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12 Jul>Introducing the Google+ project: Real-life sharing, rethought for the web
2 Jul>
6/28/2011 10:45:00 AM
Update: For our international readers, this post is also available in French, German, Italian,Japanese, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. – Ed.
Among the most basic of human needs is the need to connect with others. With a smile, a laugh, a whisper or a cheer, we connect with others every single day.
Today, the connections between people increasingly happen online. Yet the subtlety and substance of real-world interactions are lost in the rigidness of our online tools.
In this basic, human way, online sharing is awkward. Even broken. And we aim to fix it.
We’d like to bring the nuance and richness of real-life sharing to software. We want to make Google better by including you, your relationships, and your interests. And so begins the Google+ project:
+Circles: share what matters, with the people who matter most
Not all relationships are created equal. So in life we share one thing with college buddies, another with parents, and almost nothing with our boss. The problem is that today’s online services turn friendship into fast food—wrapping everyone in “friend” paper—and sharing really suffers:
- It’s sloppy. We only want to connect with certain people at certain times, but online we hear from everyone all the time.
- It’s scary. Every online conversation (with over 100 “friends”) is a public performance, so we often share less because of stage fright.
- It’s insensitive. We all define “friend” and “family” differently—in our own way, on our own terms—but we lose this nuance online.
In light of these shortcomings we asked ourselves, “What do people actually do?” And we didn’t have to search far for the answer. People in fact share selectively all the time—with their circles.
From close family to foodies, we found that people already use real-life circles to express themselves, and to share with precisely the right folks. So we did the only thing that made sense: we brought Circles to software. Just make a circle, add your people, and share what’s new—just like any other day:
+Sparks: strike up a conversation, about pretty much anything
Healthy obsessions inspire sharing, and we’ve all got one (or two, or three…). Maybe it’s muscle cars, or comic books, or fashion, but the attraction is always the same: it comes up in conversation, we immediately jump in, and we share back and forth with other fans. Often for hours. The trick is getting things started, and getting over that initial hump. Fortunately, the web is the ultimate icebreaker.
The web, of course, is filled with great content—from timely articles to vibrant photos to funny videos. And great content can lead to great conversations. We noticed, however, that it’s still too hard to find and share the things we care about—not without lots of work, and lots of noise. So, we built an online sharing engine called Sparks.
Thanks to Google’s web expertise, Sparks delivers a feed of highly contagious content from across the Internet. On any topic you want, in over 40 languages. Simply add your interests, and you’ll always have something to watch, read and share—with just the right circle of friends:
+Hangouts: stop by and say hello, face-to-face-to-face
Whether it’s inside a pub or on a front porch, human beings have always enjoyed hanging out. And why not? It’s how we unwind, recharge, and spend unscheduled time with old and new friends alike. Hanging out is deceptively simple though, and the nuance gets lost online.
Just think: when you walk into the pub or step onto your front porch, you’re in fact signaling to everyone around, “Hey, I’ve got some time, so feel free to stop by.” Further, it’s this unspoken understanding that puts people at ease, and encourages conversation. But today’s online communication tools (like instant messaging and video-calling) don’t understand this subtlety:
- They’re annoying, for starters. You can ping everyone that’s “available,” but you’re bound to interrupt someone’s plans.
- They’re also really awkward. When someone doesn’t respond, you don’t know if they’re just not there, or just not interested.
With Google+ we wanted to make on-screen gatherings fun, fluid and serendipitous, so we created Hangouts. By combining the casual meetup with live multi-person video, Hangouts lets you stop by when you’re free, and spend time with your Circles. Face-to-face-to-face:
+Mobile: share what’s around, right now, without any hassle
These days a phone is the perfect sharing accessory: it’s always with you, it’s always online, and it’s how we stay close with our closest friends. We didn’t want “just” a mobile experience, however, so with Google+ we focused on things (like GPS, cameras, and messaging) to make your pocket computer even more personal.
+Location, location, location
In life, the places we visit shape conversations in lots of meaningful ways. If we call John from the airport, he’ll likely ask about our trip. Or if Jane texts from a nearby restaurant, we might join her for dessert. With Google+ you can add your location to every post. (Or not. It’s always up to you.)
+Instant Upload
Getting photos off your phone is a huge pain, so most of us don’t even bother. Of course pictures are meant to be shared, not stranded, so we created Instant Upload to help you never leave a photo behind. While you’re snapping pictures, and with your permission, Google+ adds your photos to a private album in the cloud. This way they’re always available across your devices—ready to share as you see fit.
+Huddle
Coordinating with friends and family in real-time is really hard in real life. After all, everyone’s on different schedules, in different places, and plans can change at any moment. Phone calls and text messages can work in a pinch, but they’re not quite right for getting the gang together. So Google+ includes Huddle, a group messaging experience that lets everyone inside the circle know what’s going on, right this second.
Starting today Google+ is available on Android Market and the mobile web, and it’s coming soon to the App Store.
+You: putting you first, all across Google
That’s the Google+ project so far: Circles, Sparks, Hangouts and mobile. We’re beginning in Field Trial, so you may find some rough edges, and the project is by invitation only. But online sharing needs a serious re-think, so it’s time we got started. There’s just one more thing—really the only thing: You.
You and over a billion others trust Google, and we don’t take this lightly. In fact we’ve focused on the user for over a decade: liberating data, working for an open Internet, and respecting people’s freedom to be who they want to be. We realize, however, that Google+ is a different kind of project, requiring a different kind of focus—on you. That’s why we’re giving you more ways to stay private or go public; more meaningful choices around your friends and your data; and more ways to let us know how we’re doing. All across Google.
When your invite arrives we hope you’ll join the project. But it’s entirely up to +You.
LG Optimus Pad-Review
7 FebThe new LG Optimus Pad is an upcoming large 8.9-inch multi-touch display tablet running the latest Android OS (Honeycomb) .It will be a 3D-capable display with 1280 x 768 resolution .LG Optimus Pad will be powered by the dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 processor.It will also feature three camera , one at the front and two at the rear for 3D effects .The new LG Tablet will be powered by the huge 6,400mAh battery.
The key competitors of the new LG Optimus Pad tablet will be upcoming Apple iPad 2 and Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 .
LG Optimus Pad tabet key expected specifications :
- 8.9 inch, 3D-capable multi-touch display , 1280 x 768 pixels resolution
- front-facing camera for video-calling
- Dual rear cameras for 3D effects , dual LED flash
- dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 processor
- 6,400mAh battery
- 32GB of internal memory
- High speed 3G HSPA connectivity
- Wireless LAN Wi-Fi
- Full-HD video playback
- 3D games support
- HDMI output
- Multi-format music player
- Video player
- Bluetooth
- miniUSB
Samsung Galaxy Tab-Reviews
7 FebThe new Samsung Galaxy Tab is a 7-inch Multi-touch display tablet running the latest Android OS v2.2 . It is a compact communication and entertainment device that can slip in to your pocket and is always connected, lightweight and smart.
It features high speed 3G connectivity,Wireless LAN Wi-Fi, and the latest Bluetooth v3.0 . The new Samsung Galaxy Tab sports a large 4000 mAh battery and is powered by a Cortex A8 1.0GHz application processor.You can do video calling with the 1.3 mega-pixel front camera and capture pictures with 3 mega-pixel rear Camera .
Samsung Galaxy Tab Vs Apple iPad
Samsung Galaxy Tab tablet has to compete with the 9.7-inch Apple iPad which is also in the same price range .Samsung Galaxy tab price in India (now) is around Rs.7,000 less than the entry level Apple iPad (WiFi + 3G version) .Samsung Galaxy tab price in India is Rs.27,900 whereas the Apple iPad Price in India(3G+WiFi) is Rs.34,900 (16GB) .
Samsung Galaxy Tab tablet advantages over Apple iPad Tablet :
- More Portable – Samsung Galaxy Tab can be kept in pocket whereas Apple iPad can not be due to its large display size .
- Multi-tasking – Samsung Galaxy Tab supports multi-tasking but iPad does not .
- Dual Camera – Samsung Galaxy Tab sports Dual Camera (front & rear) , iPad does not have camera
- Phone – Samsung Galaxy Tab can be used as a phone whereas iPad can not be .
- Bluetooth – Samsung Galaxy Tab has latest Bluetooth v3 module , iPad supports v2.1 only
- Weight – Samsung Galaxy Tab is lighter (380gm) , iPad is 0.73kg (3G model)
- Samsung Galaxy Tab is officially launched in India ,
iPad is not , you can only buy it from sites like ebay or from abroadiPad is also now launched officially in India .
Samsung Galaxy Tab tablet disadvantages over Apple iPad Tablet :
- Smaller Display (view) size
- Lesser display resolution
- Android UI is not as tuned as the iOS UI
- Android Market need more time to compete with the Apple App Store
Samsung Galaxy Tab tablet specifications :
- Network :
- GSM/GPRS/EDGE
- 3G HSDPA,HSUPA
- OS : Android 2.2 , upgradeable to next version of Android
- Display : 7-inch WSVGA (1024×600) multi-touch screen
- Weight : 385 gm
- Apps : Android Market
- Social Hub : Integrates SNS , email,IM and Calendar accounts,Integrated Calendar (Google/Facebook/Outlook)
- Android Samsung UI : Multiple Homescreens
- Hybrid Widgets
- Processor : 1GHz Cortex A8 processor
- Battery : 4000mAh
- Talk Time : upto 38 hours(2G), upto 17.5 hours (3G), upto 280 min (VT Call)
- Standby : upto 28 days (2G), upto 25 days (3G)
- Camera : 3 mega-pixel auto-focus camera with LED flash , 1.3 MP front camera
- Connectivity :
- WiFi a/b/g/n
- Bluetooth v3.0
- WAP
- USB Ports : 2
- TV-output : HDMI, Composite
- Navigation
- GPS with A-GPS
- Map My India, Turn by Turn Navigation
- Video Video player
- Full HD Video Player(1080p)
- Video recording : Recorder(720 x 480) @ 30fps
- Multi Video Format Support : Without Encoding (WMV, MPEG4, DIVX, XVID, H.263, H.264)
- Music
- 3.5mm Audio jack
- Speaker
- Music Player : MP3, AAC, OGG, WMA, AMR-NB/WB, FLAC, WAV, AC3, MIDI, RTTTL/RTX, OTA, i-Melody, SP-MIDI
- FM Radio with RDS
- Memory : 16GB + MicroSD (up to 32GB)
- Android Browser : Flash Player 10.1 support,RSS reader
- Integrated Email : GMail,MS Exchange Active Sync
- Navigation :Google Maps,Latitude,Places,Google Maps Navigation
- eReading : Newspaper,Book,magazine
Samsung Galaxy Tab Price in India
Samsung Galaxy Tab Price in India : The new Samsung Galaxy Tab tablet is available in India at price of Rs.27,900 .
Buy Samsung Galaxy Tab and get Free Stereo Bluetooth headset ,special diary case for the tablet , 2GB memory card with MapMyIndia application , and 3-Idiots movie DVD .
Samsung Galaxy Tab Offers with various network operators in India :
Samsung has announced various data packages that Galaxy Tab buyers will get in India depending on their telecom operators. The telecom operators include Aircel, Airtel, Tata Docomo, Vodafone and Reliance Mobile.
- Samsung Galaxy Tab Airtel Offer
- 2GB free data usage @ Rs. 300 per month for 6 months
- For activation customers will have to SMS “SAMSUNG” to 543210 from their Airtel numbe
- Samsung Galaxy Tab Aircel Offer
- 3 GB free per month for 3 months for Prepaid users
- 1 GB free per month for 6 months for postpaid users
- For activation: Prepaid Customers SMS “SMART PI” to 54343. Post –Paid customers visit Aircel COCO store with original TAB bill
- Samsung Galaxy Tab Reliance Mobile Offer
- 5 GB Free Data usage per month for 6 months on Reliance network
- For Activation: Visit any Reliance World/Reliance Mobile store outlet or call Customer care on 3033 3333 or from Reliance mobile phone – *333
- Samsung Galaxy Tab TATA Docomo Offer
- 3GB Free data per month for 6 months on Tata Docomo network
- For Activation: SMS “Bun TAB” to 141
- Samsung Galaxy Tab Vodafone Offer
- 2GB data @ Rs. 99 per month for Prepaid users
- 2GB data @ Rs. 199 per month for Post –paid users
- For Activation: SMS “STAB” to 111 ( Toll Free) from Vodafone number
Samsung Galaxy Tab Accessories Price List
- Detachable Travel charger – Rs.1,899
- Car Charger – Rs.1,899
- Desktop Dock – Rs.2,099
- Keyboard Dock – Rs.3,749
- Diary Case – Rs.1,999
- USB Cable – Rs.899
- TV out cable – Rs.899
- Headset – Rs.799
- C-Type Stylus pen – Rs.899
- Pouch (Dark brown) – Rs.1,749
- Pouch (Camel) – Rs.1,749
- Car Mount – Rs.2,849
- Portable Speaker – Rs.1,299
Black money list revealed
4 FebAfter two years of debates and controversies the list of eighteen Indians who have stashed ‘black money’ in the LGT bank of Liechtenstein is out.
The list which was officially handed over to the Indian Government on March 18, 2009 includes 12 trusts and 26 beneficiaries.
The list that Germany shared with India had 12 trusts out of which four belong to Indians. The beneficiaries are
1. Manoj Dhupelia
2. Rupal Dhupelia
3. Mohan Dhupelia
4. Hasmukh Gandhi
5. Chintan Gandhi
6. Dilip Mehta
7. Arun Mehta
8. Arun Kochar
9. Gunwanti Mehta
10. Rajnikant Mehta
11. Prabodh Mehta
12. Ashok Jaipuria
13. Raj Foundation
14. Urvashi Foundation
15. Ambrunova Trust
According to CNN IBN, the amounts in the twelve accounts totals nearly to Rs 52 Crores.
The list has been leaked out of various media houses across the country. However, experts are of the view that this could be a plant – while the real account holders are some where out there.
multi-user Web browser for iPad
3 FebThe iPad could arguably be described as the ultimate in couch computing. The problem is that as a couch computer, its single user operating system means that everyone has to use the same account. When the next person logs into their Gmail or Facebook, you have to log the previous user out, essentially creating an annoying cycle of logging in and out, as the iPad skips between multiple users. Now, some apps already have a user account-type system, games often support several players or logins, but for the most part the iPad is likely going to be used to consume Web content.
Continuing our iOS browser series, in steps Switch (not to be confused with our adopted mother, Switched), the iPad browser with multiple user accounts. This simple, yet elegant solution simply provides you with a series of user accounts, complete with a cutesy avatar or picture of your choice, when you fire up the app. Tapping on your user account takes you into a separate browsing session with your own bookmarks, history, cookies, cache, and most importantly, logged in Web accounts. If you don’t trust your friends and family to keep their nose out of your business, each Switch user account can be password protected. There’s also a nice temporary Guest account feature to cater for visiting friends, which wipes their browsing data once they exit.
Function
In day-to-day operations, Switch functions just like Mobile Safari. It’s a skin over the top of the Webkit underpinnings of Mobile Safari after all, and doesn’t try to re-invent the wheel. In fact to the untrained eye the two look very similar indeed. But Switch actually takes up marginally less screen real-estate than Apple’s stock browser, forgoing the site title above the address bar, which is permanently present at the top of the screen. Tabs are handled in exactly the same way too — no desktop orientated tab bar here — with bookmarks and history accessible via a drop down menus. Tapping on either the search box or the address bar expands it for text entry, complete with history suggestions using both URL and page titles. There’s also a settings icon to the right of the search box, which brings down a menu for changing your Switch user account details. To the right of that again, the last icon on the toolbar, appears a rather unfamiliar icon in the shape of an infinity sign of sorts. It’s the Switch button, which allows you to change users on the fly, taking you back to the landing page that you’re presented with when you first enter the app.
Verdict
Switch is a nice idea — it combines a minimal, simple, yet fully functional interface into a solution you can’t get with the stock iPad browser. There are issues however; bookmarks need to be made manually, there’s no syncing from the desktop here. Settings are also few and far between; in fact apart from the Switch user account name, password and avatar, there’s no settings visible to speak of. But the killer blow, at least for me, is how much Switch crashes to the iOS home screen. From BBC News, Facebook, and Twitter, to Download Squad, and the rest of my usual browsing habits, Mobile Safari copes with ease. The last time I experienced infuriating crashes like that was on an iPhone 3G running iOS 3.0. Hopefully an update will be released to remedy the crashes, because Switch really does help with the family couch surfer scenario, but until then I can’t recommend it.
PERFECT Web Browser for iPad
3 FebThe Holiday season is almost over, but the hunt for the perfect iOS browser is still in full swing. On the chopping block today we’ve got PERFECT Web Browser for the iPad. With a name like that you might be setting yourself up for a fall, but judging by the numerous five-star App Store reviews, we just might have a Mobile Safari-beater on our hands here. Read on to find out how PERFECT fared.
Features
PERFECT takes a pretty feature-packed desktop approach to browsing on the iPad. It’s got a traditional tab bar, multi-touch gestures, caching, in-page text searching, full screen browsing, and private mode — for off-the-record browsing. AirPrint support is also included, something we’ve seen roll out to almost every content displaying app in the past few months, and matches Mobile Safari if you happen to have an AirPrint supported printer. Browser user-agent spoofing is also available, and PERFECT gives you a choice of seven desktop browsers; Safari on Mac, Firefox 3.6, Internet Explorer 6, 7 and 8, Opera 10.5, and Google Chrome. PERFECT also allows you to identify it as just Mobile Safari, Safari on the iPad, or Safari on the iPhone, should you want to check out mobile sites specific to one device or the other.
Offline saving of Web pages is also available, for those times when you want to view something in a signal dead-zone; however these days I’m more inclined to use a dedicated Web clipping service like Instapaper or Read It Later for that kind of thing. You can upload your bookmarks from a computer into PERFECT, but unfortunately like every other iOS browser I’ve tested you can’t sync your bookmarks with Mobile Safari. It’s probably something Apple just simply won’t allow, but considering you can’t get real desktop bookmark syncing in any of these third-party browsers, Mobile Safari bookmark syncing is really needed.
Carrying on with the theme of a desktop browsing experience, PERFECT has a traditional scroll bar, which you can tap to jump down the page like you would on a desktop. You can of course flick a single finger to scroll or use the scroll buttons, but should you be browsing a rather long site the scroll bar can come in handy. Full screen browsing is available with an option to remove the standard iOS status bar too, giving you maximum screen real estate. VGA output is also supported by PERFECT, and while I don’t have the facility to test it myself, I am assured that it works well. There’s even an online user manual — should you need a hand getting to grips with all the functions — which is provided as a default bookmark and part of the Help menu.
Function
For the most part, everything works as you would expect. The tab bar operates like that found on Safari for OS X, with a ‘+’ allowing you to open a new tab, and tab switching done by simply tapping them. The only thing missing is drag-and-drop tab rearrangement, but I have yet to see that on any iOS browser. In-page text search also works like that found in desktop browsers like Chrome, highlighting any matching words in the page. Unfortunately you can’t jump between search results in the page, but they’re easy enough to spot as you scroll. I also like the way you can completely hide the UI, as PERFECT uses a little arrow for hiding and showing the navigation tool bar that mimics the way Microsoft has implemented ribbon hiding in Office. The tab bar can also be hidden with a tap,and combined with the ability to hide the iOS status bar gives you quite a lot of extra browsing real estate. I’m a bit of a stickler for minimal or hideable UI, and PERFECT’s solution works well. The bookmark management in PERFECT is also as good as you’re likely to find on iOS, with folder creation, bookmark rearrangement and renaming all available.
PERFECT comes packing fantastic multi-touch gesture support — which actually works. You can use the standard single finger tap and drag to navigate about the page, but two, three, and four finger gestures are also available. You can use two finger scrolling to scroll within frames, something that even on a desktop can get really annoying. Three finger swipes for back and forward act the same as they do on a Mac laptop, making browsing back and forward in history an absolute breeze. Finally, four finger taps take you out of full screen browsing, while a five finger tap, or four fingers and one thumb, brings up the bookmarks menu.
PERFECT Web Browser for iPad
Verdict
PERFECT Web Browser for the iPad isn’t perfect as the name might suggest. It’s missing true bookmarks sync, any form of download manager, drag-and-drop tab rearrangement, and search jumping. Those shortcomings aside, PERFECT is as about as good as can be expected on iOS. In fact, with great gesture support, good full screen mode and UI hiding, and sped-up page rendering using caching, PERFECT is a very good alternative browser. It’s probably the first time I’ve thought that the browsing experience is actually better than Mobile Safari and it hasn’t crashed in use, regardless of how heavy a site I threw at it.
If some sort of download manager was implemented (with support for Dropbox or something similar) the in-page text search was beefed up a bit, and they found some way to properly sync bookmarks with your desktop, Xmarks integration perhaps, PERFECT Web Browser would be just that. Perfect or not, PERFECT is probably the best third-party iOS browser available today. So if you’re looking for something more akin to your desktop browsing experience, PERFECT is definitely worth considering.
PERFECT Web Browser for iPad [iTunes] – $2.99
PERFECT Web Browser for iPhone (Untested) [iTunes] – $0.99
Mac App Store now live as part of Mac OS X 10.6.6 Mac App Store now live as part of Mac OS X 10.6.6
3 FebMac OS X 10.6.6 has been made available for download, and it should be waiting for you right now in Software Update. Once you install 10.6.6, the Mac App Store, in all its glory, will reveal itself to you. Apple’s launching the Mac App Store with over 1,000 apps today, but we expect to see this grow over the next few months as developers sign on.
Unfortunately, downloading the 148MB update is the only way to get the glossy new Mac App Store, packed with apps like the iLife and iWork suites, Aperture 3, and yes, Angry Birds (which just days ago arrived on Windows as well). Of course, we’re downloading now and will be getting some serious hands on time with the new Apple app market in the coming days.
AT&T to release Motorola Atrix 4G on March 6th, pre-sales February 13th; $199.99
3 Feb
According to the Wall Street Journal, AT&T will be releasing its flagship Android device — the Motorola Atrix 4G — on March 6th, with pre-orders beginning on February 13th. The company directly cites AT&T as the source of its information and goes on to note that the device will retail for $199.99 on-contract (just north of the $149.99 we had hoped for). The report also states that Ma’ Bell will be bundling the handset with that snazzy laptop-dock for $499.99; the laptop will also sell for $499.99 when purchased separately. There you have it. AT&T’s first, legitimate flagship Android device. Now… who’s buying one?
Apple’s softened “water damage” policy gains notice
3 Feb
Quite a buzz has appeared recently about Apple’s updated water damage policies. These policies actually came to light several months ago due to some clever sleuthing on the part of Boy Genius Report, which we posted on at the time. The same policies may even have gone into effect in Europe several months earlier than that.
iPhone and iPod immersion sensors have long been notoriously unreliable. Despite insider claims that the indicators will not change color unless a device has been submerged for 90 seconds, consumers have encountered triggered sensors due to ambient moisture, sweaty palms, temperature extremes and (our favorite) using your iOS device as an ocarina.
The revised policies added a visual inspection for physical signs of water damage to the existing sensor color change, likely because of class action lawsuits that state, in part, that “As a result of Apple’s improper application of the Liquid-Damage Exclusion, Apple sells [devices] with the intent to exclude them from the warranty coverage Apple promises consumers it will provide — even when consumers pay extra for Extended Warranty coverage — simply because their Liquid Submersion Indicator has been triggered, without any attempt by Apple to verify whether the Class Devices actually have been damaged as a result of submersion or immersion in liquid.” The policy revision may also have come about because Apple has begun to mistrust the reliability of the sensors.
So while this isn’t exactly news (despite recent wide coverage), it’s a good thing for consumers to know about. If a technician suggests your unit suffers from water damage, and you know that it has not been submerged, caught in the rain, sent through the wash or similar, make sure you insist on that secondary inspection. Have them check the internal device indicators as well as the external ones, for units where that makes sense.
There’s a big difference between a drop of sweat and a dunk in the swimming pool. It’s good to see that Apple now recognizes that difference.
techie talks 
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