google

Google+ Games to get ax in favor of Google Play Games

For Google, there's only enough room for one game in town.

The Web giant on Wednesday took the wraps off Google Play, its new game development platform, during the first day of the Google I/O developers conference in San Francisco. The cross-platform game service promises a handful of new developer features, including the ability to sync gaming activity between devices and save game progress on Google's servers.

But something that won't be saved on Google's servers will be the games that Google+ users have been playing for the last couple of years. As part of … Read more

Google rolls out quick action buttons for Gmail

Google is aiming to make Gmail responding, planning, and organizing a little bit easier. The tech giant announced Wednesday that it is rolling out quick action buttons for its e-mail service.

Not only can users RSVP to an event without even opening the e-mail invite, they can also rate restaurants, places, or shops from within their inbox.

Here's more from a Wednesday blog post by Google product manager Shalini Agarwal:

Email is an important part of how we get things done -- from planning an event with friends to organizing that family vacation to Costa Rica. And today, getting … Read more

New photo tools in Google+ show promise (hands-on)

Google rolled out a few photo-related updates at this year's Google I/O conference, and more than anything they deftly illustrate the simultaneous benefits and pitfalls of automation. Highlights promises to select the choicest photos from your endless stream to display only the best, most interesting captures. Auto Enhance promises to clean up on demand the underexposed, flat, and out-of-focus photos that pollute all of our photo streams. And the joyfully named Auto Awesome purportedly creates animated GIFs, all-smiles family portraits, and perfect panoramas.

When they work, these are great features. When they don't, you want to bang … Read more

Navigating the changes to Google Maps at I/O 2013

Google showed a completely overhauled Google Maps service and Web interface today at I/O 2013. The site is receiving changes and updates on the front and back end to make it easier for user to navigate and developers to work with.

The most obvious changes are the visual updates and redesigned elements, featuring a Google Now-inspired "cards" aesthetic, deeper integration of the Google+ social network for recommendations, and a reshuffling of how users interact with the site and how information is presented to them.

Before you start spamming your browser's refresh button over at maps.google.… Read more

OK, Google: Now app offers glimpse of hands-free future of search

Google Search was already scarily good at knowing what you wanted -- sometimes before you even knew what you wanted. And now it'll talk back to you.

At Google I/O 2013, the company announced an update to its Google Now search app for Android and iOS as well as enhanced voice search for Chrome and Chrome OS.

For Google Now on Android and iOS, you'll start seeing six new card types, bringing the total to 23. Four of them seem entirely intended to sell you stuff from Google Play, displaying new music, video games, books, and TV … Read more

Google I/O: What we didn't get

The Google I/O keynote for 2013 is here and gone, but not without a fight; at nearly 4 hours, it was enough to challenge even the most rapt attention span.

Yet, Google I/O's central keynote event had precious little of the things we dreamed of and even downright expected. Instead, all most of us can seem to discuss is what we didn't get. Well, for starters:

No new Android OS: Despite a preshow rumor that Android Jelly Bean 4.3 would be unveiled, there wasn't any news. No Android 5.0, not even Android 4.… Read more

Google urges fast adoption of VP9 video compression

SAN FRANCISCO -- Google is nearly done with its VP9 video technology, and it wants the world to use it.

At its Google I/O conference Wednesday, company employees made the case for the royalty-free, open-source technology as a higher-quality alternative to today's dominant video codec, H.264. Moving to VP9 -- available now in testing on Chrome and YouTube -- will save bandwidth costs.

"If you adopt VP9, as you can very quickly, you'll have tremendous advantages over anyone else out there using H.264 or VP8, (its predecessor)," said VP9 engineer Ronald Bultje in … Read more

Galaxy S4 shot of pure Android boosts relationships, not sales

A pure Android Galaxy S4 isn't likely to drive blowout sales, but it could give Samsung and Google a boost in other ways.

Google on Wednesday at its Google I/O developer conference unveiled a special model of Samsung's flagship smartphone that runs a pure version of Android. What that means is the GS4 model won't ship with Samsung's oft-criticized TouchWiz user interface, and the device will receive Android system updates as soon as they're available.

But the device also has some drawbacks. It's pricey -- $649, to be exact -- and is only … Read more

Google I/O news roundup

CNET Update keeps it brief:

It took Google about three hours to deliver the keynote address at its I/O developers conference. But in this episode of Update, I sum up what you need to know in under three minutes.

More on the announcements from Google I/O 2013:

- Google Music adds All Access streaming music (hands-on)

- Google Play adds cloud saves, leaderboards, matchmaking

- Google+ gives photo lovers what Facebook doesn't

- Google Now voice search arriving on the desktop

- Google previews next version of Maps for Android, iOS

- Google revamps Maps with 3D, cards, social search … Read more