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Google apps could cost manufacturers up to $40 per handset in the EU
After Google was fined $5 billion by EU courts for forcing providers to make its own products the default on Android devices, the company is now separating Chrome and search from the rest of its suite of apps. The question has been, though, how licensing arrangements will work. According to documents obtained by The Verge, the fees will reportedly vary by country and the phone's pixel density (presumably to approximate how high end the phone is). These fees will be paid by phone manufacturers, not by consumers.
Gmail for iOS is finally on par with the Android version
Google wants its services to be on as many devices as possible. To meet that goal, the company has been putting out excellent versions of its apps on the iPhone for years now. That is, except for Gmail, arguably Google's best-known tool beyond search. The Gmail iOS app was essentially broken when it launched back in 2011. A big update in 2012 made things much better, but the app has only changed in fits and starts since then. Its design doesn't fit with Google's current standards and it can be very slow. It gets the job done, but there are better options for accessing Gmail on the iPhone, including Google's own Inbox app. Thankfully, Google has finally decided it's time to bring Gmail for iOS into the modern era. The new Gmail app for the iPhone and iPad rolling out today and it brings both design and functionality up to part with the Android app. Indeed, the app is basically indistinguishable with its Android counterpart now. The basic feature set is essentially unchanged; you have access to all your Gmail labels and the excellent search feature. You can add multiple accounts, and the app reflects whatever Inbox style you've picked on the desktop (priority inbox, starred email first, the various tabs grouping social, promotional and update emails and so forth).
The Pixel's wallpaper app is now available for all Android phones
If you've ever picked up a Chromebook, you've probably noticed that Google loads them up with dozens of gorgeous wallpapers. But for some reason, Google has only offered a paltry handful lately on its Android devices. That changed with the Pixel and Pixel XL, which came with a great Wallpapers app with the same variety and quality we're used to seeing on Chromebooks, and now the app is available for all Android devices.
Google Slides has a new audience participation Q&A feature
Presentation apps may not be the most exciting software out there, but there's no doubt that tools like Powerpoint and Google Slides are important to large swaths of professional and educational users. Today, Google is adding what seems to be a pretty unique and clever feature to Slides to encourage more audience participation. It's simply called Q&A, and it lets audience members submit questions to a speaker throughout a presentation; you can also vote on which questions you want to have answered.
Google to move all of its cloud services under one umbrella
Google's shuffling its alphabet again. The company announced on Thursday that it will condense all of its cloud-based internet services -- including Google for Work, Cloud Platform, and Google Apps -- under a single company that has yet to be named. "This new business will bring together product, engineering, marketing and sales and allow us to operate in a much more integrated, coordinated fashion," Google CEO Sundar Pichai said in a statement. Former CEO and founder of VMWare Diane Greene is expected to head up the new company.
Google lures your workplace away from Office by covering app costs
Google really, really wants your company to jump from Microsoft Office to Docs. So much so, in fact, that it's willing to pay a lot to make sure that happens. It just launched a promo that will cover your firm's Docs costs so long as it's stuck in an enterprise agreement with someone else -- your workplace only starts paying when the old contract runs out. That's no small offer when Docs costs at least $50 per person per year, which could add up to tens of thousands of dollars at an outfit with hundreds of employees.
Google's Inbox email app will soon be work-friendly
Google's Inbox is theoretically perfect for some workers given its task-focused approach to email, but it hasn't had true workplace support -- if your company leans on Google Apps, you're out of luck. Things are going to loosen up shortly, though. Google is now accepting requests to join an early adopter program that lets Apps-based companies try Inbox. You sadly can't sign up just for your own email address (your administrator has to do it), but the effort will expand over the months ahead. Don't be surprised if you soon have another way to keep tabs on your corporate chats.
Google wants to sell you your next domain name
Right now, it's possible to buy a domain name using Google services. You can start the process on Google's own pages, process the transaction through Google Wallet and manage that domain through Google Apps -- but you didn't actually buy that domain from Google. That's about to change. Today the search giant announced that it's testing Google Domains, a registration service that will shift the company away from its dependence on companies like GoDaddy and eNom.
Google's new Outlook plugin lets you start video Hangouts with coworkers
If you spend your work day in front of a PC, there's a good chance that you still use Outlook for much of your email and scheduling. However, Google apps also play an important role these days -- what if you want to start a Hangouts video chat with your office buddies? As of today, it's easy. Google has released a Hangouts plugin for Outlook on Windows that lets you start or schedule video calls with fellow Outlook users inside your company. Your employer will normally have to use Google Apps for Business for this to fly, although the plugin also lets firms with Chromeboxes start chats with others that haven't hopped on the Google Apps bandwagon. It's a small piece of software, but it could make a big difference if you regularly have to juggle Google and Microsoft tools while you're on the clock.
If you want to make an Android phone with Google, here are some of the rules
Before large (and even larger) sums of money were asked of Samsung and Apple, the legal brawl between the pair kept dragging a third party, Google, into the discussion. A big part of this was the Mobile Application Distribution Agreement (MADA) between the internet company and Samsung which laid out how the latter would support the former in patent claims. Now the spotlights on this agreement, with a recent class action suit claiming that parts violate antitrust laws. Recode's uploaded the agreements between Samsung, HTC and Google, which touch on some of the rules of making an Android smartphone.
Google will also stop scanning business and government Gmail inboxes for ads
Student Gmail accounts aren't the only ones safe from Google's prying eyes. Apparently, the company's also pulling its targeted ad scanners from Gmail inboxes for businesses and government, as well as from free legacy accounts. Mountain View's confirmed to TechCrunch that it'll completely kill the enable/disable toggle for targeted ads for those users. These lucky people will just never see another link hawking Viagra (hey, show me a Spam folder without at least one of those emails) on their interface by default. Google didn't explain why it has decided to stop scanning these accounts after years of doing so. But this development's probably linked to the same lawsuit that prompted the company to stop mining students' inboxes.
Chrome for Business adds legacy browser support, cloud management
Not one to leave its business customers out of the loop, Google updated its Chrome for Business browser today with a couple of new features: legacy browser support and cloud-based management for Google Apps. With the former, those who are obliged to use older apps at work (poor you) will be automatically switched to an alternate browser when needed, while the cloud-based management allows employees to log in to their Google Apps for Business or Education accounts from any device. Of course, both features require the approval of your friendly neighborhood IT administrator, so do remember to offer him or her a token of appreciation the next time their special day rolls around.
Quickoffice on Android and iPhone now free for Google Apps for Business users
Quickoffice for iPad became a free perk for Google Apps business subscribers back in December, and now Mountain View has extended the offer to its Android app, and made its iPad application iPhone-compatible. By wielding the office suite, users can edit, create and view Excel, Word and PowerPoint files that reside on Google Drive. In addition to going gratis, the software has been tweaked to show Drive folders such as Recent, Shared With Me and Starred, as well as subfolders, to boot. On iOS, Quickoffice picks up a few additional improvements, including support for multiple Drive accounts, refined chart rendering and the option to create and share zip folders from several files. Ready to take the search giant up on its deal? Click the neighboring source links for the downloads. If you aren't a business type, picking up a Chromebook Pixel will snag you Quickoffice for free as well, but that route is a wee bit pricier.
Gmail push notification no longer works with Mail on new iOS devices
Google's Gmail has provided push notification to iOS users through Mail.app for years, but an announced change has taken effect that will leave users with new devices without push notification in the iPhone's native mail app. Google announced in December that the Microsoft Exchange support offered with Google Sync would be removed, and the company ended that support on January 30, 2013. For those who are using the Gmail push notification feature on existing hardware, there's no cause for concern as Google has grandfathered in your accounts. However, when you get a new iOS device through an upgrade or replacement, you'll find that you can no longer receive instant push notifications for Gmail accounts. According to a post on Apple Insider, these changes went unnoticed by most people, with a number of new threads popping up on the Apple Support Communities regarding push notification issues and even Apple Genius representatives expressing bewilderment with the issue. Gmail users using the iOS Mail app now need to set new devices to fetch their mail on a timed basis (screenshot at right), grab new mail by manually launching the app and refreshing, or begin using another app to continue receiving push notifications. Google's free Gmail app provides push notifications of new emails, as does the highly prized Mailbox app. For those who want to continue using Mail.app, third-party notification service Boxcar can send push notifications separately. Google also provides Exchange support with push notification to Google Apps customers, starting at a monthly cost of US$5 per user.
Google Apps for Business users receive Quickoffice for iPad as a freebie
If Google recently caught you off-guard with its announcement that Google Apps would move to a $50 per user model, perhaps some free software will help restore balance to your world. Today, the company announced a free version of Quickoffice for the iPad, which is an exclusive perk for users of Google Apps for Business. The software suite allows users to view, edit and create Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents, and as proof that integration isn't lost on Google, all files are stored to Google Drive. For the moment, only iPad users will be treated to this free version of Quickoffice, but Google insists that iPhone and Android versions are on the way. If you'll recall, this is the same bit of software that Google purchased earlier this year. Nice to see it's being put to good use.
Google has no plans to develop Windows 8 or WP apps, cites lack of users
If you're eager to load up a Windows Phone or Windows 8 PC with dedicated Gmail or Google Drive apps, it's time you ease up on the anticipation, as Mountain View isn't bent on bringing apps to the platforms thanks to a lack of interest. "We have no plans to build out Windows apps," Google Apps product management director Clay Bavor told V3. "We are very careful about where we invest and will go where the users are but they are not on Windows Phone or Windows 8." That might sound grim, but Bavor added that a change in user base would warrant applications brewed up by Page and Co. As it stands, however, Google's focused on polishing its iOS and Android efforts, so Redmond devotees should get mighty comfortable with the search giant's web-based offerings.
Google Apps discontinues basic package, asks new customers to pony up $50 per user for premium
Looking towards Mountain View to provide a suite of digital tools for your new business? Make sure to pen per-user costs into your ledger -- Google Apps isn't free anymore. According to Google's enterprise blog, the basic Google Apps package is being abandoned to streamline the service, offering businesses a single, $50 per user option that promises 24/7 phone support, 25GB inboxes and a 99.9% uptime guarantee. Pre-existing free customers can still hum along unmolested, of course, and the standard pricing doesn't apply to schools or universities, either. Personal Google accounts are still free too, doling out gratis Gmail and Drive access to anyone with a unique user name. The team hopes that streamlining the Apps will allow it to provide better service, possibly offering enterprise users new features on a faster timetable.
Google offers Enterprise Partner Search to help businesses find local tech support
Business-types! Fancy moving your enterprise onto Google's web-apps, but want some local tech support? Well, Mountain View won't be offering you any official hand-holding, its Enterprise Partner Search will point you in the direction of someone who can. The new service will find your location and offer up the listings of your nearest qualified reseller, leaving your employees more time to make papier-mâché statues of you to line the office.
Google Apps to shed support for Internet Explorer 8, your Windows XP machine won't cut it
Google has been aggressive about keeping Google Apps owners on the same (web) page. The company's cloud platform typically won't acknowledge any browser more than one version out of date, and it's about to put that rapid upgrade strategy to the test by dropping support for Internet Explorer 8. On November 15th, shortly after IE10 arrives in sync with Windows 8, Google will leave IE8 web app users to fend for themselves -- and, by extension, Windows XP users without an alternative browser. While the cutoff doesn't amount to a full-fledged block, Google Apps users still stuck in 2009 will be reminded that they're on their own until they upgrade. Is it the end of the world for web apps on older PCs? No, but it's clear that their days are numbered.
Google offering Google+ for businesses, free until the end of 2013
Google is bringing the enterprise-friendly elements of its Apps platform into Google+ in order to help businesses collaborate on projects online. The company's been using the service internally, but feels it's time to launch, in Google tradition, a "full preview" with a free and open beta that'll run until the end of 2013. The feature set includes private sharing, admin tools and, most impressively, hangouts directly integrated into Calendar, Gmail and Docs -- letting you video chat with multiple colleagues while you draft that project proposal, or resignation letter. Apps chief Clay Bavor hasn't mentioned how much the service will cost when the preview period finishes, but we'd be surprised if it was much more than what it currently charges if it's trying to snare the Yammer and Salesforce crowds.
