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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?


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

Avatar for Stephen Hall Nov 10 2015 - 8:05 am PT
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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
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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.
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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…
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Google makes its advanced AI machine, TensorFlow, open source

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


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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…


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

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

 

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

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


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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…


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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.


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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
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:

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
0 Comments

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
0 Comments


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
0 Comments

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
1 Comment

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.