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Earlier this month, Cody discovered evidence for a loyalty program in a teardown of the Google Play app, and now we're seeing the first official word about it. The rewards scheme is called Play Points and has gone live in Japan, according to a support page for the app.
Last summer, Google unveiled a new recruitment tool aimed at helping small and medium-sized businesses to bring in fresh talent. It's only been available as a web app up to now, but a dedicated Android app has just gone live on the Play Store, although not officially released just yet.
Swedish company Earin was one of the frontrunners in developing true wireless earbuds, releasing the M–1 back in 2015. That first generation product had its fair share of issues, ranging from unreliable Bluetooth connectivity to unsatisfactory battery life. The startup that was recently acquired by Will.i.am brand i.am+ is now back with a follow-up it hopes will rectify some of those complaints.
Back in April, Google announced that it was readying new features for the YouTube kids app to give parents greater control over the content their children are able to access. The ability to carefully select every channel and video available on the account is now going live, as well as a new experience for 'Older' kids.
Perhaps not that well known outside certain circles, New York brand Master & Dynamic creates audio products with a focus on high-end materials and expressive design. Such luxury does not come cheap, with their headline wireless speaker, designed by Sir David Adjaye, selling for an eye-watering $1,800. The MW07 are the company's first true wireless earbuds, and thankfully they won't be quite so pricey.
Samsung Internet is a popular alternative to Google Chrome on Android, and not just because it ships on every Samsung device. It gets a lot of things right and its developers are quick to introduce new features. The latest update to the stable channel brings it up to v7.4 and offers a few improvements over the v7.2 release.
Sphero is known for creating both educational and recreational robots in a variety of different forms. The original Sphero was a robotic ball, and the company has since released movie tie-ins and numerous upgrades. Bolt is something of a modern-day reimagining of the company's very first product.
As of the latest Canary build (v70), Chrome OS now has network file shares enabled by default. SMB sharing was previously possible via a flag that was added back in March, although it was quite unstable at that time. It should hopefully perform better now, allowing you to add a file share service such as Samba.
When Nokia sent out its last Android 9 Pie developer preview at the beginning of August, HMD Global CPO Juho Sarvikas proclaimed on Twitter that it would be the last one before the final stable version, due this month. The company must have hit a slight snag, as it's now pushing out another point release even though the final build was expected this month.
Sonos is a well-established player in the multi-room audio space with a reputation for exceptional sound, but its products haven't always played nice with other services. The walled garden approach doesn't appear to have had much of a negative impact, but even so, the company is starting to get with the times and partner with other platforms to improve the experience for users. This latest integration will be the icing on the cake for many.
Area 120 is an experimental startup incubator at Google, responsible for projects such as Reply, and its latest output is a new type of travel guide called Touring Bird. It's a website designed with mobile in mind (looking very much like an app) that recommends carefully selected attractions, tours, and activities in 20 cities around the world.
At this point, we're pretty sure that Google is going to release not one, but two new Chrome OS devices at its NYC hardware event on October 9. There have been persistent rumors about an updated Pixelbook with smaller bezels, but there's convincing evidence to suggest we will also see a tablet with a detachable keyboard (please call it Pixelet). We might now have our first look at the new models, codenamed 'Nocturne' and 'Atlas.'
Thanks to the IFA 2018 trade show in Berlin last week, we now have several new Chrome OS options available to us. Lenovo announced three different Chromebooks, including a higher-end model with a 4K screen that Ryan took a closer look at, and Acer unveiled a follow-up to its popular Chromebook 14, although I wasn’t overly impressed by the quality of the pre-production hardware I got my hands on.
IFA 2018 may be over, but there are still some interesting tidbits of news worth mentioning. One of the stands we visited briefly in Berlin last week was that of German Autolabs to see an interesting new product. It may resemble a Nest Thermostat, but Chris is actually a digital assistant for your car.
I've been noticing it pretty much since I arrived in Germany for IFA 2018, and now we've had a few tips from readers to confirm it. Google's desktop search UI is being updated to more closely follow the latest evolution of the company's Material Design guidelines — this means rounded corners everywhere, more white than a snowstorm, and a persistent search bar.
We've seen a few different Chromebooks announced at IFA 2018 in Berlin, including 3 models from Lenovo and a consumer-targeted, premium device from Dell. Not to be outdone, Acer unveiled a long-awaited refresh of its Chromebook 14, although the press release was suspiciously devoid of pertinent specifications such as the processor, storage, and RAM. Thankfully, we were able to check it out in the press area of the Acer stand here at IFA — keep on reading for our initial appraisal.
It's becoming more and more common for regular consumers to install mesh router systems in their homes, and Netgear's Orbi is a popular option. At CES earlier this year, the company introduced a robust outdoor satellite to its lineup, and another new router has been unveiled at IFA 2018 in Berlin.
As some of you may remember, Earin was first to market with a pair of bluetooth earbuds that didn't need a wire connecting them. The Earin M–1 was released following a successful Kickstarter campaign but didn't quite live up to the lofty ambitions. That was a first generation product, however. The Swedish company — that was acquired by Will.i.am's i.am+ at the start of the year — is back to give it another go.
Google makes it easier for veterans to find jobs, as well as businesses led by other service members
As with many other large businesses in the US, you'll find plenty of former military personnel working at Google. Some of them have put their heads together to come up with some ways to make things easier for veterans as they move on to the next phase of their life.
Thanks to a lack of innovation, multiple models of seemingly the same phone, and some questionable marketing decisions, LG's Android star has lost some of its shine in the last couple of years. The G7 wasn't a bad phone, per se, but it did little to distinguish itself in a crowded notch-heavy field. LG is hoping that two new G series variants will fare better.