Category: Google

Google Rebrands Itself as ‘Alphabet’

The biggest Internet-based tech company in the world has major announcements for us today. The latest news on Google Inc. is that it has renamed itself as Alphabet. Alphabet is now the umbrella company that owns Google and the other companies that Google owned. Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin will run Alphabet as CEO and President, respectively, while Sundar Pichai will be the new CEO of Google under Alphabet.

What is Alphabet? Alphabet is mostly a collection of companies. The largest of which, of course, is Google.

In an official blog post, former Google CEO Larry Page claimed that the major restructuring is to make “things cleaner and more accountable.” The official Google announcement on its blog, suggest that there will be a new placeholder site called abc.xyz. However, the entire list of companies that come under Alphabet is unclear.

“The whole point is that Alphabet companies should have independence and develop their own brands” – says Larry Page, CEO of Alphabet.

Alphabet’s aim, as mentioned in their official blog – is to have a strong CEO who runs each business, while the CEO and President of the umbrella company, handles capital allocation and work, to make sure that each business is doing well. This seems like a more consolidated administrative measure, more than anything else. It will help the founders to have a better hold over all the companies along with competent leadership. As of now there are no reports suggesting that this interior change would in any way affect the user’s day to day dealings.

[tw-toggle title=”A draft list of the companies under Alphabet”]
Alphabet (the main company) B (rumoured to be Boston Dynamics, however it is unclear whether it is under Google or not) Calico (focused on longevity) Capital (investment) D E Fiber Google (now led by Sundar Pichai and includes search, ads, maps, apps, YouTube, and Android) Hooli J K Life Sciences M Nest O P Q R S T U Ventures W X lab Y Z Please note that this is only a suggested list and not the confirmed one

[/tw-toggle]
For more information: [tw-button size=”medium” background=”#07ABE2″ color=”” target=”_self” link=”http://googleblog.blogspot.in/2015/08/google-alphabet.html”]Google Blogspot[/tw-button]

[tw-button size=”medium” background=”#07ABE2″ color=”” target=”_blank” link=”https://abc.xyz/”]abc.xyz[/tw-button]

August 11, 2015
Chennai-Born Sundar Pichai is Now the CEO of Google

It’s always good news when we see a fellow Indian speedily climbing the ladder of success. Google’s Sundar Pichai, who earlier used to head the company’s strategic businesses, has been given more responsibility.

Larry Page, former CEO has handed over his responsibilities (and title) to Sundar Pichai. Meanwhile Larry Page, along with Sergey Brin, will be handling their new company – Alphabet.

And it is clear to us and our board that it is time for Sundar to be CEO of Google.

Before this Pichai, as the Senior Vice President, headed the most widely used OS in the world – Android, along with which he was incharge of Google Chrome, and oversaw the company’s suite of apps including Gmail and Docs. He was also working on research, search, maps, Google+ social network, ads and infrastructure. In October last year, the then CEO, Larry Page wanted to focus more on overall business strategy, off loading some of his responsibilities to Pichai. Now it seems like the entire responsibility has been handed over, and Sundar Pichai is officially incharge of Google.

Want to know more about the new Google CEO? Click here.

Source : [tw-button size=”medium” background=”#07ABE2″ color=”” target=”_blank” link=”https://investor.google.com/releases/2015/0810.html”]Google Blog [/tw-button]

August 11, 2015
Google is Reworking Its Android One Strategy In India

According to reports, Google is set to relaunch its Android cut-price smartphone project in India with a goal of delivering an efficient Android device at an approximate rate of $50 (Rs.3,187 approx.). Android One is a set of specifications that helps manufacturers make cheap and good quality smartphones. This project launched in New Delhi last September, but has struggled since.

Mr Anandan, the managing director in India and Southeast Asia, has reportedly attributed this to supply chain issues that are imported from China, however, the plans for a reboot are said to be revealed in “the next few weeks”. The Android One phones, when launched last year, were priced at about $100 (Rs. 6376 approx.) but, it has been reported that the company would like to target the cost-conscious smartphone users in India and price the phones at $31 to $47, that is around Rs.2000 and Rs.3000.

Over the new few years Google aims “to bring to market high-quality, even more affordable devices… from 6,000 rupees to 5,000 rupees, 4,000 rupees to 3,000 rupees”, he added.

However, there are certain problems that Google faces in India, one of them being – the small size of the local market for digital advertising accompanied by India’s slow bandwidth that hampers their apps such as YouTube and maps; both of which require fast internet connections.

Their response to this, is to fend off local competitors by developing products that are suitable for Indian customers with slow data connections. And an example of this, would be their recently launched offline versions of YouTube and Maps.

It is yet to be seen whether this Google initiative will catch up with the Indian market, and 10 years from now, which big company will dominate India’s ever growing online population.

Source: [tw-button size=”medium” background=”#07ABE2″ color=”” target=”_blank” link=”http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0%2F6009c540-3ce0-11e5-8613-07d16aad2152.html#axzz3iNsgHeJK”]ft.com[/tw-button]

August 10, 2015
You Will No Longer Be Tricked Into Installing Chrome Extensions

Google has decided to take control over ‘inline installations’ that promise exciting features and then latch themselves on to your Chrome Web browser using random plugins.

Starting September 3rd, 2015, Google will restrict the installation of such extensions. The inline installation allows developers and web publishers a convenient option to make readers install their extensions without leaving the website.

The extensions can be found on the Chrome Web Store. However, publishers also found a way to embed a shortcut to it – so when a reader clicks on the install button, an installation dialogue automatically appears on the website, instead of the reader getting redirected to the Chrome Web Store first.

“It’s an important step to maintain a healthy extension ecosystem for users and the vast majority of extension developers who don’t use deceptive tactics.” says Google.

This feature soon began to annoy users, as the developers who maintain various advertisements claiming to offer free software updates etc. tricked users into installing their own extensions as well.

Google will now monitor any unwanted or mysterious extension and redirect them to the product page of that extension in the Chrome Web Store. This is to allow the user to decide whether he/she wants to install that particular extension or not.

However, it is also reported that inline installations will continue, but just not the unwanted ones.

Source: [tw-button size=”medium” background=”#07ABE2″ color=”” target=”_blank” link=”http://chrome.blogspot.in/2014/05/protecting-chrome-users-from-malicious.html”]Chrome Blogspot[/tw-button]

August 9, 2015
Here’s Why We Might Get Two New Nexus Phones in 2015

We already know that the Nexus 5 is Google’s best product. The device was released in 2013 and had a Full HD display with a 2.3GHz processor. Later on, reports flowed in about the company working on the next Nexus 5 ,2015. But, there was a slight catch. Sources stated that the device would be released in two variants, an LG and a Huawei variant, codenamed as ‘LG Bullhead’ and ‘Huawei Angler,’ respectively.

But, why is Google launching two handsets in the same year? One of the possible reasons is that both the companies have their recognition in different markets. LG has a good success rate in North America and Europe while Huawei has got a loyal customer base in Asia, particularly in China.

Google’s Nexus device will be launched along with the Android Pay rollout, but since Android Pay won’t likely be used in China, LG Nexus devices will not be sold there.

Another possible reason is that Google is trying to reach a settlement with all the Android partners in the Nexus program. But, this raises another question. Why has LG agreed on making its third Nexus device? According to Business Korea, Google wanted to speed up the adoption rate of the Android Pay, hence they pitched to LG, due to their broad audience base, back in America and Europe.

The speculated specifications of the LG Nexus 2015 include a 5.2-inch with 1920 x 1080 display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor with 4 GB RAM. Integrated with Android M, the battery will be of 2,860mAh. Supported by a 16-megapixel dual camera at the back and 5-megapixel in the front, it is also observed that LG Nexus 5 will feature a 3D camera.

The back cover of the upcoming LG Nexus will have three openings, one for the camera module, one for the fingerprint scanner and a square-shaped opening that operates the LED flash.

The devices are slated to release on October 20th.

August 8, 2015
New Leak Outs LG Nexus 2015 Price and Specifications

Google’s Nexus smartphones have been getting a lot of hype recently, and naturally there are rumours surrounding its features, specs and the best kept secret; its price. However, these aspects are no longer a secret as the latest leak out of China, revealed these three aspects that the world was waiting to know.

For starters, the LG-made Nexus (2015) is supposed to be relatively cheaper than the Huawei-made Nexus (2015). It will be priced around $300-400 which is approximately Rs.25,600. Other than that, the LG smartphone will have a matte plastic black cover with chamfered edges, giving it a suave look.

Specifications wise, LG’s Nexus smartphone will flaunt a 5.2-inch full HD P-OLED display, and will be powered by a Snapdragon 620 (MSM8976) processor paired with 4GB of RAM. It will also feature 64GB internal storage, but there is no information about a microSD slot, yet.

Talking about the camera, it sports a 13-megapixel rear camera with f/1.8 aperture, laser autofocus, optical image stabilization, and dual-tone LED flash, 4-megapixel selfie camera with Iris Detection, and a 3,180mAh battery with wireless charging capabilities.

Surprisingly, it is said to have a fingerprint scanner that is embedded within the power button and in addition to this it has front stereo speakers, and connectivity options like Wi-Fi, NFC, Bluetooth 4.2, and more importantly an USB Type-C port, for faster charging.

We hope to hear from LG themselves, soon, confirming the specs and prices. Till then, stay tuned to iGyaan for updates about the LG Nexus and more.

August 8, 2015
Google Glass Makes a Comeback With Updated Features

As reports previously suggest, Google Glass is making a comeback with a new pair of spectacles. The latest news, is that Google Glass 2 is actually being tested quietly in various workplaces. Reports also say, that the new version is already being used in “industries such as health care, manufacturing and energy.”

Sources from the Wall Street Journal suggest that the device features “a button-and-hinge system to attach it to different glasses”, instead of it being a full pair of spectacles. Therefore, Google is re-imagining their design to eliminate the previous hang ups of its device, such as style. In the process, we should perhaps soon get a ‘tech wear’ gadget that isn’t ugly or odd looking.

However, the above mentioned design seems to be created as a work tool, although reports suggest, that Google is also looking to make a new consumer version, eventually.

The Google Glass 2 is also reported to come with a better Intel processor, and a longer battery life that will be supported by a magnetically-attached, external battery pack. These improvements have been made due to common complaints about the Google Glass and its technological progress.

The new version is also said to feature a “longer, thinner” display, which can be “moved vertically as well as horizontally,” and will be better proofed against any damage and water.

However, it is yet to be seen whether the Google Glass 2 will surpass the Google Glass in its functionality, practicality and design. Do you think the Google Glass will work this time around? Let us know.

Source: [tw-button size=”medium” background=”#07ABE2″ color=”” target=”_blank” link=”http://www.wsj.com/article_email/google-quietly-distributes-new-version-of-glass-aimed-at-workplaces-1438283319-lMyQjAxMTI1MDMzMDczNjA3Wj”]Wall Street Journal[/tw-button]

[tw-button size=”medium” background=”#07ABE2″ color=”” target=”_blank” link=”http://9to5google.com/2015/07/13/google-distribute-glass-enterprise-edition-exclusively-through-glass-for-work-partners/#more-112234″]9to5google.com[/tw-button]

August 1, 2015
This is How Google Helps You Avoid Long Queues

Google has introduced a new search feature which can now show you the busiest hours of a particular business, so that you can avoid transactions during that period.

The location card search will now show a “popular time” section, which shows you the address, phone number and hours of the business’. You can use this feature by typing in the name of a restaurant, store, or any other business and then select the “more about” button. This will give you more information about the place and will show you the “popular times” panel. This section, is based on the “historical visits to this place”.

This feature also keeps you updated about the traffic throughout the week on an hourly basis, in case it varies. The graph will not provide you with specific numbers but will show you the busiest hours in comparison to the rest of the day.

It is available on Google’s Android app and searches within Chrome and Safari Apps on iOs. Google says it has enabled the feature for millions of places and businesses around the world.

July 29, 2015
With the 360 Degree View, Google Has Made Advertisements Interesting

After rolling out 360 degree videos on YouTube in March, Google has now extended the same to video ads from today. No one prefers to sit through advertisements, but Google’s latest move should lead to some interesting ad campaigns, like this one:

Google says that these 360 degree videos are best enjoyed on Cardboard, its VR platform for Android. The VR does give an added advantage to 360 degree videos as it increases the presence of interactive elements in the video. Google says that for every one of these videos run as ads, the results have been impressive. For instance, Google says that Coca-Cola’s 360 video celebrating the 100th anniversary of their iconic bottle design outperformed standard in-stream video ad view-through rates by 36%.

The 360 degree videos can only be viewed on Google Chrome and YouTube apps for iOS and Android. If you want to create your own 360 degree video, you have to use one of these cameras as described by Google: Ricoh Theta,Kodak SP360, Giroptic 360cam, or IC Real Tech Allie.

Check out some more 360 degree videos:

July 23, 2015
Google Maps Now Helps You Retrace Your Every Step

One of the features of the modern day lifestyle is the GPS tracking devices on our Android or iOS phones and laptops, with the most famous tracking app being, Google Maps. We all know how this works regardless of whether we own a smartphone or not. Google Maps already knows your location so you just have to add your destination address and voila, it shows you the way.

Image Source: Mashable

This app is usually helpful, but there are times when Google Maps either takes you to some remote location or you forget which road to take etc. Although, Google Maps previously did have a location history setting, now, it has come out with a new feature called Your Timeline.

The new Timeline is curated in a more efficient way than the location history and allows you to rename a location or remove a location and allows you to check where you were at any given time.The location history of the Timeline is private and can be deleted by the user from the settings menu. The new feature also allows you to control your account settings if you don’t want Google to track your location history.

The new Your Timeline feature is soon to be out for desktop users too.

Source: [tw-button size=”medium” background=”#07ABE2″ color=”” target=”_blank” link=”http://mashable.com/2015/07/22/google-maps-your-timeline/”]Mashable[/tw-button]

July 23, 2015
Google Photos to Replace Google+ Photos Starting 1st August

In a bid to connect with their audience and to up their usage, Google has finally decided that it will be shutting down Google+ photos and making way for Google Photos by August 1st.

This announcement sounds like good news for two reasons. Firstly, Google Photos will provide unlimited storage and will automatically sort out your photos in various categories and timelines. Secondly, anything that is free is always worth it. Google will provide unlimited storage, organise your folders and allow you to edit, share and save all your photos for free.

Google announced that they will begin the shutdown process with Android phones, then iOS and the Web thereafter. The Plus now has prompts asking people to switch to Google Photos and download it before the 1st of August. Doing this, will be of great convenience as Plus will soon stop working and one will have to access their photos from Google Takeout. The company ensures that all your photos and videos will still be saved and available after you switch to the new, stand-alone Google Photos app. So download soon, it can only benefit you.

July 21, 2015
Google Reported 17.7 Billion In Revenue Last Quarter – Thanks To Youtube And Mobile

For the past quarterly earning reports, Google had been having a bad time. But this time, Google has beaten the expectations in the April-June quarter with a net income of $3.9, which was $3.35 billion last year, the search engine giant reported. The advertising revenues spurred by 11% yearly to make it to $17.7 billion.

The new Chief Financial Officer, Ruth Porat, said

Our strong Q2 results reflect continued growth across the breadth of our products, most notably core search, where mobile stood out, as well as YouTube and programmatic advertising. Shares soared almost 12 percent in after-hours trading.

Ruth Porat also said a part of the 60% surge of overall viewership spent on the website is all due to the time spent watching YouTube videos on smartphones or tablets.

Google acquired a total of $17.7 billion in revenue from the commencement of April to the end of June, which is an 11% increase. The net income has seen an increase to $3.93 billion, up from $3.35 billion, that the corporation earned last year, at this time. Sites owned by Google made $12.4 billion, up 13% year over year. Paid ad clicks have seen an 18% yearly increase, and paid clicks on Google’s websites saw a 30% yearly and 10% quarterly increase.

The company stated that if foreign exchange rates continued to be constant from Q2 2014 to Q2 2015, Google’s revenues would have been $1.1 billion higher.

Much like Facebook, Pinterest, and many other social networking sites, Google expects to boost its future earnings by attaching the ‘buy button’ on to mobile ads to make purchasing and shopping easier for smartphone users.

Google succeeded to accumulate a 31.42% share of funds spent on digital ads worldwide, last year. It is expected to slip marginally this year as leading social networking sited Facebook, gains ground, according to industry tracker eMarketer.

Google continues to dominate when it comes to online search-related advertising, with its share of the market this year expected to be 54.5 % according to the industry tracker.

July 17, 2015
Google Celebrates Godzilla’s Creator Tsuburaya Through Interactive Doodle

Google is renowned for recreating pop-culture nostalgia through its doodles. From Pac-man to Rubik’s Cube, these doodles celebrate the pop-culture items in our life. Today, Google has released a doodle to commemorate 114th birth anniversary of Tsuburaya Eiji, best known for creating the iconic monster lizard, Godzilla.

Light the set! Stomp the tanks! Make your own Ultraman-style monster movie w/ today's doodle ? http://t.co/1BFLUuTzW1 pic.twitter.com/6b38oYOaGA

— Google (@Google) July 7, 2015

The doodle is an interactive game that allows the user to create his own monster movie in ten easy steps or tasks. Based on how you complete each task will result in a different film.

According to Jennifer Hom, the brain behind this doodle, the project took six months to develop. The doodle was created in association with the Tsuburaya studio, so that the doodle could capture the spirit of Tsuburaya’s works.

Tsuburaya Eiji was famous for introducing tokusatsu, a special effect technique used in kaiju or Japanese monster film. The technique involves using hand-built scale models of cities and actors in foam and rubber costumes, which results in this:

Godzilla (1954)

The doodle fulfills the lifelong dream of every movie buff – to create his/her own monster film. So go ahead and make the monster film you always wanted to.

July 7, 2015
Google Teases Google Glass in an FCC Filing

It’s been a long time since we heard anything about Google Glass. Yes, we are talking about that spectacle containing a tiny computer, whose production was stopped by Google earlier this year. It could have been the end of it, but Google never stopped developing the project. Today, a report has came out that says Google Glass could resurface again.

According to Droid Life, an FCC (Federal Communication Commission) filing by Google indicates that the company is working on a new version of Google Glass. Filed under the FCC ID A4R-GG1, the term ‘GG’ indicates Google Glass. Unlike most devices, which are labelled in FCC as mobile or a wearable, this one has been labelled as “BLUETOOTH & DTS/UNII a/b/g/n/ac” with model name “GG1”.

According to the website, the device has Bluetooth LE and rechargeable, non-removable batteries that can’t be accessed…. the product comes with an AC charger and USB cable that when connected to a PC, can provide a “path for charging and data transfer.”

For all we know, the device could be a smartphone or a tablet, but the fact that it hasn’t been labelled as a phone or wearable and Google used the initials GG, this could be the next version of Google Glass. Of course, it’s all speculation until and unless Google announces it.

With Oculus Rift expected to make a huge entry by 2016 and Microsoft HoloLens getting attention for its innovative holographic interface, Google has the perfect opportunity to make strides in the augmented reality wearable segment.

July 3, 2015
Gmail Updates Its Web Interface By Adding New Themes And Emojis

Since 2014, Gmail was the only service of Google that had not received updates or new features. However from March this year, Gmail has been bringing in new updates, slowly and steadily, the latest being the ‘Undo Send’ feature. Google had been working on this feature for the past six years, and the work is now an official setting in the Gmail interface. As the name suggests, Undo Send pauses posting your email for a few seconds after you click Send, so you can take it back and edit it, like for example, spelled someone’s name wrong or entered wrong details.

Today, Gmail has rolled out yet another update for its web users. This new update focuses on fun, in a way we do while sending out emoji. Yes, Google’s updated and wider set of emoji characters, which we recently saw added to its Hangouts service, has now reached the company’s widely used Gmail. Now you can use all the same emoji you are already used to on Hangouts.

Additionally, Gmail has also added hundreds of HD wallpapers and themes to its already stunning bank of themes. But, that’s just not it. If you wish, you can edit the wallpaper according to your wish- there’s vignetting and text backgrounds, blurs, and such for making changes. If nothing else, then you can upload your own image instead.

The update has rolled out today. All the changes are available automatically in Gmail, with no download or opt-in necessary. Don’t worry if you have not received this update yet, as it will take some time to reach its users around the world.

July 1, 2015