Category: Google

Android 4.1.2 rolling out to Nexus 7 with landscape mode

Google announced today that it is rolling out a minor update to Jelly Bean in the form of Android 4.1.2. This minor bump brings performance and stability improvements to the Android Open Source Project, on which many custom ROMs are based, as well as specific improvements to devices like the Nexus 7.

The software update also adds a key feature to devices running the Jelly Bean software: home screen rotation support. Prior to this update, all Android 4.1 devices use portrait mode for the home screens, even when the smartphone or tablet is in landscape mode, making for a disjointed experience.

In fact, upon the announcement it was discovered that the update is already being pushed to Nexus 7 devices all over the world, with the added bonus of bringing landscape support to the stock launcher.

According to Google’s resident AOSP guru, Jean-Baptiste Queru, the update is especially important for the Nexus 7 as it corresponds with a slight hardware change.

[quote]

We’re releasing Android 4.1.2 to AOSP today, which is a minor update on top of 4.1.1.
As a note to maintainers of community builds running on Nexus 7: please update to 4.1.2 at the first opportunity. Future variants of the grouper hardware will have a minor change in one of the components (the power management chip) that will not be compatible with 4.1.1.

The build number is JZO54K, and the tag is android-4.1.2_r1.

–
Jean-Baptiste M. “JBQ” Queru
Technical Lead, Android Open Source Project, Google

[/quote]

It’s expected that Android 4.1.2 will roll out to other Nexus devices, including Galaxy Nexus, Nexus S and Motorola Xoom, over the next few weeks.

October 10, 2012
Google Maps Street View Web App Launching Tomorrow, Will Work On iPhone, iPad

Google will add its popular Street View feature to the Google Maps web app, accessible on iOS devices, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The newspaper said the feature will be rolled out on Thursday, and tech correspondent Walt Mossberg has already tested the new version of the browser-based service.

Google has been apparently working on adding this integration to the HTML5-based app since the launch of iOS 6, and the feature will be compatible on the iPhone and iPad through Mobile Safari. The addition is a precursor to what most pundits believe is a push to add a dedicated Google Maps app to iOS, like Google just did with YouTube.

Google Chairman Eric Schmidt said in September that no standalone mapping app has been submitted to Apple’s App Store, and declined to elaborate on the company’s future plans regarding and iOS version of Google Maps. Such an app is believed to be in the works, however, as Google wants to keep a strong presence on Apple’s mobile platform, evidenced in the recent introduction of a standalone YouTube app.

October 4, 2012
Google : No Plans to Provide Google Maps for iPhone 5 yet

Google Inc has made no move to provide Google Maps for the iPhone 5 after Apple Inc dropped the application in favor of a home-grown but controversial alternative, Google’s Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt said.

Apple launched its own mapping service earlier this month when it began providing the highly anticipated update to its mobile software platform iOS 6 and started selling the iPhone 5.

But users have complained that Apple’s new map service, based on Dutch navigation equipment and digital map maker TomTom NV’s data, contains glaring geographical errors and lacks features that made Google Maps so popular.

“We think it would have been better if they had kept ours. But what do I know?” Schmidt told a small group of reporters in Tokyo. “What were we going to do, force them not to change their mind? It’s their call.”

Schmidt said Google and Apple were in constant communication “at all kinds of levels.” But he said any decision on whether Google Maps would be accepted as an application in the Apple App Store would have to be made by Apple.

“We have not done anything yet,” he said.

Google and Apple were close partners with the original iPhone in 2007 and its inclusion of YouTube and Google Maps. But the ties between the two have been strained by the rise of Google’s Android mobile operating system, now the world’s leading platform for smartphones.

Schmidt said he hoped Google would remain Apple’s search partner on the iPhone but said that question was up to Apple.

“I’m not doing any predictions. We want them to be our partner. We welcome that. I’m not going to speculate at all what they’re going to do. They can answer that question as they see fit,” he said.

Google provides Android free of charge and allows developers to add applications on an open basis, betting that by cultivating a bigger pool of users – now at over 500 million globally – it can make more money by providing search functions and selling advertising.

“Apple is the exception, and the Android system is the common model, which is why our market share is so much higher,” Schmidt said, adding that success was often ignored by the media, which he said was “obsessed with Apple’s marketing events and Apple’s branding.”

“That’s great for Apple but the numbers are on our side,” he said.

At one point, Schmidt, who was in Japan to announce the launch of Google’s Nexus tablet here, used the device to show off a new function of Google Maps.

The feature allows users to shift their view of an area by moving the device in the air without touching the screen, similar to the effect of looking around.

“Take that Apple,” he said, adding quickly, “That was a joke by the way.”

[Reuters]

September 27, 2012
Indian developers can now sell paid apps in Google Play Store

Google has now added India to the list of countries from where developers are allowed to sell paid apps on the Google Play Store. This move will allow individual app developers and development companies from India to sell their apps on Android devices and also enable in-app purchases.

Until now, developers were figuring out ways to circumvent the restriction. In some cases, this meant having to travel to the U.S. to create a local bank account there in the name of relatives and friends or even floating a company there for this purpose.

On its official Google Developer support page, Google listed India as one of the countries from where developers could register as Google Check-out merchants and sell paid Applications.

Next Wave Multimedia in Chennai, which has published more than 10 Apps each on both the Apple iTunes and the Android Marketplace over past three years, was one of the early entrants in the mobile Apps space.

September 23, 2012
Google Introduces Voice Navigation To India

Commuters in India are all set to get turn-by-turn, voice-guided directions, using the Google Maps Navigation. In addition, if you’re living in Bangalore, Mumbai, New Delhi, Chennai, Pune and Hyderabad, you’ll find that live traffic updates feature just got activated on your maps menu.

You can even speak your destination into your phone and have your route set for you. A country-specific option lets you set the voice to an Indian accent for easier comprehension.

[quote]“Whether you’re heading to the Bengaluru airport for a business trip or visiting Agra’s world-famous Taj Mahal for a weekend of sightseeing with friends, Google Maps Navigation has you covered,” say Darren Baker, product manager and Suren Ruhela, senior program manager, Google Maps, in a statement posted on the Google India blog.[/quote]

While Navigation app was always a feature of Android phones in India, the service was not supported officially. It used to show just the route and lacked support for voice instructions. Currently, the Navigation feature is in beta and Google tells users to exercise caution while using it.

September 8, 2012
Google Snaps Up VirusTotal

Google has bought startup VirusTotal, picking up a fledgling but widely used cybersecurity player for an unknown amount in a move that could beef up protection for its internet services.

VirusTotal is a free online service for scanning files and URLs to spot viruses, worms, trojans and other malicious content detected by antivirus engines and website scanners.

[quote]Elaborating on the recent turn of events, VirusTotal wrote in its blog post, “Our goal is simple: to help keep you safe on the web. And we’ve worked hard to ensure that the services we offer continually improve. But as a small, resource-constrained company, that can sometimes be challenging.”[/quote]

VirusTotal already offered browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer to integrate malware scanning into users’ browsers. Although the company said that it will continue to operate as an independent service, it’s safe to assume its tools will be integrated into the scanning data that Google already provides to Chrome, Firefox and Safari to show users 8 million warnings a day when they visit malware-infected websites.

September 8, 2012
Google+ Update lets you open iOS links in Chrome, Allows Androids to join Hangouts on Air.

Google has let out a sly update to their Google+ apps on Android and iOS. The biggest addition is now allowing, Android phones to join Hangouts on Air, a feature we might use as soon as Today.

For iOS the app, it now allows you to open links in Chrome instead of Safari, making the dreams of a default chrome browser more real than ever.

What’s in this Android version:

– Teens can now create and join Hangouts from mobile
– Join Hangouts on Air from mobile
– Floating timestamp in photos view
– Shortcuts for post creation
– Ability to report abuse in Events

What’s in this iOS version :

? Web links in posts now open in Chrome (if installed)
? Teens can now join and create Hangouts
? Instant Upload bug fixes to improve performance

[App Store] [Google Play]

August 17, 2012
Google Maps adds Schedules For over a 1 Million Transit Stops Globally, Adds Public Transport and city borders to Android

Google Maps now features public transit schedules for more than 500 cities and one million transit stops worldwide. it is also applicable on their new Android app, the updated Google Maps app now, allows users to choose which specific mode of transportation (train, bus, tram or subway) they want to see on their maps.

Also, whenever you search for a city or postal code, for example, you will now see the borders of that region. My Places feature now also makes it easier to access your saved offline maps and custom maps, and if you have Location History enabled, you can now use the app to “browse the places you’ve been on a daily basis with an updated Location History dashboard.”

Google is also supposedly working on an iOS dedicated maps app, which is a possibility, especially because Apple will use their own maps in iOS 6.

August 16, 2012
Court lets Google appeal digital books class status

Google Inc has won the right to appeal the granting of class status to thousands of authors suing the search engine company over its ambitious plan to create the world’s largest digital books library.

In a brief order, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York granted Google permission to challenge a May 31 decision by U.S. Circuit Judge Denny Chin letting authors sue as a group rather than individually.

Billions of dollars are at stake in the seven-year-old lawsuit. Google has already scanned more than 20 million books, and the Authors Guild, a group representing authors, has said Google should pay $750 for each book copied.

It is unclear when the 2nd Circuit will hear the appeal. Decertifying the class could make it harder for authors to win a large award against Google, either at trial or in a settlement.

Chin had said it would be unjust to force Authors Guild members to sue individually, likely resulting in disparate results and much higher legal costs, “given the sweeping and undiscriminating nature of Google’s unauthorized copying.”

But Google countered in a court filing that many class members, perhaps even a majority, benefited economically, and that case-by-case determinations were needed to show whether it was making “fair use” of the plaintiffs’ works.

Citing a 2011 U.S. Supreme Court decision favoring Wal-Mart Stores Inc that made it harder to pursue class-action cases, Google said that even if “droves” of authors raised common issues, there was no “common answer” to address them.

“Plaintiffs seek to shut down a significant part of Google Books and to recover potentially billions of dollars,” Google said. “With so much at stake, Google should not be forced to litigate without the full benefit of its principal defense.”

Michael Boni, a lawyer for the Authors Guild, was not immediately available for comment. That group has argued that there is enough in common among the claims to let the class-action to go ahead and defeat the fair use defense.

Google began creating the library after the Mountain View, California-based company agreed in 2004 with several major research libraries to digitize current and out-of-print works.

Libraries whose works have been scanned include Harvard University, Oxford University, Stanford University, the University of California, the University of Michigan and the New York Public Library.

In March 2011, Chin rejected a $125 million settlement of the case, saying it gave Google a “de facto monopoly” to copy books en masse without permission.

Among the individual plaintiffs in the case is former New York Yankees baseball pitcher Jim Bouton, the author of “Ball Four.” Groups of photographers and graphic artists are also suing Google over its digitization of the works.

Chin began handling the case as a trial judge and kept jurisdiction after he was elevated to the 2nd Circuit. Tuesday’s order was issued by a two-judge panel of the appeals court.

[Reuters]

August 14, 2012
Google + Hangouts now get studio mode

Google recently allowed hangouts on Air allowing events to be broadcast live, suiting music concerts and public events alike. Now, in an attempt to make these live hangout concerts sound more like it were done on-stage, Google started rolling out a new feature, called Studio Mode.

Studio Mode optimizes individual audio for music, rather than for conversation. To demonstrate it better, Google has posted a video (below) with Suite 709 and urges users to listen to it to know the difference that Studio Mode brings to the table. To know the difference better, Google tells you to listen to it with your favourite pair of headphones

Google has decided to open up Google+ Hangouts on the Air with Studio mode to everyone in the world. Initially, Hangouts on the Air was only open to a limited number of broadcasters. The feature allows you to go live to a global audience with a series of mouse clicks.

August 14, 2012
Google to cut 4000 jobs at Motorola

Motorola Mobility will cut approximately 4,000 jobs as well as close about one-third of its production facilities and streamline its mobile lineup, the firm confirmed Monday.

The reductions represent about 20 percent of Motorola Mobility’s 20,000 employees, and 7 percent of Google’s overall work force. Two-third of the job cuts will take place outside of the U.S., Google said.

The job eliminations come three months after Google bought the once-dominant U.S. cellphone maker for $12.5 billion, chiefly with a view to using its large patent portfolio to bolster its legal defenses.

Motorola will also close or consolidate about one-third of its 90 facilities and “simplify” its lineup of mobile products in order to focus on “more innovative and profitable devices” rather than feature phones. Severance payments will cost Google about $275 million, which will largely be recognized in the current quarter. The company also expects to book an unspecified amount in restructuring charges, mostly in the quarter.

August 13, 2012
Google changes its search formula to address piracy

Google says it will introduce changes to its search engine that will discourage piracy by placing legitimate copyrighted content higher in online queries.

The change was viewed as a concession to movie studios, music labels and television companies that have tried to lobby, cajole and, in some cases, sue Google into helping them shut down online piracy.

This week, the company will begin using algorithms that push potentially pirated material to a lower position in search results, it said in a blog posting on its website.

Entertainment companies have urged Google for years to make pirated content harder to find. The new system will use ”removal notices”, or complaints from entertainment companies, that a website has received in ranking search results, Amit Singhal, the senior vice-president for engineering, said. Hollywood applauded the move.

”We are optimistic that Google’s actions will help steer consumers to the myriad legitimate ways for them to access movies and TV shows online,” Michael O’Leary, a senior executive vice-president at the Motion Picture Association of America, said.

Lower rankings do not represent a conclusion that copyright has been violated, Mr Singhal wrote. The company received 4.3 million copyright removal notices in the past 30 days, he said.

August 11, 2012
Olympics Day 14 Google Doodle : Be the next Schmeichel, Penalty Shootouts! !

Yet another enthralling Google Doodle! This time, you get the chance to be the next Peter Schmeichel! Save shots from a notoriously obese player as he starts off slow but somehow manages to fire bullets as the game goes on! I managed a score of 39 (Beat That!) and have been trying better that ever since! Go check it out now and post your score below!

August 10, 2012
FTC hits Google with $22.5 million fine for Safari tracking

Google Inc. has agreed to pay $22.5 million to settle Federal Trade Commission charges for misleading users about its tracking activities on Apple Inc.’s Safari browser, the regulatory agency said.

The penalty is the largest-ever FTC penalty for violating a commission order. It comes amid mounting privacy concerns related to the vast amount of information collected by technology companies through browsers, websites, social media and cell phones.

A representative from Google was not immediately available for comment.

For several months in 2011 and 2012, the FTC charged, Google placed advertising tracking cookies on the computers of Safari users who visited sites within Google’s DoubleClick advertising network, though the company had previously told users that they would automatically opt out of this tracking through the browser’s default settings.

Safari is the browser installed on Apple’s Macs, iPhones and iPads.

Google also represented itself as a member of the Network Advertising Initiative, an industry group that requires members to adhere to a code of conduct, which includes disclosing data collection and use.

Google generates a large chunk of its revenue from selling online advertising services, including the delivery of targeted ads online. By placing tracking cookies on a user’s computer, it can collect information about that person’s web-browsing activities, and use that information to send online ads targeted to the user’s interests.

Along with the penalty, Google has agreed to disable all the tracking cookies it said it would not place on users’ computers, the regulator said.

The FTC charged that Google’s actions violated an October 2011 settlement, which barred Google from misrepresenting the extent of control that customers have over the collection of their information. The earlier settlement dated back to FTC’s charges that Google had used deceptive practices and violated its primacy promises when it launched its social network Google Buzz.

August 10, 2012
Google Tests Showing Gmail Messages in Search Results

Google is creating an information bridge between its influential Internet search engine and its widely used Gmail service in its latest attempt to deliver more personal responses more quickly.

The experimental feature unveiled Wednesday will enable Google’s search engine to mine the correspondence stored within a user’s Gmail account for any data tied to a search request. For example, a query containing the word “Amazon” would pull emails with shipping information sent by the online retailer.

Such Gmail results will typically be shown to the right of the main results, though in some instances, the top of the search page will highlight an answer extracted directly from an email. For example, the request “my flight” will show specific airline information imported from Gmail. Something similar could eventually happen when searching for a restaurant reservation or tickets to a concert.

Although Google has a commanding lead in Internet search, it remains worried about the threat posed by social networking services such as Facebook Inc. As social networks have made it easier to share information online, the Web is starting to revolve more around people than the keywords and links that Google’s search engine.

Google has been trying to adapt by building more personal services and plugging them into its search engine.

Blending email information into general search results could raise privacy worries. Google is trying to mitigate that by showing Gmail results in a collapsed format that users must open to see the details. For now, users must sign up to participate.

Google Inc. ran into trouble over privacy in 2010 when it tapped the personal contact information within Gmail accounts to build a social networking service called Buzz. Google set up Buzz in a way that caused many users to inadvertently expose personal data from Gmail. An uproar culminated in a Federal Trade Commission settlement requiring the company to improve its privacy controls and undergo audits for 20 years.

Google is treading carefully as it hooks Gmail up to its Internet search engine. The new feature initially will be available to 1 million Gmail users who sign up at HTTP://G.CO/SEARCHTRIAL . That’s a small fraction of the more than 425 million Gmail accounts that have been set up since Google launched its free email service eight years ago to compete against the offerings from Yahoo Inc. and Microsoft Corp.

After getting feedback from the test participants, Google hopes to give all Gmail users the option of plugging their accounts into the main search engine, according to Amit Singhal, a senior vice president for the company.

Singhal said Google is also willing to display information from other email service in its main search results. The gesture could avoid spurring additional complaints about Google abusing its position as the Internet’s search leader to favor its other services. That issue is the focal point of an antitrust investigation by antitrust regulators in the U.S. and Europe.

Microsoft said it has no plans to make information in its competing Web mail service available to Google’s search engine. Yahoo, which operates another Gmail rival, had no comment.

August 9, 2012