So many times we hear readers complain about Google's focus being way too US-centered. Sure, the company started here and has a significant user base, but that doesn't make it any less frustrating when new products and services debut, only to be US exclusives. While that favoritism isn't going to vanish any time soon, little by little we see Google expand its offerings in nations abroad, and today we're checking in with the latest developments in the international world of Google Pay.
Read MoreOnePlus 6T now on sale in Europe, here's where you can buy it
With its latest phone, OnePlus has graduated from 'flagship on a budget' to be a true contender for the best smartphone around. Check out Ryne's review if you don't believe me. Open sales started in the US several days ago, but it's now available to buy in Europe too.
Read More3rd gen Chromecast launches in Germany and India, multi-room audio said to be coming to older models
The third-generation Chromecast was announced along with the Pixel 3, though it was introduced without much fanfare: a simple blog post was enough and there was no mention of it during the press conference. That makes sense because it doesn't differ a lot from the second-gen Chromecast, beside offering multi-room audio. Twelve countries were said to be having it at first, but two more just joined in: Germany and India.
Read MorePayPal integration with Google Pay is rolling out in Germany
Google Pay has come a long way in the last few years, with tons of banks and financial institutions now supported in many countries. An integration with PayPal was also announced last year, giving users even greater options, but it's only been available in the US. If you live in Germany, you'll be pleased to hear it's now rolling out to you too.
Read MoreGoogle Pay on Wear OS works in Germany
As we've learned over the past few years, having a Google service available in your country isn't enough to use it on all your devices. Google Pay, for example, is supported for in-store payments in twenty countries, but only if you're using your phone to make the transaction. If you have a Wear OS smartwatch, however, the Google Pay app won't show up on the watch unless you're in a few countries. At first, the feature came to the US and UK, then it spread to Spain, Canada, and Australia, followed by Poland and Russia. The latest country to join the ranks is Germany.
Read MoreGoogle Assistant routines are rolling out in more languages in Australia, Canada, Germany, India, and the UK
Google Assistant's routines rolled out in March, then gained customization and scheduling a few months later, but in the time since, routines have always been an English (US) feature. If your Google Home or Assistant on your phone was set to any other language, or any other variant of English, you had to make do with the old My Day feature for a morning routine and not much more. In the past day, however, routines have started popping up left and right for users in several countries.
Read MoreGoogle Home Max available in UK, France, and Germany starting today
This might come as a surprise to some of you, but Google's Home products aren't available in very many countries. In fact, availability is actually fairly restricted, especially on the Home Max. Until May, the biggest Home speaker was only available in the US, though Canada and Australia have since joined the list. Now, the Home Max is arriving in the UK, France, and Germany.
Read MoreGoogle Photos photo books are launching in the UK and France today
Google announced its Photos photo books back in 2017, but the service was initially only available in the US. Canada was added later in the year, and no other countries joined the list for about nine months. Earlier this week, photo books arrived in Germany, and today they're hitting the UK and France as well.
Read MoreThe Best Of AP
This 'airbag' smartphone case is both absurd and brilliant
Smartphone cases, in all their various forms, are meant to do one thing: guard our increasingly expensive pocket-sized supercomputers in case we lose our grip as we absentmindedly jab at them with one finger while also walking and drinking coffee. There are many that do a pretty good job of this, but a German engineering student was evidently dissatisfied with the level of protection afforded by what's currently on the market. So, naturally, he created ADcase, a silly and wonderful contraption that detects when your phone is falling and ejects springy spider legs to dampen its impact.
Read MoreGoogle Pay lands in Germany with support for 4 local banks [Update]
Google Pay has finally landed in Germany with support for four local banks. Users can download the app from the Play Store and start adding supported credit and debit cards today.
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