Internet

Google has been publishing Transparency Reports for some time now,detailing things like government requests to remove content from search results or requests for users’ information to be removed. From today you can see the number of removal requests it receives from companies over copyright and piracy concerns. “Each request names specific URLs to be removed, and we list the domain portions of URLs requested to be removed under targeted domains.”

So far over 1,246,713 URLs have been requested to be removed and over 24,129 domains, since 2011.

Microsoft has asked Google to remove more than 500,000 links from its index in the last month, figures show. The vast majority of the links in question were ones which took people to sites connecting to pirated Microsoft software.

The British Phonographic Institute, which represents record labels, asked for most links, 160,000, to be removed.

In July 2011, the point at which its statistics start, Google was getting requests to remove 129,063 links per week. In May 2012 this figure had risen to 284,850. In the past month, more than 1.2 million links on 24,000 separate sites were removed. Requests to de-list links came from 1,296 separate copyright holders.

Google said it granted about 97% of requests to remove links and it usually took about 11 hours for any request to have an effect on search results.

Read more: http://www.google.com/transparencyreport/removals/copyright/

Sidecar (www.sidecar.me) is a new mobile app that brings Smart Calling to smartphones. Smart Calling allows people to share live See What I See video, brilliant photos, contact information, and locations, all while they talk. The Sidecar app is free to use and download from Apple’s App Store (http://itunes.com/apps/sidecarme) or Google Play (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=me.sidecar&hl=en).

In addition, people can call anyone in the U.S. or Canada for free, even if the recipient of the call is not a Sidecar user. When the call ends, the recipient will receive a text message inviting them to join Sidecar.

“Until now, voice calling has sat in a silo by itself. People who wanted to do more than talk had to toggle back and forth between voice calls and whatever else they wanted to share with the person they were calling,” said Rob Williams, chief executive officer of Sidecar. “Sidecar tears down these barriers and lets people easily share live video, location, photos, and contacts while they talk. The result is a more fun, engaging, and expressive conversation.”

With Sidecar, people can call and share:
– See What I See Video: Sidecar users can share amazing real-time videos of what’s happening around them.
– Photos: Sidecar users can snap brilliant pictures, or share photos from their phone’s library, instantly with other Sidecar users.
– Locations: Sidecar lets users look at an interactive map, see where they are in relation to the person they’re calling, and share locations to meet up.
– Contact Information: Sidecar lets users pass along and integrate contacts from their phone’s address book.
– Whisper Text: Send a private text message to another Sidecar user during a call, and keep the conversation going when it’s hard to talk.

And, the price is unbeatable:
– Sidecar users can call anywhere in the world for free: As long as both parties are using the Sidecar app, users can talk as long as they like for free.
– Sidecar users can call anyone in the U.S. or Canada for free over Wi-Fi: The person you’re calling doesn’t need to have the app. When you call, they’ll receive a text message telling them how to download Sidecar so next time you can use Sidecar’s exclusive Smart Calling features.

“There has been tremendous innovation in smartphones in every area except the basic phone call,” said Rob Glaser, chairman and co-founder of Sidecar. “Over 800 million people around the world have smartphones; the time is right to re-imagine what a phone call can be. That’s the mission of Sidecar.”

How People Can Use Sidecar

Here are some examples of how people can use Sidecar today:
– The Scouting Party – When you find that perfect party or nightspot, Sidecar makes it easy to report back to your friends and get them to join you. Just put yourself at the center of the fun and turn on video sharing. Seeing is believing, and nothing makes it easier to see what’s happening than Sidecar. When your friends are ready to rally, just share your location and Sidecar will lead them right to you.
– The Handyman – Your new apartment is great, but you just can’t figure out how to get that pipe under the sink to stop leaking. No problem. Just call Dad on Sidecar and flip on video sharing. He can see what you see – and even what you missed – like that loose washer you forgot to tighten. Missing a part? You can snap and share a picture, so Dad can stop at the hardware store before he visits next weekend.
– The Shopping Trip – Since your best friend moved, it’s been hard to stay connected. She’s in New York and you’re in San Francisco, but today you’re both going shopping. Turn on video sharing and you can show her what you see while walking through your favorite store. You can turn on Whisper mode, so she can give you her honest opinion without others hearing. Being able to hear what she thinks, even though you’re thousands of miles apart, makes you feel more connected than ever.

Sidecar Pricing & Availability

For iPhone, iPod Touch and Android users, Sidecar is free to download in Apple’s App Store (http://itunes.com/apps/sidecarme) or Google Play (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=me.sidecar&hl=en). Calls to other Sidecar users are free anywhere in the world. Calls to regular phone numbers in the U.S. and Canada are free over Wi-Fi. Standard carrier data charges will apply when the app is used over 3G / 4G.

Company Background

Sidecar is based in San Francisco and Seattle. Launched as SocialEyes in 2011, the company pivoted to Sidecar in response to the rapid adoption of smartphones and the opportunity to create a better calling experience. Sidecar founders, Rob Williams, Rob Glaser and Jeff McLeman all share extensive backgrounds in mobile, communications and consumer products. Sidecar is backed by Ignition Partners, The Webb Investment Network, Rob Glaser and other prominent individual investors.

Google has announced an improved Gmail search by improving the autocomplete predictions you see when you search in Gmail, reports the Official Google Blog.

“Now when you type something into the Gmail search box, the autocomplete predictions will be tailored to the content in your email, so you can save time and get the information you want faster than ever before. For example, you might now get lax reservation or lax united as predictions after typing “lax” if you have received an email with a flight confirmation for your trip to Los Angeles in your inbox recently.”

http://gmailblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/improved-search-in-gmail.html

We will be rolling out improved autocomplete in English over the next few days and will follow with more languages over the next few months. While initially improved autocomplete will not be available for Google Apps customers, we plan to bring this feature to Apps domains in the future.

Evernote has released version 4.0 of it’s software for Android.

Evernote is an easy-to-use, free app that helps you remember everything across all of the devices you use. Stay organized, save your ideas and improve productivity. Evernote lets you take notes, capture photos, create to-do lists, record voice reminders–and makes these notes completely searchable, whether you are at home, at work, or on the go.

Key Features:
– Sync all of your notes across the computers and devices you use
– Create and edit text notes, to-dos and task lists
– Save, sync and share files
– Search for text inside images
– Organize notes by notebooks and tags
– Email notes and save tweets to your Evernote account
– Connect Evernote to other apps and products you use
– Share notes with friends and colleagues via Facebook and Twitter
? Premium feature: take notebooks offline to access them anytime
? Premium feature: allow others to edit your notebooks
? Premium feature: add a PIN lock to your Evernote app
Here are some ways to use Evernote for your personal and professional life:
– Research smarter: snap photos of whiteboards and books
– Take meeting and class notes, draft agendas and research notes
– Plan a trip: keep track of travel plans, plane tickets and passports
– Organize and save recipes; search by ingredients later
– Create a grocery list or task list and check things off as you go
– View web pages saved in Evernote on your desktop
– Capture ideas and inspiration on the go
– Access files and notes you create on your phone from your desktop
– Keep track of products and prices for comparison shopping purposes
– Keep finances in order: save receipts, bills and contracts
– Reduce paper clutter by taking snapshots of restaurant menus, business cards and labels
– Use Evernote as part of your GTD system to help you stay organized
– To get the most out of your Evernote experience, download it on all of the computers and phones that you use.
Evernote is available for:
Desktop: Mac, Windows and Web
Mobile: Android, iPhone, BlackBerry, Palm WebOS, Windows Mobile
Tablet: Android, iPad
Web: Evernote for Web; Web Clippers for Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Internet Explorer
More information about permissions at:
http://bit.ly/mAjLuc
Learn more: http://www.evernote.com/about/getting_started/
Supported Accessories:
Sony-Ericsson LiveKey – com.sonyericsson.extras.livekey
Sony-Ericsson LiveDock – com.sonyericsson.extras.ATTACHED

Google’s Knowledge Graph enables you to search for things, people or places that Google knows about—landmarks, celebrities, cities, sports teams, buildings, geographical features, movies, celestial objects, works of art and more—and instantly get information that’s relevant to your query. This is a critical first step towards building the next generation of search, which taps into the collective intelligence of the web and understands the world a bit more like people do.

Read more: http://googleblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/introducing-knowledge-graph-things-not.html

Google Docs has a new Research tool, making it easy to add information from the web to your documents. To access the tool:

Select the Research option from the Tools menu.
Use the keyboard shortcut (Cmd + Opt + R on Mac, Ctrl + Alt + R on PC).
Right-click on a specific word and select Research.

The Research tool will appear along the right-hand side of your document. You can start a search by typing into the search bar. You can narrow your search to specific types of results (e.g. images, quotations) by using the drop-down menu in the search bar.

More info: https://support.google.com/docs/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=2481802&p=documents_research

Using Google Research tool : http://www.macworld.com/article/1166832/hands_on_with_google_docss_new_research_tool.html

Zohair Hyder writing on the Official Gmail Blog hasannounced “A better Google+ notification experience in email”.

Google+ notification on the phone; replying via email; updated post in the stream

“On the desktop, in addition to adding people to circles, and viewing recent Google+ content in the people widget, we’re now making Google+ notification emails in Gmail completely interactive:
You can view, comment on, and +1 posts from inside your inbox
Your comments appear in the Google+ stream in real-time, and
Responses from others instantly appear in Gmail, as part of the notification message.

You can also reply to notifications from your mobile device (and/or POP or IMAP client). Just open the notification email about the post you’re interested in, and look for the new prompt, “Reply to this email.” Tap reply, send your comment, and we’ll automatically add it to the ongoing Google+ conversation”

Read more at: http://gmailblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/better-google-notification-experience.html

Online file sharing website, AttachMore.com (http://www.attachmore.com/) is offering high end security features for their user accounts. The online file sharing and sending website is upgrading its protection for both personal and business user accounts to ensure safety and security of the data shared online. Details about AttachMore.com’s security, operations, data handling, download options, expiration etc. can be viewed at:http://www.attachmore.com/Learn/Security.aspx

AttachMore.com is an online file sharing and sending website that allows data sharing of up to 10 GB data online without an FTP or via emails. The file sending website has its own software application to transfer files. With AttachMore.com, you can share large files online on social networking websites and via emails. The AttachMore download link can be pasted in an e-mail, instant messenger or social media websites to transfer online data.

Security features at AttachMore.com are designed keeping in mind the security of the data being shared using the AttachMore software. As AttachMore allows a wide variety of data to be shared online, from pictures, videos, presentations, official documents, confidential files etc, a secured operation is a must. Securing the data becomes essential. So AttachMore.com is posing limits on access to the users’ account data by making it accessible by those deemed appropriate to access it.

Mr. Brent Young from AttachMore.com talked about high end security features and measures at the website saying, “At AttachMore.com, security of the data being shared using the website is of very importance to us! The team at the online file sharing website makes sure to install and design high end security features that not only protect the data but also maintain privacy of the users. All data that is uploaded at AttachMore.com is stored on the servers in an encrypted format and even the employees at AttachMore don’t have access to it. With password protection and expiry date features of the data being shared, you have complete control of the data that you are sharing using the online file sharing software.”

“Security features like AttachMore Operations and Data Handling, Credential Download Options, 256-Bit SSL Encrypted Transfer, Item Expirations and Disabling help us to maintain the security of your data. Whatever you share using our website and our software will remain confidential and we will ensure too proof our softwares against any security breach. Password protection is our most scalable security feature and is a great addition to our security system as it highly personalizes your document. Only the person who knows there’s a password that has been set on the shared document will have access to it.”

High end security features, operations and handling are offered at the online file send and share website, AttachMore.com. Security features and further details are available at: http://www.attachmore.com/Learn/Security.aspx

The online large file sharing website has also upgraded its free data sharing limit from 100MB to 500MB.

Macworld has published “Tips and tricks to help you make the most out of this up-and-coming social networking site.”

“Google launched Google+ last summer to save us all from Facebook and Twitter. Twitter is too much like shouting in a coffee shop, Google argued, and Facebook’s garden, large and beautiful as it may be, has walls that are too high and opaque—particularly to Google’s search bots.

Google pitches its social network as an alternative that both simplifies and empowers the way we share things with each other. People are giving the new social network a try—the site’s traffic grew 27 percent this March to 61 million visits. But as with much technology, it’s still easy to get lost or overwhelmed.”

Read more at: http://www.macworld.com/article/1166668/master_google_.html#lsrc.rss_main

Google has rolled out updates to its Google news pages, including bigger images, real-time coverage, and Google+ comments posted alongside the articles. wrote Google News product manager Scott Zuccarino.

“When a story breaks, Google News is designed to give you the most relevant articles from a variety of sources — from national news outlets, to local points of view, to expert opinion pieces. To continue to expand your views on the news, we are adding three new features for those using our US edition: larger images on our main page; a new realtime coverage page to surface the latest articles and commentary; and relevant Google+ posts for a new social perspective.”

To try out Google+ features in News visit: https://plus.google.com/up/accounts/upgrade/?continue=https://plus.google.com/?utm_source%3Dgnbp0%26utm_medium%3Dembd%26utm_campaign%3Dactvgoog%26gpsrc%3Dgnbp0&gpsrc=gnbp0

Dropbox adds automatic photo uploads from just about any camera, tablet, SD card or smartphone — pretty much anything that takes photos or videos! Plus, you can view your uploaded pictures on the web from our spiffy new Photos page!

Automatic uploading from the desktop is designed to work perfectly with the Dropbox Android app. Your photos are copied from your camera to your Dropbox and uploaded, in full-quality and at their original size, to your private Camera Uploads folder. As your photos upload, you can access them from anywhere and move and share them as you see fit.

Read more: http://blog.dropbox.com/?p=1165

The 3M Cloud Library eBook Lending Service will be introduced to the public today in an open house event from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Sun Ray location of the Saint Paul Public Library. The library is one of a number of beta sites where library staff members have undergone training and are now ready to unveil the system to patrons.

The 3M Cloud Library offers a turnkey system of digital content, in-library hardware, and apps for borrowing and reading, and promises to revolutionize how library patrons discover, borrow and read eBooks. At today’s open house, attendees will be able to test drive the system, which uses several components to allow them to browse the electronic catalog and read on the device of their choice:

3M Discovery Terminals: Patrons at the library can browse the catalog on these electronic kiosks with an intuitive touch-based interface.

3M eReaders: Content from the Cloud Library can be synced with easy-to-use 3M eReaders that can be checked out like any other lendable materials. eReaders can be checked out at three Saint Paul Public Library locations including Central, Sun Ray and Arlington Hills Libraries.

Mobile device compatibility: The service’s eBooks are compatible with PCs, Macs, iPads, Nooks, and Androids. Using their personal devices, patrons can browse, check out and read eBooks all without leaving the 3M Cloud Library app.

“Saint Paul is proud to be one of the first library sites to provide this service,” said Mayor Chris Coleman, who will be on hand at today’s event. “The fact that the system allows eReaders to be checked out along with digital content is a great way to ensure eReading is available to all. For people who have their own eReading devices, the 3M Cloud Library gives them access to thousands of titles. This system has something for all Saint Paul library patrons.”

The Sun Ray location of the Saint Paul Public Library is in close proximity to 3M’s campus, making it an ideal “living lab” for new technologies from 3M Library Systems.

“3M has been an outstanding partner to us, and we are proud to work with them to serve as a leader for other libraries across the country,” said Kit Hadley, director of the Saint Paul Public Library. “With this technology, we are able to offer cutting-edge technology to all our patrons, whether they own their own e-reader or not.”

Along with the Saint Paul Public Library, a number of other libraries across the country have now made the 3M Cloud Library available to patrons, including the Bergen County Cooperative Library System, N.J.; Maricopa County Library District, Ariz.; Douglas County Libraries, Colo.; Darien Library, Conn.; Richland County Public Library, S.C.; and the State Library of Kansas on behalf of the Kansas Digital Library Consortium. 3M will seek feedback from both patrons and staff at these locations on the service’s ease of use and functionality, using their input to continue to refine the system.

For more information about the 3M Cloud Library eLending system, visit 3M.com/Cloud.