Google on Android

At Google, we develop products that we love to use ourselves. For example, we're avid users of Search, Gmail, Maps, and many others. But for those of us in mobile, it's tough. Not all products work the same on all devices, and although we try and optimize for each device, we often run into challenges specific to certain mobile phone platforms. I, for one, used to carry three devices with me all day. I love my iPhone for its powerful browser and music player. I use my BlackBerry for Gmail and Calendar (and occasionally Brick Breaker), and I carry a Nokia N-series phone because of its camera and YouTube application.

The first Android-powered phone, announced today by T-Mobile, comes 'with Google'. The following Google applications are preloaded on the device: Search, Maps, Gmail with Contacts, Calendar, Google Talk, and YouTube. There are a few things I'm particularly excited about:

• Easy to use. It's never been easier to use Google on your phone. With single sign-in, you can log in to your Google account and have instant access to all your favorite Google products. No messing around with settings, your login never expires, and everything just works. If you don't have a Google account yet, you can set one up on your phone and be up and running in seconds.
• Fully synchronized. Your emails, contacts, calendar entries, Google Talk chats are fully synchronized with Gmail and Calendar on the web. New events are pushed in real-time to your phone and any changes you make on-the-go are immediately available on the web. If you ever lose or break your phone, all your data is safe and secure in the cloud.
• Designed to work together. Search is now available as a feature in many applications, including non-Google ones, such as the music player. While you're listening to a song -- like something from Depeche Mode -- just 'long-press' the artist's name. You'll see a menu pop up that let's you search Google for the Depeche Mode Wikipedia entry, or search YouTube for the music video. The contact application lets you see your friend's IM status, view his address on a map, and communicate with him using Gmail or Google Talk. And, of course, you can call or text him as well.

Check out the video below to see these features in action:



The Google applications on Android take full advantage of the features of the Android platform. Gmail is built on 'embedded WebViews', the real-time push features and synchronization use the multi-tasking capabilities of the platform, and the integration between applications relies on the 'Android Application Framework'.

We're kicking off a new blog series, called 'Google on Android'. Over the next couple of weeks, we will dig deeper into each one of the Google applications available for Android, and at the end of the series, I'll let you know whether I've decided to switch phones or switch to pants that let me carry four phones instead of three.

Posted by Marc Vanlerberghe, Product Marketing DirectorAny source

In una piovosa serata dublinese... a ritmo di Samba

Avviene di tanto in tanto nella sede europea di Google a Dublino, che i team “latini” di AdWords (Italia, Francia e Spagna) si riuniscano per socializzare, per fare team building, come direbbero gli inglesi.

Nell’ultimo team event, abbiamo scelto di cimentarci in quanto di più distante ci può essere dalla terra d’Irlanda, la Samba.

Ma anzichè doverci improvvisare ballerini, come si potrebbe immaginare, l’impresa è stata ben più ardua: improvvisarci musicisti, percussionisti per la precisione.

A ciascuno il suo strumento a percussione: a chi il tamburo, a chi il jambè, a chi i bonghi. Abbiamo così dato vita ad un’orchestra (o qualcosa di simile) formata da più di 50 elementi.

Complice il temperamento mediterraneo e, forse, la naturale inclinazione alla musica, in poco meno di un’ora il suono giusto è venuto fuori, e coordinati da un bravo maestro siamo riusciti a far vibrare i tamburi, tamburellare i jambè, far risuonare alti e bassi, completando l’esecuzione con tanto di intro e chiusura… a ritmo di Samba!

Scritto da: Simone Buda, Account Manager
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Get public transit directions in New York with Google Maps for mobile

Now that Google Maps can give you subway, train, bus, and ferry directions in New York City, it's a handy tool for planning a night on the town. But what if your plans change while you're at dinner?

Luckily, Google Maps for mobile can give you the same public transit directions right on your cell phone! You can plan trips throughout the New York metro area, including turn-by-turn walking directions. With the My Location feature, most cell phones can automatically set the starting point for your trip, even without GPS. And satellite view and Street View (on selected devices) can show you a preview of where you're going.

With Google Maps for mobile in your pocket, you can go wherever the evening takes you, secure in the knowledge that it'll be easy to figure out how to get there. Google Maps for mobile with public transit directions is available for Blackberry, Windows Mobile, Symbian Series 60, and many Java-based phones. Download it by visiting http://m.google.com/nyc in your mobile phone's browser.Any source

On són les pluges?

Aquests darrers dies, em estat anunciant l’arribada de pluges importants que podrien arribar a la nostra localitat.

Finalment, tot i que les pluges si que han caigut de forma important en molts punts, a casa nostra no em vist, fins ara, ni una gota. I dic fins ara, perquè la situació d’inestabilitat continuarà tot el que queda de setmana, tot i que a la nostra vila, d’aigua més aviat en caurà poqueta, almenys vist des d’avui. Tot i que alguns models continuen marcant pluges a Tossa, la ubicació final de la inestabilitat ens portarà molts núvols i alguna precipitació dispersa a primeres hores del matí i durant la tarda i matinada de dimecres. En fi, nosaltres, ara per ara, traurem molt poca rendibilitat a aquesta situació. Fins i tot, entrarà tramuntana agregalada amb algun cop moderat, que mantindrà una sensació de fredor un xic acusada i podria donar lloc a alguna clariana tranistòria. El temps de platja ha dit adéu.

La culpa de tot plegat, ho té la baixa que dies enrere es trobava enfront de les costes portugueses, que ha anat allargant el seu radi d’acció per tota la península creant una petita baixa enfront la costa valenciana. A la vegada, s’ha creat una àrea d’inestabilitat que correspon a la influència del recorregut de la baixa atlàntica, que es quedarà estancada, basculant de sud a nord i donant lloc a precipitacions en diferent punts de la conca mediterrània, en principi concentrades en la Comunitat Valenciana i sud de la Catalana. Aquesta situació continuarà fins a finals de setmana.

Aquestes situacions d’inestabilitat mediterrània són com jugar a la loteria. Les basculacions que realitzen les baixes sobre el nostre mar, juguen moltes males passades per fer les prediccions, potser pot sonar a excusa, però realment, és gairebé ciència ficció realitzar un pronòstic acurat i amb una fiabilitat d’encert elevat. La recomanació, anar seguint dia a dia les prediccions i l’evolució de la zona d’inestabilitat ubicada en les nostres latituds. Aquest dies, cada sortida dels models és un món i si els comparem entre uns i altres, varien com de la nit al dia...

Podem apreciar, en els diferents models de precipitació esperada a les 18 hores d’avui dimarts, com tots ells varien en quantitat i, fins i tot, alguns indiquen que no hi haurà precipitació, quan uns altres indiquen que sí.

Model GFS.

Model MASS


Model MM5.


Model UKMO.
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Food security and CAP reform

A short overview article I have written on this subject can be read here:
Reform Any source

New book recommendation

Whilst I have some reservations about plugging a book in which I wrote the concluding chapter (on 'Implications for Future Reforms'), I do recommend Johan Swinnen (edited) The Perfect Storm: The Political Economy of the Fischler Reforms of the Common Agricultural Policy published by the Centre for European Policy Studies in Brussels. You can now download it for free here:
Book

It was based on an excellent workshop in Brussels which involved some of the Fischler insiders as well as academics. The result is, I think, one of the most informed and authoritative accounts of the Fischler reforms that we have available to us.Any source

Una tormenta deja 2,1 l/m2 en Orihuela

Bueno, seguro que los habitantes oriolanos habeís vivido y presenciado la tormenta que acaba de caer sobre la ciudad con más pena que gloria. La tormenta se ha caracterizado por el gran y sucesivo aparato eléctrico que llevaba consigo y la poca lluvia que ha dejado... "Mucho ruido y pocas nueces". Pero bueno, esta tormenta no ha venido nada mal para dar un respiro al campo y ha servido para romper la racha de más de un mes sin registrar precipitación en la ciudad. Vamos a ver las reflectividades que indicaba el radar de Murcia conforme avanzaba la tormenta de WSW (Oeste-Suroeste) a ENE (Este-Noreste):

1º Imagen del Radar: Nos muestra donde se creó el SCM (Sistema Convectivo Mesoescalar). y la tremenda fuerza que tenía en ese momento.

2º Imagen del Radar: Nos muestra como avanza con rapidez y coge fuerza en su núcleo interno.

3º Imagen del Radar: Nos muestra como pierde bastante fuerza a las puertas de la capital murciana y por tanto pierde la categoría de SCM, y pasa a llamarse simplemente tormenta.

4º Imagen del Radar: Nos muestra el momento de retirada de la tormenta a su paso por Orihuela.

*El Radar se actualiza cada 30 minutos.

No sé si alguien aparte de yo, vió el espectacular rayo nube-tierra que cayó sobre Orihuela. Yo me encontraba realizando fotografías, precisamente intentando cazar algún rayo, cuando al Sureste de Orihuela un rayo espectacular cayó sobre la ciudad. Posiblemente impactó sobre el pararayos de algún edificio o sobre el pararayos que se encuentra en la comisaria de la policia local de Orihuela, cerca del hipermercado Eroski. Se escuchó un ruido muy fuerte y personas gritando. Desconozco si ha causado daños, espero que no. Era una noche ideal para intentar cazar algún rayo porque eran practicamente constantes, pero tuve mala suerte esta vez, tan sólo pude cazar un resplandor, pero bueno, menos es nada...


Veamos las cantidades de precipitación que se registraron en distintos observatorios meteorológicos de la Región de Murcia y la provincia de Alicante a lo largo de la tarde - noche:
Calasparra (Murcia): 24,0 mm
Cehegín (Murcia): 23,4 mm
Moratalla (Murcia): 14,0 mm
Alicante (Alicante): 8,5 mm
San Vicente del Raspeig (Alicante): 7,3 mm
Caravaca de la Cruz (Murcia): 4,5 mm
Albatera (Alicante): 3,9 mm
Cartagena (Murcia): 3,7 mm
Murcia (Murcia): 3,6 mm
Monforte del Cid (Alicante): 3,4 mm
Molina de Segura (Murcia): 3,0 mm
Crevillente (Alicante): 2,7 mm
Orihuela (Alicante): 2,1 mm
Novelda (Alicante): 1,7 mm
Santomera (Murcia): 1,2 mm
Elche (Alicante): 1,0 mm
Guardamar del Segura (Alicante): 1,0 mm
Aeropuerto El Altet (Alicante): 0,8 mm

*mm = litros por metro cuadrado
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