Google opens Inbox access, brings Cardboard to iOS, updates Places API and Maps
On the first day of its I/O developer conference Google made a series of iOS-related announcements, including making Inbox available to everyone, bringing its Cardboard virtual reality technology to the platform, and announcing updates to the iOS versions of Maps and the Places API.
Google has also added several new features, such as Trip Bundles, which automatically gather together trip-related emails and highlight key pieces of information. An Undo Send option lets users retract a message within a few seconds of sending it, and any reminders created in Google Keep will appear in Inbox as well. Two new settings options let users enable a "swipe to delete" gesture or create a signature.
Inbox is free and runs on any device with iOS 7.0 or higher.
Although Cardboard previously had some unofficial iPhone app support, Google today added iOS to the Cardboard SDK, making it easier for iPhone developers to enable virtual reality options. With a compatible app running, an iPhone simply needs to be inserted into a Cardboard-ready viewer.
Google also released a revamped official viewer design, which can be assembled in three steps, has a new button, and supports devices with screens up to 6 inches -- enough to fit phones like the iPhone 6 Plus. People wanting to try Cardboard can download instructions to make a viewer or buy a pre-assembled third-party unit.
The Places API for iOS is now available in its final form, having first emerged in March as a beta. The code lets developers access Google's points-of-interest database, in turn making it easier for apps to do things like determine location, search for a POI, and get business details such as a phone number and Web address.
One developer working to implement the API is ridesharing service Lyft, which is crafting an update that will use Google services to mark pickup and dropoff points.
Google is meanwhile preparing to update Maps with an offline search mode, and even offline turn-by-turn navigation. The new features should debut sometime later in 2015.
Google Inbox
Version 1.3 of the simplified email client can now be freely downloaded from the App Store. Previously, people wanting to use the app could only do so through an invite system.Google has also added several new features, such as Trip Bundles, which automatically gather together trip-related emails and highlight key pieces of information. An Undo Send option lets users retract a message within a few seconds of sending it, and any reminders created in Google Keep will appear in Inbox as well. Two new settings options let users enable a "swipe to delete" gesture or create a signature.
Inbox is free and runs on any device with iOS 7.0 or higher.
Google Cardboard on iOS
Although Cardboard previously had some unofficial iPhone app support, Google today added iOS to the Cardboard SDK, making it easier for iPhone developers to enable virtual reality options. With a compatible app running, an iPhone simply needs to be inserted into a Cardboard-ready viewer.
Google also released a revamped official viewer design, which can be assembled in three steps, has a new button, and supports devices with screens up to 6 inches -- enough to fit phones like the iPhone 6 Plus. People wanting to try Cardboard can download instructions to make a viewer or buy a pre-assembled third-party unit.
Google Maps & Places API
The Places API for iOS is now available in its final form, having first emerged in March as a beta. The code lets developers access Google's points-of-interest database, in turn making it easier for apps to do things like determine location, search for a POI, and get business details such as a phone number and Web address.
One developer working to implement the API is ridesharing service Lyft, which is crafting an update that will use Google services to mark pickup and dropoff points.
Google is meanwhile preparing to update Maps with an offline search mode, and even offline turn-by-turn navigation. The new features should debut sometime later in 2015.
Comments
The Unsend feature in Inbox is interesting: it means that they are not immediately dispatching the mail
https://trustiko.com/unsend-an-email-in-gmail/
The Unsend feature in Inbox is interesting: it means that they are not immediately dispatching the mail
didn't outlook etc used to have this years ago, you could set up outlook so it sent immediately, or say after a specified time....
gave you an opportunity to go to the outbox and remove the expletives from the email you were to send to your boss...
Now all we need is an Inbox Apple Watch extension so we can see bundles on the Watch. Currently, you just have to use Apple's Mail App on the Watch which doesn't do anything with bundles...
I can well imagine AI's very own Mr. Google, AKA Gatorguy, walks around wearing one strapped to his head with duct tape, and very proudly too. It's the new Glass don't you know ...?
Cardboard is an affront to good design.
Amen! The Cardboard reeks of smugness and "cleverness". "Too clever by half", my English teacher used to say.
People go on and on and on about how Apple no longer innovates and has no new ideas but the reality is that its Google that has no ideas of any worth in fact looking at these moronic ideas they are putting out stuff "designed" by interns , and it really shows, because all the smart people have left google
Seriouslly Google you have totally lost it (the wheels are coming off) - I mean "really" wtf - you have no shame! Those products are laughable
it's a longstanding labs feature of gmail. we use it at our org set to the max time, about 30-60 seconds, tho I wish it were longer.
you can do similar with VIPs on AW, where you only get notifications for people who matter.
Unsend was already available. But a few months ago I tried Inbox (I received an invite) and found out that the only feature that is not possible to obtain in Gmail (with manual settings of filters, tags and so on) is the deferred reminder: it is possible to temporarily dismiss an email and ask to put it again in evidence after a certain time.
you can do similar with VIPs on AW, where you only get notifications for people who matter.
Unfortunately, that's not enough. For instance, I work on code projects where I receive a bunch of automated emails from the same address. Only some of those (About 5%) are important enough to go to my Watch... I can do that with Inbox.
VIPs are good though. I use them _in addition_ to using Inbox... with only a few select VIPs to make sure that no matter what happens I will see their emails.
Unsend was already available. But a few months ago I tried Inbox (I received an invite) and found out that the only feature that is not possible to obtain in Gmail (with manual settings of filters, tags and so on) is the deferred reminder: it is possible to temporarily dismiss an email and ask to put it again in evidence after a certain time.
There are a number of things Inbox can do that Gmail can't. Just a few:
1. Snooze emails (like you mentioned)
2. Automatically "Bundle" emails. It's like a combination of Gmail tabs and labels on steroids and completely users controllable.
3. Ability to Archive whole bundles at a time. So I can open my "Promo" bundle and with one tap Archive all 10 semi-spam emails I've received today. Or go into my Social bundle and clear the ~30 emails I got from Facebook because I Liked something that all my friends commented on in one fail swoop.
4. Swiping Gestures... these help you clear your inbox quickly.
All of these things put together allows me to power through my email. In just a couple of minutes I can whittle down ~50 emails to 3 or 4 important ones. Then I can decide which of those I need to act on now and which I can do later today. Snooze the ones for later today and then get to work on the other 2 that are really important NOW.
Since I got an Apple Watch I've been using it a bit to Archive really trivial emails while I'm on the go... so I have even less to deal with in Inbox. Seems to be working well.
I think a lot of this stuff depends on how many emails you get daily. Yesterday I received just over 100 emails. About 10% of that is semi-spam (spam I receive on purpose)... the rest is actual real emails (most about the software projects I work on) but only very few of those are "actionable" on my part while many are just informational. Inbox allows me to deal with this daily deluge efficiently.
BTW: This is in my personal Gmail account. My work account mainly just receives normal corporate email BS. I use regular Gmail to deal with my work email. A few filters deals with it easily ;-)
I bought it here:
http://www.pcardboard.com
Nice price and really fast free delivery worldwide!
Actually Outlook had an unsent feature for a long time, it only works inside the same Outlook mail server and as long as the user receiving it did not open before you unsent it. The problem with the outlook solution is most people believe if you hit unsent it will pull it back from everywhere even outside the company and other Outlook Mail Servers within the same company, no it does not work that way. I have used this with no issue and even after sending something hours before and it works as long as all the receiptians are on the same server.
I suspect that Google will do the same is the mail it send to other gmail account they can pull it back before the person reads it. Google Corporate gmail server had the delay send feature which gave you up to 10 to 20 second to pull it back before it actually sent it. but this is not a really unsent like Outlook has had for a long time.
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It's actually on the way to production believe it or not, partnering with Levi's.
http://thenextweb.com/google/2015/05/29/google-is-partnering-with-levis-for-its-project-jacquard-smart-fabric/
Re-calling a sent email was generally possible back in the pre-DSL days. I remember re-calling a sent email back then, I think I was using Outlook Express on my Mac back then, but it took a specific command and it was possible to do as long as the person you sent it do hadn't fetched the email from their ISP mail server.
Now, of course, many mail servers push the email to the computer/phone/tablet ... not like in the olden days where it often sat on the server until downloaded by the user. People weren't working like they were on uppers all day back then... A guy would command the computer get his email, listen to the modem squawk and chatter, go take a leak before seeing if anyone sent him any jokes or baseless recycled chain mail.