Items tagged with NASDAQ:GOOG
Google has begun pushing out a new build of its Chrome browser, version 70.0.3538.67, to end users at large. This latest release is an official build, not a beta version, and as such should be considered stable for the general populace. One of the new features Chrome 70 brings to the table is a retooled account login system. The new feature is in reaction to complaints and concerns that the previous build was automatically signing users into their Google accounts whenever they would visit a Google website or service, such as Gmail. The featured sparked a privacy concern. Google insisted it wasn't...
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Google does some wild things in its research that sometimes turn into cool products that we can fiddle with online. Now its Magenta research arm has created an AI that can turn anyone into a piano virtuoso. The creation is called Piano Genie and it's an AI program that allows anyone to improvise on the piano by pounding on eight buttons connected to a real player piano. Piano Genie was inspired by Guitar Hero, a game that was insanely popular a few years back and simplified playing the guitar, turning playing music into a game. When team Magenta created Piano Genie, it took a different route than...
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Google's Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL handsets are both solid options in the Android space, with overall strong performance and killer cameras for taking crisp photos. Anyone who buys one of Google's new phones will hopefully never have cause to crack it open for repairs, but should the need arise, how does it fare? A new teardown analysis answers that question in detail. Both phones are powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor and 4GB of RAM. Built-in storage checks in at 64GB or 128GB, with no microSD card slot to add more. As for the cameras, there is an 8-megapixel shooter on the front for...
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Google unveiled an array of new hardware at a posh event in New York City last week, including the Pixel Slate, the Google Home Hub, and the products we’ll be showing you here, the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL. The Pixel Slate is an Intel-powered convertible tablet running Chrome OS, the Home Hub is a touch-screen equipped Google Home device, and the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL likely need no introduction – they are Google’s latest flagship smartphones running the recently released Android Pie. You can get a glimpse and some additional information on Google’s newest devices right...
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One of the highlights of Google's Pixel family of handsets is camera performance. If you have not done so already, check out some photos we recently took with the Pixel 3 as a preview to the full review. We like what we see so far, though like previous Pixel devices, the default camera app does not support external microphones. That's going to change very soon. The lack of support for external microphones by the default camera app is a notable omission, in part because there are third-party apps that do support them. This prompted a long running thread on Google's Pixel community forums dating...
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Last week, Google officially announced its Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL Android Pie flagships along with a couple of other hardware products. However, the Pixel 3 family is no doubt Google's most anticipated hardware launch of the year, and one of the salient features that prospective buyers will want to know is how good the main rear camera is on these news Pixel phones. Google's first- and second-generation Pixel smartphones were praised for their excellent overall photo image quality which was made possible by just a single rear camera and Google's excellent pre- and post-processing...
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The Google Home Hub was just announced last week as Google's answer to the rise in display-equipped digital assistants like the Lenovo Smart Hub. The device has a 7-inch screen, runs on the Google Cast platform, and does everything you would expect from a device that supports the Google Assistant. And priced at $149, the Google Home Hub greatly undercuts the cost of the Amazon Echo Show. Well, Home Depot is selling for the Google Home Hub right now for an amazingly low price of $99. We don't know if this is a price mistake, or just some early bird special that the retailer is running...
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It's crazy to think that as popular and lucrative Fortnite already is, it may see an influx of new players, making it an even bigger success story for Epic Games. How so? The exclusivity period for playing the Fortnite beta on Android on Samsung Galaxy devices has come to an end, and now anyone with a compatible Android phone or tablet can download the game. Technically, the exclusivity period ended back in August. Epic Games teamed up with Samsung to offer the Fortnite beta for Android on the Galaxy Note 9, which ended around the middle of August. However, there was a catch—Android users...
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This past Tuesday, Google trotted out a new round of Pixel phones, the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL. The latter of those two sports what is becoming a familiar notch at the top of the display, making it a target for criticism and, in the case of Samsung, some playful snark. Yes, Samsung is sometimes like those Muppets who sit in the balcony (Statler and Waldorf) and relentless heckle whoever happens to be in the spotlight. Right now it's Google that is in the spotlight, with its Pixel 3 starting at $799 and Pixel 3 XL starting at $899. Those are premium price tags for sure, but are they worth the money?...
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Google announced three new hardware products yesterday in New York City. While all have been leaked in the days and weeks leading up to the event, the devices were still impressive to behold, as we got hands-on time with the Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL, Pixel Slate and Google Home Hub. Starting off with the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, these Android Pie smartphones have 5.5- and 6.3-inch displays respectively and are powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processors paired with 4GB of RAM. The phones are available in 64GB or 128GB storage configurations, and a single 12.2MP rear camera (which is augmented...
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Is there anything more annoying than receiving a junk call? Well sure—mosquitoes come to mind, and being hit with a higher than expected tax bill is a major bummer. Still, spam calls rank right up there among life's many annoyances, and the situation only seems to be getting worse. Google aims to help, however, as it's built some anti-call spam technologies into its newly released Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL handsets. What's interesting about Google's approach to identifying and blocking unwanted calls is that it's leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to fight this ongoing battle. "Starting out...
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Are you looking for a device that can easily transition between work and play? If so, you may want to update your holiday wishlist. Google just announced its latest tablet, the Pixel Slate. Google states that the Pixel Slate boasts a “versatile operating system, matched with high-performance hardware”. The device is supposed to provide a high-quality entertainment experience and assist users with their workloads. It includes up to twelve hours of battery life so that users can use their tablet both at work or in class and at home. The Pixel Slate is 7mm (roughly 0.28 inches) thin and...
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The Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL are finally here after nearly every specification and feature of the phones was leaked over the past few months. As expected, the Pixel 3 makes use of a 5.5-inch display, while the Pixel 3 XL pushes that out to 6.3 inches. As with previous Pixel smartphones, the Pixel 3 family makes use of a single 12.2MP rear camera. Given the rise of dual-, triple-and even quad-cameras, having a single camera on a flagship device might seem a little quaint. However, Google's AI wizardry has always been at play on Pixel smartphones, which has made its cameras tough...
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Google today announced the latest addition to its Google Assistant family, and it's a device that you might have seen before. The Google Home Hub takes the best of the devices like the Google Home and Google Home Max and adds a 10-inch touch display that you can interact with. Given that this is a Google-branded device, it is deeply intertwined with services like YouTube, Google Maps, Photos and Google Search. All of these apps have been optimized for navigation by voice and support glanceable information. Through the use of Google Voice Match, the Google Home Hub will be able to identify...
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