Google is still battling Oracle over code used in the search giant’s Android operating system.The Mountain View-based software company recently petitioned the US Supreme Court, arguing that the high court needs to protect innovation. Google is trying to overturn an appeals court ruling that Oracle has the right to copyright portions of the Java code found in Android.
Today, Google launched a new mobile app for startups called Primer, an interactive tool that helps companies with their marketing needs. Available now on iOS, the software cranks out five minute lesson plans for subjects like Content Marketing, PR & Media and Search Advertising. A simplified experience, Primer is packed with case studies, insider tips and quizzes designed to make marketing easier.
Most likely a nod to Google’s recent investment in Polar, Google+ members can now create interactive polls for their friends and followers on the company’s social network. Polls are limited to five choices and can be decorated with photos to make them unique and appealing. Topics can be just about anything you can dream up, but we’re expecting to see a lot about food, sports, pop culture and of course technology.
If you’re a Sprint customer holding on to an old WiMAX smartphone or tablet, the end is nigh. The carrier is officially shutting down its retro 4G network on November 6th 2015. Sprint stopped producing WiMAX phones several years ago after making the jump to LTE like the rest of the world, but agreed to support the devices for an extended period of time.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQzqjPx-50Y]
After weeks of leaks and speculation, HTC publicly unveiled its new RE camera accessory and Desire EYE smartphone during its Double Exposure event yesterday in New York City. If you happened to miss the festivities and still shots aren’t enough to satisfy your appetite for gadgets, the company has published a video of the event in its entirety on its official YouTube channel.
Google started accepting PayPal payments for Google Play app purchases earlier this year in 12 countries, including the US, France and Germany. Today, the company has expanded this payment option to Australia, Greece, New Zealand, Portugal, Singapore and Sweden.
Samsung is now offering a new protection service for its handsets that will cover select devices against accidental damage, including spills, drops and cracked screens. In addition to accidents, the company’s new Protection Plus Mobile Elite plan covers mechanical and electrical equipment failure for up to two years. Samsung says it will replace a damaged or defective phone within two business days and that it will offer customers three claims for the duration of their service agreement.
Google Now, Siri and Cortana all have their respective followings, but which application is the best at answering real world questions? Recently, the folks at Stone Temple Consulting pit the three platforms each other in a 3,086 query challenge packed with questions that required direct answers.
Today, Google announced the release of Chrome 38 for Android, which is based on a recent build from the software’s beta channel. This new release ships with several bug fixes, including a content spoofing security patch that earned a contributing developer a $1,500 reward.
A few months back, Google quietly introduced bill pay reminders cards to Google Now and it appears that the company is adding to this feature. If you can’t remember your outstanding balance on a specific bill, just tap the mic on the Google app and say “show me my bills” or “my bills due this week.” This will bring up a list of your upcoming bills that need to be paid.
Samsung released a pair of new web commercials today that highlight some of its upcoming Galaxy Note 4’s key features. Each ad clocks in at 30 seconds and unlike the company’s previous efforts these ads focus solely on Samsung’s new phone and what it brings to the table.
A recent scandal that involved countless private pictures of several high-profile female celebrities being published online was initially linked to Apple’s iCloud, however such claims were never validated and the Cupertino software company has publicly denied such allegations. After taking aim at Apple, some of the outraged celebrities are now targeting Google, threatening to sue the company behind its web search results linking to their leaked photos.
If you recently purchased an Android Wear-powered device and you’re not exactly sure where to start, Google has launched an official forum where people can discuss the platform freely and answers to a variety of questions. While the internet is loaded with a vast number of resources, the idea behind Mountain View’s new Android Wear Help Forum is to keep the focus on wearables, so there’s no need to sift pages through unrelated content.
If you abstained from trying the recent leak of Nokia’s HERE Maps for Android, you can now download an official release — as long as you’re using a compatible Samsung device. Available from the Galaxy app store, this Google Maps alternative packs some nifty features like turn-by-turn directions, public transit routes and its standout offline navigation support.
AT&T is currently apologizing to customers for a security breach caused by one of its employees who illegally accessed personal information for a small number the carrier’s subscribers. Some of the compromised information includes social security and driver’s license numbers of the affected customers. AT&T says the incident took place this past August and further discussed the matter in a letter to the Vermont attorney general.
HTC is hosting a media event tomorrow in New York and while we’re pretty sure it’s related to cameras, we’re now positive that it won’t have anything to do with the company’s rumored smartwatch. The outfit has decided to put its wearable plans on ice and target a launch for next year instead of rushing an unprepared device to market.
It’s still hard to get your hands on a OnePlus One, however if you’re among the small group of people using the handset, a new software update is now available for your rare smartphone. Cyanogen’s CM 11S 38R is rolling out as an over-the-air patch and its highlights include an updated lockscreen, improved touchscreen responsiveness, the ability to capture photos in RAW format and high bitrate (24 bit, 96/192khz—flac/alac/wav) audio support.
Google updated the Stable channel of Chrome OS today and while the new build ships with its set of token bug fixes, this revised software also introduces support for a highly requested feature. Chromebook owners can now transfer files from Android smartphones and tablets via a USB cable. After several requests, this overdue feature is now available for all Chrome OS devices, excluding Chromeboxes.
We already know that Motorola is working on Google’s next Nexus smartphone under the codename Shamu and now it looks like the device just hit the FCC. Outlined as a 6-inch phone with support for AT&T and T-Mobile’s LTE bands, this whale of a handset is a little bit closer to breaching. Our sources have told us that the next Nexus phone will feature a 2,560 x 1,440, a Snapdragon 805 processor, 3GB of RAM, a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera, a 3,200mAh battery and Android L.
Chromebooks are becoming more attractive to people looking for an alternative to traditional laptops, but if you’re concerned about their frequent need for an internet connection, this ongoing deal from Woot might be worth considering. The Amazon-owned online retailer is currently offering a factory reconditioned 14-inch HP Chromebook with a lifetime supply (200MB per month) of wireless date via T-Mobile’s HSPA+ for $210.
ZTE’s ZMAX recently made a big splash at T-Mobile and the Chinese manufacturer is looking to go even bigger with the release of its Grand XMAX on Cricket Wireless. Towering over most of its prepaid competition, ZTE’s new massive smartphone features a 6-inch HD display, a 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon processor, 1GB of RAM, an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera, a 1-megapixel front-facing selfie shooter, a 3,200mAh battery and Android 4.4 KitKat.
Last week, we got a glimpse at an unannounced HTC handset referred to as the Desire Eye. Today, we’re taking a closer look at alleged renders for HTC’s selfie-themed smartphone, courtesy of Russian language blog HTCFamily. With rumors of a new Nexus tablet, smartwatch and mobile camera accessory, HTC appears to have a lot on its plate.
There are plenty of big smartphones on the market now, but Samsung wants to remind you what makes its Note product line unique. Today, the company released a new promo video outlining some the special features that can be performed with the Galaxy Note 4’s S Pen. Features like Capture and Share, Link to Related apps and Phone Note are among some of the highlights of this new promo piece.
Despite its blazing fast data speeds, Google Fiber is off to a slow start. The web search king’s home internet and television services are only available in a few markets and while it may be expensive to organize a community install, a lack of infrastructure doesn’t appear to be holding Google Fiber back. It turns out that the need for television programming could be delaying Mountain View’s ISP efforts, as Google is dishing out large sums of cash in hopes of competing with established cable companies.
