Articles about Google

Wikipedia didn't know about YouTube's plans to show its content next to conspiracy videos

YouTube logo in hand

YouTube's announcement that it plans to display content from Wikipedia next to conspiracy videos in the name of balance and providing the "right information" caught many people by surprise -- none more so than Wikipedia itself.

Wikimedia Foundation -- the organization behind Wikipedia -- has issued a statement saying that "we were not given advance notice of this announcement." While the organization does not object to YouTube's decision, it does seem a little strange that there has been no discussion between the two parties.

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Google Maps gains wheelchair accessibility info in several cities

Google Maps wheelchair accessibility

Google is adding some important accessibility information to Maps, letting users see whether or not routes are navigable by wheelchair. The company says the extra data will be useful not only to wheelchair users, but anyone with mobility issues -- as well as parents pushing kids in a stroller.

Starting in London, Tokyo, Mexico City, Boston and Sydney, wheelchair accessible routes are being added, and more will follow as Google working with transport companies to gather the necessary information.

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YouTube to counter conspiracy videos by displaying information from Wikipedia alongside

Cursor over YouTube icon

YouTube has faced criticism not only for allowing conspiracy videos to appear on the site, but also how it has dealt with them. The latest move by Google in this area will see information from Wikipedia and other websites displayed alongside such videos in the interests of balance.

Google says that the aim of the new "information cues" is to combat conspiracy theory videos it hosts, as well as trying to combat hoaxes.

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Google slaps a ban on cryptocurrency ads

Cryptocurrencies with Google logo

Google has announced that advertisements for cryptocurrencies will be banned from its platform starting in June. The ban not only covers currencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, but also related products such as initial coin offerings, cryptocurreny exchanges and digital wallets.

The announcement came as Google is relying on new technology to detect and remove ads that violate policies. The company says it removed over 3.2 billion ads in 2017, and while it does not give a precise reason for the cryptocurrency ad ban, it says it is part of "improving the ads experience across the web."

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Google Images gains captions to make search results much more useful

Google Images search captions

By its very nature, searches on Google Images are very visual things -- but that's not to say they couldn't be enhanced with some non-pictorial content. And that's exactly what Google has done, adding captions to image search results to make them more useful.

The aim is to provide greater context about results, giving users the chance to judge the quality of the image, and to perhaps determine whether the host site will have other useful images.

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How to export your saved passwords from Chrome

Chrome logos

If you're a Chrome user, you may well have taken advantage of the password saving feature of the browser to make it easier to log into your various online accounts. However, it's not a perfect solution, and you may well have been considering one of the various password management tools that exist instead.

Until now, it has not been possible to extract the passwords and login data you have saved in Chrome ready to import into your new password database. This has now changed, so you can easily switch to a new password manager without having to retype everything by hand.

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Here's what's new in Android P

What's new in Android P

Google has released the first developer preview of Android P, giving us a glimpse into the future of its mobile OS. There's a lot to explore in this latest version of Android, but just what can you expect -- apart from notch support, of course?

As this is just the first preview version, there's not -- currently -- a huge number of new features. The focus at the moment is on under-the-hood changes, but there's still plenty to explore, and more than enough to pique interest for future builds. So… let's take a look.

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Download Android P developer preview as Google reveals release schedule

Android P logo

It's mere days since we were talking about the impending release of Android P for developers. Now, slightly earlier than expected, a preview of the latest version of Google's mobile operating system is here.

As this is a preview build, it is not only not aimed at the masses, but is also only compatible with a handful of Android phones -- specifically the Pixel, Pixel XL, Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL. If you have one of these devices, you can try out Android P for yourself, but Google has revealed that we’ll have to wait until Q3 for the final release.

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Google Home brings free mobile and landline calls to UK users

If you live in the UK and have been looking for another reason to invest in a Google Home smart speaker, Google just gave you one. The company is going to give UK users the ability to place free calls to mobile and landline numbers.

An update rolling out this week will add the new feature to Google Home speakers around the country. The feature was announced last year, and it brings the UK in line with the US -- and, importantly, it does not require tethering to a mobile phone, thereby trumping Apple HomePod.

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Chrome for Windows drops Microsoft compiler in favor of Clang

Google Chrome logo

The Windows version of Google Chrome is ditching Microsoft's C++ Compiler and switching to Clang. The change brings Chrome for Windows in line with versions of the browser for macOS, Android and Linux.

The move not only makes complete sense for Google -- why not use the same compiler on all platforms, after all? -- it makes Chrome the first high-profile Windows app to make use of the open source compiler Clang.

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Google brings search and sharing to iMessage in iOS, Safari updates, and more

Google search in iOS iMessage

Google has released an update for its iOS app that adds an extension to iMessage. This allows for easy searching -- be it for GIFs or restaurant opening times -- while you chat, so there's no need to leave the app. More than this, it is also possible to share the information you find as a card.

The update also brings an expansion of sharing to all web browsers, including Safari. Share a page to the Google app, and you'll see a list of related suggestions. But it doesn't end there. Google has also introduced new options for iPad users.

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Advertisers pull ads from Alex Jones' YouTube channel because they don't want to be linked to InfoWars

Just over a week ago, YouTube decided to remove an InfoWars video from the Alex Jones' channel for breaching site rules about harassment. In videos, students who had spoken on TV about the Parkland, Florida shooting were described as "crisis actors". Jones described the move as "giant, massive censorship" and went as far as saying his channel was about to be shut down.

Now advertisers are showing how they feel about InfoWars, with a number of large companies -- including Acer, 20th Century Fox, Grammarly, Paramount Network, Alibaba and  Mozilla -- pulling advertising after learning that their ads were appearing on Jones' channel.

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Google launches Mobile Real-time Video Segmentation as limited beta (AI green screen to you and I)

Projector on a green screen

Google is testing a new AI green screen tool for YouTube called Mobile Real-time Video Segmentation. We've become used to every chat tool worth its salt offering AR overlays and masks, but this technology makes it possible to change backgrounds -- in real time.

The technique makes use of neural networks to determine which parts of a scene are foreground to be left alone and which are background to be replaced. No special equipment is needed, and it has the potential to be used for serious videos as well as the more frivolous things masks tend to be used for at the moment.

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Android P should be making its way to developers later this month

Android P

While a lot of Android users are still waiting for Oreo to arrive on their handsets -- well, let's face it, there are still plenty waiting for Nougat -- Google is hard at work on Android P. The P may or may not stand for pistachio (or possibly pie, leading to speculation of a March 14 -- Pi day -- release), but what people really care about is what's new and when they can try it out.

It shouldn't be too long until we find out more about what to expect from the latest version of Google's mobile operating system. The company is expected to release the first Android P Developer Preview later this month. This will give us a chance to see whether there really is notch support and a "dramatic redesign".

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Dropbox partners with Google Cloud for integration with Docs, Gmail and Hangouts Chat

Dropbox has joined forces with Google Cloud to bring integration with G Suite. The move comes out of a recognition that people tend to use more than one cloud service, and it can be problematic having to deal with files and tools in different locations.

The partnership means that users will be able to open and edit G Suite files from within Dropbox. Ultimately, there will be support for Docs, Sheets, Slides, Hangouts Chat and Gmail, making it far easier to work with the cloud services from Dropbox and Google together.

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