The top 15 smartphones you can buy right now
OK, so it usually doesn’t cost as much as a car, but a smartphone is still an important lifestyle purchase. And it will probably be at your side 24/7 (if you’re anything like us). There’s always a bit of hemming and hawing, for sure, but we’ve distilled the options down to a short list of the top handsets, with top picks for each OS. Head down to the gallery below for a quick stroll through our selections or check out our full buyer’s guide for the lowdown on the best smartphones, tablets, laptops and wearables that your hard-earned money can buy.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Apple, Samsung, Microsoft, HTC, Nokia, Google, LG, Blackberry
Google’s not bringing its super-fast fiber internet to the UK anytime soon
Google’s only really dipping its toe in the fiber infrastucture racket at the moment, but plans are afoot to slowly expand its Fiber gigabit internet service elsewhere. According to a report from The Telegraph, the search giant is even looking as far afield as the UK, and was discussing the possibility with local network provider CityFibre. Its sources claim CityFibre has since gotten cold feet on the basis it could jeopardize a deal it has with Sky and TalkTalk to bring gigabit internet to parts of York and beyond. While that all sounds plausible and we hate to crush the dreams of speed freaks, Google has told us it’s never had any such plans.
“We have informal conversations with other telecom companies all the time. But we’ve never had any serious planning discussions about bringing Google Fiber to Britain.”
We wouldn’t expect Google to just up and show its hand if it was thinking about stirring up competition in the UK, but the statement is pretty direct regarding this specific rumor. Established UK broadband providers needn’t feel threatened just yet, it seems.
[Image credit: jah~/Flickr]
Filed under: Networking, Internet, Google
Source: The Telegraph
Google won’t call games with in-app purchases free anymore (updated)
The European Commission has said that while Google addressed its concerns around games with in-app purchasing, Apple has yet to offer a strategy. Following hordes of complaints by outraged parents, the EU asked both companies to implement changes to the way they sell such apps in their stores. Those include not misleading consumers about supposedly “free” games, not “directly exhorting” children to buy in-game items, thoroughly informing customers about payment arrangements and forcing game-makers to provide contact information.
Google has already said it would implement several of the changes starting at the end of September. For instance, it won’t use the word “free” for in-app purchase games; it’ll come up with targeted guidelines for games to prevent encouragement of children to buy items; and will implement measures to monitor breaches of EU law.
Meanwhile, the EU said that Apple has “regrettably” not provided any firm solutions or timetable to address its concerns, though it added that Cupertino has promised to attack the problem. Apple was already forced to implement alerts in iOS 7.1 warning users of in-app buys, following lawsuits and a scuffle with the FCC. It has also implemented other parental controls, as shown in its Parents’ Guide to iTunes. Meanwhile, the European Commission said that enforcement is now in the hands of individual EU nations, which will need to decide on their own how to punish developers currently facing legal action.
Update: In response to the EU’s remarks, Apple has given us the following statement:
Apple takes great pride in leading the industry in parental controls that are incredibly easy to use and help ensure a great experience for parents and children on the App Store. The parental controls in iOS are strong, intuitive and customizable. And over the last year we made sure any app which enables customers to make in-app purchases is clearly marked. We’ve also created a Kids Section on the App Store with even stronger protections to cover apps designed for children younger than 13.
These controls go far beyond the features of others in the industry. But we are always working to strengthen the protections we have in place, and we’re adding great new features with iOS 8, such as Ask to Buy, giving parents even more control over what their kids can buy on the App Store.
Our goal is to continue to provide the best experience for our customers and we will continue to work with the EC member states to respond to their concerns.
[Image credit: Philippe Hugen/AFP/Getty Images]
Google finally agrees to fix Chrome bug that drains Windows laptop batteries
Chrome may be the browser of choice for around 35 percent of the world’s internet users, but it’s not without its flaws. A report by Forbes has highlighted that the browser won’t return to an idle state if it’s not being used, demanding significantly more power than rivals like Firefox or Internet Explorer. That’s a big problem for laptop users, since their portable Windows machines are losing battery life far faster than they should. It’s apparently been a problem since 2010, but it’s only now that Google is admitting that something needs to be done about it. In a statement to PC World, the company has pushed the fault to the top of the Chrome team’s to-do list, so hopefully it won’t be long before you get a lot more browsing before you retreat to a wall socket.
Google Maps for mobile now helps bikers avoid steep hills
Summer’s in full swing and the weather’s nice, so how about ditching your gas-guzzlin’ ride for something human-powered? If you do, Google’s latest update to Maps on mobile wants to help make biking a little easier. New features for two-wheeled transportation include routes based on elevation so you can avoid any strenuous climbs and, as Android Police reports, there’s apparently a tool to compare different itineraries based on elevation as well. Should you to stick to a car for getting around (air conditioning is awfully nice), Mountain View didn’t forget about you, either. A handful of voice commands have been added for checking what traffic is like ahead of you, estimated arrival time and next-turn reminders, among others. Unlike the familiar “OK, Google” voice-prompt though, these orders aren’t fully hands-free just yet.
Meaning, we don’t recommend searching for the on-screen microphone button to initiate the app’s listening mode while you’re in traffic — fumbling to activate a route overview isn’t worth causing an accident over. If you want to take the app for a test-drive, however, check out the source link.
[Image credit: johnthescone/Flickr]
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Google
Via: Android Police
Source: Google Play
Google Maps version 8.2 is out, download and install it now [APK]
I bet over 90% of Android device owners out there use Google Maps, not only because it’s the default maps application that comes with Android but because it’s the best service out there, by far. Google Maps in version 8.2 is now available and it brings a handful of features/changes along with it. Let’s see what we get.
These are the changes we’ve noticed thus far:
- Voice control in navigation mode
- Elevation change for bicyclists
- Voice input is now available on the main screen
- “Your places” is now located in the slide-out menu
Voice controls while in navigation mode are definitely the biggest addition to Google Maps. While navigating you’ll be able to call up voice interface by tapping the small microphone icon in the bottom left part of the screen. You can ask the phone “When will I get there” if you want to get to your destination for example, or “Where is my next turn” which is also self-explanatory. There are quite some voice actions you can take when the phone is listening. What you’re all wondering is if you can use that sweet “OK, Google” phrase in order to call it up, the answer is no, at least for now.
The update is rather big in terms of features and changes, you can try all of them by download the .apk and installing it on your device. If you want to do that, follow this link.
Source: AndroidCentral and AndroidPolice
The post Google Maps version 8.2 is out, download and install it now [APK] appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Google confirms Android Wear will support custom watch faces
Since its beginnings, the Android platform has been known for being heavily customizable. As such, it’s not exactly a surprise to hear Google say its new smartwatch ecosystem, Android Wear, is due to support watch faces from third-party developers. However, having actual confirmation makes for perfect peace of mind. In a Google+ post, Android’s VP of Design Matias Duarte affirmed this would be the case, stating that the Wear team is already working on a custom watch face API. “Customization has helped Android thrive, and the same will be true for Android Wear,” he wrote. The incoming API will make it “as simple as possible” for devs to make all-around great watch faces, ones which can look good, not drain a battery and blend well with the watches card-based UI. Duarte said “some” of these things won’t be available until later this year, but that they are, without a doubt, on their way. So, don’t worry, soon enough you’ll have better choices to deck out that fancy, smart tick-tock wearable of yours.
Filed under: Misc, Peripherals, Wearables, Google
Via: Android Police
Source: Matias Duarte (Google+)
Google loves Epic Rap Battles and the ad money it brings in
To no one’s surprise, Google — the company that builds everything from web email services to self-driving cars — has once again climbed the revenue charts. Today in its quarterly earnings report, the Mountain View company reported it’s raked in $15.96 billion in revenue this quarter, which is about a 22 percent growth year-over-year. And, as you might expect with Google, a bulk of that cash comes from good ol’ advertising — about 90 percent, in fact. But the chatter wasn’t all about search and advertising in today’s earnings call — the company also alluded to other notable successes such as Google Shopping Express, Chromebooks and, yes, Epic Rap Battles of History.
Even though Google didn’t break out the exact percentage from which it gains that aforementioned ad revenue, it’s clear the company is focused more than ever on leveraging the advertising dollars it gets not just from search, but also via other services such as YouTube and Google Play. Indeed, Nikesh Arora, the current Chief Business Officer for Google — who, incidentally, has announced he’ll be leaving the company for SoftBank — spent quite a bit of time in the call talking video.
“Video is at the forefront of our efforts,” he said. Notably, he called out the professionally created content on YouTube, pointing out channels like Epic Rap Battles of History and internet celebs like Michelle Phan that add value to the streaming service. Digital sales on Google Play continue to do well too, and he credits partnership deals with providers like CBS and Viacom as part of its success. As for whether Google was open to making money not just from advertising but from subscriptions too, CFO Patrick Pichette said they’re still experimenting with different ends of the spectrum, but it’s fair to say they “have a horse in every one of these races.”
“We’re living in a multiscreen world,” continued Pichette, stating that the fact that video can be viewed not just on your tablet, but also on your TV via Chromecast, makes the revenue possibilities very intriguing. This is ostensibly the reason why the company didn’t break out mobile revenue from desktop — as it all sort of flows together — but it could also point to the fact that it’s not doing as well in the mobile ad biz.
Stepping away from advertising, Arora also drew attention to the considerable success of Google Shopping Express, saying he didn’t know anyone who didn’t like it. “It has tremendous results,” he said, stating that it’s “clearly an opportunity for us.” The focus for the delivery service will remain local, even as they cater to large businesses as well as small ones. “There continues to be amazing demand for the product.” Not to leave Chrome out, Arora said that over a million Chromebooks have been sold to schools and that the Chromecast’s popularity continues to grow.
As for those moonshot projects like self-driving cars? Well, the company said that it’ll still invest in them and will keep a close eye as to how that money is allocated, but it’ll certainly take a long time for any of those to turn a profit. In the meantime, we’ll cross our fingers for an epic rap battle starring Elon Musk.
Source: Google
Take a 3D tour of London with Google’s latest Maps update
If you’ve ever wanted to explore London but haven’t been able to fund the trip, Google wants to lend a hand. As part of its latest update, the search giant has unveiled a new 3D model of the city in both Maps and Google Earth, allowing you to pan, zoom and rotate your way down the Thames and past its popular landmarks. London is actually the fifth English city to appear in 3D on Google Maps after Reading, Leeds, Birmingham and Stoke on Trent, while Apple has offered similar (but maybe not as detailed) flythroughs of the capital for some time. Google is quick to point out that its 3D imagery covers the whole city, not just tourist spots and other iconic locations, so if you have some time to kill, head on over to the source link below and get explorin’.
Filed under: Internet, Software, Google
Via: Evening Standard
Source: Google Maps
Google’s Wallet apps now handle your gift cards
Gift cards are supposed to be pleasant surprises, but they can frequently be headaches; assuming you remember to bring them in the first place, you have to keep tabs on any leftover credit. They should be easier to manage after today, though. Google has just rolled gift card support into the Wallet apps for both Android and iOS. All you have to do is either snap a photo of a card or type in its info. After that, you can safely leave the plastic at home. Some merchants, such as AMC, Best Buy and Whole Foods, will also show the remaining balance on their cards.
If you aren’t fortunate enough to have any gift credits on hand, don’t fret — there are a few upgrades for people who still have to pay with their own money. You can now ask for payments from friends through either the app or Gmail, and you can send your own payments using a debit card. Spanish-language users will also be glad to know that the app now works in their native tongue. The new features are US-only at the moment, but we wouldn’t rule out expanded availability in the long run.
Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Mobile, Google
Source: Google Commerce, App Store, Google Play
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