Tech Roundup: Google Gboard, Didi Chuxing & More

Emoji search on Gboard
All I want for Google I/O is a new Chromebook Pixel. Please make it happen! But seriously though I can't wait to see what Google has in store for its famed annual developers conference scheduled to start this Wednesday. Android VR? An Amazon Echo rival called Chirp? A smarter instant messenger with chatbot integration? Official unveil of Material Design-themed Google Calendar and YouTube? Speaking of the latter, it so appears that the world's largest video-sharing platform is gearing up for a new in-app messenger like feature that lets users share videos with their social circles and have conversations around them. But if you are thinking "why?", here's why. And it makes perfect sense too. After all we share the videos we like on Facebook, Twitter, Hangouts, Messenger and any number of social media services out there, but by adding a social layer atop YouTube (admittedly seems better than the forced Google+ integration at any rate), Google appears to be aiming to undercut the very reason you would want to share them on other social media platforms. Subtle, yet clever! Head to Android Police for a complete walk-through.

Alphabet/Google:
  • Updates Google Translate to work inside any Android app for instant translation (while handy, why not add it to Now on Tap instead?); adds offline language support for iOS.
  • Releases a new Gboard keyboard for iPhone (U.S. only) with built in search features (places, images, gifs and emojis) and glide typing (yes!)
  • Adds Evernote integration for Google Drive for two-way export and import of files between the two productivity services.
  • Open-sources AI-backed tool Parsey McParseface which it uses to understand language constructs better.
  • To possibly face record fines in the European Union for abusing its search monopoly to favour its own services in search results, reports The Telegraph.
  • Second Oracle vs. Google trial commences in San Francisco, with the former alleging the search giant of copyright infringement of 37 Java APIs in Android OS.
Apple:
Facebook:
Others:

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