Google Search gets redesigned with mobile shopping tools

Google is making improvements to its Search function, with a redesigned mobile shopping tools that brings product information to the forefront. This will help you browse, research, compare a product to make the shopping experience better.

After searching for a product, click the "Quick View" button in the Google Shopping ad to preview details like a bigger image, product description and seller ratings, and see if the product is on sale. If you're not satisfied with the product, you can scroll down to view visually similar or related products underneath, or to discover more products from the same brands or retailers.

Earlier this month Google rolled out comparison tool to its search function that allowed users to compare two smartphones. Now this function has expanded to other devices like camera, headphones and more. 

When you search for a specific product, Google's Knowledge Panel will show you helpful information like related items, and allow you to compare prices and other specs side by side. It will also provide links to the manufacturer's website, product shots, user & editorial reviews and videos. It will also alert of a new "tech gadget" model is available if you're browsing last year's product.

In addition, to help you further narrow down your options and give deeper insight about a product, Google Search will now show buying guides for broad categories such as sewing machines and coffee grinders.

Lastly, if you're in a hurry or looking for something at the last minute, you can use Google Assistant to see where you can purchase the needed product nearby just by saying "OK Google, where can I buy...". You can also get the product delivered to your doorstep just by saying "Ok Google, buy...".

Get shopping information in a snap. Now with a single search, you can quickly find product photos, videos, reviews, descriptions and more. pic.twitter.com/4w0OXyvAJ2

— Google (@Google) November 14, 2017

Mozilla doubles the speed of its browser with Firefox Quantum

Mozilla has released a new update to their Firefox web browser, which it says is the biggest update ever since it launched Firefox 1.0 in 2004. Dubbed Firefox Quantum, Mozilla claims it to be over twice as faster than it was in the previous version, and uses less memory than other browsers, even with multiple tabs opened in the background.

Firefox Quantum comes with a new user interface called Photon, which is said to be extremely fast and smooth to deliver faster user experience. To create the interface, Mozilla's research team studied how people browsed the web. It also studied real-life hardware to make sure Photon design system look best on any display be it smartphone or tablet or PC, while making sure it looks and works like Firefox regardless of the device you're using.

Under the hood, Quantum browser ships with a new CSS engine called Stylo, which is able to take advantage of today's hardware with multiple CPU cores that are optimized for low power consumption. The browser also prioritizes the tab you're currently on, over all others in the background, to make better use of the system resources.

Additionally, the browser feature Pocket recommendations alongside your most visited pages. It will have Google has the default search engine in the U.S, Canada, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Besides Google, there are also more than 60 other search providers pre-installed across more than 90 languages. For instance, Yandex in Russia, Turkey, Belarus and Kazakhstan; Baidu in China.

The new Firefox browser is now available for Windows, Mac or Linux, as well as Android and iOS devices.

Source | Via

Twitter expands display name length to 50 characters

Just a few days ago, Twitter expanded the character limit for tweets from 140 to 280 character, and the reactions has been mixed. Now the micro-blogging site has expanded the character count for display names to up to 50 characters in length.

Previously Twitter allowed up to 20 character count for display names. This means now you can add emojis, middle names, or seasonal-themed display names without hitting the limit.

To change your display name, head over to your Twitter profile, click on 'Edit Profile' on the right side of the page, below the cover photo, then click on the current display name. It's worth mentioning that the display name is different from username. The username appears on the profile URL and can be changed by going to 'Settings & Privacy'. Username can only be up to 15 character long.

In other news, Twitter has suspended its account verification process after people criticized the micro-blogging site for verifying account belonging to the organiser of the white supermacist rally in Charlotesville, Viginia. 

"Verification was meant to authenticate identity and voice but it is interpreted as an endorsement or an indicator of importance. We recognise that we have created this confusion and need to resolve it. We have paused all general verifications while we work and will report back soon," read a tweet from @TwitterSupport account.

For the uninitiated, Twitter's verification process gives publc figures and organizations (TV, film, fashion, government, politics, religion, media, sports and other key interest areas) on its platform, a blue check mark next to their names to give them verified status.

Meanwhile Twitter has been facing backlash for the way it handles issues related to hatred, abuse and harassment, though it revised the policies recently. It has already said that it will revise the policy again on November 22. (via)

Starting today, your Twitter display name can be up to 50 characters in length! Go ahead, add that middle name or even a few more emojis. https://t.co/QBxx9Hnn1j

— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) November 10, 2017

Google Street View now lets you explore the International Space Station

Google Street View is a technology featured in Google Maps that lets you explore landmarks, discover natural wonder, and more in panoramic views. Now the search-giant has added one place that will excite those who want to know more about outer space. Starting today you can explore the ISS (International Space Station) on Google Maps.

To make this possible, Thomas Pesquet, Astronaut at the European Space Agency (ESA) spent six months abroad the ISS as flight engineer and captured the Street View imagery in zero gravity. Also the Street View team worked with NASA at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas and Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama to design a gravity-free method of collecting the imagery using DSLR cameras and equipment already on the ISS. The still photos captured by Pesquet were sent down to Earth where they were stitched together to create panoramic 360-degree imagery of the ISS.

These images are now available on Street View and will let you discover and explore the experience of being on the International Space Station. The images show the interiors of the ISS including crew quarters, space suit vault and more. It also gives users a view of the Earth from the outer space. The Street View imagery also has handy little dots, and when you click them additional information or fun facts will pop up.

The ISS acts as a base for space explorations and for over 16 years, astronauts from around the world have been working and living on the ISS, a structure made up of 15 connected modules that floats 250 miles above Earth. 

It also acts as a reservoir that collect data on the Earth's oceans, atmosphere and land surface. It can be also be used to conduct experiment and studies that is not possible in Earth like monitoring how the human body reacts to micro-gravity, studying  cyclones in order to alert populations and governments when a storm is approaching, or monitoring marine litter.


Source | Via

Google Search now lets you discover local events in India

Back in May Google added a new local events search feature to its Google app and mobile web. The feature was first rolled out to the U.S, but is now available in India as well.

The new local events search feature will make it easier for you to search local events happening near you like concerts, exhibition and more. In India, doing a search for any events nearby will bring up a clear summary of activity from sites from across the web like BookMyShow.com, AllEvents.in, EventsHigh.com, 10times.com and more.

Now when a perform a search for "food festivals in Mumbai" or "dance performance in Delhi", you'll get at-a-glance details about various aspects, like the event title, data and time, and location. Tapping on more events, will give you additional options. Once you find the event that's up your alley, tap on it for more details or buy tickets directly from the event website.

You can search for events happening today, tomorrow, next week, next month and so on. For instance, if you search for "art event this weekend", Google search will bring up a list of art related events taking place around you.

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Google is going to stop reading your emails for Gmail ads

Ever since its inception in 2004, Google has been showing ads in Gmail based on the contents in the mail. This service has been controversial and was criticized by privacy advocates. Now 13 years later Google has announced that it will stop scanning users email for personalized targeted advertisements later this year.

According to Google's blog post, the company's move comes at a time when G Suite productivity package (paid service that include Gmail, Google Docs, Google Spreadsheets, Google Drive, etc) has been gaining traction. G Suite's Gmail is not used as input for ads personalization, and Google has decided to follow suit for consumer free Gmail service. Consumer Gmail content will not be used or scanned for any ads personalization after this change.

That said, Google will show ads in the free consumer Gmail service, which has more than 1.2 billion users, but they will be based personal information, Google gets from sources such as search and YouTube. But users can go to settings and disable these ads. G Suite will continue to be ad free. “This decision brings Gmail ads in line with how we personalize ads for other Google products,” Diane Greene, Google’s senior vice president in charge of Google Cloud.

Google will continue to scan Gmail, to provide protection from potential spam or phising attack, as well as offer suggestions for automated replies on email via "smart reply". 

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Google Search will now help you find nearby events easily

Google has a slew of services on offer, and it updates them regulary with new features to make our life easier. Today, the search-giant is adding a new local events search feature to its Google app and mobile web, that will make it easier for you to search for local events like concerts, exhibition and more happening near you. 

Now, on the Google app and mobile web, doing a search for local events will bring up a summary of activities from sites from across the web. For instance, when searching for "jazz concerts in Austin" or "art events this weekend" or "events near me" will bring up a chronological list view of all events happening around the corner gathered from source websites like Eventbrite, Meetup and more.

Tap on the interested event and you will see at a glance details about the event like event title, date and time, and location. Click on a particular event and Google will forward you to the event's website, from where you can know more details and book the tickets directly. 

Currently the feature is only available in the US, and there is no word on world-wide roll out. 

Via

Gmail for desktop now lets you stream video attachment

Google is rolling out an update to Gmail for web that makes previewing video attachments in Gmail smoother and quicker.

Previously, users had to download a video attachment and open with a media player in order to view it. But now Gmail Desktop users can  stream video attachments inside the Gmail, without the need of having to download it. When you receive a video attachment you will see a thumbnail of the video, and while streaming the video, users will also be able to adjust its quality as well as sound.

This feature uses the same Google infrastructure that powers YouTube, Google Drive, and other video streaming apps. This means the video are streamed at optimal quality and availability.availability.

It's worth mentioning that Gmail only allows attachment up to 50MB, while its limited to 25MB while sending,  meaning user will not be able to send video, with size larger than 25MB.

The video streaming feature will be rolled out to Gmail for web in the next 15 days.  

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Google rolls out 'symptom search' feature

Back in April this year, Google introduced health search feature, which provided all the relevant information about a specific disease. Now the search giant has added a new symptom search feature, that lets you easily navigate and explore health conditions that could be causing your symptoms.

Google in a blog post said that around one percent of all Internet searches are 'symptom-related' but the health content online "can be difficult to navigate, and tends to lead people from mild symptoms to scary and unlikely conditions, which can cause unnecessary anxiety and stress"

Now, when you search on Google for a symptoms like 'headache on one side', it will provide you a list of related conditions like migraine, tension headache, cluster headache, sinusitis, common cold and more. In case of individual symptoms for example 'headache', the search result will provide you with an overview of the health conditions and information on how to treat the headache and whether you should see a doctor.

Google mentioned that the symptom searches and medical information are "intended for informational purposes only, and you should always consult a doctor for medical advice." 

The new symptoms search will be rolled out to mobile device over the next few days in English, stating with the U.S. Google also stated that it will cover more symptoms and extend the feature to other languages. 

Source | Via

Opera desktop browser gets power saving mode, claims 50% more battery life

Opera has released a new dedicated power-saving mode for its web browser. The feature is currently available in the developer version of the browser Opera developer 39, and the company claims that the the power-saving mode can boost the batter backup of a Windows laptop by up to 50 percent as compared to Google Chrome.

“This is designed to extend laptop battery life by up to 50% compared with Google Chrome or older version of Opera. Depending on your type of hardware, it can mean several hours more browsing before you need to recharge your laptop,” said Opera.

Opera says it was able to do so by using a number of tweaks, including pausing unused plug-in, optimizing video playback, and reducing memory consumption of background tabs.

Under-the-hood optimizations for power saving mode includes:
Reduced activity in background tabs
Waking CPU less often due to more optimal scheduling of JavaScript timers
Automatically pausing unused plug-ins
Reduced frame rate to 30 frames per second
Tuning video-playback parameters and forcing usage of hardware accelerated video codecs
Paused animations of browser themes 

To activate the power saving mode on Opera browser, click on the battery icon that appears on the top right corner of the browser. The icon is only visible when the laptop charging cable is unplugged.

The developer version of Opera browser for desktops for Windows, Mac and Linux can be downloaded from the Opera website.

Google Search now displays health cards for over 400 health conditions in India

Google has announced the launch of its health search feature in India, powered by Knowledge Graph to provide better health care related information easily. The feature is now live in the country on Google app and search on desktop, Android and iOS, and will also be available in Hindi language.

Google health will offer relevant and verified medical details, presented as information cards, on the search page when you search for health-related topics. The cards offer information about a disease including known symptoms, affected age group and other relevant information. 

For instance, if you search for heart attack, the search result will show you all the related information on heart attack such as symptoms and what kind of medical diagnosis is required. Users can also download the information in PDF format for offline reading.

The company has partnered with Apollo Hospitals in the country  to integrate its data in Google Search for the insights. Currently Google offers information on more than 400 diseases including those common in the country like malaria and dengue fever. For those with slower internet connection, Google Search will show a lighter version of the health cards.

The feature was already available in the U.S and was recently launched in Brazil.

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WhatsApp Web now supports Microsoft Edge

WhatsApp Web, the web based service now supports Microsoft Edge. Until now, this functionality was only available on Chrome, Firefox, Opera and Safari. For those unaware, WhatsApp web allows users to send and receive messages from their PCs browser.

The change was first noticed by users on Reddit, and were able to confirm that WhatsApp Web is working with Edge, as seen in the screenshot.

Previously it was possible to get WhatsApp Web working with Microsoft Edge by changing the user agent string to emulate Chrome or Firefox to make Edge be identified as one of these apps, but now users can use this feature without any further work, because WhatsApp is officially supporting Edge.

Edge is Microsoft's new browser for Windows 10 and is offered as a universal app, so it has the same looks and features on both PCs and Windows 10 Mobile. Unfortunately, it lacks support for extensions. However, Microsoft will be adding extension support with the Redstone update that will arrive in summer (June-July).

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Flipkart brings mobile website back with Flipkart Lite

India's e-commerce giant Flipkart stripped its mobile website in favor of their App, back in April, and now the company have made a U-turn. In a surprise move Flipkart has now brought back its Mobile website, but it isn't the old one, instead it has come up witch a low-bandwidth website, offering app like features including push notifications and home screen access.

Flipkart's new mobile website is called Flipkart Lite, and is now live, works exclusively on Google Chrome. It can be added to the home screen and has a fluid dynamic user experience that feels like app. It has the same blue color tone and, simple UI and offers all the content up front with fewer navigation steps.

Upon opening the website, you will see the Flipkart Lite logo on the home page along with a search bar at the center. At the bottom there is a button for categories and swiping it up shows all the categories like Electronics, Home Appliances, Lifestyle and more. There is also the option to filter or sort the products based on various factors.Flipkart Lite can be also added to Google Chrome's home screen, for easy access.

Flipkart partnered with Google to build the new mobile website, in fact, the e-commerce giant has access to three new tools from Google Chrome's team including service workers, which is meant to aid development in areas with poor internet connection. Flipkart is the first to take advantage of the new tool from Google.

Myntra, a subsidary of Flipkart too had pulled down its mobile website few months back. With Flipkart's comeback, it won't be a surprise to see Myntra back too.

YouTube Red, a $9.99 per month ad free subscription service announced; Youtube Music unveiled

YouTube announced its ad-free subscription video streaming service dubbed as YouTube Red. The service offers users a $9.99 ($13.99 for Apple phones) per month membership for accessing ad-free videos. It will launch on October 28 in the U.S. In addition, YouTube also unveiled a new Music app- YouTube Music, which will serve as a source for music.

One of the most important inclusion in YouTube Red service is the background playing feature, where one can stream videos or music while having the screen turned-off. After subscribing the service, it is going to be a complete ad-free experience, and users will be able to save the clips for offline viewing. 

Users who subscribe to YouTube Red service will get Google play subscription for free, and if your are already paying for Google Play Music service, you're going to get the YouTube Red subscription for free. YouTube also plans to expand YouTube Red's offerings new year with member-only access to new, original shows and movies. Note that, the service will cost $12.99 per month f purchased through Apple's iTunes - but only because Apple takes a 30 percent cut.

 

The YouTube Music app is designed to make discovery and listening experience much easier. It will be working with normal music videos, to switch to an audio-only mode that can be played in the background without the new to keep the screen turned on. The YouTube Music app will be completely free to use, though in that, the users will have to bear with ads. YouTube Red subscribers can enjoy ad-free music streaming on Youtube Music.

YouTube said that viewers in the U.S. can try YouTube Red for free with a one month trial on October 28 and YouTube Music will be coming soon.

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YouTube Gaming launched for Web, Android and iOS; poses challenge Amazon-owned Twitch

YouTube has launched its spin-off platform for video gamers called YouTube Gaming, a service focusing exclusively on gaming content. YouTube aims to take on Twitch, a popular game streaming competitor.

The service has been launched for web, Android and iOS and automatically pulls in all gaming-related videos and live streams from YouTube. It offers viewer personalized gaming recommendations based on the games and channels they collect. The service offers over 25,000 game pages and channels. It also has a real time chat feature along with the ability to video archive games. The YouTube Gaming app features a 'Games' tab and 'Channels' tab.

YouTube Gaming has a DVR mode, a video buffer that stores the last four hours of a livestream and allows users to rewind through it. You can also download video content as on-demand content. The streams run up to 60fps.

YouTube Gaming is only available in the U.S and U.K and is likely to roll out to more regions in the near future

Earlier this month YouTube launched YouTube Kids keeping the younger audience in mind and includes lots of popular children’s videos. It limits the content on YouTube to curated, family-friendly videos, channels, and educational clips

YouTube Gaming for Web, Android and iOS

Vysor lets you control your Android phone from your PC

Koushik Dutta, a well-know Android developer has developed a new tool to mirror your Android device to your computer called Vysor. The chrome app works on Windows, Max OS X and Chromebooks. The app is still in beta so you will be experiencing few bugs.

Vysor makes it easier to beam Android device's onscreen activities as well as corresponding controls to a computer over a USB cable. When Vysor detects your device, you will get a floating window on your desktop that will mirror your device's screen. Once done, you will be able to unlock your screen, interact with the device and take its control using the mouse, keyboard or touchpad. You can also share remote session with your friends who have Vysor installed on their Chrome.

How to use Vysor

• Install the Vysor Chrome extension and connect your Android device to the PC using USB cable. 
• If the device has ADB (Android Device Bridge) enabled, Vysor will detect it. You can also manually add it by clicking Find devices option in Vysor and your device will prompt you with a confirmation dialogue box. Tap Ok.
• If ADB is not enabled, go to Settings > About device and tap on the Android build number seven times to enable developer Options.
• To activate ADB, go inside and switch the toggle next to USB debugging as enabled.
• Upon detection, a new window will open on your desktop where you can see your device's screen mirrored. 

Vysor Beta is available for free, once out of beta it will be a paid app with few  tiers such as Vysor (one time purchase, local viewer only), Vysor Indie (monthly sub, includes Vysor share, sub since there’s a server component) and Vysor Device Farm (monthly sub as well).

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Google announces new Photos app with unlimited photo and video storage

Google at its annual I/O developer conference, announced Google Photos, a new standalone photo storage service where you can backup and store unlimited, high-quality photos and videos for free. Google Photos will be available for iOS, Android and Web.

Users can store photos up to 16MP in size, videos up to 1080p which is sufficient for most users. The app also stores compressed versions of the photos and videos in print-quality resolution.You can enable an automatic back up and sync over WiFi or data, or else you can do it manually.

Google Photos automatically organizes you clicked photos by grouping them into people, places and things that matter. There is no need to tag, label or create albums for the photos. You can just type in the search box to find a particular photo. The app also help users quickly enhance photos and combine them in new ways.The app lets you pinch and zoom to view your images by week month or year.

You can group your images into collections by creating collages, animation, movies with soundtrack by press the + button. There is also an 'Assistant view' feature, which provides smart suggestion about when you can make a collection.

With Google Photos, users have the choice to share photos and videos to social networking accounts like Twitter, Whats App to name a few. Lastly, there is feature where users can save and share their photos easier and faster. You can create a specific link to a photo or group of photos that you want to share with friends and families. There is also a multi-selection gesture in photos, where you can press and hold a photo and then drag your finger down the list to select multiple files.

Google Photo app is now available for download for Android, iOS and web.

Google introduces Internet of Things platform Project Brillo

Google at I/O 2015 introduced its Internet of things (IoT) platform dubbed Project Brillo. It is a new platform derived from Android that lets developers and manufacturers build connected devices. IoT devices are meant to connect daily objects like dishwashers, locks and air conditioners to the Internet.

Brillo is said to extend the Android platform to connected devices, making them easy to set up and work seamlessly with each other. It is a stripped-down version of Android mobile OS, that can run on minimal system requirements. It supports Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity.

As part of Brillo, Google in partnership with Nest introduced a communication protocol called Weave which includes support for low power wireless devices. It is a set of developer's API, core set of schemas and a certification program to ensure device and app interoperability.

Sunder Pichai explains it as the communications layer by which the IoT can communicate with each other. So Brillo based devices, cloud and Android smartphone can be on same platform.“For example a door lock can define lock and unlock as two phrases, which all other devices in that ecosystem can understand and work of each other.” 

The developer preview of Project Brillo will be released in Q3, while the Weave will arrive in Q4 2015.

Now Google Search to locate your lost Android phone

Google's 'Find My Phone' feature helps you look up for stolen or lost Android phone. The feature is already available via Android Device Manager in smartphones that helps you locate misplaced device throught the app, website and Android wear device.

Today, Google announced that users can now make use of the Google search engine to find their lost smartphone.

To do this, Android smartphone owners should log in to their Google account (with e-mail id registered on smartphone) from desktop browser and simply type 'find my phone' in the Google search bar.

In the search results, users will be shown the location of their handset on Google maps and give the option to make it ring. An option will also pop up to ring the smartphone, by clicking the smartphone will ring in full volume for five minutes. Users can stop the ringing by pressing the the power button on the phone.

To utilize this feature on Android phone, users must have the latest version of the Google search app. The service is now online. Android smartphone users can go ahead and try it out.

ARC Welder lets you run Android apps on Windows, Chrome OS, Mac and Linux

Last year in September Google launched the "App Runtime for Chrome" (ARC), project that allowed developers to test their Android apps on any chrome device. At that time it was limited to a small group of developers who got to work with Google to do so.

Initially there were only 4 apps available -Duolingo, a free language-learning app; Evernote, the popular note taking app; Sight Words, an app to help improve your child's reading skills, and Vine, for creating short and looping videos, and only for Chrome OS users.

Now, Google has announced its ARC Welder for anyone so that they can test and run apps on any machine with a Chrome browser. The new Chrome app packager allows Android apps to run on Windows, Mac, Linux and Chrome OS.

To test Android apps in Chrome browser, users will need three things - the Android APK for the app, Chrome browser on PC, Mac, Linux or Chromebook and the ARC Welder app. 

To get started users can download favorite apps on third-party hosting sites like Apkmirror or Racoon. To test the app users will have to open ARC Welder app on the Chrome browser, attach the APK file and launch the app.

Developers can upload their apps to Chrome's web store. "In ARC Welder, click Download ZIP. Upload your ZIP file to the Chrome Web Store. See Publishing Your App for more details," adds Google.

In Addition ARC now includes Google Play Services such as Maps, Location, or Google+ sign-in and other services. Unfortunately ARC does not include all Play Service, so some apps that require missing services will fail to run or crash. However the company has given some available API's to fix.

Download : ARC Welder

Source : Arstechnica