Google Maps is a powerful tool for navigating our world, but it doesn’t have a ton of strong competition. That may soon change, though, as a new mapping initiative backed by Meta, Microsoft, and other big names gets going in the “Overture Maps Foundation.”
The Overture Maps Foundation is an effort hosted by The Linux Foundation and driven by Meta (Facebook), Microsoft, TomTom, and Amazon…
What is your Android ‘Phone of the Year’ for 2022? [Poll]
December 17, 2022
If we were to be completely honest, 2022 has been a fairly modest year for the Android platform – especially for Google. That’s not to say we haven’t had impressive new entrants, upgrades, and new releases, and one must be crowned “Phone of the Year” for 2022 by…
Google Lens shortcut comes to google․com on Android
December 17, 2022
Following desktop back in November, a Google Lens shortcut has now been added to google.com on Android for another way to launch the visual search tool.
Google continues to closely intertwine Lens with Search and it now appears at the right of the pill-shaped field. The…
Google Home app for Wear OS 3 update simplifies navigation, more
December 17, 2022
Citing user feedback since the Public Preview launched in October, Google is rolling out an update to the Home for Wear OS app.
The two main aspects of this update are “speed and performance improvements” and easier navigation. Google Home for Wear OS is getting a new list view that can simply be scrolled through “if you have 10 devices or less.”
As such, the app’s new homescreen…
Google Voice now automatically switches between Wi-Fi and cellular
December 17, 2022
Google Voice rarely sees big updates that aren’t primarily enterprise-facing these days, but it is now getting “intelligent network switching” to improve call quality.
Previously, the VoIP service “identified the ideal network only at the time the call was…
Twitter now supports Android 13’s themed icons
December 17, 2022
To say things at Twitter have been a bit chaotic lately is an understatement, but there is a positive note in the latest update on Android – Twitter supports themed icons now.
Rolling out with the latest stable Twitter for Android update (9.68.1), the app now supports a…
It’s no secret at this point that there’s a Google Pixel Fold in the pipeline, and all signs point to the hardware being quite similar to the Oppo Find N2. Is that the right choice? Personally, I have mixed feelings.
What we know about the Pixel Fold’s design
The Google Pixel Fold has gone through a lot of behind the scenes work, but at this point we have a pretty clear picture of what…
Chrome’s in-page price tracking button is live on Android devices
December 17, 2022
As part of a series of updates aimed at making holiday shopping easier, Google recently released a change that allows you to track prices right in Chrome. While that feature has been live on desktop for some time, Chrome’s price tracking feature is now available on…
While Duplex on the Web is going away, Google is still committed to the voice version of the conversational technology that can make human-sounding calls and maintain real conversations. Google’s latest use of Duplex is behind “where to watch the World Cup near me”…
Conversing with my AI friend ChatGPT | The DeanBeat
December 17, 2022
Connect with gaming and metaverse leaders online at GamesBeat Summit: Into the Metaverse 3 this February 1-2. Register here.
Did you ever wonder what you would look like as a villain in a Grand Theft Auto game? Or how you would look if you were a peacenik with flowers? Or a cyberpunk?
Well, I tried out the Vana AI generative art program and it spit out dozens of painterly images of me that you…
