GOOGLE+ PHOTOS SHUTTING DOWN

The new Google Photos application has been available for nearly two months now. It appears that the time has come for the original Google+ Photos to be discarded to the trash can. Today Google announced that on August 1 of this year, the photo section that was integrated into the Google+ will be shut down in favor of the new stand-alone Google Photos application. This just in from Google:

 "In an effort to ensure everyone has the best photos experience we can deliver, on August 1st we'll start to shut down Google+ Photos — initially on Android, and soon thereafter on the Web and iOS." 

 This means that if you are not already ahead of the game, to be sure to make the switch to the new Google Photos app ahead of August 1. All of your photos and videos will transition to the new application, so you don't have to worry about losing any of your content. All you are actually doing is breaking the original functionality from Google+ and continuing with Google Photos.

If you are unfamiliar with the Google Photos app our lead product reviewer has provided a video review regarding this recently released cloud storage application.

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GOOGLE HELPS YOU PICK A NEW PHONE

Shopping online or in a retail store for a new phone may become a little overwhelming when you realize just how many options are available. If you are in the market for a brand new Android smartphone, Google may have a new tool to help you make a decision.
This new tool from Google is simply called Which Phone and it is a website designed to help the user choose the right Android phone based on their personal preferences. The site starts by asking, "what you would like your new phone to be used for?" Options include taking photos, listening to music, being productive, social media and gaming among others. This selection process repeats at least twice more with the option to continue to narrow down the suggestion. Once the user decides to proceed, the "show me phones" icon appears with the ability to choose your wireless carrier.

After doing so Google's new tool provides at least one match for the user. In our testing, we decided to chose what we repeatedly do with our current device which was taking photos, being productive and watching videos. The results were well received with the Nexus 6, LG G4 and the Galaxy Note 4. The Nexus 6 is our current daily driver, while the G4 is our latest favorite device and will soon become our next phone to use and review. Also the Note 4 is one that we recommend often.
While our testing results were favorable, expect most suggestions from Google's tool to vary between the latest flagship devices from the most popular manufacturers. One option we would like Google to add is price. You can't assume everyone has the means to afford the latest and greatest devices.
The results from the Which Phone website from Google may not be accurate for every user but it is very helpful to have one more resource available in your search for a new Android phone.

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GOOGLE PHOTOS APP REVIEW

Google recently re-released their Google Photos application. They decided to break it away from Google+ and make it a stand alone app with many new features and improvements. 

This new Google photos app offers the user free unlimited storage of all photos and videos. With an auto backup feature from it's Android and now iPhone apps, you don't ever have to worry about saving your photos again. Google is able to provide free unlimited storage through compression. Photos above 16 megapixels or videos over 1080p will be compressed down, although Google states that the visual quality is virtually untouched. Google also gives you the ability to store up to 15GB of your original file resolution for free with the option to purchase more storage. Doing this, Google Photos can help you clear backed up camera content from your device so you never have to worry about deleting to make space.

Visual Search which provides the user the ability to search their photos by people, places or things. For Example, simply search "food" to locate all photos of food even if it doesn't have a description.

Another feature this application provides is called Photos Assistant. This allows the user to create montage movies, interactive stories, collages and more. Transform your photos with simple but powerful photo and video editing tools.

Sum up this new application with the ability to share your photos instantly with shareable links and the usual social media apps. We continue to use this app ourselves and recommend that you try it out for yourself. After short usage of Google Photos, you will find it to become the home for all your organized videos and photos, searchable by the people, places and things that matter to you.


Visit our website TechcellentNews.com or our YouTube Channel to see a video review of this application featuring our publisher, Cody Lopez.

The Best of Google I/O 2015 Summarized

A new feature from the Android "M" preview is called Now on Tap. It basically uses Google Search inside any application and provide you Google Now cards. You perform this by holding down the home button, Google then scans the content of the page or message you are on and provides the user a Google Now card with additional information. E.g if you and a friend are chatting in an app about a movie and you want to know more about the movie, you would simply hold down the home button and receive information like reviews, actors, or directors.

Google also featured a new mobile payment system at I/O today called Android Pay. Now this difference between Google's existing contactless payment option called Wallet is that Android Pay will now use "tokens." This means that you will not be using your actual credit card information for your transactions, a virtual credit card number will be used instead. It should be stated that this means of contactless payment is already available with Apple and Samsung smartphones. Google is simply providing a new twist their own version, as the mobile payment market expects to increase year over year.

The announcement of the updated application Google Photos happens to be our personal favorite of Google I/O. The reason it is our favorite is simply because we are able to use it today. That's right, you can go into the Play Store and install the Google Photos application right now even if you are an iPhone user. With this new Google Photos app it is now a stand alone application that does not require the log-in of your Google Plus account. They are providing a clean experience with a few new features. With the installation of this app the user is provided free unlimited storage of compressed photos and videos with the option to keep the original resolution on a Google Drive account. We have it installed the app and will provide a review after a few days of use but it is safe to safe that we like what we see.

Watch Google I/O 2015 Live!

Google I/O was started in 2008 and focuses on building web and mobile applications for the Chrome and Android operating systems.

Watch the keynote and select sessions live from your computer or mobile device May 28th at 12:30pm EST.

WATCH IT HERE LIVE

Money Making Apps Part 1: App Review

Most users are unaware of the potential extra income you could receive simply by installing a few apps on your smartphone or tablet. This article will be the first of a few that will help you obtain gift cards, rewards and even a little extra spending money merely by using a preselected app a few minutes each day.

First and foremost, you should know that there are plenty of "make money with apps" on the Google Play Store and Apple's App Store. That being said, these applications will not allow you to quit your day job or retire early. Also if an application that promises you "rewards" or money sounds too good to be true, it most likely is. 

Now that we have gotten the formalities out of the way; let's jump right into our first money making app review. This application also happens to be our personal favorite because of how easy it is to use. The application is called Google Opinion Rewards and yes, unfortunately it is only available to Android users currently. 

While this application doesn't provide cash, it does reward the user with Google Play credits. These credits can be redeemed for additional applications, music, books or movies in the Play Store. Simply sign-in with your existing Google account after installation; answer the surveys (with honesty or not) to start receiving the credits. Rewards vary from 10 cents to a dollar depending on the length of the survey. It takes time to earn enough credit for decent games or movies, but you can earn enough for an app after just one or two surveys.

The sheer ease of this money making app is the reason behind our number one listing. The only negative is that you are not receiving cash for your information or time. Overall, we believe the Google Opinion Rewards app to be a must have for any Android user interested in purchasing content without reaching for their own wallet.