Jordan Kahn

Skype today released an update to its Android app, version 5.3, which introduces new features that bring the Android version more up-to-date with features recently released for iOS and desktop users.

Among the new features, Skype 5.3 for Android includes an updated UI with chat bubbles, which looks much like the Skype experience already on other platforms.

The update also includes large and animated emoticons, emoji support, and other performance and user experience enhancements.
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Google today announced some new Chromebooks from partners Haier and Hisense that become some of the most affordable options yet at $149.

It also gave a first look at new types of Chrome OS devices arriving soon from Asus, including a sub $100 thumb drive-like Chrome OS computer called Chromebit and the first fully convertible Chromebook called Chromebook Flip.
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Google has started the April Fools Day fun a bit early with a new Pac-Man easter egg allowing users to play the classic arcade game on the streets of Google Maps. Here’s how to do it:
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Google is no stranger to publicly responding to News Corp after the media company issued a letter last year claiming Google was engaged in unfair business practices, and today Google is once again slamming News Corp for what it’s calling inaccuracies in a recent article about the company.

In a blog post on its Public Policy blog, Google’s SVP Communications and Policy Rachel Whetstone takes apart a recent article in The Wall Street Journal profiling Google’s antitrust probe by the FTC and provides counterpoints to what she says are inaccuracies in the report:
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While the new HTC M9 goes on sale tonight unsubsidized for $650, T-Mobile and AT&T have just announced plans to kick off a presale of the device starting tomorrow for $0 down on their usual financing plans.
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During its F8 Developer Conference today, Facebook announced a new Facebook Messenger Platform that will allow third-party apps to integrate with its popular Messenger app.
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Microsoft announced today that it’s expanding partnerships with Samsung, Dell, and other manufacturers to get its suite of mobile productivity apps onto more Android devices.
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Today during its latest Un-carrier event, T-Mobile announced new initiatives including brand new plans and pricing for businesses and a promise to all of its customers that it won’t increase prices. It’s also paying off bills for those locked into leasing plans on other carriers if they switch to T-Mobile. 

That “Un-contract” guarantee that prices won’t increase goes for all of its Simple Choice plans (including Simple Choice promotional plans) as long as you remain a T-Mobile customer with a qualifying plan. However, the carrier will only offer the guarantee to those with unlimited 4G LTE data for two years. The guarantee will automatically start for all existing customers on March 22nd.
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Google is rolling out two new features for Google Play today that it says will improve the experience for both users and developers. First, the company is introducing a new age-based rating system that Google noted includes considerations for the fact “different countries have different ideas about what content is appropriate for kids, teens and adults.” It’s using industry standard rating systems and requiring devs to submit information about their apps by May:
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YouTube is today rolling out a new Cards feature today that allows creators to add interactive, Google Now-like pop ups on videos. YouTube first showed off the feature in preview mode back in June but is today opening it to all on both mobile and desktop. 
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[youtube=https://youtu.be/7IaYJZ2Usdk?list=PLbsGxdAPhjv_tgCNWGaGvSnlIMZNkmnrM]

YouTube is adding support for 360-degree video uploads alongside a new viewing experience for the video format on both mobile and the web.

Users viewing the 360-degree video (like the one embedded above) will be able to do so by dragging with their mouse in Chrome on the web or by physically moving their Android device (and soon iPhone and iPad) in the mobile app:
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[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jC8Xy3Q82hY]

Google just announced an updated version of its Chromebook Pixel notebook alongside a new online Google Store where it plans to sell all of its Google branded devices.

The big standout feature for the new Chromebook Pixel is USB C, the new USB standard that Apple just introduced on its new 12-inch MacBook this week. Google has one USB C port on each side.
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[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4vkQAByALc]

Google just announced its much anticipated Google Calendar app for iPhone is now available on the App Store. The app is essentially an iPhone version of the standalone Calendar mobile app previously only available for Android devices. Google first unveiled the latest version of its Calendar app alongside the release of Android 5.0 Lollipop late last year. 

The Google Calendar app for iPhone works with your Exchange and iCloud calendars and also integrates with Gmail to automatically turn events from emails into Calendar entries. Here’s a rundown on features from Google:

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Google has once again topped Fortune’s list of the “100 best companies to work for” taking the number one spot for the fourth year running.

Some of the perks of working at Google that helped it earn the top spot, according to Fortune, include recently enhanced parental leave benefits and $500 of “Baby Bonding Bucks”:
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Hyundai’s previously announced Blue Link app for smartwatches arrives today to let owners of its vehicles lock, unlock, and remote start their cars. The app was previously available for smartphones, but today arrives for Android Wear devices via a new Blue Link companion app on Google Play.
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