Broadcasting live gameplay videos, posting videos of high-scores, strategy or just narrating while playing games has increasingly become very popular in the gaming community. Twitch is the leading platform when it comes to gaming videos. The service boasts 45 million gamers every month.

If you’ve ever gone through the most popular videos on YouTube you would’ve noticed that many times gaming videos rank very highly. YouTube understands that there is a very big market of users who love to watch or create gaming related videos and share with everyone.

With YouTube Gaming a dedicated service by Google, the company aims to compete with Twitch. It will be available this summer in the US and UK initially.

You will be able to view content through Games, Feed and Channels. The app will feature a live system to make chatting with your favourite YouTube creators easy and fast.

Google has highlighted that service will cater to the needs of all gamers and if they type “call” in the search field they can be rest assured to receive “Call of Duty” as a recommendation instead of “Call Me Maybe”.

Google has been hard at work to support video playback and lifestream at 60fps. Since this is essential to offer live gameplay broadcast. According to the company YouTube Gaming will provide “an improved live experience that makes it simpler to broadcast your gameplay to YouTube.”

Are you excited about YouTube Gaming? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

At an event earlier today Motorola, a Google company unveiled its latest ‘budget’ smartphone called “Moto G”. The theme of the entire event and the ideology behind the product was to make premium features available at a non-premium price.

While announcing the new Moto G product Motorola executives mentioned Apple’s iPhone 5s, Samsung’s Galaxy S4 and HTC a few times. Moto G features 4.5 inch high resolution screen with 329 ppi and 720p. The executives were quick to point out that the screen has better quality than Apple’s flagship iPhone 5s. Moto G runs on Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 clocked at 1.2 GHz, 1GB RAM, and offers “all-day” battery life with around 14 hours of talk time on 3G networks. In comparison, iPhone 5s according to Apple offers 10 hours of battery life on 3G.

After unveiling the hardware features and sharing the idea behind creating a budget phone Punit Soni who is responsible for software product management for Moto G took the stage to talk about software. Soni mentioned the three main tenets of their software strategy for Moto G. The first being build on pure foundation of Android, second build experiences that compliment Google services and not compete with them and lastly ensure that the software can give value back to the users.

If you’ve ever seen any Android device in the market manufactured by Samsung, HTC or Sony among many others you will immediately realise that all these companies have two things in common. They add a layer of their own software to the stock OS and bundle services that compete with Google’s software services.

Soni began to elaborate on the three main tenets by saying:

In today’s ecosystem mobile manufactures have a very confused relationship with Android they build on top of it but then they add all of these custom skins which detract from the user experience and hogs resources then they go ahead and put duplicative software on top of it which basically compete with Google services.

He goes on to mention that devices bundled with multiple mail apps, app stores, video players and music players results in “non-intuitive” and “cluttered” user interface.

At the time of purchase of Motorola by Google for a record  $12.5 billion the search giant claimed that they bought the company to secure Android’s position in future by acquiring key patents. Even though Google claims to treat all Android partners equally, at today’s event Soni was sending an indirect yet strong message to ‘other’ Android device manufacturers.

While referencing to the custom skins the slide Soni used had TouchWiz, Sense UI and Xperia UI. Clearly, targeting the top three Android manufacturers to convey that Moto G’s software strategy is superior to other Android partners. So, in essence Motorola a company owned by Google called Samsung, Sony and HTC “confused”.

Soni then goes on to advocate the use of “pure Android” in mobile devices and says:

A device that’s built on pure Android with minor optimisations is gonna have an incredible high performance

Here again Soni is sending out a clear message that any device with custom UI layers may be missing out on high performance as other non-stock apps and skins may hog more resources than required.

This could have a long term effect on customer mindset when they buy Android devices. Users could soon start associating “real” Android experience with Motorola (since Google owns Motorola) and “spinoff” experience with other smartphone manufacturers.

When it comes to smartphones most devices are beginning to look quite similar in terms of hardware so ultimately manufacturers try to differentiate their products with custom skins and other software services. However, at today’s event it appears that Google might have used the announcement of Moto G as an opportunity to convey Google’s stand on device manufacturers trying to add custom layers.

If this wasn’t enough, Motorola went on to compare performance of Moto G in terms of answering calls, making calls, launching browser, returning home and booting to Samsung Galaxy S4 to show how stock Android OS was clearly the winner.

This is the best validation of a strategy which involves disciplined software which focuses on optimisation that creates value for the user

In his attempt to bring attention to stock Android experience Soni suggests that software strategy being followed by other Android device manufacturers is rather indisciplined.

So, in conclusion on one hand Google’s Motorola tried to highlight the features of its new low-priced smartphone but on the other it clearly didn’t fall short of ridiculing Google’s Android partners.

It will be interesting to see how Samsung, HTC and Sony respond to Motorola claiming that their devices are non-intuitive, have cluttered interface and custom skins that hog resources.

China Mobile is looking to make its mark in the LTE market, with an announcement from the company noting that it is planning a major LTE push to improve its network and implement it more broadly.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the company is looking to spend $7 billion in order to improve its LTE network, setting up a structure to support the iPhone 5. Currently, China Mobile’s data speeds aren’t known to be the fastest and despite the company not offering the iPhone, there are a number of devices in use on the network.

This is similar to T-Mobile USA which does not officially offer the iPhone but allows users to unlock them and operate them on its network. Although recent reports have been suggesting that China Mobile will, in fact, offer the iPhone 5, the company did come out and say that there has been “no progress” on negotiations with Apple.

While China Mobile has been in talks with Apple for years over a potential deal to offer the iPhone, Chief Executive Li Yue said that there had been “no progress” to report. In January, Mr. Xi met Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook in Beijing and discussed cooperation, raising expectations that China Mobile would soon begin offering the iPhone.

China Mobile would be a key partner for Apple, which faces fierce competition from Samsung Electronics and other rivals offering smartphones powered by Google Inc.’s Android operating system.

It is unlikely that the iPhone 5 will remain off of China Mobile’s network for long, as it is common that Apple will eventually strike deals with major carriers that could potentially benefit them. China has been a major source of revenue for Apple, with the company experiencing heavy sales of its products in the region. Just last month, an analytics report suggested that iOS and Android devices were expected to hit 246 million units in the one month alone.

{Via MacRumors}

Earlier this week, Google introduced a new design to its mobile gmail web app, bringing over features from its Gmail iOS app. Google had previously done this with its Maps application for iOS, which is now a very popular alternative to Apple’s own Maps. Now, it appears that Google is planning an even bigger service for iOS users called ‘Google Now’.

Google Now is currently an Android only feature and provides its users with a range of information including flight notifications, weather, traffic, reservations, packages, birthdays, transit information, stocks, movie times and more all in one spot.

On Wednesday, Engadget posted a video of what they claimed to be a Google Now promotional video for iOS, that was likely posted to YouTube by mistake. The video was quickly removed, but an Engadget reader downloaded and made a copy of the video beforehand.

The video has since been pulled from YouTube and appears to feature the same voice actress as the original Now announcement (which you’ll also find after the break for comparison). Supposedly, Now will be accessible in an upcoming iOS app update simply by swiping up from the main screen. Of course, there’s always the chance that is an impressive fake or even a canceled project that’s only being leaked now. We’ve reached out to Google for comment, but even if the search giant remains silent, we’re confident the truth will be known soon enough.

The promotional video shows a cartoon smartphone that looks very similar to an iPhone running iOS, and also shows off a number of the application’s features, including traffic directions, game scores, and flight information. At the beginning of the video, the voice actress clearly states, “introducing Google Now for iOS. The right information, at just the right time.”

{Via MacRumors}

Google appears to be dominating the iOS experience, not only with its Google Maps for iOS application but also with its Gmail app. On Monday, Google updated its mobile web application with a design very similar to its native iOS application. The company did something similar with their Google Maps app in the past.

Since launching the rebooted Gmail app for iPhone and iPad in December (http://goo.gl/2m7pd), we’ve heard from many of you that you like the redesigned UI, along with new features such as improved search and integration with Google Calendar. Today we’re rolling out a similar refreshed look to the Gmail mobile web app as well as Gmail Offline (http://goo.gl/0f1ae) that includes many of these same changes. Try it out at gmail.com in the browser of your Android, iOS, Blackberry or Kindle Fire device

The new update brings several features over from the Gmail app, which is available for free on the App Store, including improved integration with Google Calendar which a lot of users requested. The mobile web app now also uses the same UI as the native app, providing a level of familiarity and ease of use. With the web apps for both Google Maps and Gmail also available on the App Store, the company is offering iOS users an alternative for all of their cloud services.

{Via MacRumors}

On Tuesday, Google updated its Google Maps for iPhone application for the first time since its release in late December. Google developed its own Maps application for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch after Apple removed its native Google Maps app, opting to create its own solution from the ground up. The app, which has been updated to version 1.1 adds new features such as Google contact integration, and local business search.

Google contact integration allows a user to quickly pull up names and addresses for family and friends and to map out driving, walking and transit directions to those locations. Local business search is also crucial for users of the app, who will now be able to quickly search for restaurants, bars, cafes, gas stations and other businesses. Users can then click on one of them and get any of the three types of directions.

What’s New in Version 1.1

– Search your Google Contacts; sign in to have your saved addresses show up when you search for friends and family by name.
– Quickly search for local places by selecting popular categories such as restaurants, bars, cafes, gas stations, etc.
– Choose between Kilometers or Miles for your preferred distance units.
– Note that some features may not be available in all countries.

Google’s Maps for iPhone is one of the more stable options for a iOS mapping solution, particularly because Apple’s own Maps can be faulty and some of the other recommended are cluttered with social navigaton features. Google also has a reputation as the leader in maps app, and introduced a clean iOS app focused solely on directions, contacts of the user, and searching for businesses. The Google Maps for iPhone update is now available on the App Store for free [Direct Link].

{Via MacRumors}

With Apple’s iTunes in the Cloud service in over 115 countries, the Cupertino, California based company is consistently looking to expand. On Wednesday, Apple added movie support to the iTunes in the Cloud service for 11 new European countries.

The new countries include, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden. Users in these countries who previously downloaded content from the iTunes Store will be able to re-download all of it.

Other updates to the service include the availability of TV shows in France, as reported by French site iGen. TV show availability on iTunes in the Cloud has seen a very limited rollout, with France becoming only the fifth country to have the feature after the U.S, Australia, Canada, and the U.K. Apple’s iTunes in the Cloud service was launched in the United States in June of 2011, followed by the addition of TV shows and movies in March 2012.

Apple has gradually added the availability of movies in a number of countries, bringing it to above 100 countries. Apple’s iTunes in the Cloud is very similar to its other services and even its products, in the sense that it is not open sourced for storing any type of file and that it stays within the Apple ecosystem.

{Via MacRumors}

Google appears to be getting back at Apple for introducing its own Maps application and removing Google’s data from the iPhone. Following major issues with Apple’s Maps application for iOS, Google introduced its own application for the iPhone. Now, Google has updated the Maps for iOS SDK, which allows developers to replace Apple’s Maps app in their own apps. Google updated the SDK, and added ground overlay support.

The update also made API keys available to all developers through the Google API Console, which operates differently than before. Previously, developers had to wait for access to the keys, which are now openly available. With the keys now readily available, developers can easily switch from Apple’s Maps and add Google Maps into their applications.

Some developers are allowing users to choose, however, it is likely that many developers are much more comfortable with Google Maps particularly because it was native to iOS in the past. Developers who have not fully grasped the use of API keys can download a sample application included in the SDK as well as a video (above) which highlights some of the features.

{Via MacRumors}

Apple has been receiving stiff competition from companies such as Samsung, which quickly moved up in the market following its release of Galaxy S devices and anti-Apple advertising. Now, it seems that another company is gearing up to do the same thing, perhaps, after seeing it become a success with Samsung. A new ad from LG highlights OPtimus G Pro’s Panorama feature just like iPhone 4S and 5 TV ad, and then adds on to it.

By doing this, the ad shows that the company’s Optimus G Pro phone is more advanced and that the panorama feature is more expansive on this device. in Apple’s version of the ad, a person is taking a picture of children and uses the Panorama feature to sweep across the screen while saying an elongated “cheeeeese”.

The LG spot begins nearly identical to Apple’s, with the same classic white background, lineup of children, and use of the panorama feature. The narrator in the ad, also says the same phrase, “cheeeese” (“Kimchiiiiiii”) in Japanese. However, halfway through the ad, the Optimus G Pro begins to move all around the screen while capturing a number of different image points including the ceiling and floor. The children, which are organized horizontally in Apple’s ad, are active and running about in LG’s ad.

Google released the “Photo Sphere” feature with the JellyBean 4.2 update to the Android OS, meaning that users can automatically upload the photo to their other Google services. This isn’t the first time that one of Apple’s ads were skewed to show off a feature on another phone, however, these ads appear to be working in the favor of competitors, particularly Samsung.

{Via AppleInsider}

The mobile research firm revealed that 320,000 smartphone and tablet users in six countries participated in the poll. In the U.S Motorola Atrix HD came in at first followed by Motorola Droid Razr, HTC Rezound 4G, Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and then iPhone 5.

Sarah Quinn, marketing manager for OnDevice Research commented on the report and said, “although Apple created one of the most revolutionary devices of the past decade, other manufactures have caught up, with some Android powered devices now commanding higher levels of user satisfaction,”.

In the UK Apple comparatively did better where HTC One X came first, iPhone 5 second followed by Samsung Galaxy Note 2, Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini and Samsung Galaxy S3.

Perhaps the most interesting result of the poll was that among the rankings for overall mobile device satisfaction Apple came in first followed by Google, Motorola, HTC, Nokia, Sony Ericsson and then Samsung. The survey reached out to mobile users in the U.S., the U.K., France, Germany, Japan, and Indonesia and was conducted via the mobile Web.

The report does give an interesting perspective of users satisfaction however, it’s unclear how a device can rank low while the company selling the device rank higher in overall satisfaction.

{via CNET}

With new features such as Graph Search coming to Facebook, it appears that the social networking site is looking to challenge search giant, Google. Facebook is now beginning to add new features all around, including Voice Calling to the site’s iOS Messenger app. Voice Calling through the Facebook iOS Messenger app is currently available in both the US and in Canada.

According to The Verge, the Voice Calling feature was previously limited to Canada but is now being opened up to users in the United States. The feature arrived as an update in early January, and appears to be similar to Google’s Voice feature.

What this means is that if you live in the US, you can now call other Facebook users for free over Wi-Fi or using your phone’s data connection while you’re on the go. When you call someone, a push notification appears on their screen that says “Ellis Hamburger is calling,” for example. The feature is especially critical for people with bad cell service at work or at home, and for those who want to conserve cell phone minutes. It’s also a huge step for Facebook — which with a single feature emerges as one of the largest communities of VoIP users in the world. Yes, competitors Viber, Vonage, and Skype have had the feature for some time, but all have much smaller user bases.

With Voice Calling, Facebook has an upper edge over Google, particularly because of its existing user base, and because it is a social networking site as opposed to Google’s email and search service. It is also competing with other services such as Skype. Facebook Messenger will now allow the already popular iPod touch to become a calling device for teenagers, particularly because the device is targeted towards that age-group.

Voice calling can be accessed by opening the Facebook Messenger application, opening up a chat with a friend, and click the ‘i’ button. After the page appears, a button should say “Free Call”, which will then connect the two users to a voice call. Not all Facebook users are currently able to use the feature as it is slowly rolling out across the United States. Facebook Messenger is currently available as a free app on the iOS App Store [Direct Link].

{Image via Mashable}

Apple has changed a lot under new CEO Tim Cook, who took over after Steve Jobs stepped down and became chairman of the board. Following the passing of Jobs in late 2011, Tim Cook is trying to take the company in his own direction. This began with the removal of key employees at Apple such as the removal of Scott Forstall as SVP of iOS Software and the resignation of John Browett, head of retail operations.

Now, Apple is offering a new program, allowing some of its employees to take two week breaks from work for side projects that they may be working on, as it might benefit the company somehow in the future.

Apple’s culture is getting to be a little bit more like Google, and other Silicon Valley companies, says Jessica Lessin at the Wall Street Journal. Speaking on today’s News Hub video show, Lessin reports Apple started a program earlier this year called “Blue Sky” that lets employees take two weeks to work on projects outside their normal responsibilities.

Apple is implementing an idea that Google has already had for a number of years, however, Apple’s is much more limited and includes only a select group of employees. By doing this, Apple is hoping that the personal time will fuel innovation and ideas that wouldn’t come to fruition otherwise. By giving employees to enjoy their time and dabble in their own personal projects, Apple is allowing its employees to enjoy their jobs and bringing new ideas into the workplace.

{via iMore}

On Thursday, Google added Street View to its new web version of Google Maps. The update allows smartphone users on multiple platforms to get walking and transit directions, and now street view. The update allows iPhone 5 and iOS 6 users to once again use Google Maps on their iPhone, with Apple CEO Tim Cook suggesting that users can open Google Maps in Safari and then save it as a web clip.

The update was likely released early in the morning, as it took a while for it to show up for all users. The new feature began to show up in the United States and parts of Canada at first, followed by countries all around the world. Users can now pan around in 360 street view after Apple replaced it with their own iOS Maps application, complete with their own cartography.

Currently, it appears that Google is adding major cities to the “web app” and is stil working on it. According to AppleInsider, the web version is not fully stable and closing the app resets the page fairly quickly.

Google’s move to implement a web based maps is a very bold one and shows the leverage that they have in cloud based operations. Many of these features will also likely be optimized for an iPhone app in the near future and is being tested on the web version.

On Tuesday, Google released a native YouTube app for the iPhone and released it onto the App Store ahead of iOS 6 release date. The app allows users to browse in the same way the iOS app did, although it now runs with ads similar to the web version of YouTube. The ads will allow for hundreds of Vevo videos that could not be seen previously to be viewed. The YouTube blog noted some of the features of the new app:

– Tens of thousands more videos: Watch official music videos like Taylor’s latest hit.
– New YouTube channel guide: Swipe your finger from the left edge of the screen to reveal a guide with your subscribed channels on YouTube, giving you instant access to everything from Alli Sports to YOMYOMF.
– Find awesome videos faster: Get to videos like “Gangnam Style” faster with new search tools that give suggestions while you type, and let you sort through videos or channels. Flip through related videos, comments and more info, all while watching a video.
– More ways to share with the people you love: Share that incredible video you found on YouTube on Google+, Facebook or text message in the app, as well as from Twitter and email.

The app is currently available as free download in the App Store and does not support the iPad natively, however, according to the NYTimes, it is in the works.

{Via MacRumors}

Google Inc. (GOOG) has gone ahead to acquired yet another company to wind into its web of online companies and lab tests. The search giants latest acquisition is popular Mac OS X and iOS email client, Sparrow. Sparrow was introduced in February of 2011, and brought a simplified email application to users, looking for a simple, yet powerful application to handle rich HTML emails. Sparrow currently offers a number of features such as Gmail support as well as other iMAP email services.

The app also has, Dropbox support for uploading attachments, drag and drop attachments and even Growl support. Google’s Gmail labels are also already part of the application and will likely take on many more features from the the search giant’s massive cache of acquired companies and services. Google currently has over 43.1 billion dollars in cash to spend on acquisitions and is likely doing this to improve Gmail.

According to a Google spokeswoman, the company is reportedly acquiring Sparrow for a “new Gmail project” but will not disturb the team or app and will keep it running as usual. Google currently does not offer a desktop application on PC or Mac, and has a very simple web based application for Gmail on iOS. With the acquisition of Sparrow, Google would be bringing a team of developers who have developed for both the Mac OS X and iOS platforms, and know how to create a solid application.

At this point, it is unclear exactly what Google plans to do with Sparrow, however, with the company being a massive search giant, and controlling one of the biggest email clients in the world, acquiring Sparrow is a very smart move. In a report from CNN Money, Sparrow CEO commented, saying the following:

Now we’re joining the Gmail team to accomplish a bigger vision — one that we think we can better achieve with Google.

Google has acquired other companies in the past, such as Aardvark, and decided to incorporate the company into Google+ and then shut down the company. It is very likely that Sparrow may also be eliminated after Sparrow is thoroughly integrated into Google’s Gmail.

On Wednesday, Amazon announced its own gaming service for game developers called GameCircle. By creating this new experience, Amazon appears to be competing directly with Apple Inc. (AAPL) Game Center, putting scores, competition and social gaming into one service and offering it to developers and users alike.

On the Amazon Mobile App Distribution blog, the company describes what GameCircle is all about, calling it a “new set of services designed to make it easier for you to create more engaging gaming experiences and grow your business on Kindle Fire”.

GameCircle will make achievements, leaderboards and sync APIs accessible, simple and quick for you to integrate, and will give gamers a more seamless and entertaining in-game experience.

Although it focuses mainly on developers creating an ecosystem for their apps, the end user features are very similar to Game Center, Apple’s own online multiplayer social gaming network. It allows users to “ track all earned trophies, treasures, badges, awards, and more without leaving the gaming experience”.

Other features include giving users the ability to invite friends, start multiplayer games, track achievements, and compare scores on a leaderboard. With GameCircle, Amazon’s Kindle Fire enters the social gaming market that other companies such as Apple and Google are currently dominating. GameCircle will allow Amazon to offer tailored services to its Kindle Users and with the new SDK can also offer users apps made specifically for their device.

With GameCircle, Amazon is preparing to get a leg up on the competition and make the Kindle Fire one of the more sought after devices in the market. Amazon’s Kindle Fire 2 is rumored to be unveiled next summer, and will likely take advantage of GameCircle and the company’s numerous other services.

Apple’s Game Center Video

Amazon GameCircle Video

{Via 9to5Mac}

On Thursday, Google announced that they are bringing their popular Chrome browser as well as their Cloud service, Google Drive to iOS. Following the announcement, Google released an iOS app, condensing a number of features from the full sized browser and packing them into the app. Some of the main features brought over include incognito mode and tab syncing across devices.

The browser, although being entirely developed by Google still relies on Apple’s WebKit-based engine, which is required by Apple’s SDK. Google Chrome for iOS seems like the perfect addition to Apple’s successful iPhone, however, according to a report from NextWeb, the one setback of the app is that users cannot use Google Chrome as the default browser on the iPhone.

The biggest hurdle that Chrome features, of course, is that it cannot be set to be the default browser on iOS devices, a capability that Apple also reserves for Safari. So, while you can use the browser to your heart’s content, it will not be the default handler for any URLs clicked. That’s a huge hurdle to overcome.

Google’s Chrome Browser is great for users that also use the Chrome browser on their computer and want an easy way to transfer their bookmarks or want to be able to access their computer settings on their iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch. Alongside the Chrome browser, Google also released a Google Drive app, the cloud service the company introduced several months ago. Both the Chrome browser and the Google Drive app are currently available in the App Store.

{via MacRumors}

During Apple’s WWDC keynote event on Monday, the company introduced iOS 6 with a redesigned Maps application, built entirely from the ground up. Rumors that Apple was looking to abandon its reliance on Google’s Map data for its Maps app were around for quite some time, and now it has been confirmed.

The new and improved Maps application in iOS 6 adds a number of features not seen in the Google version included in iOS since the introduction of the iPhone in 2007. All of the cartography was done by Apple, with images taken from airplanes from above for the 3D mapping portion of the data.

The new Maps app is based entirely off a Vector engine, providing smooth scrolling, panning and zooming when navigating maps. Features of the new Maps application include, turn-by-turn directions that can also be operated with Siri, local search for millions of businesses,, a crowd-sourced traffic service for real time updates on accidents and traffic issues, Yelp integration, and 3D mapping called ‘Flyover’. The Turn by Turn navigation is presented with street names, smooth, and can switch quickly from an overhead map to navigation.

Apple’s 3D Flyover feature is an excellent replacement for Google’s own Street View and allows users to pan, zoom, tilt, and rotate an almost real time 3D image. The 3D images allow for a 360° view of buildings and allows direct interaction with the picture, unlike the current version which can only be moved horizontally or vertically and is restricted at some points.

iOS 6 will be released publicly sometime during the fall timeframe of iPhone 5. Apple issued iOS 6 beta 1 to developers during the event on Monday and will release several betas before the public release.

{Image Credit: Apple}

Rumors of Apple abandoning Google Maps in iOS 6 have been around for quite some time, however, Google recently announced an event to discuss the next dimension of their Google Maps design.

In a report from 9to5Google, it was revealed that Google is looking to unveil “The Next Dimension of Google Maps”, only about a week prior to Apple’s own WWDC 2012 keynote event, where they are expected to release the details on the next version of its iOS platform.

At this invitation-only press gathering, Brian McClendon, VP of Google Maps and Google Earth, will give you a behind-the-scenes look at Google Maps and share our vision. We’ll also demo some of the newest technology and provide a sneak peek at upcoming features that will help people get where they want to go – both physically and virtually. We hope to see you there.

Apple has been reliant on Google’s Maps technology since the launch of the original iPhone in 2007. According to a number of reports over the course of several months, the Cupertino company has been working on its own map technology for quite some time and will finally be moving away from Google Maps.

Apple and Google have been competing over the mobile space for a number of years, with Apple accusing Google of stealing their ideas and calling Android fragmented, and Google stating that iOS is tightly controlled and too closed. Google’s timing to release new updates is likely in response to Apple’s transition to inhouse operations on Maps technology, and to soften the blow of such a sudden loss in the mobile space, with Apple getting Google a large percentage of its mobile users.

{via MacRumors}

Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) has been leading the market for quite some time with web based services, including search, email and documents. On Tuesday, Google Inc. released a more streamlined cloud experience for its users, the long-awaited Google Drive. The service provides users with 5GB of free storage, which is also integrated with Google Docs and many of Google’s other online services.

This initial 5GB offering is similar to Apple’s iCloud which also gives users a free 5GB of storage. Following the initial 5GB, users can then upgrade to a higher tier of storage, and for GOOG, that means up to as much as 16TB of storage which is far more than the amount of storage on any computer hard drive.

Today, we’re introducing Google Drive—a place where you can create, share, collaborate, and keep all of your stuff. Whether you’re working with a friend on a joint research project, planning a wedding with your fiancé or tracking a budget with roommates, you can do it in Drive. You can upload and access all of your files, including videos, photos, Google Docs, PDFs and beyond.

The storage can be accessed directly through Google Docs, or through clients on PC, Mac, Android and very soon, iOS devices. Google promised that the iOS app would be available “very soon”, with it being very likely that the search giant is still waiting for approval from Apple. Google Drive operates very differently than other cloud solutions, including a feature that allows users to open up as many as 30 different file types directly in the browser.

This allows users of the service to open up and view files such as images and documents, regardless of its format. Google Drive has the potential to be one of the next reliable cloud solutions available online. With its availability on numerous platforms, including iOS, it brings into question, whether this service will compete with iCloud.

{via MacRumors}

Apple Inc. (AAPL) earlier today won an injunction against Motorola in Germany over the photo gallery patent. The judgement was pronounced on Thursday at the Munich I Regional Court by Judge Dr. Peter Guntz.

AAPL and Motorola have been involved in a number of lawsuits and this recent victory over yet another patent allows Apple to enforce the ruling which could force Motorola to destroy any infringing products. Motorola could very well continue to sell its smartphones and tablet by seeding a software update to resolve the infringing feature.

It’s interesting to note that Apple has won this injunction against all accused products which include two smartphones and the Xoom tablet. If Motorola decides to issue a software update to avoid infringing on Apple’s patent then it could possibly impact the user experience who are used to certain behavior when they scroll lists or manage / browse photo galleries.

Florian Mueller, an intellectual property activist-turned-analyst, on his blog FOSS Patents reports that:

The glass is clearly more than half-full for Apple in this case (and even more so when considering that Apple also won the drastic remedies of destruction and recall).

Apple continues to be aggressive in its approach to fight against the Android platform which the Cupertino, Calif. based company claims to infringe on its many patents. In Steve Jobs’ biography it was revealed that Jobs considered Android a “stolen product” and that he would “spend every penny of Apple’s $40 billion in the bank, to right this wrong.”

Today’s ruling is the second injunction Apple has won against MMI in Germany so far. Those are the first two Apple v. Motorola casees that came to judgment in Germany.

In August last year Google announced that it would acquire Motorola for $12.5 billion and the move was largely seen as an attempt to acquire a stronger patent portfolio. However, with Apple winning injunction in recent lawsuits it remains to be seen if Google’s decision of acquiring Motorola would play out well when the deal finally comes through.

It is worth noting that due a Motorola patent ruling which is under appeal forced Apple to discontinue the “push” feature in iCloud and MobileMe email service within Germany. Users can still receive and send emails however, they would have to manually “fetch” the emails. Apple is appealing the decision and believes “this patent is invalid”.

A civil suit against Google, Apple, and many other tech giants originally introduced more than 5 years ago, may continue to further processing. U.S District Judge has ruled that the case has grounds to continue because “they still have an antitrust claim” according to Bloomberg.

[Judge] Koh didn’t take issue with the allegations about the agreements between individual companies, Joseph Saveri, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, said in an interview after the hearing. Instead, Koh has questions about “how it ties together,” or claims of an over-arching conspiracy between all the companies, he said.

The five year old case, according to the lawsuit, emerged and is still running strong on the grounds that “no solicitation” agreements appeared in 2005 between Apple, Adobe, Google, Intel, Intuit, Lucasfilm, and Pixar. These agreements prevented companies from contacting employees at other companies in order to steal or “poach” that particular employee for their own company’s benefit.

However, the agreement still allows employees to apply for other positions on their own. The Justice Department investigated the agreements in 2010 and eventually came to an agreement, with companies assuring that none of the company’s would enter into a no-solicitation agreements for five years. This new civil-suit is a class-action civil suit filed by employees who suggested that they were harmed by anti-competitive actions of defendant companies.

There are no dates or times as to when the case will resume in court or when action will be taken against the companies, however, this case brings to light the risks of tech giants attempting to poach employees.

{via Mac Rumors}

Google’s Orkut social networking service has finally received an iPhone app. On Wednesday, Google introduced Orkut for iPhone, allowing users of Google’s social networking site, access the service on the go.

The official Orkut app for iOS connects you to your friends and family. Now you can send scraps, see your friends updates, upload photos and browse your friends albums anywhere you go. Never miss a conversation again because you are not in front of your computer: get the free Orkut app and stay connected.

• Update your status
• Check your scraps and messages
• Reply to your friends birthdays
• Check your friends updates
• Browse your friends profiles, scraps and photos
• Take new photos and upload them directly to your Orkut albums
• Share your life anywhere, anytime with the people you care about

Although not as popular as Facebook, Orkut as gained a large amount of users from Brazil and India, with almost 80% of its users residing in those two countries. Orkut is also used in countries where Google+ is not available.

Google+ is currently offered in the United States, and with Facebook leading the way, Orkut is still lagging behind in international markets. Orkut for iPhone is now available in the App Store for Free and utilizes all features of the desktop version, similar to Google+.

{via iMore}

Google employee Erica Joy recently revealed that Google has officially submitted the Google+ application to Apple’s App Store and is awaiting approval. Joy also went on to mention that the app will be available for both, iPhone and iPad.

For my iPhone using friends: the Google+ iPhone app has been submitted to the App Store (no not today, sometime prior to today) and is awaiting approval Sorry, even though I have an iPad and not an iPhone, I always call iOS apps “iPhone apps”. I’m sure its something to do with conditioning.

Google+ app for iOS devices should be available on the App Store very soon. Apple usually accepts apps into the App Store after a short waiting period.

Facebook was also rumored to release an official iPad app, however, they have not produced any results or set a time frame as to when will they roll out an app for Apple’s tablet. Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that iPad isn’t a mobile device, it’s a computer. So, the social networking giant is probably taking some time to make sure they come up with an extraordinary app which will make it worth the wait. There are a number of paid and free third party iPad apps for Facebook available on the App Store which have proved to be hugely popular among users.

Google+ is expected to compete directly with Facebook after it gains some footing. Are you using Google+? Do you like it? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

{via Mashable}

Google recently introduced Swiffy, a service that converts .SWF Flash files into HTML5 compatible with devices like the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Swiffy is part of the Google Labs suite of services that has the potential to become a major part of Google’s media integration in its desktop and Android OS.

Google’s Swiffy website offers a gallery of videos and games that have been converted to HTML5 from Flash and a list of Frequently Asked Questions. The website also mentions Adobe and what it thinks about Swiffy.

Adobe is pleased to see the Flash platform extended to devices which don’t support the Flash player.The result is that anyone creating rich or interactive ads can continue to get all the authoring benefits of Flash Pro and have the flexibility to run the ad in the Flash Player or HTML depending on what’s available on the system. Google and Adobe look forward to close collaboration around efforts like these.

Swiffy’s output file works in all browsers based on Apple’s open-source Webkit engine, which powers the Mobile Safari browser found on iOS devices. Google Swiffy is limited in terms of scope and only offers a few types of conversions.

Google has a product that can possibly become a major part of 3rd party development on Apple’s iOS WebKit. The company has attempted video conversion through YouTube in the past and is currently promoting it’s own WebM over Apple’sH.264 format.

The company says that it’s WebM format can possibly “enable open innovation”. From an analytical point of view, it seems that Google is attempting to step over Apple, while using iOS platform as it’s stepping stone.

Google and Apple are competitors but are forced to work together due to similar customer base and alike business motive. Google, meanwhile, is offering products that Apple is not, such as Swiffy, and other services that sidestep iOS limitations.