0 Instant Previews now available on mobile

By Unknown | At 08.47 | Label : Google Instant , Google Mobile Search , google search , google search for mobile , googlenew | 0 Comments

(Cross-posted from the Official Google Blog)

Instant Previews provides a fast and interactive way to evaluate search results. Starting today, Google Instant Previews is available on mobile for Android (2.2+) and iOS (4.0+) devices across 38 languages. Similar to the desktop version of Instant Previews, you can visually compare search results from webpage snapshots, making it easier to choose the right result faster, especially when you have an idea of the content you�d like to see.

For example, if you�re looking for a webpage that has both photos and descriptions, you can use Instant Previews to quickly identify these pages by navigating across the visual search results with a few swipes of your finger. Or perhaps you�re looking for an article, a step-by-step instructions list, or a product comparison chart�with Instant Previews, you can easily spot pages with the right content without having to navigate back and forth between websites and search results. And when the mobile version of a website is available, we�ll show you a preview of the mobile page.

To use Instant Previews on your mobile device, do a search on www.google.com and tap on the magnifying glass next to any search result. A side-by-side comparison view of the webpage previews for the first page of search results will appear. When you find a result you like, tap on the preview to go straight to the website. It�s as easy as finding a recipe for poaching an egg:

You can learn more about Instant Previews for mobile in our Help Center. We hope that you enjoy finding the right result faster with Instant Previews!

Posted by Brian Ngo, Software Engineer, Mobile Search team

0 Tweet your Hotpot ratings in Google Maps for Android

By Unknown | At 08.18 | Label : Android , check-in , google latitude , google maps for mobile , googlenew , hotpot , Places | 0 Comments

(Cross-posted on the Hotpot Blog and the LatLong Blog.)

Whether it�s Google Places with Hotpot or Google Latitude, we�re working on helping you connect the people you care about with places you love. Now, when you�re rating your dinner spot using Google Maps for Android, you can share your review with even more people by posting it to Twitter.


Post your ratings and reviews to Twitter
When you rate and review places like restaurants or cafes from Google Places, you can share valuable recommendations with your Hotpot friends and across Google�s products � in search results, on google.com/hotpot, and on Place pages. But we wanted you to be able to share your recommendations even more broadly. So today, you can start sharing your ratings and reviews with your followers on Twitter directly from your Android-powered device.

When rating on the go using our rating widget, just choose to Post review to Twitter and connect your Twitter account. You�ll get a preview of your tweet and will be able to post your ratings and reviews moving forward.

Post your ratings and reviews to your Twitter followers.

Check-ins: ping friends and search for places
Starting last month, you could share information about the place you were at, in addition to your location, by checking in at places using Google Latitude. Starting today, if you see nearby Latitude friends on the map and want to ask them where they are, you can quickly �ping� them instead of having to text or call. They�ll receive an Android notification from you asking them to check in at a place. And when they check in using your request, you�ll get a notification right back so you know which place to go to meet up with them.

From a friend�s Latitude profile, ping them (left) and they�ll receive a notification (right).

You�ll also be able to more easily check yourself in at the right place. Sometimes there are a lot of nearby places around you, and the right one is missing from the suggested list of places to check in. You can now quickly search for the right place using the Search more places button.

Search for the right place to check in if it�s not among the suggested places.

To start posting Hotpot ratings to Twitter and pinging Latitude friends, just download Google Maps 5.2 from Android Market here (on Android OS 1.6+ devices) everywhere it�s already available. Please keep in mind that both Latitude friends need version 5.2 in order to use the new �ping� feature. Learn more in the Help Center.

Posted by Adam Connors, Google Maps for mobile team

0 Mobile editing in Google Docs now in 45 languages

By Unknown | At 08.28 | Label : Android , Docs , google docs , googlenew , iphone | 0 Comments

Last November, we launched the ability to edit mobile docs in English. Today we�re excited to announce that you can now edit your docs on the go in 44 more languages.

To begin editing, visit docs.google.com in your mobile browser, and select a document to edit. Switch from view to edit mode by pressing �Edit� to turn on the mobile editor and start typing away. As a reminder, mobile editing is available on Android (2.2+) and iOS (version 3.0+) devices. You can learn more about Google Docs for mobile on www.google.com/mobile. As always, feedback in the comments and on the forums is appreciated.


Posted by Carmen Wilkinson, Software Engineer

0 5 tips for using Blogger on your Android phone

By Unknown | At 11.01 | Label : blogger , google , googlenew | 0 Comments

Earlier this month, we announced the first version of the Blogger app for Android on the Blogger Buzz blog. Today, we�d like to share some tips on how you can use the Blogger app to quickly publish posts when you�re on the go.

1. Attach photos as you compose

Take photos using your phone�s camera and instantly add them to your post while you draft. You can also insert photos from your phone�s gallery, all within the Blogger app.

2. Include your current location
With your phone�s GPS, you can let your readers know where you�re blogging from by selecting your current location, no additional typing needed.

3. Share to Blogger
Share videos, products, photos, links and other interesting things you would like to include in your blog via the share button that�s available in many apps, including Google Maps for mobile, YouTube, and your web browser. After you share an item to your Blogger, it will be inserted into new post that�s automatically created for you so that start can composing right away.

4. Switch across multiple Blogger accounts
If you�re an author of more than one blog, you can easily switch between your different accounts by tapping on the orange arrow next to the title of your blog. That way, you can publish articles for each of your blogs to keep your all of your readers up to date.

5. Keep track of published posts and saved drafts
See what you�ve composed in an easy to read list by tapping the list icon located on the top right-hand corner.

We hope that you enjoyed these blogging tips. If you haven�t done so already, you can download the free Blogger app for Android 2.1+ devices from Android Market or scan the QR code below. As always, we would love to hear what you think so please feel free to share your thoughts with us through our feedback form.

Happy blogging!

Posted by Shaun Seo, Product Manager, Blogger

0 Updates to the Google Reader app for Android

By Unknown | At 14.39 | Label : Android , android market , app , google , googlenew , mobile , Reader | 0 Comments

(Cross-posted from the Google Reader blog)

Today we�re excited to announce some updates to the official Google Reader app for Android. Over the last couple of months, we�ve added some of your most-requested features:

Unread count widget - choose any feed, label, person, or �all items� and get the unread count on your home screen. Clicking on the widget takes you to straight to that stream.

News ticker widget - if you prefer a bit more information, you can add a larger size widget that cycles through items on any stream you want in Reader. Clicking any headline will take you to the article, while clicking the folder will take you to that stream.

Mark previous as read - if you�ve used the mobile version of Reader before and missed this feature, it�s now back! As you scroll down your reading list, hit �Mark previous as read� at any time to only mark things above the screen as read.

In addition to these new features, we now have an official Russian translation as well.

We hope you enjoy the update - give it a try! You can download the app in all countries from Android Market. The Google Reader app is available for devices running Android 1.6 or higher, with widget functionality available for devices on Android 2.2+. 

Posted by Brian Shih, Product Manager

0 Priority Inbox in Gmail for mobile

By Unknown | At 10.53 | Label : Android , gmail for mobile , googlenew , iphone | 0 Comments

If you�ve ever cursed a phone�s tiny screen as utterly inadequate for sifting through an overflowing inbox you�ll be pleased to hear that the Gmail mobile web app now supports Priority Inbox. Priority Inbox helps combat information overload by automatically identifying your important messages so you can focus on those first. Until today it was only available on the desktop and on Android devices.

Now, once you set up Priority Inbox in the desktop version of Gmail, you�ll see Priority Inbox sections when you visit gmail.com from your phone�s browser and click on the �Menu� screen. You�ll also see importance markers in your inbox, so you can quickly identify which messages are important.



This feature is available for most mobile browsers that support HTML5, such as devices running Android 1.5+ and iOS 3+. Currently, you can�t set up Priority Inbox or mark messages as important or unimportant from here. If you have suggestions or want to learn more, visit our Help Center and forum.

Posted by Nathan Bullock, Software Engineer

0 Introducing the Android Market website

By Unknown | At 10.30 | Label : android market , google , googlenew | 0 Comments

Over the past two years, developers around the world have helped make Android Market the go-to place for more than 100,000 apps, games and widgets. Previously, you could only access Android Market directly from your device, but today, we are introducing the Android Market website that lets you browse and search for great apps right from your web browser.

The website makes it easy to discover great new apps with a bigger, brighter interface. You can also send apps directly to your Android device with just a few clicks�no wires needed. We�ve built in new social features, too. You can share apps with your friends through Twitter. And you can read and post app reviews directly to Android Market from the web or from your device.

And what about all those apps you�ve already purchased and downloaded? Sign in to the website with your Google account and click �My Market Account� to see all the apps you�ve purchased or downloaded. It makes managing all your apps quite easy.

The Android Market website was officially unveiled today during an event at Google headquarters where we showcased Honeycomb (Android 3.0), our latest Android release built from the ground up for tablets. Honeycomb has a completely redesigned user interface, with more interactive notifications and widgets, improved multi-tasking, and the latest and greatest Google Mobile services optimized for tablets. We also showed off pre-release applications optimized for Honeycomb, from over 17 developers including:

• AccuWeather
• CNN
• Disney Mobile
• The Economist
• Fuze box
• Glu Mobile
• Google Body
• Grocery iQ
• Intuit
• Ngmoco
• Pulse News
• Quickoffice
• Time Magazine
• TouchType
• Trendy Entertainment
• War Drum Studios
• Weatherbug
• Zynga

Stay tuned for more at Mobile World Congress (February 14) in Barcelona where you'll see more than 50 developers demoing their latest phone and tablet apps at the Android booth in Hall 8.

Posted by Eric Chu, Mobile Platforms Program Manager

Update (5:20PM): Full video from the event earlier is now available. Check it out!

0 Cloud printing on the go

By Unknown | At 10.00 | Label : cloud print , Docs , gmail , googlenew | 0 Comments

(Cross-posted on the Docs Blog and Gmail Blog.)

Back in April 2010 we announced Google Cloud Print, a service that in Beta allows printing from any app on any device, OS or browser without the need to install any software. Just last month we opened Google Cloud Print to users in the Chrome notebook pilot program. Today we are very pleased to announce the beta launch of Google Cloud Print for mobile documents and Gmail for mobile, which we will be rolling out to users throughout the next few days.

Imagine printing an important document from your smartphone on the way to work and finding the printout waiting for you when you walk in the door. Just open a document in Google Docs or an email in Gmail in your mobile browser and choose �Print� from the dropdown menu in the top right corner. You can also print certain kinds of email attachments (such as .pdf or .doc) by clicking the �Print� link that appears next to them.

This feature will be rolling out today and tomorrow for English speaking users in the US and will work on most phones that support HTML5, such as devices running Android 2.1+ and iOS 3+. To get started, you�ll need to connect your printer to Google Cloud Print. This step requires a Windows PC for now, but Linux and Mac support are coming soon. You can learn more at the Google Cloud Print help center.


Happy printing!

Posted by Tyler Odean, Google Cloud Print Team

0 Google Voice for iPhone

By Unknown | At 10.55 | Label : google voice , googlenew , iphone | 0 Comments

(cross-posted from the Google Voice Blog)

Earlier this year we launched a Google Voice HTML5 web app for iPhone users. Today we�re taking the Google Voice experience on the iPhone to a whole new level with the launch of the official Google Voice for iPhone app.

With this native app, you�ll continue to have access to all the major Google Voice features on your iPhone, like:

• Cheap rates for international calls
• Free text messaging to U.S. numbers
• Voicemail transcription
• Display your Google Voice number as caller ID when making calls

In addition to these benefits, the app provides some features that make using Google Voice on your iPhone a much better experience:

• With push notifications, the app will alert you instantly when you receive a new voicemail or text message
• Most of your calls will be placed via Direct Access Numbers, making them connect just as quickly as regular phone calls

Google Voice for iPhone is available to download from the Apple App Store today. You�ll need an iPhone with iOS 3.1 or later and a valid Google Voice account to use the app. At this time, Google Voice is available in the U.S. only.

Posted by Christian Brunschen, Software Engineer

0 Personally Yours on the Go - Personalized Recommendations in Google Maps 4.7

By Unknown | At 19.30 | Label : Android , android widget , google maps for mobile , googlenew , hotpot , Places | 0 Comments

Google Maps on Android just got even hotter with Hotpot, our new local recommendation engine that helps you discover places you�ll love based on opinions from you and your friends. Here�s how to get the benefits of Hotpot on your phone:

Rate places on the go � Now you can write and publish ratings and reviews from your mobile phone. We make it quick and easy with a new rating widget designed for rating places on the go. Install it from your homescreen by going to Menu > Add > Widgets > Rate Places. You can also post ratings and reviews directly from any Place page. So, when you polish off the crispiest carnitas taco you�ve ever eaten, you can pull out your Android phone to celebrate the event and give that taqueria the public love it deserves.



Get personalized recommendations � Why rate the places you�ve been? First, your ratings will personalize your search results by customizing them according to your tastes. Even better, when you add friends to the mix using Hotpot on your computer, your ratings will point them in the direction of the best enchiladas in town the next time they crave Mexican food, wherever they happen to be.

Of course, this works the other way too � so to reap the rewards, you�ll want to add friends to get recommendations for the places they love. Notice how John Hawkins, a colleague of mine in London who knows a lot about English pubs, recommends The Grenadier below.

Get Google Maps 4.7 for Android 1.6 and above everywhere Maps is already available. Just search for Google Maps in Android Market (or tap here from your phone).

By the way, if you�re an iPhone user, good news: we�ll soon have a Places app that allows you to rate and get place recommendations as well. Alternatively, you can rate and get place recommendations from your phone browser (iPhone and Android) in the US. Just visit the Places tab at google.com as we roll out over the next day.

We hope you enjoy getting and giving personalized recommendations to make place finding better and more fun.

Posted by Mat Balez, Product Manager

0 Open your eyes: Google Goggles now available on iPhone in Google Mobile App

By Unknown | At 12.15 | Label : google goggles , google mobile app , googlenew , iphone | 0 Comments

Searching with Google on your mobile phone can be an eye-opening experience. Now your phone�s camera can even help to find out more about the world around you.

Back in December we introduced Google Goggles on Android: it lets you search by taking pictures. Today, we�re excited to announce that Goggles is now a feature of Google Mobile App for iPhone. Google Mobile App already lets you speak your queries, and it can also use your phone�s location to give you more relevant search results.

In the new version of Google Mobile App just tap on the camera button to search using Goggles. Goggles will analyze the image and highlight the objects it recognizes -- just click on them to find out more. You can see how this works in this short video:



Computer vision is a hard problem and Google Goggles is still a Labs product. It works well for things such as landmarks, logos and the covers of books, DVDs and games. However, it doesn�t yet work for some things you might want to try like animals, plants or food.

Google Mobile App with Google Goggles is now available in the Apple App Store. Just search for �Google Mobile App� and download the latest version - it�s free. It will gradually be appearing in all App Stores around the world starting from today.

Goggles is enabled only for English-speaking users, and since it requires an auto-focusing camera it is supported only on iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 running iOS 4 or above. Visit our Help Center to learn more or send us your feedback and questions in our Help Forum.

So step away from your computer, get your Goggles on, and search the world around you.

Posted by Milan Broum, Software Engineer, Google Mobile Team

0 Introducing the Google Phone Gallery

By Unknown | At 20.19 | Label : Android , googlenew | 0 Comments

Here at Google, we�re thrilled with the global adoption of Android and with the high quality of devices that are coming to market around the world. Since there are so many great phones, we wanted to make the selection process a little easier for people who are in the market for a new one. Today we�re rolling out the Google Phone Gallery -- a showcase of Android-powered devices that deliver the best Google experience today. Check it out at http://www.google.com/phone.

All the phones in the gallery include Android Market, Google Search, and other Google Mobile services such as Gmail, Maps, and YouTube. There are tools that make it easy to compare phones side by side: you can filter phones by country, manufacturer, and carrier; view and compare technical specifications and features; and find where each phone is available for sale.

We�ll continue adding phones and countries over time, both to round out the gallery and as new phones come to market.

Posted by Ben Serridge, Product Manager, Android