In addition to company-wide initiatives and deals, Google is marking Earth Day by letting businesses in Maps and Search specify what recycling is available on site.
Listings in Google Maps and Search today display a slew of “attributes” from outdoor seating to Wi-Fi and, more recently, COVID-19 safety protocols. Verified Business Profiles of dedicated locations and other places that offer…
Google Fi marks 6th birthday with new ‘Simply Unlimited’ plan that lacks ‘Unlimited Plus’ extras
April 23, 2021
Google is today marking the sixth anniversary of its MVNO carrier with a new plan that brings the number of total offerings up to three. “Simply Unlimited” is joining Google Fi’s “Flexible” and the just-renamed “Unlimited Plus” plans.
Fi launched in 2015 as…
Google Pay extends $30 ‘Spring Challenge’ to May 3rd so you can get that pesky fox [Updated]
April 23, 2021
The new Google Pay app made its debut earlier this year, and now, it’s the default option. Now, Google Pay users can join in on a “Spring Challenge” that offers up a reward for some basic actions in the new app.
Starting on Monday, April 12, Google Pay users in the…
Google’s push for AMP-powered Web Stories saw a boost with the launch of a WordPress plugin in September. A recent update makes it easy to embed Web Stories into sites, while there are now WordPress themes that natively display carousels of AMP content.
Version 1.5 of the Web Stories Editor for WordPress makes it “very easy to embed Web Stories into your site.” In posts or pages, this…
Google Meet for Android, iOS adds ‘limit data usage’ mode that also saves battery life
April 23, 2021
In addition to a big web update set for next month, Google Meet is picking up a new “limit data usage” setting on Android and iOS. It allows users to further optimize video call quality for their current device and network conditions.
Meet already adjusts device…
Smartwatches for Android are a tough subject. Wear OS works, but it has a lot of flaws. Samsung’s Tizen-based smartwatches are great, but they’re also pretty expensive and work best on Samsung’s own smartphones. Fitbit smartwatches are excellent for fitness, but not so…
Back in March, Google hired an ex-Intel vice president to lead server chip design as part of a “doubling down” in custom compute. Google already has a history in the area, and this week detailed YouTube’s use of “Argos” Video Coding Units (VCUs) chips to massively aid transcoding.
Before videos are sent to users, they are compressed so that YouTube sends the “smallest amount of data…
Tesla is creating a new team to accelerate use of new materials in its products and processes.
This new move aims to capitalize on Tesla’s longtime focus on new materials science.
For the last five years, Elon Musk has pushed Tesla and SpaceX to invest more in materials…
The BlackRock US Carbon Transition Readiness exchange-traded fund (ETF) (LCTU) launched last week. It broke records on its first trading day with $1.25 billion invested. But there’s a big problem with this ETF: It’s jam-packed with Big Oil companies.
BlackRock’s…
Beetle-inspired Ora Punk Cat electric car raises some eyebrows in VW’s legal department
April 23, 2021
A new electric vehicle unveiled by China’s Great Wall Ora brand this week has attracted the interest of Volkswagen’s legal department for its resemblance to the classic VW Beetle.
Great Wall Motors has a brand called Ora, which is better-known for small electric cars.
At the Shanghai Motor Show, the brand unveiled the Ora Punk Cat.
The vehicle is jumping on the nostalgia train with an…
