Google’s new Polymer library makes it easier to build feature-packed Web apps

More good news for developers today: Google’s Polymer library, which makes it easy to add functionality like forms, maps and calendars to Web projects, is now ready for use in production applications. The first formal release of Polymer brings major performance improvements since its developer preview. Google has updated the Polymer site with documentation for the new release and a large catalog of elements, including animations, buttons, icons and wrappers for third-party libraries that can be incorporated into Web apps with ease. You can also create your own elements to use with Polymer and use features like templating and data binding to…

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Google’s Places API arrives for iOS, lets developers add better location features to their apps

Google announced today that its Places API for iOS is now out of beta and available to all developers. The service was launched in March for Android, with a beta program for iOS developers. It allows apps to parse location coordinates and display human-readable names of places. The Places API for iOS brings all the features of its Android version, including a drop-in place picker widget, the ability to pull in place names and detailed location info, as well as autocomplete in search and the option for users to add new places. The new iOS API is installable with Cocoapods,…

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Path’s social networking app has been acquired by South Korea’s Daum Kakao

Path has sold its five-year-old social networking app today to South Korean mobile company Daum Kakao for an undisclosed sum. The deal will allow Path to grow in Asian markets, where Daum Kakao — makers of the popular Kakao Talk messaging app — have experience in building large user bases. Daum Kakao will look to improve Path’s quality of service and community experiences in Korea and other markets. Nothing changes for existing Path and Path Talk users. The company’s GIF creation app, Kong, isn’t part of the deal and will continue to operate as part of Path Inc. ➤ A New…

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Here’s why Google+ and Google Photos are now separate services

During today’s keynote at I/O, Google had a lot to say about how their new Photos service works. At a separate event after the keynote, Google made it clear Photos doesn’t belong to Plus. Part of a “renaissance in thinking of what Plus is and for”, Google Vice President of Products Bradley Horowitz was quick to quell buzz regarding why Plus and Photos are no longer joined at the hip. Horowitz went on to point out Google Plus now has a new focus. Rather than be an over-the-top service that tries to be everything to you, Plus is now positioned…

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Apple steps into the augmented reality arena with its purchase of Metaio

Apple has purchased Metaio, the augmented reality company. Apple confirmed the acquisition in a somewhat vague statement saying that, “Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans.” Supporting documents confirming the sale are derived from the Common Register Portal in Germany, which confirms a transfer of Metaio’s shares to Apple last week. The company makes a number of SDKs and toolkits that help to create augmented reality apps and has created a Holodeck-style game with an iPad. Companies like Facebook and Microsoft consider virtual reality as the wave of the future, and Metaio, a…

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NVIDIA Shield Android TV set-top box is now available to order

Just a few months after NVIDIA announced its Shield Android TV console, today the device officially goes on sale. The NVIDIA Shield boasts 4K resolution video complete with a 64-bit Tegra X1 processor. The device will be available in two configurations: $200 for the standard version or and SHIELD Pro for $300, the latter of which comes with a 500 GB hard drive and an extra game, “Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel.” Either model will get you a $60 credit for the Google Play Store to buy some new content for the shiny new console. Additional accessories are not included, however, such as the stand ($30),…

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A city without people is being built in New Mexico, to test bleeding-edge tech

Have you ever wanted to play SimCity in real life? That’s exactly what a group of investors plans to do in a 15 square mile stretch of desert land in New Mexico starting later this year, Wired reports. In a futuristic world filled with driverless cars, smart electrical grids, delivery drones and other bleeding-edge tech projects, the major hurdle to real-world rollout is almost entirely tied to testing. It’s hard to approve the widespread use of futuristic tech without knowing just how it’d perform in a real world environment and with many of the same obstacles it would face on…

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