May 18, 2013
Another one of Google's I/O announcements, Google Play for Education is a new initiative that aims to make it easier for schools to implement mobile learning in classrooms. Google Play for Education is a customized, curated version of the Play Store designed for K-12 needs. Announcing the launch at the I/O event (Google's annual developer conference), Google said the education-centric Play Store will launch this fall.
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May 18, 2013
Google announced at its I/O Developers Conference on Wednesday that Google+ will receive several new features that affect users' Streams, Hangouts, and Photos. There are 41 features in total, and each one is aimed at the benefit of its users. The most notable of these changes is the redesigned layout for the Google+'s Stream. Revealed by Google's Vic Gundotra at the conference, the redesign features new animations and cards that closely resemble Google Now, although a better comparison would be to Pinterest's pinboard-like layout.
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May 17, 2013
As part of the first day of its Goole I/O tech developer conference this week, Google launched a subscription-based streaming music service called Google Play Music All Access. During the annual event, held in San Francisco, Google's engineering director for Android, Chris Yerga, announced the new service, which is set to compete against existing music-streaming sites such as Spotify and Rdio.
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May 17, 2013
Google I/O has brought a flurry of news from the search giant including the announcement of a new cross-platform messaging service called Hangouts. Integrating with a fresh-looking Google+, the new application for iPhone and Android works seamlessly with the Web version of the messaging app found in Google+ to connect users in real-time. The platform is billed as a replacement for Google Talk and Voice, allowing one-on-one and group chats via text, along with media messaging and video calling.
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May 17, 2013
Xbox 360 users, soon you'll no longer have to struggle with the awkward math that the Microsoft Points system currently offers. Microsoft recently told tech pub The Verge that it will ditch the system in preparation for its new console release. Instead of forcing users to convert their real-world cash to the imaginary currency, Microsoft will start using gift cards and vouchers holding real currency.
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May 16, 2013
This past Tuesday, image-sharing site Pinterest released some updates for its iOS 2.4 and Android 1.4 apps, which now include an activities notification feature, the ability to mention and notify a Pinterest friend in a pin comment or note, plus search term suggestions.
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May 15, 2013
Post scheduler Buffer has added a new retweet option, letting you schedule not only your Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and App.net posts, but also your retweets. According to Buffer, this was one of the most requested features on their feedback forum, and is now available on Buffer's Web interface, as well as with any iOS and Android Twitter app you prefer.
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May 15, 2013
Version 21 of Mozilla Firefox is now available, with version 20 of the browser released only last month. Included in the latest version is the addition of multiple social providers, enhanced three-state UI for Do Not Track, and plenty of other items. The desktop update is available for Windows, Linux, and OS X. Firefox is also rolling out a gradual update on Google Play for Android users.
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May 15, 2013
Microsoft announced on Monday that it will directly integrate Google Talk into its Outlook.com webmail service - an unexpected maneuver on all accounts. The announcement came after Microsoft received user feedback specifically requesting the ability to chat with Google Talk contacts. Google Talk conversations done through Outlook.com will have to be text only for now.
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May 15, 2013
BlackBerry announced on Monday at its 2013 BlackBerry Live keynote address that it will finally be releasing it Blackberry Messenger (BBM) for iPhone and Android over the summer. Up until now, the popular BBM service has been exclusively available only on BlackBerry-branded phones. The existing app allows users to bypass calling, text-message and data charges by communicating using text, photos, videos, and voice on WiFi, similar to other popular apps such as iMessage and WhatsApp.
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May 14, 2013
It's becoming apparent that cloud storage is the new standard these days, and Google recently recognized a need to help users keep their files in a unified space. with that in mind, Google announced on Monday that it is now offering 15GB of free storage across three of its most-used services: Google Drive, Gmail, and Google+ Photos. Google Apps users will receive 30GB across the three services.
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May 14, 2013
Similar to cloud-based storage and sharing sites such as Dropbox and Google Drive, Amazon has now added a way to backup photos to Amazon Cloud Drive via its new Amazon Cloud Drive Photos app for iPhone, which joins the existing Cloud Drive apps for and Android, Windows and Mac. Amazon Cloud Drive provides users with 5GB of free storage space, which Amazon says is enough to store up to 2,000 photos.
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May 10, 2013
Google announced on Thursday the launch of a pilot program designed to offer paid channels on YouTube with subscription fees starting at $0.99 per month. The program kicked off with a small group of partners including the producers of Sesame Street, Big Star Movies, DHX Kids TV, National Geographic Kids, Primezone Sports, and TYTPlus.
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May 10, 2013
Hipstamatic has released its new standalone iOS social networking app: Oggl. Oggl is a way for users to share their very best creative photos with the world, and upon closer inspection, it's the natural evolution of Hipstamatic. In addition to serving as a social networking platform, the app allows users to capture images and add interesting filters just like its predecessor. However, the price tag for the app is better than the company's maiden voyage — it's free.
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May 9, 2013
Google+ Hangouts On Air users (which you will become if you join the official MakeUseOf Hangout on Friday) will soon find that a few highly-requested features have been added to the service. As part of the update, users will now be able to start a live broadcast immediately without having to refresh, access recordings on YouTube right after a Hangout On Air session, and rewind live broadcasts.
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