Google now tracking offline sales conversions

Google is already trying to make smartphones more intelligent by tracking the online and offline activity of users of its services, and offering them relevant alerts and notifications.

However, it looks like Google is also planning to leverage the user’s offline activity to allow advertisers to target audience in better way, if a new report is to be believed.

Google conducting a program that takes advantages of samrtphone location data to find out when consumes visit physical stores, according to a report by Digiday, which cities agency executives briefed on the program by Google employees, as a source for this information.

The program, which is currently in beta, links users’s store to their visits to their searches conducted on smartphones through Google, to establish the efficacy of its mobile ads.

For instances, if a users searches for a product name in Google mobile searches, with location tracking enabled, nearby stores that offers the product can bid to get their ad served to the user above other ads. Google can then connect and track the user    ‘s location data, and after comparing it with its listing, check if the user who was served the ad actually visited the store after viewing it.

However, as with other location-based services, Google will only be able to leverage this data if the user opts in to turn on location services on his/her device. Google can track the user’s location through Android devices and iOS devices with the Google app.

Through the program, Google will reportedly be able to offer advertisers a better and more concrete estimate of their returns on ad investments, and command higher ad rates for better targeting.

Nexus 5 leaked again, reveals build, more Android 4.4 KitKat features

A bunch of new images and a walkthrough video reportedly showing the alleged Nexus 5 smartphone running the new iteration of Google’s mobile operating system have surfaced on the Internet.

The new leaked live images reveals some of the new features of the Android 4.4 KitKat which include transparent notification and navigation bar; Google photos and Hangouts replacing the conventional messaging and gallery apps respectively; a new camera launch icon is now seen sitting on the left corner of the display on the lockscreen; ability to add more homescreen panes; new wallpapers; Google Now to activate by saying ‘Ok Google’ from the homescreen and new boot animation reportedly borrowed from the Play Editions of Galaxy S4 and HTC One.

The latest leaked images were posted on TuttoAndroid and were first reported by Android Police.

Further a new walkthrough video featuring the alleged prototype of the Nexus 5 has also surfaced. The video has been posted by gn5 and shows some of the preloaded apps that were seen on previous versions of Android like Live wallpapers, Chrome, YouTube, calendar, among others. It is also showcases the build of the Nexus 5, however, it is definitely an early build, or prototype, as there is no branding visible.

While the video also shows the storage of the device which has 16GB out of which only 12GB is user-accessible and the smartphone’s about section that reveals Nexus 5 running Key Lime Pie. The leak is accompanied with the speculation that the Nexus 5 will feature a rubberized back, just like the prototype version shown. The video has been shooting with the phone supporting the French language and could be deciphered.

As previously reported, Google is expected to unveil the next Nexus smartphone and Android 4.4 KitKat, the new iteration of Google’s mobile operating system on October 15, as per a recent report. 

Nexus 5 image leaked

The much anticipated successor to the Nexus 4 has made another appearance on the Internet. The latest leaked image comes courtesy Spigen, a case-maker that has posted an image of the expected Nexus 5, revealing the rear panel.

Spigen has posted the image to its Google+ feed and noted, “There will you be when the revolution begins?” accompanied by the #nexus5, #android and #google hashtags that suggests that case-maker wants more people to talk the upcoming Nexus smartphone.

The leaked image shows the rear camera with large sensor accompanied by an LED flash. The rear panel’s design appears to be identical to that of the Nexus 7 (2013) tablet. The image has a tagline which said, “Nexus 5 revolution is ready.” Unfortunately, the case-maker has not revealed any details about the availability of the alleged Nexus 5.

Earlier this month, the rumoured Nexus 5’s battery, pricing and storage details were leaked. The report claimed that the 16GB Nexus 5 model will supposedly be priced at $299 (Rs. 18,500 approximately), while the 32GB Nexus 5 might be expected to be priced at $399 (Rs. 24,500 approximately).

Additionally the report claimed that the next Nexus smartphone would come in two different battery sizes for 16GB and 32GB storage models. As per the report, the 16GB is said to include a 230mAh battery while the 32GB model is expected to pack a 3000mAh battery.

We had already reported that the rumoured Nexus 5 will come with 16GB and 32GB storage onboard, as the company has shifted to larger inbuilt storage on the device.

Rumoured specifications of the Nexus 5 include a 4.95-inch full-HD (1080p) IPS LCD display. Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor clocked at 2.3GHz, 2GB of RAM, 8-megapixel rear camera with OIS and a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera. The alleged Nexus 4 successor has also been expected to include a host of sensors like ambient light, proximity, pressure as well as accelerometer, compass, notification LED and gyroscope.

Prior to this, a report suggested the successor to the Nexus 4 would be unveiled later this month, while it would be start shipping in the last week of this month. 

Purported Nexus 5 service manual leaks, reveals complete specifications

Fresh purported evidence about the rumoured Nexus 4 successor has been spilled out, thanks to a leaked service manual that is said to reveal its specifications.

Android Police has published a service manual for the LG-D821 variant which was formerly believed to be the LG G2’s CDMA-variant. The leaked manual reveals complete specifications of the alleged Nexus 5 along with diagrams, images, and flowcharts of the device.

The specifications revealed by the alleged leaked manual include a 4.95-inch full-HD (1080p) IPS LCD display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor clocked at 2.3GHz, 2GB RAM, 8-meagapixel rear camera with OIS and a 1.3-megapixel front facing camera. It is also evident by the alleged manual that the rumored Nexus 5 will come with 16GB and 32GB storage onboard as the company seems to shift to larger inbuilt storage on the device. However, the manual reveals noting about expandable storage.

The Nexus 5 is also rumored to include a host of sensors like ambient light, proximity, pressure as well as accelerometer, compass, notification LED and gyroscope. Connectivity features expected on the device include NFC, Bluetooth, A-GPS and WI-Fi. It is also suggested by the leaked manual that the device will come with 2300mAh battery and also support wireless charging. One of the images in the manual show the alleged Nexus 5 with large camera sensor as seen in at the back, which was first spotted in the Android 4.4 Kitkat announcement video.

There’s not much more that can be leaked out about the Nexus 5, expect for the device itself to actually be officially announced. A recent report had indicated an October release for the Nexus 5 while the device would ship in the last week of October.

Android 4.4 KitKat to release in October: Nestle

It looks like Android’s latest iteration will see the light of the day in October, as Nestle has revealed the first news about the launch of Android 4.4 KitKat on facebook.

While replying to a user who asked “When Android 4.4 KitKat will be available”, Nestle German KitKat Facebook handle replied “Android 4.4 KitKat is available from October “(Google translation).

While this might not be an official confirmation about Android 4.4 KitKat’s release, at least the German Nestle Facebook handle was kind enough to confirm that it is coming next month.

Earlier this month, the search engine giant which has been known for nicknaming its Android operating systems for smartphones and tablets after desserts, had for the first time announced a candy brand name for the version 4.4. However, Google made no mention of when the android 4.4 update would rollout.

The search giant has been in news ever since it announced the next iteration of its mobile operating system, with the Nexus 4 successor, which is expected to be the platform lead device for Android 4.4 jelly, making multiple appearances on the Internet via FCC filing and image leaks.

In the official promotional video of the Kitkat announcement released by Google, a person seen holding up a phone which came with Nexus logo at the back, very identical to the Nexus 7 (2013). The back of the mysterious phone had a matte finish and include a large camera lens which has not been seen on any Nexus device, yet.

Recently, the alleged Nexus 4 successor was again spotted in new images and a video. The purported pre-production unit of the next Nexus smartphone revealed the front and rear panels. It is rumored that the Nexus smart phone would run Android 4.4 KitKat OS and both are expected to be launched at the same event.

Google developing new interface for mobile searches

Ben Gomes, the India-trend techie who overseas Google’s handling of 100 searches a month, believes a new voice-based interface is needed for the next frontier of search centered round mobile phones and tablet computers.

“Now search is becoming mobile-on phones and tablets. The challenge is that it is on a small screen, so it’s hard to type. The opportunity is that it’s got a really good microphone and touch screen,” he said.

“It can enable a new kind of interface. So we realized we want to build and interface that can much like the way you talk to some person and ask a question,” Gomes said.

And while the Google search app can already respond to questions using voice-based software, Gomes told the BBC that the process is “going to be got more better and intelligent”.

The Tanzania-born, India-bred, US-educated vice-president of search is responsible for helping to answer queries in the shortest time possible on desktops, tablets and phones.

Search is Google’s cash cow, bringing in a majority o f its USD 50 billion revenues last year. It is also, said Gomes, “about having a continuous conversation with the user to find out what he wants”.

Described by a BBC as a “boy-like 45-years-old guru of search in Googleplex”, the company headquarters in Mountain View, California, Gomes works out of an untidy cubicle with four other top engineers.

Gomes and his team work on “their fine-tooth comb search of the worldwide web to serve up the popular search engine”. He said: “When I joined Google in 1999, search was about basically finding the words you search for in a document. Then we took this view that we were going to understand what you want and give you what you need.

Trawling through over 20 million web pages a day, Gomes and his “army of search” – a substantial number of Google’s 44,000 employees – use algorithms to make search intuitive, multimedia and super smart. Gomes is especially proud of knowledge Graph, a new function launched last year to make the site’s algorithm “act more human” in a attempt to offer instant answers to search questions.

“It’s a database of all things in the world. It pulls together different databases and unifies them into a single coherent one that has about 500 to 600 million people, places and things in them and about 18 billion attributes and connections between those things,” he said.

Google handles 100-billio plus searches every month, or over three billion a day. A good 15 percent of the searches questions every day are now. When Gomes joined Google in 1999 after a stint in Sun Microsystems working on a Java programming language, some searches could take up to 20 seconds. Today a search for Ben Gomes on Google shows about 19,000,000 results in 28 seconds.

Gomes, the son of car distributor father and a school teacher mother, moved to the US 25 years ago. He went to Berkeley, where he received a PhD in computer science.

Android 4.3 update - Rolling out to HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4 Google Play editions

Google released the next iteration of Android operating system dubbed as version 4.3 Jelly Bean with the launch of its next generation Nexus tablets last month. The update was first rolled out to Nexus devices, with word that the Google Play editions would be next in line.

AnandTech claims both the HTC One and the Samsung Galaxy S4 from Google Play are currently receiving OTA (over-the-air) update notifications. For the Samsung Galaxy S4 the update is around 150MB and for HTC One it's 180 MB.

The update lands in immediately after both HTC and Samsung released the Android 4.3 kernel sources online, according to the site. The Android 4.3 update for both devices have been developed by the OEMs and have no changes to the user-interface.

When Google announced the Google Play Edition devices, it promised quick updates on the device and a complete stock Android experience. With this update the Google Play Editions of Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One joins the list of devices running Android 4.3 that only included Nexus devices until now.

The Android 4.3 update comes with some new features like restricted profiles which enables users to restrict app usage and content consumption on an Android device, dialpad autocomplete that adds the autocomplete feature in the dialpad suggesting contact names or phone numbers when users start keying-in something, keyboard and input which now comes with an upgraded algorithm for tap-typing recognition that makes text input easier while chatting via messages or even while composing emails and new camera UI that offers a new updated Camera app that features a new arch based menu which makes it easier to control and switch camera settings.

A customisable Android smartphone, Google unveils Moto X

Motorola on Thursday unveiled a new smartphone that consumers can personalize with a choice of colors and materials, hoping to stand out in a crowded market and justify the $12.5 billion that Google Inc paid for the ailing handset maker.

The highly anticipated "Moto X" marks the cellphone maker's first flagship device since Google bought the company in 2012, and is its latest attempt to break into a smartphone market dominated by Apple Inc and Samsung Electronics.

The phone's customization options are a novel touch which may appeal to fashionistas, analysts said. But some analysts questioned whether the Moto X offers the kind of technological breakthroughs that will vault Motorola back into the top rungs of the mobile rankings.

"We would have expected magic from somebody like Google, and this is not magic," Roger Entner, an analyst with Recon Analytics, said.

"Motorola could have done this without Google equally well. Or for that matter, another hardware manufacturer not owned by Google could have made this phone," he said, citing the phone's average hardware specifications.

The Moto X will go on sale in the United States at the end of August or the beginning of September for a suggested retail price of $199.99 to customers who sign a two-year contract at five of the biggest U.S. mobile network operators.

Google faces a steep climb in its effort to revive Motorola, which once claimed the No. 2 spot in the global phone market but according to research firm Strategy Analytics now commands a mere 2 percent market share. Shut out of the Apple-Samsung battle, Motorola competes with other smaller players such as HTC, Nokia and BlackBerry.

Motorola is betting that it can win over consumers by offering a huge palette of colors to personalize their phones, as well as unusual phone materials such as wood.

"They're not playing the 'mine is bigger than yours game,'" Avi Greengart, an analyst with Current Analysis, said. "Their approach is that this is what consumers actually need.

"I have no doubt there are people who want to customize their phones. The question is how many of them," Greengart added.

AT&T Inc, the No. 2 U.S. mobile service provider, will have exclusive rights to let its customers customize the phone from a selection of 18 colors for the back, two for the front and seven accent colors for an undisclosed time period.

While AT&T will allow customers to customize their phones, rivals Verizon Wireless , Sprint Corp, T-Mobile US and U.S. Cellular will only be able to offer black-and-white versions of the device.

In order to promise delivery of customized phones within four days, Motorola had contract manufacturing partner Flextronics International Ltd build a factory in the United States.