Google

Google is going to make its own self-driving cars. With a maximum speed of 25 mph (40 kph), the cartoonish vehicle only has a stop/go button — so it has no steering wheel, accelerator, or brake pedal. Users can chart their progress with a touchscreen. You can see the car in action here.

Sergey Brin: I Shouldn’t Have Worked on Google+ As I’m Not Very Social

Sergey Brin had admitted that it was “probably a mistake” that he ever worked on Google+ because, in his own words, he’s “not a very social person” and “kind of a weirdo.” Talking at Re/code’s Code Conference yesterday, Brin explained that the decision to have him work on the company’s social offering was misguided. “It…

​Why Google’s Self-Driving Car Will Fail

Gee whiz, a self-driving car! Who wouldn’t want one of those? Well, if you look at what it’s trying to achieve, it’s not actually a great idea. Here’s why. Google says it’s made the Self-Driving Car for one major reason: safety. By removing the most incompetent link in the car chain — the human operator…

LG G3 Hands-On: Glorious Hardware, With Software That’s Actually Usable

Last year’s LG G2 was a marvel of hardware stuffed with miserable software that made the phone a perfect case for ditching bloat and rooting it, as unappealing as that option might be to normal folk. So I had a feeling that this year’s G3 would bring more of the same. After spending a few…

LG G3: A Bigger, Burlier Smartphone Workhorse

Today, LG is dumping the details on its latest Android flagship, the G3, which follows last year’s promising—and disappointing—top tier smartphone. This year’s model antes up on screen size and power, but does it have the brains to match? The LG G3 has a 5.5-inch Quad HD (2560 x 1440) display—that’s a pretty significant screen…

Google Changed Its Logo This Weekend and You Didn’t Even Notice

If you were browsing the internet at all this past weekend, there’s a good chance you came across Google’s ubiquitous logo at some point during your travels. What you didn’t notice, however, is the fact that Google adjusted the letters in its logo ever so slightly—and it actually makes a pretty huge difference. As any…

How To Make Your Social Media Accounts (Almost) Unhackable

It can be easy to dismiss social media security as a chore to save for another day. Getting hacked is serious business though, and you could find your online identity stolen, your precious photos erased and your devices inaccessible. Fear not! We’ve put together some simple but effective ways of keeping the hackers out. Of…

Report: Google and Nest Want to Offer Home Surveillance

Google is reportedly hoping to add home security to Nest’s portfolio. According to The Information, it’s been considering a purchase of Dropcam—the worldwide leader in cloud-powered remote monitoring systems. https://www.theinformation.com/Google-Eyes-Home-Security-Dropcam https://gizmodo.com/dropcam-pro-a-burlier-webcam-to-help-you-keep-watch-ov-1443386807 The report explains that Google has been considering a purchase of Dropcam in an attempt to add another facet to its rapidly growing smart…

Sorry, You Won’t Be Editing Your Google Results in the US Any Time Soon

A couple weeks ago, the internet lit up with the news of the European Court of Justice ruling that would require Google to delete irrelevant or outdated information from their search results. “Finally!” you might’ve thought. “I can get those frat party pics out of my results!” But, as a new Associated Press story makes…

WSJ: Google Developing Project Tango Tablets That Map Their Surroundings

The Wall Street Journal reports that Google is developing new 7-inch tablets based around its Project Tango technology—and it plans to manufacture 4,000 prototype devices in the coming month. http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303749904579578833557306544 The reports suggests that the tablets will have a 7-inch screen, infrared depth sensors, two back-mounted cameras, and “advanced software that can capture precise three-dimensional…

Google has just enabled no-click voice search in its latest Chrome update. Now anybody can search without typing. Just open a new Chrome tab and say “OK Google” (after enabling the feature in the Privacy settings). Once this catches on, you won’t look nearly like such a lunatic.

The 10 Algorithms That Dominate Our World

The importance of algorithms in our lives today cannot be overstated. They are used virtually everywhere, from financial institutions to dating sites. But some algorithms shape and control our world more than others — and these ten are the most significant. Just a quick refresher before we get started. Though there’s no formal definition, computer…

Your State’s Most Popular Unique Google Search Is Super-Embarrassing

There is one search term that your state Googles more than any other state and, unless you live in Maine or Tennessee, it’s probably really, really embarrassing. Estately compiled these unique searches, which range from the sad — Arizona’s “Conjugal Visits” — to the disturbing — Missouri’s “Family Circus.” Connecticutians can hold their heads high,…

Google’s latest Chrome update comes with its “OK Google” voice command system baked directly into the browser for everyone to use. Because keyboards are so 2013.

Why exactly does the melting of the West Antarctica ice sheet matter? (Hint: look at that image.) What’s the secret to seamless driving in Google’s automated car? Why are we racing slime molds? Catch up in this week’s Landscape Reads! The Race of the Slime Molds “The race set off late in the afternoon on…

The anonymous sharing app, Secret, is now available for Android. Now everyone can spill the beans without revealing themselves.

Google Wants to Put Ads on Thermostats (And Everything Else You Own)

There’s a reason Google (among a number of other companies) has been pushing for the internet of things. Not only does it engrain Google in your daily life, but every extra screen it can slap on to your possessions means one very important thing—precious ad space. In a letter Google sent to the Securities and…

Self-Driving Cars Will Hit California’s Roads in September

On September 16th, 2014, California will take one step closer to the utopian (or dystopian) future, allowing self-driving cars on public roads. And the state’s new autonomous vehicle regulations should help prevent the murder-bot anarchy that opponents are worried about. https://gizmodo.com/morgan-stanley-thinks-self-driving-cars-will-bring-utop-1530995073 The rules approved by the California Department of Motor Vehicles came after a series…

Google+ Stories Might Actually Make Photo Albums Beautiful (and Easy)

Raise your hand if you’ve ever gone on a vacation (or even to an event for a day), taken a bunch of photos, sworn you’ll put them in an album for your friends and family to see, only to leave them languishing on phone or SD card for many months. I do it pretty much…

Gmail for Android can save now attachments directly to Google Drive, which is super useful.