Google is taking a more proactive approach to Android security, paying hackers to look things over

Google has given over $4 million to security researchers that have successfully identified security vulnerabilities in things like the Chrome web browser. Now, your Android experience will benefit from this approach as well.

Effective immediately, with more information to come, all Google built Android and iOS apps are eligible for bounty from the Vulnerability Reward Program.

Google Fiber continues to march forward, launching in four new cities

Google has been attempting to disrupt the U.S. internet provider market for a few years now. They've successfully rolled out their new Google Fiber internet services to a few major centers have a bunch of others on stand-by and have just announced they'll be launching in four new cities: Atlanta, Charlotte, Nashville and Raleigh-Durham.

Google Fiber is a fiber optic based internet service, capable of bringing speeds of up to 1Gbps up and down for about $75 / month. In contrast, one of my coworkers at Android Authority just received an advertisement in the mail from AT&T, offering up their 'High Speed' internet services with speeds up to 3Mbps. For serious AT&T?!?! 3Mbps?

How to use Android Device Manager to find a missing device

With the sometimes astronomical prices of today's Android devices, it is important to have security in place - a plan to find and secure your device should it go missing. There are many great tools out there for this, including Cerberus, Lookout and more. Today, we want to look at the Google developed option, Android Device Manager.

As is usually the case around here, I've put the entire tutorial over on my Android customization series on Android Authority. Be sure to check it out for the full step by step to enabling Android Device Manager.

While you're here, let's discuss how you might use the tools of Android Device Manager.

YouTube Music Key and Google Play Music Key to unite audio and video

It is only just a leak so far, but we have it on good authority that Google's YouTube will be launching a service called YouTube Music Key, which will be a paid subscription service to provide ad-free, curated music videos, recorded concerts and more. In addition, Google Play Music All Access is to be renamed Google Play Music Key and add 20 million new tracks to their collection.

The combined YouTube Music Key and Google Play Music Key is expected to sell for $9.99 per month. That's the same price as All Access runs for now. 

The resulting service provided here is one that is ultimately unparalleled in the media streaming world right now. Google is effectively providing a one stop shop for all of our musical desires. No longer will we have to go to Play Music to listen to tunes, then kill it off and open up YouTube to be able to catch the video for that same artist we were just listening too.

Chromebook sales are up, PC sales down

Look at that, just after I go out and purchase a Chromebook of my own, sales numbers for 2013 and first quarter 2014 are hitting the web. The results are straightforward, PC sales continue to decline and Chromebook sales are on track to possibly double over last year.

Mixed into the numbers are some dramatic numbers out of the Microsoft camp, where the Surface division is reported to have accrued losses upwards of $2 billion in the last couple years.

As for the Chromebooks, they clocked in for a little over 2 million unit sales last year, not bad, but they rang up over 1 million sales in the first quarter of this year alone, on track to 4 million then?

There is no doubt that mobile and Chromebooks are taking over the majority of sales these days, these numbers only prove it.

Google will now take you to the Moon, and Mars, if you know how to ask

A long, long time ago, in a computer near you, you may have had Google Earth installed and used it to explore the Moon. Google is bringing that now to almost all of us, regardless our installed operating system and applications, through the Google Maps website. If the Moon is not enough, let's explore Mars as well.

Immediately, we dream of having street view of the planets, but the NASA Mars Rover has not yest returned enough imagery that Google can get it's hands on it for our pleasure. That's ok, there is still some amazing imagery available, you can zoom in an impressive amount in your attempts to find the perfect valley to live in.

Google improves your security, adds SSL to Chrome Extensions

Google has improved security but ensuring your connection from your Android device all the way to the browser on your computer is secured using normal HTTPS connections. Specifically, Google has added TLS/SSL to their chrome.sockets API.

You may be wondering if all Chrome extensions are secure or not, and for the most part, I think you will find that they are. Standard websockets have been in play for years, and they are fully SSL compliant. This news simply provides developers an alternative, Google-built for Google-products, tool to secure Chrome extensions.

Google Play Store sale, games up to 85% off, magazines for half price and a Comic-Con inspired movie collection

Hurry, you can get Assassin's Creed Pirates for just $0.10!!!

It must be time for summer app sales, both Google and Amazon have apps and more on sale in their respective app stores. Google also has movie and magazine sales, but we don't want to talk about that, we want to talk about games!

First an foremost, this is the first time in a long, long time that I've seen paid apps in the Google Play Store for less than $0.99. Do you remember back in 2011 when there were $0.10 and $0.25 app sales, those were good times. That is why I am talking about this sales now, I mean, there are often sales in the Google Play Store, but this one has several games for less than $0.99, and like I mentioned, Assassin's Creed Pirates is just ten cents.

Developers: Google updated the I/O 2014 app with Material Design and you can have the source code

Instead of allowing the Google I/O 2014 app to go to waste now that the conference is over, Google has updated the app with full Material Design and Android L, and you can now download the full source code and use it as sample code for your own development.

This is great for developers that perhaps are new to Android, or just do not have a natural knack for design. Material Design, like it or not, is a very fluid and consistent experience that is meant to span your entire application, and, indeed, the entire Android operating system. I took a quick look at last month, and I must say, I think I like it.

Google using your data to help you travel, now helps you find your hotel

Google has expanded its services to now include natural language searches that use a hotel reservation in your Gmail as a point of reference.

Was that too much, too fast? Let's start at the end, you will now be able to ask Google to show you restaurants nearby your hotel with the simple phrase "Show me restaurants nearby my hotel." The value here is that Google is smart enough to know where your hotel is, allowing for the natural language support.

Taking it a step further, you are covered even if you forget the name of your hotel, or where it is, Google remembers this stuff and can get you directions to and from 'my hotel' as well.

Will the Nexus 6 actually be a 6-inch device? This is Shamu, built by Motorola

This is pretty big news, if it is accurate. It looks like Motorola may be building the next Nexus phone, code named Shamu, it is a 5.9-inch device with a fingerprint scanner.

Sounds like a major device for Google to launch their newest Android release on. We've discussed Android L already, but I am eager to see and learn more.

New contextually aware Explore button coming to Google Maps for Android

In its simplest form, you should soon expect to see a new Explore button pop up in the bottom right hand corner of your Maps screen. Do not always expect to see the new button, it will be contextually aware of not only your location, to show you relevant local information, but aspects like the time of the day, your preferences based on your Maps history and the weather.

Google offers the specific examples of taking note of the time of day so to not provide you info for breakfast spots at dinner time. They also explain that they will not promote a day in the park if there is bad weather rolling in.

Google opens up Project Ara developer board applications

Google has some unique and exciting stuff on the go. Self driving cars, 3D environment aware phones and tablets and more. One of their cool projects is a phone with some assembly required called Project Ara.

Project Ara is an interesting design that should allows users to stand the test of time with their Android smartphone. The device is an exoskeleton to which you electromagnetically attach modules that provide the actual specs of the device. There are different display panels, processors, cameras, batteries and more. This is great, but we need more.

Use Tasker to control your Android display timeout and display rotation

I spoke of display timeout in the past, I still believe that display timeout is a crucial balancing act for mobile device user - if your display turns off too soon, there is anger, if it stays on too long, good bye battery life.

Display rotation is one of those things that we each prefer differently. And that preference differs based on the device in hand as well. For myself, my Nexus 7 tablet is the perfect size for typing in portrait mode, but I cannot comfortably reach the entire keyboard in landscape mode. Pretty simple, the tablet stays in portrait mode except for a few apps.

Heads Up! brings Android L style floating Notifications to your device

After Google introduced Android L at their Google I/O developer conference last week, Android users have been excited about getting their hands on the new release for their devices. As excited as we are to install the yet un-named "L___" release, most of us will have to wait until later this fall for the official release. However, small features of the release can be had today!

Private government network has speeds up to 100x faster than Google Fiber

A U.S. based shadow network called the ESnet, used by scientists at NASA and the like, is pushing real world, cross-country data speeds up to 91Gbps. That is about 100X faster that Google Fiber, which itself is about 100X faster than typical 'Broadband' speeds to most homes.

Over on Android Authority, I explain a bit about how this network operates, who gets to use it, how it compares to other high-speed networks and more. There is also some great ideas in the comments on what one could use these speeds for. Some intelligent stuff in there, some junk too.

"OK, Google" hotword detection on any screen in Android! Even with the screen turned off?

During Google I/O, Google announced a slew of new designs, services and products to get us all through another year of computing. We've taken a look at their new design principles, had a peek at what their new apps and services may look like and more, but Google did not say a word about an update to Google Search.

The Google Search update, coupled with the updated Google Play Services, will allow most devices to activate the "OK Google" hotword from any screen, not just the Homescreens, or just the Google Now interface, as is currently available.

What will Google's new apps look like with the changes we're seeing for Android L?

Expanding on yesterday's post showing the design principles that Google in employing for Android L, here is a big post showing off just what Google's apps and services may look like with the new designs.

What will Android L look like? Google's new Material Design video gives us an idea

If you are reader of this, or any other Android or Google related website, you know that the Google I/O conference kicked off with the 2+ hour keynote presentation that ended just an hour ago. As you might imagine, one of the key topics was Android.

Never mind the fact that they are clocking over 90 million selfies every day from over 1 billion active users, they showed us a bunch of new design principles that will slowly roll out to all Google services across multiple platforms.

Google Chromecast has new competition, Mozilla Netcast powered by Firefox OS

This isn't the first time Google's Chromecast has seen competition in the streaming-stick set-top box segment. Chromecast is an HDMI dongle, not much larger than a USB flash drive, which you simply plug into the back of your TV and use your Android device to 'cast' videos and pictures to the big screen.

Roku has built a competing device. Google's own Google TV is a larger form factor, but many consider to be a competitor itself, not to mention the Android TV that we expect to learn about at Google I/O tomorrow. Amazon Fire TV is yet again a different classification of device, but offers competing streaming capabilities. This time, however, Mozilla and an unknown hardware manufacturer are looking at building a true competitor to Chromecast.