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1,026 'Google' stories August 2010 - October 2014

Microsoft expected to announce Office for Mac timing “very soon,” release rumored for early 2015

Ben Lovejoy Oct 29 2014 - 3:51 am PT

Following yesterday’s leaked screenshots of a new version of Office for Mac, ZDNet is reporting that its contacts have told it that Microsoft will announce timings for the new edition of Office for Mac “very soon.”

The company also is expected to disclose timing and possibly a public preview of its next Office for Mac release very soon, as well […] The latest rumored release target for the next Office for Mac is early 2015.

Yesterday’s report suggested a flattened look, support for Retina screens and integration with Notification Center.

Microsoft OneDrive now provides unlimited cloud storage for Office 365 subscribers

9to5 Staff Oct 27 2014 - 12:48 pm PT

6 Comments

Microsoft on Monday announced that it will be eliminating its top-tier cloud storage plan and offering unlimited cloud storage to Office 365 subscribers at no additional cost. The change will begin rolling out today for Office 365 Home, Personal and University customers and will continue over the coming months.
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Apple shortens iBooks review times, allows more promo codes for authors

Mark Gurman Oct 24 2014 - 12:32 pm PT

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Apple today emailed out registered authors for iBooks to announce some interesting changes and enhancements to the program. Some notable enhancements, via Apple’s email:

To help you get your book to readers quickly, we review 95 percent of all book submissions within one business day. Note that you do not need an ISBN to deliver a book to iBooks.
You can now request up to 250 promo codes per book. Promo codes allow you to provide free copies of your book to reviewers, bloggers, or others to build momentum for your book.
Screenshots can now be delivered or updated after a book is available for sale on iBooks.

The email to authors also tells developers about recent updates to both the iTunes Connect app on iOS and the iBooks Author application on the Mac. Like it usually does for App Store app developers, Apple tells authors how to prepare for the upcoming break for book reviewers. “To account for an anticipated increase in book deliveries during the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday week, books scheduled to go live between November 24, 2014 and December 1, 2014, should be delivered by Friday, November 14, 2014,” the notice reads.

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Inbox for Gmail: hands-on and first impressions

9to5 Staff Oct 22 2014 - 1:08 pm PT

22 Comments

Google this afternoon announced Inbox for Gmail, its all-new emailing solution that is intended to coexist with the regular Gmail platform (Think Paper for Facebook?). Inbox for Gmail is available on an invite only basis for Android, iOS and Chrome. I am fortunate enough to have received an invite to Inbox for Gmail, and I have been giving the iPhone app a rundown to see how it works. For the most part, Inbox is everything that you know and love about Gmail in a sleeker package.

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Google’s new Inbox app is a marriage between Gmail and Google Now (update)

Mark Hearn Oct 22 2014 - 10:52 am PT

2 Comments

Today, Google unveiled a new email solution called Inbox, which looks like a marriage between Gmail and Google Now. Currently available by invitation only, this new app takes bits from your email like purchase invoices and bank statements and groups them together for fast access. Like Google Now, Inbox adapts to the way you operate, highlighting key pieces of emails like flight plans, photos, documents and upcoming event information.

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Facebook and YouTube release iPhone 6/Plus app updates

Zac Hall Oct 15 2014 - 10:43 am PT

13 Comments

After more than a month since the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus screen sizes were announced, Facebook has released an updated version of its iPhone app to take advantage of the bigger screens. The new app features a smaller navigation bar and shows more content on the screen. Facebook had previously updated its Messenger app for the new iPhones, although its alternative Facebook Paper app is still awaiting an update.

YouTube also released an updated version of its iPhone app today optimized for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus screen sizes. This means you can see more video suggestions from the main page as well as well favorites and subscriptions from the side bar.

The status bar and keyboard are also native to the larger iPhone models versus the previously scaled up versions on the new iPhones with the old app. YouTube 2.13 for iPhone and iPad also includes a number of bug fixes for the app:

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FBI director continues push against Apple & Google on smartphone encryption (Video)

Zac Hall Oct 13 2014 - 7:11 am PT

41 Comments

FBI Director James Comey isn’t backing down from his position that Apple and Google are wrong to encrypt customer smartphone data preventing law enforcement agencies the possibility of access if requested. After last month sharing that the FBI was in talks with the two companies to discuss concerns with marketing devices as being inaccessible to third-parties including the government, the FBI Director spoke with CBS News in an interview where he continued to make the case against such encryption…
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Google launches Primer mobile app to help startups with their marketing needs

Mark Hearn Oct 9 2014 - 10:29 am PT

3 Comments

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.

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Chromecast iOS app updated w/ backdrop feature for viewing news & weather, photos, more

Zac Hall Oct 8 2014 - 8:55 am PT

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Google today updated the Chromecast app for iPhone and iPad users adding a feature announced earlier this year at Google I/O called Backdrop. When the Chromecast HDMI streaming stick isn’t playing content like Netflix or Pandora Radio through your TV, it already displays the current time and featured photos as a screen saver, but now Chromecast users can display additional content like weather conditions and news headlines on Chromecast-connected TVs. Chromecast also now supports using your own photos from Google+ albums as the backdrop.
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Google rolling out ‘News & Weather’ app for iOS

Zac Hall Oct 7 2014 - 12:12 pm PT

5 Comments

Google has a new app for iPhone and iPad users called ‘Google News & Weather‘ that presents local news and weather as well as headlines from a variety of categories and sources in one app. Categories for headlines can be added or removed from within the app for customizing the news you want to follow. Previously, Google News & Weather was only available for Android users.

The app joins a huge list of existing Google apps including Gmail, which was just updated for the new iPhone 6 display sizes yesterday, and Google News & Weather is already optimized for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

Full description below:
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Talking Schmidt: Google ‘far more secure & encrypted’ than Apple

Zac Hall Oct 2 2014 - 1:08 pm PT

32 Comments

There’s been an awful lot of Schmidt talk lately with the Google chairman’s new book How Google Works available for your reading and analysis, and Eric Schmidt continued his defense of Google after Apple CEO Tim Cook’s recent comments contrasting the two competitors on privacy. “Someone didn’t brief him correctly on Google’s policy,” Schmidt told CNN adding that Google’s systems “are far more secure and encrypted than anyone else including Apple.” Schmidt did credit Cook for correctly pointing out ads on Gmail, though, so they can at least concede on that point. Video below:

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FBI director says officials have been in talks with Apple, Google over device encryption policies

Zac Hall Sep 25 2014 - 1:34 pm PT

30 Comments

Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation James Comey expressed his concern today over Apple and Google’s decision to encrypt information stored on smartphones, the Huffington Post reports, adding that FBI officials are pushing both companies to change their policies in order to allow law enforcement officials to access data in certain instances.

“I am a huge believer in the rule of law, but I am also a believer that no one in this country is above the law,” Comey told reporters at FBI headquarters in Washington. “What concerns me about this is companies marketing something expressly to allow people to place themselves above the law.”

In the case of the iPhone maker, Apple CEO Tim Cook used the company’s privacy stance as a major marketing point on a number of occasions over the past month.
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Google’s Currents iOS app redesigned & renamed ‘Google Play Newsstand’

Jordan Kahn Sep 23 2014 - 12:09 pm PT

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Following the renaming of its Google Currents news reader app to “Google Play Newsstand” on Android back in February, Google has now given a similar treatment to the iOS app. The app, like the Android version earlier this year, also receives a makeover in the process with a streamlined design and new features:

What’s new
• New navigation helping you easily access the articles and editions you love including:
– Read Now – Easily access articles you subscribe to and discover new articles and editions all in one place
– Topics – Subscribe and get news from topics you are most interested in
– My Library – All of your subscriptions will be found here
• A brand new design giving you a streamlined news reading experience

The Google Play Newsstand app is available for free for iPhone and iPad on the App Store now.

Talking Schmidt: Google’s executive chairman challenges Tim Cook on privacy citing Chrome’s ‘incognito mode’

Zac Hall Sep 23 2014 - 10:46 am PT

38 Comments

In his letter on privacy shared last week, Apple CEO Tim Cook contrasted the business model of Apple against that of its competitors while strongly taking a shot at Google, Gmail, and Android without actually naming the company and services. The infinitely entertaining executive chairman of Google and former Apple board member Eric Schmidt was recently asked by ABC News about Cook’s open letter on the company and privacy.

In short, Schmidt, who is making the media rounds to promote his upcoming book How Google Works, said Cook’s description of Google and privacy is incorrect, which you would expect from the Google chairman. But his first shot at debunking Cook’s claim was sort of out of left field (okay, as you also might expect):
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iPodFather Tony Fadell discusses the recent death of the iPod classic

Zac Hall Sep 22 2014 - 2:00 pm PT

3 Comments

When Apple quietly pulled the iPod classic from its online store the day of the iPhone 6 event earlier this month, it meant the last iPod click wheel from Apple had finally been retired in place of touch screens and voice input. Tony Fadell, CEO of Google-acquired Nest Labs who is most known for his work in the iPod division at Apple through late 2008, spoke with Fast Company to discuss the death of the last click wheel iPod:

“I’m sad to see it go,” Fadell admits in a phone interview. “The iPod’s been a huge part of my life for the last decade. The team that worked on the iPod poured literally everything into making it what it was.” […] “Products just don’t come around like that often,” laments Fadell. “The iPod was one-in-a-million.”

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Google Search iOS app renamed ‘Google’, adds Chromecast integration, new Now cards

Jordan Kahn Sep 19 2014 - 10:04 am PT

5 Comments

Google just updated its Google Search app for iOS and in the process renamed it to simply “Google”, which seems to make a bit more sense considering the app integrates Google Now features and much beyond just search. Also in today’s update: new features for Chromecast and additional Google Now cards.

For Chromecast users, the app now allows users to ask “What’s on Chromecast?” and jump right into the Chromecast app to begin casting content to a TV. The update also includes new Google Now cards that Google says offer “personalized TV recommendations and traffic information.”

Version 4.2.0 of the Google app is available on the App Store now.

What’s New in Version 4.2.0

This update includes new Google Now cards for personalized TV recommendations and traffic information. Chromecast users can now ask Google “what’s on Chromecast?” to open the Chromecast app and start casting. We’ve also made improvements to speed up your browsing experience.

Sign in to the Google app and enable Now cards to take full advantage of these new features.

Google Glass companion app MyGlass for iOS updated w/ photo syncing, bug fixes

Chance Miller Sep 17 2014 - 2:26 pm PT

1 Comment

Google’s companion app for Google Glass was updated this afternoon on iOS with a few minor changes. The update to MyGlass bumps the app to version 0.8.0 and brings it closer to the generally more capable and more powerful MyGlass Android app.

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Tim Cook talks privacy in part two of Charlie Rose interview

Zac Hall Sep 15 2014 - 4:15 pm PT

26 Comments

The first clip of part two of Tim Cook’s interview with Charlie Rose has posted tonight with a segment on Apple and privacy. In the interview, Cook discussed the privacy of user data using Apple services as Apple has mentioned in the past.

We’re not reading your email, we’re not reading your iMessages. If the government laid a subpoena on us to get your iMessages, we can’t provide it. It’s encrypted and we don’t have the key.

Cook also discussed how Apple’s approach to Apple Pay, its new mobile payment system, emphasizing that Apple is in the business of selling iPhones, not user information like other companies. Cook commented strongly that he is “offended” by the practices of some other companies. The shot at Google, which Cook stated is his idea of Apple’s competition in the part one with Charlie Rose, was mentioned similarly during last week’s iPhone event. Cook also discussed earlier privacy issues involving “server backdoors” and Edward Snowden. You can view the new clip below…

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Google Voice for iOS updated w/ refreshed design and Hangouts integration

Chance Miller Sep 10 2014 - 5:23 pm PT

2 Comments

Google this evening rolled out an update to the Google Voice app on iOS, adding several new features and much-needed visual enhancements. Bumping the app to version 1.6, this evening’s update is the first the app has seen since September 2013, and the first major update since 2012.

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Google announces new ‘iOS Sync’ features for Google Apps users

Chance Miller Sep 10 2014 - 2:43 pm PT

4 Comments

Google has announced a new tool for its iOS Google Apps users this evening that makes it easier to manage accounts and settings. Called iOS Sync, the feature will be integrated directly in to the company’s iOS Gmail and Drive apps and offer a variety of new management tools.

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Apple & Google both appealing court ruling that anti-poaching settlement was too low

Ben Lovejoy Sep 5 2014 - 4:36 am PT

8 Comments

The anti-poaching case rumbles on … After an antitrust class-action suit last year accused Apple, Google, Intel and Adobe of secretly agreeing not to poach staff from each other, the case appeared to be all over back in April when the parties reached a $324M settlement.

Settlements have to be signed-off by a court, however, to ensure that it is considered fair to all parties. Earlier this month, Judge Lucy Koh rejected the settlement, saying the amount should have been $380M.

Two days ago, the parties resumed settlement talks with the help of a retired judge, but it appears these are not going well: Reuters now reports that Apple and Google has asked an appeals court to overturn Judge Koh’s decision.

In a court filing late on Thursday, the companies asked the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to overrule Koh’s decision.

Koh “committed clear legal error” and “impermissibly substituted the court’s assessment of the value of the case for that of the parties who have been litigating the case for more than three years,” they wrote.

Judge Koh had earlier said that Steve Jobs “was a, if not the, central figure in the alleged conspiracy.”

Google Drive for iOS updated w/ syncing speed boost & upload progress

Zac Hall Sep 3 2014 - 11:49 am PT

1 Comment

It’s been a few months since Google released version 3.1 of its Drive app for iOS, and today an update in the form of Google Drive 3.2 is available for users. The changes are slim but something users will likely appreciate.

In the latest version, Google says Drive is now faster at syncing data, and uploading files now shows a progress indicator as well as the destination for the file.

The update follows the recent release of Google Slides for iOS after it shipped Docs and Sheets earlier this year.

Drive users can find the latest version on the App Store for iPhone and iPad.

Reddit launches official Ask Me Anything iOS app to view its popular Q&A sessions

Ben Lovejoy Sep 2 2014 - 4:47 am PT

3 Comments

Reddit has today launched an official Ask Me Anything iOS app, providing a convenient way to view both real-time and archived AMAs. Reddit’s SVP of mobile Ellen Pao said that move was to address the fact that a third of site visits are made on mobile devices, a number that is growing all the time.

We’ve found in the last year or so a huge uptick in people accessing Reddit from the mobile web, and we want to give those folks a great experience …

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Makeshift Apple VR headset: How to use Google Cardboard with an iPhone (Video)

Dom Esposito Aug 22 2014 - 6:52 am PT

16 Comments

If you’re not familiar with Google Cardboard, it’s one of the most affordable and portable VR headsets to date. It’s a very simple creation in terms of design and functionality, but provides a solid look into the future of technology without breaking the bank. Why? Because it’s made almost entirely of cardboard.

Google unveiled Cardboard at I/O 2014, but unfortunately, it was designed with Android devices in mind. The official Cardboard app is nowhere to be found on the App Store, but that doesn’t mean all hope is lost. Google may not care much about iOS as a platform, but stereoscopic 3D is nothing new. In fact, there is a good handful of apps available for iOS that are also compatible with Google Cardboard…

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