Category: Tech Buzz Page 6 of 10

Google Now On Tap – What Is It?

On June 9, 2015

June 9, 2015

In an attempt to enhance search experience for mobile users, Google has once again come up with a remarkable innovation called ‘Now on Tap’. At Google I/O held this May in San Francisco, the company previewed this smart upgrade to Google Now, a feature that will be available in the upcoming Android M.The basic idea behind Google Now on Tap is to enable the users to access information as and when needed, without having to leave the app they are using.

What Is It Exactly?

Essentially, Now On Tap takes the power of Google Now to a whole new level. It will be a core part of your Android operating system that will connect every element of your mobile device with Google’s extensive database. Rather than being a full screen app, Now On Tap will have a card-like interface that will appear on top of whichever app you are using, providing information relevant to the current content on your mobile screen. For instance, if a friend sends you a message about going for a movie, you can quickly tap and hold the home button to invoke Google to read reviews, watch trailer or buy online tickets without closing the app.

How Google Now On Tap Works?

According to Google Now’s product director, Aparna Chennapragada, Now On Tap will scan the words that you are presently viewing on your mobile screen and identify the relevant terms in it. Then, it will search these terms on Google, come up with the most contextual information you might need and present it in a card like format.

Just as with Google’s all other apps, the functionality is not limited for Now on Tap as well. It can provide information on anything and everything right from music, people, movies, restaurants, places and a lot more. Now on Tap will even work with voice search, with the user saying ‘ok Google’ from any screen or app in his phone. Let’s say you are listening to a song on your phone and you want to know about its singer. You simply need to say ‘Ok Google, who is the singer’ and you will automatically get the answer without the need to mention the name of the song.

The rollout is expected to come around the third quarter of 2015 alongside the release of Android M, according to official sources from Google.

TV Programs As Ranking Signals

By centexitguy

On September 24, 2014

In Tech Buzz

September 24, 2014

The latest invention with Google will come as a surprise to many. Now the programs that you watch on TV might affect your search results on Google. Recently, on the 16th of September, Google has been granted a patent, which was filed three years ago, to make use of the TV programs that the user watches as a signal for the ranking of websites. This complex patent has also been given a lengthy official name – ‘System and method for enhancing user search results by determining a television program currently being displayed in proximity to an electronic device’. Previously, Google had been using hundreds of logics in its algorithms to provide rankings to the search results but this one is quite novel and unique.

Here is an outline of the patent filed by Google:

“A computer implemented method for using search queries related to television programs. A server receives a user’s search query from an electronic device. The server then determines, in accordance with the search query and television program related information for television programs available at a location associated with the electronic device during a specific time window, a television program currently being displayed in proximity to the electronic device, wherein the television program related information includes program descriptions for a plurality of television programs being broadcast for the associated location.”

Therefore, what you watch on TV will be observed by Google to offer you the most relevant search results. It is not clear yet whether they will be using a set top box, a satellite or an internet aided device to accomplish this. To cite as an example, let’s say that you are watching a TV program on Porsche and at the same time you searched Google for ‘Cars.’ The search engine will assess that you like the program or the car model being shown on TV and thus Google may show up the website of Porsche and the model that you are viewing or relevant information about the particular show that you are watching. This way, live TV viewers can get enhanced search results that are relevant to the content of the program being aired or the ones that users are likely to be interested in watching.

As Google owns various entities, like YouTube and Chromecast, that stream live TV programs, it is quite understandable that it will have access to all its related information. However, the way Google will acquire information from other sources will be quite interesting to know.

CloudAlloy Makes Docs In The Cloud More Secure By Breaking Them Into Pieces

By centexitguy

On September 17, 2014

In Security, Tech Buzz

September 17, 2014

A major concern for most companies, while putting their important documents in the cloud, is their security. Storing important documents without enough security can lead to a breach and loss of important information. CloudAlloy, one of the companies who exhibited at the Disrupt SF 2014 Startup Alley, follows a simple concept of breaking your documents into small pieces, spreading them across the cloud and getting them back again whenever you need them.

The creator of CloudAlloy, Vinay Purohit, reveals the details behind the whole process. The software just splits any documents into small bits, puts them into codes and deciphers them back for you. He further adds that by splitting the documents into different pieces, it becomes extremely difficult for hackers to put them together. Thus, in his words, “the encryption makes it bullet proof”. Whenever you request for the document, all broken pieces are decoded and combined together without any adjournment. In fact, Vinay insists that it would be faster than calling the whole document in a customary scenario of content retrieval. Also there is no need to worry even in the case of a service drop as they save some additional information along with each bit they allocate to the cloud and are still able to get it back even if the service stops working.

As of now, the service is compatible with Google, HP, Microsoft and Amazon S3, but the company is willing to work with a large enterprise if they want to avail their service. Vinay says that a person can also merge the local storage in the data center as well as the open cloud data in a hybrid model. It usually requires a minimum of 2 services however, you can also do this with a single service while considering on layering more services at a later time. The more services you use; more will be the level of security.

CloudAlloy is a very simple mean to certify security in the cloud. It does not require any complex inputs from the user or a huge IT involvement. You just have to subscribe to the service and as you store your docs in the cloud, it will break them into segments and provide the companies with a simple yet competent way to ensure content security.

PlayStation 4

By centexitguy

On August 28, 2014

In Tech Buzz

August 28, 2014

With the release of Sony PlayStation 4 the time has come to enter the all new world of gaming experience. The PS4 has a number of features that are specifically designed to provide preeminent experience to the next generation gamers and if you are a gadget freak who likes to get the most out of your gaming console, here is a complete guide that can be of great help to you.

Setting up PS4: Your PS4 provides you access to all services and applications through a network account. You can either import your current account from PS3 and PlayStation Vita or you can create a new account with the console and you can also link your Facebook account with your console. After creating the account and downloading the first day update of 300 MB, you are all set to begin gaming.

Get subscribed to PlayStation Plus: Although your PS4 network allows you access to a lot of online services like messaging and Netflix but getting a subscription for PlayStation Plus adds a lot more value to your PS4. With Play Station Plus, you can download many free games each month and these games are hard to find otherwise. The downloaded games are available in your console till the expiry of your PS4 membership. PS Plus membership is also required if you want to play online games with friends or if you want to save your game data on Cloud.

Get Set Play: The PS4 is not compatible with the older version games of PS3 so you will need to start your collection from scratch. However almost every application for PS4 can be purchased online from the PlayStation Store.

Explore free to play games: There are a few free games available on the PlayStation store and as promised by Sony there are many more in the offing. For shooter enthusiasts, there is a sci-fi FPS called ‘Backlight Retribution’ and for superhero fans, there is an RPG DC multiplayer game ‘Universe Online’. You can either play these games online with friends or challenge other PS4 gamers

Upgrade old games: There are a number of games like Call of Duty: Ghosts, Battlefield 4 and Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag than can be upgraded for PS4. The complete guide on how to upgrade these games are available on the official website of Sony.

Go Social: The controller of PS4 has a Share button that will help you to upload screenshots or videos on social networking sites. Also, PS4 automatically captures the last 15 minutes of your game video so that any thrilling moments are captured as they happen. You even have the option stream your live game play for your friends to watch.

With PlayStation4 you will surely have a lot of new digital games and fun experiences waiting for you.

Google Acquires Jetpac

By centexitguy

On August 25, 2014

In Tech Buzz

August 25, 2014

Search engine giant Google has acquired social travel app maker ‘Jetpac’, as was disclosed on the latter’s website, on 18th August, 2014. The announcement read, “We’re joining Google! We look forward to working on exciting projects with our colleagues at Google.” Jetpac also added that they will remove their applications from Apple’s App Store by September 15, 2014.

Jetpac was established back in the year 2011 and during its initial stages it allowed people to explore the travel pictures taken by their Facebook friends to decide whether they want to visit that place or not. For instance if you wanted to search for an Irish pub in the area you would just have to search with the most specific terms and Jetpac would sort through millions of pictures posted on social networking sites to deliver you the most relevant results. Of late however, the company has created a unique tool that is able to spot smiles (face expressions) in the pictures. This helps you to determine people’s happiness rate at a particular location. Jetpac has also developed immediate recognition of a local object as seen through a phone camera which is quite similar to the Google Goggles technology.

It is not yet clear what’s in Google’s mind with the acquisition and whether or not will it integrate the artificial intelligence technology of the app with its own map and image search services, however there are some services of Jetpac that go well with Google’s primacies. Firstly, it works on an automatic technology to extract information from different publicly accessible photos on Instagram. Jetpac also worked on a technology called ‘neural network’, to analyze the photos, which is a system of programs that can be automated to examine the photographs for different elements like facial hair, makeup or accessories to outline the atmosphere of a bar or restaurant. Jetpac also sneaks through Facebook photos and uses an algorithm to find out the place where your friends enjoyed the most during their vacations. Secondly, as many as 6000 city guide results of Jetpac are intended to provide personalized geographic details and this kind of technology blends well with the services like Google+, Google Maps and Google Now.

The skilled team at Jetpac has years of experience in deep learning, an area in which Google has spent a lot of time. The procurement would surely provide the tech giant with a lot of talented employees and creative ideas to improve expertise in image-recognition. Also, now you can expect a better merger of the real world into web search results.