Google Revamps it's Universal Web-App Look

The new Google.com Interface

Are you tired of that simple looking Google homepage? Do you wish Google would get rid of it's simplistic design, and make it more exciting. Well, thanks to the new Google web-app revamp, you are still out of luck.

The new Google.com design also applies to all of the other Google web-apps, and basically makes Google look simpler, although the Google experience hasn't changed much.

The new update puts the links Google.com all at either the top or bottom of the page, making it easier to see the blankness of the rest of the page. The Google logo is now slightly smaller, and this also makes is easier to see the blankness of the page.

It seems that the new Google color scheme is red and black. Although the actual Google logo hasn't changed, the bar of links to various Google services that hovers above most Google websites has gone from a light grey to a dark black. The site you are currently visiting is overlined nicely in red, and when you mouse over a link, the boxed area around it becomes a dark grey.

This red/black color scheme is more obvious on the actual page of search results. When searching for a word or phrase, the updated Google, like the older version, shows search results in the main area, and has a sidebar on the left side which allows you to search exclusively for images, videos, blogs, ect. This sidebar has changed in a few ways, most of them, in my opinion, for the better. As pictured below, the sidebar's few default search refining options are now spaced slightly further apart, and, while remaining the same font as the previous interface, are now dark grey. Instead of becoming bold when selected, the options now change to the nice shade of red used throughout the site. The icons are now grey instead of colored, and are changed slightly from the previous versions. When mousing over an option, the area around it becomes a shade of light grey.

The search-box area is also slightly changed in this new interface, as it is now boxed in grey and the search button is now a nice, rounded blue button, with a magnifying glass icon instead of the actual word "search". The Google logo on the left of the search box is now slightly smaller.

The new red/black theme makes the Google experience feel much more elegant, as well as simple, but it also makes it feel that the Google logo shouldn't be that colorful. Google has been using it's red, green, yellow, and blue color scheme as a base for it's new services, but some of the latest additions have seen a slightly different color scheme.

The new search interface

Overall, the new Google interface brings a cleaner interface, a simpler experience, and ultimately, more eye candy, something that was not in the early search engines, and has kind of become a new thing. Google was earned a +1 for this one.

It seems that the bar of links on top of most Google websites appears updated for everyone, but the newly designed home and search pages have not yet rolled out to all users.

Read Google's blog post here.


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Google Announces Its Own Operating System

The blogging world has been abuzz with Google's announcement that it was launching an operating system -- Chrome OS -- to take on Microsoft's market-dominating Windows systems. From the official Google Blog:

"Google Chrome OS is an open source, lightweight operating system that will initially be targeted at netbooks. Later this year we will open-source its code, and netbooks running Google Chrome OS will be available for consumers in the second half of 2010. Because we're already talking to partners about the project, and we'll soon be working with the open source community, we wanted to share our vision now so everyone understands what we are trying to achieve."

Google will be relying on help from the open-source community to develop this project.

Will it work and erode the Microsoft monolith? Or is just a slap by Google at its main computer competitor?

Here are some opinions from around the web:

All Roads Lead to Chrome OS

Google Plans a PC Operating System

Google's Operating System Escalates Microsoft Duel

Google Chrome: Redefining the Operating System

Five Questions About Google Chrome OS

Why We Need to Chill About ChromeOS

Why Google's Chrome OS Bomb Has Minimal Fallout on Apple

Last Call for GOOG-411

At The Tech Desk, we use lots of Google services. We teach classes in Gmail. Many of us keep track of RSS feeds using Google Reader. We often show people directions using Google Maps, try webpages in Chrome,  and even played around with Google Wave. Sadly though, one of my personal favorite Google services that I rely on constantly is ending next month.On November 12, 2010 Google will discontinue GOOG-411. 

Usable from any phone, GOOG-411 was an excellent alternative to other 411 services. GOOG-411 was completely free. Additionally, just like Google web search, it was incredibly easy to use. After dialing 1-800-GOOG-411,  you were asked to say the business you were looking for and the city and state. After that, GOOG-411 would state the top listing, and offer to directly connect you. There was no need to write the phone number of the business down: you were instantly connected. 

While a free 411 service was appreciated, Google was using voice data supplied to GOOG-411 to develop future products. Garett Rogers reported in 2007 on zdnet.com that GOOG-411 was designed to collect voice samples to help improve Google's speech-to-text software. These technologies have now been implemented in a variety of Google services, as this webpage from Google shows.

While I will miss GOOG-411, there are several great options to help you find information for free. Bing, a search engine by Microsoft, offers BING-411. You can send a text message about a business and location to 46643 ("GOOGLE") and get confirmation via text. Last, and certainly not least, is the Library! Please feel free to call us at 248.524.3538 and we can help you find the information you are looking for.

A Google A Day: Huh?

     Early this morning, Google announced a new "product" on their official blog. Google announced that, partnered with the New York Times, they would be launching a trivia game. This trivia game, called A Google a Day, is different compared to traditional trivia games in the sense that, unlike normal trivia, you are encouraged to look up the answer.

The "A Google a Day" Homepage

     The website for the project, agoogleaday.com, shows the regular Google homepage, but the bottom fourth of the screen shows a bar with a trivia question. The area above it, with the Google homepage, is actually showing the internet as it was before the question was released, as to prevent cheating. One is supposed to search through Google and the internet to find the answer.

A Sample Trivia Question

     When I first read that Google was partnering up with the New York Times, I immediately thought that it would have something to do with news. A trivia puzzle just, well, seems strange. Anyway, the answer to the trivia question, along with search tips for how to find it, will be posted on the Google a Day website, as well as in the New York Times, the next day. 

     This is what seems to me as Google's first attempt at a game-like program. With Google working on improving Android, cleaning up their search results, and more, it just seems like a strange move, and was definitely unexpected. 

     

Looking for An Alternative Browser? Try Google Chrome 2.0

Google Chrome is a relatively new browser that has quickly gained popularity in the Internet community. Since its initial release, Chrome has seen many fixes and improvements to improve its speed and stability. These updates were so significant that Google quickly removed the "beta" tag off of its new browser in an effort to promote its stability and everyday usability.

I do a majority of my Internet browsing on Google Chrome due to its speed and other features. Here are some of my favorite ones.

Speed, Speed, and More Speed
One of the most noticeable features of Google Chrome is its speed. It is fast to boot up, and fast to load pages. It feels faster then Firefox, and most definitely Internet Explorer in my everyday use.

Each Tab Has Its Own Process
Each tab has its own individual process; if one tab crashes, you do not lose the rest of your opened tabs. This is extremely helpful when you are doing research and each tab is important to keep open.

The Download Manager

Downloads are handled differently in Google Chrome then they are in IE and Firefox. In both IE and Firefox, the downloads are opened in a new window to be monitored. In Chrome, downloads are started immediately and can be monitored in the task bar, as shown in the picture above.

Simple Design
One of the subtle, yet, impressive features of Chrome is the simple design layout of the tabs, address bar and navigational icons. This browser is designed for maximum screen real-estate for viewing web pages. I find the tab layout to be quite helpful.

The New Tab Page

While this feature may not seem like a big help initially, it most certainly is a welcome addition. The new tab page shows a lot of information such as your top nine most visited sites, previous searches, recent bookmarks, and recently closed tabs.

Searching From the Address Bar

By default, Google allows you to type a search into the address bar. Then, by simply hitting the ENTER key, you are taken to Google search results. If you go to another site and perform a search, you will then be able to simply hit the tab key when typing in the site name to perform a search on that site (see the screenshot above for an example).

Updates
This past week, Google officially released its first major milestone update to Chrome. This update packed tons of added enhancements, bug fixes, and stability improvements. Here is a quick rundown of some of the enhancements specific to the 2.0 update courtesy of Google.


Where Can I Get Google Chrome?
Visit www.google.com/chrome

Microsoft, Yahoo, Amazon to Oppose Google Book Scanning Settlement

Not surprisingly, some of Google’s chief competitors – Microsoft, Yahoo, and Amazon – have joined the Open Book Alliance, opposing the October 2008 legal settlement which would allow Google to digitize and sell millions of books.

The Alliance, headed by the non-profit Internet Archive, has expressed concern about “serious legal, competitive, and policy issues” surrounding Google's book scanning project.

Google reached a settlement last year with the Authors Guild and the Association of American Publishers over a copyright infringement lawsuit filed against the Internet search giant in 2005. Under the settlement, Google will pay publishers and authors $125 million. In exchange, the company will resume scanning copyrighted, out-of-print books, and provide up to 20% of the text on-line at no charge, under its Google Book Search program.

In addition, the settlement creates a method for how Google, publishers and authors will share the profits of digitized versions of printed books. The company will take 37% of the revenue, leaving 63% for publishers and authors.

In a statement, Google responded to the latest news saying: "This sounds like the Sour Grapes Alliance. The Google Books settlement is injecting more competition into the digital books space, so it’s understandable why our competitors might fight hard to prevent more competition."

Microsoft, which entered into a 10-year Web search partnership with Yahoo! last month that set the stage for a joint offensive against Google, also had a project to create a vast digital library but shut it down recently. Online retail giant Amazon is a major player in the electronic book sector through its popular e-reader, the Kindle.

The settlement still needs the approval of a US District Court judge, who is to hold a "fairness hearing" on the deal in New York on October 7.

For more background, read Learn More about the Google Book Search Settlement.

[via Yahoo! Tech]

Google Currents: News made Beautiful

Google recently announced their new news-aggregation application, called Google Currents. Currents allows users to browse many content providers (magazines, blogs, etc.), and add them to their Currents, where they would have easy access to their articles, as well as a beautiful way to browse what might interest you. Currents is available as a free app for iPhone and iPad, as well as both Android phones and tablets.

To add a publication, called by currents an "edition", you simply search for the content you want, or find it using the "featured" section, or from any of the categories, and add it to your currents. However, as this is a fairly new service, don't expect to find every publication that you read. Once you have added all of your desired editions, you can tap on any of them to view the content in a beautiful, minimalist design. 

Publishers can add content via a simple webpage, and can choose to add more than just simple articles. Publishers can add an updating section based on an RSS feed, a photo section that pulls in from Flickr, a video section hooked up with YouTube, and even a social update section, with updates pulled in from Google+ or any other RSS or Atom feed.

Google Currents already has many great publishers using the service, including PBS, The Guardian, and Zagat, as well as many well-known online blogs. There is no cost to subscribing to any of the editions associated with Currents. Users can also import any RSS feed, as well as easily import their Google Reader subscriptions, to quickly fill the application with relevant content. 

The one thing that makes Currents stand out the most from any other news service is the design. Google Currents' design is simple and elegant, making things easy to see, and making using the app an overall enjoyable experience. The one slightly disconcerting thing about the design and user interface is that, once in an edition, you can basically scroll sideways endlessly, as each article in an edition is laid out one after another, with the only thing distinguishing one article from another being the article's title. Although this works if you think of the content as a magazine, it can be confusing if you think as each article being a separate post. 

Google Currents is currently not available outside the United States. It would make sense for Google to have plans to roll the service out elsewhere, but no such plans are released at this point, so those outside the United States will just have to wait and see. 

Google Currents is free, so what is there to lose by trying it out? Download Google Currents for your iPhone, iPad, Android phone, or Android tablet, and, while you're at it, add Gadgetator to your list of followed editions by searching for us.

Watch the video below for more information about Google Currents.

Google Calendar Gets "Tasks" Integration

One of the most used tools in Google is the Tasks feature that was previously only enabled in Gmail and iGoogle. (See this post which talked about some of the great features of this service.)

Good news: Google has just begun branching out its Tasks feature to some of its other services, beginning with Google Calendar. The integration between Tasks and Google Calendar is simple and straight-forward. If you add a task in Gmail, it goes over to Google Calendar. And if you associate a due date with the task, then the task will not only show up in your Tasks list, but also in your Google Calendar!

To see a screenshot of how this integration works, look below.

As you can see, the tasks are now shown in the calendar as well as the list. As the tasks are completed, check marks and strike-throughs are used.

This clean integration among Google products shows the potential that Google Tasks has in the future and why it continues to be my to-do manager of choice.

If you would like to use Google Tasks, follow the instructions outlined here. If you're interested in the mobile version of Google Tasks check out this post.

Google Maps updated for Android, iPhone

While the mobile location-sharing issue continues to brew, that hasn't stopped Google from pushing ahead to make its popular Google Maps program better. And if you have an Android or iOS device, phone or tablet, you can take advantage of the improved mobile Maps experience.

Now, said Google software engineer Alireza Ali, on Google's blog Friday, "you can use many of the same Google Maps features you're used to from the desktop" on the go. When you visit Google Maps on your Android or Apple phone or tablet, you see your current location and search for what's nearby using "suggest" and "auto complete."
 
Google Maps Android and iOS users also can now:

• Have clickable icons of popular businesses and transit stations
• Get driving, transit, biking, and walking directions
• Turn on satellite, transit, traffic, biking, and other layers
• View Place pages with photos, ratings, hours, and more
• When signed into your Google account, access your starred locations and My Maps

As an example of what the changes bring, Ali said he recently was trying to find a good deli for lunch. "I opened Google Maps on my mobile browser and searched to locate a popular deli nearby. A few finger taps later, I had viewed photos and reviews on the deli’s Place page and found the quickest way to get there using driving directions — all from my mobile browser."

Google Maps is free. And the search giant makes it clear on the blog that users will need to "opt in" to share their location in order to take advantage of Maps' changes.

Source : technolog

Android Platform - Great for Developers and Users

Android is the world's top-selling operating system and the favorite mobile platform of today. Android, Inc. was founded in October 2003. Google purchased Android Inc. in 2005. Google and members of the Open Handset Alliance came together to develop and release and it has been a great success. Google marketed the platform to provide an open and upgradable Android e system. The online app store for Google is called Android Market. The Android Market has passed up competitors like BlackBerry, yet Android developers are still upset about the way Google works. Google did take about two years to reach the 100,000 mark as selling mobile applications had not been as profitable for the Android developer as it is today. Although, it only takes Android developers ten minutes to get their mobile app approved and featured on the Android Market.

Google makes it easier for developers to market their apps by having Android Market pre-installed on most Android devices and allows people to choose from apps published by many different developers. Android offers a group of many different developers writing applications with over 200,000 apps available. Android has had many updates since its first release. Every version of the platforms operating system has a nickname based on a dessert item. Unlike Apple's marketplace, Google allows an open market for app stores to operate on Android. One super successful app Google launched is Voice Actions, which allows users to write messages and make calls by voice. It has continued to grow bigger and better over the years. Everyone has announced an Android app or Android device this year, and Android's sales have passed up sales of the iPhone platform. Android has the advantage of having several different carriers that offer the operating system and all Android phones or tablets are touch screen.

The customization is a definite plus because no other platform offers the ability to personalize desktop screens and icons. You can access the menu in different ways on different phones and you can click on the organized icons to get to the Android Market. The system look varies depending on the phone but the software itself has become better looking over time. Android's openness means that almost anyone can create an application on it. You will find a wide selection of apps available on the Android Market. Not all applications run on all versions of Android and there are many different versions of the software offered. Android has the benefit of being available on a variety of handsets, and offers customization its rivals can't touch. The Android Market isn't the only place to get apps. One of the biggest differences between Android and other platforms is the open style platform. There is now a new Amazon marketplace for apps that has astonished customers and developers alike. Even though there is worry that these parallel markets could lead to consumer confusion people love that Google has gone the open route with Android.

Google Voice - The Future of Voicemail?

Over the next couple of weeks, Google plans to unveil an all new service called Google Voice, which hopes to be your voicemail of the future and a central hub of all of your calls. The features of Google Voice are many, especially when compared to regular voicemail.

Here is a quick rundown, courtesy of Google:

Google number -- One number for all your calls and SMS

• Call screening -- Announce and screen callers
• Listen in -- Listen before taking a call
• Block calls -- Keep unwanted callers at bay
• SMS -- Send, receive, and store SMS
• Place calls -- Call US numbers for free
• Taking calls -- Answer on any of your phones
• Phone routing -- Phones ring based on who calls
• Forwarding phones -- Add phones and decide which ring.

Google voicemail -- Voicemail as easy as email, with transcripts

• Voicemail transcripts -- Read what your voicemail says
• Listen to voicemail -- Check online or from your phone
• Notifications -- Receive voicemails via email or SMS
• Personalize greeting -- Vary greetings by caller
• Share voicemail -- Forward or download voicemails

Voice features -- More cool things you can do with Google Voice

• Conference calling -- Join people into a single call
• Call record -- Record calls and store them online
• Call switch -- Switch phones during a call
• Mobile site -- View your inbox from your mobile
• GOOG-411 -- Check directory assistance
• Manage groups -- Set preferences by group

The features that stand out the most to me are the voicemail transcription and the central phone hub features. I have been using a free service called Youmail which provides similar functionality to what Google plans on offering (limited voicemail transcription, online voicemail management, custom greetings), but that service is clearly more limited.

This new service from Google seems quite exciting but may be a bit scary for the privacy concerned.

For more information, as well as a great review, check out Gina Trapani's post at her new blog, Smarterware.org.

How to Avoid Being Penalized By Consistent Google Panda Updates

Google Panda is an algorithm that is used by the popular search engine to find websites and pages in poor quality. A site that is of poor quality may end up being “panda slapped” and will be removed from the Google search engine or severely penalized.

This is an algorithm that has recently been updated to easily find pages that are not of good quality. However, you can avoid penalties if you use the right standards with Google Panda.

Make unique content:

You should create more original items on your website. Google Panda will penalize sites that do not have any unique contents on them. You should make sure that everything on your site is original and does not feature any copies of things that you might have placed on other sites.

Do not duplicate your content:

Duplicate content is content that will be the same on multiple pages on your site. It will cause your site to appear repetitive and unoriginal. You should make sure that you are using more unique content if you want to keep your site looking as unique as possible.

Keep your ads working?

You should monitor exactly who is sponsoring your site with regards to what contents they have to offer. Ads that do not relate to what people are searching for when getting on your site can appear in some cases. They can keep your site from being as useful as possible.

Make your site understandable:

You should also see that you are making it obvious as to what every page on your site is about. Google Panda tends to view vague or unclear pages in a negative manner. It will end up creating penalties on sites that are not clear in quality or content. You should make sure that you avoid vague pages when you are getting a site ready.

Focus on keeping it easy:

A website should be very easy to move around. A user should not have any problems with going from one section of a site to another. Google Panda will look through all of these problems and will penalize sites that are not easy to move around. You should make sure that you keep your site clear and easy to handle if you want to avoid being penalized.

Consistent updates are key:

The last thing to do is to keep your site updated when you can. A blog on your site can help you out. Keeping your blog updated with relevant updates and details on your site can help you out with getting your site to be a relevant and well updated one.

These are good tips to use if you want to keep your site from being harmed by Google Panda. It will help to keep from dealing with problems that relate to Google Panda by keeping your site relevant and keeping all of its content under control. Doing the right things can help you to keep your site from being seen as an irrelevant one that may be hit by Google Panda.

Author Bio: Maher is a blogger and avid social media user. He works for smsfi from where you can send free sms.

Google Updates Algorithm, Ranks Content Farms Lower

     When you search for something in Google, it's not so simple as to how the order of the results is determined. Google has an algorithm which decides the order of the results. Google gives some tips to site owners, stating what will make your site rank higher in the order. Although this does not tell exactly how the algorithm works, it allows owners of sites which a user might not want to appear in the search results to game the algorithm, and make their sites rank higher than some higher quality sites.

     Recently, people have been claiming that the Google search results have been getting worse, and putting low quality sights above high quality ones. Google responded to that by changing their algorithm to rank low quality, unwanted sites, lower than high quality sites. Since Google is supplying many of the ads on the sites that are now ranked lower with this new algorithm, and is therefore making a lot money of off them, i.t may seem like a bad business move to change the algorithm

     Some sites obviously should be ranked lower than others. For example, there are websites than completely copy popular blogs like Engadget, but put ads on the side which they get the money for. I personally had this experience with one of my blog posts being copied onto another blog. Websites like this are called content farms.

     With other sites, it's not so clear where they should go in the search results. Some websites are completely legit, but many users would not deem them useful, and therefore do not want them in their search results. Such sites include eHow. 

     eHow is a website with many how-to questions and answers. People in the technology business do not seem to like eHow, and think that the content there is not useful. I personally have used eHow and like it. Some of the content may seem simple, but a lot of it is useful information. 

     Before this algorithm change, a search for any how-to question would usually bring an eHow article at the top. Now a search brings in eHow and sites like it after more legit looking sites. Interestingly, the eHow website has a link to a survey.

     The eHow survey asked quite a few questions, all of them having to do with whether or not eHow is useful. This seems interesting, and with the recent algorithm change, I wouldn't be surprised if eHow takes the survey results to Google, saying that the results show that internet users believe that eHow is useful, and that it should rank higher in the search results.

     The obvious response of Google should be that the users surveyed were eHow users, meaning that the general internet does not necessarily think of eHow as useful, and still doesn't wan't it clogging up the search results. 

     

     

     

CrunchBase Information

Google

eHow

Information provided by CrunchBase

Special Stickers Will Bring Google Wallet To Android Phones That Lack NFC

We’re here at Google’s NFC payments announcement, where the search giant has announced a new, important product called Google Wallet (see our comprehensive post on the announcement here). Google Wallet will be launching this summer — it’s currently in field testing — allowing users to tap their phones against NFC-enabled terminals to pay for goods, redeem offers, and use their loyalty cards in a single tap.

Of course, the vast majority of phones out there do not support NFC (the Nexus S is currently the only Android phone on the market that has the technology). Google and its partners reiterated that NFC will be surging in popularity over the next couple of years, and for the time being this is really a first step. But Google also has a plan to enable older devices to use a more limited version of the app: stickers that you can put on the back of your phone.

Google’s Osama Bedier was intentionally vague about the details, but here’s what the plan seems to be: users will be able to obtain special NFC stickers with a single credit card associated with them (such stickers already exist, but these stickers will apparently be able to communicate with the Google Wallet app). It sounds like transactions made using the sticker will be relayed to the Wallet application on your Android device via the cloud. Bedier added that the experience would be limited compared to what you’d get on NFC-enabled phones, but it still sounds pretty nifty.

It’s possible this functionality will be extended to other platforms as well, as Google says it’s willing to partner with everyone to help broaden support for Google Wallet.

And, even if you don’t have the sticker, you’ll still be able to use the Wallet app to keep track of your offers, which you’ll be able to show to cashiers at participating retailers (SCVNGR and Groupon do similar things with their mobile apps).

Source :  techcrunch

Android 4.0: what you need to know

We've had Android 2.3 Gingerbread. We've had Android 3.0 Honeycomb. Next up: Ice Cream Sandwich, the next version of Google's Android operating system.

Although it's possible that Ice Cream Sandwich will be given a lower version number, such as Android 2.4, we think the scale of the upgrade makes it more than a mere point release - so our money's on Android 4.0.

No matter what number Google gives it, the next version of Android brings new features, new hardware and new ways to play with your Android kit.

Here's what you need to know.

Android 4.0 release date

Google says the Android 4.0 release date will be around Thanksgiving in the US, which means it should ship just in time for the all-important Christmas shopping binge this year.

Android 4.0 phones

Specs for what could be the Google Nexus 3 have surfaced courtesy of BGR, revealing a handset with a dual-core 1.2GHz or 1.5GHz OMAP 4460 or Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, a 720p HD display, along with 1080p HD video capture through the 5MP rear-mounted camera.

Huawei is also claiming that its forthcoming handset the Glory, while shipping with Android 2.2, will be upgradeable to Ice Cream Sandwich when the OS becomes available, according to PCMag.com. It's not yet known whether the Glory is headed to the UK, and if it does it's likely to be carrier-branded rather than come sporting the Huawei badge.

The Android 4.0 OS will be a unified OS

Say goodbye to Gingerbread for phones and Honeycomb for tablets. Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich will be a single OS for both kinds of devices, with the user interface adapting to suit whichever form factor you throw at it.
A unified codebase means developers will only need to code their apps once for them to work on Android 4.0 phones and Android 4.0 tablets, and Google will offer a whole bunch of new APIs that developers can use to code apps for every kind of Android 4.0 device.

The Android 4.0 interface will look a lot like Honeycomb

Not a huge surprise, this one: the rather whizzy new interface from Honeycomb will be making its way to Android 4.0 - although as with previous incarnations, device manufacturers and/or network operators can create their own customised UIs too. The Android 4.0 UI will enable you to adjust the size of home screen widgets to better suit your particular preferences.

Android 4.0 specs include USB hosting

The Android Open Accessory programme brings third-party devices into the Android fold, potentially enabling you to connect anything from an Xbox controller or USB mouse for Android games to a heart monitor for fitness apps. Accessories will initially connect via USB, with Bluetooth coming along shortly afterwards.

Android 4.0 features include goodies for phone users

Android 4.0 phone users will get an expanded multitasking tool and a system manager that ensures you don't run out of memory.

Android 4.0 software will track your face

Your Android 4.0 phone or tablet's camera will be doing some potentially nifty facial recognition, tracking the movement of your head and adjusting the on-screen image accordingly to create a pseudo-3D effect.

Google has also demoed videoconferencing that uses the feature to focus the camera on the person you want to look at, which is fine unless you're staring at someone good-looking while talking to somebody who's been hit with the ugly stick.

The Android 4.0 system requirements could be hefty

Leaked details suggest that the Google Nexus 3, Google's reference handset, will have a 1.2 or 1.5GHz processor (although some of the more excited rumours predict a quad-core Kal-El processor), 1GB of RAM, a "monster-sized" display, 1080p video capture and an ultra-thin body. US customers get 4G mobile internet too.

Android 4.0 hardware will be relatively future-proof

Google has persuaded its manufacturing partners to agree that when they make new kit, it'll support the latest Android updates for at least eighteen months, and firms such as Samsung promise that they'll be dishing out upgrades much more quickly than before. The aim is to prevent embarrassing "where's my upgrade?" howls from existing and future Android customers.

Source : techradar

Internet Smackdown: Google v. Facebook

Fascinating article about the battle between Google and Facebook for Web domination from Fred Vogelstein, in Wired. Vogelstein writes:

"Today, the Google-Facebook rivalry isn't just going strong, it has evolved into a full-blown battle over the future of the Internet — its structure, design, and utility. For the last decade or so, the Web has been defined by Google's algorithms — rigorous and efficient equations that parse practically every byte of online activity to build a dispassionate atlas of the online world. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg envisions a more personalized, humanized Web, where our network of friends, colleagues, peers, and family is our primary source of information, just as it is offline. In Zuckerberg's vision, users will query this "social graph" to find a doctor, the best camera, or someone to hire — rather than tapping the cold mathematics of a Google search. It is a complete rethinking of how we navigate the online world, one that places Facebook right at the center. In other words, right where Google is now."

Google is my search engine of choice. I also use Reader, Docs, and other services. From my limited use of Facebook, I cannot imagine it replacing Google for me anytime soon.

Read the full story, Great Wall of Facebook: The Social Network Network's Plan to Dominate the INternet -- And Keep Google Out.

Gmail gets New Look, How you can get it Too

It seems that Gmail, Google's free email service, is taking on the new look that Google.com got recently. It seems that this new red/grey look that Google.com, Google Maps, Google Calendar, and now Gmail, are all getting, is in celebration of Google's newly announced social network, Google+ (Google Plus).

Although Google+ is in an invite only stage, it is not a secretive project, and so we do know that Plus was the first service to receive the new Google look, so we can assume that Plus was the origin of the new theme.

So know that you know why Gmail looks different, you probably are wondering why it doesn't look different. Any change can scare users, so, at least for now, the new Gmail theme is a choice. In my opinion, a good choice, which is why I'm going to give you the simple steps to make this choice.

1. Log on to your Gmail account at mail.google.com. 
2. Look in the top right corner of the screen, where you will see a gear logo. Click on that.
3. A few options will come down. Click on Mail settings. 
4. A settings page with many tabs will appear, close to the right of the page, you will see Themes. Click on that.
5. The bottom row of themes will have Preview and Preview (Dense) in them. Dense is more compact, but both of them will give you the new look. Choose one, and click.
6. Viola! You are now seeing the Gmail's new look. Enjoy!

(To undo, follow these same steps, but instead of clicking on Preview or Preview (Dense), choose another theme.)

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Android announces Online App Store and More at Today's Event

Android - A mobile operating system run by Google

Honeycomb - The codename for the latest version of Android

Tablet - A touchscreen mobile computer that is usually one piece of hardware

Widget - A small application that runs open in a small area of the screen

     Earlier today, Google hosted an Android event officially showing off Honeycomb, and their online android market. They started off with Honeycomb news, and then went on to announce an online Android Market. Google Android's chief Andy Rubin introduced Hugo Barra, Android head of mobile products, to explain android 3.0, also known as Honeycomb.

Tablet With Honeycomb

     Honeycomb was shown only on a tablet device, so we are yet to know much about how it would work on a phone. Honeycomb completely redesigns the Android interface. 

     The status bar, which tells the time, battery life, connection info, and notifications, has been completely removed from the top of the screen, and replaced by a small black bar at the bottom of the screen. This bar slightly resembles the Windows taskbar. The bar tells a user the time, battery information, notifications, and connectivity info. It also includes a back button, a home button, and a multitasking button. 

     When the multitasking button is tapped, a sidebar appears on the left side of the screen, showing you a visual list with all of the currently running apps. When one of the apps is tapped, it seamlessly opens up into full screen.

Tablet with Andoid 2.2

     Honeycomb also focuses a lot more on not having all your apps in a grid, as seen on the Apple iPhone, previous builds of Android, and many other mobile operating systems. In Honeycomb, a user will put a few important widgets on the homescreen, as well as icons for the few most used apps. The rest of the apps will be accessible through a small button near the upper right corner of the screen. Users also have multiple home screens which they can swipe through, each showing different widgets and app icons.

     Honeycomb also comes with a redesigned notification system. When a notification pops up, it won't be intrusive, it will lay at the bottom right corner of the screen, but will still show some information about the notification.

     Google also included the application bar in Honeycomb. The application bar is a small bar at the top of an application that includes commands for that program. Windows has know this for a long time, as many applications have small bars with commands such as file menu, edit, and more. Android's application bar's commands can also change based on what is happening right now in the app. For example, in an email app, you might get compose message, and some other commands. When you have a message selected, on the other hand, you might see, delete, mark as spam, and more.

      Google also focused on it's powerful graphics and animation capabilities. The demos Google showed were impressive, but something apple devices could do for a long time.

      Google spent half the time talking about Honeycomb, and the other half talking about it's new online app store, known as Android Marketplace. 

      For a long time, one must be connected on his Android Device to download apps from the Marketplace. At today's event, Google announced it's Online App Store. Like Apple's online store, the online app store will allow you to download apps away from your computer, rather than have to buy them through the phone. The app store looks nice, and kind of resembles the app store for Google Chrome.

Android Market Online

     Unfortunately, you cannot download the app on your PC, rather you can only discover them. 

     The app store integrates sharing, and allows you to share an app on Twitter, but is lacking any Facebook integration.

     Overall, Honeycomb looks great, and the online Android store has been widely waited for, and is much more convenient. I'd like to see the ability to download to the PC and then syncing, and some more social integration, including Facebook. 

Watch the announcement here.

Chrome OS: One Year Later

I never really imagined this day coming. But it's here. It's one year after Gadgetator's first post ever. So much has happened since them, and a big thanks goes out to Leo Laporte, host of the nationally syndicated Tech Guy radio show, on which Gadgetator got it's big boost. But enough about my blog. Let's get right to what this post's really about.

One year ago, on this day, I posted an article talking about Google's announcement of the Cr48, one of the major advancements in Google's Chrome OS operating system. If you are unfamiliar with what Chrome OS is, read the article here. In that article, I promised I would post a follow up after playing a bit with Chrome OS. I never did. Until now.

A lot has happened with Chrome OS in the past year. For example, a Chrome OS screenshot one year ago (see figure 1), as apposed to a Chrome OS screenshot today (see figure 2). After actually using a device running solely Chrome OS for close to half-a-year, I have developed a new opinion, and I'm here to share that. I guess this article is an overview of Chrome OS: one year later.

Figure 1

In a short recap of what was said in Gadgetator's first ever article, Chrome OS is basically a computer that only has a web browser. When you first open it up, you get your homepage, opening a new tab brings you to a page that basically contains a grid of glorified bookmarks. To a bunch of web pages. This all sounds great and all, but there's one major disadvantage. You lose all of your native applications. No more Photoshop, Microsoft Word, or iTunes. Everything you do has to be done online. Some might say that's impossible. That this'll never work. On first sight, one year ago, that's what I said. I quote myself saying, "There are great web apps out there, but I believe that for this to be a success, there need to be more great web apps. And until we get some of the most widely used native applications online, Chrome OS will be for the very light computer user."

Figure 2

After using Chrome OS almost exclusively for half-a-year, it's apparent I've changed my mind. You see, I was kind of pushed into using Chrome OS. Google offered its Cr48 to a limited number of beta testers to get feedback for the final product. I was one of those lucky recipients. 


Not wanting to just toss aside something  I received for free, plus taking into account what Google actually intended for me to do with the device, I decided to give it a fair try. I never really went back.


I was already stuck in the Google Universe. I used Gmail, Google Docs, Google Reader, and many other online alternatives to native desktop apps. As soon as I switched to Chrome OS, I found it surprisingly easy to find great online alternatives to any desktop apps that I need. Because I have a "real" computer, I could even print directly from Chrome OS using Cloud Print. Of course, I gave up some conveniences, but I believe that was a fair price to pay for the simplicity I now gained. No complex files, programs messing up your system, virus issues, or any other junk that comes along with a Windows or Mac computer. I couldn't have used this as my only computer, I still use iTunes regularly, but it definitely works a great, simple replacement.

The Samsung Chromebook

Google now licences Chrome OS to manufacturers, who created their own 'Chromebooks'. Currently, both Samsung and Acer have a few models, which run from about $300-$450. At that price, it might be smarter to get a low-end Windows machine, but if you're willing to pay that price for simplicity's sake, it may be worth it. I think that, at this point, Chrome OS and the Chromebooks are great for either simple-computer users who don't want to be confused by the complexities of a "real" operating system, or to be used as a companion to a "real" computer, as Chrome OS has a clean interface, amazing boot time, and easy access to the web.  


Have you played with Chrome OS or the Cr48? Did you take the plunge and buy a Chromebook? What are your experiences with Google's Chrome OS? Like it? Drop a comment below with your experiences.

Microsoft inks Android patent deals with Acer, ViewSonic

Microsoft on Thursday announced a pair of patent licensing agreements with Acer and ViewSonic, granting the companies broad coverage of smartphones and tablets running Google's Android mobile operating system.

According a press release issued by the Redmond, Wash.-based company, ViewSonic will pay royalties under the agreement, which also covers the Chrome platform, as noted by the Seattle Times. Microsoft's statement regarding the Acer deal doesn't specify whether royalties are involved in its patent license agreement.

It has been reported that the Windows maker currently makes more money off of patent licensing to Android vendors than it does off its own Windows Phone 7 platform. HTC reportedly pays as much as $5 per Android device sold to Microsoft.

In July, Microsoft announced that it had reached four new Android patent deals. Wistron Corp, Velocity Micro, General Dynamics and Onkyo Corp have all signed agreements with the company.

For its part, Acer has said it will face any patent infringement challenges that come with the Android platform. Chairman JT Wang has accused Apple of starting a "patent war" with HTC over Android.

Last month, Microsoft and Google executives exchanged tense words over the current patent situation. The spat began when Google's chief legal officer complained that Microsoft, Apple and others have conspired against the company by banding together to buy up patents from Novell and Nortel. Microsoft fired back by asserting that Google had declined an invitation to join the Novell consortium.

"Google says we bought Novell patents to keep them from Google. Really? We asked them to bid jointly with us. They said no," Microsoft General Counsel Brad Smith said on Twitter.

Google CEO Larry Page said in August that it had purchased Motorola to "protect Android from anti-competitive threats from Microsoft, Apple and other companies." The company announced the deal to acquire Motorola, which has more than 17,000 patents, for $12.5 billion last month.

Meanwhile, Apple's legal battles against Android vendors such as Samsung and HTC continue. Earlier this week, HTC sued Apple again with patents it had obtained from Google. Apple has been successful in obtaining a number of injunctions against rival Samsung's Galaxy line of tablets and smartphones.

Source: appleinsider