Let’s face it, the launch of the OnePlus One has pretty much been a disaster. There’s been horrible marketing gimmicks, software issues and let’s not forget that you still can’t buy the phone without an invitation. Hopefully OnePlus will resolve the issues surrounding its smartphone before publicly announcing any other projects, because according to @evleaks, the startup is working on a tablet.
Whether you’re an avid soccer fan or a compulsive gambler looking for an edge, Google’s cloud platform could be your best friend or worst enemy, depending on who you’re rooting for in this year’s World Cup. In a blog post today, product marketing manager, Benjamin Bechtolsheim revealed that so far the company’s system has managed to correctly predict winners for each match in the tournament’s Round of 16.
Last month a NVIDIA-made gadget passed through the FCC. Originally believed to be a follow up to the Android-powered Shield, this may not be the case. A recent filing by the Global Certification Forum has outed a device referred to as the “Shield Tablet” with NVIDIA listed as its manufacturer. While the GCF listing doesn’t reveal much else, rumor has it that the tablet will feature a 7.9 -inch 2,048 x 1,536 display, a Tegra K1 processor, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage.
Dan Makoski, Google’s head of design for its Advanced Technology & Projects division is leaving the company and taking a design related position at Capital One. Yep, the bank that has star-studded credit card ads powered by celebrities like Alec Baldwin and Samuel L. Jackson. So why leave a bleeding edge tech company like Google for life at a financial institution? Makoski recently drafted a list on his blog explaining his decision.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWsKgblN0oA]
You know what’s better than one music video? Six music videos playing at the same time! Google’s Creative Lab has put together an interactive virtual media box called the Cube that lets users mix up to six simultaneous videos while jamming to a single track. Supported by Chrome and most modern Android devices, would-be DJs can use their mouse or finger to cycle through different video sequences while a song plays in the background.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAIMnAaXIMg]
Earlier in the year we received word that Google Voice was getting the axe and its features were being rolled into Hangouts. Although it wasn’t openly discussed last week during Google’s I/O keynote, further exploration of the developer preview of Android’s L version has reinforced what we were told almost four months ago.
If you ponied up the dough for a Google Play Edition HTC One M7 or M8, your Android 4.4.4 over-the-air update is now on its way. As revealed by other devices, this new software’s primary objective is to fix bugs and patch security holes, so don’t expect any cosmetic improvements. However, if you endured the high premium for a vanilla Android experience and frequent software updates, this is your moment to take a victory lap.
Despite its highly successful and highly publicized Kickstarter campaign, OUYA hasn’t really caught on as a serious gaming platform. As other TV-friendly Android-based gaming platforms like Fire TV and Android TV start to take shape, the crowdfunded console needs a competitive edge to make its brand more appealing. Aware of this, OUYA is testing a new all you can eat subscription model with a $60 per year cover charge.
Google released another web-based game today called Smarty Pins that will most likely distract you from other things that you should be doing. Powered by Google Maps, this quiz game tests your knowledge about historical and current events by asking you location-based questions. To answer a question, players drop a pin on the correct location and instead of earning points, you’ll rack up miles to keep the game going. As a slight help, the pin starts out in the same region as the correct answer, so there’s no need to move too far across the map.
Google recently revealed its plan to deep-six Quickoffice, so updates for apps like Docs are pretty much a given. The latest version of Mountain View’s word processing application introduces a cluster of new features, including support for Android L, which should make early, early adopters smile. Other noticeable changes in software version 1.3.251.9 include a redesigned interface more in line with Google’s Material Design language, along with the ability to create and edit Microsoft.docx files.
ZTE is reportedly planning to announce its next flagship smartphone later this week, but the Chinese manufacturer’s new device may have already broken cover. A set of alleged photos of the ZTE Nubia Z7 recently surfaced on the Asian microblogging Sina Weibo, along with information about the handset’s pricing and hardware.
Last year, Google added SMS support to Hangouts, along with several other features. However, prior to this, the company also had a similar feature available in emerging markets that let users add their phone numbers to its instant messaging platform. Similar to Google’s defunct Gmail SMS service, this was an alternative for feature phone users and people in regions with limited internet access.
In 2010 Google took steps towards separating its Chrome browser and the way its apps operated. Unlike traditional web-based applications, the software didn’t have URLs or navigation buttons, making it feel more like native desktop programs. This new breed of Chrome apps were also capable of working offline, connecting with peripherals and delivering desktop notifications.
Google recently showed its developer community what it can expect in the next few months and today the company has given investors notice that its Q2 2014 earnings call will be taking place on July 17th at 1:30pm PDT. In addition to ratting off its performance numbers, the company will also have a Q&A session with participants as well as a live web broadcast of the call.
The US Supreme Court rejected Google’s attempt to appeal a class-action lawsuit claiming the search giant violated federal wiretap laws when its Street View vehicles collected data from private WiFi networks. In 2010, Google said that it accidentally recorded data from unencrypted WiFi networks, stating it immediately grounded its cars and reached out to regulators to find out how to properly dispose of the information that it collected.
Precision guided firearm maker TrackingPoint has already demonstrated Glass being paired with guns and today the outfit is literally taking things further. The smart-weapon company recently published a video of its ShotView software being used to broadcast a rifle’s image feed through a set of Smith Optics I/O Recon goggles laced with Android. In this demonstration a marksmen is tasked with hitting an explosives-filled soda bottle from 500 yards away without looking directly through his scope.
Android 4.4.4 is on the move and the latest handset to be blessed with an over-the-air push of Mountain View’s newest version of KitKat is the Google Play edition of the Moto G. Released to tackle a few bugs and potential security exploits missed by its predecessor, this fairly lean update doesn’t bring much to the table in terms of aesthetics.
With its hit or miss dependability, Google Voice’s transcription feature for voicemail can manage to make an important message read like the ramblings of a friend drunk dialing you from happy hour. Aware of this, Google is launching a new initiative to improve its service, but the search giant needs your help. Now when you log into Google Voice via the web, you’ll be asked if you wish to anonymously share your voicemail messages to help make transcription better.
T-Mobile is now accepting pre-orders for the LG G3 and will begin selling the device at its retail locations on July 16th, the company announced today. In addition to revealing its release plans for LG’s new flagship smartphone, the carrier boasted about its successful early release promo of the handset, which racked up over 74,000 entrants. As a reminder the entry-level LG G3 features a 2,560 x 1,440 display, a quad-core 2.5GHz Snapdragon 801 processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB storage and Android 4.4.2 KitKat out of the box.
Video calls through Google Hangouts just got a little easier. Today, Mountain View released an update that lets users launch Hangouts in Chrome without the need of a plugin. All you have to do is click the video call icon, give Hangouts permission to use your computer’s camera and microphone, and that’s it.
Football hooligans rejoice! If you’re still following the madness that is the 2014 World Cup and you’re ready to pledge your allegiance to your favorite club, Google has crafted a new way to show your support. Starting today, you can share a picture of yourself and up to four friends on Google+ and let the social network paint your faces with the flag colors of teams in the World Cup’s knockout round.
If you’re feeling down because your phone isn’t eligible for the Android L dev preview and you’ve been quietly drowning in a pool of jealousy, allow us to throw you a small life preserver. While there’s not yet a clean build of L for non-Nexus devices, those crafty folks at XDA Developers have managed to pull its fancy Material Design-themed keyboard and port it to other smartphones.
Almost 100 years ago, Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand was shot dead in Sarajevo by Gavrilo Princip. The fallout from this assassination ultimately led to the start of the Great War (World War I). To commemorate this historical event’s centennial milestone, Google has launched a new portal dedicated to telling the story of this extraordinary time.
Samsung has a history of releasing tablets that overlap each other and it looks like the company is extending this practice to its smartphone lineup. For several weeks we’ve been hearing about a handset referred to as the “Galaxy F” and after dark pictures and a case of mistaken identity, the phone that threatens your GS5’s relevance has resurfaced.
