for it and Android Silver reportedly taking over its role. At Google I/O last month, however, Googler David Burke confirmed that the company is still heavily interested in the Nexus line of devices. Rumors have also recently circulated that HTC is working on a 9-inch Nexus tablet dubbed the Volantis. Now, Android Police is reporting that Google and Motorola are working on a device codenamed Shamu.

Google’s acquisition of Twitch for $1 billion reportedly confirmed

9to5 Staff Jul 24 2014 - 1:51 pm PT

According to VentureBeat, citing sources familiar with the matter, Google has reached an agreement with Twitch to acquire the live streaming video platform for $1 billion. While the deal appears to have been finalized, the two companies have yet to make a formal announcement regarding the acquisition. Google’s YouTube division is reportedly in charge of the acquisition.
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Hands-on with a functional 4.7-inch iPhone 6 clone w/ heavily detailed, skinned version of Android (Video)

Dom Esposito Jul 24 2014 - 11:47 am PT

It may look like iOS, but this functional “Wico6” iPhone 6 clone is actually running a heavily skinned version of Android. Published by YouTuber Danny Winget, this functional clone mimics Apple’s iPhone in almost every way possible, all the way down to the packaging and accessories. So what’s the big deal? Apple clones pop up all of the time. Well, the Wico6 is designed to look like all of the iPhone 6 dummies we’ve seen up to the point.

This “fully functional” device does work as a smartphone (SIM card slot and all), but it’s not running iOS. There’s nothing fancy here as far as specifications go, but its user interface is shockingly detailed and does a very good job mimicking iOS. This device is powered by a 2.4GHz quad-core MediaTek processor, 2GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage, and has a 4.7-inch display with a resolution of 960 x 540 (234 ppi). Nothing impressive, but apparently it gets the job done.

Chrome 37 beta launches on Android with material design

9to5 Staff Jul 24 2014 - 11:23 am PT

Google this morning announced the beta release of Chrome 37 on Android.

According to Google’s blog post about the new version, Chrome 37 will feature the new material design language shown off at Google I/O and most recently found on the updated Play Store that rolled out this week.

Google shares latest focus areas for Internet policy and standards research proposals

Zac Hall Jul 24 2014 - 10:49 am PT

Vint Cerf, Google’s Chief Internet Evangelist, posted the company’s latest policy and standards research proposal focus areas today on Google’s research blog:

We would like to share with you the areas of Internet policy in which we are particularly interested to see progress and stimulate further research:

Accessibility: Google is committed to supporting research that generates insights about what helps make technology a usable reality for everyone, regardless of cognitive, physical, sensory, or other form of impairment.

Access: What policies help bring open, robust, competitive and affordable Internet access to everyone in the world? What are the economic and social impacts of improved Internet access? In particular, what are the emerging impacts of gigabit access networks?

Intellectual property (IP) in the digital era: The growth of digital industries has meant that IP law is an increasingly important policy tool governing innovation and economic growth. We would like to better understand how IP legislation can enable new technologies, and what effect different national or regional IP regimes have on innovation, such as the effect of patent litigation on invention, and how copyright exceptions affect the creation of online technologies.

Freedom of Expression: As an advocate of freedom of expression on the Internet, Google is interested in research that produces insights into how discourse and expression in the global online (public) sphere happens, and how stakeholders best allow freedom of expression, balance it with other rights and resolve conflicts or interest/disputes.

Internet Governance: The Internet is a universal space that many expect to remain open, free, and borderless. Multiple stakeholders (internet companies, governments and civil society) work together to design the governance practices and institutions to maintain order and innovation in the global Internet ecosystem. We are interested in supporting top researchers who analyze and contribute insights into which practices and institutional structures work and which don’t.

Open Standards and Interoperability: Open Standards and interoperability of services are at the core of the Internet’s successful international propagation and usefulness. Google is interested in research that contributes analysis and best practices for standardization and interoperability. Among them we see resource management, access control and authorities for the Internet of Things, as well as questions regarding convergence and security. Also, cloud computing and storage could benefit from open standards that enable interoperability.

Additionally, there are several important research areas like Privacy, Economics and market algorithms, and Security, which have a significant policy component but are dealt with as research topics distinct from policy & standards.

For more from Vint Cerf and Google’s role on shaping Internet policy, see the Google VP and Chief Internet Evangelist’s recent interview with Stephen Colbert on Comedy Central as seen in the shot above.

Google Maps Engine Pro subscribers now have access to Maps Coordinate productivity suite

9to5 Staff Jul 24 2014 - 10:39 am PT

Google announced on Thursday that, starting today, all Google Maps Engine Pro users will now have access to the Maps Coordinate suite of productivity tools. Google is also opening the Coordinate app for Android to anyone with a Google account, whereas you previously needed to be a Google Apps user.
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Hangouts on Air’s new Showcase app helps broadcasters further promote their products and services

Mark Hearn Jul 24 2014 - 10:26 am PT

Today, Google announced the availability of its new Showcase app for Hangouts on Air that lets hosts promote content related to their conversation like websites, YouTube videos, Google+ profiles and content from Google Play via an onscreen panel displayed on the right-hand side of the video feed. For example, the cast of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes recently held a Hangout and used the Showcase app to share links to trailers and movie tickets.

Chromecast boasts 400 million casts as it celebrates its 1 year mark w/ 3 months of free Google Play Music All Access

Zac Hall Jul 24 2014 - 8:47 am PT

Happy birthday, Chromecast! That’s what Google is saying today as it announced the HDMI media streaming stick has been used to cast content 400 million times in the 12 months since it launched. The Chromecast, of course, allows you to stream content from services like Netflix, Hulu, and Pandora to your HDTV from your Android or iOS as well as your computer via the Chrome browser.

We’ve added hundreds of your favorite apps, including WatchESPN, Pandora, Hulu Plus, HBO GO and PBS Kids; announced new features like mirroring your Android device to the TV and expanded to 30,000 stores across 20 countries.

That’s certainly a lot of casting from the $35 accessory, and Google is giving all Chromecast users 90 days of its Google Play Music All Access service for free to celebrate. The offer to redeem 3 months of free access to the $9.99/month music subscription service will run from today, July 24th, through September 30th, for all existing Chromecast customers not already subscribed to All Access.
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‘Right to be forgotten’ mess gets messier as European regulators complain about Google’s approach

Ben Lovejoy Jul 24 2014 - 6:56 am PT

The mess and uncertainty created by an European court ruling that individuals have a ‘right to be forgotten‘ by search-engines when sensitive information is deemed to be “outdated or irrelevant” just got worse. Regulators are meeting with Google today to express concerns about the way in which Google has chosen to implement the ruling, reports Business Insider.

Under particular scrutiny is Google’s decision to only remove results from its European search engines, such as google.co.uk, meaning anyone can easily access the hidden information by switching to the widely used google.com […]

Another issue likely to be raised by the EU watchdogs is Google’s decision to notify the owners of the websites that have been removed from search results …

Google Voice now features calling from Hangouts on the web

Zac Hall Jul 24 2014 - 6:53 am PT

We reported earlier this year that Google has plans to eventually roll Google Voice’s features into its Hangouts service and retire the former product, and we’re slowly seeing that transition play out now. Google’s Alex Weisen, who works on Google Voice, shared last night in a Google+ post that they’re making calling via Hangouts an option from the Google Voice website. Furthermore, the functionality will not require a Google+ account to work either. The option appears to be live on the Google Voice web interface now.
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ZTE’s latest low-cost handset drops MiFlavor overlay in favor of pure Google goodness

Ben Lovejoy Jul 24 2014 - 5:47 am PT

While those buying high-end handsets often get the option of Google Play editions that are free from manufacturer overlays, the same isn’t generally true of low-end ones, where manufacturer overlays rule. ZTE’s new Blade Vec 4G handset, though, is being supplied with the Google Now Launcher as the default interface, reports the WSJ.

“Some consumers may prefer Google Now Launcher,” said Zeng Xuezhong, ZTE’s head of mobile device business, in an interview Thursday. “We are trying to give users more options.”

The Chinese manufacturer says that it expects to sell around 20M smartphones in its home market this year, with a similar number in the US.

ZTE says that it plans to launch further Google edition handsets in future, but that it will continue to use the MiFlavor overlay on others. Its high-end Nubia Z7 was announced earlier this month, but it’s not yet clear whether it will make it to the USA.

Hangouts in Chrome without plugin rolling out to Google Apps users today

Jordan Kahn Jul 23 2014 - 7:14 am PT

After announcing late last month that video calls for its Hangouts service in Chrome no longer require a plugin, Google is today rolling out the change to Google Apps users as well.

The change means that users attempting to make a video call from Hangouts using their Google Apps account will no longer be prompted to install a browser plug-in for Chrome. Now, users will only have to grant permission to their computer’s mic and camera to initiate the call (as pictured above).

Following this update, when users try to start a video call for the first time, they’ll see a message underneath the address bar asking for permission to access their computer’s mic and camera. If they want to change their choice later, they can change it from the address bar in Chrome… We recommend users familiarize themselves with this change before seeing the prompt.

The change first launched in the Canary and Developer builds of Chrome and later to all users in the public, stable release of Chrome, but today arrives for Google Apps users.

YouTube’s subscription music plans suffer another setback as head of music leaves – again

Ben Lovejoy Jul 23 2014 - 6:12 am PT

Frustrations over delays in launching YouTube’s long-awaited subscription-based music service are the reason the company has just lost its second head of music in less than a year, reports the WSJ.

Chris LaRosa, YouTube’s product manager in charge of music, will be leaving Google this Friday to join a startup. A YouTube spokesman confirmed LaRosa’s departure but didn’t say which startup LaRosa would be joining.

We’ve been hearing rumors about YouTube’s plans to launch the service since last October – the rumors then suggesting it would launch that year. Then it was going to be the first quarter this year. And then the second quarter – which just ended, still with no sign of the service nearing launch …

Google acquires 3D graphics firm drawElements for upwards of $10 million

9to5 Staff Jul 23 2014 - 6:07 am PT

Google has acquired 3D graphics firm drawElements, which offers cutting-edge GPU quality analysis solutions. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, although ArcticStartup reports that it has narrowed down the dollar value to eight figures.
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Fleksy keyboard for Android redesigned, adds premium themes & 17 new languages

Mark Gurman Jul 23 2014 - 5:57 am PT

Flesky, a popular third-party keyboard option for Android, is rolling out version 3.0 that brings a refreshed user-interface design, new premium features, and more languages. Fleksy makes typing on smartphones quicker using a combination of advanced text prediction and an iOS QuickType-like function for predicting the next complete word in a sentence.

Today’s refreshed design brings clearer letters and new color tones. Besides the included color variations, users of the paid version of Fleshy from Google Play will be able to purchase additional themes through the keyboard’s settings. There will be six paid themes, and paid Fleksy users will receive one premium download at no cost. Fleksy is also bringing 17 new languages out of beta and enhancing the 40 previously available languages.

Motorola shows off digital tattoo to unlock your phone

Ben Lovejoy Jul 23 2014 - 5:10 am PT

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15uIFmysZV4]

Let’s face it, when companies are interviewed at tech conferences, they talk about all kinds of crazy stuff that will never be launched – like the idea of wearing a digital tattoo to unlock your phone. Except this time, more than a year after first discussing the idea at the D11 conference last May, Motorola has actually done it and is showing it off in a new video …
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Google Play Store update rolling out with new Material Design inspired look

Chance Miller Jul 22 2014 - 6:16 pm PT

Last week, screenshots of an upcoming Play Store redesign leaked, showing off a much cleaner, Material Design inspired design, and today, the update finally started rolling out to users. The update bumps the Play Store to version 4.9.13 and packs a variety of enhancements and changes.

JW Player updated to version 6.9, brings Chromecast support to millions of sites

Chance Miller Jul 22 2014 - 4:24 pm PT

In April of this year, it was announced that JW Player would soon be adding support for the Chromecast, and today the feature finally went live for everyone. For those unfamiliar, the JW Player platform powers a variety of popular websites including ESPN and millions of others. With today’s release of JW Player 6.9, it just got a whole lot easier to view web video on your TV.

Report: Google tried to buy Spotify, but it was just a bit too pricey (Update: Nope)

Stephen Hall Jul 22 2014 - 3:01 pm PT

A report out today thanks to the Wall Street Journal says that Google tried to buy Spotify late last year. The person familiar with the matter says that talks fell through for a variety of reasons, but a big one was that the company was asking a very high price in order to be bought out. Also, the person says that Larry Page isn’t quite fond of subscription services in general, and it doesn’t seem that helped negotiations much.

Google introduces another Udacity course called ‘Developing Scalable Apps’ for Java developers

9to5 Staff Jul 22 2014 - 12:18 pm PT