Google Docs API allows users to Automate many of the Things they did Manually

Google recently announced an API for Google Docs. This new Google Docs API will allow users to automate many of the things that they did manually in the company’s online office suite. The Google Docs API which had been in developer’s preview since last April has now been opened up to all developers. The last developer preview launched at last year’s Google Cloud Next 2018.

Google Docs API: 

The REST API allowed developers build workflow automation services for users, create documents in bulk and also build content management services. Developers could also set up processes that would manipulate documents after the fact in order to update them. The Google Docs API also features the ability for users to delete, insert, move, merge, as well as format text. Insert inline images, work with list among many other things.

Google Docs API’s import/ export function also allows you to use Doc in internal content management systems.

Companies that use Google Docs API: 

Many companies had built solutions on the new Google Docs API. Some of these companies include names such as Netflix, Zapier, Final draft and Mailchimp. Zapier had integrated the google Docs API with its own work flow automation tool in order to help users create their own offer letters which would be based on a template. While Zapier did this, Netflix used Google Docs API to build an internal tool that would help engineers in gathering data and automating documentation flows.

For those of you having to fill out forms or invoices, instead of doing it multiple times and changing the template every time you do, you can now have product info and numbers automatically filled in for you. This new Google Docs API will make life much easier for all and sundry. Google Docs API aims at removing much of the repetitive tasks by automating it.

Google Docs API allows you to read and write documents using programs. These programs then integrate your work across all Google Docs saving you a lot of time and hassle.

To help in getting things started with the new Google Docs API, Google has developer guides, reference docs and a quick start guide. The Developer guide helps you in learning how to implement some of the most important features in Google Docs. The reference Docs contains details about API types and methods.

Many at times at the work place we find ourselves copying the same thing over and over again, Google Docs API is aimed at removing that very thing. They do this by automating most of the repetitive functions, leaving us with a few tasks. Some of the things that google docs API helps at eliminating is copying information form one document to the other and filling out forms at work.

Google Docs API is primarily intended to help out with invoicing but can be adapted to do just about anything that you need done in docs. This new API will remove a lot of repetitive tasks at the workplace.

Google Makes Learning Fun and Easier through: 13 Google for Education Tools

Sometimes learning can be tough and boring. There are times when you wish you could just lay back and rest. This may not be because you are lazy but are due to learn something that you find a little bit difficult. In such cases learning needs to be made simpler and not only that but also focused and fun. Google plans on doing just that through their Google for Education tools. Google plans on bringing the learning initiative to Chromebooks with easy student access and to make learning easier.

Learning through Devices a Part of Google for education tools: 

Google plans on launching a number of devices in 2019 with a view to providing learning. There will be more than 25+ devices or so that Google plans on releasing in the year 2019. There will be a choice from the Asus Chromebook Tablet CT100 to convertibles like the Acer Chromebook Spin 512. The Acer Chromebook Spin will have a 3:2 inch screen ratio for a larger display, so that viewing is made easier on it. There will also be other devices such as the Lenovo 300e Chromebook and clamshell devices such as the Dell Chromebook 3400.

Chromebooks are not the only devices that Google has lined up as part of its Google for education tools initiative. Google also has something for educators too. After all learning is not the only criteria but teaching is just as important if students have to learn well. Educators will have the Google Pixel Slate and the Pixelbook as options to teach with.

Customize your settings and Save your Work with these Google for Education Tools: 

Google allows you the option of customizing your settings with multilayered security settings, individual profiles, automatic updates and data protection. The thing that is great with this tool is that you can now access all these settings no matter what you device you’re using. You just log into your account and presto! All your settings are the same as you set them as on the device you logged in previously.

Google has also added in this option for all types of learners be it those with visual impairments, auditory problems and more.

Be Internet Legends with Google for education tools initiative:

Google has now started an online safety program in partnership with experts up at Parent Zone. Primary school teachers can now order the Be Internet Legends curriculum pack all for free. There are also new languages added to the pack including Arabic, Italian, Belgian, Polish, and will be soon coming in Turkish as well.

Plan with Google for Education Tools: 

As part of Google for Education Tools initiative, Google makes planning for teaching a course easier with its new Classwork page. Not only that, but Classroom has a new look and feel to it, promising to make work easier.

Jamboard an Interesting Google for Education Tool: 

You can create, edit and view Jams- a collaborative whiteboard space right on your Chromebook or from a Chrome browser or alternatively from the jamsboard app as well. Jamsboard allows you to modify frames and switch between drawing to keyboard shortcuts while jamming. You’ll even be able to add images shortly. Interested users can also head on to Jamsboard for a free course on Student agency and engagement.

Bringing Augmented and Virtual Reality to the Education Front: 

As part of the Google for education tools initiative, students can now create VR tours using Tour Creator on the Chromebook. They can then view their creations through a guided app using the Expeditions Android app. Google is also translating its most popular tour guides into Arabic, Hindi, German, Italian, Korean, Japanese, Russian, Portuguese, French and Spanish.

Locked mode and Gradebook as Google for education tools: 

While on locked mode on the Chromebook students will not be able to browse away from their quiz unless they submit their answers.

The Gradebook on the Chromebook allows teachers to check answers and compute average for the class as well as calculate grades by weighted average or total points. Making a teacher’s life much more easier and faster.

Learning Coding as a part of Google for education tools initiative: 

Google recently introduced First + Scratch 3.0 which is the latest version of coding to be taught to kids. This version is complete with lesson plans,new videos and digital materials. The lesson plans will also be easily shared via Google Docs. To learn more about the latest version you can check out Google’s First Starter Guide.

Be Job Ready with these new Skills: 

Google for education tools now includes teaching new skills like critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, communication and digital skills. These skills are based on the UK Essential Digital Skills Framework and the Computing National Curriculum in England. All this will be available on the new English and Digital Skills website in the UK.

Hands on with Google for Education Tools: 

This new tool allows you to save your experiments across all your devices through your G Suite Education account. Google has also released new training modules and lessons on the Google for Education Teacher Center as well as Scholastic. If you’re more the hands on type then you can check out the new Science kit from Arduino for middle school or the new science journal app with Go Direct line of classroom sensors.

Learn about Travel using these Google for Education Tools:

Google earth also features in as a Google for education tool. You can now bring the whole world to your classroom with no download necessary. Students can learn about streets, learn about the weather, volcanoes and about sea temperature. Google makes learning interactive by showing layers and areas, distances and 3D views of things. This makes learning a lot more easier and understandable.

These Google for Education Tools are all set to make learning easier and more understandable for students. Their interactive content and ease of learning makes these tools a must have for anyone wanting a brighter future.

Google has Unveiled Flutter 1.0

Google unveiled the Flutter 1.0 at an event at the Science Museum in London, UK. The Product Manager Tim Sneath introduced Flutter 1.0 to the enthusiastic developers.

What is Flutter? 

Flutter 1.0 is a cross-platform portable UI toolkit. It is an app engine that brings software development kit (SDK) out of beta.

Since 2015, it was undergoing various stages of development. Several of the beta versions were out last year and a preview of Flutter saw the release this summer.

It allows developers to build apps that can work on Android and iOS from a single codebase.

Flutter was designed by Google so that there could be a better collaboration and rapid development between the developers and coders. It is powered by Skia 2D graphics engine.

Material Design widgets which would look nice on both, Android and iPhone devices, will be powered by Google’s Dart platform. It will enable compilation to native 32-bit and 64-bit ARM code for Android and iOS. With the ‘stateful hot reload’ feature, you get quick visual results without any need to restart, thus saving time and increasing productivity. According to Google, the development cycles are three times more productive.

Flutter, being an open source, with a BSD-style licence, allows contributions from developers all over, since there are plenty of third-party plug-ins and widgets ready to be tried out.

Ashley Narayanen told Computer Business Review that even though it has the ability to target more than one platform which is not a new concept, the others being Xamarin, Cordova and React Native, it is a product of Google and not a third party component.

The other point to be noted is that Flutter is slated to be the main framework for the next-Gen operating system, Fuschia.

Though the Xamarin framework offers a native experience, there are still problems in cross-platform targeting since a complete 100 percent of the components cannot be used across both the Android and iOS platforms.

It has been designed to support Google’s ‘Material’ design language as well. Since there is heavy use of shadows and other effects, one can use the native hardware graphics acceleration on both the Android and iOS platforms. With the result it is capable of handling such workloads.

Many Big Companies are using Flutter

Big companies like Alibaba, Groupon, Tencent and others are developing and shipping apps with Flutter.

The mobile payment service Square announced two new Flutter SDKs whereby accepting payments for goods and services would become easier with Flutter. It could be done by using a Square payment reader or payments within the mobile app developed on the platform.

Animators 2Dimensions announced the use of ‘Flare’, a tool that enables designers to create animations which could be embedded into a Flutter app and manipulated with code. With Flare, there is no need to design in one app, animate in another and convert everything to a device-specific assets and code.

With Flutter, app design is radically simplified. Google made an announcement that they would be experimenting with running Flutter on the web under the codename, Hummingbird.

Google Project Stream will be Huge for PC Gaming

Project stream to REACH New Heights!

Streaming has been the greatest invention since the internet or at least in my view. There is no hassle of downloading just the need for an internet connection. You can then watch your favorite shows, movies or listen to your favorite songs all without any problems. But that is not all streaming can do. Google plans on pushing the limits of streaming even further with its project stream operations. To make streaming even more capable than what it can currently do, Google’s project stream will be much more demanding than just streaming your average day video.

Project stream is Google’s way of pushing the limits when it comes to streaming in a good way. It is a test of sorts to see how far streaming can actually go. Our current day streaming has come a long way since only a few years back. But now for the ultimate test in project stream Google plans on streaming a blockbuster game.

Streaming a Blockbuster video game through Project Stream:

To really push the boundaries in project stream, Google has come up with a way to stream a blockbuster game and this is no ordinary game either. The game chosen for project stream is one of the best known and highly played games- Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. The game may not be released just as yet but it is well on its way to becoming one of the most played games in the world.

The game to- be- released by one of the best gaming publication houses out there- Ubisoft, is all set to feature as Google’s test on streaming with project stream.

Who gets to be a part of Project Stream?

The game is all set to reach Google’s project stream platform on October the 5th. For the duration of the project stream test, Google will select a certain number of participants to play the game for the duration of the project stream test. This will take place at no extra cost to the players.

To play the game you have to be a US resident and aged above 17 years, plus (this goes without saying) you also have to have a working internet connection like say 25 megabits per second to play. This is besides there being other criteria which you can check out on Google’s help center.

The Difficulties of Streaming a Game on Project Stream:

Streaming comes with its own set of problems like buffering and the annoying wait for that to happen. But this is when you watch something like a video. But when it comes to gaming it’s a whole different ball game.

You have graphically rich content to stream and not only that, there can be no lagging and buffering, there has to be instant interaction between the player and what happens on screen.

The only latency that is acceptable is a few milliseconds and no more. Plus if you take in graphics, that makes it a really complex process that Google hopes to overcome with project stream.

Shape Detection now with Google Chrome 70 Beta

So Chrome has just turned a decade old and Google celebrated by making some major updates like an almost full change of the user interface and like with all major updates- a performance improvement as well. But that’s not all that was in store for Chrome. Google also added shape detection and other features to boost security as well, like using biometrics in web based applications. But the tinkering is not over just as yet. Google recently released its beta for Chrome 70 that includes the shape detection, web authentication and some other updates as well.

Shape Detection in Chrome: 

Google uses this shape detection API to bring a device’s feature of detecting faces, barcodes and text to web pages.

Shape detection constitutes three APIs in one bundle. You have the face detection software, barcode detection API in shape detection and of course text detection API also in the shape detection API. Basically the shape detection API pretty much does as the name describes but for further information Google has given its own description of what you can expect from its shape detection API.

For face detection in the shape detection API- given the image bitmap or face or blob even, the face detection API gives you the location of that face and the eyes, nose and mouth in that face.

To gain more control over the process you can always prioritize speed over performance when it comes to search results for faces. You could even limit the number of faces given as results, using this method in shape detection.

The barcode detection API in shape detection API decodes the bar codes or QR codes for you into strings with values ranging from single sets of digits to multi line texts.

The text detection API in shape detection API is meant to read Latin- 1 text used in images.

The use of shape detection in Chrome could open up a host of useful opportunities for developers. Adding facial recognition in shape detection API could mean better security like Apple’s FaceID. Text detection too has a lot of opportunities where it can be used in.

QR or barcode reading while it will be more useful in other places, it is less useful in places like the US where QR codes or barcodes are not used much.

Web authentication on Chrome: 

To add more security Google has added Web authentication update with support for a PublicKeyCredential type. This allows web based applications to use and create strong cryptographically attested credentials for their users.

This feature was present in Chrome 67 for desktop by default and now has been activated for Chrome Android as well.

Another feature added by web authentication on Chrome is the use of finger print or biometrics. This uses the feature present on phones or the mac to give users extra security when using web based applications. That means on various websites, web operators can ask for your finger print using the scanners on your phone or mac to verify your identity.

Android 9 Pie (Go edition): New Features and More Options This Fall

Android 9 Pie (Go edition) with new Features to unveil later this year

With the release of Android 9 Pie, the Android 9 Pie (Go edition) will be unveiled shortly. Google announced the introduction of Android 9 Pie (Go edition) as they are keen on focussing on the entry-level smartphone users. Android 9 Pie (Go edition) will be succeeding the Oreo (Go edition) which was introduced in December 2017.

With the Android 9 Pie (Go edition), there will be an additional 500MB of storage out of the box as compared to the Oreo (Go edition) and more than double that of a non-Go edition device. Security features like verified boot will see an improvement, there will be faster boot time and a dashboard to check out data consumption.

Google plans to roll out the Android 9 Pie (Go edition) later this fall, but no exact dates have been stated. Smartphones that have the Android Oreo (Go edition) will also be getting a software update towards the end of this year or early next year.

Last year we saw the introduction of Android (Go edition). The sole purpose was to give first time users and entry-level smartphone users a fast and good experience. The first batch of Android (Go edition) smartphones rolled out in April. There are more than 200 smartphones selling in more than 120 countries which include India, Nigeria, South Africa, U.S. and Brazil. They had not only improved the core operating system but also added new and useful features in various apps like YouTube Go, Google Go and many more.

There is a Go edition device for everyone and they are even selling at $30. It may vary with a HD or regular VGA display, have either 4GB or 8GB or 16 GB storage and support 3G or 4G. There are more than 100 manufacturers who are planning to sell these devices by the end of this year.

Additional Features of Android 9 Pie (Go edition) 

The Android 9 Pie (Go edition) is slated to bring in a redesigned set of Google apps basically to serve the entry-level smartphone users.These entry-level smartphones with Android 9 Pie (Go edition) will see new features that include

An additional 500MB storage out of the box.

The boot time will be faster.

A dashboard to help monitor and track data consumption.

Improved security features like verified boot.

The Android 9 Pie (Go edition) will have lesser preloaded apps and new apps that are lighter. It will come with a built-in security feature and offline app install scans.

According to Sagar Kamdar, Director of Product Management, Android, these new features of Android 9 Pie (Go edition) will take care of most of the problems entry-level or first- time users experience. It could either be security issues, device performance, managing data or storage.

Google had updated the YouTube Go app with a .yt file extension wherein the users with Android Oreo (Go edition) could save YouTube offline videos to their Gallery. There was an update of the webpage voice dictation and also a new navigation for Google Maps Go extension app.

Google One with Cheaper Plans, Extra Benefits in US

Google had recently held the Google One cloud storage packages premiere in USA. Google One is a new name for storage packages that Google users can subscribe for. The Google One storage plan is open for individuals and small business alike. However the Google Drive platform still remains unchanged.

Prices range from everything in between $1.99 to $9.99 for various amounts of storage. Most people have a lot of storage when it comes down to it. You can store your music on Google Play Music which is soon to be called YouTube Music. You can store your pictures for free if they’re not above 13MP and wouldn’t you rather surf for videos on Netflix or YouTube rather than spend money on buying a storage plan. When you’ve taken into account videos, photos and music, there’s really not that much else to be stored is there?

Prices for Google One: 

 

The Google One storage platform starts from $1.99 a month for 100 GB of data with tiers for $2.99 per month for 200 GB and $9.99 per month for 2TB of data on Google One as compared to 1 TB in Google Drive. I don’t know about you, but 2 TB of data is more than anyone needs.

If this is still not that good enough, then there are larger packages with a larger price tag as well. These packages are much like Google Drive.

Google One- a Family Pack: 

The Google One package can be used for storage by the whole family too. That is up to five family members.

As a member of Google One packages, there will be incentives like certain discounts in the Google Store and so forth. But at present there’s not much to that and it maybe not that great of an incentive too.

What’s Free on Google One? 

The same 15 GB of data space is there, which is split across all tiers like photos, videos and Gmail, which most seemed to forget come under the 15 GB free bracket.

After a while that 15 GB of free space too seems to be limited and if you’ve started using Gmail form the beginning then somewhere about now you’ll be finding your space getting smaller.

Are you on the Google One plan? 

If you’re already a Google Drive user and are residing in the US then you automatically come under the Google One plan.

On the other hand if you’re a new subscriber to Google, then you’ll be signed up on a new Google One account.

If you’re not a US Resident: 

Google One is only available in the US as of now, but will shortly roll out to other countries as well. If you’ve paid for a Google Drive storage plan, then no worries you won’t loose out on what you’ve paid for but will be automatically transferred to the Google One storage plan as soon as it rolls out to your country of residence.

In a few months, Google plans on rolling out Google One to other countries as well.

Google Tracks Your Movements, You Like It or Not

You Are Being Watched as Google Tracks your Movements

Whether you like it or not Google keeps track of your daily movements. You may not want it to do so, you may switch off your location history but Google is always tracking your movements. Why you ask? Well the answer lies within Google wanting to make big bucks when it comes to advertising. By getting your location and the places you frequently visit, Google is able to tailor advertisements based off of that data.

An Associated press investigation team has learnt that Google tracks your movements even when you expressly tell them not to. How do they do this, you say? The answer is simple. They track your movements from your android phone or iOS.

Being Upfront about Tracking your Movements: 

Most of the time Google is upfront when it comes to tracking your movements. They ask your permission and if you decide to give it, then Google prepares a timeline showing your movements over a period of time.

But of course many are opposed to the idea of their movements being tracked. Alas, that has not stopped the tech giant from tracking your movements. It makes sense too that people are not so keen on letting Google track their movements.

Police have previously used the data stored by Google in nabbing suspects in an investigation. But who’s to say that data pertaining to tracking your movements will be used only by the correct authorities.

There is considerable risk of some unknown parties getting that information and using it in ways that we have not even thought about.

What does Google say about Tracking your Movements? 

According to Google, the company does not remember where you move on a daily basis. This it does when your location history is turned off.

But the reality is much different. Even with location history being off, Google still tracks your movements from various Google apps.

Take for example Google Maps, as soon as you open the app, Google immediately takes a snapshot of where you’re at. If that’s not enough for you, then knowing that when you get automatic weather updates, it pinpoints your exact location will force you to wonder how Google is getting all that info.

Forget the apps for just a second, what about innocent searches on the net for chocolate chip cookies or anything else for that matter, on your search results page you get your exact latitude and longitude and I know no one is going to be happy about that.

Who does Google keep track of? 

Studies show that Google tracks movements of nearly 2 billion users worldwide. These can be from android as well as iPhone users who rely on Google for some of their app usage.

When you turn off location history in one place, all places where such data is stored should be turned off, like other Google apps as well. But no matter how straightforward that seems it is not done. It is not that it is impossible to switch of location history on your device but knowing where to switch it off and how, can be problematic.

Google Duplex: Google's Eerie Human Phone Bot is Ready for the Real World

Google Duplex gets a Redo

These days everyone is on the AI bandwagon, from apps to gaming, you can see AI on all these platforms. So why not get AI to book appointments and reservations at restaurants? That’s what Google thought back in May when it released a bot to make reservations and other stuff, called Google Duplex. On first hearing the voice, many thought it was weird and just didn’t sound right.

At the Google’s developer conference in May, a bot or AI or Google Duplex was heard calling a salon and a restaurant to book a reservation on behalf of a human. This initial show of Duplex caused many to raise a number of issues with the chat bot, one of them being that the person on the other end did not know that they were talking to a chat bot and the other that they did not even know they were being recorded. Both of these issues significantly invades a person’s privacy and the said person is unaware of both these issues.

Google Duplex to get a redo:

Google has since then taken these issues seriously and a few weeks before Google Duplex can be used by a small number of small businesses and users, Duplex has got a big redo.

Google aims to address these issues at a time when it has released a set of principles that prevents Googlers from using AI tech in technologies that could affect or violate human rights.

Google Duplex in a Demonstration: 

This time around in order to show case the new and improved version of Duplex, Google used a Hummus shop down the road from their headquarters in Mountain View, California. Google got Duplex to make a reservation at the restaurant which they played through the restaurant’s speakers so that the assembled reporters could hear Google Duplex in action.

As soon Duplex hit the ears of all those present a few differences were immediately apparent. Google’s Duplex informed the person on the other line that it is Google’s automated booking service and that it’ll be recording the call.

There were even Google’s representatives present to answer any questions that the reporters might have. The reporters were even given a chance to rotate around and answer the phone. Google’s duplex was being made to call through Google assistant from a laptop just a few feet away in the restaurant.

While many reporters took their turn at the restaurant, many of them tried to trip up the chat bot and when the chat bot was unable to satisfactorily complete the call, another person came on line which one would barely notice as a real human being.

 

No regrets: 

Google had no regrets at showing Duplex at their developer’s conference back in May. They said they were only demonstrating the technology side of things and all the feedback that they received was really helpful in making changes and going forward.

But another question arises now, Do people really feel a need to fulfill their obligations of attending an appointment, especially now that a bot is placing an order on their behalf?

YouTube Music Starts Rolling Out: 6 Reasons You are Gonna Like It

For the Music Lovers out there: YouTube brings you-“YouTube Music”

Recently YouTube announced YouTube music for all the music lovers out there which is basically for everyone. A week later and you have YouTube music already rolled out to the U.S. of A, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and Mexico, with other countries coming shortly. All your music needs will be in one place now with YouTube Music.

You’ll be able to jam out to your favorite tunes, get recommendations based on your searches, don’t know the name of that song? No worries YouTube music has got you covered, all you have to do is place the name of the lyrics into the search bar and your sorted. You can even get songs to suit your schedule like on being on that train commute to office or while you’re on that grueling workout regime. But, now to elaborate further….

Everything under one roof with YouTube Music: 

Forget looking for songs in multiple places, instead of having a number of apps for music, you can get everything with YouTube music under one roof. Whether it is singles, whole albums or music videos, YouTube music has got everything. You can even watch concerts and get those really hard to find songs all with YouTube Music.

Recommendations customized just for you on YouTube music: 

Get recommendations just for you, right on your home screen. These recommendations will be based on your searches as well as where you’re at and what you are currently doing- you maybe at the gym, but no worries YouTube music has a playlist just for you.

Playlist Galore with YouTube Music: 

YouTube Music has got thousands upon thousands of playlists just for you and your moods. There’s “Blogged 50” if you’re in the mood for new songs and “Indie Under Pressure” to get you going on those terrible workouts.

Search smart with YouTube Music: 

Can’t remember the name of that song? You think you got those lyrics down but actually they’re wrong? No hassles, YouTube music is here to save the day or in your case get that song’s name which for the life of you can’t get out of your head.

Browse Music based on current trends:

Want to see what’s trending? YouTube music has got a hotlist screen that shows you all the latest and greatest in current music. No matter where you’re at which place across the globe you find yourself in, you can get the latest or those that are trending in your region.

Download your music hassle free on YouTube music: 

No internet connection? That’s not a problem cause you can now download your favorite tunes when you do have connection and then listen to them without those annoying ads going around in the background whenever you want.

Paid members also get an offline mixtape that automatically downloads songs that YouTube Music thinks you will like just in case you forgot to do so.

For Google Play Music members out there: 

Members will be able to access all their music and also be able to add music just like always.

3 Reasons Google's Pixel Watch May Tempt You Away From An Apple Watch

Why Google Pixel Watch Maybe better than an Apple watch for you?

Looks like Wear OS maybe getting another boost of revival from Google. The first boost the OS got was by Google changing its name from Android Wear to Wear OS as a means of showing people that the new moniker could work with both an iPhone as well as android. Basically what I’m trying to say is that Apple users can now sync their iPhones with Wear OS. But getting on with this second boost to Wear OS, Google is planning on releasing a smart watch titled Google Pixel Watch.

So get saving for this Christmas because by that time Google would have released its pixel watch which is supposed to be great. Google is planning on not only one watch but three watches under the Pixel banner. These three pixel watches will not only have the latest in Wear OS but will also show off Google’s operating system’s true potential.

Why this Pixel watch will be better than the others?

Google pixel watch will be all set to stand off stiff competition this year with Apple releasing it’s Apple Watch 4 and Samsung’s Gear 4 coming out in the later- half of this year and let me tell you these brands do not fool around either. We can surely expect the best from these brands later this year.
But since this will be Google’s first Smart Watch release and that too under its Pixel flagship offering, we’re definitely hoping that Google comes out with something that will blow our minds away.

Why Google may stand up to other big brands with its Pixel Watch?

Apart from the other tech that is going into the Pixel watch, there is news that a new Qualcomm chipset will be present in the Pixel watch. This will be the first new Qualcomm chipset going into a wearable since the last Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 was released back in 2016.

As of now there is no confirmation that the Pixel watch will have this chipset but with a Qualcomm representative saying that the chipset will be going into a device that is coming out at the year end, we have our fingers crossed that this chipset could be going into the new Pixel watch.

With this being Google’s first smart watch undertaking and because it has to provide a reference design for other third party manufacturers who are playing around with the Wear OS platform, this new Pixel Watch will definitely have to stand out from its competition.

The Pixel brand has become Google’s go to brand in past few years, with them releasing smart phone after smart phone, so now releasing a smart watch under the same banner means that Google won’t be taking any chances.

Besides all this we expect Google to bring out the latest in smart watches like GPS, LTE connectivity, fitness tracking, heart rate monitoring, NFC for mobile payments, getting notifications on the go feature, tracking for various sports to name a few.

Turning your house into a smart home with the Google Assistant

Google Assistant- your assistant at home too!

In the past couple of years smart everything has taken off, from smart cars to smart phones to even smart homes, all you need to do is say something like “turn on the lights” and the assistant will turn them on for you. No more have you to worry about switching off the lights or finding that TV remote that does not seem to be in the right place when you go to look for it. In today’s era you have the likes of Google assistant there to meet your every demand.

Using only your voice you can do multiple things in your house or in other words get the Google assistant to do stuff for you. Google has recently reported that many of the major brands in the US have tied up with Google assistant to smart control a house. Google assistant can now be found on 5,000 and counting appliances in a household. The Google assistant can be found on cameras, dishwashers, fridges, thermostats, switches, security systems, ovens and the list goes on and on, basically everything you can think off in the house.

Google assistant in your living room: 

As Google plans on bringing Google assistant to more devices this year, they have started by making your living room a smart entertainment center. You can tell the Google assistant to play music or put on that movie or play that show, all from the comfort of you couch and simply by using your voice.
Google plans on making every TV a smart TV with Chromecast, so now using Google assistant with your TV won’t be a problem, all you have to do is tell the Google home what you want and presto! It is done. Google is also working closely with other TV brands to make Google assistant compatible with the next generation of TVs.

Google assistant your new security- guard: 

Google assistant can even be found in your home’s security system. If you have a nest hello doorbell, then the Google assistant will inform you whenever someone comes, through a chime i to your smart speaker or to your phone. You could even watch whoever’s at the door through your phone or TV.
The Nest product was the first to ship with all these Google features and Google plans on bringing out Google assistant on more security devices later this year.

Google assistant on other gadgets as well: 

As we mentioned earlier, you can switch on almost everything with the Google assistant and you could do this through your smartphone or smart speaker. You could even transform your phone into your very own personal control hub of sorts, when you’re out of the house too.

Google has recently collaborated with Deutsche Telekom’s Magnets Hub and IKEA’s lighting system, which will enable many devices in the household to be activated with the Google assistant. Google plans on tying up with many more brands over the year to bring the Google assistant to more nooks and crannies of the house.

Android P Beta Announced at Google I/O 2018

Android P Beta gets unveiled at the Google I/O

Google has redefined the android experience with the launch of the Android P beta update at the Google I/O. This update is making its way to the Pixel devices at once along with a number of high profile smartphone from other manufacturers. Here are some of the cool new features which are debuting with the Android P Beta.

Adaptive is the new power

Adaptive battery feature is designed to offers more consistent battery experience on the Android devices. It makes use of the AI along with the machine learning which helps in understanding the user's usage patterns and prioritize the battery power consumption for the apps and services which are most required by the user. Android P will come loaded with a new Adaptive Brightness feature which is way ahead of the simple automatic brightness. Adaptive brightness effectively makes use of the machine learning to adapt with the lightening requirement in accordance with outer conditions. This is done automatically without the help of human input in a fast and reliable fashion.

Android P wants you to spend less time on the phone

Millennial are just always glued to their devices whether they want it or not. In order to help them get rid of this ugly habit, Android P comes with a new feature called dashboard. This feature will simply showcase the amount of time spent on different apps on the given device. Apart from that, it will also show how many times the phone was unlocked and how many notifications were received throughout. This is helpful both for the developer as they will get to know the user behaviour and take the right course of action to make their device more interactive while users can heed t the stats to use the phone lesser.

Keeping a tab on the user’s ‘Digital Wellbeing’

Google has given immense focus on the user's digital wellbeing and as a result, it has come up with a new feature called App timer. This feature will help users in setting up the time limits on the apps and users will be notified about it through graying of the app icon. As the smartphone has gone smarter with each passing year people had started to rely more on the handheld device more than needed and this had started affecting the wellbeing to a great extent.

Google has taken a note of it and brought some crafty feature embedded with the Android P to help the users without sounding adamant. One such cool feature is Wind Down as the name suggests it is designed for those users who tend to use a smartphone while lying on the bed for a longer period of time. This feature will require the user to set a bedtime upon which it will turn on the night mode, Don Not Disturb and even change the screen to grayscale.

Another feature worth talking about is the much needed Do Not Disturb. This not just silences the phone against the incoming calls & notifications but also suspends all the visual interruptions that can come up on the screen. These are just some of the notable features, tweaks and enhancements made by the Google in the upcoming Android P update.

Things to Expect from Google I/O This Year Around

Google’s Annual Developer Conference

Google I/O 2018 is an annual developer conference by Google announcing latest hardware, software together with numerous updates for prevailing services and apps. Google is said to organise a multi-day event each year to enable developer community.

 This is done to hasten with their latest hardware they tend to improve together with the software or update with the purpose of pushing out to products. This enables developers with the opportunity of getting their own apps, services tie-ins and integrations ready before Google launches its products. But consumers prefer to view the Google I/O show since Google has a tendency of making few announcements well-known.

Google I/O 2018 event is likely to take place on May 8 and would be concluding on May 10. The said event would take place at the Shoreline amphitheatre in Mountain View, California.

Online Puzzle

The date for Google I/O 2018 had been disclosed by Google through an online puzzle where numerous users supported The Verge in solving the puzzle by operating through room in Google Maps. This was with the intention of discovering clues and knowing the date and location of Google I/O 2018.

The clues comprised of a pineapple cake in one room probably a hint at the accurate name for Android P. Since Google had always tricked around with Android names, this could be another teaser for Android fans.

Android P – Next Segment of Mobile Operating System

Probably,Android P would be showcased at the event which is the next segment of the mobile operating system of Google. The one big visual renovation of Google that has not been shown officially and which most of us are not aware of is the gesture-based navigation system which was initially disclosed in March on Alphabet Scoop podcast followed up with limited extracts of last month.

Focus – Building Web/Enterprise Application/Mobile

Google would live stream its keynote and the video would be embedded whenever it is available. A raffle system has been utilised by Google and attendees randomly selected from those registered on the company’s website where the lucky winners would need to pay for the tickets. The cost would be $1,150 for general admission, $750 for community and $375 for academic. Google has closed the registration and has notified the raffle winners and no more tickets are on sale anymore. Google I/O 2018 setting technical in-depth sessions is aimed on building web, enterprise application and mobile with Google together with open sources like Chrome, Android and Chrome OS, APIs, together with Google Web Toolkit, App Engine and much more.

Google has utilised the developer conference to announce fresh software products as well as tools for consumers and developers. A developer preview of Android P, being the next version of the mobile operating system of Google, is already available. It is expected that at Google I/O 2018, the company would disclose more consumer-facing features and open the Android Beta program to the general public. Though the schedule for Google I/O 2018 is out, Google’s topic intended is not known during the event. A few clues are disclosed as to what may come up between May 8 and May 10.

Expectations at Google I/O 2018

Google is on the look-out for a P-linked name to trail Android Oreo and this could be an early disclosure of the forthcoming name of the Android version. More updates would be coming up at Google I/O 2018 event. Earlier last year, the first developer preview of Android O had been released in March. The company had released the public beta of Android O together with its latest Android Go, a feature of the operating system intended to power low-end devices in developing markets at the time of the I/O 2017. Last year, Google released the first developer preview of Android O in March, and then, it released the public beta of Android O, along with its new Android Go, a version of the operating system meant to power low-end devices in emerging markets, during I/O 2017. It also did demos of picture-in-picture, Notification Dots, etc.

Updates – Rollout during Google I/O 2018 Event

Powered by Google Assistant, Google Home is said to be the primary part of experience of Google as well as a part wherein the company has been competing with the line of smart speakers of Amazon Echo. More updates are expected during Google I/O 2018 for the standard Google Home shortly. Android Wear had recently been re-trademarked by Google, a wearable operating system to WearOS. Probably more updates are likely to come up during the event. The chat service Allo had been kept on hold by Google recently to keep its focus on Chats which is a service that tends to depend on SMS together with wireless carriers in creating iMessage type of services, according to The Verge report.Probably more updates regarding the rollout are likely to come up along with carrier partners with some kind of timetable to when users would start to see the Chat features.

How Google Autocomplete works in Search

The Workings behind Google Auto complete

We all know what autocomplete is and how it works (basically) but what we don’t really know is how much time it saves for us. A post by Google shows that Google autocomplete saves around 25% of our typing time or in other words around 200 YEARS of typing time per day, Yes you read right 200 YEARS per DAY! On the other hand google autocomplete is especially useful for mobile devices as you don’t have to take too long on typing on a smaller screen. Though, most of us have become master typists at this point.

Google Autocomplete is a feature that you will find anywhere, that is wherever there is a Google search bar like obviously Google Home, Google app present in Android and iOS, Quick search box in Android and Omnibox address bar within Chrome. Type and there you have the predictions appear.

Google uses the term predictions in Google Autocomplete:

In a Google article recently posted, Google has specifically used the word predictions to describe Google autocomplete rather than suggestions and for good reason too. Google autocomplete tries to predict what you want to search for, rather than showing you what different things you can search for.
Determining of Predictions on Google Autocomplete:

Google looks at real searches done by other users, trending information and your location and passed searches to create predictions in Google’s Autocomplete. It fills in predictions according to words already typed and eliminates search predictions that do not match words as and when more info is typed by us.

Predictions against Google Autocomplete rules:

When it comes to giving predictions, Google does not want to shock users in getting out- of- context and insensitive searches so they have put up a set of rules to govern the same within Google autocomplete.

Some of the predictions that are against the rules are hateful comments against groups or individuals on the basis of race, religion etc., predictions that are violent and dangerous and harmful predictions.
Google also removes predictions from Google autocomplete that are based on valid legal requests, those that are related to spam and those that relate to piracy.

 

Control mechanisms in place in Google Autocomplete:

Google does its best when it comes to controlling inappropriate predictions but with sifting through billions of searches per day sometimes inappropriate predictions on Google autocomplete slip through the cracks and that is why sometimes we see things that at times can be shocking.

Google has also started a feedback tool since last year that has been useful to them in removing unwanted predictions from Google autocomplete. They also plan on increasing the criteria for determining what is considered hateful in removing unwanted suggestions from Google autocomplete.

Reporting of Unwanted predictions:

Individuals too now can report anything that appears inappropriate on Google autocomplete. For those using a desktop there is “report inappropriate predictions” link that appears on the bottom of a search box and for those on Android, users can long press on the prediction to report it.

An Augmented Reality Microscope for Cancer Detection

An Augmented Reality Microscope will help in detecting cancer cells in upcoming days

With each passing day virtual reality, augmented reality and machine learning are opening new pathways in varied medical disciplines. It has been found that the application of the machine learning in varied medical departments specifically the radiology, ophthalmology, dermatology and pathology can help in deriving accurate and precise reports of the patients on global scale which can in turn boost the overall health sector on global level.

Google research team has come with an innovative and promising Augmented Reality Microscope, which has started showing remarkable results in detecting the breast cancer symptoms with highest rate of accuracy found only in very few trained pathologists.

This augmented reality microscope can perform a wide range of task like offering visual feedback, in form of the heat maps, contours, arrows, animation as well as some texts. As it is being powered by the machine learning it has got the ability to perform some problem solving as well as like going through smart object detection, classification as well as the quantification.

Google researchers have developed the augmented reality microscope based on the modern computation models along with the deep learning models using TensorFlow. The use of the machine learning algorithm helps in getting the output right on the screen in real time.

Detecting breast cancer based using new algorithms

Google researchers has trained this augmented reality microscope to run two very different cancer detection algorithms in order to detect cancer with highest rate of accuracy.One algorithm allows the augmented reality microscope to detect the breast cancer metastases present in the lymph node while the other algorithm trains it to detect the prostate cancer present in the prostatectomy specimens.

As it is able to take snaps in higher magnification of 4-40x, it allows the physician or researchers to have a look at the growing tumour regions with the green contour right on their screen. Furthermore these detailed imaging of the cells also allows the doctors or pathologist to carefully study the area under the influence of tumours cells without any issues.

Future application of the augmented reality microscope

Google is hopeful that augmented reality microscope will find its due place in the global health sector market along with making a huge impact in the same. It will be a great asset for the developing countries where it becomes extremely difficulty to detect the common infectious disease like tuberculosis and malaria in the early stages.

Apart from being robust in nature it is also quite light weight which will help it in finding it easily adoptable in wide varieties of industries globally apart from the pathology.

Secondly augmented reality microscope will also be finding a huge success in the digital industry here it can be used to create digital workflow prints which aren’t’ possible to be done by the modern scanners.

Healthcare will certainly be the prime focus of the Google in establishing, introducing and marketing the augmented reality microscope in the upcoming days but tech giant is also looking forward to bring this revolutionary device to the life research and material science disciples as well.

Huge Google Sheets Update Introduces Macros

Google Updates Google Sheets by Bringing in Macros to the Sheet

As with all Google products, at some point or the other, they all undergo some updates, it’s no different for Google sheets too. One of the major updates to Google sheets will be the addition of macros, which many are relieved to see on the Google platform. Who’s to say this won’t bring Microsoft excel users to Google sheets. Adding macros to Google sheets will give those hard core users of spreadsheets a much needed break as they won’t have to do the same thing over and over again.

Being a part of every other major suite out there, macros was sorely missing out in Google sheets. This addition to Google’s sheets will be a big thumbs up in their favor. With this Google sheets update, users will be able to finally record macros. Doing the same thing over and over again is boring and not to mention time consuming and with the advent of computers we thought we could put all that in the past but for a long time not having Macros in Google sheets seemed that we were still in that past.

Adding Macros to Google sheets: 

Adding Macros to Google sheets may be the most useful update to Google Sheets in a long long time. Now you will be able to see a new “record Macros” feature present in the tool bar that does exactly what you hope it would do- to stop you from having to repeat instructions again and again.

All you have to do is start your recording, go through your steps and when it is all done sit back and relax and by that I mean start the whole process again by simply running macros again.

The future is here with Google sheets at last. Now you needn’t spend more time on formatting and reformatting the same spreadsheet again and again or until you pull out all the hair on your head.

Going further, Google sheets even converts your macros into Apps script code, so if you are so inclined to make any changes you can always edit that app script.

Adding other features to Google Sheets:

Macros is not the only new feature to be added on to Google sheets. You can now also add page breaks to demarcate the pages you want to print, customize page sizes, the option to convert a cell into a check box list, there are also new options for row and column grouping and you can now even group data according to time frame like by week, month or year.

Google is even adding artificial intelligence to Google sheets. Google has even added intelligent pivot tables in their Google sheets which will help in analyzing and helping the user in getting more insights into their data irrespective of their skills in data analytics.

With “Explore” found in Google sheets, you will now be able to decipher the data on spreadsheets more easily than ever before. This feature uses machine intelligence to do that.

Here Are Five New Google Features That Make Life Easier And More Enjoyable

Google has recently made a few updates to its products, that makes using them even more easier than ever before. Google has never really stopped making upgrades and adjustments to its products but these new features are guaranteed to make life easier. Whether it be watching movies or hearing an audiobook, Google has got you covered.

Google’s new Features for Audiobooks: 

Starting its audiobook app back in Jan, Google has already started to get on with the updates to the service that is guaranteed to make your listening even more enjoyable. One such feature is “smart resume” whereby you can resume a book from a word or a sentence that you left off from. This feature is great when you stop a book unexpectedly for a long period and then want to start off just where you left off.

Google Play Book app has now started a bookmark feature where you can bookmark a page and return to it later by simply pressing on an icon. Another cool feature with the audiobooks is that you can now build them into your routine with Google assistant, so now for your daily commute to the workplace you can switch from listening to music to hearing an audiobook. The speed at which a book is read can now be expanded from .5 to 3 times the reading rate.

Letting your Home assistant control your Bluetooth Speakers: 

One cool feature Google has added with the home assistant is that it can now control the quality of an audiobook, so you can now get the maximum experience when listening to a voice read an audiobook over a home controlled Bluetooth speaker. One home device is capable of connecting to all the Bluetooth speakers in the house so your reading can stay with you wherever you move in the house.

Setting location based reminders using home: 

Apart from connecting to a Bluetooth speaker, Home can now remind you of a particular activity when you are at a specific location and at a specified time.

Accessing GIFs in Google Images: 

Instead of asking the assistant to remind you to place a certain GIF in a certain place at a certain time, you can now use Tenor which Google recently purchased. Tenor is a GIF sharing keyboard that you can use on your mobile or desktop. So you can now get the GIF you want at the right time and place.
Tenor has got over 300 million people search for over 12 billion GIFs every month using its platform.

New features in Google Play Movies and TV app: 

One of the new features added by Google is that you can now search for a movie that you want to watch and it will bring up not only the sale of the movie but also a list of places that the movie can be streamed online.

Another cool feature is that you can search for a movie by genre and tune the search according to a thumbs up or thumbs down system.

Chromebook Tablets for Versatile Learning

Google has introduced Chromebook tablets which can be used even by students in the third grade itself. The Chromebook tablets are for the low cost Chrome OS devices.

The Acer Chromebook Tab 10 is the first Chromebook tablet that has been revealed by Google. The Acer Chrome book Tab 10, will be the first tablet to run on Chrome OS.

Features 

The Acer Chromebook Tab 10 has a 9.7 inch, 2048 x 1536 display with front and rear facing cameras. It comes with an OP1 processor, 4GB RAM, 32 GB storage and a USB-C port. It has a microSD card slot and a headphone jack. The Chromebook tablet has about 9 hour battery life. The Chrome book tablets come with an in-built stylus that does not require a battery or any additional charging and touchscreen. The Chrome book tablets will be priced at $329.

The students of third grade, at a school in California were the first to test the device. The Chromebook tablets are a great device for them because of the technology and touchscreen.

The Chrome book tablet is first targeting the schools and later will be available for the consumers as well.

In classrooms, the teacher will give each student a device and the session begins. The student then logs in with their name and password, complete their work or even play on the Tab and when they are done, can log out. All the user information on the Chrome book tablet has been encrypted. Each time the device is booted, the verified boot checks the security of the device.

The Chromebook tablet comes with an in-built stylus which does not require charging or pairing to function.

The Chrome book tablets are light in weight with touch and stylus features. It is the ideal device for students to create multimedia projects and the user gets an engaging and absorbing experience. The Acer Chrome book Tab 10 supports many of the learning apps that can be obtained from a wide range of apps from the Play Store.

The first Chrome book tablet which is the Acer Chrome book Tab 10 is slated to be made available by the end of this year.

Advantages of Chromebook tablets 

The Chromebook tablets come with support, management and an in-built access to educational content. Google provides continuous support, updates and ensures security. Hence it becomes convenient and hassle free for the teachers and students using the Chromebook tablets.

The price of these devices is lower than laptops and hence they are more affordable even for personal use.

The Chromebook tablets can be set up within minutes. A Chromebook management license enables you to access the web-based management console. From there you can configure and manage 10 or 10,000 devices across the institution, local education authority or even across the entire region.

The students can share a single device and can even get a personal learning experience by just logging in. Each student can access his or her own work, apps, books and videos.

8 of the Best Google Chrome Extensions to Make Your Life Easier

Digital Gadgets – Google Chrome

Various digital gadgets are available in Chrome’s web store thus making web browsing experience besides being simple and fruitful, also pleasant. The following are some worth mentioning which can be downloaded at no cost within a few minutes-

LastPass

It means that the user needs to recall one password in order to keep the login details secured in one place. Moreover the gadgets could also be beneficial in keeping the other accounts secured by creating a secure password which would be filled in automatically whenever the need arises. An area for notes for offline details which can be secured is also available and can be installed if needed.

Colorzilla

Eyedropper of Colorizilla tends to check any pixel and can inform the user when you desire to know the exact hue of online matter. The data of the colour can then be pasted into another programme or the values adjusted and saved within the extension for reference in the later stage. These gadgets could be an important extension for the purpose of digital design work.

TinEye

TinEye’s reverse image search is said to be the best gadgets while locating the source of an image which seems complex. It targets the nearest match rather than the similarity which makes it advantageous in locating the originals, higher resolution versions or checking online replicas. The extension makes the possibility of search available within a couple of clicks and can be installed with ease.

Unpaywell

Users interested in reading academic papers without subscription fees could utilise Unpaywall gadgets. This free extension navigation is beneficial for those looking for research andis a probable saver on time as well as money.

Instapaper/Save to Pocket

Any ofthese extension gadgets would enable the user to save web pages as well as the articles to read later on synced devices without an internet connection. They have premium version if the user needs to support the developers and obtain additional features

The Great Suspender

To open illogical amount of tabs in the browser is a simple task. Here the Great Suspender gadgets are supportive in handling the performance of the computer by restricting abandoned tabs till the clicks back on them. Plenty of space is available for configuration and the extension enables in keeping certain sites open for an indefinite period of time or unloads the other after a shorter duration of time.

Backstop

One wrong key press could take you back to the earlier page and at times some of the information edited could get erased. This can take place with any one. These simple extension gadgets tends to stop the backspace key from moving to the previous page thereby saving the user from wasting time and inconvenience.

Wunderlist

These are amazing gadgets in helping the user in tracking and sharing to-dos. This extension available as an app helps in creating as well as saving the to-do lists ranging from work project to the things needed to be brought from the grocery store to the items for reading during your journey back home. Moreover it also enables you to share the list with several co-workers. These can be saved across several devices and on accomplishment,the same can be termed as completed.