Everyone knows by now that Google Stadia is dead. These are words that I didn't think I would be writing, at least not only a handful of years after the service launched. The tech giant unceremoniously axed its golden opportunity to continue positively affecting the gaming community and shaping its … [Read more...] about Google has started issuing Stadia refunds, but don’t expect them immediately
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Say goodbye to the old Gmail interface forever as the new, unified experience becomes standard
We're coming up on one year post-launch of the new 'Unified View' for Gmail, and it's hard to care about the previous 'Original view' of the service. Of course, that's just my personal opinion, and I can see why some folks just want to keep their mail, Chat, Spaces, and Meet separate. By … [Read more...] about Say goodbye to the old Gmail interface forever as the new, unified experience becomes standard
Opinion: YouTube’s Background Listening should not be locked behind a paywall
Well, this feels weird. Today, This month, I let my YouTube Premium subscription lapse as an experiment and I was instantly reminded of the grim reality of the state of the platform. You may have recently heard some outlets discussing how 11 or more advertisements were shown to users who were not … [Read more...] about Opinion: YouTube’s Background Listening should not be locked behind a paywall
Google Sites Classic shutdown timeline extended yet again
When Google decides that one of its apps or services is on the chopping block, that's usually the only cue you need to get out as fast as possible. Thanks to Google Takeout, you can grab a copy of that offering's data to use elsewhere, and the company tends to give you enough of a heads-up before … [Read more...] about Google Sites Classic shutdown timeline extended yet again
Google Messages swaps its odd horizontal photo picker for a standard vertical one
Do you want to know what I can't stand? When app developers make poor use of my device's available screen real estate. In some instances, these decisions are made out of a desire to explore new UX territory or to be clever and different from the competition. For the longest time, Google Messages … [Read more...] about Google Messages swaps its odd horizontal photo picker for a standard vertical one
Disney+ is about to get a price hike and an ad-supported tier that won’t cost any less
You probably won't be surprised to hear this, but Disney+ is following in everyone else's footsteps and asking you to trade your dignity and pay for ads. According to a Disney+ help article that was just updated, the company plans to make two massive changes to its offerings. First, it will bump … [Read more...] about Disney+ is about to get a price hike and an ad-supported tier that won’t cost any less
How to play Xbox games on your Chromebook using the new Cloud Gaming Beta web app
Last year, Microsoft announced that its Xbox Cloud Gaming Beta would be set free from the bounds of consoles and its Windows PC application. Shortly thereafter, it became a web app, or PWA, and thanks to this change, anyone can play Xbox games on their Chromebooks or anywhere there is a browser. … [Read more...] about How to play Xbox games on your Chromebook using the new Cloud Gaming Beta web app
Despite its flaws, PlayStation Plus Premium is a great home for Stadia refugees
In the wake of Google cutting off access to its cloud gaming platform in January of this next year, many companies and individuals alike are taking the opportunity to throw gamers a lifeboat by way of allocating information and resources and even in some cases, providing refuge. Services like Xbox … [Read more...] about Despite its flaws, PlayStation Plus Premium is a great home for Stadia refugees
Google Play wants to better highlight high-quality apps, reduce review bombing, more
Over on its Android Developers blog, Google detailed how it wants to draw more attention to apps and games that put in the work to make the user experience top-notch. Over the next few months, the Google Play Store intends to roll out improvements to how it does this by giving developers more tools … [Read more...] about Google Play wants to better highlight high-quality apps, reduce review bombing, more
You can now share Google Drive files temporarily thanks to a new expiration date feature
Until now, sharing access to a Google Drive file meant it was permanent unless you manually removed a collaborator from it. Doing so requires you to first remember to do so and then to actually do it, obviously. The issue with this is that human error is the weakest link in technology. In some … [Read more...] about You can now share Google Drive files temporarily thanks to a new expiration date feature
Google Street View’s dedicated Android app is being shut down next year
All of my favorite Google apps are shutting down this year, and to be honest, that's kind of a bummer. I know that the company is moving rapidly towards web applications, but they don't always have feature parity with the Android version that disappears off of the face of the Earth. The latest … [Read more...] about Google Street View’s dedicated Android app is being shut down next year
Google Play Games PC beta officially launches in the United States
As we've recently covered, the Google Play Store was allowing some users to download the Windows .exe version of specific games a few weeks back. With Google Play Games for PC rolling out to Eastern audiences, those of us in the West just had to continue waiting, despite the accidental tease on … [Read more...] about Google Play Games PC beta officially launches in the United States
