Page 17 - Google

Amazon to intensify fake review crackdown after UK watchdog investigation

Amazon has pledged to beef up fight against fake reviews, Britain's competition regulator said Friday after an investigation into whether big online platforms are doing enough to crack down on phony online ratings for products and services. The Competition and Markets Authority said it secured the undertakings from Amazon, after getting a similar agreement earlier this year from Google to clamp down on rogue reviews plaguing the internet. The company promised to strengthen its existing systems for fighting fake reviews. It will also tackle catalog abuse, which involves sellers boosting star ratings for a product by hijacking good reviews from a completely different one. As an example, a shopper might come across a pair of headphones with a five-star rating. But, after looking closer, most of the reviews are for a mobile phone charger, the watchdog said. As part of its commitments, Amazon has agreed to sanction anyone caught using these tactics. Businesses could be banned from selli

Google's 'Find My Device' officially becomes 'Find Hub' across platforms

Google has officially renamed 'Find My Device' to 'Find Hub' across platforms, with new features including UWB support, privacy tweaks, and expanded device and people tracking

Google begins testing 'Search Live' in AI Mode: Here is what it can do

Google is testing 'Search Live' in AI Mode for real-time, voice-based Search. Users can ask follow-up questions and get instant answers via audio or transcript

Google updates Gemini for Android, adds swipe gesture to launch Live mode

Gemini for Android gets UI improvements including swipe-left gesture to open Live, menu enhancements, and increased query limit for Gemini 2.5 Pro users

Android 16 QPR Beta 1.1 brings security features introduced at Google I/O25

Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1.1 brings Google's Advanced Protection and bug fixes for Pixel phones, improving device security, app safety, and network protection

Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai expects to keep hiring engineers as AI advances

Speaking at the Bloomberg Tech conference in San Francisco, Pichai said he will continue to invest in engineering in the near future

Google partners with Chile to deploy a trans-Pacific submarine cable

Google signed an agreement with Chile on Wednesday to deploy an undersea fiber optic cable connecting South America with Asia and Oceania, a first-of-its-kind project that aims to cement the South American country's status as a major digital hub. The Humboldt Cable, envisioned for deployment in 2027, is a 14,800-kilometer (9,200-mile) submarine data cable that will connect Chile's coastal city of Valparaso with Sydney, Australia through French Polynesia. The initiative is being launched almost a decade after it was first proposed in 2016, and six years after the initial studies to determine its feasibility. This is the first submarine cable in the South Pacific, so it's an important commitment", Chilean Transport Minister Juan Carlos Muoz told journalists. Chile, home to one of Google's largest data centers in Latin America, is currently connected to the United States and the rest of the region via an undersea cable. This cable also provides Chile with a longer route to other ...

Hackers posed as IT staff to steal Salesforce data from firms: Google

Some victims didn't receive an extortion demand in exchange for the deletion of the data until months after it was stolen, according to the Google report

Google-backed Glance AI to be part of Samsung mobile phones in the US

Glance AI, powered by Google Imagen 4, offers visual shopping via Samsung lock screens in the US, letting users explore, visualise and purchase products instantly

Google SynthID: Here's everything about AI-generated content detection tool

Google's AI detector, SynthID, works only on content from Google's own models-leaving major gaps in spotting AI across the web

Google is testing AI weather summaries in Search for local weather: Report

A new experimental feature in Google Search uses generative AI to summarise local weather conditions in text-based cards

Google agrees to reforms in $500 mn antitrust settlement with shareholders

Google parent Alphabet will invest $500 million over a decade to overhaul compliance under a shareholder antitrust lawsuit

Meta becomes latest big tech company turning to nuclear power for AI needs

Meta has cut a 20-year deal to secure nuclear power to help meet surging demand for artificial intelligence and other computing needs at Facebook's parent company. The investment with Meta will also expand the output of a Constellation Energy Illinois nuclear plant. The agreement announced Tuesday is just the latest in a string of tech-nuclear partnerships as the use of AI expands. Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed. Constellation's Clinton Clean Energy Centre was actually slated to close in 2017 after years of financial losses but was saved by legislation in Illinois establishing a zero-emission credit program to support the plant into 2027. The Meta-Constellation deal takes effect in June of 2027, when the state's taxpayer funded zero-emission credit programme expires. With the arrival of Meta, Clinton's clean energy output will expand by 30 megawatts, preserve 1,100 local jobs and bring in $13.5 million in annual tax revenue, according to the companies. Secur

Tech Wrap June 3: Google app redesign, username in WhatsApp, Vivo X200 FE

Google apps get Material 3 Expressive redesign. WhatsApp tests username feature. Google may launch Pixel 10 in August. Vivo may launch X200 FE, X Fold5 in July. Realme C73, Buds T200x

Google may launch Pixel 10 series and Watch 4 on August 13: What to expect

Google is expected to host its 2025 "Made by Google" event in mid-August, launching the Pixel 10 series with new Tensor G5 chip and Android 16 out of the box

Google apps get Material 3 Expressive redesign ahead of Android 16 rollout

Gmail, Google Photos, and Messages apps are getting Material 3 Expressive UI updates, including floating toolbars, revamped icons, and new animations

Google might give a glimpse of Pixel 10 series at pre-launch event: Details

The "Pixel Penthouse" is expected to be a 90-minute-long pre-launch event scheduled for June 27, where Google is likely to reveal its upcoming Pixel 10 series and other products to super fans

Now, you can generate videos with audio in Gemini with Veo 3: How it works

Google stated that in regions where the Ultra Plan is active, AI Pro subscribers will now get limited access to Veo 3 within Gemini app and Flow

Judge weighs sweeping remedy proposals in US antitrust case against Google

The fate and fortunes of one of the world's most powerful tech companies now sits in the hands of a US judge wrestling with whether to impose far-reaching changes upon Google in the wake of its dominant search engine being declared an illegal monopoly. US District Judge Amit Mehta on Friday heard closing arguments from Justice Department lawyers who argued that a radical shake-up is needed to promote a free and fair market. Their proposed remedies include a ban on Google paying to lock its search engine in as the default on smart devices and an order requiring the company to sell its Chrome browser. Google's legal team argued that only minor concessions are needed and urged Mehta not to unduly punish the company with a harsh ruling that could squelch future innovations. Google also argued that the upheaval triggered by advances in Artificial Intelligence are already reshaping the search landscape, as conversational search options are rolling out from AI startups that are hoping to

Google case: Indian-origin US judge questions future of search amid AI rise

Indian-origin Judge Amit Mehta questions Google's search dominance amid AI rise, as DOJ seeks remedies including selling Chrome to boost competition and support AI rivals like OpenAI