Articles about Google

When I was in elementary school, and even early into high school, I would decorate my notebooks and binders with stickers. In the 80s, it was Garbage Pail Kids, and as I got older, rock bands and such. Yeah, I was totally cool.

In the tech world, customization is always popular, including stickers. Think about it -- some people decorate their laptops with stickers, while other folks put case badges on their gaming PCs. Today, Google is bringing virtual stickers to Google Maps on Android.

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Last year, Google introduced a kill switch in Android to prevent lost or stolen handsets from being reused. Formally known as Factory Reset Protection, this security feature has been designed to, among other things, only allow the intended owner to use the device after a factory reset has been performed. In theory, it is a great idea, so much so that some markets have actually made a kill switch mandatory, in an attempt to deter smartphone theft.

In practice, however, Factory Reset Protection is not as effective as you might expect -- it can be bypassed on the latest version of Android, 6.0.1 Marshmallow, and in the latest Android N preview.

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If you're thinking about buying Pixel C, Google gives two good reasons to do so now: Android N beta program and developer discount on the hardware. The tablet normally sells for $499 (32GB) or $599 (64GB) but you could instead pay $375 or $449, respectively. Keyboard is another $149. The discount and beta OS are meant for developers, but anyone can get them.

Pixel C is the best Android tablet I have ever tested, but that's acknowledging prejudice against Samsung tabs, which are worthy contenders, but I dislike TouchWiz UI. Sammy's hardware hums, particularly the stunning screens. But only Google serves up a Marshmallow feast in Android 6.0, and the hardware design and construction are preemo to the max. For less than $400, Pixel C might as well be free, there is so much value here.

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Besides being the super poplar search engine, email provider, work and collaboration services provider, Google is also used, by a number of different services, as an identity provider.

It allows people to register and log into different online services using their Google account. Now, the company announced it’s expanding the feature to add a number of new services, some of which are direct competitors.

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When the Apple Watch was announced, I was a bit dubious. While I was sold on the smartwatch concept, and liked the devices that beat Apple to market, I wasn't sure that consumers would want luxury -- and premium prices -- mixed with their tech. The first Android Wear watches were not stylish, but as time marched on, manufacturers started to follow Apple's wise luxury-focused lead. Watches based on Google's platform can look nice!

Today, Fossil announces two new Android Wear smartwatches -- the Q Marshal and Q Wander -- and they are both luxurious and attractive. Should Apple watch out? Pun intended.

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If you are a college student, you probably look forward to the summer as a relaxing time away from learning. Yeah, I get it -- school can be very stressful, but sleeping late and vegetating won't result in meaningful growth.

Instead of wasting your summer, why not learn about open source? If that sounds boring, then maybe it isn't for you. However, if you are excited by the possibility of working on an open source project like Fedora, KDE, LibreOffice or VLC, then you should sign up for Google's Summer of Code 2016.

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Many people look at hackers as bad guys, and yeah, some are. However, some of these people are actually good -- their work is beneficial for security. When they discover exploits, and report them, it can result in more secure software -- if companies listen, that is.

Google is a huge proponent of for-good hacking, and it even has its own Chrome Reward Program aimed at motivating these people. Basically, Google will pay hackers to find and report security issues in its Chrome software. Today, the company is upping the ante by increasing how much it will pay out.

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Privacy and security has always been a hot topic, but never more so than in recent months. The Apple/FBI case has really brought things to a head, enlivening the debate between privacy and security advocates, and those who side with the government. As Apple fights to prevent the FBI from accessing the San Bernardino shooter's iPhone, Facebook, Google and others are looking to increase encryption and lockdown user data even further.

The Guardian has learned that a number of Silicon Valley companies are working on ultra-secure encrypted messaging systems. With President Obama having made a sideways reference to supporting the inclusion of backdoors for government, Facebook is planning to not only bring encryption to Whatsapp's voice messages, but also to bolster the security of Facebook Messenger.

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As the battle between iOS and Android rages on, it can be said that both operating systems are wonderful. True, Apple's offering allows more timely updates, but Google's mobile OS is available to many manufacturers for various device types. It is clear why Android is the most-used mobile operating system in the world -- it allows affordable devices, while Apple simply doesn't.

Today, Google shocks the tech world by releasing the first official Developer Preview of Android N -- the successor to the wonderful Marshmallow. It is available for many Nexus devices, and you can install it now. Google even shares a handy how-to guide below.

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The adoption of new Android distributions rises at a glacial pace so you should not expect the latest -- and, arguably, the greatest -- of the bunch to gain traction quickly. In fact, up until this month, the landscape was dominated by KitKat, which is now two and a half years old, and not Marshmallow, which Google introduced last October.

However, going into March, things have changed. KitKat no longer reigns supreme, as Google reveals that Lollipop is now finally running on more devices than its older brother. The usage share difference is relatively small, however, suggesting that it may take a while before KitKat will be as irrelevant as, say, Ice Cream Sandwich.

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One of my favorite things to do each year is go on a cruise. Since I am not wealthy, it is a great way to take a vacation without breaking the bank. While the trip itself is great, knowing that a holiday is on the horizon keeps me happy and motivated to work hard during the rest of the year -- a light at the end of a tunnel, if you will.

Planning a cruise can be simple, but more in-depth vacations can be much more difficult. Deciding on travel, hotels, rental cars, food, and more can be dizzying. Luckily, the always-helpful Google wants to make your vacation-planning easier. If you want to make your plans using a mobile device, the all-new 'Destinations on Google' should make you very happy.

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Many consumers have a love/hate relationship with their cell providers. On the one hand, these companies provide us with our much-needed data -- allowing us to access the Internet from almost anywhere. On the other hand, where the hate comes in, is high prices and data caps. By limiting data, these companies are arguably impeding technological progress -- users shouldn't have to be mindful of data usage.

It is for this reason that Project Fi has been a godsend for some. Google's cellular service -- piggybacked off of Wi-Fi, T-Mobile, and Sprint -- offers affordable tiered data plans. The big catch, unfortunately, was the invite system. You see, you had to have a special invite to sign up, meaning many of those that wanted to, simply couldn't. Today, this changes as Google kills Project Fi invites, making it available to anyone in the United States. I am very happy to say 'RIP' to the invite system!

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Google has been testing driverless cars for a little while now, and the next stage in autonomous vehicles is driver-free lorries. Freed from the constraints of human drivers who have an irritating need to sleep, driverless lorries would be able to deliver goods over long distances faster than ever.

Driverless convoys of lorries are due to be trialled in the UK later this year as part of an attempt to not only speed up deliveries, but also reduce congestion on the roads. The Department for Transport wants the UK to lead the way in the use of "HGV (Heavy Goods Vehicle) platoons". The trials will take place on public roads.

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It is snowing once again in New York today -- won't the winter madness ever end? This dreary weather has largely kept me indoors; reading magazines, watching TV, and enjoying the occasional movie. Nothing's better than getting cozy on your couch with a warm blanket and cup of tea to watch a good film.

With that said, this weekend is looking like a good candidate for some movie watching. Unfortunately, picking a movie can be daunting -- there are so many to choose from. Even worse, paying to rent a movie that ends up being bad can make you feel like you've been robbed. If you share my concerns, I have good news -- you can score a Google Play movie rental for 50 percent off. It is a limited offer, however, so you must act fast.

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Google is updating its approach to delisting search results in Europe under the Right To Be Forgotten. At the moment, people are able to request that search results do not link to articles that are "inadequate, irrelevant, no longer relevant or excessive, and not in the public interest" but there have been ways for searchers to bypass these delistings.

While Google may remove a search result from all European Google domains, there's nothing to stop people from using non-European versions of the search engine to access otherwise-hidden data. Starting next week, Google is going to start using geolocation data to crack down on this practice.

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