Articles about Google

Although a lot of people don’t really like Gmail’s web interface, I’ve never had a problem with it. Once you’ve learned your way around, the UI is functional and you can customize the look with themes, and even your own images.

However, according to Geek.com Google is testing a redesigned interface for its web-based Gmail service. As with all tests, it’s possible the new look won’t see the light of day, but the design appears very polished, and barring a few cosmetic tweaks I think there’s a very good chance it will replace the current UI at some point in the future.

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What's that? It's the end of the week already? How did that happen?! Things got off to a slightly slow start, but it ended up being another jam-packed seven days. Microsoft was criticized for continuing to patch Windows XP after support was supposed to have ended, but it does seem as though usage is starting to decline. Interestingly, it is Windows 7 that suffered from a higher malware infection rate according to Microsoft's Security Intelligence Report. Windows 8.x is still struggling to gain a large audience and Wayne looked at why this is the case -- maybe a smartwatch would be a smart move.

The effects of Heartbleed are still being felt, and ExtraHop Networks had some advice during a Q&A session. Symantec unveiled its security roadmap for Advanced Threat Protection, and Dropbox discovered a vulnerability that led to the company pulling access to hyperlinked files. Many big names came together to try to make passwords more exciting -- give it up for World Password Day!

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I was never a big fan of the camera interface that came with KitKat on my Nexus 5. Having to roll my finger about on the screen to get to the various menu options never really appealed. It felt awkward, and I was always missing the selections I wanted.

Anyone running KitKat may have come across the fact that the camera app has changed. My Nexus 5 and Nexus 7 both got it as an automatic download, but if you are running KitKat on a handset or a tablet and don't have the new camera app, you can pop along to the Play store and download it. It's called Google Camera.

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Google acquired smart hardware company Nest Labs at the beginning of the year as part of its move into the home. The Internet of Things is set to be big in the coming years, and Google inevitably wants a slice of that pie.

A new site, Google Nest, has been launched that showcases a number of new Google products created off the back of that purchase, and which are "for living life on the web with ease and comfort" while at the same time restoring "confidence in the opportunities the internet offers". The new products are Google Trust, Google Hug, Google Bee and Google Bye. It all looks very convincing, but it’s actually a parody site set up to take a well-aimed shot at Google’s sometimes questionable policies and practices.

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PC manufacturers' priorities baffle me. For years I bitched about OEMs shipping laptops with low-resolution screens -- even Apple. Sony is, or was, the exception but offering the feature for a price premium. My first 13.3-inch notebook with HD resolution (1600 by 900) was a VAIO. In 2006! Apple only followed the Japanese company six years later. The screen is the gateway to your computer, so why do so many OEMs ship cheap displays? For Macs and many Windows PCs, panels are brighter, if not higher-res, today. But not Chromebooks, even as prices push against the $299 threshold and pop above it.

Yesterday's Intel-Google event was an eye opener, or perhaps eye-strainer for anyone looking for Chromebooks with better screens. During the Q&A, PC execs dodged a couple questions about the displays, the majority of which are 1366 x 768 resolution and dim 200-nit brightness. Resolution matters less when panels are bright and deliver consistent color and contrast from wide viewing angles. Chromebooks consistently ship with the best keyboards on any laptop for any price, and the trackpads are exceptional, too. The displays suck. Only two models are good enough. Most newer models change nothing.

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Dear old Google. Dear, dear old Google. In the fallout from the NSA revelations, the company has been falling over itself to try to appear open and transparent about the relationship it had with the security agency during its surveillance program. But a series of emails dating back to 2012, obtained by Al Jazeera America, show that things were rather different than the picture that has been painted thus far. Google -- and other web companies who have, for whatever reason, cooperated with the NSA -- has made it seem as though they were unwillingly forced into taking part in NSA activities, but things may not be quite what they seemed.

Recently, a NSA lawyer made it clear that Microsoft, Google, Yahoo and others were fully aware of the levels of data collection that were being performed. This flies in the face of the earlier claims that these firms were completely ignorant of what was happening. You might have thought that such mass surveillance would be illegal, but no, this was absolutely fine according to a federal judge.

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Modern classrooms are often anything but -- they can be very outdated. This comes down to many factors, including funding. However, antiquated techniques that are still in practice can be blamed on a lack of technology too. Teachers are not always educated in the newest education management software. Even if they are, it can sometimes be clunky and not cost effective.

Google is aiming to change this with a new tool it calls Classroom. This teaching management solution will eventually be a part of the Google Apps for Education (at no additional charge). Today, to celebrate Teacher Appreciation Day, the search giant is accepting applications from teachers to test it.

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In San Francisco, Google and Intel kick off a special event for Chrome OS, which I assert is come of age with the matchup. Ahead of the 1 pm Eastern start time, Lenovo announced new Chromebooks and Google unveiled "Classroom", preview of a new education app.

Unquestionably, Chrome OS-devices are primed for the education market, and many of the newest Chromebooks are directly marketed for schools, students, or teachers. Dell jumped ahead of today's event touting Chromebook 11 adoption in schools.

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Today's Google-Intel event is a turning point for Chrome OS. The matchup is more magnanimous than Apple shipping the first x86 Macs eight years ago. Intel is after all the other half of Wintel, and the company's coming out for Chrome OS endorses the browser-based operating system as mainstream -- as do a rash of new Chromebooks announced or released over the past month by Acer, Dell, Lenovo, and Samsung.

Chrome OS has huge momentum in the education market, for example. There are news stories about school conversions nearly every week. Those are sales taken away from Apple or Microsoft platforms. Success is shocking, because every new operating system directly competing with Windows has failed since release of version 3.1 two decades ago. The Microsoft monopoly is insurmountable, or was until Google's entrance.

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Remember McAfee? You know, the company whose AV software you couldn't remove from your computer fast enough after picking up an off-the-shelf model? The firm was founded by the now infamous John McAfee, although he has not actually been associated with it in anything other than name for quite some time now. In fact he has become better known for a series of bizarre incidents that saw him accused of manufacturing drugs, mentioned in association with a murder and becoming a fugitive who was concerned that the police were going to kill him.

Sounds like the sort of person you'd like to make an app for your phone? Well, the man is back and this time he, or at least his company Future Tense, has come up with Chadder -- yet another messaging app. But this is a messaging app with a difference. The focus is, allegedly, on privacy, security and encryption. The company's motto is "Say what you want! ⋇⊮ ≩⋉⊱∪≀ ⋘≫≯⋌∹∦ ≎⋡⋔∪≙∼≉{] (We can’t see it anyway!)". My, those symbols really do trip off the tongue.

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I think it safe to say that the Chromebook movement has exceeded all expectations. What first seemed like a silly Google experiment has blossomed into a legit Windows threat. As the average home user spends more and more time in the browser, Chrome OS becomes the perfect compliment to their lives. The stars definitely aligned for Google too -- a much maligned Windows 8 and poor economy made a low cost alternative laptop very attractive.

While many top manufacturers such as Dell, Acer and HP have created great Chromebooks, the world has been anxious to see Lenovo deliver a consumer model. After all, that company is synonymous with quality. Well, today is that day and the manufacturer has done it in epic fashion, by delivering two models. While the N20 ($279) is rather typical, the N20p ($329) is a multi-mode, touch-screen variant that has my heart aflutter.

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Security news a-go-go once again this week, starting off with a massive security flaw that was discovered in Internet Explorer. The problem affects everything from Internet Explorer 6 to 11, but it was Windows XP users who were particularly at risk due to the fact that Microsoft has ended support for the operating system and is releasing no more security patches. At least that was the case before this problem came to light, causing the company to change its mind and give users one more hit of update goodness.

While Microsoft's latest security whoopsie did leave Microsoft licking its wounds a little, there was cause for celebration for OneDrive for Business users as storage was boosted to 1TB -- and the cloud is becoming ever more important with predictions suggesting 50 billion online devices by 2020. Microsoft was also able celebrate finally having a launch date for the Xbox One in China. In other security news, AOL email service was hacked leading to the leaking of customer data and a new report suggested that just about every website dealing in pirated material is also home to scams and/or malware.

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Students nowadays are very blessed to have so much inexpensive technology at their fingertips. When I was a young boy in elementary school, I had to learn the Dewey Decimal System so I could find outdated books in a smelly library. Even if I found a decent book, there was often doodles of private-parts on the pages. Hell, writing something like a book report was done with a pen and paper because, who could afford a computer?

Chromebooks and Google services are now empowering students with access to technology that enhances the learning experience and increases group collaboration possibilities. The search-giant even offers a solution called 'Google for Education', which it describes as "affordable devices, innovative tools, and educational content built just for the classroom. Technology that helps inspire curiosity and boost productivity". The Hillsborough Township School District is the first district to offer the complete Google for Education package and it is seeing great success.

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Google has released standalone apps for viewing and editing text documents and spreadsheets through its Google Drive service. Both Google Docs 1.3 and Google Sheets 1.3 offers users lightweight alternatives to the main Google Drive app.

The key difference marking out these standalone versions from the more comprehensive Google Drive app is support for offline editing of files.

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Tablets are über cheap these days. It seems as though just about every electronics company has them flying off the production lines. But even if you manage to pick up a cheap tablet, you still want to keep it protected -- no one wants to end up with a screen that is scratched to the point of being unusable, or a body that's smashed to smithereens. The need to protect is even greater if you have handed over a few hundred dollars / pounds for something from the Apple family, and there are all manner of cases to whet the appetite of those keen to keep things safe.

One such offering is the 360° Case from Everything Tablet (operating in the US and Canada as well as the UK) which features a folio-style wrap-around design. I took a look at the Nexus 7 model and my previously svelte 7 incher was transformed into something resembling a leather-bound personal organizer from the 80s. Such is the price one pays for protection, I guess.

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