Google on Android: Search

On September 23, T-Mobile announced the world's first Android-powered phone, the G1. The phone comes preloaded with Search, Maps, Gmail with Contacts, Calendar, Google Talk, and YouTube. The applications are easy to use, fully synchronized with the web, and work together in new and innovative ways, as explained in our first post in the blogseries: 'Google on Android'. Over the next couple of weeks, we will put the spotlight on each one of the Google applications for Android. Today: Search. -- Marc Vanlerberghe, Product Marketing Director.

Google's mission is "to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful." Android-powered phones are designed to support the second part of that mission -- universally accessible and useful -- by making Search an integrated, easy-to-use, and platform-wide feature.

We've integrated Search with applications in a variety of ways, in order to make it universally accessible. Every searchable application includes a Search menu option. Some applications (like Maps) support type-to-search. Just start typing, and Maps will automatically open the Search UI for you! Some applications (like Android Market) have Search buttons, while others have Search widgets (like the home screen). Finally, on the T-Mobile G1, there's even a dedicated Search key on bottom row of the keyboard. Just press it and start typing your query.

We've made Search easier to use by providing suggestions. As you type, the list of suggestions refines itself, and you'll immediately jump to that search with a simple touch. There are two types of suggestions on the T-Mobile G1. Google web searches use Google Suggest technology to offer relevant, up-to-date suggestions. Other applications, like YouTube or Gmail, suggest queries you've previously made so that it's easier to find and share results that you've found before. I've even used recent query suggestions to start a search without any typing at all.

Also, we've integrated search across the platform so that applications can even share search capabilities with each other. For example, as Marc noted in his blog post, the music player can use other apps, like the browser or YouTube, to search for artist info, more music, or even music videos.

Finally, we've made it easy for third party developers to incorporate search into their applications, too. We've provided an easy-to-use API, documentation, sample code, and everything else a developer needs to implement basic searchability -- with recent query suggestions -- in their apps. What's more exciting to me is that developers can improve upon search as well. Maybe someone will find and provide new sources of searchable knowledge, or serve "mind reading" suggestions, or display search results in a more informative and beautiful way? I can't wait to see what developers come up with!

To see Google search on Android in action, check out this video:



Posted by Andy Stadler, Software Engineer, Android Team

Voting info on your phone

Interest in the upcoming U.S. elections is at an all-time high, so it's important for people to know how to register to vote. We've updated m.google.com/elections with information for each state about voter registration, early voting, and state voter hotlines. On phones with full web browsers, like the iPhone, you can also get all state online resources including complete online registration forms. (Not on a mobile device now? Send this URL to your phone.)

Voter registration deadlines are right around the corner (the earliest are Alaska, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Washington, which require mailed-in registrations to be postmarked by October 4) so be sure to check your state's rules in time.

Check out the Official Google Blog to learn about Google's other efforts to get out the vote.


Posted by Effie Seiberg, Mobile Citizen

mosquitos, fire alarms & pictures, oh my!

Life has been a little strange in the McCrady household as of late. For example, two nights ago we were watching tv (our favorite thing to do) with the dog and we saw a mosquito flying around. Ryan and I both took turns trying to smack it or catch it, but nothing worked. Even Scout tried his best, bless his heart, to catch the darn thing but he wasn't fast enough. Well we finally gave up after a while and just figured it wouldn't do any harm. Um.. yeah. I guess it had gotten under the blanket with me on the couch, and I now have 9 beautiful bites on the back of my left leg. Fun times! It's super attractive to be scratching them at work but I can't help it. At least I'm in a cube right? :)

Then last night, we were sleeping soundly in our bed (well at least I was completely conked out... I think Ryan may have been dozing off), when the fire alarm went off. But, we were both so out of it that we didn't realize it was the fire alarm for a while. It was one of the loudest things I've ever heard! We started walking from room to room to figure out where the sound was coming from (checking the security alarm, carbon monoxide detector), and of course it was coming from our bedroom--I guess we were too tired to figure that out the first time. So we walked outside to see if anybody else was having the same issue. Lo and behold, our whole building was standing outside in their PJs looking groggy and annoyed. After about 5 minutes of the really loud siren and our poor freaked out dog barking, a fire truck arrived and turned it off. I was shaking for a while after that because I was so worked up from all the frenzy! We still have no idea why the alarm went off in the first place. But I did realize that that was the first time I've talked to our neighbors before. I know that's pretty normal to not be close with your neighbors, but I wish it was different! There's even a young couple like us that live right next door to us but we're always so busy and don't really take the time to get to know each other. Come to think of it, it would probably be really smart to make friends with at least one neighbor in case we need anything. Oh well.

Now for pictures of the weekend... On Friday after work, we took it easy and played with the dog for a while. I know Scout secretly loves stuff like this. :)

Then on Saturday, we slept in (bliss, I tell you) and went over to Mom's house to help with her kitchen. Ryan was feeling pretty sick still so he watched football while Debbie, Steph and I helped put up wallpaper and decide on accessories. We had so much fun!
We were pretty exhausted by the end of the day though...and we felt like this:
That night, we met up with Ashley, Ellory, Kristin & Kekoa at this little hole-in-the-wall Italian place called Covinos. It was amazing!!!! We had such a fun time talking and eating lots of incredible food. We will definitely go back there again some day. I love finding new places!
On Sunday, we went to church and then lunch with Kendra (her fiance Jared was on a 5-day bachelor party trip). They're getting married this month!!! I think she needs a blog, don't you?
Okay that's about all the news for now. Happy Wednesday!!