Tag Archives: google

Here’s how Qualcomm

If a new Apple Watch debuts this fall, Google is likely to have a major new smartwatch (or watches) debuting right alongside it, powered by Qualcomm chips. Pankaj Kedia, senior director and business lead for Qualcomm’s Smart Wearables Segment, said as much yesterday in a story reported by Wareable. But I sat down at Google’s I/O …

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Google Lens is turning into what Google Glass never was

Years ago, Google Glass was pitched as a magic eye on the real world. I wore one. It never did what people really thought it could do. The crazy thing is, Google is getting to that magic world fast… through phones. The latest updates to Google Lens — demoed at this week’s Google I/O developers conference, and coming soon to …

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Yahoo is testing a group messaging app called Squirrel

How many messaging apps do you have on your phone right now? It’s probably at least one, if not two or three. Now Yahoo wants to add another. The company is testing a messaging app called Squirrel focused on group messaging. Spotted by Android Police on the Google Play store, the app is currently in invite-only mode. “Organize groups and …

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Qualcomm’s new chip to land in Wear OS smartwatches later this year

Update: Check out Here’s how Qualcomm-powered Wear OS watches will take on Apple Watch for a more in-depth, detailed follow-up report on this story. Qualcomm is working on new chips for Wear OS smartwatches, according to a report from Wareable on Tuesday. “You will see this new platform, this new architecture, significantly improve the look and feel of the watch whether …

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Ricoh Theta V is ready to take on your Google VR Tours

Google announced the browser-based Tour Creator, for roll-your-own VR walkthroughs, at its Google I/O developer conference this week.  But if you want to create your own 360-degree content, you’ll need a camera that works with it. Out of the gate, Ricoh says it’s ready for you with its Ricoh Theta V, an existing 360 camera that will work with the …

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Google Tour Creator lets schools make their own VR stories

Will my 9-year-old start making VR projects when he’s in junior high? I think it’s likely, after seeing what Google has in store with Tour Creator. The tool is a surprise announcement at this year’s Google I/O conference aimed at the education market, and unlike previous educational VR efforts, this one’s about creating. Google’s first educational dives into VR, years ago, …

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Google Duplex lets a robot make phone calls for you (The 3:59, Ep. 399)

On this podcast, we talk about: Google’s experimental Duplex technology that empowers Assistant to make calls on your behalf to book appointments or make reservations, with a shockingly realistic pattern of speech.  Google Home’s new continued conversation setting, which may end the days of parroting “Hey, Google” when you want to keep asking questions.  Android P‘s measures to help you …

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Google’s Wear OS watches get serious about better battery life

Odds are, the next big wave of Google smartwatches are coming later this year. In the meantime, Google’s updating Wear OS (formerly Android Wear) with a few key upgrades. In addition to a better on-board Google Assistant, Google’s added battery-saving functions to the new developer build of Wear OS, the company announced Wednesday. The key parts of that involve re-enabling …

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How to get all of Google Assistant’s new voices right now

Tuesday, at the I/O 2018 conference, Google announced that users would soon be able to choose among six new voices, including the voice of John Legend. These new voices are powered by WaveNet, an AI-based voice synthesizer created by DeepMind, a subsidiary of Google UK. Now playing: Watch this: Give Google Assistant a new voice 1:41 WaveNet lets Google simulate entire …

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Google Maps can now text your friends when you’ll arrive

Before Android or the iPhone, Google Maps was only available online via your computer. In those early days, people printed out hard copies of routes to use in their car. Thirteen years later, the mapping and directions tool is used by more than 1 billion people, mostly via their phones while driving.  In a sign of how truly mobile Google …

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