Translate web pages more easily with the new Google Translate Chrome Extension

[Cross-posted on the Google Translate blog]

When you're browsing the web, you might come across a page where some of the text is in a different language. With the new update to the Google Translate Chrome extension, you can translate just that piece of text, without worrying about the rest of the page.

Simply highlight the text that you want to translate, and then click the Translate icon that appears. You can also right click and choose "Google Translate". If you click the icon in the upper right of your browser window, with no text highlighted, you can translate the entire web page.

You can download and try the Translate extension from the Chrome Web Store; if you already have the extension installed, it will be updated automatically.

The Translate team is working hard to connect people by breaking language barriers across computers, mobile devices and Internet browsers. Our users make more than 1 billion translations a day, and we hope that our recent update will make their translation tasks a little easier!

Posted by Chao Tian, Software Engineer

A simpler, faster way to use Hangouts on your desktop

When you’re chatting with your friends and family, you want your conversations easily accessible, not buried in browser windows. Today, we’re introducing the Hangouts Chrome App for Chrome OS and Windows -- a simpler, faster way to use Hangouts on your computer alongside whatever else you’re doing.

The new app brings the best of Hangouts to your desktop, plus some improvements we think you’ll love:

Keep the conversation going, without taking over your desktop. The app has a streamlined design that keeps your chats accessible without getting in the way of everything else. Your contact list and all your chats are condensed into one easy to toggle window. Also, you’ll get integrated notifications that alert you to new messages, so you can quickly find the conversation you’re looking for.

More app, less Chrome. It works outside of your browser so your chats are always available, not tucked away inside a window. You’ll get all your messages as long as you have the app running, and your chats will sync across Hangouts on all your devices.

Voice calling from your desktop. The app now has all the video and voice features you’re used to in Hangouts. We recently announced you can make phone calls to any number in the world (via Hangouts dialer) and now you can do this right from your desktop.  If you use Google Voice, the app includes complete Google Voice support, so you can make and receive calls, and get your voicemails and SMS messages directly in Hangouts.

Download the Hangouts Chrome App today and get started with a new experience tailor-made for your desktop.  If you’re already using the Hangouts Chrome extension on your ChromeOS or Windows computer, you’ll also see a promo to try the new app over the next few weeks. To learn more, visit the Hangouts Help Center.

Posted by David Levin, Software Engineer, and the very model of a modern Hangout Handler

Turn your TV screen into a beautiful backdrop

You’ve told us you love the photography that shows up on your TV when you’re taking a break from casting videos with Chromecast. But many of you have also told us you want to add your own photos on the screen. Now, you can.

With a new backdrop option, you can customize your TV screen with:

• Your favorite photo albums from Google+
• Amazing artwork from galleries and museums around the world via the Google Cultural Institute
• News and lifestyle images from The New York Times, The Guardian, Saveur and more (U.S. only)
• Satellite imagery of some of the hardest-to-reach places on Earth from Google Maps
• and even more beautiful photos from the Google+ community

To customize your Chromecast, open the Chromecast app on your phone or tablet and select “Backdrop” from the left menu. Then, choose the topics for types of imagery you want to show up on the TV.
If a picture sparks your curiosity, you can learn more about it by opening the Chromecast app, selecting “Backdrop” from the left menu and tapping on the card to find out more. Or, simply open the Google app on your Android or iOS device, tap on the microphone icon and ask “What’s on my Chromecast?”

This update is rolling out starting today. Just make sure your Chromecast app is up to date on your Android phone or tablet, iPhone, or iPad. To learn more on how to set it up, visit chromecast.com/backdrop.

Posted by Raunaq Shah, Chromecast Product Manager and Master Caster

Now casting: WATCH Disney Channel, Twitch, iHeart Radio and DramaFever for Chromecast

Chromecast has a little something for everyone in the family to enjoy, and today we’re adding even more options for kids, music lovers and gamers.

For kids of all ages, we're introducing the WATCH Disney, WATCH Disney Junior and WATCH Disney XD apps. So now you'll be able to watch Girl Meets World, Doc McStuffins, and Star Wars Rebels on demand from the Disney Android and iOS apps. (To watch live stream of the network or recent episodes, you’ll need to sign in with a participating TV provider account.)

Music aficionados can now cast and blast music from the best speakers in the house with iHeartRadio. The app lets you listen to more than 1,500 live radio stations from all over the U.S. or customize your own.

You can also join 60 million gamers on Twitch to watch and talk about video games. Get insights from both casual gamers and some of the biggest professional players competing in sold out stadiums. Cast Twitch content from the web, Android and iOS apps.

If international dramas are your favorite, look no further than DramaFever to find more than 15,000 TV episodes. Finally, in case you missed it, last month we also added WATCH ABC and NPR One to the Chromecast family. So make sure to update your apps and check out the latest on chromecast.com/apps.

Posted by Jennifer Wasson, Chromecast partnerships

First set of Android apps coming to a Chromebook near you

Chromebooks were designed to keep up with you on the go—they’re thin and light, have long battery lives, resume instantly, and are easy to use. Today, we're making Chromebooks even more mobile by bringing the first set of Android apps to Chrome OS:

• Duolingo - a fun and free way to learn a new language before your next trip
• Evernote - write, collect and find what matters to you, with a full-size keyboard and touchscreen
• Sight Words - a delightful way for you to help improve your child's reading skills
• Vine - create short, beautiful, looping videos in a simple and fun way 

These first apps are the result of a project called the App Runtime for Chrome (Beta), which we announced earlier this summer at Google I/O. Over the coming months, we’ll be working with a select group of Android developers to add more of your favorite apps so you’ll have a more seamless experience across your Android phone and Chromebook.

In the meantime, please tell us which of your favorite Android apps you’d like to see on your Chromebook.

Posted by Ken Mixter, Software Engineer & Josh Woodward, Product Manager (Android Dreamers)

This time it's personal

Anyone who’s argued over the TV remote knows that sharing a living room doesn’t mean you want to share everything else. The same is true on the web. So in the latest Chrome beta, we're exploring a new way for you to share your computer without sharing your business.

Get started by clicking on “You” in the upper right corner of your Chrome window and then clicking “Sign in to Chrome.” You’ll be able to switch devices and pick up where you left off with all of your tabs, bookmarks, and history automatically kept in sync.

If you share a computer, click "Switch person" to add your profile and get your own bookmarks, apps, and theme. Switching lets you keep your stuff separate.

With the new “Guest mode,” you can let others use Chrome without letting them see your stuff. And after they’ve closed out their tabs, their browsing information is deleted from your computer as well. To enable Guest mode, click on You (or your name if you’ve signed in) > Switch person > Browse as Guest.
Here's to no more login tango or making friends open incognito tabs. Happy (shared) browsing!

Posted by Roger Tawa, your personal Chrome Engineer

That’s not the download you’re looking for...

[Cross-posted on the Google Online Security Blog]

You should be able to use the web safely, without fear that malware could take control of your computer, or that you could be tricked into giving up personal information in a phishing scam.

That’s why we’ve invested so much in tools that protect you online. Our Safe Browsing service protects you from malicious websites and warns you about malicious downloads in Chrome. We’re currently showing more than three million download warnings per week—and because we make this technology available for other browsers to use, we can help keep 1.1 billion people safe.

Starting next week, we’ll be expanding Safe Browsing protection against additional kinds of deceptive software: programs disguised as a helpful download that actually make unexpected changes to your computer—for instance, switching your homepage or other browser settings to ones you don’t want.

We’ll show a warning in Chrome whenever an attempt is made to trick you into downloading and installing such software. (If you still wish to proceed despite the warning, you can access it from your Downloads list.)

As always, be careful and make sure you trust the source when downloading software. Check out these tips to learn how you can stay safe on the web.

Posted by Moheeb Abu Rajab, Staff Engineer, Google Security