Google reportedly set to unveil new Nexus devices on September 29th in San Francisco
Google’s upcoming Nexus smartphones have been leaking like crazy, and it looks like we’re finally getting word of an announcement date. Although it’s not official, according to the folks at CNET, Google plans to unveil both new Nexus smartphones at an event on Tuesday, September 29th in San Francisco. This rumored launch date lines up perfectly with just about every other Nexus launch in the past, which is why we wouldn’t be surprised if this rumor turned out to be true. Moreover, a Korean tech site recently reported that LG’s new Nexus device would be available from September 29th, which means Google might make the new smartphones available on launch day.
So far, we’ve heard tons of rumors and even seen a few leaked photos of both Huawei and LG Nexus devices. The LG-made Nexus is rumored to come with a 5.2-inch display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor, 3GB of LPDDR3 RAM and a 13MP rear-facing camera. The Huawei-made device is said to sport a 5.7-inch Quad HD display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor and 3GB of RAM. Both devices will likely come with USB Type-C ports and rear-mounted fingerprint scanners, as well.
We’ll be sure to keep you posted if we hear anything official from Google, but as for now, mark your calendars for the 29th!
Android’s Google Now redesign helps make sense of your info
Google didn’t just unveil a redesigned logo — it also gave Android’s Google Now a welcome refresh. Grab the updated Google app for Android and you’ll see that the once colorful info cards are both subtler and organized into clearly market categories, such as upcoming events, updates (think weather) and news stories. It’s considerably easier to manage if you regularly receive a flood of data. You have more options for customizing Google Now when you dismiss cards, too. If you haven’t already, swing by Google Play for the upgrade — it’ll take some getting used to (those colorful Google logos aren’t exactly subtle), but it’s worthwhile.
Filed under:
Cellphones, Internet, Mobile, Google
Via:
PCWorld
Source:
Google Play
Tags: android, google, googlenow, internet, mobilepostcross, search, smartphone
New Google Docs, Sheets and Slides features make schoolwork less miserable
Google is holding a “back-to-school” event today at its San Francisco office to introduce a set of new Google Docs tools specifically built with the classroom in mind — though all Docs users will benefit from these changes. Some will only be appearing on Android, some will be in the desktop, and some will be hitting both, but regardless it should make life easier for Docs users. Google introduced six new features, including built-in Search for Docs on Android, voice typing, automatic chart creation for Sheets and more.
Research is what Google’s calling the new search feature built right into Docs for Android. It exists on the desktop today as sort of a Google search sidebar, but it hasn’t been available for mobile until now. Google wanted to make it easier for people to insert content they find on search into documents they’re creating on mobile — rather than jumping back and forth between Docs and search, you can now do it in a more efficient fashion in one app. It sounds like it’ll be particularly useful when trying to insert images on mobile, but it should also make copying and pasting text quite a bit faster as well. Slideshow-316734
On the desktop side, Google has added support for voice typing into Docs for Chrome — there’s a menu bar item that brings up a microphone, and from there you can just start dictating. In the demo we saw, it works nearly as fast as Google’s excellent voice recognition features in search, and it’s fortunately smart enough to know that when you say “comma” or “new paragraph,” you’re giving it formatting commands. Right now, that feature will only work in Docs, not in Sheets or Slides, and it only works if you’re using the Chrome browser. But if you want to use it on mobile (either iOS or Android), you can use the built-in dictation features by hitting the microphone on the keyboard.
Another solid addition to the desktop experience for Docs is a “see new changes” feature, an update to the venerable “revision history” found in most word processors. With the “see new changes” button, you’ll get a nice view of exactly what has changed since the last time you opened the document. You’ll also see exactly which collaborators you’re working with made the changes. It’s not wildly different than the existing version history feature, but it should come in handy if you’re working collaboratively and want to keep up with what gets updated while you’re away.
The Sheets spreadsheet tool also received a major update called “explore.” It’s meant for helping you deal with large data sets more efficiently: When you click the “explore” button, Google automatically analyzes the spreadsheet and automatically builds some charts to help you visualize important parts of your data set. You can also selectively highlight certain parts of the spreadsheet, and the charts will update accordingly. The “explore” sidebar also runs quick analysis on the data it’s displaying, telling you quick facts about the trends it sees. It’s probably one of the smartest features Google announced today — if you’re not a numbers person but still need to deal with spreadsheets, this will definitely make your life easier.
Google also made a few small design changes: the Forms survey tool now features Material Design, like the rest of Google’s Docs suite, and it features responsive design for the desktop and mobile. There are also a host of new templates for Docs, Sheets, and Slides on the desktop to help you jump right into document creation with a pre-formatted layout, something Office and iWork have had for years.
Teachers weren’t forgotten here, either. Google’s “Classroom” tool, which lets educators manage all the digital materials they submit to their students (and vice versa) got a small update as well. There’s a new Chrome extension that lets a teacher push a web page right out to everyone in a class — Google said the goal there is to keep teachers from having to dictate unruly URLs to a classroom full of students. It’s a pretty specific feature, but it should make life easier for teachers.
As with most updates to products like Google Docs, none of these features are ground-breaking on their own. But on the whole, it shows a major commitment from Google to continue slowly evolving these tools from bare-bones document editors to full-featured competition for the dominant and entrenched Microsoft Office. The Research, Explore, and See New Changes features seem particularly useful, and by and large play to a lot of Google’s strengths. At the end of the day, it’s a better time than ever to use Google Docs — particularly given its price. All of these new features will begin rolling out today.
Nicole Lee contributed to this report.
Filed under:
Google
Source:
Google
Tags: backtoschool, docs, google, googledocs, googlesheets, googleslides, sheets, slides
Google to reportedly show off two Nexus devices on September 29th
Google users are about to be very happy customers, if this report from CNET is found to be true. According to the report, Google will introduce the new Nexus device(s) on September 29th. Yep, that’s right, Google may be showing off TWO new Nexus phones, instead of only one.
Rumors have been flying around the next device in the traditional Nexus lineup, with reports coming everywhere that this device will be manufactured by the folks over at Huawei. There are other reports that have been leaked with information regarding an updated Nexus 5, dubbed the Nexus 5 2015. The Nexus 5 2015 would more than likely be manufactured by LG since that’s who made the first (and only one to date).
If these reports are true, and we not only get a new Nexus 6, but the updated LG Nexus 5, people will go nuts. Maybe not literally, but I would say that any pre-orders would be sold out within minutes, if not seconds.
One more interesting point to think about is where Google will price these devices. With more and more companies making competitively priced devices, it will be interesting to see where Google decides to place these devices at. It would be safe to assume that neither of these devices would top the $500 range, but stranger things have happened.
Let us know in the comments below what you think about this report, and whether you’re excited to get your hands a new Nexus device. Additionally, let us know which device you would prefer, if the rumors of the Huawei Nexus and updated Nexus 5 come to fruition.
Source: CNET
The post Google to reportedly show off two Nexus devices on September 29th appeared first on AndroidGuys.
ICYMI: A super selfie, ‘GTA’ wildlife doc and more
Today on In Case You Missed It: Australia’s tourism board is winning the selfie game by offering a selfie that merges tourist’s own selfies with the same scene, expanded, taken with a second camera. Land Rover is demoing a trailer concept system that allows drivers to see what’s behind a trailer with a video feed. And Grand Theft Auto V fans cobbled together an amusing wildlife documentary from the game that is worth a watch.
Other news of the day includes Google’s logo redesign and perhaps most importantly, the scientific discovery that ice cream will stay solid longer if a special protein is added to the mix. Scientists really had their eye on the prize on this one.
We also touch on the news that Waze has a new Stephen Colbert narration option, though personally, Colonel Sanders is the better option.
If you come across any interesting videos, we’d love to see them. Just tweet us with the #ICYMI hashtag @engadget or @mskerryd.
Filed under:
Cellphones, Misc, Peripherals, Robots, Transportation, Science, Internet, Google
Tags: Australia, Australiatourism, engadget, engadgetdaily, engadgetdailyshow, engadgetvideo, GigaSelfie, Google, Googlelogo, GrandtheftAuto, GrandTheftAutoV, GTA, icecrea, icymi, InCaseYouMissedIt, LandRover, Science, selfie, StephenColbert, TrailerSystem, video, Waze
ICYMI: A super selfie, ‘GTA’ wildlife doc and more
Today on In Case You Missed It: Australia’s tourism board is winning the selfie game by offering a selfie that merges tourist’s own selfies with the same scene, expanded, taken with a second camera. Land Rover is demoing a trailer concept system that allows drivers to see what’s behind a trailer with a video feed. And Grand Theft Auto V fans cobbled together an amusing wildlife documentary from the game that is worth a watch.
Other news of the day includes Google’s logo redesign and perhaps most importantly, the scientific discovery that ice cream will stay solid longer if a special protein is added to the mix. Scientists really had their eye on the prize on this one.
We also touch on the news that Waze has a new Stephen Colbert narration option, though personally, Colonel Sanders is the better option.
If you come across any interesting videos, we’d love to see them. Just tweet us with the #ICYMI hashtag @engadget or @mskerryd.
Filed under:
Cellphones, Misc, Peripherals, Robots, Transportation, Science, Internet, Google
Tags: Australia, Australiatourism, engadget, engadgetdaily, engadgetdailyshow, engadgetvideo, GigaSelfie, Google, Googlelogo, GrandtheftAuto, GrandTheftAutoV, GTA, icecrea, icymi, InCaseYouMissedIt, LandRover, Science, selfie, StephenColbert, TrailerSystem, video, Waze
Want to know what Google’s new app icons are going to look like?
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Google surprised us earlier today by announcing a change to the design of its logo, however knowing Google, the change is likely going to affect every facet of the company, including Android and its Google services. We’ve already seen how the update is going to affect the Google App (i.e. Google Search) but that’s left us wondering how Google’s new app icons are going to look. Luckily, Google has already started updating the icons for its apps on the web and we’ve got a few of them screenshotted below:
As you can see, most of the apps have changed to replace the old lower-case “g” with the new upper-case “G”, though the Google+ icon has been made over quite substantially. We’re expecting quite a few of these new icons to hit Android devices in the next few weeks so keep your eyes peeled for updates.
What do you think about Google’s new app icons? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
The post Want to know what Google’s new app icons are going to look like? appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Acer’s latest Chromebook gets a flip-around screen
Acer has announced the Chromebook R11, the company’s first Chrome OS-running device that comes with a 360-degree rotating hinge, as made famous by Lenovo’s Yoga. Your eyes will be staring into an 11.6-inch 1,366 x 768 touchscreen, while below the keyboard you’ll find an Intel Celeron processor paired with 4GB memory and up to 32GB of flash storage. Connectivity-wise, there’s dual-band MIMO 802.11ac WiFi as well as a single ultra-fast USB 3.0 port. The headline feature, really, is the ability to turn that screen whichever way you choose, enabling one of four modes: laptop, tablet, tent or display… much like the ASUS Chromebook Flip. The R11 launches in North America this October with a starting price of $299, with those in Europe, Middle East and Africa getting hold of the gear in November — as long as you’ve got €299 in your back pocket. Slideshow-316637
Filed under:
Laptops, Google, Acer
Tags: 360Hinge, acer, Chromebook, ChromebookR11, Flip, google, R11
Google App update to v5.2.33 adds new logo, icon and Google Now format
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Google is just undergoing all the changes these days. After becoming part of Alphabet, Google has today updated its iconic logo, which will undoubtedly mean a change for all the apps that have used Google’s now outgoing logo. The first app to get this is the Google App, which now rocks a new logo, icon and slightly different format to the Google Now menu. The Google App update to v5.2.33 even changes the appearance of the Google Now pop-up bubble when you swipe up on the home button. Check out a few screenshots below:
This will be the biggest revamp to the Google App in some time now and we’re almost impressed that Google has managed to keep it a secret in all of its Developer Previews. You get the feeling that the timing of this is all too convenient with Android Marshmallow right around the corner, but it’s great to be witness to all this activity as it happens.
If getting your hands on the new update is what you’re here for, there are two versions available, one for Android 4.1+ and one for Android 4.4+ – make sure you download the right one for your device:
Google App update v5.2.33 – Android 4.4+ APK download
Google App update v5.2.33 – Android 4.1+ APK download
Let us know your thoughts about the new Google App update in the comments below.
Source: Android Police
The post Google App update to v5.2.33 adds new logo, icon and Google Now format appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Google pushing for less intrusive app installation pop-ups in mobile web pages
Google is updating their mobile friendly website test to try and promote less intrusive app installation warnings that hide significant amounts of content. When browsing a website on a mobile device, it’s not uncommon to see a pop-up that prompts you to install the site’s app on a mobile app store. Sometimes it’s out of the way and simple, like a native banner at the top of the website. Sometimes, though, it’s a very intrusive, large pop-up that hides the actual website. I’m sure you’ve seen one at least once since you’ve had a smartphone, but if you’ve managed to avoid it this long, trust me, they’re awful.
Google’s updated guidelines will go into effect on November 1st, and after that any app that displays a large app install interstitial will no longer be considered mobile friendly, which is bad news for a site’s search results.
Fortunately, most modern browsers support the smaller, native banners, including Google’s Chrome browser and Apple’s Safari browser, and website designers are free to implement their own solutions so long as it won’t block tons of content from readers.
source: Google Web Master Central
Come comment on this article: Google pushing for less intrusive app installation pop-ups in mobile web pages
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