Google has a quixotic plan to make it easier to choose a safe and reliable VPN
If you're in the market for a VPN, you're not short of choice. In fact the sheer number of VPN apps out there can be quite overwhelming, and it's a situation that is hardly improved by the existence of a seemingly endless number of fake tools.
So Google has come up with something of a solution -- albeit one that is only going to be of help to Android users. The company is looking to make Google Play a safer place to inhabit, and as part of this it is going to be highlighting VPN apps that have been independently audited so users know they can be trusted. The likes of NordVPN, Express VPN and Google's own Google One are among the first to get the seal of approval.
What IT teams need to know about Google's privacy changes
It’s no secret the depreciation of third-party cookies has been a popular topic of conversation in the industry. Now, however, Google is making changes that will eventually lead to the demise of third-party cookies. The tech giant is rolling out its Privacy Sandbox initiative in the latest version of Chrome and for Android. With any big privacy change, there is a ton of controversy and impending regulations that may mean the Privacy Sandbox is not the futureproof solution brands hope it is.
So, what can IT teams do to help marketers take back control of their data collection strategies and ethically reach customers during this time of change?
Like Microsoft, Google wants your help to fix AI and make it more secure
It is only a couple of weeks since the debut of the Microsoft AI Bounty Program, and now Google has launched its own bug bounty program specific to generative AI.
Google has announced the expansion of its existing Vulnerability Rewards Program to reward for attack scenarios that relates to generative AI. The company says that it wants to incentivize research around AI safety and security, highlight potential issues, and make artificial intelligence safer for everyone.
Google Chrome will soon offer to hide your IP address for added privacy and security
Google is preparing to launch a new Chrome feature which will give users the ability to hide their IP address. Previously known as Gnatcatcher, the feature is now called IP Protection and makes use of proxies to help prevent online tracking.
IP Protection is described as "a privacy proxy that anonymizes IP addresses for qualifying traffic". One of its primary aims is to limit the possibility for fingerprinting as a means of tracking users online, which is something that has become increasingly common as steps are taken to block, and even kill off, third-party cookies.
Google has a quintet of improvements to supercharge Chrome's address bar
Google has announced a number of upcoming changes to the address bar in Chrome. The company says that the five improvements will help people to browse even faster.
Some of the enhancements are long-overdue, such as updating URL autocomplete so that characters you type do not have to be the first part of the address. Others are sensible ease-of use and security-related improvements, such as automatic typo correction for typed URLs.
WhatsApp adds passkey support to boost security
The Meta-owned messaging app WhatsApp has joined the growing legions of apps and services to support passkeys.
Initially available to Android users, the passwordless authentication feature makes it possible to secure a WhatsApp account with face recognition, a fingerprint or a PIN. It is a security feature that is billed as not only offering greater protection than passwords, but also being faster to use.
Search traffic trends in the crypto sector: Unveiling the digital gold rush
Search traffic trends offer a fascinating glimpse into the evolving interests and behaviors of investors and enthusiasts. From its early days, the crypto sector has witnessed seismic shifts that continue to shape its landscape. For instance, some investors diversify their portfolios by adding L1 Blue Chip Assets from various sectors.
As cryptocurrencies emerged from obscurity, Bitcoin led the charge, captivating the imagination of investors. But what do the search traffic trends reveal about this digital darling and its competitors?
Google.com could be about to undergo its biggest change in years
There are some significant changes being tested on Google.com. A major focus on news could on the horizon as Google explores adding a Google Discover-style newsfeed to its search engine homepage.
Google Discover is something that will be familiar to many mobile users, offering up an algorithm-driven personalized selection of news stories. Now very much the same feature is being tested for desktop users.
Microsoft Edge is snooping on your Chrome browsing activity; here's how to stop it
One web browser spying on another? Surely not! However, if you are using both Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge, Microsoft's browser could be grabbing all of your browsing history from Chrome every time you launch it.
If you decided to jump from Firefox to Chrome, from Edge to Firefox, from Opera to Edge or any other combination, you will probably have taken advantage of the option to import browsing history, saved passwords and so on. But you likely don’t want this cross-browser communication to continue indefinitely. Here’s how to check whether this sneaky data swapping is happening in the background and how to stop it if it is.
Google is testing a new option so you can keep your super-recent browsing history secret
Your browsing history can be very revealing; there are countless reasons for not wanting a list of the sites you have visited to be seen by others. While it can be hard to maintain complete privacy, there are steps you can take on a local basis -- such as simply deleting your browsing history.
It is easy to see the deletion of browsing history as using a sledgehammer to crack a nut, and for a very long time it was very much an "all or nothing" approach. Over time, Google and others introduced options to limit how much browsing history should be deleted, and now Chrome users are being offered even more fine-grained controls.
Google may use AI in Chrome to organize your chaotic tabs for you
Browser tabs were introduced to help fix the problem of having too many browser windows open at once; now instead of being overrun with browser windows, we have the issue of too many tabs. Chrome's upcoming Organize Tabs feature is Google's latest attempt to tame things.
The feature is still undergoing beta testing, but when it lands it will take some of the hard work out of tab management. For anyone happy to hand control over to Google, Organize Tabs will automatically sort open tabs into appropriate Tab Groups, much like the comparable AI-driven feature already to be found in Microsoft Edge.
Are doubled specs and a bunch of promises from Google enough to make Chromebook Plus devices successful?
Did Chromebook ever live up to the hype? Were they ever successful and popular? The answer to these questions depends entirely on who you ask, but with the introduction of a completely new category of Chromebook, Google is hoping to appeal to a whole new audience.
With Chromebook Plus, Google is upping the minimum guaranteed hardware specs. This means a doubling of memory to at least 8GB, a minimum of 128GB of storage, and a better display and webcam. To earn the Chromebook Plus label, a device will also have to pack an Intel Core i3 12th Gen or above, or AMD Ryzen 3 7000 series or above. Google is also introducing new features -- and promising more in the future -- for ChromeOS, including for existing devices that already meet the requirements.
Businesses not prepared for PKI automation
As we reported three months ago, there are some significant changes coming to the PKI marketplace, not least being Google's move to reduce the lifespan of SSL/TLS certificates.
A new report from GlobalSign, based on 110 responses, finds 30 percent of respondents say the increased administrative work and complexity of the changes is their biggest concern.
Google set to pull the plug on its version of Gmail designed for slower internet connections
You may not have used it much -- or even been aware of its existence -- but there's a version of Gmail which Google created to run on slower connections, and older systems with legacy browsers.
This Basic HTML version of Google’s email service can be reached through https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=html. Should you try to access it, you’ll be asked if you really want to use it, and provided you do, it will load for you.
With the launch of Bard Extensions, Google brings AI to many more of its products and services
The relentless march of AI shows no signs of slowing, and Google is eager to steal a piece of the actions from OpenAI's ChatGPT with its own Bard. It is with this aim in mind that Google has launched a huge update to its generative artificial intelligence tool in the form of Extensions.
With Bard Extensions, Google is achieving two things. Firstly, it expands the capabilities of Bard by letting it tap into the power and data of its other services including YouTube and Maps. Secondly, it makes the likes of Gmail and Drive more useful by harnessing the power of AI.
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