Chrome starts to use native notifications in Windows 10
With the roll out of Chrome 68, Google is making an important change to its browser's notification system. Rather than issuing website notifications within the browser, Chrome will instead start to make use of the Windows 10 Action Center to display them.
While the change may not be viewed by everyone as a major one, it will help to provide a more consistent experience for people who choose to enable notifications from their favorite websites.
Android 9 is... Android Pie! Seriously, Google?
Google has revealed what the P in Android P -- otherwise known as Android 9 -- stands for. Despite previous suggestions that it was going to be Pistachio, it is in fact Android Pie.
Just let that half-assed name sink in for a moment. Pie. Not even a specific pie to evoke some sort of imagery. Just a bog standard, run of the mill, common or garden... pie. The name is something of a damp squib and now the game of wait-and-see-if-I-actually-get-the-update begins. Google has already made the source code available on the Android Open Source Project (AOSP), and Pie is rolling out to Pixel owners now. Everyone else will just have to wait to see when -- or if -- they get it. So what's new?
Confirmed: Fortnite for Android will risk players' security by sidestepping Google Play
Fortnite for Android is one of the most eagerly-anticipated game launches of recent times, but the impending release could turn out to be something of a security nightmare. Following on from recent rumors, Epic Games has confirmed that Fortnite will not be made available through the Google Play Store.
Instead users will have to download the game directly from Fortnite.com -- something which means they will have to lower the security settings for their phone by allowing the installation of apps from unknown sources. Despite the security risks involved in this, Epic is eager to avoid paying a 30 percent cut to Google for Play Store distribution; but how long before the plan backfires?
Leaked report shows Google plans a censored search engine for China... but China says otherwise
A leaked document suggests that Google is planning on making a return to China, launching a censored version of its search engine to comply with strict Chinese laws.
Going by the codename of Dragonfly, the project has been in the works since 2017 and has led to the creation of China-specific Android apps with the internal testing names Maotai and Longfei. But while the documents and people familiar with the matter say that the launch date could be just six to nine months away, China says the reports are not true.
Hate phone notches? Google says Android handsets can never have more than two
Phones with notches are incredibly divisive, but since Apple launched the iPhone X complete with a little screen cutout, there have been endless copies from other handset manufacturers. But is one notch enough? How about two or more?
If you fall into the "hate" camp when it comes to notches and cutouts it may be hard to convince you to buy such a phone, but for everyone else, Google has set out some new ground rules stating how many a phone can have, and where they can be located.
New Google policies ban cryptocurrency miners from the Play Store
Google has issued an update to its Play Store policies banning cryptocurrency mining apps.
A new addition to the Developer Policy Center now explicitly states: "We don't allow apps that mine cryptocurrency on devices. We permit apps that remotely manage the mining of cryptocurrency". Google has also introduced a number of other restrictions including a ban on apps that allow for the sale of firearms.
Lenovo Smart Display with Google Assistant now available for purchase
Hardware voice assistants are all the rage these days, but let's be honest -- humans are very visual creatures by nature. It's great to interact with our voices and ears, but it can be limiting too. For instance, if you want to ask a voice assistant, such as Alexa, what a dog is, she can tell you. But isn't it better to be shown as well? In other words, in certain situations audio-only is fine, but in others, visualization can be a plus. It is good to have choice.
Amazon saw the light and introduced Echo devices with screens, such as the Echo Show and Echo Spot. Now it's Google's turn. Today, the search giant announces the first-ever devices using its Smart Display platform are available for purchase. If you aren't familiar, it is essentially a tablet that is intended to primarily be stationary -- so you always know where it is. It is a Google Home on steroids, if you will. There are just two models to be had today, both from Lenovo.
Chrome has a secret Material Design mode -- here's how to enable it
With the launch of Chrome 68 a few days ago, Google changed the way it handled non-HTTPS websites. But the browser update also hides a secret -- a Material Design mode that you can enable by tinkering with the relevant hidden settings.
The new look is currently available on the desktop and in the iOS version of Chrome, and it gives the browser a much cleaner, fresher look and a bit of a UI rejig.
Google releases fourth and final Android P beta ahead of official launch
We may not yet know for certain what it's going to be called, but we now have a very good idea of what to expect from Android P -- or Android 9.0, if you prefer. After numerous developer previews, Google has now released the fourth and final beta ahead of the official launch later this summer.
This is very close to the final code that will be pushed to phones in the coming weeks and months, and Google says that "Beta 4 update includes a release candidate build with final system behaviors and the official Android P APIs (API level 28)". While it's aimed primarily at developers, there's nothing to stop anyone with a compatible handset (or emulator) downloading and installing the final beta of Android P.
Google launches Titan Security Key... that is nothing to do with Yubico
Google now has its own hardware security keys -- the Titan Security Key. These FIDO-compatible keys include Google firmware that verifies the integrity of security keys at the hardware level. The Titan Security Key offers secure hardware-based two-factor authentication, and is available to Google Cloud customers.
The keys are similar to those offered by Yubico -- so similar, in fact, that the company has gone out of its way to stress that it is not manufacturing the devices for Google.
YouTube slaps Alex Jones with another strike and removes Infowars founder's videos
YouTube has taken action against Infowars' Alex Jones, hitting him with a strike and removing four of the right-wing conspiracy theorist's videos from its platform.
The videos -- two about Muslims, one about transgender people and one about "preventing liberalism" -- were removed for violating YouTube policies about hate speech and child endangerment. Infowars has hit back by saying that YouTube is violating its own policies in taking down the videos.
A terrifying number of big-name websites are not secure -- is yours?
There has been a long-standing movement trying to make the web a safer place. For some time, Google's Chrome browser has alerted people when they are visiting secure sites, but with the launch of Chrome 68, it instead warns when an insecure site is encountered.
As we warned just a couple of days ago, the latest update to Chrome means you're likely to see warnings about a lot of insecure sites -- and there are some big-name sites being shamed. Included on the non-HTTPS list are some of Google's own sites, the BBC, the Daily Mail and Fox News. And there are plenty of other recognizable offenders too, as Why No HTTPS? reveals.
Brace yourself for a slew of security warnings from Chrome
Tomorrow -- Tuesday, 24 July -- sees the release of Chrome 68. Many people will regard this as just another browser update, but the release sees an important change to the way Chrome handles unencrypted websites.
The new way in which non-HTTPS sites are handled means that Chrome is going to start throwing up warning messages whenever an insecure site is encountered -- a reversal of the way things have been up until now.
Google (sort of) redirects Duck.com to DuckDuckGo after complaints of anti-competitive behavior from its search rival
Google may have been slammed by Europe for using Android to dominate with its search engine, but this is not the only complaint that has been leveled at the company. Privacy-focused search rival DuckDuckGo has criticized Google for sending visitors to Duck.com to the Google search page.
Google owns Duck.com, but DuckDuckGo believes the company has been confusing users with the redirect. Now, following publicity of the issue, Google has relented and says it is introducing a new landing page that will give visitors to Duck.com the opportunity to jump to the DuckDuckGo search engine as well as other pages.
Gmail's new 'Confidential Mode' is flawed and misleading
Google recently rolled out a big update to Gmail, introducing a number of welcome new features.
One the big new additions is 'Confidential Mode' which you can enable from the compose window. This is designed to restrict how the emails you send can be viewed and shared, and you can also set an expiration date for messages. If you have the need to send and receive emails of a sensitive nature, then you might think this is the prefect solution. There’s just one problem -- messages sent using it aren’t confidential.
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