Google to make "Big Announcement" tomorrow

[rudeguy]

http://www.androidcentral.com/whats-google-announcing-tomorrow


Anyone have any guesses on what its going to be?

 

[tatteredpotato]

Tablets? I don't see them talking about Gingerbread right now since Froyo is finally rolling out, you don't want to make people want the next version too soon.

 

[Pliablemoose]

The only thing they've been in the news over lately is their net neutrality shit...

Tablets allowed on the marketplace doesn't seem announcement worthy

I don't think we're going to see any more "Google" branded hardware, they have a huge business it could relate to multiple aspects of their business.

I dunno, have become unhappy with Google Inc lately, privacy issues, net neutrality, etc...

 

[insect9]

Hmm. My guess would be tablets on the marketplace.

 

[judasmachine]

I'd love to see them release the LG Google TV thing early. Or maybe the Nexus 2? It won't happen, but I can dream.

 

[tatteredpotato]

Google Chrome to Phone on Market

Chrome to Phone isn't a new product -- we've been using it since May, in fact -- but Google's second mobile announcement today (behind Voice Actions) is that its continuous client app is now "official" and available to all users (with Android 2.2 Froyo) via Android Market. As it was before, websites can be pushed from the Chrome browser to your Android device, with certain apps (Maps, YouTube) taking over for the browser when contextually appropriate. Additionally, the code is open, which we're hoping means this Chrome extension will find its way to other browsers. The team is "looking into" bringing the capabilities to other mobile OSs (the iPhone was specifically asked), but don't get your hopes up: nothing's been submitted, and we didn't get the feeling it was an active push. Incredibly useful? Yes, yes indeed.

I'm downloading now, impressions to come.

 

[tatteredpotato]

Google Voice Actions for mobile announced: write messages, find music, and more

Here's the first of two promised announcements from Google Mobile's little get-together in San Francisco today: voice actions. In a nutshell, it's a more expansive API similar to iPhone voice control. There are 12 actions in total plus search (so... 13). So far we've seen a couple applications for it: "send message to [person] [message]," or -- if voice calling is more your cup of tea -- "call Millennium Knightsbridge in London" for a location-specific phone call. You can also set alarms, go straight to a website ("go to Wikipedia"), or speak addresses or locations for directions. "Find music" is particularly interesting and works across multiple apps, looking for tunes across the web, too. In this example, "find music by The Decemberists" brought up the option to create a Pandora station. Speaking "Note to self," however cliche, creates a message reminder for you later. Blue words in a spoken message highlight potential errors that you can fix via more standard input mechanisms. It'll come pre-installed on Droid 2 and should be available via the Android Market for 2.2 devices -- just look for "voice search." Video demonstration after the break. And if you haven't been keeping up with the language capabilities, Android now additionally supports Spanish, French, Italian, and Japanese for voice search... but right now actions are English-only. Désolé.

 

[Deeko]

I dunno, have become unhappy with Google Inc lately, privacy issues, net neutrality, etc...

I haven't liked Google as a company for some time now. I've experimented with going "Google free". It can be done, but sometimes the alternatives just aren't good enough.

 

[tatteredpotato]

I'll say the Chrome to Phone thing is pretty cool. You install an extension to chrome, as well as the Android app and you can send links to your phone with one click of a button in the desktop web browser. Response times seem fast (1-5 seconds) and you can configure the phone to either automatically open the link, or just display a notification that you can manually launch later.

 

[Deeko]

I'll say the Chrome to Phone thing is pretty cool. You install an extension to chrome, as well as the Android app and you can send links to your phone with one click of a button in the desktop web browser. Response times seem fast (1-5 seconds) and you can configure the phone to either automatically open the link, or just display a notification that you can manually launch later.

I tried it out. Its pretty cool. Not life-changing or anything...I used to just email the link to my gmail account and go from there...but its convenient.

 

[rudeguy]

did anyone else notice the search on the Market is way better?

I installed a new ROM but I don't think the Market varies by ROM?

Either way, it gives me suggestions when searching in market now.

 

[tatteredpotato]

I tried it out. Its pretty cool. Not life-changing or anything...I used to just email the link to my gmail account and go from there...but its convenient.

Oh agreed, it's a nice bonus though. I especially like how it integrates with the maps app if you send from Google Maps on the pc.

 

[gsaldivar]

More smartphone innovation, without a black turtleneck...

Revolutionary!!

 

[dwell]

Why do the voice commands have to go to the Google back-end to be processed? I am assuming that's what the lag is in this videos:

http://gizmodo.com/5611453/mouth-on-with-androids-voice-actions-verdict-its-great

Google won't be happy until every action you do in life passes through their servers.

 

[Bateluer]

Why do the voice commands have to go to the Google back-end to be processed? I am assuming that's what the lag is in this videos:

http://gizmodo.com/5611453/mouth-on-with-androids-voice-actions-verdict-its-great

Google won't be happy until every action you do in life passes through their servers.

Start looking at the security required by apps you install. Pandora 1.4 wants network and GPS location, access to your phone call records, and your contact lists. I've seem simple Tic Tac Toe games want GPS location. Utter BS.

 

[rudeguy]

Why do the voice commands have to go to the Google back-end to be processed? I am assuming that's what the lag is in this videos:

http://gizmodo.com/5611453/mouth-on-with-androids-voice-actions-verdict-its-great

Google won't be happy until every action you do in life passes through their servers.

ummm...because its free and that's how it works?

 

[cbn]

Start looking at the security required by apps you install. Pandora 1.4 wants network and GPS location, access to your phone call records, and your contact lists. I've seem simple Tic Tac Toe games want GPS location. Utter BS.

This information is being used by the developer to sell ads or Google to sell ads?

 

[A5]

ummm...because its free and that's how it works?

Yeah, I think Google's datacenters have a little more CPU power than my phone, too . Probably lets them run a better algorithm while also collecting your data.

 

[dwell]

Yeah, I think Google's datacenters have a little more CPU power than my phone, too . Probably lets them run a better algorithm while also collecting your data.

By time you do the round trip to Google and back over 3G, any phone can process text. My 486 from 1992 could do voice recco. Even battery power is not an issue as sending to Google and back hits the radio which eats battery.

 

[rudeguy]

By time you do the round trip to Google and back over 3G, any phone can process text. My 486 from 1992 could do voice recco. Even battery power is not an issue as sending to Google and back hits the radio which eats battery.

1. Of course its for data collecting. That's how Google offers these types of service for free

2. My phone is already very busy multi-tasking. I'll let Google do all the hard work. My cycles are already being used.

 

[gsaldivar]

By time you do the round trip to Google and back over 3G, any phone can process text. My 486 from 1992 could do voice recco. Even battery power is not an issue as sending to Google and back hits the radio which eats battery.

I'm not really sure what you're losing sleep over... It's nearly instantaneous on my Incredible, and since the data connection has to be open to receive the results from the cloud anyway, its a non-issue.

Swing... and miss.

 

[dwell]

Makes you wonder is Google Voice is doing speech-to-text on your phone conversations and mining them for marketing data. Good luck with Android, I value my privacy.

 

[Spoooon]

Oh agreed, it's a nice bonus though. I especially like how it integrates with the maps app if you send from Google Maps on the pc.

I like it for when I'm at work and need to remind myself of something for when I'm at home (interesting news article, etc.)

 

[rudeguy]

Makes you wonder is Google Voice is doing speech-to-text on your phone conversations and mining them for marketing data. Good luck with Android, I value my privacy.

So you don't use any search engines?

 

[gsaldivar]

Makes you wonder is Google Voice is doing speech-to-text on your phone conversations and mining them for marketing data. Good luck with Android, I value my privacy.

Of course they are, that that's half the point of getting all the services for free in the first place.

Anyway, if iFans are sensitive about their privacy, I don't hear many complaints about Apple mining people's iTunes purchase histories for targeted iAds...

"..include not only locations, demographics and app preferences, but also book, music, movie and TV tastes harvested from iTunes. Unilever, which is running an iAd campaign for Dove Men+Care soap, is said to be employing the data to "quite surgically" concentrate on married men in their late 30s with children.."

"..Apple knows what you've downloaded, how much time you spend interacting with applications and knows even what you've downloaded, don't like and deleted.."

"..clients are known to include AT&T, Best Buy, Nissan and JC Penney. Apple spokeswoman Trudy Miller mentions that while the corporation has already sold more than $60 million in iAd placements, the network is still in its early stages.."