The head of Google X said wearables have to be “qualitatively better” than devices like smartphones CNET Google’s Web-connected headset, called Glass, is still just in its prototype phase, but its reception thus far has been polarizing. Astro Teller, head of Google X, the experimental division of the search giant that makes Glass, on Tuesday …

Yahoo may invest in Snapchat with part of its windfall from Allibaba’s IPO. Richard Nieva/CNET Yahoo is in talks to invest in the popular messaging app Snapchat, as it considers what to do with the multibillion-dollar cash haul it got from the market debut of the e-commerce giant Alibaba last month, according to The Wall Street Journal. The investment round …

Mantis Vision also partnered with Google to include its technology in its Project Tango smartphones and tablets. Mantis Vision While 3D technology has attracted the attention of tech giants such as Google, Facebook, and Samsung, a small Israel-based company aims to make it easier for hardware makers to adopt the technology and for software developers to create it. Mantis Vision …

Google has partnered with handset makers Micromax, Karbonn and Spice to bring phones that cost less than $100 to India. Android Chief Sundar Pichai introduced the initiative at the Google I/O developer conference in June. Getty Images Google just took an important step toward cementing its dominance over the world with its Android mobile operating system. In the wee hours …

Yahoo’s news summarization app will now include a roughly two-minute video segment from anchor Katie Couric. Yahoo Yahoo on Thursday announced that its smartphone app News Digest, which curates a collection of shortened news articles for a reader twice daily, is coming to Apple’s iPad. The new version will also include a weekly video segment from anchor Katie Couric, recapping …

Apple Watch marks a significant moment for wearable tech, legitimatizing the market’s most promising form factor and sending a signal to competitors. James Martin/CNET If history is any guide, the market for wearables — Web-connected devices such as smartwatches and high-tech glasses — will get even more attention in the coming months. On Tuesday, Apple marched into the category, introducing …

David Singleton, director of engineering for Android Wear, says “several” Android Wear updates are coming before the end of the year. Stephen Lam/Getty Images MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — David Singleton, Google’s engineering director for Android Wear, the company’s platform tailor-made for wearable devices, is sitting in Google’s headquarters here playing air guitar. As he strums his right hand in front …

David Singleton, director of engineering for Android Wear, says “thousands” of apps have been updated to support Android Wear. Stephen Lam/Getty Images MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — In the market for wearable devices, Google is dressed and ready to go. Android Wear, which debuted in March as a modified form of Google’s smartphone and tablet operating system that’s been tailored for …

Google Multi-linguists rejoice. Google on Thursday updated its Voice Search app — which lets users say search queries aloud instead of typing them — to support more than one language at a time. That means that a speaker who knows multiple languages can switch among them when making voice searches without having to change the settings on the app. The …

Google’s Android runs on 80 percent of the world’s smartphones. CNET When consumers want to download applications on their smartphones and tablets, it’s usually Google or Apple that’s assigned the role of gatekeeper. But is that the way it has to be? Verizon on Wednesday denied a report by The Information that the carrier is prepping an app store for …