Error codes are coming to Chrome to help get to the bottom of Aw, Snap! messages
When Chrome crashes, a message reading Aw, Snap! appears -- and it's not particularly helpful. Mindful of this, Google is going to introduce error codes to the browser to help users determine what has gone wrong.
The idea is similar to the blue screen of death (BSoD) that will be familiar to many Windows users. It's currently being tested in the Canary build of Chrome 81, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the error codes will appear in the final build of this version number.
Alexa, have you changed your hair?
People tend to anthropomorphize their virtual assistants, assigning them personalities and physical features such as age, facial expressions and hairstyles according to research from Canada's University of Waterloo.
But giving these qualities to virtual assistants could cause people to reveal more personal information to the companies that own them than they otherwise would, says the study.
My favorite tech items of 2019
Another year over and a new one just begun. That’s where we are today, not only a new year, but a new decade. Welcome to the 20s. The last time we had those my grandparents were young kids, Flappers were in style and nobody saw the great depression coming.
To celebrate the passing of time I'm going to look back at my favorite tech of 2019. Not all is new, but some is. The others are just things I still use all the time. I shall begin with the three new items.
ProtonMail's ProtonCalendar beta is the 'first fully encrypted calendar app'
Privacy and security are the guiding principles of ProtonMail, and now the company is expanding beyond email. The company has launched a beta version of ProtonCalendar, a privacy-focused alternative to Google Calendar.
ProtonMail claims that this is the "first fully encrypted calendar app", and says it offers a viable alternative to the companies (i.e. Google) that "companies snoop on your calendar and use that information to inform their advertising".
You can track Santa Claus again this Christmas with Google
Santa Claus is absolutely real; he lives in the hearts and minds of all true believers of Christmas. Is it possible for one man to deliver gifts to every house in the world in one night? Under normal circumstances no, but Santa Claus is magic -- you must throw all logic and science out the window.
Need proof that Santa Claus is real? Every year, Google provides a way to track the jolly fat man as he makes his journey around the world. Yes, Google's official Santa Tracker is an annual tradition, and in 2019, it continues. As usual, the search giant delivers activities beyond mere tracking, such as an interactive Santa Village. This year, there is a holiday-themed bedtime story for kids called "Ollie Under the Sea." There is even a very cool augmented reality Santa Claus you can summon by searching for "Santa Search" on mobile and clicking the "3D" button.
YouTube Music launches a trio of personalized mixes
There are many music streaming services these days, such as Spotify, Pandora, and Apple Music to name a few. Believe it or not, Google has two such services -- Play Music and YouTube Music. It is very confusing to have one company offering two competing options, but they will eventually be merged into one under the YouTube Music brand.
The problem? As of today, YouTube Music simply isn't up to par with any competitors -- it has a messy interface that can be confusing. While it is slowly getting better all the time, it simply cannot compete with Spotify or Apple Music -- the gold standards. Today, however, YouTube Music is gaining a pretty cool new feature -- personalized mixes.
Google slaps blocks on some Linux web browsers
It may seem that the big names of tech are eager to embrace -- and to be seen embracing -- Linux, but Google is being a little selective.
Users of the Konqueror, Falkon and Qutebrowser web browsers for Linux-based operating systems have reported that they are unable to log into Google services. What's strange is that not all users of these browsers are affected, but many people are seeing a warning when they try to use them.
What Google's focus on web frameworks means for front-end development [Q&A]
If the recent Chrome Dev Summit was evidence of what Google thinks is hot in web development, then frameworks were one of the clear winners. More specifically, client-side frameworks and libraries like Angular, Vue and React, and larger web frameworks like Next.js.
We spoke to Tim Neutkens, lead developer of Next.js -- which Google mentioned in its talk on Advancing the Web Framework Ecosystem -- to learn more about the rise of front-end frameworks and their general promise to get web developers out of the infrastructure weeds and focus more on building websites and apps.
Google now lets you attach emails to emails -- here's how
Sending a copy of an existing email to someone usually involves forwarding on the original message, but now Google has added another option.
Gmail users are starting to gain access to the ability to attach emails to other emails. Google says that it's "rolling out gradually", so you might not see it straight away, but when you get the new feature, you'll find it serves as a much neater solution than forwarding multiple messages.
Google Maps for Apple iPhone gets privacy-friendly 'Incognito Mode'
When Apple Maps first launched, it was laughably bad. Even Apple's most hardcore fans had to admit that Google Maps was far superior. To this day, Apple Maps has a reputation for offering a subpar experience, even though that is no longer true. In fact, Apple Maps is actually quite good, with many iPhone users using it regularly with great success. With that said, Google Maps is still better, although the gap is slowly shrinking.
What make Google Maps best? Besides its very accurate navigation, it is chock-full of useful features. It is a very robust and mature app, and it is continually improving. Case in point, today, Google Maps for iPhone is getting even better. You see, the search giant is adding a privacy-friendly called "Incognito Mode." While this is already available on the Android version, it is still a welcome addition to iOS.
You can now get your Dunkin' coffee fix with Google Assistant
Here's the deal, folks. I'm a New Yorker, so I am, by default, a coffee expert. While Starbucks isn't terrible, it isn't great either. True coffee connoisseurs know there are only two places to get some proper brew -- 7 Eleven and Dunkin' Donuts. The former is the best for those that like to add milk/sugar themselves, while the latter is ideal for those that trust the workers to add those extras. I go to both, but generally prefer Dunkin' since they have a drive through.
If you are a caffeine fan like me, and you get your daily coffee fix from Dunkin', I have some amazing news. Starting today, you can order your coffee through Google Assistant. Unfortunately, there is a big catch.
You can now give the gift of YouTube with Amazon
Millions of people are regular YouTube users, and it's not hard to see why. The Google-owned site provides countless hours of quality video entertainment for free -- just watch the occasional short ad. I literally spend hours daily on YouTube watching quality content on my desktop computer, iPad, iPhone, and Apple TV. Hell, even my television comes from Google's video service, as I subscribe to the wonderful YouTube TV.
If you aren't sure what to get someone for the holidays this year, why not give them the gift of YouTube? After all, it is something that they are pretty much guaranteed to love. This year, Google is making it easier than ever to give YouTube as a present -- you can now order a Gift Code through Amazon.
Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin step down from their roles at Alphabet
Larry Page and Sergey Brin met at Stanford in the nineties and went on to create what was to become Google in 1996. They have been an integral part of the internet giant's day-to-day running ever since. However, today, both founders announce they will be stepping down from their top roles at Alphabet, Google’s parent company.
Larry Page was Alphabet’s chief executive officer and Sergey Brin the company’s president, but now Google's CEO Sundar Pichai will take over the role of Alphabet CEO as well.
Google is under investigation over its data collection practices
The European Commission has started an investigation into "practices relating to Google's collection and use of data".
EU antirust regulators have already hit Google with record-breaking fines, but concern remains about how the company collects data about its users as well as how this data is then used. The regulator has contacted several companies to ask about agreements they have with Google to hand over user data and what -- if any -- money was involved.
RCS is being implemented dangerously, leaving users vulnerable to attack
Security experts from Security Research Labs (SRLabs) have warned that carriers are implementing RCS (Rich Communication Services which will supersede SMS) in ways that risk leaving users exposed to all manner of attack.
The German hacking research collective issues the stark warning that "RCS technology exposes most mobile users to hacking". This is not because of inherent problems with the messaging protocol, but with the ways in which it is being implement.
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