Places and Things

Google Maps will now let you pay for public transportation and parking through its app Google Maps is adding a couple of new useful features: the ability to pay for parking or buy a train ticket right from the app. Google Maps is integrating two mobile parking payment services into its app, Passport and ParkMobile. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2021/2/17/22287043/google-maps-pay-parking-public-transportation-cities

Google Photos' new video editor offers more control over footage Now that Google has revamped Photos’ still image editing, it’s turning its attention to moving pictures. Google has overhauled the video editor in Photos for Android and iOS to give you much more control than the usual trimming, stabilization and rotation. Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/google-photos-video-editor-170007133.html

Google is reportedly working on an anti-tracking feature for Android Google is looking to develop an anti—tracking feature for Android similar to the one Apple is rolling out with iOS 14.5, according to Bloomberg. The tech giant is reportedly in the early stages of exploring how it can limit data collection and cross-app tracking for its mobile OS. Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/google-antitracking-feature-android-063114151.html

Google now owns Fitbit Google has completed its $2.1 billion purchase of Fitbit, more than a year after the deal was first announced. The EU approved the acquisition in late December, clearing the way towards Google’s ownership over what is perhaps the best-known brand out there for mainstream fitness-tracking devices. Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/google-now-owns-fitbit-141747501.html

Google confirms plans for new Nest Cam lineup this year The Nest Cam IQ Outdoor is no longer available to buy, Google has confirmed to 9to5Google, after the site noticed that the camera was out of stock in most countries around the world. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/6/22216568/new-google-nest-cam-lineup-confirmed-outdoor-iq-discontinued

Google and Qualcomm are working together for faster Android updates Qualcomm and Google have announced they’ll be working to expand Project Treble, Google’s ambitious multiyear project that aims to simplify OS updates so it’s easier for device manufacturers to upgrade phones and tablets to new Android versions without worrying about Qualcomm’s chipset-specif Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2020/12/17/22178833/google-qualcomm-snapdragon-888-faster-android-updates-four-years

Google is now blocking the ads publishers sell if they don’t meet Google’s standards On some recent business day, The New York Times sold an ad to a company. Continue Reading . . . https://www.niemanlab.org/2020/12/google-is-now-blocking-the-ads-publishers-sell-if-they-dont-meet-googles-standards/

How to Export Your Google Photos Library Google Photos keeps your pictures and videos backed up online. But to save your moments in case of an accident or to free up cloud space, you should still periodically back up your Google Photos library locally. Here’s how to do that with Google’s export tool, Takeout. Continue Reading . . . https://www.howtogeek.com/695839/how-to-export-your-google-photos-library/

Google Photos will end its free unlimited storage on June 1st, 2021 After five years of offering unlimited free photo backups at “high quality,” Google Photos will start charging for storage once more than 15 gigs on the account have been used. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2020/11/11/21560810/google-photos-unlimited-cap-free-uploads-15gb-ending

Google Search will help you identify that song stuck in your head Over a billion people every day use Google Search, the company said. Despite having worked on the software for more than 20 years, every day there are 15 percent of queries that Google has never seen before. Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/google-search-hum-to-search-song-ai-200947045.html

Google Drive will start automatically deleting Trash files after 30 days Beginning on October 13th, Google Drive is changing its Trash policies. After 30 days, files that you’ve trashed will be automatically deleted. Until now, those files have been stored indefinitely, unless you manually and permanently deleted them from Trash. Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/google-drive-deleting-trash-files-143410045.html

Google Maps will show wildfire boundaries in near real time Type in the name of an ongoing wildfire into Google search, and the site will now bring up a map featuring a near-real-time boundary of the fire. Google revealed the feature today, which was piloted in California last year and will now be available across the US. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2020/8/20/21376343/google-maps-search-wildfire-boundaries-california

Google's overnight Gmail outage is finally over (updated) Can’t send something on Gmail? If so then you’re in good company, ever since about midnight ET, people have been complaining about issues connecting to many of the G suite services, but especially Gmail. Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/gmail-is-down-053821685.html

The Morning After: Google's $350 Pixel 4a is the best midrange phone you can buy Google’s Pixel 4a will cost $350 and launches at the end of the month. After suffering from very detailed leaks as well as the company’s own preamble and teases, there wasn’t much left to the imagination — or press release, for that matter. Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/pixel-4a-review-morning-after-111504208.html

Google parent company Alphabet sees its first revenue decline in history Google parent company Alphabet warned in last quarter that it was expecting to see the impact of coronavirus in the second quarter results, and it was: the company saw its first revenue decline in its history. But it managed to beat Wall Street’s revenue expectations. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2020/7/30/21345014/google-youtube-alphabet-revenue-decline-q2

Google acknowledges Pixel Buds connectivity issues, promises fix The problems with Google’s Pixel Buds gained widespread attention last month, with users reporting audio cutouts when using the true wireless earbuds. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2020/6/9/21285224/google-pixel-buds-connection-issues-fix-promise-coming-weeks-bluetooth

Google Maps updates help you travel in the COVID-19 era Google has rolled out two new features for its Maps app meant to help users get around safely in the time of COVID-19, according to a new post on the Google blog. The app now shows alerts informing you of any coronavirus-related travel restrictions and reports on how crowded public transit may be. Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/google-maps-updates-help-travel-covid-19-era-173308596.html

Free Google Nest Hub offered in email promotion Just a week after giving free Nest Mini speakers to YouTube Premium subscribers, Google has another promo going on. Today, some Nest Aware subscribers are getting emails offering a free Google Nest Hub, but the codes, unfortunately, aren’t working. Continue Reading . . . https://9to5google.com/2020/06/02/free-google-nest-hub-aware-promotion/

Google Fi is rolling out eSIM support on iOS for existing customers Google is rolling out the ability to use Google Fi via eSIM for existing customers of the cellular service on iOS, assuming their iPhone supports it (via 9to5Google). Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2020/5/19/21264122/google-fi-esim-support-ios-current-existing-customers

Google Duo will soon let you make group calls in Chrome Google’s Duo video chat app will soon let you make group video calls on the web, the search company announced today. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2020/5/8/21252128/google-duo-group-calls-chrome-family-mode-masks-filters-android-ios