Google

Today, it was reported that Google is currently working on a third phone alongside the two-second generation Pixel devices. While not much is known about this codenamed “taimen” device, we have heard that it will be even larger than the updated Pixel XL. If you were to purchase one of these phones, which size would you choose?

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Yesterday we had “confirmation” of the codenames under which the sequels to the Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones are being developed over at Google (“walleye” and “muskie”, respectively). However, it looks like the Mountain View firm may have a third device up its sleeve…

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Yesterday we got our first look at Uptime, a Googler-created application that allows you to watch YouTube videos with your friends. The biggest downside was that one of the first apps coming out of Google’s Area 120 business incubator was an iPhone exclusive. Today, we are getting a look at the first app from Area 120 to hit the Play Store, called Supersonic Fun Voice Messenger…

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Google gives its employees (Googlers) the opportunity to spend 20 percent of their time working on side projects – some of which like Gmail and Google Maps have become some of the company’s core applications. The latest 20 percent project to go live is an app called Uptime which lets you use the app’s odd user interface to watch YouTube videos with friends. Strangely, though, it is only available for iPhone and not Android…

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Android is a versatile operating system, everyone knows that. In its various forms, it runs on all kinds of devices, from phones and tablets to smartwatches and even fridges. But have you ever thought about a phone case that uses Google‘s OS? Let alone an iPhone case? Well, it looks like someone has, and that someone is willing to kickstart mass production of the so-called “Eye”…

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We haven’t heard much about Google’s Project Jacquard in the last several months, but as we pointed out the other day, that will soon change thanks to some events that Google is hosting at SXSW. To kick things off, Ivan Poupyrev of Google ATAP is holding a talk where Google and Levi’s are revealing tidbits of new information about the connected clothing…

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Gmail on its own is already a very powerful email client, offering useful features and direct integration with Google’s other services, like Google Drive. However, there’s always room for improvement. Today, Google has announced that Gmail will add support for native add-ons.

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For the sixth year running, Google has been named the world’s best company to work for by a Fortune 100 ranking. It’s the eighth time in eleven years that Google has taken the number one slot.

The $75 billion tech titan is famous for luxe perks like free gourmet food, haircuts, and laundry services, of course. But it also takes a ­rigorous analytical approach to morale. It boosted its parental-leave policies, for example, after finding that mothers were leaving at higher rates—the result was a 50% reduction in attrition for working moms. And then there’s the culture: Town halls held by black Googlers and allies, support for transgender workers, and unconscious-bias workshops (­already attended by more than 70% of staff) help foster what employees say is a “safe and inclusive” workplace at this hive of high performers …

The full ranking allows you to sort companies by such factors as compensation, perks and time off …

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The Google Pixel and Pixel XL easily became our picks for the best smartphones of 2016, but they’ve not been without faults ─ and a lot of them. Since release, Google has been dealing with issues such as battery hiccups, speaker popping, camera bugs, and much more. Now, some Pixel owners are reporting a new issue with their microphones.

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Google has issued a statement stating that ‘many’ of the Android exploits reportedly used by the CIA have already been addressed. Google’s statement used similar wording to one issued earlier by Apple.

As we’ve reviewed the documents, we’re confident that security updates and protections in both Chrome and Android already shield users from many of these alleged vulnerabilities. Our analysis is ongoing.

But the WSJ reports that they and other tech companies are being hampered by two factors …

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We haven’t heard anything about Google & Levi’s plans for a Jacqurd-equipped jacket since Google I/O last year, but now there’s hope that might change in the coming days. As per the schedule for SXSW Interactive in Austin, Texas this coming weekend, the two companies are jointly holding a party to “celebrate” the forthcoming Levi’s Commuter jacket…

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Google has today made some replacement facepads available for its Daydream View VR headset. You can pick them up right now on the Google Store for $15.

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Removing 3.5mm headphone jacks has been a bit of a trend with flagship devices on the market, but now it seems there’s a possibility that Google could also be ditching the jack with the next-generation Pixel. The big question about this rumor is obvious: Would you still consider purchasing the “Pixel 2” if it didn’t have a headphone jack?

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It’s hard to think of a job more important that determining whether or not a patient has cancer. Yet the magnitude of the task facing pathologists is so vast that agreement between different clinicians studying the same slides can be as low as 48%.

There can be many slides per patient, each of which is 10+ gigapixels when digitized at 40X magnification. Imagine having to go through a thousand 10 megapixel (MP) photos, and having to be responsible for every pixel. Needless to say, this is a lot of data to cover, and often time is limited.

Which is why Google is working on automating the task with a Deep Learning AI project – with incredibly exciting results …

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Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain has been in full gear all week, and that means almost all of the biggest Android OEMs are getting together to show off their latest phones, tablets, and other gadgets. Now that things are winding down here in the last couple days of the show floor being open, let’s take a look at all the devices that were announced by Samsung, LG, Sony, Huawei and others…

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Google has a lot invested in VR, specifically in mobile VR. Its Daydream platform has been the star of the show for the past several months, but before that came Google Cardboard, an affordable VR experience for every phone. Believe it or not, that system debuted almost three years ago, and today Google is announcing that it has shipped over 10 million Cardboard headsets.

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Update: Google has acknowledged that they experienced an issue with the Google Accounts engine which reverted some user’s Google Wi-Fi and OnHub routers to their initial state. Unfortunately, if yours was reset, you will have to set it up again for it to work.

For the last couple of hours, users have been receiving Google account notifications stating that account action was required. If you’re like us, we immediately thought that someone was trying to hack into our emails. Thankfully, Google has now confirmed that they’ve received reports of these incidents but not to worry as it isn’t due to suspicious activity…
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Google’s Pixel and Pixel XL are both fantastic devices, but they aren’t without flaws. Since launch, we’ve seen several issues pop up on the devices, including the speaker and problems with the camera. Google has been able to fix some of those via software updates, but now another issue is popping up ─ random Bluetooth disconnects.

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Oreo has today rolled out a new mobile game — or marketing campaign, depending on how you look at it — called the “Oreo Dunk Challenge”. Essentially, the game uses a variety of mobile web technologies, including some from Google, to let players fling a virtual Oreo across the world for the ultimate dunk into a glass of milk thousands of miles away.

It’s an amusing concept, but it’s all the more interesting when you realize just how much the Mountain View company had to do with its inception…

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