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Apple along with other tech giants working on a letter opposing Trump’s travel ban

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 2, 2017

Apple, Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Uber and other technology giants, along with an unidentified consumer goods and manufacturing company, are working on a letter to formally oppose U.S. President Donald Trump's travel ban which has barred Syrian refuges and travelers from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from entering the country.

Having obtained a draft of the letter, Recode reports that parties from other industries will also sign on in their support of immigration into U.S.

YouTube app adds Chromecast playback controls to Lock screen, Control Center & Apple Watch

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 2, 2017

Google's official YouTube for iPhone and iPad app has picked up a trio of compelling new features in its most recent update on App Store. Bumped to version 12.03, the free of charge software adds handy Chromecast controls to Control Center and your iOS device's Lock screen, and to your wrist via Apple Watch. The playback controls only appear when you're streaming videos from Chromecast devices, smart TVs, game consoles or any other living room devices that run the YouTube app.

Google launches Chrome 56 for iOS with QR code scanning and overhauled tab switcher on iPad

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 2, 2017

Google today updated Chrome for iPhone and iPad on App Store with a pair of new features. The first allows you to scan a QR code or barcode by selecting a new Scan QR Code option in the shortcuts menu after pressing the app's Home screen icon with 3D Touch on iPhone 6s/7 series. On older devices without 3D Touch, search for “QR” in iOS's Spotlight feature to reveal a shortcut to the browser's new barcode-scanning function.

Google open sources Chrome for iOS

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 31, 2017

Google today announced it is open-sourcing its Chrome browser for iOS. The code for Chrome for iOS is now part of Google’s Chromium project and being moved into the open-source repository so that interested developers can download it and compile an iOS version of Chromium just like they can on other platforms. For those wondering, Chromium is the open-source web browser project from which Chrome draws its source code.

Chrome 56 for Mac released with lower power consumption, performance boost & more

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 27, 2017

Google on Friday released Chrome 56 for Mac, Windows and Linux following a period of beta testing which began about a month and a half ago. In addition to various security enhancements, Chrome 56 offers nearly up to one-third faster webpage reloading times with 60 percent less validation requests. Google's desktop browser will now warn you when a website requests confidential information over an insecure connection. It also blocks Flash content, supports Web Bluetooth API and more. Chrome 56 for iOS should follow soon.

Google Translate’s augmented reality feature, Word Lens, now works with Japanese

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 26, 2017

In addition to updating the Popular Times feature in Google Maps for iPhone and iPad with real-time data, the search giant also issued another noteworthy update, this one concerning its dedicated Translate app on App Store. Bumped to version 5.5, the free download can now translate photos of signs, menus and similar items from Japanese to English, and vice versa. That's because its augmented reality feature, called Word Lens, has been updated to recognize Japanese content on photos and video.

Google bogged down with shipping Pixels, demand at Best Buy not a tenth of that for iPhone 7

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 19, 2017

Since launching its Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones in early-October 2016, Google's learned that real artists ship—the firm's done a poor job at shipping its latest and greatest phones which received glowing reviews due to their excellent cameras, built-in Google Assistant and other nice features. The company may have grossly underestimated demand for the larger 5.5-inch Pixel XL models.

One visit to its online store is enough to realize Google is struggling to meet consumer demand for its iPhone 7 rival. Regardless of the color option, both 32GB and 128GB models of Pixel XL are currently out of stock at the Google online store, said The Verge.

Pixels are only offered in 32 and 128 gigabytes and the 128GB one hasn't been in stock since November 30. Separately, AppleInsider learned from a source at Best Buy, which only sells 32GB Pixel models, that demand for Pixel isn't a tenth of that for iPhone 7.

How to view and delete your Google search history

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated January 11, 2023

Whenever you make a Google search while being logged in to any service from the company, your search is saved to your Google account’s activity. This is designed to help improve your search experience by increasing the amount of relevant results you'll see.

In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to view and delete your Google search query history, a step you can take to increase your privacy by preventing others from seeing what you’ve searched for.

Chrome 56 adds support for FLAC codec, “Not Secure” HTTP warning, web Bluetooth & more

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 13, 2017

Chrome 56 for Mac and other platforms has entered Google's beta channel. When released to the general public, the browser will bring native support for the FLAC audio codec within the browser and other perks. This should come in handy because macOS does not support the FLAC file format out of the box so users often must use a third-party converter or video player to play these files. With Chrome 56, Mac users will be able to play FLAC-encoded audio files embedded in web pages or local files drag and dropped onto the browser window.

Google rolling out overhauled ride services experience in Maps for iOS

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 12, 2017

Google today announced that expanded ride options and more actionable information are now available to users of the mobile Google Maps application on iOS and Android.

You can now book, complete and pay for an Uber ride without ever leaving Google Maps, as well as browse useful information related to your destination during the ride with menus, hours and other helpful details only a swipe away.

Google launches Toontastic 3D, a playful storytelling app for kids

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 12, 2017

Google today launched a new education-focused apps aimed at kids aged 6-8 years old, called Toontastic 3D. With this app, your youngsters can draw, animate and narrate their own cartoons. The concept and game mechanics are easy to grasp so your kids should feel right at home. They simply move their characters around onscreen to tell their story. The app records their voice and animations and stores content on their device as a video.

Sign up on Google Play Store to be notified when Super Mario Run launches on Android

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 29, 2016

Following its December 15 debut on App Store, Nintendo's one-handed side-scrolling platformer Super Mario Run will be coming to Android sooner than later: you can now pre-register on Google's Play Store to be alerted when the game is available to download.

Super Mario Run is free to download on iPhone, with a $9.99 In-App Purchase required to unlock the 24 levels across six worlds.