Google reveals data centres

A rare glimpse inside a Google Data Centre ...
Click on the 360 degree Data Centre tour to have a look at some of the hardware that supports Google's 'Cloud'!

Google reveals 360 video giving a rare glimpse inside one of its giant data centres | Daily Mail Online:

Chrome app launcher ends

Google to get rid of the Chrome App Launcher ...
Whilst I have used the Chrome App Launcher for a while I tend to use the Apps Launcher extension in Chrome more often.

Google is removing the Chrome app launcher | The Verge:

Google Photos gets smarter

Google Photos just gets better and better ...
Soon Google Photos will take your holiday photos for you!

Google Photos gets smarter, automatically creates albums with your best photos | TechCrunch:

Chromecast now Google Cast

Google Cast for Chromecast and Chromecast Audio ...
The new name encompasses both the new Chromecast 2 for use on TVs and the Chromecast Audio for use on sound systems.

Google rebrands its Chromecast app to Google Cast to reflect expansion to more devices, including speakers | TechCrunch:

Android N Developer Preview

Early previews of Android N available ...
Get a look at some of the new features of the next Android release.

Surprise! Google releases Android N Developer Preview:

Google Docs Voice Control

Google Docs just keeps getting smarter ...
Great fan of Google Docs and it is all for free!

You Can Now Edit And Format Your Google Docs By Voice | TechCrunch:

Boston Dynamics' latest robot

You really have to take a look at these latest robots ...
They are getting so good (and tolerant) it is really amazing! I wonder when they will bring in a law forbidding cruelty to robots!

Boston Dynamics' latest robot is here to make humanity irrelevant | The Verge:

Chromecast Audio in Oz

At last Chromecast 2 & Chromecast Audio in Australia ...
Don't understand why it has taken so long to make these two great Google Chromecast products available in Australia.

Chromecast 2.0 arrives in Australia this week - Gadget Guy Australia:

Overhauled MS Outlook.com

Good news for for fans of Outlook.com ...
Not a huge fan of Outlook.com personally (I have used Gmail for a long time!) but this should be good news for those who prefer the Microsoft product.

Microsoft’s Outlook.com now has an overhauled look and features | The Verge:

Google is Killing Picasa

Killing off Picasa will not be well received by users ...
Whilst this could be seen as a valid rationalisation of Google services, it is not going to make long time users of Picasa at all happy.

Google Is Finally Killing Picasa | TechCrunch:

Bad USB Type-C cables

Watch out for these dangerous USB Type-C cables ...
Potentially a lot of costly damage can be caused by these USB Type-C cables that do not meet the required specification.

USB Type-C cable so bad it fries Google engineer’s Chromebook Pixel | Ars Technica:

Make Yourself a Chromebook

For those wanting to redeploy old PCs ...
Good way to re-utilise old PCs that will no longer run the latest Windows OSes. I have given it a try and it works very well on an ASUS Eee 1000HE netbook!

How to turn your sluggish old Mac or PC into a faster Chromebook | The Verge:

Intel’s convoluted CPU lineup

Just for those techies interested in Intel's CPU lineup ...
Definitely not for everyone but a useful article if you want to get to grips with Intel's CPU nomenclature!

Pentium? Core i5? Core i7? Making sense of Intel’s convoluted CPU lineup | Ars Technica:

Gmail Warns Unsecured Emails

Gmail get even more security conscious ...
Google is trying to make Gmail the most secure email system available.

Gmail Now Warns Users When They Send And Receive Email Over Unsecured Connections | TechCrunch:

'Trust us' says NBN boss

Useful update on NBN rollout progress ...
Apparently the number of premises that can connect via the NBN is now up to 1.7 million.

'Trust us' says NBN boss - Yahoo7 Finance Australia:

Google Browser Safety

Google increases browser safety ...
Something to be aware of if this screen pops up!

Google will start warning web users about deceptive download buttons | The Verge:

Gmail Passes 1B Users

Huge growth for Google's mail service Gmail ...
From 425 million in 2012 to 900 million last May and now 1,000 million! Interesting that Google has six other products with over 1B users, namely Search, Chrome, Android, Maps YouTube and Google Play.

Gmail Now Has More Than 1B Monthly Active Users | TechCrunch:

Alphabet Gets to the Top

Google's parent company, Alphabet, now at the top ...
Alphabet became the most valuable publicly traded company in the world with a market cap of $558 billion. The graphs in this article tell the story with respect to the No.2, Apple!

Alphabet Becomes The Most Valuable Public Company In The World | TechCrunch:

Bill Gates & wife Melinda

Interesting article about Bill and Melinda Gates ...
The philanthropic efforts of Bill and Melinda are a pleasure to behold! Shame all multi billionaires that were 'in the right place at the right time' don't share his enthusiasm for helping the poor!

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates says he used to memorise staff numberplates:

Windows Phone is dead

Not the news Microsoft wanted to hear ...
Microsoft has never really got traction for the Windows phone. This will be a big blow to the company who 'bet the farm' on a merged Operating System for desktop, tablet and phone.

Windows Phone is dead | The Verge:

Chromebooks on the rise

Chromebooks taking market share from Windows ...
This not unexpected although, in Australia, it is getting harder and harder to purchase a Chromebook in a retail store. Of course they are available from most manufacturers online.

Chromebooks are siphoning market share from Windows PCs - Good Gear Guide Australia:

Netflix's secret categories

Secret search categories for Netflix users ...
Handy search categories for Netflix users. Unfortunately you have to have a Netflix account to access the search categories!

How to access Netflix's secret categories | Stuff.co.nz:

Microsoft Ends Support

Microsoft ends support for a variety of products ...
Microsoft patch support for a number of products, including Windows 8 has now ended.

Microsoft Today Ends Support For Windows 8, Old Versions Of Internet Explorer | TechCrunch:

PC sales still in decline

Windows 10 fails to stop the decline in PC sales ...
Hardly a surprise! Whilst Windows 10 is definitely better than Windows 8, the damage had already been done, particularly in the consumer marketplace! Many consumers have moved to tablets and smartphones never to return to Windows.

Windows 10 hasn't stopped the PC sales decline yet | The Verge:

Trust Facebook?

Facebook tests its users with various scenarios ...
Not sure how ethical these user tests are but I guess you can understand Facebook's nervousness as it is heavily dependent on the Google App Store.

Facebook just gave us one more reason never to trust it | The Verge:

Key Flaw of Driverless Cars

Now we just need to make driverless cars human ...
Shame we have to make the cars actually break the road rules just to avoid crashes!

Humans are slamming into driverless cars and exposing a key flaw:

Exploding hoverboards

These hoverboards are a danger to everyone ...
Don't underestimate what a fully charged lithium battery can do!

Oh look, another exploding hoverboard caught on video | The Verge: