YouTube removing 15 minute upload length, for some

YouTube videos are about to get longer. The company says it is lifting the 15-minute limit on uploaded videos, beginning with a subset of users. These individuals have never violated copyright rules and have followed YouTube's community guidelines. Some content owners that partner with YouTube have already been able to upload longer videos but this step will remove the limit for everyone.

The change will allow YouTube to host videos such as lectures by college professors, talks at conferences, and films by independent filmmakers without breaking them up into multiple parts. It could also mean uploading longer copyrighted material, but YouTube says it is changing its limit now because its system for handling copyright violations is better than ever.

"As long as it's your original content, its fair game regardless of length," a YouTube spokesperson said in a statement. "This launch has been made possible in part by the continued advances in our state-of-the-art Content ID system, as well as our other powerful tools for copyright owners. Over 1000 global partners use Content ID to manage their content on YouTube, including every major U.S. movie studio and music label. We remain as dedicated as ever to building and improving the most sophisticated technology in the world to help copyright owners protect their rights."

YouTube currently has 35 hours uploaded every minute. Expect that number to grow even faster as the 15 minute limit is slowly removed.

LG to launch Android-based tablet this year

Korean electronics company LG officially became part of the ever-growing Android clan earlier this year when they launched the TouchMax GW620 smartphone (available in the U.K.). Today, they've furthered their commitment with Google's mobile platform by announcing plans to release a digital media tablet built around it. According to Engadget, the company expects to have a product ready to ship in the fourth quarter of this year, unwilling to fall behind its fierce rival Samsung.

Unfortunately, there aren't yet any real details about the device just yet besides the fact that it will run Android. LG is also known to be working on a Windows 7 powered tablet. Dubbed UX10, the 10.1-inch device was shown off at Computex running on an Atom Z530 processor with 1GB of RAM. Other features included a 120GB hard drive, 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera, SD memory card slot, and HDMI output.

At that time Microsoft said the device would be maturing from prototype to general availability sometime soon, but now we're unsure if it suffered the same fate as the cancelled HP Slate. After all, Android is free, easy to integrate into a variety of hardware, and third-party app development for Google's mobile platform is thriving.

Android 2.2 'Froyo' update officially hits Nexus One phones

Good news, Nexus One owners. Google is finally rolling out Android 2.2, codenamed Froyo, to your devices in an over-the-air update. The latest version of the mobile platform brings several performance improvements to the table, as well as new features like support for push notifications, better support for Microsoft's Exchange software, a streamlined Android Market interface, and the ability to turn your phone into a portable Wi-Fi hotspot that can be shared with up to 8 devices.

Android 2.2 also brings faster app-switching and support for Adobe Flash 10.1, allowing you phone's web browser to fully run websites that use Flash for navigation, games and video. In order to access the update, you will receive a message on your phone's notification bar. Just download the update, wait for it to install, and you should be all set. According to Google, the update will be rolling out gradually to all Nexus Ones during the week.

No specific date has been set for when other devices will get the final version of Android 2.2. The HTC Evo 4G, HTC Droid Incredible, and HTC Desire (non-US) should all be getting the update in the coming months, as well as the Motorola Droid and the upcoming Motorola Droid X. Both manufacturers use a custom version of the Andriod user interface with their devices, so it usually takes longer for users of these phones to receive the latest updates

The update will be compatible with most Android phones released in 2010. If you have an older Android smartphone, like the T-Mobile G1, don't expect to get Froyo, as its hardware is said to be too limited to provide full support.

Extension sync, built-in PDF viewer coming to Chrome

Google has pushed out new versions of Chrome to the web browser's developer channel. The update addresses a number of bugs like the typical run-of-the-mill release, but it also packs a couple of interesting new features, including the long sought-after ability to synchronize extensions across multiple computers. Just like with bookmarks or preferences, now any copy of Chrome on which you are logged into your Google Account will have the same extensions as your other machines.

The feature is not enabled by default and we hear it's still a little buggy, but that's something to expect when running the dev build. To enable extension sync, right click on Chrome's shortcut, choose Properties, and at the end of the Target field add the following command line switch: "--enable-sync-extensions" (minus the quotes).

The other big new feature in Chrome's latest dev release is the built-in PDF viewer. In its current implementation the feature is fairly limited and appears to be based on the same technology that powers 'View as HTML' in Gmail. This means users are not required to have Adobe Reader installed, which could provide safer experience for those who often drag their feet when it comes to installing new versions of the plug-in. Google will still allow Acrobat Reader -- or any other PDF reader -- to be launched directly from Chrome in case you need more advanced capabilities.

If you are interested in trying out the new features just head over to the download page for Google Chrome's dev channel builds. If you don't want potentially unstable software running on your machine, though, it might be better to wait for these features to trickle down to the beta and then the stable release channels.

Google takes a page from Bing's homepage

Tired of Google's white homepage? Starting today the search giant is letting users customize its famously spartan home page with photos of their own or from a public gallery featuring the works of professional artists, by clicking a link on the bottom left corner. This is a major shift in the company's design philosophy. Google says the move is aimed at making the "search experience more relevant, useful and fun through personalization." It also makes them look a lot like Bing.

Microsoft's search engine has provided changing daily backgrounds since the service launched in May 2009. On the other hand, Google's approach to its home page has always been minimalistic, based on the notion that people want lightning-fast page loads and no distractions. These background images might remove that advantage by slowing things down a bit. Unfortunately, it seems there is no easy way of reverting to the original white background for now.

Feedback is mixed -- if not leaning towards negative. Some say this shows how Google has been feeling the heat from Microsoft's Bing search engine, while others have already "threatened" to switch providers. ZDNet's David Gewirtz also makes an interesting (albeit a tad exaggerated) point suggesting the change could have deeper consequences for the company, hurting its iconic image and confusing less-savvy users about the service they are using.

However, it seems the default Bing-like background image is just part of a 24-hour introduction of the feature, with backgrounds rotating on a random basis. Google's plain white search page is expected to return tomorrow, so they won't have to worry much about deflecting users and those who like the custom backgrounds feature can still make use of it.

Google touts fresher results with 'Caffeine' index system

Google has just rolled out a new web indexing system, dubbed Caffeine, which it claims will provide 50% fresher results for your searches by constantly updating its database to keep up with the explosion of real-time content. "Whether it's a news story, a blog or a forum post, you can now find links to relevant content much sooner after it is published than was possible ever before", explained Google Software Engineer Carrie Grimes.

Under the old index, when you did a search Google would scan the various layers of its index. These layers are prioritized by importance, so it would search one group of high priority sites and then work its way down to less prioritized groups of sites. Each layer was updated on a schedule and at different rates -- the primary one was refreshed every two weeks, for example. With Caffeine, Google drops the layered architecture and instead analyzes small portions of the web and updates the index on a continuous basis. This means that recently-published content is added much sooner than before.

According to Google, Caffeine is capable of adding hundreds of thousands of pages into the Google index per second, and hundreds of thousands of gigabytes of information per day. This is the biggest change to the search engine's methodology in four years, and one that reportedly increases their ability to scale up with the rapid growth of information online.

Bonux's Android set-top box is pretty much Google TV lite

Bonux's Android set-top box ain't shipping till the year's end, either. Tucked away in a small corner of Computex was the gem you see above: an Android 2.1-based set-top box designed to bring... well, Android to your television. The white mockup box was strictly in place to demonstrate the software, and the inability to find a live internet connection on the floor crushed their desires to demonstrate connected extras. Essentially, this STB would scale a mobile OS up to TV size, which isn't exactly the most elegant of solutions. That said, it does "work," and the idea of using Android to pull in local media and web content may tempt those who aren't willing to deal with the expense and complications of snagging a full-blown HTPC. We were told that the box could play back nearly every major file format known to man, and the HDMI output ensures broad compatibility with practically every HDTV ever sold.

When speaking with company representatives at its booth, they asserted that their goal was to shrink the white box down to the size of the black unit sitting beside it, or something barely larger than a deck of cards. If all goes to plan, they should be shipping worldwide by the end of this year, but they stated that it would be awhile before Froyo (Android 2.2) was supported given the intrinsic need for more potent hardware. Speaking of which, they've yet to actually nail down a final processor, and they're still debating whether they'll have WiFi as an option. In the end, consumers should expect "between one and three" variants (including one with an integrated TV tuner, possibly), and a retail starting price of around "$120 to $130." So, found that patience you were looking for yet?

Lenovo to put Android on Skylight, U1 Hybrid, both delayed

Lenovo has reportedly delayed its Skylight smartbook and IdeaPad U1 Hybrid, which were originally due in April. This marks the second setback and the company hasn't revealed when either product will ship, but they're definitely still coming. Last month, the PC maker delayed its smartbook to improve its working performance, supposedly in the interest of competing against Apple's iPad.

In a recent comment to Laptop Mag, the company said that after "careful consideration of market conditions and user feedback," it has decided to focus on building a family mobile Internet devices based on Android. Because of that "strategic shift towards open standards," Lenovo has scrapped plans to launch the Skylight and U1 with a proprietary Linux OS.

The Skylight features a 1GHz Snapdragon CPU, 20GB of removable flash storage along with 2GB of cloud storage, Wi-Fi and 3G, a "full size" keyboard, and a 10-hour battery life. Meanwhile, the 11.6-inch U1 Hybrid has a detachable Snapdragon-based slate that can run independent of its Intel-powered clamshell, which has a hardware keyboard and the usual notebook connectivity.

Chrome 5 stable released for Windows, Mac, Linux

Google has released Chrome 5, bringing new features and marking the first stable build for Mac and Linux. The latest version is available for Windows too, of course. Among the new features is the ability to synchronize browser preferences, such as themes, homepage and startup settings, web content settings, preferred languages, and even page zoom settings across multiple computers. This is in addition to syncing bookmarks, which was introduced in version 4.0 earlier this year.

Extensions now work in incognito mode via the extensions manager, the bookmark manager has been tweaked, and Chrome 5 incorporates HTML5 features, such as Geolocation APIs, App Cache, web sockets, as well as file drag-and-drop. If you want to experience some of what HTML5 brings to the table, Google says you can drag and drop attachments in Gmail or enable the geolocation functionality in Google Maps.

Although Flash Player integration didn't make it into this build, it should come along with the full release of Flash 10.1, which isn't far off. If Chrome hasn't automatically updated yet, you can manually install version 5 by clicking the tools menu (looks like a wrench), then About Google Chrome.

Google unveils Android-powered TV platform

Confirming earlier reports, Google has officially announced its Android-powered TV platform today at the I/O conference in San Francisco. The new product will combine traditional television programming with Internet video, allowing users to easily search for programs without scrolling through cumbersome onscreen TV directories.

Users can use their remote to drop down a "quick search box" to search TV and the web. For instance, typing "House" will give you the listings for the show on both USA and Fox -- which can be set for recording if there is a DVR -- as well as links to watch episodes online via Hulu or purchase them on Amazon.com. Besides supporting a number of online video sources, including Netflix and YouTube, Google TV will also have the capability to run apps from the Android Market and should integrate a range of online services like Twitter for a more social television experience.

To reach the long-elusive goal of bringing television and the web together, Google has partnered with Sony, Intel and Logitech to produce the actual devices that will run its platform. Sony is expected to introduce both a standalone TV model and set top box-type unit incorporating a Blu-ray Disc drive later this year, while Logitech will launch a high definition camera for video chat and a companion box that brings Google TV to existing HDTV home entertainment systems. The Intel Atom CE4100 processor will power both the Logitech and Sony devices

Google to launch app store for Chrome browser, OS

During its annual I/O developer conference Google unveiled today a new online application marketplace. The Chrome Web Store will contain both free and paid software designed for Google's Chrome browser, as well as Chrome OS, the company's upcoming Internet-focused operating system designed for netbooks and similar machines.

The store will be accessible through both platforms and installed applications will exist as new tabs. As you might expect there will be a number of apps for Google services, such as Gmail, Google Docs, Google Calendar, Google Reader, Google Wave, but the gallery is not limited to Google products.

For instance, you can expect apps like TweetDeck, along with games such as Plants vs. Zombies and Lego Star Wars. Developers will be allowed to upload their software to the store on their own, and the marketplace will include a built-in payment system.

The Chrome Web Store should be added to Google's browser later this year, and will presumably be live in time for Chrome OS' debut.

Google relaunches Wave, no invitation necessary

Google's real-time collaboration platform, Google Wave, was unveiled roughly a year ago amid a ton of hype at the I/O developer conference. Although it seemed quite promising at first, combining the functions of email, instant messaging, wikis, and blogs in a framework that facilitates communication, since launch users were put off by its complexity and apparent lack of focus. The excitement over Wave quickly died down and most users just forgot about it.


Today the search giant is using the same venue to announce a revamp of the service, making it available to any home user or Google Apps customer without invitations as part of Google Labs. Lars Rasmussen, engineering manager for the product, said he is confident Wave is now ready for primetime as the trial period has served to make it faster, much more stable and easier to use. If you haven't tried it in a while, among the new features are email notifications when waves change, easier navigation to unread parts of a wave, permission management options and new extensions.

They've also included a collection of templates that should make it more obvious what Wave can be useful for. It will be interesting to see how Wave fares this time around, with less hype and more functionality built into the service.

Microsoft may be able to collect royalties on Android

Handset manufacturers may have to dole out hefty royalties for each and every Android-based device sold, BusinessWeek reports. The fees would be paid to Microsoft for licensing prior patent art, although no details are available concerning exactly what those patents may be.

To the detriment of Google and its free Android operating system, the additional cost and legal complexity may chill the adoption of Android. This would also have the effect of making other platforms such as Windows Phone 7 more attractive to manufacturers, especially since many of them already bundle some of their products with Microsoft's mobile OS anyway.

HTC, maker of Google's Nexus One, has reportedly reached a settlement with Microsoft already. Meanwhile, Microsoft has also been "talking" with other manufacturers to form royalty agreements.

It should be worth noting that Microsoft is not known for litigious patent abuse, only having proactively launched two patent lawsuits in the last three years. This news comes about two months after Apple announced a duel with HTC over the use of their intellectual property as well.

Apple iPhone hacked to run Google's Android

David Wang, a hacker from the well-known iPhone Dev Team group, has posted a video of Android running on his iPhone 2G. This feat is most certainly a big step in the ongoing battle to free iPhone users from the clutches of Apple.

The blog post shows Android in action and if the video itself is any indication, the project looks very promising. A number of features are shown off during the demo, including a custom boot loader, the entire boot process, wireless Internet access, playing music and of course receiving a call. However, despite its very functional appearance, David describes it as "slightly buggy" and "alpha quality". This is most likely not something you'll see on your iPhone any time soon.

According to the commentary, the demonstration runs a little slow because a debug version of Android is being used. Having used a 2G for the video, David also informs us that porting the project over to the 3G should be pretty simple, but the 3GS will represent a greater challenge. Despite the polish needed, it will be very interesting to see where this leads in the future -- Could this represent the next level of jailbreaking?

Gmail gets drag-and-drop attachments, better calendar tools

Google has added a couple of useful features to Gmail which are now available directly on the main client without them having to graduate from Labs. The first is based on HTML 5 and will allow users to drag-and-drop files as attachments to their emails, replacing the usual method of clicking the 'attach a file' option. Just grab a file or multiple files off your desktop, drag it into a Gmail compose window and it will automatically be uploaded and attached to your message.


It's not an earth-shattering new feature, but it makes sending files quick and easy. It currently works on Chrome 4 or Firefox 3.6 only, but according to Google Engineer Adam de Boor, the feature will be enabled for other browsers too as soon as they correctly support the HTML 5 drag-and-drop functionality.

The second new feature comes in the form of a little "insert invitation" link just at the bottom of the subject line of outgoing e-mails. When clicked, it opens a Google Calendar invitation-maker that includes a visual of when there are open times to meet based the invitees' schedules (provided you have access to view their Google Calendars).