google

Google: No, app makers, you can't skip the Play Store

A change to the Google Play Store policy corrects a security loophole and forces all apps installed through the store to update through the store, too.

DroidLife is reporting the security fix puts the kibosh to apps that had been installed via the Play Store, but had been asking users to install updates outside of the marketplace workflow.

The change to the Content Policy, apparently shown to developers when they log in to the Play Store, admonishes them to not coerce their users into skipping the store. "An app downloaded from Google Play may not modify, replace or update … Read more

Wavii confirms its takeover by Google

Startup Wavii, which focused on providing personalized news, is now confirming that it has been absorbed into Google.

Wavii's Web site now carries just a single message on a single page, headlined: "We're excited to announce that Wavii has teamed up with Google!" In addition, the Wavii logo now appears in the colors of Google's own logo.

Adrian Aoun, CEO of Wavii, offered a brief message about the transition:

You probably know us best for our app that takes the deluge of information streaming across the web and condenses it into fast, fun updates. While … Read more

Eric Schmidt admits talking to Google Glass can be weird

At least one Google executive acknowledges that using the company's interactive eyewear can be kind of odd.

Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt, who spoke Thursday at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, said that talking to Google Glass is the "weirdest thing," according to a report from Reuters.

He noted that people will need to develop new etiquette for the product, which can record video and relay information that only the wearer can see.

"There are obviously places where Google Glasses are inappropriate," he said, according to Reuters.

Schmidt also said apps offered to Glass … Read more

Google Fiber prompts Time Warner to offer free Austin Wi-Fi

Though Time Warner Cable's free Wi-Fi hot spots are nothing new, there is something perhaps more than coincidental about the timing of their launch in Austin, Texas.

Did someone say Google Fiber?

Well, actually, Time Warner itself did. In its announcement Thursday that it's bringing free Wi-Fi hot spots to its Austin customers, the company said it was Google launching its superfast Internet and TV service in the Texas capital that gave Time Warner momentum.

"We've been rolling out our free Wi-Fi network across our footprint for some time now, as part of our larger strategy … Read more

New York Times launches Google Glass app

The New York Times has released to the public the Google Glass app that it demoed at this year's South by Southwest conference.

On Thursday, on a page on its Web site, the Times offered a brief introduction to the Glass app's features and a button to help Glass owners install the app. The app, built with Google's Mirror API for Glass, is the first installable third-party app that's been made available to Glass owners.

Features include breaking-news alerts and hourly news updates, and you can navigate stories and photos by tilting your head up. You … Read more

New Chrome extension can open Office docs

Direct browser support for Microsoft Office documents is coming in fits and spurts to Chrome. Google's latest effort is a portly extension for Chrome beta.

If you're running Google Chrome Beta on Windows or Mac, you can now install the Chrome Office Viewer. It will allow you to open links to Office files directly in the browser, a feature that was first announced with the Chromebook Pixel.

However, you're limited right now to merely viewing the files. To edit, you'll have to upload the file to Google Drive, or open it in Microsoft Office or another … Read more

Google Wallet update upsets privacy advocate

Google's update to an e-commerce tool used by vendors to manage sales is merely for show, charges a consumer advocacy group, which adds that the company should be more clear about its privacy policies.

The update, used in conjunction with Google Play and other services, displays less of a customer's personal information to the vendor than the previous iteration, reports the Android-watching blog DroidLife. The update to the e-commerce tool is rolling out to vendors now and over the next few weeks. But consumer advocacy site Consumer Watchdog says Google's move is not an "actual" … Read more

Google: More government takedown requests than ever before

Requests by governments worldwide to remove content from Google's services have hit an all-time high, according to the company.

Between July and December 2012, Google received 2,285 government requests for the removal of content on its services. In total, 24,179 pieces of content were asked to be removed by the government entities, setting a new record, according to Google. In the first half of 2012, Google received 1,811 requests to remove more than 18,000 pieces of content.

Google's release, which is part of the company's Transparency Report launched three years ago, indicates that … Read more

Motorola phones will still be banned in Germany, rules court

Motorola phones will continue to face a ban on their sales in Germany.

On Thursday, the Munich Higher Regional Court rejected an appeal by Google-Motorola to lift the injunction of its Android phones. In May 2012, a German court ruled that the company had violated a Microsoft patent over SMS, ordering a sales ban against its phones in Germany. Google appealed the ruling, but the court was unswayed.

Dubbed "Communicating multi-part messages between cellular devices using a standardized interface," the patent in question relates to text messaging.

"We are gratified the court has affirmed the District Court'… Read more