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Posts Tagged ‘ Google ’

Chrome’s shine getting lost in translation

Wednesday, February 8th, 2012

digital worldGoogle’s developers might be as smart as a Savile Row suit with a masters degree in quantum physics, but sometimes software makers can be too clever for their own good.

Take Google Chrome, for six years the browser of choice for your correspondent. It’s clean, fast and simple, yet increasingly it tries to second guess how I want to browse the web.

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Google must get a grip on the Android orphans

Friday, October 28th, 2011

HTC Tattoo

We may have griped about the problems we had upgrading our iPhones to iOS 5, but at least those old handsets are being upgraded to Apple’s latest OS. A new piece of research published in the US suggests the majority of Android handset owners are being left behind by the ever-evolving Google operating system.

The research, by Michael DeGusta from TheUnderstatement.com, tracked every Android handset released in the US before July 2010, and then recorded how many of them had been updated to the latest version of the OS. The results were startling.

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Google’s new AdWords algorithm

Friday, October 14th, 2011

pcproads

The peak shopping period is upon us and, for most online shops, the effectiveness of their Google AdWords campaigns can make the difference between a fruitful festive season and a bleak new year.

It’s at just such a critical moment that Google is rolling out changes to its AdWords algorithms having successfully tested them on its users in Spain, Portugal and Latin America. The algorithms are used to determine where in the sponsored rankings your ad will appear so a change can mean a dip in your position and consequent loss of traffic which, as business hots up, can cost a lot of money. The knee-jerk reaction is then to increase the bid price which, of course, reduces profitability – again costing money.

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Is this the first sign of a touchscreen Chromebook?

Monday, September 26th, 2011

Chrome 15 apps

Those of you on the beta channel of Google Chrome may have noticed the new-look homescreen on version 15 of the browser. Gone is the single page containing your most-visited websites, apps and bookmarks. In its place comes a tabbed-based homepage that allows you to flick between the various options.

One thing is immediately obvious from this revamped design: Google is designing for touchscreens. Look at those large finger-friendly icons for the bookmarks — which aren’t entirely dissimilar to the bookmarks in the early betas of Internet Explorer 10 on Windows 8.

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Apple vs Google: the clash of the cowards

Thursday, September 8th, 2011

Punch up

Google’s motto may be “don’t be evil” — but when it comes to confronting Apple, it seems “see no evil” is the rule.

For while Apple has been unleashing a patent war against manufacturers of Android devices such as HTC and Samsung, Google has – publicly at least – turned a blind eye, appearing less keen to rock the boat than the captain of the QE2.

Apple has hardly qualified for the George Cross either, picking its fights with licensees rather than Google itself, even though many of the disputed patents appear to relate directly to Android.

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Apple: IP protectors or patent trolls?

Wednesday, August 31st, 2011

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1Apple’s recent behaviour has been understandably overshadowed by Steve Jobs’ resignation, but it’s been on the warpath over the past few weeks – with Samsung in Cupertino’s crosshairs.

Apple’s already tried, and failed, to have the Galaxy Tab 10.1 banned, and new documents reveal that Apple’s now gone through the Dutch courts to get the rest of Samsung’s Galaxy family pulled from the shelves.

The problem? Patents. Apple already has one that seemingly prohibits competitors from producing rectangular computers, and its latest IP claim is just as vague, concerning the mere act of scrolling through pictures on touchscreens. It’s so vague, in fact, that Apple has been accused of manipulating images to make Samsung’s devices appear more like Cupertino’s kit than they really are. (more…)

Smartphone crapware: worse than laptops?

Monday, August 22nd, 2011

Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini ProA couple of years ago I holed myself up in the PC Pro Labs with some new laptops to see what impact their pre-installed software — known as crapware, bloatware and shovelware — had on performance.

The results proved shocking but, when it comes down to it, that software is pretty easy to deal with it’s just a matter of uninstalling everything and, if you’re really particular, running an app like CCleaner to get your Registry back to its fighting weight.

Not so with smartphones. On Friday, I eased the Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini Pro from its box, turned it on, and was greeted with a message urging me to set up McAfee WaveSecure before I’d even set up the phone with my Google account. (more…)

Gatecrasher Google has clout to make friends

Friday, August 5th, 2011

googleplus

Google+ has been gaining headlines this week over how quickly people have signed up for the social-networking strand of Google’s online empire.

Figures from web-traffic researcher ComScore suggest the service had reached 25 million users in just a month since launch – not bad for a project that remains in beta.

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Budget Android tablets are a false economy

Monday, August 1st, 2011

Binatone HomeSurf 705

Temptation must be a terrible thing when you’re the boss of a small technology company. Caught on the hop by Apple as it reinvents and reinvigorates a previously stagnant tablet market, the lure of the quick buck must be hard to resist.

I’m not sure any company can beat Apple’s marketing nous, build quality or lawyers, though, so any smaller firm wishing to make inroads has to approach the market from a different angle – by undercutting the fruit-themed firm and heading down the rutted and well-trodden value route.

That brings us to the bottom of today’s burgeoning tablet market. Far away from the Dell Streak, HP TouchPad and BlackBerry Playbook, you’ll find a multitude of familiar – and surprising – names trying to make ground with a constant stream of cheap, nasty and generic tablets.

It’s a counter-productive strategy that’s harmful for all involved, from company to consumer. (more…)

Binatone Android home phone and £99 tablet review: first looks

Thursday, July 28th, 2011

Binatone’s a name usually associated with landline phones but, with that market dwindling, the firm has decided that Android is the way forward. Google’s Open Source OS is present in three of its new products.
The most intriguing is its iHomePhone 2 – an Android device that, as the name suggests, replaces your landline handset. It’s an unusual idea, but one Binatone seems confident can work, with the £99 inc VAT gadget allegedly aimed at both techies and novices.
The glossy handset sits in a circular cradle and certainly looks the part but, when we got our hands on the device, we found problems. The 2.8in resistive screen is grainy, pallid and comes with its own stylus, and the inclusion of Android 2.1 means it’s already behind the curve.
It’s clear the hardware underpinning the iHomePhone 2 isn’t up to task, either. Even an empty notification bar took far too long to judder towards the bottom of the screen and, when we pressed the “Home” button, the desktop took several seconds to load – a lifetime on a phone.
Still, Binatone is clearly excited about the product, enthusing that it’s more of a “living room ” device than a mere phone. To that end, the firm’s PR demonstrated Android’s stock eBook-reader app and its FM Radio software – although both of these came with obvious caveats: we don’t know anyone who’ll want to squint at a 2.8in screen and, with no WiFi syncing to the dock, it’ll have to be attached to the device to play audio through the speakers.
There’s no access to Android’s Market either – instead, the iHomePhone uses Giga Store. Binatone claims thousands of apps are available but, the ubiquitous Angry Birds aside, we couldn’t see anything we recognised.
The firm also used its recent event to announce its latest tablet device. The HomeSurf 705 is, as the name suggests, a 7in Android tablet – and, like the iHomePhone, it comes with an eye-catching price of just £99 inc VAT.
It also shares many of the same faults: no access to the Android Market, with the Giga Store making another appearance, and a reliance on Android 2.1, with no plans for the device to be upgraded in its lifetime.
Binatone wasn’t able to confirm what hardware underpins the HomeSurf but, during our time with the product, it proved sluggish and unresponsive. It’s not as slow as the iHomePhone but, of course, it’s no iPad.
Still, at least the basics are present and correct: an 800 x 480 native resolution across the screen, 2GB of internal memory, and a microSD card slot. We’re not hopeful but, at £99 inc VAT, it could prove to be a tempting bargain – look out for our full review soon.
Binatone’s third new product is its new eBook reader, the ReadMe Mobile. Again, it’s running Android 2.1 and, again, it comes with several quirks: its 7in, 800 x 480 is a TFT panel that’s not touch-enabled and, unlike other eBook readers, it’s horizontally orientated – although, once is weak processor has stirred into life, it’s possible to switch to portrait mode.
Doing this, though, renders its qwerty keyboard somewhat obsolete – a feature Binatone claims many of its customers have wanted for a long time. Beside the keyboard sits a touchpoint, similar to the BlackBerry Bold, and four cursor keys. They’re used for navigating the interface, but working our way through the interface proved tortuous and the buttons themselves felt weak.
There’s the issue of battery life, too: Binatone’s spokesperson answered the question “will it let you read Lord of the Rings” with an enthusiastic “absolutely not!”, and confirmed an estimated lifespan of two and a half hours.
Combine this with the £129 inc VAT price and, well, we’re not sure why you’d buy this over the firm’s HomeSurf tablet, which includes the same Android eBook app. Still, will reserve final judgement until our review – watch this space.
In the mean time, do you want an Android home phone, a £99 inc VAT tablet, or an eBook reader running Google’s Open Source OS? Let us know in the comments.

Binatone iHomePhone2

Binatone is a name usually associated with landline phones but, with that market dwindling, the firm has decided Android is the way forward.

Of three new Android products shown off at a launch event, the most intriguing is its iHomePhone 2 – an Android device that, as the name suggests, replaces your landline handset. It’s an unusual idea, but one Binatone is confident can work, with the £99 inc VAT gadget ambitiously aimed at both techies and novices.

(more…)

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