The latest version of Picasa includes an additional bit of software called Google+ Auto Backup, as reported by Google Operating System. The new software can be used to automatically backup photos and videos from user-selected directories to your Google+ account. Interestingly, the app has nothing to do with the Picasa service, even though it ships exclusively with the Picasa app. The app can save unlimited 2048px photos to your account, or upload full-quality versions at the expense of Google Drive space....

It’s important to note that, despite being attracted by the Nest’s promises, I was hesitant at first about the integration process. I live in a home that’s over 120 years old. Obviously, the heating system is much newer, but it’s still what I’d call pretty geriatric. The idea of connecting a Wi-Fi enabled, AI-using, smart assistant-communicating thermostat into my home and expecting it to work perfectly with a heating and cooling system that was installed over 20 years ago caused a kind of cognitive dissonance that made it hard to believe this could possibly go well....

Feedly This is probably the number one alternative right now. After the initial announcement that Google Reader was shutting down, the company reported that 500,000 users switched to Feedly only 48 later. It now works with any web browser – including IE – by pointing it to cloud.feedly.com. There’s also a Feedly app for iOS and Android so you get your feeds on the go. You can create an elegant “magazine-style” layout (similar to Flipboard) and switching all of your current feeds is seamless....

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2fC7yrj984] Google announced today that it’s releasing mobile apps for its Google Classroom service for both Android and iOS devices. The company officially launched Classroom to its Apps for Education customers in the US during the summer offering them a web-based platform for planning lessons, handing out assignments, and working alongside students. Teachers and students will now be able to access those features from mobile devices through the new apps and Google is also adding a could of new features to the platform....

The Google-owned restaurant recommendations app Zagat gets a refresh today on iOS including a brand new visual design, improved search functions, and more. Zagat notes in a blog post that it’s maintaining separate ratings for Food, Decor and Service, but it’s also introducing a new 5-point scale for overall ratings in addition to cost estimates that it hopes will simplify the experience. The new app lets you search by location or cuisine and it also includes “increased place coverage....

After a wave of updates for its Android apps yesterday, Google has just announced an update to its Hangouts for iOS app. The update brings the app version number 2.0.0 and is the first update for the app since all the way back in November. The update adds a plethora of features and design tweaks, most notably of which is an iOS 7 optimized interface. There are aren’t a ton of changes, but everything definitely has the iOS 7 look and feel to it....

If you want to get hired by Apple, an engineer who spent five years on the Mac team said that she believes she got the role because she was willing to admit her mistakes … Former Apple engineer Sabrina Paseman (left in the photo) told her story to Business Insider. Paseman also voiced a sentiment likely to have gone down well at Apple. Instead of just referencing past experiences, Paseman brought prototypes of a medical device that she had been working on the previous summer and walked through what she would have done differently....

CardioBot is a powerful app for iOS and watchOS that taps into the data collected by your Apple Watch to provide a comprehensive overview of your health. A new version of the app adds iOS 14 home screen widgets for blood oxygen statistics, new workout features, and more. The new version of CardioBot includes a handful of new home screen widgets for iOS 14: blood oxygen, resting heart rate, heart rate variability, and a small version of the heart rate summary....

One of the most exciting leaks from the upcoming Godzilla vs. Kong is the presence of Mechagodzilla. Since his initial appearance in 1974, Mechagodzilla has become one of the most popular and iconic Godzilla enemies. If Mechagodzilla does in fact appear in Godzilla vs Kong, then he will have appeared in all the series of Godzilla movies, in a total of 8 movies. Based on the information we’ve seen, Mechagodzilla will likely be a weapon that Monarch uses, possibly to fight Godzilla and the other Titans....

Yesterday Google updated Cloud Connect to include a new menu that will open Google Docs files directly from Microsoft Office. This means you don’t have to haphazardly download and scavenger hunt for the correct file to work on. Now, all of your stored Google Docs files are accessible from the Cloud Connect toolbar itself. Nice. The “Open from Google Docs” menu will automatically list all of your documents stored in Google Docs, and Google even cleverly included a search box to help you find documents should your list prove too long....

A big theme of Star Wars Celebration 2017 this week in Orlando, Florida, was looking back on how we got here and what Lucasfilm is today after 40 years of success and growth. Remembering those who are no longer with us, paying tribute to four decades of Star Wars, and looking deeper behind-the-scenes of last years’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story were all subjects of their own panels at the convention....

Of course, there are Wi-Fi hotspots everywhere, but if you’re in a rush you don’t have time to guess. Thankfully, there are apps that can help you out. For example, this cool app we’re sharing with you lists all free and pay-to-use Wi-Fi spots near you so you can always have a backup plan ready when it comes to your Wi-Fi connection. WiFi Map To hunt for free Wi-Fi spots on the go, try this app called WiFi Map....

Craiggers is a free full-feature Craigslist browsing web app that can turn the nightmarish mess of Craigslist posting into something even a tablet user could manage. Their motto is “craigslist data better than craigslist!” and they aren’t bluffing. The website uses a 3-column approach. The left-side displays location, search filters, relevant matches, and matches from neighboring areas. The middle column contains the search results, and the right column contains the craigslist post after you click on an ad....

GoAffPro is a company that makes affiliate marketing software. The End. Seriously, that’s it. There’s literally no other information about the company behind the software. There’s no listing on Crunchbase, no press releases, nothing on LinkedIn. Whoever is behind the software has left on the barest trail of his or her existence: the founder is /my_username_is_2 on Reddit. Normally, this sort of mysterious background would be enough for us to just move on....

Abaddon is one of the Titans confirmed to exist in Godzilla: King of the Monsters, but like several other Titans, he never appeared onscreen. Who is this creature, and what does the significance of his name say about him? It was mentioned early in Godzilla: King of the Monsters that at least 17 Titans are known to Monarch. After Emma (Vera Farmiga) and Jonah (Charles Dance) wake up King Ghidorah with the Orca, the three-headed alien monster lets out a call that wakes up all the other Titans from hibernation....

But over the years everything changed. Windows (with and without an X) made it all a matter of pointing and clicking and pointing and clicking and pointing and clicking. It was easy to get lost, and easier still to make an error and not notice that you’d forgotten to select a file or choose the correct value. It’s impossible to quantify how much time I lost switching from dialog box to dialog box and from window to window....

Heck, it even has a voice-activated remote that you can use for search, just like the Fire TV. One thing that does differentiate Nexus Player from the Fire TV is you can play the games on your HDTV at home using the controller, and then keep playing the game where you left off on the go on your smartphone or tablet. I haven’t had a whole lot of time with using it yet, but thought I would at least give you my first impressions....

Looking back at late May Google released a beta version of Chrome Apps for Mac, which should not be confused with Chrome OS or Chrome’s browser apps. These ‘Chrome Apps’ are full-fledged applications complete with offline support and include apps like Any.do, Pocket, and many more available in the “For your desktop” collection in the Chrome Web Store. Google initally released the desktop app launcher as part of a Chromium release back in May....

Google has good news for iPhone users curious about Android Wear and the diverse design selection of smartwatches running the OS. Starting today Android Wear watches will work with the iPhone for the first time. Just like Apple Watch, Android Wear watches is compatible with iPhone 5 or higher with iOS 8.2 or higher required. The slight catch is that not all current Android Wear watches will be compatible with iOS…...

Google announced today on its Chrome blog that a new update will soon be rolling out to its Chrome app for iPhone and iPad that will allow users to access voice search features previously limited to the Google Search app. Using the same omnibox currently included in the app, Google will soon allow users to tap a microphone icon to search using only their voice with a UI similar to the recently redesigned voice search on Mac....