Articles about Google

Google has announced a series of updates for both Maps and Waze which will help to keep drivers better informed on their journeys. One of the most pleasing updates for Google Maps is an easier way to report when you've seen cops in the area so other drivers can be alerted -- and you can benefit from other drivers' reports.

Another helpful addition to Maps means that when you navigate to an address, the building you are looking for and, importantly, the entrance, will be highlighted for you. New features and options are not limited to Google Maps; Waze also has a number of handy additions.

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Google has apologized for a Chrome problem that resulted in millions of users being unable to use the browser's password manger.

The issue meant that affected users were not able to access saved passwords for the majority of a day. In issuing its apology, Google explains that a faulty update for the M127 version of Chrome for Windows was to blame, noting that the problem hit users globally.

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A new survey of 800 security decision-makers across the US, UK, Germany and France reveals that 76 percent of security leaders recognize the pressing need to move to shorter certificate lifespans to improve security.

However, the study from machine identity specialist Venafi, also shows many feel unprepared to take action, with 77 percent saying the shift to 90-day certificates will mean more outages are inevitable.

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As OpenAI rolls out its SearchGPT prototype, a question looms large: Should Google feel threatened by this new entrant in the search engine landscape? SearchGPT promises a revolutionary approach to online search by integrating AI capabilities with real-time web information, potentially changing how users interact with search engines.

SearchGPT is designed to streamline the search experience, providing direct answers with clear sourcing, which could make searches faster and more relevant. This AI-enhanced tool also emphasizes a strong partnership with publishers and creators, aiming to boost the discoverability of high-quality content. Such features might appeal to users who are increasingly looking for efficient and reliable information retrieval methods.

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Google has taken a proactive step to bolster Linux security with the introduction of the counted_by attribute for flexible array members. This enhancement addresses a critical vulnerability in C programming related to buffer overflows, particularly those involving flexible array members whose sizes are determined at runtime.

Buffer overflows have long been a notorious source of security issues in software development. While sanitizers have mitigated some of these vulnerabilities by automatically inserting bounds checking, flexible array members have remained a challenging exception. The size of these arrays is typically opaque to the compiler, making it difficult to perform bounds checking outside the allocation function.

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Interoperability between rival platforms, including the ability to easily transfer data from one to another, is something that only really benefits users. There is little, if anything, positive to stem from one company making it easy to move to a competitor.

But when it comes to cloud storage for photos and videos, migrating from Google to Apple is being simplified. While transferring Google Photos to iCloud has been possible for a while, the process has been an uphill struggle. Now this is changing.

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Researchers on Google's Connectomics team have achieved the largest AI-assisted digital reconstruction of human brain tissue to date. Now, they are turning their attention to the mouse brain to further unravel the mysteries of neural connections.

The recent accomplishment involved mapping just 1 cubic millimeter of human brain tissue, a task that required an astounding 1.4 petabytes of data. This tiny section, equivalent to half a grain of rice, revealed unexpected structures within neurons. "We found some of the wires will wrap themselves into these giant knots," says Google Research Scientist Viren Jain. "We have no idea why -- nobody's ever seen it before."

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With AI-generated content now proliferating the internet, companies are scrabbling to put polices in place to handle such material on their platforms. Among them is YouTube, and the Google-owned video site has updated its privacy guidelines to better take into account artificial intelligence.

It is now possible for anyone to issue a request to YouTube to remove content if it simulates their face or voice. This is separate to the way in which deepfakes are handled, and it is interesting to see such AI-generated content being seen as a potential violation of an individual's privacy.

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The way Windows 11 interacts with mobile devices -- and, in turn, the way it lets users interact with them -- has been a little odd for some time. The Your Phone / Phone Link app showed that using Windows to use or browse your smartphone was really something of an afterthought for Microsoft.

Continuing the piecemeal approach to mobiles, it looks as though the company is finally about to give File Explorer the ability to browse smartphone contents. The option has been unearthed in Windows 11, although we don't yet know when it will be released properly.

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For nostalgia heads, the Timeline feature of Google Maps is an enjoyable way to peek into the past. Previously known as Location History, Timeline works much like Facebook Memories, helping jog your memory about trips you've taken and places you've visited.

But there are big changes afoot. Google is moving away from storing location data in the cloud to storing it on mobile devices instead. While this is a privacy-boosting move, Google says that the change means that users could find their Timeline data is deleted unless they take action.

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Google has announced its acquisition of Cameyo, a company known for its virtual application delivery (VAD) technology. This move is part of a broader strategy by the search giant to enhance ChromeOS by making it easier to manage and access legacy applications through the cloud, moving away from traditional desktop-based environments.

A Forrester Consulting study, commissioned by Google, indicates a shift towards web-based computing, with 90 percent of IT leaders envisioning future applications primarily residing in the cloud. Despite this trend, the study reveals that 50 percent of applications are still client-based, highlighting a gap that VAD technology aims to bridge.

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When Google was founded in 1998, it ushered in a new era of access to information. The groundbreaking search engine wasn’t the first to debut (that was World Wide Web Wanderer in 1993), but it was the one that caught on. By 2004, Google was fielding over 200 million searches per day; by 2011, that number had exploded to about three billion daily searches. By that time, the word “Google” had morphed from just the name of the search engine to a verb that meant “to use an internet search engine.” Twenty years later, Google still dominates the market with an almost 84 percent share as of late 2023.

Though Google is still the most popular search engine, new technology has emerged that could threaten its supremacy -- LLMs. The use of this technology is growing at an astonishing rate. In fact, in February 2024, ChatGPT generated over 1.6 billion visits.

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Streaming video services have clamped down on password sharing and have -- as Netflix has shown -- reaped the financial benefits. But while many companies are keen to stamp out the practice of sharing passwords, Google is actively embracing it.

A policy change that was talked about back in February is now rolling out, bringing a new password sharing option to Google Password Manager. The feature makes it possible to share a password in a secure way, without having to write it down.

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Design and use generative AI prompts that get helpful and practical results in this concise and quick start guide.

In The Quick Guide to Prompt Engineering, renowned technology futurist and AI thought leader Ian Khan delivers a practical and insightful resource for taking the first steps in understanding and learning how to use generative AI. You will learn how to design and use prompts to get the most out of Large Language Model generative AI applications like ChatGPT, DALL-E, and Google’s Bard, and explore how to understand generative artificial intelligence and how to engineer prompts in a wide variety of industry use cases.

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If you have an Android phone you'll no doubt be aware of the risk that unwanted trackers can access your data while you're using third-party apps or browsing the web.

If you're worried about being tracked though there is an alternative in the form of /e/OS which has a focus on privacy and can be can be flashed on numerous Android devices to replace Google's ubiquitous OS. Today sees the release of V2 of /e/OS which offers further privacy controls, tools and improved user interface.

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