google

Mon
30
Oct
John Lister's picture

Google to Flag Fake News Photos

Google is adding new tools to make it easier to check if an image is credible and as it appears. But the move has highlighted the irony of Google's own involvement in "generative" artificial intelligence. The tools include several additions to ... Google's own search results, along with a dedicated tool for checking any image found online. The search tools have been in testing and are now rolling out to all users, starting with English language searches in the US. They are wrapped up in a featured called "About this image". This will accompany images with information including if and when they ... (view more)

Tue
03
Oct
John Lister's picture

Chromebooks Get High-End Range

Google has added a new "Chromebook Plus" category for its higher-end machines. It's meant to make choices easier for buyers, though there's a risk it defeats one of the key points of getting a Chromebook. Chromebooks are laptops that run Google's ... own Chrome Operating System. The devices mainly use web-based applications such as Gmail and Google Docs, meaning a large amount of the processing work is carried out on remote servers rather than the computer itself. While this limits how useful the devices are without an Internet connection, it means they can work with lower specification hardware ... (view more)

Tue
19
Sep
John Lister's picture

Chromebook Support Extended to 10 Years

Google has committed to keeping Chromebooks updated for 10 years. It's an increase of two years, though a key catch remains. The change applies to all devices running Chrome OS, which also includes the Chromebox (a small box which comes without a ... keyboard or screen), Chromebase (an all-in-one PC with monitor) and Chromebit (a computer on a stick which plugs into an HDMI port). Security Guarantee For Longer Previously such devices were only supported for eight years. After this time they stopped getting performance, feature and security updates, making them somewhat risky to use. That annoyed ... (view more)

Thu
07
Sep
John Lister's picture

Google Accused of Fueling Inflation

Google faces a legal claim demanding more than $9 billion for allegedly contributing to inflation. It's fair to say the claim is somewhat ambitious. The claim has been filed in the United Kingdom by Hereford Litigation, which describes itself as a ... "third-party litigation funder." It's filed a claim with the Competition Appeal Tribunal, which hears cases that specifically relate to alleged breaches of competition law. Technically the claim is on behalf of every person aged over 16 in the UK, meaning the demand is for around $140 per person. If the claim was successful, it's not obvious how the ... (view more)

Mon
14
Aug
John Lister's picture

Google Admits Play Store Security Loophole

Google says malware creators are using a simple workaround to bypass security on the official Play Store for Android apps. The problem is that the simplest fix would undermine one of the key differences between Android and closed systems such as ... Apple. In theory, all apps in the Play Store are vetted for security, including malware checks. That's one of the reasons Google recommends only using the Play Store, while still giving users the choice to get and install Android software from other sources. The problem is that scammers are using an extremely simply workaround called "versioning". ... (view more)

Tue
08
Aug
John Lister's picture

Android to Warn of Nefarious AirTag Tracking

Android users can now get alerts if a tracking device such as an Apple AirTag may be targeting them. The alerts were already available on iPhones, but Google and Apple are now working together, albeit with some holdups. An Apple AirTag is a small ... device that emits a Bluetooth signal. The idea is to attach it to valuable or important items such as keys, purses or luggage. Around a billion Apple devices are set to scan for the signals and anonymously report the location and identity of the AirTags, meaning that owners can track down lost items with varying degrees of precision. Like most tech, ... (view more)

Thu
03
Aug
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Google: 0-Day Bugs Down, But Risk Still High

The number of 0-day bugs, which give hackers a dangerous advantage, fell in 2022 according to Google. However, the company warns this may risk misleading complacency that forgets other factors. The figures come from Google's Threat Analysis Group, ... which aims to track, identify and report security bugs, regardless of the software or hardware concerned. The logic is that the better Internet security is overall, the better it is for an Internet-dependent business such as Google. For the past nine years, it's put together an annual tally of 0-day bugs. While definitions vary, Google classes them ... (view more)

Tue
25
Jul
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Google to Block Internet for Some Employees

Google will stop some of its employees accessing the Internet. It's a bold experiment to see if it can reduce security threats without affecting performance. The idea is reduce the risk of hackers getting access to employee machines, either to get ... hold of data on those machines or to use them as an entry point into Google's network. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Google's internal data is particularly attractive to attackers, whether they are seeking financial gain, political or commercial advantage, or plain old mischief making. For example, attackers being able to find out how Google ranks ... (view more)

Fri
16
Jun
John Lister's picture

Google May Have To Sell Off Ad Business

Regulators in Europe have threatened to break-up Google. They say it could be the only way to prevent anti-competitive behavior in the ad market. While Google has been fined eye-watering sums for breaking competition laws in Europe before, they've ... proven a poor deterrent given the company's huge revenues. This time, though, the penalty may be a forcible sale of some of its ad business. The key to the legal problem is that Google is a major player in all three elements of online advertising: businesses buying ads, businesses selling ads, and the technology that brings together buyers and ... (view more)

Wed
10
May
John Lister's picture

Chrome to Cut Down on CAPTCHA Tests

Google is testing a Chrome feature that could heavily reduce the time users spend completing CAPTCHA tests. The tests are designed to reduce spam and other automated mischief but can irritate genuine human users. CAPTCHA stands for "Completely ... Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart". It's designed to use a test that's relatively simple for a human to do, but difficult for a computer. Often such tests take advantage of the fact that humans are better at recognizing images and patterns, for example spotting pictures with varying backgrounds that contain a bicycle. Other ... (view more)

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