Google to Discontinue Outdated G Suite Apps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 Doodle celebrates the 155th anniversary of Juneteenth
In celebration of the 155th anniversary of Juneteenth, Google has produced a video Doodle set to the first verse of the poem “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” often called “The Black National Anthem.” It’s a 90 second piece of rousing animation that honors the end of slavery in the US. The video features art from artist Loveis Wise, music produced by Elijah Jamal, and the poem is read by LeVar Burton. Although slavery officially ended with the Emancipation Proclamation in 1862, it wasn’t until June 19th, 1865 that the federal order reached Galveston, Texas on the western edge of the Confederacy. Juneteenth is shorthand for “June Nineteenth.” “This is an American story about freedom, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and I hope that in these brown faces many Americans can see themselves,” s...
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 reportedly rescinds 2,000 contract worker jobs
Google rescinded offers to more than 2,000 contract and temporary workers in an effort to curtail new spending as the pandemic continues to sink ad revenue, according to The New York Times. Ruth Porat, Google’s chief financial officer, said last month that the company would slow the pace of hiring this year “given that we are faced with a global crisis of uncertain depth and duration.” The 2,000 contract positions would have been located across the globe, according to the Times, and they represent a small fraction of Google’s workforce. The company reportedly has more than 130,000 contractors on top of 123,000 employees. Still, it speaks to the significant hiring slowdown that Porat telegraphed last month. The pandemic has caused a slowdown in the advertising market, which is where Google ...
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 ...
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...
The surprising rise of Google’s new CEO
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The inside story of why Google is becoming Alphabet now
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