Google’s short film examines the science of voice recognition
People used to think it’s harder to make computers play chess (or Jeopardy) and do mathematics than it is to make them understand human language. Turns out the opposite is true — yes, engineers have made great advancements in voice recognition (Siri and Google voice commands are perfect examples), but they’ve yet to create a system that can speak with us like another human can. Google’s documentary (after the break) talks about the beginnings of voice recognition, the current state of language understanding, as well as the future of artificial neural network technology, which can be used to improve both. The main goal of scientists and engineers is to make computers reach human levels of language understanding, but whether that’ll ever happen remains to be seen.
Filed under: Misc, Internet, Google
Source: Google (G+), Google (YouTube)
Get the Android Lollipop look and sound with wallpapers and sounds
Now that Google has announced the release of Android Lollipop many people are anxiously waiting for the update to hit their device. Some are fortunate enough to have devices that can handle the final developer previews and several devices will get Lollipop in November. For others though, the wait is indeterminate while manufacturers and carriers work to make sure things will work on their devices and networks.
If you are interested in getting at least a little bit of the look and feel of Android Lollipop, the stock wallpapers and system sounds have been extracted from the developer preview and can be downloaded onto your device.
You can check out the gallery of wallpapers below. If you want to grab one to load on your Android device, click on the image to bring it up in its own page and then save it using a right-click. A zip file containing all of the wallpapers is available below as well if you just want to grab all of them at once with a single download. A link to a zip file with the system sounds is available as well.
For those who are more adventuresome and willing to do a little work, some files containing a variety of icons and a couple apps, like Google Search + Launcher and the Keyboard, are available at the source location.
source: XDA Developers Forum
Come comment on this article: Get the Android Lollipop look and sound with wallpapers and sounds
Shuffle in positions may signal more Android/Chrome consolidation
Sources within Google indicate some top level executives have shifted around and the changes may be another sign that the company is moving closer to a merger of its two operating systems. Hiroshi Lockheimer, who is the vp of engineering for the Android operating system, has had the engineering team assigned to the Chrome operating system placed under him. Linus Upson was the top engineer for Chrome and it is unclear what he will be doing moving forward.
Starting in 2013, both the Android team and the Chrome team have reported to Sundar Pichai, a senior vice president with Google. The move to place them both under the purview of one senior vp was consistent with Sergey Brin’s statements from as far back as 2009 that the two branches were likely to “converge.”
At Google I/O this year, the company announced plans to make it possible to run Android apps on Chrome OS powered devices. Just last month the first batch of apps able to do this were announced.
Although Chrome powered devices have found a popular market with schools, they still struggle to compete in the larger personal computer market. Meanwhile, Android dominates the smartphone market, powering 85% of all devices shipped during the second quarter of 2014. Google also has efforts underway with Android Wear and Android Auto to put variations of the Android operating system on other form factors.
Some have suggested that Pichai’s move signals Android will be the base for the future as Google hopes to capitalize on an easy path for developers to create apps capable of running on several types of devices. Neither Lockheimer nor Upson have released statements regarding the moves.
source: Wall Street Journal
Come comment on this article: Shuffle in positions may signal more Android/Chrome consolidation
Google explains how it fights piracy in search results
The anti-piracy road hasn’t played out easy for Google, to the point where past claims have stated that the company’s efforts simply aren’t working. But Google says it’s doing everything it can to combat piracy across its services, of which Search is likely the most important one — at least to copyright holders. With this in mind, the technology giant has released an updated version of its document “How Google Fights Piracy,” in which it dives into detail about what steps it’s taking to crack down on pirated content. Google says this includes new ad formats in search results, such as what’s pictured above; improved downranking of known delinquent sites; and removing more autocomplete predictions based on DMCA takedown notices. Part of it is also pointing people to trusted sources when searching for music or movies, including services like the Play store or Spotify — Google plans to do this only in the US for now, but the idea is to make it a global feature at some point in the future.
Source: Google
Former Google lawyer nominated to lead US patent office
The Obama administration has recently nominated former Google lawyer Michelle Lee to be the next permanent director of the US Patent and Trademark Office, which could mean bad news for patent trolls. Lee, who was appointed as the department’s deputy director in January, was Google’s first ever head of patents and patent strategy and has long been a strong proponent for patent reform. Lee appears to be well-versed to handle the demands of the job, with not just her history at Google but also M.I.T degrees in electrical engineering and computer science and 20 years experience as a patent attorney. The USPTO has not had a permanent director since David Kappos left in 2013.
[Image credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images]
Filed under: Misc
Via: Ars Technica
Source: Washington Post
Download and install latest Google Play Store 5.0.32 APK (Material Design)
The Google Play Store was only just recently updated to bring more Material Design aspects to the app, and now we see the version receive a small update bringing the Google Play Store to version 5.0.32.
As you can imagine by the minor bump from version 5.0.31, the update is extremely small and appears to just be minor bug fixes with nothing that will stick out at you.
Nevertheless, if like me you like to be on the cutting edge of developments, you can go ahead and grab the latest Google Play Store 5.0.32 APK from here.
Notice anything else different in the newest version of the Google Play Store? Drop us a comment below.
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Nexus 9 and Nexus Player are now up for pre-order in the Google Play Store
As promised, the Nexus 9 and Nexus Player are both up for pre-order in the Google Play Store.
The Nexus 9 is going for $399 (16 GB) or $479 (32 GB) and you have your choice of black or white for now. The LTE option or the Sand color isn’t available yet. Assuming you order today, you can expect it to leave the warehouse within 2 to 3 weeks. Shipping is also extra, which could be around $9.99 (3-5 days) depending on where you live. Launch day is supposed to be November 3, so you will also find it at participating retailers then.
The Nexus Player is going for $99 and will leave the warehouse in 3-4 weeks according to the web page. Just like the Nexus 9, you will also have to pay for shipping, which could be around $9.99 (3-5 days) depending on your location. The gamepad goes for $39.99, but it shows as sold out at the moment.
Hit the links below to get your order in.
Sources: Nexus 9 / Nexus Player / Nexus Player Controller
Come comment on this article: Nexus 9 and Nexus Player are now up for pre-order in the Google Play Store
WSJ: Android’s VP of engineering is now overseeing Chrome as well
The Wall Street Journal has just reported that Hiroshi Lockheimer, Google’s current VP of engineering for Android, is now also in charge of the Chrome engineering team. According to the paper’s internal sources, the shift is part of an effort to unify the two divergent operating systems. Seeing as the company is already working on bringing Android apps to Chromebooks, that doesn’t seem too farfetched. Additionally, the WSJ notes that co-founder Sergey Brin has previously mentioned that the two OSes will likely converge over time. As part of this management shift, Linus Upson, the previous VP of engineering for Chrome, has reportedly left that role. The publication adds that Lockheimer will specifically be in charge of operating system matters, and not the Chrome browser, Chromecast or Chromebook hardware.
Source: WSJ
Google releases Android 5.0 Lollipop SDK and other tools
As previously reported, Google has followed up their official release of Android 5.0 Lollipop earlier this week with the announcement that the full Android 5.0 SDK is now ready for developers to download. Along with the new SDK, the team is also making available updated developer images for the Nexus 5, Nexus 7 (2013), ADT-1, and the Android emulator. On their Android Developers Blog, Google indicates the first consumer devices to ship with Android 5.0 Lollipop will be the Nexus 6, Nexus 9 and Nexus Player starting on November 3rd with the Nexus 9. They indicate other Nexus devices, including the Nexus 4, 5, 7 (both the 2012 and 2013 versions), 10, and Google Play Edition devices, will receive an OTA update for Android 5.0 Lollipop “in the same timeframe.”
Android 5.0 Lollipop is packed full of new features and a long list of new APIs that developers can take advantage of, including the code necessary for their new Material Design, enhanced notifications, Project Volta and Battery Historian, Android Runtime (ART), OpenGL ES 3.1, and 64-bit support. With so many changes, Google is encouraging developers to grab appropriate preview images and start testing their apps now so they can be ready when consumer devices start getting Android 5.0 Lollipop.
If you don’t mind wiping your system, the developers have also made final preview images of Lollipop available for the Nexus 5 (“hammerhead”) and the Nexus 7 (2013) (“razor”) devices. If you decide to go down this path though, note that you will not receive the OTA update when released in November until you install a factory image on your device.
Google is also encouraging developers to go ahead and publish their updated apps with support for Android 5.0 Lollipop to Google Play. Depending on how fast developers move on this, we should probably expect to see a ton of updated apps hitting Google Play in the coming weeks.
source: Android Developers Blog
Come comment on this article: Google releases Android 5.0 Lollipop SDK and other tools
Amazon UK reveals Nexus 9 prices to start from £319
Google may have finally made its latest Nexus devices official, but it’s kept UK pricing for the Nexus 6, Nexus 9 and Nexus Player under wraps. Fortunately for us, Amazon is keen to highlight that it’ll range the 8.9-inch HTC tablet, and has now started taking pre-orders for both black and white variants of the device before they’ve even appeared on Google’s Play Store. The online retail giant has revealed that the 16GB Wi-Fi model will cost £319, with its 32GB counterpart coming in at £399. After the 4G-equipped 32GB Nexus 9? Expect to pay £459 for the privilege. If you decide to take the plunge today, Amazon says it will get it to you by November 3rd. It’s a blow for those hoping Google would keep parity with the US/UK exchange rate, which would have put the 16GB WiFi-only model at around £250. Unfortunately, Amazon nor Google have confirmed UK pricing for either the Nexus 6 or the Nexus Player, but we’ll bring you the very latest as soon as we get it.
Filed under: Tablets, Mobile, HTC, Google, Amazon
Source: Nexus 9 (16GB White), (16GB Black), (32GB White), (32GB Black), (32GB 4G Black)
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