Google I/O 2017: This  Google’s developer conference ended with 101 announcements

The Google I/O is a yearly developer conference from Google. Since 2008, people from all over the world have been traveling to San Francisco to attend the company’s product presentations and announcements from the Mountain View and listen to lectures from Google employees. The topic spectrum is always broadly diversified and is addressed explicitly to a technically savvy specialist audience. In the past, the event featured Android OS, Google Glass, Android Wear and Hangouts.

In the last three days everything was under the sign of the developer conference Google I/O and they heard many announcements there. Now the Google I/O developer conference is over and Google itself draws a conclusion from the event and has published an overview, in which all announcements are listed. In fact, during these three days, 101 announcements were made, some of which are already available.

As every year, Google’s developers save a series of announcements for the big show stage, which are then announced directly on the Google I/O – and best still on the keynote. There were fewer announcements this year than in the previous years, but this may be due to the fact that the developers only had improvements in their favored, but did not present or launch a single new product in Google I/O conference.

An overview of the most important innovations happened thro’ Google I/O:

Google Lens – new start with the picture search

Google’s CEO was very much excited to introduce the Google Lens in Google I/O conference. Google has already made several attempts to transform the visual search into the mainstream; Veterans of the Android early times may remember the Google image recognition app. “Google Lens”, which is integrated into the “GoogleAssistant” software and this boomed into a new start.

“Google Lens” recognizes, for example, objects in the search field of the mobile phone camera and proposes actions or steps itself to act. Anyone who photographed a flower does not only display the name of the species, but can also be taken to the florist nearby. Scanning the WiFi code at the bottom of the router ensures that the smartphone logs in at the same time. In addition, photos with the Google lens will “blur” blurred motifs even better “and soon even auto-retouch photo obstacles away – instead of the smartphone camera puts the software in the center.

The “Virtual Positioning System” (VPS), a combination of the Augmented reality platform “Tango” and Google Maps, shows how far Google’s trained image recognition is. VPS is intended to allow navigation in closed rooms by scanning the objects there and matching them with a database. For example, consumers can find certain products in supermarkets easier when they look at their smartphone while walking.

The trend towards smart lenses is followed by the whole industry, among other things Facebook wants to use the camera more strongly for the identification, the change of pictures and the superimposing of digital objects.

Android O – small changes planned

Another innovative announcement in Google I/O conference is Android O. Initially available in the beta version, accessible from the summer, but still without nicknames: “Android O” is the latest version of the smartphone operating system currently equipped with two billion active devices.

The changes that Google is presenting are, above all, details that are meant to make everyday life easier. For example, a picture-in-picture function allows you to make notes or scroll through the calendar in video chat. Android O also allows the automatic completion of passwords for apps other than Google. The notifications in apps receive small speech bubbles, so that a constant call will no longer be necessary.

In the Play Store, Google promises more security, with batteries more runtime and with the light version “Android Go” an optimization for low-budget smartphones (memory of 512 megabytes / one gigabyte). As always, such promises can only be answered as soon as the “O” update is available. And here many users are still dependent on the schedule of manufacturers or providers.

Google Assistant

According to CEO Sundar Pichai declared in Google I/O Conference, is the organization and operating software Google Assistant currently has 100 million users. To make it more, more languages will be released in the coming months. In addition, the app is now available for Apple’s iOS devices. The opening of the wizard for developers is intended to enable the control of further devices and programs. The command center in the smartphone and voice control era is a major goal of companies such as Microsoft (Cortana), Apple (Siri) or Amazon (Alexa). To simplify operation in noisy environments, however, you can also use typed commands in Google Assistant.

Google Home sends visual answers

Googles command-receiving loudspeaker Home is also a fantabulous annoucement in Google I/O. The competitor of Amazons Echo, is to be launched in this summer. Exact details on prices are not yet available, in the US, the device supposed to costs around 130 US dollars. Functional updates are provided with a telephone function (“call mama on”), the integration of Spotify, Deezer and SoundCloud as well as the display of visual answers if a screen is nearby – think of it A calendar or Google Maps.

The virtual reality software Daydream will run on the Samsung Galaxy S8 and on the next premium smartphones from LG. Own data glasses are to be produced together with partners.

As always, the innovations cover Google’s money, especially on the search for text, and thus remains the golden goose of the parent company’s alphabet. In the past quarter, Alphabet reported $ 5.43 billion in profits, while growth rates were in profit as well as sales at more than 20 percent.

This growth is probably due to the fact that the company has greatly expanded the number of ads in mobile search results. A success of the visual search on smartphones could create more opportunities for advertising ads

Online security has become a hot topic in the recent due to immense number of cyber attacks and privacy intrusions being launched almost every day. VPN might be an expensive for most of the users therefore using TOR network has emerged as a simple, reliable and highly secure platform for most. Currently there are innumerable numbers of people who are eagerly looking at the opportunity of snooping upon the online activities of the users which includes not just the cyber criminals but even the popular tech companies.

Using TOR is good for safeguarding the privacy

As stated earlier there are a number of tools which are quite helpful in covering the digital tracks but nothing is completely secure like The Onion Router (TOR) underground network. The best way to make use of the TOR is to install a customized and locked down version of the popular Firefox browser.

Now using this underground network will ensures that the internet connection is wrapped under multiple layers. This makes the data to bounce through random servers placed all around the world. This gives a complete blanket of protection from the potential eavesdroppers.

How does TOR works?

As the name suggests TOR literally takes the onion metaphor and puts it to a good use. In this system a layer of encryption is stripped at each step on the way to accessing the target while using it. In this way a chain is formed around the server and no one is able to comprehend where a user is going and what he is doing at any given moment.

TOR came into being as a safe and secure network especially for the whistle blowers and the political activists for heightened online safety. But currently it is being utilized by a number of public users to access websites without being spied upon. It is not completely secure as the final server present in this chain can easily reveal the website or link visited by the user if it gets compromised.

TOR being used for rogue purpose

Within a short time of its existence TOR has emerged as a popular way of diving into the dark underbelly of the internet. It also serves as a home for innumerable number of illicit sites which remains hidden from the outside users.

Law enforcement authorities had quite a hard and tough time in dealing with it and there have been very few cases whether they had been successful in their attempt. They have been to exploit the vulnerabilities present in the TOR to take down the pedophile rings as well the popular blackmarket called The Silk Road.

Using it will ensure that your online activities remains safely hidden from the usual tracking activities and eavesdropper but it can’t hoodwink the intrusive tracking or high end web tracking. In case you are looking forward to a higher level of security then opt for the VPN as they happen to run faster and easy to manage than using TOR.

We are never satisfied with what we get. We always cherish for more and this helps us to crave for more. The HTC was something exceptional for the brand with an exclusive design and exciting features. But deep down the heart, we considered that there was something missing. Hope the new HTC U 11 will fulfil it. The phone is surely going the digital market. With all the specs and the features, it is sounding to be awesome. The people will have to wait till June to get the new HTC U11 in their hands. However, some might have a price thought in their minds whether to spend. With ultimate design and new technology in place, the phone may give a tough competition to the upcoming smart phones.

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1. THE DESIGN OF HTC U 11

The design is something that catches our eyes first. The new HTC U 11 is thought to have animprovised beauty than the earlier version. The body would be full metal with sleek edges and exclusive design. The front will see a glass core. It will also have a fingerprint scanner.

2. THE CAMERA OF HTC U 11 –

The camera is the feature that makes everyone come in one frame at a glance. So the camera has to be good. 2.2MP rear, 15.8MP front camera are the basic things for the exclusive HTC U 11.

3. NAVIGATION –

There is something new in this new cell. It offers Edge sense technology for the navigation purpose. In order to provoke a reaction, you can check the phone by keeping under pressure. If you squeeze it, the camera will be able to take a photo.

4. HTC U 11 HARDWARE-

It possess the processor of Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 along with 64 GB storage internal. The battery is of 3000 mAh. The USB is of type C and there is no 3.5 mm headphone socket in the phone.

5. HTC U 11 DISPLAY-

with 5.5 inch display now common in feature, the pixels matter. It has 2560x 1440 pixels. The front is covered gorilla glass 5 and it has the exclusive Super LCD 5.

6. HTC U 11 SOFTWARE –

The version of Android comes in Nougat with Amazon alexa. The Google Assistant is also present. People are more concerned with the versions of the new Android version.

7. HTC U 11 RELEASE DATE-

It is thought to be go for sales from 18th May in few areas but it will ship from 9th June.

8. PRICE –

The price for the 64 GB is considered to be around £649.

9. Availability –

There are various colours which you can choose from. The variations come in Sapphire Blue, Brilliant Black, and Amazing Silver. It is available now for pre order in Amazon.

10. APPS-

The device will support all kinds of navigation apps. You can easily do the customisation. There will be an upcoming app for the Edge sense technology in the device.

11. AI Assistant-

There may be possibility of the presence of the Google Assistant in the upcoming design. It would be more than exciting.

Ransomware is a type of a cyber-attack that has affects a computer system allowing hackers to take control of it and blocks all access to it until a ransom is paid by the users. To gain access to the system, the cyber criminals have to download harmful software onto the device that’s in the network and they often do this by tricking the users in clicking a link that downloads it onto the system.

Through the downloaded software already on the system, the hackers can Ransomeware attack all of the user’s files that it can find within a network and lock it. This is usually a gradual process where the files are encrypted one by one.

Big companies with elaborate security systems are able to identify this occurring and can single out documents to reduce the damage. However, individual users may have a hard time due to lack of such security systems which could result in losing out on all of their data.

Once all the files are locked, cyber criminals demand for a payment to be made in order to unlock the files on the victim’s computer. The payment is usually asked to be made in the form bitcoin which is the online cryptocurrency.

WannaDecryptor – What is it?

WannaDecryptor is also known as WannaCry or wcry for short and is a specific ransomware program that locks all the files and data on a system and only leaves two files for the user. One being the set of instructions on what to do next and the other, the WannaDecryptor program itself.

When opened, the ransomware software tells the user that all their files have been encrypted and gives them a few days’ time to make a payment failing which their files will be deleted. Ransomware asks for the payment in Bitcoin, giving instructions on how to purchase it and also provides a Bitcoin address to send the payment to.

Most of the computer security companies can bypass the ransomware software with the help of ransomware decryption tools that they have. This was used in a wide-scale cyber-attack that affected many big organisations across the world, a few being the NHS and the Telefonica in Spain.

Protection against Ransomware

In order to be immune to the ransomware attack, one must back up all the files in a completely separate system. Hence, in the future, in case of an ransomware attack, no information or data will be lost.

It is difficult to stop the hackers before they launch a ransomware attack but a few precautionary measures could be taken. The cyber criminals need to download the harmful software onto the user’s computer, phone or any other connected device. Very often, the hackers install the virus through infected emails and websites.

For example, the attackers could send a phishing email to an employee posing as if it’s a mail from their boss, asking them to check out a link. But it actually links them to a malicious website that secretly downloads the virus onto the system. A device can also get infected by downloading a harmful program or application or just by visiting a website that contains infected advertisements too.

The best approach to prevent such ransomware mishaps is to be cautious of unsolicited emails and rather than clicking on the link. The website can be checked out by typing out the web address in another window.Another precaution is to make use of antivirus programs that can scan a file before it is downloaded, block secret background installations and search for malware that may already be present on the computer.

Sophisticated and elaborate defences have been developed by cyber security companies which include machines that fight against the hackers once spotted on a system. The Antivirus should be updated on all the systems and the latest software patches from Microsoft should be downloaded.

One can also ensure that smart screen (in Internet Explorer) is left turned on which assists in spotting reported phishing and harmful websites, thus helping the user make reconsider before making any downloads. A pop-up blocker is also useful as it automatically blocks unwanted websites from opening automatically. For higher security, the security tools available on the IT ministry website can be used.

What Should Ransomware Victims Do?

Though there is no permanent solution to the problem, there are a few blind spots that one could take advantage of to either control the damage or prevent it from spreading.

According to Cert-In, the system’s user should immediately disconnect it from the internet to prevent it from spreading to other systems. Since the ransomware encryption is done one file at a time, the user should immediately make an attempt to back up the remaining files in order to try and salvage as much data as one can.

If all the files are found to be locked, it is advisable for the victims to refrain from paying the ransom as it will further encourage the hackers. Even if the payment is made, there is no surety that the files will be returned to them intact. The best thing to do in such a situation is to restore all the files from the backup that was created. If that is not possible, there are some tools available that help recover a part of the lost information.

What is Bitcoin?

Often hackers demand payment in the form of Bitcoins usually between 0.3 and 1 Bitcoins, which is £400 – 1,375, but there is a possibility that they can demand a payment in dollars but made via Bitcoin. Cyber criminals usually demand payments through this digital currency since it is unregulated and practically untraceable. Although it is impossible to trace, the amount of the payment made is however public information. The amount may seem small to charge, but these ransomware attacks are wide-spread, so the payments altogether can be a huge amount.

Kill Switch

To prevent the spread of WannaCry, a Cyber-security researcher discovered a “kill-switch”, which was in fact by accident. The researcher, a twitter user,tweeted that the registering of a domain name that was by the malware, stopped itsspread. However, it did not help the computer systems that were already affected by this ransomware attack. He also warned that the threat was not yet fully averted as the culprits behind this ransomware attack could come up with a new way by changing the code and trying again. He warned users to update the patches on their systems since the attackers would definitely try again.

Computer scientists from the Michigan Technological University have presented a new research that studies the different ways one could type into a virtual reality space also called as VR. They conducted a presentation at the ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computer Systems and stated that while texting has become an integral part of our digital lives, it is an area of research that has surprisingly less emphasis in the development of Virtual Reality.

Scott Kuhl, who is an associate professor of computer science at Michigan Tech, stated that many people are purchasing head-mounted displays for mostly video games and they are trying to figure out how the head-mounted displays can be used in an office for writing or editing a document or emailing someone.

These ordinary tasks are not yet ideal in Virtual Reality, but by making the user wear a headset that resembles a sleeping mask that’s oversized, Virtual Reality can transport the user in a surreal place which can be anywhere in the world. The trick lies in creating a balance between visuals on the head-mounted display and what can be touched physically by the person. Both the aspects are required for the purpose of typing.

Head-Mounted Display

Also researching with Kuhl was James Walker, a computer science lecturer, for the purpose of his dissertation. He said that the challenge lied in the fact that the user needed to see what they were typing and that was difficult with a headset mounted over the eyes.

So as a solution to this he developed a light-up virtual keyboard that was synced with a physical keyboard.This keyboard helps the Virtual Reality user to see what keys are typed in the head-mounted display while using the physical keyboard at the same time.Mid-air virtual keyboards or overlaying of real-world video into the Virtual Reality display are the two methods on which other Virtual Reality typing systems depend on.

However, both require additional equipments such as tracking cameras, which are prone to errors and are invasive. The quality of texting also declines with the availability of only virtual keyboards. Walker says that his solution is significant as it allows people to continue using the physical aspects to interact which makes way for better performance. Also, it doesn’t need additional hardware or an arrangement where a video feed is superimposed into the virtual environment.

Autocorrect Algorithm called VelociTap

Walker conducted an experiment in order to assess the efficiency of a physical keyboard where participants had to type on a keyboard they couldn’t see. In the first part, participants were given a head-mounted display to use which in this case was an Oculus Rift.

In the second part, participants were made to use a desktop monitor along with a keyboard that was out of their view but could be used to type. Both were tested with and without Walker’s virtual keyboard. Most of the participants reported back with at least proficient typing skills.

However, those without the virtual keyboard lighting up keys made a lot of mistakes. This experiment help set the basis for not just Virtual Reality testing but also to observe how far does autocorrect help in this scenario.Through this study, their team developed a language model to automatically correct the typing called VelociTap, a touch recognition screen program that has been trained on billions of words making it very accurate. The aim is now to implement texting, for both work and play, into Virtual Realityby using physical keyboards.