Skip to main content

Google

5,707 'Google' stories January 2009 - November 2015
See All Stories

Stay up to date on news from Google headquarters. Be the first to learn about plans for Android, Google Plus, Google Apps, and more!

Nest Cam 3-pack bundle launching this week for $497 ($100 savings)

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Nov 12 2015 - 6:51 am PT
0 Comments

Update (11/18 12:55pm): The new Nest Cam 3-pack bundle (and a 4-pack!) is now available on Amazon.

Nest Cam, the smart security camera that Google acquired and rebranded under its Nest company after acquiring Dropcam last year, is one of the best of these new breed of Wi-Fi connected, smartphone-controlled home security products. Today Nest is making decking out your home even easier and more affordable with a new 3-pack bundle of Nest Cams that will allow you to save $100 over the normal retail cost of individual units.

The new Nest Cam bundle will sell for $497, representing a $100 total savings on the bundle when considering Nest Cam on its own will run you $199 each (or $185 each currently on Amazon).

I took the Nest Cam for spin in recent months following its launch, and despite a few software shortcomings that Nest will inevitably catch up to in future releases, I overall had an excellent experience with the device and recommended it to just about everyone except diehard HomeKit users.

The new 3-Pack Nest Cam bundle will be available this week online for $497, as well as retail stores including Home Depot and Best Buy.

Site default logo image

Google expands its Nexus Protect warranty program to Canada

Avatar for Chance Miller Nov 11 2015 - 4:15 pm PT
0 Comments

Google’s AppleCare-like warranty protection program Nexus Protect is now available in Canada. The company announced the expansion in a post on Google+ more than a month after the program launched in the United States alongside the Nexus 6P and Nexus 5X.

Nexus Protect, for those unfamiliar, offers an additional year of coverage for mechanical breakdowns within your Nexus phone, as well as two years of protection from accidental damage like water damage and shattered displays. Google touts that, after you file a claim and it is approved, you’ll receive your replacement device as soon as the next business day, with shipping both ways covered. Nexus Protect coverage is attached to the phone itself, so if you switch carriers or give the phone to someone else, the coverage stays with it.

Nexus Protect runs $69 for the Nexus 5X and $89 for the Nexus 6P. It’s also important to note that claims are subject to a $79 deductible and that Nexus Protect only covers 2 incidents of accidental damage every two-years.

If you reside in Canada, you can find out more about Nexus Protect on Google’s webpage for the program here.

Google reportedly planning a ‘watershed’ quantum computing announcement for December 8

Avatar for Stephen Hall Nov 11 2015 - 10:32 am PT
10 Comments

According to Steve Jurvetson, venture capitalist and board member at pioneer quantum computing company D-WAVE (as well as others, such as Tesla and SpaceX), Google has what may be a “watershed” quantum computing announcement scheduled for early next month. This comes as D-WAVE, which notably also holds the Mountain View company as a customer, has just sold a 1000+ Qubit 2X quantum computer to national security research institution Los Alamos…
Expand
Expanding
Close

Google shows off new paint jobs for its self-driving car prototypes

Avatar for Stephen Hall Nov 11 2015 - 7:46 am PT
1 Comment

Earlier this year, Google called on community artists in San Francisco to design the doors to some of its cute prototype self-driving cars. The contest’s winners were announced in late September, but now Google has come out on Google+ to post the first picture of some of the custom paint jobs now mostly finished and ready to hit the road.

We’ve been following the self-driving car program pretty closely as of late, and told you just last week that the cars haven’t seen an accident in over two months despite driving 100k miles. Also of note in recent weeks, Nest CEO Tony Fadell came out to say in an interview with Bloomberg that riding in the cars feels like being taxied by a professional driver.

Here’s how to see the personal information Google shares about you on the web

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Nov 11 2015 - 3:55 am PT
0 Comments

Google has launched a new ‘About Me’ page, which lets you see and change what personal information is visible to others when you use any of Google’s services. The company has most likely introduced the service in an effort to counter concerns about data privacy.

Don’t expect too much from it: it’s essentially the same information you can see on Google+, and mostly appears to be an alternative for those of us who long ago consigned Google+ to history. When I checked my data, it showed only my name, gender, birthday and occupation. But if you shared contact details with any Google service, those may also be visible, so it’s worth a quick look.

You can edit the information shown, as well as choose who can view each piece of data. Personally, I always enter a false date of birth on web forms, as it’s a key piece of information used by identity thieves. I set it to private simply to ward off any mistaken birthday wishes.

You can check your own data at aboutme.google.com, where you’ll also find a link to Google’s existing privacy checkup.

You can now try Firefox OS 2.5 on your Android device with a quick APK install

Avatar for Abner Li Nov 10 2015 - 3:35 pm PT
0 Comments

Bored with your current flavor Android, but don’t want to flash a new ROM? You’re in luck. Firefox has today released an interesting “Developer Preview” version of their web-based Firefox OS.

The Firefox OS 2.5 Developer Preview is an experimental app that lets you use an almost-complete version of Firefox OS your device — without having to flash anything. The 88 mb APK behaves like any launcher you would find on the Play Store. However, it also has several system apps for making phone calls, messaging, sending emails, an app store etc. Of course, you can still launch your regular apps.

It’s a Developer Preview for a reason and the animations are rather slow on the device I was testing on (but it is much stable than you’d expect). There are some interesting UI ideas and features in Firefox OS, and since Firefox OS is catered towards lower end devices, it’s unlikely most people have tried Firefox OS. It makes for an interesting exploration. Head on over to the site to download the APK. There’s also an option to flash the OS if you want the full experience.

PSA: Android Studio 1.5 is now available in beta

Avatar for Stephen Hall Nov 10 2015 - 2:54 pm PT
0 Comments

If you’re a developer and you use Android Studio in any capacity, you might be happy to hear that Google has today launched Android Studio 1.5 in beta. Google says that the beta release isn’t that much different than Preview 2 (except a few bug fixes, of course), and it’s worth mentioning that Preview 2 wasn’t all that different than Preview 1.

You can update your current 1.4 installation to 1.5 beta by using the built-in patch mechanism, Google says, but you may not want to do that as it will completely replace your stable installation with a potentially less-reliable beta version. If you download from the Preview 2 page, you can keep 1.4 and 1.5 installed side by side — which might be best option regardless.

Google reportedly in talks to make a phone, but does that make any sense?

Avatar for Abner Li Nov 10 2015 - 2:02 pm PT
3 Comments

According to a report today out of The Information, Google is once again discussing the idea of designing and releasing their own phone. Different from the Nexus line of phones which are built in partnership with OEMs such as LG and Huawei, this purported phone would put Google solely responsible for design, manufacturing, and marketing.

Of course, there is precedent for Google making hardware with the Chromebook Pixel and upcoming Pixel-C tablet running Android, but would making their own phone really make any sense?


Expand
Expanding
Close

Hangouts hits version 6.0 on iOS with performance improvements, not much else

Avatar for Stephen Hall Nov 10 2015 - 8:05 am PT
0 Comments

Google has kept Hangouts for iOS just slightly ahead of its Android counterpart when it comes to its version number, and today that tradition continues. Hangouts on Apple’s platform just got a not-so-big update to 6.0 (which you would think would be a major upgrade), but there only seems to be general performance improvements in this one…

Here’s the full — and very disappointing — change log:

What’s New in Version 6.0.0

• Other general notification improvements.
• Accessibility bug fixes.
• Fix for iPhone 6s sound quality.

You can head over to the App Store to grab the new version, but if you’re like me, updates to the Android app would be much more welcome. Actually, I wouldn’t be upset if we just got bug fix & performance improvements for the Android version for the next few releases. I will say, though, that the app has become much more usable in recent months.

Hangouts web update brings faster experience and streamlined look

Avatar for Abner Li Nov 9 2015 - 2:37 pm PT
2 Comments

Google’s giving the web Hangouts a revamp today. The interface (as seen above) is more minimalist and takes advantage of the full screen. Under the hood, calls should start quicker and have higher resolution. Rounding up the list of changes is a simpler invite system.

Here’s what Googler Eduardo Fernández had to say about the update:

Today, we’re introducing a new calling experience for Hangouts on the web that loads more quickly, renders video more sharply, and streamlines the interface so you can focus less on where to click and more on what to say. We’ve been using this new calling experience at Google for a while now. It’s early days, but we hope you like it as much as we do. (Note: This is not available for Google Apps for Work customers.)

Key changes include:
• Calls that start faster and stay crisper, with higher quality video
• A more streamlined and immersive full-screen interface
• A simpler way to invite friends and family to your calls

Starting today, a small group of users should see the improvements and it will be fully released over the coming days. The update is not yet available for Google Apps for Work customers.

Google is bringing its Cardboard Expeditions Pioneer Program to 15 new cities

Avatar for Stephen Hall Nov 9 2015 - 10:07 am PT
0 Comments

Google is launching its Expeditions Pioneer Program in 15 new cities, according to a post on the Google for Education blog. More than 100,000 students have taken part in the Pioneer Program, Google says, and it looks like thousands more are about to have the opportunity.

Here’s the relevant tidbit:

More than 100,000 students have used Expeditions in their classes as part of the Expeditions Pioneer Program, which launched in September. Now, we’re bringing the program to new cities. In the U.S., we’ll be in Alexandria, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Detroit, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, New Orleans, Orlando, Phoenix, Portland, Salt Lake City and Washington DC. We’ll also be adding three new countries: Canada, where we’ll be in Toronto, as well as Denmark and Singapore.

It looks like 12 of these cities are in the United States, with three more in other countries. Specifically, the program is coming Alexandria, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Detroit, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, New Orleans, Orlando, Phoenix, Portland, Salt Lake City, Washington DC, and Toronto, with two others in Denmark and Singapore.

Google revealed the Expeditions Pioneer Program at Google I/O earlier this year, which hopes to give students the opportunity to travel to distant lands in virtual reality and learn in new ways. Teachers have a library of 100+ virtual trips to places like Mars and the Great Barrier Reef to choose from.

TAG Heuer Connected Android Wear watch officially announced

Avatar for Cam Bunton Nov 9 2015 - 8:35 am PT
4 Comments

After months of teasing us, TAG Heuer — in partnership with Intel — finally announced its Android Wear powered smartwatch in New York. It marks the first time any luxury watch maker has officially unveiled an Android Wear watch, and comes with TAG Heuer’s world-renowned build quality. Despite being a smartwatch, TAG also wanted to make sure the device was a great watch and so ensured that it displayed time very accurately. It claims the watch is accurate to 1/100th of a second.
Expand
Expanding
Close

How to: Train your Nexus 5X/6P to recognize your finger even when you miss [Video]

Avatar for Stephen Hall Nov 9 2015 - 8:03 am PT
1 Comment

I’ve had a Nexus 5X for just a few days, and one of the biggest things I love about this phone is the addition of Nexus Imprint. I like to keep my phone secure, but I really don’t like having to type a password every time I unlock (because, well, I unlock my phone dozens if not hundreds of times per day). But something I quickly noticed with Nexus Imprint on the 5X — especially since I have fingers big enough for a 6P — is that I simply miss the sensor far too often. I commonly find myself overshooting, sometimes even tapping on the camera since that’s about the distance my finger naturally lands.

So how did I fix this? Well, it turns out that it’s actually pretty simple. Thanks to the fact that you can register up to five different fingerprints in the Nexus Imprint settings, you can make your sensor almost impossible to miss. Instead of adding five different fingers, I decided to try adding five different parts of my right index finger…
Expand
Expanding
Close

Google makes its advanced AI machine, TensorFlow, open source

Avatar for Cam Bunton Nov 9 2015 - 7:45 am PT
0 Comments

Google hasn’t been shy about sharing how it uses advanced neural networks (informally known as AI) in some of its products. The company has been teaching its machine learning tools a slew of new tricks in recent months. Google Photos uses it to easily find specific images based on your search, they equipped YouTube with the ability to better select thumbnails, reply to your emails from Gmail and made Google Translate far better at reading signs. And now, it wants to share its machine learning engine with developers, to make it even better…


Expand
Expanding
Close

Nexus 6P’s ‘visor’ back camera glass is spontaneously cracking for some users

Avatar for Abner Li Nov 7 2015 - 1:59 pm PT
2 Comments

via <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/3rwc6p/nexus_6p_back_glass_window_has_just_spontaneously/cwryfvl">Reddit</a>

It seems like smartphones can’t be released anymore without some kind of serious flaw popping up.

Nexus 6P owners are reporting that the glass panel covering the phone’s cameras are suddenly cracking, with one user reporting having left the device screen up on a table followed by a loud, spontaneous, “snap”. Picking up the device they found the glass cracked and a pile of glass shavings left on the table. Among two users who shared images, the damage looks remarkably similar…


Expand
Expanding
Close

9to5Toys Last Call: New HTC One M9 (unlocked) $300, Bluetooth earbud deals, more

Avatar for Stephen Hall Nov 6 2015 - 2:05 pm 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:

 

Open-box HTC One M9 32 GB 4G LTE (unlocked): $300 shipped (Reg. $500+) | eBay

Bluetooth Earbuds: Powerbeats2 (open-box) $80 (Reg. $150+), QY8 Sweatproof $19, more

FreedomPop 7″ Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 WiFi + Cellular Tablet – 100% Free 4G LTE Wireless Internet: $60 shipped (Reg. $140+) | Sam’s Club

Sony Xperia M4 Aqua 16GB GSM/LTE unlocked black: $200 shipped (Reg. $250) | Amazon

Samsung Galaxy S5 Unlocked: $300 shipped (Reg. $400+) | eBay

LG G Pad V410 AT&T GSM Unlocked 7-Inch 4G LTE 16GB Tablet: $80 shipped (Reg. $150+) | eBay

Review: How Amazon Echo changed my life + $130 special price ($50 off) for Amazon card holders

Sam’s Club One-Day Sale: iPhone 6s/Plus $100 off, iPad Air 2 64GB/128GB $150 off, PlayStation 4 $300, more

Meijer Black Friday ad: Xbox One/PS4 bundles $300 w/ $50 credit, much more

eBay calls on Black Friday shoppers to decide which products will get discounted this year

Amazon’s Black Friday Deals store is now open for business

Everything we know so far about this year’s best Black Friday deals and promotions

More new gear from today:

Bluetooth Speakers: Inateck Aluminum $30 (Reg. $43), SOL Republic Deck $40 (Reg. $50+)

More deals still alive:

Acer 13-inch Chromebook 2.1GHz/2GB/16GB SSD: $209 shipped (Reg. $249)

New products & more:

Don’t Panic’s latest iPad Air 2 case is an astute all-in-one solution for every angle

New Fallout 4 launch trailer hits with a fresh look at gameplay and more

 

Google has finally added holiday hours to Google Maps

Avatar for Stephen Hall Nov 6 2015 - 12:58 pm PT
0 Comments

After many years of people trusting Google Maps far too much and accidentally driving across town to a store that ended up being closed, Google has finally added the ability for companies to designate holiday hours on Google Maps. Whenever you open up the Maps app and click that little drop-down to see hours for the week, you’ll now see a designated section for these special hours. And if a company hasn’t provided these, you’ll see a warning suggesting that the normal hours might not be right…
Expand
Expanding
Close

Google Calendar intros Trash feature on web, now lets you restore deleted events

Avatar for Cam Bunton Nov 6 2015 - 2:12 am PT
0 Comments

Google is rolling out a new feature to its web-based Calendar interface. Users who delete calendar events (accidentally or on purpose) can now access a new Trash function that lets them restore the event. From the official blog post, it seems it’ll be available immediately to both regular Gmail users and Google Apps accounts.

Ever deleted a calendar event by mistake and wanted to get it back – just like you can in Gmail and Drive? Now you can: today we’re adding Trash functionality to Google Calendar on the web, providing an easy way for users to view, permanently delete, or restore individual and recurring deleted calendar events. Trash puts calendar users in control by letting them quickly reverse any event mishaps, and limits escalations to Google Apps admins.

You can access Trash from your calendar’s drop-down menu in the “My calendars” section as well as from your calendar settings. It’ll be available to any users who have editing privileges in both primary and secondary calendars. In the case of shared calendars, or Apps accounts, admins will be able to track which events are restored or removed from Trash.

It’s a useful new feature, especially in large teams where shared calendars can be altered for more than one person. The last thing you want is an important event disappearing from a group calendar, with no way to get it back again.

Report: Google wants to design its own smartphone chips to more directly compete with Apple

Avatar for Chance Miller Nov 5 2015 - 3:17 pm PT
1 Comment

According to a new report from Amir Efrati of The Information, Google has recently been in discussions with microchip manufacturers about having a deeper involvement in the design of chips used in Android devices. Google hopes to help create a more uniform offering of Android phones by taking part in the chip design process with a company like Qualcomm.


Expand
Expanding
Close

9to5Toys Lunch Break: Galaxy Tab 3 w/ FreedomPop service (pre-owned) $60, Bluetooth receiver $10, more

Avatar for Stephen Hall Nov 5 2015 - 1:33 pm 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:

FreedomPop 7″ Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 WiFi + Cellular Tablet – 100% Free 4G LTE Wireless Internet: $60 shipped (Reg. $140+) | Sam’s Club

Add Bluetooth to your speakers or car w/ Aukey’s Wireless Receiver: $10 Prime shipped (Reg. $20)

Sony Xperia M4 Aqua 16GB GSM/LTE unlocked black: $200 shipped (Reg. $250) | Amazon

Samsung Galaxy S5 Unlocked: $300 shipped (Reg. $400+) | eBay

LG G Pad V410 AT&T GSM Unlocked 7-Inch 4G LTE 16GB Tablet: $80 shipped (Reg. $150+) | eBay

Review: How Amazon Echo changed my life + $130 special price ($50 off) for Amazon card holders

Sam’s Club One-Day Sale: iPhone 6s/Plus $100 off, iPad Air 2 64GB/128GB $150 off, PlayStation 4 $300, more

eBay calls on Black Friday shoppers to decide which products will get discounted this year

Amazon’s Black Friday Deals store is now open for business

Everything we know so far about this year’s best Black Friday deals and promotions

More new gear from today:

Displays: LG 34″ UltraWide $585 (Reg. $699+), Acer 34″ Curved QHD $866 (Reg. $1,050), plus 4K UHDTVs

More deals still alive:

Acer 13-inch Chromebook 2.1GHz/2GB/16GB SSD: $209 shipped (Reg. $249)

Audio-Technica’s best selling ATH-M50x headphones in black: $119 shipped (Orig. $170), more

Sling TV is giving away a 2nd generation Chromecast when you pre-pay for three months ($35 value)

New products & more:

Unboxing and Review: Halo 5 Xbox One Limited Edition Console Bundle [Video]

Bosch made a robo-farmer that looks straight out of a galaxy far, far away

Review: Google’s Nexus 6P is a solid smartphone worthy of your money [Video]

Avatar for Dom Esposito Nov 5 2015 - 10:16 am PT
5 Comments

This year Google decided to change things up a bit and release not one, but two new Nexus devices, with different builds, and different price points to satisfy a wider range of people. So there’s the LG-made Nexus 5X that starts at $379, which I recently reviewed, and then we have the Huawei-made Nexus 6P that starts at $499. These two options aren’t very far apart in terms of pricing, but the difference between them is pretty significant in a few areas…


Expand
Expanding
Close

Chromecast 2nd gen. and Chromecast Audio now available via Spain Google Store

Avatar for Stephen Hall Nov 5 2015 - 9:00 am PT
0 Comments

The second generation Chromecast and the Chromecast Audio were announced at the end of September, and the Google Store is one of many outlets where you can acquire these devices. Now, a couple months after being introduced in North America and other regions, those who are in Spain can grab the new Chromecasts from the Google Store.

You can head over to the Google Store now, where the Chromecast (2nd gen.) is available in three colors, and the Chromecast Audio is available in black.

Google Maps on iOS will now give spoken traffic alerts as you drive

Avatar for Chance Miller Nov 4 2015 - 7:56 pm PT
0 Comments

Google today has rolled out an update its Maps application on iOS, bringing with it a pair of new features. The update bumps the app to version 4.12.0 and includes support for adding missing businesses to the app’s database and spoken traffic alerts.

The latter of the two is the far more interesting addition of this update. Spoken traffic alerts mean that Google Maps will now alert you about upcoming traffic congestion and traffic incidents as you use the Navigation feature of the app. It does so via voice so you aren’t distracted while you drive. Traffic descriptions provide the same information, but in both text and verbal forms before you start to move.

Google Maps version 4.12.0 is available via the App Store now for free. The full changelog can be seen below:

What’s New in Version 4.12.0

  • Easily add new and missing businesses from the sidebar
  • 
Spoken traffic alerts in Navigation tell you about congestion and incidents on your route and traffic descriptions give you summary of traffic before you drive
  • Bug fixes

Google to loosen restrictions on Android One manufacturers, release new device in India soon

Avatar for Chance Miller Nov 4 2015 - 3:52 pm PT
0 Comments

Google first tried to penetrate the Indian phone market with its Android One lineup of affordable devices, but after deeming that project less-than-successful, the company is reportedly planning to adjust its plans. According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, Google plans to relax the requirements it originally had on Android One devices, giving manufacturers more freedom when it comes to features and price.


Expand
Expanding
Close