Google Chrome for iOS gets easier to use with one hand
Don’t like that Chrome makes you use two hands to comfortably surf the web on your iPhone 6? Your life just got a bit easier. Google has updated Chrome for iOS so that you can pull down to not only refresh web pages, but open and close tabs. At this rate, you might only have to reach up when you want to type in a site address. There’s also a Today View launcher widget that includes voice search, suggested answers for common searches and support for password managers like 1Password and LastPass. All told, you should spend more time browsing and less time stretching your fingers — that’s a worthwhile upgrade in our books.
Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Software, Mobile, Google
Source: Google Chrome Blog, App Store
Google to support Chrome for Windows XP until the end of 2015
If you have no choice but to use an XP computer (workplace or school just can’t let go, huh?), at least load it with a third-party browser, like Chrome. Google has decided to continue supporting Chrome for XP until the end of 2015, so you can keep the machine safe from browser-based attacks a bit longer. And yes, that means you’re getting all upcoming features and security patches. Mountain View was originally going to abandon the browser this month but changed its mind — the company didn’t explain why, though it’s most likely because the antiquated OS refuses to die despite Microsoft cutting off its updates a year ago. Now, in case you find yourself still using an XP computer by 2016, you can either switch to Firefox (which doesn’t have plans to end XP support) or convince the boss/dean that it’s high time for an upgrade.
Source: Google Chrome Blog
Google launches ‘Works with Cardboard’ program for its VR headset
Google wants all apps developed for its Cardboard VR headset to work properly with, well, any version of its device. That’s tougher than it sounds, since the headset’s open-source, and a lot of companies and individual users are tweaking it to their heart’s content. To make it happen, Mountain View has launched the “Works with Google Cardboard” project, which gives headset makers the power to ensure their design plays nicely with apps made for the device. It doesn’t matter if they use metal or plastic, cut the materials out using any dimension or adjust the optic, so long as they input all those details into the Cardboard website to get a QR code to attach to their creation.
Once they (or another user) scan that QR code using the headset’s app, all applications designed for Cardboard will be optimized for their viewer. Makers selling their headsets can also apply for a certification badge indicating their design is compatible with apps and games developed for the device. Mountain View has even put together a shop where people can get headsets that have both a “Works with Cardboard” badge and a QR code.
Speaking of apps, Google has also launched a new set of design guidelines for developers, which focus mostly on how to make their creations usable. In addition, the company has released updated Cardboard SDKs for Android and Unity with better head tracking and drift correction. Users, on the other hand, can now find compatible apps more easily, thanks to the new Music and Video, Games, and Experiences Cardboard application categories.
If you’re yearning for more significant updates than these, though, don’t worry — it looks like the company has big plans for the device. A team from the School of Engineering in Trinity College Dublin has just joined the Cardboard division, bringing their ambisonic surround sound technology with them. Google says it will use that technology to bring “immersive audio to VR” in the future.
Filed under: Wearables, Google
Source: Google Developers, Get Your Cardboard
Field Trip app updated with Android Wear support
Google’s Niantic Labs development team has been responsible for the Field Trip app that keeps you updated on important info about your surroundings. The team is updating the app today, bringing support for our favorite wearable tech platform.
Field Trip now how full Android Wear support, so instead of having to pull out your phone for local information, you can just glance at your wrist. The app detects when you’re near an interesting location and displays a relevant card on your Android Wear watch.
The app is good for finding out cool things like historical facts and info, but it’ll also update you on restaurants and shopping destinations. Definitely a handy app if you like to travel often.
source: Field Tripper
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Google unveils a new certification program for third party Cardboard headsets
Ever since Google announced Cardboard, the inexpensive DIY virtual reality platform, a number of different manufacturers have created low-cost headsets that work with the tech, including Mattel, DODOcase and LG. If you’ve ever tried to buy a third party Cardboard-compatible headset for yourself, you’d know it can get a little tricky. Not because these units are hard to find, but because some manufacturers aren’t clear that their VR viewers are compatible with the Cardboard platform. That’s why today, Google has announced a new “Works with Google Cardboard” certification program to help unify all of the Cardboard-compatible headsets available on the market.
With so many viewers available to the public, a good number of them don’t include the same optics and dimensions as the others. To help unify the experience, manufacturers will now need to place a QR code on their headset so users can scan it with the Cardboard app, which will optimize the Cardboard VR experience for that particular viewer. Also, manufacturers can apply for a certification badge (shown above) so consumers will know at a glance that the viewer works with Cardboard.
Google is also bringing new categories to the Cardboard section in Google Play to help you find apps more quickly. New categories include Music and Video, Games, and Experiences. Additionally, Google has updated its Cardboard SDKs and design guidelines to help developers make smooth and beautiful VR applications.
Google Carboard transitions to an open source platform
Google Cardboard, the virtual reality platform introduced at Google I/O 2014, now exists as an open source platform. Today, Google announced that it would begin to issue certifications to hardware from manufacturers that meet its criteria. The certification allows consumers to recognize that a particular Cardboard viewer is aligned with Google’s vision for the platform. Cardboard apps and games work perfectly with certified hardware.
Consumers and smaller manufacturers putting together their own Cardboard viewers are being helped, too. Define the key parameters and place a QR code on the Cardboard viewer. The official Google Cardboard app then recognizes the key parameters and tailors the experience for all apps and games.
Cardboard users can expect to see new categories setup in the Play Store. Google created categories for Music and Video, Games, and Experiences.
Source: Google
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Google’s Android search now pulls content from apps you haven’t installed
Thanks to Google search on your Android phone, you can not only bring up search results from the web, but also content from apps that are installed on your phone. Soon, however, that capability will be extended to apps you haven’t downloaded at all. Google has announced today that thanks to its app indexing efforts, you may now start to see Play Store suggestions in your search results that’ll lead to relevant content. So, for example, say you’re searching for “Michelin star restaurants” on your phone. You’ll not only get the usual search results for that, but also see suggestions for apps like OpenTable or Yelp if you don’t already have them installed. If you do install them, the first thing you see when you launch them is a list of, yep, Michelin star restaurants in your area.
Rajan Patel, a principal engineer from Google, tells us that the company started to index content within apps almost two years ago. Developers would implement the app indexing API in their apps, which would then deliver the relevant deep link info to Google. “As of today, we’ve indexed over 30 billion deep links in apps,” says Patel. “We’re able now to understand and index the content of those deeplinks, and rank them organically on search results.” As you might imagine, plenty of apps have signed for Google’s app indexing already; they include Airbnb, Twitter, Yelp, OpenTable, Trulia, Pinterest and yes, Engadget as well. The app index is still smaller than Google’s web index, of course, but it should still be decent enough for you to find exactly what you’re searching for… as long as you have an Android phone.
Source: Google
Now Android devices can understand your chickenscratch
Tired of typing on your tablet? Sick of speaking to your phone? Well, if you’ve got Android 4.0.3 or higher, you are in luck because Google Handwriting Input for Android has just hit the Play Store. This utility app supports both printed and cursive writing styles, understands 82 languages and can even decipher hand-drawn emojis. What’s more, it doesn’t require you to use a stylus — though for languages not based on the Roman alphabet (like Japanese, Korean or Hindi), a writing implement definitely helps. I just downloaded this to a Nexus 6 and it understood my scrawlings reasonably well. The only issue of immediate concern is the warning that Google will be saving all of the input text — including any passwords and credit card numbers — so take care with what you write.
Filed under: Handhelds, Tablets, Internet, Google
Via: The Next Web, The Verge
Source: Google Play, Google Dev Blog
Google Drive for Android shares files as soon as they’re ready
Can’t wait to share a photo as soon as it hits the internet? Google has your back. The company has updated Drive for Android so that you can start sharing files from the notification that your upload is done — you don’t even have to launch the app to get things going. The update also adds support for 23 more languages, including local Chinese and French dialects. Just be ready to wait a while for this no-waiting feature, as Google says the update will be rolling out over the next week.
Filed under: Storage, Internet, Mobile, Google
Source: Google Drive (G+), Google Play
Google Drive adds new sharing feature to Android notification panel and 23 new languages
Google Drive has been updated with performance improvements and a couple of notable new features. The first is that when you upload a file from your smartphone, the notification that you get when the upload is finished will have a new option. You will now be able to quickly share the file with other people right from the notification.
Google also added 23 new languages, which include Armenian, Basque, Chinese (Hong Kong), French (Canada), Georgian, Khmer, Malayalam, and many more.
The update is rolling now so you might not see it in the Play Store right away.
source: +Google Drive
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