Articles about Google

There is much to get frustrated about in relation to AI, not least of which is that there are so many AI tools to choose from. But there is also the fact that each AI app and service has its own limitations, and it can be difficult – or impossible – to know what these limits are until you hit them.

It has been this way with Google Gemini. Google has, until now, been a little fuzzy when it comes to telling users about limits. Being told that the company “may have to cap how much you can use some features” is not very helpful, certainly not very specific. But now Google has published much more detailed information to help users know where they stand.

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The European Commission has fined Google €2.95 billion (about $3.19 billion) for abusing its dominance in online advertising technology. The penalty, announced on Friday, September 11, follows findings that the search giant favored its own services at the expense of rivals, advertisers, and publishers.

The Commission ordered the company to end the practices and submit a plan within 60 days to address conflicts of interest in the adtech supply chain.

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Google has added an important feature to the popular translation feature of Circle to Search. While the dedicated Google Translate app or web site are perfect for translating between languages in numerous scenarios, Circle to Search provides another means of accessing the handy functionality.

The fact that Circle to Search offers translation is not new – so much so that Google is quick to point out that “translation is one of the most-used features in Circle to Search”. What is new is the ability to translate while scrolling.

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A judge has ruled that Google will not have to sell its Chrome browser after the Department of Justice proposed this last year. But as part of the ruling, the court says that the company will have to change some things about the way it operates.

The short version is that Google will no longer be allowed to make exclusivity deals relating to search, Google Assistant, Gemini, or Chrome. In the ruling, Judge Amit Mehta said that the US government has “overreached” when pushing for Chrome to be sold off.

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For many people, Google Maps is absolutely indispensable, and Google is about to make the navigation tool even more useful in Android 16. Taking advantage of a new feature introduced in the latest version of its mobile operating system, Google Maps is gaining useful Live Updates support.

Live Updates are a new type of notification that are used in very specific circumstances – such as flight tracking, delivery tracking, or navigation. Google is experimenting with Google Maps integration and, if it is done correctly, it could be a game-changer.

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Google has taken the unusual move of addressing claims about a major Gmail security issue – claims the company says are “entirely false”.

Insisting that “Gmail’s protections are strong and effective”, Google does not specify which claims it is referring to or where they stem from. What is clear, though, is that the company has been rattled by whoever has tried to bring into question the security of its email platform.

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It was inevitable that it would happen one day, and that day appears to have arrived. YouTube is getting stricter about how a Premium Family plan can be used.

The rules that apply to YouTube Family Premium are not changing, but YouTube is now seemingly enforcing restrictions that it was previously happy to turn a blind eye to.

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If you have more than one Android device, you have probably used the Google Play Store to install apps on a device other than the one in your hand. The ability to ‘remotely’ install apps in this way is a great time saver, and Google is expanding the management features available to users.

If you can install an app on not only the device in front of you but also another linked to your account, why not uninstall it in the same way? Technically, you can, but Google has made it so awkward that it puts most people off – until now.

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When you install an app, the chances are that you’re going to want to fire up straight away. To help with this, Google is in the process of rolling out a handy auto-open feature to Android users.

If this sounds familiar, that is because it is something Google was spotted working on back in the second half of last year. You would have been forgiven for thinking that the company had forgotten about it, but the auto-open toggle is back.

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When it comes to casual, mobile-based language learning, Duolingo reigns supreme. And now Google Translate is ready to take it on head-to-head.

Until now, Google Translate has been a multi-tool for travellers, holidaymakers, businesspersons and immigrants. It serves as an on-demand dictionary and translation tool for dozens and dozens of languages, and the next step sees it branching out into language lessons.

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Downloading apps from an official app store helps to avoid dodgy  software. The obstacles that can stand in the way of  developers getting their apps into the likes of the Google Play Store, however, means that sideloading remains incredibly popular.

Sideloaded apps – those downloaded from unofficial sources – can be safe, but it is something of a minefield. And this is why Google has announced plans to block the sideloading of apps from developers that it has not been able to verify.

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Many people turn to AI to improve their writing, their photos, or their videos. YouTube has been doing the same, quietly enhancing the look of users’ uploaded videos through the use of artificial intelligence.

So, what is the problem? Many creators are upset not so much that their videos have been “enhanced” (although there is debate over whether what YouTube has done can actually be seen as an improvement) but that it was done without consent.

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Every company with a web browser wants you to choose it as your default. Google is no different with Chrome than Microsoft is with Edge or Mozilla is with Firefox.

Microsoft has received a lot of flak for the heavy-handed way in which it has prompted Edge and attempted to get users to switch to it. More than this the company has made it more difficult to set other browsers as default, although this has changed in recent times. Now Google is taking steps to promote Chrome, pushing a one-click-to-switch capability.

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Google Drive is home to every type of file imaginable, and a decent proportion of those files are videos. It is with this in mind that Google has decided to make it easier to edit videos which have been uploaded to its cloud storage service.

Rather than adding video editing tools directly into Google Drive, the company is instead making it easier to access the option to do so using Google Vids.

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There is nothing that technology companies will not try to enhance with AI. Google is no stranger to this with Gemini, and the company has announced an AI-powered fitness coach for the Fitbit platform.

But this is more than just a fitness coach. Google describes it as a “a fitness trainer, a sleep coach and a health and wellness advisor” all rolled into one. The aim is to be the AI coach that is suitable for everyone, so what can it do?

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