Google Now Will Soon Show Information From Any App, With New Open API

Google has announced it will be bringing an open API for Google Now soon that will allow all apps to display information to the user via the service. The open API will be a huge expansion over the current pilot programme, which only works with 40 third-party services. The exact rollout date or time-frame was not given.

Speaking at an SXSW session (via The Next Web) over the weekend, Director of Product Management for Google Now, Aparna Chennapragada, said that an open API for Google Now is currently in the works.

Chennapragada also gave an insight to how once the API is launched Google Now will handle and display data coming from rival apps. She said Google Now will display data from apps based on the individual's app usage patterns over time. For instance, if a user is more active on Facebook than Twitter, Google Now cards will show Facebook's Google Now card instead of Twitter's. It has been noted that the firm surveyed thousands of users at a time to identify the trends and patterns as to what relevant data to show on the Google Now cards from a single app in a particular situation. The Google Now director added that personal experience by members of the team also helped understand what information users might need at a certain situation.

For example, her recent visit to Disneyland resulted in work on providing theme park ride queue times in a future release.

For More Details:-
RMP Infotech
Web:- www.rmpinfotech.in

Facebook Report Shows Slight Rise in Government Requests for Data

Facebook Inc recorded a slight increase in government requests for account data in the second half of 2014, according to its Global Government Requests Report, which includes information about content removal.

Requests for account data increased to 35,051 in the second half of 2014 from 34,946 in the first half, with requests from countries such as India rising and those from others including United States and Germany falling, the report by the world's largest Internet social network showed.

Facebook said it restricted 9,707 pieces of content for violating local laws, 11 percent more than in the first half, with access restricted to 5,832 pieces in India and 3,624 in Turkey.

"We will continue to scrutinize each government request and push back when we find deficiencies. We will also continue to push governments around the world to reform their surveillance practices in a way that maintains the safety and security of their people while ensuring their rights and freedoms are protected," Monika Bickert, Facebook's head of global policy management wrote in a blog post.

Bickert said Facebook challenges requests that appear to be "unreasonable" or "overbroad" and if a country requests content be removed because it is illegal, Facebook may restrict access only in that country.

For More Details:-
RMP Infotech
Web:- www.rmpinfotech.in

Microsoft Thinks Virtual Reality Is Not Yet Ready, Reveals Xbox Chief

With Microsoft revealing HoloLens to the world at its January Windows 10 event, it does not mean the company has turned its back on virtual reality (VR). Talking to Eurogamer, Xbox head Phil Spencer claimed that HoloLens does not prevent Microsoft from getting into VR.

"I don't think we've locked ourselves out. We've looked at a mixed reality space that we could do with Hololens and think about it as a unique set of features and technologies to enable, that doesn't preclude us from doing anything in the VR space either from a first-party or partnership perspective. I've used Morpheus, I've used Oculus, I'm going to see more of the demos [at GDC 2015]," Spencer said.

However he's uncertain as to when the opportune moment would be to enter the market, believing that there's still work to be done before VR is ready for prime time, mass consumption.

"The conversations between all of us in this space remain strong, a lot of them look at Xbox, and obviously with Oculus on PC and other things, and the discussions are great as all of us look forward into where this space is going to go. I don't think - and this isn't a shot at VR in any way - I don't think it's landed yet on what it is and how it's gong to go to market, but the innovation work is amazing, and it's something the games industry has always done, whether it's AI or voice. The games industry is always a place for innovation."

For More Details:-
RMP Infotech
Web:- www.rmpinfotech.in

Google VPN Service Spotted in Android 5.1 Lollipop: Report

Google might be planning its own VPN service for Android users, if recently reported details about changes in Android 5.1 Lollipop are to be believed.

As first spotted by Pocketables blog on Thursday, Google has included a new system application - "Google Connectivity Services" - in the latest Android 5.1 Lollipop OS build, which incorporates company's own VPN service option dubbed Google VPN.

If you are a Nexus device owner with Android 5.1 Lollipop installed, you can reportedly find the Google Connectivity Services app in Settings > Apps > All. Users however cannot open the app from here, and will have to use a shortcut creator app, such as QuickShortcutMaker, to launch the app via the activity "com.google.android.apps.gcs/com.google.android.apps.gcs.WifiAssistantOptInActivity".

Upon launching the Google Connectivity Services app and connecting to an open Wi-Fi network, users are said to see a Google VPN pop-up that reads, "To help protect you on open Wi-Fi networks, your data will be transmitted securely through a Google VPN," along with two options - "learn more" and "got it".

Clicking the "Learn more" button redirects to a standard Google support page, whereas "Got it" shows a VPN connection setup screen that however is not yet functional. The setup screen reads, "Google Wi-Fi Assistant wants to set up a VPN connection that allows it to monitor network traffic. Only accept if you trust the source. [Key symbol] appears at the top of your screen when VPN is active."

For More Details:-
RMP Infotech
Web:- www.rmpinfotech.in

Nasa Launches App That Enables You to Help Find New Asteroids

Nasa has launched a new software that can help amateur astronomers detect new asteroids in an efficient way.

Developed in partnership with Planetary Resources of Redmond, Washington, D.C., the desktop software application showed a 15-percent increase in positive identification of new asteroids in our solar system's main belt of asteroids between Mars and Jupiter.The application is based on an Asteroid Data Hunter-derived algorithm that analyses images for potential asteroids. It is a tool that can be used by amateur astronomers and citizen scientists.

The Asteroid Data Hunter challenge was part of Nasa's Asteroid Grand Challenge.

"The Asteroid Grand Challenge is seeking non-traditional partnerships to bring the citizen science and space enthusiast community into Nasa's work," said Jason Kessler, program executive for Nasa's Asteroid Grand Challenge."The Asteroid Data Hunter challenge has been successful beyond our hopes, creating something that makes a tangible difference to asteroid hunting astronomers and highlights the possibility for more people to play a role in protecting our planet," he added.

For More Details:-
RMP Infotech
Web:- www.rmpinfotech.in

Wipro Appoints TCS Veteran Abid Ali Neemuchwala as COO

Country's third-largest software services firm Wipro has appointed Abid Ali Neemuchwala as the Group President and Chief Operating Officer.The appointment will be effective from April 1, 2015.

In his role, Neemuchwala will head the service lines of global infrastructure services, business application services, business process services, and advanced technology solutions, Wipro said in a statement.He will also head business operations; the geographies comprising continental Europe, Africa, and Latin America; strategic engagements, advisor relationships as well as the marketing function, it added.

Neemuchwala joins Wipro after a 23-year-long stint at India's largest software services firm Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) where he was heading its BPO arm. "Abid brings invaluable experience with his track record of building and scaling businesses. I am confident his deep understanding of technology and expertise in all facets of IT & BPS businesses will help power our businesses to greater heights," Wipro CEO and Member of the Board, T K Kurien said.

For More Details:-
RMP Infotech
Web:- www.rmpinfotech.in

Nasa to Develop Augmented Reality Glasses for Astronauts

Several outer space tasks like doing repairs and conducting experiments may become a lot easier for astronauts now as Nasa is developing augmented reality glasses like Google Glass for them.

These specially-developed glasses can project any information needed by its user right into the glasses' lenses.

Nasa has recently teamed up with the San Francisco-based company Osterhout Design Group to develop such computerised glasses.According to the US space agency, it was planning to develop a virtual reality glass that can project specific how-to guidelines that will then be followed by the astronauts, according to a Venture Beat report.

Presently, astronauts on space missions solely rely on printed instruction manuals.If they are doing repairs in outer space they use index cards, held together by metal rings, in order to give them information on how to fix the problem.

For More Details:-
RMP Infotech
Web:- www.rmpinfotech.in

YouTube Reportedly Working on a Video-on-Demand Subscription Service

YouTube, after bringing support for 360-degree videos to Android and the desktop, is now reported to be exploring a video-on-demand (VOD) subscription plan similar to the recently unveiled YouTube Music Key.

Google has not yet announced any information about the YouTube video subscription option. The Variety cites an unnamed executive from a YouTube partner firm that said the Google property is "exploring the prospect of launching its own subscription VOD service."

The VOD subscription service is said to follow the YouTube Music Key model, which provides ad-free videos and free Google Play Music access for $7.99 per month. The upcoming service is said to be ad-free and include several YouTube Stars under the YouTube Originals channel.The source added that YouTube had reached out to partners late last year about a VOD subscription licensing deal, adding the Google-owned video site had threatened if the partner did not meet the terms of the service it would be denied any future ad revenue.

The reported move by YouTube is said to be a result of pressure from competitors like Vimeo, Hulu, Vessel and more, which are working on bringing more YouTube Stars and video makers to host videos on their websites for more attractive advertising revenue and even exclusive retainers.

For More Details:-
RMP Infotech
Web:- www.rmpinfotech.in