Google is trying to cut down on annoying, unskippable ads in Android apps and overall bad behavior in the Play Store (via TechCrunch). The company announced wide-ranging policy changes on Wednesday that update rules across several categories to be more specific, clamping down on loopholes developers may have used to skirt existing rules. One of the changes that will impact your everyday phone usage the most is for ads. Google says its updated guidelines, which will go into effect on… Source link
Read More »The story behind Google’s in-house desktop Linux
If you look around Google’s Mountain View, CA offices, you’ll see Windows machines, Chromebooks, Macs — and gLinux desktops. G what, you ask? Well, in addition to relying on Linux for its servers, Google has its very own Linux desktop distribution. You can’t get it — darn it! — but for more than a decade, Google has been baking and eating its own homemade Linux desktop distribution. The first version was Goobuntu. (As you’d guess from the name, it was… Source link
Read More »Shadow cast over future of Google’s C++ replacement
Google launched Carbon, an experimental language, last week, but industry skepticism clouds its future as a C++ replacement. C++ is a mainstay of enterprise development, but it has drawbacks, and some developers have argued that it needs a replacement. The reasons for this are many, including code that is difficult to learn and read, issues with safety mechanisms and lack of suitability for modern hardware architectures and environments, said Chandler Carruth, principal software engineer… Source link
Read More »A 5-year outlook at Google’s ad tech
The most serious threat to Google’s ad tech dynasty is regulation. Google has been at the center of countless antitrust lawsuits worldwide, with governing bodies slowly forcing more balance in the advertising marketplace. The recently introduced Competition and Transparency in Digital Advertising Act, for example, would compel Google to sell off its ad tech products. Without its ad tech business, Google would still be a formidable force in digital advertising. After all, most of its ad… Source link
Read More »Preorder Google’s Pixel 6A and get Pixel Buds A-Series for free
Welcome to the weekend. This week was a deal drought relative to last week’s Prime Day-filled coverage, but there are still some cool, limited-time offers that are worth highlighting. For one, Google flipped on preorders for the Pixel 6A phone and the Pixel Buds Pro after a long wait since their announcement at Google I/O 2022. And for people who want the Pixel 6A, placing a preorder at Amazon or Best Buy will get you a complementary set of Pixel Buds A-Series wireless earbuds that… Source link
Read More »Google’s adding the app permissions section back to the Play Store
Google says it’s rolling back its decision to remove a section from the Play Store that listed which permissions an app uses. The company had more or less replaced that info with its Data Safety section, which is supposed to give you an idea of what data apps are collecting and how that data is used. The problem, as several commentators pointed out, is that the information in the Data Safety section came from developers, whereas the app permissions section was generated by Google. By… Source link
Read More »Google’s new Chrome logo could have looked a lot different
Google changed up its Chrome logo earlier this year, for the first time since 2014. The new Chrome logo has some subtle differences from before, thanks to a lack of shadows, slightly different proportions, and brighter colors. Most Chrome users might not have even noticed its introduction in Chrome 100, but Google had experimented with far more radical designs that didn’t make the cut. Some of the more striking proposals included completely different shapes for the Chrome logo or… Source link
Read More »Google’s stock just got a lot cheaper for average investors
Alphabet (GOOGL) split its two classes of shares (GOOG) by a 20-to-1 margin, a move that reduced the price of one share from just over $2,200 on Friday to about $112 on Monday. The stock split doesn’t change Alphabet’s market capitalization. The company is still worth about $1.5 trillion, making it one of the most valuable firms on the planet. But the split has two potential benefits. First, it may make Alphabet shares more enticing for everyday investors. Second, it increases the odds that… Source link
Read More »Google’s Nest WiFi router 3-pack falls to a new all-time low
Google is having a sale on Nest products at Amazon right now, with strong discounts on the Nest Doorbell (battery), Nest Security Cam (wired) and Nest Cam Outdoor or Indoor (battery). However, the standout deal is on the Nest WiFi Router (2nd generation), available in a 3-pack for just $199 (57 percent off) — the lowest price we’ve seen yet. Buy Google Nest products at Amazon The 3-pack setup will let you cover up to 6,600 square feet, enough for even large homes. We gave the Google Nest… Source link
Read More »‘A uniquely dangerous tool’: How Google’s data can help states track abortions
Figures from Google, one of the most prolific collectors of location data, show that the company received 5,764 “geofence” warrants between 2018 and 2020 from police in the 10 states that have banned abortion as of July 5. These warrants demand GPS data showing which mobile devices were present in a specified area during a particular time period, and can help investigate individuals who were present at crime scenes or other locations of interest. Google doesn’t specify what alleged… Source link
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