Google, Levi's made smart jacket to go on sale for ₹23,000

Technology major Google and clothing company Levi's made smart 'Commuter Trucker' jacket will go on sale on September 27 for ₹23,000 ($350). 

The jacket allows users to answer calls or get directions by waving their hand over the jacket's cuff. It is made with Google's multi-touch sensor technology and connects to users smartphones using tiny electronics in the sleeves.

Source: Inshorts

Image: Wired

Google and HTC Announce US$1.1 Billion Cooperation Agreement

Google and HTC Corporation has announced a definitive agreement under which certain HTC employees – many of whom are already working with Google to develop Pixel smartphones – will join Google. HTC will receive US$1.1 billion in cash from Google as part of the transaction. Separately, Google will receive a non-exclusive license for HTC intellectual property (IP). The agreement is a testament to the decade-long strategic relationship between HTC and Google around the development of premium smartphones.

This agreement also supports HTC’s continued branded smartphone strategy, enabling a more streamlined product portfolio, greater operational efficiency and financial flexibility. HTC will continue to have best-in-class engineering talent, which is currently working on the next flagship phone, following the successful launch of the HTC U11 earlier this year. HTC will also continue to build the virtual reality ecosystem to grow its VIVE business, while investing in other next-generation technologies, including the Internet of Things, augmented reality and artificial intelligence.

For Google, this agreement further reinforces its commitment to smartphones and overall investment in its emerging hardware business. In addition to the talented and experienced team of professionals, Google will continue to have access to HTC’s IP to support the Pixel smartphone family. Additionally, this agreement also represents a significant investment by Google in Taiwan as a key innovation and technology hub.

“HTC has been a longtime partner of Google and has created some of the most beautiful,
premium devices on the market,” said Rick Osterloh, Senior Vice President of Hardware at Google. “We're excited and can't wait to welcome members of the HTC team who will be joining Google to fuel further innovation and future product development in consumer hardware.”

The transaction, which is subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions, is expected to close by early 2018.

Source: Techpads

FIR filed against Google over search result on PM Modi

An FIR has been lodged against technology major Google in Uttar Pradesh over an alleged derogatory search result in 2015 involving Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The FIR was registered on a complaint by lawyer Nand Kishore under various sections of the IT Act. However, a Google spokesperson said that the company had not received any notice of the complaint.

Source: Inshorts

Apple has more cash than Google, Microsoft & Amazon combined

Apple today released its second-quarter results where it revealed it now has $256 billion in cash, which is more than the cash pile of Microsoft, Amazon and Google's parent company Alphabet combined. 

While Microsoft has $126 billion in cash, Alphabet has $92 billion, and Amazon has $22 billion. Apple reported a $10 billion increase in cash from the previous quarter.

Source: Inshorts

VOOT Partners Google To Launch Video-On-Demand Progressive Web App

VOOT, Viacom18’s ad-supported Video-On-Demand OTT service has turned its mobile website into a Progressive Web App (PWA) which allows reliable, fast, and engaging experience for users on mobile web. 

Gaurav Gandhi, COO, Viacom18 Digital Ventures, commented, “In this business both content and technology have equal equity in realizing the potential of our Consumer Proposition. While content is our domain expertise, to push the envelope in terms of technology, we continuously work with partners from around the world. We are delighted to work closely with Google to launch VOOT on the PWA platform. This launch significantly enhances the experience for all VOOT users on mobile browsers and we believe this is a big step where users can have an equally rich experience of our service without downloading the app”

VOOT is available as both a native app and a mobile web app. It offers close to 35000 hours of premium. VOOT launched its new UI first on mobile web, ahead of desktop web and native app. Just after the launch, the video watch time on mobile web jumped over 39% and is comparable to that of native apps. The improvements also reduced load times, reduced abandonments, and resulted in much better conversions.

John Pallett, Product Manager at Google, said, “We are delighted with the Voot implementation of a Progressive Web App. PWAs are well suited for India, where the mobile web allows publishers to reach a large audience across a highly diverse set of devices and bandwidth.  The early numbers on performance are very encouraging, and demonstrate the potential of mobile web media distribution”

VOOT PWA includes offline page caching functionality, fast loading, responsive interface and push notifications. The ‘Add to Home Screen’ feature of PWA launches the page from home screen like a native app and a service worker decreases load times. VOOT is one of the earliest adopters of this technology. To reduce the data transfer, VOOT has optimised its images specifically for mobile. The site now dynamically serves either JPEG or WebP images depending upon browser capabilities, that minimise image data size, resulting into seamless viewing experience.

These optimizations resulted in a 63% reduction in first-view page load data transfer and an 86% reduction in data transfer for repeat users. Page loads became 5 times quicker for first-time visitors, and almost 7 times faster for returning users.

Google Launches Google Play Music Subscription In India

Google India today announced the launch of Google Play Music subscription in India, offering music lovers a fresh take on streaming that is smarter, easier and uses little data. Google Play Music is available across Android, iOS and the web in India. Sign up now and get a free trial on Android, iOS or the web.  As an introductory offer, it is available for a discounted subscription offer of INR 89 per month if you sign up within the first 45 days.

Google Play Music offers a music catalogue of over 40 million unique local and international hits, and music lovers can now subscribe to unlock everything - offline listening and on-demand access to our full catalogue. What’s more, Google Play Music allows listeners to find music by language or by their favorite Bollywood artists and music directors and even lets you watch their videos right in the same app. Google Play Music is like a personal pocket-sized DJ who will put your preferred music across genres and around the world at the top of your screen.

Google has integrated contextual tools in Google Play Music, tapping into the power of machine learning to recommend music based on the listener's preference, activity and location. Additionally, Google Play Music will curate hand-picked playlists to personalize music for the listeners for a variety of occasions. So if you are relaxing at home, powering through at work, working out at the gym, or exploring a new city, Google Play Music will deliver personalized music based on where you are and why you are listening.

Google Play Music will allow users to stream music using minimal data on mobile. When you subscribe, you can enjoy offline listening, and be prepped with an offline playlist based on what you’ve listened to recently, even if you forgot to download them ahead of time.

 

Vodafone Ties Up With Google Cloud To Bring G Suite To Indian Enterprises

In its mission to build Ready Businesses in India, Vodafone Business Services (VBS), the enterprise arm of Vodafone India, has tied up with Google Cloud to offer G Suite to Indian enterprises. G Suite is a set of intelligent apps – Gmail, Docs, Drive, Calendar, Hangouts, and more – designed with real-time collaboration and machine intelligence to bring people together and help them work smarter.

Under this tie-up, Vodafone enterprise customers can conveniently and securely access G Suite in a pay-per-use, Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model. With G Suite securely delivered from the cloud, Vodafone will support enterprises from on-boarding and activation right up to migration and service support through a dedicated Cloud Support Team.

G Suite through Vodafone: Key Highlights
•    Cost-effective, predictable, pay-as-you-go billing. Choice of monthly, quarterly, half-yearly or annual payments to be made online or by cheque
•    Dedicated Multi-channel support [phone, email, online] for onboarding, migration and in-life queries
•    Dedicated Account and Relationship Management for SMBs and large enterprises
•    Single partner for connectivity and G Suite

Google Calls On Indian Youths To Be Next Guardians Of The Internet

In an effort to promote and educate the youth about staying smart, safe and savvy online, Google India today announced the launch of the second edition of the Web Rangers contest. Google Web Rangers contest is open to students across the country within the age group of 10 and 17 years. 

Entering its second year, the competition aims to encourage young people in schools and communities to highlight the importance of Internet safety and being good digital citizens. As part of the competition, students across the country are invited to create, innovate and submit their creative ideas in various categories in the form of entries ranging from a comprehensive Internet safety campaign, to a project involving a video, website, app or even design a poster to educate and spread awareness around digital safety.

The deadline for submitting entries for this year’s contest is January 5, 2017. Winners in each of these categories stand to win Chromebooks and tablets. To learn more about the rules and format, or to submit your entries, visit this page.

The Rs 67,000 Google Pixel XL Costs Rs 19,000 To Make

Believe it or not! The 32GB variant of the 5.5 inch Google Pixel XL smartphone, which was launched in early October at Rs 67,000 in India, costs the technology giant Rs 19,100 per unit to make, according to data by UK analysis firm IHS Market. 

However, this figure doesn't include marketing or R&D costs. The base model of the Google Pixel costs Rs 57,000 in India.

Source: Inshorts

Google's Android Nougat Starts Rolling Out, But Not For Nexus 5 Users

Google's Android 7.0 Nougat has started rolling out as an over the air update from today. The update is available to anyone using the Nexus 6P, Nexus 5X and Nexus 6 phones as well as the Nexus 9 and Pixel C tablets. The Nexus 5 users will not be getting the update.

The two biggest changes are new notifications and a multi-tasking mode. Notifications are now grouped by app in the notification shade; you can pull down on any app's alerts to get the full list. You can also reply directly from notifications, something that iOS has actually had for longer than Android.

Multi-window multitasking lets you run two apps side-by-side, just like you can on the iPad when running iOS 9. The quick settings menu can now be customized to include the things you access the most, and double-tapping the multitasking button switches you between the two more recent apps you've used.

Doze mode, a battery-saving measure introduced last year in Android Marshmallow, has also been tweaked. Previously, Doze would put your phone into a lower-energy mode when the screen was off and the phone wasn't moving, but now it's smart enough to stay in low-power mode even when you're moving around (say, if your phone is tucked in your pocket or backpack).

Source: Engadget

Meet Google Duo, A Simple 1-to-1 Video Calling App

Google today announced the launch of its video calling app Google Duo — a simple 1-to-1 video calling app available for Android and iOS. 

Duo is simple from start to finish. To get started, all you need is your phone number and you’ll be able to reach people in your phone’s contacts list across device types and platforms. No separate account is required, so you can sign up and start calling in just a few taps. From there, you can instantly begin a video call with a single tap. The roll out of Duo for Android and iOS starts today, and it will be live worldwide in the next few days.

The unique feature of Knock Knock in DUO is designed to be fun and inviting. It allows people to see live video of the caller before they answer, giving you a sense of what they’re up to and why they want to chat. 

Duo has been built to be fast and reliable, so that video calls connect quickly and work well even on slower networks. Call quality adjusts to changing network conditions to keep you connected when bandwidth is limited, Duo will gracefully reduce the resolution to keep the call going smoothly. For video calls on the go, Duo will switch between Wi-Fi and cellular data automatically without dropping your call.

Duo has been built with an emphasis on privacy and security. All Duo calls are end-to-end encrypted.

 

Save Data And Storage With New Offline Features On Google Maps

From today, it will be easier to prepare for those long stretches of wifi-free road while still saving on device storage and data, with the launch of  SD card support and “Wi-Fi only” mode for Google Maps on Android.

Now, in addition to saving an area of the maps for offline use later, if you have a device that supports SD cards, you can opt to save your downloaded maps to an external SD card (if your device supports them) and free up storage space for important stuff like your holiday snaps or road trip playlists. Now you’ll never have to choose between snapping more food photos or the ability to navigate offline.

You can also choose to save on mobile data by taking Google Maps completely offline. Once you’ve switched to  “Wi-fi only”, the Google Maps app will work completely offline — no Wi-Fi needed! You will still be able to use other apps and the rest of your phone as you normally would. And you might even save on battery life too. If you need to see what the traffic is like or update your offline maps, you can easily switch back to online mode by changing your setting or finding the nearest Wi-Fi.

New Google Maps Features Help You Plan Your Next Road Trip

Planning road trips in India just became a little easier. With the latest update on Google Maps on Android (coming soon to iOS), now you can plan your road trip with multi-stop directions.

Just open the app, enter a destination, tap the corner menu, and then click “Add stop”. To rearrange the order of your stops, tap and hold the three dot menu to the left of “Add stop” and drag it to the position you want – you can even search for types of places like petrol pumps, ATMs or restaurants like you normally search. You can add as many stops as like and once you’re done, tap “Finished” and your multi-stop routing is complete.

Enjoy Free Public Wi-Fi Service By Railtel And Google At Ten Indian Railway Stations

Indian Railway’s arm Railtel which provides Internet services as RailWire via its extensive fiber network along with Google today announced the launch of free high-speed public Wi-Fi service at nine new railway stations. 

After the first launch at Mumbai Central, starting today users in Pune, Bhubaneshwar, Bhopal, Ranchi, Raipur, Vijayawada, Kacheguda (Hyderabad), Ernakulum Jn (Kochi) and Vishakhapatnam will be able to access the network using their smartphones for free. 

The service built over the fiber network of Raitel is designed to offer high speed broadband experience to users. Travelers passing through these stations will now be able to easily stream a high definition video while they’re waiting, research their destination, download a book or a new game for their journey. Google is committed to work with Indian Railways and Railtel to deliver high-speed Wi-Fi network that will be available to 10 million Indians a day by the end of the year, covering 100 of the busiest train stations in India. The project will be eventually rolled out to cover 400 train stations across India.  

Health information at your fingertips with Google Search

Google has announced today that anyone in India searching for health information can now get it more quickly and easily with the launch of new health cards in the Knowledge Graph. Google worked with Apollo Hospitals and Columbia Asia Hospitals to review the content, and the health information covers over 400 health conditions including those common to India like malaria and dengue fever.

Now when people ask Google about common health conditions they will see information cards with typical symptoms, as well as details on how common the condition is, whether it’s critical, if it’s contagious, what ages it affects, and more.  

India is the third country after the US and Brazil to have health information in the Knowledge Graph and the cards are available in Hindi and English, and cover common local conditions. 

People will be able to see these new cards when they search for conditions with the Google app on Android or iOS phones and tablets, as well as mobile and desktop browsers. You can also search by symptom, so if you look for “Madras eye symptoms” you’ll be taken straight to the symptom tab and you can easily download a PDF copy of these to print. 

Google Launches ‘Accelerated Mobile Pages’ for Search for India

Aiming to improve the performance of the mobile web, Google today announced the rollout of its new open source initiative called Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP). Supporting the initiative they have publishing houses such as Network18, NDTV, India Today, Hindustan Times and DNA  among others that have come on board for content publishing in India.

AMP is a collaborative effort with publishers and key technology companies who believed that poor speed is one of the biggest problems of the web. Since AMP works across devices, platforms and browsers, publishers can publish instantaneously and monetize everywhere. Additionally, users will also have control over the look and feel of their content just as they do on their desktop and mobile sites today.

Basis research data has shown that people abandon websites after just three seconds if the content doesn't load quickly—which is bad not just for people trying to get what they want online. AMP does away with such problems as it helps improve the mobile ecosystem for users, content providers, creators, advertisers and platforms. Additionally, it also helps to solve speed and performance problems across devices and platforms and provide a good reading experience for mobile users.

AMP is great for browsing the web on mobile devices, because web-pages built with AMP load an average of four times faster and use 10 times less data than equivalent non-AMP pages. AMP enabled webpages are easy to scroll through without it taking forever to load or jumping all around as you read. It’s also easy to quickly flip through the search results just by swiping from one full-page AMP story to the next. In many cases, they’ll load instantly making reading on smartphones fast, responsive and fun.

Google Translate now speaks Sindhi

Saying “hello” in Sindhi online just got a little easier along with the addition of 11 other languages to Google Translate. This brings the total number of languages Google Translate supports to just over 100, making it simpler for people, no matter what language they speak, to communicate with one another. 

Now Sindhi speakers can type or handwrite a phrase on their phone or computer and it will be instantly translated into English, or vice versa.

With over 26 million Sindhi speaking citizens around the world, introducing Sindhi to Google Translate  will help the new generation of Sindhis enrich their knowledge about their community.It will also be helpful for tourists visiting India making it easier for English and Sindhi speakers to communicate with each other.

RailTel launches free high-speed public Wi-Fi service with Google at Mumbai Central

Making high-speed Internet available to millions of Indians who travel through railway stations everyday, the Indian Railways’ arm RailTel which provides Internet services as RailWire via its extensive fiber network, today announced the launch of free high-speed public Wi-Fi service in partnership with Google at Mumbai Central. The project was announced last September during Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Google headquarters in Mountain View.

Google has committed to work with Indian Railways’ and RailTel to expand the network quickly to cover 100 of the busiest stations by end of this year and will eventually roll out the service in 400 railway stations across India. 

Railwire Wi-Fi will be available  to any user who has a working mobile connection on a smartphone. Users will be able to easily stream a high definition video while they’re waiting, or save some videos for offline viewing, download a book or a new game for the journey.

Commenting on the launch, Chairman and Managing Director of Railtel Shri R. K. Bahuguna of Railtel said, "Our intent was to fulfill Indian Railway’s vision of providing Railway passengers access to high speed Internet through our Optical fiber communication network. Affordable smartphones have made it possible for the common men to experience the power of Internet. With our partnership with Google, we are very confident of rolling out a robust, scalable service at Railway stations in the near future."

Lenovo and Google Partner on New Project Tango Device

Lenovo announced the development of the first consumer mobile device with Project Tango in collaboration with Google at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. The new smartphone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, turns the screen into a magic window that can overlay digital information and objects onto the real world. Lenovo, Google, and Qualcomm Technologies are working closely together to optimize the software and hardware to ensure consumers get the most out of the Project Tango platform.

Google’s Project Tango is a technology platform that uses advanced computer vision, depth sensing, and motion tracking to create on-screen 3D experiences, allowing users to explore their physical environments via their device. Specialized hardware and software combine to let the device react to every movement of the user, when they step forward, backward, or lean side to side. App developers can transform your home into a game level, or create a magic window into virtual and augmented environments.

Project Tango-enabled devices can recognize places, like your living room, the office, or public spaces. Unlike GPS, Project Tango motion tracking works indoors, allowing users to navigate precisely through a shopping mall, or even find a specific item at the store where that information is available. Using the sensor in the device, Project Tango devices can also capture the 3D dimensions of the room, giving measurements that can be used to help you when shopping for furniture or decorations.

Starting today at https://www.google.com/atap/project-tango/app-incubator, developers can submit their Project Tango app proposals for a chance to win funding and the chance to have their app featured on Lenovo’s upcoming smartphone. The submission period closes on Feb. 15, 2016.

The Project Tango Tablet Development Kit can be purchased in the Google Store: https://store.google.com/product/project_tango_tablet_development_kit

Google Nexus 6P gets cheaper by $50

With Christmas festival nearing, Google has cut the cost of the Nexus 6P smartphone. Google has temporarily dropped the starting price by $50. Which means, the 32gb version will cost $449, 64GB for $499 and 128GB for $599.  

This is the first time we have seen a price cut in the Nexus 6P. The Google Store is also offering free overnight shipping. The flagship Android 6.0 Marshmallow smartphone 

The 5.7" display handset is powered by Qualcomm MSM8994 Snapdragon 810 coupled with 3GB ram, sports 12 mp rear camera and 8 mp front facing camera. It weighs 178 grams, has a Non-removable Li-Po 3450 mAh battery and comes with the latest OS, Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box.

Source: The Verge