Reuters: Project Ara dead under Google, could be licensed to OEM

The four-year-old modular smartphone project that began with Motorola’s skunkworks has ended under Google’s control, according to sources to the Reuters news agency. Google may elect to license the technology to manufacturers, but that’s only a possibility at this point.The word inside Mountain View? Consolidation. It has been apparent that Google has been exerting more control over areas it has had demonstrated success or publicity on —

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It is Apple’s responsibility to keep up with Google and others?

Now that Google I/O has come and gone again, it’s time to focus our attention about 9 miles to the south to Cupertino. At I/O, Google revealed quite a few nice things and also left some questions unanswered. But it’s the nice things we want to talk about today, and specifically the nice things that Google now has, and Apple does not. Because like the Joneses with the spiffy new riding mower, Google now has the ...

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It is Apple’s responsibility to keep up with Google and others?

Now that Google I/O has come and gone again, it’s time to focus our attention about 9 miles to the south to Cupertino. At I/O, Google revealed quite a few nice things and also left some questions unanswered. But it’s the nice things we want to talk about today, and specifically the nice things that Google now has, and Apple does not. Because like the Joneses with the spiffy new riding mower, Google now has the ...

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Google’s Project Jacquard is a touchy Levi’s Commuter trucker jacket

Who says we don’t cover pockets at Pocketnow?Google’s Advanced Technologies and Products unit — you know, the one that’ll make sure Project Ara gets out to consumers next year — is working on another little ditty called “Project Jacquard”.It is essentially trying to work with denim crafting company 

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Android N Developer Preview 3 video tour: What’s new? Not much…

We’ve been watching the Android N previews closely. Following Google I/O 2016, the Android team released a new BETA of the yet-to-be-named mobile operating system. We’ve already detailed most of the exciting changes coming to our phones and tablets, like better multi-tasking support and the new notification shade in previous videos.Google is in a tricky position with this round ...

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New Moto G, Google I/O recap, and Nokia Returns to Phones | Pocketnow Weekly 201

There’s a new Moto G coming soon. How will it compete in a market full of mid-range and entry-level phones? Google I/O delivered some exciting developer news, what might consumers have to look forward to on Android? The Nokia brand is returning to smartphones! What might we see out of Finland?Plus, we’ll be announcing the winners of our 200th episode giveaway!We’ve been hard at work covering news stories and producing the next generation of phone reviews. We recently started a new series of videos delving deeper into

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10 things that we’re excited about from Google I/O

Yesterday, we asked Google a series of questions that weren’t answered to our satisfaction at Google I/O’s keynote. But we’re not completely negative Nellies here at Pocketnow. But while that list of questions is pretty long, the list of great things coming out of Google I/O thus far is pretty great in and of itself. So, to balance the negative with the positive, here are nice things from Google I/O that have impressed us here at Pocketnow.Split screenIt has been asked for for years. Samsung has been doing it, first on the Note, then on the S-series of phones. So we all asked ...

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A closer look at Google I/O 2016 keynote

Google I/O’s keynote was yesterday and today all the developers are attending learning sessions where they can dive deeper into some of what was presented in the keynote – and a quite a bit more. Now that the hype from the keynote is over, and the glitz and glamor are starting to wear off, let’s take a closer look at the Google I/O 2016 keynote and see what we really learned.Google I/O 2016 KeynoteIn the keynote, a spoken sentence could contain several announcements or unveil numerous changes to the current ecosystem. Sometimes the full impact of what that sentence ...

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IDC: Chromebooks outsold Macs in the US last quarter

We’ve known that PCs have been flagging down in sales for a long time, but what’s also been a growing thought among market analysts is that they are due for a resurgence. Convertibles (or “detachables”) were thought to be the largest engine for it, but now we’re hearing from IDC that it

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Android apps on Chromebooks officially demoed

Windowed Android apps are officially coming to Chrome OS with Google announcing that Chromebooks can soon start accessing the million-plus apps on available on the Play Store.The Android apps will supplement Web apps to provide a variety of games and productivity solutions previously unavailable. And, unlike web apps, these apps work without an internet connection. A product manager for Chrome OS said that apps with ...

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Google to make its own Daydream headset and controller

Google expanded its Cardboard VR efforts with the announcement of its Daydream project at I/O yesterday. But while manufacturers are working off of the reference designs for the requisite headset and controller right now, Google itself has gone on to confirm that it’s making its own headset and controller.Clay Bavor, chief of VR at the company, made the announcement at an I/O presentation called “VR at Google”. It’s the second original manufacturing push for Mountain View in recent ...

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10 questions that were not answered at Google I/O

Google’s keynote is over and we are left with a whole heap of newness to revel in. We have new features in Android N, Android VR/Daydream, Instant Apps, new messaging apps, Android Wear 2.0, boy oh boy! Good times are ahead folks. But as the announcements rolled out, I was left with a few nagging questions about some of what we saw.Why can’t you name your own damn product?After months of speculation ...

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Does Google Assistant stand a chance against Siri, Cortana, and the rest?

The title says it all folks and honestly I find it to be a rather absurd question. That’s right, I called my own headline absurd! Of course the new Google Assistant announced at this year’s Google I/O can go head to head with the rest of the competition and in my opinion can best all of them. It would be easy to dismiss this as a simple upgrade to their ever popular Google Now that has been the lynchpin of the Android experience for some three ...

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Google I/O first impressions: Google Assistant, Home, Android N & more

Google I/O’s keynote ended a few hours ago, and the amount of changes in the event were just too bold to condense within the Pocketnow Daily. This is a different Google, a company that is now showing off a more cohesive result of over 10 years of innovation. From the announcement of Google Assistant, to Google Home, to the enhancements of Android N, there was a lot of information covered at this event. Products like Google Assistant completely challenge the way digital assistants work today, and it serves now as the backbone for everything else that Google is doing.Let’s not ...

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No standalone Google VR Headset (and this is the right move)

Before the Google I/O keynote, we were awash in rumors pointing to a standalone virtual reality headset coming from Google. You always have to be careful with those rumors, as the reality of Google’s VR strategy doesn’t seem to hinge on the same high end hardware that Oculus and the HTC Vive utilize.Moving forward we’ll be talking about ...

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