Google

Google updates Picasa, adds Google+ Auto Backup standalone Mac tool

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

Google has been offering its standalone Picasa Mac app for years and while it may lack ease of use and elegance of Apple's own iPhoto and Aperture software, by no means is it a slouch.

Matter of fact, I've been using the program for years as my primary point of entry for sorting, geotagging and organizing images in folders prior to importing them to Aperture for advanced touch ups and album management.

But aside from maintenance updates, Picasa for Mac spent much of 2013 unchanged in terms of features, so much so that I began to suspect that Google could perhaps discontinue it in order to make room for a standalone Google+ Photos app for the Mac.

Instead, yesterday's update has proven there's still life left in Picasa. In addition to a few new features and complementary fixes, the improved Picasa also brings out a brand new standalone tool allowing you to synchronize a batch of photos and videos residing on your Mac with Google+ Photos...

iOS five times as popular as Android for Christmas shopping on mobile

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 27, 2013

In something of a repeat of 2012 when the iPad crushed Android tablets in Black Friday mobile revenue, this time around U.S. shoppers used their iPhone, iPod touch and iPad gadgets to racket up a whopping five times the amount of mobile Christmas Day sales as Android devices did, accounting for more than an 83 percent take of mobile-oriented sales compared to Google's mobile platform.

That's the gist of yesterday's survey by IBM providing insights into the nation's mobile holiday shopping patterns. Read on for the full breakdown...

Google Play Music app updated with new UI for iOS 7 and other improvements

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

Folks trying out Google's recently-released Play Music app for iOS will be happy to hear that a new version popped up late last night. The update, which brings the app to 1.1.0.988, brings about a refreshed UI and a handful of new features.

Among the new features is support for 'I'm feeling lucky' radio, which builds an instant playlist based on your listening habits, and other new radio options. Users now have access to Genre radio stations and the ability to search for them...

Google Search app gets iOS 7 styling, true full-screen browsing and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 19, 2013

Google's standalone Search application has been updated with barely visible iOS 7 styling and a pair of under-the-hood improvements allowing for the native fluid Image Search experience on the iPad as well as smarter integration with the Google Maps app.

Other than that, release notes mention no new features for Google Search version 3.2, which is now available as a free download from the App Store. I've included additional tidbits right below, if you're interested...

Google-owned Zagat is now available on iPad

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 19, 2013

Six months after releasing its native Zagat for iPhone app, Google on Wednesday finally updated the restaurant guide application with a nicely done native interface on iPad devices.

Zagat's 1.0 release brought restaurant recommendations for nine major U.S. cities - Austin, Boston, Chicago, London, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Washington DC - with subsequent updates expanding Zagat to more than a two dozen new cities.

In today's free Zagat update, Google has added Charleston, South Carolina and Nashville, Tennessee, bringing the total markets covered to 42. Another major new feature: ratings and reviews for hotels and shopping establishments in each city...

MyGlass app for iOS is available again on App Store, texting isn’t supported

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 19, 2013

Google's official Glass app for iOS, MyGlass, launched in the App Store on Tuesday only to be pulled a few hours later as it "spilled the beans" too soon. The search giant promised to bring back the app later this week and it's now available for download.

Labeled with version 0.3, the 15.2MB download requires iOS 7 and allows you to configure and manage your pricey $1,500 Glass eyewear from the palm of your hand.

The companion application can be used to set up Glass, get directions on the go, screencast anything you see on Glass to your iPhone, add third-party Glassware applications, contacts and more...

Google pulls Glass iOS app because it ‘spilled the beans’ too soon

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 18, 2013

Google's official $1,500 Glass eyewear companion app for the iPhone, MyGlass, has been removed from the App Store shortly after it was released. But hold your horses, this particular app removal has nothing to do with Apple - the Internet giant itself asked the iPhone maker to pull the software because it got posted prematurely to begin with.

The app has “spilled the beans” too soon, Google said, confirming that the MyGlass app will re-surface on the App Store later this week.

Google has also released XE12, the latest Google Glass OS update that adds new apps from The Wall Street Journal and Weather Alerts, including the Upload to YouTube and Hangouts features...

Google Glass companion app ‘MyGlass’ launches in the App Store

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

Good news for Google Glass owners in Apple's ecosystem this morning. Google has launched MyGlass, its official companion app for its $1,500 computerized glasses, for iOS that will allow you to configure and manage them from your iPhone.

Use the application to set up Glass, get directions on the go, screencast whatever you see on Glass to your iPhone's display, and add Glassware and contacts. It looks like you can do everything in the iOS version that you can on Android...

iPhone 5s rules Google’s 2013 phone searches

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

Google's Zeitgeist has become something of an annual tradition as the Internet giant wraps up each year by giving us a glimpse into what the world's been searching for using its search engine. Surprisingly (or not?), Apple's iPhone 5s took the top three slots in global search trends (#5 in the U.S.), behind Nelson Mandela and Paul Walker.

Google’s review of 2013 searches also shows the iPhone 5s leading 2013 search trends in the Phones category, although it's been edged out in the Gadgets category by Samsung's Galaxy S4 and Sony's PlayStation 4...

Google takes on spammers by caching all Gmail images on its servers

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 12, 2013

Doesn't it bother you that Gmail on the web and mobile puts up the Show Images link at the top of your email messages that contain images, like HTML newsletters? That message will be no more real soon as Google changes how Gmail handles images in emails.

According to the official Gmail blog, both Gmail on the web and Gmail for the iPhone and iPad (and Android) will now let you see all Gmail images automatically.

Moreover, the linked images will no longer load from their original external host servers and will instead be served through Google’s own secure proxy servers. And because the images will be checked for known viruses or malware, the change will make Gmail safer and more secure, the search monster argued...

Google Maps now lets you see flight, hotel and restaurant reservations from Gmail

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 11, 2013

It's been some time since we've seen a meaningful update to Google Maps for iPhone and iPad, especially given Google Maps is probably the Internet giant's most popular product, after Search.

As if reading our mind, just an hour ago the firm has quietly pushed a minor update into the App Store. The new Google Maps version 2.5 comes with a few bug fixes and brings with it a cool new feature which lets you see your reservations from Gmail on the map.

Say you made a flight, hotel or restaurant reservation. Upon receiving the confirmation email in Gmail, Google can now take this information (they are already doing this for Google Now cards, by the way), extract the address and show you precise locations for these items within the Google Maps iOS app.

It's a minor, albeit welcome, enhancement that will up competition a notch for Apple’s own iOS Maps app. I love how little things like this make Google Maps more integrated with other Google apps. We've seen Google do this frequently and my guess is they'll continue to leverage their premium iOS apps to build a platform on top of iOS, so to speak...

Google puts Chrome App Launcher in Mac’s Dock

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated November 22, 2017

Chrome Apps may have debuted as simple website shortcuts, but Google has quickly expanded on the initial capabilities so these things now feel and behave much like rich, native apps, as opposed to your typical clunky and somewhat slow web app. Today's Chrome Apps are packaged as native code, can work offline, access your computer's local storage and more.

There are some really fine Chrome Apps out there that will make you question your preconceived notions of what a web app can do and now Google has created a home for them, right in your Mac's Dock.

Introducing Chrome App Launcher which puts Chrome Apps for your desktop right in your Dock. Just click its icon and up pops a grid of all Chrome Apps that you've installed on your system. Read on for full details...