Yahoo shutting down Maps, other services to focus on search, digital contents

Tech News - Yahoo's search and other services including photo-sharing website Flickr will still support Yahoo Maps, Maimon said. These steps follow efforts by Chief Executive Marissa Mayer to revive meaningful revenue growth with a string of acquisitions and product revamps.

Mayer has been under pressure to make quicker progress in strengthening the company's media and advertising business. Yahoo is scaling back mail support on the built-in Mail app for older versions of Apple Inc's iPhone operating system, Maimon said on Thursday.

Yahoo said the Philippines homepage would be shuttered. It will also close Yahoo Music services in France and Canada and Yahoo Movies in Spain. Media services such as Yahoo TV and Yahoo Autos will be stopped in the UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italy at the end of June.

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'Five Eyes': US, allies planned hack of Google app store to plant spyware on smartphones

Tech News - The online news site The Intercept said US intelligence developed the plan with allies in Britain, Canada, New Zealand and Australia, a group known as the "Five Eyes" alliance.
  
The report, based on a document leaked by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, said the plan aimed to step up surveillance efforts on smartphones.
  
The plan appeared to have been discussed at meetings involving the intelligence services in 2011 and 2012, according to the classified document.
  
The project called "Irritant Horn" would allow the agencies to hijack data connections to app stores and surreptitiously implant malicious software on smartphones that would allow for data to be harvested.
  
The intelligence agencies could also use the spyware to send misinformation to targets to confuse potential adversaries, according to the report.
  
The Intercept said the plan was motivated in part by concerns about the possibility of "another Arab Spring," or the spread of popular movements.

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'Ok Google’ voice command now supports third-party apps

Tech News - This new feature doesn’t come as a surprise. Google has been trying to push its ‘Ok Google’ voice commands, just like Apple has been integrating Siri into most of its products.

On Saturday, first set of partners for custom Google voice actions on Android was launched. This feature will enable people to say things like ‘Ok Google, listen to NPR or Ok Google, show attractions near me on TripAdvisor,”.

It is testing the feature with limited partners including NPR One, TuneIn, Zillow, Flixster and TripAdvisor.

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Consumers withdraw US lawsuit against Google over Android app limits

Tech News - The class action lawsuit, filed by two smartphone customers in May 2014, was dismissed on February 20 by US District Judge Beth Labson Freeman in San Jose, California.
             
The lawsuit argued that Google requires Android handset manufacturers such as Samsung Electronics Company Ltd  favor Google's apps such as YouTube and restrict competing apps like Microsoft Corporation's Bing search.
             
This illegally drives smartphone prices higher as rivals cannot compete for the "prime screen real estate" that Google's own apps enjoy, Gary Feitelson and Daniel McKee had alleged.
             
But Freeman said in February that the consumers had failed to show that higher prices stemmed from Google illegally forcing restrictive contracts on handset makers. The plaintiffs were told to amend their claims.
             
Google said on Friday that Android handsets could be used without Google, an argument it had presented in its court filings.
             
"Since Android's introduction, greater competition in smartphones has given consumers more choices at lower prices," Google spokesman Aaron Stein said in an email to media.

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Google rolls out Lollipop update for Android One phones

Auto News - An official Google+ post by Google vice president of  product management Caesar Sengupta said, “Lollipop rollout has begun for a small number of phones in India and will gradually roll out to others.”

“This is a gradual process and so each week we’ll push the OTA update to more phones selected at random (pro-tip: connecting over WiFi will increase your odds),” he wrote.

Three different Android One phones produced by Micromax, Karbonn and Spice last year had reportedly struggled to make good sales in the country.

These Android One phones were at first available online but when not registered good sales, was made available in all retailers across India. Major retailers, however, refused to stock these phones.

Lollipop (5.0 ) is the latest version of mobile operating system for Android smartphones.

The upgradation move by Google can likely increase the chances of Android One phones sale in India.

As of now, Jelly Bean is reportedly the most ascendant OS running on Android One phones, KitKat being the second and Lollipop OS runs only on 1.6 percent devices.

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Government to start internet safety programme with Google

Gadget Reviews India - "We are happy to partner with Google and Cert-In in the cyber security education and awareness campaign. The Internet offers many opportunities to explore create and collaborate," MyGov CEO Gaurav Dwivedi said in a statement.
  
MyGov, the government's online platform which seeks suggestions from people on different issues, hosted first round table discussion in this regard.
  
"Measures to take internet safety practices for two specific target groups - government officials, children and young adults were discussed at the round table. Over 650 ideas received from MyGov users on the issue were also presented during the today's meeting and were debated upon," the statement said.
  
DEITY Additional Secretary Tapan Ray suggested a year round programme to raise awareness of key policy makers on issues of internet safety. The programme would include roundtables, workshops, Security Cafes, and contests for young adults, policymakers and NGOs.
  
MyGov, in collaboration with all stakeholders, is also expected to issue awareness guidelines soon on various safety measures which can be followed by government officials, schools, guardians and other vulnerable sections.

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Google rolls out Lollipop update for Android One phones

Gadget Reviews India - An official Google+ post by Google vice president of  product management Caesar Sengupta said, “Lollipop rollout has begun for a small number of phones in India and will gradually roll out to others.”

“This is a gradual process and so each week we’ll push the OTA update to more phones selected at random (pro-tip: connecting over WiFi will increase your odds),” he wrote.

Three different Android One phones produced by Micromax, Karbonn and Spice last year had reportedly struggled to make good sales in the country.

These Android One phones were at first available online but when not registered good sales, was made available in all retailers across India. Major retailers, however, refused to stock these phones.

Lollipop (5.0 ) is the latest version of mobile operating system for Android smartphones.

The upgradation move by Google can likely increase the chances of Android One phones sale in India.

Source: Tech News and Auto News

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Google releases work tools designed for Android phones

Gadget Reviews India - The technology unveiled  launches Google's attempt to turn Android phones into the digital hub of people's personal and professional lives. The expansion will pit Google Inc against Microsoft Corp and BlackBerry Inc, which have been focusing on the corporate market for years.

Google will also be battling its biggest rival in mobile computing, Apple Inc, which forged a partnership with IBM Corp last year to build more iPhone and iPad applications tailored for businesses and government agencies.

Google announced its Android for Work program at a conference eight months ago, but needed more time to test the technology before its release.

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Microsoft to end support for Facebook, Google chats in Outlook email service

Microsoft's move seems to be inspired by Google announcement of termination of its Talk feature to push its Hangouts chatting service. Similarly, Microsoft is also planning to expand its own Skype chatting service.

However, Microsoft has not stated any reason for withdrawing support for Facebook chat.

Taking Goolge's Gmail and other email apps head on, Microsoft recently launched a new Outlook app for iOS and Android devices.

The new app is basically a replacement for San Francisco-based email startup Acompli that was acquired by Microsoft for USD 200 million in December last year.

Outlook will support Office 365, Exchange, Outlook.com, Yahoo Mail, Gmail, iCloud and other key email services. The app will also help users manage calendar and fetch attachments within the same app.

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Apple planning own search engine to trump Google?

A media report on Monday, referred to an Apple job advertisement posted earlier this month, calling for a professional to develop "a search platform supporting hundreds of millions of users."

This has led to conjecture that the Cupertino, California-based tech giant Apple might be after Google's crown for the undisputed king of online search.

The advertisement has fuelled speculation that Apple was aiming to launch a standalone search tool across iPhones, iPads and Macs, the report said.

Back in 2010, analysts at investment banking and asset management company Piper Jaffray claimed that there was 70 percent chance of Apple launching its own mobile search engine by 2015.

In November last year, the Apple Insider reported that a web-crawling bot (a software application running automated tasks on the internet) was spotted on Apple's servers.

The rumours were bolstered that month when reports claimed that Apple was looking to ditch Google as its default search engine on its Safari browser.

Google has been the default engine on Safari for the past five years, but the deal is due to expire this year. Although this could see Microsoft's Bing or Yahoo taking its place, Apple could also be working to develop a search engine of its own.

Source: Gadget Reviews India and Automotive News

 

 

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Google seals deal with Twitter for tweets in search

Tweets will be visible in Google search results as soon as they are posted. It is likely to start by June. A Google spokeswoman on Thursday confirmed the partnership between the two companies.

Twitter and Google engineers have started working on the project. However, the terms of deal were not disclosed. The tweets will start showing up on Google later this year, according to sources.

Google previously had to crawl Twitter's site for the information, which will now come automatically from Twitter.

Google had a similar arrangement with Twitter back in 2009. Twitter’s feed became a core part of a Google real-time search feature under which it served up fresh content from Twitter and a variety of other sources, including Facebook, Myspace, FriendFeed, Jaiku and Identi.ca.

 

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Uber and Google: From partners to rivals

A Google spokesperson declined Tuesday to comment on the matter on which the company had earlier tweeted: "We think you'll find Uber and Lyft work quite well. We use them all the time."

Also a ride-share company, Lyft is Uber's direct competitor. It was Google's response to the announcement of Uber's partnership with Carnegie Mellon University for research and development work in mapping and autonomy technology, two areas in which Google has made significant progress.

The company that puts riders in touch with private car owners in cities worldwide announced the creation of the Uber Advanced Technologies Center in Pittsburgh on its blog.

Google has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in Uber through its venture capital arm and its chief legal officer, David Drummond, is on the Uber board of directors.

According to media reports, Google too is planning to launch its own ride-hailing service in conjunction with its driver-less car project.

An anonymous source quoted by The Wall Street Journal said that reports that Google was developing an app to rival Uber had been blown out of proportion.

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Microsoft launches Outlook for rival iOS, Android

The move will allow users of iPhones, iPads and Android-powered smartphones and tablets to more easily access the email service popular with many businesses.
  
"The new Outlook app brings together the core tools you need to get things done -- your email, calendar, contacts and files -- helping you get more done even on the smallest screen," Microsoft said on its Outlook blog.
  
Microsoft under new chief executive Satya Nadella has been making moves to adapt to the new mobile landscape, with fewer customers using traditional PCs.
  
But with the Windows platform lagging in mobile, Microsoft has begun offering its software for rival operating systems. In November, it said it was making its Office software suite available free for iOS and Android.
  
The new Outlook app offers new features for mobile users, including a way to sort and filter important emails.
  
It offers a "focused inbox" which learns "about you and gets even more tailored to your priorities," the blog said.
    

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Google planning to sell wireless phone service: Reports

If everything falls into place, Google Inc could offer discounted wireless data plans that would pressure other major carriers to offer better deals and services or risk losing customers to a powerful rival, reports said on Wednesday.

More affordable plans, in turn, could bring more people online, something that Google is trying to do because it runs the Internet's dominant search engine and largest advertising network. The Mountain View, California, company would profit from a potentially larger audience for its services.

Google also implants its services in its Android mobile operating system, the mostly widely used software on smartphones.

Both the technology news site The Information and The Wall Street Journal reported Google's intention to become a wireless service provider. The reports cited unnamed people familiar with the matter.

Source: Gadget Reviews India and Automotive News

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Google to halt sale of Google Glass

The company said that the Glass project would not be scrapped, with development continuing towards the creation of a viable consumer product. The company did not indicate, however, when its next version would be made available.

"January 19 will be the last day to get the Glass Explorer Edition. In the meantime, we're continuing to build for the future, and you'll start to see future versions of Glass when they're ready," the company said.

Google will also shut down the Explorer programme, which produced the first commercial version of Glass within Google X, the company's special projects wing.

The Glass project will now have its own division, headed by Ivy Ross, its current manager, 'The Times' reported.

Ross and the Glass team will report to Tony Fadell, founder and chief executive of smart thermostat maker Nest Labs, which was acquired by Google a year ago.

Although Google Glass won't be available to individuals after January 19, businesses and developers will still be able to purchase the product.

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General Motors open to working with Google on self-driving car technology

Urmson is expected to announce his company's plans to seek partnerships within the auto industry.
             
Car makers including GM are racing to develop features that will make cars safer to drive. The longer-term vision includes cars that will largely drive themselves.

Lauckner said any automaker teaming up with Google would need to establish how the relationship would work.
             
"You have to figure out how would something like that actually work," he said, adding, "Would it be something where it would be an opportunity to work together in a joint development agreement?"

Source: Automotive News and Gadget Reviews India

Google self-driving car prototype ready to try road

"We're going to be spending the holidays zipping around our test track, and we hope to see you on the streets of Northern California in the new year," the Internet titan's  autonomous car team said on Monday in a post at Google+ social network.

The prototype is a manifestation of plans that California-based Google revealed in May to build its own autonomous car minus typical features such as steering wheels.

"They won't have a steering wheel, accelerator pedal, or brake pedal... because they don't need them. Our software and sensors do all the work," Google's Chris Urmson said in a blog post in May.

Technical specifics about the prototype were not disclosed on Monday.

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Google may unfold modified version of Android for cars soon

While developing the operating system, some factors will be kept in mind that it would not require the vehicles to use tethering option to bridge connectivity between the smartphone and the vehicle for the availability of internet.

Android M will be packed with unique elements that would make it independent of other devices and distinguish it from existing in-car system, Android Auto by Google. It is undoubtedly an advancement.

The direct linking of the Android system with cars will let the Operating System (OS) access vehicles' systems, like cameras, sensors. It will also Google explore the valuable user data that was earlier not accessible.

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Google launches app for SMBs to access potential customers

The new and simple-to-use product has been designed to work across both desktop and mobile devices and will help the businesses to create and update their business info on Google Search, Maps and Google pluse from one place for free both in English and Hindi, Suryanarayana Kodukulla, Head of SMB Sales, Google India said.
  
"Jaipur in among top 15 cities which contribute to 60 per cent of SME business but still their online presence is quite low. Google's product will help them increase their online presence and get discovered by their potential clients," he said.
  
"The business owner can download a free app from the Google Play store and can update details like contact information, pictures and map which will be displayed in Google search," he said.
  
Kodukulla said the app was launched recently and has received a good response.
  
"The initial response is good," he said.

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Google faces USD 18 million fine for web privacy violations: Dutch watchdog

The U.S. company is breaching the country's data protection act by using people's private information such as browsing history and location data to target them with customised ads, the Data Protection Authority (DPA) said.
             
The regulator gave Google until the end of February to change how it handles the data it collects from individual web users.
             
The company's handling of user data under its new privacy guidelines, introduced in 2012, has also been under investigation in five other European countries – France, Germany, Britain, Italy and Spain.
             
"This has been ongoing since 2012 and we hope our patience will no longer be tested," said Jacob Kohnstamm, chairman of the Dutch DPA.

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