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Google announced the shut down of Stadia in-house game development studios

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On 1st Feb 2021, Google announced to shut down its internal game development for Stadia for not being able to meet high rising costs of the same. “Creating best-in-class games from the ground up takes many years and significant investment, and the cost is going up exponentially,” said Phil Harrison, VP, and general manager of Google Stadia, in a blog post. From now on, Google’s game streaming service will be entirely dependent on the titles of other external game developers and game publishers. It is really unfortunate to witness the internal cloud-based game streaming service of Google shut down within a couple of years.

When Stadia was launched in 2019, the internal game development unit was expected to make titles for the service. But, with a heavy chest, the company has declared yesterday about shutting the internal game development unit. The in-house game development is costly and monetarily the company is not planning to invest in it. Phil Harrison also mentioned that Jade Raymond, Head of Google Stadia’s Games and Entertainment, will quit the company.

About Google Stadia

Google Stadia is a platform where one can play any online modern games using your smart devices. One doesn’t need to download or install the Stadia platform. Anyone who wants to play online games on Stadia can do it from television using a Chromecast Ultra, desktop, laptop, smartphone ( currently Pixel 3 and 3a models). If one has an internet speed of at least 35Mbps, Google Stadia can stream 4K resolution gameplay with HDR at 60fps.

Google Stadia
Image Source: pcgamer.com

In 2019, the company revealed the full online gaming platform where it provides two different options for playing games. One needs to buy a $10 per month Stadia Pro subscription. The user can either access Stadia’s game library on a remote server or can download and install the games on the computer. Some of the available games on Google Stadia are Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Attack on Titan 2: Final Battle, Baldur’s Gate 3, Borderlands 3, Cake Bash, Celeste, Crayta, The Crew 2, etc.

Future prospect of Google Stadia

Google launched the Stadia platform with the hope to stream online games across the globe. The best advantage of playing in Google Stadia is you don’t have to download or install any software and have access to the game anywhere and anytime. Recently with the success of Cyberpunk 2077, Google Stadia has proved the flexibility of this online game streaming service at a global level. Though the internal game development studio has been shut down, Google will still invest in the Stadia platform to give its users and potential customers the best cloud gaming experience ever. In the blog post by Harrison, he also mentioned that Google Stadia will still work to stream games on every possible screen in the future.

Google Stadia in 2021 has plans to invest and help the independent game developers take advantage of the Stadia platform and deliver their games directly to the players. Stadia’s gaming infrastructures are impressive and thus Google here has an opportunity to partner with interested gaming companies who want a streaming service for their games. In this way, Stadia can become a long-term sustainable solution for many game developers out there and big enterprises in the gaming industry as well. The internal development team, SDG&E will move to different roles in the Stadia. Currently, Google Stadia will focus more on establishing strong partnerships.

Other gaming opportunities

With Google Stadia’s in-house game development shutting down, new opportunities are also rising simultaneously in other companies. Asus in partnership with AFK Gaming has launched the ROG Academy Programme in India. This new program is bringing immense opportunities for all the budding game developers to participate in this contest and win existing opportunities. The gaming culture is constantly evolving in India and abroad thus opening new windows of opportunities and taking gaming seriously as a profession. The independent game developers can also use Google Stadia to stream their games and deliver them to the users if they are good enough. With time, more chances will come in the way of game developers in the upcoming years.

Google

Google to block search engine for Australian users if the government enforces new code

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Due to the new law from the Australian government, Google has said that it will shut down the search engine for Australian users if it has to pay for news. According to this new code the Australian government is trying to enforce, big tech companies like Google and Facebook have to pay local media companies for the right to use their content (Reuters). Google has mentioned clearly that if the Australian government enforces this new code, 19 million Australian users will have to face degraded search quality and YouTube experience.

Enforcement of the new code

The Australian government is preparing to pass a law that will make the big tech companies like Facebook and Google negotiate with the local publishers. This means that Google will now have to bargain a payment for these local channels and broadcasters whose contents are displayed in the Google search results. The government has further decided that if the companies among themselves cannot strike a deal then an arbitrator from the Australian government itself will fix a price.

Google is not even considering playing by the rules this time and hence completely declined to negotiate any price with the local publishers. The company has made a public announcement clearly sending the message that if the law is enforced Google search in Australia will degrade. Today, Mel Silva, Managing Director of Google Australia and New Zealand said at a public hearing that if this new code is enforced as law, Google will have no choice but to make Google search engine unavailable in Australia.

Further, Silva spoke about the impact of the new proposed law, that is, the News Media Bargaining code on Australian small businesses, publishers, and users as well. She said that the most concerning part of this new code is to pay for links and snippets in the search which will have a negative impact on the business as well as the digital economy. Silva also mentioned that the company has already reached News Showcase agreements with 7 publishers in Australia. So, with a few slights amendments in this new code, none has to sacrifice or adjust here a great deal to use Google.

How did Australia respond to Google’s reaction?

Since Google mentioned clearly that if the new law is enforced, Google will have no choice but to block the search engine for Australian users, Scott Morrison, Prime Minister of Australia has made few sharp comments. In response to Google’s comment, Morrison said that in Australia they have rules for “things you can do in Australia.” He further mentioned that those who will abide by these laws are most welcome to work in Australia but the country will not respond to any form of threats.

Google

Apart from Morrison’s comment in response to what Google has said, many critical views have surfaced against these tech giants. Rod Sims, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission chair has said that these companies tend to strike a deal when they are in full power or have full control. And according to him “that’s not a commercial deal.”

Effect on Google

Google says that the search ads contribute to Google’s annual revenue and profit largely at a global level. So, if the company even offers a limited search tool for Australian users without any revision of this new code, it will be risky for the company. Google has called this new law very overly broad and hence it wants revision before the company is in a position to negotiate. The United States government has also asked the Australian government to scrap this new law and bring a more voluntary code instead. Australia proposed this new legislation last month after an investigation on the media market.

The government realized that companies like Google and Facebook have too much power in the media industry which might turn into a big threat in a democratic country. It is also noted that the statement from Google to limit its search engine for the Australian users came only hours after it struck a deal with some French news publisher. This content-payment deal is a three-year, $1.3 billion agreement to support publishers. (Reuters)

Google Pixel

A Quick Look at the New Features Coming to Android Devices Like Google Pixel

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Google recently announced its December update for its Pixel devices. Several updates and features that have been added to this roll-out will also be available for other Android devices, such as the Pixel 3. However, some of the features have been introduced exclusively for the Pixel 4a and Pixel 5. Since Indians have access only to the Pixel 4a, enthusiasts have been patiently awaiting this announcement to see what new features they will be gaining next year. Let us now take a look at all the new features announced and what value it adds to smartphone users in India.

Google Pixel Features Galore

Some of the new features that have been added to the Android devices include Extreme Battery Saver, Contextual translation, and Home Screen Customisation. All these features will be available on the Pixel 4, Pixel 3a, and Pixel 3, all of which are sold in India. Let us now take a closer look at all the features announced by Google.

Google Pixel
Image Source: robertschlatter.com

Extreme Battery Saver: Helps by limiting the usage of battery to only a few handfuls of essential apps. The feature will enable the device’s battery to last longer than ever imagined before helping users who always run out of power mid-meeting.

Duo Screen Share: This feature is an absolute necessity during this COVID-19 pandemic, wherein people are conducting all business meetings online. It allows users to share their screens and windows while taking Duo calls, helping make meetings a lot more organized and coordinated.

Enhanced Google Lens: The Google Lens update allows it to help users by translating to their native language if needed. All users have to do is take a screenshot of whatever they need to translate by swing up to the recent app’s overview, making traveling a lot easier than ever before.

Playlist Export: This interesting new feature will allow you to store the tracks you listen to while driving or waiting in line in the supermarket. Since Google Music will soon become obsolete, the device will allow users to export their Now Playing playlist to YouTube music, helping make all our lives easier.

Home Screen Customisation: A prominent Android feature, such high levels of customization allow users to make their device a true expression of themselves. The new update enables users to change their icon shapes, app shapes, and grid views. It also introduces new wallpapers through Google Arts and Culture. Pixel devices will also have a slew of new and original Mandalorian wallpapers which all Star Wars fans will appreciate and truly enjoy.

Hold for Me

The new Hold for Me feature allows users to enable the Google Assistant to stay on the line when they are busy with other calls. The Assistant stays on the line patiently and informs the other person when someone is ready to take the call and talk. This feature can be quite useful to entrepreneurs who have to take hundreds of business calls every day. However, this feature will be limited to devices sold and used in the USA.

Android Updates to Watch Out For

Some of the other features that all Android users will be able to enjoy after the December update are as follows;

  1. The Emoji Kitchen is getting a major revamp and will now feature over 14,000 unique designs. Users will now have the option of tapping on two emojis and creating a slew of different combinations. The Gboard will display suggestions of combinations or extreme versions when users either tag or double-tap a particular emoji. This feature will be available on all devices that have Android 6 or higher and unique holiday season stickers will soon go live on Google Play.
  2. To assist the differently-abled, the Voice Access will feature new commands. Some of the new actions include ones to open Photos, start a Search, or open your Map among others. The feature is expected to help make navigation more comfortable than ever before and will run on all devices that have Android 6 or higher.
  3. Google Maps will now allow users to pin their favorite destinations and routes with the new Go tab. Hence, all users can now receive real-time Estimated Time of Arrivals to their favorite coffee shop or office at all times. The feature will extend to public transport services and will feature multiple routes to all destinations, and will also be available on iOS devices.

Additionally, the Nearby Share feature will allow users to share their apps with devices without Wi-Fi or cellular data. All users have to do is click on Share Apps via My Apps and Games and then choose the apps they wish to share. Once the receiver taps on Accept, they will receive all the apps selected. Most of these features will be available to most Pixel models including;

  1. Pixel 3
  2. Pixel 3 XL
  3. Pixel 3a
  4. Pixel 3a XL
  5. Pixel 4
  6. Pixel 4 XL
  7. Pixel 4a
  8. Pixel 4a 5G
  9. Pixel 5

It will be interesting to see when these new features will drop, and how fans will rate them based on functionality and ease of use.

apple

Apple reportedly ‘Setting Up’ efforts to build a Google Search alternative

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With the recent launch of iOS14 and iPadOS14, users have noticed that the queries show search results without Google Search. This is an indication that Apple is trying to build its search engine and has no further plan to use Google Search as the default search engine. Since the user queries can be answered without the support of Google, it can be said that Apple is making a pretty fast and impressive development on the way to its own search engine. This Cupertino Company with efficient search capabilities in iOS14 and iPadOS14 has proved that it will be soon ready to challenge Google’s search engine and replace it for once and all.

If we go a little backward in time we can connect the dots as Apple earlier this year posted job openings for search engineers. So, Tim Cook was determined for a long time to create the company’s default search engine followed by incorporating it in the latest version of iOS, that is, iOS14. Now, when users type a query on the home screen it displays a direct link to the websites without opening in Google Search.

Why is Apple creating a new search engine?

Recently, the relationship between Apple and Google has gone sore thus bringing the two under antitrust scrutiny. The US antitrust authorities have threatened the payment made to Apple by Google for securing the position of default search engine on iPhones and iPads. The web search capability of Apple’s smartphones always plays a major role in deciding the overall in-house development of the company. So, if they can successfully make an alternative search engine, it will increase the value of the company and make it independent of Google Search. According to some industry experts, Apple is creating its search engine mainly to attack Google. The former has not made any major official announcement regarding the search engine but where there is smoke there is fire.

Strategies and plot twists

In 2018, Apple hired John Giannandrea, Google’s head of search to improve the existing AI capabilities of the company and to boost the performance of Siri, the virtual assistant. John came with eight years of experience in working with the Google search engine. John’s hiring along with the recent opening for search engineers will create a very strong team for the development of an alternative search engine. So, if the relationship between Google and Apple comes to an end in terms of the Google search engine, Apple will not face any adverse situation.

Apple

After the case launched by the US Department of Justice last week, Bill Coughran, Google’s former engineering chief, said that Apple already has a credible team if they want to go for developing a more general search engine. Many search marketing experts also noticed that the activity of Applebot has increased ridiculously in recent weeks. Applebot is iPhone’s web crawler and the increased rate of crawling means that it is trying to gather more information from the internet. In the new iOS14, Apple’s home screen shows a list of search suggestions generated by Apple’s search engine and not Google. The search result is based on AI thus showing results according to the common queries.

Will apple become a strong competition? 

Standing up to Google as a strong rival could take years, but currently, Apple has shown excellent developments with the alternative search engine. Apple has both a good team of engineers and capital to sign up for a long-term investment. Since the beginning, Apple has focused more on developing every bit of its product in-house starting from the smartphones to the watches. It wants to create a very strong integration between the hardware and the software components. But, for a long time, Apple was stuck with Google’s search engine. Though Apple still has the option to choose between keeping Google Search as the default search engine or become its rival, the stakes are high for the latter option.

Sridhar Ramaswamy, Google’s former head of advertising, said that to build a search engine it should have 20bn-50bn pages in its active index. Along with this, the system has to rank the pages within milliseconds when the user runs a query. It will be extremely difficult for Apple to create a search engine as big as Google but it is not impossible.

Google

Google Trusted Contact Service is going to be discontinued from December 2020

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On 16th October 2020, Google announced that it will be shutting down the company’s trusted contact service. Google’s trusted contact service was launched in 2016 to enable location sharing for friends, family, and emergency contacts. A service that was solely focused on location sharing so that you feel safe when you are outside or send your location so that your family can track you for your safety is now shutting down. The main reason behind the ceasing operations of Google’s trusted contact is the same functionality can be carried out by Google Maps nowadays. This service was available for both iOS and Android where the activity and device battery status of your trusted people were visible.

Google’s Trusted Contact Service will stop working on 1st December 2020. Till then you can still use the service on your smartphone to share the location. One disadvantage or at times advantage of using trusted contact service is that if someone requested your location and you didn’t respond, they will receive your location automatically. At the time of emergencies, when one is unable to respond this feature is a savior.

Google Trusted Contact Service

In December 2016, Google rolled out the app of trusted contacts to keep track of friends and family. With an increasing number of crimes outside our home especially against women, this was a thoughtful initiative taken by Google. Moreover, by installing and using this app the parents can also track the activity of their kids. If you are in danger, chances are you won’t be able to pick up a call leading to growing tension in your family. So, if they know your location it will be easier for them to reach you.

Using this app, you can create a list of trusted people who can request your location. The users will have to approve the list of people manually who can send the request for location. And, once a user sent a location request you will have five minutes to accept and request or deny it. If the person didn’t opt for any option then the location will be sent automatically to the requested person. If the network connectively is poor or completely cut off the other user will receive the person’s last updated location. There is also a feature of live tracking in the app. When the app was launched, it was made free.

Google

Sharing location in Google Maps

Now that after a month we won’t be able to use the trusted contact app of Google, we need to have a look at our alternate option. Google Maps is a very diverse app with new features getting added at quick intervals. If you don’t use Google Maps, it is better to get a hang of it as it is easy to use and gives you location privacy as well.

How to share your location with someone using Google Maps?

  • First, open the Google Map on your phone and sign in.
  • Tap on the profile picture icon followed by location sharing.
  • Click on New share to send your location to someone.
  • If the person is in your Google contacts you can easily find him or her.
  • Create a time limit you want to avail for location sharing and then select the contact and tap on Share.
  • If the person doesn’t have a Google account then you can simply copy the location link by tapping on Copy to Clipboard.
  • You can then send the link via any social media or phone messaging.
  • If you want to stop sharing the location then again open the app, go to location sharing, and click on Stop.

How to request someone’s location on Google Maps?

  • First, open Google Maps and click on the profile picture icon.
  • Go to location sharing and select the contact with whom you one to request location.
  • Tap on the Request option.
  • The person will receive a notification with your email address and that you requested the location.
  • Then the person can check your profile, accept the request, deny the request, or block your profile so that you cannot request anymore.

There are many other features on Google Maps that can come in handy. But, these two are the very basic and most important features you should know how to use.

Google Meet

Google Meet to Limit Meeting to 60 Minutes on Free Plans after September 30

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With the global pandemic striking earlier this year, videoconferencing apps faced a larger crowd and growth in terms of new users. Due to the lockdown, from classes to business meetings, from chatting with friends to giving exams everything started taking place virtually. So, many videoconferencing platforms made their app free for everyone. One such company is Google that made Google Meet free for everyone which means video conferencing for an unlimited time.

When the pandemic started taking monstrous shape, people understood that this is not going to end anytime soon. So, Google Meet made the platform free for all users in April. The company also mentioned that this free plan would be until 30th September 2020. And, yesterday the company made it clear that it is sticking to its words.

Google Meet Free till 30th September of this year

In the last week of April, Google announced making Google Meet free for everyone. The company said the privilege of enjoying unlimited video conferencing time will not just be limited to enterprise and education customers. So, anybody with a Google account easily created a meeting in Google Meet with 100 participants maximum and no time limit. But, the company gave a hint at the beginning that the time slot will be reduced to 60 minutes after 30th September. But, the users might have thought with time the deadline might have extended.

Google used the free for all strategy to also outrun Zoom in terms of the user base. When the lockdown started, the first videoconferencing platform that escalated to unlimited height was Zoom. But, very soon due to the compromised security system of Zoom or callous safety measures, Zoombombing took place. Google Meet saw it as a golden opportunity to take control of the market by both free meetings and ensuring safety. When Google made the platform free it made clear that Google will focus more on the safety measures. Thus, whenever a person will try to join a meeting using a link, first he will wait in the green room until and unless the host lets him in. This made Meet better and safer than Zoom.

Google Meet
Image Source: arstechnica.com

Advanced features for G Suite

With the unlimited video conferencing time, Google also made the advanced free features free for everyone. At first, the features were made free till 1st July which was then extended to 30th September. But, along with the time limit reducing to 60 minutes, free users cannot enjoy the advanced features of G Suite anymore. When the G Suite features were also made available it allowed the G Suite for education customers to host meetings with up to 250 participants. The platform also allowed live-stream to up to 100,000 users within a single domain. And, these meetings recording could be saved in Google Drive as well. Unfortunately, all these privileges will go away after a couple of days with only the “Enterprise” tier of G Suite using it for $25 per user per month.

After the pandemic started, Javier Soltero, VP and General Manager of G Suite, said that in the time of needs the company wants to give everyone access to features that they enjoy. G Suite is one of the best products to win by choice and they are trying nothing but to help people around the globe. The company also noticed that the daily user base of Google Meet increased 25 folds as it was in January. So, free access even though for a limited time was immensely profitable for the company.

Other video conferencing platforms 

In April, Google Meet witnessed a daily participant count of 100 million or more. After Zoombombing, every video conferencing company including Google Meet wanted to take its position in the market, thus ruling it. Among all these apps, it was Zoom to achieve great success within a very small period. The other companies eventually started chasing the meteoric rise of Zoom. But, with the virtual mode becoming the new normal for every purpose, it is time for Google Meet to get back to its normal plans.

So, the decision of ending free plans for all is fixed. Free users can still enjoy videoconferencing but with a time constraint of 60 minutes.