Wednesday 9 January 2013

Sound Search for Google Play widget, now available on Google Play

  • “What's this song?” Starting today, the Sound Search for Google Play widget is available to download from the Play store, so you can start identifying music playing around you, directly from your Android device’s homescreen.

     

    Sometimes, you hear a song you like while you’re out and about but don’t want to download it right at that moment. The Sound Search widget syncs across all of your devices, so that song you recognized with your phone in the coffee shop can be quickly purchased from your tablet at home.

    For devices running Android 4.2, you can add the widget directly to your device’s lockscreen, letting you recognize songs without even unlocking your phone, making it even easier for you to catch that song at the club.

    The Sound Search for Google Play widget is available on Google Play for devices in the U.S. running Android 4.0 and above. After you’ve installed it, go to the widget picker and drag the Sound Search widget onto your homescreen. You can click on the widget at any time to start recognizing music around you.

    Posted by Annie Chen, Software Engineer

  • Keeping up on the news out there can be overwhelming. That's where Google Currents comes in—an app that allows you to discover, share and read your favorite news outlets, blogs and online magazines (what we together refer to as “editions”) on your smartphone or tablet—even when you’re offline. Currents is filled with great editions like The Los Angeles Times, CBS Sports, Android Central, The Guardian,Shortlist, and Forbes. Today, we’re revamping Currents to make it even easier to scan through all your favorite categories and specific editions with just the swipe of a finger. And, we’re using some of the technology behind Search to bring you breaking stories on those celebrity scandals, that fiscal cliff negotiation or hottest holiday gift.

    Scan through categories 
    We’re now grouping editions into categories to help you keep track of your existing subscriptions and discover new ones. Check out editions related to your interests through categories like Entertainment, Sports, Lifestyle and more. All of your content will be grouped in these categories, accessible from a sidebar. And you can organize your editions in each category with favorites on top.

    We’ve also made it easy to quickly browse through top articles from all your favorite editions in a category—just swipe horizontally. If you subscribe to more than a dozen News editions like The Atlantic, ABC News and The Telegraph, you can quickly swipe through the entire category and dive into editions with articles of interest.

     

    Scan through editions 
    We’ve also made it easier to scan headlines in a particular edition—just swipe vertically. Want to see what’s new in Popular Science? Just swipe through through the headlines. After you view a story we’ll mark it as read, so it’s easier to see new content each time you use Currents.



    Scan through breaking stories 
    To help you stay up-to-date with the latest news, Google Currents now uses some of the technology behind Search to deliver the hottest breaking stories in categories such as World, Entertainment, Sports, Science and more. You’ll find new articles from hot topics that interest you, while discovering existing Currents editions you can subscribe to. Breaking stories are customized to your country and language—so we’ll only show you relevant news.


    Currents optimizes editions to look great on whatever type of device you're using. Now articles shine, with larger images and layouts that are intelligently optimized for your device, whether you're on a phone or a tablet. Check out some of our newest featured partners like Cars.com, Voice of America News and New Scientist.

    Back in April we expanded Google Currents internationally. Since then millions of readers around the world have downloaded Currents, reading over 700 publisher editions and tens of thousands of self-produced editions. The updated app is now available for download on Google Play and coming soon to iOS. We hope that today’s updates make keeping up with the latest news fast, easy and fun no matter where you are or what device you’re using.

    Posted by Mussie Shore, Group Product Manager

  • Now Dasher! Now Dancer! Now, Prancer and Vixen! On, Comet! On, Cupid! On, Donner and Blitzen! For Santa’s holiday travel this season, Google Now is just the prescription.

    As you head off this holiday season, the latest update to Google Now makes it even more useful for traveling. Before you even leave your house, Google Now will tell you what the weather will be like at your destination (just in time to make sure you remember to pack those mittens). At the airport, your boarding pass is automatically pulled up, helping you breeze through to the gate (launching shortly for United Airlines, with more to come). And once you've arrived at your destination, Google Now can help you uncover some great activities, by showing you events happening around you, suggesting websites for you to explore as you research things to do, or allowing you to learn more about specific pieces while you’re at a museum (using Google Goggles).



    All of this builds on top of some of the other cards designed for travel, like the currency conversion, translation, and flight status cards -- hopefully taking a little bit of the stress out of holiday travel so you can focus on family and fun.

    We're also making Voice Search even more powerful: you can find out the name of the song that’s playing (“What’s this song?”), quickly find product info (“Scan this barcode”) and post updates to Google+ simply by using just your voice.



    These goodies are waiting for you in the updated Google Search app, available onGoogle Play for devices running Android 4.1, Jelly Bean, or higher.

    Posted by Baris Gultekin, Product Management Director

  • You’re making your list, you’re checking it twice -- and now you can do it from anywhere.

    Just in time for this year’s holiday season, you can edit Google Sheets on your mobile device, just like you can with Google Docs. From the Drive app on your Android device, you can create a new spreadsheet or edit an existing one. You can switch fonts, resize columns, sort data, and more. And just like on your computer, you’ll be able to see other people’s edits in real time as they’re made.


    Beyond spreadsheets, you may notice a few other tweaks to the Drive app, including better text formatting when you paste from one Google document to another. And from your Android device, you can edit text within tables in documents and add a shortcut on the homescreen of your device to any specific file in Drive.

    Whether it’s holiday recipes, shopping lists, or just your family budget, the Drive app on your mobile device makes it easy to get stuff done wherever you are.

    Get the Google Drive app today on Google Play.

    Posted by Shrikant Shanbhag, Software Engineer

  • As you hit the mall this holiday season, chances are you’ll be accompanied by a reliable personal shopping companion: your mobile phone. Four out of five mobile phone and tablet owners plan to use their device for holiday shopping - for comparing prices, locating nearby stores, and searching for coupons. Today, with the launch of Google Shopper 3.0 for Android, you can easily browse for gift ideas, research products, and locate great deals on the go. 
    Search for products and get gift ideas on the redesigned home page
    The app’s redesigned home screen features a bigger search box for easier navigation. When you browse curated gift ideas and latest trends on the home page or search for apparel and accessories, larger photos let you view product designs in more detail.
                      

    Find great sales and special offers
    Shopper now makes it quick and easy to find great deals at local and online stores. From the new Sales page, you can view weekly circulars from nearby stores, along with a handful of featured current promotions which you can redeem online or in person. Shopper also shows you store promotions, such as ‘30% off’ or ‘free shipping’, as you search for products in the app.

           

    Use GoodGuide rating to Identify healthy, safe, and eco-friendly products 
    Whether you shop with a conscience or would like a reason to start, Shopper now features GoodGuide ratings, a rating system that indicates on a scale of one to ten whether a product is healthy, safe and environmentally friendly. When GoodGuide ratings are available for a product, you can view these by scrolling down the product detail screen, as shown below. You can learn more about the GoodGuide rating system here.  



    You can download Shopper 3.0 for your Android device from Google Play.

    Posted by John Shriver-Blake, Product Manager, Google Shopper
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Introducing Magazines on Google Play for the UK


Following hot on the heels of the recent launch of music on Google Play in the UK, we’re pleased to announce that from today, you’ll also be able to buy digital versions of your favourite magazines for reading on the go.

Popular titles from some of the world’s leading publishers such as Condé Nast UK, Dennis Publishing, Future, Haymarket, Hearst UK, Immediate Media and IPC Media are now available for purchase on your Android phone or tablet.

Get in shape with Men’s Fitness, cook up a storm with olive, work off all that turkey and Christmas pudding with Slimming World, catch up on the latest must-have gadgets with T3 and read a preview of The Hobbit in this month’s edition of Total Film.

You can stay abreast of the week’s key events with Hello!, New Statesman and The Spectator and keep on top of the latest lifestyle news with Cosmopolitan, Glamourand Tatler. Petrolheads can pick out some new wheels with What Car?, while domestic goddesses can take their inspiration from Good Housekeeping.

Browse the Play Store to find your favourite magazines, discover new titles with a 30-day free trial, buy single issues or purchase a money-saving monthly or annual subscription to leading titles such as Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue and Wired. New Nexus devices even come pre-loaded with free issues of Men’s Fitness, .net and Vogue to get you started.

All your latest issues will be instantly available on your Android tablet or phone, or online, using our web reader, and organised in your collection in the cloud. You can flip through your magazine carousel to quickly decide what to read next or simply search for a specific title in your magazine collection.


Magazines are available today to enjoy on the sofa or on the go via your Android devices and on play.google.com, so please take a look. 
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Tuesday 8 January 2013

Delhi gang-rape victim was our Joan of Arc: Tisca Chopra


Delhi gang-rape victim was our Joan of Arc: Tisca Chopra

READ MORE Tisca Chopra|Delhi Gang-Rape
Delhi gang-rape victim was our Joan of Arc: Tisca Chopra
Tisca ChopraMore Pics
The brutal gangrape of a 23-year-old medical student in Delhi last month sparked outrage in the country, prompting thousands of people to come and condemn the act. 

Among the nationwide protests that were held, many were attended by renowned artistes, who raised their voice against society's outlook towards women. During one such event, actressTisca Chopra, voiced her views on the rampant eve teasing that is prevalent in our metro cities.

She said, "When I started going to college in Delhi, we would travel by the DTC bus. Eve-teasing is very common there. So, my mom told me to carry a safety pin in my bag. She advised ki 'chubho dena' if someone touches you. I want to change this safety pin mentality now. Why should women be afraid when travelling by bus? The girl who died is in a way the Joan of Arc of our country - a symbol of change. Let us not forget what happened. Let's not suffer from a short term memory loss this time. Yeh internet generationhai, everyone gets to know of everything instantaneously. Let's keep this fight alive, let's make the country safer for women and let them step out of their homes without feeling scared."
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Congress, MIM delaying Akbaruddin Owaisi's arrest: BJP


Congress, MIM delaying Akbaruddin Owaisi's arrest: BJP

IANS | Jan 8, 2013, 03.04 PM IST
READ MORE Balbir Punj|MIM|Hate Speech|Akbaruddin Owaisi
Congress, MIM delaying Akbaruddin Owaisi's arrest: BJP
Delay in arresting MIM MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi in hate speech case a "fixed match" between Congress and MIM: BJP

NEW DELHI, The BJP on Tuesday said the delay in arresting Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) legislator Akbaruddin Owaisi in a hate speech case was a "fixed match" between the Congress and MIM.

 "They (Congress and MIM) are hand in glove when Akbaruddin Owaisi speaks the language of fire. He definitely has the tacit support of either local or central Congress leaders," BJP spokesperson Balbir Punj said.

 Owaisi, who is wanted for questioning over his alleged hate speeches made in December, returned from London on Monday. He was on Tuesday taken to a hospital for tests.

 If declared fit, police are likely to take him for questioning.

 Punj claimed that taking the MIM legislator for a medical examination was an act of facilitating him.

 "This entire drama of police going to his house...he seeking four days (to appear before police)... is a sort of a cooling period and pretending to be sick. It is part of a fixed match. The government is not at all serious in curbing this menace," Punj said.

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GOP Lawmakers Hope to Limit Further Women's Reproductive Rights


GOP Lawmakers Hope to Limit Further Women's Reproductive Rights
State lawmakers will reconvene to kick off their new sessions this week, and Republican legislators are already gearing up for the new abortion restrictions they hope to introduce this year, Think Progressreported Jan.7.
The states of Virginia, Wisconsin, Indiana and Texas are expected to introduce measures to impose additional burdens to abortion access. While Texas already approved the defunding of Planned Parenthood that is currently forcing thousands of low-income women to find new doctors, a Republican lawmaker in Virginia is gearing up for a bill that would “eliminate state funding for abortions for low-income women who learn of gross fetal deformities.” 
These states are also pushing for provisions requiring insurers to offer plans that don’t include contraceptive coverage.
Last year, 19 states passed 42 different abortion restrictions, second only to the record-breaking 92 anti-abortion provisions enacted in 2011, according to the Guttmacher Institute.
Anti-Abortion Group Loses Appeal Over PAC Status
An anti-abortion group will not get a hearing before the U.S. Supreme Court on its appeal of federal law designating it as a political nonprofit that must disclose information about its financial donors, CNNreported Jan. 7. The Justices rejected the case involving the The Real Truth About Abortion, Inc. without comment on Monday. The Virginia-based group, formally known as The Real Truth About Obama, argued that its "issue advocacy" was protected free speech and not subject to federal regulation, since it did not "expressly advocate the election or defeat" or "make any contribution" to a political candidate.
Judge Orders Trial in Abortion Insurance Case in Kansas
Kansas' law that restricts private health insurance coverage for abortions will go to trial to resolve whether it poses a substantial obstacle to women seeking to end pregnancies, Associated Press reported Jan. 7. U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson rejected an argument by the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas and Western Missouri that the 2011 law should be summarily invalidated because the Legislature's predominant purpose in passing the act was to impede access to abortion. Robinson considered that the ACLU failed to provide any evidence about lawmakers' motivation. However, the judge said, a trial is necessary to determine the larger question of whether the significant costs for abortions many women must now pay for themselves create a substantial burden on the federal right to an abortion.
Women To Be Hit by Economic Reforms in England 
New figures reveal that 4.6 million women who receive child tax credit directly will be affected by the reforms on benefits and tax credits in England, The Guardian reported Jan.6. This number that includes 2.5 million working women, and more than a million women who care for children while their partners work. In addition, low-paid new mothers on £12,000 a year are losing £1,300 during pregnancy and the baby's first year via cuts to maternity pay, pregnancy support and tax credits. They are also losing a further £422 from cuts to child benefit over the same period.
Domestic Violence Reported Every 21 Minutes in Northern Ireland
Domestic abuse is reported every 21 minutes in Northern Ireland, The Belfast Telegraph reported Jan.7.. Around a quarter of women suffer from violence which can be physical, emotional, financial or sexual, Women`s Aid Federation Northern Ireland said. The number of domestic abuse incidents is at its highest level recorded in the last two years, according to statistics revealed last year.
Women on Boards Bring More Aggressive Action
Having more women on corporate boards is important for performance because they make the boards more aggressive, a new report “When All Are Aboard: Does the Gender of Directors Matter?,” shows, Forbesreported Jan. 7.  Researcher Miriam Schwartz-Ziv, who analyzed corporate board meetings of Israeli companies, found that boards that had at least three directors of each gender in attendance, and in particular three women, had a significantly larger ROE (return on equity) and net profit margin. That mirrors findings by a recent Credit Suisse study that found companies with gender diverse boards outperformed male-only ones by 26 percent over a period of six years.
Saudi Arabia Rejects Suspension of Rizana Nafeek Execution
Saudi Arabia has revoked the suspension on the execution of Sri Lanka’s housemaid Rizana Nafeek and it has now become imminent that she will be executed anytime, the Asian Tribune reported Jan. 7. Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa issued another appeal to Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, requesting his intervention in suspending the decision. Rizana Nafeek faces death sentence on charges of murdering an infant. She was 17 years old when she arrested in May 2005. 

Indonesia to Ban Women Straddling Motorbikes
Authorities in Indonesia's Aceh province are pressing ahead with a proposed Islamic law that would ban female passengers from straddling motorbikes despite reported opposition from the central government,CBS News reported Jan. 7. The Aceh laws regulate women's dress and public morality, require shops and other places to close at prayer time, and are enforced by a special unit. Punishments can include public caning. Aceh introduced a version of Shariah, or Islamic law, in 2009, after it gained autonomy from the government in a 2005 peace deal to end a long-running separatist war there. .

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Delhi gang-rape case: Court orders in camera trial


Delhi gang-rape case: Court orders in camera trial

IANS | Jan 7, 2013, 03.59 PM IST
READ MORE Delhi Gang-Rape Case|Delhi Gang-Rape|Saket District Court|Juvenile
Delhi gang rape case: Court orders in-camera hearing

Delhi gang rape case: Court orders in-camera hearing
NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Monday ordered in-camera proceedings in the December 16 gang-rape case following the "unprecedented situation" in the courtroom with crowds of reporters, lawyers, security personnel and onlookers. The court also restrained the media from reporting any news related to the case without its permission.

Metropolitan Magistrate Namrita Aggarwal said: "An unprecedented situation arises when members of bar and public persons not connected with the case also have started converging the courtroom No. 207 where the present matter is going on since 12 noon."

"The courtroom has become jampacked with lots of disturbance created from different nooks and corners," observed the court.

"It has become impossible to proceed in the case. I am passing order for in-camera proceeding. It shall not be lawful to print and publish any article in media without court permission."

Five of the six men accused in the gang-rape of a 23-year-old had arrived in the Saket district court premises here but could not be presented before the metropolitan magistrate as the courtroom was too crowded. The sixth accused, who is 17 years and six months old according to his school certificates, will be presented before a juvenile justice board.

The court then said it would not hear the case unless the crowd dispersed. The metropolitan magistrate said that there was no space in the courtroom to present the five accused and left for her chamber.

Around 40 security personnel also were deployed inside the courtroom for security.

Controversy has also arisen over who will defend the five accused - the sixth is a juvenile - alleged to have gang-raped and tortured the young physiotherapy intern in a moving bus on December 16. She died of her injuries in a Singapore hospital on December 29.

Some lawyers on Monday said they were willing to represent the accused but others expressed their anguish.

One advocate told the court that he was approached by the family of the accused, asking him to defend them.

"I was approached by the family of accused, I should be allowed to meet them here to sign the 'vakalatnama' (contract with the lawyer)," said the advocate.

To this, the judge said he would not be allowed to meet the accused and could go to Tihar Jail to sign the papers.

The incident has caused widespread rage and protests all over the nation, with protests being staged in several major cities, mainly in Delhi.
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