Cheapest Smartphone By Google - Android One

Google's Smartphone Launch In India- 

Andriod One

Google has launched in India the first smartphones under its Android One project, pricing them at Rs 6,399 ($105) to capture the low-cost segment of the world's fastest growing smartphone market.

The Mountain View-Based company tied up with Indian mobile players Micromax, Karbonn and Spice Mobiles to launch the affordable phones, which are powered by its Android operating system and aimed at emerging markets.

After launching in India, Google said it plans to expand Android One to Indonesia, Philippines and other South Asian countries by the end of 2014 and in more countries in 2015.

Google outlined the pricing and expansion details in a marketing document seen by Reuters.

India is seen as a lucrative market for low-cost smartphones because many people are buying the devices for the first time. Just 10% of the India's population currently owns a smartphone, brokerage Nomura said in a recent research note, and that figure is likely to double over the next four years.

Google, however, is not the only company jostling for a share of the Indian market.

There are at least 80 smartphone brands in India and analysts say the Android One phones must offer customers more than just affordability if it wants to compete with similarly priced devices made by Samsung Electronics, Motorola and Xiaomi.

"The initial pricing never sticks but it'll be tough for them to compete if they don't come down further," said Neil Shah, research director for devices and ecosystems at Hong Kong-based technology research agency Counterpoint Research.

In June, Google had announced the launch of the Android One project, which aims to boost demand for low-end Android smartphones by vastly improving their quality.

Currently, many cheap emerging market smartphones run different and somewhat customized versions of the Android operating system, which along with the many variations in hardware make apps on those phones prone to glitches.

Googling Human Knowledge

Storing All Human Knowledge @ Google

Google is building the largest store of information in human history - a knowledge base that autonomously gathers and merges data from across the web to provide unprecedented access to all facts about the world.

The search giant is building Knowledge Vault, a type of knowledge base - a system that stores information so that machines as well as people can read it.

Google's existing knowledge base, called Knowledge Graph, relies on crowdsourcing to expand its information.

However, humans could only take it so far so Google decided to automate the process.

It started building the Vault by using an algorithm to automatically pull in information from all over the web, using machine learning to turn the raw data into usable pieces of knowledge.

Knowledge Vault has pulled in 1.6 billion facts to date. Of these, 271 million are rated as "confident facts", to which Google's model ascribes a more than 90 per cent chance of being true, 'New Scientist' reported.

Tom Austin, a technology analyst at Gartner in Boston, said that the world's biggest technology companies are racing to build similar vaults.

"Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Amazon and IBM are all building them, and they're tackling these enormous problems that we would never even have thought of trying 10 years ago," he said.

Google researcher Kevin Murphy and his colleagues will present a paper on Knowledge Vault at the Conference on Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining in New York.

Top Compnies With Culture And Values

Tech Companies with Culture and Value

Some companies know exactly how to make their employees happy, and Twitter is at the top of the list.

The social media giant ranked No. 1 out of 25 companies with the best culture and values, according to a new report from job community site Glassdoor.

From Google to Facebook to Apple, 11 tech companies managed to make the list — more than any other industry.

Results were based on feedback from people who know these companies the best — their employees. Culture and value ratings were based on a five-point scale, with "1" representing "very dissatisfied," "3" meaning "OK" and "5" standing for "very satisfied."

Here, we've highlighted the top 10 tech companies for the best cultures and values.

1. Twitter

The social network won the overall top spot for culture and values. It received a 4.5 rating out of 5 on Glassdoor.

"Team meetings on the roof are the best, [and there's] great teamwork and a lot of smart people. I love how the 10 core values drive the company to always be better," a Twitter software engineer said for the survey.

2. Google

Google actually earned the No. 3 spot in the overall company list, but ranked number 2 among tech companies. It received a 4.4 rating.

"Each employee does not mind helping the other out if [he is] stuck. I feel it is encouraged to reach out to others," a Google software engineer said.

3. Riverbed Technology

Riverbed Technology came in at number 4 in the overall company list, but landed in the third spot among tech companies. Employees gave the company's culture and values a 4.3 rating.

"It is a great culture where employees are encouraged to take responsibility and are empowered to innovate," a Riverbed Technology employee said. "The company is moving in the right direction with respect to vision and shareholder."

4. Facebook

Facebook landed in fifth on the top 25 list, but ranked No. 4 among tech companies. It earned a 4.3 rating.

"Facebook truly values the important things in life — to me, at least," a Facebook user operations associate said. "The culture and dialog is open about everything. Whether it's with your manager, on your team or concerning a company-wide issue."

5. National Instruments

National Instruments came in eighth on the original top 25 list, but made it to the fifth spot on the tech list. Employees gave the company a 4.2 rating.

"The company culture is fantastic. People are approachable, the attitudes are positive, there's a lot of energy in every department," a National Instruments employee told Glassdoor.

6. Intuit

Intuit claimed the 11th spot out of the top 25, but jumped to No. 6 among tech companies. It received a 4.1 rating.

"Intuit values their employees and has the best attributes of Silicon Valley companies, while being committed to diversity and 'we care and give back,'" an Intuit employee said.

7. CDW

CDW came in 13th place on the overall list, but ranked No. 7 on the tech list. The company received a 4.1 rating on Glassdoor.

"[The people] really want to help you. The culture truly promotes the coworker and you do have a say in a large company,” said a CDW corporate account manager.

8. Apple

Apple took the 15th spot on the overall top 25 list, but landed in the eighth spot among tech companies. The corporation received a 4.1 rating.

"Everyone shares a common goal to make the best products for the consumer, and it shows in most conversations you have," an Apple software engineering manager said.

9. Citrix Systems

Sitting at No. 19 on the overall list, Citrix Systems earned ninth place among tech companies with a 4.0 rating.

"There is an ongoing commitment to improve the customer journey and ensure our product strategy is well-defined," a senior manager at Citrix Systems said.

10. Adobe

Adobe landed at No. 20 on the overall culture and values list, but climbed to tenth place in tech with a solid 4.0 rating.

"Great perks, benefits. Adobe strives to be a good corporate citizen, fosters innovation and creativity," an Adobe employee said.

Beware....Your Smartphone Tracks You up

Your smartphone could record your movement

A mapping device on your smartphone may be allowing it to track your every move, monitoring and recording each part of your journey, experts say.

 

Cell phones are now constantly hooked up to the internet via mobile signal and owners can be tracked to within inches of their actual location.

For owners of an Android device or anyone who's signed up to Google Now, this detailed data is instantly beamed to their Google account, where it can be stored for months.

These movements can now be viewed on a fully interactive location history map.

Once logged into a Google account, users simply click on a day, week or month and the map lights up with red dots and lines showing exactly where they have been.

However, Google said that the service they provide is not compulsory and users can turn location services off.