U.S. DOE Expands Genesis Mission With New Partnerships

The U.S. Dept. of Energy just announced partnerships with 24 organizations to power the Trump administration’s Genesis Mission effort to accelerate scientific research with AI — including OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, and Nvidia. 

The details: 

The initiative unites 17 national labs with 40K researchers, targeting breakthroughs in nuclear energy, quantum computing, and manufacturing. Google DeepMind will grant lab scientists early access to tools, including its AI co-scientist agent, AlphaEvolve coding system, and AlphaGenome DNA model. AWS pledged up to $50B in government AI infrastructure, with OAI already deploying models on Los Alamos National Laboratory’s Venado supercomputer. Additional signatories include xAI, Microsoft, Palantir, AMD, Oracle, Cerebras, and CoreWeave.

“Today’s announcement of 24 new research partnerships is only the beginning, as we deliver on President Trump’s mandate to bring the entire scientific community, including companies, universities, non-profits, and Federal agencies, into the Genesis Mission,” said Assistant to the President and OSTP Director Michael Kratsios. “Harnessing cutting-edge AI for science will dramatically increase the productivity of American scientists and researchers. The Genesis Mission will help America’s scientists automate experiment design, accelerate simulations, and generate predictive models that will lead to breakthroughs in energy, manufacturing, drug discovery, and beyond.”

The full list of organizations include: Accenture AMD Anthropic Armada Amazon Web Services Cerebras CoreWeave Dell DrivenData Google Groq Hewlett Packard Enterprise IBM Intel Microsoft NVIDIA OpenAI Oracle Periodic Labs Palantir Project Prometheus Radical AI xAI XPRIZE

New Smart Glasses May Help the Hard of Hearing

Smart glasses have been looking better and better these days with advances in technology and improvements with AI, Now a new tech company is launching a pair of “always-on” AI-powered smart glasses that listen to, record, and transcribe every conversation and then display relevant information to the wearer in real time. Halo, the startup that’s developing the technology says their "goal is to make glasses that make you super intelligent the moment you put them on.”

“The AI listens to every conversation you have and uses that knowledge to tell you what to say … kinda like IRL Cluely,” Ardayfio told TechCrunch during their interview.  “If somebody says a complex word or asks you a question, like, ‘What’s 37 to the third power?’ or something like that, then it’ll pop up on the glasses,” Ardayfio added. 

While the goal of Halo and the company's founders isn't specially to augment hearing for the hearing impaired it is easy to see how the new devices and their ability to hear what you [should] hear and automatically feed you insights on the display could be beneficial to deaf and hard of hearing users. Halo would give you the ability to not just instantly understand your conversations more clearly, it could also translate for you, have recall of previous conversations and/or help you accurately answer questions you may not have fully understood! 

For now, Halo X glasses only have a display and a microphone, but no camera, although the developers are exploring the possibility of adding it to a future models. Users will still need to have their smartphones handy  as the glasses are tethered to an accompanying appt. So you'll need your phone to help power the glasses and get “real time info prompts and answers to questions,” per Nguyen.  Under the hood, the smart glasses use Google’s Gemini and Perplexity as its chatbot engine, according to the two co-founders. Gemini is better for math and reasoning, whereas they use Perplexity to scrape the internet, they said. 

The Halo X is available for -pre-order for $249 now with no details on exact shipping dates.

Why Reddit is Blocking the Internet Archive for AI Scraping (and its $200M Plan)

Reddit is now restricting the Internet Archive (IA) from indexing its popular threads, a move prompted by Reddit's discovery that some AI companies were circumventing its scraping policies. Instead of scraping Reddit directly, these firms were allegedly pulling data from the IA's archived content. In response, Reddit is now limiting the Wayback Machine to only archive screenshots of its homepage. This means the archive will no longer be a comprehensive record of deleted posts, user activity, or various subreddit cultures. This restriction significantly reduces the IA's utility as a resource for documenting and preserving Reddit's vast content.

Reddit's spokesperson, Tim Rathschmidt, suggested that the Internet Archive could take steps to better protect against AI scraping. Rathschmidt also cited privacy concerns, stating that the Wayback Machine problematically archives content that users have deleted. He noted that until the IA can better "respect user privacy" and comply with Reddit's policies regarding deleted content, the restrictions would remain in place. Although some Redditors previously used the Wayback Machine to find deleted comments, many others have pointed out that several alternative tools exist for this purpose.

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It's probable that Reddit's decision is also financially motivated. The company has recently made lucrative licensing deals with AI companies like OpenAI and Google, with the Google deal reportedly worth $60 million over three years. Reddit expects to earn over $200 million from similar licensing agreements in the next three years. By limiting the Internet Archive's access, Reddit may be aiming to force AI firms to strike similar deals directly with them, rather than getting their data for free from the Wayback Machine.

Conclusion

This situation highlights a growing tension between content platforms, AI companies, and digital archivists. While Reddit claims its primary concern is user privacy and protecting against policy violations, the financial incentives from licensing deals with AI firms are a significant factor. For the Internet Archive, this presents a challenge to its mission of preserving the open web, as a major source of online discourse is now largely inaccessible for archiving. The ongoing discussions between Reddit and the Internet Archive will likely determine the future of how Reddit's content is preserved and accessed outside of its platform.

You can learn more about this topic by visiting these articles from The Verge and Ars Technica.

Note this content was summarized by Google Gemini 

Google Begins Using AI to Scan Websites In Real-time For Scams

 Google is now utilizing a new version of the company's Gemini AI model to check websites in real-time for scams and potential hazards. The new on-device model, called Gemini Nano, runs directly from within Chrome on your desktop to protects users’ privacy and data by scanning web pages and on-site ads for 'scammy' language and code to warn users of potentially unsafe sites.

As with Chrome’s existing safe browsing mode, if a user attempts to access a potentially unsafe site, they’ll see a warning before being given the option to continue to the page. Dubbed Enhanced Protection mode,  Google says the new tool offers the highest level of protection, to keep users twice as safe from phishing and other scams versus their Standard Protection mode. The on-device approach provides instant insight on risky websites and allows Chrome to offer protection, even against scams that haven't been seen before. 

In their update Google states that Gemini Nano's LLM is perfect for this use because of its ability to distill the varied, complex nature of websites, helping then to adapt to new scam tactics more quickly. Although Google has long used machine learning to protect its services, newer AI advancements have led to improved language understanding and pattern recognition, enabling the tech to identify scams faster and more effectively.

Alongside the updates to the desktop version of Chrome is also launching new AI-powered warnings for Chrome on Android meant to help users in fighting scams, spam and unwanted notifications. When Chrome’s on-device machine learning model flags a notification, you’ll receive a warning with the option to either unsubscribe or view the content that was blocked. And if you decide the warning was shown incorrectly, you can choose to allow future notifications from that website.

For more details read Google's update here.

Google's AI-powered Theft Detection For Android Phones Is Here

Back in May 2024, Google teased a new Theft Detection Lock tool for Android phones, that promised to keep your device and data safe in the event some swipes your phone and takes off with all your personal info in tow! Starting this month, these advanced theft protection features will be available to users around the world through Android 15 and a Google Play Services update available to Android 10+ devices

These new theft detection tools use the devices on board sensors coupled with powerful AI to proactively protect you and your phone at the moment of a theft attempt. By using your phone's gyroscope and accelerometer and on-device machine learning, Theft Detection Lock is able to analyze various device signals to detect potential theft attempts. If the algorithm detects a potential theft attempt on your unlocked device, it locks your screen to keep thieves out. 

The anti-theft detection tool is one of several security additions Google announced earlier this year to protect your data "before, during and after a theft," including: 

• Making it more difficult to factory reset a phone and set it up under a new account 
• Private spaces to hide sensitive apps 
• The ability to mark your phone as lost on Find My Device for easier tracking 
• Automatic lock for excessive failed authentication 
• The ability to lock your phone if it's offline 
• Remote lock, which lets you lock your phone's screen using just your number and a quick security challenge

One new featured added to Remote Lock many will find useful is the ability to quickly lock and secure your phone even if you can’t remember your Google account credentials in the moment of theft. Now you can use any device to visit Android.com/lock and lock your phone with just a verified phone number. Remote Lock then secures your device while you regain access through Android’s Find My Device – which lets you secure, locate or remotely wipe your device. As a security best practice, we always recommend backing up your device on a continuous basis, so remotely wiping your device is not an issue.

Turn on Theft Detection Lock right now

To enable theft protection features, you’ll have to perform the following steps: 

1. Set a password for your screen. It’s the only way to lock the phone if it gets stolen. 
2. Then Go to Settings 
3. Tap Google 
4. Tap All Services 
5.  Select Theft Protection 
6. Turn on Theft Detection Lock once it’s available on your device 

  ** Note on my Samsung phone it is under Security and Privacy > More Security Settings > Theft Protection

Will AI Monetization Stifle Innovation?

Nearly a full month into 2024, and it's evident that this year is poised to be the "Year of AI," with virtually every aspect of our lives touched by AI in some form or another. However, as we witness the rapid development and subsequent market integration of AI, potential drawbacks are emerging. The two most significant hurdles seem to originate directly from tech giants.

AI Consolidation

Towards the end of 2023, major tech players such as Amazon, NVIDIA, Microsoft, and Google made significant moves to expand their AI portfolios, consolidating smaller companies under the umbrella of their massive enterprises. For instance, Amazon invested $4 billion in the startup Anthropic, while Google secured a $2 billion stake of its own. While these moves provide startups with the capital needed for growth, they often result in the acquiring companies exerting too much control over the projects, hindering their progress.

The desire to quickly monetize and grow a company, followed by potentially selling off the team's hard work, often leads to issues down the road. Companies like Amazon, Apple, and Google tend to absorb acquired ideas and software, which may either get shelved, completely reimagined, or fall by the wayside as companies explore other, potentially more cost-effective options.

While some acquisitions have led to great innovations, such as Apple incorporating features like Siri from the 30+ AI startups it acquired over the last decade, other instances, like Google shuttering numerous programs, showcase the potential pitfalls of consolidation.

AI as a Service and Pay-Walling

While consolidation poses challenges to development, the more significant concern lies in the tendency to place AI tools behind paywalls or offer them as subscription services. Companies naturally seek to monetize their AI tools swiftly and effectively. For instance, Microsoft already offers its AI tool Copilot as a subscription service, and Amazon reportedly plans to introduce a paid Alexa service, "Alexa Plus," featuring premium features.

Running these programs, developing infrastructure, and staying ahead in terms of development are costly endeavors for large companies. While pay-walling premium features is not a novel approach, consumers generally resist being forced to pay for tools they are already using. In the realm of new technology and the push for expanded integration and adoption, subscriptions may not be the most effective means to align consumers with corporate plans. If consumers push back against adoption, some otherwise promising companies might face setbacks.

Big Tech Control Playing Big Brother

One area I haven't really discussed is big tech and government level control. We are already seeing governments around the world  looking at regulations and attempts at controlling or slowing AI adoption. Historically speaking rapid progression of technology hasn't been the best thing. We've made some big mistakes over the years. Generally big tech has played big brother of sorts and held back quick rapid releases of new technology. Hint there are things they have now you still won't see for yrs because of costs Where this control and controlled slow releases may be warranted. The down side is if we attempt to slow adoption in one area we inevitably kill off competition and innovation in another!

If government regulation is overly strict it puts undue pressure on start-up companies and keeps them from the market. If they aren't strict enough then we see top tier companies effectively being the key-holders and keeping innovation out (or in). We end up putting in place too many barriers and true innovators suffer the consequences!

My Conclusion

From my background in the tech sector and the work I've done over the years I see the term AI as much more of a marketing term right now than anything else. People overlook that Siri, Alexa, Google Search ect are all essentially AI. For me personally I think the term as we currently use it Artificial Intelligence, really is a misnomer. I think Augmented Intelligence is far closer to what we currently have rather than the average person thinks of AI  (which is mostly a theatrical movie style computer driven intelligence).

I feel that if we see our current systems going to SaaS (subscriber or pay-to-use) we'll see consumer blow-back and companies will have to rethink their programs. I believe people are already starting to wake up to over utilization of the AI label and the market saturation of the term! My hope is companies keep an even keel on this and let the tech progress naturally. Hopefully smaller companies and individual developers are lost in the shuffle!

Google Play Now Lets You Play [Some] Mobile Games on Your PC

For those of you that love your mobile games but hate being tied to that small screen, Google has just launched a new offering that will allow you to explore and play mobile games on your PC or laptop.

Google Play Games Beta allows you to experience bigger, bolder versions of select mobile games on Google's gaming platform for PC.You can use your mouse and keyboard to gain agility and boost your performance and accomplish a few more feats in games than you might be able to just using you phone.

 As this is in beta only there is currently a short list of games that you can enjoy - you'll see many of your favorites like Angry Birds 2, Asphalt 9: Legends, Jackpot World - Slots Casino and Rise of Empires: Ice and Fire. While the list might be short, for now, it does offer plenty of options to test out. However, those that might want more option might want to checkout Bluestacks (see our previous post). This cool little app allows you to run almost any Android app and isn't limited t just games.

AI Regulations and Why Companies Welcome Them

As the adoption of AI, more directly generative AI, we see more companies calling on the government to step in and step up with regulations. For some this seems counterintuitive. Why would an AI company seek regulation in their own industry that would slow down adoption of their tools right? There are two schools of thought on this.

• Companies are truly concerned that their tools are being used for nefarious activities (scams, hacking cheating ect)
• Companies are concerned that the pace of the market means they will become irrelevant before they can make a market impact

As much as we'd like to think that tech companies are altruistic. Historically speaking, this hasn't been the case. So while some of their calls to action might be rooted in a desire to steer things down the 'right path' it is more likely that they are worried about their massive investment and potential returns.

The AI movement/generation is very quickly becoming what the DOT-COM era was. Startups are hitting amazing valuations and being gobbled up by the big boys in tech. Amazon recently spent 4b investing in AI Startup Anthropic. While Google, NVIDIA, Apple and others are not far behind. If AI continues to evolve at the pace it is now, many of those investment could be outdated and loose overall value well before they produce something that is marketable.

As a comparison Siri was first released in 2011, Alexa in 2014 and both are precursors to the large language models we see rapidly advancing today. It too more than a decade for their widespread adoption. Whereas ChatGPT broke into the market this past year and set off a firestorm and created a free for all in the market and development space. So while we are seeing companies actively petition for some government oversight, what we aren't seeing is those very same companies exhibiting a measure of self control!

 

Related Articles

https://epic.org/the-state-of-state-ai-laws-2023/

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-02491-y

https://techcrunch.com/2023/09/11/the-ftc-is-setting-its-sights-on-generative-ai/

YouTube TV Is The Company's New $35 Per Month Pay-to-View Service

[Update: YouTube TV is Now Live! and is currently available in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay Area, Chicago, and Philadelphia] 

When YouTube reached the major milestone this week of surpassing a billion hours of daily content being watched it did so on the backbone of the company's all to familiar free video service. In order to reach the next major milestone however, the company is taking a totally different approach. One that takes aim at cable companies and other streaming giants alike!

At an event in Los Angeles the company debuted YouTube TV, a streaming service that combines live content from broadcast and cable television networks with content from several of your favorite YouTube creators.

Here’s what YouTube TV offers:

• Live TV streaming from ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN, regional sports networks and dozens of popular cable networks. YouTube TV gives you the best of live TV, from must-see broadcast shows like “Empire,” “The Voice,” “The Big Bang Theory” and “Scandal,” to the live sports you want. YouTube TV includes major sports networks like ESPN and regional sports networks like Fox Sports Networks and Comcast SportsNet, so you can watch your favorite NBA or MLB teams. We’ve also partnered with local TV stations, so you’ll also get sports and local news based on where you live. And YouTube TV offers dozens of additional cable channels, so you won’t miss out on the latest news from MSNBC or Fox News, popular shows and movies from USA or FX, kids programming from the Disney Channel or Sprout, or reality TV from E! or Bravo. You can also add Showtime, or Fox Soccer Plus to your networks for an additional charge. In total, YouTube TV gives you access to more than 40 networks, listed below.
• A cloud DVR, with no storage limits. With YouTube TV, you’ll be able to record live TV and never run out of storage. Your cloud DVR can record as many shows as you want, simultaneously, without using precious data or space on your phone and we’ll store each of your recordings for nine months.
• A service that works great on all your screens. You can watch YouTube TV on any screen—mobile, tablet or computer—and you can easily stream to your TV with a Google Chromecast or Chromecast built-in TV. YouTube TV works on both Android and iOS. And your cloud DVR goes with you, so you can stream your recordings on any device, whenever and wherever you want.
• YouTube Red Originals. With a YouTube TV membership, you can watch all of our YouTube Red Original series and movies right on the new YouTube TV app.
• Six accounts, one price. Every YouTube TV membership comes with six accounts, each with its own unique recommendations and personal DVR with no storage limits. You can watch up to three concurrent streams at a time.
• Half the cost of cable with zero commitments. A YouTube TV membership is only $35 a month and there are no commitments—you can cancel anytime.

YouTube TV will be available soon in the largest U.S. markets and will quickly expand to cover more cities across the country. At launch it will have over 40 networks available for streaming and will allow you to connect up to six separate accounts to share with friends and family. Visit tv.youtube.com and sign up to find out more about the service and when it will launch in your market.

Google Updates Google Maps Ride Services With New Features

For you ride-sharing aficionados you may have noticed that Google has been doing all they can to get more and more integration built into Google Maps. It all started last year with the introduction of ride services mode, which added the option to find information from favorite ride sharing service alongside option for walking, driving or public transit.

Over the past year Google has taken that integration to an even greater level. Now offering options for hailing your ride from most of the popular ride sharing services and even cab companies. Today, they are pushing Google Maps integration even further making it even easier for you to book a and pay for your ride directly from Google Maps, on both Android and iOS globally.

With Google's new updates, you'll now see more types of ride options and more actionable information. When you open ride services mode, instead of a long list of ride service providers and ride options, you’ll see the familiar Google map, along with a carousel of ride service providers in your area. You can then tap your preferred provider to see a complete list of ride options and special offers or promotions.

In addition to allowing you to book rides directly from Google Maps, Google is working to allow you to pay directly from within Maps without the further need for each ride sharing company's app. In Uber for instance (once you have the update) all you'll need to do is sign into your existing Uber account (or create one). Then you can book an Uber ride, track your driver on the map, and connect with your driver—all from within the Google Maps app.

Of course while you are passing the time riding with your driver Google hopes that you'll use Google Maps to look at information about your destination while en route. With just a swipe you can see everything about your favorite destination from menus, hours, photso ect.

Samsung Invites Galaxy S7 Owners to Test Drive Android 7.0 Nougat

For owners of Samsung's Galaxy S7 you now have a chance to test out the latest Android operating system offered by Google, Android 7.0 Nougat. Samsung has opened the doors to a new ‘Galaxy Beta Program’ which will give users a sneak peek into what Samsung and Google have in store for the new operating system.

The Galaxy Beta Program, opens today, and will be open to all Galaxy S7 and S7 edge users residing in the U.S., U.K., and Korea, with users based in China being able to participate in the program shortly. Applicants are currently being accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

Throughout the Galaxy Beta Program period, users can get a feel for Android 7.0 Nougat with Samsung’s latest UX, and can provide feedback on performance, reliability and usability. Users’ responses will in turn help Samsung develop reliable, high-performing software and provide an improved and optimized experience to all Galaxy users.

Users that have an active Samsung Account and meet program requirements may apply for the program by downloading the Galaxy Beta Program app through Galaxy Apps or the Samsung Members app which is available through the Google Play store or Galaxy Apps depending on their country of residence.

What is Galaxy Beta Program?
Samsung conducts the Galaxy Beta Program which is owned, managed and operated by Samsung independently for providing a better experience and reliable software based on user feedback. If you participate in the Galaxy Beta Program, you have an opportunity to experience new features and the latest UX based on Android 7.0 Nougat first. During the Galaxy Beta Program, you can directly send us your feedback and experience about performance, stability and usability which will help us to improve software.

**This Beta software is not the official version so it may cause unexpected errors or malfunction. Also it may not contain the full feature set compared with the final official software.**

If you run into issues and need to you, can re-install the official release version of the latest Android software by using the Smart Switch PC software. (You can download it from this link - http://www.samsung.com/us/smart-switch) Please connect your phone to your PC and launch Smart Switch PC software, then you can find the menu option ‘Update’ or ‘Device Initialization’ for restoration.More → Emergency software recovery and initialization → Device initialization).

For questions about joining the Galaxy Beta Program you can read the Galaxy Beta FAQs and for anything further related to software installation, registration and all other related inquiries, you can  contact Samsung directly at galaxybeta@samsung.com.

What is Google Duo and Why Will I Like it?

For those of you looking for a simplified way to video chat with your friends and family or just some fellow geeks out there, Google has a new cross platform app that might just be the answer. Announced yesterday, Google Duo is an app similar to FaceTime and Facebook Messenger, offering users a simple 1-to-1 video calling app that, unlike Apple's FaceTime, is available on both Android and iOS.

Why you'll love Duo! It is all about simplicity!

For Duo Google kept to the geek mantra of K.I.S.S. (keep it simple stupid). They designed the app to be dead simple for anyone to use. So you get a no-frills app, that doesn't feature a ton of extra, but connects you directly to that one person you want to reach out to. There's barely any UI or features to speak of. But from a technology standpoint, it's meant to work for with just about any smartphone. Making it ideal for families to connect across a variety of devices and at a variety of tech levels.

Google also designed Duo to work across a variety of network connections.. The app is built to provide HD video when on good networks and to gracefully and seamless adjust quality if things get worse. You can even drop down to a 2G connection and have video pause but have the audio continue. For video calls on the go, Duo will switch between Wi-Fi and cellular data automatically without dropping your call. You can start your call at home, and continue seamlessly even when you head out the door.

The simply design also means that Google had to simplify other things like how you log-in and connect to others. To do so, they did away with needing to connect to any external accounts. That means you simply sign into the Duo app with your phone number (no Google login needed here), and you'll see your full list of contacts; if people in your phonebook don't have the app, you can tap their number to send an SMS and invite them to Duo.

Once both of you are up and running you'll see what your front-facing camera sees. Below that are a handful of circular icons representing your most recent calls in the lower third of the screen. You can drag that icon list up and scroll through through and tap the person you wish to connect with.

For those who do have Duo, tapping their number initiates a video call. Once you're on the call, you just see the person you're talking to, with your video feed in a small circle, not unlike Apple's FaceTime. Tapping the screen reveals the only UI elements: a hang up button, mute button and a way to flip between the front and back cameras.

To add a little more 'human' experience and to give users a better sense of who they are connecting with Google included a feature it is calling Knock Knock. If you're using an Android phone and someone calls, you'll see a preview of their video feed on the lock screen. The person calling can wave or gesture or make a silly face to try and draw you into the conversation.

Google says this new features makes the person on the receiving end a lot more likely to answer with a smile rather than a look of confusion as they wonder if they video is working properly. For the sake of privacy, you'll only see a video feed from people in your contacts list, and you can turn the feature off entirely if you prefer.

Duo is available in the US for both Android and iOS today, and Google says it will be live worldwide in the next few days.

Google Search Will Help You Find 'Must-Try' Restaurants

Google is adding a few new search features that may help you locate your favorite new dinning spot or a cool new 'secret' spot that you have never tried before! Starting today, every time you use the Google Search app and search for the best spots to eat and drink, you’ll have access to reviews from top critics and best-of lists from reputable publishers.

"Picture this: you're in New York City for 24 hours," Google Product Manager Ronnie Falcon wrote in a Thursday blog post. "If you're craving dim sum, but not sure which place is a top spot, a search for 'chinese restaurant' may bring up Michelin favorite RedFarm in the West Village. Looking further at the search result, you'll see it also appears on more than 10 best-of lists, including Eater, CBS Local and Refinery29."

When using your mobile device Google already gives you plenty of information about any given restaurant, bar or business in your area, including when it’s the busiest and what other visitors thought about it. Now, however, instead of having to rely on amateurs, you will also see reviews from Michelin, Zagat, and other reputable publishers.

Celebrate The Fourth of July With 4 Free Months of Google Play Music and YouTube Red

To help entice new users to join Google Play Music this Independence day weekend, Google is offering up four free months of Google Play Music as well as access to the monthly-paid subscription service YouTube Red. The offer is only available this weekend to celebrate the Fourth of July, so you'll want to act fast to get that extended trial period.

 All you need to do is head over to Google Play and sign up for the service. Even though the offer is for four months of free service, you will need to be a new subscriber and enter valid credit card information. You should also note that you will need to cancel the subscription before the end of the 4months (by approximately Nov 42tnd) or you be charged $9.99 after the trial is over.

Google May Have Just Killed Off Your Favorite Song Lyrics Site

Searching out lyrics to your favorite songs on the web can lead you through a gauntlet of rather questionable sites. However, for those of you that do so frequently you typically have a reliable go to source that you know will fill your needs. Some of those sites may soon become obsolete as Google has formed a partnership that will bring more lyrics directly to you via your search results.

The Web giant has partnered with LyricFind, the world's largest lyric-licensing service, to add lyrics from more than 4,000 publishers to its search results and Google Play Music. Unlike most other sites LyricFind works directly with songwriters and rightsholders, to license and collect new royalties ensuring that those parties are paid for the songs and the lyrics you are seeing

"We're happy to expand the depth and quality of lyrics available on Google's services. We're working together to make lyrics available to a larger audience in a faster and more efficient way. By helping to source lyrics for Google’s search results and Google Play Music, LyricFind continues to demonstrate how lyrics data can be integrated into a variety of services for music discovery and monetization," LyricFind CEO Darryl Ballantyne said in a statement.

Adding song data and details to search results is nothing new for Google. Some of your favorite searches likely already include snippets containing about 120 to 150 words; the rest can be found via a link to Google Play Music, where you can buy a song with one click, or give it a listen (if it's already in your music library). However, it looks like this might be the first attempt Google has made at directly licensing and sharing revenue from those search pages.

For Google, the arrangement is designed to capture the significant amount of traffic around lyrics -- and subsequently funnel them towards its Google Play Music services. This is potentially bad news for several of the current licensed lyric sites such as AZLyrics.com, which has long dominated search results, and some of your favorite unlicensed sites as well. With viewers able to see much of a given song’s lyrics immediately, click-through rates to these sites are likely to decline.

Your Next Phone May Come Directly From Google

When shopping for a smartphone most consumers recognize names like Apple, Samsung, HTC and LG. However, many outside the geek world may not know or recognize the name Nexus or know that the Nexus program is a Google partnership formed with several companies aimed at creating phones and tablets that deliver a "pure" Android experience. According to recent reports however, Google may be planning to take things to the next level and may be working on creating their own hardware.

According to The Telegraph, Google is working closely with mobile operators with plans on releasing a Google-branded phone that, unlike the Nexus program, will be entirely developed internally allowing Google more control over the "design, manufacturing and software" of the devices. As of right now Apple is the only mainstream manufacture that has such control, which allows them more consistency in their user experience. Something that Google and Android has struggled with over the years.

The move to developing their own hardware comes at a time when Google has been working to expand their reach in the mobile segment. Earlier this year the company started expansion of their own wireless cellular service Project Fi. A program that offers users a low cast pre-pay service with no contracts utilize cell towers rented from Sprint and T-Mobile.

The new device, will reportedly be released by the end of the year, and while it is unclear if any carriers are actually looking at carrying the device or what sort of specs we might see, it is clear that by taking control over their own device development Google wants to yet gain shake up the mobile industry.

Quickly Find Android Pay Promotions Available to You

Google has made it easier than ever to find all of the current Android Pay promotions available to you! The search giant has just launched an official Android Pay promotions page for the service, which like many similar pages for their other services features an all-in one style approach for finding apps and deals.

The new page details all the promos you can take advantage of once you sign up for the payment service as well as listing all the current Android Pay-compatible apps. For instance, the page lists Uber's offer, which gives you $10 off for your next ride, and explains that you'll have to type the code ANDROIDPAY in the ride-sharing app's promo section to claim it.

While most of the deals require you to enter codes, some applications will automatically apply discounts if you choose the mobile wallet as your payment option upon checking out. If you regularly use an app that's compatible with the service, you may want to check the portal every once in a while to make sure you're not missing out on a great deal.

If you aren't currently using Android Pay you can download it via the Play Store here. Once you have your credit card setup on the service you can start utilizing the promotions right away, just note that some of the offers are one time use only and may only be available for a limited time.

Find Your iPhone Using Google's New Phone Locator

Android smartphone owners are undoubtedly familiar with using Google's Android device manager to track and locate their lost Android devices. However, Google has pushed things a step further with a new option to locate lost and missing devices.

Dubbed, Find your phone, this new feature allows to you find just about any device that has been setup on your Google account in a few simple steps. You can not only locate your phone or tablet, but also lock and call it, secure your account, leave a callback number on the screen, and more. The best part is the new feature isn't limited to just Android devices, it can now be used on iOS devices, and soon, you’ll also be able to access it by searching Google for “I lost my phone.”

To get started using the Find your phone feature you'll need to make sure you have your Google account setup on each of your devices. From there you can access it via the Find your phone section of the My Account page for your Google account. Click on it and you will see a list of the devices -- including phones, tablets, Android and iOS devices -- on which you have signed in with your Google account.

Once you choose your iOS device you'll see five suggestions, unfortunately not all of these suggestions will work - more on that below. Here are the current options available, all of these will work on Android devices, just not iOS

• Find and lock your iPhone
• Try calling your phone
• Sign out on your phone
• Reach out to your carrier
• Reach out for local help

As mentioned not all of these suggestions will work for iPhone or iPad users because as unfortunate as it is Apple doesn't allow certain third parties to take control of an iOS device. Therefore Google has linked many of the features to iCloud.com so users can use the built in Apple services. For instance if you click the Find and lock your iPhone option you'll be sent over to iCloud where you can then locate your iPhone on a map or enable Lost Mode to remotely lock your phone. For Android users that very same option gives you Ring and Locate buttons to call your device or locate it on a map without leaving the page or signing into iCloud.

Google Finally Adds Multi-device App Sharing For Families

During this year's I/O Developer conference Google made several interesting announcements surrounding the upcoming release of Android N and several other projects. There was one, maybe slightly less significant, announcement that definitely caught our attention and should catch yours as well. Google will soon be offering a Family Library option via an upcoming change to Google Play that allows up to six family members to share purchased apps on multiple devices, without having to pay any extra.

Google has begun notifying developers of the changes and has been asking them to enable the new Family Sharing option for all current apps, meaning it will work retroactively on all your current paid apps. It’s important to note that developers can indeed decide if they want to enable the feature for past purchases. The new Family Library will be similar to perks we currently see on iPhones and iPads, allowing up to six family members to enjoy the same paid app. According to Google the feature will be enabled by default from July 2nd.

To date, family members have all had to buy their own Android apps for use on each individual account and device. Google's support documentation has already been changed to reflect the new policies and currently only  covers app downloads. However, it has been reported that Family Sharing will extend to other parts of the Play Store. It is expected that we will see multi-device support being offered for both Books and Movies, but there will be restrictions in place to stop the same title being streamed on more than one device at a time.

Although it's not yet known how Android users will opt-in to Family Sharing, Google Music may provide some clues. The streaming service provides a family plan that caters for up to six users, who are invited to link their account by a "family manager." It's likely that Google will follow a similar route with Family Sharing, but include additional checks so that younger users can seek purchase approval for their own apps.

Need Help Using One of Google's Sites or Services? Checkout The Official Google Tips and Tricks Webpage

It isn't often that you see a company devote time and attention to create detailed walk-throughs of how to better use their sites and services. Yeah most might compile a FAQ list, and some will offer up some basic help. But for the most part, most companies leave you, well Googling it!

Google has always been an exception to that rule! They have always done their best to offer users advice and tips & tricks on how to get the most out of their Google Search results as well as most of their other services. Just last year we mentioned that Google offered a list of essential tips for becoming a Google Guru. At that time the list of tips and tricks was still relatively small, at only 78. Today however, that list has blossomed to more than 170!

Google's official list of Google tips and tricks features easy to follow walk-throughs, videos and step by step guides on how to use just about anything related to Google. The tips are now broken down into six categories: Do More, Save Time, Online Security, New Device, Ask Google, and Improve Access. You can also access tips for each individual Google product. with tips & tricks encompassing everything from Android to Google Play to using Chrome. We'll note some of the categories for each product aren't fully covered and don't have any tips yet, but most do!

While many of these tips are going to seem remedial to a power user. Most if not all are going to be helpful to someone that is just now breaking their teeth on some of Google's services. Either way, the site is a great one to add to your tool bag and makes for a great resource for sharing with your 'new to Google' friends or less than tech savvy family members.