Chrome for iOS talks to smart devices through the web
Your iPhone just became a better remote control for the internet of things. Google has released Chrome 44 for iOS, which lets you see Physical Web devices (think smart parking meters and vending machines) in iOS’ Today view — you don’t need to run specialized apps or open the browser just to see gadgets around you. It’s still a worthwhile upgrade even if you don’t live around compatible gadgets, since you can finally use Safari-style horizontal swipes to flip back and forth through web pages. Either way, you’ll definitely want to swing by the App Store if Chrome is your surfing software of choice.
Filed under: Cellphones, Household, Internet, Mobile, Google
Via: VentureBeat
Source: Google Chrome Releases, App Store
Google Keep update gets rid of floating action button
The floating action button (otherwise known as FAB) was all he hype when Google announced Android 5.0 Lollipop and introduced Material Design standards. Google wanted everyone to adopt it, but it seems not even they are that into it anymore. The latest update to the Google Keep Android app gets completely rid of it!
This upgrade brings the Keep app up to version 3.1.294.00, and so far it seems this may be the only significant change in the interface. For those who may not know what we are talking about, the floating action button is that bubble you often see in the lower-right corner of some Google apps. It’s usually a shortcut for starting a message, reaching contacts and other handy tasks.
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I happen to like the floating action button’s look, but I must accept it was a bit confusing. Before getting used to it, I kept looking all over the app, trying to figure out how to create a note. Then I would remember about that FAB and get on with what I was doing. I am not saying you can’t get used to it, it’s just not as intuitive.
The new layout offers a less exciting, yet much easier to understand, bar at the bottom of the app. It allows you to take a note, create a list, record a sound or upload a picture. And it manages to get rid of unnecessary steps.
As it goes with these OTA updates, Google should be rolling out the improvements periodically. If you don’t see the update show up in the Google Play Store, just sit tight and you should see it soon enough. Alternatively, you can go ahead and install the apk file here.
Would you agree with me that the floating action button was a bit confusing and non-intuitive? Sound off in the comments to let us know!
YouTube has now rolled out 360-degree ads
YouTube recently added 360-degree videos mainly for mobile phones and VR devices like the Google Cardboard. Unfortunately they plan on bringing 360-degree ads as well. Google research has found that users are much more likely to watch an entire video when they can control it like with 360-degree videos.
Coca-Cola found that their 100th anniversary video of their curvy bottle had a 36% higher view-through rate compared to standard videos. Google is the largest advertising company in the world and obviously they want to keep companies advertising so creating 360-degree ads was a no brainer.
Beer company Bud Light is the first company to debut 360-degree ads. They currently have three different ads featuring events from their Whatever USA promotion. The ads are already out and ready to watch on some 360-degree videos.
If you would like to see one in action check out the video below (ideally) on your mobile phone.
Source: Google
Come comment on this article: YouTube has now rolled out 360-degree ads
Skype update improves ‘Recent’ tab, online status notifier and more
Skype continues to be one of the most popular instant messaging and video calling services. It’s an important software for many companies and individuals, especially since Microsoft acquired it in 2011. The Redmond giant has made a plethora of improvements since then, but I think we all agree Skype’s Android app is still in need of some work.
The latest update to the application brings it to version 5.6 and offers a few welcomed UI improvements. For starters, the ‘Recent’ tab has been revamped and can now fit more conversations in the provided space. This will allow users to go through their threads without dealing with the hassle of excessive scrolling.
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In addition, round avatars and online status information now appears on all screens. Lastly, there was an adjustment to the color of the chat bubbles, making it easier to read and distinguish text. As it goes with most updates, Skype also managed to squeeze in a bug fix here here and there. Gotta keep things running smoothly!
These are not exactly huge updates, but they will make a difference for frequent Skype users. We know many of you are fans of the video calling service, so head over to the Google Play Store and get your update. I just downloaded mine and everything seems to be working to perfection. Hit the comments to let us know if everything is working fine with you!
Google introduces 360-degree YouTube ads
Google’s already rolled out 360-degree videos on YouTube, like Bjork’s latest musical venture, and now the company has announced that it’s doing the same with advertisements. The new feature debuted on Wednesday for both Chrome and the mobile YouTube app on Android and iOS. It works exactly the same way existing 360-degree videos do — just scroll your mouse up, down, left or right to adjust the view. The new ad format is also compatible with Google’s Cardboard VR headset.
[Image Credit: WireImage/Getty]
Filed under: Internet, HD, Google
Source: Google Adwords
Microsoft makes it way easier to report revenge porn
Revenge porn is disgusting, destructive and getting to be tragically common, so much so that titans of the web have been cooking up ways to deal with it. Microsoft is the latest to join the fray, as it just joined Google in giving victims a way to shut down illicit stuff they don’t want seen. Starting today, people can fill out a form on Microsoft’s support site to flag the content in question, confirm that they didn’t want whatever it was to be distributed in the first place and provide legal documentation if they’ve got it.
If the request is valid, Microsoft will then strike the offending matter from the web-crawling record that is Bing, as well as “remove access to the content itself when shared on OneDrive or Xbox Live.” As valuable as the tool might seem (we’ll see how quickly Microsoft resolves these cases) it’s still just part one part of the process a revenge porn victim has to deal with. If that not-so-private content got indexed by Google, for instance, that’s yet another search party to contact and deal with. And these steps are what need to happen just to ensure such results don’t infect a person’s search engine presence; none of it even begins to deal with the other creepy randos serving up the offending photos and videos themselves. Revenge porn will live on as long as shitty people do — and that won’t change any time soon — but at least it’s getting a just a little easier to mitigate.
Source: Microsoft on the Issues
Last chance to enter the Choose Your Own Android Phablet Giveaway: LG G4, OnePlus 2 and more!
The AA Deals Store offers great deals on the daily, but today there’s something a bit more special for you. Are you feeling lucky? You could win one of the hottest devices in the market, and participating won’t cost you a penny.
The “Choose Your Own Android Phablet Giveaway” is simple to enter, so why not try your luck and see if you can be the proud owner of one of these oversized phones? The winner of this giveaway gets to choose one of the following handsets:
Here’s how to enter: Simply head to the giveaway page and enter your email address in the space provided. That will score you one entry into the contest. If you’d like to enter more than once, you can do that, too. After entering your email address, share on Twitter for additional entries. The more your friends and followers enter, the more entries you receive. Make sure you enter with a valid email address so StackSocial can contact you if you win. Keep in mind only one registration per person is allowed. And you should give a valid email, as that is how the winner will be contacted. Any efforts to skew the selection process will result in disqualification, so let’s play nice!
Now that all the details are out of the way, we’d like to urge you to sign up as soon as possible. This giveaway will end at 11:59 PM (PDT) on July 22nd… so tonight! Go get your phone!
Editor’s Note: This deal is through StackCommerce, in partnership with AA Deals Store and other StackSocial partners — and not an exclusive Android Authority contest.
Enterprise Edition of Google Glass beefing up for the workplace
As Google moves to reposition they next version of Google Glass to be primarily used for business and enterprise purposes, reports indicate the Glass team is beefing up the device to be a little more business friendly and more rugged to handle the stress of a workplace environment. Despite some of these changes, the overall form factor will stay much the same as the Explorer Edition with a prism located above the right eye and the electronics hanging on the right temple.
New to the next “Enterprise Edition” will be hinges for the temples so the device can be folded up like normal eyewear. This includes both the plain left temple as well as the right temple and all of the electronics located there. This should make it a little easier to keep the device close to a worker who could more easily stow it in a case, including a hard case, when not immediately needed.
Overall the materials and fit are getting beefed up. This should help protect it from bumps and drops that may occur in the workplace. Google appears to have worked on addressing some of the openings that existed in the first version of Glass, making them smaller or sealing them up altogether to improve water resistance.
Reports also indicate Google plans to ship the device with a larger prism to make it a little easier for users to view the screen. The new version is also expected to come with an Intel Atom processor providing better performance, possibly better battery life, and better heat management. An improvement in any of these areas would address some of the shortcomings of the original Glass devices.
The new Enterprise Edition of Google Glass is expected to only be available through Glass for Work partners with no retail option being available for general consumers. A device from Google recently passed through the FCC which many think was the new version of Glass, so it may not be much longer before we see reports of the next generation of Glass starting to show up.
source: 9to5Google
Come comment on this article: Enterprise Edition of Google Glass beefing up for the workplace
Google clarifies the changes to Google+ Photos
You have probably had to download the new Photos application recently if you’ve fancied browsing through your backed up pictures, but it seems that the change over from the old Google+ Photos system has caused a little confusion. Anil Sabharwal, the head of Google Photos, has taken to Google+ to clear up any misconceptions.
Although Google will be shutting down Google+ Photos, the features that users are familiar with in Google+ will continue to function as before. Users will still be able to share, comment on, and +1 photos and video. Media already backed up with the service will also remain unaffected by the change, and can be found in the Photo’s tab on your Profile page.
“The private photo management component of Google+, which includes backup, editing, creations, private album management (album management for shared content is still available on Google+), and sharing to other apps, is being replaced by Google Photos”
Most of the changes are being made to the back end, in a move which is designed to consolidate photo backups into a single system on Google’s end, rather than having two features that perform virtually the same functions. Essentially, backups, editing, and album management will be replaced by Google Photos, but shared content will still be available through Google+.
This is good news for Google+ Photo users who want to continue to use the features that they are familiar with, but will allow Google to make the necessary changes to improve and maintain its photo backup system.
YouTube for Android will play vertical videos in full screen
There comes a time in every person’s life when they realize that they can’t get people behave properly. As much as we all might want to stop people from recording vertical videos, the Periscopes and Snapchats of this world have made these clips so prevalent that, sadly, they’re just not going to go away. Giving in to the inevitable, YouTube’s Android App is getting the ability to play vertical videos in full screen, rather than constraining them to an awkward letterbox designed for landscape clips. The feature was found by AndroidPolice in version 10.28 of the app, which is likely to hit Google Play at some point in the near future. Before you sprint to download the APK ahead of its official launch, however, just remember that this means that the bad guys have won.
Filed under: Portable Audio/Video, Internet, Google
Via: AndroidPolice
Source: APK Mirror
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