Posts Tagged ‘Google’

Google Nexus One: it includes Multi-Touch now!

Monday, February 8th, 2010

Hurray! The American version of Nexus One supports multitouch, notwithstanding the fact that it’s a patented Apple technology. Google representatives do not comment it.

Google Inc. released its first update pack for the Nexus One smartphone, which was shown to the general public just a month ago. Besides some fixes this fresh mobile software contained a very useful innovation – support of multitouch technology.

It means that now interface and screen-oriented capabilities of Googlephone do not yield to its main rival, Apple iPhone. So users of the first Google smartphone can test multitouch in action. It works in Google Maps Navigation, picture viewer, as well as in web browser.

android-multitouch-1

As can be seen, a mutual agreement between Apple and Google (so called “promise not to add multitouch support in Nexus One”) now is worth nothing. Search Corporation decided to change its word in the light of recent events.

Studying different modern devices from the main manufacturers, starting with Apple and Palm, and ending with HTC and Motorola, Google’s experts has realized that multi-touch support has become a standard, so many users are accustomed to this option. Undoubtedly it opens new possibilities for innovative mobile applications development, now they can create new software for Android taking into account this new potential.

So now we have a smartphone that based on Android 2.1, and we also can use a new way of control and navigation. By the way, the European version of Nexus One has this function by default. However, the sales in Europe start not earlier than in spring this year.

google-nexus-multitouch

Notable fact for mobile apps developers: LG believes in Android!

Saturday, January 30th, 2010

The South Korean LG Electronics Company has published its mobile strategy for the year 2010. It is going to sell more than ten million of cell phones and smartphones. Also LG plans to release about twenty new models of smartphones this year and more than a half of them will be running OS Google Android. The rest models will be based on Windows Mobile and different Linux versions.
lg_android_os
Meanwhile, LG will gradually reduce the number of mobile devices with Windows Mobile “on board”. It’s a notable fact for mobile application developers, because analytics couldn’t foresee such changes. Only in 2008 LG Electronics and Microsoft formed an alliance to join their efforts in mobile devices development. Even in 2009 an absolute majority of LG smartphones were developed on the Windows Mobile operating system, and LG Eve was the only phone on the Android platform. This year the situation has changed dramatically and it definitely will have action upon those companies who provide such services as mobile application development for Android and Windows Mobile.

Dribs and drabs that can improve web site usability

Monday, December 28th, 2009

Creating a new site use unique design, but when it comes to usability, it is better to use approved models (like most of web developers do). When people visit a new site, they always look for well-known things; they use their experience to perceive new content. People want to use the same modules on different web pages (such as color options, company logo location, principles of navigation, etc).

Google_website_design
Google always makes its links blue, and there is a reason: this color is familiar to most of users (that is why it’s much easier for them to find all the links).

Any other color is not a problem, but users will need some more time to find your links.

An ideal input field for search queries must be 27 characters long

Jacob Nielsen conducted a research to determine the ideal length for search boxes. So he ascertained that most of modern input fields are very short. Despite the fact that you can write quite a long search query, you can’t see all your text. It’s a problem with usability, because it’s difficult to edit such a search query.

The study showed that an average input field has width of 18 characters. According to the research results 27% of search queries are too long to fit in these input fields. But 27 characters wide fields can contain 90% of search queries. Remember that you can determine width not only in pixels and points, but also in “em” (a relative unit of length for current font).

website_design_search
Input field in Google search is wide enough for long searches

website_design_search2
Apple input field is too short, the query “Microsoft Office 2008″ does not fit in it

In general, it is better to do too long field than too short one, so your users would be able to find all the information without any problems. This is a very simple and useful advice for website designers, but, unfortunately, they often ignore it.

Google can fight with Apple

Saturday, December 26th, 2009

Two titans of high-tech world, Google and Apple, may come together to fight for competitive advantages. To be precise, this fight will take place on the US mobile phone market. Google plans to start sale of its first smartphone at the beginning of the year 2010 – that is a stumbling-block. It’s a real challenge that may lead to serious confrontation on one of the highest growth and most important segment of high-tech market.

google-and-appleA new Google phones with touch screen is based on Android OS. These gadgets have been already given to the company staff for testing. Google plans to use the popularity of its own brand and make direct retail sales via the Internet.

It’s a well known fact that Google management didn’t plan to enter the equipment market, in the previous years the company limited its activity to mobile software development (Android OS) and internet projects.

Google makes a serious bet on the mobile phone market and evaluates it as a promising direction for the future development. So, now the company does not intend to limit itself to Android software development and online services. apple vs google_2

But analysts are not sure that Google will be able to transfer the success of its previous activities to mobile phones production and sales. Much will depend on its pricing policy. Kathy Watson, a Google representative, declined to comment on the future plans. She referred to the recent publication in the official corporate blog, where we can read that a new device is just a “mobile laboratory” for testing of some new technologies.

However, some Google employees have agreed to provide more detailed information (anonymous statements). According to them, devices were made by the Taiwanese HTC company, and they are thinner and have a larger touch screen than Apple iPhone. Well, soon we will be able to verify this information, because Google phone sales can begin in January, 2010.

Why should I use PHP for web development?

Tuesday, November 17th, 2009

Looking for a proper web programming language focus your special attention on PHP. Why? Here we have listed some reasons for such a decision:

1. Start, learn and develop PHP-applications FREE OF CHARGE
Members of more than thousand communities will be glad to help you with php. Great number of PHP forums and web projects provide all the necessary information, be sure that you’ll find answers for some standard questions even before you will have time to ask them.
Of course, you will pay nothing starting your work with php (unlike Microsoft’s aspx language and others). No paid php software is needed; open source editing tools allow to develop web applications based on php without any investments.

2. Hundreds of php code examples and frameworks
You will find great number of php code examples, that will help you to learn this language and use it for successful web development. Frameworks will save your time and will allow to do the most of repetitive programming tasks. Just use Google to get some more new php code examples and frameworks.

3. The best choice for web 2.0 applications and hosting companies
Create with PHP web 2.0 applications with rich user interfaces and impressive functionality. Remember that php works with javascripts!
Also web hosting based on Linux or Windows will be glad to take care of your php web site. :)

4. The most of content management systems use PHP
Joomla, Drupal and Wordpress, some of the most popular open source CMS, written in php. It means that your php web development will be based on the following formula: free CMS + site functionality based on php + usability + qualitative design.
how-php-works

Behold! New Google Android 2.0 ‘Eclair’ SDK

Thursday, November 12th, 2009

Google has released the new SDK version (package for mobile application development) – Android 2.0 (Eclair).

Android 2.0 is the major platform for Android gadgets. Producers plan to put phones based on this OS on sale in November. Release includes new features for Android developers and users. For developers the platform is available as a downloadable component for Android SDK. SDK includes fully compatible Android libraries and image system, and also a set of skins for an emulator. The platform requires no third-party libraries.



Changes in the SDK:

Bluetooth — turn on / off, connection to a remote device using RFCOMM.
Account Manager — Centralized Account Manager allows secure storage and access to tokens and passwords.
Others — new theme systems and wallpaper manager.

List of changes in Android 2.0:
Accounts — several user accounts can be added to synchronize contacts.
Accounts_1
Mail — Exchange support
Mail_2
Bluetooth — bluetooth 2.1, new BT profiles — OPP, PBAP (Object Push Profile and Phone Book Access Profile).
Media — upgraded graphics architecture improves performance and ensures hardware acceleration.
Calendar — endless scrolling in an agenda mode, statuses for each guest invited for user events.
Browser — updated user interface, bookmarks with web-pages thumbnails, double tap zoom, HTML5 support, client databases using SQL, tags in full screen mode, Geolocation API information showing device location.
Camera — flash bulb, digital zoom, white balance control, macro mode, color effects.
Camera_3
Virtual Keyboard — an improved layout increases typing speed and reduce errors. Multi-touch support allows you to be sure that nothing will be missed while typing with two hands.