The biggest addition to the latest Google Chrome (Beta) is the inclusion of speech recognition for applications. The browser includes a new Web Speech API, which provides developers tools to integrate speech recognition within their web apps. There is some controversy over the security of such an API as apps will have permission to record and send audio.

Google Chrome (Beta) also adds some security enhancements, most importantly for extensions. Extensions that don't explicitly ask for permissions will be blocked automatically. This is great and will force extension developers to be more transparent.

If you want to check out what's on the horizon for Chrome, download and try the Google Chrome (Beta).

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Compared to the latest stable version this edition contains subtle modifications that make it worth trying for die-hard Chrome fans. As you expect from Google Chrome, you get a web browser with a sleek, minimalist design.

Even compared with Safari and especially Firefox, the browser has very few buttons. All settings and options to choose your extensions are accessible via icons in the top right.

Please note that this version of Google Chrome is strictly a developer release, so bear in mind that you may occasionally encounter bugs and the developers are very keen to hear feedback on such problems.

The latest developer version of Google Chrome gives you a taste of what's to come from one of the fastest growing browsers out there.

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Chrome's outstanding features, like its download manager, incognito browsing mode and bookmark syncing, already make it a stand out app. In version 20, it adds a more new features, as well some tweaks that make it even more user-friendly.

New features

Being able to search directly from the address bar is one of the great things about Google Chrome. Now Omnibox, Google Chrome's address bar, will offer you various suggestions as you type. Depending on how accurate it thinks its results are, Chrome may even begin to pre-load a chosen page. Popular sites like Facebook and Twitter are now sure to load almost instantaneously.

You'll now also receive warnings when Google Chrome thinks a downloading file that might contain malware or something harmful to your PC. It does this by tracing the download's originating server and comparing it to sites on its blacklist. If you're concerned about privacy when it comes to Google looking at your downloads for potential malware, you can disable this feature within your browser preferences.

Updates and tweaks

Google Chrome introduces several smaller updates designed to improve the user experience. First, Google Chrome has improved page zooming to make it more consistent with other browsers - you can now zoom up to 500%. In addition, Print Preview no longer shows up in its own tab but rather appears in a highly-configurable modal window - this improves your workflow and makes printing even quicker. Google Chrome's History tab has also undergone a redesign. It now allows users to filter out or even remove specific domains you don't want showing up there.

There's also been an update to the V8 JavaScript engine and more than a dozen security fixes. In short, these changes make browsing even quicker - and using the internet even safer.

In addition, version 20 helps with vulnerability greatly, in that it covers patches for quite a few security-related bugs. Google Chrome's latest update will consequently help make your browsing experience even safer.

Chrome extensions

Last, but not least, there are also changes for extensions - not only can you now count on a range of Google Chrome extensions that rivals (and in many cases betters) Firefox's, but those of you with a more technical bent can take advantage of improved extension APIs, so if you've got an idea, it's even easier to make it into an extension yourself.

If you're considering making the switch from old favorites like Firefox or Internet Explorer, we'd wholeheartedly recommend Google Chrome as the browser of the future!

Google Chrome, Google's browser, mixes a clean, minimalist interface with a variety of powerful tools, making it a great browser.

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The great thing Google Keep is that it will work offline and sync with your devices when you get a connection again.

Using Google Keep is a way to keep your task lists all in one place and synced across different devices.

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Explore and learn

Google Earth not only displays satellite images but it also includes terrains and 3D reconstruction of buildings. You can look for directions and businesses, just like in Google Maps and pinpoint areas or draw on maps straight in Google Earth.

Google Earth includes a very wide, and constantly increasing library of layers, which you can add to the map to enrich your experience. You'll find all sorts of information, from historical landscapes to national parks, regions where you can find endangered species or tourist spots. Google Earth will also showcase more news related information such as forest fires or tsunamis.

But Google Earth is not limited to terrain, and with every new version, it adds new sources of satellite imagery and information about other areas in the world. Say you're really into stars; then you should turn to the Sky mode and navigate among the constellations. Or, if you prefer exploring the seas, enable the Water surface option and learn all the secrets about oceans and marine creatures. Feeling more adventurous? Select the Moon or the Mars options and take a walk in space without leaving your easy chair. What's more, Google Earth also lets you travel in time by providing you with a new Historical Imagery function that allows you to see the evolution of certain locations during the past few years.

Navigation

Moving around in Google Earth is incredibly intuitive thanks to the multiple navigation tools. Some areas will show less information than others, and Google Earth is known to use up a substantial amount of bandwidth, but it remains a fascinating piece of software

Conclusion

Google Earth is as of yet an unequaled application. Browse around the world, zoom into streets, gaze at the stars or dive into the ocean. Millions of possibilities.

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This means that anything that appears in Google Canary, will eventually probably appear in both the developer and stable versions, so if you want to stay at the very cutting edge of Google Chrome, Canary is what you need. The good news is, when you install Google Canary, it won't install itself over any other version you've got installed, so you can test it to your heart's content.

However, since its completely untested and designed for those that want to help Google develop the next version of Chrome, you'll find it very unstable and unreliable at times and be warned that it will send anonymous usage stats back to Google.

If you want to see the cutting edge latest in the development of Chrome, Google Chrome Canary is your answer.

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Google Earth Pro is the professional version of Google Earth. It's downloaded upon registration on its website and adds some extra features to the free version.
Do these additional functions make a difference? Let's dig a bit deeper.
Making use of a vast satellite imagery database –actually the same as the free version, Google Earth Pro displays locations from all over the world, enabling you to zoom in from the image of the whole planet to the streets of any capital city.
As a Pro version user, you're supposed to enjoy a faster performance, but we couldn't really notice any difference.
Another interesting feature included in Google Earth Pro is the ability to record videos with your movements around the world, which you can use to illustrate trips or even give directions.
You can choose different resolutions, but record only in WMV format.
Technical support assistance, Premium print and a GID data importer are other additional capabilities of this Pro version.
However, taking into account that both versions share the same image database, which in the end is Google Earth's biggest value, you may as well use the free version.

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Features

Custom Google Background will first prompt you to select one or images to add to your background collection. You can upload your own picture, link to one on the web, or search across 500px.com. Custom Google Background recognizes all popular image file types such as GIF, PNG, and JPG. Once you have compiled your image gallery you may select a single image to always display, randomize images, or disable backgrounds.

Custom Google Background also contains a personalization menu where you can hide features of the Google main page. This includes disabling the Google logo, search button, lucky button, footer and more. You can also change the background's size and position.

Usability

All of Custom Google Background's selections are made in a browser tab; there is no drop down menu for quick access. Each menu is placed side by side on a single page for easy access. These four menus are labeled and numbered with clear steps. The buttons and icons in each of these menus are intuitive even with sparse text explanations.

Pasting an image from the web does not have a preview. It will instead be instantly added to your gallery. If you search on 500px an overlay will appear with only the first twenty search results selectable. Unfortunately Custom Google Background will not give any sort of error message or notification if nothing can be found on 500px. Any image you're unhappy with can be deleted by pressing the "x" icon in the upper right corner.

Quality

When you visit Google there will be a slight delay loading your background. You will typically see the standard front page for a second or two before your image and personalization appear. Once the image loads there are no noticeable performance issues, even when the background contains large and/or animated pictures.

Conclusion

Custom Google Background is a great way to change the look and feel of your Google homepage. It's interface is easy to understand and use. While there some minor display and loading issues Custom Google Background is a fast and painless way to change Google's aesthetic.

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There are few things that Google don't do well and this even extends to making 3D art accessible to the most inexperienced artist in the form of Google SketchUp.

Google SketchUp bucks the trend of expensive 3D modeling software such as 3DSMax and Cinema4D and presents a free, easy to use alternative with which you can even post your creations onto Google Earth for the world to see. The latest version has been integrated with Google Maps too so that geo-tagging your creations is easier than ever.

There's a refreshing lack of technical jargon in Google SketchUp and unfamiliar terms to beginners such as the 'Extrude' tool have been renamed to the more obvious 'Push/Pull' for example. There are plenty of helpful hints and guides throughout too helping you get to grips with 'snapping' when you draw rectangles, circles and other shapes. Google Sketchup intelligently predicts where you want endpoints to meet and snaps them shut for you, saving lots of time messing around.

SketchUp doesn't lack in functionality though despite its ease of use and includes all the usual collection of drawing and filling tools you'd expect, neatly accessible in the toolbar across the top of the screen. Instructor hints pop out on the right of the screen when it thinks you need them. Other options can be accessed via the menu system, or you can choose to place extra palettes on the workspace to save wading through menus. Of particular note is the 'Materials' palette, which contains over 100 different preset swatches, such as vegetation, metal and glass. The Shadow Settings palette is also worth keeping to hand, as it allows you to apply realistic shadows via simple sliders.

The real fun however is when you export your Google SketchUp drawings into Google Earth. You can send images of your 3D designs via email or upload them for free storage at Google's 3D Web Warehouse. Alternatively, you can geo-tag them in one-step using Google Maps which has now been integrated into Google Sketchup. You receive a snapshot when you add a geo-location to your model which now includes 3D terrain data plus color aerial imagery.

There are some problems with Google SketchUp however. Most annoying is when trying to create domed surfaces because of the cumbersome nature of the Extrude tool, although pushing and pulling straight lines is considerably easier. Being free, it also obviously lacks some of the advanced features of many of its heavyweight rivals.

Google SketchUp provides a refreshingly simple approach to 3D graphic design and modeling and is ideal for non experts in CAD technology.

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Previously Google had a variety of different services that connected to each other. Now Google has released Google Drive which integrates Google Docs, Google+, and a cloud storage service into one.

While Gmail and Google+ are still separate from Drive, Google Docs was renamed to Drive with the addition of a free 5 GB of online storage. Like Dropbox, it adds a shortcut to your Windows Explorer so you can drag-and-drop files.

Once added, they are uploaded to your online account. Any type of file can be uploaded and are then accessible through the currently available Android app or online. The integration of storage with documents allows you to work with larger assets like images and video.

Friends can comment on anything you have uploaded, adding another level of social interaction. Drive is comparable to other cloud storage services, but the added connection to your Google account makes the unified system much easier to use. You can purchase more storage for extra space if necessary.

Google Drive has a lot of potential, but there is still room for improvement.

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It was inspired by Adblock Plus for Firefox and features many of the same tools for blocking ads. However, this project has nothing to do with the latter. Adblock is incredibly powerful and blocks just about everything including pre-video ads in YouTube. When it's blocking ads, you'll notice the Adblock logo glow red in your Chrome taskbar.

There are filter lists that you can add or delete sites from within the add-ons panel. It's important to filter sites that you do need Flash pop-ups to work on (such as Grooveshark) for example, in order for applications to work properly while Adblock is working.

Adblock is a very powerful ad blocking tool that may make your pages look a bit empty, but is certainly effective.

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Uploading songs to your Google Music library on an individual basis can be a serious drag, as well as a complete time-waster. Much like the 8tracks Uploader for Macs, Music Manager lets users easily and quickly transfer songs to their Google Music Library in no time at all.

You can tweak the settings on Music Manager to automatically upload new music it detects from iTunes, Windows Media Player, or other storage media.

In addition to uploading songs, the program also provides a list of songs it was unable to upload, as well as a reason as to why the upload didn't work. Unfortunately, if you do encounter an error in uploading, Music Manager doesn't actually suggest a solution. You might just be out of luck, which could be frustrating.

If you want an easy-to-use method of uploading songs to your Google Music library, Music Manager is the way to go.

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The most essential component to this process is the reconstruction of the image in a way consistent with how the human eye would have seen it. Simultaneously, an innovative selective object detection algorithm ensures that the only parts of the picture to be optimized are the parts which need to be. With this process, Photomizer is practically a fully automated photo lab in your pocket: pictures receive a widened dynamic range, human faces in the picture are detected and optimized by relevance, exposure mistakes and colors are corrected, and shadows are lightened. The software can apply any and all of these functions without any required user action.

Simply Good Pictures 2 is a full automatic system for the re-adjustment of tonality, re-sharpening, contrast optimization, hue control and saturation, white balance and bright/dark correction. Therefore it optimizes digital photos like hardly any other programme.

Simply Good Pictures 2 is intended for users who want to optimize their digital photos fast and effective. The handling of the software is intuitive so that even beginners can work with it effortlessly.

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Google lovers using Windows 8 will be happy to know that Google Search will let you search with your favorite search engine instead of having to use Bing. To get started, watch the short tutorial about the different gestures for Windows 8. Then log in and all of your Google stuff will be there waiting for you.

Google Search is more than just a box for a Google page. There is a section for 'apps,' which just opens up Google web apps in the app. You have access to Gmail, Maps, Caldendar and more. Still, search is at the heart of Google Search for Windows 8. It's great for searching for information. Results show up as you type and links open up within the app.

Voice search also makes it into Google Search for Windows 8. Tap on the Voice Search icon and speak your search query. It works well and offers a similar experience on iOS. There are also instant previews that show you screenshots of each site so you have an idea of what you're looking for, even before you click.

The biggest reason to download Google Search is that it can replace Bing as your default search app in Windows 8. Users can activate a search using Google Search from the Charms Bar or from a keyboard shortcut. Having this level of integration with the operating system makes Google Search a must have app.

If you prefer Google over Bing, you'll definitely need to download this app.

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