Google Search will now show you cocktail recipes when searching for them

Google wants their search engine to become a resource for nearly everything, from health information to song lyrics. And now they’re adding another element we didn’t think we’d need (but probably will appreciate): cocktail recipes.

So the next time you decide on the perfect drink you want to feature at a social gathering you can simply search “how to make a dark and stormy” on Google, and the quick recipe will be smack dab at the top of the page for you to take a look at.

We should note it’s a very barebones implementation for a recipe, so specific measurements for different serving sizes, mixing instructions and more are absent. That still gives you plenty of reason to explore the other dozens of recipe sites that will show up in your search results. Have at it, and try not to have too many before you have to go back to work today!

[via Google]

Google Messenger gets a widget and support for GIFs

No matter how you say it, GIFs are awesome. They come in handy all the time. You can use a GIF to convey your current emotion, share a clip from a funny moment on TV, or watch that amazing dunk over and over again. Now you can even send GIFs via SMS with the latest update to Google’s standalone Messenger app.

After you update the app you’ll be able to select GIFs from your local storage to send. You’ll also be able to view GIFs that have been sent to you, tap on the them to view larger, and save to your gallery. Google has also added a nice big scrollable widget for your home screen, as well as the usual performance fixes. If you’re not a fan of Hangouts this is a great simple and clean alternative. Download Google Messenger for free below.

Messenger | Google Play Store

Android Auto app lands on the Google Play Store, compatible with all Lollipop devices

Android Auto compatible head units have already begun shipping, but don’t expect to just plug in any old Android device and hope everything will just work. A new Android Auto app has been added into the Play Store enabling this functionality on Lollipop+ devices. The app brings a simple driver friendly UI, all powered by your Android device and mirrored onto the head unit.

Here’s what you’ll find in the Android Auto app:

• Navigation with Google Maps – Free turn-by-turn navigation with lane guidance, live traffic conditions, points of interest, and more


• Hands-free phone and messaging – Make calls and send messages without taking your hands off the wheel


• Info and assistance – Get weather, traffic, commute information and more organized into simple cards


• Bring your music – Listen to your music and playlists in the car with your built-in stereo system

Chances are, you don’t have a compatible automobile or head unit just yet, so you may want to bookmark the app for future use. We wonder how long it’ll be before Google begins preloading this onto devices with their current app suite. Check out Google’s promo video below.

Android Auto (Playboard) | Android Auto (Play Store)

Google Play celebrates 3rd birthday with deals on apps, music, movies and more

Google Play is another year older, and that can only mean one thing — sales! Google is discounting a bundle of apps, games, music, moves, books and more from Google Play to celebrate their third year of, well, being.

Albums like Drake’s Thank Me Later can be had for just $.99, while all three movies in the latest Batman trilogy directed by Christopher Nolan can be had for .99 each. You’ll also get apps like Runtastic and Facetune for $.10, and the entire first season of Breaking Bad for just .99.

The full list has a lot more so be sure to head to Google Play to check it out, and let us know if you’ll be picking anything up on the cheap while the promotion lasts.

With Google Store now selling devices, here’s the new URL for Google’s Merchandise Store

With Google re-purposing store.google.com as their new devices page, offering up everything from Nexus, to Nests, and other hardware accessories, you may be asking yourself what happened to the old Google Store. You know, Google’s old merch store where they sold all kinds of Google branded merchandise from sweaters, to t-shirts, dog bowls, or even (our personal favorite) an Android cookie jar.

As you probably guessed, it’s officially been moved. Starting today, you’ll want to bookmark googlemerchandisestore.com if you’re looking for Google branded merch. Where should you start? Well, how about these official Android stickers for only .20.

[Google Merchandise Store]

Code found in Android Wear suggests Google is already working on iOS compatibility

Despite a plethora of beautiful designs, varying hardware, and affordable price points, Android Wear smartwatches haven’t exactly been flying off the shelves. Last month we told you that only 720,000 had shipped in all of 2014, a number that doesn’t even account for actual sales. Meanwhile, the platform-agnostic Pebble smartwatch along celebrated its millionth unit sold, topping over million in pre-orders on their Kickstarter page for the sequel, Pebble Time.

While tough to say for certain the reason behind Pebble’s success, the fact that the Pebble is fully compatible with both Android and iOS certainly didn’t hurt. This is the one area that, we feel, has been holding Android Wear smartwatches back. iOS simply holds too big a piece of the mobile market to ignore and it’s a reason Google has made it a major focus on bringing their own apps and services to the platform. Hell, even Google Glass was compatible with iOS.

Taking a page out of Pebble’s handbook, it appears Google could finally be wising up with newly discovered code found inside the Android Wear OS that seemingly hints at iOS compatibility sometime in the future. Android developer MohammadAG tweeted the findings on Twitter, confirming rumors that Google was, in fact, already working on it.

#AndroidWear 4.4W (didn’t check 5.0) contains iOS related code(!), class name AncsHandler. I guess that confirms they’re working on it.

— MohammadAG (@MohammadAG) March 18, 2015

Of course, there’s no telling how long an endeavor like this could take, or how far along Google has gotten. It’s possible Google could be planning on an announcement for Google I/O, marking almost a full year since for Android Wear was first announced. We just can’t help but wonder why this wasn’t Google’s intention from the start, but it’s possible new APIs in iOS have only recently made this possible. Platform affiliations aside, iOS compatibility is a smart move if Google hopes to get Android Wear off the ground and in the ring with the overpriced Apple Watch.

Google says you can expect USB Type-C to hit Android devices in the near future [Duh]

USB Type-C is fixin’ to become the new industry standard in how we transfer, power, and display content to external monitors in our next generation devices. Earlier today, we saw the arrival of the all new Chromebook Pixel 2, coming equipped with two USB 3.1 Type-C ports (because it’d be downright silly to only offer only one, right?).

For those unaware, USB Type-C is symmetrical, meaning there’s no “wrong way” to insert a connector into the port. All those late nights, fumbling around trying to nail your USB cable into your phone like a kid on prom night will finally be a thing of the past. And we couldn’t be happier.

With Google officially making the move to Type-C, you might be wondering if we’ll soon see this port in future Android devices. In what should be a surprise to no one, that answer is a resounding yes. In their latest Chromebook Pixel short on YouTube, Google Product Manager Adam Rodriguez (1:14) says specifically:

“We at Google are very committed to the USB Type-C spec, expect to see this in a lot of Chromebooks and Android phones in the near future.”

Did Google actually say we’ll see them use Type-C in the next Nexus device? No. But now that they’ve officially committed to it, it’s probably more than likely. Our bodies are ready. You can watch Google waxing poetic on the new connector that will soon come equipped on their over-powered netbook and future devices in the video down below.

Google REALLY wishes you’d stop saying Glass is dead, because it isn’t

Ever since Google Glass “graduated” from Google X Labs, it seems we can’t write an article about the device without people proclaiming it’s dead. It’s not. Google is working on it. They’ve taken it private. Tony Fadell wants to take the early work done by the excellent team at Google and make sure he gets it just right, just like he did for Nest and the iPod, and he doesn’t want to show it until it’s ready.

Google Glass isn’t dead, so stop saying it. They’ve said it once, and now Eric Schmidt is saying it again:

“It is a big and very fundamental platform for Google,” Schmidt said. “We ended the Explorer program and the press conflated this into us canceling the whole project, which isn’t true. Google is about taking risks and there’s nothing about adjusting Glass that suggests we’re ending it.”

This is a thing. A real thing. A thing that’s happening. It might not be here as soon as we’d liked, but it’s not something Google is sweeping under the rug.

If you’re already an Explorer with the latest publicly-released unit, enjoy it. Stop obsessing and complaining over a new version that you won’t even be able to see until Google is ready to put them up for sale.

It’s OK to be concerned (and even angry) about the ,500 prototype you bought that will eventually be obsoleted, and we certainly do hope those folks are hooked up with some sort of upgrade path once the consumer version is ready, but no amount of petitioning and rioting will change Google’s stance on the future development of Glass if they haven’t already changed it.

Beyond that, you knew what you were getting into. You knew Glass was still in the exploratory and platform-building phases and Google only wanted people who truly understood that to use it, which is why they asked you to pay ,500 for a piece of kit that likely didn’t take nearly as much money to manufacture.

If Glass were truly dead, don’t you think they’d tell us just as they’ve done countless times in the past when they retired a lot of their other products? Sit back, relax, and let Google do their thing.

Google is giving away $80 worth of freebies to Chromecast owners

Google continues to make the case for everyone on the planet to own a Chromecast. Their latest promotion puts worth of freebies up for grabs just for owning a Chromecast. That’s over twice the amount it costs to buy a Chromecast, which is exactly what you need to do to get these deals.

Buy a Chromecast any time between today (March 20th) and April 19th to qualify for the rewards. The rewards include a three-month subscription to Google Play Music All Access, one month of Qello Concerts, three months of DramaFever, three-month of Sesame Street GO, and a free movie rental from Google Play Movies. It continues to pay to own a Chromecast.

[via Engadget]

Google reportedly working on better battery technology

We see improvements in all areas of tech each and every day, but the trickiest problem to tackle by far is that of the battery. Battery technology of today just isn’t keeping up with these fast iterations in tech, and while companies have resorted to fast charging technologies to make up for it, Google seemingly isn’t satisfied with that.

The company is reportedly exploring improved battery technology in the comfy confines of their X Labs department, according to the Wall Street Journal. Details from the report are scarce, though we do know the team is comprised of four engineers, including a former Apple expert on battery technology.

While we all simply want better batteries in our smartphones, Google’s end-game is to develop the technology for life-enhancing industries which are still growing such as robotics, medical accessories and driver-less vehicles.

As it stands, any improvement to battery technology will be good for anything that has anything to do with portable electronics, so we’re sure everyone the world over will be rooting Google on to see if they can make significant progress in a much lacking area. Fingers crossed that the brilliant minds at the Googleplex can come up with anything of substance.

Deal: The first Transformers movie is free to watch on Google Play right now

If you need something to watch this weekend and have yet to see the Transformers series launched in recent years, Google is giving you a good reason to start. The company is offering Transformers for free in their latest promo. To be specific this is the 2007 film that kicked off the live action rendition of one of history’s greatest and most popular intellectual properties.

In case you don’t know what Transformers is about, two alien races of robots — the autobots (good guys) and decepticons (bad guys) — are fighting each other for ultimate dominance. The fight is brought to earth, and the autobots soon find out that they’ll need to call on the courage of the human race to help fend off their foes.

If not for nostalgia, then you owe it to yourself to watch it for the cool factor alone. Oh, and this is a Michael Bay affair, so get ready for explosions. Lots and lots of explosions. Grab it from Google Play right here.

Google Glass partner Luxottica says version 2 coming soon, version 3 already in planning stages

It was barely over a year ago Google announced a partnership with Italian eyewear maker Luxottica –the folks behind brands as Oakley, Ray-Ban, Arnette, Oliver-Peoples, and more — to build Glass compatible eyewear for the masses.

More recently, we watched as the Google Glass Explorer Edition finally came to an end (after a bumpy, and very controversial first run). But Google made it a point to stress that Glass was, in fact, not dead, and merely graduating from the Google X Labs into its own project under watchful eye of Nest CEO Tony Fadell. What we don’t know is what form Glass will take, or when we can expect to see a sequel.

Apparently that could be sooner than later according to Luxottica CEO Massimo Vian. He mentioned during a shareholders meeting that the next version of Glass was coming soon and what’s more, they’re already planning out a third followup. You heard right, Google Glass v3.

“In Google, there are some second thoughts on how to interpret [Google Glass] version three. What you saw was version one. We’re now working on version two, which is in preparation.”

Of course no specific dates were given, so for now we’re left wondering if that coming soon is later this year (Google I/O?), or sometime next year. We think Glass was a product well ahead of its time and there’s no harm in letting bake in the oven a little longer.

[WSJ]

TAG Heuer teams up with Intel and Google to build their first real smartwatch [UPDATE]

High-end watchmaker TAG Heuer is building a smartwatch, but they can’t do it on their own. The watch is said to be officially revealed tomorrow, with CEO Jean-Claude Biver telling Bloomberg in an interview that the Swiss company had to rely on key partnerships inside Silicon Valley to help build the smartwatch, as Switzerland was lacking the necessary tech know-how.

Exactly who are these partners? According to Reuters, Intel has already signed on to supply the processor, while Pocketlint is reporting that Google is also onboard, who we guess will likely provide the OS. That means, we could be looking at a luxury Android Wear smartwatch to compete with the Apple Watch.

Biver notes that while the internal components and OS will be American, the rest of the watch (casing, dial, crown, and design) is all Swiss. The watch will be a near replica of their current black Carrera watch, which retails for around ,000 depending on the exact model. Needless to say, we don’t expect this new smartwatch will come cheap.

We expect to learn more tomorrow when the new smartwatch is officially unveiled.

 UPDATE: Annnnnnnd… it’s official.

Nexus 6 now available in 6 new countries from the Google Store

It was only a few weeks ago that Google moved all their hardware off of the Play Store and into their all new Google Store (their merchandise store has since been relocated). While the Nexus 5 was officially EOL’d, during this transition, that doesn’t mean they’re giving up on expanding availability of the rest of their hardware around the world.

In fact, starting today you can now purchase the Nexus 6 in 6 all new countries around the world: Austria, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Norway, and Portugal. This brings the running list up to 21 countries where the Nexus 6 can be purchased directly from Google, here’s the full list:

Nexus 6 country availability (green = new)

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United States, United Kingdom

[Google Store Help]

Pick up a Nexus 6, 9, or Android Wear smartwatch and get $50 Google Play credit for a limited time

It’s not the price drop we were hoping for (not unless you plan on grabbing the Sony SmartWatch 3), but we’ll take it none the less. Starting today, you can get in Google Play credit when purchasing a Nexus 6, Nexus 9, or any Android Wear smartwatch from the all new Google Store. The credit is good for any and all digital content in the Play Store — not hardware.

Once one of the eligible devices has been ordered, you’ll receive an email with a promo code once it actually ships out. Google says the promo code in your email does expire, so you’ll only have until April 20th to redeem it. Even then, once redeemed, you’ll only have until September to go on a Play Store binge, so hopefully you’ve already built up a healthy wishlist of apps/games/music/movies or whatever your heart fancies on Google Play.

Deal ends on March 31st, so if you’ve been thinking about picking up one of these devices, you’ll have to act fast. Oh, and if you get the Sony SmartWatch 3, it’s currently off + Google Play credit. Not a bad deal at all.

[Google Store: Nexus 6 | Nexus 9 | Android Wear smartwatches]

Google finally gives us a changelog for Android 5.1, headed to T-Mobile Nexus devices today

We’ve been seeing Android 5.1 Lollipop appear on a few Android One devices for quite some time, but Google has remained quiet about it. We heard about a couple of changes early on, and now Google has come out to detail them in an official changelog.

For starters, they’ve confirmed the addition of new WiFi and Bluetooth dropdowns in the quick settings menu in the notification pane. We also know that a ton of bugs were fixed, though Google didn’t care to detail any of them.

So what about the stuff we didn’t already know? For starters, Android 5.1 Lollipop finally brings native support for dual-SIM devices, which is sure to be great news for those in markets where dual-SIM devices are the norm. Google’s also bringing proper HD Voice support, with the first devices getting HD Voice love being the T-Mobile and Verizon Nexus 6.

Finally, Google’s new Device Protection feature will make it so that a phone you mark as lost or stolen will need your Google password to get into, even if the person with the phone somehow performs a factory reset. Neat stuff, there.

So who’s getting it? And when? We’re sure Nexus devices are first in line, and we already know T-Mobile’s Nexus 4, Nexus 5 and Nexus 7 -are slated to receive rollouts as soon as today (with all of them having the same build number of LMY47D).

If you have one of those devices you’ll do well to charge your battery and get on WiFi to start checking for the upgrade. Others will have to wait until more rollout information is shared by Google and carrier partners, and we’ll be sure to report anything as soon as we hear more.

[via Google, T-Mobile 1|2|3]

Mobile Roar 89: Google Project Fi, Galaxy S6 vs iPhone, BB-8, and more!

Previous episodes of the Mobile Roar Podcast

Google is now a wireless carrier. Is that a good or bad thing? We go over everything you need to know about Project Fi. Chris talks about his Galaxy S6 vs iPhone 6 comparison, the Xperia Z4 is quietly announced, the OnePlus Two won’t ditch invites, and how the heck does that BB-8 droid work? Thanks for watching/listening!

Big News

• Google Project Fi announced


• Galaxy S6 vs iPhone 6

Quick Hits

• Sony Xperia Z4 announced


• Android Wear update adds drawn emoji, scroll gesture, WiFi, and more


• You’ll need an invite to buy the OnePlus Two

Wins/Fails

• Kevin: Sphero is responsible for BB-8 / new MacBook reviews are in


• Joe: iPhone case with e-ink back / OnePlus hypes availability for year-old phone


• Chris: Double fail: Android and iOS fanboys stab each other during fight / #Rotategate  

App Picks

• Kevin: Clear


• Joe: Hello from Facebook


• Chris: Galaxy Button Lights (Touch key light duration)

Follow Us

• Joe Fedewa (@tallshmo)


• Chris Chavez (@gamercore)


• Kevin Krause (@youdontknowkev)


• @mobileroarcast

Subscribe

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Google wants to buy your unwanted patents with their latest initiative

Are you brilliant enough to have come up with a patented idea but don’t have the means to utilize or protect it? Tired of people infringing on your ideas and having to deal with expensive legal fees and extensive court procedures to battle it out?

If all of that headache moves you to sell your patent, Google wants to make the process of selling it somewhat easier. Instead of dealing with the strenuous process of finding a buyer for a patent on your own, Google is creating an open submission platform that’ll allow you to submit your patents to them for review. Should Google want to snag it (for whichever price you’re asking) they’ll contact you and whisk you through the process to take it off your hands. You get some good money, they get their technology — everyone’s happy.

Google will open a patent submission form from May 8, 2015 through May 22, 2015. Once the portal closes, they’ll undergo a review process to identify which patents they want to buy. You’ll get an email by June 26th, 2015 letting you know whether Google decided to bite the bullet and buy your patent, and payments are expected to be made to lucky souls by the end of August.

Google says this is to be considered an experimental program and attributed its existence to the result of the lawyer equivalent of their “20% time. If you’re not aware, 20% of a Google engineer’s work time each week can be spent on experimental projects that they’re interested in pursuing. Some of Google’s best apps, services and platforms — such as Gmail and AdSense — are the result of 20% time.

What’ll happen if this takes off? Who knows — perhaps Google will find themselves with a very effective and solid foundation for a Craigslist-like patent marketplace. Whatever the case may be, it’s great that Google is giving people who want to ditch their patents an easy out (even if Google’s biggest reason for doing it is because they simply can’t get enough of them).

[via Google]

The Nexus Player is now officially available for purchase in the UK via the Google Store

The Nexus Player was officially announced and made available in October/November of last year, but it’s only today that our Android friends across the pond can now buy it from the Google Store.

The tiny set top box can now be picked up for a mere 80 quid, allowing you to infuse your television with Android TV smarts. If casual gaming is more your thing, you can also find the official gamepad — sold separately — for a £35.

If the Google Store isn’t your thing, you can also find the Nexus Player at Currys PC World, John Lewis, and, of course, Amazon. If you’re still on the fence, don’t forget to check out our full Nexus Player review right here.

You can now buy the LG Watch Urbane from the Google Store for $350

LG promised the LG Watch Urbane would be up for purchase in the Google Store by the end of this month, and sure enough it is. You can head right here to buy LG’s latest Android Wear smart watch for 0.

That’s a lofty price tag for the LG Watch Urbane, though many would argue it’s for good reason. The device is crafted using premium materials (stainless steel body in gold or silver, genuine leather straps) and a very nice design. It’s probably the best looking Android Wear smart watch to date.

The LG Watch Urbane sports a 1.3-inch 320 x 320 P-OLED display, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of storage, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 400 chipset. It also runs the absolute latest version of Android Wear out of the box (which brings support for WiFi, always-on apps, emoji gestures and more).

Unfortunately it doesn’t look like you’d have your watch in time for weekend fun. Google’s store currently shows that it’s not expected to leave the warehouse until May 8th, though as we’ve seen in the past a few lucky orders could arrive much sooner than anticipated. Be sure to place your order for one if you have the money to spare and have been waiting for a smart watch that’s as beautiful as it is capable.