YouTube to support virtual reality video on its Android app

SAN FRANCISCO - YouTube announced two new features Thursday for its Android app that expand the video site's use of virtual reality, giving the new technology its biggest platform yet.

The app now supports VR video - a format that gives viewers what the company says are more realistic 360-degree perspectives of films.

To view it, a user would call up a virtual reality video on the YouTube app, click a button on the video for VR mode, and place the phone in Alphabet Inc's "Cardboard" device, a handheld gadget made from the standard box material that creates a VR viewing experience.

Makers of virtual reality content can upload VR videos compatible with the Cardboard viewer directly to YouTube. YouTube said there are about a dozen VR videos, including one stemming from the "Hunger Games" movies.

YouTube also announced that viewers can see its vast library of videos with a more limited virtual reality experience, also using Cardboard. YouTube said that the videos will resemble what a viewer would see on an IMAX theater screen.

Neil Schneider, executive director of VR trade organization Immersive Technology Alliance, noted that YouTube introduced 3D video in 2009 and was also an early adopter of high-definition video.

"It's not surprising they would take the angle of adding virtual reality," he said.

Schneider said the public can expect to see an explosion of high quality content, but said amateur content might be more difficult to come by because the gear to create VR content is typically expensive.

But Jay Iorio, a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers who has created films for Cardboard and Facebook's Oculus Rift virtual reality headset, said he would not be surprised to see VR recording capabilities on smartphones.

"The equipment I have right now, people will probably have on their phones in a couple years," he said.

Oculus Rift is scheduled for release next near and is expected to cost between $300 to $350. Cardboard costs between $5 and $50.

The YouTube app with the updated Cardboard technology is currently only available for Android phones but an iOS version is set to be released "soon," according to YouTube.  — Reuters

Google enables in-app translations in Android Marshmallow

Starting this week, users running the Android Marshmallow OS will be able to access in-app translations, according to a post on the Android Developers Blog.

To access this function, users need to have the Google Translate app installed. According to the post, apps that use “Android text selection behavior” will have this feature enabled by default.

The post also details programming steps that developers can take to add the in-app translation to their apps. — Bea Montenegro/TJD, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com

Google ramps up Android security, now scans all apps

Google is ramping up security for users of devices running its Android operating system, by now scanning all apps on the device instead of just those installed via third-party app stores.

In a blog post, Android security engineer Rich Cannings likened the move – which fortifies Android's "Verify apps" service layer – to fortifying a home's security system.

"(W)e’re rolling out a new enhancement which will now continually check devices to make sure that all apps are behaving in a safe manner, even after installation," Cannings said.

He noted the "Verify apps" features already protects people when they are installing apps outside of Google Play at the time of installation.

Cannings said that in 2013, "Verify apps" had been used more than four billion times to check apps at the time of install.

With the new enhancement, that protection will now go even further, using Android’s powerful app scanning system developed by the Android security and Safe Browsing teams.

But Cannings also noted people will not likely see the warning or any other indication that the added layer of protection is there.

He said that in 2013, fewer than 0.18 percent of installs occurred after someone received a warning that the app was potentially harmful.

"Even though the risk is miniscule, we’re committed to making sure that the best available security protections are available to all Android users. This includes service-based protections such as Verify apps, as well as security features within the platform itself," he added.

A separate report on Mashable noted the "Verify Apps" setting is found under the security settings menu on most versions of Android, and is enabled by default on smartphones and tablets.  — Joel Locsin /LBG, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com

Google Translate now available offline for Android phones

Lost in a foreign land and need translation help quick, but there's no Internet? Google language packs to the rescue!

Google has rolled out offline language packs for the Google Translate on Android app (version 2.3 and up), with support for 50 languages.

"While the offline models are less comprehensive than their online equivalents, they are perfect for translating in a pinch when you are traveling abroad with poor reception or without mobile data access," associate product manager Minqi Jiang said in a blog post.

 

 

Before a user can avail of the language packs, he or she will first have to download and run the Google Translate app for Android.

 

 

The Translate app itself, however, usually needs an Internet connection to translate phrases from one language to another.

With the offline language packs, Jiang said a user can select "Offline Languages" in the app menu to see the offline language packages available for download.

"To enable offline translation between any two languages, you just need to select them in the offline languages menu. Once the packages are downloaded, you're good to go," Jiang said.

"So go out and explore another language or another culture without worrying about Internet access. There’s a whole world offline out there," Jiang added. — TJD, GMA News

 

source: gmanetwork.com