Ordering the Nexus 7 as a gift? Careful not to send it with your account already linked

Just a quick heads up for those of you who might be preordering the Google Nexus 7 tablet as a gift. Just like with the Amazon Kindle Fire, there's an option in the ordering process that allows you to link the tablet you're ordering to the account that you're ordering from. That makes initial setup go that much quicker, but it's not something you're going to want to do if you're giving the tablet as a gift.

The good news is that you'll still need to enter your password to purchase anything (unlike the Kindle Fire, which at one point allowed for minor buying without re-entering a password), but this one's still something to be aware of.

More: Google Play

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Account Activity shows where and how you use Google services

Google today introduced "Account Activity", a feature that will track account holders' monthly usage of Google services. Each month, Google will send you a password-protected report that will statistics on your email usage, search history, and latitude check ins and plot the data against your usage during the previous month. The service incorporates your usage across all devices, including Android products, and allows you to see where, when, and on which device your account was accessed.

Right now the report works with your Gmail, web, and latitude usage, though Google says it will add more of its services in the coming months, which presumably leaves room for tracking Android-specific stats. You can opt in through "Account Settings" in your Google account, and opt out at any time. For more information, visit Google's official blog at the source link.

Source: Google Blog