When you think of companies that specialize in deodorant, names like Old Spice, Suave, Axe, Dove and maybe Febreze spring to mind. But according to recently awarded patents, there’s a surprise player with a nose for the odor-removing business: Google. [More]
AT&T Chasing Google, Offering $70 Fiber Broadband To Kansas City Residents
By 2.17.15
A handful of Americans are getting one step closer to actual 21st century, competitive broadband this week, as AT&T has announced that effective immediately, it’s competing to bring fast fiber internet to the greater Kansas City area, where Google Fiber has been dominating all the attention for the last few years. [More]
Nest Smoke Detectors Still Not So Great At Detecting Smoke
By 2.16.15
Here is what people want their smoke detector to do: sound an alarm when there is smoke. Here is what they do not want their smoke detector to do: sound an alarm for no reason whatsoever in the middle of the night. Users of the connected smoke detector from Nest, a company owned by Google, complain that this is what’s happening to them. [More]
Mattel, Google Revamp View-Master To Create Kid-Friendly Virtual Reality Device
By 2.13.15
The days of grainy, hard to decipher photos that came with Mattel’s View-Master are apparently behind us. The company, along with Google, revealed an overhaul that transforms the classic kids’ toy into a virtual reality gadget. [More]
Authorities In Three Major Cities Say Smartphone Thefts Have Dropped After Implementation Of “Kill Switches”
By 2.11.15
Times used to be, having a smartphone in your hand meant someone probably wanted to steal it. And while that may still be true, authorities in San Francisco, New York and London say the number of stolen smartphones has dropped dramatically since manufacturers started including “kill switches” that allow phones to be turned off remotely if they fall into the wrong hands. [More]
Google Will Put Some Basic Information About Your Medical Questions Right On The Search Page
By 2.10.15
You may have noticed recently that when you search on some topics in Google, before the results on outside Web sites, first you see quick information on the subject such as dictionary definitions or basic facts pulled from Wikipedia entries. Google announced today that they’ll be adding medical information from legitimate, well-respected sources when people search for information about symptoms or health problems. [More]
Report: Twitter & Google Make A Deal To Show Tweets In Search Results
By 2.5.15
Now that Google has realized Google+ is likely never going to compete with Twitter on a social media level, the two companies have once again reached a deal that will allow tweets to be more searchable online. Starting in the first half of this year, tweets will show up in Google search results as soon as they’re posted, according to a new report. [More]
Is Google Planning A Ride-Sharing Service To Rival Uber And Lyft?
By 2.3.15 — Updated: 2.22.17
While everyone is buzzing over a recent report that Google is planning its own ride-sharing service in an attempt to cut a nice slice out of the pie currently enjoyed mostly by Uber and Lyft, the company responded to requests for comment with the kind of non-denial that just makes everyone think something has got to be going on. So what’s the deal? [More]
Google Says Net Neutrality Won’t Curb Expansion Of Google Fiber
By 1.29.15
Opponents of the net neutrality rules pending before the Federal Communications Commission claim that they would be an impediment to investment and slow the expansion and improvement of broadband networks around the country. But the folks at Google, who just added four new major markets for its Google Fiber service, aren’t terribly worried. [More]
Confirmed: Google Fiber Coming To Atlanta, Nashville, Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham
By 1.27.15
UPDATE: As Google preps to make its official announcements about Google Fiber, the service’s website has been updated to include Atlanta, Nashville, and the North Carolina markets of Charlotte and Raleigh-Durham as “Upcoming” Fiber cities, with San Antonio, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Portland (OR), and San Jose now designated as “Potential” sites for Google Fiber in the future. [More]
Police Ask Waze To Remove Speed Trap Alerts To Protect Cops
By 1.26.15
The navigation and traffic app Waze is sometimes very helpful to help motorists avoid snarled traffic, construction, and road hazards. One of its features has some police officers worried, though. They worry that the feature that allows Waze users to alert each other to speed traps could endanger the lives of police officers. [More]
Google & NFL Strike Deal To Bring NFL Content To YouTube
By 1.26.15
Just in time for the Super Bowl this weekend, the National Football League has decided to play nice and share with others, announcing a partnership with Google this week that will bring game highlights to a YouTube channel and search results. [More]
North Carolina May Be Next To Get Google Fiber
By 1.23.15
It’s been nearly a year since Google announced plans to expand its Google Fiber broadband and pay-TV service to new markets around the U.S., but the company has yet to say which of the 34 eligible cities would be the next to benefit from much-needed competition, but there are some indicators that folks in North Carolina may be getting on the Google fiberwagon. [More]
Google Reportedly Looking To Resell Sprint, T-Mobile Wireless Data
By 1.22.15
American consumers may soon be able to buy Google-branded wireless data service, but unlike its Google Fiber broadband business, it won’t be building out a new network for this product. Instead, according to one new report, Google has made deals with T-Mobile and Sprint to resell access to their wireless networks. [More]
Google, Apple, Intel And Adobe Systems Agree To Pay $415M To Resolve Anti-Poaching Lawsuit
By 1.16.15
An ongoing lawsuit filed by former employees of Google, Apple, Intel and Adobe Systems accusing the tech companies of conspiring to not hire away each other’s employees as a way to keep wages low appears to be reaching its end. As part of a settlement proposal the four companies have agreed to pay $415 million to resolve the antitrust lawsuit. [More]
Google To Stop Selling Current Version Of Google Glass On Jan. 19
By 1.15.15
If you’ve been holding off on purchasing Google Glass you may have waited too long, you don’t have much time left. Google announced plans Thursday to stop selling the product to consumers on January 19 as it prepares for big changes to its wearable-computing project, including new leadership. [More]
Update To Google Translate App Interprets Speech, Translates Photos Of Text Instaneously
By 1.14.15
The halls of science fiction are filled with universal language translators — little ear gadgets that make everyone sound the same to everyone else, or floating screens rearranging letters before your eyes into something intelligible. While we haven’t reached a future of perfectly seamless translation yet, Google has update its Translate tool with some new tricks that might get us closer. [More]
Volkswagen Unveils Smartphone-On-Wheels Concept, Integration of Apple And Android App Systems
By 1.5.15
Volkswagen’s first ever appearance at CES press day culminated in the unveiling of the Golf R Touch, a highly intuitive, infotainment vehicle that sounds more like a smartphone-on-wheels than an actual car. [More]
