Tag Archives: Google

Google’s ‘delete last 15 minutes of search history’ feature comes to Android early | Mashable

Posted on March 22, 2022 by knjohn | Leave a comment

Wouldn’t it be great if you could just click a button and just wipe, say, the last 15 minutes of your Google search history?

iPhone users have been living that dream since last summer, when Google rolled out that very option to its iOS app. Now Android users can now feel the joy of deleting your most recent search history with a single tap too.

Google is now rolling out the option to remove the last 15 minutes of a user’s search history to its official Android app, according to The Verge and confirmed by the search giant. Some Android users are already reporting that the feature is now available to them.

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Tagged Google, Google search history, search history

Google gets hit with a new lawsuit over ‘deceptive’ location tracking | TechCrunch

Posted on January 25, 2022 by knjohn | Leave a comment

Washington DC, Texas, Washington state and Indiana announced the latest lawsuit against Big Tech Monday, alleging that Google deceived users by collecting their location data even when they believed that kind of tracking was disabled.

“Google falsely led consumers to believe that changing their account and device settings would allow customers to protect their privacy and control what personal data the company could access,” DC Attorney General Karl Racine said. “The truth is that contrary to Google’s representations it continues to systematically surveil customers and profit from customer data.”

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Tagged Google, Google lawsuit, location tracking

Google gives security keys to 10,000 high-risk users | BBC News

Posted on October 14, 2021 by knjohn | Leave a comment

Google is giving free physical USB security keys to 10,000 users at high risk of being hacked – such as politicians and human rights activists.

The USB keys provide two-factor authentication – an additional layer of security beyond a password.

Google says it wants to encourage people to join its “advanced protection programme” for high-profile users.

It follows news that the firm sent thousands of warnings to Gmail users who were targeted by hackers.

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Tagged Google, physical USB security keys, security keys

Google and Samsung Together Could Take on the Apple Watch | Digital Trends

Posted on May 20, 2021 by knjohn | Leave a comment

At this moment in time, Apple owns the smartwatch space, and the Apple Watch’s status as the world’s bestselling watch is well-deserved. Google, on the other hand, has let Wear OS stagnate over the years, and while the dedicated companies that use Wear OS keep making great hardware, the software usually feels substandard.

Samsung makes the only true competitor to the Apple Watch. The Galaxy Watch 3’s fluid, well-designed Tizen software and innovative control system make it a winner, but it lacks Google apps and services. Neither Google nor Samsung can beat Apple on their own, but perhaps together they can?

That’s what was announced at Google I/O 2021. Google’s new “Wear” software is an exciting mash-up of Wear OS and Samsung’s Tizen, complete with Fitbit’s comprehensive health tech for good measure. Apple may not be shaking in its boots yet, but for the first time, it should be looking over its shoulder to see what’s coming.

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Posted in Tools and Information

Tagged Apple, Apple Watch, Google, Samsung

Why can’t Google get a grip on rip-off ads? | BBC News

Posted on May 4, 2021 by knjohn | Leave a comment

Google has failed to stop “shyster” websites advertising on its search engine, despite promising to fix the problem, the BBC has found.

Adverts for unofficial services selling government documents such as travel permits and driving licences are against Google’s own rules.

But the BBC found adverts for expensive third-party sellers every time it searched during a 12-month period.

In a statement Google said it had taken down billions of rule-breaking adverts.

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Tagged Google, rip-off ads, rule-breaking adverts

Google parent Alphabet sees revenue jump 34% to $55.3 billion in the first quarter | CNN

Posted on April 28, 2021 by knjohn | Leave a comment

Alphabet kicked off a big week for tech earnings as the industry starts to look ahead to a post-pandemic economy by reporting a characteristically strong start to 2021.

Google’s parent company reported revenues of $55.3 billion for the first three months of the year — a 34% jump from the same period last year — and made close to $18 billion in profit, comfortably blowing past analyst estimates. It also announced a $50 billion stock buyback.

The company’s stock jumped nearly 4% in after-hours trading on Tuesday.

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Tagged Alphabet, first quarter, Google, revenue jump

Apple and Google block UK COVID app update for breaking data-sharing rules | Mashable

Posted on April 14, 2021 by knjohn | Leave a comment

Google and Apple have blocked an update to the UK government’s COVID-19 contact tracing app for breaching privacy terms, the BBC reports.

The update, which was expected to roll out in time with the lifting of national lockdown on Monday, would have requested users who tested positive for COVID-19 to upload their history of venue check-ins. The app, used in England and Wales, has long operated with a feature that allows users to check in to a shop, pub, restaurant, or other venue using a QR code — some are required by law to display official NHS QR code posters and collect contact details, while others are encouraged.

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Tagged Apple, Google, UK COVID app

Wikipedia wants to charge Google, Amazon, and Apple for using its content | Mashable

Posted on March 17, 2021 by knjohn | Leave a comment

Everybody uses Wikipedia.

It’s currently the 8th most visited website in the U.S. and the 13th most trafficked site in the world. The website bills itself as the “free encyclopedia,” providing knowledge free of charge to a global user base. However, the nonprofit which runs Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, hopes that it soon won’t be free for everybody.

Don’t worry, it’ll still likely be free for you, dear Mashable reader. But for companies like Google, Facebook, Apple, and Amazon, Wikipedia is hoping to charge them for publishing its content.

A new report by Wired looks into a brand new division under the Wikimedia umbrella called Wikimedia Enterprise. In a first for the nonprofit Wikimedia Foundation, Wikimedia Enterprise will offer a paid service targeting Wikipedia’s biggest users: Big Tech companies.

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Tagged Amazon, Apple, Google, Wikipedia

Google Is Testing End-to-End Encryption in Android Messages | WIRED

Posted on November 23, 2020 by knjohn | Leave a comment

GOOGLE HAS BEGUN rolling out end-to-end encryption for Rich Communication Service, the text-messaging standard the industry giant is pushing as an alternative to SMS.

Abbreviated as RCS, Rich Communication Service provides a, well, richer user experience than the ancient SMS standard. Typing indicators, presence information, location sharing, longer messages, and better media support are key selling points. They lead to things like better-quality photos and videos, chat over Wi-Fi, knowing when a message is read, sharing reactions, and better capabilities for group chats. As Ars reviews editor Ron Amadeo noted last year, RCS interest from carriers has been tepid, so Google has been rolling it out with limited support.

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Tagged End-to-End Encryption in Android Messages, Google, RCS, Rich Communication Service, SMS

How new smart speakers from Apple, Amazon, Google stack up | Mashable

Posted on October 14, 2020 by knjohn | Leave a comment

The HomePod mini, announced Tuesday at Apple’s tech event, is the newest smart speaker out there. It joins refreshed models from the competition, Amazon and Google; the speakers all feature shiny new homes and let you play music, ask questions, and control your smart home and other devices. Like those from Amazon and Google, Apple’s latest device costs around $100.

So, what’s different about the three new speakers? Here’s the latest on which you should use for all your Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant needs.