Tag Archives: TechCrunch

Google is suspending billing on its mobile app store, Play, and pausing payment-based services for YouTube users in Russia — blaming “payment system disruption” related to Western sanctions on Russian banks. The development, which was reported earlier by Reuters, comes in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the sanctions on Russian banks that swiftly followed as the West opted for an economic response to Putin’s war in Europe. In a support note on its Android… Source link

Google’s tenth Pixel feature drop is launching today with several new updates, including a feature that lets you type to talk during phone calls. The updates are rolling out to Pixel 3a through Pixel 5a 5G devices today, while Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro devices will begin receiving the updates later this month. The most notable new feature is aimed toward people who can’t or prefer not to speak on calls, Google says. Now, when you’re on a call, you can see… Source link

Google in October announced a preview of Android 12L, a version of the Android operating system designed specifically for large-screened devices. Today, Android 12L is officially becoming available, offering features that will make it easier to use Android on tablet devices. The software will begin to roll out to supported devices from Samsung, Lenovo and Microsoft starting later this year, Google said. The idea with Android 12L was to tailor Android for users on tablets and foldable… Source link

Version 100 of Google Chrome will launch within the next few weeks, but even after all of this time, there’s still some room for speeding up the browser. As Google announced today, version 99 of Chrome on macOS manages to score 300 points on the Speedometer benchmark, which was originally developed by Apple’s WebKit team. This, Google points out, is the fastest performance of any browser yet. Speedometer 2.0 tests for responsiveness, which makes it a good proxy for user experience…. Source link

Airtel said on Monday it is launching a credit card, the latest attempt from the Google-backed Indian telecom operator to make inroads with financial services as it looks to expand its offerings in the world’s second largest internet market. The network, managed by billionaire Sunil Mittal, said it has inked a strategic partnership with Axis Bank, the nation’s third-largest private sector bank, to co-launch what they are describing as “a first-of-its-kind” credit card. The… Source link

The startup ecosystem in Africa has until now been dominated by Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa and Egypt (‘the Big 4’), countries that continue to receive the bulk of venture capital and other forms of investment. However, the situation seems to be slowly changing as noteworthy startups begin to rise from other countries within the continent, and as investors scout for fresh opportunities to spread their risk outside the Big 4. Uganda is one of the countries creating ripples in… Source link

A notorious Android banking trojan designed to steal user data, like passwords and text messages, has been discovered in Google Play and downloaded thousands of times. The TeaBot banking trojan, also known as Anatsa and Toddler, was first observed in May 2021 targeting European banks by stealing two-factor authentication codes sent by text message. A new report from Cleafy, an online fraud management and prevention solution, now says the malware has evolved to… Source link

A team at Google is today launching a new product for mobile app developers called Checks which leverages A.I. technology to identify possible privacy and compliance issues within apps, amid a rapidly changing regulatory and policy landscape. The freemium solution will be offered to both Android and iOS app developers of all sizes, who will be able to have their apps analyzed then receive a report with actionable insights about how to address the problems that are found. Checks was… Source link

One of Silicon Valley’s most infamous characters has narrowly avoided — yet again — the worst consequences of his actions. Anthony Levandowski reached a settlement agreement last week that resolves a number of disputes with his two former employers, Uber and Google, and puts to rest one of the most dramatic and complicated storylines in the autonomous vehicle industry. Levandowski, an early pioneer in the AV industry, left Google and started his own company, Otto, which was… Source link

Google today announced Chrome OS Flex, an early preview of a new initiative that aims to bring Chrome OS to virtually any PC (and older Intel-based Macs). Built on top of CloudReady, which Google acquired in 2020), Chrome OS Flex is aimed at enterprises and educational users who want to prolong the lifetime of their existing devices, but anyone with access to a USB drive can use it to give an older PC — or maybe even a low-powered new one — a new lease on life. There is an obvious… Source link