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Google could be facing yet another antitrust case
Japan launches investigation into Google's search practices on smartphones
Google is renowned for its search engine, but the tech giant has expanded into other industries since its humble beginnings. From smartwatches to operating systems, there seems to be a Google product or service for everything. That being said, countries around the globe have been keeping an eye on the company’s reach. Now, Japan is joining other countries in raising the alarm over how Google is impacting fair competition.
Google Play pilot program will let Japanese gamers play real claw machines to win real prizes
All without stepping outside the door
It's not exactly the most popular game genre on the Play Store, but online crane apps have slowly developed a following over the last couple of years. The premise is simple: instead of having to head to a Japanese arcade to try out a claw machine, you can control a real-world device right from the comfort of your living room. These titles have launched over the last few years on Android in the US, and with a new Play Store program, they might be coming home to Japan.
In Japan, Google has put on a fishy gag to celebrate a major tea ceremony while also getting back into April Fools' spirit despite this day being 6 months out of place.
The Pixel Buds A-Series come to 10 new countries next week
They'll be available in Australia, Japan, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Singapore, and the UK
The Pixel Buds A-Series are pretty freakin' sweet as TWE headphones go, hitting a great balance of price and features. Taylor Kerns said that at $100, they make the original and much pricier model "irrelevant," even with the loss of wireless charging. The availability for the low-price buds has been updated on Google's official support page, coming to nine new countries next week.
Play Store accepting gambling apps in US and 14 other countries starting March 1
Non-gambling contests get a boost in new policies
Up to now, Google has only Android users in the U.K., Ireland, France, and Brazil to download apps from the Play Store to partake in real money gambling. But starting from this spring, the company will enact a policy update to expand their availability to 15 countries including the United States.
YouTube Premium comes with free channel memberships until December 31
But again, only if you live in any of these five countries
Last year, YouTube launched channel memberships as a bid to woo creators away from other platform-building sites such as Patreon and drive more revenue. But memberships can't be worth anything if there aren't any members, so for the second time this year, the Google-owned video sharing site is now offering free membership to YouTube Premium subscribers in several countries.
Google Pay adds support for 24 new banks in 23 countries
Forget your wallet, grab your phone — you've got Google Pay
Google Pay continues to expand its support to additional international banks. To help you keep track of which financial institutions have added their credit and debit cards to the service, we've compiled a list of recent additions. Since we last looked in July, Google's added 24 new banks in 23 countries.
This is the first 5G roaming agreement for US customers travelling to Japan
AT&T is partnering with NTT DOCOMO, Japan's largest mobile operator
Look, we all know the state of 5G here in the US. The latest testing proves that it's not great. AT&T's 5G may be suspect in its home country, but now it's announcing a new roaming agreement that gives customers traveling abroad access to 5G in Japan.
It's taken months for all the colors to fall into place — almost four months, in fact — but the Google Store is now shipping the second-generation Pixel Buds in Just White, Oh So Orange, Quite Mint, and Almost Black to customers in the United States.
Google Pay is now available for 25 new banks in 14 countries
Leave your wallet in your bag or pocket
Google Pay support is ever expanding among financial institutions, and that's both the case in the US and the rest of the world. As such, we've compiled a list of the latest international banks that have added their credit and debit cards to Google's contactless payment service, coming in at a total of 25 institutions across 14 (mostly European) countries.
Google Pixel Buds 2 are now available in Canada, the UK, and many more markets
The long, long wait is finally over
It was all the way back in October 2019 when the 2nd-generation Pixel Buds were revealed at Google's big annual hardware event, which seems like such a long, long time ago now. It wasn't until April this year that customers in the US could get their hands on a pair, and until today there's been no availability outside the States. If you live in Canada, the UK, or one of several other lucky countries, you should now be able to make an order.
The original Google Home is no longer available on the Google Store — is a successor on the way?
End of a cylindrical era
I/O 2016 feels like an eternity ago. It was a simpler time when Google didn't know what it would call Android N, Daydream was new, Allo had just launched, and the smart speaker ecosystem was about to see the first challenger to Amazon's Echo thanks to the original Google Home. With its iconic air freshener design, removable bases, and innovative features, the original Google Home quickly became one of the most interesting devices to come out of Google in 2016, and started a whole lineage of Home and Nest speakers and smart displays. Four years later, the Home appears to be reaching the end of its life as it's "no longer available" on Google's Store.
Google's handy Pixel Update and Software Repair tool now available in more countries
Still only works with the Pixel 3 and later, though
Google's Pixel Update and Software Repair tool is a mouthful, but it's an easy way to update or reinstall the software loaded on recent Pixel phones, and sometime recently it got a small tweak: Now the tool is available to people in more countries, with individual support for tons of specific carriers in each.
Google Pay gains support for 29 new banks and financial institutions in 22 countries (Update: 11 more banks)
Because carrying a wallet is so over
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Google Pay is compatible with a wide range of cards from various institutions around the world. Sadly, there are still a bunch of them that don't work with the contactless payment service. Thankfully, it is constantly gaining support for new banks and financial institutions, including the below 29, spread across 22 countries.
Google cuts back on Pixel Buds 2 color options for non-US countries
Oh So Orange looks to only be available in US at the moment
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If you've been waiting for Google to finally start selling its second-generation Pixel Buds, you may need to check your ensemble expectations if you live outside the United States. The company has cut down the number of colors it has listed for the 10 foreign markets the Pixel Buds 2 will be in.
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Google Pay already supports a plethora of credit cards from a multitude of banks all over the world, but there are still many institutions left that don't work with Google's payment system. It's great to see that the number of compatible banks is rising internationally, and today, we can report a whopping 62 newly added banks — though about half of these are savings banks located in Denmark.
Along a slew of announcements today, Google glanced over the fact that its Nest displays will be expanding their availability and launching in new countries. The Hub is coming to three new countries, for a total of 15, and the Hub Max is doubling its presence from three to six countries.
Google has telegraphed far in advance of the Pixel 4's launch that it will come with a featured called Motion Sense — a radar technique developed under the name Project Soli using high-frequency radios to detect in-air gestures for user interfaces. But if you live in one country, you shouldn't expect to take advantage of this feature.
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- While a lot of Google services start out as US exclusives, many ultimately expand their reach internationally. But the nature of that expansion can vary wildly, and while some offerings are quick to find global support, others spread at a far more reserved pace. A couple months back we saw the first, early steps Google was taking to bring YouTube Premium discounts to students in more countries. Now that access is seriously expanding, with availability extending to students in an additional 20 countries:
Until today, YouTube Music Premium and YouTube Premium plans offered special pricing for students, though only in the USA. But now, the reduced cost option is available in eight new countries.
Google's two-factor authentication hardware key, the Titan Security, has been available in the US for almost a year. After disappearing from the Store for a few months and a Bluetooth flaw that required Google to send free replacements, it's now making its way to four other countries.