voice

Google made searching in Chrome for Android a bit easier with an update Wednesday to the browser.

The latest stable version of Google Chrome 27 for Android (download) now displays search queries in the location bar's Omnibox. The change obfuscates the URL display during searches, to show more results and make it easier to tweak the search terms, according to the Google blog announcing the update.

Another tweak hides the location bar entirely once you start scrolling, so that you can view a Web page in fullscreen. History viewing has finally made it to the tablet version of Android … Read more

The latest Google Hangouts update removed the ability for users to make outbound phone calls, the company said Monday.

Nikhyl Singhal, a director of real-time communication products for Google, posted on Google+ that the company is working on adding outbound calls for the Web and the Chrome extension. Hangouts currently only supports incoming calls for users with Google Voice numbers. Users who still want to make phone calls can use Gmail's Google Talk while they wait for Google to make the function available again in Hangouts.

"Hangouts is designed to be the future of Google Voice, and making/… Read more

As I sat through the last half hour of a nearly 4-hour keynote, sweat pouring through my shirt, my attention waned. Most people's did. Where were the gadgets? Last year, Google seemed like the hottest (or, most conversation-starting) hardware company around. This year, the only hardware mentioned was the 3-month-old Chromebook Pixel. I wanted new, weird products: watches, new evolutions of Glass, crazy convertible tablets. I wanted to see what Google's next products are.

Yet, you can see the message. In the people wearing Glass -- of which I was one, sheepish, awkward. In the customized, personalized Maps. … Read more

Those who want to edit audio files may not be satisfied with the native options available on their Mac. WavePad for Mac functions well and has most of the features users look for in a usable audio editor.

WavePad for Mac is available as a free trial version with a 14-day usage limit, while the full version requires payment of $129 to unlock. Despite requiring the user to accept a lengthy licensing agreement, the program did download and install quickly. Video tutorials and technical support were both available. The program's main menu is cluttered but well designed. Buttons for … Read more

Voice Changer Plus is not necessarily unique, but its clever interface and integration of multiple free voices and sound effects for altering or even transforming a recording are not only well done, but also incredibly fun to use. This is a very feature-rich, free app that provides all of the core functions in the lite version, and that makes it easy to use without any unnecessary menus or barriers.

Open Voice Changer Plus and you are shown a single screen where all of the functions can be accessed. The first step is to record your voice as you say something. … Read more

The free version of QuickVoice Recorder for iPhone does very little that the built-in voice recorder for your phone doesn't already do. You can quickly and easily record your voice with the tap of a button, navigate the list of recordings you've taken, and share them with people via e-mail as a recording or a ringtone. Is this enough to replace the built-in tool that comes with the iPhone? Let's take a look.

Quick Voice Recorder has a very limited audience in its free iteration because it really just retreads the same basic functions of a built-in … Read more

There was a time when all that a GPS device needed to do was get you from point A to point B -- preferably alive and in one piece. Over time, we began to expect so much more. We wanted hands-free calling, syncing of contacts, large databases of local destinations, and traffic data. The bar for what counted as a good GPS device had to be raised.

That bar is still rising, faster yet and higher than ever now that GPS navigators must compete with smartphones and tablets. Simply getting from point A to point B isn't enough when … Read more