Latest on Google: News, Features, Opinions and More  Google Now, Hangouts feel here, there and everywhere
Google this week unleashed a blizzard of updates and improvements that fundamentally change -- and radically improve -- how we get information and communicate. Even without big Apps news at I/O, small changes matter
Apps, Google's flagship product for enterprise IT, had a minor presence at this week's I/O developer conference, but some announcements at the show and in prior weeks deserve attention from customers of the cloud email and collaboration suite. At Google I/O, developer services hogged the spotlight
Forget Glass, self-driving cars or a smartwatch. Developers, not physical consumer products, were Google's darlings at the company's annual I/O conference this week. The 4 Best Things About the Google+ Redesign
Google announced a complete overhaul of its social network, Google+, at this week's I/O conference in San Francisco. Here's an in-depth look at all the changes and why they make Google+ better. Google woos developers as software gains importance
Google did its best to court developers at this year's I/O conference with a much-needed integrated developer environment, API for better games and the ability to more easily translate apps. Early Google Glass users finding 'sense of freedom'
People new to wearing computers on their faces are walking around Google I/O, exaggeratedly nodding their heads to activate the devices, and taking pictures and video. They're also reading email, checking weather reports and reviewing flight schedules -- all without taking their smartphones out of their pockets. At Google I/O, Glass wearers say 'trust us'
Google is facing some tough questions from Congress over the privacy concerns raised by Glass, its fledgling augmented reality system for recording and receiving information on the fly. But on the ground at the company's I/O conference for developers, attendees are largely enthusiastic about the technology. Lawmakers press Google on Glass privacy
Members of a U.S. congressional group on privacy wrote Thursday to Google CEO Larry Page requesting information on how the futuristic device handles privacy issues. Google steals march on Apple in music subscription
Google beat Apple to the music subscription service punch this week, perhaps the doing of record labels who wanted to put Apple in its place, an analyst said Google Glass ecosystem grows with Twitter, Facebook and CNN apps
Google is working to build out the app ecosystem for its upcoming Glass, showing off work today at Google I/O from partners like Twitter, Facebook, CNN and Elle. Google IDE eases Android app development
Google has introduced an integrated developer environment (IDE) aimed at easing development of Android apps. Google issues YouTube ultimatum to Microsoft as Hatfield-McCoy feud heats up
Google yesterday sent a cease-and-desist letter to Microsoft, demanding that its rival remove the YouTube app built for the Windows Phone platform. Google weaves Larry Page's social strategy into Maps, Search
It became clear at Google I/O this week that Google is quietly but assuredly implementing CEO Larry Page's strategy to use Google+ to transform the entire Google experience. Google takes Quick Action on Gmail
In the middle of its annual developers conference, the Google unveiled updates to its popular Gmail service. German case on embedding YouTube videos referred to EU court
Embedded YouTube videos don't infringe copyright under current German law, but they could violate European rules, the German Federal Court of Justice said on Thursday. Google dives headfirst into streaming music pool
At Google I/O on Wednesday, Google unveiled a streaming music service that will compete directly with the likes of Pandora and Spotify -- in what is said to be a growing market, however. Google has 'lapped Siri' with sci-fi-like search
Google laid out its plan for the future of search at Google I/O, talking about a search engine for mobile and desktop that not only answers your questions but has a conversation with you and offers information before you even ask for it. How to keep the feds from snooping on your cloud data
A growing number of SaaS providers offer secure encryption log-in to Dropbox and other cloud storage vendors, meaning even they can't access the data you store. And neither can the government. German online copyright law to take effect in August
A German online copyright law that will give publishers the exclusive right to the commercial use of their publications on the Internet will come into effect on Aug. 1. Copyright owners denied class status in YouTube suit
A federal court in New York has denied class certification to copyright owners in an infringement lawsuit against YouTube over unauthorized hosting of content, stating that copyright claims have only superficial similarities. Google Wallet makes payments possible through Gmail
Google is integrating Gmail with Google Wallet so that users can send payments as a mail attachment, even if the recipient doesn't have a Gmail address. Larry Page wants to see your medical records
A day after breaking an almost year-long silence on a medical condition that had affected the way he speaks, Google co-founder Larry Page said Wednesday that people should be more open about their medical histories. Google allowing Android app vendors to illegally collect user data, lawsuit alleges
Several users of devices running Google's Android operating system have filed an amended version of an earlier lawsuit accusing the company of illegally collecting, and allowing others to collect, extensive amounts of mobile user data without proper notice or consent. Google to boost speed, cut data use on mobile devices
Google has shown off new features that can reduce data consumption and improve Web performance on Android-powered mobile devices, drawing partly from capabilities already supported in the Chrome desktop OS. A soft-spoken Larry Page makes surprise appearance at Google I/O
Google CEO Larry Page made a surprise appearance Wednesday at the Google I/O conference, where he overcame problems with his throat to take questions from developers in the audience for almost an hour. Google CEO on innovation: 'We're at 1% of what's possible'
Google CEO Larry Page took the stage today to wrap up a nearly four-hour long keynote that kicked off the Google I/O developers conference in San Francisco. Google previews upcoming Maps features
Google is adding a new level of personalization and a cleaner interface to its popular Maps product. With 'Okay Google,' voice-enabled search hits the desktop
Just by saying "Okay Google," people will soon be able to search using voice commands on their Chrome-powered desktop and laptop computers, Google said Wednesday. 5 New Gmail Tips for Power Users
Gmail's newest features include ways to search for old emails, quickly add meetings to your calendar, send large files and more. Here's a look at five of Google's latest email features to help you make the most of the popular Web-based service. Google adds 41 features to Google+, tweaks UI and photos
Google is adding 41 new features to its Google+ social network on Wednesday, including a richer interface that works better on mobile devices and some major enhancements to photo sharing. Syrian Internet service comes back online
Internet traffic in and out of war-torn Syria has been restored after a disruption of nearly eight and a half hours, according to Internet traffic charts. A stock Android Galaxy S4 from Google will cost you $649
A special edition, stock Android version of the Samsung Galaxy S4 smartphone will go on sale June 26 on the Google Play store for $649, Google announced at its annual Google I/O conference. Google brags that it has 900M Android activations
Google's Android OS has more than 900 million users, the company said Wednesday at its I/O event began in San Francisco. Mozilla to Firefox: 'Browser, heal thyself'
Mozilla on Tuesday released Firefox 21, adding more social media connections, tweaking the Do Not Track privacy setting and rolling out a new tool that long term, aims to create a self-healing browser. Mobile management morphs
Customers are pushing the limits of the software -- asking it to manage and do many more things than it was originally created to do -- and vendors are happy to oblige. At Google I/O, attendees compete to save the world, virtually
Google I/O has not officially started, but the developers' show is already seeing some action. Two warring factions, the Resistance and the Enlightenment, are vying for control of various "portals" at key landmarks throughout San Francisco, which are leaking dangerous amounts of radioactive energy, to determine the fate of the city and ultimately the world. Google makes Go faster
Google has updated its Go programming language, making it faster and more suitable for multicore processors. Hours before I/O, Google's Page opens up about his hoarse voice
Less than 24 hours before Google kicks off its annual I/O developers confab in San Francisco, Google CEO Larry Page is revealing why his speaking voice is so soft. Windows 8 app store fails Top 10 test
Microsoft's Windows 8 app store failed a test touted by a former Microsoft manager and distinguished engineer as a way to determine an ecosystem's relevance. Data centers show signs of 'green fatigue'
A new survey from the Uptime Institute suggests fatigue is setting in when it comes to making data centers greener, and it may be partly due to overachievers like Google and Microsoft. Google rival Foundem urges EU to reject remedies
A Google competitor that filed a complaint against the search giant said on Tuesday that the company's proposals to address the European Commission's antitrust concerns do no such thing. Outlook.com to let users engage in IM chats with Gmail users
Microsoft is upgrading its new Outlook.com webmail service so that its users can communicate with Gmail users via instant messaging. Does your cloud vendor protect your rights?
When an organization's data is in the cloud, requests to provide access to it for legal reasons are more complicated. Google has to delete offensive autocomplete results, German federal court rules
Google has to remove search suggestions from autocomplete in Germany if the results are offensive, the Federal Court of Justice in Karlsruhe ruled Tuesday. Google triples free storage to 15GB
Google said it is increasing the amount of free storage for users of its Google Drive cloud storage service to 15 GB. No Chrome-Android merger, at least in the next year or two
Android's new boss hinted of an eventual merger of Chrome and Android but said the two will remain separate "for the short term," in an interview posted prior to Google I/O's opening keynote on Wednesday. Lookout will intercept privacy-invading mobile ad networks, apps
Mobile security vendor Lookout plans to start flagging as adware mobile apps that use aggressive ad networks if they don't obtain explicit consent from users before engaging in behavior that potentially invades privacy. Lifelogging gets real
As privacy-invading technologies and location-aware applications become commonplace and accepted (and they will), and more products like Saga, Memoto and Glass become pervasive, the idea of lifelogging will become more appealing. At Google I/O, expect Android, Chrome, and some privacy questions about Glass
Google kicks off its I/O developer conference next Wednesday and if there's one thing that could steal the limelight from Android, Chrome and all the other Google projects, it's Glass. Microsoft sends gamblin' Pete Rose to the plate in swing at Google Docs
Microsoft today took another shot at rival Google, calling its rival's online application suite, Google Docs, "too big a gamble." Analysts challenge Microsoft's commitment to Windows RT
One of Microsoft's top Windows executives this week said the company remains bullish about Windows RT, but analysts remain suspicious of RT's chances unless Microsoft makes changes. YouTube rolls out paid subscription channels
Not everything on YouTube is free any more. The video-sharing website will now charge users a monthly fee to view certain content offered through subscription channels, the Google-owned site announced Thursday. Google boosts Glass with Google+, search upgrades
Google Glass developers and early adopters should be getting a software upgrade within the next week that adds tweaks to Google+, Gmail and search. Microsoft rushes IE8 zero-day fix into next week's Patch Tuesday
Microsoft today said it will issue 10 security updates next week, two rated "critical," to patch 33 vulnerabilities, including the zero-day bug that has been used by cyber criminals to poison "watering hole" websites in attacks aimed at U.S. government workers. QuickPoll: Would you use Google Glass when it becomes available?
One of the first Google Glass apps, Winky, lets Glass users take pictures with the blink of an eye, leading some to start talking about potential privacy issues and social etiquette. Would you buy a pair of Google Glass when it becomes available? Best case, Mozilla's Firefox for Windows 8 will ship in October
Firefox for Windows 8's "Modern" user interface (UI) will likely wrap up development this fall, Mozilla said on its website in a best case-worst case schedule. Researchers find hundreds of insecure building control systems
Intruders used to creep in through ventilation ducts. Now they break in using the software that controls the ventilation. Google revamps admin console for Apps and other enterprise products
Google is rolling out a new IT administration console for its Apps email and collaboration cloud suite and for other enterprise products such as Maps Coordinate and Chrome OS devices. Google may roll out overhauled Maps at Google I/O
Google Maps is reportedly getting an overhaul that may be shown off at the annual Google I/O conference next week. Google pushes out software update for Glass
Google has pushed out an update to Glass, its upcoming futuristic, computerized eyeglasses. Internet back up in Syria after 20-hour outage
Syria suffered another Internet and mobile communications outage that lasted for about 20 hours. Service was restored earlier today. Consumer service lawsuit looms for Google in Germany
A lawsuit against Google's customer service practices in Germany is looming after the company declined to sign a document promising German consumer organizations to start answering customer emails individually. 6 Tips to Build Your Social Media Strategy
With so many social media options, how do you pick the best one(s)? IT executives and social media experts share their top six tips for selecting the social media platforms that will provide the greatest return on your investment of time and resources. Google simplifies content management on its cloud storage service
Google has added a new notification to its Cloud Storage service, allowing applications to automatically take action when new content is uploaded by users. Microsoft extends revenue per search agreement with Yahoo
Microsoft has extended a search revenue guarantee agreement with Yahoo for one more year, amid reports that the Internet company is trying to break its 10-year agreement with Microsoft. Syria 'disappears' from the Internet, security firm says
Internet traffic to and from Syria, which is in the midst of a civil war, appears to have dried up. Microsoft's drip-drip-drip Windows communications strategy dubbed a washout
Microsoft's Tami Reller, the CFO and head of marketing for the Windows division, went on a mini publicity spree today. But she didn't say very much. $300M investment in Nook delivers next to nothing for Microsoft
Microsoft has gotten little from a 2012 investment of $300 million with Barnes & Noble, analysts said, but it's poised to reap some rewards as it and its partners start to ship smaller tablets. China's Alibaba aims for big smartphone sales of its mobile OS
Alibaba Group hopes to make a dent in Google's dominance of China's smartphone market, and has high hopes that handsets running the company's mobile OS will reach sales of 30 million units. Security pros cheer hint of hands-off updates in Windows Blue
Microsoft's apparent plan to automatically update its own Windows Store apps in the next version of Windows 8 is drawing praise from security experts. Google left heating, cooling system open to hackers
Hackers could have turned up the heat in one of Google's offices in Sydney. Literally. Researchers create zoomable display for smartwatches
As developers create tiny computer devices like smartwatches, one question they face is how to make tiny keyboards usable. Mobile devices: Too much of a good thing?
Most of us have apparently decided we can't live without our favorite mobile device. Whether on public transportation, shopping or just walking down the street, you're more likely than not to be surrounded by people swiping screens, adjusting their earbuds or typing on a virtual screen. Preston Gralla: Microsoft's smartwatch: Been there, didn't do that
Vendors are falling all over themselves to develop smartwatches. Will this be yet one more example of Microsoft getting to a market first and then failing to cash in? Google plans video subscription service on YouTube
Google plans to offer a video subscription service on YouTube, which according to a newspaper report, the company may announce this week. Microsoft admits zero-day bug in IE8, pledges patch
Microsoft late Friday confirmed that a "zero-day," or unpatched, vulnerability exists in Internet Explorer 8, the company's most popular browser. What I learned living abroad as a digital nomad
Digital nomad Mike Elgan returns to the U.S. after 10 months of travel and shares these tips for working and living abroad. Google bares Chrome's Trojan strategy with native-style packaged apps
Google's move this week to make it easier for Chrome browser users to find "packaged apps" is part of a strategy to turn any Internet-capable device into a Chromebook wannabe loyal to the company's ecosystem, an analyst said today. Space shots: Android phones beam back Earth pix
NASA released photos taken by three smartphones as they orbited Earth. Gmail users can now automatically generate Calendar entries
Google has started rolling out a new feature in Gmail that lets users create Google Calendar entries from their email messages. Google wants Austin to keep competition going for fiberhood status
Ever since Google announced that Austin, Texas, would become the second fiber city in the U.S. last month, residents there have been given few details on how the tech company will select the first neighborhood to get the gigabit-speed Internet and TV package. How do they compare? Samsung Galaxy S4 vs. HTC One and Nexus 4
Trying to figure out which one to get? Here's the specs for each of these three devices. Linux kernel 3.9 adds full support for Chrome OS
Linux creator Linus Torvalds on Monday released Version 3.9 of the Linux kernel, and particularly intriguing among numerous new features and improvements is support for laptops running Google's Chrome OS. Yes Siri, no Siri, for the Mac
Apple's next version of OS X will probably not include Siri, the digital, voice-activated assistant embedded in the iPhone and iPad, an analyst predicted. Designing your digital legacy
We lead rich virtual lives on social networking sites like Google+, Facebook, and Twitter. So what happens when real life catches up, and our flesh-and-blood bodies succumb to mortality? For our virtual selves, at least, some concrete answers are available--ways to settle our digital affairs after death, while minimizing hassle and heartache for loved ones. Google pays record $31K bounty for Chrome bugs
Google this month paid a security researcher $31,336 for reporting a trio of bugs in Chrome. Google backs off redesign of Chrome's New Tab Page
Google has apparently rethought a change to its Chrome browser that had users up in arms and has restored an older design of its popular New Tab Page in the newest beta of Chrome 27. Sandy begets tree-hugging companies
Severe weather shifts are forcing companies to rethink their energy strategies; they're using both technology and geography to become more energy independent. Google to discontinue Meebo social toolbar in favor of Google+
Google plans to shut down in June the Meebo Bar for receiving and sharing personalized content from websites in favor of Google+ tools for interaction between websites and users. A week with Taptu: A Google Reader junkie's journey
Try as we might to pretend it won't happen, Google Reader will die on July 1 when Sergey Brin personally rips out the beloved Web app's still-beating heart, Temple of Doom style, and records the gruesome act on Google Glass for a YouTube livecast. Google Fiber divides users into 'the fast' and 'the furious'
Google's Fiber project in in Kanas City, Austin and Provo shows that very high Internet speeds are possible in the U.S., but nobody except Google is working to make it happen. Google adds in-browser Office doc viewing to Chrome
Google yesterday released an add-on that lets users view Microsoft Office documents within its Chrome browser, another small step in the search giant's encroachment on Microsoft's lucrative business productivity turf. NASA launches new nanosatellites: Android smartphones
NASA has launched three Google-HTC Nexus One smartphones into space in what scientists hope will be the lowest-cost satellites ever tested. Google's data removal requests spike to over 2,000
The number of government requests that Google has received to remove certain types of content, often politically charged, reached its highest level ever during the second half of 2012, the company reported Thursday. Smart glass market could hit 9.4M shipments by 2016
With Google's futuristic wearable computers on the way, one research firm calculates that the worldwide market for smart glasses could reach nearly 10 million units by 2016. Apple's WWDC sells out in under 3 minutes
Apple set a record today by selling out its annual developer conference in under three minutes. VirnetX targets Skype, Lync in new patent attack on Microsoft
Patent holding company VirnetX this week filed a lawsuit in federal court accusing Microsoft's Skype of infringing six of its patents. EU publishes Google antitrust remedy proposals
Google's rivals have been given one month to assess the search giant's proposed remedies, the European Commission announced Thursday. Motorola Android phones infringe on Microsoft SMS patent, German court rules
Motorola Mobility Android phones infringe on a Microsoft text messaging patent, the Higher District Court of Munich ruled on Thursday. How big data will save your life
Big data analytics is creating a world where doctors will eventually be able to do a Google-like query on a patients illness and instantly discover how 100,000 other doctors treated their patients. It's also driving new treatments through genomic profiling.
| Our bloggers on Google Google I/O 2013: What happened to Android?
Google announced tons of stuff at this year's I/O keynote -- but the most anticipated news of the event was nowhere to be found.
Google CEO Larry Page says Microsoft's bad behavior 'is really sad.' Hypocrite.
Google CEO Larry Page zinged Microsoft for its "sad" behavior during his rambling remarks at Google I/O, complaining about the company's "us versus them" mentality. Yet only a few days earlier, Google had served Microsoft with a cease-and-desist letter to pull a Windows Phone YouTube app. Whose behavior is really sad here?
Google cloud attacks Amazon and Azure at I/O
Urs Hölzle gets excited. Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) announces new cloud stuff. The huge ad broker wants to compete better with Microsoft Azure and Amazon AWS/EC2. Among the highlights: New pricing, shared instances, replicated NoSQL, and PHP. In IT Blogwatch, bloggers sort out the details.
Google I/O 2013: 11 important things you might have missed
This year's Google I/O conference has been a bit unusual -- but it certainly hasn't been quiet. Here are 11 important things that have happened so far.
Google I/O 2013: Live blog and streaming video
Google's I/O 2013 developers' conference kicks off this morning -- and we've got you covered. Click inside for live play-by-play commentary and streaming video from San Francisco's Moscone Center.
The Google I/O gambling game: 7 safe bets (and 3 less likely scenarios)
We're in the final countdown to Google I/O 2013 -- so what can we expect to see at this year's event?
Google should think before it unloads its Wallet
Google has a bad habit -- a terrible one: it leaps before it thinks. That's precisely what's happened in the company's adventures in NFC-based payment systems within Google Wallet. While this gave the company a short-lived PR advantage against Apple and the iPhone, that advantage failed to translate into anything of any significance whatsoever for most human beings on the planet.
Optimus G Pro vs. Galaxy Note II: It's really no contest
LG's new Optimus G Pro goes head to head with Samsung's Galaxy Note II -- and in this smartphone face-off, there's one clear winner.
Go on Microsoft: Give Office for iOS, take iTunes for Windows 8
Microsoft is doomed in its attempt to slow Apple'siPad sales by denying iOS users a mobile version of Office as the iPad maker controls the most searched for app on the Windows 8 store -- iTunes. Surely there's a deal in that?
LG vs. Samsung: Let the smartphone camera battle begin!
Can LG's latest smartphone camera keep up with Samsung's best? Check out these side-by-side samples and see what you think.
Opinion: Apple plots Maps counter-attack as the Android war intensifies
It's fair to say Maps got off to a difficult start, but Apple is prioritizing improvements, working to ensure it does eventually compete with Google Maps -- why else will a future upgrade to the latter feature map tiles that seem similar to those used in the iOS app?
EU, Motorola, Apple: How long will Google's 'Don't be evil' fiction last?
Apple has won yet another argument against its Android nemesis as EU officials declare Google's Motorola Mobility abused its market position when it filed an injunction against Apple. It's a decision that strongly suggests Android is not truly about open competition and choice, so how long can the "don't be evil" fiction be believed?
Hands on: LG's Optimus G Pro makes a good first impression
LG's Optimus G Pro is a device that deserves to be noticed. Here are some hands-on impressions of the new supersized phone.
Nexus 5 pictured in Google I/O buildup rumor frenzy #slownewsday
...or perhaps it's an LG Optimus G2? An infamous gadget leaker offers this tantalizing shot of a future LG smartphone. Big whoop, except that there's some evidence that it's the hotly-anticipated Nexus 5. Unless it's the hotly-anticipated Optimus G2, natch. Anyway, it seems to have a 5.5-inch screen. Unless it's 4.7. Oh, what a tangled web we weave... In IT Blogwatch, bloggers got nothing else to talk about.
HEY! Don't wink at me, glasshole!
What has been seen cannot be unseen. The Google Glass backlash has already begun. Google's (NASDAQ:GOOG) wearable computer is coming under fire for being dorky, privacy-infringing, and even racist. In IT Blogwatch, bloggers realize that Scoble in the shower is the least of our worries.
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