Tag Archives: Google

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

Posted on November 23, 2020 by | 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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How new smart speakers from Apple, Amazon, Google stack up | Mashable

Posted on October 14, 2020 by | 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.

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Daily Crunch: Android phones become earthquake detectors | TechCrunch

Posted on August 12, 2020 by | Leave a comment

Google said that smartphone accelerometers are sensitive enough to detect P-waves, which are the first waves to arrive during an earthquake. So if your Android phone thinks it has detected an earthquake, it will communicate with a central server to confirm.

In California, Google is also partnering with the United States Geological Survey and California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services to provide earthquake alerts. For everyone else, you’ll only see this earthquake data if you search for “earthquake” or a similar term.

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Google Accused Of Tracking App Users Who Opted Out | Digital Trends

Posted on July 16, 2020 by | Leave a comment

A class-action lawsuit filed on Tuesday accuses Google of tracking user activity through various mobile apps — even if people opted out of sharing their data.

The suit was filed against the tech giant on Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, as first reported by Reuters. The complaint accuses Google of logging users’ news apps, ride-sharing apps, and other types of apps even if people had the tracking turned off in their account settings.

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5 Benefits of Strategic Partnerships | business.com

Posted on May 1, 2020 by | Leave a comment

Strategic partnerships have mutual benefits and can lead to long-term profits.

  • Strategic partnerships occur when two businesses combine forces to expand their brand reach.
  • Co-branding opportunities add value to your company, increase brand awareness and create brand trust.
  • Successful strategic partnerships include Spotify and Google, Sherwin-Williams and Pottery Barn, and McDonald’s and Coca-Cola.

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Alphabet grew more than expected in Q1, but its ad business saw ‘significant slowdown’ in March | TechCrunch

Posted on April 29, 2020 by | Leave a comment

Today after the bell, Alphabet, parent company of Google, reported its Q1 2020 performance. The company’s $41.16 billion in revenue for the three-month period came in ahead of expectations, besting analyst estimates of $40.33 billion. However, its earnings per share came in under expectations, with the street anticipating $10.38 in per-share profit, while Alphabet delivered a slimmer $9.87 in per-share income.

Shares of Alphabet rose around 2.8% in after-hours trading after shedding 3.3% in regular trading.

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Google Will Charge Law Enforcement to Access User Data | Digital Trends

Posted on January 27, 2020 by | Leave a comment

Google has begun charging law enforcement for access to user data, according to a report by the New York Times. The company is levying fees of $45 for a subpoena, $60 for a wiretap, and $245 for a search warrant, according to documents reviewed by the NYT.

The company receives a high volume of requests from law enforcement agencies to hand over data about its users and has therefore decided to bring in charges to “offset the costs” of compiling this data. According to the report, Google is legally allowed to levy these charges but traditionally big technology companies have handed over data without any charges.

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YouTube, sorry for verification flap, reverses course | Fast Company

Posted on September 24, 2019 by | Leave a comment

The YouTubers are mad and YouTube is sorry.

Google’s video service says it “missed the mark” yesterday when it announced sweeping changes to its verification program. Those changes would have stripped the verification badges from some of YouTube’s most prominent users, which might have affected how they appear in search results, but now the service is apparently rethinking its approach.

In an apologetic statement sent out from the Twitter account of CEO Susan Wojcicki, the executive apologized “for the frustration & hurt that we caused with our new approach to verification.” YouTube is “working to address your concerns & we’ll have more updates soon,” Wojcicki said.

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Google’s Newest Gadget for Your Home Is Literally Always Watching You | Inc.com

Posted on September 18, 2019 by | Leave a comment

The Google Nest Hub Max seems like a pretty smart device–even if the name could use some work. It also has some pretty cool features. For example, the device will display the calendar or content customized for the person who happens to be looking at it, without them having to log on. That sounds really cool, but in order for it to work, there’s one giant catch.

It’s literally always watching you.

That’s because the Google Nest Hub Max’s front-facing camera is always on so it can detect and analyze faces and determine who’s interacting with. That also means that the device can be controlled with a series of gestures. I guess that’s cool, but Google wanting to put a camera in my house that’s always on? What could possibly go wrong?

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How Online Reviews Can Make or Break Your Company | Small Business Trends

Posted on September 6, 2019 by | Leave a comment

Many small businesses constantly chase great online reviews. Because they have become a critical part of the prospect’s decision-making process. But what are the mistakes that they should avoid in the process? And are fake reviews going to dismantle the entire system?

The Impact of Online Reviews on Businesses

On the Small Business Radio Show this week we speak to Jeremy Lessaris. Lessaris founded irevu, an online reputation management company. He discusses how reviews can make or break your company. He says that “a one star drop at a plastic surgery office can cost the company millions of dollars.” They are having even more of an impact because Jeremy adds that Google is now frequently listing reviews in some cases before organic search results.

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