Search engine giant Google Inc has given up capturing street images in Tamil Nadu for its street view feature on Google Maps, after finding only posters of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and former CM M Karunanidhi all over the state. The decision was taken at a high level meeting chaired by Google India CEO Rajan Anandan. Google founders Larry Page, Sergey Brin and Senior Vice-president Sundar Pichai too, dialed into the meeting, sources said.
“After surveying the state of Tamil Nadu for months together and doing every bit to capture diverse views of each street from various angles and still ending up with only shots of Jayalalithaa and Karunanidhi posters everywhere, with a heavy heart, we decided to give up Street View in Tamil Nadu,” Anandan told The UnReal Times. “It makes no sense arranging for a new street view vehicle and high definition panoramic cameras to run all over the state to find only 2 faces. Larry suggested that we might as well hyperlink Tamil Nadu to street view to a google image search for posters of Amma and Kalaignar. So that’s exactly what we’re going to do,” Anandan added.
The AIADMK, however, in a move that has positioned the party into taking the upper hand, has offered to help Google in what could be a first-of-its-kind deal. “It’s simple. They have to supply us with images of random streets. Within minutes, we will photoshop our Amma’s posters on them and send the images back to Google. And there you go! Your street view is ready. And we won’t restrict ourselves into just photoshopping posters. We will let our creative juices flow uninhibited and will morph people prostrating before them, bowing down to them, doing paal-abhishekam, aarathi and what not! In short, we have made Google an offer that they just can’t refuse,” an AIADMK leader toldThe UnReal Times.
Meanwhile, the DMK has conceded that they have been left behind in the race. “We are obviously better than the AIADMK on many levels, but when it comes to photoshopping, we do admit that we’re lagging behind. Without being proactive, we have unfortunately allowed them to evolve into one of Asia’s biggest photoshop factories. So naturally, people find Amma’s vivid, imaginative posters more fascinating than the same old smiling face of Kalaignar. We have a lot to catch up on, on that front,” a DMK leader admitted.
Google has launched 'My Account', a new hub for privacy and security settings from which users can manage their information shared with different Google products, such as Maps and Search, as well as adjust the security settings for these services.
My Account is divided into three sections:
Sign-in and security settings
Personal information and privacy settings
Account preferences
A link to the new privacy site is also included. This link has a list of answers to FAQs such as, “What data does Google collect?” and “Does Google sell my personal information?”
With the new hub, Google account holders are able to do things such as change passwords, view devices accessed via their accounts, see what apps are connected to their Google profiles, update their personal info, browsing, and other activity history.
Android is stacked with so many tools and configuration options, we often overlook some of its most useful features. Sometimes they’re hiding in plain sight. Other times, they’re buried so deep, you’d never discover them without spelunking deep into submenus, groping blindly in the dark.
But don’t let that one killer feature get away. Even if you consider yourself an Android power user, you’d do well to make sure you’re familiar with every single menu, toggle and utility on this list. We’ve done our best to identify the precise locations of the features listed below, but you may have to hunt around menus a bit if your device manufacturer has excessive interface customizations.
Did we leave out that one killer, secret feature that everyone should know about? Let us know by officially submitting a tip to Greenbot. We’ll give you direct credit if we use your submission.
Use Android Device Manager for remote security
Use Android Device Manager for much greater control over a lost phone.
The Google Play Services framework is used to manage all sorts of back-end services, and Google updates it frequently in the background. Most of the functionality packed away in this framework is of little user-facing consequence, but there’s a lot including account sync, malware scanning, and the Android Device Manager. This feature allows you track, ring, lock, and wipe your device if you lose track of it.
By default, you can only ring and locate a device with Android Device Manager, so if you want the full gamut of features, go into your main system settings and scroll down to Security. Find the Device Administrators option, and open it to see what apps have been granted admin privileges on your phone or tablet. Checking the box next to Android Device Manager allows you to wipe and lock the device in addition to the ring and locate features.
You can remotely access Android Device Manager in a number of useful ways. If you only have one Android device, you can use any web browser to go to theAndroid Device Manager page and log into your account. From there, you can see a map of where your phone is located, and issue commands to nuke it or just lock it.
Before resorting to extreme measures, you might want to start with locating and making it ring to ensure it didn’t just slip between the couch cushions. Should you have access to more than one Android device, you can use the Android Device Manager app, which you can keep on all your devices to locate and manage the others.
Screen Recording
Screenshots are for chumps. Show everyone else what you’re up to with a screen recording.
A subset of Android users over the years have resorted to rooting their devices to get more advanced features. Android has slowly gained features over time that make root less of a necessity. As of Android 5.0 Lollipop, there’s less reason than ever to root now that Android supports screen recording. You just need an app to take proper advantage of it.
A screen recording is simply an MP4 video file of what’s happening on your screen for the duration of the capture. There is no native tool to do this on most Android devices for some reason, but there are a ton of them in the Play Store. My personal favorite is the aptly named Rec.
Whether you’re using Rec or another app with support for Lollipop screen recording, all you need to do is accept the screen capture request when it pops up. An icon in the status bar will appear to let you know the screen recording is ongoing. Some apps have support for different resolutions and bitrates for the recording as well, but the default will be the native screen resolution of your phone or tablet.
The way you end a recording varies by app, but there’s usually a notification or you can simply put the device to sleep. One of the reasons I prefer the aforementioned Rec is that it has support for both of those options as well as shake to stop a recording.
Set your system animations to warp speed
Why suffer even marginally slow animations when your processor can handle faster speeds?
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Android devices are faster than they used to be, but you can make your experience feel even zippier with one simple tweak. Android contains a hidden developer options menu that you can enable by going into your main system settings, then navigating to About > Software Information > More > Build number. Now tap on the build number—literally, tap on it numerous times—until a small message at the bottom of the screen confirms that you’re a developer.
Now, don’t worry: This doesn’t make any modifications to your system. It just turns on the Developer Options menu back in the main settings list—so head back there and open it up. Developer Options has a ton of interesting features to play around with, but you can also mess things up pretty badly, so it’s best not to change anything you haven’t thoroughly researched. You’ve been warned!
Now back to animations. Inside Developer options, scroll down to Drawing and find Window animation scale, Transition animation scale, and Animator duration scale. These are all set to 1x by default. These animations are the eye candy you see when apps open and close, menus drop down, and more. They help cover up lag as the system catches up, but you don’t really need slow settings on a fast device. You can set all of these to 0.5x for a more snappy interface experience.
Keeping your phone secure is important, but if you’re the one holding it, there’s no reason you have to deal with a strong lock screen every single time you drag it from your pocket. Luckily, Android 5.0 devices now have support for Smart Lock. This feature can display the easy swipe lock screen when it’s safe to do so. How does it know? Well, there are a variety of options, some more secure than others.
Smart Lock is delivered to devices via Play Services, just like Android Device Manager. The locking options will vary by device, but Nexus phones and tablets have the most. There’s Trusted Face, Trusted Location, Trusted Devices, and on-body detection. At the bare minimum, all devices should have Trusted Devices and Trusted Location.
So for example, you can have your phone set to swipe unlock at home, but take a stroll down the block or hop in the car and it will start asking for the pattern, PIN, or password lock again. The same goes for Trusted Devices—if you’re connected to a Bluetooth or NFC device you have previously marked as “trusted,” (like your car or Android Wear watch) you’ll see no secure lock screen. With Trusted Face, the device will switch seamlessly transition to swipe unlock mode if it spots you with the front camera. On-body detection is a little weird—this option keeps your phone set to swipe unlock as long as it detects it is still in your hand or pocket. Set it down, and it locks again.
Keep in mind, some OEMs really bury the Smart Lock menu a few levels deep in advanced security or privacy settings. You may also need to enable Google Play Services as a “trust agent” in the settings of some device to access Smart Lock.
Don’t just monitor data usage—control it
The trick is to receive a warning before you trip your data limit.
In our age of draconian tiered data plans and ever-increasing carrier fees, you often need to watch your mobile data consumption closely. Android has a built-in tool that helps you do this, but most users don’t use it to its full potential. The Data Usage menu is usually near the top of your system settings list (though it may be buried under a “More” heading), and can also be accessed via the network signal strength icon in Quick Settings. You can use the sliders on the usage chart to set your data limits for your chosen billing cycle.
The default behavior is simply to warn you when you reach your data limit. However, by the time you get that warning, it’s often too late to adjust your behavior and avoid overage charges or automatic throttling. A better use of the data tracking feature is to set your warning a few hundred megabytes below your limit, then enable a data limit with the checkbox right above the chart. The red line on the chart lets you set a point at which your mobile data will be shut off.
Use Wi-Fi Direct for quick file transfers
The SuperBeam app facillitates device-to-device file transfers at warp speed—even 45 Mbps. Ah, the wonders of Wi-Fi.
Transferring files between devices has always been a little annoying, but features like Android Beam made it easier: Just hold together two NFC-enabled devices (Android 4.1 or later), and you can transfer files across a Bluetooth link. It’s a neat trick, but transfer speeds are capped by Bluetooth bandwidth, and file type support is limited. Luckily, however, most Android devices also support Wi-Fi Direct, even though Google’s stock apps don’t make use of it.
Wi-Fi Direct is exactly what it sounds like: a protocol that can create a direct connection between two devices via Wi-Fi. You just need an app to make use of it, and there are several in Google Play. SuperBeam is probably the most powerful, and it has a free version. To get a transfer going, you just share files to Super Beam (or whatever app you’ve chosen to use) and tap phones. Wi-Fi Direct allows you to queue up multiple files in a single operation and the transfer rate can easily exceed 30 Mbps. It’s fabulous for sharing large videos or images.
According to Google, an estimated 73 percent of all online activity is related to local searches. Customers turn to local search to learn about the businesses available in their area and evaluate what companies they would like to patronize.
For businesses who want to take advantage of the opportunities presented by these searchers, optimizing your Google local listing is an excellent way to get started. These listings are featured prominently in local SERPs on the popular search engine and are perfect for attracting attention and bringing in new customers.
1. Fill Out Applicable Information
An estimated 1 in 3 customers will do a local search on a smartphone before visiting a store. These customers are often looking for valuable, practical information such as the address of the business and the hours they are open. For your listing to be effective, you need to make sure that you fill in the information completely.
Not only will a thoroughly filled-in listing help to answer the questions of visitors performing local searches, but Google will also rank completed listings higher than those that are incomplete. The search engine giant understands that local users are better served by businesses that give them all the information they need. When they are given the choice between two similar listings with different levels of completeness, they will choose the one that offers more information.
This includes selecting accurate categories for your business. Google will give you suggestions about where your business may fit and you want to select the ones that describe your business best. Do not be afraid to select narrower, more precise categories than broader categories. These categories will impact where your site is displayed, and you want your site in front of the people who are most likely to be interested in your business. Google also assures business owners that users who search for broader categories will also be shown results from narrower categories:
"Don't be afraid to choose specific categories instead of broad ones. The important thing is that the categories are accurate and describe your business well. Google's search algorithm makes sure that users looking for ‘Book Stores' will see businesses in more specific categories like ‘Used Book Stores,' ‘Comic Book Stores,' and ‘Rare Book Stores' too."
2. Use Precise Location Information and Keywords
Google+ local listings use Google maps to generate locations and information for customers to help them understand where the business is and if it is close to their current location. Failing to correct any errors in your business location can end up confusing and frustrating these customers.
Google also places value on consistency throughout local listings for businesses. If there are discrepancies between your business listings on different directories, then your business results will rank lower because it can hurt the user experience. Wesley Young studied the impact of various factors on local search performance and found that the consistency of name, address, and phone number (NAP) on local business listings had a 16 percent influence in determining performance.
You should also be integrating location keywords into your local listing content. According to Young, keywords placed in business titles and when discussing the location of the business have a 19.6 percent impact on local search performance. You should look to use location keywords throughout the Google listing including in the title tag, H1 heading and URL. These keywords not only let Google know when your business is relevant, they also let customers know that this business is local.
3. Seek Reviews on Google
Customers inherently trust reviews that come from other customers over advertisements that come from the company itself. According to Nielsen, 92 percent of customers say that they trust advertisements and recommendations from third parties more than traditional, paid advertising. Given the prominence of Google local listings on local SERPs, having multiple positive reviews can be incredibly helpful. The feedback will be displayed prominently right by your company name, encouraging people to click.
Reviews can also impact how well the business is listed on the Google SERP. Google understands the value that customers place on third party reviews and thus when a business has numerous positive reviews, the search engine assumes that this is a company that fulfills customers' needs and should be featured more prominently.
Encourage your customers to leave you reviews by adopting some of the following practices:
Reminding customers after a purchase or during regular communication that reviews are appreciated
Using your Google+ platform to ask customers to leave reviews
Including the URL to your Google+ page on company cards, newsletters, and other communications
4. Leverage Your Company Website
Your website URL should be included in your Google+ local listing. Google will use information from the website to improve the search listings that appear on its page. This means your website needs to be easily read by search engines. Include a well-developed About Us page and Home Page that include keywords, the business address and quality content. The addition of rich media content, such as an embedded map that shows the business location also provides tremendous value.
Given the prevalence of local searches and the importance they place in the modern marketplace, taking the time to optimize your local listings page with Google can help you drastically boost your business. By focusing on the above areas, you will help Google to understand your value while also communicating with potential visitors what makes you special. It is this combination that will grow your traffic through local search.
I meant to share this deal earlier, but kept expecting it would sell out before I got the chance. This is the last day, so I'm hoping I'm not setting you all up for disappointment.
Ending today, and while supplies last, Groupon has the refurbished Google Chromecast for $18. That's after applying coupon code EPIC3 at checkout. Shipping adds $3.99, bringing your out-the-door total to $21.99. Price for a new Chromecast: $35.
For those unfamiliar with it, this is Google's media-streaming HDMI dongle. You plug it into your TV, then use your smartphone or tablet as both the remote and app manager.
So to watch Netflix, say, via the Chromecast, you'll need Netflix on your phone or tablet. Not everybody loves this arrangement -- I tend to prefer a physical remote of the kind that comes with a Fire TV or Roku box -- but, man, it's hard to argue with the price.
I'll refer you to CNET's review for more details, noting that it doesn't take into account some of these more recent developments.
Because this is a refurb, it comes with just a 90-day warranty. New Chromecasts are covered for a full year, though it's not like there's much that can break on these things. Just saying.
What are your thoughts on Google's streaming dongle? A steal at this price, or still not as compelling as the sticks offered by Amazon and Roku?
Bonus deal: If you spend any time (or money) in the Apple ecosystem, you'll appreciate this: For a limited time, and while supplies last, Giftcardmall (via eBay) is offering $50 iTunes gift cards for $40. These are physical cards delivered free via US Mail, so perfect for Dad, grad or really early holiday shopping. I have no idea what kind of inventory is available, but as of press time, some 4,000 had already been sold. Apologies if you aren't able to get one before they're gone!
Bonus deal No. 2: Who says home automation has to be complicated -- or expensive? For a limited time, and while supplies last, Newegg has the five-pack of Etekcity wireless remote-controlled AC outlets for $19.68 shipped. Plug your lamps, appliances and whatnot into these outlets, then use either of the two included remotes to switch them on or off. Reviews are overwhelmingly positive on both Newegg and Amazon; the latter sells the kit for $30.
Google has released a comprehensive report on all the accidents its self-driving cars have been involved in since 2009, and the results suggest that robots are better drivers than most everyone.
During the combined 1.8 million miles these cars were on the road, Google's cars got into only 12 minor accidents, none of which were caused by a robot.
In fact, more accidents were caused by Google employees taking control of the car than by the autonomous cars themselves.
In August 2011, a Google employee took one of the cars for a spin in manual (human-driven) mode to run an errand, and promptly rear-ended a vehicle that was stopped in traffic. Google says "no injuries were reported at the scene," but what they mean is human injuries. The Google car did sustain some damage, which seems terribly unfair given that it wasn't even the one driving.
Most of the other accidents were caused by other drivers, with rear-ending being the most common. And the accident report reads like a novelization of every obnoxious and dangerous driver you've ever seen on the road. One driver rear-ended an autonomous car when it was stopped at a traffic light. Another struck the side of a Google car while veering into its lane on a highway. And a third rolled the stop sign at El Camino and View street and plowed into a self-driving car's right side.
Even before this report came out, it seemed some American's had begun to warm to the idea of self-driving cars taking over the road. In a recent study, 27% of those polled said they would support laws restricting human driving if self-driving cars might be safer. With these new statistics from Google, it seems like they are on their way.
The auto industry is taking note. Analyst Tavis McCourt wrote that a recent conference he attended was the first "where participants in the auto industry finally have come to the conclusion that Google and Apple are not their friends, but ultimately will likely be competitive enemies."
Google's report, which will be the first of a monthly series, also outlined some of the ways its cars are taking into account the peculiarities of the real world, one of the areas that makes many uneasy about self-driving cars. Google says its cars understand that emergency vehicles behave in different ways than normal drivers do. They cited an example where a self-driving car remained stopped at a stoplight when a light turn green because it had detected an ambulance approaching from the right.
