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  • Google Maps rolls out Immersive view, other features

    Google is also rolling out AI powers for its Maps application…

    Notably, Google Maps will soon get the ‘Immersive view for routes’ feature which was announced during the Google I/O event. The company is also getting Google Lens in Maps and EV charging station information.

    Google Maps users can view famous landmarks and even restaurants in 3D in different conditions when they use ‘Immersive view for routes’ feature. This helps them to view things such as different times of the day, different weather conditions, and more.

    Google is now able to generate such immersive views of these places with the help of AI that can mix together billions of Street View and aerial images at once.

    The Immersive view for routes feature is now rolling out gradually for users in different cities, including Amsterdam, Barcelona, Dublin, Florence, Las Vegas, London, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Paris, San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle, Tokyo, and Venice, on both Android and iOS.

    What about Google Lens?

    Google Lens is now integrated with the Maps search bar for details of places nearby.

    Google Maps users are also getting the option to view traffic on a turn-by-turn basis, a pretty solid feature for daily commuters.

    They can start the map, and see a small “Immersive View” button at the bottom right corner. Meanwhile, Google Lens is getting situated in the Maps search bar. It works in 50 new cities at the moment, which include Austin, Las Vegas, Rome, São Paulo, and Taipei.

    When a user points their camera to the area, they will see an AI overall showing information about nearby ATMs, stations, coffee shops, restaurants, and more, right there on the home screen.
    The feature is officially renamed from ‘Lens in Maps’ to ‘Search with Live View’.

    Google Maps now includes maps to make navigation more realistic. The update brings new colors, realistic buildings, improved lane details on highways, HOV lane information in the US, and AI-powered speed-limit info in Europe.

    What this means for EV owners

    For EV owners, Google Maps is making it easier to find nearby charging stations.

    The EV information feature is meant to show which charger is compatible with their vehicle, whether the station is fast charging or not, and when it was last used.

    The Google Search in Maps has been introduced to provide a visual search feature. The feature is powered by AI as well and it provides photo-based visual search queries for users in France, Germany, Japan, the U.K., and the U.S.

    adminAiden

  • Microsoft, Google, others start $10 million AI Safety Fund for research

    In July 2023, four tech giants; Open AI, Microsoft, Google, and Anthropic, announced a platform called the Frontier Model Forum to ensure the safe and responsible development of generative AI, especially frontier AI models.

    These companies have made another joint announcement of the appointment of Chris Meserole as the first Executive Director of the Frontier Model Forum and the establishment of an AI safety fund with a more than $10 million initiative.

    The initiative is meant to promote research in the field of AI safety. Additionally, the Frontier Model is sharing its first technical working group update on red teaming.

    According to Google, Chris Meserole recently worked as Director of the Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technology Initiative at the Brookings Institution.

    Now, as the Executive Director, his latest role requires him to identify and share best practices for frontier models, expand knowledge to academics, policymakers, and civilians, and support efforts to leverage AI to address society’s biggest challenges.

    Chris Meserole statement:

    “The most powerful AI models hold strong promise for society, but to realize their full usefullness, we need to better understand how to safely develop and evaluate them. I’m excited to take on that challenge with the Frontier Model Forum.”

    As of now, major contributions have come from the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Eric Schmidt (former CEO of Google and philanthropist), and Jaan Tallinn (Estonian billionaire).

    The fund, administered by the Meridian Institute, will soon call for proposals in the next few months and grants can be expected shortly after that.

    adminAiden

  • Google Pixel Watch 2, the Google Pixel 8, and the Google Pixel 8 Pro arrive

    The Google Pixel 8 phones appear in new and unofficial unboxing shots

    The Google Pixel Watch 2, the Google Pixel 8, and the Google Pixel 8 Pro, all these devices due to launch this week.

    The Google Pixel 8 and Google Pixel 8 Pro are due to be unveiled in full on Wednesday, October 4 at a special launch event, you may check out photos and videos online.

    From snaps received from online, the Pixel phones come in packaging very similar to what we saw with the Google Pixel 7 and the Google Pixel 7 Pro. There will be a charging cable included in the box, but no charging plug.

    There’s matte glass finish on the back of the Pixel 8 Pro, and the recognizable Pixel design, with the raised camera bump on the back.

    Google has already officially announced the Pixel 8, the Pixel 8 Pro and the Pixel Watch 2, but we don’t still know much about these devices. Soon, there’ll be more information regarding that.

    adminAiden

  • Search Dominance: US claims Google pays more than $10 billion

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    • The US Justice Department and state attorneys general have launched an antitrust case against Google, accusing the company of unlawfully using its dominance in the search engine market to maintain monopoly power. Google’s search ads generate nearly 60% of its revenue, and the lawsuit alleges that the company paid billions of dollars to device makers, wireless companies, and browser makers to ensure its search engine would be the default option.
    • Google claims it has not violated antitrust laws and argues that it is successful because it provides a fast, effective search engine for free. The company suggests that consumers have the choice to use alternative search engines.
    • The trial will determine whether Google violated antitrust law and, if so, what actions should be taken. The outcome of the case will likely be appealed by both parties, potentially delaying the resolution for years. Previous antitrust cases against Microsoft and AT&T have had significant impacts on the technology industry.

    Read the full story

    adminAiden

  • Google, Apple plans marketing events on the same day

    Google Plans A Pixel Party To Spoil Apple’s iPhone 15 Launch…

    As Apple prepares to confirm what everyone already knows about the upcoming iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Pro, and AirPods, Google is preparing a little surprise to highlight the Pixel brand name on the same day as the world welcomes what Apple will no doubt promise is “the best iPhone we’ve ever made”.

    — Forbes

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  • Google Nest Camera for indoor use

    Google is also into security cameras. This one you’re looking at in the picture is called Google Nest Cam IQ Indoor, a very special security camera for the home. Don’t worry about performance because Google has made strides in this technology. We know it is a winner. At the time I’m writing this, the product has a price slash in the market. So you could actually buy this home security camera for less.

    This security camera offers clean and clear daytime imaging with a very wide 130-degree wide-angle field of view. Night vision and two-way audio is also present. Here is a camera that you can listen to and talk to.

    adminAiden

  • Google’s new app make the eyes speak

    Google developed an app called Look to Speak that allows people to communicate with their eyes. Look to Speak could help patients suffering from speech and motor impairments communicate with family and friends with just the help of an affordable phone that can be taken and placed anywhere, instead of more expensive gadgets that aren’t easy to move around. The app is available for Android 9 or later and works on Android One phones as well.

    Read more

    adminAiden

  • Guest privacy and wellbeing is central to the design of new hotel solution…

    Guest privacy and wellbeing is central to the design of new hotel solution

    Partnership between Google and Volara is enabling hotels across the globe to deploy the best of Google, including a contactless guest engagement and touchless room controls solution that facilitates private, automated and live, conversational interactions between hotel guests and staff. Running on the Google Nest Hub, guests may ask the popular voice assistant to make calls, play music, watch shows, request amenities, book services, turn on/off TVs, increase the room temperature, adjust the lights, set alarms and more without ever lifting a finger. With new safety protocols reshaping the guest experience, this new solution from Google and Volara presents a uniquely relevant, digitally interactive means of connecting guests to their hotel.

    Guests can access a range of entertainment, information, recommendations, and services just by speaking in their room:

    “Hey Google, tell me about the hotel’s health and safety policies.”
    “Hey Google, can you recommend a place to take my kids?”
    “Hey Google, bring me a toothbrush.”
    “Hey Google, play Peppa Pig.”
    “Hey Google, listen to Lady Gaga.”
    “Hey Google, set an alarm for 7:00 a.m.”

    “We are thrilled to partner with Google to bring this powerful consumer hardware to hotels,” said David Berger, Volara CEO. “With Google and Volara, hoteliers can reinvent their guests’ experiences while actually reducing costs. The contactless guest engagement and touchless room controls solution replaces the bedside clock, printed guest directory, and Bluetooth speaker. Soon, I expect our solution to displace the telephone and linear television. This popular and easy-to-use voice assistant will give today’s trepidatious travelers the confidence they need to truly enjoy their stay experiences knowing their every request can be met just by speaking in their rooms.

    “Together, Volara and Google are significantly raising the bar on hospitality by enabling hoteliers to deliver contactless experiences that support social distancing and enable more efficient operations,” he said. “With the guest journey constantly changing, hoteliers are becoming more reliant on technology to keep guests safe. Google is curating fun and memorable guest experiences while optimizing hotel operations, driving satisfaction and improving loyalty. But don’t just take my word for it.”

    Here’s what hoteliers are saying about the globally deployed and proven solution:

    “As an early adopter to the Volara product suite, Viceroy Hotel & Resorts is a proud partner of Volara — the leader in voice-activated technology,” said Viceroy Hotels & Resorts CEO Bill Walshe. “We are even more grateful now to have technology in place to provide contactless hospitality to ensure guests and staff are as safe and comfortable as possible. We are thrilled to introduce the recent iteration of the Google voice assistant powered by Volara at our newest additions to the brand, Viceroy Washington D.C., as well as the forthcoming Hotel Zena, also in D.C., to meet travelers’ demands for touchless room controls and services. With Google undoubtedly a household fixture, we look forward to providing a safe, innovative solution that guests are familiar with when they choose to stay with us.”

    “At the Gansevoort Meatpacking we are constantly striving to bring our guests the latest in technology and the most seamless experience possible,” said Anton Moore, General Manager of Gansevoort Meatpacking. “We are thrilled to be working with Volara and Google to offer guests this experience. With this new technology guests can play music, order anything from a bottle of champagne to a set of fresh towels, and even learn more about the neighborhood just by chatting with their Google Nest Hub.”

    “We are overjoyed to be a pioneer property of Google’s hotel solution in Miami Beach,” said Kevin Waldstein, General Manager of The Gale South Beach, a Menin Hospitality hotel. “Travelers will be so appreciative that they can talk to staff remotely via the voice assistant without having to pick up the in-room phone or walk down to the front desk. Powered by Volara, this voice solution — with its many integrations to other technologies — makes it so much easier for me to manage tasks and ensure that everyone is following new standard operating procedures. Plus, it will enable our staff to remain socially distant from guests while ensuring their every wish is our command. When we reopen in October, we are confident that when guests check out, they won’t to stop talking about their experience at The Gale — and Google’s hotel solutions will be a big part of our success, as it will truly help us deliver extraordinary service in unprecedented times.”

    “Google’s hotel solution provides travelers staying at Synergy corporate housing with an in-room, always available expert stay concierge,” said Rob Eisenberg, General Manager, Synergy New York. “From internal service support commands such as housekeeping and maintenance to tailored restaurant reviews and neighborhood amenities to the typical in-unit IOT between phone, music, T.V., lighting and central air—not to mention the reminders about weather, transit, and personal calendars — Google’s hotel solution benefitting from Volara’s voice-based engagement technology offers our guests the power of the world’s fastest search engine along with specific guest service amenities via the convenience of intuitive voice interface. Google and Volara’s partnership enable endless possibilities for how we deliver our hospitality philosophy.”

    Google’s hotel solution benefits from Volara’s real-time conversation management software and secure integrations hub which seamlessly connects the solution to leading hotel technologies, including: Task Management Solutions (Alice, Knowcross, Amadeus / HotSOS, SynergyMMS, GXP, Hmobile, and Nuvola), Energy Management and Room Controls (Interel, Telkonet, Schneider Electric, VDA Group, and coming soon Legrande and Lutron), Interactive Television Solutions (Innspire, SONIFI, BeyondTV, and MCOMs), SMS Guest Engagement (Zingle / Medallia, Kipsu, GoMoment, TrustYou Messaging, and Whistle), Staff Alert Technologies (React Mobile), and more.

    About Volara
    Volara is THE provider of custom voice-based solutions for the hospitality industry. It’s the anchor partner for the Google Assistant’s full-service interpreter mode translation solution and Google’s hotel solution. Volara’s proprietary software creates a hotel business tool atop the leading smart speakers and natural language processing platforms. Volara’s hassle free implementation and support ensures seamless execution of voice assistant solutions. Volara’s proven best practices ensure high utilization rates and an optimal guest experience that creates personal and remarkable engagement with guests. Volara is the largest manager of voice assistant solution in hotels today and more than 10 million people have used voiced-based solutions powered by Volara. To learn more about Volara’s launch of Google’s hotel solution, go to Volara.io.

    adminAiden

  • Google Play Music to laid to rest come October

    In the process of trying to create their own streaming service, Google ultimately ended up with a couple of solutions – Google Play Music and YouTube Music. It might be confusing to newbies as to which they should sign up for, but it looks like Google is now one step closer to streamlining it all.

    The company has announced that in October 2020, they will be shutting down Google Play Music in favor of YouTube Music. The shutdown will actually begin in September 2020 where it will first affect users in New Zealand and South Africa, and the rest of the world in October. This means that after these days, users will no longer be able to stream music directly from Google Play Music.

    However, according to Google, “But don’t worry, we will be holding onto things like your playlists, uploads, purchases, likes and more until December 2020 to make your transfer to YouTube Music easier. Users who wish to transfer their music libraries from Google Play Music to YouTube Music, can do so through December 2020, after which their Google Play Music libraries will no longer be available.”

    https://www.ubergizmo.com/2020/08/google-play-music-shut-down-october/?utm_source=mainrss

    adminAiden

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