Google launches Delhi Public Transport Offline App

Recognizing the importance of public transport as an important means of travel in Delhi, Google India today announced the launch of the Delhi Public Transport App, a unique app which makes it easier for Delhi residents to get around on public transport. The new experimental app will help users get transit directions easily even when the connection is slow and data is difficult to access.

Delhi Public Transport app makes the direction and time table information for Delhi Metro and buses available offline, to help users get information about directions between bus stops and metro routes even when they don’t have any net connection. Once the app is downloaded, it uses no data for directions’ queries or timetables, even if the phone is online. A small amount of data is used for news alerts (if online, roughly 1 KB each, about once a day) and user-optional feedback (up to 100 KB per feedback report).

India is one of the biggest growth countries in terms of Google Maps usage and with this app, Google aims to better serve the needs of public transport riders in the New Delhi area and make it an everyday choice for the public transport riders in Delhi.

The Delhi Transport app of 1MB size will help the users with information on public transport and is available for Android users from the Google Play store. The app will use the same Transit  data  for DMRC metro, DTC buses, DIMTS (Orange) buses, and Gurgaon Rapid Metro as that found on Google maps and  available offline for the users.

Around 2.60 million people travel by Delhi metro these days according to the latest ridership data. This app will help Delhi citizens plan their travel better and save time to reach their destination.

Moreover, the app users can also give feedback to the Google maps team by going on the button at the top of the app and the feedback will be incorporated into the future versions of this app and for Google Maps itself. The app also includes a “share” button, which will generate a link that can be sent to friends via e.g. WhatsApp – through which the app can be downloaded directly even without a Google Play Store account.

Read the rest of this entry

Google to Mentor the Top 5 Shortlisted Teams announced by MyGov

MyGov today announced the final shortlisted top five teams to build the official mobile app for India’s Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). This contest, initiated by MyGov and Google in March, is a first of its kind crowdsourcing effort to build a mobile app for a public office. One app out of the five will be chosen as the official app of the PMO.

In Phase 1 of the contest, MyGov had invited ideas for the mobile app. Based on over 50,000 ideas received, MyGov prepared an app blueprint for developers, who could register as teams to build and submit mockups. In Phase 2, more than 110 mockups were received, and ten were shortlisted. A Jury of eminent professionals and government representatives chose five teams to build the app on the basis of detailed presentations.

The shortlisted teams represent the breadth and diversity of talent in India. They come from across the country – two from Chennai, two from NCR and one from Pune – and from a wide range of backgrounds – two of the teams are led by students, while one of the teams is led by a female entrepreneur.

The shortlisted teams will now be mentored for the next six weeks by Google engineers, who will help them develop a world class app based on the latest design and Android technologies.

Speaking on the occasion, Chetan Krishnaswamy, Country Head Public Policy, Google India said, “As increasing number of Indians get online with their smartphones, we’re delighted to be working MyGov in an effort to build a world class mobile App for the citizens to connect with the Prime Minister's Office. Easy access to information and empowering citizens with the benefits of Internet are a big part Prime Minister Modi’s “Digital India” initiative, and this app is one step in that direction.”

Gaurav Dwivedi, CEO MyGov said “With the short listing of the finalists, the contest has now entered its last phase of actual App development. The role of Google’s team in mentoring will be critical at this stage and we are working closely to unveil of the official Mobile App for the Prime Minister’s Office”

Read the rest of this entry

Google Open Doors to the 'Google House'

Mumbai, India, Aug 20: Today Google flung open the doors to the “Google House” — a showcase of the latest product innovations for India’s ‘mobile first’ world. The event featured demonstrations of Google’s Search, Maps, Photos, Translate and YouTube apps, as well as appearances from celebrity chef Kunal Kapur, fashion photographer Dabboo Ratnani and Anushka Menon and YouTube comedic sensation Karan Talwar. The celebrities discussed how Google’s mobile products make their lives a little easier.

As Sandeep Menon, Google Country Marketing Director explains “Indians are coming online from mobile devices at an incredibly rapid rate — six to seven million new mobile internet users every month. Today’s event is about showcasing how we’re working to make our products relevant and useful for India, and how smartphones have evolved to become the best personal assistant you’ve never had. Whether you need to get directions 10 minutes before your next meeting, a step by step recipe to make an impression, or a way to never be late to the airport again, Google can help keep you connected to the people and information that you care about.”

Additionally in Google’s quest to foster the next generation of talent in the Indian YouTube creator community, YouTube has partnered with one of Asia’s largest and most renowned film schools, Whistling Woods International, to set up a new YouTube Space in Mumbai. A collaboration and production facility for YouTube video creators. Through this collaboration, India's popular up-and-coming YouTube creators, as well as their students, will have free access to Whistling Woods’ studios, high-end audio, visual and editing equipment, over and above their training programs, workshops and community events.

Keeping true to its commitment, Google has also been working on seamless Voice Search experience that lets you search by speaking your query into your phone, instead of typing it. Google voice search has been optimized for English in the Indian accent, as well as in Hindi. To access Voice Search, just tap the microphone icon on the Google search bar, and speak your query, and voila—see your spoken words get transcribed automatically, and searched for in Google

Key Highlights from the mobile-focused demonstrations at the Google House included:
● A hands-on showcase of the new instant translation feature in Google Translate. Recently launched in Hindi, instant translate helps you break through language barriers by instantly translating printed text, like street signs or ingredient lists by opening the app on your phone and pointing your camera at the text.
●A look at the new Google Photos app which automatically backs up photos and videos across all your devices. With people around the world uploading 1.8 billion photos every day, taking 93 million selfies and more photos being taken every two minutesthan the whole of humanity took in the 1800s, it’s just as well that Google Photo offers unlimited, free storage.
●An overview of recent Search innovations like faster and lighter search results for people accessing the web from a mobile device with a slow connection like 2G. Voice Search updates to the Google app which has been optimised for English in the Indian accent and in Hindi to make finding answers to your questions faster, easier and more local. As well as some of the latest Google Now updates, which bring you information when and where you want it, before you even have to ask — like a personal assistant.
● As well as an overview of recent offline features, like the ability to save Maps for times when you might not have a connection. OrYouTube Offline, which gives you a way to watch videos without chewing through all your data — even when you don’t have a connection.

What the celebrities at the Google House are saying….

Photography stars Dabboo Ratnani & Anushka Menon
For celebrity photographer Dabboo Ratnani, Bollywood is where home is and photography a way of life. "While photography is a way of life for me, what’s also important is making sure my clientele has easy and early access to the photos I take of them. I’m always on the move so it is important for me to have access to a good photo editor and for me to be able to search through and find a particular photo shoot quickly enough. Google Photos has both of these features easily available to access in terms of a great editor and the cool new Assistant feature. These have become my favourites today!”

While, Anushka Menon, one of India’s most iconic fashion and beauty photographers, said "Photography is adding a humanistic, versatile & colourful touch to make my work both modern and fresh. I always try to combine aesthetics that combine Indian culture and western fashion codes. My favourite feature is being able to store multiple pictures and not worry about running out of space. I also love that they are chronologically arranged and each of my photo shoot appears as a beautiful Story that I can go back and share with my friends and family.”

Celebrity chef Kunal Kapur
Commenting on his use of Google Search, celebrated chef Kunal Kapur says, “I travel the world meeting new people, experiencing new cultures and of course, searching for new ingredients and culinary experiences. Sometimes when I travel I don’t even know the name of the ingredients I see in the local markets and Google Image search helps me find out what it is exactly. Another great feature is the abundance of recipes online. I still remember days when I looked through my grandma’s book of recipes. Today, all I do is search online and find a treasure trove of so many recipes sent in by users from their families. And I use Google Now to keep everything organized. It has become my constant companion and has made managing a multi time-zone life much easier while Google Photos helps me archive and share my experiences instantly.”

YouTube comedian Karan Talwar
As YouTube funny man Karan Talwar explains “One of the best things that Google has done for its consumers is providing them the ‘YouTube Offline’ option. This helps my viewers access my videos easily and also helps everyone view their favourite videos anytime, anywhere without a data connection. I myself save a lot of videos offline for viewing to avoid buffering and save time.”

Read the rest of this entry

Palash Chhabra Represents ITM Universityat Google Student Ambassador Summit

ITM University, Gurgaon Student Palash Chhabra Represents Varsity at Google Student Ambassador Summit
Luminaries from various IT organizations and leading global companies participate in the Summit held at Infosys Campus, Pune

Palash Chhabra, a student of ITM University, Gurgaon, brought laurels to the varsity after having been selected to represent his University at the highly acclaimed Google Student Ambassador Summit, which was held recently.

Prior to the Summit, Palash, B.Tech-Information Technology, was declared the Google Student Ambassador from among the many students who were vying for the title.

The three-day Summit was held at Infosys Campus, Pune in which luminaries from various IT organizations and leading global companies participated.

Palash would now enable students of ITM University to understand the products and programmes of Google which could be useful to them and for Google to know the needs of the University and its students.

He would help conduct Google-enabled workshops at ITM University and bring latest technology on mobiles of the students.

“Palash’s selection as Google Student Ambassador will encourage other students to participate in more such initiatives. Palash has proved his mettle and worked hard to reach here.

He will inspire others to do things with conviction. We wish Palash more success in the future and hope he will use this opportunity for knowledge building,” said Prof B S Panwar, Vice Chancellor, ITM University, Gurgaon.Palash has chosen ‘Digital Marketing’ as a prime focus and has converged various activities to promote knowledge and awareness in this field.

Read the rest of this entry

Google to open permanent campus in Hyderabad

This could be a biggest thing for Hyderabad, as the internet giant Google has been planning to open its own permanent and big campus in Hyderabad.


According to media reports, a MoU could be signed between the state government of Telangana and Google Inc for setting up its campus.

However, according to the reports, it would be a big campus of the Google in the city. What could be interesting than dedicating a biggest campus of Google in the June on the occasion of the first anniversary of statehood is scheduled.

This news would be a great in favour of the job aspirants, as this venture could generate more jobs for them. Definitely, a big platform for the job aspirants and tech savvy student those have been waiting for getting into big incorporation in India.

Read the rest of this entry

Google, Sun Life Asia Service Centre India battle it out on the Cricket Field

Google, Sun Life Asia Service Centre India battle it out on the Cricket Field

ASCI XI beat Google XI in a friendly T 20 cricket tie played at St. Stephen’s Ground

Gurgaon: It was yet another battle of the corporates, albeit with a difference! The game of one-upmanship, this time, was held at a cricket field as employees of Sun Life Asia Service Centre India played their heart out against their counterparts at Google.

In a friendly corporate tie played at the St. Stephen’s Ground, New Delhi, the two teams played a 20 over match, with ASCI emerging victorious in the battle. However, it was the spirit of friendship that won the day.

Google won the toss and chose to bat on the bright sunny Saturday, and got off to a good start. The batting, however, slowed down after the team lost its swash buckling opener. Scoring steadily at 5 runs an over, the Google India team clogged on 106 runs in 20 overs, setting the field for ASCI’s run chase.

SunLife ASCI’s run chase started on a negative note, with the team losing its first wicket early on in the innings. The top and middle order of the team struggled a bit, but steadied the innings effectively, laying ground for an easy chase.

Varun Mittal (50 not out) was the top scorer of the match, while Kishore Singh (37), gave him good support at the crease. In the end, the Asia Service Centre India team won the match easily in just 13 overs, with 4 wickets still in hand.

“Sport is a wonderful teacher. It teaches the players the need for hard work, planning, strategy and execution. It teaches us that to win or lose is a part of life but delivering to your potential and giving your best is what really matters. Above all, such sporting events give our employees the much-needed opportunity to recharge and face the daily work life pressures with fortitude. Developing the sporting spirit helps develop winners,” says Mr. Rajeev Bhardwaj, Vice President-Human Resource at Sun Life Financial’s Asia Service Centre in Gurgaon.

Read the rest of this entry

SMG Convonix Becomes a Google Analytics Certified Partner

Mumbai, 31st July, 2013– SMG Convonix has been certified by Google to become a Google Analytics™ Certified Partner (GACP). SMG Convonix is amongst the select few companies in India to receive this accreditation, and it did so after a rigorous selection process involving rounds of comprehensive scrutiny by the Google program’s managers.As a result of their selection, SMG Convonix will be granted certain exclusive privileges by Google which include access to a trusted and verifiable Certified badge, insight into the product roadmap and beta features and contact with the Analytics Product Management and Marketing team.

SMG Convonix was founded in 2003 and has since evolved from being the first pure-play SEO Company in the country to offering the full range of digital marketing and advertising solutions for clients ranging from Fortune 100 companies to small and medium enterprises in India, USA and Europe. The strategic alignment with StarcomMediaVest Group as their Digital Marketing consulting arm took place earlier this year.

SMG Convonix has over five years of experience in web analytics. Its team of Google Analytics certified individuals understand that most businesses have unique sensibilities when it comes to online marketing and therefore they consume data very differently. Development of customized reports and dashboards tailored for the specific requirements of its clients is a specialty of the Web Analytics team at SMG Convonix.

“SMG Convonix has been working on complex projects using Google Analytics for quite some time,” said SarfarazKhimani, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer at SMG Convonix, "We are excited to be selected as part of the program. We've been working on web analytics projects with varying degrees of complexity since the conception of our company,but with Google Analytics and its continuously evolving measurement and reporting capabilities, we have been able to take analytics consulting to a different level."

SMG Convonix helps companies in India and around the world draw and implement digital strategies spanning across a range of digital marketing services including search engine marketing and conversion rate improvement and many more. While its Web Analysts consult and advise on several campaigns for projects across clients, leveraging the measurability of the online medium to spot trends and draw insights is its true forte.

As a GACP, SMG Convonix will offer a variety of services to help clients make the most out of Google Analytics, including web measurement planning, advanced feature implementations, media analysis and consulting, website optimization, and more.



About Google Analytics:

Google Analytics is the free, enterprise-class web analytics solution that gives you rich insights into your website traffic and marketing effectiveness. With features that are powerful, flexible and easy-to-use, companies large and small can analyze their traffic data in order to create more effective marketing initiatives and optimized websites. For more information, visit www.google.com/analytics



About Google Analytics Certified Partner Program:

The Google Analytics Certified Partner Program is a highly qualified global network of companies specializing in Google Analytics, a free, enterprise-class online measurement tool. Businesses of all sizes can work with a Certified Partner to receive professional help with training, implementation, customizations, and consulting services to make their websites and marketing campaigns more effective. GACPs are carefully vetted by Google and meet rigorous qualification standards. For more information about the program, visit:

http://www.google.com/analytics/partners/partners-criteria.html

About SMG Convonix:
SMG Convonix, is the digital marketing arm of the StarcomMediavest Group, the Human Experience Company. Powered by a team of young and energetic digital marketing professionals SMG Convonix is one of the foremost integrated digital marketing solutions provider in India, which drives synergies across various elements of the online ecosystem to architect solutions that sit right at the heart of their client’s business imperatives. For more information visit the SMG Convonix website at www.convonix.com. If you would like more information about this topic or PR please contact:

SnehaPadmanabhan
+919892943489
sneha.padmanabhan@convonix.com

Read the rest of this entry

Bharti Airtel and Google join hands to launch Free Zone in India

Airtel mobile customers will be able to access popular Google services on

their mobile phones at zero data cost

New Delhi, 26th June 2013: Bharti Airtel and Google today announced the launch of Free Zone powered by Google, which will give Airtel mobile customers access to mobile web search and feature-phone-friendly versions of Gmail and Google+ in India. The first page of a website linked from search results is provided at no data cost.

Free Zone aims to put the web in the hands of more people and empower first time Internet users with several useful services of the Internet. Airtel mobile customers can access the service by visiting

www.airtel.in/freezone and simply start using the Internet without having to sign in to the service. Any user can create a Gmail account instantly on the Free Zone homepage and enjoy a multitude of connectivity and social media services from Google.


Rajan Anandan, VP and Managing Director, Google India said, “The mobile Internet user base is growing really fast in India. Working with Airtel on this exciting trial means that we can offer Internet services at no cost to anyone with a phone. This gives people easier access to information in a way that benefits everyone, whether it’s an individual or a small business that wants to reach more people on the web. We hope this initiative will encourage more Indians to experience the value of the Internet and gain from it. Students can easily look up for facts to work on their assignments, housewives will be able to easily check on recipes and connect with their friends and family from their mobile phones.”

“As the country’s leading telecom services provider, we at Airtel are constantly looking for new ways of exciting more and more of our 200 million plus customers in India about the data experience. In this market,
where feature phones predominate, our association with Google to bring Free Zone to India will encourage millions of users to discover the power of mobile internet for the very first time and leverage the amazing world of information search, email and social collaboration - at no incremental cost” said N Rajaram, Chief Marketing Officer – Consumer Business, Bharti Airtel.

Free Zone aims to make the web accessible and affordable to all mobile users. The expansive set of powerful internet services available via Airtel includes Google Search – which will take Free Zone users to websites matching their search query, Gmail, and Google+ which enables users to share photos and messages with social groupings of family, friends and business or work associates. While Airtel subscribers will not incur any data charges to access these services on Free Zone powered by Google, access to more advanced services such as Attachment Download or browse through to web sites from the ones accessed in the Free Zone would be enabled through the subscription to a standard data package.

Bharti Airtel, a leading global telecommunications company with operations in 20 countries across Asia and Africa, has over 275 million customers across its operations and is a market leader in India with more than 189 mobile customers at the end of May 2013.

Airtel mobile customers will be able to access the following services from mobile phone browsers through Free Zone powered by Google:

Gmail: Users have unlimited access to Gmail from their mobile browser. If users click on a link or attachment within the email they are directed to a page where they can purchase a data package.

Google+: Users can share online photos and messages with circles of family, selected friends or the public; follow updates on the things they are passionate about - from cricket to photography, music to news; and follow people they’re interested in.

Google Search: Users can search the entire Internet and access the first page of websites from the results for free. If they click further into a website after that, they are directed to a page where they can
purchase a data package.

When users leave the Free Zone to navigate deeper into a website or download an attachment they are informed about the data charges and given the option to purchase an appropriate data package.

###

About Bharti Airtel
Bharti Airtel Limited is a leading global telecommunications company with operations in 20 countries across Asia and Africa. Headquartered in New Delhi, India, the company ranks amongst the top 4 mobile service providers globally in terms of subscribers. In India, the company's product offerings include 2G, 3G and 4G wireless services, mobile commerce, fixed line services, high speed DSL broadband, IPTV, DTH, enterprise services including national & international long distance services to carriers. In the rest of the geographies, it offers 2G, 3G wireless services and mobile commerce. Bharti Airtel had over 275 million customers across its operations at the end of May 2013. To know more please visit, www.airtel.com

Google Inc.
Google's innovative search technologies connect millions of people around the world with information every day. Founded in 1998 by Stanford PhD. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google today is a top web property in all major global markets. Google's targeted advertising program provides businesses of all sizes with measurable results, while enhancing the overall web experience for users. Google is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit www.google.com.


For further information, please contact:
Google India:
Gaurav Bhaskar - gauravbhaskar@google.com

Perfect Relations:
Neha Sharma I nsharma@perfectrelations.com I +91-9810330254

Shaifali Gogia I sgogia@perfectrelations.com I +91-9871003893

Bharti Airtel India:
Divya Chug – divya.chug@in.airtel.com

Perfect Relations:
Sudipta Das | sdas@perfectrelations.com | +91-9650602489

Read the rest of this entry

An Animated Doodle from Google to Celebrate Earth Day

Every year, April 22nd is observed as Earth Day to create awareness among the public on environmental issues. To mark the occasion, Google has created an animated doodle to celebrate the 43rd anniversary of the Earth Day.

The history behind Earth Day goes like this, the idea of observing Earth Day on March 21st was first proposed by John McConnell, in the year 1969, at UNESCO Conference. US Senator Nelson a month later proposed to observe Earth Day on April 22nd he was a conservationist and an environmental activist.

This Day is observed across the Globe and many Ngo’s, Schools and Organizations conduct programmes to create awareness among the people on environmental issues.

Read the rest of this entry

Google launches 'digital afterlife' Tool

To help people plan, what they can do with their documents, digital photos and other virtual belongings, after a person dies or becomes ill seriously.


Google has launched an "Inactive Account Manager", this can be used to direct Google to pass on the data to a trusted friend or family member, or, you might just want your account to be deleted completely.


To direct Google, to pass on data from online venues such as Google Drive, Gmail, YouTube, or social network Google+, "Inactive Account Manager" can be made use of.

Read the rest of this entry

BJP Leader Tarun Vijay Demands: Registration of Criminal Case against Google

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Tarun Vijay demanded strict action against Google for identifying high security installations like Parliament House on their map.

Vijay said that Google Mapathon 2013 is based on community mapping where people mark buildings and localities and Google publishes it. "Their maps have locations marked as Rajya Sabha, Sena Bhawan, Lok Sabha, Naval Dock Yard and various ministries. It is shocking how such a grave violation has not caught the eyes of the government and no action has been stipulated against Google in India," he said.

Tarun Vijay also said that people in general are not aware of mapping policy provisions. "A lot of data may be sensitive but the common man, being unaware of its implications, is providing Google such data,"

"The country's National Mapping Policy of 2005 allows only the Survey of India to prepare maps in India with the National Remote Sensing Centre. I demand an immediate inquiry and registration of a criminal case against Google for violating Indian defense regulations." Vijay said.

“The maps could be used by terrorists, since Google Earth provides free internet satellite pictures with no control to prevent misuse or limit access to sensitive places such as Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Naval dockyards, nuclear and oil establishments and Rashtrapati Bhavan.” he said. "Antony agreed that this was a serious matter and assured that it would be examined and action considered," Vijay said.

Read the rest of this entry

‘Google Play’ Gift Cards Launched In UK – Available at Tesco and Morrison’s Branches

Google Play gift cards were launched in the UK on Wednesday. The gift cards can be bought at branches of Tesco and Morrison’s and are available in denominations of £10, £25 and £50. With the merging of the Android Market and Google Music, the service was renamed Google Play to coincide with the re-branding of Internet giant's digital distribution strategy.

The report said, the gift cards can be redeemed against digital content purchases on Google Play, including music, magazines, movies and apps. The report also added that "Gift cards make it even easier to buy apps, games, books, movies, music and magazines from Google Play, one-stop-shop for all your digital entertainment needs. Over the coming weeks, gift cards will go on sale in all UK branches of Tesco and Morrison’s."

 The vouchers cannot, however, be used to buy digital subscriptions, hardware or accessories. Google Play is a digital application distribution platform for Android developed and maintained by Google, and the service allows users to browse and download music, movies, television programs, magazines, books, and applications that were published through Google. Google Play apps are available either for free or at a cost, and they can also be downloaded directly to an Android or Google TV device through the Play Store or onto a personal computer via its website.

Read the rest of this entry

Play Books App from Google Comes to India

Google has at last launched the Google Play Books app on Google Play for India. Google Play Books app is an application that lets users read their favorite stuff on the go.

The description on Google Play Books States: Choose from millions of titles on Google Play including new releases, New York Times best sellers, up-and-coming authors, and free books.

Easily personalize your reading experience, pick up where you left off on your phone, tablet, or computer, and get reading today!

Like its competitors Kindle and Amazon, Google Play Books app provides a similar reading experience. Google Play Books also allows reader to choose from a wide range of books, magazines, journals and more, similar to Apple’s iBook app.

Though there are over 4 million books on Google Play, not all books are free. Users can also purchase books through the app and store them for reading at a later date.

Not only this keeping the Indian preferences and authors in mind, the Google Play Books app also includes a number of authors from the India. The Leading ones among them are Khushwant Singh, Amish Tripathi, Ashwin Sanghi and Ravinder Singh.

Read the rest of this entry

Google plus rolls out new feature for Communities

Google has been working hard to make its social networking, Google plus, much popular among the users and increase the users' time on the platform. To improve the social network, Google Plus has rolled out a new feature for its recently launched add-in Communities.

The new feature allows users with the option to control the viewing of community posts on their profile pages. Communities is a very interesting tool for people with common interests. As per the feedback of people, who want to make the community posts and Google posts different, this feature is created.

You can check or uncheck an option in Communities section of Google Plus settings, to control the viewing of community posts on Google plus profile posts. Another benefit is, with this feature only you & the community members of the respective community can see, comment or like your posts and no one else.

Google Plus developer has announced of this new feature on one of his Google Plus posts. Here you can have a quick look to his profile and posts https://plus.google.com/u/0/+BrianGlick/posts .

This new feature is in beta and only available to limited number of Google Plus users. The feature will be rolled out in different countries soon and for Indian Google Plus users it isn't available yet.

Read the rest of this entry

Why you should start using Google Plus

Google’s social network has not been old enough like Facebook or Twitter, but it’s getting some popularity among businesses, companies and individuals. Because as per the statistics, there are now more than 400 million users registered in Google +, with more than 100 million monthly active users. Apart from that more than 1 million businesses pages has been created in Google +.

Even many people still doubt on why they should use Google +, we give you a list of benefits you can find at Google +.

Personalized Search Results
Google is the kingpin of search results and with a Google+ profile; it will be easy for you to show yourself and your business on Google search results. Even now when you search a name on Google, either the person’s Facebook or Linkedin profile pops.

The reason you can’t find a Google + profile, because the person isn’t in Google plus. So I guess it’s time to see you or your business name on Google even you’re not popular on Facebook or Twitter.

Great place for bloggers
If you’re a blogger and like to share your content and ideas, then Google + can help you by drawing audience from your circles and groups. Around 60-70 % bloggers user Gmail for email messaging, so it can be easy for them to connect with each other.

New features
Google has recently introduced some new features from which the Groups is a key feature. Like Facebook groups, Google groups can be a best place to share your ideas, thoughts and content.

‘Communities’ is another strongest concept of Google +, where people can directly connect with their interests. Now you can also comment of on any post and re-share it with your friends and contacts.

Non-spammy
If you’ve been into SEO business, then you’ve known about Google’s new algorithm to eliminate spammy sites and links. Thus it would be much more difficult for spam sites to find a place in Google search. So Google+ can be your way into search results and build a genuine professional business.

Some improvements people might like –

• Bring more business domains and also value local businesses
• Control over customer reviews
• HTML business pages or more dynamic pages, with analytic functions
• Invite functionality on business pages

Even there are so many things Google needs to add in Google plus, still it’s proving to be a competitor before other social networks. So why not give a try to this and try to improve through valuable feedback.

Read the rest of this entry

Google pays tribute to Damini Gang-rape Victim

The internet search engine giant, Google has paid tribute to the Delhi gang-rape victim by featuring candles below the search engine option box. Damini, was gang-raped in Delhi by a group of six person in a moving bus on December 16 and she breathed her last on December 29. People of India have paid tribute to the braveheart who lost her battle against life.

Read the rest of this entry

Zapstreak launches Android SDK to create Airplay-like experience

After spending six months in beta, Zapstreak; the Polish startup with a mobile SDK for media app developers, today announces its global launch. When embedded within a media app Zapstreak’s technology creates an Airplay experience where users can beam music, videos or images to a connected TV, without the need for any additional hardware.

Poznan, Poland / London, UK - After spending six months in beta, Zapstreak; the Polish startup with a mobile SDK for media app developers, today announces its global launch. When embedded within a media app Zapstreak’s technology creates an Airplay experience where users can beam music, videos or images to a connected TV, without the need for any additional hardware.

For the end-user, Zapstreak adds a totally new dimension to the viewing experience at home. Users can share images with friends and family, watch their favourite movies on the TV screen or listen to music, all at the touch of a button. For developers, Zapstreak offers the opportunity to increase the ‘stickiness’ of their media apps, making them more appealing for the consumer and setting them apart from the competition. In addition to this, Zapstreak represents an extremely cost-effective way of negating huge native app development costs.

Zapstreak adopts the use of DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance), the technology standard that allows the sharing of digital content between connected devices like TVs, Wi-Fi radios, home entertainment sets or game consoles. The vast majority of connected TVs being sold today include the DLNA standard, an opportunity the founders of Zapstreak are looking to capitalise on.

According to a recent study by adRise, the growth rate of connected TV development is increasing at ‘breakneck pace’. Findings showed that usage among all connected TV devices is increasing, leading to a 25x growth surge in the use of apps. During Zapstreak’s beta phase alone, an impressive 1000 HOURS of content was beamed - over a month in total.

During the beta phase, Zapstreak’s technology has been adopted by a number of developers looking to offer more to their users. musiXmatch, used to discover song lyrics, is one such app. “Our goal is to create the best music experience both on mobile and desktop”, said Francesco Delfino, co-founder, musiXmatch. “When we decided to add DLNA support, we choose Zapstreak’s SDK because it’s simple, powerful and multiplatform. Exactly like our apps.“

“Our goal is to provide the best video training in the most convenient way,” said Thomas Friedl, lead developer of video2brain, an online mobile tuition platform. “We want to serve as many platforms as possible, giving our subscribers the choice to learn whenever and wherever they want. Using Zapstreak, we were able to bring our video based courses to the living room, turning smart TVs into a rich source of 21st century education.”

Matt Rutkowski, CEO and co-founder of Zapstreak, said, “We’re really looking forward to the full launch of Zapstreak. The team has been building up to this moment for some time and we’re looking forward to working closely with more and more Android developers over the coming months. “

His partner and co-founder Stefan Bielau continued, “We’re hearing every day that the global app market keeps growing. As the industry becomes increasingly crowded, developers need to be able to set themselves apart from the competition, recruit more users by offering extra functionality and then retain them. We believe Zapstreak offers an unrivalled opportunity to help do this.”

From today, the first hundred developers to sign up will have a month’s free access to the SDK. To sign up, please visit here. An SDK for both Windows Phone and iOS and are also planned for the coming months. For details on pricing, please visit here.

For more information about Zapstreak, please visit www.zapstreak.com.

Read the rest of this entry

Google Plus announces new features and keeps Growing

Image Credit: TerraleverBlog

Yesterday Google announced some new features for its Facebook or Twitter competing social media platform Google Plus(+). When launched as a competitor, critics did doubt whether Google+ can compete as a social media tool in the Facebook dominated web. When Google introduced Google Plus, Facebook was spreading into blogs, communities, apps, logins and many other integration services. But as per reports until yesterday, Google+ does look to compete other social media giants with its active 135 million monthly active users and more than 100 million mobile app users.

New Features in Google Plus

Google+ Communities

More similar to the Facebook groups, Google Plus communities are more of like social sharing space for people with common interests where they can share posts, photos and ideas. It also enables the community users to chat publicly or privately. As vice president Horowitz says: "The new tools make it easier and more straightforward for you to find your tribe, your peeps, and to hang out,".

Snapseed

Now you can say this is a competitor feature as compared to Facebook's Instagram. After Instagram get acquired by Facebook, Instagram users are more in Facebook. Similar way, Google Plus acquired the company behind Snapseed. Snapseed has similar features like Instagram where users can add filters to the images taken by their Google's Android operating system devices. Both iOS and Android versions of Snapseed are free to download and users can share their photos on communities too.

As Google's vice president Brad Horowitz states, more than 235 million weber(web user)s use Google+ services across various sites. This number was close to 150 million in late June and the users were staying close to 12 minutes in Google+ site. With these newly added features Google does expect more users for Google Plus.

Read the rest of this entry

International Digital Tech - Tuesday Round-up

In technology this week, we’re going to feature some tech news which is old somehow but yet need to be crying out loud. So let’s start:

Firefox OS launched
Launched around a week before Firefox OS is the new OS for your mobiles devices. If you’re a Firefox user and recently visited the site, then you must have seen the announcement about the new Firefox OS. Till now Firefox is considered as one of the competitive mobile browsers for both desktops and mobile phones. And now this new OS from Mozilla is expected to be a challenger to Apple, Symbian and Windows platforms in the future. Firefox OS is not limited to a single mobile manufacturer or carrier and thus proves to be beneficial for users & developers. There is also market place where users can find unlimited number of Firefox OS supporting apps.

Google Plus integrated into Google Play Store

Yes, you can provide app reviews through on Google Play store and your Google+ icon will show up beside your review with your photo and name. This is a new strategy from Google to improve review quality and also promote their brand Google Plus. Earlier Google also has made the Youtube video comments to be put through Google Plus profile.

Galaxy Note II crossed 5 millions sales figures
Within less than a month Samsung Galaxy Note II sales figures are touching 5 million from 3 million. Less than two weeks before we wrote an article on Mass Gadget Heist , where we wrote about theft of 1400 units of Galaxy Note II. We really don’t know what the actual reason behind such boost in sales is. If these heists are more of a publicity stunt than actual theft then as per the figures these stunts are working.

Android updates for the new Jelly Bean
Google android has been releasing new updates to its Jelly Bean update and some of the carriers in Australia, Europe and China are already releasing these updates into their devices. Vodafone Australia will begin the delivery of Samsung Galaxy S III with the new Jelly Bean update and in China Android 4.2 is ready to hit the market.

Read the rest of this entry

Google News updates in Technology This Week

Google, the search engine mogul of web has made some updates to its products and services this week. If you had not enough time to know what’s new at Google this week then here we have summed of a post noting all the new updates from Google. We hope after reading this you don’t have to roam around each Google blog and see what’s new.

Read the rest of this entry