Facebook to use drones, satellites to provide Internet everywhere

Facebook wants to connect remote areas of the world to the Internet with drones, lasers and satellites.

Facebook Inc is harnessing drone, satellite and other technology in an effort to spread Internet to under-developed regions. The social networking giant stated that it has hired aerospace and communications experts from NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab and its Ames Research Center for its new "Connectivity Lab" project.

Facebook had started Internet.org in partnership with some other companies, last year to spread the internet. The company is working experimenting with drones that are capable of beaming internet from the sky. The organization aims to bring down the cost of internet connectivity.

"In our effort to connect the whole world with Internet.org, we've been working on ways to beam internet to people from the sky," Zuckerberg wrote on Facebook.

"Our team has many of the world's leading experts in aerospace and communications technology, including from NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab and Ames Research Center. Today we are also bringing on key members of the team from Ascenta, a small UK-based company whose founders created early versions of Zephyr, which became the world's longest flying solar-powered unmanned aircraft. They will join our team working on connectivity aircraft."

The announcement comes a day after Facebook announced the acquisition of Oculus Rift, a company that specializes in virtual reality products for $ 2 Billion. Mark Zuckerberg, stated that it plans to use Oculus' technologies to expand in "communications, media and entertainment, education and other areas".

Last year Google announced plans to use solar-powered balloons to deliver Internet access to remote regions of the globe. Google's Project Loon, supported Internet-beaming antennas on top of giant helium balloons placed in the stratosphere, that can create a wireless network with 3G like speeds.

Google sharpens Gmail app for iOS

The latest version of the Gmail app for iOS cuts down on inbox refresh delays and simplifies the log-in process for users with multiple Google mobile apps, the company said Wednesday.
The Gmail app now takes full advantage of the iOS “background refresh” capability, so messages will be pre-fetched and synched even when it isn’t open.
“They’re right there when you open the app—no more annoying pauses while you wait for your inbox to refresh,” wrote Google software engineer Melissa Dominguez in a blog post Wednesday.
For this new capability to work, users need to activate background app refresh and notifications, and their iPads and iPhones must be running iOS 7.
This new version of the app also incorporates single sign-on and sign-out across other Google iOS apps, including Maps, Drive, YouTube and Chrome.
"So you won’t have to type in that 27-character password or retrieve your 2-step verification code every time you navigate to another Google app,” she wrote.
The Gmail app for iOS, first launched in late 2011, has been reviewed almost 78,000 times on the App Store and has an average rating of 4 out of 5 possible stars.

Google will show restaurant menu, prices in search

Google says it is working to show menu of a restaurant, complete with the prices, on the first page of the Google search when a web user looks for information on a restaurant. The company believes it will help web users make a more informed decision before they reserve a table for dinner or lunch.

"Next time you're planning a brunch or a date night, check to make sure the menu has something to satisfy everyone in your group, without having to browse through several restaurants' websites. Just search Google to show you the menu for the eatery you're considering and you can see it right on the top of your search page — complete with tabs for different parts of the menu (like appetizers, brunch or dinner) and, often, prices — before you make your reservation," the company noted in a post made on Google+.

Google exec: Android adoption most successful in history

Google Invests $50 Million in Property Broker Auction.com

Google Inc. (GOOG)’s new investment arm is buying a minority stake in Auction.com LLC, the largest U.S. online real estate auction firm, for $50 million. 

Google launches indoor maps in India

Google on Wednesday announced the availability of indoor maps in India. The company said that users of Google Maps on Android, iOS and personal computers can now access the floor plans of 75 places in 22 Indian cities.

Most of these 75 places are shopping malls but museums and convention halls also find a mention in the list. Similarly, while most of these places are located in big cities like Delhi and Mumbai, some buildings from Raipur and Ludhiana too are a part of the project.

"We launched indoor maps in countries like the US earlier. Now we are bringing it to India. We worked with mall owners and authorities that manage a place to get the floor plans and location details and have added that information to Google Maps," Suren Ruhela, director and product manager, India Google Maps, told TOI. "For now we are starting with 75 places. But as we get feedback from consumers and work with more partners, we hope to add more places."

The indoor maps will be available to consumers immediately. Those who use Google Maps on Android phones or iPhones will be prompted for an update to their maps app and once they have updated app, they will be able to use indoor maps option.

"Malls are getting bigger and there are occasions when we are looking for a shop and can't find it. Through the indoor maps feature, you can locate the shop with help of your phone. You don't have to go all the way back to a mall's main gate to look for the floor plan," said Ruhela.

The feature uses several techniques to find the location of a user. The most important of these is the ability to look for Wi-Fi. Inside building GPS signals are very weak. Hence, Google is relying on a phone's ability to scan for Wi-Fi and then the Wi-Fi details to determine location. Ruhela said that indoor maps feature would work best when a user has the Wi-Fi scanning option turned on in the phone. He clarified that for this feature the phone only needs to scan for networks and doesn't have to connect to them.

Google said that detailed floor plans will automatically appear when you're using the Google Maps app on iOS and Android, and zoomed in on a building where indoor map data is available. Zoom out and the indoor maps will fade away.

For all 75 buildings, floor plans are available. But Suren added that for around 15 of these places, Google will also offer "location feature".

"In some locations, you'll have the option of using the indoor My Location feature to help you navigate your way inside. Where available, the familiar 'blue dot' icon can help indicate your approximate location in order to help you more easily find your way. This means that when you move up or down a level in a building with multiple floors, the map will automatically update to display which floor you're on. At these locations, you can also access indoor walking directions to help you get to where you need to go more quickly," said a Google spokesperson.

Google says that so far indoor maps are available in over 10,000 places across the world. Nokia, the company which maintains Here Maps, also offers a similar feature. Last year the company announced that it would offer indoor maps of around 20 places in India. Though the feature is only available to Nokia Lumia and Asha phone users.