Google Translate homepage adds handwriting input, makes sense of your atrocious penmanship

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Mountain View's machine translation service does a pretty good job of sussing out the meaning of copy / pasted text from around the web, but what if you need to translate something you can't put your cursor on? Google's got that covered too: handwriting input. Users of the tool's mobile app have been able to manually write in characters for some time now, but the company has only recently implemented this feature on the Google Translate website -- making it easy to input text that falls outside outside of the standard standard roman character set. After scrawling your best Kanji-replica with a mouse, Google will offer users its best guess at the intended characters, which, when selected, drop into the translate box. Of course, don't blame Google if your writing illegibly sloppy. Check out the company's blog post

Google lists Chromecast as a device in support docs, quickly removes it

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We're on the eve of a Google event with Sundar Pichai, and while we have some idea of what we'll see, the folks in Mountain View might've just shown us some of their other cards. Droid Life spotted "Chromecast" listed as a device on Google Play's support docs, but the entry has since been removed. The outlet speculates -- with the help of an anonymous tipster, of course -- that Chromecast is related to a TV dongle dubbed Chromekey, which streams content from mobile devices to television sets. What's more, a Droid Life reader chatted with a Google Play support representative who mentioned that "Chromecast is a TV service that's provided in some areas." The whole picture is fairly murky at this point, but we're hoping things will become clearer tomorrow.
Update: Version 5.1 of Google Play Music just started to trickle out, and an APK teardown has revealed even more mentions of Chromecast. By the sounds of an error message buried within the app's code, Chromecast devices will stream songs over the internet rather than from local hardware.

Donate your Android device's processing power to science with BOINC

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If you've ever wanted to help out with a scientific research project but lack the PhD credentials, there's now a much simpler way: all you need is a decent Android device and a new app called BOINC. Similar to projects such as Folding@Home for laptops and desktops, the app harnesses your mobile device's extra CPU cycles to help crunch data for scientific studies. Don't worry, it'll only work if you're on Wi-Fi, so it won't eat up your data plan. You can choose which research endeavor to support from within BOINC, including Einstein@Home and FightAIDS@Home that seek to discover pulsars (stellar remnants) and AIDS treatment, respectively. The app, which you can install from Google Play, was designed to be as unobtrusive as possible and will work as long as you're running Android 2.3 or higher. Generous (and envious) iOS users, sit tight -- the developer is mulling over the possibility of creating an iOS app next.

Android smartphone users will soon have a chance to participate in important scientific research every time they charge their phones. Using a new app created by researchers at UC Berkeley, users will be able to donate a phone's idle computing power to crunch numbers for projects that could lead to breakthroughs ranging from novel medical therapies to the discovery of new stars.
BOINC logo
A new Android app called BOINC allows smartphone users to contribute their phone's processing power to scientific research.
The app was created by a Berkeley project called BOINC (Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing), which is known for its computer software that supports more than 50 volunteer computing projects around the world. BOINC software allows projects to tap unused processing power donated by computer owners around the world to analyze data or run simulations that would normally require cost-prohibitive supercomputers.
The new Android app, also called BOINC, will be available Monday, July 22, from the Google Play Store and works on Android versions 2.3 or later. The app currently supports several popular computing projects, including Einstein@Home, which searches radio telescope data for spinning stars called pulsars, and FightAIDS@Home, which searches for more effective AIDS therapies as part of IBM's World Community Grid. Android, owned by Google Inc., is the operating system used by two-thirds of all smartphones today.
"There are about a billion Android devices right now, and their total computing power exceeds that of the largest conventional supercomputers," said BOINC creator David Anderson, a research scientist at UC Berkeley's Space Sciences Laboratory. "Mobile devices are the wave of the future in many ways, including the raw computing power they can provide to solve computationally difficult problems."
Creation of the app was funded by the Max Planck Institute, which runs Einstein@Home; Google Inc.; and the National Science Foundation, which has supported BOINC since 2002. IBM assisted in the design of the user interface and organized beta testing of the app.
Einstein@home
Sign up for Einstein@home and search for spinning stars called pulsars using the new BOINC app.
"Our main goals are to make it easy for scientists to use BOINC to create volunteer computing projects to further their research, and to make it easier for volunteers to participate," Anderson said.
Anderson noted that the app will run only when the phone is plugged in and charging and after the battery is more than 95 percent charged, since computing can slow the recharge rate. It will only communicate with computing projects through the Internet when connected via WiFi, to avoid burning through users' data plans. These default settings can be customized by users, however.
Other projects now available through the BOINC app are Asteroids@home, operated by Charles University in Prague; OProject@Home; and Yoyo@home.
Among the projects slated to be adapted to the Android BOINC app is the first and most successful volunteer computing project, UC Berkeley's SETI@home, which analyzes radio telescope data in search of intelligent signals from space.
Owners of iPhones should stay tuned. A BOINC app for Apple products like iPhone and iPad may be Anderson's next project.

New Gmail layout spawns targeted ads that look like emails

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Gmail's new layout doesn't just keep your inbox organized, it also gives Google the perfect opportunity to send you unsolicited email ads. These sponsored missives appear as highlighted entries under the Promotions tab, where you can also find deals and updates from online services you subscribe to. To be fair, Gmail has long displayed advertisements at the top of your inbox, so this development isn't totally new. In a statement sent to Venturebeat, the company says it's merely relegating ads "to a more appropriate place" and that they won't show up unless they're relevant to you. No word yet if this is a permanent arrangement, but if it makes you livid, you can always kill your Promotions tab or dismiss the intrusive emails by clicking the "x" button on the right.

Google visits reportedly represent nearly 25 percent of North American web traffic

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Google's pretty popular here in North America, but one analytics firm is reporting some figures that might sound a bit too good to be true. DeepField, a company that focuses on analyzing web performance, is today claiming that Google broke a web record within the last month -- visits to the site now represent 25 percent of all North American web traffic, with 60 percent of all internet-connected devices accessing the service each day. Netflix, for its part, represents the leader in bandwidth (despite YouTube falling under the Google umbrella), but far more users access the search site within a 24-hour period, as you'd probably expect. Without a statement from Mountain View, it's important to note that these figures are unconfirmed. Considering Google's reach, however, the claims might not be far off.

Google buys 6.3 percent stake in Google Glass display manufacturer Himax

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If the name "Himax" prompted you to shrug, then you're not alone, but it's the latest company to receive a cash injection from Eric Schmidt's checking account. The Taiwanese semiconductor firm is selling Google a 6.3 percent stake in Himax Display Technologies, a subsidiary that's most famous for making the liquid-crystal on silicon chips used to drive Google Glass' head-mounted display. The cash will be used to expand capacity at the manufacturer, which already counts Intel as an investor -- and if Google likes what it sees, the search giant has an option to buy a further 8.5 percent worth of stock within the next calendar year. It's probably too early to hope that the project will help bring the price of future Glass headsets down, but we're going to, so there.

Himax Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: HIMX) ("Himax" or "Company"), a supplier and fabless manufacturer of advanced display drivers and other semiconductor products, today announced that it has entered into an agreement ("the Agreement") with Google Inc. pursuant to which Google has agreed to invest in the Company's subsidiary, Himax Display Inc. ("HDI"). The purpose of the investment is to fund production upgrades, expand capacity and further enhance production capabilities at HDI's facilities that produce liquid crystal on silicon ("LCOS") chips and modules used in applications including head-mounted display (HMD) such as Google Glass, head-up display (HUD) and pico-projector products. Under the Agreement, Himax will also invest additional amount in HDI to fund its ongoing capacity expansion. HDI will also use a portion of the proceeds to substantially reduce its loan from Himax. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2013 subject to regulatory approvals and other closing conditions.
Under the Agreement, Google will purchase certain amount of preferred shares in HDI. Upon closing, Google will hold a 6.3% interest in HDI. Google also has an option to make additional investment of preferred shares at the same price within one year from closing. If the option is exercised in full, Google will own a total of up to 14.8% in HDI. Himax Technologies, Inc. holds 81.5% of HDI at present and will remain the major shareholder of HDI after the transaction. Google will join the core group of HDI shareholders including KPCB Holdings, Inc., Khosla Ventures I, L.P. and Intel Capital Corporation.
Google's investment in HDI will not have a dilutive effect on Himax's Nasdaq-traded shares, HIMX.
"Google is a preeminent global technology leader. We are delighted to receive this investment and to form a strategic partnership with Google," stated Jordan Wu, President and Chief Executive Officer of Himax. "Beginning the second quarter of this year, we had already begun expanding capacity to meet demand for our LCOS product line. This investment from Google further validates our commitment to developing breakthrough technologies and state-of-the-art production facilities. We look forward to leveraging this investment and our collective expertise with Google to create unique and transformational LCOS technologies for many years ahead."
Founded in 2004, Himax Display, Inc. has focused on developing commercial applications for LCOS technologies, in-house manufacturing expertise and production lines with proven, high-volume shipment track records. Over the last few years, HDI has devoted its research and development of its LCOS technology for new applications of head-mounted display and other wearable computing applications.

Chrome OS beta update brings 'immersive' mode, smarter app search and UI tweaks

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If you're running Chrome OS betas like it's not even a thing, we're pegging you as a bit of a maverick. The latest update (29.0.1537.32) rewards your non-conformity with a bevy of small, but useful new features. There's Kernel 3.8 for the Pixel and Samsung 550 users, but likely you're more interested in the new "immersive" full screen mode that hides the shelf and tool bar. Or, what about the ability to pin apps to the shells with drag and drop? There's other tricks, too, such as wallpaper sync (across all your machines), UI scaling and a smarter app launcher. For more details, click here

Android 4.3 leaks for the Nexus 4

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Is Android 4.3 coming next week? Google promises an announcement on Wednesday that could be the next generation of Android, and possibly a new Nexus too.
Google has invited press to an event next Wednesday, 24 July, in San Francisco. The event will be attended by Sundar Pichai, the head of Android since former boss Andy Rubin moved to new projects.
We've been waiting for the next Android update with bated breath. Google has traditionally announced each new Android update at the annual Google I/O developer conference in May -- but this year the conference came and went with no update announced.
Although the next big update is set to be Key Lime Pie, word on the street is that the forthcoming upgrade will be a smaller one still under the banner of current generation, Jelly Bean. Jelly Bean has taken a long time to make it onto a majority of phones, so Google probably doesn't want to announce an update that renders Jelly Bean obsolete just yet.
We're expecting the new update to be Android 4.3. Each update is showcased on Google's own bargain-tastic Nexus phones and tablets, such as the Nexus 4 blower and Google Nexus 7 slate. Recent leaks suggest that a sequel to the Nexus 7 is on the cards pretty soon, so fingers crossed.

South Korea's FTC finds Google not guilty of antitrust measures

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Google has been acquitted of the anti-competitive allegations brought to it more than two years ago by South Korean search operators NHN and Daum Communications, the Yonhap News reported today. Back in April 2011, the two firms accused the Mountain View company of having an unfair advantage by making its own search engine the default on the Android operating system. After a couple of raids and a lengthy review process, the local Fair Trade Commission has finally decided that Google didn't hurt NHN or Daum's competitive chances at all. FTC officials said that both companies presently enjoy a healthy chunk of the domestic search engine market -- NHN's portal maintains a good 70 percent share, for example -- and that users could easily download NHN and Daum apps onto their phones as alternatives. Chalk this one up as at least one victory in the search giant's seemingly never-ending battle with authorities.

Google Drive reportedly encrypting files, keeping prying eyes off of your cloud

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CNET has learned that Google may be implementing measures to keep the government (or anyone else) out of your Google Drive-stored data. Should this be true, folks concerned about their privacy -- everyone, we would hope -- might rest easier in a post-PRISM world. According to one of CNET's anonymous sources, this isn't some flight of fancy, either: A small percentage of Drive files are already protected. Of course, even such digital protection is not guaranteed to keep your files private, but it would force those who would like a peek to obtain your login credentials first. Not that Uncle Sam would ever do such a thing without legal permission, right?

Google Maps update brings new features and is now iPad-compatible

Google Maps version 2.0 rolled out Wednesday morning, almost a week after the updated Android debut. The update finally brings G. Maps to the big(ger) screen, plus a plethora of welcome features. Here are some you should keep an eye out for.

(Credit: Screenshot by Tuong Nguyen/CNET)

1. Explore
It seems like the big G is butting heads with rivals, Yelp and Foursquare with its Explore function. Instead of inputting a destination, you can pull down the touch keyboard to see the Explore panel. Explore gives you five different options of Eat, Drink, Shop, Play, and Sleep. Each Explore option will pull up related or nearby places.

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(Credit: Screenshot by Tuong Nguyen/CNET)

2. Live Traffic and Event Reports After the Waze buyout, we were hoping to see some of the social mapping app's features in the next Google Maps release. That wasn't the case; however we can see that Google is taking small steps down that path with Event Reports. Now you can be alerted to en route obstacles with live traffic information.

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(Credit: Screenshot by Tuong Nguyen/CNET)

3. Indoor Maps Just like its Android and Web counterparts, Google Maps for iPad is now useable indoors. You can view the inside of buildings (provided Maps has the submitted floor plans) and plan your trip accordingly. Although a cool feature, at first glance, it can undoubtedly be useful at major, hard-to-navigate locations, like at the airport, convention halls, or the adult maze that is IKEA.

Microsoft beware: Google Chromebooks could surge

Chromebook shipments could spike in the second half of the year. That's not good news for Microsoft, which is seeing falling laptop deliveries.

Shipments of Chromebooks based on Google's Chrome operating system will surge in the second half of this year, according to an Asia-based report.
Shipments could be "double or even triple" the number in the first half of the year, according to a report Monday in Digitimes that cites unnamed electronics component suppliers.
The report attributes the expected surge partly to "weak demand for Windows 8" and as a way for companies like Asus "to counter Microsoft's dominance."
In addition to Asus, vendors slated to boost the number of Chromebook models include Acer, Hewlett-Packard, Samsung, and Lenovo.
Acer will up its shipments by three fold, while Samsung is eying a four fold increase, the report said.
It is estimated that Chromebooks from Google, Acer and Samsung hold between 20 percent and 25 percent of the sub-$300 laptop market in the U.S., according to the report.
Though Chrome OS has been dinged in the past for not being a "full-time OS," Google's "pace of improvement"...is ambitious," said CNET reviews.
Price alone makes Chromebooks attractive. Samsungs $249 Chromebook has been a consistent bestseller on Amazon. As has Acer's $220 Chromebook.
Windows 8 laptops typically start at around $599. Overall, deliveries of Windows laptops have been falling on a quarterly basis, according to IDC and Gartner.

Google Play gets new look

Google has pressed play on a new look for Google Play, as the online store becomes more like the app on your Android phone or tablet.
The Google Play Web Store now has a handy sidebar listing categories of stuff you might want to browse and download: apps, movies, music and so on, as well as a category for devices like the Google Nexus 4 and Google Nexus 7.
Click on anything and the sidebar bounces around as the page changes. Each app or game now has larger screenshots and makes the most of the larger screen, complete with user reviews and similar apps to help you make your decision.
The home page includes a selection of personalised recommendations, a mix of apps, books and media, followed by featured content such as new releases or Disney classics.
Also on the home page are links to your wish list and gift card options.
Apps are great, aren't they? They're in everything from our tablets to our tellies these days. Who would have thought that the era of the app began just five years ago with the launch of the 2008 opening of the Apple App Store.
The Android Market followed in October 2008, and was renamed Google Play in March 2012. Check out our tribute to the app as we pick our favourite apps

Google Maps new App

A new version of Google's Maps app is hitting Android devices around the world, bringing with it an updated interface and a few handy new features. Tablet users in particular should appreciate the improvements, many of which are made with them in mind.

The update brings a visual refresh, putting the Maps apps more in line with the latest version of Android and Google Now. "Cards" with contextual information like nearby coffee shops will appear immediately when you hit the search box, and the floating interface resembles the latest desktop Maps Web app.

Local restaurants and other attractions will appear automatically based on your location and searches, and reviews from Zagat, as well as coupons and deals from Google, are built in.

Specially optimized tablet versions of the app will be downloaded if you're on an Android tablet — or an iPad, when the iOS version of the new app comes out. Users frustrated by Apple's own Maps app will likely find it a welcome alternative.

Google

Lastly, some subtractions: Latitude, Google's location-sharing service, will be phased out, as will the "make available offline" option. Don't worry, though, they've duplicated Latitude's functions (little used as they are) in Google+, and there's a new way to download maps for offline use. Just zoom out to the area you'd like to keep on your device and enter "OK Maps" into the search box. A puzzling change, but at least the feature is still there.

The new app is rolling out in Google Play over the next weeks, and an iOS version should appear soon as well. Keep an eye on your update notifications.

Google withdraws patent complaint against Apple

Google subsidiary Motorola Mobility has dropped a complaint of patent infringement against Apple without explanation.
In a brief filing with the International Trade Commission made on Monday, Motorola Mobility said it was dropping without prejudice a complaint that Apple had infringed on seven Motorola patents.
Reuters had reported in August that the two companies were in settlement talks. Telephone calls to Google on the matter were not immediately returned. Apple did not return telephone calls seeking comment.
The complaint can be re-submitted. Google did say in its filing that "there are no agreements between Motorola and Apple, written or oral, express or implied, concerning the subject matter of this investigation."
The two companies have been locked in an international patent war since 2010, as Apple has sought to limit the growth of Google's Android system. The fight has embroiled Samsung, HTCand others that use Android.
The biggest victory in the fight so far belongs to Apple. On August 24, a jury in a California federal court ordered Samsung to pay $1.05 billion in damages after finding that Samsung had copied critical features of the iPhone and iPad and could face an outright sales ban on key products.
Samsung was the top-selling mobile-phone maker in the second quarter of 2012, with Apple in third place, according to data from Gartner Inc.

Google Wants To Make Your Site Faster With Its New Tag Manager

One counterpoint to all of Google’s spring cleaning: it’s also moving ahead with launching new features. Tag Manager, out today, is aimed at help websites speed up their load times and make modifying them a little more efficient to boot, with the introduction of all-in-one coding that links up with analytics and other advertising and marketing services.
The challenge that Google is trying to fix is this: there are a lot of analytics, marketing and advertising services that websites can use today to monitor how their content is used, and to better monetize that content. But with each service comes a bit of code that needs to be incorporated into the site. Each piece of code means speaking with different third-party services, and that can slow a site down to no end. (Just look at the bottom of your screen on a slow-loading site and you can often see the passage of these different services.)
On top of that, incorporating new code for each analytics, marketing or advertising service can take up to two weeks to do.
Tag Manager aims to solve that by creating single tags that link up with all of these services in one go, meaning quicker loading times, and quicker coding turnarounds. Google has preset some services for users — predictably, those of its own AdWords, DoubleClick and Google Analytics — but it also lets users add in their own selection. Google also has started a vendor program, from today, that also gives companies the chance to create their own templates.
Features in Google Tag Manager from today point to Google aiming this not just at single developers but much larger organizations, too. They include asynchronous tag loading for faster load times, “tags can fire faster without getting in each other’s way, and without slowing down the user-visible part of the page,” Laura Holmes, Product Manager, writes in a blog post; tag templates (which really are easy to use; I’ve tried it), aimed at marketers to add tags; preview mode to test out the tags; a debug console and a version history to track your changes and revert if necessary; user permissions and multi-account functionality “to make it easy for large teams and agencies and clients to work together with appropriate levels of access.” More features are coming online soon, Holmes writes.
The service is launching globally today in English, with local-language versions coming down the line soon.
Third-parties that offer a way for sites to manage and consolidate their tagging are not new. There have been companies around since about 2007 offering such services. In fact one of the earlier movers in this space, QuBit, was founded by ex-Googlers and now has some 1,200 enterprises using its own Open Tag service. Graham Cooke, the MD of QuBit, supports the idea of Google moving into this space. “When Google Analytics emerged as a free product, it didn’t kill that space. It made it,” he explains, and he believes that with tagging services still in a relatively nascent phase, the same could happen here. “This is a revolutionary way of viewing one’s data platform, because the more you can measure, the more value you can give to your customers,” he adds.
While Google offers its Tag Manager for free, those like QuBit who offer it as a paid service will include features like SLAs and other managed service elements.

Windows Phone challenging RIM for third place in Europe

Android and iOS still dominate the smartphone markets, sharing 93% of sales in the U.S. and 83% in Europe.

Apple's iOS, Google's Android Jelly Bean and Microsoft's Windows Phone 8 are vying to be the top smartphone operating systems.

Microsoft's Windows Phone operating system is gaining on Research in Motion, a new study says, but it still has a long way to go before catching Android and iOS.
Windows Phone is vying with RIM for third place in Europe as low-end devices -- like the Nokia 610 -- drive sales in key markets such as Italy and France, according to a global smartphone sales report from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech.
But iOS and Android still make up the vast majority of sales in the region, sharing about 83% of the share in the big five European markets of Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain, the report said. Their percentage is even higher in the U.S. at about 93%.
Google's Android operating system and Apple's iOS software have grabbed the lion's share of the smartphone market, but other players are vying to gain a piece as the smartphone market continues soaring. Microsoft has been pushing its Windows Phone operating system, but it hasn't gained much traction with users. However, that could change with the introduction of its revamped operating system later this month.
Dominic Sunnebo, Kantar global consumer insight director, said it's "highly likely" that Windows Phone will overtake RIM for the No. 3 spot in Europe before the end of the year due to "the momentum Windows 8 will bring towards the end of 2012."
In the third quarter, Windows Phone had 5% market share in the five big European markets. A year ago, its share was 3.8%. RIM, by comparison, saw its market share drop to 6.4% from 12% in the year-earlier period.
In the U.S., Windows Phone was 2.7% of the market, while RIM was 1.7%.
Android, meanwhile, saw the biggest jump in Europe in the period, with its hold on the region soaring 20% to 69%. iOS slid 4.3%. In the U.S., Android retained the top position with 60% of sales, with iOS following at 34%. However, Android's percentage was down 3.3% from the previous year while iOS climbed 9%.

Apple looks to poach former Google Maps staff for iOS

After trouble with Maps, Apple is looking to bolster its staff and start improving the mapping application built into iOS 6.
(Credit: Apple)

After coming under fire for its Maps application, Apple has decided to look for some help from former Google workers.
Apple is currently trying to woo folks who worked on Google Maps, citing a source. That source claims that many of those who were contracted to help Google with its Maps application are seriously considering joining Apple, since the company offers an opportunity to create something new, rather than deliver "tedious updates" to an already established product.
Apple launched its Maps application for iOS last week with the operating system's launch. Soon after, users started complaining that the platform couldn't quite keep up with Google Maps. The application lacks key details on prominent cities, and in one instance, an entire town was in the wrong location. Users also found duplicate islands and other odd quirks.
Due to those troubles, Apple has been forced to come out and say things will get better in Maps. However, the company hasn't said when it'll deliver updates.
It's not clear if former Google workers will want to join Apple to fix up its Maps. However, TechCrunch's source claims that many of the folks who used to work on Google Maps seem willing to join Apple, and one person who did is "now paid handsomely" by the iPhone maker. Another person was recently contacted by an Apple recruiter who offered an $85,000 salary plus moving expenses to get working on the project.
Apple has not confirmed that it's actually looking to hire Google Maps workers.

Google Will Cut 20% of Motorola Workforce

Were you curious about what Google was going to do with Motorola?
The search giant is making its first major move since fully acquiring the company in May, which will be to cut about 20% of jobs at Motorola Mobility Holdings, or roughly 4,000 employees.
A “person familiar with the matter” told Bloomberg Businessweek that two-thirds of the cuts will be outside of the U.S. Google will also close one-third of Motorola’s facilities.
“Motorola is committed to helping them through this difficult transition and will be providing generous severance packages, as well as outplacement services to help people find new jobs,” Motorola Mobility said in an email statement.


Though the matter is still private, the unnamed source said the news will be announced within the coming weeks.
Google’s acquisition of Motorola was its largest ever takeover to date, for which it paid $12.5 billion. The relatively young search giant obtained Motorola’s steep patent portfolio, and made it a stronger competitor against other hardware manufacturers.

Google Search To Integrate Gmail, Launching Google Now-Like App for iOS

Google has announced that a new “field trial” of Gmail results within Google Search results, a Google Now-like app for the iPhone and the iPad is coming in a few days and the Knowledge Graph is going worldwide for English searchers.
The news came at a special press breakfast today. We’ll have individual articles on each of these items. Here are some now:]

• New: Gmail Results Embedded In Google Search Results
• Google’s Knowledge Graph Now Worldwide & Adds Carousel

My live blogging of the event is below:
I’m here at Google San Francisco, where an array of press and bloggers (about 25 of us) have been called together with only a few days notice to get an update on what’s new with Google Search. Big news to come? We’ll see. I’ll be live blogging what happens.
Google does these search events from time-to-time. Sometimes there really is no big news but only a few features combined into one event to help the company get an oomph out of search whenever it feels the need. I heard one rumor about what might come, so I am kind of expecting at least one major announcement.
Everyone is here involved with Google search. All the senior people, as well as very senior corporate communication folks. And donuts with chocolate dipping sauce. Mmm.
Anyway, it’ll all get going probably around 9:45am PT. Watch this space.
OK, Amit Singhal is up, head of Google search and welcoming us. Everyone asks him what’s new in search. He’s now explaining by telling us about how he watched Star Trek and wanted to be Captain Kirk. “The destiny of search…” is to be like the Star Trek computer. Always by your side, answering things.
First challenge is that you have to get all of the information online. So far, seen 30 trillion URLs online and on an average day crawl over 20 billion of those and Google answers 100 billion searches per month. By the way, Google hasn’t given out a number of searches they handle per month figure for ages, that I’ve seen. So nice news nugget there.
Now talking about the Knowledge Graph with 5 million things and 3.5 billion connection between those objects, it’s still a “baby step” in understanding the world of ideas the way we understand the real world.
Next step in improving search is making it universally accessible. And beyond that, to get the search of the future, need to solve incredibly hard problems like speech recognition. “And the truth is, we will have to build artificial intelligents. We’re not there yet.”
Says Google’s done a lot of baby steps that add up and brings up Shashi Takur, technical lead for the Knowledge Graph, to talk more about that.
What would it take to make a Star Trek-like computer? You need to understand real things, which means having a model of connections. Google’s Knowledge Graph is the largest collection of connections like that, and it’s still a baby step.
By the way, Google Launches Knowledge Graph To Provide Answers, Not Just Links, is our past article about what the Knowledge Graph is.
He’s doing a search for Rio and how it could be interpreted in various ways. But if you search for Rio 2011, the movie Rio shows in the Knowledge Graph in the box. One reason they can predict this is by seeing how people search and what they click on.
Now searching for Anne Hathaway. He’s saying something, but I’ll I see is Anne Hathaway in Batman. She was so good. Les Mis will be awesome, too.
It’s hard to make predictions because the same word can mean different things. Cookies in the US are called biscuits in India, and biscuits mean different things in the US. Oh, how I’ve lived that. Same issue in Britain. Ask for a biscuit, you ain’t getting a biscuit.
Now searching for “chiefs” and how there are different teams in different sports that it could be relevant to. See, this stuff is hard.
First news: tomorrow, the Knowledge Graph will expand to be worldwide, if you’re searching in English.
Jack Menzel, director of product management for the Knowledge Graph is now up. Telling how his friend wants to go to an amusement park, to Cedar Point. But it’s so far away, Jack says. But his friend says, do your research — best rollercoasters in the world.
So now doing a search for Cedar Point on Google. And he could search for each ride, but that’s time consuming. But if you search for Cedar Point, the Knowledge Graph shows a collection of rides right there. “Imagine if Google could help with this” and he shows a “knowledge carousel” that lets you flip through:

Now says his wife likes lighthouses and shows some examples of using the carousel:

Don Draper is off in the corner, ready to take over the carousel pitch and related it to memories in a moment. No news that I caught on when we get the carousel or if it’s live yet.
Now Sagar Kamdar, director of product management for universal search comes up. And he gets to the rumor I heard. There’s going to be a “field trial” of Gmail integrated into Google search. So you can search and find matches from your email in your own search results.
Demo time. He’s got a search for amazon up and talking about how he doesn’t like to shop. But his daughter wants a wagon. Does a search that brings up Gmail results on the right side, info collapsed so you can’t see it all, but apparently stuff relating to his order appears.
Some quick snaps:


Got a flight coming up? Google’s got the smarts to parse your confirmation email so a search for “my flights” will display the results:

OK, want to sign-up? You can apply here.
Scott Huffman now up, engineering director of mobile. He’s talking the challenges of understanding natural language when spoken and relating it to real world information.
Now showing latest version of Google Search for iPad and iPhone with voice-based searching. Screenshots coming, but basically, hey, it’s Siri with pictures and video (speak play the Spider-Man theme song, there it launches playing off YouTube). Or speak how much you want to add, say 2+2, and you get the answers with a calculator.


The app will be in the Apple App Store within a few days, he says.