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Google opens an office in China's Silicon Valley
Google's often fractious relationship with China may be softening on the news that the search giant is opening a new office in the country. The company already has two facilities in China, located in Beijing and Shanghai, but will now rent space in a building in Shenzhen, the Chinese equivalent to Silicon Valley. The province, which borders Hong Kong, is the home of Huawei, Tencent, ZTE, OnePlus -- not to mention the massive Foxconn plant that is also situated there.
Google denies launching optimized version of Maps for China
Google's presence in China has increased marginally in recent times, but those excited about a rumoured optimized version of Maps for the country will be disappointed to learn the claims are untrue. Earlier this week Japan news site Nikkei reported that Google had launched a China-specific version of Maps for the first time in eight years, along with an accompanying app for Chinese iPhones, but Google quickly shot this down. "There have been no changes to Google Maps in China. Maps has been accessible on desktop for years, but does not have an official presence in Android or iOS app stores in China," a spokesperson said.
Google opens AI center in China even though it's still blocked there
Google has always had a rocky relationship with China. The search engine is banned in the country, along with its app store, email and cloud services, but that hasn't stopped the company from maintaining some level of presence with its international workforce. And that presence is set to grow following the announcement that Google is setting up an AI research center in Beijing.
Google may lean on a partner to sell Android apps in China
Google's presence in China is limited, to put it mildly, but it might have found a way to get its foot in the door. The Information sources claim that Chinese internet veteran NetEase is talking to Google about launching the Play Store in China. There's no guarantee that the talks will lead anywhere, but NetEase may be just the partner Google is looking for. Alphabet chairman Eric Schmidt has previously explained that Google needed a business ally that could negotiate the intricacies of both Google and the Chinese government -- that's clearly the case here.
Android Wear is coming to China with Motorola's help
Android Wear smartwatches have been available in many places for a while, but not China -- the platform's dependencies on Google Play and Google Now weren't going to fly when Google refuses to offer some services in the censorship-heavy country. Motorola isn't deterred, however. It's releasing a version of the new Moto 360 in China with local services in place of their Google equivalents. Mobvoi will handle both search and voice recognition, third-party stores will offer apps and Sogou will handle navigation. It definitely won't represent the familiar Android Wear experience, but it will give Chinese Android fans a wearable option they haven't had before.
Chinese devs can now sell their Android apps on the Play Store
Chinese developers can finally sell their Android apps through the Google Play Store, possibly foreshadowing a local launch of the marketplace. The move gives devs the ability to sell their apps to Android users in over 130 countries around the world, with one major exception: China, where the Play Store is not available -- for now.
Thanks to Google you can now take a virtual stroll through Chinese history
So far we've seen Google's Cultural Institute feature everything from the father of manga to more traditionally historical fare like Bletchley Park. Its latest exhibit hews closer to the latter, with a keen eye toward Chinese history, featuring some 1,400 pieces spread across 48 different exhibitions. The additions range from The Opium War to selections from the Nanyue King Masoleum Museum and a whole lot in between. If you want to really attempt to recreate the walking-around-a-museum experience, there's an option to sort the collections by "museum view," as well. All that history without any of the sore feet? Sign us up.
