The SDK makes it relatively simple for Android apps to stream content to any DLNA-enabled device, from TV sets to stereos. Next up? Similar SDKs for Windows Phone 8 and iOS. Read more »
At long last, Google has added spreadsheet editing features to its Google Drive mobile applications. The updated software is available for both Android and iOS devices. You can’t get too fancy in your spreadsheets just yet, but this is a step in the right direction. Read more »
Do you miss webOS as much as I do? If so and you use Android today, you’ll be happy to see webOS running as an Android app. The project isn’t ready for prime-time use, but it’s making progress. Practical? No. Geeky and nostalgic? You bet! Read more »
Don’t think that wireless NFC tags are just for mobile payments. You can do practically anything with them if you know how to program them with small bits of data. Some free apps make this easy and I’m already on the NFC bandwagon at home. Read more »
Cumulative Android sales started surpassing that of iPhones in 2010, but as Apple improves its handset, it often gets a sales boost following each model launch. Thanks to iPhone 5, that boost was enough to beat out Android sales in the U.S., but not overseas. Read more »
If you missed out on the first run of Nexus 4 smartphones from Google, you get a second chance on Tuesday, provided you live in the U.S. Google notified potential customers of new stock available, but still needs to improve the direct to consumer buying experience. Read more »
If you don’t think Google is serious about providing public cloud infrastructure to business users, check out the latest spate of services unveiled on the company’s enterprise blog. Google clearly wants to take on cloud king Amazon on its own turf. Read more »
Update: Sources at Google are denying that the search giant has purchased Wi-Fi hotspot company ICOA, while executives at ICOA are also telling news outlets that a release announcing the deal is false. Read more »
About that Nexus 4 with no LTE. Turns out it has LTE, but only on a single band. Android owners got a Skype update this week and can expect to see more AirPlay-like features in the future from Google for media and apps. Read more »
Included in the changes that Facebook recently announced to its privacy and governance policies was an admission that it aggregates and shares data on user activity with advertisers — and Facebook says it plans do so not just inside the network but on external websites as well. Read more »
Critics of Apple’s social features have argued that it should buy Twitter, but former Apple engineer Patrick Gibson says the real value in such a deal would be that Twitter might be able to help Apple build web services that actually work. Read more »
Despite the difficult year in cleantech, there’s quite a few things that excited me this year. Here’s 10 things to be thankful for in cleantech. Read more »
Big data tools such as Cassandra and Hadoop are transforming how data is stored and exploited at scale. But without similarly capable search technologies, enterprise adopters face challenges when it comes to gaining insights from that data. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
With all three Google Chromebook models in house, it’s time to share some more performance insights and benchmarks. I like that device makers are pushing the prices down, but be forewarned: power users hoping to use this as a primary device may want to spend extra. Read more »
Samsung’s newest Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet features an LTE radio inside. That alone isn’t unique — Apple’s iPad offers an LTE option, for example — but this Samsung slate supports VoLTE, or Voice over LTE. Don’t get too excited; this model is launching in Korea for now. Read more »
Two things are true: Consumers love cloud-based file share and storage systems and consumers have concerns about cloud-based file share and storage systems. Dell makes another acquisition in hopes of bolstering its cloud storage after a rough earnings call. Read more »
Google’s Nexus 4 smartphone launched and quickly sold out. That’s a shame as my review shows the Nexus 4 to be a fantastic phone for the price. HTC launched its Droid DNA this week and I’m watching TV on my Galaxy Note 2. Here’s how. Read more »
The United States Patent Office will open a branch in San Jose this year as part of its effort to provide better quality patents for regional economies. The office’s first leader will be from a company that has been a prominent critic of the patent system. Read more »
Less than a week after Apple settled out of court with HTC, a court filing unearthed on Friday shows that Apple wants to resolve its ongoing dispute over standards-essential patents with Google-owned Motorola. It’s not clear if Motorola agrees. Read more »
We have a few televisions, but there never seems to be a screen available. Or is there? Why not add a low-cost digital tuner or two to a home network
‘ I did and now I’m watching live HDTV on my iPad mini and Galaxy Note 2. Read more »
According to the WSJ, Dish Network and Google have been in talks about launching an LTE network. Google would bring cash, while Dish would bring spectrum, but neither company has the infrastructure or expertise to run a mobile carrier. Maybe that’s why Google is interested. Read more »
After his abrupt departure from Microsoft last week, inquiring minds want to know just where Steven Sinofsky will land next. Here are a couple intriguing possibilities. What do you think? Read more »
Apple has said it’s working on improving its own Maps app, but there are many longtime iPhone users who’ve been anxiously awaiting the return of Google Maps to the platform. A new report indicates Google is testing a new Maps for iOS app now. Read more »
Getting multiple Gmail calendars on a new Windows Phone 8 isn’t difficult, but the process is slightly different from older Windows Phone versions. Follow these simple steps and in under five minutes you’ll have up to 25 shared Gmail calendars on your Microsoft-powered phone. Read more »
Project Glass, Google’s augmented reality smart glasses, is the ultimate expression of the wearable tech trend. Paul Armstrong of @TheMediaIsDying says that whether you like it or not, the technology is coming–and the changes are going to be profound for the media business. Read more »
China may be Apple’s next frontier for smartphone growth, but the company has some catching up to do. Android handsets that cost one-third of the iPhone have taken the market by storm: Android now accounts for 90.1 percent of the smartphone market in China. Read more »
Google is on the brink of crossing the billion dollar mark for its investments in clean power projects. The search engine giant is arguably the most aggressive Internet company in the world to embrace clean power for its data centers. Read more »
With many shaped and sized Android phones, it’s often difficult to find third-party accessories that work with multiple devices. Grace Digital’s gdock speaker won’t work with every Android, but it does support audio playback and charging for Samsung’s Galaxy S2, S3, Note and Note 2. Read more »
Google surprised many with the launch of a $199 Chromebook this week. So what’s the Acer C7 like? Overall the quality and performance is better than I expected for the price and it even has a 320 GB hard drive for those who want local storage. Read more »
Google TV is getting advanced voice control, and the technology behind it is being fed by the knowledge graph that also powers Google Now. Speaking of which: The mobile app will soon be much more closely connected to Google’s TV platform. Read more »
TV broadcasters and programmers must embrace a new set of video-delivery techniques to reach consumers today. Online delivery to so many types of consumer devices means that video programmers must produce multiple internet-streaming formats that use different types of security and different ways of inserting ads. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Google opened up on its data center operations today at an industry event in Phoenix. It shared how its thinking and practices have changed as it seeks to lower the costs and environment impact of its servers and IT infrastructure. Read more »
We mapped Google’s transparency data to see which countries want online content removed and why. It turns out that censorship is in the eye of the beholder. Read more »
I tend to upgrade my Nexus phone every other year. Is the Nexus 4 good enough to change my mind and cause me to upgrade from the Galaxy Nexus in just a year? There are many reasons to say yes, even without LTE support. Read more »
Google has released its sixth semi-annual report on government information and takedown requests. The trend is not encouraging but there may be a bright spot in that more and more companies are following Google’s attempt to shine light on censorship. Read more »
The new Android flagship took minutes to sell out in the UK and Germany, but the Google Play Store makes it look as though it never even went on sale. The company needs to work on its retail mechanisms. Read more »
Google’s Nexus 4 and Nexus 10 are now on sale and ship with Android 4.2, which brings a number of software improvements and new features to the platform. Older Nexus devices are getting the software too, plus you can manually install it on the Nexus 7. Read more »
Nicole Wong, a deputy counsel at Google responsible for high profile censorship cases, has moved on to Twitter. She follows several other Googlers who have made the move in recent months. Read more »
The new Acer C7 looks more like a tradtional laptop than any prior Google Chromebook because of the Intel Core processor and 320 GB magnetic hard drive. But it’s an aggressively priced Chromebook at $199, which could sway many to give Chrome OS a try. Read more »
Could a smartphone be your primary computing device? With this $99 Samsung Smart Dock for the Galaxy Note 2, it’s possible. The dock supports 3 USB accessories — think keyboard, mouse and storage — and includes HDMI out for 1080p video on a monitor or HDTV. Read more »
