Google thinks ChromeOS Flex could replace Windows 10 or Windows 11 on your PC, or even macOS on your Mac
With the end of support for Windows 10 approaching, and the launch of Windows 11 24H2 not being an option for many people because of hardware compatibility changes, Google is seizing the opportunity to push its own ChromeOS Flex.
ChromeOS Flex is Google's tweaked version of the ChromeOS operating system that can be installed on x86 hardware. The company is pitching its software at businesses and organizations promising that it has "been built with security as a first principle, not an afterthought". The self-promotion is to be found on the Chrome Enterprise blog, but there is nothing to stop home users from replacing Windows or macOS with ChromeOS Flex.
Google Bard becomes Gemini and adds a mobile app
Google's chat-based AI tool Bard, launched last year, has been rebranded as Gemini. Google says that this is the most capable of its AI tools to date. So what does the change from poet to star sign deliver?
The Gemini Pro 1.0 model is available in over 40 languages and more than 230 countries and territories. Thee are also two new additions -- Gemini Advanced and a mobile app-- to make it easier to collaborate with Google AI.
Winlator, the app that lets you play Windows PC games on your Android phone, gets a big update
Playing Android games on your PC is easy enough. You have the option of using third-party emulators such as Bluestacks or NoxPlayer, or you can take advantage of the built-in Windows Subsystem for Android, available on Windows 11.
However, if you wish to flip the script and play Windows games on your Android device, the process is somewhat more complex, but not impossible. To do this, you’ll need Winlator, which has just been updated to version 5, improving compatibility and performance, and resolving various issues.
The Gmail DMARC policy update you may not know about
Back in October 2023, Google and Yahoo jointly announced new email sender requirements for inbound mail to their domains that they would be putting in place early in 2024, requirements that, for now, are focused on bulk senders.
This announcement and its subsequent updates have rightly gotten the full attention of the email industry. However, there was one other item buried in Google’s announcement that we don’t think people are talking about enough. One of the bullet items in Gmail’s guidelines reads as follows:
Google confirms retirement of cache links in search -- but they may eventually return in a new form
Google has decided to retire a useful and much-loved feature of its search engine. The 'cache' option used to appear as a link in a search result, giving the option of accessing a previously cached version of a page, but it was removed recently.
For now, the feature remains accessible using the search format cache:domain, i.e. cache:betanews.com, but this option is going to be killed off too. There are hopes that the option to view cached versions of web pages may be restored, perhaps using the Internet Archive, but this is yet to be set in stone.
Google admits that Incognito Mode in Chrome is not as private as you hoped
Those in the know are aware that switching Chrome into Incognito Mode does not mean your browsing is a secret -- but many people assume that the browsing mode offers greater levels of privacy than it actually does.
Now Google has admitted as much. The company is updating its description of Incognito Mode in response to a lawsuit. The revised wording makes it clear that Google continues to collect data about user activity in Incognito Mode.
YouTube seems to be slowing the site for anyone with an ad blocker
YouTube hates ad blockers, and the site has been trying to discourage visitors from using them for quite some time. After introducing warnings last year, the site now appears to be reducing performance for anyone who tries to make use of an ad blocker.
While there has been no official announcement about it, the slowdown has not gone unnoticed by YouTube users. Posts on Reddit reveal the laggy site experience for people using an ad blocker -- lag which disappears as soon as ads are re-enabled.
Up to a third of companies could fall foul of new bulk email rules
New research from cyber resilience company Red Sift shows that 33 percent of publicly traded companies worldwide are not protected by the DMARC email standard, though this is down from 70.5 percent in 2022.
However, in light of Google and Yahoo's new rules for bulk senders -- those sending over 5,000 emails daily -- which come into force on February 1st and are aimed at reducing spam, not using DMARC is a problem.
Google gives Chrome security, performance and functionality updates, with the promise of AI-feature in 2024
Google is in the process of rolling out a trio of important updates to Chrome, kicking off with an improvement to Safety Check. This security feature will now run automatically in the background, allowing for proactive alerts about security issues that need attention.
Other updates include improvements to tab groups that makes it possible to access them on other computers, and enhancements to Memory Saver. But the company also hints at big plans for 2024, with the promise of "smarter and more helpful features" powered its Gemini AI model.
Sensitive data on Google Drives puts companies at risk
New research from Metomic finds that 40 percent of Google Drives hold sensitive data that could put an organization at risk of a data breach or cybersecurity attack.
The research scanned around 6.5 million Google Drive files and also shows that 34.2 percent of all the files scanned were shared with external contacts (email addresses outside of the company's domain) and more than 350,000 files (0.5 percent) had been shared publicly, giving access to anyone who had the document link.
Google adds new file recovery option to the new Drive for desktop app
Google upset a lot of people recently when synchronization issues caused a "small subset" of Google Drive users to lose months' of data. The number of people affected is not known, but even a small subset of a large userbase is, potentially, a huge number.
Now there is some good news. In releasing an updated version of Drive for desktop, Google is giving users access to file recovery options that should make it possible to regain access to files that were lost.
Google begins deleting inactive accounts
Starting from today, a new Google inactive account policy comes into effect which means that accounts that haven't been active for two years will be deleted.
So, what counts as 'activity'? Google provides a helpful list:
Google launches FIDO2 compatible security key
Today sees the launch of Google's new Titan Security Key which can be used as a second authentication factor and also to store your passkeys.
Unlike the earlier FIDO1 key, Titan will also work with all other FIDO-enabled services (such as Microsoft accounts). You can also store credentials for up to 250 accounts on this key, compared to current keys which can typically only store around 25.
Google is using AI in Waze to deliver crash history alerts about dangerous roads
With so much focus on Google Maps as a navigation tool, it is easy to forget that Google also owns Waze and that this app is often home to far more exciting and useful features.
Demonstrating this, Google has just announced a new feature for Waze that is partly AI-powered, partly community driven; Crash History Alerts. This road safety feature is very much what it sounds like -- a warning system that lets users know about potentially dangerous, crash-prone roads based on historical data.
Google is making it easier to get the best prices and find discount codes
Google is introducing new tools in both Chrome and Google search that should help to make online shopping a little cheaper. With the holiday season just around the corner and shoppers eager to save money, the timing is ideal.
Chrome users are gaining access to a new feature that will seek out discount codes much like services such as Honey. There is also a new section landing in search results that makes it easier to track down products that are on sale.
Recent Headlines
© 1998-2024 BetaNews, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy - Cookie Policy.