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5,708 'Google' stories January 2009 - September 2013

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Google apparently slips unannounced Nexus phone in its KitKat video

Mark Gurman Sep 3 2013 - 3:44 pm PT

9 Comments

Earlier today, Google announced its upcoming Android 4.4 KitKat software update. In tandem with the announcement, Google posted a video that showcases the unveiling of the KitKat statue at the company’s headquarters.

At about 38-39 seconds into the video (embedded below), a Google employee is seen taking photos or video recording the statue with an unknown Nexus device (on the left).

<em>Close-up shot, click for larger</em>

The backplate seems similar to that found on the new Nexus 7, and the camera lens appears to be larger than the current-generation Nexus 4. Speaking of the camera, Google executive Vic Gundotra previously hinted at major advances in the Android camera department:

The unannounced phone also appears larger in size, so perhaps the new device will sport a bigger screen.

The next Nexus phone is rumored to debut in Q4. The video below has been pulled since this report was published, perhaps indicating that this was a true leak.

Here’s a copy of the video:

And here’s the new phone blown up:

Thanks, Michael!

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KIT KAT posts Android KitKat 4.4 (parody?) video, “The future of confectionary”

Scott Buscemi Sep 3 2013 - 10:54 am PT

1 Comment

[youtube=http://youtu.be/OKOrkLxOBoY]

“A beautifully immersive and multi-sensory experience”

“When we set out to create confectionary perfectionary by designing the perfect chocolate bar, we nailed it the first time.”

The above video was posted to KIT KAT’s YouTube channel and parodies the regular tech product videos by talking about the features of a KitKat® in very geeky ways. Nothing is revealed about the upcoming Android operating system Android 4.4 KitKat, but it seems the partnership / promotion platform between KIT KAT and Google is strong.

Overlay-killer GO Launcher EX hits #6 in the Android app charts

Ben Lovejoy Sep 2 2013 - 5:05 am PT

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If manufacturers or carriers ever needed evidence that 9to5google is not alone in wishing they’d lay off the overlays, new figures suggest that overlay-killer Go Launcher EX is now the 6th most popular Android app. The app allows you to set your own customised homescreen to replace that set by the manufacturer or carrier …
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Google reportedly acquired WIMM Labs for its Android smartwatch/wearable platform

Jordan Kahn Aug 30 2013 - 1:51 pm PT

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Google has reportedly acquired WIMM Labs, the company that first introduced us to its 1-inch, Android-powered wearable platform back in 2011.WIMM stopped offering its open Developer Kit for its “WIMM One” platform back in the summer of 2012, noting on its website that it had “entered into an exclusive, confidential relationship” for the technology. According to a report from GigaOm, that’s because Google quietly picked up the company last year to help work on its own wearable products:

At the time, some publications speculated that Apple may have snatched up WIMM Labs to bolster its iWatch efforts, but GigaOM has now learned that the buyer actually was Google. The acquisition was facilitated by Woodside Capital Partners, and it looks like a significant part of WIMM’s staff stayed on to join Google. Most of WIMM’s senior staff still list their original company on their Linkedin profile, but a few have updated it with a mention of their new employer.

The news comes just as Samsung is about to introduce its new Galaxy Gear smartwatch product and as rumors of Apple releasing a smartwatch or similar wearable product continue to heat up. According to the report, which Google is yet to confirm, the talent picked up from WIMM is currently working with Google’s Android team. There is no mention of Google working on a smart watch product specifically, and, while the 1-inch WIMM One platform might be best suited to the wrist watch form factor, there is a possibility Google could put the tech towards other wearable products.
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Twitter launches Android beta tester program

Jordan Kahn Aug 30 2013 - 7:24 am PT

1 Comment

Following an app update earlier this week to the Twitter mobile apps that introduced a somewhat controversial conversation view in the app’s timeline, Twitter is now making a beta of its app available for those interested in testing out the latest beta. It’s likely not a direct response to the backlash Twitter received with the latest update, but at least those interested in testing out the latest new features and UI changes will have the ability to give feedback prior to the public release of future updates. It’s worth noting that the beta will replace your current Twitter app, rather than installing a separate beta version like some Google’s beta apps, but you can return to the public build at any time.

Facebook and Google do it with a lot of their apps, and now you can download the Twitter for Android Experiment by joining this Google group and signing up to become a tester here.

(via Android Police)

Google remains digital ad king, Facebook making gains in mobile, no one else close

Ben Lovejoy Aug 29 2013 - 4:18 am PT

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Increased competition in digital advertising doesn’t seem to be hurting Google: the company is on track to increase its market share to almost 33 percent this year, with a commanding 53% in mobile advertising. The projections were made by research company eMarketer based on an analysis of company reports, though both dollar and percentage figures are slightly down on its earlier predictions back in June …
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Google Maps for iOS adds ability to share locations to Google+

Jordan Kahn Aug 28 2013 - 11:41 am PT

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Google updated its Google Maps app today for iPhone and iPad with one new feature on top of the usual bug fixes. With version 2.2.0, users can now share their locations directly to Google+ from within the Google Maps iOS app. Tapping the the share button will now provide a “Google +” option and users can also select specific circles to share with before posting. Previously users could only mail, message, or copy a location to the clipboard.

What’s New in Version 2.2.0

● Share your favorite places with friends via Google+
● Bug fixes

Google rolling out 720p HD Google+ Hangouts in the coming weeks

Jordan Kahn Aug 28 2013 - 10:48 am PT

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According to a new report from GigaOm, Google is in the process of rolling out an update to higher quality 720p HD video for Google+ Hangouts and Google’s Vic Gundotra later confirmed the roll out will continue over the coming weeks. The report explains that the move is part of Google’s transition to new plug-in free standards including the switch from the H.264 video codec to VP8:

One of the key advantages of VP8 is that it will enable Hangouts in HD, something that Chew said simply wasn’t possible with H.264, because handling HD streams from 10 participants would have required too much processing power. The new video format also makes it possible for Google to serve up better-looking streams at low bit rates, which is especially important when it comes to mobile video chats.

Google’s Vice President of Engineering Chee Chew told GigaOm that the company plans to move Hangouts to the open standard WebRTC standard, which it just implemented support for in Chrome, to provide a plug-in free experience for users and other improvements:

“We will eventually move over to WebRTC,” said Chew, but this process may take several more months. However, eventually, WebRTC could actually provide an even more immersive video chat experience, explained Chew. That’s because when the video becomes a native HTML element, it will be even easier to add overlays and other, more subtle improvements.

More details available in the full report here.

YouTube retiring little-used video responses on Sept 12, developing ‘more effective fan engagement tools’

Jordan Kahn Aug 28 2013 - 7:02 am PT

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YouTube has announced on its YouTube Creators blog that it will be retiring the video response feature that allowed users to leave a video response in the comment field instead of the usual text comment. It’s likely not something that many users will even notice, as YouTube notes that video responses currently only have a click-through rate of about .0004%. That means only around 4 out of every 1 million users that see a video response actually click it. The feature will officially come to an end on September 12, but YouTube says it has plans to implement even better fan engagement tools in the near future:

So, on September 12 we’re going to retire this little-used feature as we work to develop more effective fan engagement tools for creators. The team is focused on enabling you to share video links in comments. Doing this in comments will let creators and viewers add more context to a video, and more context should drive more engagement.

Until the new fan engagement features for video comments roll out, YouTube provides a couple tips for finding and sharing video responses from fans:

In the meantime, you can continue to encourage fans to upload videos with specific titles, hashtags or descriptions (e.g., Video Response To Taylor Swift’s Video “22”), so you can find these by searching for them. If you want to highlight them, you can use playlists and channel sections instead of displaying these videos below yours. Any video responses you or your fans have made will still be available and discoverable.

Google drops Nexus 4 price to just $199 for 8GB, $249 for 16GB

Chance Miller Aug 27 2013 - 6:47 pm PT

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Google has just announced that it is cutting the price of its Nexus 4 in Australia, Canada, Germany, Spain, Korea, the United States, and the UK. The device now runs just $199 for 8GB of storage and $249 for 16GB in the United States. Previously, it was priced at $299 for 8GB and $349 for 16GB.

We've lowered the price of #Nexus4. Get it for 25% off or more in Australia, Canada, Germany, Spain, Korea, US, UK: http://t.co/g8vIKtBC9N

— Google Play (@GooglePlay) August 28, 2013

Even though the Nexus 4 was released nearly a year ago, it’s still very solid smartphone, and will continue to get updates directly from Google for a long time to come. The device is powered by a 1.5GHz Quad-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor with 2GB of RAM and an 8MP camera.

Google is expected to announce a new Nexus device sometime this fall, though exact details still remain up in the air. Some rumors point to Motorola manufacturing the device, while others claim that it will be LG again.

At the same price as many phones are on-contract, the $199 off-contract Nexus 4 is a great deal. It’s available on Google Play now and will ship within 1-2 business days, though that may change depending on demand.
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Doctor uses Google Glass to share surgery with colleagues/students across town.

Seth Weintraub Aug 27 2013 - 9:33 am PT

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A novel new use for Google Glass: In the operating room, a surgeon does an operation wearing Google Glass and shares the procedure real time with his colleagues and students in a far off classroom via Google Hangouts.

“It’s a privilege to be a part of this project as we explore how this exciting new technology might be incorporated into the everyday care of our patients,” said Dr. Christopher Kaeding. “To be honest, once we got into the surgery, I often forgot the device was there.”

Google Glass has a frame similar to traditional glasses, but instead of lenses, there is a small glass block that sits above the right eye. On that glass is a computer screen that, with a simple voice command, allows users to pull up information as they would on any other computer. Attached to the front of the device is a camera that offers a point-of-view image and the ability to take both photos and videos while the device is worn.

It seems like only last week Doctors were using iPads for surgeries.
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Chromecast stick will continue to play local content, reassures Google after SDK glitch

Ben Lovejoy Aug 27 2013 - 5:03 am PT

2 Comments

Image: Amazon

There were suggestions yesterday that Google had deliberately blocked the Chromecast stick from playing local content after an update blocked the functionality.

Google today confirmed in a statement that this was a glitch with a particular SDK, and that it remains committed to allowing the stick to play all types of content.

We’re excited to bring more content to Chromecast and would like to support all types of apps, including those for local content. It’s still early days for the Google Cast SDK, which we just released in developer preview for early development and testing only. We expect that the SDK will continue to change before we launch out of developer preview, and want to provide a great experience for users and developers before making the SDK and additional apps more broadly available.

There may of course be suggestions that it was a hasty rethink rather than a glitch; if so, it was done very swiftly.

Google reportedly blocking Android app for streaming local files to Chromecast

Jordan Kahn Aug 26 2013 - 10:01 am PT

2 Comments

Developer of the third-party AllCast Android app, Koushik Dutta, says that Google’s latest software update for Chromecast blocks the app’s ability to stream local files to Google’s new $35 streaming device. The app had not yet made its way to Google Play, but Dutta claims (via TheVerge) that Google intentionally disabled support for AllCast in the latest Chromecast software update:

Heads up. Google’s latest Chromecast update intentionally breaks AllCast. They disabled ‘video_playback’ support from the ChromeCast application.Given that this is the second time they’ve purposefully removed/disabled[1] the ability to play media from external sources, it confirms some of my suspicions that I have had about the Chromecast developer program:

The policy seems to be a heavy handed approach, where only approved content will be played through the device. The Chromecast will probably not be indie developer friendly. The Google TV team will likely only whitelist media companies.

So far Google’s Chromecast only officially supports YouTube, Netflix, and content from Google Play, and to help it make deals with other big media companies it looks like it might have to limit access to streaming capabilities for third-party apps. The other side to that of course is that Chromecast allows users to stream a tab from the Chrome browser, which allows users to stream local content from their own devices anyway. Google hasn’t commented on the AllCast situation, but we’ll update you if we hear anything.

Samsung officially opens registration for first Developer Conference, will unveil new SDKs & S Pen features

Jordan Kahn Aug 26 2013 - 6:23 am PT

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Samsung originally planned to open up registration for its first developer conference earlier this month, but after a short delay, the company has finally announced today that it’s accepting sign-ups for the event. This will be the first time Samsung comes to San Francisco to host a developer conference, something Google and Apple have been doing for years and commonly use to introduce new products and upcoming developer facing features. Samsung too plans to unveil some new services and features for developers:

Samsung’s event will feature over 40 technical sessions and industry sessions from leading influencers in the mobile, consumer electronics and digital content industries. Samsung will also unveil a number of new SDKs and tools that will help developers maximize the latest innovations, features and capabilities found in Samsung devices.

Registration is open now on Samsung’s website for the event scheduled to take place on October 27-29 at Westin St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco. Tickets cost $299 and will provide access to all keynotes and developer sessions.

We still don’t know what exactly we’ll be seeing at the conference, but Samsung does plan to show off some new tools and APIs for developers, including:

* First-look at new Samsung SDKs and tools including S Pen and new features

* Deep dive into Samsung Service Platform and services APIs including ChatON, Group Play,

Samsung AdHub, Context Aware and much more

* Best practices for developing Smart TV application in multi-screen environments spanning,

mobile, tablet and TV

* Cross-platform development case including HTML5, Web app and more

* Special sessions for B2B developers which cover the Samsung mobile partnership program,

building certified applications, KNOX, Enterprise SDK, and more

* Development opportunities in emerging categories such as gaming and much more

Samsung Opens Registration for First Annual Global Developers Conference

Event takes place in San Francisco from October 27-29 and includes over 40 working sessions, insight to new Samsung tools and SDKs and guest talks from industry luminaries

SAN JOSE, Calif.― August 26, 2013 ― Samsung Electronics Co. today announced that registration for its first annual Samsung Developers Conference has officially opened. The event, to be held at San Francisco’s St. Francis Hotel, from October 27-29, will feature insight into new tools to help developers create exciting, innovative applications and services across Samsung devices and best practice demonstrations.

Samsung’s event will feature over 40 technical sessions and industry sessions from leading influencers in the mobile, consumer electronics and digital content industries. Samsung will also unveil a number of new SDKs and tools that will help developers maximize the latest innovations, features and capabilities found in Samsung devices.

“Samsung is excited to offer developers a single place to learn how to develop, market, and monetize applications and services that may span smartphones, tablets, and televisions,” said Dr. WonPyo Hong, President of the Samsung Media Solution Center. “As convergence of user experiences and as consumers utilize more devices, even at the same time, the opportunity for developers to be innovative has never been better.”

Technical sessions and presentations from industry thought-leaders will cover key topics, including:

* First-look at new Samsung SDKs and tools including S Pen and new features
* Deep dive into Samsung Service Platform and services APIs including ChatON, Group Play,
Samsung AdHub, Context Aware and much more
* Best practices for developing Smart TV application in multi-screen environments spanning,
mobile, tablet and TV
* Cross-platform development case including HTML5, Web app and more
* Special sessions for B2B developers which cover the Samsung mobile partnership program,
building certified applications, KNOX, Enterprise SDK, and more
* Development opportunities in emerging categories such as gaming and much more

Tickets to the Samsung Developer Conference cost $299 and include access to keynotes, working sessions and an exclusive developer event on the evening of Monday, October 28. Additional information about the conference, including details on how to register, can be found at www.samsungdevcon.com.

Glass’s fashion creds boosted by 12-page spread in Vogue

Ben Lovejoy Aug 26 2013 - 5:13 am PT

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If Google is to succeed in making Glass a mass-market product, it knows that it has to much more than appeal to geeks. The company also has to make it at least acceptable, and ideally cool, for ordinary consumers to be seen to be wearing the device. And when it comes to doing that, you can’t get much better than Glass being featured in a 12-page spread in the fashion bible Vogue …
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Google Chairman Eric Schmidt responds to Oracle CEO Larry Ellison’s claim of evil, stealing: “Scoreboard”

Chance Miller Aug 25 2013 - 1:37 pm PT

2 Comments

Earlier this month, Oracle CEO Larry Ellison claimed that Google and its CEO Larry Page were “absolutely evil” and used Oracle’s “stuff” through its use of Java in Android. Oracle originally sued Google for the supposed stolen code, but Oracle lost the $6 billion legal battle. After Ellison’s latest comments, however, Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt has finally decided to respond to the claims.

In response to claims that Google “took [Oracle’s] stuff,” Schmidt proclaimed those as “simply untrue” and that the U.S. District Court agrees with him.

We typically try to avoid getting dragged into public battles with other companies. But I’ve gotten a lot of questions about Larry Ellison’s claims that Google “took [Oracle’s] stuff”. It’s simply untrue — and that’s not just my opinion, but the judgment of a U.S. District Court.

Schmidt went on to give the backstory of the lawsuit, saying that “you cannot copyright an idea, like a method of operation” and the ruling in the Google vs Oracle battle “protects a principle vital to innovation.”
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Report: Google Ventures invests $250M in Uber private car service

Jordan Kahn Aug 23 2013 - 10:39 am PT

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According to a report from AllThingsD, Google’s investment arm, Google Ventures, just invested around $250 million into Uber, the private car delivery service that lets users order vehicles through mobile apps. The investment comes as Uber raises $360 million at a valuation of around $3.5B:

Though pricey, the latest scramble to be in the Uber funding round was apparently very competitive. Sources said Google won the investment because of direct intervention by CEO Larry Page, who met with Uber CEO Travis Kalanick.

While it would be a bit stretch to guess what plans Google might have for Uber down the road, there are a few Google services in development that could benefit. Some have speculated that Uber could help power a future driverless car service from Google, but perhaps more realistic for the short term would be deliveries. Since last year Google has been testing a same-day delivery service in and around San Francisco, and it reportedly planned to use driverless cars to do so.

Google rolling out update to fix new Nexus 7 multitouch issues

Jordan Kahn Aug 22 2013 - 9:35 am PT

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As noticed by Droid-Life, Google has responded in its product forums to complaints related to multitouch issues for its new Nexus 7 and is rolling out an update to address the problems. The update will bring the Nexus 7 up to Android 4.3 build JSS15Q and a Googler confirmed the update should fix the touchscreen issues:

As a couple of you have mentioned, there’s a new system update that’s started rolling out for your Nexus 7s. This update does address the touchscreen issues discussed in this thread. If you’re one of the people experiencing touchscreen issues, please let us know how it’s going after you’ve received and installed the update.

We also heard earlier this month that Google was investigating reports of GPS problems with new Nexus 7.

Robert Scoble says Best Buy rumored to sell Google Glass next year [update: no]

Jordan Kahn Aug 21 2013 - 2:41 pm PT

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According to a report from plugged-in technologist Robert Scoble, Google might have plans to rent out around 6,000 square feet inside every Best Buy location to begin selling Google Glass by as early as next year.

Scoble does note that this is still a rumor at this point, but hopefully we’ll get some more details soon. While previous reports claimed that Google Glass could be available for everyone to purchase by the end of the year, Google confirmed earlier this week that Glass will not begin shipping to consumers until at least 2014.

Google Glass is currently still available to those invited to Google’s Glass Explorer program, but the company recently started experimenting with a Gmail style invite-a-friend strategy for the product.

While we heard previously that Google had plans to open its own retail stores, it wouldn’t be the first time its used the store-within-store model as it already operates smaller spaces within Best Buy and Dixons.
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Chrome for Android update w/ WebRTC, WebAudio, & improved scrolling now available

Jordan Kahn Aug 21 2013 - 1:17 pm PT

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We noted yesterday that the release of Chrome 29 on Windows, Mac, and Linux would be followed by an update to the Chrome app for Android that brings support for the WebRTC standard and scrolling improvements. Google has just released the update on Google Play and also noted that it includes support for the WebAudio API allowing developers to “process and synthesize audio” in web apps. WebRTC support, as we’ve noted previously, is typically used by developers to implement voice calling, video chatting, and peer-to-peer file sharing in their web apps without the ned of a plugin. Google also says the update includes enhancements to “scrolling responsiveness and visual indication when reaching the end of a page.”

The updated Chrome for Android app also brings a new UI for the color picker in web forms and improved startup performance.

Google adds time & location reminders, photo uploading to ‘Google Keep’ apps

Jordan Kahn Aug 21 2013 - 10:56 am PT

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Google announced today on its Google Drive blog that it’s rolling out a new update to its Google Keep note taking app that will introduce both time and location based reminders. After updating to the latest version of the app, users will be able to select a small reminder icon at the bottom of each note and select from a time reminder to set a specific date and/or time of day, or a location-based reminder that provides suggestions for nearby destinations as you type. The feature will let users ‘snooze’ the reminders if they choose, and the update also brings a new and improved navigation drawer for the app:

Of course, sometimes plans change. If you get a reminder you’re not ready to deal with, simply snooze it to a time or place that’s better for you. It’s now even easier to get to all of your notes using the new navigation drawer, which includes a way to view all of your upcoming reminders in one place. And for people who want more separation between their home and work lives, the drawer also lets you easily switch between your accounts.

Google Keep will also now allow users to attach photos from their device’s photo gallery opposed to just being able to snap a new picture:
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Google brings ‘Field Trip’ virtual tour guide app to Google Glass

Jordan Kahn Aug 21 2013 - 10:04 am PT

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Google is today rolling out its Field Trip app, previously available only on Android and iOS, to those lucky enough to be part of its Google Glass explorers program. While the Google Glassware version of the app appears to offer a slightly stripped down version of the virtual tour guide experience, the hands-free experience with Glass seems to be a natural fit for Field Trip. John Hanke, who is in charge of the Niantic Labs project at Google told Cnet that Field Trip was actually “conceived with Glass in mind, but Glass wasn’t ready.”
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Google ‘Helpouts’ are a Hangout-based tutoring and learning ecosystem

Seth Weintraub Aug 21 2013 - 1:02 am PT

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Google now has a landing page of a closed beta of a novel new system of monetizing tutoring over Google+’s Hangouts conveniently called Helpouts. The service was first reported a month ago. The idea is pretty simple. If you have a skill area that you think other people can benefit from, you sign up as an expert. Then on the other end, people who need tutoring in that area find an expert in that area that is online for the right price. Google takes care of the transactions. IT will be

I know people who do their counseling and tutoring over Skype or iChat already, so there is certainly a need in this area.

But the devil will be in the details. Reputation building and scoring will be important as well as keeping it clean from porn (or segregated if that’s what Google wants). Right now Google is inviting people who might be interested. I’m keeping an eye on this one – I hope it makes it through Google Purgatory.
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Google Play Services 3.2 now rolling out to all devices

Jordan Kahn Aug 20 2013 - 12:44 pm PT

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Google today announced its finishing its roll out of Google Play Services 3.2, the latest version of its platform for delivering updates to its own apps and third-party apps using Google APIs. Version 3.2 includes a number of notable new features that end-users will benefit from, including a new compass mode for PhotoSphere that lets users navigate through PhotoSpheres by moving their device, and an improved InstantBuy UI that supports offers and loyalty data.

A few of the new features available for developers include improvements to location based services and hardware-based GPS geofencing:

The Fused Location Provider now supports the selection of a low-power mode option when requesting location updates, and the ability to inject mock locations — allowing you to more efficiently test your apps in a variety of simulated conditions.

The geofencing APIs have been updated to support hardware-based GPS geofencing on devices that have supporting hardware, such as the Nexus 4. Hardware geofences consume significantly less battery, and best of all your app will automatically take advantage of this feature on supported hardware without you having to make any changes.

Google also noted that a new Snapshot feature for the maps API will let devs “capture a bitmap image of the current map in order to improve performance when an interactive map isn’t necessary.” A simplified sharing control feature in the latest release will let developers using Google+ sign in (which also receives a shiny new animation) to simplify sharing to the social network.

The Google Play Services 3.2 release is now available for developers to test through an updated Google APIs emulator image in the Android SDK Manager. More info is available on the Android developers blog here.