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Google X robotics expert speaks out on the decline of women in tech from 35% to 26% (Video)

If we want to understand why the percentage of women in working in the tech sector has dropped from 35% in 1990 to just 26% today, asking some women in tech for their thoughts on the issue seems like a smart thing to do. Re/code is doing just that, in a new video series entitled The 26%: Women Speak Out on Tech’s Diversity Crisis, and a Google X robotics expert was first in line … 
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High quality Huawei Nexus renders published based on “detailed blueprints”

Yesterday the well-known leaker, Steve Hemmerstoffer teamed up with uSwitch to leak digital renders of the purported upcoming LG-made Nexus. Today, the two are back with their first look at what could be this year’s flagship Nexus device. As rumored multiple times, this device is expected to be manufactured by Huawei, one of China’s biggest Android OEMs.


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9to5Toys Lunch Break: GoPro HERO4 Silver $330, Brother wireless printer $80, more

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: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

GoPro’s HERO4 Silver Action Camera is on sale for $330 shipped (Reg. $400)

Brother Wireless Laser Printer with AirPrint $80 shipped (Orig. $130)

 

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge 64 GB (factory unlocked): $580 shipped (Reg. $1,000) | eBay

 

Up to 50% off Android on eBay: LG G Pad V410 $9, Samsung Note Pro P905 32GB $400, more

Giveaway: Olio Model One Black Collection Connected Timepiece for iOS and Android ($795 value)

More new gear from today:

 

Daily Deals: Logitech Wireless Performance Mouse MX $45, D-Link Wireless Cloud IP Camera $55, more

  • Synology DiskStation 2-Bay Network Attached Storage $300 shipped (Reg. $350+)
  • Games/Apps: Batman Arkham Knight from $45, Metro Redux $17, Wii U bundle $253, iOS freebies, more
  • Stop paying rental fees w/ the best-selling Motorola Arris SB6121 DOCSIS 3.0 Cable modem (refurb): $45 (Orig. $100)
  • Get Ed Sheeran’s complete X album for $1 (Reg. $12)

More deals still alive:

Apple 13-inch MacBook Pro w/ Retina Display (newest) 2.7GHz/8GB/128GB: $1,100 shipped (Reg. $1,299)

Apple 27-inch iMac with Retina 5K Display 3.3GHz/1TB/8GB: $1,850 shipped (Reg. $1,999)

Spigen: Air Vent Mount for iPhone 6/Plus & Android Devices $7 (Reg. $16), iPhone 6 MFi 3100mAh Battery Case $35 (Reg. $60)

New products & more:

Make nearly any HDTV a giant Android touchscreen tablet with the Touchjet WAVE

JayBird’s new Apple Watch compatible X2 in-ears sport enhanced Bluetooth audio

The coolest Apple-certified MFI Lightning cables you can buy for your iPhone, iPad and iPod

Use Google’s same-day delivery service, help give school supplies to kids in need

The beginning of a new school year is almost here and with it many stores have begun to fill their aisles with supplies and pepper the media with advertisements to get kids, and their parents, in the door. Many students can’t afford to get everything they may need, however, which could start the year off on a wrong, anxious foot. Google, in partnership with Volunteers of America Operation Backpack, is using its Google Express same-day delivery service to give away 10,000 backpacks full of supplies to disadvantaged children.

Operation Backpack® provides new backpacks and school supplies to disadvantaged kids, giving them a sense of confidence in knowing that their education is important and that somebody believes in them.

Here’s how it works: Spend at least $50 on Google Express between now and the 17th of this month, and Google will donate a backpack to Volunteers of America Operation Backpack, up to 10,000 backpacks. The website isn’t specific as to whether or not the $50 has to be in one transaction, but I assume so. And since there’s just a limit on the maximum amount of backpacks they’ll donate, you should be able to make multiple $50 orders and have a backpack donated each time until they hit that limit.

Google Express is Google’s same-day delivery service for getting everything from electronics to fruits and vegetables delivered right to your door within hours. It’s the same idea as the popular Instacart delivery service, except that Instacart delivers a more limited selection of items — mainly food and healthcare products. Express, like Instacart, procures its inventory from local stores which vary depending on the city you’re in, and you can either pay $5 for delivery, or a $95 annual membership fee to get unlimited free deliveries on orders of at least $15 in value. Google Express is only available in a few major US cities right now, though:

  • San Francisco
  • Peninsula & San Jose
  • West Los Angeles
  • Manhattan
  • Chicago
  • Boston
  • Washington, DC

Sprint rolling out Stagefright vulnerability patch for HTC One M8

Like every other US carrier, Sprint has been working diligently to release a patch to the Stagefright vulnerability in Android to its lineup of phones, and today HTC One M8 owners get the fix.

The release notes for the update only list a “Patch for critical security vulnerability (‘Stagefright’)” as being included in this update, so don’t expect anything else.

Stagefright is a vulnerability spotted in Android’s default MMS behavior that makes delivering and executing code on an Android-powered smartphone as simple as delivering a rich text message. Android has the ability to fetch the contents of a message before the user even opens it (this functionality itself is called “Stagefright” in Android), and most messaging apps previously didn’t prevent this from happening because, why not? Pre-fetching contents would be ideal as it means the user doesn’t have to wait for something to download when they tap and open a message.

Unfortunately, however, it’s also an easy way for bad guys to gain control of your phone. Google’s default text messaging app on Android, Messages, as well as its Hangouts messaging app, have both received updates to solve this from happening. Other popular messaging apps have followed suite, but Google’s vulnerability patch means that more apps won’t need to do the same.

Since this is a carrier update it’s being rolled out in stages, so it could be a few days before you see it hit your device. You should receive a notification when it’s available, otherwise you can manually check by visiting Settings > About phone > System updates.

Google ‘recalculating’ plans for Project Ara modular smartphone, says will update next week

Engadget noticed that Google’s Project Ara team had posted a confusing series of tweets about its Project Ara modular smartphone, making it unclear how the company now plans to proceed.

After a long period of radio silence following a photo posted from Google I/O back in May, the project’s Twitter account posted first that it had some updates to share, then that there would be a “market pilot re-route” but “don’t worry, #ProjectAra isn’t going anywhere, #just recalculating” … 
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OxygenOS 1.0.2 update released with Stagefright patch for OnePlus One users

OnePlus One users running OxygenOS can now download the security patches to deal with the Stagefright vulnerability. OnePlus One announced in a blog post this morning that Oxygen OS 1.0.2 is now available to download, and fixes what some dubbed the worst Android vulnerability in the mobile device era. Customers are advised to ensure they back up all their data before flashing. Those using OxygenOS already won’t need to reset their devices.


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Detailed LG Nexus 2015 renders leaked, show 5.2-inch screen, fingerprint sensor, more


For the past few weeks, rumors have surfaced suggestion Google will partner with two manufacturers this year for its Nexus phones. We’re purportedly going to see a smaller device made by LG and a larger model made by Huawei. Today we get our first look at some detailed 3D renders designed using hardware schematics sent to case-makers.


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Google’s new Mobile Vision API makes it easy for Android developers to tell if you’re smiling

Google has today completed its roll-out of Google Play services version 7.8, the package of app tools and APIs that Google manages and which make it stand out from those who use the open source version of Android to create their own mobile platforms. With version 7.8 comes some new technology that will make it easier for developers to recognize when you’re smiling into your Android device’s camera.


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9to5Toys Lunch Break: 128GB Galaxy S6 (unlocked) $600, Wireless Travel Router $5, Android Car Mount $7, more

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: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Samsung Galaxy S6 128GB Smartphone (unlocked): $600 shipped (Reg $800+)

Aukey Wireless Portable Travel Router/1800mAh power bank: $5 Prime shipped (add on)

Spigen: Air Vent Mount for iPhone 6/Plus & Android Devices $7 (Reg. $16), iPhone 6 MFi 3100mAh Battery Case $35 (Reg. $60)

Over $90 of paid Android Apps for Free: Scribblenauts Remix, Bloons TD 5, Sonic The Hedgehog 2, Goat Simulator, more

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge 64 GB (factory unlocked): $580 shipped (Reg. $1,000) | eBay

 

Up to 50% off Android on eBay: LG G Pad V410 $90, Samsung Note Pro P905 32GB $400, more

Giveaway: Olio Model One Black Collection Connected Timepiece for iOS and Android ($795 value)

More new gear from today:

Canon PIXMA MX922 Wireless AirPrint All-in-One Printer $70 shipped (Reg. $97+), more

More deals still alive:

Xiaomi 16000mAh Portable External Battery: $18 shipped (Reg. $28) | eBay

USB roundup: Anker 60W 6-Port USB Charging Hub $24 (Reg. $36), Imneed Power bank + MFi Lightning cable $10 (Reg. $22), more

New products & more:

JayBird’s new Apple Watch compatible X2 in-ears sport enhanced Bluetooth audio

WalkCar looks like a four-wheeled MacBook that you can ride

Google adds new Dell Chromebook 13 to Chromebook for Work lineup, available September 17

Chromebook for Work is Google’s lineup of premium Chrome OS-powered laptops which it promotes as easy to deploy, highly secure, and ready to run legacy Window applications through OS virtualization. Today the company announced that Dell will begin selling a new one of these business-ready Chromebooks starting September 17th, called the Dell Chromebook 13.

The Chromebook 13 is, like the rest of the Chromebook for Work line, packing a serious punch for a computer running such a lightweight operating system. It has a 13.3″ full HD touchscreen display (1920×1080), a 5th-generation Intel Core i5 processor, a backlit keyboard and glass touchpad, and a palmrest made out of magnesium alloy. The laptop is quoted for 12 hours of battery life, although these ratings are usually generous. The starting price will be $399 when it goes on sale, with no more detail on upgrade options or variants. “Enterprise class performance at an economical price point,” Google says in its blog post.

Chrome OS certainly does hold a lot of promise for IT departments frustrated with the current solutions out there, namely Windows and all the tumult going on at Microsoft over the company’s strategy for the operating system going forward. Google’s operating system was built at a much later time, and without the baggage of years and years of developing and supporting software meant for a place and time that has since passed. In my day-to-day there are rarely more than a few edge case applications and tools I need a full-on desktop computer for, so the ability of Chrome OS to virtualize Windows and run its applications is just icing on the cake of an OS which recognizes that many business-related programs can run in the web and be almost indistinguishable from their desktop equivalents — especially with Chrome OS’s ability to run web apps as individual windowed apps.

Samsung’s Unpacked event is kicking off at 11 AM ET [Livestream]

In case you’re out of the loop, Samsung is announcing a couple of new devices at its Unpacked event today. Based on the leaks we’ve been seeing over the last couple of months, it looks like the Korean company is set to unveil its S Pen-sporting Samsung Galaxy Note 5, as well as a bigger “plus” version of the Galaxy S6 Edge. Follow below for the livestream…
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Google reveals details of first monthly Nexus security update in new Google Group

Site default logo image

Google’s Android security lead Adrian Ludwig has posted a detailed description of the security update recently issued by Google for Nexus devices. The update was designed to address the Stagefright vulnerability which has been described as the  “worst Android vulnerability in the mobile OS history.”

On August 5, 2015, we released an over-the-air (OTA) update for Nexus 4/5/6/7/9/10 and Nexus Player devices that includes several security fixes. The patches for these fixes have also been released to the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) source repository.  These issues are categorized and provided in decreasing order of severity.  We have also provided an assessment of each issue, given the information we have at the time of the publication of this bulletin … 


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Niantic Labs, creator of Ingress, to be spun off as an independent company

As the changes from Google’s Alphabet restructure continue to emerge, it today was revealed that Niantic Labs, the team behind popular Ingress augmented reality game, will be spun off as its own independent company. In addition to creating Ingress, Niantic Labs also created Field Trip, which will also stick around when the company breaks off from Google.


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9to5Toys Lunch Break: Galaxy S6 Edge (unlocked) $580, HTC RE waterproof camera $100, more

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: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge 64 GB (factory unlocked): $580 shipped (Reg. $1,000) | eBay

Daily Deals: HTC RE 16 MP Waterproof Camera $100, CyberPower Standby Series UPS w/8 Outlets $35, more

Xiaomi 16000mAh Portable External Battery: $18 shipped (Reg. $28) | eBay

 

Up to 50% off Android on eBay: LG G Pad V410 $90, Samsung Note Pro P905 32GB $400, more

Get 12 months of Adobe’s Photography Creative Cloud plan for $100 ($20 savings)

Giveaway: Olio Model One Black Collection Connected Timepiece for iOS and Android ($795 value)

More new gear from today:

Samsung 850 Pro 2.5-inch Internal Solid-State Drives: 256GB $115 shipped (Reg. $150+), 1TB $430 shipped (Reg. $465)

More deals still alive:

 

D-Link DCS-5029L 720p HD Pan & Tilt Day/Night Wi-Fi Camera: $100 shipped (Reg. $150)

New products & more:

WalkCar looks like a four-wheeled MacBook that you can ride

Solenica’s solar-powered Lucy lamp shines light into the dark spaces in your home

The coolest Apple-certified MFI Lightning cables you can buy for your iPhone, iPad and iPod

LG G4c unboxing and G4 head-to-head comparison [Video]

In many ways, the LG G4c is a mini version of the LG G4. Sadly, unlike Sony’s Compact series smartphones, it’s not a small phone with flagship specs. It’s less powerful, has a lower resolution screen and a smaller battery than the high-end G4. But all of that is reflected in the price difference. We’ve unboxed the device and filmed a brief comparison between the G4c and the LG G4…


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Android Experiments is a gallery of apps that make the best of Android

Yesterday we wrote about three new Android apps to come out of Google’s Creative Lab, which at the time we had trouble making sense of as at first glance since they all seemed like trivial products without clear meaning. Now their existence makes more sense with the launch of a new community gallery of apps called Android Experiments.


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Motorola says the new Moto X Pure Edition will be available September 3rd

The 3rd generation Moto X, also known as Moto X Style, also known as (officially, in the United States) Moto X Pure Edition, is set to become available for purchase in the US on September 3rd.

The phone, announced a couple of weeks ago alongside the Moto X Play, packs a 5.7-inch Quad HD display, a Snapdragon 808, 3 GB of RAM, 4G LTE, a beastly 21-megapixel main camera, a 5-megapixel front cam, and a 3,000 mAh battery.

Moto X Style, known as the “Pure Edition” stateside, will cost $399 for the base model. The Moto X Play will be available in 55 countries starting August (but, unfortunately, this doesn’t include the United States).

https://twitter.com/Motorola/status/631502920295534592

SoundCloud gains Google Cast support in latest Android release

Are you one of the many diehard SoundCloud users and wish you could easily stream those tunes to your TV? You’re in luck, as the public version of SoundCloud in Google Play has just received an update with support for Google Cast, letting you stream all of the best remixes and indie tracks straight to your living room entertainment set up.
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OnePlus let more than 200 people line up to buy 20 OnePlus 2 units in Paris

OnePlus is just having too much fun marketing the OnePlus 2. In their latest stunt, the company invited the public to a special launch of the device at colette Paris. “We’ll be there from 11:00 am until the OnePlus 2 is sold out. It’s a very limited stock sale, so be sure to come early,” the company said. More than 200 people came out, according to a post on the company’s forum. It seems OnePlus really meant it when they said “very limited stock sale,” though…
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Project Fi customers can get their Nexus 6 replaced for $100

If you bought a Nexus 6 from Google during your Project Fi setup process, you may be surprised to know that the company will replace that device once for a fee of just $100. That means, if you dropped your phone and damaged it somehow, all you need to do is make a quick call to Project Fi customer support and they’ll arrange the replacement (via Android Central).

It’s pretty straight-forward, and given the no-questions-asked policy, you can literally swap your Nexus 6 for any reason within the first 12 months of ownership. If you manage to avoid any serious damage to your Nexus and it’s getting a little worn and old, you can ring up and swap for a fresh, shiny new one, as long as you’ve owned it for less than a year.

Of course, if a handset goes faulty during regular warranty period, your usual warranty terms apply. This hidden perk is more of an insurance policy against accidental damage, or things not normally covered by the product warranty. If your screen cracks on your Project Fi-powered Nexus, you know now that you don’t have to spend a fortune on getting your display replaced, or having to make do with a terrible backup phone.

 

Alphabet’s L is for Life Sciences, meaning it has graduated from Google X

The Life Sciences group at Google, previously under the umbrella of the company’s experimental X lab, seems to now be holding its own under the newly-formed Alphabet parent company. It’s something that somehow went under the radar with Larry Page’s announcement of Alphabet, but it’s definitely notable. It’s yet another graduation from the skunkworks lab, and it’s recognition that the group is worthy of being its own company…
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