Jul 30, 2018

How to Add Google Custom Search Engine to Blogger Blog
How to Add Google Custom Search Engine to Blogger Blog
A Search Engine is a basic tool need for all blogs. It engaged the reader and help visitors to get a result of what they want in the best simple way. There are lots of search engines available for blogger blogs but the top and most popular one is the Google Custom Search Engine because of its professional looks and accurate searching. It is a bit tough task for beginners to create a custom search engine for their blogs, so in this tutorial, I am going to guide you on how to create and add Google Custom Search Engine in your blogger blogs. Let's check it out.


How to Add Google Custom Search Engine to Blogger Blog


Recommended: How to Schedule Blog Posts for Auto Posting in Blogger

Step by Step Guide on how to add Google Custom Search Engine to Blogger Blog


First, you need to Sign in to your Google account and then click here, once you are on the page you will see a blue button with a text on “Create a custom search engine” click on it.

How to Add Google Custom Search Engine to Blogger Blog

You will be redirected to a page where you can add your blog URL and also make some modification on language, Under the text box “site to search “add the URL of your Blogger Blog (i.e. www.guidetricks.com) you can also use BlogSpot domain e.g. Myblog.blogspot.com. From the language drop-down, select the language for your search engine then click on create button.

How to Add Google Custom Search Engine to Blogger Blog

You will now see a congratulation message saying you have successfully created your blog search engine. Also, there are three buttons provided which are “Get code” which enables you to copy a code and paste it on your blog, “Public URL” it’s a URL of the created search engine and “Control panel “which enables you to make some modifications such as changing or editing of layout, color schemes and themes.

How to Add Google Custom Search Engine to Blogger Blog

The next thing you need to do is to paste the copied code on your blogger blog, just simply click on the Get Code Button and copy the code.


Also Read: How to Add/Remove Author or Move Blogger Blogs To Another Account


How to paste the code on your Blogger Blog


Log in to your blogger dashboard Go to Layout and select the place where you want your search box to appear, I recommended you to use the top sidebar because it will be very visible in the blog.

Layout>> Add a Gadget >> Select Html/JavaScript paste the code you have a copy before and hit the save button.

You are done.


This is an easy step by step guide for beginners on how to create a custom search engine which enables visitors to access information easily. Now It's your turn to share this post and write your views in the comment section below. 
Google to provide 10m Nigerian with free wifi
Google to provide 10m Nigerian with free wifi

Google to provide 10m Nigerian with free wifi


Google Nigeria intends to achieve in excess of 10 million Nigerians with free Internet access in five urban communities in Nigeria.

As indicated by the organization, the Wi-Fi will be accessible in 200 Google Stations crosswise over five urban communities in the nation which incorporates Lagos, Kaduna, Port Harcourt, Ibadan and Abuja by 2019.

This was made known on Thursday at the second Google for Nigeria occasion in Lagos.

Talking at the revealing of the Google Stations, the Google Nigeria Country Director, Juliet Ehimuan-Chiazor, said the activity would deliver moderateness and access to information and in addition broadband entrance.

She said the free Wi-Fi was taken off an organization with an Internet Service Provider with broad fiber arrange, 21st Century, including that the organization was available to associations with different ISPs and telcos.

"One of the difficulties we found was access to information. Broadband entrance is low and is not solid and there are challenges with reasonableness simply permit numerous Nigerians advantage from the advanced economy. We are extremely eager to have the capacity to dispatch as a team with accomplices," she said.

She included, "We are beginning in Lagos with four locales and duty is to extend to 200 destinations crosswise over five urban communities in Nigeria by 2019. There are openings that are accessible once individuals get on the web and can devour data.

Remarking on the activity, the Vice President, Products Management at Google, Anjali Joshi, said the activity would be scaled to different nations in Africa.

Points of interest soon.
YouTube for Android’s dark theme is beginning to widely roll out
YouTube for Android’s dark theme is beginning to widely roll out

YouTube for Android’s dark theme is beginning to widely roll out


Last March, YouTube officially announced a dark theme was coming to the Android and iOS app after first debuting on the revamped web version. It first rolled out to the iOS client and is now finally beginning to appear for Android users.

The feature began rolling out last night with users seeing the “Dark theme” automatically applied along with a pop-up at the bottom of the screen noting the new feature. There’s an option to turn it off, as well as dismiss the prompt.

It can manually be invoked by heading into Settings and then General. Just underneath Digital Wellbeing’s “Remind me to take a break” feature, there is a new “Dark theme” toggle.

Like on the web and iOS, the theme is more of a dark gray rather than a straight black color. The app’s background, settings, search pages, and anything else that was previously white adopts the dark theme. The compact, minimized video player and all tabs also get this same treatment.

Channels still retain their colorful app bars, while the biggest impact of the dark theme is on the video page — where the video player is black before it fully loads. The initial loading experience is now less visually jarring.

The feature is still rolling out, but given the reports, it seems ready for prime time rather than being just an A/B test.

YouTube for Android’s dark theme is beginning to widely roll out
YouTube for Android’s dark theme is beginning to widely roll out
YouTube for Android’s dark theme is beginning to widely roll out
Hands-on: Motiv’s smart Ring is a subtle, all-day fitness tracker that now supports Android

Hands-on: Motiv’s smart Ring is a subtle, all-day fitness tracker that now supports Android


The proliferation of good wrist-based fitness trackers in just a few short years is technologically impressive. The pedometer of old is dead and its place is a gadget that tracks your sleep, heart rate, and integrates with an app for “smart” features, like notifications.

I think the commoditization of this technology is fueling another new form factor, with your next fitness tracker possibly taking the shape of something even smaller and resting on your finger. Enter the Motiv Ring and its new Android compatibility.
Clever hardware
Available in slate gray or rose gold, the outer titanium shell of the ring is a smooth surface save for a plastic window that features an occasionally flashing light. Located at the 2 o’clock position, it blinks in various colors while charging and syncing.


The interior bottom of the ring features a heart rate sensor that flashes a standard green light into your finger. It is flanked by two gold-colored metal strips that are used for charging. Battery life is rated at three days, which is understandable for the size but breaks with the weekly charge required by most other trackers today.

A top-up is done with the USB Magnetic Charging Dock. Plugging into a standard USB-A port, the ring magnetically connects at the other end. A red light notes that charging is in progress with the process taking 90 minutes.
Motiv includes two of these identical dongles in the box as well as an accessory that can be added to your keychain in order to store the adapter on the go. I found this to be rather clever given that the compactness of the dongle makes it hard to store anywhere else.

Appearance-wise, that’s all there is to the Motiv Ring. Internally, there is a patented flexible circuit board and battery that wraps around your finger in a truly “forgot about it way.” The entire package is also waterproof rated to 165 feet (5 ATM).

The syncing process to your phone is automatic and happens occasionally in the background, but Motiv added an interesting way to manually invoke it. To sync, users simply twist the ring while it’s on a finger. Unfortunately, I’ve found myself inadvertently activating this process when nervously twisting the ring and thus flashing the blue indicator light.
Experience
The physical, tangible experience of using the Motiv Ring for the past week is very much just a log of what it was like for me to wear a ring for the first time in my young life. There’s really not much else to it.


The Motiv Ring near reaches the platonic ideal of how technology at the end of the day should fade away and not be apparent. In how modern fitness trackers are just slightly large bracelets, Motiv’s gadget is simply a standard ring that’s about the thickness of a nickel (2.5 mm), while weighing less than a penny.

Ordering a Motiv Ring starts with a sizing kit sent out to you. It includes seven plastic models ranging from size 6 to 12 that users are advised to wear for at least 24 hours to account for temperature changes that cause your finger to shrink and expand throughout the day.

I did not expect the experience of wearing a ring to be such a minor disruption. On my index finger, I did not like how it would bang against the back of a phone. It would also bump against the sides of a phone when in a two-handed typing position.

Meanwhile, it’s a social faux pas to wear on your ringer finger, while the other finger — middle — that Motiv recommends wearing it on is too large for the ring size I choose based on my forefinger.


The solution I settled upon was wearing the Motiv on my ring finger when in private, and on my index in all other circumstances. I actually don’t mind constantly switching between fingers and even hands gave how slipping it on/off is easier than a strap. But besides that, I could type on a laptop with my normal speed and accuracy.
Fitness features & accuracy
The Motiv Ring can capture steps, distance, and activity types, as well as active minutes and intensity. Measurements are up to par with a Fitbit and consistent day-to-day throughout repetitive activities, which is the real measure of a fitness tracker in my book.



The heart rate sensor measures your resting pulse, with Motiv noting that finger-based measurements are more accurate given less hair and tattoos compared to your wrist. The Motiv also captured my “sleep duration” with accuracy similar to that of a Fitbit.

That simply titled measurement just records what time you sleep/wake up and nothing more. This should be fine for most people, but those who’ve switched from a Fitbit or Garmin will lose detailed breakdowns between deep, light, and REM sleep. Motiv argues that it is focussed on giving simple feedback on “activities you can control, rather than the metrics you can’t,” like sleep stages. 
Android app lacking polish
Today’s news is that the Motiv Ring is now available on Android and syncs with Google Fit. The Android app has been in beta testing since earlier this year and a quite straightforward experience. It is compatible at launch with the Pixel and Pixel 2, as well as the Samsung Galaxy S7, S8, S9, Note 5, and Note 8 variants.
The “Day” tab notes your current progress with sleep, last heart rate, and steps listed at the top. A ring of Activity Minutes is below, followed by miles and calories burned. The app also takes advantage of cards at the bottom to note how long your slept, resting HR, and physical activity throughout the day.

Tapping on any opens a weekly view while swiping to the left of the Home tab will allow you to go back to a previous day. It’s a straightforward way to show a lot of information, but the design does not feel native to me, as evidenced by several menus. It gets the job done, but is somewhat blocky with some touch targets being quite large, especially the bottom bar, while others like the Settings menu being impossibly tiny.



Impressive hardware w/ software that could improve
Motiv absolutely delivers on the hardware front. The company successfully infused an existing form factor with technology in a way that feels natural. The Motiv Ring delivers accurate fitness information in a package that new users might be more willing to put on.

Meanwhile, the Android experience could definitely be improved and fortunately, software is updatable. A more native app would do well to improve the experience, while firmware updates to the ring will helpfully add more advanced features one day.

The sell becomes somewhat harder for users of existing fitness trackers given how even the cheap, basic offerings from FitbitGarmin, and others have become quite advanced with more detailed information and further analysis of health trends. I see switchers from those who have never been comfortable with the wrist form factor, but otherwise, it’s something I wouldn’t immediately recommend at $199. It would be more bearable if the price dropped by a quarter, while I think the real steal for this smart ring is at $100.

Jul 27, 2018

Google Assistant rolling out scheduling Custom Routines by time/day
Google Assistant rolling out scheduling Custom Routines by time/day

Google Assistant rolling out scheduling Custom Routines by time/day


At I/O 2018, Google announced a number of new features for Home smart speakers including six new voices, Continued Conversation, and Multiple ActionsCustom Routines were also introduced to replace Shortcuts and today the feature is gaining the ability to schedule the macros to trigger at set times.

With the ability to schedule, users no longer have to manually invoke a set of strung together commands with a phrase. Under “When…” in the “New routine” interface, there is a new “Set a time and day” option below “Add commands.”


You are presented with the ability to first “Choose a time for this routine” and then “Choose what days it should repeat.” Afterward, users are asked to “Choose which speaker will start it.” There is also a toggle to “Get notified on your phone when it starts” with an Assistant notification.

This functionality was announced ahead of time along with the slate of other Google Home and Assistant announcements at I/O in May. Features like the six new voices and Multiple Actions rolled out immediately, while Continued Conversations launched in June.

This is an important step for people with heavy home automation Routines, like waking up in the morning or other consistent activities. Scheduling is rolling out now through Assistant settings in Android and iOS, though Google interestingly noted at I/O the ability to set via the Google Clock app.




Google Voice for Android picks up bottom bar navigation
Google Voice for Android picks up bottom bar navigation

Google Voice for Android picks up bottom bar navigation


Google Voice came back into the spotlight earlier this year, and since then Google has been updating the app periodically. This week, the company has quietly rolled out a new bottom bar navigation interface for the app for some users.

In a Play Store update, Google Voice has picked up the typical bug fixes we see in most updates, but also this new navigation method. As seen in the screenshots below, the buttons themselves have the same functionality. There’s a tab for messages, calls, and voicemail, only now with labels on the tabs rather than icons only.


This shouldn’t come as a surprise, as Google has been transitioning many of its apps to this interface over the past few months, including its own dialer app.

Aside from this bottom bar navigation, not much seems to have changed with the Voice app. New conversations are still created with the floating action button, and the search option and hamburger menu remain in place.



This change should be live for everyone with Google Voice version 2018.28.203709381 for Android. We’ll be doing a full teardown to look for anything else new in a coming APK Insight as well.
Google Play Store testing card-based search interface w/ thumbnails
Google Play Store testing card-based search interface w/ thumbnails
Google Play Store testing card-based search interface w/ thumbnails

Google is constantly testing out new tweaks to its interface in various applications, and today a new Play Store search UI is rolling out to some users.

Seemingly rolling out to a handful of users, myself included, over the past 24 hours or so, this new search UI adopts a card-based look. Results are split up into their own large cards, showing the app’s icon, ratings, developer information, and even how many times it’s been downloaded. In addition to all of that, the card even shows screenshot thumbnails from the app listing directly in search.


This new interface shows a ton of extra information compared to what was previously available, which is nice, but it does have some downsides. The biggest issue here for me personally is the extra space that information takes up.

A typical search now only shows 3-4 results before you have to scroll, where the previous UI could show 6-7. The overflow menu which acted as an install shortcut has also been removed. Now, users need to tap through to the full listing to install an app.

As usual with these limited rollouts, Google may or may not decide to roll it out on a wider basis.

Google Play Store testing card-based search interface w/ thumbnails
Google updates Wear OS w/ faster Google Pay, new appointment design, bug fixes
Google updates Wear OS w/ faster Google Pay, new appointment design, bug fixes

Google updates Wear OS w/ faster Google Pay, new appointment design, bug fixes


Despite getting a new name earlier this year, Google’s Wear OS platform often feels neglected. Today, though, Google is releasing a new update to the Wear OS companion app which improves on a few notable areas of the platform.

Available now through the Google Play Store, the latest Wear OS companion app update lists a few new changes for Wear OS as a whole. This is one of the first times we’ve seen Google using this update method which was introduced last year.

Firstly, it mentions an update to Google Pay that should make launching the app itself much faster. Coming off of a review of the Ticwatch Pro with Google Pay, I can definitely attest to the need for faster launching of Pay. It’s been dreadfully slow, so this change is certainly welcome.

Further, this update also mentions adding a new “glanceable design” for events and appointments. It’s unclear exactly what this changes, but Wear OS already shows full-screen reminders when appointments are coming up. Presumably, this update just redesigns that UI, perhaps to make it a bit clearer.

Finally, Google also mentions that this update fixes a bug regarding incorrect time zones. We’ve not heard anything specific about this particular bug, but it must be a large enough issue for Google to call it out in the changelog.
This update is rolling out now on Google Play for all users, so simply update the app on your phone to apply the changes.

WHAT’S NEW

·         Pay faster with quick starting Google Pay
·         Get a more glanceable design for events & appointments
·         Get the time zone sync bug fix


Huawei devices can no longer download VLC media player from Google Play

Huawei devices can no longer download VLC media player from Google Play


Huawei makes some great smartphones, but the company’s software has been an issue for a while. Especially for developers, these devices have caused a lot of headaches. This week, popular app VLC media player has decided to blacklist Huawei smartphones due to how those devices affect the app.

VLC media player is one of the most widely used apps on the market, on multiple platforms, for viewing local media. It works great, and the Android app has only been getting better over the years. However, Huawei’s devices haven’t played very nicely with it.

Announced on Twitter (via FrAndroid), VideoLAN has decided to blacklist Huawei smartphones from downloading VLC from Google Play. This decision was made due to the “ridiculous” way that Huawei’s software handles background apps. As VideoLAN states, these devices are very aggressive with killing background activities from apps that are not from Huawei itself.

This causes a problem with VLC, as background play cannot work when the phone is killing the app. VideoLAN’s forums show users who have run into these issues on a regular basis, and a quick filter placed on Play Store reviews show other Huawei owners seeing the same problem.

The VLC app can still be loaded as an APK on affected devices, but until Huawei changes how it treats background activities, users likely won’t be able to download it from Google Play anymore. VideoLAN also notes that this only affects “recent” Huawei devices.



Best Amazing Ways To Get People To Visit Your Web Site Again And Again
Best Amazing Ways To Get People To Visit Your Web Site Again And Again

Best Amazing Ways To Get People To Visit Your Web Site Again And Again


Having a good number of visitors is one of the major dreams of a new blogger, though there are foolproof ways on how to boost your blog traffic, a lot of people doesn’t come back to other blogs due to certain things they find out. Poor content, poor Blog/Website design or un-understandable statements are some of the major things make a lot of people not to visit your blog or website again. The thing here is that you need to do a great job to keep them coming back to your site, bookmark your site, even refer your site to other people. Here are a few tips for your reference.


1.==> Free Stuff
Most People love to get things for actually free. List some free stuff on your website. It could be software, services, sample products, e-books, themes etc. The giveaways should be related to your website topic. Keep the freebies coming and your visitors will return regularly.

2.==> Directories
Tell your subscribers about Web sites related to your website topic. The websites should be interesting and helpful. Convert your reader's website directory and they will come back. In order to get a job well done, you need to do wide research and gather information. Then give customers the good ones. Your work will be rewarded in the long term.

3.==> News
Supply more news stories related to your website topic. People want current and up-to-date news. If you can be their first source, they will become repeat visitors to your website.


4.==> Original Content
Give your visitors pure content they can't read anywhere else. I'm not saying all your content has to be 100% original, but a portion of your website should have pure original information. People will usually be happy to read the information they haven't read before.

5.==> Polls
Hold an interactive poll on your website. Ask visitors a poll question. Have them e-mail their vote or opinion. People love to give their 2 cents worth. They would also like to read the results the next day or week on your website.

6.==> Jokes
Give your visitors a little humor now and then. Don't be so serious; tell them a joke. If they associate your website with being happy they will visit again and again.

7.==> Quizzes
Give your visitors a quiz or a series of minutiae questions. Post the correct answers weekly on your website. The people who participate will want to come back to your site to see if they were right.

8.==> Prize Drawings
Hold an ongoing prize drawing on your website. The prizes should be something of interest or value to your subscribers. Most people who enter will continually revisit your website to get the results.



Those are some major ways on how to get people to visit your website again and again. Let me know in the comment section below if you have another way on how to make visitors come back on a website and don’t forget to share this post with your lovely ones.