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It’s getting increasingly difficult for hardware companies to keep their new smartphones under wraps. Leaks prior to the official announcement mean we often know all about a new device well in advance.

We already knew a lot about the new Pixel phones that Google revealed today at its I/O conference, but it’s good to have everything confirmed. If you've always fancied a Pixel smartphone but couldn't justify the asking price, then the new Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL could well provide the perfect solution.

YouTube CBO Robert Kyncl has confirmed that all of the company's Originals content will be made available free of charge.

Currently locked behind a paywall, Originals will become free and ad-supported. At the moment, it is not clear exactly when the change will happen, but it is certainly in the cards, meaning shows like Cobra Kai should reach a larger audience.

Google has announced that it is giving users greater control over how long the company holds on to location history and activity data.

A new time-limiting feature makes it possible to have information such as account activity and location data automatically deleted after a period of time. The privacy-focused move comes after feedback to Google which found users wanted the company to provide simpler ways to manage or delete the private data it holds.

In early April, more than 30,000 attendees gathered in San Francisco at Google Cloud Next to hear a variety of new announcements and innovations as told through product reveals, break-out sessions and keynote speakers. Included in the long list of what’s to come were several key features that will substantially impact document management on G Suite.

I’ve narrowed down that information into the following three main takeaways regarding document management and business processes: 

Obesity is a huge problem in the USA and other parts of the world. Not only does being obese lead to sickness and death, but it causes healthcare costs to skyrocket, which harms everyone's bank account. Not to mention, being fat simply doesn't feel good -- carrying extras weight is uncomfortable and can lead to joint pain.

So yeah, since obesity is bad, many people try very hard to lose weight, but sadly, many fail. Why? Putting on the pounds is much easier than taking them off, and since progress can be slow, it is easy to lose motivation. Thankfully, technology is helping folks to stay motivated. No, wearable devices and fitness apps won't cause weight loss on their own, but they can assist when added to a healthy diet and exercise plan.

If you're a Chrome user with the Data Saver extension installed, there's some bad news. Google has announced that with the desktop version of Chrome 74, the extension is being deprecated.

Data Saver is not going away completely, however. It will remain, exclusively, in the Android version of the web browser where it will be known as Lite mode. While this is great for mobile users looking to reduce their data usage, it's a little strange that desktop users won't also be afforded the ability to enjoy a data-light, faster internet experience.

Google has released its latest version of Android Studio, the tool used by developers to create Android apps.

Android Studio 3.4 is now available on the stable channel and as well as hundreds of big fixes, there's also a new version of the Android Emulator complete with support for the Android Q beta. The tool is available for Windows, macOS and Linux.

Amazon Fire TV provides a really great media consumption experience. And yet, I do not use it. Why? Well, I am a huge YouTube user -- both the regular video service, plus YouTube TV, and unfortunately, Google kept those services off of Amazon's TV hardware. In a bit of "tit for tat," Amazon kept its own Prime Video from Google's Android TV and Chromecast devices. Ultimately, this hostility hurt consumers, which is very unfortunate.

Today, Google and Amazon finally bury the hatchet. YouTube apps are coming to Fire TV, while Prime Video is coming to both Android TV and Chromecast. Even Google's YouTube Kids app will be coming to Amazon's hardware!

Having been hit with a fine by antitrust regulators in Europe, Google has said that it will roll out new default search and browser choice options for Android users. The move is comparable to Microsoft's Browser Choice which was introduced following similar anti-competition complaints.

Starting today, European Android users will be presented with a screen that invites them to download alternative search apps and browsers.

Distracted driving isn't just stupid, it is dangerous too. If you aren't paying attention, instead opting to look at your smartphone while in the driver's seat, you aren't only risking your life, but more importantly, the lives of countless other drivers sharing the road with you. Don't do it.

Thankfully, there have been huge improvements with hands free communication. Not to mention, thanks to virtual voice assistants, you can perform tasks without taking your eyes off the road too. The problem? Some people drive with their phone in their pocket, meaning the voice assistant can't hear its wake word, such as "Alexa" or "Hey, Google." This can also happen in loud environments, such as when music is playing or when kids are fighting in the backseat. A new product from Anker called "Roav Bolt" aims to improve the Google Assistant experience in the car.

Google has added full USB support for Linux apps in the dev build of Chrome OS 75. The new feature arrived in build 75.0.3759.4 of the operating system and helps to improve the experience of running Linux apps on a Chromebook.

While USB support is not a brand-new feature, anyone who has tried using Linux apps on a Chromebook will be well aware that it has been a bit, well, ropey to say the least. Now this changes.

In a first for a major email service, Google has announced that Gmail now supports the MTA-STS and TLS Reporting security standards.

The two standards help to avoid man-in-the-middle attacks, using encryption and authentication to add new layers of security. Google says that Gmail's MTA-STS adherence is now in beta, and the company hopes that by supporting the standard other providers with follow suit.

Acer announced a bunch of new products today, including many Windows machines. While I am sure those computers running Microsoft's desktop operating system are fine, they don't really excite me. Instead, it is Acer's Linux-based Chromebooks that get my engine running. The company has been cranking out great Chrome OS laptops for many years, and they have proven to be a great value for consumers.

Today, Acer unveils a pair of new elegant Chromebooks. Called "714" and "715," the former has a 14-inch display while the latter is 15.6-inch. Both machines have fingerprint readers, aluminum bodies, 12-hour battery life, and can be configured with 8th generation Intel Core processors (Pentium and Celeron models will be available too). The larger 715 has something the 714 doesn't -- a number pad, which apparently is a first for any Chromebook. The 714 has slimmer bezels, however. Best of all, they are both designed to be rugged and withstand abuse.

If you have a phone running Android 7.0 Nougat or higher, you can now use it as a FIDO security key. This new option was announced at Google Cloud Next 2019, and it makes using 2-Step Verification much more accessible thanks to the fact that people are likely to have their phones with them most of the time.

The system -- currently in beta -- can be used to access ChromeOS, macOS or Windows 10 computers running Chrome, and can replace or supplement other FIDO-based security keys like Google's own Titan Security Key.

As companies move more of their workloads to the cloud they want to ensure that their data is properly protected.

Storage specialist Cohesity is launching a new software as a service (SaaS) solution that delivers enterprise-grade backup and recovery for applications running on the Google Cloud platform.