Items tagged with NASDAQ:GOOG
Google is ready to throw in the towel on its languid and long-abandoned Google+ social networking service. Google+ was created to counter the growing social media (and advertising) threat of Facebook, but has failed miserably in just about every measurable way. We’re now learning that Google+ was compromised by another bug, which resulted in the information of 52.5 million users being exposed to developers. The bug was found in the Google+ API, and Google says that there was a six-day window in which the data was readily accessible before it fixed the breach. While it was exploited,...
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Microsoft made somewhat of a surprise announcement last week when it detailed plans to overhaul its struggling (in terms of market share) Edge browser and rebuild it around Chromium (much to Mozilla's dismay), the exact same platform that powers Google's own customized Chrome browser. That's a big change, but will Edge support Chrome's extensive library of extensions? If all goes to plan, the answer is yes. Microsoft is rebuilding its Edge browser around Chromium That wasn't a topic Microsoft chose to address in its blog post announcing the upcoming change to Edge. However, Edge product manager...
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If you missed out on grabbing a discounted Pixel 3 or Pixel 3 XL during Black Friday or Cyber Monday, there's no need to fret, Google has marked both of its flagship phones down once again. The smaller Pixel 3 is selling for $699 in the Google Store, down $100 from its MSRP, and the Pixel 3 XL now starts at $749, down $150 from its MSRP. Those are not insignificant discounts, even if the discounts aren't quite as deep this time. They're also still not cheap handsets, even with the savings, though Google offers a finance option to spread the cost out over time. Here is how the upfront and financed...
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Walmart has some alternatives to the deals that we talked about over the weekend on Amazon streaming devices. The deals that Walmart is promoting include the Google Smart TV Kit for $49, which is a $25 discount off the regular $74 price for the bundle. What the package offers is a Google Home Mini and a Chromecast; Walmart says this bundle is exclusive to its stores. Most are probably familiar with what Chromecast has to offer; it lets you stream content to your TV from Netflix, Vudu, and other sources. Now is an excellent time to add more Google Home Mini devices to your home with Walmart offering...
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It's not a good time to be an Android user who frequents the Google Play Store for apps. Just over the last few weeks, malware-laden apps that had been downloaded over half a million times were found on the Play Store. Apps from Cheetah Mobile were also found to be committing click fraud and running down the batteries inside user devices. Reports are now surfacing that Google has now pulled another batch of 22 apps from the Google Play Store that had been downloaded over 2 million times cumulatively. The newest apps discovered to be malicious had a so-called "device-draining backdoor" that...
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Samsung is prepping a software update for its Galaxy Note 9 and a few other high-end handsets, though what it has in the works is more than just a new build of Android. In addition to doling out Android 9 Pie, it's readying a final build of its recently announced One UI, which the company says "helps you focus on what really matters most." If you own a Galaxy Note 9, you can test out a beta version of One UI. "Made for all our users, the One UI Beta Program is the chance to try One UI before its official release. As one of the first to enjoy the new features and design, send us your feedback and...
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After over 10 million miles of miles of testing with its ever-growing fleet of self-driving vehicles, Google's Waymo is now ready for a commercial launch of its ride-hailing service. The paid service is called Waymo One, is available 24-7, and is accessible with an app (just like Uber and Lyft). Right now, the service is only available in the Metro Phoenix area, serving the cities of Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, and Tempe. The self-driving Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans can accommodate up to three adults and one child per trip, and at first will be limited to what Waymo describes...
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Verizon has confirmed that it will be rolling out Universal Profile RCS for the Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL tomorrow, December 6, 2018. Before this confirmation, the Universal Profile RCS service wasn't expected until early next year. This Universal Profile is meant to ensure carrier interoperability and brings several cool new features. Verizon is referring to Universal Profile RCS as chat and enhanced messaging. Google's Messages app will be where users of the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL will need to go to access the new functions. Verizon employees posted a full list of features for the service...
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We're hearing a lot about the future of wireless connectivity, and specifically 5G, but when will it happen on a mass scale? Two things need to occur—wireless carriers need to aggressively roll out and expand their 5G networks, and phone makers have to implement compatible hardware. Android device makers are powerless when it comes to the former, but as for the hardware, Qualcomm says "every Android vendor is working on 5G right now." It's been a little slow going so far, mainly because there is no need to drive up the cost of a phone by implementing hardware that, for the most part, won't...
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We all know that Google gathers a plethora of data on us as we surf the web and stay logged into Google accounts. You might think that Chrome's incognito mode allows you to surf the web anonymously where Google isn't tweaking results of your searches based on what it knows about you, but you would be wrong. You might even think that if you don't log into your Google account, you are anonymous; again that isn't the case according to a recent study. DuckDuckGo, a search company that competes with Google, conducted the study, and it aimed to see just how big of an issue Google's so-called "Filter...
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There once was a time when the Microsoft Internet Explorer web browser was the most popular browser in all the land, but that time has passed. People tend to rely on browsers like Chrome, Firefox, and others over Microsoft's offerings these days. In 2015 with the launch of Windows 10, Microsoft hoped to change that with Edge built using a new at the time rendering engine called EdgeHTML. The problem for Microsoft is that Edge launched festooned with issues that turned web surfers off to the browser early on and it never recovered. A new rumor is going around claims that Microsoft is working on...
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In case you have not heard, Project Fi is now called Google Fi, and with the rebranding comes support for a bunch of additional devices, including several iPhone handsets and most newer Android phones. Google is obviously eager for more people to make the switch. To encourage that very thing, Google is offering a free month of Google Fi service to kick the tires. There is a bit of fine print, of course. For one, the free month is only valid for new Google Fi customers who sign up before December 17, based on Pacific Time (the offer expires at 11:59 pm PST on December 16). "To qualify for the service...
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After its big surprise was spoiled yesterday by a website leak, Google has announced that Project Fi is indeed making a big expansion. In fact, its name is also changing: the MVNO service will now be known as Google Fi. As we reported yesterday, Google Fi will now support a larger group of Android smartphones along with most newer iPhones. Google says that Google Fi will support "popular Android phones" including devices from Samsung, Motorola and OnePlus. iPhone support is currently listed as being in beta (you can grab the Google Fi iOS app here). When it comes to Android support, you...
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Like it or not, the world is trending towards completely wireless solutions, or at least that is the direction some hardware makers are intent on going. As such, Google developed a set of specs called Fast Pair to make it easier to connect Bluetooth headsets and speakers to Android devices. Fast Pair is an involving standard, with Google having now added the ability to sync data across a user's Google account. "Today, we're making it easier for people to connect Fast Pair compatible accessories to devices associated with the same Google Account. Fast Pair will connect accessories to a user's current...
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