google

Nexus 5: The likely price, specs, camera tech (video)

When it was first glimpsed, the Nexus 4 looked pretty similar to other smartphones -- quad-core, with a high-res display and a decent camera, and the latest version of Android chucked in for good measure.

What we weren't counting on however was the simply astonishing $299 price, which let smartphone owners working on a budget acquire a phone that was every bit as capable as the Samsung Galaxy S3, but cost half as much. A lack of LTE was painful to bear, but at this cost, who could complain?

Now we're standing on the prow of the good … Read more

Friday Poll: Are Google Glass developer terms too restrictive?

Google Glass information has been pouring out as the gadget gets closer to actually being delivered to developers. That means we've learned the high-tech specs sport 16GB of Flash memory and will be able to capture 5-megapixel images and 720p video. They are also meant for developer's eyes only.

Terms of service for Google Glass Explorer Edition includes restrictions on loaning or reselling the eyewear. Google retains the right to deactivate the gear if it detects a violation. The language in the terms is very clear: "You may not resell, loan, transfer, or give your device to any other person."

Developers are also prohibited from placing ads on Google Glass or charging for users to download apps for it.… Read more

Larry Page: Android powers Google Glass, obviously

Google uses its Android mobile operating system to power its Glass devices, Chief Executive Larry Page confirmed yesterday.

"Obviously Glass runs on Android," Page said toward the end of the conference call reporting Google's strong first-quarter financial results.

It's not a surprise, given how the engineering resources Google already has poured into Android. But the company hadn't confirmed it, even when it detailed Google Glass specifications last week.

Fragmentophobes might freak out that Android is being stretched to yet another device: it's hard enough for programmers to keep up with the diversity in screen … Read more

Julian Assange's secret chat with Google's chairman

Eric Schmidt met with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in secret in 2011, according to the transcript of a wide-ranging discussion published late Thursday by the document-leaking organization.

The transcript of the meeting, which occurred while Assange was under house arrest in the U.K., was published just days before the scheduled release of Schmidt's new book, "The New Digital Age," on Tuesday. The book's co-author, Google Ideas director Jared Cohen, was also present during the discussion, according to the transcript.

The interview, offering an intimate look into the thought processes of two of the tech world'… Read more

Larry Page ducks question on impact of Facebook Home

Google Chairman Eric Schmidt gave Facebook glowing marks for endorsing the Android platform with its just-released Home suite of social-networking software. Chief Executive Larry Page doesn't appear quite as enthused.

When asked Thursday about the possible impact of Facebook Home on engagement with Android applications, Page ducked the question.

"I think that Google...we're really focused on building and creating great Android experiences within the strong ecosystem that we have," Page said during Google's first-quarter earnings call. "And it's really great to see developers really focused on building for Android."

Though one … Read more

YouTube defeats Viacom copyright lawsuit -- again

For the second time in the past three years, YouTube has beaten Viacom in a long-running copyright infringement case that accused the video-sharing site of turning a blind eye to illegally uploaded videos.

U.S. District Judge Louis Stanton granted the Google-owned video site's request for summary judgment on Thursday, agreeing that the Digital Millennium Copyright Act's "safe harbor" provisions protected YouTube from liability.

Viacom, parent company of Paramount Pictures and MTV, filed a $1 billion lawsuit in 2007, accusing YouTube of encouraging copyright infringement and profiting when users upload unauthorized TV and movie clips. Google … Read more

Larry Page excited by bets on Google Now, Voice, and Glass

Larry Page's voice might not ooze excitement, but he expressed a lot of enthusiasm for Google's sales force and technology during the blowout first-quarter 2013 earnings call. "This week after three years of development we started to handing over Glass devices developers. I get chills on a user product that is the future and that happens when I use Glass," the Google CEO said.

Page addressed a question about building out an ecosystem for developers around Glass. "It's the early days. We are just handing over small numbers so far. We are probably pretty … Read more

Twitter #Music off to a glitchy start

CNET Update is not a Belieber:

Twitter #Music launched, but it hasn't quite found the beat. Bridget Carey explains the new music-discovery tool and its bugs -- and how to avoid embarrassing judgements about your music taste.

Also in this tech rundown:

- Facebook's latest changes include icons in status updates and Open Graph on mobile.

- Google bans early Glass owners from selling or loaning out units. If that happens, Google will deactivate the Glass unit. Harsh.

- Adding to previous reports, an image of a plastic iPhone has been posted online.

- In a survey of … Read more

Motorola's $271M Q1 loss drags on Google's results

Google's Motorola business continues to struggle in the competitive mobile market, posting a loss of $271 million in the first quarter and hurting results at its parent company.

Excluding items, Motorola lost $179 million.

In the year-ago period, Motorola's last report as an independent company, the mobile-devices and TV set-top box manufacturer posted a loss of $86 million. In the fourth quarter of 2012, Motorola's loss totaled $353 million.

Its revenue, meanwhile, came in at $1.02 billion, down from $3.08 billion in the year-earlier period and from $1.51 billion in the fourth quarter. BGC … Read more