After the recent introduction of audiobooks to Google Play, Google is now expanding the available features to improve user experience and better match offerings from Audiable and iBooks. The update is out for the Android, iOS, and Google Assistant-enabled devices.Users can now add bookmarks to their audiobooks, allowing them to revisit favorite portions of the books at any time. Just tap the bookmark icon while you're listening, and this will create a marker that you can always come back to. Another neat new feature comes in the form of more granular narration speed controls. Users can now go as high as 3x or as slow as 0.5x, depending on preference. There's also the Smart Resume feature, which intelligently rewinds to the beginning of the sentence or word you left off on, so you can more easily get back into the book after a pause.As far as Google Assistant features go, users can now add audiobooks to their Routines. This is done through the Google Home app and aims to help users … [Read more...] about Google Play Books gets a slew of audiobook features
Buy a $50 or higher Google Play gift card from Amazon and save $5
Earlier today, we told you how you can score a $15 Target credit for a Google Express order just by saying "Spring into Target" to Google Assistant. Now, we can save you $5 thanks to a promotion being offered by Amazon. Purchase a Google Play gift card in the amount of $50 or more, and save $5 on the cost. In other words, a $50 card will cost you $45, a $75 card is priced at $70 and a $100 card is priced at $95, etc.Now, to get the $5 taken off your bill, write in the code GOOGLE when you check out. One $5 discount is available per customer, and to reiterate, the discount is offered for Google Play gift cards with a $50 face amount and higher.Not only can you use the Google Play gift card to buy paid apps, you can also use it for subscriptions to YouTube Red, Netflix and Google Play Music to name a few. The card can also be used to purchase video and music from Google Play.Amazon says that this is a limited time offer, so if you want to save $5 on the purchase of a Google Play gift … [Read more...] about Buy a $50 or higher Google Play gift card from Amazon and save $5
Google Maps for Android
Download the latest release of Google Maps, and never carry a paper map again. Google Maps for Android with Navigation (Beta) has: Detailed maps with 3D buildings Voice guided turn-by-turn GPS navigation Driving, public transit, biking, and walking directions Live traffic information to avoid congestion Local search and business reviews Google Maps Street View Indoor maps for select airports, hotels, retail stores, and more What's New: View search results on the map or in a list and easily switch between them Search for places you’ve reviewed or saved using the “Your places” filter Bike directions now include elevation profiles to help avoid steep hills Try the improved Explore, a local activities guide based on location and time of day Tap the My Location button to get quick info on your current location … [Read more...] about Google Maps for Android
How Google’s AR Maps API can change the face of more than just AR gaming
At the 2018 Games Developer Conference, Google spoke about ARCore and its newly announced Google Maps API for game developers. What started with examples of how games could be played in the real world, unveiled a deeper level of possibility that I'm excited to see in the future. When you think about a Google Maps API, I'm sure you're thinking, "Pokémon GO." That's what I first thought. But that only scratches the surface of what this new developer cool can do. It's more than just a way to map an environment and plant augmented reality characters into it. It has the ability to literally change the environment around us ... in real time ... with relative real-world changes. Google will provide game developers with four key features for their games. First, access to Google's massive Maps data (which is updated approximately 25 million times per day), access to Unity's physics engine so they can create unique graphics with the data they have from Maps, information about real-world … [Read more...] about How Google’s AR Maps API can change the face of more than just AR gaming
How to delete your Google location history on iPhone and iPad
While Facebook has been grabbing most of the headlines lately, it isn't the only company that collects a lot of data on you. Google, as many of you know, also collects a good deal of data, and one of the ways they do this is by collecting your location data. You can actually see the location data that Google has collected on you, and, if you want, delete it. Here's what you need to know about how to see what location data Google has for you, and how to delete it on your iPhone or iPad. How to see your Google location history All you need to do to see your Google location history is to head to your Google Maps Timeline. If you're on a mobile device with the Google Maps app installed, this link will take you to your location history inside the Google Maps app. How to delete your entire location history in Google Maps for iPhone and iPad Open the Google Maps app on your iPhone or iPad. Tap the hamburger menu on the left side of the search bar (looks like three stacked horizontal lines) … [Read more...] about How to delete your Google location history on iPhone and iPad