New Google Image Search for Mobile

Google's image search engine has a new interface for smartphones and tablets. The new UI looks just like the desktop UI, but you can use swipes to navigate between the image results.

Here are some screenshots from my Nexus 7. When you tap an image result, a black box with a bigger version of the image will open. You can also find some additional information about the image.

Swipe left to see the next image result, swipe right to go to the previous result. Gestures work just like the left/right keyboard shortcuts in the desktop interface. Tap an image to open the page that includes it.

A similar interface is available for smartphones. Here's a screenshot from an iPhone running iOS7:

Google will probably say that it changed the interface to make it more consistent and provide an unified interface for both desktop and mobile devices. There are some other advantages: you can scroll down to see more results, you can scroll up and quickly change the query or switch to web search.

I find the old interface more intuitive and better suited for mobile devices. It made it more obvious that you can use gestures by showing the previous and the next image result, search results didn't move around and you could find more information about the images. The new smartphone interface only displays the domain name and it no longer shows the title of the page and the image size (the tablet interface still shows them). Here's a screenshot of the old UI:

Tips for Google Bar's App Launcher

Google's new navigation menu is useful for visiting some of the most popular Google services, but did you know that you can still use it to find search results? This only works when you use your browser's search box. For example, you can search for [bogota], click the grid icon and select "YouTube". Instead of sending you to YouTube's homepage, Google's menu uses your query and sends you to YouTube's search results page.

Here's a list of services that show search results: YouTube, Play, Maps, Translate, Books, Shopping and Finance. You can middle-click or Ctrl-click the icons to open pages in a new tab.

Unfortunately, this feature is buggy: if you try another query, the links from the drop-down menu send you to the search results for the first query. That's because the feature doesn't work in the AJAX interface.

Useful tip: you can quickly open Google's list of "even more" services by middle-clicking the grid icon. You can also right-click it and select "open link in new tab".

Another tip: instead of clicking "more", you can scroll down.

Fun fact: Google's code includes icons for some other Google services. One of them is Google Reader. Other services: Google Groups, Google Video, Google Image Search, Google Contacts.

Speaking of Google service icons, you can find more icons here.

The Storage Used by Gmail and Google Drive

Now that Google offers unified storage that's shared between Gmail, Google Drive and Google+ Photos, it's more difficult to tell how much storage is used by each service. You can always click "Manage" next to "X GB (Y%) of Z GB used" at the bottom of the page in Gmail and Google Drive, then mouse over the chart.

Google Drive has a new feature that shows more details about your storage without having to open a new page: just mouse over "X GB (Y%) of Z GB used" and you'll see something like this:

10 GB of Free Google Storage for Installing Quickoffice

If you've installed the Quickoffice app for Android or iOS 2 weeks ago, you'll now have 10 GB of free storage for 2 years. Check the Google Storage page, mouse over the chart and look for the "Quickoffice promotion".

You only had to install a free app. You didn't have to buy a Moto X phone (50 GB for 2 years), a regular Chromebook (100 GB for 2 years) or a Chromebook Pixel (1 TB for 3 years). Google Drive's offers for phones and Chromebooks have special pages.

It's funny to see that Google offered free storage for installing an app that used to cost $15-20.

Add Shortcuts to Web Apps in Chrome for Android

The latest release of Chrome Beta for Android lets you add to the home screen a shortcut to the page you're currently visiting. Until now, you had to bookmark the page, go to the new tab page, long tap the bookmark and select "add to home screen". If you use the latest Chrome Beta, you can open the Chrome menu and tap "add to home screen".

There's even a bonus feature: "Sites launched in this way will open in a normal Chrome for Android window, unless they include the mobile-web-app-capable meta tag. Those sites will instead open in a special fullscreen Chrome for Android window that doesn't display tabs, buttons, menus, or the Omnibox. Try adding a shortcut to weight.aerotwist.com to see this in action."

This is a good news for web apps fans and it's nice to see that a feature that was available in iPhoneOS 1.x finally finds its way to the mobile Chrome. Unfortunately, Chrome for iOS won't add a similar feature because third-party iOS apps can't add shortcuts.

Another new feature integrates Chrome with Google Wallet. "requestAutocomplete() makes it easier for users to fill out online forms by offering web developers programmatic access to the browser's autocomplete information (with the user's explicit permission). For this first release, we've made it work for web payments. On sites with requestAutocomplete(), users will be able to either use their existing payment data stored with the browser or enter new details through a browser-provided interface." This works in Chrome Beta for Android, Windows, and Chrome OS.

Google Now Updates for Notable People

After adding support for reminders about the latest releases from your favorite music artists and actors, Google Now lets you subscribe to updates when you search for notable people. Just click "Keep me updated" in the Knowledge Graph card from Google's search results page and you'll get the latest news articles about that person in Google Now.

Google Now also shows cards for "breaking news and other developing stories you may be interested in", based on your web history.

It's not clear if the new updates feature will replace the reminders feature. Right now, a search for [U2] shows "Remind you about new releases", while a search for [Madonna] shows "Get updates about Madonna".

"Keeping up with the latest information about your favorite musicians, movie stars and other notable people just got easier thanks to the Knowledge Graph and Google Now," informs Google. "Say that you're a Lady Gaga fan and like staying informed about her latest album releases. On the Google Search App, search for [lady gaga]. On the card that pops up, tap 'Remind you about new releases?' and Google Now will keep you updated on your phone or tablet. Similarly, use Google Now to stay in the know about your favorite athletes. For example, search for [colin kaepernick] and tap 'Get updates about Colin Kaepernick' on his card; doing so lets Google Now know that you'd like to receive news. Remember that to use this feature, you'll need to be signed into your Google account on the Google Search App."

Well, I don't see 'Remind you about new releases?' when searching for [Lady Gaga].

YouTube Updates Center-Aligned UI, Adds Carousel

YouTube's experimental interface now uses carousels on the homepage, so it can show more videos from a channel. Video thumbnails are also much bigger. The regular interface also uses carousels, but only when you are signed in.

It's another version of the center-aligned layout, which uses a persistent header, a guide sidebar that's visible only when you click "Guide" and a card-style interface.

Here's how you can enable the experimental feature. If you use Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Safari or Internet Explorer 8+:

1. open youtube.com in a new tab

2. load your browser's developer console:

* Chrome or Opera 15+ - press Ctrl+Shift+J for Windows/Linux/ChromeOS or Command-Option-J for Mac

* Firefox - press Ctrl+Shift+K for Windows/Linux or Command-Option-K for Mac

* Internet Explorer 8+ - press F12 and select the "Console" tab

* Safari 6 - if you haven't enabled the Develop menu, open Preferences from the Safari menu, go to the Advanced tab and check "Show Develop menu in menu bar". Close Preferences and then press Command-Option-C to show the console.

* Opera 12 - press Ctrl+Shift+I for Windows/Linux or Command-Option-I for Mac, then click "Console".

3. paste the following code which changes a YouTube cookie:

document.cookie="VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE=lnq3tYnrDNU; path=/; domain=.youtube.com";window.location.reload();

4. press Enter and close the console.

To go back to the regular interface, use the same instructions, but replace the code from step 3 with this one:

document.cookie="VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE=; path=/; domain=.youtube.com";window.location.reload();

{ Thanks, Rubén and Ramona Brown. }