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Amazon.com Inc. plans to open a software-applications store for smartphones running Google Inc.’s Android operating system, putting it in head-to-head competition with Google’s own digital-app store.
According to an Amazon document for developers viewed by The Wall Street Journal, Amazon would take a 30 percent cut of sales, with the developers keeping the rest. The document includes a stipulation that the apps can’t be offered at a lower price elsewhere. Get the full story »
From PC Mag | Google on Thursday extended its Street View mapping feature to all seven continents, with the search giant planning to move into Brazil, Antarctica and Ireland.
“We often consider Street View to be the last zoom layer on the map, and a way to show you what a place looks like as if you were there in person — whether you’re checking out a coffee shop across town or planning a vacation across the globe,” Brian McClendon, Google Earth and Maps’ vice president of engineering, wrote in a blog post.
Google has added Latin to its automatic translation service, the 58th language supported by Google Translate and the first dead language in its repertoire, it said on Thursday.
“We are excited to announce our first translation system for a language with no native speakers at all,” the Web search and advertising company said in a statement. Get the full story »
Silly Bandz (McClatchy/Tribune News)
Want to get an extra early jump on this year’s holiday must-haves? Take an exclusive look at what products Google says are burning up the Internet 14 weeks before Christmas.
Google was among the earliest to predict last year’s Zhu Zhu Pets toy craze after spotting an explosion of searches for Zhu Zhu Pets a full three months before Christmas, according to the folks with the company’s retail team. Get the full story »
Smartphone maker HTC Corp. unveiled details Wednesday of its push into the increasingly important mobile services sector and introduced two new handsets using Google’s Android operating software.
The launch came a day after Nokia, the world’s biggest cellphone maker, launched three new smartphones at its annual showcase conference in London. Get the full story »
Apple Inc. is easing restrictions for building iPhone and iPad applications, a move that should allow for the use of third-party tools such as Adobe Systems’ Flash software and could ease the tension between the two companies.
Shares of Adobe surged over 12 percent at mid-afternoon on Nasdaq Thursday, after Apple announced the changes.
Apple’s about-face follows a high-profile spat with Adobe last spring that saw Steve Jobs sharply criticize Flash technology. Get the full story »
The U.S. Justice Department is looking into allegations that Google Inc’s purchase of airline ticketing firm ITA Software Inc will cost rivals access to data they need to compete with the search giant as it moves into the travel market, sources familiar with the probe said. Get the full story »
Google will launch its new service to bring the Web to TV screens in the United States this autumn and worldwide next year, its chief executive said, as it extends its reach from the desktop to the living room. Get the full story »
Google Inc. is in talks with music labels on plans for a download store and a digital song locker that would allow its mobile users to play songs wherever they are as it steps up its rivalry with Apple Inc., according to people familiar with the matter.
Google Vice President of Engineering Andy Rubin has been leading conversations with the labels about what a new Google music service would look like, according to these sources. Get the full story »
Google Inc. and AOL Inc. have agreed to extend their search partnership for five years and expanded their pact into mobile search and online video, two areas expected to grow as the media business transitions to digital communications.
The deal helps Google protect its dominant share of the fast-growing Web search business from smaller competitors, including Microsoft Corp. and IAC/InteractiveCorp. Get the full story »
Mayor Richard M. Daley said Tuesday that he has created a committee to study infrastructure needs for local technology companies and entrepreneurs.
The committee comprises 20 members, including top executives at local tech firms and representatives from area universities. The group also includes local venture capitalist Matt McCall of New World Ventures, Navteq Chief Executive Larry Kaplan, Kevin Willer of Google’s Chicago office, and Brad Keywell and Eric Lefkofsky, co-founders of Lightbank, a Chicago-based investment fund focusing on early-stage tech companies. Get the full story »
