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Project Loon has successfully delivered video-capable speeds as it moves into carrier testing

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Feb 16 2016 - 5:25 am PT
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Google’s parent company Alphabet told a TED conference in Vancouver that its Project Loon Internet-delivery balloons had successfully delivered speeds of 15Mbps – fast enough for streaming video. It is preparing for carrier tests in Indonesia and elsewhere this year.

Alphabet X head Astro Teller said that the company tried a lot of unsuccessful balloon designs before finally finding one that was up to the job, reports Re/code.

There were shiny balloons and round balloons and balloons that looked like giant pillows. But eventually the company found a design that could be made cheaply and still navigate precisely. That balloon, Teller said, last year travelled around the world 19 times over 187 days last year.

Teller also shared a key part of the company’s approach to Alphabet X projects, along with details of two which the company has abandoned …


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Google’s latest Android ad is just as beautiful as it is simple [Video]

Avatar for Stephen Hall Feb 15 2016 - 3:11 pm PT
4 Comments

Google has today uploaded its latest “Be together. Not the same.” ad to YouTube, and it’s a profound statement of how the company views its mobile platform, as well as how it views competitors. In the ad, dubbed “Monotune,” an unnamed pianist plays a tune in two versions: one using all the piano’s normal variety of keys, and the other on a special piano Google rigged to play the same note on all its keys…


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Opinion: Can the LG G5’s ‘modular’ features breathe new life into the smartphone market?

Avatar for Edoardo Maggio Feb 15 2016 - 1:35 pm PT
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When looking at the landscape of Android flagship smartphones, I rarely find it easy to pinpoint a single manufacturer that, in one way or another, has consistently been able to meaningfully innovate one year after the other. More often than not, the OEMs have a go at things that are then removed the following year, or that in some way fail to broadly introduce a proper trend, like for instance the first attempts at fingerprint sensors or stereoscopic cameras…


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Report: Alphabet seeking an R&D site for its self-driving cars near Ann Arbor, Michigan

Avatar for Stephen Hall Feb 15 2016 - 8:29 am PT
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According to a report over the weekend from Crain’s Detroit Business, Google/Alphabet is seeking an R&D site for its self-driving cars near Ann Arbor, Michigan. This report comes as FCC documents last month revealed that the Mountain View company was planning to bring the cars to four new cities. Kirkland, Washington officially became one of those locations two weeks ago, and as we noted, a location near Ann Arbor makes perfect sense to be one of the next bunch…
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BandPage, a startup that helps artists connect with fans, has been acquired by YouTube

Avatar for Stephen Hall Feb 12 2016 - 11:42 am PT
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BandPage, a startup whose goal is to make it easier for artists to connect with their fans, has today announced that it has been acquired by Google’s YouTube. “More than 500,000 musicians use BandPage to reach & build deeper relationships with music lovers everywhere,” the company says, and now it’s going on to build those relationships for YouTube instead…


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Latest update to Google’s Clock app lets you resize its home screen widgets

Avatar for Stephen Hall Feb 12 2016 - 9:29 am PT
3 Comments

Google recently pushed out an update to its Clock app, and this one’s a game changer. You know the clock widget that lets you put analog and digital clocks on your home screen? Until now, dragging it around and resizing the widget simply changed its alignment. Now, when you resize the widget, the clocks themselves actually change size too…


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9to5Toys Lunch Break: Nest (2nd gen.) $170, Fitbit Charge $80, 5-Port USB hub $24, more

Avatar for Stephen Hall Feb 11 2016 - 12:52 pm 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:

Daily Deals: Nest 2nd Gen Learning Thermostat $170, Cable Modem $50, more

Fitbit Charge Wireless Activity & Sleep Band w/ OLED display: $80 shipped (Reg. $130)

Tronsmart Titan 5-Port USB Charger: $24 shipped w/ code USBTITAN (Reg. $38) | Amazon

Beats Studio 2.0 Over-Ear headphones: $150 shipped (Orig. $300)

Free MP3 downloads from hit artists like Adele, Ed Sheeran, 1D, more

Anker mega-review: PowerCore+, PowerDrive+, and PowerPort+ USB Quick Charge 2.0 & 3.0 gear is some of the best money can buy

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

RAVPower USB-C/A Charger $38 (Reg. $56), uNu w/ Lightning Cable $12 (Reg. $20)

[tweet https://twitter.com/9to5toys/status/697817821871521792 align=’center’]

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

Moto X Pure Edition 32GB Unlocked Smartphone: $375 shipped (Reg. $400+)

Amazon offers rare 25% discount on Kindle Unlimited subscriptions: 6-months $45 (Reg. $60), more

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

OMBEE’s modular standing desk turns any table into a upright workstation

The new Andy Warhol Where’s Waldo book is perfect for any Pop Art connoisseur

Google to comply more strictly with EU’s ‘right to be forgotten’ act

Avatar for Edoardo Maggio Feb 11 2016 - 4:01 am PT
0 Comments

Following a series of pressures by European regulation and privacy authorities, Google will soon start removing unwanted results from all of its domains. Despite having complied with the EU’s rules regarding the so-called ‘right to be forgotten‘ act, the search giant has so far only removed the results within the specific country’s domain.


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Opinion: Samsung’s Galaxy S7 is shaping up to be a monster, but is that enough?

Avatar for Edoardo Maggio Feb 10 2016 - 1:06 pm PT
3 Comments

We are about two weeks away from this year’s Mobile World Congress, which means we are entering the first of the two big periods of the year where all the major OEMs refresh their lineup of high-end devices. On February 21st, just a day before MWC kicks off, Samsung is expected to announce both the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 Edge.

Unlike last year, where the edge variant was simply a curved version of the 5.1-inch screened flat sibling, this year’s model should bump up the panel size to 5.5-inches, making it closer to the Galaxy S6 edge+, which made its way to the store shelves alongside the Note 5 later last September…


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9to5Toys Lunch Break: Moto X Pure Edition (unlocked) $375, LG Watch Urbane $180, more

Avatar for Stephen Hall Feb 10 2016 - 9:48 am PT
0 Comments

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:

Last Call Updates:

Acer 11.6-inch Chromebook 2.16GHz/ 2GB/ 16GB (Refurb): $85 shipped (Reg. $179)

Moto X Pure Edition 32GB Unlocked Smartphone: $375 shipped (Reg. $400+)

LG Watch Urbane Android Wear Smartwatch: $180 shipped (Reg. $259)

 

Amazon offers rare 25% discount on Kindle Unlimited subscriptions: 6-months $45 (Reg. $60), more

Apple 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro (Newest Version) 2.2GHz/16GB/256GB: $1,600 shipped (Reg. $1,999)

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

Internal 2.5-inch Solid-State Drives: Samsung 850 EVO 1TB $280 (Reg. $300+), PNY 240GB $60 (Reg. $80)

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

Luminid Touch light-up charging cable is ideal for plugging in at night: $10 (Orig. $20, CA Tax only)

A .edu email can get you the Sharp 32-inch 1080p HDTV for $150 shipped (Reg. $170)

Add 2TB of portable storage to your Mac, PC or Xbox One w/ this WD USB 3.0 Hard Drive for $73 (Reg. $90)

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

3Doodler Start reimagines the popular Kickstarter project with a focus on children

BearTek’s new Smart Gloves offer iPhone/Android controls + GoPro support

Latest U.S. smartphone market numbers show Apple in the lead, but Samsung is catching up

Avatar for Stephen Hall Feb 10 2016 - 8:32 am PT
0 Comments

According to the latest U.S. smartphone market share numbers from Parks Associates, Apple is still well in the lead compared to competing manufacturers, holding a beefy 40% of the smartphone market. But the latest figures also show that Android OEMs are gaining ground on the dominant Cupertino, California-based iPhone maker. Now, Samsung holds around 31% of the market and LG is next in line with 10%…


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U.S. government says that Google’s self-driving car system will be treated like a normal driver

Avatar for Chance Miller Feb 9 2016 - 5:57 pm PT
3 Comments
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The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or NHTSA, has announced today that it will recognize Google’s self-driving car system as a legal driver. The announcement comes after Chris Urmson, the head of Google’s self-driving car project, petitioned that the government treat the initiative the same as it does normal driver cars.


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New Google/Alphabet patent describes putting self-driving delivery trucks on the road

Avatar for Stephen Hall Feb 9 2016 - 2:26 pm PT
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A new patent that surfaced on Tuesday (via Qz) suggests that Google/Alphabet could have plans to use its self-driving car technologies for a truck-based delivery service. The patent describes an “autonomous delivery platform” for an autonomous truck with lockers (not unlike an Amazon locker), driving to a customer’s location to deliver a package…
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LlabTooFeR contradicts oft-reliable Evleaks, says HTC One M10 will be 5.2-inch

Avatar for Stephen Hall Feb 9 2016 - 11:26 am PT
2 Comments

A couple weeks ago, Evan Blass came out to unveil pretty much all of the upcoming HTC One M10’s specs, saying that — among other details — the phone is going to ship with a 5.1-inch display. Now, famed Android leaker LlabTooFeR has come out on Twitter to challenge Evan’s great track record. Apparently, the M10 is going to ship with a display not 5.1-inches in size, but 5.2-inches.


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9to5Toys Lunch Break: 32GB LG G3 $210, 40% off Google Nexus 9 from $240, more

Avatar for Stephen Hall Feb 9 2016 - 10:32 am PT
0 Comments

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:

LG G3 D850 32 GB unlocked (new) 32 GB: $210 shipped (Reg. $300+) | eBay

HTC offering 40% off Nexus 9, free Logitech keyboard w/ 32GB LTE variant

Free TV HD Digital Downloads at Google Play & iTunes: Rehab Addict, Cake Boss, Empire, more (Reg. $3)

The best-selling SONOS PLAY:1 Wireless Music System is on sale today in both colors for $161 shipped (Reg. $199)

Get into home automation with TP-LINK’s Smart Plug for $20 Prime shipped (Reg. $30)

Apple 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro (Newest Version) 2.2GHz/16GB/256GB: $1,600 shipped (Reg. $1,999)

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

A .edu email can get you the Sharp 32-inch 1080p HDTV for $150 shipped (Reg. $170)

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

Add 2TB of portable storage to your Mac, PC or Xbox One w/ this WD USB 3.0 Hard Drive for $73 (Reg. $90)

Amazon’s 7-inch Fire tablet is now even more affordable, get it on sale for $40 shipped (Reg. $50)

It’s time to ditch your cable bill! Get the AmazonBasics 35-Mile HDTV Antenna for $20 (Reg. $25)

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

BearTek’s new Smart Gloves offer iPhone/Android controls + GoPro support

Review: Incase and surfer Kelly Slater team up for the ultimate GoPro-focused backpack

Deal: HTC offering 40% off Nexus 9, free Logitech keyboard w/ 32GB LTE variant

Avatar for Stephen Hall Feb 9 2016 - 7:57 am PT
0 Comments

HTC is today offering 40% off all variants of the Nexus 9 tablet, bringing its price down to $239.40 shipped (Reg. $399) for the lowest-end 16GB WiFi model. The Taiwanese company is also offering the highest-end 32GB LTE model for $359.40 shipped (Reg. $599), while also throwing in a free Logitech keyboard for the first 200 buyers…


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Russia wants to force Google & Apple to pay more tax, apply 18% VAT to Play store purchases

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Feb 9 2016 - 5:31 am PT
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In what Bloomberg describes as ‘a 90-minute interview peppered with expletives,’ Russia’s new Internet advisor has said that he wants to force Google and Apple to pay more taxes.

German Klimenko is pushing to raise taxes on U.S. companies to help level the playing field for Russian competitors such as Yandex and Mail.ru […]

Bloomberg says that he has an interesting ally in this aim …


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Google adds real-time flood alerts to web services in India

Avatar for Cam Bunton Feb 9 2016 - 3:21 am PT
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Google has announced in an official blog post that it’s adding a new flood alert system to its services in India. Thanks to information provided by the Central Water Commission (CWC) users will be able to find flood alerts, including river level info, for more than 170 areas in India where the CWC has active observation stations.

Alerts are available in a number of Google’s apps and services like Google web search, Now cards in the Google app, Google Maps and the Public Alerts homepage on desktop and mobile.


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T-Mobile’s Super Bowl ads feat. Drake and Steve Harvey were hilarious [Video]

Avatar for Stephen Hall Feb 8 2016 - 7:20 am PT
1 Comment

T-Mobile’s Super Bowl ads last night were definitely aimed at millennials. One involved Steve Harvey and referenced Verizon’s “Colorful Balls” ad once again (as well as Harvey’s forgetful stumble on Miss Universe), and the other brought in Drake to show how ridiculous the other carriers could be on the set of “Hotline Bling”…


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FCC documents reveal Alphabet is testing wireless charging for its self-driving cars

Avatar for Stephen Hall Feb 5 2016 - 10:06 am PT
1 Comment
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According to some FCC documents recently unearthed, Alphabet’s X division (formerly Google[x]) has its sights set on disconnecting the cute fully-electric self-driving car prototypes from their wall chargers. Yes, we’re talking wireless charging, the kind that could beam up energy through the bottom of the car using a technology called resonant magnetic induction…


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Google said to be in negotiations with the NFL for ‘Thursday Night Football’ streaming rights

Avatar for Chance Miller Feb 4 2016 - 4:00 pm PT
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According to a new report from Variety, Google is among the tech companies negotiating with the NFL for digital rights to Thursday Night Football. Earlier this month, the National Football League inked deals with CBS and NBC to divide the TV rights for Thursday games over the next two seasons, but streaming to non-subscribers was not included in that deal.


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