Google

The new Chromecast and Chromecast Audio are $35 each and are now available for purchase

chromecast

When I purchased my current Chromecast, I was disappointed that it didn’t support the 5 GHz WiFi band. The 2.4 GHz band is just a bit crowded in my neighborhood and my streaming can sometimes suffer. But today Google announced that the newest Chromecast (which works with iPhone, iPad, or Android devices, plus Chromebook, Mac, […]

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Give Google total control of your internet with OnHub

google onhub 1

A Wi-Fi router is our gateway to the information superhighway. Once connected, Google tends to be our first stop. According to them, “we count on Wi-Fi more than ever to be entertained, productive, and stay connected, we’re streaming and sharing in new ways our old routers were never built to handle.” With that in mind,

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The Google Translate app has been upgraded to improve the instant visual translation and voice conversation modes

google translate app 1

In the past, the Google Translate app would allow you to snap a picture of a sign and translate it in 36 languages. But since January 2015, Translate (iOS and Android) now allows you to tap on the camera icon within the app, point your phone at any sign, menu, instruction manual, etc. and instantly

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Google Photos: the photo app to rule them all

google photos 1

If you’re an Android user who takes a lot of photos, you’ll want to pay attention. Google just redesigned its photo app and there are some pretty significant changes. Photos provides a new way to organize your memories, it’s now able to organize by People, Places, or Things. You can pick a specific person, location,

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Google Project Fi – a “new network” for Nexus 6 users

Google Project Fi

In addition to the big carriers like Verizon, AT&T, T-mobile, and Sprint, Google is now entering the wireless service arena with their Project Fi network using the Nexus 6, which is currently the only supported device. This project doesn’t create a new network, but rather uses network equipment that is already in place and is

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PixelBlock – a Gmail extension that blocks marketers from tracking when you open/read an email

Pixel Block 1

Everything we do seems to be tracked these days, even when we open our emails. According to Wired.com, “Marketers—or anyone who’s inspired to snoop—simply insert a transparent 1×1 image [pixel] into an email. When that email is opened, the image pings the server it originated from with information like the time, your location, and the

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Waze is now a part of Google

Google Maps Waze

On Google’s official blog, Google has acquired Waze, the popular community-based traffic and navigation app for iOS and Android. To help you outsmart traffic, today we’re excited to announce we’ve closed the acquisition of Waze. This fast-growing community of traffic-obsessed drivers is working together to find the best routes from home to work, every day. Waze is

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Google releases a new app – Keep

Google Keep

The latest buzz from Google is a new app called Keep.  It is a note-taking application that mimics features from popular products such as Evernote and Springpad and lets you “keep” text notes, images, check lists, and voice notes.  It’s available on the Google Play store for Android devices at the above link.  I’ve installed it on

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Julie’s Gadget Diary – Can a Samsung Chromebook replace my Macbook Air?

samsung chromebook 6

In an effort to cure a raging case of tech boredom, I’ve been trying some experiments to see if various gadgets have the ability to replace my 13″ Macbook Air as my go to workhorse computer. I recently tried this with a Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 Android tablet to less than a stellar outcome. Now

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Google might want to give you money for buying a Nexus 7

Did you buy a Nexus 7 16GB between the 14th and 29th of October just before the release of the 32GB model and the subsequent price drop on the 16GB model?  Well if you did and you bought it from the Google Play store then you’re eligible for a refund under Google’s Price Protection Policy. Fill

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New Gmail Compose window(s) – preview it before it’s released

Gmail New

Gmail’s been my primary email since the days when people were still bartering things just to get an invite to the beta. 🙂  Since those days, there’s been a number of updates to the web interface.  Google has recently put up a list of upcoming changes for the next few months, and you can preview one

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Google Playground announcement – New Nexus, Nexi, Nexusssss?

Even though Google had to cancel their New York Playground event due to Hurricane Sandy, they still released a number of new and improved products to the Google Nexus Store. The Nexus 4 is a 4.7″, 1280X768 smartphone with a 320ppi screen and Gorilla Glass 2.  With a Qualcomm S4 quad core processor, it’s available in

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Fluent Gmail

Fluent1

Fluent is a project being worked on by 3 Australian (Aussie..Aussie..Aussie..oi…oi..oi) ex-Google employees. Gmail content is presented in a web-based work-flow oriented stream rather than your traditional inbox format, which allows you to access items more quickly and efficiently. Ease of browsing attachments and searching is also addressed, as well as various other features. You

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Google Security Part 2 – Open Sesame – Look ma, no hands login

Google Sesame

In my Google 2 step authentication article, I covered extra security you could place on your Google account (come on, you’ve all implemented it now haven’t you ? 🙂 ), but key-loggers can still get your username and password when logging onto a public unsecured computer, and the less information you give away the better.

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