Months after Chromebook Pixel owners began complaining that they had been shortchanged on the free Verizon Wireless data that was supposed to be included in the purchase price of their laptops, and days after national news reports called out Big V for its failure to understand how calendars and contracts work, the company has finally admitted that it screwed up and will be doing something vaguely nice to make up for it. [More]
Google Makes Up For Verizon’s Bad Math, Offers $150 To Screwed-Over Chromebook Owners
By 6.25.14
Earlier this week, the mathletes at Verizon were caught once again making up their own rules about the meaning of the quantity “2 years.” People who had bought Chromebook Pixel laptops under the illusion that the promised two years of free 100MB/month of wireless data were suddenly finding out that Verizon was only giving them one year. So far, Verizon hasn’t explained its idiocy, leaving the Chromebook’s maker, Google, to do damage control. [More]
Verizon Decides “2 Years Of Free Data” Actually Means 1 Year
By 6.23.14
When Google released its LTE-enabled Chromebook Pixel in the spring of 2013, it was advertised as coming with two years of 100MB/month in data from Verizon. But as Pixel owners cross the one-year threshold, they are suddenly finding out that this relatively meager amount of gratis data is no longer free. [More]
“This Looks Like My Hearing Aid”: What Happens When The Older Set Tries Google Glass
By 6.20.14
Listen, plenty of young/youngish people think Google Glass looks a little bit weird, so the fact that a group of older folks can’t quite get a grip on the idea isn’t too surprising. Still, “This looks like my hearing aid” is pretty darn funny. [More]
Microsoft, Google To Introduce “Kill-Switch” Function As Report Shows The Deterrent Cuts Thefts
By 6.19.14
Smartphone manufacturers appear to be taking consumers’ and legislators’ demand for anti-theft measures to heart. Just a month after Minnesota became the first state to pass a law requiring manufacturers to create kill switches Microsoft and Google announced that they would introduce the theft deterrent technologies into their products. And that’s a good thing considering a new report highlights just how effective kill switches have been reducing the theft of technology. [More]
Yahoo Ditching Google, Facebook Logins For Flickr Accounts By End Of The Month
By 6.6.14
After announcing in March that it would phase out third-party logins for photo-sharing site Flickr, Yahoo says it’ll be killing off Google and Facebook logins on June 30. That means you’ll need a Yahoo account to sign in and access your photos. [More]
There’s Only So Much One Can Do To Sexy Up Google Glass
By 6.3.14
In addition to the steep price tag, one of the things keeping some folks from checking out Google Glass is that the existing frames for the device are just too… well, let’s politely call them bland. In an attempt to add some level of style to the headgear, Google has teamed up with the folks at Diane von Furstenberg for some frames that may appeal to a wider audience, but really aren’t that different from what’s available. [More]
Google Launches Forget-Me Form For EU Users Who Want Search Data Removed
By 5.30.14
Earlier this month, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that consumers have a legal “right to be forgotten” when it comes to Internet search engines and said there should be a way for users to request that certain data be excised from Google’s results. In response, the company has created a form that anyone in the 28 affected EU countries can use to ask to be forgotten. [More]
Google’s Newest Self-Driving Car Prototype Does Away With The Steering Wheel, Pedals
By 5.28.14
Operating a car is a relatively simple process for a driver — you get in, turn the key, push the gas and brake pedals as needed and steer it where you want it to go. But Google thinks it can get even simpler, removing the steering wheel along with the accelerator and brake pedals entirely in its newest self-driving prototype. [More]
Is It Wrong For A Restaurant To Tell Diners To Remove Google Glass?
By 5.27.14
The culture war (more of a slap-fight) over where and when it’s okay to sport Google Glass continues. A Manhattan restaurant is the latest to get caught up in the fracas after it asked a customer to remove her Glass device while dining, resulting in a burst of negative reviews from those who think the eatery crossed a line… and a backlash from those who aren’t impressed with the headgear and don’t see why anyone would wear one to dinner. [More]
Google Thinks Your Fridge, Thermostat Will Make A Great Billboard
By 5.21.14
Marketers’ never-ending quest to cram advertising into every square inch of digital space just keeps getting more territory to work with. The next frontier in bringing advertising into your home? Your thermostat and your fridge — because your TV, computer, and phone apparently aren’t enough. [More]
When You Give Silicon Valley Permission To Spy On You, It’s Kinda Hard To Say “No” To The NSA
By 5.20.14
The fundamental goal of the ad-supported web is to collect and capitalize on data from its users; rather unsurprisingly, that data is just as valuable to the government as it is to Facebook and Google. You may think you’d never willingly provide the FBI or NSA with a map of your entire private life, but, in fact, you probably already have. [More]
Google Opens Its Glass Explorer Program Up To Anyone In U.S. Who Wants To Spend $1,500
By 5.14.14
If you’ve been eyeing your pals jealously while they stroll around town looking like so many cyborgs in their Google Glass specs, now you, too, can spend $1,500 on the interactive eyewear. Google announced last night that it’s flinging the Explorer program wide open to anyone in the United States willing to fork over the cash for Glass. [More]
Europe’s Highest Court Tells Google People Have The “Right To Be Forgotten”
By 5.13.14
When you search for yourself on Google — and don’t deny you’ve done it at least once — do you love absolutely every bit of information that comes up? No, but you figure, it’s on the Internet, so it’s there forever. But Europe’s highest court has ruled that people have the “right to be forgotten,” and that they should be able to ask Google to remove certain sensitive information from Internet search results. [More]
Amazon, Google, Reddit, Netflix, 4Chan, Dozens Others, Plead With FCC To Protect Net Neutrality
By 5.7.14
In perhaps the most motley crew (as opposed to Mötley Crüe) of tech and Internet companies ever assembled for a single cause, around 150 businesses representing everything from content and infrastructure to gaming, crowdfunding and 3-D printing have written the FCC to ask that it not completely screw up net neutrality. [More]
Google Shopping Express Expands Same-Day Delivery Service To West L.A., Manhattan
By 5.5.14
If you’ve been jealously eyeing those folks in San Francisco who can get same-day delivery from Google Shopping Express — you want what you want, when you want it, after all — there’s hope. Well, for those of you living in West Los Angeles and Manhattan. Everyone else is still stuck using legs/car to satisfy any need for immediacy. [More]
Can’t Remember Where You Parked? Google’s Here To Remind You
By 5.1.14
Apparently, we consumers can’t be trusted to remember where we parked. But have no fear, Google is here keep us from wandering around the mall parking lot aimlessly looking for our vehicles. [More]
Google Will Stop Data-Mining Student E-Mail Accounts
By 4.30.14
Did you have a high school or college e-mail account administered by your school? Whatever, Grandma: lately, many schools have migrated to using Google Apps for Education, which provides mail and a suite of other Google services to educators and students for free. Free, really? Surely there must be a catch. Say, that Google was indexing students’ messages in order to serve up more relevant ads to them elsewhere on the Internet. [More]
