Articles about Google

Google, like many other companies, is pushing people towards using secure internet connections. HTTPS is becoming the norm, but not everyone has caught on. To keep the security-conscious informed, Gmail is set to issue warnings about emails that are received through unsecure connections that do not use encryption.

A joint study involving Google, University of Michigan and the University of Illinois found that email is "more secure today than it was two years ago", with an increase in the number of encrypted emails sent. That said, there are still plenty of people who are not using secure connections and Google is keen to keep its users informed when they receive communication through unencrypted channels.

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Not long ago LG announced the LG Watch Urbane 2nd Edition -- the first Android Wear smartwatch that offers LTE/3G connectivity. Now Google has officially announced Android Wear's cellular support.

Breaking down one of the barriers to wearable adoption -- the previous reliance on smartphones for a lot of functionality -- the arrival of cellular support means your smartwatch can be used to make and receive calls even when you don’t have your phone with you.

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Anyone still desperately clinging to Windows XP only has another six months of updates for Chrome. Google has decided that the time has finally come to sever ties with the ancient operating system, and the same applies to Vista and OS X 10.6, 10.7, and 10.8.

Just as Microsoft has stopped issuing updates for Windows XP, so too has Google set a cut-off point of April 2016 for Chrome support on older OSes. These versions of Windows and OS X have been dropped by Microsoft and Apple, so it makes sense that other companies will move on as well. But as well as not getting new versions of Chrome, there will also be no more security updates.

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Whilst most organizations recognize the importance of big data, the tools needed to obtain value from it are often complex and unweildy.

To make it easy for companies to build an organization-wide data analytics platform, business analytics specialist Looker is launching Looker Blocks for the Google BigQuery cloud analytics service.

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More and more businesses are adopting a container strategy but this leads to problems for operations and security staff seeking to maintain control and visibility.

Container security specialist Twistlock released its Container Security Suite in beta back in May and has now announced general availability of the product along with its participation in the Google Cloud Platform partner program.

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One of the biggest problems with Google Maps on your smartphone is that you need an internet or data connection. At least that used to be the case. Today Google announces that navigation is now possible in offline mode.

In a move that has the potential to kill off the likes of TomTom and Garmin, Google is making it possible to download maps to your phone so turn-by-turn directions can be initiated even when there is no connection. It's a feature that people have been waiting for for some time, but Google has more to offer.

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My colleague Wayne Williams wonders: "I don’t get the appeal of 'smart' versions of luxury Swiss watches". He refers to today's launch of the $1,500 TAG Heuer Connected Android Wear smartwatch. Over on Google+, journalist Kevin Tofel asks: "Who else doesn't think many people will buy a $1,500 Android Wear watch simply because it's made by TAG Heuer?" Both doubters make good, and related, points.

However, I see TAG Heuer Connected differently. Whether or not anyone buys digital over analog—or nothing at all—is immaterial. The high-end brand is carried in fine jewelry stores everywhere. This watch will make Android Wear visible to millions of buyers who might never see the platform. Demographically, many of these same people might never encounter or consider purchasing Apple Watch, either,

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Sixteen of the biggest tech companies out there, eight internet firms and eight telecoms, were analyzed in terms of how much they allow their users to express themselves, and how much they protect their users’ privacy.

None passed the analysis with flying colors.

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I hate leaving the house. Don't get me wrong, I love nature and fresh air, but my fellow humans can be sort of annoying. A trip to Walmart, or a mall, can be the most soul-crushing experience -- fewer people have manners nowadays. In other words, many shoppers do not know how to properly behave in public. This is why I try and do all my shopping online.

If you are a glutton for punishment, maybe you enjoy shopping in brick and mortar stores. With Christmas -- and other holidays -- approaching, many stores will have special hours, both shortened and extended. Now Google is making it easier to see these special holiday hours.

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My favorite video service is probably not what you expect. No, it is not Netflix or Hulu, but the free YouTube. Yes, when I am on my PC or tablet, I prefer watching Barnacules, iJustine and PewDiePie rather than Hollywood movies and prime-time TV shows. Say what you like, but I am certainly not alone in this regard.

Today, Google is improving YouTube in a really cool way -- it is delivering virtual reality. Using the search-giant's Cardboard face mask, you can experience VR-optimized content as if you are really there! Existing non-VR content can be viewed using Cardboard too.

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As we've seen with IBM's announcement earlier today, APIs are flavor of the development month at the moment.

Now the The Linux Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to accelerating the growth of Linux and collaborative development, is announcing the launch of an Open API Initiative to promote and facilitate the adoption and use of an open API standard.

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You've likely seen some of the beauty of New Zealand. It's been on display in such movies as The Lord of the Rings trilogy, as well as the Narnia movies. It truly lends itself to the Middle Earth feel with the breathtaking landscapes. But the movies only show you parts of this paradise.

Google is taking on yet another wild destination, hauling its Trekker technology down to Australia's neighbor for what it terms a walk on the wild side.

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Samsung's Galaxy S6 Edge is blighted by 11 security problems according to the Project Zero team at Google. The team carried out research to determine how easy it would be for an attacker to exploit an Android phone produced by an OEM.

Over the course of just a week of investigations, Google discovered "a substantial number of high-severity issues". While Samsung has now fixed some of the problems, at least three are still to be addressed.

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Bend tests have become a talking point after Apple's iPhone 6 Plus was found to have issues in this department. So, whenever a new flagship smartphone comes out, you can expect someone to make a YouTube video showing how easily -- or not -- it can be bent. They have become so popular that reviewers can expect millions of views.

And because such tests are a given, manufacturers are also expected to learn from others' mistakes and come up with smartphone designs that fare well in these kind of conditions. So, you can imagine my surprise when I saw Google's new Nexus 6P bending -- and, as a result, breaking -- with very little effort. Has its manufacturer, Huawei, learnt nothing from Apple's mistake?

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Gmail might be Google's most well-known email service, but more recently the company has introduced Inbox. Now Inbox gains a new feature -- Smart Reply. The email tool is known for its automation features and Smart Reply aims to cut down the amount of time you have to spend replying to messages in Android and iOS.

Although not entirely automated. Smart Reply analyzes the content of the emails you receive and suggests a number of stock replies that you might like to send. While it is certainly not going to eliminate the need to type out emails entirely, the ability to respond to common types of email with a couple of clicks will prove a real time-saver.

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