Google’s Eddystone serves up location-based info via Bluetooth beacons

Using low-energy Bluetooth beacons to serve up location-based info to customers isn’t a new development. We’ve seen more than a few implementations of Apple’s iBeacon tech. Google has a new project that employs a similar setup, and it’s called Eddystone. How does it differ from Apple’s Bluetooth initiative? The effort is a “new and open format” that “anyone” can implement. In addition to working alongside a mobile app to beam info to your phone or tablet when you’re in a specified location, Eddystone can also broadcast a URL when an app isn’t an option. Rather than missing out, a company can choose to send a web link instead. And it works with both Android and iOS devices, too. There are also two location options, meaning developers can choose one of two APIs that will either find and ping a nearby beacon (like in a museum) or send info when you visit a specific location (e.g., latitude/longitude).

Google’s already using the beacons to bolster its own apps and services. The company leverages the platform for real-time transit info in Portland, Oregon, and it plans to employ the tech to prioritize Google Now cards based on your location as well. Of course, privacy is a concern when you’re letting a company access your whereabouts, and Eddystone uses Ephemeral Identifiers (EIDs) for security. The EIDs can only be decoded by “authorized clients,” so activities like tracking luggage can be done securely. Google isn’t offering too much info on how the whole system is locked down just yet, so we’ll keep an eye out for additional details as it gets more use.

For companies with existing Bluetooth beacons, Google says Eddystone can be installed with a firmware update. This means that they won’t have to invest more money to replace a current setup. What’s more, Google’s tech keeps tabs on a fleet of the beacons, pointing out when one isn’t working properly and other issues that may arise. This is particularly important in places like sports stadiums, where a team will likely blanket the facility with the Bluetooth devices for all spectators. Eddystone is available for interested parties now, and we’re curious to see how companies choose to leverage it.

Filed under: Internet, Mobile, Google

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Via: The Verge

Source: Google

Google’s hidden data reveals details of ‘right to be forgotten’ requests

The Internet is unforgiving. Web search engines like Google neatly index the most embarrassing moments, traumatic histories and criminal activities. In May last year, the European Court of Justice asked the web giant to remove website links that were no longer relevant to people’s lives. The ruling recognized that archiving people’s lives often took their personal moments out of context, creating “detailed but selective profiles“. Since the sweeping decision did not exclude killers or even terrorists from the “right to be forgotten”, it was largely believed that the requests that poured in were from criminals or public figures looking to erase their pasts. But The Guardian recently discovered data in Google’s transparency report that was never meant to be public. An analysis of the source code reveals that 95 percent of the requests came in from ordinary people looking to delist personal information that is irrelevant or is just plain embarrassing.

So far, Google has received about 281,000 individual requests that add up to over one million links. Only a sliver of those requests came in from people looking to hide their horrid past activities. Most requests concerned social media posts, old dating profiles, health histories, personal tragedies and intimate images. Unsurprisingly, Facebook has had the most links removed, followed closely by YouTube.

The ruling doesn’t state that the source material needs to be erased. But it does empower people with the ability to request that certain snippets of their lives be delisted and de-prioritized on the search engine. Google, though bound by the ruling, chooses to accept or refuse those requests. It also interprets the ruling in a way that the information is removed only from its European sites. The company did not intend to let the public in on the specifics of the requests that have now been revealed. And ever since The Guardian’s accidental discovery, the source code has been modified to cover these details.

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Source: The Guardian

Google Fiber sign-ups for southeast Austin open once again

Although Google Fiber announcements initially came with a lot of fanfare and still do at a local level, there are many steps that take place in between that initial announcement and service actually being available for users. One of those steps is the determination of interest on the part of consumers so that Google can verify an investment in laying lines will be worth it. That market data is then combined with other information to guide the decisions on where the service is ultimately deployed.

The Google Fiber team has announced via Twitter that they are now taking sign-ups for the service in the southeast Austin area. This is not the first time Google has opened up the area for sign-ups for Fiber service. The on-again off-again status for Google accepting sign-ups is part of a proactive effort by Google to more accurately determine their potential customer base, although it is not clear why so many attempts have been necessary.

source: Google Fiber (Twitter)

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Google reopens Map Maker edits in August with your help

Google put Map Maker editing on ice in May after digital vandals got away with some rogue changes, but it’s finally ready to get things back on track… if you’re willing to pitch in. The internet giant says it will start reopening edits in early August, but it’s asking the community to play a much larger role this time around. Instead of leaning primarily on Google itself for moderation, some Map Maker areas will also depend on Regional Leads (that is, eager volunteer cartographers) to review any tweaks.

This may take longer to moderate edits, but could be worth it. In Google’s experience, a “well-intentioned” community is better at catching pranksters than employees grappling with backlogs. That’s not a guarantee of success by any stretch, but it at least makes sense — those who have the most interest in accurate local maps will have more of a say in which edits make the cut.

Filed under: Internet, Google

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Via: 9to5Google

Source: Google Product Forums

Google Map Maker to re-open in August with additional community support

Earlier this year Google had to shutdown their Google Map Maker product due to some malicious edits that were submitted and managed to make their way through the review process. When they took action, Google indicated they needed some time to refine the process to help ensure inappropriate edits did not make it into the platform. In an announcement made yesterday on their product forum, Product Manager Pavithra Kanakarajan said they are ready to start re-opening Map Maker in August.

In an interesting twist, Kanakarajan says the company has decided the best way to achieve the level of moderation desired is to move much of that work back onto the community. She notes that

“of all the defenses available to keeping our maps clean, the interest of a community of well-intentioned users, is among the most reliable and fast.”

In an effort to bring some order to the process, Google will identify “Regional Leads” who will serve as the human reviewer of submitted edits after they have gone through Google’s automated filters. On occasion, Google employees may step in to moderate edits, but this is expected to be the exception.

To get things going, Google will identify potential Regional Lead candidates and invite them to apply for the role. Once Regional Leads are identified, Google will move to re-open Map Maker for edits in those regions. This means the platform will be re-opening in phases as the leads are identified and assigned.

At least initially, when the number of editors is expected to be rather small, Google anticipates the process of edit approvals to be a bit on the slow side. They ask users to be patient while the Regional Leads process the incoming edits for their areas.

source: Google Map Maker
via: 9to5Google

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Inbox by Gmail prompts you to create a reminder when you try to email yourself

Google’s Inbox by Gmail apparently has a new feature: when you go to email yourself an important thought or task, the app will attempt to get you to create an actual reminder over sending yourself an email.

The prompt appears right after typing your email address in the “To” field. If you tap on the prompt, any text you’ve added in the subject and body of the email will be quickly transferred over to the reminder, and all you have to do is tap “Save.”

While it’s nothing ground breaking, it’s a cool little feature, and it makes a lot of sense, as Inbox already has some neat integration with reminders. However, it’d be nice to see Google go even further with this feature and offer it in Gmail itself.

source: Android Police

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