Google brings natural language search to Drive
Starting today, Google Drive features Natural Language Processing to make it even easier to find that buried spreadsheet or long-lost docs. Taking a page from its Google Assistant playbook, the search box in Drive now allows for easy, human-oriented search queries like “find my budget spreadsheet from last December” or “show me presentations from Anissa.”
In typical Google style, the search bar will translate the query to a more robot-like string (as in: “budget Type:Spreadsheet” in that first example) and present you with autocomplete suggestions before presenting the results. According to Google Drive Product Manager Josh Smith, the natural language processing in Drive will get smarter the more you search.
Finally, the Drive team added a couple more often-requested features to the product today, including: autocorrect for misspelled search terms, the ability to split documents into multiple columns and an auto-save feature that creates a copy whenever importing and converting non-Google formats.
The new features are live now, although they will be rolling out gradually to all users.
Source: Google Blog
Leaked Google Pixel phones might look familiar
In just a couple of weeks, we could have our first official look at Google’s renamed flagship phones, so brace yourself for leaks and unofficial revelations. Take for instance, these images posted by Android Police. They apparently show the Pixel and the Pixel XL, and they do look like the computer render of the phone that leaked earlier, as well as the device Nest used in a new commercial.
If legit, then the big G’s latest devices resemble the phones its staunchest rival is known for. Before anyone starts hurling copycat accusations, though, take note that HTC developed the Pixels, and the Taiwanese manufacturer has been using a similar design for its previous models. When it comes to Apple and HTC, there’s been a lot of discussion about who copied whom over the years.
In the photo of the phones’ backside above, you can see a fingerprint sensor in the middle of the shinier, glass-like section. You can also see a snapshot of the phones’ screens with their thick bezels below. As always, take these leaked images with a grain of salt — you’ll only have to wait a bit more before the actual reveal anyway.
[Image credit: Anonymous Alligator/Android Police]
Via: Droid Life
Source: Android Police
Google’s likely Pixel phone event is happening October 4th
Hot on the heels of rumors and whispers aplenty, Google is sending out invites to an October 4th event that’s expected to reveal, in full, new flagship Android phones, likely tagged with its Pixel branding. We’re sure the company has more than a new phone or two. Unfortunately those aforementioned rumors also suggest they may not be as handily priced as their Nexus forefathers. We’ll be there to tell you all the important stuff. That said, the teaser video (below) doesn’t show us much of anything. Maybe it’s a new vertical search box? Be still, my beating heart.
Google’s next phones may be much more expensive
For years, Google’s reference Android smartphones have been relative bargains. Even the $649 Nexus 6 was a steal considering its then cutting-edge screen. You might have to get used to shelling out much more going forward, though. A reportedly trustworthy Android Police source claims that Google’s HTC-made 2016 phones (currently known as the Pixel and Pixel XL) will start at $649. That’s the typical manufacturer price for a mainstream device like the iPhone 7 or Galaxy S7, and well above the $499 it took to buy the Nexus 6P when it was new. The Pixel XL would almost certainly cost more, too.
Supposedly, Google is counting on financing options to soften the blow. And while Verizon will purportedly be the only US carrier selling the Pixels in stores, you’d still get to buy them online from Google.
It’s not clear what’s prompting the price hike, provided it’s real. High-end specs by themselves don’t dictate prices at Google. However, CEO Sundar Pichai previously hinted that future Google phones would be more “opinionated,” carrying distinctive software features that help them stand out. In that light, the Pixel line may represent a change in focus. Instead of focusing on developers and early adopters, as with the Nexus line, Google could directly compete with high-end Android manufacturers that already offer unique takes on Android. That’s something of a gamble — does the Google name command that much of a premium? You might not have long to wait for the truth, however, when rumors have the Pixel range launching on October 4th.
Source: Android Police
Google Photos intros smart themed movies and faster sharing
Google Photos already makes movies using your photos, but they don’t really have that personal touch. Where’s that Facebook-style ability to automatically create videos around major life events? Relax, it’s here: Google is trotting out a Photos update that introduces smart themed movies. The service now digs through your whole photo collection and creates clips based around concepts, such as your children growing up. In that case, it’ll find high-quality photos of your young ones (no blurry shots, thankfully) and stitch them together to show their progress over the years. Only a few concepts will pop up this week, such as a summer retrospective and a concept for formal events, but there are more “coming soon.”
On top of that, it’s now much quicker to share photos and videos with friends. There’s a new in-app share sheet on Android and iOS that focuses on people, rather than third-party apps. You just choose the photos, choose the recipients and fire away. Google Photos users will get a notification, while email and SMS users will get a web link. Frankly, that’s how it should be — you probably care more about who gets that album than where you’re sending it from.
Via: The Verge
Source: Google Official Blog
Google Trips is a pocket-sized vacation guide
If you’ve ever visited a foreign country and realized that you’re not quite sure what to do after hitting all the major tourist attractions, the new Google Trips app might be the digital tour guide you’re looking for. The new app for iOS and Android helps build itineraries around the places you already want to see to help travelers get the most out of their vacation.
In addition to building a game plan for your time away, the app gathers all the information about your vacation — including flights and hotels from your Gmail account — and automatically places them into the trip. That itinerary is then downloadable and available offline in case you’re unable to track down WiFi or don’t an international data plan.
Google says its new app has information available for the top 200 cities around the world. So there’s a good chance if you’re headed out on vacation, Google Trips will have some ideas on what you can do when you get there.
Google wants to help find your next book to read
It doesn’t matter if you’ve got the biggest or best shop in the world if you can’t connect people to the things that they want. It’s an issue that Google is hoping to address in its electronic bookstore with the launch of Discover, a new way to show people stuff they want to read. The service is designed to replace the human booksellers you used to find in Barnes & Noble, offering up recommendations and reviews for stuff you should read.
Discover will gain these insights both by analyzing your reading habits, but also by aggregating sources from across the web. You’ll also be told which titles are being praised by NPR and which ones are about to be turned into movies. As part of Discover, Google is launching Google Play Editorial, a platform where readers will find interviews with authors, articles written by their favorite scribes and recommended reading lists from their heroes.
Discover launches today as part of the Google Play Books Android app, and will be coming to iOS in the near future.
Google’s latest acquisition should make Maps a bit better
Urban Engines has been analyzing city traffic and how people get around. So, naturally, it’d make sense if the company was acquired by an outfit interested in making its maps more efficient. That’s where Google comes in. The search giant has bought the Urban Engines with the sole purpose of improving Maps. “Location analytics is an important focus for both Urban Engines and Google, and we’re excited to combine forces to help organizations better understand how the world moves,” the announcement post reads. It’s a little early to tell exactly what Urban Engines will bring to the table for Maps, but based on its history, perhaps better routing around traffic jams is a pretty safe bet.
Via: VentureBeat
Source: Urban Engines
Chrome beta for Android plays web videos in the background
Ever wanted to listen to the audio from a web video on your Android phone, but couldn’t because the sound would stop the moment you switched apps? You won’t be hampered from now on. Google has released a beta of Chrome 54 for Android that plays web videos in the background, letting you carry on with other tasks while you finish that lecture or video podcast. You’ll get a notification with basic play/pause controls in case you need to take a break. There’s no firm indication of when the finished Chrome 54 will be ready for everyone, but you can grab the beta from Google Play if you’re feeling experimental.
Source: Chromium Blog, Google Play
Google for Work will supposedly be renamed to Google Cloud
If you’re used to seeing Google for Work branding on your employer’s web apps like Docs and Inbox, changes are coming. For now, it sounds superficial, according to a report from The Information. The publication’s sources say that the search juggernaut is changing the name to Google Cloud, and that the change will also cover Chromebooks and Android devices in addition to web services. “The name change is Google’s way of saying, ‘We have the best cloud platform, period,’” according to an anonymous source. The publication goes on to say that this should all be made official at a Google Cloud event later this month on the 29th.
Source: The Information
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