Positive and Negative Aspects of Google Now Launcher

Google now launcher is one of the best android launchers ever built. Google's materialistic design pretends you that you are using Android 5.0 Lollipop even you are using the older version of android. It's out for the Android Versions Kitkat and Jellybean. To be accurate 4.1 and above. Even the best has its positive and negative aspects. 

Positive

• Material design. This is the best option for people who prefer plain and clean UI for their phones since it is not too complicated and confusing. Some launchers that are pre loaded with the phone such as Blinkfeed launcher for HTC are too complicated to use and people users will be bored of the look over the period of time, but everybody loves the clean and neat UI
• Animation. Now you can see the where a response is coming from when you touch something. App drawer pops up from home button on your screen. In the original build of Android L we can see much more animations and touch feedbacks. It does not change the look of notification bar or some of the apps that comes pre installed with the phone. 
• Google Now. You just swipe right or just say "Okay Google Now" from any screen or even when your phone is locked to access your google now. It can perform all sort of tasks which is integrated with google cards. It can search your phone for content like Apps, Chrome Bookmarks and History, All your contact datas, Play books, Play Movies TV, Play Music and it can also look for content in 3rd party apps.

• 

Negative 

• One one only negative aspect is Lack of customization. 
• No1. You cannot disable google now in your homescreen. HTC users may likes have google now launcher with their native news feed app Blinkfeed. That is not possible.
• You cannot hide apps in the app drawer. You may want to hide certain apps from app drawer due to some privacy issues, but it is not possible. 

• 

• It will not allow you to use some of the widgets that comes pre installed in your phone. I am a HTC user. It is convenient for me to have a people widget when I swipe my screen right. Google Now Launcher hides the people widget that comes pre installed and it shows the direct dial widget. 

Google Glass in NYPD to help identify and apprehend suspects

Could Google Glass be employed by law enforcement agencies to help identify and apprehend suspects?Officials Of NYPD says that the force is testing Glass to see how it could aid officers in the field.

Google Glass is a wearable computing device that allows a user to search for information, take pictures and even record video with a built-in camera. Glass also offers a heads-up display -- what looks like a small screen in a viewer's vision is actually being projected onto the eye with a small prism.

The search giant said the company wasn’t working with law enforcement agencies on the project. That likely means the NYPD must have participated in the Google Glass Explorer program in which an interested party is required to first fill out an application for the spectacles.  If approved, the buyer must then shell out $1,500 for the opportunity to participate in the program.

“We signed up, got a few pairs of the Google glasses, and we’re trying them out, seeing if they have any value in investigations, mostly for patrol purposes,” the NYPD official told the site. “We’re looking at them, you know, seeing how they work.”

Police in San Francisco are already using Samsung Galaxy S 4 smartphones in a similar manner. Officers can tap into the force’s database to pull up information about a suspect including a rap sheet and even mug shots. They can also perform warrant checks from the handset. Such data and tasks could just as easily be displayed in Google Glass, one would imagine.

Google has once again proven itself to be a true corporate leader for equality, with a Doodle

On the eve of the XXII Winter Olympics opening ceremony, Google is taking a stand for athletes, gay, straight, or otherwise, with a new doodle on the Internet search engine's website. The logo is a harsh critique of the Russian government, which is currently hosting the 2014 winter Olympics in Sochi.

The page now shows a winter sports competitor above each of the six letters in the U.S. Internet giant's name, set against backgrounds in the six colors on the gay pride flag - red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple.

The international outcry over the law, signed by Putin last year, threatens to undermine his hopes of using the Games to portray Russia as a modern state that has come a long way since the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.

The Human Rights Campaign, an LGBT rights organization, praised Google for what it called a move to show solidarity with LGBT Russians and visiting athletes.

A piece of the Olympic Charter is quoted beneath illustrations of several Winter Olympic sports:

"The practice of sport is a human right. Every individual must have the possibility of practicing sport, without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play."

"Google has once again proven itself to be a true corporate leader for equality," HRC President Chad Griffin said.

Five things you need to know about the doodle

1. Google is One of Many Websites Taking a Stand Against Russia

2. The Olympic Charter was Written in 2013

3. LGBT People in Russia are Violently Repressed

4. The United Nations Secretary-General Issued a Statement

Many professional athletes, gay and straight, are speaking out against prejudice. We must all raise our voices against attacks on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex people. We must oppose the arrests, imprisonments and discriminatory restrictions they face.

The United Nations stands strongly behind our own 'free and equal' campaign, and I look forward to working with the IOC, governments and other partners around the world to build societies of equality and tolerance. Hatred of any kind must have no place in the 21st century.

5. President Obama Would Not Go to the Olympics

Google X Lab and Project Loon, May be The Next Paradigm Shift

I know it's a long article, but It's worth reading and sharing.

Google is a huge company with many creative ideas and hell a lot of money. They are executing their ideas one by one. Today in Internet you cannot live without a google account. Most of the products from Google are big success and obviously they are the game changers. Who push the human race forward. 

In this article I'm going to tell you about a big move of google which may be a next paradigm shift. Have you ever heard of Google X. It is a secret laboratory where the scientists a working like a mad people to bring science-fiction into reality. It is a semi secret facility located about a half a mile from Google's headquarters which is overseen by Sergey Brin. according to Wikipedia. 

Why is it secret? Google X is working on lot of project which is not existing right now. They are playing with fantasies. So the investors don't want their money to be spent in something which they consider not possible. They just want profit. The projects from Google X lab may become a very big success or it may suck . It is very simple to say that, investors will not see the bigger picture.

Google Glass is one of the project from the Google X lab which is currently in the hands of only some people called google glass explorers and developers. I don't want to go too much into the topic Google Glass. Let's go straight into our topic. 

One of the major research in the X Lab is Project Loon. So what is this project loon? In this world widely accepted global community is internet, but two-third of world's population doesn't have internet access. Project loon is a network of balloon travelling on the edge if the space, designed to connect people in rural and remote areas, helps fill coverage gaps, and bring people back online after disasters. According to the Project loon website. It may sound science fictional as I already said, but these people see the bigger picture.

How does it connects the people?. These balloons float in the stratosphere which is twice as high as airplanes and weather. They are carried around the earth by wind and they can be steered by rising or descending to an altitude with winds moving in desired direction. People connect to the balloon network using a special internet antenna attached to their building. As the balloon communicates with each other the entire globe can connect to the internet. Each balloon can provide connectivity to earth about 40 km in diameter at the speed comparable to 3G. 

Each of the balloons are powered with solar panels what is capable of producing 100 watts more than enough to run while saving the power for night use

. 

How does it moves? These balloons travel around 20 km above the earth's surface. Wind in these area is generally steady and slow moving. That is between 5 and 20 mph. Each layer of wind varies in direction. Software algorithms in balloons determine where the it needs to go. By moving with the wing the balloons can be arranged to form one large communication network. 

The project loon pilot text began in June 2013 on the 40 the parallel south. Thirty balloons launched from New Zealand's South Island, be beamed internet to a small group of pilot testers. 

So, that's it. Good work. Lab X 

Google Launched a series of Mini Games For Google Glass

Now just imagine someone standing in the and talking to himself "Pull.. Shoot" with a weird glasses on. Yes. Google have launched a series of mini games for google glass like clay shooter, balance and stuff like that. Technically it is a very good fun time for google glass user, but people around him will feel little uncomfortable.

Google have uploaded a video on YouTube that reveals how we will be able to play video games with Google Glass. It also wants developers to build more games for google glass.

The mini-games take advantage of Google Glass' voice recognition software and sensors, so you can fire weapons with your voice, slice with your hands or tilt your head back to maintain balance.Glass Explorers can access their Glass dashboards via the web or the MyGlass app to try the mini-games, and can activate them with a simple click.

Some of the games are Clay Shooter, Balance, Tennis, Matcher, Shape Splitter 

Introducing the Titanium Collection, 4 new frames for Google Glass

Remember when Google said its wearable would work perfectly fine with prescription glasses?
It is delivered. offering a $225 upgrade option for current Google Glass Explorers. There's four styles to choose from -- Curve, Thin, Split, Bold -- making the selection sound more like font categories than frame categories. Google Glass then attaches to the frame through several screws.

"We're going to reach some day, hopefully it will be soon, where people will wonder 'why would I want traditional glasses? They don't do X, Y or Z,' " said Google Glass Product Director Steve Lee.

"I think you need to give the technology a chance to breathe and evolve," said Google Glass spokesperson Chris Dale.

 Early adopters will be able to shop around for frames starting this afternoon and VSP, the largest optical health insurance provider in the US, is working with Google to offer subsidized frames and lenses for those who qualify.

The new frames were designed in-house by Google employees on the Glass team, despite earlier rumors of a possible partnership with hip eyewear retailer Warby Parker. Going forward, the company does hope to work with third-party eyewear companies so partners can create their own Google Glass compatible products.

Introducing the Titanium Collection, 4 new frames for #googleglass… and 2 new shades as well http://t.co/eeywwu7EvR pic.twitter.com/b2ZR7czA02
— Google Glass (@googleglass) January 28, 2014

First Google Glass App for Sex Sees Everything

It was bound to happen: A developer claims that he built the first Google Glass app designed for sex. No, not porn — sex. Sex With Glass is designed to let partners share their point of view with each other to “experience sex like never before.”

The idea is that both parties will don Glass for the encounter, and the app will send a live video stream to the other person’s display upon the command, “OK, Glass, it’s time,” letting them see what they see in real time. You stop the stream with the words, “OK, Glass, pull out,” according to the app’s website.

The site claims the app will also be able to dim room lights and play mood music, presumably with home automation, as well as suggest new sexual positions with the words, “OK, Glass, give me ideas.”

The developer is also working on an accompanying iPhone app called Glance, which will let users switch the point of view to the iPhone’s camera to see the “whole picture.” After the encounter, Sex With Glass will automatically create a video from the footage on all three devices that users can view later. Not that much later, though — it self-destructs after 5 hours, Snapchat-style.

Sex With Glass appears destined for a niche audience within a niche audience: Google Glass isn’t even for sale to the public yet, and for those with access, the price tag is $1,500 a pop. This app presumes a couple has two of the device. But even if you disregard the issues of price and availability when Glass is commercially released (likely later this year), the idea of both parties wearing an awkward connected headset while having sex will probably have limited appeal.

Add to that concerns about privacy. By its nature, Google Glass reduces the amount of friction between capturing and sharing; it’s incredibly easy to accidentally send a photo or video via Glass to any of your networks. And although the app isn’t available yet (meaning there isn’t a way to assess its safeguards), it’s already clear that Google Glass is hackable. Sex With Glass would represent the ultimate target for creepy hackers with a peep show fetish.

Still, those concerns may be premature, as Google hasn’t had the opportunity to weigh in. It’s possible Sex With Glass may suffer the same fate as Tits & Glass, the so-called first Google Glass porn app, which was banned shortly after its release. In its aftermath, Google updated its content policy for Glass, which now includes the provision, “We don’t allow Glassware content that contains nudity, graphic sex acts, or sexually explicit material.”

While that might seemingly lock a virtual chastity belt on Sex With Glass, the developer is optimistic.

“We’ve designed the app to be beautiful, minimalist and seamless,” Sherif Maktabi, one of the three designers involved in the project, said in an email. “None of that is sexually explicit or pornographic. The iPhone app will not have the words ‘sex’ or ‘Google.’”

The team behind Sex With Glass has already shown a willingness to adapt. Maktabi says they removed a sentence from the website that read, “That’s for all the ladies out there,” in reference to the five-hour time limit on the video — presumably assuage women’s fears about revenge porn. He also said this critical commentary from The Verge had a point, and that the team might implement A/B sites so that the “he” and “she” perspectives will alternate.

Representatives forGoogle had no comment about the forthcoming app.

Shared by Mashable

Google Could Release Its Nexus 5 Smartphone in Two New Colours [MWC] 2014

Google could release its Nexus 5 smartphone in two new colours in the coming months and may be set to unveil it at the Mobile World Congress [MWC] 2014.

A leaked photo shows the back of a Nexus 5 phone in red with the same source claiming that Google will also release a yellow version of the popular smartphone with a date set for either late February or early March. If Google is about to release coloured versions of the Nexus 5, it’s fairly likely it will use MWC 2014 in Barcelona to do so. 

The Nexus 5 has a 4.95in full HD display that is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor clocked at 2.26GHz with 2GB of RAM and onboard storage of 16GB or 32GB

Google opens first data centres in Asia

Its new data centre in Taiwan has a 'robot' theme. The move comes as a growing number of people in Asia - which is home to more than half of the world's population - are getting connected to the internet.

Google said that having data centres in Asia will help it to provide faster and "more reliable" access to its tools and services to users in the region.

The two new centres are based in Taiwan and Singapore. 

"The growth in Asia's Internet has been amazing," Joe Kava, vice president of data centres at Google.

See also: Coolest Google Tricks

Changhua County, Taiwan Located about three hours down the coast from Taipei, our new data center in Changhua County sits on 15 hectares of land in the shadow of some of the 100 meter wind turbines that dot the coastal industrial park. The larger of our two new Asian data centers, our long-term (and expanded) investment will reach USD 600 million.

Building in Taiwan

Singapore

Singapore’s small size inspired us to try something a little different. Instead of spreading the data center out, we built it up, creating our first urban, multi-story data center. Our neighbors include a local primary school and several HDBs (for non-Singaporeans, HDBs are publicly run housing, which around 85% of Singaporean’s call home).

Singapore

"Users like speed, faster is better than slow on the web, if you think about it, you're only a click away from another service so bringing services to users in a speedy fashion and a reliable fashion is really critically important," said Julian Persaud, Managing Director, Google Southeast Asia.

"And if you look at Southeast Asia in particular, it's one of the fastest growing regions in the world for users coming online so it's important that we keep up with users and think ahead and make sure we can deliver those services quickly," he added.

Google Play Newsstand seeks to mobilize news

News has taken another step toward a mobile-friendly future, as Google released its Google Play Newsstand app Wednesday.

The new media app offers a simple, smart way to keep up with the publications each reader gravitates toward, and has already replaced the Android magazine app (and soon will replace the iOS app Currents). But are news outlets interested in moving their apps to a Google-oriented platform?

The Newsstand app (not to be confused with Apple's Newsstand app) is a simply-designed, grid-like app that focuses on learning what the reader is interested in as he or she continues to consume news. Consumers can download their favorite news apps to the Newsstand, and the app will aggregate the latest news from each of those to a “Read Now” section. The more readers use the Newsstands app for their news, the more it recognizes reading patterns and individually tailors those top headlines. Readers can also subscribe to tags, offering more specialized content distribution.

The move comes after several generations of attempts by news outlets and tech companies to capture the growing mobile news audience. First, news outlets were designing their own apps, relying on the loyalty of readers to open their app when they wanted the news via smart phone. Then, tech companies started creating platforms that would host news apps, like Flipboard and Newsstand for Apple. 

The problem with Flipboard is that it couldn’t aggregate content from subscription-based news outlets. Apple's Newsstand frustrated some outlets because it hid their apps behind the Apple designed app, creating an extra step for readers.

Google Play Newsstand takes care of the first problem by aggregating content even from behind pay walls, but may still face challenges with the second.

Google Newsstand has allowed its news partners to experiment with the platform in order to add extra multimedia content that really shines on Android tablets and smart phones. According to a Verge article, the New Yorker has added an audio component where authors read their articles and poems, and magazines can create layered products that keep the familiarity of the print publication. But these take some navigation to get to, which could deter readers or at least mean they overlook some deeper digital innovations.

This tech company-structured model has already backfired on Apple’s Newsstand. Developer Marko Karpinen, of digital publishing company Maggio, wrote a blog post earlier this year saying his company would no longer recommend developing magazine apps for iOS 7 as it pushed the focus away from the publication and more toward the Newsstand platform itself.

Right now the Google Play Newsstand replaces the current magazine app on Android, and once Google develops an iOS version, it will replace its Currents iOS news app. For now, Android users can experiment with yet another way to consume news in the digital age. Whether it sticks in the always-fluctuating media landscape is a story for another day.

Originally Posted on Csmonitor