Google SketchUp 8.0.11752

 

Google SketchUp is software that you can use to create 3D models of anything you like.

 

Google SketchUp 8.0.11752
Mon, 05 Dec 2011 04:58:27 GMT

India Asks Google, Facebook to Screen User Content (Heather Timmons/New York Times)

 

Heather Timmons / New York Times:
India Asks Google, Facebook to Screen User Content  —  The Indian government has asked Internet companies and social media sites like Facebook to prescreen user content from India and to remove disparaging, inflammatory or defamatory content before it goes online, three executives in the information technology industry say.

India Asks Google, Facebook to Screen User Content (Heather Timmons/New York Times)
Mon, 05 Dec 2011 12:55:00 GMT

Google Looks to Challenge Amazon Prime with Delivery Service

 

After watching Amazon corner the online retail market, Google is in talks with merchants to begin a delivery service that would allow users to order items online from local stores and receive them within a day. But does it make sense for Google to directly take on the online retail giant?

 

Google Looks to Challenge Amazon Prime with Delivery Service
Sat, 03 Dec 2011 14:06:45 GMT

Google tests Android update on employees' Nexus S

 

Web giant has delivered an over-the-air update of Ice Cream Sandwich to some employees' phones, according to an Android Police report.

Google tests Android update on employees' Nexus S
Steven Musil
Sun, 04 Dec 2011 18:35:24 GMT

Google and NORAD Track Santa Across Maps, Social Media and Mobile [VIDEO]

 

NORAD’s Santa Tracker is back, allowing users to follow Santa’s journey on Christmas Eve across Google Maps, Google Earth and various social media channels (including for the first time Google+). This year also sees the introduction of iOS and Android apps for tracking Saint Nick.

Check out the video above to learn about everything NORAD has in store.

 

Google and NORAD Track Santa Across Maps, Social Media and Mobile [VIDEO]
Mashable Video
Thu, 01 Dec 2011 22:13:16 GMT

Google wins DOJ approval for Admeld buy

 

The company says that it will close the $400 million acquisition in the "coming days" and then get down to eventually bringing Admeld into the fold.

Google wins DOJ approval for Admeld buy
Don Reisinger
Fri, 02 Dec 2011 17:40:21 GMT

Google+ Now Lets You Conference People Into Hangouts With Free Voice Calls

 

Hangouts could be the new way to conference call. Google employee Jarkko Oikarinen has just announced that free voice calls to people in the US and Canada can now be made from within Hangouts with extras. This means people no longer have to be by a computer, or even have a Google account to join a G+ video chat. You just call them up and their voice can be heard by anyone in the Hangout, and they can listen in on the session. This could be great way to onboard people into Google+’s most innovative feature, and also fill up Hangouts that can be a bit sparse due to the social network’s low current user count.

To activate the feature, simply start a Hangout, click the Invite button at the top, select “Phone”, and enter a phone number. If the recipient picks up, they’ll be instantly connected. The free offer is supposed to last through 2012. There’s no support for international calling, but Google recommends you use Google Voice for that. In addition to looping people on their phones into an existing group video chat, the feature can be used to make quick free 1-on-1 calls without having to set up a Google Voice account such that it could undercut Skype.

Oikarninen, the original creator of Internet Relay Chat, says the feature is “Helpful for party lines and conference calls alike.” It could be an easy way make group decisions, hold a meeting, or just play around. Once people are in Hangouts, they’re a ton of fun, but getting them there has been the biggest problem for Google+ so far. By making them accessible to anyone with a phone, Google+ can get people hooked with they’re mobile so that they hopefully start their own Hangouts from the web in the future.

 

Google+ Now Lets You Conference People Into Hangouts With Free Voice Calls
Josh Constine
Thu, 01 Dec 2011 18:55:40 GMT

Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, ISPs, All Served With Streaming Site Blocking Demand

 

A trio of organizations representing the movie, cinema and TV industries have gone to court in France in an attempt to force Google, Microsoft, Yahoo and the country's ISPs to block several streaming sites. The groups, which represent hundreds of video-related companies such as Paramount and Sony, want streaming sites blocked to Internet subscribers and delisted from search engines.

 

 

Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, ISPs, All Served With Streaming Site Blocking Demand
Thu, 01 Dec 2011 12:54:41 GMT

New Google Bar Hides Navigation, Showcases Google+

 

Google is rolling out a major design change on its homepage, ditching the familiar links to Gmail, Google News and Maps. Instead the new "Google bar" puts the emphasis on Google+ and sharing content with friends.

 

New Google Bar Hides Navigation, Showcases Google+
Scott Gilbertson
Thu, 01 Dec 2011 14:59:00 GMT

Google Maps app for Android adds indoor floorplans

 

Disoriented at Minneapolis' Mall of America? Confused at Tokyo's Narita airport? Can't find the bathrooms at your local Ikea store? The Google Maps application for Android phones and tablets may offer some help.

Google Maps app for Android adds indoor floorplans
(Juan Carlos Perez)
Tue, 29 Nov 2011 17:47:00 GMT

Google Catalogs is now available for Android tablets (Abigail Holtz/Google Mobile Blog)

 

Abigail Holtz / Google Mobile Blog:
Google Catalogs is now available for Android tablets  —  For many of us, the arrival of piles of catalogs marks the start of the holiday shopping season.  But what if you could have all your favorite catalogs in one place, with the latest issues always available at your fingertips?

Google Catalogs is now available for Android tablets (Abigail Holtz/Google Mobile Blog)
Mon, 28 Nov 2011 22:00:34 GMT

EU to make final call on Google's Motorola buy in January

 

Google asked the EU to consider its deal on Friday, and hopes to have the go-ahead by January 10, according to information on the EU Web site.

EU to make final call on Google's Motorola buy in January
Don Reisinger
Mon, 28 Nov 2011 16:04:18 GMT

New Google Search App for iPad Launched

 

Google has come up with an upgrade to the search app for iPad, promising a better, faster, and more accurate search of the web via the Apple tablet. In fact, it is quite a new and different experience while using the search app in its new form. There is a marked improvement in speed while the interface has been given a thorough once over. Even while a particular page is loading, which is a slow process at times, the user gets a window pane that slides in and provides a glimpse of other search results. Even switching between different window panes is quite a simple task with the new search app.

Users can also go to previous search criteria quite easily with the new interface as no retyping action is necessary in this case. This is indeed a big advantage and saves a lot of time and makes for a hassle free search operation. Another time saving feature that the upgrade app incorporates is the instant preview option where the user is able to preview a web site before actually selecting to open the complete page. There are also new search tools that are incorporated as well as rating website for personal reference.

Similarly, the image search feature has been made more interactive and easy to use. Tapping on an image will launch the new image carousel which gets filled up with the selected images. More images can be viewed by simple swipe action, which in all provides a nice and convenient way to do image search.

New shortcuts also have been added which allow for easy and fast access to the favored Google Apps and services of one’s choice. You can download the Google Search from the Apple App Store.

via googlemobile

New Google Search App for iPad Launched is a post from: E-Reader News

New Google Search App for iPad Launched
Sovan Mandal
Tue, 22 Nov 2011 11:36:00 GMT

Samsung jumps into bed with Google TV

 

Telly service needs a lot of lovin' right now

South Korean electronics giant Samsung is next in line to jump into the sack with Google on its TV services, ignoring the lacklustre uptake.…

Samsung jumps into bed with Google TV
Tue, 22 Nov 2011 15:01:07 GMT

Google's WebP crosshairs target PNG, not just JPEG

 

Google's image format started as a rival to JPEG, but new features mean it could take on Portable Network Graphics, too.

Google's WebP crosshairs target PNG, not just JPEG
Tue, 22 Nov 2011 15:17:31 GMT

Google kills Knol, Wave, and others to focus operations

 

The Web giant's latest round of product cuts includes a failed real-time collaboration tool, a browser plug-in, and a stab at reducing renewable-energy costs.

Google kills Knol, Wave, and others to focus operations
Wed, 23 Nov 2011 00:11:30 GMT

Google Updates Chromebook OS and Lowers Prices

 

Everyone’s busy trying to figure out which tablet they’ll buy this holiday season, but there are other options. At least Google sees it that way, as it commences a fresh Google Chromebook push with an updated interface and some more attractive prices.

For those unfamiliar with the Chromebook, it’s essentially a low-powered laptop running Google’s Chrome OS. Chrome Operating System is a lot like the Chrome browser, but without access to the Microsoft Windows Desktop underneath. That’s because there is no Windows underneath. Chrome OS is all Google and it has been slowly growing and changing to become a more full-featured platform that can compete with the likes of Windows laptops and the ultra-popular and user-friendly iOS-based Apple iPad.

Just last May, Google introduced a file system and laptops with working SD card slots. This is progress for a platform that on its initial launch was entirely limited to working with the cloud. Chrome OS and Chromebooks still rely heavily on the cloud, but now you can side-load files and even download them to an easily accessible file area on the system.

Unlike Windows systems, but somewhat like Apple’s iPad and the new Amazon Kindle Fire and Barnes & Noble’s Nook Tablet, Chromebooks have virtually no setup beyond signing into your Gmail account. Once that’s done, whatever you have access to on your Windows desktop-based Gmail account (and any other Chromebook you sign into) is on your Chromebook. The latest Chrome OS update doesn’t change any of that. Instead, it just simplifies log-in and the log-in screen a bit more (the biggest change might be the color: the background is now light gray instead of dark blue).

Chrome OS relies on tabs to manage multiple windows for web pages, as well as your cloud-based apps and files. The latest OS update brings some order to the new tab page and, more importantly, adds shortcuts to the file manager, music apps and games.

A typical Chromebook is not a particularly powerful computer. Most offer an Intel Atom processor, 16 GB of SSD storage and just 2 GB of RAM. Yet, some cost as much as $429. Now the entry-level model, which pretty much matches those specs, but drops 3G support (Wi-Fi is an obvious must on all cloud-craving Chromebooks), is $299. This still makes the baseline Chromebook $100 more expensive than the Amazon Kindle Fire ($199) and $50 than the Barnes & Noble Nook ($249). A baseline iPad still runs $499.

Are these changes and the price adjustment enough for you to consider buying a Chromebook this holiday season? Perhaps you’ve tried one out on Virgin America Airways and fell in love, but are you ready to bring one home? Share in the comments below.

More About: chromebook, Google, google chrome os

Google Updates Chromebook OS and Lowers Prices
Lance Ulanoff
Mon, 21 Nov 2011 21:31:07 GMT

Google overhauls its iOS app in search of iPad users

 

Google's got a new version of its search app for iOS, offering users a way to very quickly search and view content unlike how they can in Apple's built-in Safari browser.

Google overhauls its iOS app in search of iPad users
Josh Lowensohn
Mon, 21 Nov 2011 20:12:32 GMT

Google+ Rolls Out Trending Topics

 

Google+, the search giant’s new social network, has rolled out trending topics within Google+ Search.

Mashable has been informed that trending topics quietly rolled out Thursday night. Like Twitter’s Trending Topics, the Google+ version lists 10 of the hottest and most popular discussion items on the social network. Clicking on a trending topic will launch a search query.

Google has also rolled out some additional improvements to Google+ Search. Google+ users can now search within just their own posts, their circles or the entire Google+ network. The search giant has also changed the layout of the search page with several UI tweaks. The company originally launched Google+ Search in September.

SEE ALSO: Google+: The Complete Guide

Trending topics helped make Twitter a more relevant metric of what the world was talking about at any given moment. Google has worked for years in the space, most notably with Google Trends and Hot Searches, but Google+ offers the search giant the ability to see what is truly trending in real time.

Perhaps it’s Twitter, and not Facebook, that should be worried about Google+. We’ve reached out to Google for comment.

Google+ Rolls Out Trending Topics
Ben Parr
Fri, 18 Nov 2011 16:57:25 GMT

Google Overhauls Android.com With A Focus On Consumer Friendliness

 

Android is growing up. The platform that began its life as something built for the anti-iPhone crowd is quickly evolving into something built for everybody. Today, Google has overhauled Android’s website to match.

For as long as I can recall, Android.com has been, for lack of a better word, dry. Primarily built as a landing pad for press, partners, and developers, it didn’t really do much of anything to sell Android. Even the one generic “Learn More!” link lead to a page full of totally not-consumer-friendly terms and phrases like “Adding SDK Components” and “API Difference Reports”. It also didn’t help that the old layout looked like something left lingering from the late 90′s.

While it still has a link or two for the stray developer, the new Android.com distills the experience down to what matters: Android. Want an overview of whats new in Android 4.0? Bam! It’s front and center. Want a deeper look into some of Android’s finer features? It’s one click away.

The new look is dramatically improved — or, if we’re going for objectivity here, dramatically more modern. There’s an obvious emphasis on big icons and plenty of white space, making the whole thing feel like a proper product page for one of the main products released by a major technology company. It’s super flashy, without the Flash™ — as far as I can tell, all of the snazzy animations and transitions are done in HTML5 and Javascript. Be sure to mouse over the handset/tablet there on the homescreen for a subtle demonstration of Google’s rock-friggin’-solid scripting talent.

Google has also built a “Get Apps” page, which highlights a handful of applications in a series of themed “bundles”, from “Getting Started With Tablet” to “Calling All Gamers”. Google can’t say Android has the most apps, so they’ve got this page pitching their market’s diversity.

Overall, it’s a huge step up.

 

Google Overhauls Android.com With A Focus On Consumer Friendliness
Greg Kumparak
Thu, 17 Nov 2011 22:54:26 GMT