Google’s New Logo
Google has unveiled its biggest logo change in 16 years. The new design is flatter and uses a sans-serif font, giving it a younger, brighter, cheerier feel. The blue 'g' favicon is also replaced by a four-colour 'G' to match.
Google hardware, from Pixel phones and Nest displays to Home speakers and Chromecast.
Nexus Player
Amazon had 30% off the Nexus Player a couple of weeks back. After some deliberation I gave in, being a sucker for new gadgets, and bought it for US$67.68 on 29th June 2015.
Chromecast Now Officially Available in Singapore
Nearly two years after its launch, Chromecast is now officially available in Singapore as of 19th March 2015. The thumb-sized streaming device plugs into your TV's HDMI port, letting you cast entertainment from an Android phone, iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
Nexus 6
I bought my Nexus 6 from MobyShop for S$870, trading in my 16GB Nexus 5 for S$200, so I paid S$670 net. Holding it, the aluminium frame lends a premium feel; for once a Nexus phone doesn't look cheap.
Nexus 6 Now Available in Singapore
Four months after its launch, the Nexus 6 is now officially available in Singapore at a recommended S$998. Only the 32GB variant is sold, in both Midnight Blue and Cloud White, exclusively through open retail channels rather than telcos.
Google Announces Nexus 6, Nexus 9, Nexus Player & Android 5.0 Lollipop
Last Wednesday, Google announced the Nexus 6, Nexus 9, Nexus Player, and Android 5.0 Lollipop. The Nexus 6 runs Lollipop on a 5.96-inch 2560x1440 QHD AMOLED display with a Snapdragon 805. US pre-orders open 29th October 2014, with stores following.
Google Chromecast
I bought the Google Chromecast from Amazon for US$35, excluding shipping. It works like Apple's AirPlay. In the US you can stream Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Google Play content, but for everyday users in Singapore, there's little beyond YouTube streaming.
Chromebooks Now Available In Singapore
Chromebooks have arrived in Singapore, though oddly they're sold only at Courts for now, not Challenger, Harvey Norman, or Best Denki. Three models are available: the HP Pavilion and Samsung Chromebooks at S$449, and the Acer C7 at S$369.
Google Shutting Down Google Reader
Google Reader was created in early 2005 by Google engineer Chris Wetherell and launched on 7th October 2005 through Google Labs. I can't recall when I started using it, but probably around 2006. Ever since, I've relied on it daily.
Indoor Google Maps For Android Now Available In Singapore
From today, with Indoor Google Maps for Android in Singapore, you can pinpoint where you are, which floor you're on, and where shops sit relative to you inside a mall. Detailed floor plans appear as you zoom into a building.
A Year in Singaporean Search: Google’s Top Searches of 2012
Google has released its annual Zeitgeist, a look at 2012 through the world's collective searches, offering a window into the year's biggest events and trends in Singapore. Top trending searches included Olympics 2012, Gangnam Style, SOPA, Legoland Malaysia, Zerg Rush.
Google Announces New Nexus 4, Nexus 10 & Updated Nexus 7
Google has announced the Nexus 4, Nexus 10, and an updated Nexus 7. The Nexus 4, its fourth Nexus phone and made by LG, packs a 4.7-inch 1280x768 display, an 8MP rear camera, a quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro, 2GB RAM.
Google Nexus 7 Now Available In Singapore
The Google Nexus 7 is now available in Singapore, three months after its unveiling at Google I/O 2012. The 16GB Wi-Fi model retails for S$399 at electronics stores Challenger, Best Denki, and Harvey Norman. It has no 3G or LTE.
Google Chrome And Google Drive Now On iOS
Google Chrome has finally arrived on iOS as a universal app. I've tried it on both my iPhone 4S and iPad 2, and it works beautifully, replacing Safari on my devices. Sync of bookmarks, history, tabs, and preferences works perfectly.
Google Nexus 7, Nexus Q & Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
Google launched several products at this morning's Google I/O 2012, including the Nexus 7 at US$199, the Nexus Q at US$299, and the Triad Bookshelf Speakers at US$399. It also announced Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, the update to Android 4.0.
Google Drive
Google Drive is finally here after years of waiting, just in time to join the cloud storage rush, with Microsoft's new SkyDrive landing two days ago. Dropbox now faces competition. I've been a paying Dropbox Pro user for two years.
Galaxy Nexus (White)
I bought the white Galaxy Nexus from the SingTel Shop at ComCentre on 18th February 2012. The white was initially online-only via SingTelShop.com, but since I was at the store, I asked the officer and they had it.
Google Chrome For Android
Google Chrome for Android, in beta, is now available in the Android Market. The catch is that it requires a phone or tablet running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Engadget has a hands-on if you'd like a closer look.
Google Building 44 (Android Mascots)
Google's Building 44 sits at 1635 Charleston Road, Mountain View. I rented a car from Hertz and drove there from San Francisco, about an hour away. I noticed snow on the ground and was surprised, but it turned out artificial.
Google+ Pages
Google has launched Google+ Pages, its take on Facebook Pages, which you can create at plus.google.com/pages/create. I do wish Google+ offered nicer URLs, as Facebook does for pages and profiles, since nobody will remember the long numeric ID.
Galaxy Nexus & Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) Officially Announced
Google announced the Galaxy Nexus and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich yesterday in Hong Kong. Made by Samsung, the Galaxy Nexus will arrive in November 2011, running a 1.2GHz dual-core OMAP 4460 processor with a 4.65-inch 1280x720 display.
Google+ API Released
The Google+ API has finally been released. This initial release focuses on public data only, letting you read what people have shared publicly on Google+. Its methods are RESTful HTTP requests returning JSON responses, using OAuth 2 for secure access.