How to get the Start menu back in Windows 8

Several third-party utilities can serve as Start menu replacements for Windows 8 users who aren't as keen on the new Start screen.

 

Still miss the classic Start menu in Windows 8? Never fear, alternatives are here.
Microsoft lopped off the Start menu in Windows 8 to force people to use the Start screen. And I'll admit it, the Start screen does offers several benefits.
Live Tiles can clue you in to the latest e-mails, appointments, news, and other information. You can easily search for any app, setting, or file just by typing its name.
But I still find the folder-structured Start menu the quickest and easiest way to launch any application when I'm already working in the desktop.
Those of you who'd like the old menu back, at least as an option, can choose from a range of Start menu replacements. Most are free or at least offer a free version. Many go beyond just replicating the Start menu by letting you customize their look and feel.
Here's a rundown of several Windows 8 Start menu replacements that you can take for a spin.

Classic Shell

Classic Shell
Classic Shell bills itself as a "collection of features that were available in older versions of Windows but were later removed." Topping the list for this free open-source program is a new but familiar take on the classic Start menu.
Clicking on the Windows orb after installation lets you choose between displaying all settings in the Start menu, or just the basics. You can also select between a simple single-paned menu or the more modern dual-paned menu.
The Classic Shell menu displays shortcuts to all of your programs, documents, and settings. The familiar Run command and Search field are visible. Clicking on the Shut Down icon brings up choices for Shut Down, Restart, Hibernate, Lock, and Switch User. The Help command even calls up the new Windows 8 Help and Support page.
The latest version of Classic Shell lets you bypass the Start screen even faster. It also adds jump lists to the main menu. And you can now search for and launch Windows Store apps directly from the program's submenu.
Classic Shell lends itself to customization. The program offers an array of basic and advanced settings that you can tweak all you want. You can even back up your tweaks as an XML file in case you ever need to restore them or transfer them to another PC running Classic Shell.
You can learn more through the program's detailed FAQ page. Windows 8 users in search of a free, simple, and flexible Start menu program will find all of that and more in Classic Shell.

Pokki for Windows 8

Pokki for Windows 8
Developed by the folks at SweetLabs, Pokki for Windows 8 offers a slick and well-designed Start menu. From that menu, you can access all of your programs and open specific folders, such as Documents, Music, and Pictures. A search field lets you track down any program. And a Shut Down menu includes several options, such as Shut Down, Restart, Sleep, and Hibernate.
The developers of Pokki aren't standing still either. The latest update to the program ties in more heavily with the Windows 8 UI. A new folder called Windows 8 Apps displays links to all of your Windows Store (formerly Metro) apps. And when you search from the Pokki menu, Windows Store apps are now included in the results.
Pokki for Windows 8 is one of my favorite Start menu programs, both for its design and its host of customizable features.

Power8

Power8
Billed as "yet another Start menu replacer for Windows 8," the free Power8 displays a Start button in the usual spot on the desktop. Clicking on that button brings up the familiar two-pane menu. From the left pane, you can pin your favorite applications and access all your programs via the Programs menu. From the right pane, you can open specific folders, such as Computer, Libraries, Control Panel, Administrative Tools, and Network.
A handy search field at the bottom can track down any application, file, or other item on your PC. The familiar Run command lets you type the name of a program, folder, or file to open it. The menu offers easy access to the Shut Down, Restart, Sleep, Hibernate, Log off, Screensaver, and Lock PC commands.
Right-clicking on Power8's Start button triggers a pop-up menu with several options. The Settings command lets you customize the software's behavior. You can set it to auto start each time you log in to Windows 8. You can also resize the button or change its image.
You can block all Windows 8 UI, aka Metro, aka Modern, features, which means your mouse will no longer trigger the Start screen thumbnail or the Charms bar. Even with that option enabled, you can still click on the Windows key to get to the Start screen or press Win+C to activate the Charms bar.
Created by a team of developers in Ukraine, Power8 is a simple but effective Start menu replacement.

RetroUI Pro

RetroUI Pro
Created by the folks at Thinix, RetroUI Pro tries to bring together the two worlds of the Windows 8 UI and the standard desktop, so you get a slick blending of both.
Right off the bat, the program's Start menu looks and feels different than the Start menus offered by other programs. Clicking on the Start orb brings up a menu filled with tiles and blocks in a nod to the Windows 8 Start screen UI.
The left pane displays square icons for both standard desktop applications and Windows 8, aka Metro, apps, while the right pane offers access to your library folders, Control Panel, programs, and your user folder. You can pin any right-pane folder or other item to the left pane so that it's more easily accessible. You can also easily right-click on any left-pane item and select the delete command to remove its icon from the pane.
You'll find dedicated buttons to launch the Start screen, Charms bar, Task Switcher, and Windows 8 search screen. A shutdown button offers links to sleep, lock, log off, restart, and shut down your PC. And the familiar Run command is handily available.
Thinix designed RetroUI Pro so it's equally at home on a Windows 8 tablet as well as a PC. A TabletView button at the top of the menu transforms it into a tiled screen displaying all of the programs and other items from the left pane. You can then click or tap on any tile to open the item.
RetroUI Pro also provides a twist on Windows 8 apps that Microsoft never bothered to implement. Thanks to a feature called Enforce, you can launch a Windows 8 app from the program's Start menu, and it opens in its own resizable window directly on the desktop. You can shrink the window by dragging any of its sides or corners. You can move the smaller window around the desktop by dragging it from its title bar. You can also close the app by clicking on the familiar X in the upper right corner.
The desktop taskbar also remains visible when you switch to the Windows 8 Start screen or All Apps screen, so you can easily return to the RetroUI Pro menu from anywhere in Windows. The RetroUI menu is itself a taskbar toolbar that can be turned on and off.
Thininx provides a variety of ways to customize the program. Clicking on a desktop icon called RetroUI Settings offers several sections of options to configure. You can choose to open the RetroUI menu by pressing the Windows key, bypass the Windows 8 Start screen after logging in, and even hide the Windows 8 hot corners.
You can change the size of the TabletView screen and display its icon in the taskbar. Another section lets you control the Enforce feature to control if and how Windows 8 apps open in their own resizable windows. Other options allow you to set the default language, change the color of the Start menu, and disable all Windows 8 feature.
Finally, a desktop icon called RetroUI Pro tutorial displays a series of slideshows to fully explain all the ins and outs of the program.
You can download a free 7-day trial version of the program. A single PC license sells for $4.95 while a 3-PC license costs $9.95. RetroUI Pro offers a novel and clean way of uniting the Start menu with the Windows 8 environment and is well worth the price.

 

Start8
Available from Stardock, Start8 offers several options depending on how fond you are of the new Start screen. You can set up the orb to display the traditional Start menu or the Start screen. You can also select the menu style, themes, and a variety of other features.
The Start menu appears in the traditional two-pane format with shortcuts to your programs and folders on the left and links to Documents, Pictures, Control Panel, and other areas on the right. A Shut Down command offers options to Restart, Sign Out, Sleep, Hibernate, and more. As in Windows 7, you can control which items appear on the Start menu, which ones appear as links, and which ones as menus.
You can also still retain access to the new Windows 8 features. For example, you can set the Windows key and the Start screen hot corner to open the Start screen. If you want to avoid the Windows 8 UI instead, you can disable the Charms bar and hot corners to stay fully in the desktop.
Start8 sells for $4.99, though the company offers a full 30-day trial version. Other free and equally good Start menu replacements are available, but Start8 is still worth considering.

StartMenuPlus8

StartMenuPlus8
StartMenuPlus8 offers the usual Start menu replacement but throws in a Task Menu, albeit at an extra price.
After installation, the program asks if you want to run it as a basic, standard, standard plus, or professional user. Each increase in level offers more features. You can start off as a basic user and then upgrade later on if you wish.
As a basic user, you can click on the familiar Start button orb to display the program's Start menu. Shortcuts to various programs and certain folders appear on the left pane, while links to Documents, Pictures, Music, Control Panel, and other familiar spots appear on the right. You can also switch the left pane to display a list of recently used applications.
A search bar at the bottom of the menu lets you locate and open applications, folders, and files. A Shutdown link calls up a menu to common commands, such as Restart, Sleep, Hibernate, and Log off. There's even an option to easily run a program or file as an administrator.
You can customize and configure the program directly from the Start menu. This lets you add or remove shortcuts that appear in the menu and on the Windows desktop. A more detailed configuration screen allows you to change the commands and standard folders that display on the menu as well as the font, icon size, background image, column width, and a variety of other options.
If you opt to run the program as a professional user, you can also create Task menus, which give you direct access to specific applications, Web sites, documents, and other content.
You can download a free 30-day trial copy of StartMenuPlus8. The standard version, which includes all features except the Task menus, costs $4.99. The professional version, which throws in the Task menus, runs $9.99.
StartMenuPlus8 offers an array of features and options, almost too many. I found the program a bit confusing, not so much using it as configuring it. Having to choose from among four different user roles just to launch the software was unnecessarily cumbersome. And the more detailed configuration screen seemed cluttered with too many options facing you all at once.
If you're looking for a simple, no-frills Start menu, there are better choices here. But if you're willing to spend the time learning and customizing StartMenuPlus8, you may want to give the trial version a spin.

Start Menu Reviver

Start Menu Reviver
The free Start Menu Reviver attempts to bridge the "Modern" world with the familiar desktop world and pulls off the feat quite nicely. Clicking on the program's Start Button brings up a menu chock full of goodies with access to all of your Windows 8 applications, settings, and files.
Icons on the left side of the menu point you to your apps, Windows settings, the Windows 8 Search tool, the Run command, and recently-accessed files. Clicking on the Apps icon lets you choose to see all of your apps, only desktop apps, or just Modern apps. You can view your Start Menu folder, My Documents folder, recent items, or even a random folder of your choice.
A Tasks icon easily brings up the Windows 8 task switcher so you can jump from one Modern app to another. The Settings icon offers access to the Control Panel, Command Prompt, Device Manager, Services, System Properties, and Windows Updates.
Icons running down the middle of the menu link to the My Computer folder, browser, the Windows 8 Start screen, your e-mail, calendar, and a host of other apps. You can also search for an app directly by typing its name in the search field.
Start Menu Reviver lends itself to customization. You can remove icons for apps that you don't need and add icons for apps that you use more frequently. You can also add Web site icons and sort each menu of icons in alphabetical order.
The program offers a quick but helpful series of tutorials explaining how to use its features. Video clips show you how to navigate the menu via either mouse or gestures, a useful idea since the menu itself works equally well on a traditional PC or a touch-screen device.
Start Menu Reviver acts as your gateway to pretty much anywhere you want to go in Windows 8 without having to fiddle with screens, tiles, or charms. It's hard to think of a feature the menu left out, yet it manages to pull it off without feeling too cluttered. For those reasons and more, it gets my thumb's up.
StartW8
StartW8 is a basic but free program that replicates the classic Start menu look and feel. Clicking on the orb triggers the traditional two-pane Start menu with your shortcuts on the left and access to specific folders and other areas on the right.
A Shut Down button offers links to Restart, Sleep, Hibernate, Switch Users, Sign Out, or Lock the PC. You can also right-click on the orb to display several commands, including Run, Command Prompt, and all of the various shutdown options.
You can choose which items you want to appear in the Start menu, such as your personal folders, documents, Control Panel, Devices and printers, and the Run command. You can also tell the program to automatically bring you to the desktop after you log into Windows.
StartW8 doesn't offer much in the way of customization or advanced features. But that's fine if all you need it a simple Start menu.

StartMenu7

StartMenu7
Also known as StartMenuX, this utility lets you customize the look, feel, and functionality of its flexible Start Menu.
You can resize the menu to take up as much or as little room as you want. You can right click on any folder or shortcut to access a pop-up menu of commands. You can change the Windows orb between the classic Windows 7 look and the newer Windows 8 logo. There's even an option to set up virtual groups to organize your shortcuts.
The traditional Run and Search commands are available. And a Power Control panel displays options to Shut Down, Restart, Hibernate, Sleep, and even Undock.
You can even skip the Windows Start screen entirely and boot directly into the desktop. The program supports traditional PCs and touch-screen devices, so you can further alter its behavior depending on which device you use.
StartMenu7 is available as both a free version and a $20 Pro edition that offers even more features and customizations.

ViStart

ViStart
Published by Lee-Soft, ViStart displays the familiar Windows 7 orb. Click on the orb, and up pops ViStart's Start menu with your folders and shortcuts on the left pane and links to popular Windows features and locations on the right.
The search field lets you find the name of any application or file. A dedicated shutdown button offers access to Shut Down, Restart, Log off, and Hibernate commands. And ViStart plays nicely with the new hot corner -- you can still access the lower-right thumbnail to switch between your last two open Windows 8 apps.
You can opt to bypass the Windows 8 Start screen if you wish.
ViStart presents one obstacle, though. I couldn't find a way to organize my Start menu. Right-clicking on a folder or other item had no effect. And I couldn't locate a folder where ViStart stores its menu shortcuts. So there seems no way to customize the menu. The ViStart FAQ confirms that no right-click support is available, but that the feature is on the drawing board for a future version.
ViStart is a simple and quick way to get back the Start menu, as long as you don't mind the inability to customize the menu.

Win8 StartButton

Win8 StartButton

Win8 StartButton's menu looks just like the one offered by Classic Shell. But that's no coincidence. This program is simply a recompiled take on the open-source Classic Shell, which the developer acknowledges.
Like Classic Shell, Win8 StartButton lets you tweak the look and feel of the Start menu with several customizable features. Clicking on the program's Start orb displays the usual two-pane menu with access to your programs and folders and commands for search, run, and help. You'll also find options to Shut Down, Restart, or Hibernate your PC.
Right-clicking on the orb leads you to a Settings window where you can change the layout of the menu and a variety of other features. For example, you can disable Windows 8 hot corners if you wish, add or remove commands in the menu, and change its skin.
Win8 StartButton is a handy program with a basic Start menu and several ways to customize advanced features. But you might as well stick with Classic Shell.

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Google Now voice search arriving on the desktop

Google Now-like voice search will be available on the desktop via Chrome and the Chrome OS, and add new cards for public transit commute times and movies, tv shows and video games.

Google Search chief Amit Singhal wants to build the Star Trek computer, which answers any question you ask.

Google spent most of the Google I/O keynote on Android, Chrome and Google+, but the cash cow -- Google Search -- was given some time on stage. Google search chief Amit Singhal announced that voice search would become available on the desktop via Chrome and the Chrome OS, and Google Now would gain new cards for public transit commute times and movies, TV shows and video games.
To answers many kinds of queries, Google Now present "cards," boxes with information on traffic, weather, sports, stocks, flights, events, shipments, appointments, and other data. You can ask questions, such as "What time does the San Francisco Giants game start?" or "What will the weather in New York be like next week?," and it offers an info card and audio response when appropriate.

Google voice-enabled search on the Chrome desktop.

Chrome will enable "conversational search" with voice recognition and natural language understanding similar to the way Google Now works on mobile device -- just say "Google" to activate voice search. However, Chrome won't yet have the full Google Now card user experience.
In addition, Google Now is adding the capability to set reminders. Google Now, which launched last year on Android and last month on Apple's iOS, allows for natural language questions via voice or text and can generates spoken or text results. Apple's Siri, a competitor to Google Now, is not available for the Mac OS or Android.
Read: The future of Google Search is Now

Google Now includes new cards for public transit data.

Singhal also announced that Google's Knowledge Graph will have more statistical data available to assemble answers, and add language support for Polish, Turkish and simplified and traditional Chinese. Knowledge Graph gives Google Now and Google's overall search the ability to deliver more precise answers to queries based on its database of more than 570 million entities and billions of relationships among them.

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Google demands shutdown of Microsoft's new YouTube app

Google is seeking to block Microsoft's new YouTube app for Windows Phone 8 because it blocks ads and allows downloading of videos from YouTube's site, in violation of its terms of service.

Microsoft's new YouTube app for Windows Phone 8.

Google has sent Microsoft a cease-and-desist letter demanding Microsoft withdraw its redesigned YouTube app for Windows Phone 8 because it violates Google's Terms of Service.
The Verge first reported news of the letter, dated May 15, and included a copy of it on its Web site.
The TOS that the Microsoft YouTube app violates has to do with it blocking ads and allowing downloads of videos from Google's YouTube site.
From the letter:

"YouTube's agreements with creators give them choices inhow their content is presented and distributed, and your application takes away that control.The YouTube Terms of Service and API Terms of Service, posted at http://www.youtube.com/t/terms and https://developers.google.com/youtube/terms, were written to protect content creators from this type of abuse. They clearly prohibit downloads of videos from the site and prohibit accessing any portion of YouTube videos by any means other than through the use of an authorized YouTube player. They also bar applications that modify, replace, interfere with or block advertisements placed by YouTube in videos."

Google is requesting that Microsoft immediately withdraw the app from the Windows Phone Store and disable existing downloads of it by May 22.
Microsoft built the new YouTube app itself, after complaining that Google was blocking access to required metadata. When I asked Microsoft officials recently if something had changed from a policy/API standpoint that allowed Microsoft to deliver this much more robust YouTube app, a Microsoft spokesperson sent the following statement:

"Windows Phone invested additional engineering resources against existing APIs to re-architect a Windows Phone app that delivers a great YouTube experience, including support for unique Windows Phone 8 features such Live Tiles and Kids Corner. Microsoft did not receive any additional technical support to create the Windows Phone YouTube app."

I reached out to both Microsoft and Google for comment on the letter. A Google spokesperson said the company was not offering any comment. No word from Microsoft so far.
The timing of The Verge's report is interesting. Just minutes before it went live, Google's CEO Larry Page, during a Q&A session at the company's annual Google I/O developer conference, criticized Microsoft for taking advantage of Google by interoperating with its Google Talk messaging service and not reciprocating by providing free access to APIs for its own messaging service (presumably Skype).
The programming interfaces Microsoft used to integrate Google Talk with Outlook.com are open, but Google is in the midst of dropping support for the XMPP messaging standard with its just-announced Hangouts, which is the successor to Google Talk and Google's new cross-platform communications service.

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New photo tools in Google+ show promise (hands-on)

There's still some work necessary before you can rely on Google's judgment as to which are your best vacation photos. But it's learning.

Google+ Highlight view presumably selects the best shots from any album.

Google rolled out a few photo-related updates at this year's Google I/O conference, and more than anything they deftly illustrate the simultaneous benefits and pitfalls of automation. Highlights promises to select the choicest photos from your endless stream to display only the best, most interesting captures. Auto Enhance promises to clean up on demand the underexposed, flat, and out-of-focus photos that pollute all of our photo streams. And the joyfully named Auto Awesome purportedly creates animated GIFs, all-smiles family portraits, and perfect panoramas.

When they work, these are great features. When they don't, you want to bang your head on the desk.
Take Auto Awesome, for example. This covers a bunch of automatic actions, such as creating animations (which you can then open it in the share/edit/etc. view and download it as a GIF), panoramas or cohesive group portraits from the raw material in your album. For animations, Google parses the photos looking for five or more sequential shots to strings together. For the first two sets of bursts I uploaded, it worked beautifully.
I felt the addiction stir. I uploaded another burst set. Nothing. I checked the timestamps; yup, it was a burst. Still nothing. So I uploaded another set. Yes! Awesomeness achieved. Except it only worked on a subset of the entire sequence, and was missing the shots I most wanted in it.

When Auto Awesome works, it's great.

Other aspects of Auto Awesome include combining multiple group people shots so that the result has everybody's best smile in it. I uploaded a group of test photos, but instead of giving me a happy family, it GIF'ed it. And that I couldn't overrule. Oops.
Another potential time-saver is the new Highlights view. Who needs to time-consumingly select the most memorable photos when a computer can do it for you? It sounds lovely, but I think the algorithm needs some more training, because I disagreed with most of its selections. For instance, of the two shots it picked out of an album of 16, one was completely out of focus; there was even a similar in-focus version it skipped over. You can choose to hide an album from the Highlights view.
Thanks to its acquisition of Nik Software last year, Google gained a lot of new automatic retouching technology from Nik's Snapseed app. All of that seems to have gone into the Auto Enhance feature, which on-demand adjusts "brightness, contrast, saturation, structure, noise, focus... and dozens of other factors automatically." Like most features of this type, it tends to be a little conservative, so the enhancements aren't as jarring as you'd expect. But I did find myself wishing they'd been a little heavier on the exposure changes -- and a lot lighter on the skin softening. The latter makes everyone look oddly glowy and smooth, like most skin-softening algorithms. You can turn the feature off if you don't like the results, and all the other built-in editing tools are still available.
So the real problem with the new Google automagic is when you disagree with it or when it just doesn't happen, you can't poke it with a sharp stick and say "These photos are just screaming to be GIFfed!" I'm hoping Google adds that "poke with a stick" option soon.
All of these create new versions of the images and add them to your album, so the expansion to 15GB of free storage that the company previously announced will come in quite handy. These will greet you when you first see the new Google+ design; Google will have already generated Highlights and Awesomeness from your existing photos. It also looks like the photo uploader is new, with a more threaded operation so that it parses multiple shots at a time. It was kind of slow during testing. However, that may be due to all the tech pundits hitting Google at the same time to test the new features.

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Google rolls out quick action buttons for Gmail

Now users can RSVP to events, rate restaurants, and see flight information all from their inbox without ever having to open an e-mail.

Gmail's new quick action buttons let users RSVP for events without having to open the e-mail invite.

Google is aiming to make Gmail responding, planning, and organizing a little bit easier. The tech giant announced Wednesday that it is rolling out quick action buttons for its e-mail service.
Not only can users RSVP to an event without even opening the e-mail invite, they can also rate restaurants, places, or shops from within their inbox.
Here's more from a Wednesday blog post by Google product manager Shalini Agarwal:

Email is an important part of how we get things done -- from planning an event with friends to organizing that family vacation to Costa Rica. And today, getting those things done is getting a little easier with new quick action buttons in Gmail, designed to help you tackle your digital to-do's as quickly as possible. These buttons appear next to certain types of messages in your inbox and let you take action on an email without ever having to open it. For example, you can RSVP to your friend's party invitation or rate that restaurant you went to last night all right from the inbox. You'll be checking things off that to-do list in no time.

Another useful feature with the quick action buttons is for travelers getting flight confirmations via e-mail. Google has given flight confirmation e-mails special status so that when the e-mail arrives users can see all of the travel information displayed at the top of the screen. "You'll be able to see whether your flight is on time, when your connection is and more -- no scrolling required," Agarwal wrote.
These quick action buttons are scheduled to roll out over the coming weeks, and more buttons could be added in the future. Google is also encouraging developers to play with different interactive buttons to see how adding the buttons to e-mails helps user engagement.

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Google announces e-mail money transfers for Google Wallet

At its annual Google I/O developer conference in San Francisco on Wednesday, Google made announcements that will expand Google Wallet far beyond its tap-and-go NFC roots.

Google announced at Google I/O 2013 that Google Wallet users can now pay people via email.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Google Wallet is growing up and it's not just about paying for stuff by tapping your phone anymore.
On Wednesday, the company made three announcements at its Google I/O developer conference with regard to Google Wallet that take the service well beyond specialized tap and go technology to make Google Wallet more usable on the Web.

"We are not pulling away from NFC," Peter Hazlehurst, director of product management for Google Wallet said in an interview. "We are simply making a much richer Wallet experience. There are still places where NFC can't be used. And not every device has it yet."
Still, Hazlehurst said he thinks that NFC's time will come. And in the future as the technology proliferates, it will become more useful. In the meantime, there are a lot of things that Google can do to make the online buying experience, whether it's from a mobile device or from a desktop or laptop computer, easier and more streamlined.
Payments via Gmail The first new feature is the ability to send money to and from Google Wallet via email. Google also issued APIs or application programming interfaces that developers can use to access Google Wallet and make buying stuff within Android apps and on the Web easier for consumers by stream-lining the process and allowing customers to avoid re-entering payment information. And finally, Goolge has created APIs that developers can use to allow merchants to add easy access to loyalty cards and programs.
The email payment functionality is probably the most interesting of the three announcements since it finally makes it as easy to make a digital payment to a friend or anyone else as it is to attach a photo or document in an email.
You can even send money to people who aren't using Gmail. And it's free to send money if your bank account is linked to your Google Wallet or by using a Google Wallet prepaid account. Service fees apply for sending a money using a Google Wallet linked credit card or debit card.
Here's how it works. To send money in Gmail, hover over the attachment paperclip, click the "$" icon to attach money to your message, enter the amount you wish to send, and press send.
Sending money via Gmail is currently only available on the desktop. To send money via a phone you can go to the Google Wallet mobile site at wallet.google.com. In order to send or receive money, you will need to set up a Google Wallet account. And the email money transfers only work for money sent within the U.S.

Google Wallet Instant Buy makes it easier to buy stuff on your phone.

Google's Hazlehurst said that consumers shouldn't worry about security issues when sending money via Gmail. The company offers the Google Wallet Purchase Protection plan which covers users 100 percent against eligible unauthorized payments. And he said that no actual account information is transferred via email.
The feature will be rolling out over the coming months throughout the U.S. to users over the age of 18. You can also get access to the "$" attachment icon if a friend has the feature and sends money to you.
Instant Buy
Google also announced the new Instant Buy API for developersto help streamline the online buying experience. The new API will allow app developers and Web developers to use Google+ single-sign on technology to provide all the user and credit card information necessary when buying physical goods within an app or online. In a nutshell, consumers can purchase things from an app or online store with just a couple of clicks. The company and one of its initial Instant Buy partners, Priceline, showed off how easy this process can be during a demonstration at a Google developer session here today.
The way to think of it is a more streamlined PayPal button for Google users. Google has already signed up several partners including Airbnb, Booking.com, Uber, and Expedia, who will all integrate the functionality into their apps.
Google claims that the new functionality not only makes it easier for consumers to complete their purchases, but it's also more secure. How? The merchants themselves never get access to the full the full credit card number, which means that sensitive account information isn't stored on multiple merchant Websites.

Google now lets people add any loyalty card they want.

Google Wallet Objects API
The company also announced it will allow Google Wallet users to include any loyalty card in their Google Wallet. Previous implementations of Google Wallet have been limited in the loyalty cards that could be added to the digital wallet. Now consumers can add loyalty cards and other items into the wallet, including tickets. The capability is similar to what Apple has introduced as part of its Passbook capability. But Google's Hazlehurst says it goes a bit further.
Google is also offering an API for developers to make signing up for those loyalty cards easier. It will also give brands that use the API to develop functionality into their mobile apps the ability to leverage other Google services to make redeeming offers or pushing offers to consumers easier. Specifically, this might mean using geofencing technology to know when a customer is in the vicinity and sending him a special offer.
Google is already working with several brands, including Alaska Airlines, The Body Shop, BJs Restaurants, Marriott Rewards and RetailMeNot.

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Google beats Apple to it with streaming music service

With its $9.99/month service, the tech powerhouse makes its first move into a space already occupied by the likes of Pandora, Spotify, and possibly, Apple.

Google launched a music streaming service Wednesday, taking its first stab at the growing industry with a new service linked to Google Play for Android.
The All Access service costs $9.99 a month and you get a 30-day free trial. And it's launching Wednesday in U.S., with additional countries coming soon. If you sign up by June 30, you get it for $7.99 a month.
The move puts Google in direct competition with music streaming companies like Pandora and Spotify, and also potentially with Apple, which has been inching in that direction. Just last week, for instance, word came that Apple had reached an iRadio deal with Universal Music, though it still needs deals with the other major labels.
If Google launches an additional YouTube streaming service, the company could take advantage of the video-sharing network's position as a dominant, legal source of music, particularity for teens.

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Rumors about Google's new All Access subscription streaming service, unveiled at the Google I/O developers' conference in San Francisco, had been swirling around for the last few months.
Previously, Google Play users could stream music they bought from the app, but the new service would let people stream songs they haven't purchased as well. Users can now blend their songs with a catalog with thousands of other tracks available in All Access.
The service provides a never-ending list of related tracks that are also linked to your Google+ account. You can look ahead to what is coming next and if you don't like it, swipe the song away.
"We set out to build a music service that didn't just give us access to great music but to help guide you to it," Google engineering director Chris Yerga said.
Previous reports had Google signing deals with Warner Music and SonyMusic for streaming services on both YouTube and Google Play, according to reports, but it was expected that Google would launch its Android platform first.

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Google revamps Maps with 3D, cards, social search

The new version includes user-generated street views and live images of Earth's cloud patterns. Says Google: "The map is the user interface."

Google says it has rebuilt Google Maps for the Web with a new version that's more immersive and social.
The new version takes a page from Google's mobile efforts by putting the search box inside the map and making use of cards -- Google's take on interactive information widgets.
"It's simple and powerful. The map is the user interface," Google's Bernhard Seefeld told attendees at the company's annual developers conference, where the new Web service was unveiled.
When users click on locations, information about those areas appears on cards. Information can include navigation, which offers a comparison between driving times and public transit times in one spot. Maps also offers social results, showing places that friends have reviewed.

 

The Maps interface features a 3D view, which Google says does not require any additional software or browser plug-ins. This is a similar experience to what Google has offered in its Earth app. In fact, users can zoom all the way out to see the entire Earth with a live view of clouds.

 

Real-time clouds.

One other new feature is a way to upload Photosphere images to Google Maps, which Google referred to as a user-generated street view. These can be uploaded by locations, adding an extra layer of information for people to view.
Details about several of the features leaked out ahead of I/O and were spotted by Droid Life.
Google is previewing the new version of the service this week. Users can sign up as part of the preview today. Google will start issuing invitations Thursday.

Google shows off Maps at Google I/O 2013 (pictures)

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Today`s Quotes

“You can't live your life for other people. You've got to do what's right for you, even if it hurts some people you love.”

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‘A leader should be open to changes in the environment and know how to deal with it’

A successful leader is one who is undeterred with the changes around him, no matter how difficult they are.

‘Leadership is not about attributes, it’s about behaviour. And in an ever-faster-moving world, leadership is increasingly needed from more and more people, no matter where they are in a hierarchy. The notion that a few extraordinary people at the top can provide all the leadership needed today is a recipe for failure.’ (Harvard Business Review)
Indian businesses have seen significant transformations over the last few decades, which have changed the way we work and interact with our colleagues in the organisation. From the domestically focused businesses of the post-independence era, Indian firms today have reoriented themselves, to become more global and to deal with competition from global companies. This changed approach of Indian companies and increased focus of global companies on the Indian market has also impacted our work culture. We have moved from an authoritative leadership style to a more accommodating style where employee satisfaction is the prime focus of every leader. Employee satisfaction is built on the foundation of trust and delegation of greater responsibilities, amongst other factors.
In fact, it is imperative to train every employee in an organisation to be an efficient leader, because leadership is a quality that is not restricted to only the top bosses. Earlier, organisations used to believe that only a single individual with enormous leadership abilities could be the leader, impacting the company’s successful future. However, this belief is no more perpetuated. Corporates today share greater responsibilities with valued employees and it always works in favour of the organisation!
India is also a country with burgeoning youth population; we have more young people joining the workforce than anywhere else in the world. This generation is broad minded and independent and do not require hand holding. Every individual is a leader by mindset; we just need to harness these young minds properly so that they can become great leaders of tomorrow. There could be many good managers in an organisation but becoming an effective leader is equally important.
So what really are the attributes that a good leader should possess? In my view, leadership style is an active choice one makes, and it has a direct impact on the results they achieve. There are no well defined leadership qualities; it completely depends on the individual. However there are a few attributes that all successful leaders demonstrate.
First and foremost, it is important for a leader to have a vision and firm belief in his vision. He needs to be completely sure of the goals he wants to achieve and how he would achieve it. Further he needs to possess the skills to convince people about his vision and work with them towards it.
A leader should also be open to changes in the environment and know how to deal with it. As a famous saying goes – “you cannot change the direction of the wind, but you can adjust the sails to reach your destination”. A successful leader is one who is undeterred with the changes around him, no matter how difficult they are and knows how to steer the ship to the right direction.
We have several examples of great leaders who have believed in their vision, shown resilience to tough circumstances and emerged as a winner. Steve Jobs was forced to resign from Apple, ten years later he went on to make it one of the most profitable fortune 500 companies. Walt Disney went bankrupt several times before he finally built Disneyland.  He was once fired by a newspaper editor who accused him to be lazy and lacking imagination and creative ideas!
From an Indian context my current favourite is MS Dhoni, Captain of the Indian Cricket team, who I believe possesses the qualities of a great leader. From handling controversial team selections, to managing a diverse team, be it the Indian team or IPL, Dhoni is a performer and demonstrates the same to the team. He gives genuine respect and confides in his team members even in the worst circumstances. As a leader, he is calm in extreme situations. Above all he allows his teammates to take risks and lets them experiment even if it means tasting failure sometimes. He has been a key contributor to helping the Indian team achieve its vision of winning the cricket world cup.
A leader’s responsibility is to guide the change at work and in the society. He needs to foresee the need of a change, be the change himself and bring the change in people he leads. This alone is the key to success! Infact, a leader should prioritise the behaviours that will have the greatest impact on the disposition of his employees and enable his company to implement its strategy.

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“A fun way of hiring helps break the ice and understand a job seeker better”

Samar Singh Sheikhawat – Senior Vice President, Marketing – United Breweries Ltd

To counter the problem of limited existing talent pool and to attract the best available talent many organisations are picking innovative strategies to hire candidates. Heineken’s campaign ‘The Candidate’, is one such attempt at a non-contemporary recruitment campaign.

Excerpts from the interview:
How does creativity fit into the hiring process? Does it help?
Creativity helps in fresh flow of ideas, in line with the latest trends. It helps innovate and makes people think out of the box. Heineken as a brand feeds on innovation and believes in surprising constantly. With Heineken, even something as common as recruiting an intern can be made novel and unexpected. While hiring, we look for a person who can think out of the box, develop fresh ideas and refresh the brand’s image in the bargain.
‘The Candidate’ opened up Heineken’s world to outsiders. It gave insight to Heineken’s role as an employer brand and demonstrated why Heineken stands out from the rest. The campaign had the intention of hiring a creative person through an engaging process (rather than the standard one-on-ones) where the job-seeker could act on real-time situations and come up with out of the box ideas. The resourcefulness and spontaneity of young job-seekers was instantly instigated and it paid off. In the process we as a brand came across as fresh, engaging and innovative in our approach to hire someone with similar core values. It is a good practice but it surely has to be in lines with the brand’s messaging, imagery and the campaign has to be interesting and engaging enough to attract job-seekers.
What are some of the advantages of hiring the creative/fun way?
A fun way of hiring helps break the ice and understand a job seeker better; especially with regards to his/her spontaneity and wit. Through this campaign Heineken inspired young adults / job-seekers to think beyond traditional qualifications and encouraged them to be resourceful, innovative, and inventive and stand out in order to fulfill their dreams.
Also, considering that the process has the potential to be an engaging one, there is tremendous opportunity to generate lot of buzz through the campaign. That is what we did for ‘The Candidate’ where we used the social media platform and created noise around the hiring process itself. The campaign spread like wild fire and we were able to generate consumer interest which helped us shortlist our ‘Candidate’. Even the video which showed prospective candidates reacting to various situations went viral within minutes of posting online.
What key factors should be kept in mind while employing such strategies to recruit staff?
It is important to recognise the power of digital and social media as it holds great potential in unearthing talents, especially for a country like India which has the most number of active users on Facebook. ‘The Candidate’ campaign was primarily run on the digital medium and we saw a lot of buzz generated through it. Engagement, innovation and sticking to core brand values are the key factors that should be kept in mind.

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Foods that can give you a headache

Foods that can give you a headache

Dietary changes and certain foods can trigger migraines.
Suffering from headaches or migraines every now then? Well, you're not alone as many people complain of such problems. Leaving aside obvious reasons like sinusitis, stress and mental tension, little do people know that their diet could be a culprit too. Surprised? We tell why you should be more watchful of what you eat to avoid that throbbing pain in your head.

Diet
A headache is a discomfort or a pressure-like sensation in the head. A migraine is a common type of headache that usually occurs on one side of the head. Dietician Dr Sunita Dube agrees that one's diet can affect headaches and says, "A family history of migraine, apart from stress, food and beverages may be responsible for up to 30 per cent of migraines. If you consider some other triggers such as hormonal changes, stress, sleeping habits, and depression, it's possible that the percentage is actually higher."
One of the most common reasons for headaches due to dietary changes is suddenly switching to a very low calorie diet, in other words, crash dieting. Agrees consultant nutritionist Niti Desai, "This can lead to headaches, especially if these diets cut down or eliminate carbohydrates completely. The brain can only use carbohydrates as fuel. Headaches can also set in due to low blood sugar levels. Also, if you start skipping meals or have long intervals between your meals, headache sets in. Even a very low water intake can trigger headaches."

Tyramine, a culprit
Tyramine is an amino acid that has been thought to trigger headaches by reducing serotonin levels in the brain and affecting the dilation of blood vessels. Because of their connection to migraines, tyramine containing foods are important triggers. These include red wine, cheeses, chocolate, alcoholic beverages, and certain processed meats.

Alcoholic beverages
Dr Dube says that red wine contains tyramine, phytochemicals called phenols, which may be the real triggers. For some people, drinking any kind of alcohol can bring on a migraine. Other compounds in beer, whiskey, and wine that deplete levels of serotonin (the happy hormone) in the brain could also be triggering migraines.

Chocolates
They can act as migraine triggers because they too contain tyramine. But at the same time, the connection could be that women tend to crave chocolate during stress and hormonal changes, both of which also may trigger headaches. The amount of chocolate can be an issue too, as migraine patients with the diets highest in fat tended to have more frequent headaches.

Coffee
This deserves a special mention because sudden withdrawal of coffee consumption can trigger headaches. Clinical nutritionist Dr Nupur Krishnan explains, "Coffee is mildly addictive and it temporarily enhances mental alertness and concentration. Sudden withdrawal can often cause headaches, irritability and other symptoms that vary in severity from one person to another." For example, in some people who are sensitive to caffeine, it can trigger migraine headaches, while in others it might actually abort a migraine by relaxing the constricted blood vessels that are causing the throbbing head.

Sugar
Natural sugar is important because all plants and animal store energy chemically as sugar. All form of natural sugar provide about the same energy value — four calorie per gram. Natural sugar is better than artificial sweeteners. Desai says that a very small percentage of people intolerant to the sweeteners suffer from headaches. However, this is more common with the sweetener aspartame and not with the newer sweeteners that use sucralose.
So if you suspect the reason for your frequent headaches or migraines might lie in your diet, is advisable to see a doctor.

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CSK leap to the top as Delhi Daredevils succumb to 33-run defeat

Captain MS Dhoni (right) blasted 58 not out to lift CSK to a competitive 168-4.

CHENNAI: As expected, Chennai Super Kings brushed aside Delhi Daredevils at home on Tuesday to move on top of the T20 league table on a day CSK, Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals moved into the playoffs.

Scorecard | Watch IPL Videos

Captain MS Dhoni blasted 58 not out to lift CSK to a competitive 168-4. Delhi never looked like posing a threat and ultimately finished at 135/9 to lose by 33 runs. Skipper David Warner once again played a lone hand for the Daredevils but he had scant support from his teammates.

Earlier, CSK appeared to be losing their way after a positive start before Dhoni, yet again, took charge after promoting himself to No. 4. Already assured of a playoffs spot, CSK are eyeing a top-two finish that will allow them a second shot at the final, and it was to lift their net run rate that the hosts uncharacteristically opted to bat first.

Dhoni's fifty came off 30 deliveries with two fours and four sixes. Only, this time it wasn't brutal hitting that the Indian captain is so very capable of, but a calculated assault that took the wind out of Daredevils's attack.

Michael Hussey (26) and Murali Vijay (31) put on 61 for the opening wicket to set the platform, but Vijay's run out set off a mini collapse with the side also losing Hussey and Suresh Raina for the addition of just 12 runs.

Dhoni, however, had other plans. He quickly assessed the conditions, and smacked left-arm pacer Irfan Pathan for a six as CSK rolled to 100-3 in 14 overs. Thereafter, Dhoni was lord of all he surveyed. He lashed Ashish Nehra for a six and then slapped him for a boundary with impunity in the 16th over as he took his fourth-wicket stand with Ravindra Jadeja to 57. Jadeja fell, bowled by Umesh, after chipping in with 24.

Dhoni brought up his fifty with a six and a boundary off Nehra in the 19th over, and although Umesh bowled a tight last over, Dhoni had helped the team put on 59 in the last five overs.

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Smartphones And Tablets Increases The Risk Of Heart Attack

Smartphones And Tablets Increases The Risk Of Heart Attack: Study

Bangalore: A recent study by The Heart Rhythm Society, says the magnets in iPad 2 tablets and covers are capable of interfering with cardiac rhythm devices like pacemakers, reports TOI.
When the patients implanted with heart devices come in contact with magnets, the device switches to magnet mode, which can lead to disrupt function.

 Gianna Chien, 14, with the help of her cardiologist dad had conducted a research which was initially meant for the study as part of a school science fair project, discovered that cardiac rhythm devices can be affected by magnets and radio frequency energy in products ranging from cell phones to MRI machines.

Gianna in her research asked 26 heart patients with Implantable Cardiac Devices (ICDs) to hold an iPad 2 from a readable distance. The iPad did not affect the ICDs at this length and caused no electromagnetic interference. However, the patients were told to place the tablet on their chests, to pretend, as if they had gone to sleep with the iPads on top of them. The results showed that 30 percent of patients' ICDs had switched to magnet mode.

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Windows Blue gets official name: Windows 8.1

Tami Reller, the top Windows marketing and financial exec, tells a J.P. Morgan conference that Windows 8.1 will be free and available later this year.

Tami Reller, chief marketing officer and chief financial officer of the Windows division.

The update to the struggling Windows 8 operating system, known by the code name "Blue," will be called Windows 8.1, a naming convention that Microsoft has used for its software updates for years.
Tami Reller, the chief marketing officer and chief financial officer of Microsoft's Windows division, disclosed the name during a speech at J.P. Morgan's Global Technology, Media and Telecom Conference in Boston this morning.
The new software, which Microsoft also wrote about on its Windows blog, will be available for download for free for existing Windows 8 users later this year.
"It will be easy to get from the Windows start screen," Reller said at the conference in Boston. (CNET followed her speech via Webcast.)
To date, the Windows division has updated the various versions of the Windows 8 operating system 739 times, Reller said. Windows 8.1, however, will offer significantly more changes than those frequent fixes.
"This is more substantial than what we can deliver in those weekly updates," Reller said.
Reller offered few details of what would be in Windows 8.1. There was no discussion, for example, about whether the update will bring back the Start Button that Windows users have come to know over the years, only to find it missing in Windows 8. Those questions will likely be answered when the preview of Windows 8.1 arrives on June 26 in time for Build, Microsoft's developers conference, in San Francisco.

Instead of offering those details, Reller explained the Windows group's "principled but not stubborn" approach to updating the operating system.
"You need to have a vision. You need to have a point of view. And you need to consistently deliver on that," Reller said. "You're also consistently listening, learning, and becoming smarter."
As for the timing for the general release of Windows 8.1, Reller said it will arrive before the winter holidays. She said the company recognizes the importance of giving its hardware partners enough time to install the update on the devices they hope to put on store shelves in prime shopping season.
"We understand when the holidays are," Reller said.

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Microsoft posts details of next Windows Phone 8 update

Microsoft is starting to detail features coming in this summer's GDR2 update to the Windows Phone 8 operating system.

Microsoft is starting to open up a bit on what Windows Phone 8 users can expect with the next version of its Windows Phone 8 operating system, known as "GDR2."
On May 14, company officials shared a couple of the expected GDR (General Distribution Release) 2 features in a blog post that was primarily about the new Lumia 925 phone Nokia unveiled today. That phone, code-named Catwalk, is due out in June on Vodafone and some time after that on T-Mobile. It is Nokia's first lighter-weight, aluminum-body Lumia.
Microsoft's supposed plan, according to my tipsters, is to release three GDR updates to the Windows Phone 8 operating system before delivering what we've been calling Windows Phone Blue.
The "Portico" update -- OS build number 8.0.10211.204 -- which began rolling out last year, was considered GDR1. The GDR2 update -- which Microsoft officials never actually call GDR2 in today's blog post -- is coming "this summer." GDR3 sounds like it may be timed to arrive this fall. And Windows Phone Blue is sounding from tipsters more and more like a 2014 release.
In today's blog post, this summer's Windows Phone 8 OS update is described as including "a small number of improvements and upgrades." The post said it will be similar in size to the last update, aka Portico, which included Wi-Fi and messaging improvements, among other new features.
The new update will include support for CalDAV and CardDAV, so that it will continue to work with Google contact and calendar syncing services, officials said. This CalDAV/CardDAV support previously was rumored for GDR2.
The update will reintroduce support for FM radio (as a feature carriers can opt to include or not) -- something that was part of the Windows Phone 7 operating system platform, but which was cut for Windows Phone 8. The update also will make the Data Sense monitoring feature of Windows Phone 8 available for more carriers to include if they decide to do so.
The coming update also will improve the ability to select, download, and pin tunes in Xbox Music and improve the accuracy of song information and "other metadata."
"The update includes hundreds of other small quality improvements," according to Microsoft's blog post.
The GDR2 update will be rolling out to existing Windows Phone 8 users starting "later this summer," officials said today.

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