Google

Google has unveiled a new tool that allows Android users to find and track a lost smartphone or tablet device. The utility can also be used to wipe a smartphone's hard drive if recovery is deemed unsafe or unlikely. Google is calling the service ... 'Android Device Manager'. The firm says the service should be available to most Android users by the end of August 2013. It's been a long time coming. Apple released a similar tool -- called 'Find My iPhone' -- several years ago. That service lets iPhone users narrow down their smartphone's location to a specific geographical area (such as an ... (view more)

According to security firm Symantec, the Google Play store is home to many potentially dangerous applications. The firm says it found approximately 1,200 suspicious apps on the store over a seven-month period. Google Play is Google's digital ... distribution center, and it's where most Android users turn for downloads (in effect, it's Google's version of Apple's App Store). More than 700,000 apps can be found on the Google Play store, which has played a central role in Android's rapid growth in the mobile market. Between February and April 2013 sales of Android devices accounted for more than ... (view more)

Google has unveiled a $35 plug-in device that brings online video to your television. It's intended to provide an alternative to expensive set-top boxes and video game consoles. The Chromecast works with a range of online services -- such as YouTube ... and Netflix -- but will also play any video you can access through a web browser. The device is only a couple of inches long and has no buttons. It plugs into an HDMI port on your television and has a small USB socket for supplying power. The Chromecast also has built-in WiFi that connects to your Internet router. You can then control it through ... (view more)

Google has unveiled the next version of its popular, budget-priced Nexus 7 tablet computer. The newest Nexus 7 features a 1080p high-definition display, a quad-core processor, and a slightly higher price point. The original Nexus 7 was launched in ... mid-2012. Featuring a 7-inch display (hence the name), Google's Android mobile operating system (OS), and a $199 price tag, it was an instant success. The only thing sticking around from the previous model is the 7-inch screen. Faster Processor, Better Display, Bigger Price Everything else has changed: the price has ballooned to $229 (that's for ... (view more)

Google has put together an aerial map of the world free of clouds. The project has involved pasting together different satellite shots to form a clear, unobstructed view of the earth. The Google Earth map shows an aerial view rather than ... first-person shots. Although the map is not as detailed as Google's Street View cities, it does cover the entire globe. Google notes that the famous "Blue Marble" image created by NASA covers around 500 meters with every pixel. The new Google image covers 15 meters with every pixel, representing a significant improvement. Image The Size Of City Block ... (view more)

A European court says Google should only be forced to delete search engine listings in extreme circumstances. It's a blow to campaigners seeking a legal 'right to be forgotten.' The court comments follow the case of a Spanish man whose home was ... repossessed in 1998. A local newspaper published a government announcement about an auction for the property. That article remains online today and is among the first results when you search for the man's name using Google. He says the repossession is far in the past and wants the link to the newspaper article removed. The man complained to Spanish ... (view more)

Google has been accused of not doing enough to stop a) illegal pharmacy sales, and b) Internet piracy. Mississippi's attorney general says he plans to demand Google hand over confidential documents to see if the firm has breached any laws. The ... complaints come from Ken Cuccinellli, Jim Hood and David Louie, the attorneys general of Virginia, Mississippi, and Hawaii. Together, they're alleging that Google is guilty of "assisting in the sale of prescription drugs without a prescription and intentionally ignoring reports of rogue pirate sites selling stolen music, movies, software and video games ... (view more)

It appears the European Union feels Google's suggestions for settling complaints it engaged in anti-competitive behavior don't go far enough. The search giant had promised to change the way it orders search results, but this wasn't enough for the ... groups that brought up the complaints. The EU recently carried out a lengthy investigation into complaints that Google exploited its dominance of the search market to increase advertising revenue. It's a claim Google denies. Google was accused of deliberately favoring sites it owned when determining search rankings. In the United States, Google was ... (view more)

Google is yet again under investigation by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). This time the probe, which is still at a very early stage, involves the firm's advertising practices. The investigation hasn't been officially announced, but sources have ... told both Reuters and Bloomberg that it is under way. (Source: reuters.com ) This investigation centers on Google's advertising network. Specifically, the focus is on the way it accepts advertisements and then places ads on websites that sell space. Google offers its index of web content to find the site where the ad is most likely to generate ... (view more)

Eight members of the United States Congress have written to Google demanding the company address privacy issues involving its Google Glass project. The device, which essentially blends a smartphone with a pair of spectacles, has raised questions ... about data handling. The letter comes from the Bipartisan Congressional Privacy Caucus, which doesn't have any formal powers but offers elected officials a way to discuss topics they consider important. (Source: house.gov ) It's clear from the letter that members of Congress are suspicious of Google. The letter points to the controversy surrounding ... (view more)