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July 22nd, 2014 | Published in Google Apps
July 22nd, 2014 | Published in Google Blog
July 22nd, 2014 | Published in Google Research
July 22nd, 2014 | Published in Google Enterprise
July 21st, 2014 | Published in Google DoubleClick
July 21st, 2014 | Published in Google Enterprise
July 21st, 2014 | Published in Google Android
Srikanth Rajagopalan, PM Director and Workplace aficionado
Recently at Google I/O, we announced a comprehensive set of new features that will allow IT organizations to easily deploy and manage Android devices in enterprise environments. These features will be built into the upcoming Android L release.
Samsung, with its KNOX technology, has been a thought leader in the enterprise mobility space. In order to accelerate Android adoption in the enterprise, we have partnered with Samsung to bring key KNOX functionality into Android, for the benefit of the entire Android ecosystem. We thank Samsung for their contributions. These new capabilities will make it easy for IT organizations to allow employees to bring their own Android devices to work (BYOD) and use them on the corporate network or to simply issue new Android devices to their employees. IT administrators will be able to manage a wide range of Android devices from many manufacturers, using third-party Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) solutions that are built on top of the new enterprise APIs launching with Android L release.
Google and Samsung together designed the new enterprise APIs around three major concepts:
At the core of the expanded enterprise capabilities being introduced in Android ‘L’ lies a set of technologies that are designed to keep personal and corporate data both separate and safe. We achieve the data separation by building on the existing multi-user support in Android: personal and corporate applications will run as two separate Android users. Data is kept safe by using block-level disk encryption as well as verified boot technology. For those of you familiar with KNOX, this is analogous to KNOX Workspace. EMMs will be able to take advantage of new Android SDK APIs to enable the creation of a managed profile, which is where all corporate applications and data will reside.
EMMs can use new Android SDK APIs , which have evolved from KNOX APIs, to allow IT admins to enforce a wide set of policies, ranging from system settings and certificate provisioning to application-specific (e.g. Chrome) configurations and restrictions.
EMMs will be able to use new backend APIs, adapted from KNOX APIs and built around strong security principles for on-device app deployment, to allow IT admins to curate the corporate application catalog and to remotely deploy applications to the managed profile on the employees’ devices.
We encourage developers interested in the new Enterprise APIs to download and test the Android L Developer Preview. For developers who have already built applications using Samsung KNOX APIs, Samsung will be providing a KNOX Compatibility Library that will let such applications run on all Android L devices.
You can read more about this collaboration on the Samsung KNOX blog. Stay tuned for additional details.
July 21st, 2014 | Published in Google Enterprise
July 18th, 2014 | Published in Google Blog
July 18th, 2014 | Published in Google Apps
July 18th, 2014 | Published in Google Enterprise
Bridgeport uses a variety of Chromebook models including devices from Samsung, Acer and HP. |
July 17th, 2014 | Published in Google Android
Today’s post on #AndroidWear is from +Wayne Piekarski.
Now that the full Android Wear SDK is available, it’s time to port your existing wearable-enabled notification code from the Developer Preview. In the process, you’ll switch to using the latest Android support library, and there are some small API changes that will require you to update your code. This article will show you how to update my previous code samples that were released earlier for stacks and pages, which you can use to guide the conversion of your own code as well.
To get started with an existing project in Android Studio, you should update to the 0.8 or later release. You also need to make sure you’ve downloaded the Google Support Library version 20 or later from the SDK Manager. Since this is only a notification-based example, there’s no need to download the full Android Wear SDK, which is only needed if you want to create an APK to run on the wearable device.
Unix diff output is used to show the necessary changes in an easy to understand way. Do not copy the + or - symbols at the start of each line, and ignore the lines starting with @@ which are used to indicate the line number that changed. For the curious, I used the following command to generate the diff output from the last commit in my GIT repository (the -U1 shows one line of context to keep the output simple):
git show HEAD -U1
To add the new support-v4 library, you need to edit your build.gradle file like so:
@@ -24,2 +24,3 @@ dependencies {
compile 'com.android.support:appcompat-v7:19.+'
+ compile 'com.android.support:support-v4:20.0+'
}
Make sure you remove the wearable-preview-support.jar that was provided with the Developer Preview from your libs directory and build.gradle file, since these features are now in the standard support library.
Since the APIs and package names have changed, the import statements at the top of MainActivity.java need to be adjusted like this:
@@ -7,3 +7,2 @@ import android.view.MenuItem; -import android.support.v4.app.NotificationCompat; import android.app.Notification; @@ -13,4 +12,9 @@ import android.graphics.Bitmap; import android.graphics.BitmapFactory; -import android.preview.support.v4.app.NotificationManagerCompat; -import android.preview.support.wearable.notifications.WearableNotifications; +import android.support.v4.app.NotificationCompat; +import android.support.v4.app.NotificationManagerCompat; + +// Extra dependencies needed for the pages example +import java.util.ArrayList; +import java.util.List; +import android.support.v4.app.NotificationCompat.BigTextStyle;
Since the preview SDK, we have simplified how notifications are implemented. The existing NotificationCompat.Builder() was extended to support groups directly, instead of a separate WearableNotifications class. The steps are a lot simpler, as can be seen with the following changes to showStackNotifications():
@@ -63,3 +67,3 @@ public class MainActivity extends ActionBarActivity { // Group notification that will be visible on the phone - NotificationCompat.Builder builderG = new NotificationCompat.Builder(this) + Notification summaryNotification = new NotificationCompat.Builder(this) .setContentTitle("2 Pet Notifications") @@ -67,5 +71,5 @@ public class MainActivity extends ActionBarActivity { .setSmallIcon(R.drawable.ic_launcher) - .setLargeIcon(bitmapMila); - Notification summaryNotification = new WearableNotifications.Builder(builderG) - .setGroup(GROUP_KEY_MESSAGES, WearableNotifications.GROUP_ORDER_SUMMARY) + .setLargeIcon(bitmapMila) + .setGroup(GROUP_KEY_MESSAGES) + .setGroupSummary(true) .build(); @@ -76,3 +80,3 @@ public class MainActivity extends ActionBarActivity { PendingIntent.getActivity(this, notificationId+1, viewIntent1, 0); - NotificationCompat.Builder builder1 = new NotificationCompat.Builder(this) + Notification notification1 = new NotificationCompat.Builder(this) .addAction(R.drawable.ic_action_done, "Treat Fed", viewPendingIntent1) @@ -81,4 +85,3 @@ public class MainActivity extends ActionBarActivity { + "Can we have steak?") - .setSmallIcon(R.drawable.ic_launcher); - Notification notification1 = new WearableNotifications.Builder(builder1) + .setSmallIcon(R.drawable.ic_launcher) .setGroup(GROUP_KEY_MESSAGES) @@ -89,3 +92,3 @@ public class MainActivity extends ActionBarActivity { PendingIntent.getActivity(this, notificationId+2, viewIntent2, 0); - NotificationCompat.Builder builder2 = new NotificationCompat.Builder(this) + Notification notification2 = new NotificationCompat.Builder(this) .addAction(R.drawable.ic_action_done, "Water Filled", viewPendingIntent2) @@ -93,4 +96,3 @@ public class MainActivity extends ActionBarActivity { .setContentText("Can you refill our water bowl?") - .setSmallIcon(R.drawable.ic_launcher); - Notification notification2 = new WearableNotifications.Builder(builder2) + .setSmallIcon(R.drawable.ic_launcher) .setGroup(GROUP_KEY_MESSAGES)
Page notifications have also changed to use a WearableExtender() class instead of the WearableNotifications class, as can be seen here in showPageNotifications():
@@ -151,3 +153,3 @@ public class MainActivity extends ActionBarActivity { PendingIntent.getActivity(this, notificationId+1, viewIntent1, 0); - NotificationCompat.Builder builder1 = new NotificationCompat.Builder(this) + Notification notification1 = new NotificationCompat.Builder(this) .addAction(R.drawable.ic_action_done, "Returned", viewPendingIntent1) @@ -155,5 +157,4 @@ public class MainActivity extends ActionBarActivity { .setContentText("You have " + numOverdue + " books due at the library") - .setSmallIcon(R.drawable.ic_launcher); - Notification notification1 = new WearableNotifications.Builder(builder1) - .addPages(extras) + .setSmallIcon(R.drawable.ic_launcher) + .extend(new NotificationCompat.WearableExtender().addPages(extras)) .build();
If you want to download the final source code of showStackNotifications() and showPageNotifications(), you can download the MainActivity.java file. You can build this file easily by creating a new project in Android Studio, adding the support library, and then copying in this MainActivity.java.
As you can see, porting this previous code over to the latest Android Wear SDK is really easy! It should take you hardly any time at all to get your experimental applications ported over and ready for publishing on the Google Play!
July 17th, 2014 | Published in Google Apps, Google Docs
July 17th, 2014 | Published in Google Student Blog
July 17th, 2014 | Published in Google Apps
People don’t think of their location in terms of coordinates on a map. They want context on what shops or restaurants they’re at, and what’s around them. To help your apps speak your users’ language, we’re launching the Places API for Android, as well as opening a beta program for the Places API for iOS.
The Places API web service and JavaScript library have been available for some time. By providing native support for Android and iOS devices, you can optimize the mobile experience with the new APIs by taking advantage of the device’s location signals.
The Places APIs for Android and iOS bridge the gap between simple geographic locations expressed as latitude and longitude, and how people associate location with a known place. For example, you wouldn’t tell someone you were born at 25.7918359,-80.2127959. You’d simply say, “I was born in Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, Florida.” The Places API brings the power of Google’s global places database into your app, providing more than 100 million places, like restaurants, local businesses, hotels, museums, and other attractions.
Key features include:
To get started with the Places API for Android, watch this DevByte, check out the developer documentation, and play with the demos. To apply for the Places API for iOS beta program, go here.
Posted by Jen Kovnats Harrington, Product Manager, Google Maps APIs
Posted by Wayne Piekarski, Developer Advocate
Starting today, anyone can take their apps for a drive with Android Auto using Android 5.0+ devices, connected to compatible cars and aftermarket head units. Android Auto lets you easily extend your apps to the car in an efficient way for drivers, allowing them to stay connected while still keeping their hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road. When users connect their phone to a compatible vehicle, they will see an Android experience optimized for the head unit display that seamlessly integrates voice input, touch screen controls, and steering wheel buttons. Moreover, Android Auto provides consistent UX guidelines to ensure that developers are able to create great experiences across many diverse manufacturers and vehicle models, with a single application available on Google Play.
With the availability of the Pioneer AVIC-8100NEX, AVIC-7100NEX, and AVH-4100NEX aftermarket systems in the US, the AVIC-F77DAB, AVIC-F70DAB, AVH-X8700BT in the UK, and in Australia the AVIC-F70DAB, AVH-X8750BT, it is now possible to add Android Auto to many cars already on the road. As a developer, you now have a way to test your apps in a realistic environment. These are just the first Android Auto devices to launch, and vehicles from major auto manufacturers with integrated Android Auto support are coming soon.
With the increasing adoption of Android Auto by manufacturers, your users are going to be expecting more support of their apps in the car, so now is a good time to get started with development. If you are new to Android Auto, check out our DevByte video, which explains more about how this works, along with some live demos.
The SDK for Android Auto was made available to developers a few months ago, and now Google Play is ready to accept your application updates. Your existing apps can take advantage of all these cool new Android Auto features with just a few small changes. You’ll need to add Android Auto support to your application, and then agree to the Android Auto terms in the Pricing & Distribution category in the Google Play Developer Console. Once the application is approved, it will be made available as an update to your users, and shown in the cars’ display.
Adding support for Android Auto is easy. We have created an extensive set of documentation to help you add support for messaging (sample), and audio playback (sample). There are also short introduction DevByte videos for messaging and audio as well. Stay tuned for a series of posts coming up soon discussing more details of these APIs and how to work with them. We also have simulators to help you test your applications right at your desk during development.
With the launch of Android Auto, a new set of possibilities are available for you to make even more amazing experiences for your users, providing them the right information for the road ahead. Come join the discussion about Android Auto on Google+ at http://g.co/androidautodev where you can share ideas and ask questions with other developers.
+Android Developers
Cross posted from Think with Google.
Last month at the IAB’s annual leadership meeting, viewability—a metric that shows whether an ad was actually viewed—was the topic on everyone’s mind. This is hardly a surprise. According to the “5 Factors of Viewability” research that we published in December, more than half of ads online today never even have a chance to be seen—something we can and must change.
Cross posted from Think with Google.
Last month at the IAB’s annual leadership meeting, viewability—a metric that shows whether an ad was actually viewed—was the topic on everyone’s mind. This is hardly a surprise. According to the “5 Factors of Viewability” research that we published in December, more than half of ads online today never even have a chance to be seen—something we can and must change.
For instance, search results only send consumers to e-commerce sites, retailers lose the shopper who checks a phone in store, and buyers only visit stores to transact or showroom. Those are three common myths debunked in Digital’s Impact on In-Store Shopping1, new research conducted by Ipsos MediaCT and Sterling Brands for Google, based upon purchasing behaviors of more than 6,000 smartphone shoppers.
Although 95% of all retail transactions still occur in-store2, smartphones have quickly become consumer’s favorite and most trusted “shopping assistant.” These handy devices reduce buyers’ remorse, raise consumer expectations for getting more accurate and faster information from store associates, and present new challenges for hungry retailers.
For instance:
But when paired with a consistent shopping experience — specifically mobile optimized, locally relevant, and personalized search results — these same “shopping assistants” can become as powerful to sellers as they are to buyers, the research found.
In fact, they’ve helped double the value of in store visit,3 increase customer satisfaction (69% of consumers are more satisfied with purchases when they get to touch or feel a product in-store), and they’ve given retailers more opportunities to build brand loyalty (51% said they used digital devices to look for additional information after buying).
For instance, Sears Hometown & Outlet Stores saw a 16% higher clickthrough rate and 122% increase in visits to its stores after adopting Local Inventory Ads, which lets retailers display nearby store inventory to online shoppers.4“Local inventory ads fit perfectly into our strategy of using digital tools to drive store traffic,” says David Buckley, chief marketing officer at Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores. “If people are searching for a product on their phones, there is nothing more targeted than serving that item with a picture, description, and price while letting the customers know exactly how far they are located from the product.”
The technology also helps Sears extend the reach of its advertising budget, driving $8 of in store sales for each dollar invested online.5“When we compared our most recent performance of local inventory ads to offline media typically used to drive store sales, such as a recent broadcast television campaign,” Buckley explains, “local inventory ads returned in-store sales at more than 5X the rate of tv advertising for each dollar spent.6”
Similarly, Staples saw their store visit and ad click thru rates increase by 33% and 29% respectively, after indicating nearby stock in their search listings.
“Local Inventory Ads are another way Staples helps customers shop whenever and however they want through our omnichannel,” said Ellen Comley, vice president, integrated media, Staples, Inc. “We know that more and more customers are doing research online before buying, and local inventory ads make it easier for us to reach small businesses and ensure we’re providing the most relevant offers.”
Of course, those are just a few examples. In addition to identifying other ways smartphones are changing modern shopping, Digital’s Impact on In-Store Shopping outlines several steps retailers can take to optimize their online presence for smartphones:
5 things brick and mortar stores should do now
There’s no denying that smartphone shoppers are looking at competing offers while in store, the research concludes. But a greater percentage of shoppers look to search engine results and a retailer’s own sites and apps first. To take advantage, retailers must acknowledge, react to, and consolidate their multi-channel approach into a “mobile first” omni-channel one.
Learn more about how top retailers are using digital to connect people with their stores here.
Posted by Emily Eberhard Pereira, Head of Shopping Solutions Marketing
There are millions of searches for hotels everyday on Google — that’s millions of potential hotel bookings. We want to help hotels reach and engage travelers, make it easier for travelers to search for hotels online, and visually and textually communicate why a particular hotel is the right fit for them. We’ve been evolving the way hotels appear in search results on Google to include more structured, relevant and dynamic information — like rates, availability, locations, user reviews, editorial descriptions, Google Street View, and high resolution photos.
More effective
As part of this evolution, we’ve created Hotel Ads — an advertising format designed specifically for hotel-related searches. Hotel Ads show current prices for hotels from a variety of partners and help travelers narrow down their options. When a traveler is ready, they can select “Book” and complete their reservation with the partner.
Because Hotel Ads appear when travelers are already engaged and ready to book, hotel partners have seen great results. Hilton Worldwide started using Hotel Ads in 2011 and has now implemented Hotel Ads with all of its 4,200 hotels.
“Compared to other search formats, Google Hotel Ads has delivered a 45% higher conversion rate. It reaches a massive audience and the distribution cost has been good,” said Dustin Bomar, vice president, Digital Acquisition, Hilton Worldwide.
Check out the video below or read the case study on Think with Google to learn more about Hilton’s success with Hotel Ads.
Premier Inn, the UK’s largest hotel chain, also used Hotel Ads to attract new customers who haven’t stayed with them in the past. “About 30% of the UK population has stayed in a Premier Inn. Hotel Ads is a way that we can reach the remaining 70%, as well as the huge number of inbound international travelers who know less about our brand,” said Aurelia Noel, Head of New Channel Development, Premier Inn.
Find out how Premier Inn captured 40% more bookings from new customers at a 60% lower cost per acquisition with Hotel Ads here.
To get started on Hotel Ads, contact one of Google’s authorized partners listed here: google.com/ads/hotels.
More engaging
We’re also building products for hoteliers to help showcase properties and engage with travelers visually. Google My Business helps ensure that hotels’ information and photos reach travelers when they’re searching on Google and Google Maps. Our improved photo tools let hotels easily change the image that appears when travelers are searching. It’s also now possible to add photos specifically for food and beverage, individual guest rooms and common areas.
In addition to uploading photos, Google now offers the ability to add premium-quality, 360° interactive tours of a hotel’s interior with Google Maps Business View, powered by Street View technology. These virtual tours show up on Search and Maps and let travelers experience the hotel — all before they book their stay.
We’re excited to improve the hotel search experience for both travelers and hotels through content and photo-rich results, Hotel Ads, Google My Business and Business View. Throughout 2015, we’ll have more features that will help connect hoteliers with travelers when they’re dreaming about a trip and once they’re on their way.
Posted by Andrew Silverman, Group Product Manager, Google Hotel Ads
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