Solve For India

Google on Friday announced a new initiative called “Solve for India”.  Google with this innovative program plans to expand and boost the start-up ecosystem and inspire new-age entrepreneurs to “Solve for India” and its untapped potential. As the name suggests “Solve in India”, Google intends to work on solving problems that majority of the Indians have been facing from the past few decades.

With enhanced connectivity and the ever growing Internet user base, it provides an opportunity to everyone to pursue their dreams and curate solutions for Indians. Google is going to offer the same with the “Solve in India” program.

Below are the features of the initiative:

1. “Solve for India” program is set to inspire the emerging group of entrepreneurs in cities like  Jaipur, Pune, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkatta, Indore, Nagpur, Kanpur, Madurai, and Chennai.

2. It will provide a platform for developers, entrepreneurs in the above mentioned cities to collaborate with experts and understand latest Google technologies. They will also get support and other assistance directly from Google.

3. For startups who’re looking to build scalable solutions, Google will provide over $20,000 of cloud credits under this program to boost their growth.

4. Developers can also expect to build on their skills and learn from experts on latest in Android, Firebase, Machine learning, Cloud APIs, Progressive Web Apps and Indian Language Translation solutions.

5. Entrepreneurs will be able to learn from a plethora of Google’s program starting from Google Launchpad mentoring program. It will help them to build, scale and accelerate early stage product ideas into category leaders.

“Majority of India’s Internet users are Indian language users, and over 80 per cent of them access the Internet from their mobile phones. But the current Indian startup ecosystem is building products for English speaking audience and caters only to 15 per cent of the population. There’s growing number of entrepreneurs in smaller Indian cities who are focusing on building solutions that caters to the real needs of India. Through this initiative we want to bring the best of Google under one program and join forces with them to help create solutions that serve the needs of a billion Indians,” says Karthik Padmanabhan, Program Manager Lead for Google India.

What can you expect with Android O?

The official Android O release date is still unknown but we should get official confirmation and a glimpse into the first developer version of Android O at the Google Developer conference between May 17 and 19 this year. However, a few of its features were announced recently, and we have gone all guns blazing to get you the best of Android O.

Here is what you can expect from the new Android update:

Adaptive icons: The system will display icons in different shapes and animate interactions with them from several screens. This should make the UI more beautiful from the launcher to the settings menu.

Background limits: To safeguard user’s battery life and performance, Google has put automatic limits on app’s background activities. These background limits will specifically include restricting implicit broadcasts, background services and unnecessary location updates.

Picture-in-picture: Apps will be able to put themselves into Picture-in-Picture mode, and there will be more robust windowing features. For example, apps will be able to do native overlay windows rather than using system alerts. There will also be multi-display support, so you can launch apps on a remote display.

Notification channels: These are new categories for notifications that give users very detailed control over notifications – not just by app, but by channel or topic. These channels will be visually grouped together on the notification shade.

Superior Settings: The most obvious front-facing change in the first Android O Developer Preview is the Settings app. Not only does it have a new icon, it’s been revamped from the ground up, with a new look and smarter organization. And we’re hoping Google extends it to the rest of its apps, because it’s vastly superior.

Better security: Whether it’s a Google beta or the newest version of WhatsApp, a lot of us side-load apps onto our phones. Over the past few versions of Android, Google has taken steps to help ensure that malicious apps can’t make their way onto your phone, and in Android O, Google has made it even more secure.

Extra navigation buttons: It will give you extra options in the navigation bar at the bottom of the screen. Along with the usual back, home, and overview, you can add things like a screen capture and notification shade shortcut.

Lock screen shortcuts: We’re all familiar with the lock-screen shortcuts for the camera and voice assist, but on other phones, we’re able to change them to apps that we use more often. In Android O, Google is giving us the same ability. In the System UI tuner there’s a new Lock screen option that lets you change the left and right shortcut to just about anything you want. Along with launching one of the apps of your phone, you can also add shortcuts for a ton of useful actions like opening a new tab in Chrome, taking a selfie, or composing a new Gmail message.

Keep Your Fingers Crossed and lets hope this update is going to deliver all that it promises.

Image Source: Google Developer Site.

Apple Rolls out iOS version 10.3

Apple keeps updating its OS regularly and every time it is supposed to be the next big change. With iOS 10.3 just launched, Apple has claimed it will change the way you use your Apple products. The community of iOS developers will soon give its verdict, but let us have a look at some of the new features in iOS 10.3

1. Find My AirPods

The new version is centered around the ‘Find My AirPods’ feature within the Find My iPhone app. AirPods owners will be able to locate them by using the iCloud-based feature to call upon the wireless pods to play a sound. However, if AirPods are not Wi-Fi and GPS enabled, they’ll only be discoverable if they’re within Bluetooth range which is around only 5 meters.

If they’re lost outside the home then it’ll be a case of trial and error, in the hope that the bluetooth connection can be resumed.

2. Better Storage

The new iOS 10.3 debuts  with a new file system called AFS, which replaces the existing HFS+ system. Users are unlikely to notice anything, but it might boost your available storage space. It also allows for better organizing of files into different categories. 10.3 promises for a better storage experience even for the small storage users.

3. Siri Update

A feature that catches eye of many is Siri’s support for cricket scores from the ICC and the Indian Premier League. You can now use Siri with supported third-party apps to check the status of your accounts and pay bills, and schedule rides in advance with apps like Uber. In addition, if you have a car whose app supports Siri, you’ll be able to check its fuel level and lock status, and hit the horn or turn on the lights.

4. Regular Updates

As with most iOS updates, Apple has taken the time to slip some updates into several of its stock applications. This time around, Music, iTunes, Maps, Calendar, Podcasts, Safari, and Mail get a few new perks.

5.App animation

Apple has tweaked the animation for opening and closing apps very slightly. As they open, apps now have more rounded edges, a difference that’s noticeable on apps that open slowly.

6.The Map Update

Maps gets two nice little features in iOS 10.3. First, you can press firmly on the weather indicator (using a 3D Touch-compatible device) to view an hour-by-hour breakdown of the day’s weather, and press fully to enter your current area’s full weather listing in the Weather app.

The other noteworthy feature includes iOS 10’s “Find My Car” feature in Maps, with Apple now letting you search for “parked car” to find where your iPhone last last saw your vehicle.

7. Apple ID Settings profile

There’s a new “Apple ID” profile option that’s displayed at the top of the Settings app. It shows all Apple ID info, including all devices you’re signed into, and it has links to iCloud, iTunes & App Store, and Family Sharing. All of these options used to be listed under an “iCloud” setting.

Here’s hoping iOS 10.3 is user-friendly and revamps the way iPhones and iPads are used around the world.

Let us know what you think about the iOS update!