Google news
Google and Telkom Launch Balloon-Powered Internet Service in Kenya
Image sourced from MIT Technology Review Google’s Loon Project and Telkom Kenya have announced that it’s balloon-powered mobile Internet service is now available and covers more than 50,000 sq.km of the country with a fleet of 35 balloons – specific areas include Iten, Eldoret, Baringo, Nakuru, Kakamega, Kisumu, Kisii, Bomet, Kericho and Narok. According to the companies, this is the first balloon-powered internet to launch in Africa and the first non-emergency commercial deployment in the world. The Loon service will work by beaming Internet connectivity from ground stations to balloons 20 km overhead. The balloons (floating base stations) are linked to the ground stations that have been connected to Telkom’s network. These ground stations utilise millimeter wave spectrum to send connecti...
Google Launches Nonprofits Initiative in Nigeria
Sourced from IOL. Google has launched the “Google for Nonprofits” in Nigeria, aiming to empower NPOs across the country by providing them with free premium services. Google for Nonprofits will give access to a collection of premium apps to organisations that qualify for the program. These will be the same tools used by large enterprises. NPOs will be given the rights to use the tools at no cost. Once qualifying, NPOs can use tools such as Google Ad Grants, G-Suite for Nonprofits, YouTube’s nonprofit programs and more. These premium apps are to assist nonprofits to work more quickly and efficiently. They are to spur more supporters into action, and for them to tell their stories in more compelling ways. Nonprofits can qualify for a grant of up to $10,000 a month that is available for six mo...
Google to Discontinue Outdated G Suite Apps
Google has decided to discontinue several old versions of specific G Suite apps in August 2020 – and encourages users to update their apps as soon as possible. In an official blog post, Google says that it began making changes to its API and service infrastructure in 2018 in order to improve performance and security. “As a result of these changes, some older versions of G Suite desktop and mobile apps may stop working on August 12, 2020. In particular, versions released prior to December 2018 may be impacted.” /* custom css */ .tdi_3_f54.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_3_f54.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } Google notes the apps that need to be updated so that users’ workflows are not disrupted include: Classroom iOS app Docs Android and iOS apps Drive Android and iOS apps Dri...
Google Will Begin to Automatically Delete User Location History by Default
Sourced from Shutterstock. Google announced that it will start to automatically delete the location history and web activity of users after an 18 month period. “We continue to challenge ourselves to do more with less, and today we’re changing our data retention practices to make auto-delete the default for our core activity settings,” Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai says in a release. Usually, users would have to manually turn this feature on, but now it seems that the search engine giant has decided to include it by default. Google will be able to keep certain amounts of information on the online activity of users and still be able to recommend websites and adverts on things you may like based on your location and browsing history, but now, they won’t have to deal with vast amounts ...
Google Chrome Users May Have Been Effected by a Spying Campaign, According to Report
Sourced from Forbes. Google Chrome extensions downloaded more than 32-million times were used to spy on the popular browser’s users in a massive global surveillance campaign, according to a new report. The report, published by cybersecurity firm Awake Security, found at least 111 “malicious or fake” Chrome extensions capable of taking screenshots, stealing login credentials and capturing passwords as users typed them. This spying campaign impacted a wide range of sectors across the web including financial services, healthcare and government organizations, the firm adds. Browser extensions, such as the ones for Chrome allow users to add a myriad of new features previously unavailable to them. Extensions such as Netflix Party and Suspicious Site Reporter are examples of popular extensions. A...
Google Releases Android 11 Beta – These Are The Best New Features
Sourced from Computer World Google has quietly released the first public Android 11 beta. A release such as this is usually accompanied by announcements and fanfare reserved for its Google I/O event, but with the event this year cancelled by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the beta update was simply put out there. That isn’t to say that the update isn’t important, or large. There is a bounty of new useful features including changes to notifications, bubble conversations, security improvements, and more. Refined notifications /* custom css */ .tdi_3_cce.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_3_cce.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } The most notable update is a change in the way Android now handles notifications. The OS is undergoing a large jump over how Apple handles its notification...
Google Launches Website to Help People Avoid Online Scams
Sourced from Google. Ever opened your emails and received a poorly-worded message about a payment that you weren’t expecting? What about one proclaiming that you’ve won a competition you never entered. “Congratulations!” it reads, beneath, a sinister attachment that you probably should not open. This is becoming more and more common, and now Google has unveiled a website to teach people how to spot and avoid online scams. Digital hoaxes, malware and cyberattacks have been surging during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The website – Scamspotter.org – tries to show users how to identify things such as false stimulus checks, fake vaccine offers, or other fake medical information. The site also attempts to make clear certain patterns that are typical of hoaxes, like a romance scammer asking ...
Twitter Labels President Trump’s “Potentially Misleading” Tweets
Image sourced from Al Jazeera Twitter said Tuesday that it added a label to the United States (US) President Donald Trump’s tweets for containing “potentially misleading information about voting processes,” a rare move that shows the social media company is taking a tougher stance against misinformation. Twitter reserves these labels for tweets that contain information flagged by the website as false. It’s the first time that Twitter has displayed such a label on one of Trump’s tweets. That same Tuesday, Trump tweeted “There is NO WAY (ZERO!) that Mail-in-Ballots will be anything less than substantially fraudulent,” a claim that has been debunked by fact-checkers and news organizations. He continues his remarks in another tweet, stating that it will be a “rigged election.” Mail-in-Ballots ...
Google Maps is Making Wheelchair-Accessible Locations Easier to Spot
Sourced from Google. In honour of Global Accessibility Awareness Day, Google is adding a long-overdue feature to its Maps app that puts details about a location’s accessibility facilities front and centre. With the “Accessible Places” feature enabled, business and points of interest with wheelchair-accessible entrances are marked with a wheelchair icon along with information about whether accessible seating, restrooms, and parking are available. Previously, all that information was tucked away in a location’s “About” menu, which users would have to navigate to for every destination individually. “With this feature ‘rollout’, it’s easier to find and contribute wheelchair accessibility information to Google Maps,” Google Maps software engineer Sasha Blair-Goldensohn says in a company blog po...
Apple and Google Launch COVID-19 Exposure Alert Tool
Apple and Google have officially launched their Exposure Notification system – previously debuted as contact-tracing software – which is designed to alert users of possible contact with individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19. “Starting today, our Exposure Notifications technology is available to public health agencies on both iOS and Android. What we’ve built is not an app — rather public health agencies will incorporate the API into their own apps that people install,” says the tech giants in a joint statement. The Application Programming Interface (API) will enable apps created by public health agencies to work more accurately, reliably and effectively across both Android and iOS devices. “Our technology is designed to make these apps work better. Each user gets to decide whet...
