Now you can stream apps with google

Google’s push to organize the world’s information has recently been focused on figuring out the best way to index mobile apps. Today, the company started indexing Android apps that don’t have matching web content, and even began experimenting with letting users stream apps that they don’t have installed.

Google has been testing various levels of app indexing for years, with features showing up as early as December 2013. The company typically begins with Android, and then considers expanding functionality to iOS. This time is no different: Both of these new features are only available on Google’s mobile operating system.

Until now, Google has only indexed apps that have matching web content, meaning you could always find a corresponding website with the same information. Now, the company is going after content that lives primarily in apps (it doesn’t exist online or it provides a poor user experience). Today’s debut begins with just nine apps: Hotel Tonight, Weather, Chimani, Gormey, My Horoscope, Visual Anatomy Free, Useful Knots, Daily Horoscope, and New York Subway.

“We want to make sure users are engaging with this app-only content” and that “the streaming experience works well,” Rajan Patel, Google’s director of mobile search, told VentureBeat. “If users enjoy it, and we see they’re using it, we will expand the scope.”

Additionally, if you don’t have a given app installed, Google will now let you stream content — as long as you’re on a reliable Wi-Fi connection. That means you don’t have to install the app to get the information you’re looking for.

In fact, you can even accomplish tasks like booking a hotel room without installing the app. When these apps show up in search results, they are accompanied with a Stream button. Tapping it takes you into a streamed version that you can interact with as if you had the app on your phone. Android Lollipop is required, tablets are not yet supported, and the search has to be conducted through Google (streaming won’t work through Google’s mobile site).

But how does the feature work? Well, the streaming technology is built “at least in part” into the Google app. But Google also can’t just stream any app.

“These apps are running on virtual machines on Google Cloud Platform, using the same technology as the Google Cloud Test Lab,” a Google spokesperson told VentureBeat. “It’s similar to a streamed video, but interactive, with swipe, tap, etc. signals being sent to the streamed app in essentially real time. We are experimenting with a few apps initially to get the user experience right, but we are looking to scale to more apps soon.”

This is a big play from Google, as it could fundamentally change how searching for in-app content works on mobile devices. Right now, Google serves up the app if you have it installed, possibly even the specific section with what you’re looking for. If you don’t have the app installed, Google gives you the corresponding mobile webpage. Going forward, Google will give you the app whether you have it installed (it just launches) or not (it just streams).

In its announcement today, Google also shared it now has over 100 billion deep links into apps in its search index. These include popular apps like Facebook, Instagram, Airbnb, and Pinterest. In fact, over 40 percent of Google searches on Android now surface app content.

Google is well aware that search has evolved from simply entering queries into a desktop browser. “We’re not thinking about desktop at all right now, in terms of experience,” Patel explained. This is all about mobile.

“Today, you’re more likely to be searching on your mobile device, and the best answers may be buried in an app … perhaps one that you don’t even have installed yet,” the company acknowledged.

And that’s exactly why Google is investing in indexing apps: The company wants all the world’s information, wherever it resides.

 

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Steps to capture and stream in playstation4

Showing off exactly how you play is a huge part of the modern gaming experience. Live streams and Let’s Play videos are increasingly common, and barriers to entry are lowering every year. Capturing and streaming gameplay from the PS4 can now be accomplished from the device itself, and a small hardware investment nets some incredibly high-end results. With a little bit of effort, anyone can stream and capture console video without an elaborate or expensive set-up.

Today, I’m going to walk you through the process of capturing and streaming PS4 gameplay on the device itself and using the excellent Game Capture HD60 from Elgato. Cameras and microphones are an optional addition, but you won’t need any other specialty gear to get up and running.

Built-in video capture

On the DualShock 4 itself, you’ll find a dedicated “Share” button. Give it a tap, and you’ll be shown all of your sharing options from screenshots to video clips to Share Play. Press the “Options” button, and then select “Share Settings.”

Share settings

From this menu, you can drill down, and configure your settings as you see fit. The first option let’s you change how the “Share” button behaves. The second option let’s you change clip length, and toggle the mic on and off. Number three lets you customize what shows up in your broadcasts, and the final option lets you enter all of your account info. If you’re just recording video clips locally, you can leave all of the settings to default, but feel free to tweak these settings to fit your needs. Once you’re done, exit out.

Select clip

Whenever you’re playing a game on the PS4, the last 15 minutes are always being recorded in the background. If you’d like to save and upload any portion of your gameplay, simply press the “Share” button. Pressing “Square” will save the most recent footage, and selecting “Upload Video Clip” will allow you to pick which clip you’d like to use.

Upload

Once you’ve selected your clip, you can choose to upload it to either Facebook or YouTube. Make sure you’re logged in, fill out all of the forms, trim your clip to taste, and post away. It’s a very simple process , but don’t be surprised if the final result is heavilycompressed.

Copy to USB

Alternately, you can simply move your video clips to a USB drive. Plug in your drive, and launch the “Capture Gallery” application from the PS4’s main menu. Navigate to the video you’d like to save, and then press the “Options” button. Select “Copy to USB Storage Device,” wait for it to transfer, and then you can use the video on your PC however you’d like.