google

Google puts deadline on bids for Motorola set-top biz -- report

Google's apparent solicitation of bids for Motorola's set-top box business could come to an end later today.

Google has been accepting bids for Motorola's operation for some time but has set a deadline on the last bid round for today, The Wall Street Journal is reporting, citing people who are familiar with the dealings. The Journal's sources said that Google may extend the deadline if the offers aren't up to par, though.

According to the Journal's sources, Google expects the bids to reach between $1.5 billion and $2 billion, though they could go … Read more

Google ends small-biz free ride on Google Apps

Google will start charging small businesses to use its Google Apps productivity suite as the company taps previously free services for new revenue streams.

Businesses with 10 or fewer employees will now be charged $50 a year -- the same rate paid by larger businesses -- to use the Web-based tools, which include e-mail, word processor, spreadsheet and presentation graphics tools.

The move will allow the Web giant to focus on the quality of the business user's experience, Google explained today in a company blog post.

"When we launched the premium business version we kept our free, basic … Read more

How to add multiple accounts to Gmail for iOS

Google updated its Gmail app for iOS this week. Version 2.0 of Gmail for iOS introduces a redesigned interface along with search predictions as you type, tighter integration with Google Calendar and Google+, and infinite inbox scrolling. The biggest feature it adds, however, is support for multiple accounts -- up to five, to be exact.

With version 1.0 of Gmail on the iPhone, you were able sign in and out of an account by scrolling to the bottom of your inbox. With version 2.0's infinitely scrolling inbox, you'll need to look elsewhere to sign in … Read more

YouTube home page gets face lift, emphasis on channels

Google today unveiled a fresh look for its YouTube video Web site, going with a cleaner design that emphasizes subscriptions and channels even more than before.

The company made the announcement on its blog, running through some of the changes.

Those changes include placing the video at the top of the page, putting it front and center for the viewer, and adding elements such as subscribe, the social action options, and the video information right below the player. Playlists are on the right, and can be browsed while the video is playing. The company said these changes are being made … Read more

T-Mobile to sell iPhone in 2013

Thursday's CNET Update completes the set:

T-Mobile USA Chief Executive John Legere confirmed that the carrier will be selling the iPhone next year. Expect T-Mobile to target AT&T and offer competitive pricing with new Value Plans.

Also in today's tech news roundup:

- Apple CEO Tim Cook said some Mac production will move to the U.S. in 2013. He also hinted that Apple is working on a new television concept.

- Google+ is adding Communities. These groups can be public or private for people with similar interests to start hangouts and plan events.

- Facebook … Read more

Google brings Snapseed to Android

As of today, Snapseed, one of the more unique photo-editing apps for desktop and iOS, is officially available for Android. After enjoying much success on other platforms and even getting acquired by Google in September, it was only a matter of time before this increasingly popular product would make its way onto the Mountain View titan's own mobile OS.

Snapseed offers borders, filters, and a handful of other useful tools for fine-tuning photo attributes like focus, brightness, contrast, and more. And not surprisingly, the app comes with built-in Google+ sharing, which seems to set the stage for an ultimate … Read more

Bill Gates twixt Putin and pope at No. 4 in Forbes 'most powerful'

Wielding both wealth and influence, Bill Gates is the world's fourth most powerful person, as ranked by Forbes.

Rising to fourth place from fifth last year, Gates was cited by Forbes for his vast fortune. The Microsoft co-founder is worth $65 billion even after donating more than $28 billion toward various causes.

But it's also his mission and his influence that make Gates a powerful man.

As co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, he's been on a quest to stamp out a variety of diseases around the world. As Forbes notes, Gates estimates that the … Read more

Google+ adds Communities, hits 135 million active users

While Google+ has been a relatively quiet corner of the Web, the site has definitely attracted some close-knit groups. Photographers, in particular, have gravitated to the site, finding it an effective way to share their work with a large, receptive audience.

Now Google is introducing a feature that the company hopes will spur more groups to make Google+ their social network of choice. Google+ Communities, which will integrate group functions into the social network, are rolling out across the site today.

"We see Google+ Communities as the next logical step for groups of people that have already formed on … Read more

Google updates its maps for 10 European countries

Google today said it had updated maps for 10 countries and regions in Europe, bringing the number of countries it has mapped through its globe-spanning Ground Truth project to 40.

The new maps cover the following places: Andorra, Bulgaria, Estonia, Gibraltar, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain.

The update comes as part of Ground Truth, the 4-year-old effort to combine licensed map data with algorithms, photography, and old-fashioned human labor to create the best map possible.

In addition to new roads and highways, the update encompasses walking paths, ferry lines, building outlines, park boundaries, and university campuses, Google said … Read more

My post-iTunes life

iTunes 11 is finally here. I hear that it's a step in the right direction, correcting many of the missteps and redundancies that have crept into the bloated software over the years.

But I can't really give you a full opinion on iTunes 11 because I really haven't spent that much time with it on a personal level.

That's because I don't use my Mac for media.… Read more