Page 1
Dear Fitagians,
Greetings !!
This time FITAG Times is
being published late by 15
days. Rather let's put it in such a
manner that we are rearranging
the publishing cycle of FITAG
Times on 1st of every month.
Hence forth every edition of
FITAG Times will be published
on 1st of every month.
It is our continues effort to
reach out to maximum number
of people with every edition of
FITAG Times. Somehow, we are
not able to increase our reader-
ship of the newspaper. Some
people have an apprehension
that due to it's e-edition format,
less people are reading it. Others
have a feeling that due to lan-
guage problem people are
refraining to take advantage of
such a wonderful magazine. I
am not convinced with both the
v e r s i o n s ,
but will
my ulti-
mate wish
is to make
F I T A G
T i m e s
reachable
to all
m e m b e r
a s s o c i a -
tions.
I would welcome your sug-
gestions on email about both the
ideas. Kindly find the questions
being posed at all of you as
below.
1 FITAG Times should be pub-
lished as a print edition?
2 FITAG Times should be pub-
lished in Gujarati language?
3 Both.
Send your suggestions to
[email protected] as well as presi-
[email protected] .
From this edition onwards
we will have a new session of
cartoons from the world of infor-
mation technology. I am sure
this give us opportunity to laugh
at our selves and be little stress
relieved.
Enjoy the latest edition of
FITAG Times!!
Mr. Kaushik PandyaEditor
Best WishesTVS Solution,
Ahmedabad9824332745
- Editorial
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01 09 2014Vol. 2, Issue No. 1, Pages 8
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HowHow Computing WorksComputing Works
Let's say you're an execu-
tive at a large corpora-
tion. Your particular
responsibilities include mak-
ing sure that all of your
employees have the right hard-
ware and software they need to
do their jobs. Buying comput-
ers for everyone isn't enough -
- you also have to purchase
software or software licenses
to give employees the tools
they require. Whenever you
have a new hire, you have to
buy more software or make
sure
your current software license
allows another user. It's so
stressful that you find it diffi-
cult to go to sleep on your
huge pile of money every
night.
Soon, there may be an
alternative for executives like
you. Instead of installing a
suite of software for each com-
puter, you'd only have to load
one application. That applica-
tion would allow workers to
log into a Web-based service
which hosts all the programs
the user would need for his or
her job. Remote machines
owned by another company
would run everything from e-
mail to word processing to
complex data analysis pro-
grams. It's called cloud com-
puting, and it could change the
entire computer industry.
In a cloud computing sys-
tem, there's a significant work-
load shift. Local computers no
longer have to do all the heavy
lifting when it comes to run-
ning applications. The network
of computers that make up the
cloud handles them instead.
Hardware and software
demands on the user's side
decrease. The only thing the
user's computer needs to be
able to run is the cloud com-
puting system's interface soft-
ware, which can be as simple
as a Web browser, and the
cloud's network takes care of
the rest.
There's a good chance
you've already used some form
of cloud computing. If you
have an e-mail account with a
Web-based e-mail service like
Hotmail, Yahoo! Mail or
Gmail, then you've had some
experience with cloud comput-
ing. Instead of running an...
CloudCloud
Contined on page 2...
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Monday 01 09 2014FITAGTimesFLOURISH KNOWLEDGE NETWORKING POWER PROTECTION
Articals
e-mail program on your
computer, you log in to a Web
e-mail account remotely. The
software and storage for your
account doesn't exist on your
computer -- it's on the service's
computer cloud.
What makes up a cloud
computing system? Find out in
the next section.
Cloud ComputingArchitecture
When talking about a cloud
computing system, it's helpful
to divide it into two sections:
the front end and the back end.
They connect to each other
through a network, usually the
Internet. The front end is the
side the computer user, or
client, sees. The back end is the
"cloud" section of the system.
The front end includes the
client's computer (or computer
network) and the application
required to access the cloud
computing system. Not all
cloud computing systems have
the same user interface.
Services like Web-based e-mail
programs leverage existing
Web browsers like Internet
Explorer or Firefox. Other sys-
tems have unique applications
that provide network access to
clients.
On the back end of the sys-
tem are the various computers,
servers and data storage sys-
tems that create the "cloud" of
computing services. In theory,
a cloud computing system
could include practically any
computer program you can
imagine, from data processing
to video games. Usually, each
application will have its own
dedicated server.
A central server administers
the system, monitoring traffic
and client demands to ensure
everything runs smoothly. It
follows a set of rules called
protocols and uses a special
kind of software called middle-
ware. Middleware allows net-
worked computers to commu-
nicate with each other. Most of
the time, servers don't run at
full capacity. That means
there's unused processing
power going to waste. It's pos-
sible to fool a physical server
into thinking it's actually multi-
ple servers, each running with
its own independent operating
system. The technique is called
server virtualization. By maxi-
mizing the output of individual
servers, server virtualization
reduces the need for more
physical machines.
If a cloud computing com-
pany has a lot of clients, there's
likely to be a high demand for
a lot of storage space. Some
companies require hundreds of
digital storage devices. Cloud
computing systems need at
least twice the number of stor-
age devices it requires to keep
all its clients' information
stored. That's because these
devices, like all computers,
occasionally break down. A
cloud computing system must
make a copy of all its clients'
information and store it on
other devices. The copies
enable the central server to
access backup machines to
retrieve data that otherwise
would be unreachable. Making
copies of data as a backup is
called redundancy.
What are some of the appli-
cations of cloud computing?
Keep reading to find out.
Cloud ComputingApplications
The applications of cloud
computing are practically lim-
itless. With the right middle-
ware, a cloud computing sys-
tem could execute all the pro-
grams a normal computer
could run. Potentially, every-
thing from generic word pro-
cessing software to customized
computer programs designed
for a specific company could
work on a cloud computing
system.
Why would anyone want to
rely on another computer sys-
tem to run programs and store
data? Here are just a few rea-
sons:
Clients would be able to
access their applications and
data from anywhere at any
time. They could access the
cloud computing system using
any computer linked to the
Internet. Data wouldn't be con-
fined to a hard drive on one
user's computer or even a cor-
poration's internal network.
It could bring hardware
costs down. Cloud computing
systems would reduce the need
for advanced hardware on the
client side. You wouldn't need
to buy the fastest computer
with the most memory, because
the cloud system would take
care of those needs for you.
Instead, you could buy an inex-
pensive computer terminal.
The terminal could include a
monitor, input devices like a
keyboard and mouse and just
enough processing power to
run the middleware necessary
to connect to the cloud system.
You wouldn't need a large hard
drive because you'd store all
your information on a remote
computer.
Corporations that rely on
computers have to make sure
they have the right software in
place to achieve goals. Cloud
computing systems give these
organizations company-wide
access to computer applica-
tions. The companies don't
have to buy a set of software or
software licenses for every
employee. Instead, the compa-
ny could pay a metered fee to a
cloud computing company.
Servers and digital storage
devices take up space. Some
companies rent physical space
to store servers and databases
because they don't have it
available on site. Cloud com-
puting gives these companies
the option of storing data on
someone else's hardware,
removing the need for physical
space on the front end.
Corporations might save
money on IT support.
Streamlined hardware would,
in theory, have fewer problems
than a network of heteroge-
neous machines and operating
systems.
If the cloud computing sys-
tem's back end is a grid com-
puting system, then the client
could take advantage of the
entire network's processing
power. Often, scientists and
researchers work with calcula-
tions so complex that it would
take years for individual com-
puters to complete them. On a
grid computing system, the
client could send the calcula-
tion to the cloud for process-
ing. The cloud system would
tap into the processing power
of all available computers on
the back end, significantly
speeding up the calculation.
While the benefits of cloud
computing seem convincing,
are there any potential prob-
lems? Find out in the next sec-
tion.
Cloud ComputingConcerns
Perhaps the biggest con-
cerns about cloud computing
are security and privacy. The
idea of handing over important
data to another company wor-
ries some people. Corporate
executives might hesitate to
take advantage of a cloud com-
puting system because they
can't keep their company's
information under lock and
key.
The counterargument to
this position is that the compa-
nies offering cloud computing
services live and die by their
reputations. It benefits these
companies to have reliable
security measures in place.
Otherwise, the service would
lose all its clients. It's in their
interest to employ the most
advanced techniques to protect
their clients' data.
Privacy is another matter. If
a client can log in from any
location to access data and
applications, it's possible the
client's privacy could be com-
promised. Cloud computing
companies will need to find
ways to protect client privacy.
One way is to use authentica-
tion techniques such as user
names and passwords. Another
is to employ an authorization
format -- each user can access
only the data and applications
relevant to his or her job.
Some questions regarding
cloud computing are more
philosophical. Does the user or
company subscribing to the
cloud computing service own
the data? Does the cloud com-
puting system, which provides
the actual storage space, own
it? Is it possible for a cloud
computing company to deny a
client access to that client's
data? Several companies, law
firms and universities are
debating these and other ques-
tions about the nature of cloud
computing.
Contined from page 3...
Contined on page 32...
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FITAG exe. committee
Articals
FITAG is now on Facebook. Please like Fitag page
https://www.facebook.com/Fitag23How will cloud computing
affect other industries? There's
a growing concern in the IT
industry about how cloud com-
puting could impact the busi-
ness of computer maintenance
and repair. If companies switch
to using streamlined computer
systems, they'll have fewer IT
needs. Some industry experts
believe that the need for IT
jobs will migrate to the back
end of the cloud computing
system.
Another area of research in
the computer science commu-
nity is autonomic computing.
An autonomic computing sys-
tem is self-managing, which
means the system monitors
itself and takes measures to
prevent or repair problems.
Currently, autonomic comput-
ing is mostly theoretical. But,
if autonomic computing
becomes a reality, it could
eliminate the need for many IT
maintenance jobs.
To learn more about cloud
computing and other related
topics, see the links on the next
page.
How CloudComputing Works:
Author's NoteThis article was part of a
suite of pieces about cloud
computing, cloud storage and
the future of personal comput-
ing. When I wrote the article,
cloud computing was a buzz
phrase that only computer sci-
entists, engineers and a few
tech journalists used. It's now
well on its way to becoming a
household term. We see cloud
computing applications every-
where. Smartphone apps use
cloud computing technology to
let you store and access data
that normally wouldn't fit on
your handheld device.
Research institutions use cloud
computing to house massive
libraries of information. And
video game companies are
experimenting with ways to let
you access state-of-the-art
games without requiring a
hefty investment in a gaming
rig. It can be difficult to tell
when a particular computing
model will take off, but I think
we can make the note that
cloud computing is a huge suc-
cess.
Cloud Computing:Cheat Sheet
Stuff you need to know:
• Cloud computing systems
generally have a front end,
which is what the user sees,
and a back end, which does
all the work.
• Cloud computing shares
some similarities with an
older model of computing
called timesharing. A time-
sharing computer system
connects multiple users to a
single computer processor
through dumb terminals,
which have a keyboard and
monitor, but leave the com-
puting to the central
machine.
• While cloud computing
promises to offload tasks
like data storage and pro-
cessing power, the model
raises questions about data
accessibility and security.
How can you insure that
you can get to your data
and keep it safe if it's on
someone else's
computer?<
Contined from page 2...
The world’s largest social network
for cricket, CricHQ, comes to india
The social network for cricket,
CricHQ, was made available to
Indian users on May 3, 2014. The Indian
launch of the app was timed to coincide
with the beginning of a programme called
‘Meet Your Heroes’, which gives Indian
cricket fans a chance to meet cricketers
from various countries. The programme
is open to users who register on CricHQ
to create their own profile.
In addition, CricHQ also has a
partnership with Nokia
(Microsoft), which
has made the app
available on the
Nokia X and
Lumia platforms.
The ‘Meet Your
Heroes’ programme, though, is
available to all fans registering on
the social network, either on their
website, the mobile site or the app.
The CricHQ social network not only
allows fans to create their profiles and
enjoy cricket related features, but also
hosts cricketers. This gives fans the
unique opportunity to follow cricketers’
lives by adding them on the net-
work. According to Simon Baker,
CEO, CricHQ,
“Up until
now, it
(CricHQ) has
mostly been for the
administrators; but
now with the
social media
stuff, thers’s
more for the
fans.”
Page 4
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Monday 01 09 2014FITAGTimesFLOURISH KNOWLEDGE NETWORKING POWER PROTECTION
Articals
Linux is a wonderful
operating system and
comes with almost
everything that a user
might require. However,
sometimes you might just
have to use MS Windows,
even though you’d prefer
not to -- for instance, if your
office primarily works with
Windows, or you are a gam-
ing fan and prefer to retain
MS windows to play the lat-
est action games. But did
you know that even in such
cases you can use open
source softwere as alterna-
tives to closed source pro-
prietary options?
Using open source tools
and sofware on Ms win-
dows serves a dual purpos:
on one hand, you get the
satisfaction of supporting
open source and freedom,
and on the other hand, you
can also save a good deal of
money by not relying on
highly overpriced propri-
etary tools.
so let’s acquaint our-
selves with some of the
common and most popular
open source alternatives to
proprietary softwere.
1. Libre office {an alter-
native to Microsoft
Office}If you are looking for an
office and productivity suite
that does not burn a hole in
your pocket, look no further
than Libre office.
Much like Microsoft
Office, Libre Office, too,
comes loaded with many
tools, including a word
processor, adrawing tool,
spreadsheet software, a
database management
application, and so on,
However, unlike Microsoft
Office is totally free and
open source.
Libre Office is cross-
Platform, and it runs equally
well on Linux, Mac and, of
course, Windows!
Website:
http://www.libreoffice.org/
2. Inkscape {an alterna-
tive to Adobe IIIustrator
and CorelDRAW)Inkscape is a powerful vec-
tor graphics editor that
offers a wide array of fea-
tures, including alpha blend-
ing, markers, and so on.
If you are someone who
works often with Scalable
Vector Graphics (SVG), you
probably rely mostly on
Adobe Illustrator and
CorelDRAW. While both
these programs are handy
tools, Inkscape offers an
equally powerful and intu-
itive solution; yet, it is total-
ly open source and free.
website:
http://inkscape.org/
3. The GIMP {an alterna-
tive to Adobe Photoshop}The GNU Image
Manipulation Program, or
the GIMP as it is commonly
called, is a very capable and
roubst image editor. An
easy-to-use photo editor, it
can double up as a versatile
image retouching tool for
advanced users, offering
features such as batch
image processing, image
format conversion, etc.
As with most open
source software and unlike
Adobe Photoshop, the GIMP
is free. It is also cross-plat-
form and supports various
operating systems, includ-
ing MS Windows.
website:
www.gimp.org
4. Blender {an alternative
to 3DS Max and
LightWave 3D}When it comes to ren-
dering 3D objects and for
animation, Blender is one
tool that can outshine costly
proprietary alternatives in
every aspect.
As a 3D content creation
suite, Blender supports
modelling, animation, ren-
dering , and even comes
with a detailed and powerful
game engine. Several
movies and other projects
have been created using
Blender, and the software is
in no way weaker than its
proprietary counterparts.
website:
http://www.blender.org//
5. BRL-CAD {an alterna-
tive to AutoCAD}BRL-CAD is a cross-plat-
form open source modelling
tool. It has been under active
development for well over
two decades.
As a modelling tool, BRL-
CAD offers geometric analy-
sis, ray tracing, interactive
editing, image processing,
and several other features.
Website:
hattp://brlcad.org/
6. Mozilla Thunderbird
{an alternative to
Microsoft Outlook}
If you use a desktop mail
client to manage your email,
opting for the rather costly
and bulky Microsoft
Outlook isn’t your only
option. You can try Mozilla
Thunderbird, a free desktop
email client that is fully
open source.
As a matter of fact,
Thunderbird is way better
than Outlook in several
aspects, such as being light-
weight and offering better
contact management tools.
If you haven’t done so
already, you should by all
mens give Mozilla
Thunderbird a spin!
website:
http://www.mozilla.org/en
/-US/thunderbird/
7. Chromium and/or
Mozilla Firefox {alterna-
tives to MS Internet
Explorer, Opera and
Safari}Let’s face it - when it comes
to browsing the Web, the
world has already dumped
Microsoft Internet Explorer.
Other closed source
browsers such as Safari,
There are a number of applications in the open source world that are free to use.
Many of them perform better than their proprietary counterparts. In this article,
the author gives a list of alternatives to proprietary software, covering office pro-
ductivity tools, browsers, vector art and image editing tools.
Contined on page 5...
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Articals
Click here to Register yourself to get Free copy of Fitag Times http://fitag.in/subscribe.php
too, are not the most popular options out there.
The world’s leading web browsers, for that
matter, are open source. Chromium {the brows-
er that server as the base for Google chrome}
and Mozilla Firefox are web browsers that
should definitely be on your system. Whatever it
is that you want - data sysnc, faster web brows-
ing or a better overall online experience - these
two web browsers will not disappoint you!
websites: hattp:// www.mozilla.org/en-
US/firefox/
http://www.chromium.org/Home
8. 7-Zip {an alternative to WinZip and
WinRAR}7-Zip is a file compession tool that comes
with a GPL licence. It supports numerous file
formats, and offers a compression ration that is
roughly 10 per cent better than that of WinZip.
7-Zip has been localised into 70+ languages
and it offers AES-256 encryption. Besides, 7-Zip
integrates well with the Windows shell, so you
can use its features easily.
website: http://www.7-Zip.org/
9. Dia {a alternative to Microsoft Visio}Dia is lightweight diagram editor that is
available for both Linux and Windows. It sup-
ports various standard formats, such as EPS and
SVG. Dia offers a no-nonsense intercace that lets
you work on your drawings with ease.
website: http://dia-installer.de/
10. VLC Media Player {an alternative to
Windows Media Player, Real Player, Zoom
Player, etc)VLC is a free, open source and cross-plat-
form multimedia player that plays almost every
media file. It works with DVDs, CDs
and multimedia files, and offers
advanced features such as
video/audio encoding, file
format processing,
and so on.
Also worth a
look is Miro
{ h t t p : / / w w w .
getmiro.com/} for videos
and Kantaris {http://kan-
taris.org}for audio.
website:
http://www.videolan.org /vlc/index.html
Irrespective of the operating system
that you are running, you can always make
use of handy open source tools and software
that are not just robust and powerful but also
offer an intuitive and esay -to use interface.
These open source tools are invariably well
supported by an active community and helpful
documentation. Thus, even if you are an MS
Windows user, you should give some of the
open source tools a try. You certainly will not be
disappointed, and you’re definitely not going to
miss the proprietary alternatives! END
Contined From page 4...
IBM unveils technology that
tackles big data challenges with
open server innovation model
IBM recently announced its
new scale-out POWER-8
based power systems servers at
the open innovation Summit in
san Francisco. Built for an era of
Big Data, the new scale-out
IBM Power Systems servers are
the result of a US$ 2.4 billion
investment, over three years of
developmen and the ability to
tap into hundreds of IBM
patents -underscoring IBM’s
singular commitment to provid-
ing higher- value, open tech-
nologies to clients. Recognising
Linux as a driving force for
innovation, last year, IBM com-
mitted US$ 1 billion to new
Linux and other open source
technologies for IBM’s Power
Systems servers. Major invest-
ments included new products, a
growing network of five Power
systems Linux Centres around
the world and the Power
Development Platform, a no-
Charge development cloud for
developers to test and port x86-
based applications to the power
platform.
IBM is offering the latest
release of Ubuntu Server,
Ubhuntu Openstack and
Canonical’s Juju cloud orches-
tration tools on the new Power
systems and all future
POWER8- based systems. This
complements the existing sup-
port form IBM for Red Hat and
SUSE Linux operating system
distributions on its complete
line-up of Power Systems.
Page 6
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NEWS CORNER
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https://www.facebook.com/Fitag23
Device Type 2013 2014 2015
Traditonal PCs (Desk-Based 296,131 276,21 261,657
and Notebook)
Ultramobiles, Premium 21,517 32,251 55,032
Pc Market Total 317,648 308,472 316,689
Tablets 206,807 256,308 320,964
Mobile Phones 1,806,964 1,862,766 1,964,456
Other Ultramobiles (Hybrid 2,981 5,381 7,645
and Clamshell))
Total 2,334,400 2,432,927 2,591,753
WORLDWIDE PC, TABLET, ULTRA-
MOBILE TO GROW 4.2% IN 2014Worldwide Combined Shipments of Devices (PCS, TABLETS,
ULTRAMOBILES and Mobile Phones) are Projected To Reach 2.4
Billion Units in 2014, A 4.2 Percent Increase from 2013: Gartner.
WORLDWIDE DEVICE SHIPMENTS BY SEGMENT (THOUSANDS OF UNITS)
Unlicensed Software Use at 43%
Computer users cite the risk of security threats from malware as the top reason
not to use unlicensed software. Among their specific concerns are intrusions by
hackers and loss of data. Yet a striking 60 percent of the softwere installed on per-
sonal computers in India in 2013 was not properly licensed.
These and other findings released today in the BSA Global software
Survey underscore the need for effective softwere management prac-
tices, especially in business settings.
“We have often seen cases where enterprises may not even be aware
that they are using unlicensed software. With software licensing becom-
ing increasingly complex, Compounded by fast-paced cloud adoption
and proliferation of devices through BYOD [bring your own device],
organizations require a fresh approach in the way they manage licenses,”
said Vipin. Aggarwal, BSA India Committee chair,
Mozilla has gone ahead
and updated its popu-
lar Firefox Web browser for
Windows, Mas OS, Linux
and Android, bringing it to
version 29 in its latest effort
to offer a simplified inter-
face to users. Firefox 29 is,
according to Mozilla, “...
the most customisable
Firefox ever,” boasting of
an elegant new design and is
currently available for
download.
Firefox 29 brings along
key changes to the menu
pane and offers numerous
customisation options.
Users are now met with
sleek new tabs and an over-
all modern look that places
greater emphasis on the cur-
rent tab while fading away
other tabs in the back-
ground. the redesigned and
customisable firefox menu
now features all the controls
in one place, and lets users
add or edit features, add-ons
and tools. Users can now
access the Firefox add-ons
Manager through the menu
pane itself.
In addition, Firefox 29
comes with a new and
improved Firefox Sync
service that lets users access
their ‘Awesome Bar’ brows-
ing history, as well as their
saved passwords and
bookmarks across desktop
and mobile platforms.
“We reimagined and
redesigned Firefox to
reflect how you use the Web
today and we are excited to
introduce many features
including an elegant and fun
design, a new menu, cus-
tomisation mode and an
enhanced Firefox Sync
service powered by Firefox
Accounts,” Mozilla’s offi-
cial blog announces.
Mozilla launches Firefox 29 India to be the next electronics Mgf hub
As per M.N. Vidyashankar, President, IESA (India Electronics &
Semiconductor Association), India is poised to become the next
electronics manufacturing hub and we seek government’s support help
us taking the country to the next level. IESA believes that the electonics
industry can create an ecosystem in India, including High Tech manu-
facturing of Electronics subsystems, Electronics Manufacturing
Clusters, Semiconductor fabs and ATMP Units, which can provide
employment to 27 million people in the next 10 years we believe India
is moving in the right direction and appreciate the government’s initia-
tives to enable India as the manufacturing destination with continued
focus on building more greenfield and brownfield electronis manufac-
turing clusters and incubation centres to create the ecosystem and pro-
mote the idea of entrepreneurship and innovation.
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What you can do with “Google”What you can do with “Google”Ten years ago, Google went
public, offering its shares for
USD 85. The company sold more
than 22 million shares on its first
day of trading, leaving it valued at
USD 27.2 billion.
Today, Google is worth almost
15 times as much, about USD 397
billion, thanks to its thriving
search advertising business.
Google controls about 68 percent
of the global desktop search mar-
ket and about 91 percent of the
mobile search market, according
Amit Singhal joined Google
14 years ago and is now senior
vice president at the company in
charge of its core search ranking
group. In a post on Google+, he
shares what he considers to be the
10 most significant search devel-
opments over the past 10 years.
Autocompletion of search
queries has saved billions of key-
strokes. But it could cost Google
in legal fees: Earlier this month, a
Hong Kong court allowed Albert
Yeung Sau-shing, a local busi-
nessman, to sue Google for
defamation because autocomplete
suggests his name is associated
with organized crime groups
called "triads."
Translations Singhal notes that
Google handles billions of transla-
tions a day in 80 languages. It's
not perfect but it's very good as a
basic way to explore languages
that would otherwise be baffling.
And you know it will get better.
"Search used to be just about
webpages, but our amazing Maps
team made it possible to search
the real world too," says Singhal.
Getting to this point, however,
wasn't easy. Google ran into its
share of roadblocks: public resist-
ance, security concerns, regulato-
ry skepticism, and a WiFi data
gathering scandal. If only Google
had a map that could show it the
way to launch a product without
alienating people.
Before Google implemented
universal search, it maintained a
variety of distinct "vertical"
search engines, such as Video
Search and Book Search.
Universal search brought those
links together so they could be
searched from the Web Search
box. It was a major improvement
and a blow to specialty search
companies that focused on a par-
ticular industry, such as travel and
local search. Universal search
demoted every specialty search
engine to a feature it could add at
any time, perhaps with an acquisi-
tion or two.
Search used to be desktop
product. Now it's mobile, too. But
search beyond the desktop
requires alternative modes of
input. Google is already on that,
with Voice Search.
No one likes typing on mobile
devices. Luckily for Google and
for its users, its speech recognition
and natural language comprehen-
sion keeps getting better.
Google's Search app can per-
form a limited number of actions,
mostly using Android devices.
You can tell it, for example, to
remind you of something when
you're in a particular location,
with the assistance of Google
Now.
To help Google Search move
beyond finding keywords in docu-
ments to understanding questions,
Google built (and acquired) the
Knowledge Graph. But as Picasso
reportedly said, "Computers are
useless. They can only give you
answers." (Then again, IBM's
Watson can phrase answers in the
form of a question, Jeopardy-
style.)
Google Search, if you let it,
can access your Gmail, to provide
answers about flight reservations
or package deliveries. It's a perfect
example of the tradeoff between
privacy and convenience. If histo-
ry is any guide, never bet on pri-
vacy.
With Google Now and
Google Search, you can get
updates about relevant infor-
mation, such as traffic jams
or upcoming appointments,
without even asking. The
endgame: Make purchases
without even thinking.
"We've come a long way in
10 years -- on Google and so
many other general and spe-
cialized search apps, it's now
so much better than just the
10 blue links of years past,"
Singhal concludes. That is,
when those blue links of
years past haven't been
erased under the "right to be
forgotten."
Autocomplete
Translations
Info just for you
The
Knowledge Graph
Actions
Directions and
traffic
Mobile and
new screens
Voice search
Universal
search
Answers before
you have to ask
Google's 10
search innovations
Google's 10
search innovations
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