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5,710 'Google' stories January 2009 - August 2012

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Pandora for Android update brings new UI, song lyrics and exploration features

Élyse Betters Aug 23 2012 - 9:55 am PT

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Pandora for Android just updated to version 1.7.

The latest version notably includes an all-new look with tweaks to navigation and design elements, while another improvement adds song history options for reviewing and bookmarking previously played tracks. Moreover, users can now access full song lyrics, artist biographies, similar music content, and Music Genome Project features. Oh, and the usual bug fixes are included.

Changelog:

All new look with improved navigation and design updates

Song history – review, rate, or bookmark previously played tracks

Explore the music you love with: full song lyrics, artist bios, similar artists and tracks, and track features from the Music Genome Project

Additional bug fixes and enhancements

Grab the new Pandora for Android at the Google Play Store.

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Facebook for Android update adds batch uploading, photos and emoji to messages

Élyse Betters Aug 23 2012 - 9:29 am PT

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Facebook for Android just updated to version 1.9.8.

The latest version notably includes a new uploader for selecting and uploading multiple images, while another tweak adds the ability to enter photos and emoji characters in messages. Moreover, users can now create an event with various options like inputting location details.

Changelog:

Easily create events

Share photos faster with a new upload flow

Add photos and emoji to messages

Grab the new Facebook for Android at the Google Play Store.

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Google Maps treks to Canada’s isolated Arctic to plot hamlet’s 4,000-year history

Élyse Betters Aug 23 2012 - 7:17 am PT

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Every hear of Cambridge Bay? It is not in the United Kingdom, as one might think, but rather the Kitikmeot Region of Nunavut in Canada’s Arctic and Google is trying to put it on the map.

According to the official Google blog:

There are 4,000 years’ worth of stories waiting to be told on this map. Today, we’re setting out on an ambitious mission to tell some of those stories and to build the most comprehensive map of the region to date. It is the furthest north the Google Maps Street View team has traveled in Canada, and our first visit to Nunavut. Using the tools of 21st century cartography, we’re empowering a community and putting Cambridge Bay on the proverbial map of tomorrow.

Google further revealed a local nonprofit group, Nunavut Tunngavik, is helping to map the hamlet in both English and Inuktitut, which is one of Nunavut’s official languages, while the Internet giant pedals around with a tripod and the Street View trike to collect imagery.

“This is a place with a vast amount of local knowledge and a rich history. By putting these tools in the hands of our people, we will tell Nunavut’s story to the world,” said Nunavut Tunngavik’s Chris Kalluk, who’s organization helped plot the remnants of an ancient Dorset stone longhouse that pre-dates Inuit culture.

Get more mapping details and images at the Google blog.

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Google Goggles updated with faster object tracking and better QR code scanning

Jordan Kahn Aug 23 2012 - 6:44 am PT

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Google Goggles received a decent update today that brings more than a few new features and enhancements. Most notably, users no longer have to enable search history to use the “search from camera” function. Google also noted object tracking in continuous mode is now “faster and more robust.” Google then explained a number of ways it improved scanning QR codes with a URL encoded:

– When scanning a QR code that has a URL encoded:
– The thumbnail of a page is shown
– URL is checked against a malicious URL blacklist
– More complete barcode coverage
– Support for non-autofocus cameras
– When Goggles fails to find an exact match – search for products that look similar.

As always, the updated version of Google Goggles for Android devices running 2.2 and up is free from Google Play now.
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Google+ rolling out new features for better control over Circles

Jordan Kahn Aug 22 2012 - 10:39 am PT

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Google Product Manager Austin Chang made an announcement on his Google+ today highlighting some new features rolling out on Google+ (via TNW). In addition to the “sliders” the service rolled out last year, allowing you to filter what you read and share on Google+, Google is rolling out three new features today that provide even more control. The new features allow you to control notifications from specific circles, opt to send emails for important news you are sharing, and mute notifications from a specific contact within a circle. Chang explained:

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New Google Wallet ads demo online service and NFC payments [Videos]

Élyse Betters Aug 22 2012 - 9:42 am PT

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mO1963mat9M&feature=plcp]

Google posted two new videos on its YouTube channel last night that demonstrate Google Wallet’s online service and tap-and-pay capabilities. The above video details how users can pay online by signing into their account anywhere Google Wallet is accepted, where as the video below shows how they can pay in-store by tapping a Google Wallet-enabled smartphone anywhere “contactless” NFC payments are accepted.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVDyd4G0uTU]

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Google launches Official Google Canada Blog

Jordan Kahn Aug 22 2012 - 9:08 am PT

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Google has a ton of different blogs covering various aspects of its business, and the company has now launched an Official Google Canada Blog today to make announcements and share news specific to Canada and Canadians:

Ten years ago, Google Canada opened its doors in Toronto, becoming one of the first international Google offices. Since then, we’ve added Google offices in Kitchener-Waterloo and Montreal, bringing together an incredible team of people who you just might find scrambling up an indoor climbing wall or sliding into their office on any given day of the week.

What a lot of people may not realize is how, over this time, Canada has had a hand in many of the products Canadians love—from the Chrome browser to Gmail for Mobile—or how Canadians themselves are gaining global recognition for the amazing things they’re doing on the web, whether they’re launching a music career, making us laugh, or discovering new ways to reach out and inspire others online.

iFixit tears down the $99 Google TV-powered Vizio Co-Star

Jordan Kahn Aug 22 2012 - 7:07 am PT

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We knew from an announcement in January that the ARM-based Armada 1500 chipset from Marvell would be at the core of new Google TV products in 2012. Today, we see the chips inside of one of the latest Google TV streaming products that went on sale last month, the Vizio Co-Star. The guys and gals over at iFixit decided to make the Co-Star its latest teardown victim, revealing the $99 set top box is powered by Marvell’s Armada 1500 1.2 GHz Dual-Core Processor, 1GB of RAM, and various other Marvell components:

* Here’s the specs on the Co-Star:
* Marvell Armada 1500 1.2 GHz Dual-Core Processor
* Marvell 88DE2755 QDEO Video Processor
* Nanya NT5CB256M8GN-DI 1 GB RAM
* Samsung K9GBG08U0A-SCBO 4 GB NAND Flash
* Marvell Avastar 88W8787 WLAN/Bluetooth/FM SoC

iFixit provided some highlights after giving the Co-Star a respectable 8 out of 10 repairability score:
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Google Play Gift Cards rolling out to Target, GameStop, RadioShack, & Walmart

Jordan Kahn Aug 21 2012 - 1:20 pm PT

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We told you last week that Google was readying physical gift cards for Google Play content, and the company made things official today by announcing the cards will roll out to Target, GameStop, and RadioShack retail outlets in the coming weeks. The cards will be available in $10, $25, and $50, and they will initially only be available in the United States at the retailers mentioned above and through Walmart.com later this month.

-Explore millions of songs from top artists, thousands of your favorite movies and TV shows, the world’s largest selection of eBooks, and much more. Play your purchases instantly on the web or on the go — no need for wires or syncing.

-Shop for all the Android apps and games you love with your Google Play gift card. You can even use it to purchase extra levels, add-on packs, and virtual currency.

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Chrome OS gets a redesigned apps list, custom wallpapers, & Google Drive support

Jordan Kahn Aug 21 2012 - 12:36 pm PT

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Over on the Chrome Blog today, Google highlighted some of the new features in this week’s stable release of Chrome OS with the most notable being a redesigned apps list that includes an omnibox search bar at the top:

Notably, we made the apps list much more compact, so you can access your apps without interrupting your browsing experience. We also added a search box at the top of the apps list, which you can use like an omnibox to search the web, specific websites, or the apps on your computer.

Other improvements included in the release: custom wallpapers, a redesigned Cloud Print dialog, and the ability to save files directly to your Google Drive. Google also noted the release includes”audio support for USB and HDMI, additional sandboxing security features, and many more bug fixes.”
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Google Offers and Boingo to expand free Wi-Fi to 24 more locations, malls and airports

Élyse Betters Aug 21 2012 - 10:34 am PT

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We reported in June that Google Offers is sponsoring free Wi-Fi in New York City until September, and now the discounted service will extend to more nationwide locations.

The sponsorship is possible through an agreement with Boingo Wireless. New Yorkers and tourists currently access free Internet at six subway stations and over 200 Boingo hotzones in the borough of Manhattan due to the partnership. The free Wi-Fi coverage, which even reaches below street level, will end Sept. 7. However, another 24 locations across the country will soon have access to the wide-reaching, complimentary service.

Starting today, the sponsored Wi-Fi will cover eight malls and 16 airports throughout New York, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Seattle, and other major cities. Google Offers, which is an infant deal-of-the-day website piping localized savings to huge geographic markets in the U.S., is the first sponsor of Boingo Wi-Fi in New York subway stations.

The full press release is below (via BusinessWire):

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Analyst: Google to sell 2.9M Nexus 7s in Q3, 8M by the end of 2012

Jordan Kahn Aug 21 2012 - 5:58 am PT

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Shortly after becoming available in the United States and Canada at various retailers and Google Play in mid-July, we reported Google suspended orders of the 16GB version while reports claimed the company had simply sold out of initial supplies. It would take Google weeks to restock the device, according to reports, but the 16GB model was again available on the store just a week later. Today, we get a look at just how many Nexus 7 tabs Google might have sold with analyst Sameer Singh estimating 6- to- 8 million units sold by the end of 2012 (via ComputerWorld):

Google could sell between six million and eight million of its $199 Nexus 7 tablets by year’s end, according to a new estimate… That’s more than double the three million Google expected to sell by the end of 2012, after putting the device on sale in July and seeing the 16GB version sell-out briefly… The estimate, based on projections using expected shipments of four million touch panels for the Nexus 7 in the third quarter 2012,

Google has not released any sales data related to the device and declined to comment on the estimates. Singh’s estimates definitely blow by the “1.5 million units in five weeks” estimated by Gartner. The estimate of 8 million units by year’s end is also significantly higher than Gartner’s estimates. According to Singh, “Google and Asus may have roughly doubled their [sales] estimates and cranked up the production volume.” Singh explained how he used panel orders to come up with his estimates:
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From the ‘How bad could it be?’ dept: $50 Android 2.2 7-inch tablet with front and rear cameras from Pandigital

9to5 Staff Aug 20 2012 - 12:19 pm PT

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OneSaleADay offers the “Google Android Pandigital Planet 7″ Touchscreen Tablet with Android 2.2 OS, 2GB & MicroSD Expansion Slot!” for just $49.99 with $5 for shipping. That’s a pretty insane price even if this thing is just a 2GB photoframe. But it isn’t. It is an Android 2.2 tablet with front AND BACK cameras, SD card slot (take that Nexus 7!), and 802.11N networking.

You are not going to love reading on this, with a 800-by-600 resolution, but it might make a good Google Hangout/web browsing/ general-use Android tablet for those without a lot of cash. Amazon’s reviewers were not very kind, but “you get what you pay for.” The full specs are below:
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Leaked press shots tease Nikon’s Android-powered Coolpix ‘S800c’ [Photos]

Élyse Betters Aug 20 2012 - 10:05 am PT

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NikonRumors just posted leaked press shots of the Android-based Coolpix “s800c” camera.

The pictures reveal a touchscreen menu on the backside, apparently running a Gingerbread flavor, with apps for a camera, email, browser, music, etc. Additional specs labeled on the front of the camera detail a “12X Wide Optical Zoom ED VR” in HD and a 4.5-54.0mm stock lens.

NikonRumors, which has a decent track record in scooping Nikon, said the official announcement will occur “on or around” Aug. 22. The website first discovered the s800c in a filling with the Indonesian Communication Agency, and it originally noted the camera touts a 3.5-inch OLED screen, Android 2.3 with Google Play apps, and built-in GPS and Wi-Fi.

A full gallery is below.

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USPTO publishes Google patent for 3D video conferencing on a laptop

Élyse Betters Aug 17 2012 - 1:28 pm PT

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The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office published a patent application from Google that illustrates the search giant is developing technology for a computing device, such a laptop, that will boast dual cameras with 3D video conferencing as the main function.

Patent Bolt explained:

Google’s specific example goes like this: the computing notebook with the dual cameras could be used by a first user to produce a stereoscopic image of, for example, the first user during a video conference session when while in the notebook’s stereoscopic mode. In some instances, the stereoscopic image could be displayed locally and/or sent to a remote computing device via the video conference session.

If a second user joins the video conferencing session in the same room as the first user, the notebook could be changed from a stereoscopic mode to that of a multi-image mode so that separate images of the first user and the second user could be used during the video conferencing session.

It is worth noting stereoscopy is otherwise known as 3D imaging. Most stereoscopic techniques present two offset images independently to the left and right eye of the viewer, but the brain combines them to give the perception of 3D depth.

Patent Bolt further contextualized the multi-image mode:

In Google’s example of this invention used in a video conferencing context, two people in one office could be both using the same notebook during the conference for the sake of simple communications. They could be sitting across the table from each other with one camera facing one participant and the other camera pointed to the back of the notebook to view the second participant. The party on the other end of the conference would simply see two side-by-side boxes on their screen as if the individuals were actually sitting side by side. For home users it could be handy application when there’s only one household notebook.

Get the full report and more images at Patent Bolt.

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Google rolls out new panoramic Street View imagery of Brazil and pre-hispanic Mexican cities

Jordan Kahn Aug 17 2012 - 10:38 am PT

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Google announced today on the Lat Long Blog that it added even more Street View imagery to Google Maps; this time for Brazil and pre-hispanic Mexican cities. While there was already Street View imagery available for the locations, the latest additions include panoramic imagery for 70+ cities throughout Brazil including “colonial cities like Fortaleza, architecturally compelling cities like Brasilia and coastal landmarks like Recife, Natal and Salvador.”

You can even virtually travel to the west side of Brazil and visit Foz de Iguaçu, or if you’re planning an upcoming trip, preview the the area around your hotel as well as nearby shopping malls, historic monuments, restaurants and more. With so many upcoming events, like the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics, we’re excited to share the riches of Brazil’s cities not only with tourists from around the world, but also with locals who might want to visit a city, neighborhood or landmark they’ve not yet experienced.

Also included in today’s update is 30 Mesoamerican archaeological areas in Mexico, including the 1,100-year-old Kukulkan’s Temple pyramid, and other sites such as Teotihuacan, Chichen Itza, and Tulum.

Google, Samsung join Apple and other adversaries to buy Kodak patents, perhaps signaling intent to curtail litigation

Élyse Betters Aug 17 2012 - 8:11 am PT

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It must be a cold day in Hell. Google and Samsung are consorting with Apple, LG Electronics, and various ventures and firms to bid as a group on Kodak’s intellectual property.

Kodak filed for bankruptcy protection in January, according to The Wall Street Journal, and it is looking to auction its patents to raise money for surviving a Chapter 11 court protection. Kodak could barter all 1,100 digital photography-based patents or end the auction without a deal, as the company announced it would name the winning bidders on Monday but eventually pushed the deadline upon talking with creditors.

The Wall Street Journal explained:

Negotiations and the bidding group’s composition are fluid, the people said. If the consortium reaches a deal to buy some or all of Kodak’s patents, they would essentially be kept out of any one company’s hands and could prevent consortium members from using them in litigation against each other. A deal, however, could also attract attention from federal antitrust regulators.

A deal for the entire portfolio—one of many options under discussion— could fetch more than $500 million based on recent negotiations, people familiar with the process said. That is well above opening bids when the auction started last week, but far below the $2.2 billion to $2.6 billion Kodak at one point said the patents could be worth.

In a statement Thursday, Kodak said discussions with buyers are active and that it isn’t ready to announce a result. The company added that it might decline to sell some or all of the patents, depending on how the auction progresses.

Photography and cameras are obviously a main feature of mobile devices. Competitors in the tech arena have joined forces in the past to snatch up attractive patents, but The Wall Street Journal noted it is “unusual for them all to join the same camp.”

Patent law whiz Michael Carrier, of Rutgers University in Camden, said the companies would not suffer antitrust issues if the tech giants commit to licensing on reasonable rates. Otherwise, an action such as dividing the patents without sharing the rights to use them could likely meet legal trouble down the road.

Get the full report at The Wall Street Journal.

This article is cross-posted on 9to5Mac.

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Google’s Voice Search adds 13 new languages

Élyse Betters Aug 17 2012 - 7:25 am PT

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Google’s Voice Search is now available in 42 languages in 46 countries.

The search giant added 13 new languages to its app; so over 100 million worldwide speakers can now use Voice Search. The new languages include, according to the official Google blog, Basque, Bulgarian, Catalan, European Portuguese, Finnish, Galician, Hungarian, Icelandic, Norwegian, Romanian, Serbian, Slovak, and Swedish.

“Each new language usually requires that we initially collect hundreds of thousands of utterances from volunteers and, although we’ve been working on speech recognition for several years, adding these new languages led our engineers and scientists to tackle some unique challenges,” explained Product Manager Bertrand Damiba in Google’s post.

This update is rolling out over the next week. Those with an Android 2.2 or later device can use Voice Search by way of a microphone icon on the Google Search widget from the homescreen. Otherwise, a user must install the Voice Search app from Google Play.

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Discover is the first to implement Google’s ‘Save to Wallet’ API, makes adding cards easier

Jordan Kahn Aug 16 2012 - 3:50 pm PT

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Google rolled out its Google Wallet web app at the beginning of the month and introduced support for all major credit cards, including Visa, MasterCard, America Express, and Discover, at the same time. Today, the company announced on the Google Commerce blog that Discover Card is the first to implement the new “Save to Wallet” API for credit and debit card issuers.

Discover securely transmits all required information directly to Google Wallet. You can then select your Discover Card to be the primary method the Google Wallet app will use for in-store purchases, or when shopping online from Google Play or other merchants that accept Google Wallet. You’ll continue to earn rewards on every purchase you make. Discover has also provided Google Wallet with card imagery for the Discover More® Card, so you can easily identify your virtual Discover card in your mobile wallet.

Google demoed the new API during its full Wallet session at Google I/O in June. The feature allows card issuers and eventually other partners to provide a “Save to Wallet” or “Add Your Card” option in their website or application to securely transfer card and account information to Google Wallet. Google said the API would eventually extend to saving Offers in addition to payment cards.

To save a Discover Card to Google Wallet, follow the instructions below:

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‘Smart updates’ now live in Google Play Store

Élyse Betters Aug 16 2012 - 2:19 pm PT

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The folks at AndroidPolice are on a roll today, as they just discovered, after examining the new Google Play Store APK, that the revamped Android marketplace now takes advantage of “smart updates.”

The 300 KB APK code previously revealed a wishlist and gift cards coming down the pipeline, and now it shows incremental downloads are live in version 3.8.15 of the Play Store. Those who need to keep an eye on their data consumption will revel in the update, because it means they no longer have to re-download an entire APK to get the latest version. Hereafter—Android devices will only download the changes between versions.

That is not all, according to AndroidPolice:

Here’s the good news: it should also work with earlier Play Store releases, like 3.7.15, as the change seems to be retroactive and server-side.

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USPTO publishes Google’s ‘Speak to Tweet’ patent

Élyse Betters Aug 16 2012 - 12:29 pm PT

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The U.S. Patent and Trademark office just published a Google patent for “Speak to Tweet,” which is a service that allows users to communicate on Twitter by dialing an international phone number and then leaving a tweet by way of voice message. Google developed “Speak to Tweet” in response to the 2011 Egyptian revolution Internet shutdown.

Patentbolt explained:

In January 2011 Google acquired a small company called SayNow. Google, with the assistance of their newly acquired SayNow team worked night and day with Twitter so as to quickly develop a product called “Speak to Tweet.” The service was developed to help people stay connected in times when they were unable to find a viable Internet connection. The inspiration for this application was born during the Egyptian revolution. As a reaction to protests in Cairo, the Egyptian government shut down the Internet throughout that country on January 26, 2011. Technically, Speak to Tweet (or speak2tweet) is a communications service that allows users to leave a “tweet” on Twitter by calling a designated international phone number and leaving a voice message. Recently, the US Patent Office published the patent that’s behind the Speak to Tweet service.

Head of the Google Cultural Institute Steve Crossan originally filed the patent application in Q1 2012. Check it out here.

[Image via Patentbolt]

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Google Play Movies go live in Germany

Seth Weintraub Aug 16 2012 - 6:49 am PT

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Our friends in Germany reported that the local Google Play Store is now showing movies for both purchase and renting. This already surpasses Amazon’s reach and makes a bit of headway in matching Apple’s iTunes Store reach. Usually the Play Store follows rentals in YouTube. German users: Ja or nein?

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Deal: Staples offers $15 off the Nexus 7

9to5 Staff Aug 15 2012 - 2:15 pm PT

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From 9to5Toys.com:

Staples now offers the Google Nexus 7 16GB 7″ Android Tablet, model no. NEXUS7/1B16, bundled with a $25 Google Play Credit for $249. Coupon code “99618” cuts it to $234. With free shipping, that’s the lowest total price we’ve seen. (It’s a current low by $15.) Sales tax is added where applicable. This 12-oz. tablet features a 7″ 1280×800 touchscreen display, scratch-resistant Corning glass, Tegra 3 quad-core processor, 1GB RAM, 16GB memory, Bluetooth, GPS, front-facing camera, 802.11n wireless, Google Android 4.1 OS (Jelly Bean), and more

Our review is here.

Google+ for Android now lets teens join Hangouts, Hangouts on Air from mobile

Élyse Betters Aug 15 2012 - 1:11 pm PT

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[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JagF4t0tJk&feature=player_embedded]

Google updated its Google+ for Android app today, and the most notable tweak allows users to join Hangouts on Air from their mobile devices.

That is not all: Teens can now create and join Hangouts from their mobile devices too. Apparently, they could not before, but Google now lets them take advantage of the social network’s premier video-chat feature on an Android-based smartphone or tablet.

Additional updates include:

– Floating timestamp in photos view

– Shortcuts for post creation

– Ability to report abuse in Events

Screenshots of the updated app are below.

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