The small cost to end child mining is not a price Big Tech is willing to pay
Cobalt is a key component of the lithium-ion battery in our smartphones, computers, and even cars -- items that are all inextricable from the way we live our lives in developed nations. But cobalt mining exploits child labor. What would happen if companies found more ethically extracted resources?
Digital Trends Live: Big tech team-up, hacked Ring camera, NBC’s ad-free viewing
On this episode of Digital Trends Live, hosts Greg Nibler and Riley Winn break down the biggest trending topics in tech, including a team up of Apple, Google, and Amazon, a hacked Ring camera, NBC’s add-free viewing, an all-electric urban aircraft, Google’s wildlife cameras, and more.
Is 2020 going to be a make-or-break year for Google hardware?
Google's hardware wing didn't have a particularly pleasant 2019. Its phones weren't selling all that well, Google Home shipments dipped, it pulled the plug on tablets, and more. As rical companies extend their lead, 2020 could be Google's one last shot at being a successful hardware maker.
HTC is dead and Samsung is king: Smartphone manufacturers that won and lost in 2019
HTC's dead and Samsung is king in 2019. Sony and LG say long 'live smartphones,' but should they? Smartphone market supremacy requires serious strategic skills. It's tough to craft superb smartphones and even harder to persuade people to buy them. Don't believe us? Just ask Google and Huawei.
Stadia’s bonus Buddy Pass shows just how much it’s struggling
The latest Google Stadia offer lets Founder's Edition members give another friend a three-month Buddy Pass. It points to trouble for the streaming service, which just launched in November and has received mixed reviews. Google will face more competition in the future from Microsoft's Project xCloud.
Google gets tough with Turkey, suspends Android services amid regulations fight
Google is pulling out all the stops to overturn an anticompetitive watchdog’s ruling in Turkey. Weeks after a local competition board declared that Google exercises an unfair advantage for pushing its own search engine, it has informed partners that it’s suspending Android services in Turkey.
Google reveals how many miles its Street View cars have driven to date
Google's Street View cars have been tootling along roads around the world for more than a decade, with the company recently revealing the colossal number of miles they've covered so far. And incredibly, the panoramic-photo service still has much ground to cover.
Google and YouTube team to help protect people’s privacy during 2020 census
Starting with the April 1, 2020, census, people will have the option of completing it online. Google and YouTube are trying to combat deceptive practices and the spread of misinformation about the census through combined new efforts and policies. Google has also created the 2020 U.S. Census Task Force.
Ringtones become smarter with the new alarm feature for the Lenovo Alarm Clock
Google has today announced a new update for the Assistant-powered Lenovo Smart Clock that brings smart and contextual alarm ringtones. Called Impromptu, the new feature takes into account factors such as the time and weather and automatically switches to an alarm tune that best fits the scenario.
Gmail update lets you easily attach emails to your emails
Google is rolling out an update for its email service, Gmail, that will allow you to easily attach emails … to emails. The feature, Google hopes, will eliminate the need for you to constantly forward messages which often leads to messy email chains that are hard to keep track of.
The federal government is investigating Google for alleged union busting
The National Labor Relations Board has launched an investigation into Google following the firing of four Google employees -- the so-called Thanksgiving Four -- who were prominent in their attempts to organize a labor union before Google terminated them days before the Thanksgiving holiday.
The Pixel 4’s A.I. will soon screen robocallers without disturbing you
The first Pixel feature drop will arrive this month, and it's going to improve some of the Pixel 4's best features, including the A.I.-powered Call Screen, background blur in photos, and video calls on Google Duo. Older Pixels will be getting some of the Pixel 4's best new tools as well.
Google Maps working on feature that shows well-lit streets?
Code spotted in a Google Maps beta revealed a new feature named the Lighting Layer, which will show the streets that have good lighting. No screenshots of the feature were available, and it is unclear when and where it will roll out, but it will soon provide the app with an additional tool for travelers.
Google Pixel 3a vs. Samsung Galaxy A50: Time for a new midrange king?
The Samsung Galaxy A50 is a powerful midrange phone, and at $350, it's hard to beat. But the Google Pixel 3a is just $50 more at $400 and comes with Google's finest and most advanced software. Should you buy the cheaper Galaxy A50, or does the Pixel 3a justify the extra $50 cost? We found out.
You can now set your notes app of choice as the default on Google Assistant
At long last and after several weeks in beta, Google is rolling out Google Assistant’s third-party notes and lists app integration. Originally announced last year at the Google I/O event, the new feature lets you directly plug in your notes and lists app of choice to the Google Assistant.
Google Photos just made it easier to share one-off photos and videos
Google Photos has just launched a handy new feature that makes it much easier to send one-off photos and video clips. Sending content also initiates a chat-like messaging experience, with the recipient able to quickly save the photo or clip to their gallery, if they wish.
The Google Pixel 4 is still on sale for Best Buy’s Cyber Week sale today
Now's probably a good time to buy Google's latest Pixel smartphones thanks to a couple of amazing deals for the Pixel 4 series. You've probably seen commercials of them by now, showing off how they're excellent at taking photographs — especially when it comes to capturing the stars in the night sky.
Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin are stepping down
Google’s founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin announced on December 3 that they are stepping down immediately from their roles of CEO and president of Alphabet, respectively, with Google's CEO Sundar Pichai stepping into the top spot at the search giant's parent company.
Google Nest Hub vs. Amazon Echo Show: Which Cyber Monday deal is better?
Both the Amazon Echo Show and the Google Nest Hub are still on sale for Cyber Week. This is the perfect time to pick which one you prefer and beef up your smart home with a bright new display, but choosing between the two can be difficult. We're here to help you decide.
Four fired employees plan to file charges against Google. Here’s what’s next
It may be a long road ahead for the four former Google employees who were unceremoniously fired, while attempting to organize a Google employee union. They have said they will file charges of “unfair labor practices” with the National Labor Relations Board.
Psh. Google’s top GIFs of 2019 capture all the facial expressions text can’t
These GIFs are so 2019. Google recently shared its list of the top GIFs of 2019 by comparing data from last year. The lists include the most-searched-for GIFs, as well as the most-shared. Thanks to the now Google-owned Tenor GIF keyboard, we know what GIFs will say it best when words just won't do.
Call of Duty: Mobile is Google’s Android game of the year
Google has announced its Best of Play annual winners. The list highlights apps and games that Google thinks represented the best of Android over the past year and also includes a User’s Choice section which reveals the results of the polls Google has been running for the last couple of weeks.
Google Nest Mini vs. Amazon Echo Dot: Which Cyber Monday deal is better?
Choosing between a Google Nest Mini and the Amazon Echo Dot can be difficult, especially when there's such great deals on both this Cyber Monday 2019. While they're both small, puck-like smart speakers with built-in assistants, there are some differences that can help you choose the best deal.
Walmart slashes price of the Google Home Max in half for Black Friday
If you're looking for a great deal on the Google Home Max smart speaker this Black Friday, look no further than Walmart. The company has cut the original price from $399 to $199. The Max comes in two colors, charcoal and chalk and it is available for next-day shipping and payment plans.
Astrophotography: Google reveals how the Pixel 4 nails those night shots
Google’s astrophotography mode for the recently launched Pixel 4 phone helps you take potentially stunning shots of the night sky. In a blog post this week, those who built the powerful software shared some details on how the mode manages to capture the stars without shake or blur. Or hot pixels ...
Google now bundles 3 months of free Disney+ on new Chromebooks
Google is offering 3 months of complimentary Disney+ subscription with every new Chromebook purchase. The offer was silently added to a long-running list of Chrome OS freebies and is available for buyers who activate a new Chromebook between November 25 and January 31, 2020.
Players upset about Stadia’s 4K issues get response, but no apology, from Google
Google has issued a statement addressing players upset that certain Stadia games are not hitting true 4K resolution, largely putting the blame on the developers behind individual titles. Games like Destiny 2 and Red Dead Redemption 2 are being upscaled to higher resolutions rather than running at native 4K.
Google Assistant can now book movie tickets for you all by itself
Google has released a new feature to Google Assistant on your phone -- the ability for Assistant to navigate through movie-booking websites and book tickets for you. The feature works with a range of different cinemas and movie-booking services in both the U.S. and the U.K.
Google’s plan for the helpful home all goes back to privacy
The smart home landscape continues to evolve, and one of its biggest proponents is Google. We sat down with Google's Michele Turner, who talks about the company's vision for the smart home, what it's doing to get there, and what we can expect surrounding the helpful home.
Smart Compose autocomplete feature will write your Google Docs for you
Soon, when you're typing something up in Google Docs, an A.I.-powered feature called Smart Compose can help you get it done more efficiently. At least, that's the idea. Google’s Smart Compose feature is a kind of advanced autocomplete tool that first launched with Gmail in 2018.
Google’s Android bug bounty program announces a $1 million prize
Google has announced a potential top payment of $1M as part of its Android bug bounty program. Bug hunters are encouraged to search for a particular kind of security issue linked to the Pixel phone’s Titan M chip. Google’s Android bug bounty program started in 2015, with the single biggest payment so far worth $160K.
Android 10 update seemingly breaks Wi-Fi on the Google Pixel 2
Android 10 brings a host of new features to compatible phones, but according to some reports, it also breaks Wi-Fi on the Google Pixel 2. Hundreds of users have reported Wi-Fi issues after updating to Android 10, and it seems like there is a range of Wi-Fi issues related to the update.
Some Stadia users say their Chromecast Ultra is overheating and abruptly dying
A few Google Stadia’s early adopters report that their Chromecast Ultra has been abruptly shutting down and overheating while in an active game session. The device doesn’t provide any warning, either, leaving players no option to save their progress in the game.
Google restricts targeting of political ads ahead of 2020 election
With scrutiny of major online platforms increasing ahead of the 2020 presidential election, Google has announced changes to the way it handles political advertising. It means that political campaigns will no longer be able to target ads based on a person's political leanings or data gleaned from public voting records.