Google Photos kept offering users different kinds of updates, ranging from sharing suggestions to improved image recognition features. Most of these new features were based on machine learning technology, but now the company decided to bring out something more basic as well. The new Archive feature allows user to either hide private photos or declutter their feed by storing pictures in a safe place.

This month brought machine learning features on Google Photos

At the beginning of this month, Google impressed their users by introducing several AI-powered features which greatly improved the quality of the Google Photos experience. These included sharing suggestions, for instance, which analyzed the faces in your pictures and then made recommendations on the people you might want to share them with.

Also, the service became more interactive. Google Lens was integrated in the camera, and allowed for better image recognition capabilities. Then, the app could identify objects in the user’s photos and offer them useful information about them.

The basic Archive feature is now available

Needless to say, these new features bring a lot of benefits, but some users might want something simpler from their photos app. Google thought about it, too, and brought a basic Archive feature at the users’ rescue. Do you think your feed is overcrowded with photos, or want to keep some images just for yourself? Now you can archive them.

These photos you send to the archive can still be found in albums or appear in search results, but they are no longer present in the main tab. The Archive feature should already be available in the Navigation tab, and keeps your feed cleaner without deleting shots you might not want to dispose of yet.

This is similar to Instagram’s move to introduce an Archive feature. Such an option is vital on Google Photos, which is more of a cloud storage alternative, but on Instagram might seem unnecessary. Users post photos on the latter when they do not want them to stay private, but sometimes they might want to remove a post from the public feed and keep it only for themselves.

The Archive option has already been rolled out on all Android versions of Google Photos. The company announced that it hadn’t reached iOS yet, but the feature should get there in the following days.
Image Source: Pixabay

The new Whopper commercial of Burger King draws everyone’s attention when promoting Google Home devices to describe the ingredients used for their Whopper. The fast-food restaurant chain has included Google Home in their TV commercials, using the voice of the artificial intelligence-powered speaker to describe their new product.

Burger King used Google Home device in their ad to pursue the growing ownership of the AI-based speakers

The first version of the short ad appeared on April 12 on TV and then on Youtube. A man who looks like a Burger King employee asks the Google speaker what ingredients does the new Whopper sandwich bears. When asked that question, the Google Home starts reading the details regarding a Whopper sandwich as listed on Wikipedia.

This trick worked pretty well for Burger King until some mean Wikipedia users started editing the Whopper page on Wikipedia, arguing that the Burger King sandwich is the worst sandwich sold by the fast-food restaurant, even lying about the ingredients. They wrote on Wikipedia that the sandwich has toenail clippings and rat meat and all sorts of appalling comments regarding weird ingredients.

The fast-food restaurant used the device to list the ingredients in their new Whopper sandwich

This determined Burger King to lock their Wikipedia page from new edits. By April 12 in the afternoon, Google has removed the ad’s ability to include or mention Google Home devices. Nevertheless, Burger King launched two tweaked versions of the commercial on April 12, late at night on episodes of NBC’s ‘The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon’ and ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ on ABC in Miami, Los Angeles, and New York.

They replaced the voice which said the command with a female’s voice or a different male voice from the one who was seen in the ad and, thus, the new spots implemented the device again from Google Home. Burger King used Google Home device’s voice to pursue the developing ownership of Google Home speakers powered by AI-improved digital assistants like Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa. On Wednesday, April 12, the company was three times more accessed on Twitter than it was the previous day.

Nevertheless, not all that activity was positive because they also received mean comments and Tweets from people who were not exactly fans. But some may have already got used to Burger King’s way of advertising. The chain owned by Ontario, Canada-based Restaurant Brands International, has been well-known for several years for their goofy ad campaigns. However, these weird ads make people talk about the fast-food restaurant, resulting in more customers.

Image courtesy of: wikipedia

Google Home is one of the best smart home devices. Along with Amazon Echo, they are leaders of the smart home industry. Now, Google wants to get the edge and add one feature that everyone’s been asking for: support for multiple users. Smart assistants are now a new trend on the market. More and more companies are trying to design the perfect digital assistant that suits their customers. To do so, they are making changes every day.

Support for Multiple Users in the Same Home

Like any other product available on the market, Google Home has some minor issues they need to deal with. One of those problems could besolved now. Since there are more members of the family that use the same device but have different tastes, Google Home will now add support for multiple users.

The tech giant just updated the app for Google Home. Now, users can see a message on the Discover Tab saying “multiple users are now supported”. Despite the fact that users received this message, the feature is still not available. Google have mentioned that they will make it available very soon.

Why Does Google Home Need Multiple Users’ Support?

You may be wondering why does the digital assistant need multiple users support since it is used by the same members of a family. Well, being from the same family doesn’t necessarily mean that you have the same taste as your husband or sister. This is why Google Home decided to finally make this device available for further customization.

First, digital assistants for a smart home systems need to start recognizing different voices. By doing so, they can change the experience for every user. The devices thus start to know all the users and show them appropriate suggestions.For those men who like to relax watching the game, Google Home will show what’s playing right then. It can also suggest nearby places that deliver beer and snacks.

This feature should add one more important option: child proofing. Nobody wants to come home to their children having ordered candies and toys through Google Home without their permission. With the help of multiple users’ support, Google Assistant needs to be able to recognize the voice of children and to know what they can and cannot do on the device.

Parents should be able to set boundaries for their children. For instance, they can choose what TV show their children can watch. After that, they could go to Google Home and restrict access to those shows specifically. Therefore, when a child asks Google Home for something, the assistant should recognize their voice and show only what the kid is allowed to watch.

What is your opinion about this update? Do you think that Google Home needs to support multiple users? Could this give Google Home the edge it needs over other, similar services?

Image source: Flickr

Google developed a collaborative whiteboard, namely Jamboard which it is equipped with a touchscreen display of 55 inches and is meant to use a hybrid whiteboard. Google announced the release date and the price of this gadget. The price was estimated at $4,999 to which producers add an annual fee of $600. Even if it seems to be overpriced, it is still cheaper than the Surface Hub system developed by Microsoft.

Google’s device is built for teleconferencing and whiteboarding, but it also has a variety of other uses. There were already released some units to be tested at Google Cloud Next conference. The device looks like a 55-inch 4K TV, having a touch screen which accepts 16 multitouch points. The display is reflective, so you will not want to place it opposite the window when you have a conference.

However, this device could not be categorized as being top-shelf electronics. The back of Jamboard is made of plastic colored in red, and the whole gadget seems to be quite thick. The new device from Google is bound to be durable and approachable. Analysts compared them with massive plastic crayons rather than giant keyboards.

The main difference between Microsoft Surface and Google Jamboard is that the first one seems to be more serious about its job while the second one looks more fun, giving you the chance to make your co-workers laugh during a conference, but, at the same time, it does its job just fine. The Jamboard can tell your finger apart from other objects. You just have to be careful when you try to erase something or draw something because the device might sometimes mix between these two.

The whiteboard is fun because you can erase something and it sends glitter, sparkle and cute flowers up your screen. Moreover, users have the opportunity to use the Jamboard with a co-worker, both being able to use the touchscreen at the same time. Two people can zoom in and out on different Google Sheets slides. The device is equipped with shape recognition, and it also allows you to write with your hand.

The whiteboard is outfitted with a built-in wide-angle camera and a built-in tilt support. What is more, it also sports built-in microphones and down-firing speakers. The Jamboard is controlled by a panel which is located on the right or left of the device, offering you options like searching for websites or adding Google Docs files.

Image courtesy of: flickr

Google’s snippets have been in the spotlight recently as the “one true answer” features were found to contain fake and misleading information. The problem is currently being considered worse than Facebook’s involvement in spreading fake news during the latest presidential elections.

What Are Google’s Snippets and Why Are They Important?

Google’s snippets were designed to automatically pick the best result that matches the search. For example, if one searches for “do pineapples grow on trees,” the snippet should contain an article explaining that pineapples grow on bushes, not trees. According to Google, the snippets are displayed through an

“automatic and algorithmic match to the search query, and the content comes from third-party sites.”

Why are they important? Because they should feature reliable, trustworthy content as most users rely on them when searching for quick information concerning a certain subject. Thus, falsehoods will start spreading as undeniable truths due to the high degree of trust people place in Google’s services.

Is It a New Development?

Sullivan has been monitoring the search engine for quite some time now. According to him, the algorithm gets most searches right, but when it doesn’t, the results are terrifying.

For example, if one searches for “US presidents in the KKK,” the snippet will feature a list containing William McKinley, Woodrow Wilson, Warren Harding, and Harry Truman. In reality, none of these former United States presidents have been associated with the racist organization.

The problem worsens when people use voice-activated assistants for their queries. During an experiment, Sullivan asked his Google Home device if former President Barrack Obama is planning to take down President Donald Trump. To his surprise, the device answered yes, implying that Obama is receiving help from Chinese allies with his not-so-secret coup.

I know @ruskin147 already shared this, but here’s my own Google Home informing me Obama plans a coup. pic.twitter.com/gs0s0ivF3L

— Danny Sullivan (@dannysullivan) March 5, 2017

The Solution Is Simple

Sullivan suggests that, until the algorithm is fixed and the snippets no longer feature false – possibly dangerous – information, Google should remove the feature.

Moreover, the search engines vigilante is advising people never to trust snippets alone and to be thorough when searching for information on a certain subject.

The problem of fake news has been in the spotlight ever since the Democrats blamed Trump’s victory on fake news. At the time, Facebook took most of the blame as the company did nothing to filter the news circulating on the social media platform.

Now, it’s Google’s turn to answer for the continuous avalanche of falsehoods and political non-sense. What do you think about the snippet problem? Should Google renounce the feature?

Image Source: Pixabay

Google’s Valentine’s Day doodle is bound to raise awareness regarding endangered pangolins. This species is currently threatened with extinction. Based on the data revealed by the Worldwide Wildlife Foundation, pangolins are the most-trafficked mammals worldwide. The scaly creature is in high demand for their scales and meat. Unfortunately, more than one million such animals are taken from their environment, being used in medicine and fashion.

The doodle employed by Google to celebrate Valentine’s Day features two cute pangolins, one of them id purple and the other one is pink, and they are madly in love with each other. They are writing and reading romantic letters to each other. If you click the doodle, it will open to become an interactive video game.

You will need to use your keyboard to steer the jumping pangolin. Experts claim that this doodle is one of the most detailed ones. The team was formed by six engineers and animators who worked on the development of this doodle for more than a year. Helene Leroux, the head artist of the Doodle, stated during an interview that this endangered species deserved their attention, trying to raise people’s awareness regarding this problem.

She also argued that they were perfect for their Valentine’s Day idea because the two pangolins needed to meet since they are listed as endangered. That is why they used this animal to create a funny and cute doodle for Google.

Specialists noted that there are eight pangolins species in the world. Four of them live in Africa, and the other four species live in Asia. More than 80% of pangolins’ population has been destroyed by poachers in Asia. Two out of all eight species are critically endangered. Back in 2016, more than 180 governments have signed a treaty which announced their agreement meant to put an end to all these illegal trades of pangolins.

They also agreed to make efforts to protect this mammal. Nevertheless, governments do not seems to have been taken action yet. Illegal trades are still happening. The Worldwide Wildlife Foundation is leading the charge, being bound to protect endangered pangolins. They are prone to use thermal imagery to spot poachers and monitor them within the habitats of this species. This plan was made possible due to a grant they obtained from Google.org.

Image source: flickr

Google just announced that they are going to release a new search tool named Google Cloud Search. This will help users find what they are looking for in the G Suite products. This service was available before but only in a limited preview.

Until now the name of the search engine was Springboard and was not totally available. Could Search, as it is called now, is made for big companies where many people have access to a lot of files. Off course, the search engine respects the privacy and it is only going to allow those users that have access to the files.

Cloud Search is going to make the lives of workers much easier. It is designed to work like a directory service. This way the search engine allows users to look for their colleague’s contact info. Cloud Search can also see the files they are allowed to and the events they should attend.

When they are looking for the contact info of a colleague they can send an email or make a phone call. This search engine is going to be available for both smartphones and the web. This service is similar to Google Now.

Like Google Now, Cloud Search highlight info that it believes is important to you. In order to do so, the search engine uses machine intelligence. These recommendations are going to come is the shape of a card, called assistant cards. They will show you recent files, notes, and meeting reminders.

The primary focus of Google in the last period of time has been to add machine intelligence in order to make its productivity tool even better. They have focused on enhancing these tools and rebranding the G Suite.

Google mentioned that the Quick Access, for instance, helps people find things that they are looking for in a short period of time. The company also mentioned that they cut off more than 50% of the time people normally take in order to find a file.

Google is planning on increasing the productivity of its Cloud Search in order to help G Suite users. When Google announced Cloud Search it mentioned that people spent more than 20% of their time searching for information.

What is your opinion about this search engine?

Image source: Pixabay

Fake news is a well-known problem for social media platforms like Facebook and for news sites like Google. This is why these two tech giants decided to take action in order to combat this type of news. The fact that the French election is almost here, made these two companies step up their efforts.

They are partnering with other companies and sites that promote news about the election. All of these companies are trying to lower the rate of fake news that is available on the internet. They are making so many efforts because this type of news can mislead the people who are going to vote.

In order to stop this news from hitting the internet, Google announced that they are going to back a verification platform that is named CrossCheck. This platform is going to be available in French starting February 27th. The initiative is going to continue up until the elections are over.

This platform is going to bring together many local media companies in order to make a website. This website is going to allow its users to report content they don’t like and to ask questions about that content.

“CrossCheck brings together expertise from media and technology industries to ensure hoaxes, rumors and false claims are swiftly debunked, and misleading or confusing stories are accurately reported,” mentioned an explainer on the website.

In order to make this project work more than 17 media sites partnered up including Le Provence, Le Monde, BuzzFeed News, and Le Voix du Nord. CrossCheck is an initiative that any news site can join. It is mentioned that people can email [email protected] for information.

Facebook is another company that decided to support this project. Facebook mentioned that they are going to help the platform with media literacy and tools. This way they will help the platform verify is the news is true or not. They also mentioned that they will keep the audience alert about information relating to the election.

All of these efforts are made by these companies in order to fight fake news. We hope that the project is a success and that there will be no fake news anymore.

What is your opinion about this initiative? Do you think that it is important to fight fake news before the elections?

Image source: Pixabay

Google Chrome developed a way to warn every user about insecure sites. It is easier for some to shop or pay their bills online, but they need to know that the site they accessed is secured and that they can safely type in their credit card information. Sometimes sites do not indicate whether they are protecting sensitive data.

Nevertheless, Chrome thought they should come up with a plan. The last update of Google Chrome is bound to make everything easier for users. When you access a site which asks for your credit card info or a password and the site does not use HTTPS, it will be automatically flagged by Google as insecure. The warning sign will occur in the address field.

It is like Google uses this red letters to mark and promote their new initiative known as “HTTPS for all.” In this way, they hope that they will be able to determine more internet browser companies to use this method too. Besides these warnings regarding insecure sites, we find out from Google Chrome’s blog that they update a lot of features.

For instance, the speeds of page reload were boosted, now reaching 28% on mobile for one particular site. Google Chrome on cell phone developed a simplified loading behavior for validating the primary resource and then it goes on to a normal page reload. The new action is bound to boost the reuse of cached sources, resulting in data usage, power consumption and reduced response time.

Takashi Toyoshima from Google stated that Facebook has recently contacted the company, arguing that Google Chrome was imposing triple validation requests from other browsers. The changes recently implemented resulted in the speed boost for loading on the social network. However, it is not clear whether or how that performance increases are used across the network as a whole.

Based on the statements of developers, the newly updated version of Google Chrome did not only boost the speed of different loading sites, but it also uses less power and bandwidth. When reloading an individual site, browsers tend to check first with the web server searching for any available stored resources. Unfortunately, the outcome of this kind of situation represents numerous network requests per page rendered to dozens of domains.

Image courtesy of: wikipedia