5 Chrome Address Bar Updates To Speed Up Your Search

The most used web browser — Google Chrome, is getting a few important updates, which focus on the address bar. Google has announced five address bar updates that let you efficiently use the address bar of the browser.

If you look for any site, this browser lets you find it even when you make typos. Besides, Chrome helps you find the website you want though you forget the URL or you require suggestions.

 The address bar of Chrome is getting upgraded with several new updates like "smarter" autocomplete, typo correction, bookmark search, etc. These new changes might help to reshape the way people discover websites as well as land on them. Fortunately, with the help of these five latest improvements, you can browse faster.

5 Chrome Address Bar Updates To Speed Up Your Search:

Let's have a look at these new address bar updates:

1. Smarter Autocompletion:

Previously, when you typed the starting of any site correctly, the browser would autocomplete the links in the address bar. For instance, therefore, you should know one thing: the Google Flights site begins with google.com. Starting in Chrome on your desktop, users can now see the address bar auto-completing the URLs, depending on any word used earlier by the user to search a site. Suppose you type “flights,” and then you can see that Chrome will autocomplete to “https://www.google.com/travel/flights.”

2. Automatic Typo Corrections:

Have you misspelt a URL name in the address bar while typing? Now Chrome can identify those typos. In addition, it is capable of showing you suggestions, relying on the websites you visited earlier. People using Chrome now can use the new feature on desktop, Android & iOS.

3. Searches Within Bookmark Folders:

As a Chrome user, you are capable of searching within bookmark folders from the address bar on desktop and mobile. You only need to add the name of the folder in your search. Then, you can see the available suggestions from the collection.

This update will be a game changer for those who depend on bookmarks for tracking their favorite web pages. Now, Chrome will permit you to search within your bookmark folders, and you are able to find those tucked-away pages easily. If you have an extensive collection of bookmarks or wish to access any particular page, you should use the feature to stay organized. Thus, you can find what you need easily. You should keep in mind that adding a bookmark folder name is essential in order to search bookmarks via the address bar.

4. Suggestions For Popular Sites:

Suppose, your friend has recommended a website to you, but you can't remember its name. Now, when you use this browser on your desktop and mobile, it will suggest popular websites despite the fact that you have not visited the website or you have mistyped the URL.

Suppose one of your friends has told you to check out Google Earth to scout how hard the hiking trail is. If you are going to type “Google Earth” for the first time in this browser's address bar, you will see Chrome is suggesting the Google Earth website in the drop-down.

5. Simpler-to-read Results:

It is possible to read the Chrome desktop address bar easily, and all credits go to an improved visual layout. As this one is very responsive, you will get faster outcomes once you start typing.

While typo correction, autocomplete, & folder search features are available, a few features are yet to roll out, including popular site suggestions and visual updates. According to Google, these latest changes would save time for those who are using Chrome, and also help to reduce frustration when they navigate the web.

The Bottom Line:

As per Statcounter, Chrome has 63.45% of the global browser market share. Overall, Chrome is the most popular browser. After seeing the new updates to the browser, you can easily understand why Safari & Edge have got the 2nd & 3rd position, respectively.

New Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro Phones

 

Recently, Google engineered the new Pixel 8 & Pixel 8 Pro, built with artificial intelligence at the center to offer a better experience. These newly released Smartphones are coming with first-of-their-kind features, powered by Google Tensor G3. Besides, these will include seven years of software updates featuring security updates, Android OS upgrades, and regular Feature Drops. Let's have a look at this article to learn more about the features of these new phones.

 

Latest Pixel 8 & Pixel 8 Pro Features:

 

Comes With A Polished Look:

 

Both smartphones, which are designed elegantly, come with excellent metal finishes, softer silhouettes, & are made of recycled materials. The size of the Pixel 8 is smaller than the previous model, the Pixel 7, because of which it will feel great in your hand. This model comes with a 6.2-inch Actua display to offer real-world clarity. Besides, it is 42% brighter than the display of the previous model. In addition, Pixel 8 comes with satin metal finishes, along with a polished glass back. The available colors of the model are Rose, Hazel, and obsidian.

 

On the other hand, the Pixel 8 Pro has a 6.7-inch Super Actua display, which is their brightest display yet. Therefore, users will love how the Ultra HDR images look in direct sunlight. This model comes with a matte glass back as well as features a polished aluminum frame, and is available in three colors: Porcelain, Bay, and Obsidian.

 

There is a new temperature sensor on the back of the Pixel 8 Pro that can be used for scanning an object quickly to obtain its temperature. You can use this feature to check the temperature of the pan to ensure that the pan is hot enough so that you can start cooking or to confirm that the milk in the baby's bottle is at the appropriate temperature. An application of them is submitted to the FDA to take the temperature by enabling Pixel's Thermometer App and save this to Fitbit.

 

Camera Improvements:

Both smartphones come with powerful as well as upgraded camera systems, which can be used for capturing exceptional images & getting enhanced video quality.

 

When it comes to Pixel 8 Pro, each camera on this mobile can be found as upgraded. For instance, the main camera can capture improved photos and videos in low-light settings. It is equipped with a bigger ultrawide lens to provide improved Macro Focus, whereas the telephoto lens is able to capture 56% more light. In addition, this lens can take photos ten times better at optical quality. Moreover, the front-facing camera comes with an autofocus feature that helps to capture the best selfies on a Pixel phone.

 

Pixel 8 includes the same updated main camera. In addition, there is a new ultrawide lens that can be used to enable Macro Focus. Besides, the camera app features an intuitive as well as a redesigned interface. 

 

If it comes to talking about Pixel 8 Pro, you can access Pro Controls that deliver the camera's more creative control with settings such as shutter speed, ISO, 50 MP photos, etc. Sometimes, it happens that you have a perfect group photo with your family members or friends, and one of them is not looking at the camera. In this case, the on-device algorithm is beneficial to produce a blended image from multiple images to get the best look for everyone.

 

In Google Photos, Magic Editor is a new experimental editing experience that takes help of generative AI to bring images in line with the moment's essence when you try to capture. It is possible to reposition & resize subjects, or you can make the background pop by using presets. And you will be glad to know that everything can be done with some taps.

 

Audio Magic Eraser enables you to reduce the level of distracting sounds in your video, such as noisy crowds or howling winds. Advanced ML models are used by the computational audio capability to sort sounds into distinct layers so that you are able to control their levels.

 

The Pro model is expected to get Video Boost later this year. This feature can pair Tensor G3 with strong data centers for applying cutting-edge processing to your videos. It is able to adjust lighting, color, stabilization & graininess, resulting in stunning videos. This feature allows the Night Sight Video to activate on Pixel to achieve improved low-light smartphone video quality.

 

Features That Will Help You To Save Time:

 

Now, users are able to get additional context as well as they can dive deeper into a webpage. Pixel is able to create a webpage summary using the Summarize feature so that the users can understand the key points. It is also capable of reading aloud & translating web pages. Thus, listening to articles is possible.

 

Pixel can easily understand the nuances of human speech to allow you to talk to it more naturally. When you say "um" or take a pause, it will wait until you are done, before it responds. In order to quickly type, edit, as well as send messages, you can use your voice.

 

Call Screen lets you receive 50% fewer spam calls on average with the help of improved AI. It can answer calls silently from unknown numbers to engage the caller with a more natural-sounding voice. This one is capable of separating the calls the user wants from those calls that the user doesn't want. You will get contextual replies from the Call Screen to tap on to respond to simple calls, such as appointment confirmations, without answering the phone.

 

Seven Years Of Updates For Keeping You As Well As Your Personal Information Secure:

 

Titan M2 security chip is used by Google Tensor G3 to protect personal information so that Pixel can become more resilient to sophisticated attacks. Now, on pixel 8, the Face Unlock feature can meet the best Android biometric class so that you can access Google Wallet or other compatible banking and payment apps.

 

With Pixel, you can get exclusive updates & features with the help of which your mobile will get better over time. The software support of 7 years is coming for the first time for both models. Several updates like OS upgrades, security updates & regular Feature Drops will be available.

 

Pre-order:

 

The starting price of the Pixel 8 pre-order is $699, whereas for the Pixel 8 Pro, it starts from $999. If it comes to talking about the Pixel 8 Pro, if you pre-order this, you can get a Pixel Watch 2. It is also possible to pre-order these new Pixel phones on Google Fi Wireless to receive the best deals. In addition, you are able to enjoy secure phone plans like full connectivity for the Pixel Watch 2 without any extra cost. Both devices will be available from October 12 at the Google Store & the retail partners.

 

Availability and Price:

 

The company made both models official on October 4, 2023. So, if you have been waiting for a long time, you will be glad to know that there is no more need to wait to have one of these phones in your hand. These devices went up for pre-order officially once Google wrapped its event. While Pixel 8 is available in the US & Canada, you can also buy it in Austria, Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, India, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, United Kingdom, & the United States.

 

It is one of the widest launches for the company's mobile division yet. The price hike for both models is seen where the cost of the Pixel 8 starts at $700. On the other hand, the Pixel 8 Pro hits the dreaded $1,000 mark. It is necessary to refer to the local region for pricing. However, devices in the EU & UK experienced similar increases. If someone preordered a Pixel 8 Pro, he/she will get a Pixel Watch 2. Whether you are a Pixel 8 buyer, you can get two buds for free.

 

Google Pixel 8:

This model is shrinking down its budget flagship phone to a smaller size, though it includes a few good specs. It comes with several high-quality features like Tensor G3, AI-focused skills, an all-new camera sensor, etc. However, its cost has increased by $100 compared to the Pixel 7.

 

Google Pixel 8 Pro:

This one, the latest flagship of Google, features a new Tensor G3 chip. In addition, it comes with 2,400 nits of peak brightness, including an object temperature sensor. The cameras have improved a lot to capture even more light. However, the real power lies in the Tensor chip of Google. It can provide enhanced picture quality. Besides, there are a few image editing features, such as Night Sight for Video & the Best Take feature, which you can use for blending plenty of group shorts into the perfect image.

 

Google Pixel 8— Design And Specs:

While the Pixel 7 has unveiled its I/O already in 2022, Google waited until October for announcing the Pixel 8 series officially. But people didn't need to wait for long for official images. It means that people got to know exactly what the Pixel 8 looks like before almost a month of its release.

 

The corners of the screens of the mobile look more rounded & more in line with a Galaxy S23+ compared to the S23 Ultra's squared-off corners. When it comes to materials, you do not find anything out of the ordinary. Although Apple uses titanium on its latest iPhones, Google sticks with aluminum and classic glass. You will find the Pixel 8 Pro available with a matte finish. It also retained brushed aluminum for the camera bar & frame. However, the Pixel 8 comes in a matte aluminum frame with the glossy back glass.

 

Regarding the camera bar, you can find this a bit redesigned. Besides, there is a new sensor on the Pro's visor. This one is a thermometer used to measure the temperature of the surfaces.

 

While the Pixel 8 has a new Actua display, the Pixel 8 Pro is equipped with a Super Actua display. Both of these should offer better quality brightness levels as 1,400 and 1,600 nits, respectively. When you are outdoors, these will support 2,000 and 2,400 nits.

 

The Pixel 8 has 1080p resolution, with an upgrade to 120Hz. A 1440p LTPO OLED panel is still used by Pixel 8 Pro to ratchet down to 1Hz.

 

The current lineup of protective shells of Google could pale if it is compared to its old-school fabric cases. However, the Pixel 7 series was at least a noticeable step up from the models, shipped in the year 2021. Pixel 8 cases have similarities with the basic mobile colors, alongside the addition of a Coral option for both models.

 

The recent Tensor G3 chipset can improve efficiency, performance, & AI capabilities. On the regular phones, it is paired with 8GB of RAM, whereas on Pixel 8 Pro, it is paired with 12GB. The device with a smaller size has storage of 128GB or 256GB. On the other hand, the bigger model can offer both sizes and includes upgrades to 512GB or 1TB options. Both mobiles still use UFS 3.1 storage, not the 4.0 storage that you can see on Samsung's top-quality smartphones.

 

Google Pixel 8— Cameras:

Camera is something about which we have to discuss when the topic is the Pixel series. The company built its successor to the Nexus program on the image capabilities that combine cutting-edge software, awesome hardware & AI-powered photo processing.

 

While there are three sensors on the Pixel 8 Pro, the Pixel 8 has a new main sensor. The 50MP lens is the same in both models. It can crop in to act as a 2x zoom. The use of the lens is seen on the smaller Pixel 8 for Super Res Zoom.

 

The ultrawide remains the same on the Pixel 8. The 48MP f/1.95 lens is impressive and provides a 125.5-degree field-of-view. You can also find a periscope telephoto lens with a 48MP sensor & an f/2.8 aperture. In both models, you can see a front-facing camera with a 10.5MP lens with an f/2.2 aperture. However, you should know the Pixel 8 Pro is compatible with the autofocus feature.

 

The Bottom Line:

In this article, we have mentioned every detail about the Pixel 8 & Pixel 8 Pro. The company plans to make up for the shortcomings of earlier releases with some impressive software tricks, stats, etc.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

What is the latest Google pixel in the market?

The company launched the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro.

 

When did Pixel 8 come out?

It will launch on October 12.

 

How is the Pixel better than the iPhone?

Pixel comes with a 48MP ultrawide & 48MP telephoto camera. On the other hand, the iPhone includes a 12MP ultrawide & 12MP telephoto camera.

Google Gemini

A small group of companies has recently got permission from Google to access an early version of conversational AI software that is highly anticipated. As Google allowed outside developers to access Gemini, it can be said that the tech giant is now close to incorporating this in its consumer services as well as selling this to businesses via the cloud unit of the company.

 The intention of Gemini is to challenge OpenAI's GPT-4 model, which has started to create meaningful revenue for the startup. The reason is that financial institutions invest money to access the model & the ChatGPT chatbot it powers. Sundar Pichai, at the Google I/O developer conference in May 2023, announced Gemini, which is Google's upcoming AI system. Google DeepMind division developed the large language model (LLM). It is able to challenge AI systems such as ChatGPT from OpenAI. Let's learn about Google Gemini.

What Is Google Gemini?

Google Gemini is a large-language model collection that is able to power everything from Chatbots to features that summarize text or create original text depending on what people are willing to read, such as email drafts, music lyrics, or news stories.

This one is an underlying technology of AI chatbots. According to the company, it will let users create content depending on text inputs. Besides, it will help software engineers to write code. Google said that this language model was made from the ground up to become multimodal, efficient at tool & API integrations. It is made with the intention of enabling future innovations such as planning & memory.

Google To Take On OpenAI:

Gemini is one of the biggest bets of Google to take on OpenAI which developed GPT-4. In order to bring returns to the company, the model has begun its tasks already because Microsoft has incorporated the tech into OpenAI's GPT-4, Office 365 apps, and DALL-E models. Apart from financial institutions, other businesses also pay to access this model.

Some reports said that Google was playing catch-up after ChatGpt was launched by Microsoft-backed OpenAI last year. Sundar Pichai said that Google was willing to ensure its models' safety before these get released for businesses.

 The company is making some plans to bring Gemini to power several services like Bard chatbot, enterprise apps, and so on. Google hopes now that by doing so, it can challenge Microsoft Azure in a better way in offering AI capabilities to apps.

Can Google Gemini Leapfrog GPT-4's Revenue Stream?

OpenAl, with its GPT-4 model, has been generating waves in the financial sector. Google, the tech giant, has invested millions in computing resources & personnel to make this model a market leader. Google also aims to integrate this model across Bard chatbot, Workspace software, etc.

All New Updates Of Google Gemini:

We have given here all the new updates related to Gemini:

• Google Gemini Will Be Multimodal:

According to the statement of Pichai, Gemini has the mixed strength of DeepMind’s AlphaGo system and extensive language modeling capabilities. You should know that the AlphaGo system is popular for mastering the complex game Go. Its design is from the ground up so that it becomes multimodal. It can allow for additional natural conversational abilities. The CEO of Google gave hints at future capabilities such as memory & planning which may enable tasks that require reasoning.

• Gemini Can Use Tools And APIs:

Jeffrey Dean, who is the Google chief scientist, said in an update to his professional bio over the summer that Gemini is going to be the next generation model.

According to him, it would use Pathways, Google's new AI infrastructure, to allow for the scaling up of training on diverse datasets. He gives a hint that Gemini is going to be the largest language model till now. It may exceed GPT-3's size with over 175 billion parameters.

• Expected To Come With Various Sizes And Capabilities:

The CEO of DeepMind, Demis Hassabis, gave information about additional details. He said that techniques from AlphaGo, such as tree research and reinforcement learning can provide the language model with new abilities, such as reasoning & problem-solving. As per the statement from Hassabis, we get to know that Gemini is a "series of models," which will soon be available in various sizes & capabilities .

According to him, this language model may use memory, and fast-check against sources such as Google Search. It can improve reinforcement learning for increasing accuracy and decreasing hazardous hallucinated content.

• Early Gemini Results Are Promising:

Hassabis reiterated in a September Time interview that the language model's target is combining scale & innovation. He said that the incorporation of planning & memory is in the early exploratory stages.

He added that in order to improve factual consistency, the model can employ retrieval methods to output entire blocks of information, instead of word-by-word generation.

He revealed that the model builds on DeepMind's multimodal work, such as Flamingo, which is an image captioning system. He said that Gemini is showing promising results.

• Advanced Chatbots As Universal Personal Assistants:

CEO of Google, Pichai, in an interview with Wired gave an indication regarding how the model, Gemini, can fit into Google's product roadmap. He said that Bard and other conversational AI systems are not the end state, but waypoints will lead towards more advanced chatbots.

Pichai also expected Gemini & future iterations to become personal assistants globally, and these will be integrated throughout human's regular lives in work, entertainment, etc. He also reiterated that this model will mix the power of images and text.

• Competitors Are Interested In Gemini’s Performance:

OpenAI CEO tweeted and reported that the model might outperform GPT-4. But officially, Elon Musk didn't respond to the follow-up question on whether the numbers that SemiAnalysis has given are correct.

• Select Companies Have Early Access To Gemini:

According to a report, Google will soon be ready for a beta release as well as integration into services such as Google Cloud Vertex AI.

• Meta Working On LLM To Compete With OpenAI:

Although the news related to Gemini is promising, Google is not the only company that is ready to launch a new LLM to challenge OpenAI.

The Wall Street Journal thinks that Meta is now working on an artificial intelligence-based model that will compete with the GPT model powering ChatGPT. Recently, Meta announced that Llama 2, which is an open-source AI model, will be released, in a partnership with Microsoft.

Conclusion:

Google, the tech giant, has reportedly permitted a small group of companies to access Gemini, a next-generation foundation model. This model allows users to create content, summarize articles, and help them to write codes. We expect that this model will soon be available for businesses.

Frequently Asked Questions:

• What is Google Gemini?

It is a multimodal AI. It is expected that the model will be capable of processing images and text, permitting features like written analysis of visual graphs.

• How do I access Gemini AI?

The tech giant, Google is planning to make Gemini available to the companies via Google Cloud Vertex AI service.

• Does Google have AI?

A vast range of products & services of Google use Google AI research.

 

Lock Files More Easily In Google Drive

Google is going to add an option allowing people to lock their files more easily in Google Drive. In order to lock files, users need to right-click the file and choose "File information." Then, they need to tap on "Lock". When a file is locked, it ensures that reviewers are unable to change a file. Besides, adding comments, edits and suggestions to the locked documents will not be possible. The procedure of restricting files in the drive, which is simplified & streamlined by this update, was earlier available via the Google Drive API or via file approvals.

How Will Lock Files More Easily In Google Drive Help Users?

Users will get benefits from the feature when many documents (that are viewable to the public) are used & shared. As soon as you see a file locked, it will go into read-only mode. Therefore, people with access to the file will be able to view this only. Earlier, users were able to lock a file or document via a Google Drive API call. Now, the locking process is simplified by the new feature.

End Users:

• If you want to lock your Drive file, you need to have edit-access to the drive file.
• When you hover over a file in Drive, you need to right-click into the context menu. Then, your task is to select "File information." After that, you should choose the "Lock" option. Now, select "Lock" to ensure that you are willing to lock the document.
• As soon as a file is locked, no one will be able to make edits to the Doc until it is unlocked. Unlocking a file is possible through the context menu.

Rollout Pace:

• Rapid Release domains: Gradual rollout for up to fifteen days to view the feature started on September 5, 2023.

• Scheduled Release domains: In this case, the Gradual rollout starts on September 20, 2023.

Google Drive Lock File Availability:

All Google Workspace customers can get this feature.

Duet AI in Workspace apps:

Recently, Google announced that it is adding some AI-powered enhancements to the Workspace apps. Google Duet AI assists users in generating results based on text prompts in Gmail & Google Docs.

The drag & drop feature was added last month by Google to Google Drive multi-instance support on Android devices that have large screens. These let you share files & folders between two different accounts quickly. Google also added an extra feature that allows the users to empty a shared drive's whole trash folder for making the management of shared drive files easier. Thus, users do not need to remove items in the trash folder manually.

The option to lock files more easily in Google Drive will prevent accidental edits to ensure the authenticity of files. The tweak doesn't have any admin control. This latest upgrade to Google Drive will be useful for its customers all over the world. Moreover, Google has introduced a new 'Spam' folder to the sidebar, working the same as the spam folder.

Conclusion:

Now, all Google Workspace users can lock files in their Google Drive. In this way, this new feature prevents company employees from editing as well as making any comments on documents. In addition, they can't add unwanted suggestions to locked documents.

 

Google Cloud Next '23

Google Cloud will welcome a lot of people to San Francisco for the first in-person event. The CEO of Google Cloud is feeling excited to bring several customers & partners together to showcase the outstanding innovations. It has been a long time since they have been working across a complete infrastructure portfolio, Data & AI, Workspace Collaboration, and cybersecurity solutions.

 Google Cloud

Google Cloud has achieved a few milestones, like reaching a $32B annual revenue run rate in Q2 2023 event. They have also shared a few awesome stories about how they work with leading organizations such as Deutsche Borse, Culture Amp, eDreams ODIGEO, IHOP, IPG Mediabrands, HSBC, John Lewis Partnership, Macquarie Bank, Priceline, The Knot Worldwide, Shopify, the Singapore Government, U.S. Steel, & Wendy's. At Google Cloud Next '23, they announced new relationships with The Estée Lauder Companies, FOX Sports, GE Appliances, General Motors, HCA Healthcare, etc. CEO Thomas Kurian thanks every customer as they keep trusting in Google Cloud.

At Google Cloud Next ’23, they said that they are now glad to announce new ways which are beneficial for each business, government, and user benefit from generative AI & famous cloud technologies:

 

• AI-optimized Infrastructure:

  This most advanced infrastructure helps companies to train as well as serve models. The infrastructure is offered in the cloud regions to run in the data centers with Google Distributed Cloud.

 Vertex AI:

• Developer tools can be used for creating models & AI-powered applications along with major advancements in Vertex AI, to generate custom models and produce custom Search and Conversation apps using enterprise data.

 Duet AI:

• This AI collaborator is integrated deeply into Google Workspace & Google Cloud. It can provide users a project manager, a writing helper, a spreadsheet expert, a note taker for meetings, as well as a creative visual designer. This one can collaborate from different perspectives. For instance, it can be an expert coder, a database pro, a software reliability engineer, an expert data analyst, and a cybersecurity adviser.

 New infrastructure and tools to help customers:

Gen AI has become too revolutionary for the broad applications and advanced capabilities that require a sophisticated infrastructure. It has been 25 years since Google Cloud continues to invest in its data centers & networks. Currently, they have a huge network expanding almost 38 cloud regions. The aim of Google Cloud is to operate totally on carbon-free energy 24/7 by 2030.

 The AI-optimized infrastructure is an excellent choice that helps to train and serve gen AI models. In this case, it needs to be mentioned that more than 70% of gen AI unicorns are Google Cloud customers such as Cohere, AI21, Jasper, MosaicML, Replit, Runway, Anthropic, & Typeface. At Google Cloud Next '23 event, they announced crucial infrastructure advancements to assist customers, like:

 

• Cloud TPU v5e: It is the most versatile and affordable AI accelerator. As a customer, it is possible to use a single Cloud TPU platform with the intention of running large-scale AI training & inference. This one is optimised for efficiency and can scale to tens of thousands of chips. Regarding training performance for each dollar, this one can offer up to two times more improvement than a Cloud TPU v4.

 A3 VMs with NVIDIA H100 GPU:

• It is powered by NVIDIA's H100 GPU and is expected to be available in the next month. This one is made with high-performance networking for enabling the popular gen AI and LLM innovations. Thus, organizations can achieve training performance three times better than the prior generation A2.

 

• Cross-Cloud Network: This one is a global networking platform where people can connect applications & secure them across clouds. The platform can provide ML-powered security for offering zero-level trust. This network is designed in a way that allows customers to access Google services from any cloud. Besides, it helps to decrease the level of network latency by up to 35%.

 

• Google Distributed Cloud: The purpose of its design is to meet the organization's demands. By enhancing the GDC portfolio, Google Cloud is trying to bring artificial intelligence to the edge.

 Vertex AI platform gets even better:

Vertex AI, which is the most comprehensive AI platform, is their best infrastructure, allowing people to create, deploy and scale ML-based models. People can access over a hundred foundation models like third-party open-source versions. They are optimized for various tasks like text, chat, images, speech, software code, etc. Sec-PaLM 2 and other industry-specific models are offered for cybersecurity. Thus, it becomes possible to empower Tenable & other global security providers and life science companies such as HCA Healthcare, and Meditech.

 With the help of the Vertex AI Search & Conversation, organizations are able to generate Search & Chat apps within minutes with a little bit of coding, enterprise-grade management & security built in. Also, it is possible to get friendly tools from the Vertex AI Generative AI Studio to customize models with enterprise-grade controls. Developers can create sophisticated applications depending on semantic understanding of text or images and RLHF, using developer tools such as Text Embeddings API.

 

• Digital Watermarking on Vertex AI: It is powered by Google DeepMind SynthID, which can provide state-of-the-art technology to embed watermarks into images of pixels. As a result, it helps to make it invisible to the human eye and hard to tamper with. This watermarking can give you a scalable approach to recognising AI-generated images responsibly. Google Cloud is the first cloud provider to deliver the technology for AI-generated pictures.

 

• Colab Enterprise: It is a managed service combining enterprise-level security & compliance abilities and Google's Colab notebooks. Using this, service data scientists can accelerate AI workflows while having access to Vertex AI platform capabilities.

 The Vertex AI is designed to provide the users full control of  their data, code, and IP. If you customize and train a model with Vertex AI, the data will not be exposed to the foundation model. The model's snapshot enables you to train & encapsulate this together in a private configuration.

Duet AI in Google Cloud

 Hence, Duet AI in Google Cloud announcements come with some advancements for:

 

• Software development: It can offer expert assistance across the whole software development lifecycle. As a result, developers can be more productive by following the approach to minimize context switching. Customers can also modernize applications with the help of code refactoring. In addition, the Duet AI in Apigee allows developers to produce APIs and integrations.

 

• Application & infrastructure operations: With Duet AI, operators are able to chat in natural language across several services in the Google Cloud Console.

 

• Data Analytics: In BigQuery, Duet AI can help contextually write SQL queries & Python code. Besides, it can build full functions & code blocks, suggest code completions automatically, etc. Depending on the metadata & scheme, it produces recommendations. The capabilities let data teams focus more on the results.

 

• Accelerating & modernizing databases: Duet AI in AlloyDB, Cloud Spanner and Cloud SQL is useful for producing code with the intention of structuring, modifying, or querying data. Google Cloud has brought the Duet AI's power to DMS for automating the conversion of database code.

 

Conclusion:

 Currently, humans are in the digital transformation era, which is getting charged or fueled by gen AI.

Technology helps to improve the way businesses operate as well as the way humans interact with each other. In this event, it is said that Google Cloud is grateful for the opportunity to be on this journey with their customer.

 

iPhone 15

Apple released iPhone 14, iPhone 14 & 14 Pro models in September 2022. But we heard about iPhone 15 rumors before these latest iPhones were available for purchase. Apple plans to release four iPhone 15 models including two 6.1-inch iPhones & two 6.7-inch iPhones. One of the 6.1-inch iPhones will be the standard iPhone 15, while the iPhone 15 "Plus" will be a 6.7-inch model. The other 6.1 & 6.7-inch iPhones will be high-end models and more expensive.

 As with the iPhone 14/14 Pro lineup, iPhone 15 Pro models will get the best features that will make the additional cost worth it. We are only a few weeks away from the annual fall event, where the next iPhone, unofficially called the iPhone 15 series, will be unveiled.

Will the iPhone 15 have a USB-C port, or will the iPhone 15 series have slimmer bezels? Until Apple throws the next iPhone event, we will not get to know the answer to these questions and the event is expected to be conducted in September. These are the biggest rumours that will give you an idea about what you should expect from the iPhone 15 series.

 iPhone 15 Design:

 Hello USB-C, no need for Lightning:

For many years, the feature has been circulating around the rumour mill. But this year, the switch from a Lightning Port to a USB-C port may finally happen. It is usually driven by pressure from the European Union that has been pushing for a common charging standard for several years. In the previous year, the bloc passed legislation requiring the company to equip its iPhones with USB-C ports by 2024, whether it wants to sell these in the EU. If you see this happening, the question is if the company will switch all models of iPhone to USB-C or only those sold in the EU. In this regard, you need to know that the company modifies its models regionally as it has done with the iPhone 14. The US version has an electronic SIM, whereas other variants retain the SIM slot. Avi Greengart, analyst at Techsponential, said that behind moving all iPhones to USB-C, there are good reasons.

 Mark Gurman, who is a reporter for Bloomberg, said that iPhone 15 Pro & iPhone 15 Pro Max models receive USB-C ports this year. It is expected that the complete transition may happen next year with the iPhone 16.

 USB-C Data Transfer Speeds:

iPhone 15 Pro models, which come with USB-C ports, are compatible with higher-speed data transfers. Besides, you can experience the benefits of USB 2.0 speeds in the standard iPhone 15 models. Along with this, it features the same as Lightning, which can give Pro models an edge.

 Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that the Pro models are compatible with at least USB 3.2 or Thunderbolt 3. The upgrade will allow the models to transfer video as well as other file types at quicker speeds. The transfer speed of USB 2.0 is limited to 480Mb/s, whereas USB 3.2 is compatible with speeds up to 20Gb/s. If the company provides Thunderbolt 3 support for the iPhone 15 Pro models, users can get data transfer speeds up to 40Gb/s.

 Dynamic Island expands to all models:

The company is expected to sell four iPhone models continuously with the iPhone 15 lineup. Rumours direct to a similar design across the board except the shape-shifting cutout ( known as Dynamic Island) of iPhone 14 Pro. 

 We get the rumour from the display analyst Ross Young. He said already in a tweet that he didn't expect the iPhone 15 models to come with a higher refresh rate just like Apple's Pro iPhones. The reason is that the supply chain is unable to support this.

 Skinnier bezels:

Gurman said that the company might use a new manufacturing technology, "low-injection pressure over-moulding, " to create the Pro iPhones. The same process is used for a few Apple Watch models. It helps the company to reduce the bezel size by fractions of a millimeter. As a result, it will make an ever-so-slight increment in screen real estate.

 Color Options:

You can get iPhone 15 models in dark pink & light blue color options. The company often provides the standard iPhone models in several bright colors, and the same will happen in 2023 also.

 iPhone 15 colors will be bright pink & blue shades along with the standard black, white, & PRODUCT(RED).

 Case Fit:

A set of 3D-printed iPhone 15 & iPhone 15 Pro models give insight into how prior-generation iPhone 14 cases fit. Older cases can't be used with the new iPhones.

If any changes are done in the dimensions of the iPhone 15 lineup, it will not allow the cases to get fitted. However, iPhone 15 Plus can fit inside an iPhone 14 Plus case. If the Pro models include a larger rear camera, it will not allow iPhone 14 Pro cases to work properly.

 Frosted Glass:

According to an unconfirmed rumour from Weibo, the iPhone 15 models might come with a frosted glass back. The company has limited this design to the Pro models. Generally, standard models are available in a glossy black, whereas you can see the use of frosted glass in the more expensive models.

 iPhone 15— Upgraded ultra wideband:

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that this iPhone version will run on an upgraded Ultra Wideband processor to integrate with the new HR headset named Vision Pro. The upgraded ultra-wideband processor is known as the U1 chip. UWB is actually a short-range wireless communication standard that is used to monitor any object's location. While it helps to pinpoint the Apple AirTag, it allows you to unlock the car when you walk up to it with the mobile. According to Kuo on Twitter, this is Apple's broader strategy for creating a more competitive ecosystem for Vision Pro.

 iPhone 15— Wireless charging upgrade:

 ChargerLab, a power specialist website with great track records, said that the iPhone 15 models will be compatible with 15-watt wireless charging using the Qi2 open standard. If it is true, the iPhone model will bring a new world of wireless charging devices and will replenish the models at its full speed. Previously, the company limited open wireless charging standards to 7.5W and left the entire 15W charge speed for Apple MagSafe licensed accessories.

 iPhone 15 camera:

 Periscope-style telephoto lens arrives:

According to the forecast of Apple observer Ming-Chi Kuo, we can expect iPhone 15 Pro Max to be available with a periscope-style telephoto lens. This analyst with TF International Securities says that the telephoto lens features higher optical zoom levels. Besides, Kuo says that the iPhone 15 Pro Max might have a 6x optical zoom. Hence, you need to know that the iPhone 14 Pro Max model's optical zoom is limited to 3x, lagging behind competitors like Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra's 10x optical zoom. Unknownz21, the famous leak source and Twitter user, bolstered the rumour and said that the Pro Max model is expected to feature the special lens. The company's plan to adopt these zoom lenses is one of the rumours, but the feature is limited to the larger-sized iPhone 15 Pro Max.

While standard zoom lenses will be available in the iPhone 15 Pro, the iPhone 15 models will have Wide & Ultra Wide lenses. According to Ming-Chi Kuo, the iPhone 15 pro max will come with a periscope-style telephoto lens which has higher optical zoom capabilities and let you zoom 5x or even 10x optically. The zoom feature of the latest Pro models is exponentially enhanced with a periscope lens because the current Pro models' limitation is 3x zoom.

 An angled mirror is used with the periscope lens to reflect light toward the image sensor in the camera. The directional shift comes with a "folded" telephoto lens system which can be used to improve optical zoom capabilities without the blurriness that can come with digital zoom. According to the belief of Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the company can implement 6× optical zoom technology when the lens is adopted.

 iPhone 15 Ultra camera— Variable zoom:

Tipster Revengus said that a telephoto camera would be available in the iPhone 15 Ultra, which includes a variable zoom lens. Continuous or variable optical zoom cameras are usually unavailable on smartphones for different purposes. The reasons are that size & design of phone cameras restrict the type of lenses which can be used. 

 iPhone 15 Power— Increased RAM for pro models:

 Taiwanese research firm TrendForce stated that iPhone 15 lineup's Pro models are upgraded to 8GB from 6GB in order to complement the anticipated A17 Bionic chipset. TrendForce says that base models will receive 6GB RAM. Analyst Jeff Pu of Haitong International Securities backed up the rumour by giving a research report.

 Qualcomm Modem Chips:

5G modem chips of Qualcomm will be used by the company for the 2023 iPhone 15 lineup because 5G iPhones were introduced. The company might use its in-house modem chips this year. This technology will not be ready until 2024 at the earliest.

The same Qualcomm modem chip, the X70, is used in iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro models. This chip can deliver enhanced AI for different purposes like faster processing speeds, a better coverage range, improved signal, lower latency, etc.

SIM Card Tray:

The company removed the SIM card tray after the launch of iPhone 14 models in the devices which are sold in the US. After launching the iPhone 15 & iPhone 15 Pro models, Apple can remove the SIM tray in additional countries.

According to the rumours, it may be eliminated in France in the future. If it happens, it may be removed in iPhones which are sold in Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and the UK.

Wi-Fi 6E and UWB:

Although the leaked information says that the company may upgrade to Wi-Fi 6E, this feature could be limited to the iPhone 15 Pro models. The iPhone 15 Pro & iPhone 15 Pro Max models will come with Wi-Fi 6E. But Wi-Fi 6 will be used by the standard iPhone 15 models.

 Wi-Fi 6E can offer more bandwidth than Wi-Fi 6. It is able to offer faster connectivity speeds, lower latency, & increased capacity. In the 6GHz band, Wi-Fi 6E can offer 1.2GHz more spectrum. The iPhone 15 models are expected to be equipped with a next-generation Ultra Wideband chip integrating with the Vision Pro headset. The processor which the chip will use can be upgraded to 7nm. This change helps to improve performance and reduce energy consumption.

 A-Series Chips:

We expect that iPhone 15 Pro models will be the first to come with an A-series chip designed on Apple supplier TSMC's next-generation 3-nanometer node. 3nm chip technology helps to boost the processing performance by 10-15%. At the same time, this will help to reduce power consumption by up to 35%. If you want faster chips, these will be available only to the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. The iPhone 15 & iPhone 15 Plus might feature a 4-nanometer A16 chip used first in the iPhone's 14 Pro & 14 Pro Max.

 Other features:

 No Touch ID:

Rumours are saying that the company might offer Touch ID again to its flagship iPhones through an under-display solution. However, these models are expected to continue using Face ID, not Touch ID.

 Although the company is now working on an under-display Face ID feature, we can't get this ready until at least 2025. Instead, the model will use Dynamic Island, and the company might expand the feature to all iPhone models, not only the Pro models.

 Repairability:

It is possible to repair both iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro models. The company included a chassis redesign allowing them to open to swap the back glass with the iPhone 14 & iPhone 14 Plus. However, the change might persist in the iPhone 15 & iPhone 15 Plus models. According to the rumours, the company is going to use a new chassis design for iPhone 15 Pro & Pro Max. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says that these iPhone models can be opened from the front & back sides. As a result, the repair fees will be less for damaged back glass.

 The cost for now to repair the back glass of an iPhone 14 is $169, whereas, for a 14 Pro, you need to invest $499 because of the requirement of pulling out the display to get to the back glass.

 Pricing:

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman thinks that Apple can increase the price of iPhone 15 Pro & Pro Max. According to analyst Jeff Pub, the price of the iPhone 15 Pro may start at $1,099. According to the prediction of Jeff Pu, the starting price of the iPhone 15 Pro Max can be $1,199. According to the suggestion of another analyst, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is up to $200 costlier than the iPhone 14 Pro Max. We don't expect any increment in the pricing for the standard iPhone 15 models, whereas the starting price of the entry level iPhone 15 model will be $799.

 iPhone 15 Release Date:

The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro models can be unveiled at a September event. It might be held on either Tuesday, September 12 or Wednesday, September 13. Based on the timing, pre-orders will be taken on Friday, September 15.

 Manufacturing and Availability:

As soon as the devices go up for pre-orders, the standard iPhone 15 models will be available. Depending on the rumours, it is heard that supplies of the iPhone 15 Pro & iPhone 15 Pro Max can be constrained. Display manufacturing was facing problems. However, there is at least one source which informs that these issues have been overcome. Samsung has begun mass-producing OLED displays that can be used in the four iPhone 15 models. Display panels are planned to be produced for the devices by LG Display & BOE. While LG creates iPhone 15 Pro displays, BOE can manufacture iPhone 15 & iPhone 15 Plus displays.

 Conclusion:

Here, we have given the information based on the biggest rumours that will give you an idea about what to expect from the iPhone 15 series. If you have further queries, you can ask us via comments.

 Frequently Asked Questions

 Is iPhone 15 coming?

 Apple Launch Event is confirmed to be conducted in September 2023. Then, the iPhone 15 models will be launched.

 What is special about iPhone 15?

iPhone 15 is Apple's upcoming mobile which is expected to come with a 6.06-inch display.

 What is the max storage of the iPhone 15?

2TB is the max storage for both iPhone 15 Pro & iPhone 15 Pro Max models.

Tint Meter

Window tint refers to a thin protective sheet of film that is generally installed in the interior or exterior of a glass surface. It is a technology made with the purpose of keeping windows protected from UV rays along with providing privacy and aesthetics. But how does a tint meter work? Let's check out this article to learn what it is, how to use it, and how it works.

What is a tint meter?

A tint meter is something that the police use to make sure that the tinted windows are of a legal standard. Automotive workshops use these to make sure that the custom-tinted windows are of the legal standard.

How does a tint meter work?

These machines usually shine a beam of light at 550 nanometers via the window to the optical sensor from the instrument sensor. When the beam is intercepted by the window, the meter helps to measure the light which passes through & provides a reading in VLT.

Types of tint meters:

You can usually see two kinds of tint meters in the market. These are horseshoe tint meters & tint meters with magnetic probes.

Horseshoe shape tint meters:

These tint meters slide over the side windows to provide a fast and easy reading. When you use this type of tint meter to measure VLT, your job is to make sure that the window doesn't contain any dirt. Otherwise, it will affect the readings. After that, your task is to activate the meter. Now, you should wait until the reading reaches 100%. Next, you need to place the unit onto the window via the slot. You can see a VLT reading within a few seconds. The reading will inform you how much visible light passes through.

Tint meters with magnetic probes:

These tint meters let you measure VLT via the side, front and rear windows. So, as a user, you will get a complete access to the whole window that you need to measure. If you use these magnetic probes to measure VLT, you should ensure that the window must not have any dirt. As soon as you enable the meter, you need to wait until it reaches 100% reading. While you have to keep the reflector probe on the window's one side, your task is to keep the instrument probe on the window's other side with the magnets lining up. When the probes will be aligned, you will get to see the meter displaying a reading within a couple of seconds.

Use of tint meter:

• People use tint meters usually to compute the VLT value after the car window gets tinted. In Australia, 30-35% is the minimum VLT for front & passenger windows that are safe & legal. 
• Police use tint meters to make sure that tinted windows are of a legal standard. 
• Automotive workshops use tint meters to confirm the legal standard of the custom tinted windows. 
• It is necessary to test VLT to make sure that the driver can get to see other vehicles, objects, and pedestrians.

Conclusion:

This article mentioned the tint meter, its use, working process, types, etc. If you have further queries or doubts, let us know via comments.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What device is used to measure window tint?

You need to use a tint meter to measure a window's tint percentage.

Q. What is VLR in tint?

VLR, which stands for Visible Light Reflectance, refers to the measurable amount of visible light that a glazing system reflects out.

Q. Is there a tint meter app?

Tint Wiz is an application which is mainly designed for window tint companies.

Android New Things

A few weeks ago, new features were introduced at Google I/O to make Android mobiles more secure. Android devices will continue to get regular updates throughout the year to ensure that the devices improve in between the OS releases. These new features & updates help in learning new skills, securing information, and staying productive on the go. Let's go through this blog to know about these updates.

Seven New Android Updates:

1. Build new reading skills:

As Reading practice is available, you will be able to improve your vocabulary as a new reader. Now, you will get the chance to improve the comprehension skills of users using tablets or Android mobiles. You may try this on your kid's ebook with a "Practice" badge mark on Google Play Books. Moreover, you will get to hear the pronunciation of words they didn't hear previously. Besides, you will be able to practise mispronounced words & receive feedback in real-time.

2. Get your info at a glance:

Customize the home screen of your mobile or tablet with more helpful shortcuts using the recently arrived three new Android widgets. Moreover, you will be able to find any television show and movie suggestions quickly with Google TV. In addition, you can monitor chosen stocks with Google Finance & enjoy headlines that are curated regularly from Google News.

3. Listen to favorites from Watch:

Your first job is to hit play right from your wrist. After that, you should allow Spotify's DJ to deliver personalized songs in a list, listen to songs available in your heavy rotation & stream episodes from podcasts you like. Moreover, you can watch face shortcuts for Wear OS from Spotify.

4. Tap your Watch & skip the line:

Wear OS smartwatches in is now available for Commuters in Washington, D.C., as well as in the San Francisco Bay Area. They can now use these Wear OS smartwatches to tap as well as to ride with SmarTrip & Clipper cards through Google Wallet.

5. Stay on track from your wrist:

Adding a tile is possible on Google Keep for Wear OS for accessing a selected note quickly. Just swipe through the tiles & look for the pinned note so that you can stay on top of things.

6. Add some fun to your messages:

With the help of Emoji Kitchen, users can remix their favorite emoji into stickers which are possible to be sent as messages via Gboard. Taking a bite of new aquatic-themed emoji combinations that lets you cool down the summer.

7. Scan the dark web for your Gmail address:

In the United States, for most Google Accounts, dark web reports are available to use on the Google One website and app. It is possible to check if a Gmail address is exposed on the dark web via scanning. Moreover, you can receive guidance on the actions that you need to take to protect yourself online. If you are a Google One member in the U.S., you can scan for extra personal information like social security number. In the upcoming months, over twenty nations will be able to access this.

Conclusion:

New updates & features are added constantly by the Android team to improve Google apps and your devices. If you want to know more information about Android new things, visit Android.com/updates.

RAR vs ZIP

Several file formats available in computer file systems, and ZIP & RAR are the most common names among them. These two archive file formats store various files and folders in one container. But these file formats are different from each other. The basic difference between these two is that you can enable ZIP, a standard archive file format in any operating system. But RAR is an archive file format that needs a third-party tool called WinRAR for processing. Dig into the article, to learn about RAR vs ZIP.

What Is ZIP?

It is a standard file format used to compress files in the computer system. Gary Conway and Phil Katz developed this famous file format in 1989.

Just like other file formats, these refer to the data buckets for one or more files with the help of ZIP compression. Software companies like Apple Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows use this. These types of files are accessible by those programs that are able to create ZIP files.

Apart from compressing files, this format encrypts files that are password protected. Then, it splits them with some taps. Every file is stored separately in the zipped folder to make it accessible randomly. As a result, adding new files has become simple without zipping the whole archive. You can zip files & folders using many methods such as WavPack, BZIP2, PPMd, DEFLATE, LZMA, etc. The Zip archives contain extra content which is unrelated to the archive.

What Is RAR?

The term stands for Roshal ARchive. It is a compressed file that Russian Eugene Roshal created. This proprietary archive file contains one or more folders in a single place. It serves as the regular folder in the computer system where people keep their documents.

This format needs a third-party software application to allow you to open files or extract them from it. This one is the native file format of the WinRAR archiver that stores the files in compressed form. Besides, the compression ratio is more than the ZIP compression. It can incorporate a compression algorithm that can handle file spanning, lossless data compression, error recovery, etc. Remember that any type of file with the '.RAR' extension is called a RAR file.

RAR vs ZIP:

ZIP	RAR
This one is an archive file format.	This one is a proprietary archive file format you can use for lossless data compression.
Phil Katz created it as a standard format for data lossless compression.	Eugene Roshal developed it.
This one is free, which means open standard.	It isn't free.
ZIP comes with several implementations and is supported in many places.	It needs a third-party tool called WinRAR Archiver.
Its compression rate is lower than that of the RAR format.	With the help of the WinRAR archiver, compressing or decompressing files is possible. Compared to ZIP, the rate of compression is better.
ZIP provides password-based protection.	ZIP does not offer password-based protection.
You can use the filename extension as  ".zip" or ".zipx."	In this case, filename extensions may be ".rar," ".rev," ".r00", or ".r01".
This one uses the ZIP 2.0 encryption algorithm.	RAR uses AES-128 encryption.
ZIP compresses data using the 'DEFLATE' compression algorithm.	Hence, the used compression algorithm is more efficient than the 'DEFLATE' compression procedure.
ZIP is a comparatively weak algorithm.	RAR is a powerful algorithm.
You can make files with programs such as WinRAR, WinZip, and Freebyte Zip.	In this case, files are limited to a program called WinRAR.

 Conclusion:

This entire discussion about the difference between RAR and ZIP concludes that ZIP is a standard file format you can use to archive & compress lossless data. On the other hand, RAR is a proprietary archive file format that needs WinRAR archiver, a third-party tool.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Are ZIP and RAR the same?

ZIP format compresses data at a slower rate compared to RAR. It can offer password-based security, but the RAR does not have such a feature.

Q. Is RAR faster than ZIP?

It has a faster compression rate than ZIP when the third-party tool WinRAR is used. However, the overall rate of compression is slower than WinZip or 7-Zip.

Q. Is RAR or ZIP more secure?

RAR format can't provide security with a password. But the ZIP 2.0 algorithm is used for encryption by the ZIP file format. RAR uses more efficient AES-128 encryption. Whereas, you can create ZIP files with different programs, including WinZIP, WinRAR, Freebyte ZIP, etc.

Gmail is the Latest to Introduce Blue Verified Checkmarks

A blue Checkmark will soon be available next to select senders' names on Gmail by Google. The company announced that it is mainly for verifying the user's identity. Companies that have already adopted the BIMI feature of Gmail will get the new blue checkmark. The term BIMI represents Brand Indicators for Message Identification.

The BIMI feature rolled out in 2021. It needs senders to use powerful authentication. Besides, it helps to verify their brand logo for displaying a brand logo as an avatar in emails. As a user, you can see a checkmark icon for senders adopting the BIMI feature. According to Google, the update helps users to identify messages from legitimate senders versus impersonators.

Why is it important?

With the help of this strong email authentication, you can identify spam & stop it. The same thing goes for the email security systems. It allows senders to leverage their brand trust. While it boosts confidence in email sources, it can also give readers an immersive experience. Thus, it can generate a better email ecosystem for everyone.

Admins:

Your first task is to go to the Help Center to learn more about the setup process of the BIMI. If you want to take the benefits of BIMI for your outgoing emails to Gmail & other platforms, your company needs to adopt DMARC. It is necessary to validate your logo with a VMC, which a Certification Authority like Entrust or DigiCert issues.

End users: No end user setting is there for this feature.

Rollout pace:

The full rollout started on May 3, 2023. You can see there are 1–3 days for feature visibility.

Availability:

• The feature is available to Google Workspace customers, legacy G Suite Basic and Business customers. 
• In addition, it is available to users with personal Google Accounts. Google introduced BIMI in 2020 for Gmail. 

Its core functionality is to enable organizations & vendors so that they can claim ownership of respective businesses. However, it was updated with more effective security measures. But, it failed in its mission and what it wanted to achieve.

The company now wants to take this a notch further and keep people more concerned than before. So, Google adds a blue checkmark in Gmail after the sender's name. It means that those senders have verified their legitimacy through BIMI. It also indicates that the specific person is the original email owner in your inbox.

So, when you receive a new email from any company or a business, each verified sender has its official logo with a blue checkmark. Once you hover over the checkmark, you can see a floating pop-up. It notifies that the sender owns the domain and the logo.

Conclusion:

For most end users, it is an update which will soon be available. If you have admin rights, it is possible to visit the official Google Workspace Admin blog to learn how you can verify your business with BIMI. Gmail has already begun rolling out of the new blue checkmark update.

2023 Google I/O 2023

Google I/O  2023 conference is almost there and it indicates that the highly anticipated Pixel Fold & Pixel Tablet will launch very soon. This conference, which is organized annually geared toward developers. It can hold a keynote that reveals the latest things. If you are willing to watch the keynote live without attending the event, this article is for you. Go through the entire article to know everything about the event, like when & where to stream it, and which things you can expect.

When is the main 2023 Google I/O keynote?

This annual event begins on May 10th, 2023, at 1 PM ET / 10 AM PT. Google CEO Sundar Pichai will introduce the event. In 2023, the event will take place in person live with a limited audience at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, California.

It seems like Google is encouraging people to tune into the event online. Previously, conferences of developers usually took up to three days. It appears as Google is willing to de-emphasize this event. Besides, the company is willing to remain there for Android and web developers through other channels. In 2020, the event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, while the 2021 event was online. However, people can still access the opening keynote and multiple expected panels online, as previously.

How to watch 2023 Google I/O:

If you are willing to participate on Google's website, you should register for the event. However, it is essential to use a Google account. Whether you desire to watch the main keynote, it is expected that you can get this on YouTube without registering yourself.

What can we expect at 2023 Google I/O?

The company released the event's schedule on April 27, 2023. Generally, this planned event is more condensed as the developer conference takes place only one day this year. It is categorised into four sections: mobile, web, AI, and cloud. These inform us what the theme of this year's I/O will be.

Google I/O's official schedule reveals the expected large themes:

In this event, you will get a clear overview of all details which Google will introduce during I/O, along with the largest announcements. The company is expected to use its AI announcements because it wants to win a few excitements around its projects in the department.

People will learn more about what the company has planned for Android 14 and the next versions of ChromeOS. Google also plans a few extra specialized panels such as Google Pay and Google Wallet, Material Design, Google Home, and the web. As it is a developer conference, it is possible to look forward to deep dives into languages (Dart, Flutter, Firebase, and machine learning) & other programming topics. The company has also planned to reveal some hardware-related announcements— the budget Google Pixel 7a or the Google Pixel Fold. The company might have also planned to introduce a few Android 14 features as well as explain to developers how they can benefit from these.

Focus on AI at 2023 Google I/O:

After the launch of ChatGPT 4.0 and Bing's chat-based search, the company activated code red internally. Google also reacted with a Live from Paris event where Google Bard, a chat-based search engine, is displayed. In March 2023, the chatbot was launched as a limited beta in the U.S. and U.K. According to a recent leak, it can come to the Pixel phone as a widget.

Google Bard is the beginning of its grand plans for AI-powered search. As per a report, for the services, Samsung may ditch Google as the default search engine. Whereas Google is working on the next stage of the search engine that may integrate a chatbot.

Developers can get an opportunity to experience new tools. A new Colab option can become a part of Android Studio that is also known as Google's developer environment. It is beneficial for developers to resolve the code. With the help of this tool, you can write code depending on prompts from programmers.

Google Pixel 7a and the Google Pixel Fold:

People learned about the Google Pixel Tablet at the previous developer conference, and it has been almost a year, but still, Google didn't make this available to the public. The company is expected to change it in 2023 Google I/O. While the launch date is almost confirmed, the price can be guessed due to the leaks.

The company will launch Google Pixel 7a at this event after teasing a new phone launch for the day after May 11. According to the leaks, the Pixel 7a will be almost identical to the Pixel 7. It is because the model will have the same Tensor G2 chip, camera setup, and display refresh rate. The difference is that the side of the model may be smaller, and it can consist of less premium materials. Although the Pixel 7a will launch after its predecessor, the Google Pixel 6a was announced in May 2022. However, it is going on sale at the end of July.

On May 4, 2023, the company revealed the Pixel Fold in a launch page on its Google Store website and in a tweet where it promised to announce more details on this Google I/O. You might glimpse the Google Pixel 8 lineup, which is expected to arrive at year's end. The same was applicable to last year's Pixel 7 and 7 Pro.

About Android 14:

Android 14 is currently available for developers and those who are eager to use beta software. The previous builds look exactly like Android 13. Mishaal Rahman has found several other features. So, the company is expected to make them official in this event and release Android 14 Beta 2 soon after.

Conclusion:

Google I/O is almost there and we also learnt about a few things and what to expect before it happens. It will be better if you try to catch up on things that happened at the previous event.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q. How To Register to Attend the Event?

It is free & open to all. Once you register yourself here, you can save content and chat in I/O Adventure, a virtual event of 2021.

Q. How Much Is Google I/O?

Since 2021, this online event has been free.

Q. Where Is Google I/O Held?

It is held at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, CA. Being the hometown of Google, the city is approx forty miles south of downtown San Francisco.

Google Cloud Spanner

Google Cloud Spanner is the first relational database service that is totally managed across the world. It can offer strong consistency and horizontal scalability for OLTP applications. This service lets you enjoy all the traditional advantages of a relational database. It is different from other relational database services because this one usually scales horizontally to a lot of servers for handling the pressure of substantial transactional workloads.

What is Google Cloud Spanner?

Google cloud spanner is actually a distributed relational database service. This service runs on Google Cloud and supports global online transaction processing deployments, SQL semantics, horizontal scaling & transactional consistency.

Interest in Google Cloud Spanner focuses on the cloud database's ability for providing availability as well as consistency. These are actually traits that are considered at odds with each other. Data designers create tradeoffs to emphasize both consistency and availability. We can describe the trade-off in the CAP Theorem. It remains underprinted as a casual move for availability and scalability in web and cloud systems. It also combines SQL & NoSQL traits to pursue system availability and data consistency.

Google Cloud Spanner's roots:

The first appearance of this service was as a key-value NoSQL store. But as time goes on, it has added a powerful typed schema and a SQL query processor. Google engineers have undertaken the work on the NoSQL processor core and SQL interface as part of the company's in-house F1 system to manage Google AdWords data. Google Cloud customers will be capable of accessing this in May 2017.

It is compatible with distributed SQL queries, and query re-starts in response to failures. This service uses TrueTime, a Google Cloud clock synchronization service using a mix of atomic clocks and GPS technology.

Other cloud databases:

It is an excellent alternative to cloud relational databases like Azure SQL, Amazon Aurora, IBM DB2 hosted, and Oracle Database Cloud Service. This one is also an excellent alternative to the commonly used open-source web and cloud application databases like MySQL and PostgreSQL.

As it can combine NoSQL and SQL traits, you can also classify this as a NewSQL database. It can support CrateDB, NuoDB, the in-memory database management system MemSQL, CockroachDB, etc. Due to the support of NoSQL and SQL approaches, this service is included in the multi-model database category. This one is an emerging type, including databases like Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB & MarkLogic.

Google Cloud Spanner pricing:

Its pricing depends on three infrastructure components:

• Nodes 
• Storage 
• Networking

The pricing for nodes depends on hourly work and the number of nodes used within any given hour in a project. Besides, the pricing for storage is set on a per-month basis. It depends on the average data in the service's tables and secondary indexes during that month. Its pricing for network bandwidth is usually monthly based and depends on the amount used during that month.

Features:

It can store plenty of mutable structured data. Besides, it enables people to perform arbitrary queries with the help of SQL with relational data and maintain strong consistency as well as high availability for the data with synchronous replication.

Key features of Google Spanner:

• Applying transactions across rows, columns, tables, and databases within a Spanner universe is possible. 
• With the help of automatic multi-site replication and failover, you, as a client, can control the replication and data placement. 
• Replication is consistent & synchronous. 
• Reads are consistent, as well as data is versioned to permit for stale reads: clients will be able to read older versions of data. 
• This database service can support a native SQL interface to read & write data.

History:

The service was described first in 2012 for internal Google data centers. In 2017, its SQL capability was included. Later, it was documented in a SIGMOD 2017 paper. That year it started to be available as part of the Google Cloud Platform in 2017 under "Cloud Spanner."

Google Spanner Architecture:

With the help of the Paxos algorithm as a work part, it partitions data across up to many servers. This service uses hardware-linked clock synchronization to make sure global consistency with the help of GPS clocks and atomic clocks. The brand name of the distributed cloud infrastructure of Google is TrueTime. DBMS of Google's F1 SQL is made on its top, which exchanges Google's custom MySQL variant.

Conclusion:

In this article, we have covered the details related to the Google Spanner database. Still if you have any doubt or queries, you can let us know via comments.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Is Google Spanner SQL or NoSQL?

It came first as a key-value NoSQL store.

Q. What is Google Spanner used for?

It is used to decouple computing from storage. Therefore, it becomes possible to scale processing resources separately from storage.

Q. Is Google Spanner free?

Its free trial is an addition to the $300 credits that the Google Cloud free trial provides.