Google has posted an update for the official iOS client of its Google Hangouts platform The update, which brings the app to version 1.3, includes a handful of new features like support for animated GIFs, Google Voice and more.
But the most significant addition in version 1.3 is the ability to make phone calls. The feature, which is free for folks in the US and Canada, will allow users to call actual phone numbers using their iPhones, iPads or iPod touches...
After an appeals court last month lifted the injunction which has prevented Apple from offering push notifications for iCloud email in Germany, the handset maker Motorola (now owned by Google) wasted no time and was quick to post an interesting iCloud migration tool in the hope of appeasing to iPhone owners who may be switching to a Moto X flagship.
The handy web-based application is part of the Moto X customization tool called Moto Maker.
It's designed to allow for easy migration of your iCloud contacts and calendars to a Google account. As Android is deeply integrated with Google's services, authorizing an Android device to use a Google account automatically makes underlying calendars, contacts and other data readily available...
In a case of good timing, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has reconfirmed a multitouch patent credited to Apple's late co-founder Steve Jobs and the original iPhone design.
On the sixth anniversary of the iconic smartphone, the U.S. government reaffirmed the massive patent that was called into question in 2012.
Jobs was among the more than two-dozen people named in the massive 364-page patent filed in 2006.
The USPTO had issed a preliminary invalidation of the patent package, but now believes all 20 patents are valid...
When iTunes Radio was only a rumor, the idea of Apple offering streaming music was instantly dubbed a Pandora-killer. Now that iTunes Radio has launched alongside iOS 7 last month, Pandora's finance chief is speaking out, saying their service outperforms even a giant-killer, no matter how fat the bank account.
In an interview, Pandora CFO Mike Herring describes Apple's service as a "credible" threat, but the Internet radio startup continues to feel it still is "better than anybody else"...
Hot on the heels of its update to Maps, Google has rolled out a new update to YouTube which brings a much needed video quality option to the table. The setting, which is only applicable while connected to Wi-Fi networks, is ushered in along with the obligatory "compatibility" and "accessibility" improvements.
This latest update brings the YouTube version number up to 2.2.0. The download is available on the App Store right now, and rings in at cellular network friendly 12.5 MB.
After adding Waze incident reports to the mobile Google Maps app on the iPhone and iPad, the search Goliath today issued a minor update adding a few new features which expand on the application's capabilities. In addition to some housekeeping and a pair of new Middle East languages, Google Maps has brought out improvements to navigation that will help plan your next trip or make real-time decisions based on traffic conditions, especially when you’re driving...
Sparrow, the Google-owned email client for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, has seen very little changes in the features department since the Internet giant acquired the startup in the summer of 2012.
Matter of fact, the search monster has passed on the opportunity to update Sparrow following the September 18 iOS 7 launch with the new visual appearance.
That said, today's minor refresh leaves a lot to be desired. Aside from the redesigned flat app icon, Sparrow version 1.3.5 contains no new features and it still has the same old user interface that doesn't take advantage of the new iOS 7 visual appearance...
Privacy-minded folks won't like this: word on the street is that the Internet giant Google is readying a new app for iOS and Android devices that will reward people for tracking their mobile habits and patterns.
Dubbed Mobile Meter, the software has reportedly been conceived to give Google a much deeper insight into how owners of smartphones and tablets use their devices.
This is especially eyebrow-raising given Apple's tight control of its ecosystem. In order to persuade people into installing Mobile Meter on their devices, the search monster will ostensibly reward people in exchange for their mobile trends. More tidbits right below...
Google has begun work on an iOS version of its mobile augmented-reality game Ingress, according to a new report from AllThingsD. The game launched into closed beta last year, and has so far seen about one million Android activations.
If you've never heard of the title, it's essentially a 'social game' set around a live story that Google updates every week with new clues. Players score points by collaborating with strangers to find clues and claim local landmarks for their team...
Google's Chrome went from zero market share to becoming the world's most popular desktop web browser in just five years. And since its release on Apple's iOS platform in June 2012, Chrome's been consistently the top third-party browser on the App Store (free download), making its way on a lot of people's Home screens. Research firm Chitika estimates that Chrome's share of web traffic coming from the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices has doubled since June 2012 launch.
Just 24 hours into its launch Chrome became the App Store's most popular free app and grabbed an estimated 1.5 percent share of total iOS web traffic. Today, Google's iOS browser accounts for three percent of total iOS web traffic...
I've always hated how Google's official YouTube apps on iOS, Android and other mobile platforms don't allow for offline caching of videos. Sometimes I want to save a particularly funny clip or a music video to my device to show it to friends without having to waste my cellular data. YouTube doesn't allow this.
Worse, Google's been clamping down on third-party apps that cache YouTube videos, such as MCTube for iPhone, for example. The reason: the Internet giant wants to serve ads no matter what.
Playing back cached videos defeats that purpose. Recently, the company hinted it's willing to reconsider its stance: mobile users will be able to save videos for later after all, but with some strings attached...
Breaking all of the preconceived notions about the cyclicality of the iPhone, a new survey shows Apple's iOS gaining on Google's Android and the embattled BlackBerry during a three-month period ended August 2013. The iPhone gained 1.3 percentage points ranking as the top smartphone vendor in the United States with a cool 40.7 percent share of the nation's smartphone subscribers.
Although Google's Android led with a dominating 51.6 percent share, its slice of the smartphone platform market actually shrank by 0.8 percentage points. What's really interesting about Apple's growth is that iOS outsold Android without the new iPhones. The full breakdown is after the break...