Apple's AirPods wireless earbuds have been a smash hit for the Cupertino company as they have seemingly validated the market for advanced Bluetooth earphones. And now, rivals Google and Amazon are thought to be working on direct AirPod-alike competitor products.
A version of the Apple Music app for Android that's currently being tested includes handy support for larger-screen tablets powered by Google's mobile operating system.
Google Fi (formerly known as Project Fi), the search giant's inexpensive and super-simple cellphone service, on Wednesday expanded to a broader range of devices, including Apple's iPhones, nearly four years after making its debut in 2015.
Google has discounted its YouTube Music Premium and YouTube Premium subscription plans for full-time college students in the United States.
Google is already being scrutinized in the US for allegedly tracking phone users regardless of their privacy settings, and now the Internet giant could be facing a similar lawsuit in Europe.
The Internet giant Google yesterday refreshed its Assistant app for iPhone and iPad with support for Apple's new Siri Shortcuts feature which made its debut in iOS 12.
Due to the high volume of dark mode-centric jailbreak tweaks that are launched in the Cydia Store, we seldom cover them here at iDB. But because I use the Google Maps app so much on my daily driver during my commute, a new release dubbed Dark Gmaps by iOS developer FoxfortMobile seemed like a no-brainer.
If you were expecting a barebones tweak that merely colorizes the Google Maps app to look more appealing at night, then we think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by Dark GMaps. After installation, the tweak adds a preference pane to the Settings app where you can experiment with a plethora of creeper comfort features:
The recently released Google Pixel 3 XL handset ships with a notch like the one found on the iPhone X, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR. For some early Google Pixel 3 XL device owners, there are actually two notches present thanks to a weird software glitch.
It wasn't that long ago when companies like Apple and Google touted products like iBeacon and Eddystone. The technology, which is made up of tiny hardware transmitters, uses Bluetooth low energy (BLE) to interact with nearby smartphones, tablets, and other devices, to perform specific tasks. Unfortunately, beacons haven’t caught on nearly as quickly as once expected, according to VentureBeat.
First introduced at the Worldwide Developers Conference in 2014, iBeacon and similar products, were once off to a promising start. By 2016, for example, 93 percent of MLB stadiums in the United States had beacons, along with 75 percent of all NFL stadiums, 53 percent of NBA arenas, and 47 percent of NHL arenas. The technology is also still being used by large retailers such as Target, Walmart, and Starbucks.
Despite this, beacons haven’t caught on elsewhere. The reasons cited include compatibility issues, power and range limitations, and the introduction of beacon spam. Some are also concerned about privacy.
Perhaps the biggest reason beacons aren't being implemented at a quicker pace is that they're app dependent.
App dependence was (and is) a major hurdle. It’s tough to convince customers to download a service they’ve never used, even with the promise of discounts — especially considering up to 70 percent haven’t heard of beacons.
Admittingly, before seeing VentureBeat's report, I had forgotten about iBeacon and I'm not the only one. After writing about beacon technology a lot in 2014 and 2015, iDB only covered a few stories about the topic since then, the last being in 2017.
https://youtu.be/7bXJ_obaiYQ
Moving forward, perhaps it's time for companies like Apple and Google to come together and develop a standard that everyone can use, then educate the public on what the technology can do. Otherwise, beacon technology will probably never grow or find long-term success.
What do you think can be done to improve beacon technology?
Google Lens is already available in Google Photos and Google Assistant. The object recognition technology is now baked into Google Images for mobile. In doing so, you can now identify an object in an image such as a chair or table and learn more about it, including buying options, when applicable.
On Wednesday, Google added a new link on its main Search page that makes it easier to check and change your privacy settings. The link is found on the Google website through any browser, regardless of the device. Google expects to roll out similar links in other Google products next year.
In a speech at a privacy conference in Europe, Apple CEO Tim Cook went after companies he says are hoarding personal data for financial gain. Calling it the “data industrial complex,” he suggests new privacy laws are needed, especially in the United States.