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YouTube stops using Adobe Flash, now defaults to HTML5 video player

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 27, 2015

When Steve Jobs was challenged on the iPad's lack of support for Adobe's Flash runtime for web video, manifested at the time as black rectangles on websites in place of Flash video, he said that “those holes are getting plugged real fast”.

And guess what? He was damn right.

It was a time of the prevalence of Flash and web developers had only begun experimenting with HTML5 for online video delivery, but boy what a difference a few years make.

As reported by VentureBeat, YouTube announced today that it's ditched Flash for HTML5 video by default. “Other content providers like Netflix and Vimeo, as well as companies like Microsoft and Apple have embraced HTML5 and been key contributors to its success,” YouTube said in a statement.

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You’ll never guess whom Google’s Chairman Eric Schmidt named his personal hero… or will you?

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 27, 2015

Google's former CEO and Chairman, Eric Schmidt, has a penchant for exaggeration. Not just infamous for telling bad jokes, Eric is known for going into a sputter when pressed on Google's privacy practices and making platitudinous statements on Android and rivalry with Apple that earn him headlines.

The iPhone 6, for example, he dissed by stating that “Samsung had these products a year ago”. Sometimes, he can't control himself to the point of risking public ridicule over claims like “Android is more secure than the iPhone”.

No doubt a talented technology executive, he's such a multi-layered personality and it's therefore perfectly fine to ask ourselves what principles guide Schmidt's thinking. Does he have a personal hero he looks up to, both in tech and outside of the technology industry?

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Google Play Newsstand gets Handoff & offline support and other goodies

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 27, 2015

Google's Play Newsstand iOS app (formerly Google Currents) was updated Tuesday with a few new features and several bug fixes.

The software now implements support for Handoff, a technology Apple built into iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite to make it easy to seamlessly transition between Macs and iPhones/iPads in apps.

With Handoff support in Google Play Newsstand, it's now easy to resume reading on your Mac running OS X Yosemite or an iPhone or iPad running iOS 8. Jump past the fold for other changes in Google Play Newsstand 3.1.

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Google’s wireless service will reportedly switch between carriers for best connection

Jake Smith ∙ January 26, 2015

The Wall Street Journal reports Google's upcoming and rumored wireless service won't rely on one single carrier, and instead will switch between networks to give customers the best wireless signal.

The service will feature new technology that would hunt through cellular connections provided by Sprint and T-Mobile and Wi-Fi hotspots, picking whichever offers the best signal to route calls, texts and data, the newspaper's sources said. 

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Google reportedly plans to become wireless carrier, will offer phone plans to customers

Jake Smith ∙ January 21, 2015

Google has plans to be a wireless carrier, selling mobile phone plans directly to customers, reports The Information. The company is looking at ways to change itself from its core businesses.

The new service is said to run on Sprint and T-Mobile’s networks. Google is expected to reach deals to buy wholesale access to those carriers’ mobile voice and data networks, making it a mobile virtual network operator, or MVNO, according to the publication's sources.

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Google Docs, Sheets and Slides gain Touch ID support and other new features

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 21, 2015

After adding a new Incoming section to Docs, Sheets and Slides iOS apps which lets you see all of the files that have been shared with you, Google on Wednesday issued another refresh to its trio of productivity applications for the iPhone and iPad.

Google Docs, Sheets and Slides now feature Touch ID support for passcode lock to keep your documents, app settings and more safe from prying eyes.

In addition to that, each app has gained a few noteworthy enhancements such as a brand new spell-checker in Docs, mentioned after the break.

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Chrome for iOS refreshed with Material Design, Handoff, iPhone 6 support and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 20, 2015

Google on Tuesday issued a much appreciated refresh to its Chrome mobile browser for the iPhone and iPad. Chrome version 40 brings out a reworked appearance built around Material Design, Google's guidelines for the look and feel of software across mobile, desktop and the web.

Material Design in Chrome brings “bold graphics, fluid motion and tactile surfaces,” as per release notes accompanying the 58-megabyte download.

In addition to Material Design, the new Chrome also supports Handoff, an iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite feature allowing you to start browsing on your iPhone or iPad and pick up on your Mac's default browser right where you left off.

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iPod mastermind Tony Fadell now in charge of Google Glass

Jake Smith ∙ January 15, 2015

Google is graduating its Google Glass Explorer program from Google X and making it an actual division under Google, reports Fortune. Google is putting Nest co-founder and CEO Tony Fadell in charge of the Glass division, providing guidance to Ivy Ross who led the project from its experimental birth.

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Google Maps gains better restaurant search, enhanced weather info and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 15, 2015

Google has bumped its Maps for iOS app to version 4.2, bringing out a few new features and improvements that enhance your experience concerning searching for restaurants, retrieving weather information and more.

You can now find restaurants by cuisine type in Google Maps 4.2 for the iPhone and iPad and (at last) access weather information for other cities around the world, not just for your current location.

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