Tag Archives: Google Search

Google intros Nexus 4 smartphone, Nexus 10 tablet running the updated Android Jelly Bean 4.2

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On the same day that Microsoft launched Windows Phone 8 and detailed a hardware lineup, Google decided to announce new hardware along with a new version Android.

Google leaves it up to many third party smartphone manufacturers to develop devices to run Android. Once in a while, however, the search engine likes to inject its own cream into the crop with devices branded Nexus. The next smartphone featuring vanilla Android is the Nexus 4 and it’s a collaboration between Google and LG this time. Here are the hard specs: 4.7-inch WXGA True HD IPS Plus display (1280 x 768 resolution, 320ppi) with Corning Gorilla Glass 2 protection; Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor; 2GB RAM; 8 megapixel rear camera with 1080p video recording and 1.3 megapixel front camera; 2,100mAh battery promising 15.3 hours talk time and 390 hours of standby; 8GB and 16GB storage capacities; WiFi 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth; supports NFC and wireless charging; ports include Micro USB, SlimPort HDMI, and 3.5mm headphone jack; it’s 9.1mm thin and weighs 139g; and it supports 3G (WCDMA) and HSPA+ networks. The Nexus 4 comes loaded with the latest version of Android (Jelly Bean 4.2) and it releases November 13 at $299 (8GB) and $349 (16GB); it will be sold as an unlocked device at those prices in the Google Play store. Buy the 16GB model from T-Mobile with a new two-year contract and you can get it for a more affordable $199. On launch day it will be available in the US, UK, Canada, Germany, France, Spain and Australia and it’ll start to roll out to Europe, Central/South Americas, Asia, CIS and the Middle East beginning in late November.

Google is already in the tablet game with the Nexus 7, and today they’ve decided to up their game with an even larger slate to directly compete with Apple’s iPad. A collaboration with Samsung, the Nexus 10 packs–you guessed it–a 10.055-inch WQXGA display with an incredible 2560 x 1600 resolution (300 ppi) and Corning Gorilla Glass 2 coat of protection. Other specs include: dual-core Cortex A15-based 1.7GHz Samsung Exynos 5250 processor; Mali T604 GPU; 2GB RAM; 5 megapixel rear camera and 1.9 megapixel front camera; front-facing stereo speakers; 9000 mAh battery promising 9 hours of continuous video playback and 500 hours of standby; 16GB and 32GB storage capacities; WiFi 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth; supports NFC; ports include Micro USB, Magnetic Pogo pin charger, Micro HDMI, and 3.5mm headphone jack; and it’s 8.9mm thin and weighs 603g. The Nexus 10 too comes preinstalled with Jelly Bean 4.2 and it releases November 13 at $399 (8GB) and $499 (16GB); these slates are WiFi-only.

Google’s original Nexus 7 slate is seeing an update. The 8GB model is no longer offered; in its place are 16GB ($199) and 32GB ($249) flavors. Available today are those WiFi-only models, and come November 13 a 32GB model with WiFi and HSPA+ data (with AT&T and T-Mobile in the US) will sell for $299.

In addition to announcing a new smartphone and tablet, Google injected new life into Android with the latest version of Jelly Bean 4.2. Photo Sphere allows you to take pictures in every direction and stitch them together for immersive panoramic images; Gesture Typing brings Swype-like interaction to the virtual keyboard; support for multiple user accounts gives your friends and family their own personal spaces on a single device (this feature is limited to tablets only running v4.2); Daydream allows you to personalize your screensaver with photos and news; and Google Now and Google Search have been updated with more cards and an enhanced interface, respectively. For more, click the source link below. (Update: The Google Search app for iOS has been updated with improved voice search that rivals Siri. Download here, video demo after the break.)

And just like that, Google has their very own lineup of Android-powered Nexus devices in three different sizes. Get a closer look at the Nexus 4 phone and Nexus 10 tablet in the galleries embedded above; after the break there’s video.

[Via Google 1, 2] Continue reading Google intros Nexus 4 smartphone, Nexus 10 tablet running the updated Android Jelly Bean 4.2 →

Google introduces the Knowledge Graph, makes search even smarter

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Last month Google started rolling out their next evolution in search and they call it the Knowledge Graph. Here’s how they describe it:

The Knowledge Graph enables you to search for things, people or places that Google knows about—landmarks, celebrities, cities, sports teams, buildings, geographical features, movies, celestial objects, works of art and more—and instantly get information that’s relevant to your query. This is a critical first step towards building the next generation of search, which taps into the collective intelligence of the web and understands the world a bit more like people do.

Go to Google and search “Tom Cruise.” In addition to the typical results (links to his official website, Wikipedia and IMDb pages), you will surely notice the Knowledge Graph to the right. Google’s search engine now aims to understand your query and pull together relevant information for you to easily glance at. You’ll see an image of the actor, along with a brief description borrowed from Wikipedia including date of birth, his spouse, children, and a list of the movies he’s been in. Underneath all that you’ll find a “people also search for” section that serves as a recommendation hub for further research.

To reiterate, the Knowledge Graph will provide information based on your query. For example, if you search “Empire State Building” you can quickly glance to the right to find relavant information such as the height of the building and architectural styles.

It may not seem like a giant leap in the evolution of search on paper, but the more you take advantage of Google’s new offering you’ll come to notice that the Knowledge Graph does come in handy and marks a step in the right direction for intuitive search. Google explains it all in a video embedded after the break.

[Via Google] Continue reading Google introduces the Knowledge Graph, makes search even smarter →

Google intros Voice Search & Search by Image

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I’m sure you noticed the new microphone icon that sits in the far right corner of the Google search box. Click it and now you can speak your search! Google hopes that this new feature will be useful for hard-to-spell and complex searches. Voice Search is rolling out now on google.com in English; if you don’t see it yet you should soon.

When you head over to Google Images, a new camera icon replaces the microphone in the search box. Click it to upload any picture from your computer or paste in an image URL from the web and Google will try to figure out what it is and provide relevant results. For example, if you upload an old vacation photo Google will try to pick out and identify landmarks and then instantly provide other images and relevant websites pertaining to the landmark. Give it a try at images.google.com. The new feature is being rolled out now globally in 40 languages.

Note that these new features require the Chrome browser to work. Search by Image, however, can be used inside Firefox if you download the appropriate extension available here. Demonstration videos sit after the break.

[Via GoogleBlog] Continue reading Google intros Voice Search & Search by Image →

Google wants you to ‘like’ search results using new feature called “+1s” (also, Kansas City gets ultra high-speed network)

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So you know how you can ‘like’ websites, in the same way you can ‘like’ a friend’s status update on Facebook? Well Google wants a slice of the social recommendation pie, and they’re doing that by introducing a new Google Search feature called +1s. El Goog describes it as “the digital shorthand for “this is pretty cool.”” If you understand the ‘like’ concept invented by Facebook, you’ll immediately get what Google is going for with +1. When you tap the new +1 button, which is located at the end of every search result right next to the Instant Preview magnifying glass icon, you are instantly recommending that site to friends and the public at large. Need a concrete example to fully comprehend what’s going on here? Google explains…

“Say, for example, you’re planning a winter trip to Tahoe, Calif. When you do a search, you may now see a +1 from your slalom-skiing aunt next to the result for a lodge in the area. Or if you’re looking for a new pasta recipe, we’ll show you +1’s from your culinary genius college roommate. And even if none of your friends are baristas or caffeine addicts, we may still show you how many people across the web have +1’d your local coffee shop. … The beauty of +1’s is their relevance—you get the right recommendations (because they come from people who matter to you), at the right time (when you are actually looking for information about that topic) and in the right format (your search results).”

Currently the search giant requires you to be logged into a Google Account to see the +1 results. The new feature will already rolling out to English Google search results and ads. Once you see them appear, start +1-ing and let the great social search experiment begin!

In related Google news, the company has selected Kansas City, Kansas to be the inaugural recipient of the fiber-based ultra high-speed 1 gigabit broadband network. Back in February of last year Google began a country-wide search looking for a U.S. to use as a test subject for its broadband network installation plans. The mayor of Topeka, Kansas went so far as legally changing the name of the town to “Google” for the entire month of April to gain the attention of the company; but in the end, Google selected Kansas City and things are about to get blazingly fast there. But don’t fret, towns that didn’t get selected. Google assures everyone that “today is the start, not the end of the project. And over the coming months, we’ll be talking to other interested cities about the possibility of us bringing ultra high-speed broadband to their communities.”

Look after the break to watch videos summing up the +1 and Kansas City news bites.

[Via GoogleBlog 1, 2] Continue reading Google wants you to ‘like’ search results using new feature called “+1s” (also, Kansas City gets ultra high-speed network) →

How the world searched, tweeted, and YouTube’d in 2010

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Ah 2010, what a year it has been.  What’s the best way to find out what was on everyone’s minds over the course of the past year?  By looking at the top Google searches, top Twitter trends, and most watched YouTube videos, duh!  The search giant has gone all out this year with their public Google Zeitgeist 2010.  What were this year’s hottest search terms?  Well, just look in the bar graph above!  The creepy video chat service Chatroulette took the top prize as the fastest rising query, and the rest of the list includes celebrities Justin Bieber, Nicki Minaj, Katy Perry, Apple’s iPad, game portals Friv and GameZer, ringtone maker Myxer, and social networking sites Facebook and Twitter.  Click here to browse the entire Google Zeitgeist report.  Search terms are categorized subject matter and region, and Google also put together some snazzy interactive maps to support the data analytics.

Look after the break to learn about the most popular Twitter trends and the most watched YouTube videos of 2010. Continue reading How the world searched, tweeted, and YouTube’d in 2010 →

Google adds Instant Previews to Instant results

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By now you should all be well acquainted with Google Instant.  When you start typing your keyword into the search bar you are immediately provided with results for the most likely search given what you have already typed.  Google is adding “visual search results” to the mix and they’re calling it Instant Previews.  After you type in a keyword and Instant gives you a list of results, now you can hover your mouse over a given link and you’ll see a small visual preview of the website before you click into it.  In addition to these quick glances, you are also provided with orange-tinted text call outs that highlight where your search terms appear on the website.  It’s all about making the search experience more intuitive; the combined force of Instant and Instant Previews will help you find what you’re looking for in a quick and easy manner.  To enable Instant Previews, click on the small blue magnifying glass located next to the title of a search result.  After this initial click, Previews will remain on and you can simply hover over any other search result to sneak a preview of a website before entering it.  Click the magnifying glass again to disable the feature.  Like I always say, happy browsing!  Video demonstration after the break.

[Via GoogleBlog] Continue reading Google adds Instant Previews to Instant results →

Google Instant: search “faster than the speed of type”

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Today Google announced a new, innovative, groundbreaking feature for Search.  Google Instant is predictive search; in other words, when you start typing a query into the Google Search bar, you will immediately be provided with results for the most likely search given what you have already typed.  This is extremely smart and intuitive.  Here’s an example.  If you type the letter “w”, Search will instantly predict the rest of the query–in this case, “eather” appears in gray letters because Search guesses you are going to type the word “weather”.  And since Search now has a predicted word to work with, results for “weather” will appear below the Search bar.  Results include websites, images, and local weather reports–the standard fare when searching such a query.  By typing a single letter, you can glance and scroll through search results, pretty extrodinary.  There’s no need to hit enter or select the Google search button.  Google calls it “search-before-you-type.”  In addition to the predictions, Google is also touting dynamic results and scroll to search.  The former feature is one you’re used to already;  as you type a query Search displays relevant results in a drop down menu directly below the Search bar.  As you move up and down this list highlighting various queries, Search will now provide you with results pertaining to the highlighted query in real time.

Google shares some interesting facts pertaining to the amount of time that is spend using search and how Google Instant will change all that.

  • Before Google Instant, the typical searcher took more than 9 seconds to enter a search term, and we saw many examples of searches that took 30-90 seconds to type.
  • Using Google Instant can save 2-5 seconds per search.
  • If everyone uses Google Instant globally, we estimate this will save more than 3.5 billion seconds a day. That’s 11 hours saved every second.

Google Instant is currently being rolled out to Google domains in the US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Russia.  It is compatable with the following browsers:  Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Internet Explorer 8.  “Over the coming weeks and months” Instant will become “the core search experience” to users worldwide.  If you live in the US and have a Google account, sign in and you will be granted access to Instant.  Or click the try it now button here to go for a test run.  Once Instant becomes the standard and you’re not feeling it, you can disable it in Preferences.  Instant will make its way to mobile and the Chrome URL/Google search bar in the near future.  Look after the break for a Google Instant Q&A plus some introductory videos.

[Via GoogleBlog; Google Instant] Continue reading Google Instant: search “faster than the speed of type” →

Google search gets a new look & feel

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So have you noticed something different about Google lately?  This past week Google rolled out a new look and some welcome features to their search platform.  Least significant but still noticable is the refreshed Google logo on the home page; it’s definitely more colorful, isn’t it?  Moving right along.. Google has added a “contextually relevant, left-hand navigation” panel to the search results page.  Now whenever you search a keyword, a navigation panel reveals itself to help refine your query.  There’s three parts to the panel.  First there’s Universal Search; “the top section suggests the most relevant genres of results for your query and lets you seamlessly switch to these different types of results.”  Everything is selected be default, but you have the option to switch the search feed depending on the type of information you’re looking for about the query.  For example, if you search “wind power”, Google automatically does a normal search for the term, but now it also helps you find that term within other relevent places such as news, blogs, images, and books.  Next there’s Search Options; this “enables you to get a different view of your results” by sorting search results by time, timelines, “wonder wheels”, image previews and more.  Lastly there’s Google Squared; this addition utilizes Google’s “Something different” feature which “helps you find and compare entities” by offering other related topics to search.  All of these new parts are built right into the left-hand navigation panel.  Welcome to the modern age of Google search.  Look after the break for a brief video rundown of the new features described here.

[Via GoogleBlog] Continue reading Google search gets a new look & feel →

Google is refreshing its search interface, give it a try

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Looks like Google is finally giving its first-born a refresh.  At an unspecified date the main Google page and its search options will change in appearence.  The interface promises to be cleaner, bolder, and and more accessable.  Right now Google is testing out the new search features on random people.  You haven’t been invited to the party?  That’s OK, I’ve got the ticket to sneak you in the back entrance.  It’s all after the break.

 

[Via Gizmodo, here, here & here; SearchEngineLand]

Continue reading Google is refreshing its search interface, give it a try →