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Today’s Android for Work Live event is now available for replay [Video]

Avatar for Stephen Hall Nov 4 2015 - 2:27 pm PT
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We told you last month that the first Android for Work Live conference was happening today, and well… today is here. In case you missed the event, you can now head over to YouTube and watch an archived copy. Of course there weren’t any groundbreaking announcements at the event, but some of the talks will serve well anyone who’s looking to transform their business with Android and Google’s services. Here it is:

 

9to5Toys Lunch Break: Sony Xperia M4 (unlocked) $200, Audio-Technica ATH-M50x headphones $119, more

Avatar for Stephen Hall Nov 4 2015 - 12:47 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:

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

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

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

USB-C 4-port hubs for Chromebooks by Aukey: $20 Prime shipped (Orig. $30)

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

Pebble Time Smartwatch for iOS and Android (multiple colors): $150 shipped (Reg. $200)

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

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

More new gear from today:

Daily Deals: Vizio 43″ 120Hz 1080p LCD HDTV + $100 Dell GC $300, LYTRO Light Field Camera $400, more

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 deals still alive:

This 802.11n pocket wireless router from TP-LINK is a must-have for avid travelers: $10 shipped (Orig. $40)

Buy a pair of PowerBeats 2 Wireless In-Ear Headphones, get a $50 Target gift card: $144 shipped (Orig. $200)

Beats by Dr. Dre Pill 2.0 Portable Bluetooth Speaker (multiple colors) $120 shipped (Orig. $200)

New products & more:

Mellow Boards makes any skateboard electric and looks good doing it

 

Despite driving 100k miles, Google’s self-driving cars haven’t seen an accident in over 2 months

Avatar for Stephen Hall Nov 4 2015 - 11:45 am PT
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Up to June of this year, Google’s self-driving cars had yet to be at fault in any accidents, and it seems that record has held true over the last few months. Of the dozen or so accidents up to that point, the majority had happened when the self-driving car wasn’t even moving, and the rest occurred when Google’s safety drivers were in control of the vehicles.

Unfortunately, in the months after Google released the first report, Google’s cars continued to see a couple of accidents per month. But that trend has come to an interesting halt recently. As we’ve learned thanks to Google’s recently-published October report, the self-driving cars have now gone more than two months without a single accident…
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Nest CEO Tony Fadell compares Google’s self-driving car to a “professional driver”

Avatar for Fred Lambert Nov 4 2015 - 10:58 am PT
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Tony Fadell, often called the “father of the iPod” and now CEO of Alphabet’s Nest, appeared on Bloomberg TV today to discuss his time at Apple, his current effort in the connected home industry and the future of mobility. He briefly talked about Google’s self-driving car project and confirmed he spent some time in the vehicles. He compared the experience to being driven by a “professional driver”.
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Googler takes to Amazon to slam bad USB Type-C cables, commend good ones

Avatar for Stephen Hall Nov 4 2015 - 7:59 am PT
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A Google engineer by the name of Benson Leung is one of the many proponents of USB Type-C at the Mountain View company, and he’s now doing us the kind service of reviewing dozens of third-party Type-C cables on Amazon. Why? Because some of the cables coming from a variety of manufacturers could be “dangerous,” according to Leung, and are likely less-than-functional…
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Google argues that a legal technicality means antitrust regulators can’t fine it $6.6B

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Nov 4 2015 - 4:28 am PT
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With Google potentially facing a fine of up to $6.6B after the European Commission charged the company of abusing its dominant position in search, its lawyers have now filed a 130-page rebuttal. In it, the company attempts to use a legal technicality to argue that it cannot be fined for favouring its own products in search results … 
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Google VP of Finance Jason Wheeler joins Tesla as CFO

Avatar for Stephen Hall Nov 3 2015 - 2:55 pm PT
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Tesla has a new CFO, and he’s coming to the electric car maker from Google. Jason Wheeler is currently VP of Finance at the Mountain View company, and he’s joining Tesla next month via a transition with current CEO Deepak Ahuja overseeing. This comes five months after Ahuja confirmed at Tesla’s 2015 Annual Shareholders Meeting that he would be retiring…

Tesla just released its Q3 earnings report, and the company’s stock is up around 10% in after-hours trading. Google is one of Tesla’s biggest competitors in regards to future autonomous vehicle prospects, but it’s clear that the motor company has been a bold poacher of other large Silicon Valley companies’ employees. It appears that Google isn’t excluded.

Latest Sling TV update lets you sling your favorite shows to your Chromecast

Avatar for Stephen Hall Nov 3 2015 - 9:25 am PT
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Dish Network’s Sling TV has been around for a while, but one feature that was long been missing from its Android and iPhone apps was Chromecast support. Now, following Google’s announcement last month that the feature was on the way, watchers of live on-demand TV programming via Sling TV can finally sling that content onto their big screen…
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Inbox app will use AI-powered Smart Reply feature to respond to Gmail messages for you

Avatar for Cam Bunton Nov 3 2015 - 7:24 am PT
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Update: It looks like the Smart Reply feature is rolling out starting tomorrow.

Google’s Inbox app for Gmail is one of the best things to happen to personal email management since email was invented. Using Google Now’s power, it can automatically create calendar events, sort out your junk and priority emails and suggest reminders. Now it’s about to get a whole lot smarter…


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Tired of those full page ‘Install this App’ Mobile web blocks? Google is doing something about it

Avatar for Cam Bunton Nov 3 2015 - 6:30 am PT
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There’s nothing worse when browsing the web — or hitting a search result — and coming across a page completely obscured by a huge pop-up window asking you to install the site’s (or someone else’s) app. In fact, full-page interstitial ads in general are incredibly frustrating, when all you want to do is read the article. Thankfully, Google is doing something about it…


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Larry Page gives first major interview since formation of Alphabet, talks worries, privacy, Project Loon, Steve Jobs [Video]

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Nov 3 2015 - 4:56 am PT
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Google co-founder and now Alphabet CEO Larry Page has given his first major interview since the formation of Alphabet, addressing a wide range of topics which include his concerns about heading into uncharted territory with the company, privacy, Project Loon and Steve Jobs … 
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Report: Google abandons its retail plans as it looks to sublease SoHo building it renovated

Avatar for Chance Miller Nov 2 2015 - 7:09 pm PT
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Google has long been rumored to be planning to open a New York City retail space, but now it looks as if that plan has died off. According to a report from Crain’s New York Business, Google has abandoned its plans to open a retail store in New York City. The company is looking to sublease a 5,442-square-foot space it leased in SoHo last year.


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Google: Chrome OS not folding into Android, Material redesign + 2016 Chromebooks coming

Avatar for Zac Hall Nov 2 2015 - 10:58 am PT
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Officially offering a denial to a report last week claiming Chrome OS would merge into Android by 2017, Google has taken to its Chrome blog to say Chrome OS is here to stay. Chromebooks that run the Chrome operating system has taken off especially well in the classroom, giving Google added incentive to ensure Chrome OS users that the platform isn’t facing any dramatic changes in the near future. Hoping to convince users that recent reports of the future of Chrome OS are wrong, Google has shared some usage numbers and even offered a peek into the future of Chrome OS…
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Google takes advantage of Halloween to boost skills of self-driving cars at recognizing children

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Nov 2 2015 - 4:38 am PT
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Google’s self-driving cars are aware that children can be less predictable than adults, being programmed to act more cautiously around them. But to do that, they first need to be able to identify them as children – something which can be more challenging when they’re wearing costumes – so Google took advantage of Halloween to give the cars some additional learning.

This week, lots of little ghouls, superheroes and even robots were running around Google with their families, so we asked them to hang out around our parked cars. This gives our sensors and software extra practice at recognizing children in all their unique shapes and sizes, even when they’re in odd costumes … 


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9to5Toys Lunch Break: LG G4 Stylus (unlocked) $235, ZTE Axon Pro (unlocked) $320, more

Avatar for Stephen Hall Oct 30 2015 - 12:59 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:

LG G4 Stylus brand new 8GB (unlocked): $235 shipped (Reg. $800) | eBay

ZTE Axon Pro factory unlocked in Phthalo Blue: $320 shipped (Reg. $400) | Amazon

New LG/Google Nexus 5 (unlocked): $175 shipped (Reg. $400) | eBay

LG G Watch Android Wear refurb: $60 shipped (Reg. $200) | BuyDig

Dell Venue 8 7000 Series 8.4″ Intel Atom 16GB Black: $280 shipped (Reg. $400) | eBay

Giveaway: Polk Audio’s Omni Whole Home Music System – Soundbar w/ subwoofer and S2 Speaker ($880 value)

More new gear from today:

Headphones: Audio-Technica Over-Ears $100 (Orig. $250), URGE Basics Bluetooth Earbuds $9 (Reg. $19), more

More deals still alive:

Logitech K480 Multi-Device Bluetooth Keyboard (refurb) $20 shipped (Orig. $50)

New products & more:

GE’s new smart LED lightbulbs tell your brain when it’s time for bed

This life-size R2-D2 refrigerator carries your beer to you…for a price

Google’s new ‘Who’s Down’ app shows which of your friends are free to hang out

Avatar for Stephen Hall Oct 30 2015 - 11:47 am PT
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Google has just quietly released a new app on the Play Store, called “Who’s Down”. As you might be able to tell from its name, the app will apparently — once there are people who are actually using it — let you see which of your friends are free to hang out. Currently, the app is invite-only, so the only things we know about its functionality are from the app’s Play Store screenshots…
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Google Photos brings face grouping features to more countries in 1.8 update

Avatar for Stephen Hall Oct 30 2015 - 10:55 am PT
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Google has updated the Google Photos app this week, and it’s a fairly substantive update — at least in comparison to the almost-weekly bug fixer updates that Google pushes to many of its apps. The new version brings the face grouping features of the well-reviewed cloud storage service to more countries…
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Defensive Google SVP: We’re still ‘very committed to Chrome OS’

Avatar for Cam Bunton Oct 30 2015 - 4:34 am PT
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Following reports yesterday that Chrome OS might vanish and be merged in to Android, one of Google’s chiefs was keen to defend the platform and state that it’s not going anywhere. Hiroshi Lockheimer, SVP of Android, Chromecast and Chrome OS tweeted that the company is still ‘very committed to Chrome OS’ and that the platform as a whole is seeing huge momentum…


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Review: Google’s Nexus 5X is a great smartphone, but not the best in its class [Video]

Avatar for Dom Esposito Oct 29 2015 - 12:44 pm PT
4 Comments

Google’s Nexus 5X may not the best budget smartphone you can buy, but it’s the only one that will appeal to purists out there. Google’s LG-made Nexus 5X is definitely worthy of some attention, but these days it’s a tough market out there for a flagship with a midrange price. The question is, can its $379 price tag win your heart and the cash in your wallet?

The Nexus 5X is the first budget Nexus we’ve seen in quite a while, the smallest as well, and as the name suggests, it’s the sequel to the Nexus 5. With that, you’ll find a very familiar plastic build with updated internals and a few extra surprises…


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Nexus 6P teardown reveals that the attractive flagship is extremely difficult to repair

Avatar for Stephen Hall Oct 29 2015 - 9:13 am PT
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There are plenty of different comparison points between this year’s Nexus phones, and in most of them the Nexus 6P is simply superior. The Nexus 6P has a larger screen, a more premium build, a better camera, and more powerful internals. But there’s one area that we now know that the Nexus 6P is clearly the loser. When it comes to repairability, the Nexus 6P is one of the worst phones ever, getting a score of just 2 out of 10 from iFixit…
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BlackBerry details the features of its upcoming PRIV slider phone [Video]

Avatar for Stephen Hall Oct 29 2015 - 7:07 am PT
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BlackBerry’s PRIV handset is getting a lot of attention, and there’s many reasons for that. The most obvious is that it’s a slider phone — something that we haven’t seen on Android for quite a while. BlackBerry was known for their sliders and holding onto the physical keyboard when the rest of the industry moved on, and now they’re bringing that back in a secure package that seems to be more than decent. Many won’t bat an eye, but there are others who might notice some of its unique features.

To highlight those features and hopefully catch those potential customers, BlackBerry has uploaded a video demonstrating what the PRIV has to offer: it’s physical keyboard, BlackBerry Hub, Pop-up widgets, its curved 5.4-inch screen, and more:

The PRIV is also bringing a lot to the table for those more interested in getting great specifications. The phone has a 5.4-inch, 2560 x 1440 resolution AMOLED display at 540ppi, a Snapdragon 808 hexa-core processor, 3 GB RAM, and 32 GB of expandable storage. You’ll find an 18-megapixel rear camera, a 2-megapixel front camera, dual-LED flash, and a 3,410 mAh battery. Sadly, though, it looks like the phone is going to launch with Android 5.1.1 Lollipop.

You can pre-order the BlackBerry PRIV from the company’s website.

Alphabet partners w/ three carriers to bring Project Loon service to Indonesia

Avatar for Chance Miller Oct 28 2015 - 5:00 pm PT
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Google X’s incredibly ambitious Project Loon is expanding into another country soon. Parent company Alphabet today announced that it is teaming up with the three largest wireless carriers in Indonesia to test its Project Loon in Indonesia beginning next year. Google is targeting Indonesia because it is the fourth most populous country in the world, but two-thirds of its citizens lack access to Internet.


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Google names Oklahoma City, Jacksonville and Tampa as potential Fiber cities

Avatar for Stephen Hall Oct 28 2015 - 4:00 pm PT
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Google Fiber is slowly but surely gaining momentum, and the Mountain View company just last month announced that it began exploring Irvine, Louisville, and San Diego as potential cities for the service. Today, it looks like there are three more cities being added to the “maybe one day” list (which is definitely an upgrade from the “who knows” list most cities are still on): Oklahoma City, Oklahom, Jacksonville, Florida, and Tampa, Florida.

Google says these “growing tech hubs” have a “strong entrepreneurial spirit”:

That’s why today, we’re inviting Oklahoma City, OK, Jacksonville, FL and Tampa, FL, to explore bringing Google Fiber to their communities, as we did last month with three other cities. These growing tech-hubs have a strong entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to small business growth. Their list of accolades is long—from Jacksonville’s title as a top 10 city for tech jobs, to Tampa Bay’s #2 spot on the list of best cities for young entrepreneurs, to Oklahoma City’s recognition as the #1 city to launch a business. One of our goals is to make sure speed isn’t an accidental ceiling for how people and businesses use the Web, and these cities are the perfect places to show what’s possible with gigabit Internet.

There are currently 3 Fiber cities, and 6 that are definitely on the way. This announcement leaves us with 9 cities that Google has designated as potentials, with the other 6 being Portland, San Jose, Irving, San Diego, Louisville, and Phoenix. Now, Google is going to start the “joint planning process” in collaboration with the three new cities’ local leaders to study their respective communities. Now it’s just a waiting game for those lucky enough to reside in these cities.

PSA: YouTube Red is now live, and you can sign up for a free trial now

Avatar for Stephen Hall Oct 28 2015 - 10:08 am PT
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Google introduced the world to its curiously-named YouTube Red service just last week, and mentioned that October 28th would be the day that it launched. Well, today is October 28th, and you can now head over to YouTube.com/red to sign up for the service. Google’s kicking off Red with a one month free trial for all users, after which you’ll be charged $9.99 per month…

With YouTube Red, you’ll get access to a completely ad-free YouTube experience (which alone is an enticing offer for those of us that still want to support content creators), you’ll be able to download videos for offline viewing on a variety of devices, and — one feature that has been much-requested since YouTube hit mobile devices — you’ll be able to keep the app running in the background when your screen is off.

The thing that’s confusing to me about this whole ordeal is that there’s so much convergence of content between Google Play Music and YouTube Red. A Google Play Music Unlimited subscription seems to get you a YouTube Red subscription and vice-versa, so now I have to decide which of the two platforms I will use for music streaming. But I guess that’s pretty typical for Google’s products.

I’m not complaining, so don’t get me wrong. I think it’s pretty nice that Google is making these two services just one monthly bill, and I doubt I ever be willing to pay for both. The reason for that is because there’s just so much content overlap, and I guess that’s the same thing that might make this confusing for the average customer. Either way, I get another free month of Google Play Music Unlimited out of this even if I don’t end up sticking with Red, and that’s fine by me.

https://youtu.be/YL9RetC0ook