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Google Earth for Android now remembers long-forgotten geotagged photos
If you have insatiable wanderlust, you just might love the newest Google Earth update for Android -- especially if you travel enough to forget where you've been. Version 7.1.2 adds the ability to view your geotagged photos from a new layer within the app, as long as they've been previously uploaded to Google+. Since the images are placed on top of the locale they were taken in -- simply click on one to view them all as a full-screen slideshow -- it's the perfect tool to use when you want to do some reminiscing. The update should now be available, so relax and sit back on your beach chair as you download it via Google Play.
Google+ Hangouts moving to HD video soon, going plugin-free within months
You may not have noticed it yet, but Google is in the middle of sweeping changes to Hangouts that should offer big improvements to image quality and accessibility. The company tells GigaOM that it's currently upgrading its video chat service to 720p by switching from the H.264 video codec to the more efficient (and Google-controlled) VP8 standard. HD-quality Hangouts should be available soon after Google finishes the VP8 rollout to web users late next week. A sharper picture is just one part of the puzzle, however. The switch to VP8 also sets the stage for WebRTC support, which will let Google offer plugin-free Hangouts in browsers like Chrome and Firefox within the next several months. The search giant will still offer a plugin for holdouts, but they may soon be the exceptions to the rule.
Google+ now says when photos get the Auto Awesome treatment
The Auto Awesome enhancements in Google+ are great for livening up drab pics and bursts of photos with animations, but you've got to dig through your albums to discover if the features were even triggered. That's no longer an issue in the wake of an update: Google+ now sends notifications whenever it creates Auto Awesome animations, filmstrips and panoramas. The alerts are rolling out today on Android, iOS and the web, so you won't be left wondering about your photo collection again.
Google+ Photos app now available for all Chromebooks, no longer limited to the Pixel
Aside from the super high-res display, the Pixel has also had something else other Chromebooks didn't: the Google+ Photos app. Starting today, however, Google's changing that and bringing the application to the rest of the Chromebook family, making it accessible outside of its sleek, pixel-packed laptop for the first time. The Google+ Photos app, which is available in 52 languages, remains unchanged otherwise, and users can download it now via the Chrome Web Store.
Google+ gets Translate for foreign language posts, comments
While other Google products have lain fallow, the company has been tinkering with Translate quite a bit lately. Now, the search giant is "gradually" rolling out functionality to translate desktop Google+ posts and comments into users' native tongues. Below each foreign language post there should be a clickable "Translate" link that will convert the text inline; another click will undo the translation. The latter should be handy if that comment in French turns out to be an insult about your mother -- not like that's ever happened on the internet before.
Google+ for iOS adds Drive integration, replaces Messenger with Hangouts
A mere couple of days after the latest version of Google+ arrived for Android, iOS users are finally getting a taste of it courtesy of today's version 4.5 release. The latest update brings a number of notable features, one of which is integration with Google Drive, which lets G+ fans view, edit and share images via the cloud service. Like the Android version of the app, Hangouts has replaced the Messenger function for messaging and calls, and you can now start a Hangout with someone directly from the person's profile page. Domain-related features for Apps for Business users are also supported. Those itching to find out what else is new can go ahead and download it from the App Store link below.
Google+ for Android update brings Drive access, improved location sharing and more, drops messenger
If you spend much time on Google+ for Android, then we hope you follow the app's Tech Lead, Virgil Dobjanschi. He's just shared that version 4.1 will be available on the Play Store today, and brings -- he claims -- five big hitting updates with it. First on the list, account and page switching gets even easier, much like it did in Android's Gmail app. There's also full support for Google Apps for Business, which brings public sharing when enabled. For regular users, the ability to access files from Google Drive, and additional location controls will be welcome additions, with the last update being a bit of house keeping -- Messenger is out, Hangouts remain. Beyond the "big five," there's a tease of other updates for you to "discover." Or you could just read the "What's new" tab when it rolls out starting today.
SoundCloud embedding comes to Google+, lets you rock out without a pop-up
Hear some amazing new song you've just got to share with your Circles? After introducing a Google+ sign-in, way, way back in May, SoundCloud and Mountain View have teamed up to offer music embedding on the social network. Now you can share a song that's playable directly in Google+, with no need to open a new tab. Click the share button, add some optional text and voila, the widget will appear on your page -- that is, if the song's original poster is cool with it. Sharing only works on songs when the functionality is enabled. More info in the source link below.
Google introduces City Experts program to promote better local reviews
In an effort to raise the bar on local reviews, Google has just announced the launch of the City Experts program, open to Google+ users with at least 50 reviews under their belts. To maintain membership, City Experts must write a minimum of five reviews per month that meet Google's standards for quality. Said standards aren't particularly strenuous; City Experts are expected to produce three or four sentences that give an accurate and substantial impression of the businesses they're reviewing. To encourage people to sign up, the company is offering a slew of goodies, like custom Google swag, invitations to local events and exclusive offers in the program's monthly newsletter. If nothing tickles your fancy more than slamming or praising businesses in your area, you can sign up at the source link below.
Google+ Local for iOS has one foot in the grave, will rest in peace August 7th
Looks like Google+ Local for iOS is destined to live a short life that'll end on August 7th. Mountain View recently sent out emails announcing its plan to axe the standalone app -- something you might've been expecting since its features were integrated into the latest version of Google Maps. Its functionality lives on as Explore on Maps, and you can still use it to find local establishments and read reviews by fellow users à la Yelp. As ratings and reviews are also preserved on Google+ profiles, the app's death won't mean much when you look for somewhere to go on a night out.
PSA: White House to host 'We the Geeks' hangout tomorrow at 12PM ET
In the spirit of San Diego Comic Con, the White House is set to host a special geek-themed Google+ Hangout tomorrow, July 19th, at 12:00 PM ET to celebrate the geniuses pioneering real-life superhero-style technology. The event, part of its "We the Geeks" series, will cover recent innovations in materials science that could potentially take us to infinity and beyond, like impenetrable liquid armor, self-healing and touch-sensitive synthetic skin. Joining the Hangout are notable experts including (but certainly not limited to) James Kakalios, author of The Physics of Superheroes, Nathan Landy, a Duke University graduate student working on an invisibility cloak and Nate Ball, host of PBS's Design Squad Nation and inventor of the Batman-like Ascender. Got a question for these real world Tony Starks? Share it via Twitter or Google+ using the hashtag #WeTheGeeks.
Google+ update pulls +1'd posts into your friend's streams
Google has finally added a feature to its social network that makes its +1 feature work more like That Other Social Network's "like" button. As shown above and detailed in a post by team member Shimrit Ben-Yair, starting today it will "occasionally highlight" posts that were +1'd by people you've included in your circles, and show posts you've +1'd to people who have you in their circles. Until now, you had to go to someone's profile to see what posts they'd marked +1, but this change makes it both more familiar (alongside the existing Share button and trending topics) and potentially more annoying. The same circle-based privacy settings that already existed manage who sees your +1s, and you can turn down the volumes on anyone bringing too many items into your stream. The new feature is rolling out over the next few days, let us know if you think it's a change for the better.
Maker Camp 2013 kicks off six weeks of DIY fun for teens (video)
Ah, summer camp. Those halcyon days of imagining every creepy nighttime sound is a hungry, angry bear. Starting today, Google and Make (the brains behind Maker Faire) are launching a different kind of summer extravaganza with Maker Camp, a free six-week program open to Google+ users between the ages of 13 and 18. The online camp will offer daily DIY activities -- like a bike-powered phone charger -- with a live Google+ Hangout to discuss the project with expert makers. Additionally, campers will go on virtual field trips every Friday to places they otherwise might never see, like NASA's Ames Research Center. This year, Maker Camp will also include affiliate campsites at local libraries and youth centers, stocked with nifty gadgets like soldering kits, LEDs, Raspberry Pi boards and Arduino microcontrollers. For more info, check out the video after the break or register by following Make on Google+. Hungry, angry bears need not apply.
Google Hangouts update for iOS brings clickable URLs and sound alerts
Hangouts for iOS may have gotten off to a rocky start -- evidenced by its poor ratings in the App Store -- but it seems that Google is looking to right its wrongs in its first major update to the messaging app. Most significantly, the new version features clickable links in messages and in-app sound notifications, along with official support for iOS 6. Any badge count issues have been fixed, and you'll now also be able to invite friends to join Hangouts via SMS. Add all these with a number of bug fixes, and they bring a good reason to give Hangouts a whirl... perhaps for a second time.
Chromebook Pixel gets new Google+ Photos app for easier backups, sharing
It may not exactly be enough to make the high-end price tag any more palatable, but Chromebook Pixel owners now have another small exclusive to call their own. Google has just released a new Google+ Photos app for the device, which promises to make photo backups and sharing a bit easier. Namely, it'll automatically upload all your new photos to Google+ when you insert an SD card, from where you can then chose which you'd like to make public. No word on when the app will hit other non-Pixel Chromebooks, but Google says they are currently working on that.
Google Mine service reportedly leaked, lets Google+ friends share real goods
Google is big on sharing all things virtual, but it hasn't done a lot to spread the wealth in the physical world. That could change soon: Google Operating System claims to have spotted an in-development Google Mine service that can simplify lending tangible goods. Users can list what they're sharing, offer items to their Google+ circles and keep track of who has what. The web version can reportedly show a collection in 3D through a WebGL viewer named Katamari, and there's also an Android app in tow. The feature set sounds ideal for generous Google+ users; the real question is whether we'll get to use any of it. Mine is supposedly limited to internal testing for now, and only some of Google's initiatives ever leave its campus. Google hasn't confirmed the effort, but the company tells us that it's "always experimenting" with features and doesn't have anything to share "at this time." Connected borrowers will just have to be patient, then -- assuming the service launches at all.
Google+ gets notification improvements across devices, new Android app
Today, Google announced it's making some improvements to its social network, both on the web as well as on the Android and iOS apps. The company's own Vic Gundotra has -- appropriately -- taken to Google+ to share that notifications have been improved all around, making them "much easier to use across mobile and desktop." Additionally, these notifications now tout a new bell icon which lets users know when stuff is waiting to be glanced, plus there's a tray that manages read and unread items -- in other words, they've become a lot less obtrusive and cumbersome. The Android application, meanwhile, has been updated with the option to delete pics from within the "Photos" view, while other under-the-hood improvements were added to the menu in order to make it "more consistent with other Google apps." The rejuvenated notification system is expected to be rolling out over the next few days, however the Android app is available now at the Google Play link below.
The White House hosting a 'We the Geeks' Hangout later today, plans to talk asteroids
Ever since joining Google+ early last year, The White House has become more and more involved with the social network. And with word spreading amongst Earthlings about an asteroid (with its own moon, no less) zipping past the planet sometime around 5:00PM ET, the executive mansion of the US couldn't have chosen a better day to discuss the topic. As part of its ongoing "We the Geeks" series on Google+, The White House will be hosting a Hangout today where it plans to talk about asteroid characterization, identification, resource utilization and more. As you'd expect, there will be a some knowledgeable people present to spark the conversation, including NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver, former astronaut Ed Lu and, of course, Bill Nye. So, if you plan to fly swing by later, be sure to set a reminder for 2:00PM ET, as that's when the Hangout is expected to begin.
Google+ update for iOS adds photo enhancements, standalone Hangouts app
An update for Google+ has just begin rolling out to iOS users, bringing with it a host of image-centric improvements. The version bump grants iPhone and iPad users of Google's social network more control over the quality of photos in their stream with an Auto Backup, Highlight, Awesome and Enhance features, as well as the ability to sort, search and share those pics. The app also ushers in a redirect for Hangouts that takes users to the standalone app, Google's all inclusive messaging client recently introduced at I/O, plus greater editing oversight for profiles and comments -- including support for strikethroughs. It's live now, so go ahead and grab it at the source.
Google uses computer vision and machine learning to index your photos
Tags are so 2008. Google doesn't want you to waste time tagging your photos, except for the people in them. The web giant wants to be able to recognize more abstract concepts like "sunset" or "beach" automatically and attach that metadata without further input. In yet another post-I/O update, Google+ photos now uses computer vision and machine learning to identify objects and settings in your uploaded snapshots. You can simply search for "my photos of trees" or "Tim's photos of bikes" and get surprisingly accurate results, with nary a manually added tag in sight. You can perform the searches in Google+, obviously, but you can also execute your query from the standard Google search page. It's pretty neat, but sadly Mountain View seems to have forgotten what cats look like.
