August 2015 Summaries

In an episode of "Coffee with a Googler," developer advocate Laurence Moroney discusses with Brian Dorsey the advantages of using containers, particularly in the Google Cloud Platform, for streamlining infrastructure management. Containers are highlighted as tools that enhance the developer experience by allowing more focus on software development rather than infrastructure handling, regardless of the scale of deployment. The conversation also touches on Kubernetes, an open-source project for managing containers and container clusters, with a practical example provided by Julia Ferraioli, who used Docker containers to set up a Minecraft server with various plugins and managed it using Kubernetes. The episode emphasizes the utility of containers and Kubernetes in simplifying complex infrastructure tasks and encourages further exploration on the Google Cloud Platform site.

The blog post discusses the integration and upgrade path from Angular 1 to Angular 2, emphasizing the ability to mix both frameworks within a single application for a seamless transition. Angular 2 offers significant improvements over its predecessor, including better performance, more powerful templating, simpler APIs, and enhanced debugging capabilities. The integration allows developers to upgrade applications incrementally, one service or component at a time, facilitated by the ng-upgrade library. This library helps in maintaining interoperability between Angular 1 and Angular 2 through shared dependency injection, component nesting, and synchronized change detection. The post also highlights the decoupling of Angular 2's rendering from the DOM, enabling advanced features like server-side rendering, Web Workers, and native mobile UI support. Developers are encouraged to adopt modern JavaScript versions, such as ES6 and TypeScript, for improved productivity while migrating to Angular 2. The post addresses common concerns about two-way data binding and provides guidance on preparing for migration, ensuring a smooth upgrade process with ongoing support and future detailed guides.

Udacity and Google have collaborated to offer a course aimed at helping entrepreneurs and app developers navigate the complexities of app monetization strategies. The course, designed by Ido Green, a Developer Advocate, combines educational content with real-life examples to guide participants in developing, implementing, and measuring effective monetization strategies. It covers key skills such as choosing and implementing a suitable monetization strategy, setting and monitoring performance metrics, and recognizing when to pivot strategies. The course targets those starting a new business or looking to improve the financial performance of their existing startup, providing practical insights and tools to turn customer validation into financial success.

Google BigQuery has introduced support for user-defined functions (UDFs) to enhance its SQL-based analytics capabilities by allowing the integration of JavaScript for complex operations that are challenging to express in SQL, such as loops and advanced string parsing. These UDFs operate similarly to map functions in MapReduce, processing individual rows and potentially producing multiple output rows with different schemas. An example UDF is provided to demonstrate URL decoding, which is not natively supported in BigQuery, showcasing the flexibility of incorporating external code to handle specific data transformation needs. The execution of UDFs is optimized by running JavaScript code close to the data on Google servers, which eliminates the need for additional hardware provisioning and ensures scalability according to data size. Furthermore, tips for efficient usage of UDFs include pre-filtering data to minimize processing loads and avoiding persistent mutable state to ensure consistent results across distributed query executions.

Laurence Moroney, a Developer Advocate at Google, interviews Timothy Jordan in an episode of "Coffee With a Googler" to explore the concept of Ubiquitous Computing at Google. They discuss various platforms and services, such as Brillo, which extends the Android Platform to Internet of Things (IoT) devices, and Weave, a services layer for seamless device interaction. The conversation also covers the use of beacons, particularly how they can provide contextual information to enhance user experiences, eliminating the need for users to manually provide location or context. Timothy introduces Eddystone, a protocol for Bluetooth Low Energy beacons, along with the Proximity Beacon API and Nearby Messages API, which assist developers in integrating and utilizing beacons in their applications. Additionally, Timothy highlights a new Udacity series on ubiquitous computing, offering insights into design paradigms and technical specifics for various Google platforms, and invites viewers to a summit in San Francisco dedicated to the topic.

Project Tango, led by Google's Larry Yang, has released a range of innovative apps on Google Play that showcase the capabilities of their Tablet Development Kit, allowing users to explore features such as motion tracking, area learning, and depth perception. These apps include MeasureIt for easy distance measurement, Constructor for 3D content creation, and Tangosaurs for virtual archaeology. Additionally, apps like Tango Village and Multiplayer VR offer immersive VR experiences, while Tango Blaster integrates with physical toys for interactive gameplay. Partner apps like Break A Leg and SideKick’s Castle Defender demonstrate the practical use of Project Tango's technology in virtual reality and game environments. The Project Tango Tablet Development Kits are set to become available in several European countries, encouraging developers to create and share 3D experiences, with support and collaboration facilitated through a Google+ community, Stack Overflow, and other platforms.

The first-ever Polymer Summit, organized by Taylor Savage, is set to take place on September 14-15, 2015, at the Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ in downtown Amsterdam, offering a comprehensive schedule of talks and events focused on Polymer development. The summit will begin with Code Labs on the evening of September 14th, followed by a full day of presentations on September 15th covering topics such as building full applications with Polymer, integrating ES6, adaptive UI through Material Design, and performance patterns. Although all tickets were quickly claimed, interested individuals can join a waitlist or access the summit via a livestream, with recordings of all talks to be uploaded to the Google Developers YouTube Channel.

The Google beacon platform enhances app functionality by allowing devices to receive context-specific information through the use of Proximity Beacon API and Nearby Messages API, which manage and serve attachments associated with beacons. This technology enables apps to deliver relevant messages based on a user's location or proximity to objects, like distinguishing between a train platform and a nearby food truck. The design of these APIs allows for message-level granularity rather than beacon-specific data, enabling developers to create context-aware applications that remain adaptable to future device types and scenarios. Built-in deduplication and abstraction from hardware specifics streamline the process, while attachments can also link to external resources for handling large or sensitive data. Overall, the platform facilitates a seamless integration of digital information with real-world environments, enhancing user experiences by merging virtual personalization with physical context.

Heidi Dohse, a member of the Google Cloud team, shares her journey of using technology to manage her health after being diagnosed with a severe heart condition in her youth, which required the use of a pacemaker. Despite her condition, she remains an active athlete, participating in competitive cycling, thanks to her proactive approach to health management through data collection and analysis from her pacemaker. This data encompasses various health metrics like gyroscope readings, oxygen utilization, and muscle stimulation, allowing her to foresee potential health issues and manage them effectively. Her experience highlights the potential of technology in revolutionizing healthcare by enabling continuous health monitoring and proactive management, suggesting a shift away from traditional episodic visits to healthcare providers.

In an episode of "Coffee with a Googler," Laurence Moroney introduces MacDuff Hughes from the Google Translate team, highlighting the tool's use of statistical methods for translation by analyzing large datasets to produce natural-sounding results. Google Translate continuously expands its language offerings, aiming to support both widely spoken languages like English and Spanish, as well as less common ones such as Gaelic and Maori. The platform not only translates text but also images through mobile devices. Additionally, the community plays a role in validating translations, especially for less common languages, assisting in the tool's development. Developers can integrate translation capabilities using a free website plugin or the Cloud-based Translate API.

Technology startup leaders often face the challenge of maximizing limited budgets, especially in roles such as CTO, VP R&D, or CIO, where financial constraints are common. A webinar hosted by Google Cloud Platform Marketing aims to address these concerns by featuring insights from four technology leaders—Yorick Phoenix, Erich Ess, Greg Roodt, and Raphael Ouzan—who will share their strategies for operating lean. Key topics include reducing burn rates through smart technology choices, optimizing the effectiveness of development teams, and avoiding vendor lock-in to enhance cost efficiency. The session promises an informative discussion that is moderated by Amir Shevat, a senior program manager at Google Developer Relations, and will provide valuable tips and tricks for startups looking to navigate financial constraints effectively.

Google's implementation of Rich Snippets for reviews, introduced six years ago, has evolved with the Knowledge Graph to enhance how structured data is used in search results. By incorporating schema.org markup, publishers can increase the visibility and reach of their critic reviews, particularly for movies, which are displayed prominently in Knowledge Graph cards across devices. This feature, which is being extended to other verticals like TV shows and books, allows publishers to better communicate specific review snippets and associated metadata to Google, thereby improving the accuracy and relevance of search results. The process involves adding structured data using formats like JSON+LD, which simplifies the integration of this information into web pages, ultimately broadening the audience for published reviews.

Project Tango Tablet Development Kits, designed exclusively for software developers, are being made available in South Korea and Canada, with further availability scheduled for several European countries by August 26, 2015. These kits, purchasable through the Google Store, offer advanced computer vision capabilities through features like a wide-angle camera, a depth-sensing camera, and a comprehensive software stack, allowing developers to innovate and create applications that explore and interact with the physical world in new ways. With over 3,000 developer devices already distributed, the Project Tango community has developed hundreds of applications, ranging from precise indoor navigation systems to interactive games and virtual 3D experiences. Recent software updates have enhanced capabilities such as indoor navigation accuracy, depth perception, and overall performance, while an ongoing app development contest encourages further innovation. Developers are invited to engage with the community through various platforms, including Google+, Stack Overflow, and Twitter, and stay informed via a monthly newsletter.