Google Android software spreading to cars, watches, TV

SAN FRANCISCO: Google set out Wednesday to expand its Android empire beyond smartphones to cars, watches and televisions.

The technology titan laid out a sweeping Android vision at the opening of a sold-out developers conference in a keynote presentation streamed online to millions of people across the world.

"We are beginning to evolve our platforms beyond mobile," Android and Chrome teams chief Sundar Pichai said of how Google´s twin operating systems are being adapted to work with one another and with new types of computing hardware.

Google´s goal, according to Pichai, is to have its software serve be a foundation for applications, services or digital content delivered seamlessly across the increasingly diverse array of Internet-linked screens in people´s lives.

A new LG G smartwatch and a freshly-announced Gear Live smartwatch by Samsung that both work with the "Android Wear" platform will be available at the online shop Google Play by the end of the day Wednesday, according to Pichai.

On-stage demonstrations included ordering a pizza in seconds, fielding reminders and messages, and using voice commands on smartwatches. An eagerly awaited Moto smartwatch will join the Android Wear lineup later this year, according to Google.

"These are the first three watches, but there are more on the way," Pichai said.

An Android Auto version of the software tailored for cars, synching smartphones with in-dashboard screens and controls, is being shared with an array of auto makers and vehicles "should be rolling off lots" by the end of this year, according to Google. (AFP)

Google, Microsoft to add smartphone ‘kill’ switches

WASHINGTON: Google and Microsoft plan to join Apple in introducing theft-deterring "kill switches" in their smartphone operating systems, as part of an agreement with mayors and police agencies.

The announcement came in a report by the "Secure Our Smartphones Initiative" led by the New York state attorney general with officials from San Francisco and London.

The coalition of more than 100 elected leaders and law enforcement officials from major cities said the agreement means the three main smartphone platforms would soon add the feature as part of an effort to curb an epidemic of thefts.

The report said Google Android and Microsoft Windows Phone would add the feature -- enabling a user to deactivate a stolen handset -- after Apple included this last year.

Google and Microsoft did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

"The commitments of Google and Microsoft are giant steps toward consumer safety and the statistics released today illustrate the stunning effectiveness of kill switches," said New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.

"In just one year, the Secure Our Smartphones Initiative has made tremendous strides towards curtailing the alarming trend of violent smartphone theft. We will continue the fight to ensure that companies put consumers´ safety first and work toward ending the epidemic of smartphone theft. "The report noted that preliminary data following Apple´s adoption of its "activation lock" feature found that in the first five months of 2014, theft of Apple devices fell by 17 percent in New York, while thefts of Samsung products increased by 51 percent from the same period in the previous year.

In the six months after Apple introduced the feature, iPhone thefts fell 24 percent in London and robberies fell 38 percent in San Francisco, while thefts of other popular mobile devices increased, the report said.

The report cited studies that showed 3.1 million mobile devices were stolen in 2013 -- nearly double the levels of 2012, and one in three Europeans experienced the theft or loss of a mobile device last year.

In 2013, a mobile device played a role in roughly half of all robberies in New York City, San Francisco and London, the report said.

"We can make the violent epidemic of smartphone theft a thing of the past, and these numbers prove that," said San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon.

"It was evident from day one that a technological solution was not only possible, but that it would serve as an effective deterrent to this growing threat. This past year we successfully held the wireless industry´s feet to the fire and it´s already having an impact for consumers." (AFP)

Google buys satellite imaging firm for $500 mn

SAN FRANCISCO: Google announced plans Tuesday to buy the satellite group Skybox Imaging for $500 million in a move to improve mapping and other services using geospatial data.

"We´ve agreed to acquire Skybox Imaging, and we look forward to welcoming them to Google," a statement from the Internet giant said.

"Their satellites will help keep our maps accurate with up-to-date imagery. Over time, we also hope that Skybox´s team and technology will be able to help improve Internet access and disaster relief -- areas Google has long been interested in."

Skybox said in a blog post that the goal of the five-year-old firm was "to revolutionize access to information about the changes happening across the surface of the Earth."

"We´ve built and launched the world´s smallest high-resolution imaging satellite, which collects beautiful and useful images and video every day... The time is right to join a company who can challenge us to think even bigger and bolder, and who can support us in accelerating our ambitious vision."

The news comes two months after Google announced a deal to buy Titan Aerospace, a maker of solar-powered drones that could be used to boost Internet access to remote areas.

Google has also been working on its Project Loon, which uses large balloons for transmitting Internet signals to regions that are not now connected.(AFP)

Google launches Streetview 360-degree walkthroughs of Angkor Wat monuments

 

Of late Google has been using this technology of its to bring a lot of monuments across the world to life. (Photo: IE)

Google has made live its 360-degree Streetview project of Angkor Wat in Cambodia. While Streetview is traditionally used to power maps that are rich and three dimensional, of late Google has been using this technology of its to bring a lot of monuments across the world to life.

In Angkor Wat, arguably the largest temple complex in the world, Streetview has been used to patch together over 90,000 high resolution 360-degree images of the monument. Over a hundred temples in the complex are covered in full detail. The project was started in July 2013.

“Streetview is not necessarily about streets. We want it to lead to live, breathing maps that help people explore places,” said Manik Gupta, group product manager for Google Maps.

View the Angkor project here

Google has already created visual walkthroughs of over 100 monuments in India, including the Taj Mahal in Agra. Taj Mahal and Angkor will also be part of the Google Cultural Institute display which gives a comprehensive view of places of interest as well as the top museums in the world. The Angkor collection for instance will also include over 300 pieces of art retrieved from the ruins spread over 400 sq kilometers and often overlooked by the thousands of tourists visiting the Siem Reap where the monuments are located.

Amit Sood, director of the Google Cultural Institute, said the idea behind this project was to make museums more accessible. “The Internet has become a tool for cultural institutions to put their content online for the world to see,” he said, adding that Google’s technology was ensuring that the online experience adds value to the exhibits.

The Angkor Wat project has been undertaken with the help of the Apsara Authority of the Kingdom of Cambodia.

Yahoo won’t let users Google, Facebook authentication for Flickr

"Yahoo is continually working on improving the user experience, the company said in a statement.

Yahoo Inc will stop letting consumers access its various online services, including Fantasy Sports and photo-sharing site Flickr, by signing-in with their Facebook Inc or Google Inc credentials.
The change, which will be rolled out gradually according to a Yahoo spokeswoman, will require users to register for a Yahoo ID in order to use any of the Internet portal’s services.
The move marks the latest change to Yahoo by Chief Executive Marissa Mayer, who is striving to spark fresh interest in the company’s Web products and to revive its stagnant revenue.
“Yahoo is continually working on improving the user experience,” the company said in a statement, noting that the new process “will allow us to offer the best personalized experience to everyone”.
The first Yahoo service to require the new sign-in process is Yahoo Sports Tourney Pick’Em, a service focused on the NCAA college basketball tournament which begins later this month. News of the change to Yahoo’s Tourney Pick’Em sign-in process was first reported by the technology blog Betanews.
Since Mayer took the reins in 2012, the company has rolled out new versions of many of its key products, including Yahoo Mail and Yahoo Finance. Last year, Yahoo announced a program to recycle inactive Yahoo user IDs, letting new users claim email addresses that have not been used for more than 12 months.
In eliminating the Facebook and Google sign-in features, Mayer, a former Google executive, is effectively reversing a strategy that Yahoo adopted in 2010 and 2011 under then CEO Carol Bartz.
The change to the Tourney Pick’Em sign-in process began on Monday, the Yahoo spokeswoman said, noting that users could still access other services with Google or Facebook IDs.
The sign-in buttons for Facebook and Google will eventually be removed from all Yahoo properties, the Yahoo spokeswoman, though she declined to provide a timeframe.

Google commits $1mn to bring more women into technology sector

Google is challenging to increase the representation of women in their respective tech communities (AP photo)

Search engine giant Google has committed USD one million (over Rs 6 crore) to 40 startup-focused organisations, including Nasscom 10,000 Startups and Jagriti Yatra from India, to promote participation of women in the technology space.
The efforts, a part of ‘#40 Forward’ programme under Google for Entrepreneurs’, are aimed at finding new ways to advance female entrepreneurs, the Internet giant said ahead of International Women’s Day.
Google is committing USD 1 million in aggregate to 40 startup-focused organisations, challenging them to increase the representation of women in their respective tech communities, it added.
“From simply changing the times of events to accommodate busy moms to teaching young girls to see themselves as entrepreneurs, 40 of our partner communities will soon launch new programmes and outreach initiatives to encourage women founders,” it said.
Some of the selected organisations include 1871, American Underground and Galvanise (US), Campus for Moms (Israel), Club Kidrepreneur (Australia), Cc Hub (Nigeria), Jagriti Yatra and Nasscom 10,000 Startups (India) and Outbox (Uganda), among others.
“Along with our 40 partners, we hope to create more inclusive networks and to move the needle for entrepreneurs like my mom and young women like me who aspire to be like her,” Google Global Entrepreneurship Manager Bridgette Sexton Beam said in a Google Blogpost.
According to the National Association of Women Business Owners, women make up 30 per cent of US business owners and employ nearly 7.8 million workers.
Even though women-owned enterprises operate with far less capital, in the venture-backed tech industry, they produce 12 per cent higher returns.
“That means that not only is supporting women in business the right thing to do, it’s also the smart thing to do,” Beam said.

Aishwarya most searched Indian woman on Google

According to IBTimes Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai has emerged as the most searched successful Indian woman on Google.

The search engine giant on Women’s day revealed the list of the top 20 most searched women names in the last two months.

Ash is ranked number one followed by the ‘Kahaani’ actress Vidya Balan in second place.

Meanwhile, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi is on third, and rounding out the top five were Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa and Badminton player Saina Nehwal.

Other notables in the list include film producer Ekta Kapoor, actress and social activist Shabana Azmi, director Meera Nair and fashion designer Ritu Kumar.

Google may localise YouTube for Pakistani users

ISLAMABAD, Dec 10: A new arrangement with the management of Google/YouTube has brightened the chance of YouTube being unblocked in Pakistan.
If certain conditions of the Google management are met, YouTube will be accessible as YouTube.com.pk, a local search engine.
This was stated by Minister of State for Information Technology and Telecommunications Anusha Rehman at Senate Standing Committee on Tuesday.
She explained to the committee that the government had succeeded in convincing the Google management about religious sensitivities of Pakistanis.The local search engine will also make it easier to block any blasphemous or objectionable content, she said.
However, the management of Google will do so after the government of Pakistan meets some of its conditions, she maintained.
“Management of Google/YouTube has shown its willingness to localise YouTube in Pakistan provided they will not be held responsible if blasphemous content is placed and uploaded on its website,” the minister said.
“The web service will not be held responsible for blasphemous content uploaded on its sites as that will be a personal action of the individual,” the minister said while quoting the Google management.
“The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) is finalising a draft ordinance which will be processed by the ministry for enactment as law,” said the minister.
Breaking the news to members of the Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunications, Anusha Rehman explained that once YouTube was localised, blocking objectionable content would be easier.
“Instead of installing costly filtration mechanisms, Google will easily be able to block blasphemous content on the request of the Pakistan government.
“Saudi Arabia and Malaysia have also reached a similar arrangement with Google,” Anusha Rehman said.
Localising YouTube would also mean that Google would not be violating its own company law of hindering freedom of expression, the state minister explained. This was also a request from the management of Google to the government of Pakistan.
The largest video sharing website was blocked on September 17, 2012 by the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC).
The minister said a team was also being tasked in the PTA to monitor obnoxious content including blasphemy on the website.
Responding to a question from the members, the minister said she could not give an exact date for the re-opening of YouTube.
The new Chairman PTA Dr Ismail Shah however said: “It can be unblocked anytime; tomorrow or after weeks.”
According to Anusha Rehman, blocking thousands of links was also not a solution. “It can take Google five seconds to place certain blocked content from one internet protocol (IP) address to a new one,” she said explaining the technicalities.
A sub-committee was formed to investigate and assist the Ministry of Information Technology in speeding up the process to make YouTube accessible to Pakistani users.
Meanwhile, the Standing Committee also took up matters concerning auction of 3G which is likely to take place by first week of March 2014, according to Anusha Rehman.
Five consultants have been short-listed out of the seven international firms to ensure transparency in auction of 3G spectrum, the officials of the ministry informed the meeting.
Taking up other matters on the agenda, the committee expressed its dissatisfaction over poor utilisation of $62 billion lying under the Universal Services Funds (USF).
It also directed the ministry to check grey trafficking, which cost the government roughly $500 million monthly.