United States

Google’s Knowledge Graph–which highlights fact-checked info at the top of certain types of search results–is being expanded to include health-related searches. So next time you want to check whether you have the common cold or a rare strain of Ebola, Google should provide the necessary reassurance.

Starting in the next few days, when you ask Google about common health conditions, you’ll start getting relevant medical facts right up front from the Knowledge Graph. We’ll show you typical symptoms and treatments, as well as details on how common the condition is—whether it’s critical, if it’s contagious, what ages it affects, and more. For some conditions you’ll also see high-quality illustrations from licensed medical illustrators.

Google says that the information is pulled from “high-quality medical sources across the web” and then checked by both its own doctors and others from the Mayo Clinic …
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Google Domains public beta now available in United States

9to5 Staff Jan 13 2015 - 9:25 am PT

Following an invite-only rollout last June, Google Domains on Tuesday became available as a public beta in the United States. Google Domains is a domain name service, similar to GoDaddy or NameCheap, that enables users to search for, register and manage domain names. Alongside the public beta, Google has announced a number of new features to the service.
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European Parliament approves proposal to break up Google – but it doesn’t mean much

Ben Lovejoy Nov 27 2014 - 5:41 am PT

A European Parliament motion calling for the breakup of Google, separating out the search business from the company’s other activities, has been overwhelmingly approved, reports the WSJ.

In a vote in Strasbourg, 384 legislators voted in favor of the controversial initiative, with 174 against and 56 abstentions […]

“Clear adoption by the EP of Digital Single Market motion, including unbundling for search engine if needed,” tweeted Ramon Tremosa I Balcells, a lawmaker from Spain who backed the proposal.

The vote comes just a day after a separate European call for the controversial ‘right to be forgotten‘ ruling to be extended to google.com as well as the European versions of its sites …
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Reminder: Samsung’s Galaxy Note Edge is available in the US from today, from $399.99

Ben Lovejoy Nov 14 2014 - 6:30 am PT

If you’ve been waiting to get your hands on Samsung’s quirky variant on the Note 4, the Note Edge is available today from AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, and U.S. Cellular – as well as through the Samsung experience stores within Best Buy stores. Best Buy pricing starts at $399.99 on a new 2-year contract with AT&T, up to $1,599 for an unlocked model without contract.

While we found the device interesting during our hands-on test, the consensus view seems to be that the novelty of the wrap-around screen probably doesn’t justify the extra $100 over the standard Note 4, which our own Dom Esposito described as “the best phablet on the block.”

The Note Edge is also due to roll out in at least 22 other countries, though probably not until sometime next month.

Samsung Gear Circle now available in United States at select T-Mobile stores

9to5 Staff Nov 5 2014 - 3:43 pm PT

Samsung on Wednesday announced that the Gear Circle is now available in the United States at select T-Mobile stores nationwide, with an expanded rollout of the device at AT&T, Amazon and Samsung’s online store to take place later this month. Samsung’s Gear Circle will also be available in white exclusively from Best Buy locations in the future.
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Samsung to launch 3G-connected Gear S smartwatch in United States next week

9to5 Staff Oct 30 2014 - 7:04 am PT

Samsung on Thursday announced that it will be launching the Gear S smartwatch in the United States on next Friday, November 7th. The first 3G-connected smartwatch was originally announced in August and features a 2-inch curved Super AMOLED display, 1.0 GHz dual-core processor, network connectivity, 300 mAh battery and more.

The Gear S essentially doubles as a fitness tracker, with a myriad of sensors including an accelerometer, gyroscope, compass, heart rate monitor, ambient light sensor, UV sensor and barometer. The smartwatch is based on Samsung’s own Tizen software platform, a clear differentiation over Samsung’s other smartwatches and Android Wear.
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Spotify Family to offer half-price Premium subscriptions for additional family members

Ben Lovejoy Oct 20 2014 - 5:00 am PT

Anyone who has ever shared a Spotify Premium account with a partner or – worse – their kids will know the problems: arguments over who gets to use it when, and your playlists and recommendations polluted by the likes of Jason Mraz or the soundtrack from The Lego Movie.

Spotify Family will soon allow you to purchase additional Premium subscriptions for up to four family members for half-price. The first family member will continue to pay $10/month, but additional family members pay just $5/month.

Your account. Your music. With Spotify Family, everyone gets their very own account. Enjoy separate playlists and recommendations and play your music whenever you like.

Premium for everyone. Everyone on the plan gets the full Spotify Premium experience. Listen offline. Play any song, anytime, on any device. No restrictions. No ads.

The more the merrier. Having a family can be expensive. But music doesn’t have to be. With Spotify Family, you can add up to four family members to your account, and each additional user gets 50% off Spotify Premium.

No tantrums. No more fighting over what to listen to, and no more interruptions when someone else logs in and starts playing.

Spotify said a family membership has been one of its most requested features, and that the package will roll-out globally in the coming weeks.

Spotify apps are available for both Android and Windows, as well OS X and iOS. Spotify also made it to the Amazon Fire TV box last month.

Sprint reaches 4G LTE roaming agreement w/ 15 regional & rural carriers

Zac Hall Sep 5 2014 - 8:25 am PT

U.S. national carrier Sprint announced today that it has signed 15 additional agreements with rural and regional carriers to cover 4G LTE roaming on its network. Rural and regional carriers participating with Sprint in the new agreements including New York and Pennsylvania’s Blue Wireless, Kentucky’s Bluegrass Wireless, Alabama’s Pine Belt Wireless, Idaho’s Syringa Wireless, and more including members and partners of the Rural independent Network Alliance.

With the 15 additional regional and rural partners announced today, Sprint says it not has 27 regional carrier partners across the United States. The announcement comes just one month after Sprint abandoned plans to acquire wireless carrier competitor T-Mobile and appointed a new CEO to lead the company. You can view a full list of Sprint’s newly announced additional 4G LTE roaming partners below and Sprint’s list of supported LTE locations here.

Sharp Aquos Crystal shows what we can expect from next-gen near-bezel-less phones

Ben Lovejoy Aug 18 2014 - 7:49 am PT

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wh5l0xsIqnA]

A mid-range phone powered by a Snapdragon 400 processor isn’t going to excite many people, but the Sharp Aquos Crystal coming later this year to Sprint does have one very appealing feature: a near-invisible bezel …
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Samsung and Apple agree to end all patent disputes outside of the United States

Chance Miller Aug 5 2014 - 7:20 pm PT

Photo: ibtimes.com

Samsung and Apple just announced that they have agreed to drop all patent suits against each other in countries outside the United States, Bloomberg reports. The two companies will drop suits against each other in Australia, Japan, South Korea, Germany, Netherlands, the U.K., France and Italy. This agreement does not include any licensing agreements, though. This has no effect on United States battles either.

New NPR One app curates stories and creates a personalized stream of content

Chance Miller Jul 28 2014 - 10:58 am PT

NPR today released a new app for Android to the Google Play Store. The app, called NPR One, curates all public radio stations in the United States and creates a stream of stories you’ll want to listen to. NPR says that it’s “public radio made personal.

Samsung shows off its tech institute near Mexico City

Zac Hall Jul 25 2014 - 8:03 am PT

First announced last month at a ceremony on June 9th, Samsung has shared some information about its new Samsung Tech Institute in Queretaro, Mexico near Mexico City. The company says representatives from the National Employment Service Delegation Queretaro attended that ceremony alongside corporate managers from Samsung.

The main objective of this program is to train technicians to address the importance and the needs of the production in order to improve living conditions and to provide employment opportunities for recent graduates, who constantly struggle to find job opportunities.

Below Samsung outlines the benefits of its program:
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OECD data reveals one mobile Internet connection for every person in the U.S.

Ben Lovejoy Jul 25 2014 - 4:58 am PT

Data released by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development reveals that there are now as many mobile Internet connections as there are people in the USA. While not everyone has a mobile data SIM or dongle, those with multiple devices make up for those left out, taking the average to a fraction over 100 percent.

Six other countries also manage to have more mobile data subscriptions than people, Finland topping the list with an average of 1.25 connections per person. The overall average across the 34 countries within the OECD grouping was 72.4 percent.

Via The Register

NVIDIA Shield gaming tablet and controller rumored to be released July 29, tablet starting at $299

Chance Miller Jul 18 2014 - 3:17 pm PT

Following a leaked image of the supposed NVIDIA Shield tablet yesterday, more details have emerged regarding the company’s future plans. According to information obtained by video game website “Video Cardz,” NVIDIA has a new lineup of devices called the “Shield Family” planned. Included in this line-up is the Shield gaming tablet, as well as a Shield Controller.

‘Ok Google’ voice detection rolling out for 7 new languages including Russian, Korean, more

Chance Miller Jul 2 2014 - 10:09 am PT

Google today appears to be rolling out much wider support for its “Ok Google” command within Search. This update pertains solely to the ability to say “Ok Google” within Google Now and the search box to activate a command or search and have Google automatically detect when you say it. Previously, this feature was supported only in the US, Canada, France, and Germany. Today’s update adds support for 7 new language locales, including Italian, Portuguese, and Japanese. Google’s been testing these languages in these regions for a little while now, so it’s possible that you could have been one of the lucky testers.

English (now supports all accents / dialects)
Spanish (Spain and Mexico only)
Italian
Portuguese (Brazilian only)
Russian
Korean
Japanese

The update appears to be rolling out gradually, so it may take a little while to hit your device. You also need to be on the most recent version of the Google Search

Google Glass prematurely appears on Play Store support page as ‘available’ in the UK (update: available now)

Chance Miller Jun 23 2014 - 8:40 am PT

Update: Google Glass is now available on the Play Store in the UK for £1,000 and is available in black, red, white, charcoal and blue. Google says the device will ship from its warehouse in one or two business days. Glass still carries the Explorer tag and does not appear to be any different than the U.S. variant. You can view Glass on the Play Store here.

Original post: Ahead of Google I/O this week, Google Glass is now listed as being available in the United Kingdom on the Play Store support page. When the Nest Thermostat became available on Google Play, it too was prematurely posted on the Play Store support page for country availability. Should the support page be correct, the UK would be the first country besides the United States in which you can purchase Glass.

Google marks the 70th anniversary of D-Day with massive collection of photos, letters & more

Ben Lovejoy Jun 6 2014 - 4:30 am PT

Google has created a new Cultural Institute collection to mark the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings that were instrumental in the allies winning World War 2.

The massive collection of hundreds of photos, letters and documents helps bring to life the largest seaborne invasion in history, with 130,000 British, American and Canadian troops landing on the beaches of Normandy, France. Almost one in ten of them were killed.

The collection includes Franklin D. Roosevelt’s prayer, complete with handwritten amendments, and top-secret progress reports from Eisenhower to Marshall …
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Sprint reportedly close to acquiring T-Mobile for almost $32 billion

Chance Miller Jun 4 2014 - 4:10 pm PT

2 Comments

After several months of rumors, Sprint is reportedly finally nearing a deal to acquire T-Mobile USA. The two have reportedly been in negotiations for awhile now, but they have apparently finally reached an agreeable number. The deal, as it stands now, would have Sprint acquiring the Uncarrier for $31.3 billion. T-Mobile currently has about $15 billion in debt and $5 billion in cash. Sprint is valuing the company at roughly $40 a share.

Crowd-sourced crime-reporting and safety app Tapshield goes public

Ben Lovejoy May 29 2014 - 7:17 am PT

A crowd-sourced crime-reporting and safety app trialled on selected university campuses has now been rolled out to everyone. Tapshield allows real-time viewing of crime stats and suspicious activity in an area, and allows you to summon help when in trouble.

An award-winning mobile safety app and response dashboard, TapShield uses collaboration and crowd-sourcing to build safer communities & improve response times. Think of TapShield as your social safety network with you wherever you want to go.

The way the app works is that users can report crimes in progress and anything else they spot that concerns them, and those locations and incidents are then automatically shown to other Tapshield users in the area.

When a crime is reported, Tapshield sends a message to campus security when used within one of the participating colleges, and dials 911 when used elsewhere. You also have the option of sending a non-emergency alert to police when you see something that concerns you but which doesn’t justify an immediate emergency response – such as a bunch of street lights out, leaving a path in darkness.

If you have to make a journey that concerns you, you can specify your route and ETA and allow family and friends to follow your journey remotely, raising the alarm if you go off-route or don’t reach your destination when expected.

Finally, the app has a ‘yank’ mode, which automatically sends an alert if headphones are forcibly pulled from the device, such as when your phone is snatched by a thief.

Tapshield is a free download from Google Play.

Via TheNextWeb

‘Right to be forgotten’ ruling in Europe won’t apply to Google in U.S. say commentators

Ben Lovejoy May 26 2014 - 4:26 am PT

A ruling by Europe’s top court that individuals have a right to require Google to remove sensitive information from search results is unlikely to apply in the USA, according to a number of commentators quoted in an Associated Press piece.

But across the Atlantic, the idea that users should be able to edit Google search results in the name of privacy is being slammed as weird and difficult to enforce at best and a crackdown on free speech at worst …

Tom Coburn’s Let Me Google That For You Act of 2014 will help stop federal money from being wasted in the US

Jonathan Kizer May 19 2014 - 10:52 am PT

There is a United States federal agency that specializes in collecting and cataloguing scientific research papers of all kinds. The NTIS — National Technical Information Service — will serve up files or paper copies of these records for $25 or $73, respectively. The issue, as pointed out by NPR, is that most of these records are available for free elsewhere, and are easier to find with Google than with the NTIS’ outdated website. And so, ever the enemy of a wasteful budget, Tom Coburn has introduced the Let Me Google That For You Act of 2014 to abolish the NTIS.
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The four largest carriers now support texting 911, but most emergency call centres don’t

Ben Lovejoy May 16 2014 - 4:37 am PT

When the FCC set a voluntary deadline of yesterday for putting in place technology to allow people to text 911, all four of the main national carriers complied. But since most emergency call centres aren’t yet equipped to receive texts, don’t expect to be using it any time soon.

The FCC said that the ability to text 911 could be a life-saver for those with hearing or speech impairments, as well as in situations where it might be dangerous to make a phone call – while a crime is in progress and the perpetrator within earshot, for example.

But the wireless trade association, the CTIA, warned that even where 911 texting is supported, it’s still impossible to guarantee immediate delivery of texts. We’ve all experienced examples of texts that arrive the next day, so the advice remains to make a voice call wherever possible.

The FCC has uploaded a list of emergency call centres accepting 911 texts. If you attempt to text 911 in an area where the service is not supported, you’ll get a text bounce-back. Needless to say, please do not test the service.

Google’s getting good at these inspirational ads

Ben Lovejoy May 12 2014 - 7:13 am PT