Google

Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt recently said his company's Google Glass technology is still a year away . However, a new report indicates that many consumers wouldn't use the device even if it was available right now. A recent survey of ... 1,000 Americans found that only one in ten people would wear Google Glass technology on a regular basis. The survey, which was carried out by Bite Interactive, found that many Americans feel the device is "too socially awkward." SNL Skewers Google Glass Not helping the situation: a recent "Saturday Night Live" sketch that ridiculed the ... (view more)

Looking for more storage space in the cloud? Then look to Google Drive, which now offers 15 gigabytes (GB) for free. Until now, Google has been offering users of its Google Drive cloud storage service 5GB for free. However, the company now says it ... will combine its Google Drive service with Gmail and Google+ Photos and give users access to 15GB free storage. Google Drive director of product management Clay Bavor says that consumers will no longer have to stress about freeing up space for more files. "Use Your Storage The Way You Want" "With this new combined storage space, you won't ... (view more)

Google has failed to overturn a Russian ban on a YouTube video that allegedly offers tips on how to commit suicide. Google insists the clip actually offers advice on how to properly apply make up. The clip was taken down by Google last November ... after receiving an order from Russia's Federal Consumer Protection Service (FCPS). It was among the first takedowns under a new law that gives the government the right to block any websites deemed harmful to children. Blacklisted pages can include any sites that promote drug use or suicide. Officials said those guidelines certainly applied to the ... (view more)

Google Glass blends advanced smartphone technology with your average set of spectacles. But people who've used the first batch of Google Glass devices say the technology suffers from a number of problems. Google Glass is described as a wearable ... computer. It has most of the components of a smartphone, including an earpiece and voice-recognition microphone. The display is a tiny transparent screen that fits over one eye. Google Glass allows users to carry out a range of functions, including taking photographs, carrying out voice-activated Internet searches, and acquiring navigation data. The ... (view more)

Google has agreed to make significant changes to the way it displays search results. The move is designed to ward off sanctions from European officials. For some time the European Commission has been carrying out an investigation of Google's ... operations. The goal of that investigation has been to determine whether or not Google's dominance of the search market harms competition. The commission says it identified four main ways in which Google's behavior might breach regulations. The most important involves claims that Google intentionally lists sites and services that it owns higher up in the ... (view more)

The high-tech glasses that allow wearers to view navigation data and record video won't be available to the wider public for another year. According to Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt, Google Glass won't reach the market until sometime in ... 2014. "We've just started distributing it to the first developers," Schmidt recently noted in an interview with the BBC. "It's fair to say there will be thousands in use over the months and there will be changes made based on feedback. But it's fair to say it's a year-ish away." (Source: computerworld.com ) That's disappointing news given the ... (view more)

Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt has warned that privately-owned drone aircraft could pose a threat to civil liberties. It's a somewhat ironic comment given Google's controversial Street View operations. Schmidt discussed the dangers posed by ... drones in a recent interview with The Guardian newspaper in the United Kingdom. Schmidt says such drones have a long operating range and can transmit data wirelessly to the person controlling them, even passing on live video footage from an on-board camera. At the moment, federal rules allow only approved law enforcement agencies to operate ... (view more)

Google says it will allow users to decide what should happen to their data after they die. It will allow users to have data deleted or passed on to somebody else. The new feature is called 'Inactive Account Manager' and is accessed through the main ... account settings page for your Google account. It's an opt-in service, so it will only take effect if you actively set it up. (Source: google.com ) The feature isn't triggered by your death, but by you failing to carry out any actions that require you to be logged into an account, such as checking emails. You can set the feature to activate after ... (view more)

A few weeks back I reported on the addition of spelling and grammar checking to Google's 26th version of Chrome, the search company's low-frills web browser. Now, it appears that Google is promising a serious speed boost with Chrome version 27. ... Specifically, Google says that Google Chrome 27 -- which is currently available in beta form for PCs and Android mobile devices -- will offer a five per cent speed boost over previous versions of the browser. Tests Show Chrome the Speed Leader Given that Chrome is already a blazing-fast browser, that's a substantial improvement in overall performance. ... (view more)

Reports suggest Google Glass, Google's futuristic spectacles with all the functions of a smartphone, will be manufactured in the United States. The news comes as one politician seeks a pre-emptive ban on people using the technology while driving. ... Google Glass hardware includes a pair of spectacles with a small display in the corner of one lens, along with a microphone and earpiece in the arms. The company recently confirmed the tech will be compatible with prescription eyewear. According to Google, you'll control the gadget with voice commands. In addition to allowing voice calls, the glasses ... (view more)