Google

After losing WhatsApp to Facebook in a multibillion dollar acquisition bid, Google is planning to launch its own mobile messaging app which the search giant is likely to test in India and other emerging markets. Last month, Google sent top product manager Nikhyl Singhal to India to do a recce of the messaging app ecosystem Continue Reading →

The Wall Street Journal says that a crack team of Google researchers is trying to build a modular super-screen, one that snaps together from a whole bunch of smaller displays to create a seamless image. A screen made of dozens of screens! The report, based on info from three anonymous people familiar with the project, Continue Reading →

Google’s Scott Jenson, an interaction and UX designer who left the company previously, only to return to the Chrome team last November, has revealed a project underway called The Physical Web at the company to provide “interaction on demand” so that people can walk up and use any smart devices without the need for intervening Continue Reading →

Google Apps for Education just got a little bit sweeter: In the coming weeks, new and existing customers will have access to Drive for Education, an academic version of its online storage solution. Drive for Education follows Drive for Work and boasts unlimited storage, support for individual files up to 5TB in size and automatic Continue Reading →

As if a Lego-like customizable phone made of blocks wasn’t enough: Thanks to a modified version of Android L software, you’ll be able to swap out parts from Google’s Project Ara modular phone without turning the device off, notes the Phonebloks blog. Obviously, this doesn’t apply to the phone’s display or CPU modules. Everything else Continue Reading →

The big knock against Google’s Chromebooks is that they can’t run true desktop-class software, with Photoshop a commonly-cited example. Google and Adobe are now looking to close that gap: the companies have just announced that Adobe’s Creative Cloud software will soon be available for Chromebooks. The first release will be a “streaming” version of Photoshop, Continue Reading →

The first scientific study of driving while texting with Google Glass found that the hands-free eyewear is no safer to use on the road than a smartphone. “When you look at how fast people react to an unexpected traffic event – how fast they slam on their brakes, we didn’t find a statistically significant difference Continue Reading →

After disappointing sales of the Flyer tablet in 2011, HTC’s executives said they’d swear off making tablets until they found a compelling reason to try again. They have one now. Google selected HTC over more experienced tablet makers like Samsung to make its upcoming 9-inch Nexus tablet, people familiar with the matter said. HTC engineers Continue Reading →

Last night, researchers at Malwarebytes noticed strange behavior on sites like Last.fm, The Times of Israel and The Jerusalem Post. Ads on the sites were being unusually aggressive, setting off anti-virus warnings and raising flags in a number of Malwarebytes systems. After some digging, researcher Jerome Segura realized the problem was coming from Google’s DoubleClick Continue Reading →

Someday soon, users may be able to interact with their favorite websites even when these sites aren’t accessible, thanks to a new browser standard called Service Workers being developed by Google. With Service Workers, “We can make sure when you go to your site, it always feels responsive, that it is always there, even if Continue Reading →