The Week: Most Recent Google

Google's overhaul: A more human-like search?

The Week — Thu, 17 May 2012 15:03:00 -0400

Not to be outdone by chief rival Bing, Google is overhauling its search results to move beyond giving users mere information. The new goal is to give users knowledge, which is to say contextualized, more helpful information, and anticipate their next questions. Dubbed Knowledge Graph, the new feature is designed to help users find answers even more quickly and easily. Here, a concise guide to Google's radical changes:

Why does Google need to change?
Google wants to make its search algorithms act "more human" by better understanding what, specifically, you're hunting for. Most search engines fail...

Google Drive: A slick Dropbox killer?

The Week — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 18:25:00 -0400

After years of rumors, Google Drive, the search company's long-awaited entry into the cloud storage wars, is finally here. With an interface that evokes Google Docs, Drive functions much like Dropbox, allowing users to drag-and-drop files they want to store in the cloud onto a desktop folder. Users get 5 GB of free space, and can add an additional 25 GB for $30 each year. Google, however, is late to the race — Dropbox already fulfills the file-storing needs of well over 50 million users, and consumers using competitors like Microsoft's SkyDrive, Apple's iCloud, Box, and SugarSync may also...

Dangerous trend alert: Self-diagnosing illnesses with Google

The Week — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 11:48:00 -0400

Women are more likely to turn to "Dr. Google" or other internet search engines to self-diagnose their health problems than they are to go to the actual doctor for a first opinion, according to a new British study that focused on females. And worse still, one in four women misdiagnoses herself entirely, which often leads to incorrect and dangerous self-medicating. Here, a brief guide to the disturbing trend:

What exactly did researchers find?
After studying 1,000 women, researchers discovered that women facing unexplained health problems were twice as likely to Google their problems than to ...

The official Google tablet: 4 things we know

The Week — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 08:55:00 -0400

Dozens of companies make tablets powered by Google's Android software. One name, however, has been notably absent: Google. Now, in efforts to reduce "fragmentation" — instances when Android glitches occur because of inconsistencies on different hardware platforms — Google is reportedly building an in-house tablet for release later this year. The move could conceivably be a big win for the web powerhouse, which, like Apple, is uniting hardware and software under one roof to create a more streamlined (read: less buggy) product. Here's what we know so far about Google's official entry...

Project Glass: Google's 'terribly cool' augmented-reality glasses

The Week — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 13:52:00 -0400

The video: Google's sci-fi plan to transform a pair of glasses into a wearable personal computer has long threatened to become a reality. On Wednesday, the rumors were confirmed, and the initiative was finally revealed as "Project Glass." The search giant's Star Trek-inspired, augmented-reality specs — which promise to beam data from Google's vast trove of information right in front of your eyes — are slimmer and sleeker than initial reports indicated. According to a demo video (watch below), wearers, apparently through vocal commands alone, can send instant messages, look up directions...

The 'awesome' self-piloted cars that allow the blind to drive

The Week — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 06:15:00 -0400

The video: On a clear and sunny day in January, Steve Mahan stepped into the driver's seat of a Toyota Prius to run errands around town. Mahan is also 95 percent blind, far past the legal driving limit for impaired vision. But the car transported him through the drive-thru of a Taco Bell and parked while he picked up his dry cleaning. The vehicle is part of Google's self-driving car project, which can chaperone passengers based on pre-programmed commands (Watch a video below). The vehicle relies on laser range finders, radar sensors, and video cameras to safely navigate roadways, without the driver...

Google Drive: A guide to the search giant's free storage service

The Week — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 14:38:00 -0400

Google Drive, the search company's online storage service, is reportedly set to debut in April. Google's reach already extends to nearly every corner of the online experience — from Gmail to Chrome to YouTube. Can the search giant also defeat Dropbox, which has long dominated cloud storage with its 50 million users? Here's what we know so far about Google Drive:

What will Google Drive offer?
While Dropbox gives users up to 2 GB of space on its cloud for free before it starts charging, Google Drive will reportedly offer only 1 GB of free storage but may charge considerably less for extra storage...

Google's eavesdropping technology: Going too far to sell ads?

The Week — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 15:50:00 -0400

Even as Google overhauls its search engine, the tech giant is looking for ways to diversify its revenue streams. One possibility? This week, Google was awarded a patent for "advertising based on environmental conditions," suggesting that in the future, computers and handsets may deliver targeted ads tailored to fit with what you're seeing and hearing in the real world. Here's what you should know:

How would this work?
Theoretically, this advertising would "be served on the basis of a sensor that detects temperature, humidity, sound, light, or air composition near a device," says Loek Essers...

Google's 'dramatic' search overhaul: How it affects you

The Week — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 10:24:00 -0400

Google powers two-thirds of the world's internet searches, so when it announces big changes, people pay attention. And according to The Wall Street Journal, Google is giving its "tried-and-true web-search formula" a makeover that's "among the biggest in the company's history." Instead of just spitting back a page of keyword-driven blue links, Google is aiming for something closer to artificial intelligence, trying to understand what web searchers are asking for and providing actual answers. When the changes kick in, Google's Amit Singhal tells The Journal, the experience will be more like...

The man who used Google Earth to find his long-lost family

The Week — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 12:02:00 -0400

An Indian man separated from his family for 25 years has defied the odds by tracking them down — using little more than a vague recollection of his childhood and some help from Google Earth's mapping technology. Here's what you should know about one man's miraculous journey home:

How was he separated from his family?
One day in 1987, 5-year-old Saroo Brierley spent the afternoon begging for change with his brother at a local train station. When it was time to go home, the boys boarded what they thought was the correct train. They were wrong. Exhausted, the young brothers fell asleep, only...

Will 'Google Play' topple iTunes?

The Week — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 11:59:00 -0500

Kiss Google Music, Google Books, and the Android Market as you know them goodbye. Google is streamlining all of its digital media under a new destination called Google Play, which allows users to tap into 20,000 free songs (and choose from millions more to buy), download Android apps, browse e-books, and rent thousands of movies — all of which can be done from any web browser or Android device. "This is about going beyond just Android," said Google engineering director Chris Yerga; it's a move meant to unite all of Google's products under a single flag to better go toe-to-toe with Apple's...

Google's secret voice-assistant project: A Siri killer?

The Week — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 14:53:00 -0500

Android smartphones are about to get more chummy. To take on Siri, Apple's popular virtual assistant, Google is reportedly working on a Siri clone of its own, set to debut in the fourth quarter. While Android devices can already handle voice commands (a dramatically undersold feature), the new project, simply dubbed "Assistant," would be integrated into apps and websites like Gmail and YouTube. Will this help Google catch Apple?

Quite possibly: The "beauty" of Android devices is that "Google products simply work better on its own OS [than they do] on an iPhone," says Christine DesMarais...

The Google+ 'ghost town': Social networking by the numbers

The Week — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 11:42:00 -0500

Google launched its Google+ social network with much fanfare last year in an attempt to compete with industry behemoth Facebook. Today, Google+ boasts an impressive roster of tens of millions of members — most of whom are barely spending any time on the site, according to an embarrassing new report from comScore. Google+ is a "virtual ghost town," says Amir Efrati at The Wall Street Journal. The new statistics underline what an "uphill battle" Google faces in trying to slow Facebook's momentum. Here, a by-the-numbers look at the "mounting minuses" at Google+:

3
Minutes that...

Google's 'Do not track' button: Will it protect online privacy?

The Week — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 14:07:00 -0500

Not being evil is tougher than it looks. Following a spate of online privacy controversies, Google (which has long touted its "Don't be evil" mantra) and other web companies have agreed to install a "Do not track" feature in their browsers. The promise is meant to assure users of Google's Chrome browser (and its competitors) that they can surf the web without being tracked by advertisers, hundreds of whom have also pledged to honor these privacy requests. The move was welcomed by the Obama administration, which simultaneously unveiled a Privacy Bill of Rights designed to protect internet consumers...

Google spies on iPhone users: Should the feds clamp down?

The Week — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 07:15:00 -0500

Apple's Safari browser is designed to shield users from tracking by advertisers. This apparently didn't sit well with Google, which decided to give Safari's privacy settings the runaround, according to The Wall Street Journal. As a result, Safari users were tracked without their permission, on both their mobile devices and desktops. When the news got out, Google quickly shut down the code, and stressed that the tracking software — known as cookies — did not appropriate any personal information. But lawmakers are calling for an investigation into the incident, the latest in a slew of...

Google's 'mysterious' experiment in home entertainment systems

The Week — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 06:30:00 -0500

Google has asked the Federal Communications Commission for permission to test a top secret home entertainment device in four U.S. cities. According to the application, the system will connect through home Wi-Fi networks and Bluetooth to other home electronics, including lightbulbs, speakers, and TV sets. Is this move a natural progression for Google, or does it have flop written all over it? Here's what you should know about the company's "mysterious" experiment:

What exactly is this device?
Google is keeping a tight lid on the project. But the "initial purpose of the device will be for streaming...