I have been scanning the internet for days without hearing a single media outlet standing up for Google´s newest creation. Most news services, in fact, are referring to it as a creation out of Dr. Frankenstein´s lab. Some odd mix of Twitter and Facebook with a complete disregard for people´s privacy that has already forced Google to roll out some major tweaks, if such a thing as a major tweak can exist. Why all the worry? Simple, Google has merged two things completely different Buzz (public) with Gmail(private). There are a number of horror stories already posted around the web, including this one from today´s Washington Post.

Why do I suggest that Apple might save Google Buzz? Apple by all industry analysis will sell millions more GPS and map equipped phones in the coming year, and as of right now the Apple OS is Buzz’s best interface with location services and Maps.

Buzz offers something neither Facebook nor Twitter as of right now can compete with, posting with location services. This media fire storm will die down shortly as Google rushes to put out the fires of its initial launch mistakes, and people will rush to give it another chance.

If it is not being used in conjunction with a smart phone, I can’t really comprehend the point of a new social networking tool like Buzz. By itself, I find it intrusive.  I want my professional life separate from my personal life, and will probably never use it on either my desktop or my laptop. But on a GPS equipped smart phone it is a sexy addition to life.

I should point out it also scares the hell out of me. I know I will accidentally respond to someone’s buzz a few blocks away from the barstool I’m sitting at when I remember that I had told my girlfriend I was still at the office. That’s not going to work anymore as my location will be tied to my buzzing and the lie will fall apart like a three day old fairground fish. Yet, the inclusion of a tweeting (buzzing) with a location on a map is fantastic. Someone who has extra tickets to a sold out concert could simply announce it from their local bar and match their ticket with a fan, traffic jams and accidents can be avoided, lost children found, artists who surprisingly show up to jam with other acts can announce it, booked restaurants can let people know of last minute cancellations, the possibilities are endless.

I think what Google is trying to do is show us what we are missing within blocks of where we are. The Buzz, if you will, is a way of actually sharing the world around you. Imagine waiting for your friends and checking out what was being said. This is not done in a vacuum, but right there in your Maps app. By selecting a recent Buzz just a block away you might get treated to something you would not otherwise have seen, by someone you do not know. I remember in the weeks before Frank Zappa’s death I was lucky enough to see him playing guitar on the street with Carlos Santana. Two of the greatest guitarists of a generation in one’s final public performance before his death playing on the street for free. With a simple Buzz, accompanied by video or photos I would have had hundreds more enjoying this impromptu moment with me.

Or, and I doubt this would ever happen but, a woman posts a photo of herself saying, “Bored, looking to meet someone new, who loves Tom Waits, and wants to buy me a drink” and I say to myself I love Tom Waits, drinks, and I’m only 400 yards away.

More realistically, if I read an art gallery opening in the newspaper I probably didn’t  get to0 excited, but if someone were to post a photo of the actual exhibit and I’m mere blocks away I might attend.

I’m not going to touch it until Google gets its s%$t together. I resent that all of these people I email, mostly for work, were immediately asked to follow me and that my Google Reader was linked by default to something I didn’t ask for BUT I’ll be back when my anger subsides.

Or I’ll be missing the buzz.

This is an article by The Apps Machine.

If taken in a vacuum 100 million dollars is a tremendous amount of money.

If taken as a part of Apple’s nearly 16 billion in last quarter revenues it is simply a flash in a pan, a molehill of a mountain, or a drop of water in a lake. That said, this rumored 100M has no associated costs.

The idea that Apple is paid at all to not develop their own search is amazing in its own right, who would wish to go head on with Google in a field they not only revolutionized but own and would be difficult to unseat? Think of all the people you know, how many of them don’t use Google instinctively as if they were born searching that way? We know longer say I will conduct a search, more often than not we say, “I’ll Google it”.

While just speculation it seems as if Apple might now want more, talks over the Maps app that runs natively on the iPhone seem to be a sticking point between the two companies and  rumors that Bing is being considered as the default search engine as well as Microsoft providing map support have been growing in the last month.

Google and Apple seem to need each other but are unhappy with the relationship. Google once, for all intents and purposes,  held a spot on Apple’s Board of Directors now they not only develop their own Mobile OS but are producing their own smart phone, The Nexus One.

It is certainly a testament to the strength of the iPhone that Google knows that it needs to have its services available, the mobile apps are released the moment new services arrive, as witnessed yesterday with the release of Google Buzz.

There is nothing wrong with a little friendly competition, it is simply a matter of whether or not these two will remain  friendly as they start stepping into each others markets.

This is an article by the Apps Machine.

comScore recently released the numbers for the the last quarter of 2009 and show Apple and Google to have made the biggest strides in a market that remains open with an estimated 234 million mobile phone users domestically. It is believed that 0f this 234 million only 17% of these are using smartphones. This up from 11% in 2008.

Apple gained 1.2 percentage points in US market share eclipsing 25% for the first time at 25.3% up from 24.1.

Google, however, made the biggest strides with their Android phones up 2.7 points and doubling their market share from 2.5% to 5.2%. Palm was the biggest loser down 2.1% to 6.1%, a trend that if continued will have them looking at the back of Google by the end of the first quarter of 2010.

While RIM, the makers of Blackberry, still dominate the market with over 42% of the smart phones in use in the US market they saw a single point drop as did Microsoft who, in third, have an 18% share.

In a huge market, it appears as if the two giants will be battling it out for some time.

This is an article by the App Machine.

“If you build your application with features based on a user’s location, make sure these features provide beneficial information. If your app uses location-based information primarily to enable mobile advertisers to deliver targeted ads based on a user’s location, your app will be returned to you by the App Store Review Team for modification before it can be posted to the App Store.”

Two to three years ago, I would have simply suggested that Apple was trying to protect their users. Today, I feel they are trying to protect their market share in the untested waters of mobile advertising. Apple know that Google is their biggest enemy. Look at their recent quarrels, and gotcha acquisition record. When Apple showed an interest in AdMob, Google quickly snapped it up. Apple with its huge war chest of cash is working out a way to match Google in this market, the overpriced acquisition of Massachusetts based mobile ad company Quattro Wireless last month, just the most recent example.   The introduction of Android and to a lesser extent the Nexus One is proof Google wants an upper hand in mobile advertising. Google´s CEO has said in recent months,

• “We will make more money from mobile advertising,” Schmidt said when asked about the possibility of mobile computing taking off. The thought is that advertising on mobile platforms will be much more highly targeted than it currently is on the desktop.
• “I never worry about Microsoft,” Schmidt said in wrapping up his thoughts.

It will be interesting to see how Apple interprets “beneficial”. Frankly, in free apps I expect some level of advertisements; that is a small price to pay for something that does not have a traditional price tag, but rather one of zero. If I´m going to be receiving advertisements, I WANT them to use my location, that would be HELPFUL. I hate bashing Apple but it just seems like more interference in my life as end user. If you are truly looking out for me why not force app developers to give me an option of whether I want location services used, rather than keeping it to yourself until you can best determine how to monetize it for Cupertino?

This is an article by The Apps Machine.

Following the unveiling of the iPad and the rumors that preceded it, the day after its coming out party, the media seemed to focus on all that was wrong with the device. These included the lack of a forward facing camera for videoconferencing, the lack of a new OS for both the iPad and the iPhone, and that the iTab will not have Flash support.

It is perhaps for this reason that Jobs was reported to have said, about Adobe, in a town hall style meeting with Apple employees last week:

• “They are Lazy”
• “Whenever a Mac crashes more often than not it’s because of Flash.”
• “No one will be using Flash, the world is moving to to HTML5“

HTML5 may well be the future, but it is a ways off to this date, though it was cannily used to produce the Google Voice mobile site in their own announcement release last week.

While I´ve chosen to add quotation marks  to these remarks it seems unlikely that there will ever be any official verification of Mr. Jobs´statements. And it was for Google that he seems to have reserved the bulk of his vitriol last week.

And rightfully so, it´s not paranoia if people are truly out to get you. And the early January release of Google´s Nexus One “Superphone” was no less than a shot across Apple´s bow.

What was said? How about:

• “We did not enter the search business, they entered the phone business.”
• “Make no mistake they want to kill the iPhone. We won’t let them”

And finally, when commenting on Google´s corporate mantra of, “Don´t Be Evil” (My personal favorite, as Google has shown it can be).

• “It’s bullshit.”

The battle between these two is clearing heating up, stay tuned.

This is an article on Steve Jobs at The Apps Machine.

No, the folks at the App Store, didnt wake up this morning and change their minds. Google, rather, has shown there is more than one way to skin a cat.

Apple, as most know of you know, rejected the app that Google had submitted six weeks prior on July 27, 2009. Whether on their own or in conjunction with AT&T is anyone´s guess, but since in the U.S. (the only country presently to have Google Voice) you would still be using AT&T to connect with your Google number, it would make sense that this was primarily Apple´s decision.

Consequently, following this decision, one that Apple still maintains was not a rejection but rather an “an ongoing review process” both GVdialer, and GVmobile were indeed removed from the App Store.

GV Mobile was later released to Cydia. Cydia allows those with jailbroken iPhones to download a number of programs Apple has no interest in you owning, including all the software needed to break free of your supported carrier, for most AT&T.

Starting today Google has launched their website using HTML5 that allows you to access Google Voice through your Safari browser.

Simply point your phone´s browser to http://m.google.com/voice

The site itself is explained better here by Google as well as featuring video on its use. I love how the only major mobile not shown is the iPhone, despite being the reason for this site´s development.

The site works quite well but like many with a jailbroken phone I will continue to use GV Mobile. Obviously the App is preferable to having to use your browser, and while Google has seemingly done a good job, there is no integration yet for your Iphone contacts and you will spend a good deal of time, unlike with GV Mobile that can access them, building a Google contact list.

All the features of Google Voice are too numerous to list here but as the service expands, expect people to be sharing their GV numbers more frequently. For me it is a bit of an oxymoron, that a company that frightens many over privacy concerns is essentially giving you a little more by controlling who can reach you when and where.

I love the idea of having one number I can share then later block calls to if needed, send straight to voice mail, or ring all my phones rather than freely giving out my mobile, home, or work numbers. This type of flexibility is a huge nod towards personal privacy while giving up even more to Google at the same time.

Google Voice is still an invitation only service. Click here to request yours.

This is an article by The App Machine.

Or is it?

Once bitter rivals, on par with Alabama and Auburn in college football or Coke and Pepsi, these two are teaming up to take on the juggernaut that is Google.

Frankly, as many have said, Microsoft has become a pawn in Apple´s growing feud with Google. And it makes sense. Google needs Apple more than Apple needs Google.

Google at present controls online advertising and Apple wants this to change, pure and simple. This is strictly money here, and Apple is in all likelihood simply stalling with Bing, until they can launch their own native app to cover mobile search and its huge revenue stream.  Another reason to switch to Bing could be that Microft is offering a big payout to have iPhone’s default search switched to Bing.

But really is this a big deal? No. Unless Apple plans on blocking Google, a move that would prove disastrous, you would simply have to change your Safari settings reverting back to Google once.

There is no question these former friends´ relationship has grown somewhat frosty. But between Apple´s refusal of Google´s Voice and Latitude apps, as well as Google´s entry into the mobile market with its (open-source) mobile OS as well as their first phone, the Nexus One, it was simply a matter of time.

Still, playing nice with Microsoft?

The is an article by The Apps Machine.

Google has launched it’s Yelp competitor “Near Me Now”, a location-based search engine for users to find what’s around them at any moment without needing to speak or enter any search terms.  Announced a month ago, Google must have been salivating at the thought of acquiring all of Yelp’s data for Near Me Now.  However when that deal fell through a few weeks back the almighty Google presumably did some fancy footwork to get this out as if to say “Oh ya?  Well we don’t need your stinking data anyways!”

Unfortunately this service is only being released in the US as of press time.  Already there are howls of protests.  But for those people in America you are going to be treated to a full featured location-based search capability.  You have to let your iPhone send your location to Google, and you also have to be logged in to your Google account. Once that’s in place, “Near Me Now” shows up as a new link on the Google.com mobile home page.

Then you open to a page like this one:

The primary option is “Explore right here,” and clicking that brings up a list of local businesses that Google believes is in the same place as you.  Of course the critical piece is if Google’s information is correct as far as location is concerned.

Clicking any one of the listings on that page leads to the business’s mobile Place Page, where you can get whatever information Google knows about that business which is apparently alot.  This is exactly the type of information you get from Yelp however Place Pages have their own separate, potentially indexable web pages.  This information appears as it’s own search result.  Google, the king of search engines, is extending it’s reach from the virtual world of the internet into the real world we inhabit.  Let your iPhone do your walking!

Yelp and other location-based services such as Urban Spoon and Where are going to be looking over their shoulder now, as Google lumbers up alongside them and threatens to overtake their market with their incredible brand power, in the US at least.  Whether Google can extend their reach beyond the land of the free and home of the brave is anyone’s guess, but I am not going to bet against it!

Thanks to Search Engine Land for the graphics for this article since I am in Canada

This is an Article by The Apps Machine

ChangeWave Research

Back in early December, prior to the release yesterday of Google’s newest Android phone the Nexus One,  ChangeWave research surveyed 4,068 consumers about their smartphones and their buying preferences.  They found that 21% of those planning to buy a smart phone in the next 90 days say they’d prefer to have the Android OS on their new phone – a monstrous 15-pt jump in just three months, and creeping up on those wanting an iPhone at 28%.

However further on in the survey ChangeWave then asked consumers about which handset they would buy, and some of the Google hype seemed to vanish, when only a total of 22% said they would buy a Motorola or HTC phone, presumably either the G1, the Droid or the Nexus One.  A full 32% indicated they would stick with Apple.

ChangeWave Research

The hype surrounding Google’s phones has been huge, which comes as no surprise considering it is Google we are dealing with here, one of the most successful companies in history.  Clearly consumers have been buying into the concept of the latest being the greatest.  However, there are a blasphemous few who are saying that the Google phones are not living up to all the hype. Even at the Nexus One launch yesterday there was disappointment around the continued measly 512mb app storage space and the fact that you still have to go through a carrier to get a phone, there are no ad supported phones.   Some Android users are complaining that the much ballyhooed multi-tasking capabilities do not work all that well.  So only time and reviews will tell the complete story.

ChangeWave itself concludes that “in short, the current survey shows Apple is still excellently positioned to outperform in the consumer smart phone market going forward.”  Google is playing catch up, and hype will only go so far.  They will have to craft a superior product and delivery system if they hope to translate the hype into solid market share.

This is an article by The Apps Machine.

Tons of Apple rejected apps by gizmodo.com

Google claims that “after we developed a Latitude application for the iPhone, Apple requested we release Latitude as a web application in order to avoid confusion with Maps on the iPhone, which uses Google to serve maps tiles.”   Some alleged that Apple simply did not want an app that so closely competed with a core app such as Maps.   After all the grumbling that ensued, perhaps Apple has taken this to heart and is going to upgrade Maps to look/work more like Latitudes. Others say patent applications are like popcorn and we should not be paying so much attention to them.

But just to keep the rumor mill churning we have yet another patent application from Apple showing an iPhone diagram complete with a front facing camera, see that little traced circle in the middle at the top in the diagram below?  That is supposedly a front facing camera.

patentlyapple

Could this be the holy grail for wannabe video callers?  Apple just keeps torturing us apparently since previous patent applications have shown this minor little detail that would be a huge detail if it were true.  9t05mac has noted this and is predicting that the “iPhone 4G (and tablet + maybe iPod touch) get front facing cameras. Who is with us?”  Sure we will jump on that bandwagon!  But seriously do we want to see who we are talking to and vice versa?  Especially if we are sitting in the bathroom or have not combed our hair!  Increasing use of Skype has given me some insight into this inherent problem.  Oh well maybe we will all pay more attention to our grooming habits in the not too distant video calling future.  Which would be a good thing!

This is a post by The Apps Machine

Google Voice is alive!  After Apple punted the Google Voice app many diehard Google fans have been seeking a way to continue to use the glorified call forwarding application on their iPhone.  AT&T is not happy about this turn of events.  They reportedly were behind the rejection by Apple, citing increased (unpaid, oh my!) use of their backbone to route the calls Google Voice manages.  So now along comes news that two developers have taken things in two directions to try and do an end run around Apple and AT&T, albeit in scaled down methods.  It remains to be seen if they shall succeed.

The first one is Voice Central.  Voice Central’s developers decided to morph it into a WebApp. It’s called “Black Swan” and lets you do pretty much everything you would expect from a Google Voice client.  They claim  it would still have the feel & look of a native application. It should be ready by next year sometime but by then maybe something better will have already come along.   They even have a dramatic video preview:

It has some of the inherent downsides of being a webapp however, as you will have to upload your contacts to their server if you want to access them from the interface.  That gets dangerously close to the Motorola/Sidekick territory.  Storing contacts in the cloud could lead to devastating results.

Second there is Google Voice Mobile or GVMobile which has now been released in a 2.0 version.  Apparently the original GV Mobile worked fairly well however it seemed clunky and buggy at times. Boy Genius is reporting that 2.0 is much more refined and polished than the previous version…“We’re really excited to tell you about it, too. It has been polished and refined — it had an injection of features — and we love using it, even in its non-final and beta form. For starters, dialed calls connect almost instantly, your iPhone contacts and favorites are accessible right within the app, there’s voicemail transcription viewing, and even multiple Google Voice account support. Advanced features like call forwarding phones, do not disturb settings as well automatic syncing, and even Growl support are on the to-do list.”

Available for jailbroken iPhones for free on Cydia soon this permutation of Google Voice was actually in the Apple app store before being pulled.

So for the advanced iPhone user, these work arounds for Google Voice may be a godsend.  However, just because it is Google does not necessarily mean it is good. Does anyone else wonder what their monopoly will do for the computing masses?  For the rest of us average users, Skype works pretty slick.  Pretty soon phone numbers are going to seem antiquainted anyway.






This is a cool iPhone apps post by The App Machine.

Google Earth version 2.0 for the iPhone (itunes link) has been released in the App Store!  Google Earth for the iPhone is the second most-downloaded free iPhone app overall, just behind Facebook.  With its new update, Google has included new features, including viewing custom maps created on desktop computer, better user interface when viewing photos and Wikipedia articles, and new languages.

If you ever need to create a customized map and display them on your iPhone.  Google’s desktop client will enable you to create a path on the map and plot points to designate an action or landmark.  You can get a hold of custom maps made by your friends or established travelers that give you more insight during a trip.  For example, your friend can design a map that tell you the locations of the best bars in Las Vegas.  Your iPhone will be able to display these locations on the Google Earth app.  Bar hopping will be a lot easier with these custom maps and your iPhone’s GPS functionality.

With the new user interface, when an icon is tapped, a small glow appears under the finger to let users know which icon has been selected.  If the fingers touch more than one icon, a list of all icons will appear so users can better select their desired content.

Overall there are some slight improvements in this new update.  However, other than the new icon interface, there doesn’t seem to be enough new additional features to warrant this update as Google Earth 2.0 for the iPhone.   Usually with a new app version, there should be numerous additional features and perhaps some big user interface change.  What do our readers think?

Via Google LatLong Blog

This is a post on the App Machine

Yesterday, Google launched Google Maps Navigation for the Android 2.0.  Google Maps Navigation enables turn-by-turn GPS navigation for free.  This product is going to change the landscape for GPS navigation companies.  Garmin and Tom Tom’s stock price fell 16.4% and 20.8% respectively on 10/28, after the release of this industry changing news.

Google’s navigator is no half baked app.  It has most of what you’d expect for a navigation device plus more.  With Google Maps Navigation, users can:

• Search in plain English – quickly search and navigate to places, businesses, landmarks
• Search by voice- Google has invested heavily in voice search.  Now see them in action on Google Maps Navigation
• Live traffic data over the Internet- An integration with what’s already available on Google Maps
• Search along route – find locations near your current path
• Satellite view – Satellite imagery on Google Maps will now be implemented on your navigation screen.  Cool!
• Street View – Only possible with Google.  Check out what the exact surroundings of a location look like
• Car dock mode – when your device is in a car dock, a special mode activates that enables easier operation

Google has invested heavily in map applications.  By applying their unique technologies to GPS navigation.  They have an edge over all the other competitors in this space.  Unlike their competitors, Google will not charge for its app.  Instead, Google will try to implement a ad supported model for its Google Maps Navigation app.

Will it ever come to the iPhone?  Google says that it is working closely with Apple to bring Google Maps to the iPhone.  It is really up to Apple to decide if it is allowed on the iPhone.  But by looking at recent tensions between Google and Apple, bringing Google Maps Navigation to the iPhone may not be a sure thing.  Afterall, Apple is making a lot of money from its paid navigation apps.  Furthermore, recent rejections by Apple over Google’s Latitude and Google Voice app does not help the case that Google Maps Navigation will come to the iPhone anytime soon.

For iPhone users considering purchasing a navigator app in the App Store, this news may be a cause for dilemma.  If you really need a navigator app now, you may still want to buy a navigator app such as Navigon Mobile Navigator.  But if you are not in a hurry, you can choose to wait it out and see if Google Maps Navigation will be able to make its way to the iPhone.

Can you blame them?  iPhone is the hottest selling cell phone on the planet.  It is selling even better than Google’s own Android based smart phones.  As a native app preinstalled on every iPhone for over 2 years, it is probably about time the Big G tries to make some money from iPhone owners.

Do a search on Google Maps on your iPhone and  you may find a location sponsored by the beloved internet advertising company.  In the above image, search for a sushi joint in New York City may give you a search result for the ‘21’ Club.  Hmm… perhaps that is a good place to hang out after that Sushi dinner.  Of course that’s what Google and its advertisers want you to think.  Hopefully, Google will implement their ads on Google Maps as least intrusive as possible.  It should complement with users’ search term and does not stand out as a misplaced ad.  No one wants to see an ad for a oil change when they are searching for a place to eat.

Mobile advertising is the rapidly growing, with millions GPS enabled cell phones becoming as powerful as some desktop computers.  Sponsored ad on Google Maps seemed inevitable.   But during Google Map’s transition into an advertising platform, will iPhone owners quietly accept the ads?  Or will they rise up and riot against the ad pollution on their favorite Map application?

The Apps Machine

Google  announced today that push Gmail is enabled on the iPhone, as well as other mobile devices.  However, iPhone users shouldn’t thank Apple for bringing push Gmail to the native Apple Mail app.  Instead, Microsoft’s Exchange and Google’s Google Sync are the technology behind the  deployment of push Gmail on the iPhone.

Gmail with push capabilities will allow iPhone users be notified of email messages the instant they are sent.  But to get it to work on the iPhone, users need to set up a Microsoft Exchange account on the iPhone, bypassing the regular Gmail account.  To set up Gmail via Microsoft Exchange.  Simply go to Settings –> Mail, Contacts, Calendars, and tap the “Add Account.”  Select Microsoft Exchange and enter your Gmail account information.  Don’t forget to enter m.google.com as the server name when you get to the screen that has that field enabled.  For the a step by step setup procedure, click here.

Push Gmail via Microsoft Exchange has some serious limitations.  Users can only setup 1 account on Microsoft Exchange on the iPhone.  Thus, if users are already using Exchange for corporate or other important emails, push Gmail via Exchange and Google Sync is pretty much useless.  Also, if users have multiple Gmail accounts, they will have to choose the one  they wish to have push support activated.

This limitation gives third party apps such as Gpush, Pushmail, and PushGmail another fighting chance to prove its usefulness.  For a small cost, these apps will solve the limitations posed by Microsoft Exchange.

It seems everyone is making an attempt to make push gmail a reality for iPhone users.  Apple, please step up to the plate and deliver a truly straight forward Gmail push for the iPhone.

Via The Google Mobile Blog on the Apps Machine

Who says Web apps are dead?  Google continues to drop quality iPhone web apps with the release of mobile Gmail Tasks.  Gmail Tasks is a useful Task List to help Gmail and iPhone users get things done.

To use iPhone Gmail Tasks, first go to the Gmail settings  page and activate “Tasks”  under the “Labs” tab.  Then go to http://gmail.com/tasks on your iPhone Safari to log into your Google account and start punching out stuff to do.

It doesn’t end here.  You can Add Gmail Tasks Icon to your iPhone Home Screen for easy access.  Tap the + button on the bottom.  Then tap “Add to Home Screen”   Click the blue “add” button to the top right, and you will have a Google Task Icon at your disposal.  We recommend placing it in the original Home Screen so you can access it often and thus get stuff done!

Google Apps has a secret. There is an option to change the App’s theme color, sounds and other options hidden in the Settings page. The secret option is dubbed “Bells and Whistles” and it can only be revealed if you scroll near the bottom and keep swiping the touch screen upwards with your finger until the “Bells and Whistles” option appears. Google was probably expecting some finger swiping maniac to discover this secret. But those swipy fingers may have fallen asleep at the App’s setting’s page, such that Google has to blog about it instead.

The new options allow the following:

Change Theme Color-  Google App users can now change the theme to any color they wish.  Just touch the desired colors on the color scheme.

Sounds-  The Sounds option allows the option to choose the sounds during Voice search.  Now you can play chicken or monkey around during voice search!

Live Waveform-  Want to see sound waves as you do voice search?  Turn it on.

Open Links in App-  Turn this on if you don’t like to go to native safari when you click on an search result.