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If you use Google’s services such as search, Gmail, YouTube, Maps, Chrome, Google Plus and others, be prepared for the changes headed your way. Last week, Google hosted its annual I/O developer conference where it announced updates to many of its services, adding features to improve your experience.
Google Maps
Google Maps will be changing to bring you more personalized information. When you click on a location, a card will appear with relevant information about that spot. You’ll be able to see ratings and reviews for businesses, as well as how to get there by car or public transportation. Log into Google Maps with your Google account and connect to your Google Plus friends to see their recommendations.
Google Maps will also be able to alert you to traffic incidents along your planned route and reroute you to avoid congestion.
Google is also working to integrate Google Earth 3D view, Street View and photos into Google Maps so you’ll also be able to view these in Maps without the need for switching apps or downloading additional software. Check out this interactive preview of Google Maps and request an invitation to access the new Google Maps.
This video will give you a preview of what Google Maps will have to offer soon:
http://youtu.be/THxJHcR1D2c
Over the summer, Google will be updating its Maps app for Android and iOS to include these features and will launch a dedicated iPad app.
Google Search
Google hasn’t ignored the foundation of its business — Google search is being updated with more sophisticated voice search capabilities. While you already can do voice searches on Google, soon you’ll be able to use conversational language to conduct your searches, similar to Siri. You’ll be able to ask questions such as, “What’s the weather in Honolulu today?” or “What’s the population of China?” and get your answers from Google.
Google has also improved its search to anticipate the next question people will ask and give you those results as well. You might be able to see how the population of a region has changed over time or see the population density of a region. That’s right, Google will give you the search results you’re looking for before you even ask for them. Prepare to be spoiled.
Google search is expanding the number of languages you can use for your searches, adding Polish, Turkish, and Traditional and Simplified Chinese.
You can find out more about the improved Google search features from the Google blog.
Google Now
Google has brought more Siri-like capabilities to your phone with Google Now. Google Now is available on Android and on iPhone/iPad and iPod Touch when you update your Google iOS app. Google Now can remind you to stop by the grocery store, leave for the airport in time and read a new book when it’s released. You can set your reminders by time or place so you won’t have any more excuses for forgetting appointments or errands.
Check out this head-to-head comparison of Siri vs. Google Now from c|net:
Google Play Music All Access
Google is giving Spotify and Pandora some competition by launching All Access, a music streaming service available by subscription. All Access gives you the ability to stream millions of songs in Google’s music service over Wi-Fi or your cellular data service. All Access works with songs you’ve uploaded into your Google Music locker so you can play your saved music as well as music from their service.
With All Access, you can create your own radio stations and get recommendations from Google Music about what songs you might like. The service offers unlimited skips, in case you want to move ahead to the next song.
You can listen to Google Music All Access when you’re connected to the Internet on your computer and your Android device using the Google Play Music app. If you want to listen offline, you can purchase music through Google Play instantly to have the song or album added to your Google Music locker.
All Access is free for 30 days and then $9.99/month after that for unlimited listening. The monthly fee is reduced to $7.99/month if you sign up for the service before June 30. 2013. Check out Google Play Music All Access to sign up for your free 30 day trial.
Gmail
Gmail will become easier to use after Google rolls out its changes to its email service. Google will be adding “quick action” buttons to Gmail that let you take actions such as responding to invitations and rating restaurants without having to open emails first. Developers will be able to add quick action buttons to their apps so expect to see more of these buttons with your email messages.
Send Money
You’ll soon be able to use Gmail to send money via Google Wallet, even if the recipient doesn’t use Gmail. You can either send money to them directly through Google Wallet or by attaching the funds to an email, either from your desktop or from your mobile device.
Here’s a video showing how Gmail Send Money works:
Google Plus
If you haven’t been to Google Plus in the past week, well you’re in for a surprise. Google Plus has adopted the popular pin board format for posts, now called cards, to make your stream seem more clean and less cluttered with multiple columns.
You can revert to the single column look by clicking the More button on the top menu and choosing Stream Layout.
Google Plus is also adding hashtags automatically to make searching for posts easier and more accurate. You can even flip posts/cards over to get more information about a topic. Google Deals will also be added to Google Plus so you can discover deals and share them with your friends.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=XSZ–ul_qYk
For an excellent and thorough explanation of the changes to Google Plus, check out Kim Castleberry’s article, 15 Things You Need To Know About The #NewGooglePlus.
Here’s a video showing Google Plus in action:
Hangouts
Google Plus Hangouts is transforming to become even more powerful. Google has launched a new Hangouts app for iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch and Android so you can hangout with your friends using group video chat more easily when you’re on the go. (Unless you have an unlimited data plan, make sure to connect to Wi-Fi before joining a Hangout.)
Hangouts is now more of a unified messaging service now, with the ability to use text and video chats from within the service.
You also will be able to save text and images from your Hangouts from mobile and desktop.
Here’s a video to learn about Hangouts and give you a smile for the day:
To see which of your friends are available for a Hangout, look for a green line under their profile picture in the right sidebar of Google Plus.
Bonus Tip: Next time you’re in a fun Google Hangout, type /ponies in the chat thread to see My Little Pony run across your screen. Type /ponystream for a herd of ponies cavorting on your screen. Note that they will only be visible on computers, those using Google Hangouts on a mobile app will wonder why everyone else in the Hangout is giggling. (Also check out /bikeshed and /shydino for more fun!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=8XU1yiUBQVg
Photos
Google wants to make your Google Plus photos automagically better. When you upload your photos to Google Plus and enable the feature, Google will automatically enhance your images to improve them. If you take a series of photos of a group of people, Google will combine them into one image of the best shots of each person.
Google has increased your storage space for photos. You can now store full resolution photos using to 15 GB of storage space, shared with your Gmail and Google Drive. You can share smaller images (2048 pixels) in unlimited storage space.
YouTube
YouTube channels that have over 1000 subscribers and are in good standing will be eligible to live stream their videos from around the globe. Find out how to enable YouTube Live from the website.
Games
Google announced Google Play Games Services which lets you save your game progress and high scores, similar to Game Center on iOS. You can see your achievements and compete on leader boards around the world and among your Google Plus friends.
Google is working on multi-player games for you to play using Chrome on your Android or iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch. No apps or downloads required and up to five players can play at once.
Here’s a Chrome game called Racer being played by five players at once:
Google Play for Education
Google is adding a section to Google Play so educators can more easily locate educational apps and services from developers. Google Play for Education will also help developers get attention for their educational apps.
Google Glass
If you’re one of the lucky few to get ahold of Google Glass, rejoice! Google announced that additional apps that can be used with Glass: CNN, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Evernote, and Elle. (My hunch: if you care enough about fashion to be reading Elle, then you probably aren’t an early adopter of Google Glass.)
Bottom Line
The only constant in tech is change. The changes to Google services announced last week will probably have an impact on you unless you’re a rare person who doesn’t use any Google services. You may find that these changes make Google’s services even more useful for you. By learning about the changes to Google, you can figure out how use them best to fit your lifestyle.
What are your favorite changes announced by Google last week? Which ones will be the most useful to you? Are there any changes that you dislike? Let us know in the Comments section below!
*Google Glass dog image by Thomas Hawk
Hi Carolyn,
What an awesome post of everything anyone would ever want to know about Google and all the changes it’s coming up with 🙂
Yes, I saw the G+ ones at Kim’s post – the day the changes were made – she was so quick with the post there! However, I think I miss the wider layout which was there earlier, though it’s all the more neater and compact now.
Everything seems to be changing for the better, Google maps, YouTube, and not to mention the hangouts. Lovely videos there – ah…even a one with ponnies, though all of us ca’t see them.
I did see the send money option too, though does that work through PayPal, and if it does, I think things would become a lot easier for everyone who is on Google of course. I’ve still to try the voice option in Google search, and does the reply also come to you in a voice format 🙂 I guess not or we’d have talking search engines pretty soon 🙂
I do wish they hadn’t done away with Reader though and managed to keep it intact someway, though you never know they might come up with something better than that one fine day 🙂
Thanks for sharing all of these with us. Have a nice week ahead 🙂
Hi Harleena, Yes, you bring up an excellent point. Google is getting rid of Reader, its RSS reading service, which is a blow to many people who have been using it. But these announcements last week show where Google is putting its resources now so they can be more focused.
Google Wallet is a stand-alone payment service, it doesn’t use PayPal. In face, Google Wallet is a competitor to PayPal so Google is trying to make paying through Google Wallet easier than using PayPal. The competition should be interesting!
If you like the one column layout in Google Plus, you can go back to that, just follow the instructions above. I am going to try out the two-column format for a while to see if I like it.
Yes, Kim did an excellent job detailing the changes to Google Plus, I hope Wonder of Tech readers who are using Google Plus get a chance to read her helpful article.
Thanks so much for your visit and comment, Harleena!
Lots of good information here! As you say, those of us on Google+ have already experienced some change. The voice recognition capabilities sound like they would be useful on the go. I didn’t used to be a big fan of talking to my phone until I realized how handy it is when on the road. One of my friends has Google Glasses – he’s having fun photographing parts of Central New Jersey with the glasses. The YouTube streaming for over 1000 subscribers on a channel might be useful for some of my clients.
Hi Leora, Wow, that’s very cool that your friend is using Google Glass already. I haven’t seen them out in the wild yet. Does he have his Glass photos posted anywhere on the Internet?
You’re exactly right, Leora. Using your voice to search takes some getting used to, but once you try it, you’re hooked. It’s true, using voice search can be so much easier. I like using it for conversions: How many grams is 3.2 ounces, for example. Making appointments on my calendar using my voice is very handy as well.
I hope your clients are able to start live streaming on YouTube soon, Leora. That should be a very powerful platform for them!
Carolyn,
Here’s the article in which Eva Abreu interviews Chaim Cohen about his Google Glasses: http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20130507/NJBIZ/305080012/Google-Glass-first-look-through-lens
And if you circle Chaim Cohen on Google+, I bet he would be flattered to answer your questions!
Hi Leora, Thanks for the link. The article was very interesting and I have circled Chaim on Google Plus. I look forward to following his journey with Google Glass!
Thanks Carolyn for this awesome list of updates – some I was not yet aware of. I love idea of voice search. Google Now is something I will be checking out for my Android asap.
I’m still not used to Google+ but it won’t take long to adjust there. Love that they are using hashtags too as I’ve added mine along the way there.
Hi Lisa, I’m so glad you found this article helpful. Once you get started using Google Now, you will love it. The service is very handy and you’ll soon wonder how you did without it.
Yes, hashtags are very helpful for searching. I usually add my own, but it’s nice to get some help from Google too.
Hi Carolyn,
I am excited about some of the changes and developments. I like the new look and am planning on setting aside some time to sift through everything and figure out how to make better use of G+.
There are so many tools, it is cool.
Hi Josh, Yes, I thought of you when I wrote about the ponies trick. I look forward to seeing you use that one! :-bd
Kim’s article about the changes to Google Plus is fantastic. I hope you get a chance to read it.
These changes should make Google Plus and the other Google services much more powerful and helpful for us.
Hi,
1. I want to talk here as an unsatisfied and upset user. I’m interested in Googleplus and I want to learn how to use it. Unfortunately it is very difficult to do that. Their help is not so good (I am polite). Either they are too intuitive or they assume the user knows a lot of things already. This is not true. A person who is just beginning to use G+ doesn’t know a lot of things and most of the time he or she is not a computer geek (like 99% of their staff).
So, if you know a Googleplus guide or something alike that can help me learn Gogole+, please tell me.
2. I don’t like the “anticipation” thing. I have seen this idea at work in Windows and Windows products for many, many years. In the beginning there is fun. Sooner or later you will notice that it is very difficult to do things your way. Also, you’ll find the programmes have a kind of life of their own. A lot things are simply going on without you. A lot of things simply pop up and invite you to take action whether you like it or not. You’ll experience that awful feeling of losing control.
Sorry for being kind of rude about those things. I love technology but we must take into account that technology is for people and not people for technology.
Have a nice day
Hey Silviu, No need to apologize, you weren’t being rude at all. I welcome opposing points of view here at The Wonder of Tech.
You’re right, not everyone is a Google lover so these changes won’t be well received by everyone. When Facebook makes changes there inevitably is an outcry so I imagine many people feel as you do that some of these changes aren’t for the better.
1. I encourage you to grab a copy of Guy Kawasaki’s book “What the Plus” which is a guide to using Google Plus. Of course the book was written before last week’s changes, but I still think it can help you get started with Google Plus. The book is available from Amazon as a Kindle book for $0.99.
2. I believe you’re referring to the section about Google anticipating your next question and providing you the answer even before you ask it. Some may think that feature is a bit creepy, as if Google is reading your mind, though the feature may save you steps in your research process.
Using Google does mean that you give up some of your privacy as you use their search services. If you prefer to use a service where you can search anonymously, check out Duck Duck Go, a search service that promises not to track you: https://duckduckgo.com/
You’re absolutely right about technology being for people instead of the reverse. You are very wise to consider these issues as technology pervades our lives.
Thanks for your thoughtful and insightful comment, Silviu!
Hey Carolyn
Wow, that’s a lot of new things from Google. I expect that’s why they’re getting rid of Google Reader as there’s no time left for it!
I love the new look Google+. I find it a pleasure to go there now, whereas before I found it cumbersome to share and comment and to interact with others.
I don’t really use Google Maps so much since it’s no longer integrated with the iPhone and I also have the Tom Tom app for getting around in the car.
I like Google Now and I’ve been testing it for a few days. I’m sure you can do more with it at this time in the US in terms of the cards available. It struggles sometimes to understand my English accent too, whereas Siri picks it up very well. I think overall I’d stick with Siri as it’s integrated into the iPhone.
Thanks for such a thorough run down Carolyn. I hadn’t realised there were so many updates!
Hey Tim, Good news, you can get Google Maps on your iPhone again: https://wonderoftech.com/google-maps-app-returns-to-the-iphone/ But if TomTom is working well for you, no need to change it.
I’m glad you like the new Google Plus. I like the new look too, both for its appearance and functionality.
Google Reader will definitely be missed. But Google is probably betting that you will be so very busy with all of their new features that you wouldn’t have time for Reader anyway!
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts, Tim!
(BTW, just curious, is your accent English or Scottish?)
My accent’s English Carolyn. I’ve not been integrated into the Scottish fold yet :-).
My wife still has an Irish accent as well. She’s from Monaghan in the Irish Republic.
The school where my wife works is one of the most exclusive private schools in Scotland and most of the kids that go there are very posh so even though many of them are Scottish, they still have a posh English accent in any case!
My kids are probably unlikely to sound Scottish either as they’ll both be going to the school!
A posh English accent will serve your kids well in life, Tim. I wonder though when you visit England if people detect a bit of a Scottish brogue. When I was living in England and visited the US, people here swore I was developing an English accent though I thought they were wrong. No one says that now though.
Thanks for the information on all of these new Google features! I hadn’t heard about several of them, like the music streaming service, but most of the updates and new features are going to be great! I’m excited for the new functionality of the updates Google maps. Being able to see specific streets and places based on what you click and what your friends have said will make it very interesting and useful to use.
Hi Jamie, Yes, you’re right. These changes are very exciting. Make sure to sign up for the free trial for Google’s music service and, if you like it, be sure to join before June 30 to get your discount on the monthly fee.
I predict that Google Pay will be the biggest success of the offerings on the list.
Hi David, Yes, Google Send Money could be a competitor to PayPal, which is owned by eBay. Online payment is a big business and will become even bigger, especially with Google expanding Google Wallet.
The Google Search updates are potentially the coolest things that they are doing. I love the inclusion of voice search and while there might be a few bugs at first, they should iron them out quickly. I’m excited for everything Google is up to, I hope everyone else is too!
Hi Patsy, Yes, I love the updates to Google Search that were announced. Searching in conversational sentences using voice seems very natural and may produce better results, which is what we all want.
Dear Carolyn,
I use many Google services on a daily basis so I absolutely adore your writeup o the I/O! Please have more posts like this coming.
Greetings from Europe,
Tim
Hi Tim, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! I’m glad you found this article helpful. Yes, The Wonder of Tech covers fun and useful tech so you will find plenty of helpful articles here.
Carolyn – There is so much information in this article, it is great to see everything that Google has to offer here 🙂
The Google Maps update looks great, and am sure it will be a lot useful when we travel. The Google all play service is just awesome, i have already signed up for the trial, and I do see some interesting stuff in there.
I read Kim’s article on the upates to G+, she has done a great job at explaining the various changes, and it did come as a surprise to me when I first saw my G+ wall or stream or whatever we call it now 🙂
Thanks for keeping us all updated with these awesome breakthroughs in tech.
Hi Praveen, Yes, you did a great write up of the Google All Access Music service too. There is so much new at Google, it’s amazing all of the changes ahead. They seem to be focusing on these services after they have shuttered others.
Carolyn, love the idea about increasing exposure for those who produce educational apps. Tech is also about education, not only gaming and the like. Also, G+ seems to have gotten bit by the Pinboard bug, gotta say I like it though. Finally, that lab looks pretty cool with his Google Glass, not sure it would look that good on humans though.
Hi Frank, Yes, the Education section of Google play is great for educators, developers, students and parents who now can locate apps more easily.
The pinboard style is being widely adopted and I do like how easily you can find interesting information, so much better than a linear list. But I do wonder how soon it will be before something else takes its place and we see the pinboard style as being outdated.
The pup does look adorable wearing Google Glass but I imagine that Google’s target audience doesn’t include canines. 😉
really a nice information! thanks….:)) Its nice to see how efficient google + can be…!!
Hi Aashish, Yes, these changes to Google Plus will make using the site much more efficient. I especially like the automatic tags that will help with searches.
All i know, Google is going too much tough for webmasters of the all over the world.
Hi Syed, You’re right, Google giveth and Google taketh away. It can be a webmaster’s best friend or most cursed enemy.
Right now it looks like strong enemy. 😉 If Google is my friend than all of my keywords should at 1st page and 1st number. 😉
Lol, Syed, I hope that does happen for you! The way I see it, Google is your friend if you get even one hit from them. Hey, that’s traffic you wouldn’t be getting otherwise. But you’re right, it’s frustrating that they change the rules so much and penalize websites that aren’t trying to game the system.
Loll, i was kidding. Ranking depends on best SEO tactics. If you have good command on SEO. Than i think Google is your friend. Otherwise Google is your strong enemy 😛
Yes, Google makes a great frenemy, Syed. 🙂
Hi Carolyn,
I use Google a lot. I don’t like the company, far too arrogant. I like the email, maps and Streetview though. I never really got into Google plus, they could have done that better. Youtube is handy sometimes too. Google wallet would be handy, but that video told me nothing.
You might like my pictures today, there are lots of edits. 🙂
Hi Mike, Great point, you can dislike the company but still like their services. I imagine most people on the Internet use Google’s services in some form or another. Google is dominant in search and maps, plus YouTube is one of the most popular sites on the web.
I really enjoyed this week’s photos and edits at your blog, Mike. I pinned my favorite one to Pinterest!
Awesome Google is getting upgrade day by day especially the Google eye plus.
Hi Harjeet, You’re right, Google constantly has updates, but last week’s announcements was a treasure trove of changes.
Carolyn,
Nice round up and collective I recently updated the Google Now and looks quite interesting, useful and handy. 🙂
Of course, they are keep moving at right direction and most features are awesome and more users friendly. I like the way Google target its audience for their daily life need driven apps and tool.
Thanks for the consolidated details Carolyn. 🙂
Hi Vijay, Good point. All of these changes at Google are aimed at making these services more useful in our daily lives. It will be interesting to see what Google has in store for us next!
Well Carolyn, I hate the new look of Google+. I find it more difficult to get around and I’m clicking on things I shouldn’t because when I post it’s all of a sudden flying off to the right and here I was going to click the + sign and I end up clicking on something entirely different. Urgggg
I like the map changes but we’ll see when that’s implemented. I do like the way they are listed in the side bar so they are more evident but the location already there is good too. I use them a lot.
The rest well I’m not big users of them yet. Accept YouTube that is and I got that email last week but haven’t had time to check it out since I left town.
Thanks for these updates though. You’re always on top of things.
~Adrienne
Hi Adrienne, Sorry you don’t like the new look of Google Plus. You may want to change the layout to single column to more closely resemble the old look of Google Plus.
Yes, you should look into YouTube Live. I bet a live streaming video from you would be very, very popular, Adrienne! :-bd
More to learn! More to learn!
I recently learned that Google+ is second behind Facebook already as the most popular social media platform.
So many things to learn, so little time!
Hi Ron, Yes, Google Plus is certainly growing, though that statistic probably doesn’t take Twitter into account. As Google makes their social network more powerful, Facebook may be facing some serious competition.
These new thing s are really good. I like the Google voice search feature. As we are using this feature in many devices but it will be great to use it in the official version.
Hi Prakash, Yes, voice search can be very handy and this update makes it even more useful.
Google play with the music and also the updated google+ are really great. I would love to have a pair of the google glasses but guess they will only be fun for a while.
Hi Johan, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! I’m glad you like the updates to Google’s services. I agree, I would like to have Google Glass too, but the price needs to drop before they will become a common accessory. As far as the fun wearing off, that may depend on how many developers can offer Google Glass apps to enhance the experience.
Not only the price needs to drop. They need to start selling them in more countries also 🙂
Good point. I believe global expansion is in their plans.
Google seems to be increasing and growing every day. It is nice to know that they are listening to the public and making changes. Even though, that different stream for posts on Google+ is obviously a knock on Pinterest. But it is always exciting to see what Google comes up with next.
Hi Lauren, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! You’re right, Google’s news is exciting, a glimpse of the future. Pinterest has a wonderful design that we’re seeing more and more on other websites now. Very cool!
Google have just announced they are discontinuing Google Checkout too which is slightly annoying as that’s how I take card payments from my customers.
Hi Mark, Yes, I was surprised at Google’s decision to discontinue Checkout. They seem to want to focus on Google Wallet as their service to transfer money. The more Google discontinues popular services, the less people will trust them to continue other services.
Very cool wrap up. I saw the changes in Google Play today. I actually don’t like it very much. Spotify has been the best solution, for me at least, for streaming music. I like Amazon Prime as well
Hi Susan, That’s great you are enjoying Spotify. It works with Twitter Music, while Google All Access doesn’t, at least not yet. But All Access is less expensive than Spotify premium if you sign up with All Access before June 30. The most important considerations when choosing a music service is finding one that’s the best fit for you and it sounds as if you have.
I know the say focus is better than multitasking, but so far I think google is the exception to the rule. I love so many of their products it’s not even funny! I haven’t used their pay feature but I’m pumped to try it. Thanks for posting!
Hi Anton, You’re so right, Google gives us a lot of ways to spend our time with them. If you’re signing up for Google Music All Access, be sure to do it soon to take advantage of the 30 days free and the lower price pre-June 30.
wow, seems like i attended the event, you really tried i do enjoy this, wait! is this my first time here? guessed i have been missing a lots
Hi Kulhead, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! I’m so glad you found The Wonder of Tech. Yes, there is plenty of great tech to discover here. Feel free to look around and check out other articles as well. 🙂