Google’s voice-activated Spell Up game hones your speling skills
We’ve seen charming and freaky in Google’s games, but the search giant has a nobler aim with its latest experiment: improving your English skills. Spell Up is a mishmash of a spelling bee, Wheel of Fortune and Jumble, with voice recognition thrown in for good measure. You can launch it in any Chrome browser on a desktop, Android or iOS device, though you can only use a keyboard on an iPhone or iPad. Once you’re in, you’ll be able select a difficulty level and build a tower of words, until a wrong move crashes the whole thing down. It worked great for me on Android, but using it on my desktop was a F-A-I-L for some reason, as letters like ‘G’ and ‘S” couldn’t be recognized. Perhaps you’ll have better luck, though — you can try it here.
Filed under: Gaming, Internet, Google
Source: Google
Google Search for iOS Updated With Smarter Conversations, Google Now Improvements [iOS Blog]
Google today updated its Google Search app to version 4.0.0, adding new voice question capabilities that let users have smarter conversations with Google.
For example, after initiating a casual conversation with an “Ok Google” command, users can ask simple questions like “What’s the weather like?” followed by “What about this weekend?” Google Search is able to interpret that the questions are linked together, providing weather information for each query.
The app’s Google Now functionality will also inform users of interesting articles on preferred topics, give information about upcoming trips, and share information on favorite blogs and authors.
Finally, the app has also been updated with cricket sports cards in Google Now, faster loading of both Google Search and Google Now, and more fluid image results.
With today’s update, you can ask questions with your voice & get updates on topics you care about.
Have a smarter conversation with Google:
– Tap the microphone or say “Ok Google” to start
– Ask questions such as “What’s the weather like?”
– Then follow up with “How about this weekend?”At Google, we know the web well. With Google Now, we’ll tell you when there’s an interesting article for:
– Your favorite topics
– Your upcoming trips
– Your favorite authors and blogsSmaller updates include:
– Cricket sports cards in Google Now
– Faster loading of Google Search and Google Now
– More beautiful and fluid image results
Google Search can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
Nexus 7 purchases now come with £50 Play Store credit
If you’ve been eyeing up Google’s latest Nexus 7 tablet but needed a little something to tip you over the edge, then this might give you the incentive you need. Google and ASUS have teamed up to offer £50 credit to spend on Play Store content if you purchase a 16GB Nexus 7 between now and June 1st. There’s also some good news if you bought your Nexus earlier in the month: ASUS says that any purchase made from a UK retailer after May 5th will qualify. If you have your Nexus 7 in hand, all you have to do is head to this site within 30 days and follow the instructions to redeem your credit.
Filed under: Tablets, Mobile, Google
Via: Google UK (Google+)
Source: ASUS
EU court says Google must remove links to personal data if it’s asked to
Google’s recent run of bad luck in Europe has reached new heights after it was told it must take down links to personal information found in its search results. The Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ) today ruled that Google should be made responsible for processing links to personal data which appears on third-party websites, so it must allow users to request that outdated or irrelevant information be removed. Google has long argued that such a ruling amounts to censorship, but Europe’s top court agrees with the European Commission’s belief that people should have the “right to be forgotten.”
The ruling came after a Spanish man complained to local regulators that Google had indexed an auction notice on his home from 1998. Google refused to delete the information, so the ECJ was asked to step in. Although today’s ruling has not yet been passed into law, the court says users who want to remove their name from search providers’ results can “approach the operator directly and, where the operator does not grant his request, bring the matter before the competent authorities in order to obtain, under certain conditions, the removal of that link from the list of results.” We’ve reached out to Google for comment and will report back once we receive a response.
[Image credit: European Parliament, Flickr]
Filed under: Google
Via: Reuters
Motorola adds LTE to its mid-range Moto G handset
Motorola’s Moto G was a great handset, but if we had a gripe, it was that it lacked a 4G modem. Last night, however, Amazon let it be known that a tweaked version of Motorola’s mid-ranger was coming, and this time it would be able to take advantage of super-fast mobile speeds. At the London launch of the Moto E, the company confirmed that the Moto G with LTE is real, and is even packing a microSD card slot, too. The unlocked handset is priced at £150 in the UK, while Amazon believes US pricing to be around $220 with a choice of black or white bodies — and both should be hitting retailers in the next few weeks.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Google, Lenovo
Unannounced Moto G with LTE pops up on Amazon
As good a deal as the Moto G might be for frugal smartphone shoppers, it doesn’t have speedy LTE data; for some, that’s practically a deal-breaker. However, it might get that often-sought upgrade relatively soon. Amazon has posted listings for two unannounced Moto G variants with “universal LTE,” including one in a previously unavailable white hue. Detailed store pages are sadly missing, but both entries mention a $220 price (slightly above the $200 you’d pay for a 16GB 3G model) and a June 30th ship date. We’d also expect these to work only with GSM-based networks like AT&T and T-Mobile, so don’t count on there being a Verizon equivalent.
Sounds good, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, it’s hard to determine how much Amazon really knows. The picture of the Moto G LTE clearly isn’t for the current edition, but the launch details could easily be little more than placeholder info. A June release would line up with earlier rumors from Xataka, though, and it’s not far-fetched to see this model carrying a slight price premium. We may get the full scoop before long, at any rate. Motorola is holding a big event on the 13th — many expect it to focus on the Moto E, but there’s nothing precluding an update to the company’s existing budget handset at the same time.
[Thanks, anonymous]
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Google, Lenovo
Source: Amazon, Juan Garzon (Google+)
Germany wants Google to stop sharing customer data between services
Google’s privacy-related woes in Europe aren’t over just because France has issued a fine over a lack of transparency — if anything, they’re getting worse. Germany now says it will order the search firm to stop pooling user data, such as search histories and video viewing habits, under unified accounts. This strategy gives Google overly “in-depth” profiles of its customers and denies the right to limit what the company can see, according to a data protection officer speaking to Bloomberg.
Google says it’s hoping to reach a deal with Germany, and it argues that the data sharing policy is meant to provide “simpler and more effective offers.” If the order goes ahead, though, the company may have a lot of work to do. It spent roughly the past two years tying services together, in some cases making it harder to use sites in isolation — just ask anyone who gets repeated prompts to use their Google+ accounts on YouTube. We wouldn’t expect the company to completely undo its recent efforts, but it may have to give users more control over the information they share.
[Image credit: Alex Murphy, Flickr]
Source: Bloomberg
Google Calendar gets some color in a new update
Google Calendar app just got some much requested functions. After you update your Google Calendar app you’re going to be able to customize events and add some color to your calendar directly from your smartphone.
Google has redesigned time and date pickers which should make adding that special event in your calendar even easier and more pleasant to do. Along with redesigning the event scheduling, the application now allows you to mark your meetings with different colors which should help organizing different stuff in your calendar much more enjoyable and quite frankly more productive.
It’s also easier to schedule repeating events in this version of Google Calendar. You can now set repeating events any day of the week, month, or every x number of weeks, it’s completely up to you, Timezone picker has also been redesigned in order to make it easier to find the region you’re looking for.
This update is available for all android 4.0.3 devices and above. You might not be able to install it immediately but it will become available soon on Google Play
SOURCE: Android Blogspot
The post Google Calendar gets some color in a new update appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Google Play Music for iPad found lurking inside iPhone app
If you’re a Google Play Music fan and have been limping along with the iPhone version on your iPad, you may already have the big-screen version without knowing it. That’s because the iPad bits are already baked in to the iPhone app, according to 9to5 Mac. In fact, you can even activate it now just by changing a setting called “UIDeviceFamily” from 1 to 2, though your iPad will need to be jailbroken (which is currently impossible on iOS 7.1.x). Google Play Music has been a success since it launched on the iPhone in November — likely helped by a month of free music — so a pending app redesigned for the iPad’s larger screen wouldn’t be a surprise. In fact, when contacted by 9to5, a Google rep thought the app was already out, meaning it might just be awaiting the nod from Apple.
Filed under: Tablets, Software, Apple, Google
Source: 9to5 Mac
Google sells Glass at a golf tournament, turns players into Explorers
Google Glass may not be permanently available for sale to the general public, but Mountain View recently promised to find new ways to expand the Explorer program. The pricey gadget’s first stop? The Player’s Championship in Florida, a golf tournament where many participants can easily afford the device’s $1,500 price tag. Despite the prime location, Google still bundled the eyewear with a free mini-camera that clamps onto a golf club to sweeten the deal. Sounds like the company’s plan worked quite well: according to Twitter user Richard Ranick, a sales associate claimed sales were much better than expected. Since Google has vowed to make Explorers not just out of sports lovers, but also out of optometrists, cooks and travelers, we might see more Glass booths (after the break) at various events in the future.
[Image credit: Google Glass/Twitter]
At The Players’ Championship Sawgrass? Come hit some balls with us #tpc14 #throughglass http://t.co/Lo4naeZgdq pic.twitter.com/n7sz3AwiYA
– Google Glass (@googleglass) May 9, 2014
@kylebrussell Google Glass display at #theplayerschampionship pic.twitter.com/fssBtVegRH
– Richard Ranick (@triple_r73) May 9, 2014
Filed under: Wearables, Google
Via: Business Insider
Source: Richard Ranick (Twitter)
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