Google

The New York Times is reporting that Google is at work on a new home entertainment device that will deliver content to consumers.

This news would mean that Google would be competing with Apple and Amazon in both the device and the home entertainment space, trying to create its own ecosystem.

Here is more from the NY Times about what the device will look like: “While Google has talked openly about its designs on consumers’ living rooms, news that the device was becoming a reality surfaced last week in an application the search giant filed with the Federal Communications Commission. In the application, Google said it would begin testing a device it labeled simply an ‘entertainment device.’ The device will have Bluetooth and Wi-Fi and, as Google noted in the application, it will ‘connect to other home electronics equipment.’”

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At long last Google has combined its web browser with its mobile OS. Earlier today Google announced the first beta release of Chrome for Android. It only works on the latest version of Android, and it is not yet available in all countries.

This reported is still in the process of downloading and installing it, but I m looking forward to it. Early reports suggest that it is quite the speedy browser, with some bloggers appreciating it over their preferred browser.

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Google is celebrating Charles Dickens‘ 200th birthday with a Google Doodle in his honor. The drawing includes characters from A Tale of Two Cities and A Christmas Carol.

Born February 7, 1812, Charles Dickens, one of the great Victorian authors, wrote many serial stories which later became books. When you click on the image, the Google search results lead you to a Wikipedia page, as well as to a list of Dickens’ books available in Google Books.

For more free eBooks from the author, follow this link to Project Gutenberg.

Texts from  J.R.R. Tolkien and George Orwell have been removed from the public domain in the United States, thanks to a Supreme Court ruling this week.

On Wednesday, The Supreme Court upheld a 1994 law which gives copyright protection to body of foreign works that had previously been available for free in the public domain.

Google hoped that the high court would overturn the law. The Wall Street Journal has more: “Google Inc. was the leading company challenging the law, in an echo of the separate battle in Washington over an Internet piracy bill that pits Google against movie studios. The search company, which didn’t respond to a request for comment, said in court papers that the restored copyrights could affect more than a million books it has scanned through its Google Books Library Project.”

Journalism students, hop to it! The deadline is approaching for the AP/Google Journalism & Technology scholarship for aspiring journalists. The program is giving 6 journalism students $20,000 each, and applications are due on Friday January 27th.

The Google blog has more: “The selection committee is looking for applicants with original and exciting ideas for using online tools and new technology to move digital journalism forward. We’re looking for students who love great reporting and value the importance of a strong press, and who can articulate creative and forward-thinking ways of using technology as a way to support and extend what’s possible through journalism.”

For more information about the program, follow this link.

Google eBooks now work on Google Chrome browsers when a user if offline.

Xinixing Gu, Google Books Product Manager, explains in a blog post, “We’ve all been there: the Internet is suddenly down, and you can’t keep on reading your ebook to see what the character decides to do next. Or you’re about to head to the airport and want to be able to dive into a newly-purchased ebook during a long flight.”

To read Google eBooks offline, you have to install the Google Books app from the Chrome Web Store. Follow this link for a step-by-step guide on how to make sure your eBooks are accessible.

Google’s next product could bring a tear to the eye of Trekkies everywhere.

AndroidAndMe is reporting that Google’s own voice activated assistant could launch before the end of the year. According to their sources, the project is code named Majel, in honor of Majel Barret. Any Star Trek fan should recognize the name; she was the voice of all computers in 4 of the 5 Star Trek series. She also guest-starred in  of those series.

Project Majel is the next step for Google’s Voice Actions, a voice recognition app that is currently available on many Android phones.  Majel improves on the existing code by adding natural language processing, and that is going to enable you to interact with Majel using your normal language, not specific commands (pretty much like those Siri commercials). AAM is also reporting that just the search options will be working in the first release, and that other more advanced features (including controlling phone actions and apps) will be added in later releases.

I don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to the first time that Siri gets in a conversation with Majel.  If both contestants are electronic, does it still qualify as a battle of the wits?

AndroidAndMe

image by San Marcos

Bloomsbury and Google announced today starting in January Google would sponsor a couple digital bookshelves on Public Library Online, Bloomsbury digital library service.

The 2 shelves will contain a total of 2 titles. The first will be based on Arden Shakespeare, and hold 10 annotated Shakespeare plays The other shelf  is titled Our Environment, with 10 books including The Hot Topic by Gabrielle Walker and Sir David King.

Director of Public Library Online Stephanie Duncan said: ”We are delighted that Google has enabled every UK public library to offer these digital bookshelves to complement their existing resources.”

Public Library Online is a subscription service for libraries, and it allows them to offer curated collections as digital bookshelves of children’s, teen, and adult fiction, as well as non-fiction. Bloomsbury provides content from a number of publishers, including Allen & Unwin, Alma Books, Mercier Press, Oneworld Classics, Canongate, Faber, Macmillan Education, Quercus, and Verve.

These  collections will be made available in January and will be inline until February 2013.

via

Bored with humming to yourself all the time? Google can help with that.

Google has just launched its new music service, Google Music. This is an expansion on the Music beta service launched back in May, and now you can not only upload your music library, but also buy music from the Android Market.

Google Music is now selling over 13 million songs from several major labels as well as over a thousand indie labels.You can purchase songs or complete albums produced and distributed by UMG, Sony, INgrooves,XL Recordings,Warp Records and Naxos.

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Google has opened its eBookstore in Canada. Like the Google’s eBookstore in the U.S. and the UK, the Canadian store includes more than 2 million public domain titles.

It also includes publishing partnerships. Mobile Syrup has more: “Google has signed deals with a number of publishers, several representing Canada: McNally Robinson, Penguin, Random House and Harper Collins, plus Canada’s largest publishers including House of Anansi, Dundurn and McGill Queens University Press. Book pricing is set by the publisher and range in price points.”

Like the U.S. and UK counterparts, Canadian independent booksellers will be able to sell eBooks through Google. The Financial Post has more: “Google also plans to offer independent Canadian book sellers the opportunity to sell their books online and the Mountain View, California has partnered with several independent retailers to launch the project.”

The opening is part of Google’s global eBook expansion. Google opened up shop in the UK last month, and is expected to open in Australia soon.