Nov 22
This weekend is the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who’s first appearance on the small screen, and Google has chosen to celebrate it with a wonderful multi-level platform game.
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Nov 22
Google has just released a stable version of Chrome OS, and while it’s (sadly) not as huge as Chrome OS 32, it still comes with feature boosts for your device. Perhaps most notable is its newly added initial support for USB-connected Braille displays. Other than that, this stopgap follow-up to OS 31 tweaks the platform’s looks, starting by letting you drag the Shelf (or the app dock) from the bottom to either side of the screen. The company has also moved the launcher icon to the bottom left and made it, along with the app icons and status tray, more touch friendly for Pixel users. What’s more, if you use an avatar for either Chrome OS or Google+, you’ll find your profile picture preferences synced between the two. Almost everyone can now download these changes, which come bundled with the usual security and performance fixes. If you own an Acer C7, an HP Chromebook 11 or an HP Pavilion Chromebook, however, you’re going to have to sit this update out — better luck next time.
Source: Google Chrome Releases
Nov 22
Last month, Google announced that it would be making the Play Store’s “Designed for tablets” section default for slate users, something that would take effect on November 21. As promised, Google has started rolling this change out today, and tablet owners should be seeing it show up by default any time now. The change puts […]
Nov 21
Google invites devs over for a Chromecast hackathon plus SDK show-and-tell, updates official app
Posted in: Today's Chili
Google has slowly trickled out more authorized commercial apps that can stream to its Chromecast dongle since launch (Hulu, Pandora, and most recently HBO Go) but what about homebrew? So far developers have been able to work with a preview Cast SDK (creating a few impressive demonstrations) but restrictions have prevented these apps from being released for widespread use. That will probably change next month, as Google has invited several developers including CyanogenMod / AirCast dev Koushik Dutta and Thomas Kjeldsen to a hackathon on December 7th and 8th in Mountain View. An opportunity to test drive the “upcoming release” of the Cast SDK is promised, plus an opportunity to talk with Google engineers about what it can do.
While we wait to find out what devs will be officially allowed to create for the $35 dongle, the official Android Chromecast control app got an update tonight. The new version brings a lightly refreshed design with the side-tray style seen in many Google apps lately, and adjusted the display of time zone settings and the Chromecast MAC address to ease troubleshooting.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Google
Source: Koushik Dutta (G+), Thomas Kjuldsen (G+), Android Central Forums
Nov 21
As promised a month or so ago, Google Play is implementing a few changes today that’ll push tablet-optimized apps to the forefront. That is, if you’re using a device not quite small enough to be considered a phone (though we admit there are certain handhelds that bridge the gap). Indeed, tablet users will now see a “Designed for tablets” section prominently placed as the default view in top lists. Similarly, apps that don’t meet the tablet criteria will get shelved as “Designed for phones.” It’s a relatively simple switch, but hopefully this will help owners of new Android tablets get started on their app libraries right along with their magazine, movie and book ones.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Software, Mobile, Google
Source: Android Developers (Google+)
Nov 21
Motorola lets unlocked Developer Edition handsets keep their warranties, reinstates old ones
Posted in: Today's Chili
If you’re one of a few who obtained a Developer Edition handset, you’re likely the type who’d want its bootloader unlocked so that you could tinker with it as you so please. Unfortunately, requesting such an unlock code would often void your warranty, which seems rather strange and unfair. Motorola has thankfully seen the errors of its ways and has recently agreed to let anyone who’s purchased a 2012 or 2013 Developer Edition handset — that includes the recently released Moto X — to keep their warranties even after requesting an unlock code. Further, that warranty is actually retroactive, which means warranties that were previously voided due to the unlock request are reinstated as of today. And if you’ve messed things up beyond repair, Moto has agreed to post Google’s P&L sheets. Interested parties can head on over to the source link below for more on the company’s changes to its Developer Edition program.
Nov 21
Dave Eggers’ new book The Circle is a creepy tale about a tech company—which is proving to be annoying to people who actually work in tech. It’s also overhyped and may have even ripped off another Silicon Valley story. But there’s one thing Eggers gets the most wrong in The Circle, according to design critic Alexandra Lange.
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Nov 21
A new verdict has been reached in the Apple vs Samsung case, a verdict which has awarded the former with $290 million in damages vs the latter. This is the latest in the ongoing battle between Apple and Samsung over patent issues surrounding devices such as the iPhone and the Samsung Galaxy S. Earlier last […]
Nov 21
Google has snarked back at Microsoft’s controversial “Scroogled” products, the range of anti-Google mugs, t-shirts, and other items that quietly went on sale earlier this week. The latest move in Microsoft’s Gmail and Chrome sniping, the physical “Scroogled” products mark an escalation of what was previously an online campaign, but Google has issued a tongue-in-cheek […]
Nov 21
HTC’s 5.9-inch One max is comparatively modest when it comes to the oversized smartphone horserace; it’s actually dwarfed by Sony’s monstrous Xperia Z Ultra. Still, if your hands are big enough to accommodate the One max’s bulk and you’re a Verizon subscriber, today’s the day you can call it your own. The Big Red operator’s offering the device for $300 with any new two-year agreement, or for $25 monthly installments on its Edge upgrade plan. Verizon’s even bundled in a special SIM that’s “ISIS-ready” so you can take advantage of the carrier’s contactless payment (read: Google Wallet) alternative. The One Max offers mostly everything we love about the OG One it shares a heritage with, just in a heftier metallic chassis and with an oddly-placed fingerprint scanner. Sure there’s plenty you can do with a big ‘ol screen, but in this case, we’d argue the size of your hand matters more.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, HTC, Google, Verizon
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