Google is set to debut a reworked version of its search result ranking system tomorrow, Fortune reported today. The new rankings will place websites with mobile-friendly designs ahead of those that work best on desktop machines in search results.
The decision to make this change was prompted by the fact that over 60% of Google’s search traffic now comes from mobile devices, the company said. The modification was first announced in a post on Google’s Webmaster Central blog earlier this year.
Popular task management app Any.do has been updated to version 3.0 with a slew of new features and a fresh coat of paint. You’ll still find all of your lists and collaboration features as easy to use as ever, but now you’ll be able to see an overview of all of your lists with the new grid mode.
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Google has pushed out version 42 of its Chrome browser for Android. Like the desktop counterpart that debuted yesterday, Chrome 42 for Android introduces support for push notifications from websites, allowing you to keep up with changes to your favorite sites without having to constantly check back.
Google is reportedly working on a new “phone dialer” application that will allow users not only to dial a specific phone number, but also look up information for businesses or individuals, The Information claimed today. The information comes from someone with knowledge of the product, but no additional details were given.
Previous reports also indicated that Facebook was working on its own Android dialer app as well, though there aren’t any specifics about that at the moment. Facebook’s version of the software is in testing at the social network now and could be launched in the near future.
Both companies apparently see phone dialers as the next step in the ongoing battle to draw users for their own respective services, while other companies (The Information specifically names Yahoo) are looking into creating new messaging apps or revamping existing ones.
Google and Amazon have each made significant cuts to the price of the Moto 360, bringing the Motorola wearable below $200 and providing a prime chance for those who want to take the Android Wear software for a test drive.
The smartwatch now runs for just $179 on Amazon—a $70 drop from the usual $250. That price is for the stone leather version, however, with some other models running a bit higher. If you’re willing to pick up a used watch, you can score those more expensive designs at the same low price as the stone leather variant.
The Google Store provides an even better discount, cutting the price to just $165. That’s about $85 cheaper than the previous price. You’ll only be able to get two colors at that price, so if you’re looking for a larger selection, you’ll want to take advantage of Amazon’s offer instead.
Images via Google Operating System
Google is working on a redesigned desktop video player that takes its influence from the site’s mobile applications, a new report suggests. The player, seen above and below, features transparent playback controls overlayed directly on the video rather than the opaque black bar we’ve gotten used to over the past few years.
Like the current player, the controls disappear after a few seconds, leaving the full space dedicated to the video. Controls for settings like autoplay on playlists, annotations, and video speed and quality have also gotten a bit of a makeover, as seen below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxUr8Z4iDpk]
Disney announced today that the entire Star Wars saga will finally be available for digital HD download later this week, marking the first time ever that the films have been offered in this format. As confirmed in the TV spot above and the Google Play tweet below, the entire collection will be available to purchase from the Google Play Store this Friday, with pre-orders already up and running for $89.99.
Google has released a new report detailing the security of the Android platform based on data collected from users over the course of last year. The 44-page document can be downloaded as a PDF from Google.
In the report, the company reveals that over a billion devices are currently protected by its Google Play store and accompanying software, which scan over 200 million devices each day for possible security flaws. Of all of the devices scanned, less than 1% had installed potentially harmful software, while devices that exclusively downloaded apps from the Play Store cut that number down to .15%.
Update: Google says Gmail is back up and running for all users.
Some users (myself included) may have noticed issues syncing mail changes on their Gmail accounts this morning. Google has now acknowledged on its system status page that a “service disruption” is current affecting the email service. The company says the issue currently only affects IMAP connections to the email service, and while most users will see problems, some may not.
While this isn’t a total outage, users can expect to see slow or nonexistent syncing of their mail across devices for the time being, with other features like sending and receiving mail possibly being affected as well. Google has published the following update on the downtime:
Google has teamed up with Johnson & Johnson-owned Ethicon to help create more advanced robotics technology for surgical use, the Wall Street Journal reported today. The Mountain View tech giant hopes to tackle the software side of the issue by creating machine vision technology to help doctors more easily guide and control surgical equipment.
Google has been pushing further into the areas of medicine, health, and fitness in recent years, with entire divisions in its Google X lab focused on creating technology like nanobots that can detect cancer. The Glass project has also been integrated into some surgical procedures and other medical applications.
A new report from Korean outlet eToday suggests that Google may be looking to LG to manufacture its next-gen Nexus smartphone, which probably won’t be called the Nexus 7. Google engineers are said to have met with LG executives earlier this month to describe the deal.
Last month developer Mohammad Abu-Garbeyyeh managed to get an Android Wear-based smartwatch to display notifications from an iPhone, even though Google’s wearable OS doesn’t support Apple’s mobile devices (at least, not yet).
A new video posted by the software dev today shows an Android Wear watch working with the iPhone’s calling function. In the video, an incoming call on the iPhone is answered using the Android watch. Abu-Garbeyyeh says he simulated the gesture to answer to phone call on the watch in software to avoid filling the video frame with his hand, but the functionality works perfectly just as it would with an Android device.
The official Lollipop release schedule for the OnePlus One has finally been announced. The smartphone maker says users can expect to see the next version of CyanogenMod for OnePlus One rolling out over-the-air on or before March 30th.
Meanwhile, the proprietary Lollipop-based OxygenOS is said to be planned for March 27th or earlier. OnePlus says that to prove it’s serious about hitting these targets, the company will give away five of its handsets to fans if it misses a single release deadline.
Eric Schmidt spoke today on gender equality in the tech industry at SXSW along with United States Chief Technology Officer (and former Google exec) Megan Smith. During the panel, Schmidt was kind enough to chime in on a number of topics, such as which questions he thought Smith should answer, and his thoughts on the Raspberry Pi.
Schmidt’s frequent interruptions were highlighted by an attendee who questioned the executive on his behavior during the panel. Without responding to the woman’s concerns about cutting off Smith, Schmidt did agree that the lack of women in the industry is “a tragedy.”
While Google’s fiber internet service is no doubt popular in the markets where it’s available, but the accompanying TV offering isn’t gaining nearly as much momentum. A report from Multichannel indicates that Google has only reached 29,867 video subscriptions, and 20,000 of those are from Kansas City, Missouri alone.
Google’s highest market penetration has been in Kansas City, Kansas, where 7,026 subscribers give it 13% of the market. In Missouri, those 20,140 subscribers make up only 10% of the market. The company has claimed 8% of the market in Provo, Utah, and just 5% in its Stanford market.
Surely by now you’ve seen various jokes about Google’s autocomplete feature, which suggests endings for your search terms based on what other people commonly search for, but now a new game will test your ability to predict those sometimes nonsensical queries.
The game is called Google Feud, and, as the title suggests, it works in basically the same way as the popular TV game show Family Feud. The game presents players with an incomplete search item and asks them to guess the top ten crowd-sourced recommendations Google makes to complete the phrase. The answers are pulled in via the Google API in real-time to ensure the most up-to-date information.
T-Mobile today announced that it will be holding its next “un-carrier” on Wednesday March 18th. In the event invitations, seen above, the carrier teases the event as “a real piece of work,” possibly hinting at some sort of business-related changes to its plans.
The event begins at 1PM eastern, and as usual, 9to5Google will have full coverage. During its last un-carrier event, T-Mobile boosted its Wi-Fi calling capabilities, introduced its CellSpot router, and announced a partnership with GoGo to debut in-flight connectivity.
Google is planning to jump into the virtual reality software game in a big way, the Wall Street Journal said today. The company is said to have “tens of engineers” working on a new project to build a VR platform based on the Android operating system. Like the smartphone version of Android, Google’s VR software will reportedly be available for free to hardware makers.
The virtual reality hardware market is growing at a speedy pace, started by Facebook’s purchase of Oculus last year. Oculus and Samsung teamed up to create a VR headset late last year, and smartphone manufacturer HTC partnered with gaming company Valve to build their own device called the Vive. Each of these devices run their own proprietary software.
Last month a developer managed to hack together a solution that enabled iPhone users to see their notifications on Google’s Android-powered wearable operating system, but at the moment there is no official way to use the two competing platforms together. That could change at Google’s annual I/O conference later this year, if new rumors are to be believed.
According to French tech blog 01Net, Google is developing an update to Android Wear that would enable it work with Apple’s iOS devices…
Image via Engadget
NVIDIA announced a set-top box version of its popular Shield portable gaming system tonight during the Game Developers Conference. The new Shield runs on Android and has full access to the Play Store along with a new Shield Store. The device functions as a cross between a gaming console and a media center.
The Shield is capable of outputting 4K video at 60Hz—a first for Android-based set-top boxes—and features a remote control that doubles as a Bluetooth listening device. Users can plug a pair of headphones into the remote to have audio from their content re-routed directly to their ears instead of their TV speakers or home theater system.
HTC fans wanting to get their hands on the latest and greatest flagship phone from the handset maker will have a chance to do just that before the device even hits store shelves. The company has launched a new giveaway page on its website where you can enter to win the phone between now and March 24th.
9to5Google recently went hands-on with the new HTC One M9, which will come out later this month in four colors. It sports a similar design to the previous iteration, but includes several upgrades such as a 20 MP camera.
Google has started rolling out an updated version of its Play Services package for Android devices. The update includes several new features for developers to take advantage of in their applications. The first of these is the new Places API, which provides access to point-of-interest information:
A new version of the $629 privacy-focused Android smartphone Blackphone was announced today by the handset’s maker during the Mobile World Congress event. The new phone will feature significant internal and external upgrades, including a full-HD 5.5-inch display, an improved processor, and a redesigned exterior that sports glass on both the front and back of the device.
Back when Android 5.0 was announced, Google revealed that it would require all devices running the upgraded OS to use full-disk encryption by default to protect users. However, it seems that Google has now reversed course on that decision and allowed several Lollipop devices to ignore this requirement.
As noted by Ars Technica, several Android devices—both new and old—that run the Lollipop software have decided to forgo encryption for some reason. This includes previously released devices that were upgraded to the new software such as the Moto G, and new devices that ship with Lollipop, like the more recent Moto E.