#Google - Page 5
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Google’s Imagen 2 Model Can Generate Four-Second Video Clips
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Google at the Cloud Next 2024 event made its Imagen 2 model generally available to enterprise customers. One of its new features is that it can generate short video clips aka live images of up to four seconds. In addition, the generation clips show different camera angles and motion. Users can also inpaint and outpaint images on Vertex AI.
Google Wallet Now Seemingly Works on Android Phones in India
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Recent reports from users in India suggest that Google Wallet might have started working in the subcontinent, allowing users to set up and add payment cards and passes. While the app has been working for me for over three months, the WearOS app still refuses to work. Besides, the only way to download Wallet is by installing the APK. All the events indicate that Google might be planning to bring Wallet to Android.
What is Jpegli, Google’s New JPEG Coding Library? Explained
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Google has released Jpegli, an image coding library capable of reducing the size of regular JPEGs up to 35%, while retaining details thanks to the 10+ bits per component. Jpegli is a tad bit better than WebP thanks to its faster and higher-quality compression. It can save storage while speeding up the load times of web pages.
Google Phone App Is Getting a Lookup Feature to Identify Unknown Callers
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Google could soon add a Lookup feature in the Google Phone app. While the name might suggest that it's a Truecaller-like caller ID lookup feature, that's not the case. When you tap on the Lookup option, the Phone app will open your device's default browser and searches for the number on the web.
Soon You Might Have to Pay to Access Google’s AI Search Features
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Google announced its SGE (Search Generative Experience) last year, and now, we are getting to see this entire thing become "premium". In other words, you will have to pay for the AI features integrated within Google Search. For those unaware, generative AI in Google Search allowed you to get a summary of your query, thereby providing all the information you need right at the top. Now, the new Financial Times report suggests that you will soon need to pay the premium $19.99/month fee of Google One AI to make use of it.
Best Google Podcasts Alternatives
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Google announced in a blog post that it will be increasingly investing in the podcast experience on YouTube Music and sunsetting Google Podcasts on April 2 in the US. If you're looking for alternatives to Google Podcasts, some of the best apps you can use are Pocket Casts, Podcasts Addict, and Spotify.
Android’s New Find My Device Network is Here; How to Enable it
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Amidst the iOS 17.5 Beta rollout which hints at the release of Apple's unwanted tracker alerts feature, Google's new Find My Device experience, which was delayed due to Apple, is coming soon. Google has started to roll out a part of the feature which lets you put your Android phone on the Find My Device network.
Google Play Edition Phones Deserve a Comeback in 2024
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Play Edition devices were Google's attempt at bringing Stock Android to some of the most popular devices that ship with custom UI on top of Android. Google should bring it back to offer Pixel-like Android experience with other devices in partnership with manufacturers in theirupper mid-range an flagship devices.
Back in 2020, a couple of Google account holders took to Boies Schiller Flexner to file a lawsuit against Google for illegally collecting user data on its Chrome's Incognito mode. The Incognito mode is supposed to be private browsing and previously, users were not accurately informed that while it's private to them, data is still collected as when normally browsing. Now, Google and Boies has reached a $5 billion settlement to finally move and delete or remediate this very data.
Google’s Pixel A Series Faces the Chopping Block; Big Mistake?
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The direction in which the recent Pixel 8a leaks and the upcoming Pixel 9 series leaks point toward Google eventually discontinuing the A series of devices. This is because both the price and specification gap between the regular and A series Pixels is diminishing, and Google wouldn't want one's sales devour others' sales. Besides, the firm is also upping the number of models, which might bring the price of the vanilla model down, thereby leading to the discontinuation of A series.
Google Confirms that RCS is Coming iPhones this Fall
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Google just confirmed that RCS will be coming to iPhones in fall 2024 through the new Google Messages webpage. This update will improve messaging experiences for iPhone users, although the "blue bubble-green bubble" issue remains unresolved. This move is a positive step towards enhancing messaging experiences, particularly for those using Google's messaging platform.
US vs Apple Lawsuit: Is This the Chance for Google Pixel Phones to Shine
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The US has hit Apple with a lawsuit that accuses Apple of breaking the anti-trust laws. Apple says it will vigorously defend against it, but if things don't go as planned, Apple would be forced into opening the software and hardware to work with other manufacturers in the industry. This would give Google a chance to add more users and increase the market share of its Pixel phones.
New Pixel 8a Leak Suggests 120Hz Refresh Rate and DisplayPort Support
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New exclusive information about the upcoming Pixel 8a has leaked thanks to popular leaker and features spotter Kamilla Wojciechowska. The info suggests that the Google Pixel 8a will boast a 120Hz OLED display, DisplayOut support, Tensor G3, and could bring Pixels to more countries.
Pixel 8a Release Nears as It Surfaces on FCC Database
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When a smartphone model gets listed on the FCC, it's an indication that their launch is imminent. We all know that Google launches an A series device in May, and this year's Google I/O is scheduled for May 14, which means Google could launch the 8a during the same.
Google I/O 2024 Date Confirmed; Set for May 14
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Earlier today, Google rolled out its famed yearly puzzle to tease its I/O 2024 event. Within around 4 hours of the puzzle being out, it was cracked by the community and we got to know that the much-anticipated event has been scheduled for May 14, 2024. From the Pixel 8a to the Pixel Fold 2 and more on Android 15, there's a whole lot that is expected to be announced at the event.
5 Things I Want to See Google Improve in the Pixel 9 Series
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The Pixel lineup sure has come a long way since its first resurrection in 2021 with the Pixel 6, steadily improving the lineup with every iteration with the Pixel 8 series being the best so far. However, Pixels are far from perfect and the five things I would improve are the Google Tensor G4, Charging Speeds, faster storage, better modem and connectivity, and bringing Telephoto to the standard Pixel.
How to Delete a Gmail Account Permanently (2024)
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If your Gmail account is filled with spam and junk, or there's an account that you don't even use anymore, getting rid of it is probably a good idea. However, there are two ways to go about it, and you can either delete just your Gmail service or your entire Google account altogether. We'd recommend going with the former if the Gmail service is bothering you specifically.
How to Download Your Google Data Using Takeout (Easy Guide)
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Google Takeout allows you to download your account data and make a copy of it alongside the cloud backup that already backs up your data. Making a physical copy of your data this way makes you store it to your computer for additional retrievability. To use the Google Takeout too, head over to the Takeout page and follow the on-screen instructions and manage the settings to finally create an export which will allow you to download the data easily.
After Gemini generated some inaccurate and offensive images, Google has been accused of anti-white bias by critics from many quarters. In response, Google has temporarily turned off image generation of people in Gemini. Moreover, many accuse Google of aggressively tuning the model to represent diversity which seems to have backfired. So what explains this debacle and Google's overall approach to AI? Read on to find out.
MWC 2024: Gemini in Google Messages, New Wear OS Features, and More
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Although the new features are not groundbreaking, Google has announced some key AI features for all of its platforms including Android, Android Auto, Wear OS, Google Docs, etc. You can chat with Gemini in the Google Messages app, have all your notifications summarized in Android Auto, view your boarding pass and other cards on your Wear OS smartwatch, and more.
Google Changes Its Sign-in Page After 6 Years, and It’s Underwhelming
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After a gap of six years, Google is updating the visual look of the sign-in and sign-up pages. The new update has a more modern look and brings changes in line with Material Design 3 principles. Google says it's strictly a visual change, and no changes have been made to functionalities. The login flow remains the same. The new updated look will be visible to both personal accounts and Google Workspace accounts in the next two weeks.
How to Drop a Pin in Google Maps (2024)
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By dropping a pin in Google Maps, you will be able to navigate to the pinned location easily. You can also save the location to get back to it without getting lost, or share a pinned location with your friends to make navigating to it easier for them. To drop a pin in Google Maps, open the Android or iOS dedicated app and long press on any location you want to pin. On your PC, simply right click on the location you want to pin and then click the information panel that pops up.
Google Is Adding Three Cool AI Features to Chrome
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With the Chrome 121 release, Google is adding three new generative AI features to Chrome. Currently, the AI features are available on Windows and macOS in the US only. The AI features include smart tab organization, Help Me Write, and theme generation using AI. You can put similar tabs in a tab group using AI automatically. Help me write will let you draft texts on the web using AI. And you can generate unique themes based on your mood, and visual style using AI.
How to Use the Circle to Search Tool
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The Samsung Galaxy S24 series also introduced a new Google Circle to Search feature to the world. Using this feature, you can circle, scribble, tap, or highlight any object on your phone screen to instantly get details about it via Google Search. To use the feature, you will need to long-press the home navigation button -> circle the desired object on your screen -> swipe up the search panel at the bottom to see all results. By default, this feature is turned on, and you can also turn it off by heading over to display settings.
Google Kills 17 Assistant Features Ahead of ‘Assistant with Bard’ Release
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The next victims of Google's slaughter and first entrants of Google Graveyard in 2024 are Google Assistant features, 17 of them. Most of the features are related to voice commands on smartphones and smart speakers. Google claims most of these features were "underutilized," and that the company would like to focus on "prioritizing the experiences."
Google Is Prepping an AI Model That Will Tell More About Your Life
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Google could soon introduce a new AI model, Project Ellmann, which could get an insight into your life and answer previously 'impossible' questions.
Google Trends Reveals the Most Searched Games in 2023
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Google officially unveils its year on review for the year 2023, disclosing the top ten searches across various categories. For video games, Hogwarts Legacy tops the list, with Sons of Forest closing off the list. Furthermore, surprise entries like the Suika Game also makes the cut.
Google Delays Its GPT 4-Rival ‘Gemini AI’ to Next Year
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We are not seeing Google's most powerful AI launch this year. Instead, Google's Gemini AI will launch in early 2024 instead. It could be as early as January 2024, especially to Google's Cloud enterprise customers. Gemini is the company's most innovative AI model, expected with features such as global language support. However, the latest report indicates it has issues with processing non-English queries. Now, planned Google events to which would have unveiled the next-gen Gemini AI across the US (NYC, Washington, California) have reportedly been canceled.
Google Drive Desktop Loses ‘Months of Data’ Stored by Users
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Thousands of files of several users are missing from Google Drive cloud storage servers entirely! Google Support has confirmed that 'some' Drive for Desktop users are experiencing this issue. There are also a few quick tips and fixes out but they haven't been endorsed by the company. It really makes you question: are cloud services reliable enough?