Google’s vision for India: Fast Wi-Fi for everyone, 2G-ready Play Store, and YouTube Go

Here’s how Google is connecting the next billion users.

At its Google for India event, the search giant talked about connecting the next billion users. Google is looking to India as a key market for growth, and as such the company is debuting a host of new features that will be exclusive to Indian users initially. Google kicked things off by talking about the incredible growth in the country, stating that every single second, three Indians are making their way online for the first time.

Caesar Sengupta, Google’s VP for Next Billion Users, outlined the company’s vision:

Our goal has not just been to help more Indians get online — but also to help Indians create the online experience they want; one that serves their needs and enables them to have an impact on the entire world. So we have been thinking about how to build products and services for this wave of new users — products that work for any level of connectivity, in local Indian languages, and across the devices that are most frequently used in India.

The company’s free Wi-Fi initiative got off to a great start, and Google is now expanding the platform. With average broadband speeds hovering around the 3Mbps figure, Google is optimizing its services to work better on 2G connections. Here’s what’s in store for Indian customers.

Play Store gets optimized for 2G

We’re starting to see 4G networks take off in India, but the reality is that a majority of customers still rely on 2G connectivity. To provide a better experience to these users, Google is kicking off a version of the Play Store that is optimized to work on 2G connections. Users in the country will be able to schedule app downloads, and Google is also offering a “Wait for Wi-Fi” option that defers app downloads to save on cellular costs.

Schedule your downloads on Google Play to when you have Wi-Fi#GoogleForIndia pic.twitter.com/KA0RQwyk8n

— Google India (@GoogleIndia) September 27, 2016

YouTube Go

YouTube Go is designed for offline usage. Building on the Smart Offline feature that debuted earlier this year, YouTube Go lets users easily download videos. The app shows how large a particular file is before the download commences, and users have the ability to choose 720p and Full HD content for offline viewing as well. The app also shows previews of videos, giving users more options when it comes to managing their data bandwidth.

In a statement, YouTube product management VP Johanna Wright said:

YouTube Go is a brand new app to help the next generation of users share and enjoy videos. YouTube Go was designed and built from the ground up with insights from India, in order to bring the power of video to mobile users in a way that is more conscious of their data and connectivity, while still being locally relevant and social.

If you’re interested, you can now sign up for YouTube Go.

Save entire pages and videos with Chrome

Chrome has a built-in Data Saver mode that compresses data, and starting today, the feature works with MP4 videos as well. All downloaded content is accessible from a new Downloads tab, and Google is claiming that the feature will see bandwidth savings of up to 67%.

Localized Allo and Duo

Google’s smart AI utility — Google Assistant — made its debut with Allo. The Assistant currently has limited support for Hindi, but Google has announced that native Hindi support will be added before the end of the year. Hindi is the fourth most-spoken language in the world, and by allowing conversations with the Google Assistant in Hindi, Google has the potential to attract a large customer base for Allo.

Google also talked about its video messaging app Duo, stating that after the U.S., India is the second-largest market for the app. Give how well Duo works on poorly-optimized connections, I’m not surprised.

Knock knock! Most Duo users are from India and the US.Also, coming soon: The Google Assistant in Hindi. #GoogleForIndia pic.twitter.com/jXejchZmmb

— Google India (@GoogleIndia) September 27, 2016

Free Wi-Fi for everyone

Since making its debut last year, Google’s public Wi-Fi initiative has amassed 3.2 million active users, with 15,000 joining every day. 52 railway stations across the country now offer free Wi-Fi, and the service is set to go online at over 100 stations by the end of the year.

Google is now expanding on its earlier missive with Google Station, an initiative that sees the company partnering with “large venues and organizations, network operators, fiber providers, system integrators and infrastructure companies” to make fast, reliable Wi-Fi accessible. Partners signing up also have the ability to monetize Google Station hotspots by rolling out access fees or ads.

300 million users have made their way online in India, and that number is set to double over the next four years. Google hasn’t fared particularly well when it comes to making accessible devices with the Android One program, but its latest initiatives should find more success. Most companies don’t offer enough in the way of localization for Indian users, but by adding native Hindi support in Google Assistant and allowing users to converse in their local languages, Google is on the right path.

OnePlus 3 ‘exclusively’ coming to O2 in the UK

OnePlus’s first UK carrier partnership kicks off sales from September 29.

OnePlus is best known for direct-to-consumer sales at low prices, but in the past year it’s started teaming up with select carriers, like Finland’s Elisa, with strong sales resulting. And now the company has partnered with O2 in the UK to get its latest handset, the OnePlus 3, onto store shelves. Sales kick off from September 29, with prices starting at £28 per month on O2 Refresh.

The OnePlus 3 is available on a range of O2 Refresh tariffs, offering from 500MB to 20GB data. Tariffs include £28 per month for 500 minutes, unlimited texts and 500MB of data, and £35.50 per month for unlimited minutes, unlimited texts and 3GB data. Both tariffs come with no upfront payment.

In today’s press release, OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei talked up O2’s history of focusing on premium handsets and tech-savvy consumers:”We chose O2 as our exclusive partner in this important market because they have a history of focusing on the most premium smartphones for the most savvy users, which aligns very well with our products and users.”

It’s possible Pei was referring to O2’s history with Apple: O2 was the first UK operator to partner with Apple to launch the original iPhone in the UK back in 2007, and exclusively carried that phone for more than two years.

The OnePlus deal isn’t of the same scale as that, of course, but there’s no denying the OnePlus 3 has made a splash since its debut earlier this summer. In our review, Andrew Martonik said, “OnePlus is finally ready to join the big leagues with the OnePlus 3. Gone are the days of justifying missing features with a cheap price, and no longer can we give it a pass for its upstart-style of operation. The OnePlus 3 is the real deal, ready to be compared and evaluated as the flagship phone that it is.”

To celebrate the launch, there’ll also be a OnePlus pop-up event on launch day from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. at O2’s Westfield White City store in London. A full list of price plans will go up on O2’s site from September 29.

OnePlus 3

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OnePlus

OnePlus 3 will be sold by O2 from 29 September

In a surprise announcement, O2 has confirmed that it will be selling the OnePlus 3, making it the first UK network to offer OnePlus devices directly.

OnePlus has been shaking up the smartphone world, offering quality devices with flagship specs and design, but at prices that make mainstream manufacturers wince. The OnePlus 3 is one of the most exciting devices of 2016, but up till now, you’ve had to buy it SIM free direct from OnePlus.

O2’s offering changes that, bringing a phone with a wide cult following on monthly tariffs. You’ll be able to bag a OnePlus 3 from £28 a month on the O2 Refresh plans.

“We chose O2 as our exclusive partner in this important market because they have a history of focusing on the most premium smartphones for the most savvy users, which aligns very well with our products and users,” said Carl Pei, co-founder of OnePlus.

Those with a longer memory might remember that O2 had the exclusive on the Apple iPhone in 2007 and 2008, which is probably what Pei is referring to.

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The OnePlus 3 comes with a premium metal body, a 5.5-inch AMOLED display that, although Full HD rather than Quad HD, is bright and vibrant. The handset is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset with 6GB of RAM; there’s a 3000mAh battery that will see you through the day and some really fast charging on offer too.

The OnePlus software sits on top of Android. It calls itself Oxygen OS and it’s a highly customisable skin that will let you do all sorts of fancy things to your phone, importantly it doesn’t get in the way or slow things down. There’s a 16-megapixel camera on the back.

You’ll be able to get the OnePlus 3 from O2 on a range of tariffs, for example for £35.50 a month you’ll get unlimited texts, unlimited calls and 3GB of data. And, needless to add, one of the hottest handsets of 2016.

The OnePlus 3 will be available from O2 from 29 September.

BBC iPlayer will require an account from ‘early 2017’

Starting “early” next year, Brits will need a BBC account in order to access iPlayer. The broadcaster says the move is designed to make its services more “tailored” and “personalised,” presumably through better curation and recommendations. The BBC already offers an account system, called BBC iD, which comes with a few different benefits such as “favourites” in iPlayer, cross-device pause and resume, and the personalised BBC+ app. A “new sign-in system,” said to be more robust and secure, will be launching later this week ahead of the new, mandatory requirement in 2017.

As BBC News reports, the new sign-in system will require users to enter a postcode. The BBC says it won’t be used to enforce the licence fee, however it’s hard not to see the move as a preparatory measure. Even with the “iPlayer loophole” closed, it’s still possible for licence fee avoiders to watch the service by marking the “I have a TV licence” checkbox. A compulsory sign-in process could change that, however — the BBC could, in theory, check each postcode to see if a TV licence is active at their current address.

Helen Boaden, the BBC’s Director of Radio, said:

“Some of you might be thinking that this is driven by the changes to the so-called ‘iPlayer loophole’ which means you now need a TV licence to download or watch BBC programmes on demand on iPlayer. It’s not – it’s about giving you a better BBC. As we said earlier this month, we’ll carry on using our existing enforcement processes and techniques which we believe to be adequate and appropriate. In fact, early TV Licensing data shows that – as we expected – significant numbers of new people have bought a licence since the new rules came into force.”

However, she added: “We will keep our processes under review to make sure they are effective. The Government has asked us to review whether a verification system for accessing Player will be required in the future.” Indeed, such a request is outlined in the new BBC Charter, which comes into effect next year. A decision on the matter won’t be made for some time — the BBC has until 2020 to report its findings — but clearly, it doesn’t hurt the organisation to lay some of the groundwork now, just in case.

Source: BBC, BBC News

Google’s Pixel smartphone surfaces in leaked render, shows off new navigation buttons

Leaked render of the Pixel shows off new software tweaks.

We’re one week away from the launch of the Pixel and Pixel XL. The handsets have leaked in live photos last week, and this time around we’re being treated to an alleged press render of the Pixel. The leak comes from Evan Blass, and showcases the new home screen with the Pixel Launcher, circular icons, and redesigned navigation buttons. The phones will be built by HTC, but Google’s branding is set to take center stage.

The leaks suggest we’ll see a 5-inch Pixel, and a 5.5-inch Pixel XL. Both phones are expected to be powered by the Snapdragon 821 SoC, offering 4GB of RAM, 12MP camera, 8MP front shooter, and storage variants of 32GB and 128GB. The 5-inch Pixel will allegedly offer a Full HD display, with the larger Pixel XL sporting a QHD panel.

On the software front, we’ll likely see the phones debut with the first maintenance release of Nougat. It also looks like the Pixels will be targeted at the high-end segment, with the base-model Pixel rumored to debut at $649.

We’ll know more on October 4. What do you guys think of the phone based on the render?

Amazing Google Pixel leak shows-off pure Android design

With Google planning something of a mega launch party on 4 October, there has been no shortage to leaks and rumours approaching launch day.

Amongst the most hotly-anticipated devices are the new Pixel handsets, stepping in to replace the Nexus devices as a pure Android showcase. We’ve just seen the clearest leak of Google Pixel so far, thanks to an image from VentureBeat.

This year, Google looks to be dumping the Nexus programme for smartphones and pushing Pixel devices instead. There are said to be two Pixel handsets, the smaller of which, pictured here, offers a 5-inch display, with a 1920 x 1080 resolution.

The leaked image appears to corroborate previous rumours and leaks and the design reflects recent HTC handsets too, in the shape of the speaker and the front sensor.

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The larger Pixel XL is said to have a 5.5 inch display with a sharper 2560 x 1440 resolution, very much the flagship rival.

The new image also shows-off the Pixel Launcher, a new face for Android which has also leaked previously, but expected to make its debut on launch day.

Both new Pixel devices are expected to launch on 4 October alongside a number of other Google technologies, including Google Home, 4K Google Chromecast Ultra and Daydream VR.

Roller coasters might help you pass a kidney stone

According to an new study from Michigan State University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine, roller coasters can, in fact, do more than just give you a temporary thrill. Specifically, study author David Wartinger and his co-author Marc Mitchell set out to test the experience of one patient who claimed to have passed three kidney stones after taking three rides on Disney’s Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

While that patient’s experience may seem coincidental, Wartinger and Mitchell set out to test it in the most scientific way possible: They built a 3D printed silicone model of a kidney, filled it with urine and three kidney stones, and then tossed the whole contraption in a backpack that rode Thunder Mountain along with them a total of 20 times. According to a statement from Wartinger, the team’s findings, “support the anecdotal evidence that a ride on a moderate-intensity roller coaster could benefit some patients with small kidney stones.” And where you’re sitting on the train can also make a difference. As CNET notes, sitting at the front of the ride helped get things moving with a 16.67 percent passage rate, but sitting in the back was even more effective – resulting in a 63.89 percent passage rate. On the other hand, a ride that is too fast or pulls too many G’s can actually hold the kidney stones in place, making things worse. (And you won’t get the same result on a VR coaster, obviously.)

Of course, riding a roller coaster isn’t a surefire way to get ride of a kidney stone, but when used in addition to standard treatments, the research team believes it could be useful therapy for the 300,000 people who suffer from kidney stones in the US every year. “If you have a kidney stone, but are otherwise healthy and meet the requirements of the ride, patients should try it,” Wartinger said. “It’s definitely a lower-cost alternative to health care.”

Via: CNET

Source: MSU Today

Best Buy’s new project highlights tech startups’ creations

You’ll soon see curious spots in Best Buy stores that aren’t hawking any big-brand company’s products. Instead, they will be stocked with electronics from companies you probably never heard of before. See, the big-box store has launched a new initiative dubbed “Ignite,” and it takes a leaf out of Amazon Launchpad’s book.

Under the project, startups chosen by Best Buy will get a chance to work with multinational product innovation company PCH. It will help them with product development, marketing and other aspects that will get their creations out of the lab and into buyers’ hands, so to speak. It will also give you the chance to see new products you might never have heard of otherwise, as well as test them out before buying.

Best Buy has already opened its first Ignite space in its new Silicon Valley HQ, and it has quite a few products we’ve talked about before on display. You’ll see Muzik’s Spotify- and social media-connected headphones there, as well as Noke’s Bluetooth padlock, the Zuli smartplug, the Tangram smartrope, among other crowdfunded and unusual wireless and audio electronics. BB didn’t say when its other locations will get their own Ignite space. But you’ll at least be able to look at its partner startups’ devices when it launches the project’s official web page later this fall.

Via: Star Tribune

Source: Best Buy