Gboard: Here’s how to use Google’s new iPhone keyboard to search the web
Have you ever been texting someone and had to exit your messaging app to conduct a web search in another app? Yeah. It’s a common thing.
Switching between apps can be tedious when you’re trying to quickly find and relay information, such as looking up an address or phone number to a business or even finding a GIF. But imagine a world where your iPhone lets you conduct web searches directly from your keyboard. Need to look up and copy a recipe online to send to a friend? No problem. Want to browse for the perfect animated response? Easy. Just use Gboard.
Gboard is Google’s new app for iPhone. It lets you search and send information, GIFs, emojis and more: “With Gboard, you can search and send all kinds of things – restaurant info, flight times, news articles – right from your keyboard. Anything you’d search on Google, you can search with Gboard. Results appear as cards with the key information front and center, such as the phone number, ratings and hours,” explained Google.
The best part is… everything works with just one tap. Here’s everything you need to know about Gboard, including how to set it up and use it.
Gboard keyboard: How do you set up Gboard?
Download Gboard from the Apple App Store (it requires iOS 9.0 or later and is compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch).
Open Gboard and go through the intro tutorial. You should see a blue Get Started button. Tap this button to launch the Keyboard section of your Settings app, and then tap Add New Keyboard. If you don’t see the Get Started button, go to the Settings app on your iPhone, and then tap General. From there, go to Keyboard, and then select Keyboards. You will then need to tap Add New Keyboard.
Once you tap Add New Keyboard in your Settings app, select Gboard, and then tap Gboard again under the Keyboards section. At this point you will need to switch on the toggle for Allow Full Access. This will allow the keyboard to work across all apps on your iPhone.
Go back to Gboard and finish its tutorial to conclude setup.
Gboard keyboard: Can Gboard be your main keyboard?
Yes. You can reorder keyboards on iPhone to make Gboard the first keyboard that shows up.
On your iPhone, go to the Settings app on your iPhone, and then tap General. From there, go to Keyboard, and then select Keyboards.
At the top right, tap Edit.
Next to Gboard, touch and hold to reorder its position. You must drag it to the top of the keyboard list to make it your main keyboard.
Tap Done to finish.
Gboard keyboard: How do you open Gboard?
To open Gboard, tap the message field, and then the keyboard will appear if it is your main keyboard.
If it isn’t your main keyboard, touch and hold the globe-looking button in your iPhone keyboard to see other available keyboards. Tap Gboard.
Gboard keyboard: How does Gboard work?
Search for and send information
Open the Gboard keyboard, and then tap the colourful G button.
In the search bar, start typing search terms, and then tap Search. You will see search result cards appear.
Tap the card you want to share. It will be automatically entered into your message field.
Press Send to send the information.
Search for and send an image
Follow steps 1 and 2 above, and then at the bottom of the screen, tap the Image button.
Tap the image you want to share, then tap in the message field, and tap once more to Paste.
Press Send to send the image.
Search for and send an emoji
Open Gboard, then tap the Emoji button, and tap the emoji you want to share. It will be automatically entered into your message field. You can also type in the Search emoji field to find a specific emoji, and then tap the emoji you want to share.
Press Send to send the emoji
Search for and send a GIF
Open Gboard, then tap the Emoji button, and tap GIF.
Type in the Search GIFs field to find a a specific GIF, and then tap the GIF you want to share.
Tap the message field, and then tap Paste.
Press Send to send the GIF.
Gboard keyboard: Does Gboard do Glide Typing?
Yes. Gboard lets you type words by sliding your finger from key to key.
Gboard keyboard: Which apps does Gboard support?
Gboard works in any app, whether that’s a messaging app or email app.
Gboard keyboard: Which languages does Gboard support?
Gboard is currently only available in US English. Google said it will soon add support for more languages.
Nvidia might have new Shield gaming tablet on the way, FCC filings reveal
Nvidia is likely cooking up another tablet for gamers.
The US Federal Communications Commission has published filings that show Nvidia is seeking clearance for a new tablet that’s a lot like the current Nvidia Shield, meaning the company has likely developed a successor. The filing revealed the tablet is 120mm wide by 215mm tall… and that’s about it. There’s not much information to go on at the moment, but we at least know the new model has a smaller body.
The current Shield Tablet K1 is 126mm wide by 221mm tall. Nvidia announced it in 2014, then recalled every unit a year later, and launched a refreshed model late last year. When we reviewed the K1 tablet, we said Nvidia had focused on price and subsequently provided outstanding value. The Shield is a device most suited to the gaming community, and at the time, we considered it the best on the market for that purpose.
FCC
However, its capabilities and usability with everyday functionality might attract others to the party who find the £150 tag alluring. We’re expecting . Nvidia to put a new chip in its upcoming tablet, but who knows. The FCC filings only revealed the tablet’s size and that it supports 5GHz and 2.4 GHz 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Low Energy. Oh, and it has a micro USB port. The tablet’s model number is P2290W.
Last year’s Shield Tablet K1 features an 8-inch 1920 x 1200 pixel display, Nvidia Tegra K1 processor, 2GB of RAM, and 16GB of storage.
‘Call of Duty’ publisher brings esports to Facebook Live
Activision Blizzard is set to conquer a new frontier: Facebook’s live video feature. The world’s largest video game publisher announced improvements it plans to implement to its various esports platforms, most notably a push to broadcast esports to the masses via the massive social networking site.
There’s a wide breadth of competitive games Activision Blizzard plays host to, from Call of Duty to StarCraft to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and Facebook’s live video currently seems like the most lucrative option for getting as many viewers as possible.
“We have already seen tremendous growth in audience reach. Especially Facebook’s own focus on live video. We are continuing to work with Twitch and Instagram , and we will be producing a lot of daily content on Facebook live,” explained Mike Sepso, co-founder and SVP of the Activision Blizzard Media Networks division.
The publisher is aiming to focus on the players themselves and the stories that follow them throughout their esports careers. The plan is to introduce a two-day Call of Duty: Black Ops tournament on June 10th, which will kick off a “deeper collaboration” with Facebook. Activision will also be offering interactive data such as how individuals are performing in certain games and events during play.
Sepso is confident that esports will soon blossom as far as the general public is concerned.
“I think it will happen quicker than people think, it’s not just that gaming is pervasive … As we start to tell this story behind players, people will connect with these stories.”
If you’re interested in seeing how the upcoming tournament fares within the bounds of Facebook Live, you’ve only got about a month to wait.
Source: The Guardian
Viacom Labs’ first projects focus on boosting fan interaction
Lots of brands have R&D labs these days to try out concepts and strategies, like Sony’s Future Lab that gets user input on product prototypes. Programming titan Viacom is no exception, with a new experimental department that focuses specifically on boosting fan interaction. Today it announced that Viacom Labs’ first set of partners will includeAirBnB and GIPHY, along with a creators-in-residence program for artists to “explore ideas” with Viacom content.
The residence program’s first lineup of artists includes neuroscientist Beau Lotto, who created the augmented reality platform Traces, and the multi-disciplinary Indian artist Raghava KK. While their contributions have yet to be defined, the general Labs projects aim to get fans closer to shows in more direct ways, from GIFs starring Viacom characters to experiences like an AirBnB-rentable Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Lair in New York City. But it will also test new tech-driven storytelling concepts like livestreaming fans into shows.
Source: Business Wire
Google makes its most powerful language parser open source
The days of us communicating with our computers by using our fingers are nearing an end. Google announced on Thursday that it is releasing its language parsing neural network framework, SyntaxNet, as an open source system. The released code includes everything you need to train it using your own data set, though Google is also releasing a version already fluent in English: Parsey McParseface.
These programs, like other language parsers, form the basis of Natural Language Understanding (NLU) systems. Parsers are what allow applications like Google Now and Siri to understand the words you are either speaking or typing, label each word by its syntax and then discern your intent from what you’ve said/typed. The problem is, sentences become more complex and harder to decipher the longer they are. A sentence comprised of just 20 words may have hundreds of different syntax interpretations. Luckily, Parsey McParseyface is ranked as the most accurate parsing model currently available with a comprehension accuracy of about 95 percent.
Source: Google Research
Billboard for fake funeral home urges drivers to text
A billboard with the unusual message of encouraging texting while driving was showcased this week along the the Gardiner Expressway in Toronto, Ontario. The ad, which says it’s for the Wathan Funeral Home, isn’t a way to drum up business for a mortuary service. It’s actually a public service announcement about the dangers of texting and driving.
The website for the Wathan Funeral Home lets visitors know it is not actually looking for recently deceased customers. The billboard is from the Montreal agency John St and Cieslok Media, according to AdWeek. They’re trying to prevent bereavement from happening in the first place.
“People see and hear the words ‘Don’t text and drive’ almost every day, but the number of people doing it keeps going up and up,” Mylene Savoie, managing director of John St. Montreal told AdWeek. “So we wanted to think of a different way of saying it that would make people think about the real consequences. Which is where ‘Text and drive’ came from.”
The funeral home website cites many disturbing statistics. More Ontario residents died last year in distracted-driving crashes than drunk-driving crashes. Distracted driving killed 77 percent more people than speeding in the province last year. Actually, 2015 was the third consecutive year where distracted drivers killed more people than drunk ones, according to CNN. The Wathan Funeral Home points out that half of Ontario drivers have admitted to texting while driving.
“That’s more than half of the drivers on the road today risking their lives, their passengers’ lives and the lives of their fellow motorists and pedestrians,” the website says. “Which should make you even madder than our billboard did.”
Of course, distracted driving is a scourge here in the states. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that, at any given daylight moment, 660,000 drivers are using cell phones on America’s roads. Distracted crashed killed 3,179, and injured 431,000 people in 2014.
Related Video:
Source: CNN, Wathan Funeral Home, AdWeek
2016 Nissan Altima review – Roadshow
The Good The Altima’s so-good-it’s-nearly-invisible CVT provides a smooth drive with solid fuel economy, and the car is quite the looker, too.
The Bad The infotainment system lacks Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity, and the interior gets a bit drab when ordered in black.
The Bottom Line If you can’t decide between sporty or cushy, the 2016 Nissan Altima is a wonderful middle ground that can give drivers a bit of both.
Roadshow’s spent some time in the past few weeks with midsizers both sporty and soft, but after a week behind the wheel of Nissan’s refreshed Altima, I’ve come to find that the Altima strikes a good balance between those two extremes.
It’s not too soft, and it’s not too harsh. It’s not too racy, and it’s not a complete snooze fest. I’ll spare you the full Goldilocks analogy. I’m sure you get where this is headed.
One heck of a refresh
Nissan threw everything but the kitchen sink at its venerable middle grounder as part of a mid-cycle refresh for the 2016 model year. While the rear end has been sharpened a bit, most of the action is in front of the A-pillars, where the Altima’s countenance is reminiscent of the new Maxima.
The Altima’s rocking one of the best looks in the segment.
Andrew Krok/Roadshow
Personally, I think the coalescing of styles under Maxima is a very good thing. The “V Motion” grille gives the front end a nice shape, and the contours on both the headlights and front fenders give the car a much stronger look than before. In a segment rich with competition, not all of which possess style points, Nissan’s done a good job here giving the Altima a beefier look that puts it close to other sportier-looking cars, such as the Mazda6.
There have been far fewer updates to the interior than I’ve seen on the exterior, but that’s because it didn’t need much. It’s a straightforward affair, with just a bit of dashboard layering to give it a premium sheen. The plastics are all on the harder side, and if you order the entire interior in black, as my test car’s was, it’s going to be a bit drab and cavernous.
That said, the cloth seats are comfortable — not too hard, not too firm — and they heat up quick in conjunction with the SV trim’s optional front heated seats. Storage is ample, too, with a small-purse-sized center console cubby and another one under the center stack. The interior is just a bit more boring than the exterior would have you expect.
Plenty tech-y for the average buyer
Whether you prefer to access in-car tech through the infotainment system or your smartphone, there’s plenty to dig on the Altima, even if you’re not vying for the top trim with all the options possible.
Some simple map controls, like zooming in and out, are hidden behind other buttons, which can be a little counterintuitive.
Andrew Krok/Roadshow
There’s one USB port and two 12-volt outlets up front, but nothing for rear-seat occupants. Plug your phone in with the USB connection, and it will start charging even before the car is turned on. That’s a nice little touch.
Speaking of touch, the touchscreen infotainment system is quick to respond to both button and finger presses. I tested the optional 7-inch screen, but 5 inches is standard. Switching between functions is easy, thanks to the physical navigation buttons flanking the screen. Bluetooth phone pairing is initiated through the screen and it takes about 30 seconds to complete.
The infotainment system has a wealth of on-board apps that rely on the satellite-radio antenna. These include traffic and weather alerts, sports scores and movie-ticket information. Using your phone’s connection, you can also access Google search, Pandora and TripAdvisor.
You can also connect the car with your phone thanks to the NissanConnect app. That gives you access to the car’s functions (locking, unlocking, starting) and information. It also allows you to manage in-vehicle destinations and reassures overprotective owners with warnings such as the speed alert and a valet alert, which notifies you if the car travels more than 0.2 miles away. It’s not the flashiest app, but it’s effective.
Finally, there’s an information display nestled between the gauges that delivers loads of information. Using the steering wheel controls, you can access tire pressures, fuel economy readouts, navigation directions, audio information, vehicle warnings and settings. It’s big, colorful and easy to read.
LG Phoenix 2 Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
AT&T
I’d love to say that AT&T’s new LG Phoenix 2 bursts with cutting-edge tech befitting its exciting name, but the reality is that we’re looking at a relatively entry-level smartphone for AT&T’s prepaid GoPhone brand.
Hey, at least it’s affordable!
Here’s what you get for $100:
- Android 6.0 Marshmallow software
- 5-inch screen
- 8-megapixel rear camera
- 5-megapixel front-facing camera
- 1.3GHz quad-core processor
- 2,125mAh battery
- 16GB internal storage, 1.5GB RAM
- MicroSD card support (up to 32GB)
- Color: Black
Wallet-watchers can pick up the prepaid phone online at AT&T’s website immediately, or wait for May 14 to pick it up at “select” retail stores.
The phone makes its way to AT&T retail shops starting June 10.
Tikteck Multi-Color Bluetooth LED review – CNET
The Good Tikteck’s colors are vivid and accurate, and the app’s ability to set lighting timers works well, even when your phone is out of Bluetooth range.
The Bad The bulb’s white-light tones aren’t as bright as advertised, and the music sync feature didn’t work at all. And don’t expect compatibility with Nest, Alexa, or any of the other third-parties that work with bulbs like Lifx or Hue.
The Bottom Line This is a pretty unexceptional smart bulb, but it delivers on most of its promises at a bargain bin price. For basic, app-enabled color control, it’s a decent pick.
Tikteck does a good job with colors that Hue struggles with, like green and cyan. None of the colors are very bright, though.
Ry Crist/CNET
Color-changing smart bulbs are often stupid expensive, but the $10 Tikteck LED is an exception. At a fraction of what you’d expect to spend on bulbs from Lifx or Philips Hue, Tikteck’s Bluetooth LED offers app-enabled color control, along with a scheduling feature that’ll program the bulb to turn on or change colors at a specific time.
Mind you, this is a simple, unexceptional smart bulb we’re talking about, with a generic-looking app that won’t work with Nest, IFTTT, Alexa, Apple HomeKit, or any other notable third party. If that’s the sort of smart-home integration you’re after, then you’re better off splurging on a better-connected bulb. That said, as far as basic, bargain-priced novelties go, Tikteck gets the job done better than you might expect. And hey, “Hue for cheapskates” isn’t the worst pitch I’ve ever heard.
Tikteck’s app is nothing special, and the badly translated English is confusing at times, but it still does a fine job with color control and scheduling.
Screenshots by Ry Crist/CNET
The Tikteck LED’s packaging pegs it at 600 lumens, but I clocked it at 424 lumens at its default white-light setting (about as much as you’d expect from a 40W incandescent), with a color temperature of roughly 3,500 K. You can dial the color temperature up to around 5,500 K or down to about 2,800 K, but the brightness dips either way. You can also dim the bulb cleanly down to zero right in the app.
The Tikteck app also gives you a color wheel. Tap one of its colors, and the bulb will follow suit. I don’t like that the app gives no indication of the currently selected shade, but it’s quick and responsive to use, and the bulb’s colors are vivid and more accurate than I’d honestly expected. They weren’t very bright, though, none of them registering above 100 lumens. That’s good enough for mood lighting, or maybe accent lighting at a party, but not much else.
Aside from the controls for brightness, color and color temperature, the app has a variable-speed color-cycling mode that works fine, a nightlight mode that simply dims the bulb way down, and a music syncing mode that I couldn’t get to work at all. You can also schedule lighting changes that will run even if your phone is out of Bluetooth range, or out of battery — a nice touch for anyone looking to use this thing as a wake-up light. And sure, Tikteck’s smarts are nowhere near as sophisticated as what you’ll get with Lifx or Philips Hue, but at $10 a pop, that really doesn’t matter too much. If color-changing lights have tempted you in the past, but the high prices have turned you off, then maybe this is the bulb you’ve been waiting for.
Bang and Olufsen speakers add Google Cast for wireless audio
Google Cast for audio is a standard feature on most new wireless speakers these days, and Bang & Olufsen is making sure its customers can use that tool as well. The company announced an update for the BeoPlay A6 and the larger (and much pricier) second-gen A9 that will add Google’s wireless connectivity. If you’ll recall, the option works like a Chromecast for TV: it pulls content directly from the service you’re using rather than using your phone or tablet’s connection. Back at CES, Google revealed that Cast would arrive on more speakers this year, and B&O is helping it keep that promise.
What’s more, B&O says all of its network wireless speakers in the future will also offer Google Cast. If you’re looking for other connectivity methods, the audio gear also plays nice with Apple AirPlay and Bluetooth. For owners of the A6 and A9, the new feature will arrive via an automatic update that’s rolling out starting today.
AIVAnet 