Google plans to appeal €2.42bn EU antitrust fine
Google will appeal the EU fine of €2.42 billion for abusing its dominant position in the market, reports have claimed.
The US giant was fined earlier this year for abusing its monopoly in search engine and shopping comparison services. Google said it respected the EU Commission's ruling, but that it disagrees.
Google announces Dedicated Interconnect for enterprise users
Google has revealed a new way for enterprise users to connect to its cloud platform.
Dedicated Interconnect revolves around a few useful perks. Onboarding is easy through manageable, high-bandwidth and secure network, reducing the cost for enterprises and offering increased security by avoiding public internet routing.
Google publicly releases internal developer documentation style guide
When people think of contributing to either a closed or open source project, they often imagine needing the knowledge of coding. Actually, there are many ways to contribute besides programming, such as moderating a community for the project, spreading awareness, or helping to write documentation to name a few.
The documentation aspect of any project is very important, as it can help people to both understand it and track changes. Unfortunately, many developers aren't very interested in documentation aspect, so it often gets neglected. Luckily, if you want to maintain proper documentation and stay organized, today, Google is releasing its internal developer documentation style guide. This can quite literally guide your documentation, giving you a great starting point and keeping things consistent.
New mobile-friendly Google Dashboard simplifies privacy settings
Google and privacy are not really happy bedfellows, but the company likes to at least give the impression that its users have a semblance of control over what the company does with their data. To this end, the new Google Dashboard aims to simplify the act of taking control of your data.
At least that's the idea. In Google's own words, "Data helps improve our products, keep them safe, and -- with your permission -- tailor them to match your interests." Data is Google's business. It's not in the company's interest for you to have too much control over your privacy settings.
Why should Google buy HTC?
Rumor has it that Google is about to buy HTC's smartphone business. The search giant has the money and the hunger to make it in this market, and the Taiwanese maker has the know-how it needs to come up with the great products that it needs to make a splash -- just look at the Pixel for example. It looks like a match made in heaven.
But, looking at Google's history with Motorola it is hard to understand why the search giant needs to buy another smartphone business. After all, it does not need to own one to make its Pixel smartphones, so why go through all this trouble?
Hide 'running in the background' Notification app for Oreo does exactly what you'd hope
While there is a great deal to like about Android 8.0 Oreo, the latest version of Google's mobile operating system is not without issues. Some users are wondering whether or not their phones will get the upgrade, and some who have upgraded are experiencing problems with data usage.
One niggle that has caused a lot of complaints is Oreo's notification that there are apps running in the background. It's Google's attempt to warn people about apps that might be draining their battery, but many people are more than a little irked by the pestering. Thankfully, there's a free app to kill the irritation.
Drive File Stream launches for G Suite users as Google kills off its Drive software
Google is deprecating the Google Drive software for PC and Mac as it launches Drive File Stream. The company plans to support the cloud storage software for just three more months before killing it off completely in six months.
Starting in October, Drive users will begin to be shown messages informing them that their software is going away. Users with both Drive File Stream and Backup and Sync will be prompted to stop syncing My Drive with the latter. It's a move from Google that is likely to cause confusion among users.
Android Oreo could eat through your data allowance even if you have Wi-Fi enabled
An apparent bug with Android Oreo has been discovered which means Google's mobile operating system could be munching its way through your data allowance, even if you're connected to a wireless network.
A thread on Reddit highlighted the issue, with many people pointing out that it could prove expensive for anyone not using an unlimited data plan. Google is apparently aware of the problem and is working on a patch, but in the meantime Oreo users are being warned to consider disabling mobile data when they are at home or using a wireless connection elsewhere.
Xiaomi Mi A1 runs stock Android, features dual 12MP camera
Xiaomi has become one of the largest smartphone manufacturers thanks in part to its approach to customizing Android. MIUI, its distribution, is a significant departure from what is commonly referred to as "stock Android," which is the version that Google ships on its Pixel line of smartphones, packing lots of added features and a heavy theme.
Its new Mi A1 is different. This is Xiaomi's first smartphone running stock Android, and it is also its first entry in the Android One program. It is not, however, an entry-level device, as it features faster and better hardware than what we've seen so far in the Android One landscape.
'It is time to return to not being evil': Opera and Vivaldi founder accuses Google of 'misuse of power'
The founder of the Opera and Vivaldi web browsers, Jon von Tetzchner, has lashed out at Google in a vitriolic blog post in which he accuses the search giant of a "misuse of power." He says that Opera helped Google to grow and that it didn’t take long for the company to expose its dark side.
He complains that despite the fact that Vivaldi is based on Chromium, the web browser has to hide its real identity in order to work with Google Docs. He also suggests that his Google AdWords campaigns were suspended after he gave interviews in which he described Google as being a threat to democracy. von Tetzchner is not a happy man, and he has a simple message for Google: "it is time to return to not being evil."
How to disable a touchpad on a Chromebook
Using a Chromebook and having problems? You aren't the only one. In the middle of typing, your cursor can jump to the center of another sentence or jumble all of your words. It's not only annoying, it can get confusing to fix. What you need to do is disable the touchpad.
On some Windows PCs there's a simple solution that involves pressing a key at the top. That isn't the case with Chrome OS. It can be done, it just takes a bit more work to accomplish the goal.
Will my phone get Android 8.0 Oreo?
If there's one thing that the release of a new version of Android highlights, it's Android's fragmentation problem. While iPhone users can be sure of receiving iOS upgrades for a number of years, it's more of a gamble when it comes to Google's mobile operating system.
The number of handsets that will receive an Oreo upgrade is relatively small, so the chances are that the answer to the question posed in the headline is "no". That said, there are many phones that will get the update to Android 8.0 -- so here's the list.
With Android Oreo, Google is introducing Linux kernel requirements
Android may be a Linux-based operating system, but the Linux roots are something that few people pay much mind. Regardless of whether it is known or acknowledged by many people, the fact remains that Android is rooted in software regarded as horrendously difficult to use and most-readily associated with the geekier computer users, but also renowned for its security.
As is easy to tell by comparing versions of Android from different handset manufacturers, developers are -- broadly speaking -- free to do whatever they want with Android, but with Oreo, one aspect of this is changing. Google is introducing a new requirement that OEMs must meet certain requirements when choosing the Linux kernel they use.
Google Play Protect branding to be added to certified Android devices
Google Play Protect is the company's latest attempt to prevent Android users from being tricked into installing malware or insecure apps. As an extension of this, Google is introducing a branding program that will see the Google Play Protect logo added to certified Android devices.
The certification of Android phones and tablets is not a new concept -- it's something that Google has been doing for a while. But the new branding on packaging will help buyers identify devices that Google has approved, and it should also encourage more manufacturers to submit their hardware for certification.
YouTube rolls out redesign and unveils new logo
Redesigns are tricky beasts, almost inevitably dividing opinion and leading to questions about why things couldn't have just been left alone. Running the risk of a double whammy of complaints, YouTube has rolled out not only a redesign of its sites, but also a brand new logo.
Both the desktop and mobile versions of YouTube have been treated to a new look. It's the redesign that has been beta tested on users for a few months, and with a few extra tweaks, the company is ready to give everyone access to it. While a fresh lick of paint for the site and apps was expected, the new logo is rather more of a surprise.
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