May, 2015

• 28 May

  Google’s ‘Now on Tap’ is Android’s next killer feature

  

  Google’s Now on Tap for Android M knows what you’re looking at, and guesses what you want to know next. James Martin/CNET Google’s new Google Now feature is the single most exciting part of the Android M operating system update. Called Now on Tap, this active little helper branch of Google Now has the right …

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• 28 May

  Windows 10 may head to PC makers in July

  

  Windows 10 may be released to manufacturers by July. screenshot by Lance Whitney/CNET Microsoft may have to work overtime to launch the consumer-ready version of Windows 10 before the summer winds down. The software giant has already announced that the next generation of its operating system will roll out sometime this summer — in other words, by mid-September — but …

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• 28 May

  How Xiaomi is able to sell its smartphones at a cutthroat rate

  

  Chinese smartphone vendor Xiaomi has made a name for itself with its stunningly affordable products. Hugo Barra, global vice president for Xiaomi, says the company doesn’t have a set plan to bring a smartphone to the US. Asa Mathat/Recode So how can it afford to undercut the competition? A willingness to stay aggressive, said Hugo Barra, the global vice president …

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• 28 May

  Google’s Android Pay to duke it out with Apple Pay

  

  Android Pay’s new partners include Macy’s, Walgreens and Whole Foods. James Martin/CNET The world of mobile payments is expected to grow quickly, and Google is hoping it isn’t left behind. After the search giant’s initial forays into mobile payments failed to catch on, Google on Thursday unveiled details of its new payments platform, Android Pay, at its Google I/O developer …

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• 28 May

  Microsoft pledges to clean up its Windows app store

  

  Microsoft wants to vacuum its Windows Store. Microsoft / Screenshot by CNET The Windows Store has been slammed for its array of cluttered, confusing and garbage apps. Now, Microsoft wants to clean up its act. Bernardo Zamora, director of Microsoft’s Windows Apps and Store, announced in a blog post Wednesday a set of new policy guidelines for Windows app developers, …

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• 28 May

  Now on Tap expands Google Now with more useful info

  

  Photo by James Martin CNET At the Google I/O keynote today, Aparna Chennapragada, Director of Google Now announced that there are some significant changes on the way for Google Now, the notification system which draws data from several sources to bring you contextual messages useful in your current location. To do this, Chennapragada said, the app needs to understand your …

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• 28 May

  Lenovo teases smartwatch, virtual keyboard and smart shoes

  

  Lenovo’s Magic View could turn your smartphone into a virtual PC. Lenovo Lenovo has some intriguing products up its sleeve that could appeal to mobile users. At its Lenovo Tech World conference on Wednesday, the company revealed concepts for three new products designed for mobile use. The term concept means that the products aren’t yet available in the flesh but …

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• 28 May

  How to arrange apps, watchfaces on your Pebble Time

  

  Jason Cipriani/CNET One benefit of the Pebble Time over its predecessors is that it’s no longer limited to having a measly eight apps and/or watchfaces installed on it at a time. Instead of having to manage what’s installed on your watch from your smartphone, making room for what you need at that moment, you can now install what you need …

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• 28 May

  DTS:X versus Dolby Atmos: Surround

  

  Lionsgate Format wars. Huh. Yeah. What are they good for? (Apologies to Edwin Starr.) DTS has announced the first Blu-ray disc to support its DTS:X surround-sound standard, and it’s a surprisingly classy one: the cautionary tale about the future of robot-human relations, “Ex Machina.” The movie, which is still showing in theaters, will debut on Blu-ray on July 14, 2015. …

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• 28 May

  What we didn’t get from Google I/O 2015

  

  Enlarge ImageWhat’d we miss at Google I/O 2015? Lots of stuff. James Martin/CNET With Google’s I/O 2015 kick-off event now in the books, it’s time to look back and take stock of what we did — and, more importantly, didn’t — get from Google. Lori Grunin has the quick take on everything Google just announced, including Android M, the next …

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