Tag: google

Google Launches Chrome Beta Channel For Android

Google has finally launched a beta channel for its own Android web browser, Google Chrome. The beta, now available in the Google Play Store, will be updated more frequently with the latest work-in-progress features for users to try out before they’re ready to go stable. You’ll have to note that betas are not promised to be perfect, so while this is a great way to test new features you might also encounter some bugs and rough edges.

The company posted a blog post citing massive increases to Javascript performance, better HTML5 integration and, hopefully, smoother scrolling on tablets like the Nexus 10.

[quote]Chrome for Android now benefits from all the speed, security and other improvements that have been landing on Chrome’s other platforms. For example, in today’s Beta update we have improved the Octane performance benchmark on average by 25-30%. In addition, this update includes interesting HTML5 features for developers such as CSS Filters. This is just one step of many towards bringing beautiful experiences to the mobile web.[/quote]

It looks like this beta version is running the same source code as the current desktop beta: 25.0.1364.8.

You can grab the new version from the Google Play store now. You will need to use the link as the app can’t be found by simply searching for it.

January 11, 2013
Google Allows Developers to Respond to Play Store Comments

Big news for small developers: regardless of size, presence or popularity, all devs can now respond to comments in the Play Store.

Way back in June of 2012, Google began letting developers reply directly to user comments in the Play Store. The one catch with that, this was made available only for a select group of developers, those sporting a “Top Developer Badge.” And well, flash forward back to the present day and it looks like this is now rolling-out to all developers.

Not only will this help establish better relationships between app developers and their customers, but it will also allow developers to provide feedback and answer questions to critical comments or concerns. Trevor Johns, developer programs engineer at Google, previously said that “conversations are meant to be two-sided, and facilitating discussion between developers and users will ultimately yield better apps, to the benefit of everyone.”

The feature doesn’t seem to have rolled out in full, though it should only be a matter of time before your complaints can be heard, and dealt with, in one fell swoop.

Google+ integration was also recently added to the Play Store, forcing members of the social network to post comments under a real name, opening up richer commentary and preventing troll culture from taking over.

January 11, 2013
Report : Google Maps Never Supported Internet Explorer On Windows Phone 8

Microsoft’s complaint that Google is hoarding its YouTube metadata has fueled a new conspiracy theory: The search giant has pulled levers to prevent Windows Phones from accessing Google Maps. In reality, this phenomenon likely has little if anything to do with chicanery on Google’s part and everything to do with Microsoft’s reluctance to support the WebKit browser framework.

While Google Maps was never officially built for or supported by the Windows Phone platform, prior to this complaint, the service was accessible to a certain degree. Users of Windows Phone 7 and 8 both seem to be facing this issue.

Google released an explanation for the issue, saying that Google Maps rely on WebKit on mobile devices and Internet Explorer for Windows Phone does not utilise the rendering engine.

Microsoft, over the past few months, has publicly sparred with Google over its shutting down of Exchange Activesync support at the end of January. Microsoft expressed “disappointment” in the action and implored any affected users to transition to Outlook.com, its new (and excellent) mail offering. By turning off Activesync access (which applies to all platforms, not just Microsoft’s), Windows Phone users will not be able to sync Google contacts or calendars. Because Microsoft has yet to implement CalDAV and CardDAV support in its mobile OS, users will be out of luck by the end of the month.

Apple, on the other hand, will be unaffected by the change as it implemented the new calendar and contact sync standards in its latest version and has push support for mail via a native app. Android users, of course, will suffer no such issues with sync as their phones tie directly into Google’s activation servers.

While it’s currently assumed that the redirect is a bug and not the status quo going forward, we’ve yet to hear from Google on the issue.

January 5, 2013
Google India Pays A Tribute To ‘The Delhi Braveheart’

On the Internet, it can be difficult to show feelings of grief regarding senstitive topics, much less offer support to those grieving. Despite this, simple things stand out amidst the darkness.

Google has joined India in honoring the 23-year-old Delhi gang-rape victim whom most now call the Delhi braveheart after her death on December 29. The Indian version of the Google homepage now has a candle below the search bar, a silent offering of virtual light to remember her by.

The body of the gang-rape victim, who became the focus of countrywide protests and prayers, was cremated early Sunday soon after it was flown in from Singapore at 3.30 a.m. Since Saturday evening, a large number of people have assembled at various places in Delhi to offer their condolences.

The 23-year-old woman was brutally assaulted and gang-raped Dec 16 by six men in a moving bus in south Delhi before being thrown out of the vehicle. She battled for life — first in Safdarjung Hospital in New Delhi and then in a Singapore hospital — before dying of her injuries Dec 29.

Thousands of people poured out onto the streets Saturday to light candles; some lay on the roads with black bands across their mouths and others just marched. But all of them grieved, vowing that the girl would never be forgotten.

December 31, 2012
Samsung Launches Galaxy Grand 5 inch WVGA Single / Dual Sim Jelly Bean Smartphone

Samsung has just announced that it will unveil the new Samsung Galaxy Grand at CES 2013 in Las Vegas. The Galaxy Grand will be available in Single and Dual Sim variants and boasts of a 5 inch WVGA display with a native 800 x480 px display (read: pixellated). The Galaxy Grand will also run Jelly Bean 4.1.2 out of the Box and will also feature a dual-core 1.2GHz processor. The new Phablet style phone will also have a host of the premium suite apps from Samsung’s TouchWiz UI, including Multi Window and Pop Up Play.

The Galaxy Grand has a 8 Megapixel Main camera and a 2 MP front faces with 720p video calling. On the inside you will find a 2,100mAh battery, 8GB of built-in storage and a microSD slot for expansion up to 64GB. Famous for various connectivity options Samsung includes HSPA+, Bluetooth, DLNA and WiFi.

The Galaxy Grand is expected to hit Asian markets including India early 2013.

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Samsung GALAXY Grand runs Android 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean), Google’s latest operating system. Its vivid 5.0’’ display provides an expansive viewing experience, presenting messaging, multimedia and Web content in brilliant color and clarity. Even with the large screen, the phone is still slim, ergonomic and comfortable to hold. You can also enjoy true multitasking running multiple apps simultaneously and without switching screens using Multi Window feature.

GALAXY Grand with an impressive 1.2 GHz Dual Core processor supports seamless multitasking, faster web browsing, lightning-fast screen transitions and superior graphics for some of the most demanding apps and games.

The GALAXY Grand sports a powerful camera with zero shutter-lag and ultra-quick camera start-up. It includes a backside illumination sensor to ensure clear shots even in dark conditions, as well as Full HD video recording.

Samsung GALAXY Grand also includes intuitive features that make the phone easy to use. For example, Direct Callenables users to automatically dial a call by raising the device up to the ear; while users can also shake the phone to trigger status updates, or pan it to zoom into a screen. Smart Alert shows missed events such as missed calls and new messages just by picking up the phone. Popup Video, for example, lets users watch video in a pop-up window anywhere on the screen while running other tasks; S Voice lets you control the phone using your voice; and AllShare Play lets you share content across Samsung devices using a single account.

The phone is pre-loaded with the latest versions of Samsung Hubs to deliver the most popular games, movies and music direct to the user on demand.

The GALAXY Grand will be available in two versions – The Dual SIM version (GT-I9082) will launch first and the single SIM version (GT-I9080) will follow. For the dual SIM version, its innovative dual SIM feature provides total communication flexibility, allowing users to manage two phone numbers from a single phone. It is possible to receive calls on one SIM number while taking a call from the other, ensuring efficient management of personal and work commitments without ever missing a call. Dual SIM also offers the flexibility of selecting different billing plans for either SIM, switching between them to make the most of cheaper call and data plans.

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December 18, 2012
Google Maps For iOS Download Hits 10 Million In First 2 Days

More than 10 million iOS users sprinted back into the arms of Google Maps the weekend after the new third-party app was released, according to a Google+ post from Jeff Huber, a senior vice president at the company. With its vector graphics and exclusive features like Street View, the app is obviously a hit.

There’s no doubt that millions of consumers were waiting for the Google Maps release, as Apple’s software, which replaced Google back in September, has been plagued withinaccurate location data and other bugs since its debut.

Considering the app has not been optimized yet for the iPad, that number will balloon once again when it is made into a universal app.

Now, for some context, here are some other app launch stats: OS X Mountain Lion, Apple’s latest Mac OS, was downloaded 3 million times during its first 4 days. And thejailbreak utility Absinthe saw about 1 million in its first day.

December 18, 2012
Android Winning Mobile War With Apple : Google Chairman Eric Schmidt

Google is winning the smartphone war against Apple, says Eric Schmidt, the company’s Executive Chairman. In an interview with Bloomberg over the weekend, the outspoken executive said that, based on market share, Google doesn’t have to worry about the mobile game. It is clearly winning. With 75% worldwide market share as of Q3 2012, Android has infiltrated most developing markets to become the de facto entry-level smartphone OS. It has taken millions of users away from Symbian, BlackBerry, and is certainly the most affordable path to entry for users upgrading from “dumbphones.”

[quote]“This is a huge platform change; this is of the scale of 20 years ago — Microsoft versus Apple,” he said. “We’re winning that war pretty clearly now.”[/quote]

Schmidt’s remarks reflect Google’s growing confidence in its ability to attract users and advertisers as more customers rely on handheld devices and shun traditional computers. By giving away Android, Google cedes revenue to hardware partners, such as Samsung Electronics Co. Schmidt is willing to make that sacrifice because it drives demand for ads and other Internet- based services that benefit Google over time.

[quote]“The core strategy is to make a bigger pie,” he said. “We will end up with a not perfectly controlled and not perfectly managed bigger pie by virtue of open systems.”[/quote]

With high-quality core apps on both Android and iOS, it’s possible to stay within the Google ecosystem on either platform these days. Even though Android is its baby, Schmidt seems satisfied with the company’s iOS strategy.

“The core strategy is to make a bigger pie,” he said. And what a tasty pie it is.

December 14, 2012
Google Doodle Celebrates The Birth Of Ada Lovelace, World’s First Computer Programmer

Ada Lovelace, the mathematician known as the world’s first computer programmer, is celebrated today in a Google Doodle on the anniversary of her birth. Augusta Ada King, was the daughter of Lord Byron and his wife Anne Isabella Byron, and was born in London in 1815. Her original name was Augusta Ada Byron and on her marriage to William King she became Ada King and later her husband became an earl, she became the Countess of Lovelace. Ada Lovelace died at the young age of 36 on November 27, 1852 of uterine cancer.

Her work on Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine and notes on it are seen as the world’s first algorithm, thus earning her the the distinction of being the world’s first computer programmer.

Today is the 197th anniversary of her birth, and the Google Doodle in her honour portrays the Countess writing equations onto a long sheet of paper with a quill.

The progression from her calculations to the modern day laptop is also detailed in the image, with three interim images of technological breakthroughs in computing since the 19th century.

Charles Babbage called her the ‘Enchantress of Numbers’. Though there has been some disagreements over the extent of Ada Lovelace ‘s contribution to early computing, the computer language Ada is named after her and a medal is awarded in her name by the British Computer Society.

December 10, 2012
Google Apps Basic Free package discontinued, Now priced US$ 50 per user per year
Planning to host your official emails with Google Apps? Then you will be disappointed to know that Google is killing the Google Apps Basic Free package and replacing it with their premium only package. The premium pack costs US$ 50 per user per year, and promises 24/7 phone support, 25GB inboxes and a 99.9% uptime guarantee.

For those who are already with Google Apps fret not, because your existing accounts will continue to work, and Google will not bother you. The standard pricing will also not apply to schools or universities and some other charitable institutions.

However, personal emails are still free too, with added space and Google Drive integration.

Starting today for all new customers:
- Individuals wishing to use Google’s web apps like Gmail and Google Drive should create a free personal Google Account, which provides a seamless experience across all of our web services on any device.
- For Businesses, instead of two versions, there will be one. Companies of all sizes will sign up for our premium version, Google Apps for Business, which includes 24/7 phone support for any issue, a 25GB inbox, and a 99.9% uptime guarantee with no scheduled downtime. Pricing is still $50 per user, per year.
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Changes to Google Apps for businesses
Google Apps started with the simple idea that Gmail could help businesses and schools work better together without the hassles of managing software and servers. As we grew from a handful of customers to a few hundred, we expanded to offer a premium business version of Google Apps. Fast forward to today and Google Apps is used by millions of businesses. We’ve also added versions for governments, universities and schools.

When we launched the premium business version we kept our free, basic version as well. Both businesses and individuals signed up for this version, but time has shown that in practice, the experience isn’t quite right for either group. Businesses quickly outgrow the basic version and want things like 24/7 customer support and larger inboxes. Similarly, consumers often have to wait to get new features while we make them business-ready.

With this in mind, we’ve decided to make things very straightforward. Starting today for all new customers:
- Individuals wishing to use Google’s web apps like Gmail and Google Drive should create a free personal Google Account, which provides a seamless experience across all of our web services on any device.
- For Businesses, instead of two versions, there will be one. Companies of all sizes will sign up for our premium version, Google Apps for Business, which includes 24/7 phone support for any issue, a 25GB inbox, and a 99.9% uptime guarantee with no scheduled downtime. Pricing is still $50 per user, per year.
Please note this change has no impact on our existing customers, including those using the free version. And as before, Google Apps for Education will be available as a free service for schools and universities. Also, as the first cloud productivity suite with FISMA certification, we’ll continue to offer Google Apps for Government for $50 per user, per year.

With focus we’ll be able to do even more for our business customers. We’re excited about the opportunity to push Google Apps further so our customers can do what matters most to them–whether that’s scooping ice cream, changing the face of healthcare or contributing tolifelong learning.
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December 7, 2012
YouTube App For iOS Updated, Adds iPad, AirPlay, iPhone 5 Support

In addition to the Gmail app for iOS, Google also updated the YouTube app today. It adds support for a variety of different Apple products and services. It at last fills up the entire 4-inch display of the iPhone 5. Having those black bars next to videos annoyed a lot of users. Plus, iPad users can rejoice as well thanks to YouTube’s optimization for the tablet as well.

One of the new features is the Guide of channels that you can access by tapping on the YouTube logo in the title bar; tap it, and you’ll go back to the app’s main sidebar, listing your account’s options and Channels.

Among other improvements — including clickable links in video descriptions and ability to add or remove a video from your playlists — a notable addition is AirPlay support: you can now natively stream videos to any AirPlay-compatible device such as the Apple TV or a Mac running Reflection.

YouTube 1.1.0.4136 is now available as a free download via App Store and it’s fully compatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation), iPod touch (5th generation) and iPad devices running iOS 5 or later.

December 5, 2012
Jelly Bean Now On 6.7% of Android Devices : Google

Google’s latest iteration of their mobile OS, Jelly Bean, has enjoyed a good start so far – in the last thirty days alone, Jelly Bean has had a nice boost in scooping up more market share thanks to people buying Jelly Bean-based devices like the incredible Nexus 4 which comes with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean on-board. It now runs on 6.7% of all Android devices.

Gingerbread is still the most widely used version of Android and is installed on 50.8% of devices while Android Ice Cream Sandwich comes in at second place with 27.5% of handsets running it. Although the statistics are aimed at offering useful insights to developers they give a good overview of how fast the newer versions of Android are catching up and what the state of the operating system’s fragmentation is.

Incredibly, there are still traces of Cupcake, Donut and Eclair roaming around the Google Android universe, while Froyo still holds over 10-percent of the share.

These latest figures from Google are based on users who have accessed the Play Store within the last 14 days. The next few months should show a more rapid shift in the percentages as more devices get the Jelly Bean update, not to mention the inevitable future success of Google’s Nexus 4.

December 4, 2012
Google Play Revenues Leap 311% In 2012, But iOS Apps Still More Profitable

Google Play seems to be going on one heck of a growth spurt. According to new stats, the Android app store is catching up to iOS fast.

Even though the Apple App Store is four times more profitable than Google Play, iOS can’t match Android’s revenue growth of 311 percent since January and 17.9 percent in the last month. These numbers are misleading, however, since Google started the year with next to nothing in its Play Store coffers, while Apple had already earned $4 billion from App Store revenue.

Most app revenue, on both platforms, unsurprisingly came from game publishers. Zynga and EA, along with Gameloft and Halfbrick (makers of Fruit Ninja) were among the top 10, but Japan and Korean owned eight of the top ten places for app revenue sorted by publisher on Google Play. iOS was more Western-focused, with Electronic Arts leading the way, though with over 950 titles on the App Store their lead is anything but shocking.

Though Apple still outstrips Google in terms of free app downloads by 10%, it’s interesting to see developers such as Go Launcher, makers of the insanely popular launcher alternative for Android, sitting at number four, ahead of big names like Twitter, Skype and WhatsApp.

Overall, the situation doesn’t look as grim for Google as it did a year ago. Users are paying for apps, although most are games, and total numbers of downloads are approaching App Store territory quickly. People are beginning to understand that Google has built itself a versatile and potentially profitable portal for app developers, and users are beginning to see the value in investing their money into it.

December 2, 2012
Motorola Mobility Indian Website Shut Down

Motorola Mobility has shut down its India-specific product website as part of its global streamlining process.

[quote]“We are streamlining our business and support systems, and unfortunately, we’ll no longer have a dedicated website for India,” a message on Motorola Mobility India’s website said.[/quote]

“Your local support site will remain open well into the future, and we’ll continue to provide support for our existing products,” it added.

This move seems to be a part of the company’s global downsizing process. In August, it had confirmed its decision to cut off 20 percent of work force and shut down operations in many countries.

Motorola Mobility, which is totally independent from Motorola Solutions, had incurred heavy loss last year. Google took over the company for $12.5 billion in May this year. Google had earlier said in a filing to the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

The company is likely to continue its sales in India till the stocks lessen. It is rumored that India may not see any new products from Motorola. It was reported that the existing customers would continue to get the service centre support.

This move seems to be a part of Motorola’s global downsizing process. In August, Motorola had confirmed its decision to cut off 20 percent of work force and shut down operations in many countries.

Motorola Mobility, which is totally independent from Motorola Solutions, had incurred heavy loss last year. Google took over the company for $12.5 billion in May this year. Google had earlier said in a filing to the US Securities and Exchange Commission, “These changes are designed to return Motorola’s mobile devices unit to profitability, after it lost money in fourteen of the last sixteen quarters,” as reported by IBN Live.
The company is likely to continue its sales in India till the stocks lessen. It is rumored that India may not see any new products from Motorola. It was reported that the existing customers would continue to get the service centre support.

November 26, 2012
5 Million Google Nexus 7 Units Expected To Be Shipped In 2012

David Chang, ASUS’ CFO, stated last month that shipments of the Nexus 7 were initially slow, popping in around “500K units a month, then maybe 600, 700K.” He then declared October was a breakout month with shipments getting “close to one million.”

With the recent release of the 32GB Nexus 7 and 32GB 3G version you can expect interest to peak, especially at their low-cost price points. News today from an overseas report in DigiTimes claims that their supply chain sources believe that Nexus 7 shipments – all models – will reach 5 million units by year end. That’s not to hard to imagine as the above numbers total 2.8 million, so another 2.2 million in the next couple months is certainly possible.

It’s no secret that a lot of the tablet’s success is down to it’s brilliant pricing. For what you get with the Nexus 7, it’s incredible value for money and a price that no other Android tablet has yet matched. At it’s current pricing, you can get the Nexus 7 with 16GB of storage for $199 and the 32GB model for $249. As of last week there’s the addition of the 32GB Nexus 7 with 3G connectivity for $299, which is pretty cheap for a tablet of its specs with 3G, often the premium for 3G is a lot higher on tablets.

The tablet comes with 7-inch IPS display screen with a 1280×800 resolution and is powered by 1.3GHz Nvidia Tegra 3 processor. Other features of the tablet include 1GB RAM, 1.2-megapixel front camera and 4325mAh battery.

November 20, 2012
Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie Seen In Sony ‘LT30i’ Benchamarks

Now that Android 4.2 Jelly Bean is safely released to the public, it’s time to focus our attention on the next big version, expected to be called Key Lime Pie and likely to be unveiled in February or March of next year. Key Lime Pie, has appeared online in benchmarking results on a yet-to-be-released Sony LT30i.

The hardware it is being tested, Sony LT30i, is a variation of the Sony Xperia T clocked at 1.6Ghz. Because Sony is a close partner of Google, and may be readying its own Nexus phone, it’s entirely possible that the hardware manufacturer has been granted early access to Android 5.0 as part of the Android PDK.

The LT30i features a 1.6GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8260 chip with modest Adreno 220 graphics. It also has a display of unknown size, but with a 720p resolution.

All this has to be taken with the usual large pinch of salt as the benchmark figures could easily be faked, as you would have thought we are many months away from seeing Android 5.0 revealed. It is doubtful the company will announce the software before Google I/O next summer, but with Google anything may be possible.

November 20, 2012