google

Google's Nexus Q revival said to be a no-show at I/O

Google's media streaming ball, the Nexus Q, won't be getting an update or a re-debut at this year's annual Google I/O, according to a new report.

Citing sources, All Things D says the $299 spherical device, which was first shown off at last year's I/O and scrapped just a month later, will be absent from the proceedings. That's despite a pledge from Google last year to reintroduce the product after retooling it.

Google did not respond to a request for comment. We will update this story if we get a response.

The Nexus … Read more

CNET to talk Google I/O in a Hangout on Tuesday

Google I/O 2013 kicks off this week, and you've probably got a few questions. What are the next Nexus phone and tablet going to be? Why should we care about Google Now? Is Google+ an atonement -- or punishment -- for Google Wave?

CNET's Eric Franklin, Stephen Shankland, and myself spitballed what we think is coming next from the Googleplex, and why.

The Google+ Hangout lasted around thirty minutes on CNET's Google+ page, and we talked about everything from a Google Watch to hardware to Google+.

Missed it? Don't worry, you can watch the whole … Read more

Google Drive triples free storage to 15GB

Google's capacity to store your files will jump by a factor of three, the company said Monday, rising from 5GB to 15GB shared across Google+, Drive, and Gmail.

Google made the announcement just before Google I/O developers conference begins this week. The changes will "roll out over the next couple of weeks," Google said in a blog post. Businesses using Google Apps will see their storage go up across Google Drive, Google+, and Gmail from 25GB to 30GB.

The new amount of storage space will give people who use Google services the most generous storage capacity … Read more

The truth about driving under the influence of Google Glass

I drove from Los Angeles to San Francisco while wearing Google Glass, and I did not get into an accident.

That's the first thing you should know about using Glass while driving. The second thing you should know is this: It's absolutely safer driving with Glass than picking up your phone and looking down -- something that we know we're not supposed to do, but the vast majority of us do anyway.

The Verge wrote a brief review of using Glass while driving, but it wasn't a sufficiently long or thorough test, in my opinion. So … Read more

Microsoft touts Office 365 buyers that dumped Google Apps

There are a lot of businesses that pay for office suites, but two days before the Google I/O show, Microsoft spotlighted three that picked its Office 365 after trying Google Apps.

Google got a head start with Google Apps, the online service that includes Gmail, Docs, Sheets, and Slides. But Microsoft has a massive customer base using its old-school Office products who are natural candidates for moving to Microsoft's online suite.

Three customers -- Sensia Halsovard, Sepco III, and Arysta LifeScience -- all picked Office 365 "after having deployed or piloted Google Apps," Microsoft touted Monday. … Read more

One more Google I/O rumor: A new smartwatch?

Every time one of the tech giants holds its developers conference, the blogs tend to cycle through all the rumors we've heard associated with a company, like say Google, in the immediate lead up to an event, like say Google I/O.

In the past few weeks we've been hearing about new Nexus tablets, super smartphones and of course, some major software updates. But now that it's down to the wire, it's time to get crazy. Time to dust off that Google smartwatch rumor we first heard in March and throw it against the side of the Moscone Center to see if it's still sticking around by the end of the week.… Read more

Apple, Samsung, others urged to help thwart mobile phone thefts

Apple and other mobile phone vendors are being asked to amp up the fight against cell phone theft.

In a series of letters sent today to the heads of Apple, Samsung, Google, Motorola, and Microsoft, New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman requested information on what they're doing to make their phones more safe and secure from thieves. Schneiderman also urged the companies to work with his office to devise ways to cut down on the lure of cell phones to criminals.

The attorney general pointed to a rise in the theft of phones and other mobile devices in … Read more

Google+ offers recommended stories to mobile users

Google+ users reading articles on mobile Web sites may now start to see recommendations to related stories.

Unveiled today, the new feature allows Web developers to add code to their sites so that users can discover more stories by that publisher on the same topic or from the same author.

As described in today's Google+ developers blog, a user reading a certain story on a mobile device will see a link toward the bottom of that story. The link suggests a related story that's been heavily shared or received a +1 on Google+. Tapping on that link brings … Read more

Google I/O keeps browser focus despite fancy phones, eyewear

With newer technologies such as Android and more recently Glass, the scope of Google I/O has expanded dramatically since the first show in 2008. But Google, born on the Web, is keeping the browser at the heart of the show.

Five years ago, Google wanted to advance what Web-based software could do. The company could take steps such as improving interfaces to its own online services so developers could build better sites, and it promoted the Gears browser plug-in designed to beef up browser abilities with features like offline app support and the ability.

Two things make that different … Read more