Skip the navigation

Google Update
Latest on Google: News, Features, Opinions and More Google RSS

Microsoft wraps up ads aimed at Google with IE9 pitch
Microsoft on Friday wrapped up a three-day campaign against rival Google by claiming its newest browser, Internet Explorer 9, is superior in stopping users from being tracked by online advertisers.

Social media fuels Planned Parenthood backers in Komen protest
Fueled by a firestorm of outrage on Twitter and Facebook, the people behind the Susan G. Komen For the Cure Friday backed off their decision to cut funding of Planned Parenthood programs.

Social media takes over the Super Bowl
For Sunday's Super Bowl, fans will split their attention between the screens on their TVs, laptops, smartphones and tablets. The big game is going social.

German gov't endorses Chrome as most secure browser
Germany's cyber security agency today recommended that Windows 7 users run Google's Chrome browser, citing the application's sandbox and auto-update features.

Who really was behind the SOPA protests?
Some critics have blamed Silicon Valley tech firms for the massive online protests last month against two controversial copyright bills. Other groups have trumpeted the grassroots nature of the protests.

Google won't delay new privacy policy despite EU concerns
Google does not plan to delay its new privacy policy despite calls from Europe's data protection watchdog.

Google reveals Android malware 'Bouncer,' scans all apps
Google yesterday unveiled an automated system that scans Android apps for potential malware or unauthorized behavior, a move critics have long called the company to make.

Google Docs for Android gets offline access
Google Docs users can now get offline access to documents on their Android-based smartphones and tablets, Googlesaid in a blog post on Wednesday.

Google introduces country domains on Blogger to aid content removal
Google is directing users to localized country domains on Blogger to provide it flexibility to comply with content removal rules in various countries.

Could Facebook IPO help it dominate Google?
With the Facebook IPO now official, industry and financial analysts say that a huge influx of cash could allow it to topple Google from its dominant position in the online world.

Symantec recants Android malware claims
Symantec has backtracked from assertions that 13 Android apps distributed by Google's Android Market were malicious. It now says the code in question comes from an aggressive ad network that provides revenue to the smartphone programs.

Facebook IPO may be social networking bellwether
Facebook today is expected to file plans for its initial public offering -- which IT and financial analysts say could be one of the biggest IPOs in U.S. history.

Google's punishment of Chrome drops browser's share, says metrics firm
The browser world turned upside down last month as Internet Explorer's share jumped by its largest-ever increase and Chrome posted its biggest one-month loss, Net Applications said today.

Ira Winkler: Is Google evil? The jury is out
Google's changes to its privacy policy should have been expected. It's what any corporation intent on maximizing value would do. But does that make it right?

In letter to Congress, Google defends privacy changes
In a letter sent to eight members of Congress, Google yesterday defended its move to consolidate its privacy policies and users' personal information.

EU launches antitrust investigation of Samsung patent licensing
The European Commission is investigating the way Samsung Electronics licenses its patents on technology essential to mobile communications networks, concerned that it may be in breach of European competition law.

Need More Storage? Reach for the Cloud
When you start out with a fresh new hard drive, it may seem like it has virtually unlimited capacity. The reality, though, is that it won't take nearly as long to max out that drive as you might think, and you will need to find some way to expand your storage.

Retrieve Your Entire Music Library from Your Google Music Account
For a while now I've been using Google Music as a kind of cloud-based backup for my music library. Except that it wasn't really a backup, because I couldn't easily retrieve all the songs I'd uploaded. In the event of a system failure, I'd have to download tunes in batches of 100. Bleh.

Google+ ups competition with Facebook by including teens
Google is widening the potential user base for Google+ by lowering the age requirement from 18 to 13 years old -- a move that could help it grow in Facebook's shadow.

Angry Birds comes to Facebook on Valentine's Day
Facebook is adding Angry Birds to its site starting on Feb. 14, adding one of the world's most popular mobile video games to the world's largest social network.

Update: Industry group makes fresh push to fight phishing
Companies such as Facebook, Google and PayPal are pushing for widespread use of a new technical specification, DMARC, that could make it harder for phishers to reach their victims.

Are Google and Apple really 'monopolies'?
Recent charges claiming that Google or Apple are monopolies, are monopolistic or wield monopoly power are simply false. And those who use the M word about these companies are misleading you, writes columnist Mike Elgan.

Lookout Security rebuts rival's Android malware claims
Researchers from Lookout Security disagreed with rival Symantec that 13 apps on the Android Market were malicious, instead saying that they showed the same behaviors as other ad-supported apps.

Massive Android malware op may have infected 5 million users
The largest-ever Android malware campaign may have duped as many as 5 million users into downloading infected apps from Google's Android Market, Symantec said today.

Apple reclaims top brand spot after iPhone 4S launch, Jobs' death
Apple reclaimed the top spot in a brand listing by collecting an estimated $900 million worth of traditional media, social media and Twitter coverage in the fourth quarter of 2011, a measurement company said today.

Google says privacy change won't affect government users
Google today dismissed concerns by a former senior federal IT official that its controversial new privacy policy would create problems for customers of Google Apps for Government.

Lawmakers question Google on its new privacy practices
Google's decision this week to share user data across its online services has caught the attention of eight members of the U.S. House of Representatives, with the lawmakers asking whether the changes will compromise privacy.

Google+ offers more restrictive user experience for teens
Google+ is now officially welcoming teenagers and tailoring the experience of the social networking site for them by making it more restrictive and potentially safer.

Google stirs up privacy hornet's nest
Google has whipped up a privacy brouhaha with a blog post announcing that the company is rewriting its privacy policy, consolidating user information across its services.

Should I Use the 32- or 64-bit Version of Internet Explorer?
DimplesAkaKaren noticed that Windows came with two versions of Internet Explorer. She asked the Answer Line forum which she should use.

Android's tablet share at 39% as sales triple, says study
Sales of Android-based tablets more than tripled during the fourth quarter of 2011. But Apple still dominates, even as its market share dropped, according to Strategy Analytics.

What JavaScript's inventor really thinks about Google Dart
Brendan Eich says that Google's language is not likely to get browser support and that JavaScript itself probably would not be extended to support native code

Critics: EU's proposed data protection rules could hinder Internet
Data protection and online privacy rules proposed for the European Union could hinder the development of new Web-based business models and bog down companies with regulations, some U.S. critics said Wednesday.

Node.js inventor extends JavaScript programming beyond browsers
Interview: Ryan Dahl discusses why his invention is catching fire with developers

6 Google Chrome remixes worth trying out
Chromium-based spinoffs bring privacy, security, social networking, and other interesting twists to Google's Chrome browser.

Google to combine users' data across its services
Google will be able to combine data from several Google services when a Google Accounts user is signed in, as part of a rewritten set of privacy policies that the company announced on Tuesday.

Google patches several serious Chrome bugs
Google on Monday patched four vulnerabilities in Chrome, and disclosed that it had patched a fifth two weeks ago.

Image gallery: Ice Cream Sandwich on Android tablets
Image gallery: Ice Cream Sandwich on an Android tablet: A visual tour

Google+ adds support for pseudonyms -- sort of
Google has relaxed somewhat its strict real-names policy on Google+ by letting members attach an alternate moniker to their profile name and by letting new members sign up with just a pseudonym, provided it is an "established" identity online or offline.

Obama to do YouTube, Google+ Hangout interview
Continuing his use of social networks, President Barack Obama is set to do an interview in a Google+ Hangout on Jan. 30.

Apple approves fake iPhone app for App Store
Apple let a fake app slip through its approval process for the iOS App Store, the makers of the popular Camera+ program said over the weekend.

Scot Finnie: Mobile Is Immediate
Smartphone usage is exploding. That creates challenges for enterprise IT shops that have to adapt to BYOD policies, but competition could bring welcome change to the mobile industry.

Google kills more services
Google is continuing to weed out its services and on Friday announced it will shut down Picnik, Google Message Continuity and Needlebase and make changes to some other services.

Wall Street Beat: Enterprise spending helps mixed quarter for tech
There were weak spots in the last quarter of 2011 for sector bellwethers Google, IBM, Intel and Microsoft, but corporate demand for technology appeared to remain resilient going into what is expected to be a year of slower growth for global IT spending.

Google to punish sites with many ads at the top of pages
Websites that load the top of their pages with ads, forcing visitors to scroll down to view content, will take a hit on their Google rankings.

Judge rejects Oracle's proposed plan to speed up Android trial
A judge on Friday shot down Oracle's offer to put its Java patent-infringement claims against Google over the Android mobile OS on hold, in exchange for a speedier trial on its copyright claims.

US Senate postpones Tuesday vote on PIPA
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has postponed a vote on the controversial Protect IP Act, scheduled for Tuesday, as a growing number of senators voice opposition to the copyright enforcement bill.

No blackout for SOPA/PIPA? We know who you are.
Yesterday saw many major Web sites going into blackout to protest SOPA and PIPA ... but, to their shame, a few of the biggest opted out

Google expands revenue but misses forecast
Google's fourth-quarter revenue climbed 25% from a year earlier but was less than analysts had expected, pulling its stock price down 9% in after-hours trading Thursday.

Google named Best Place to Work in U.S. by Fortune
Google moved up three spots to claim the top position in Fortune's list of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in the U.S.

Galaxy Nexus smartphone a worthy upgrade
Review of the Galaxy Nexus smartphone, by Samsung.

Twitter, Facebook fuel SOPA protests
Several major internet companies and thousands of concerned users are lighting up social networks in efforts to spread opposition to controversial anti-piracy bills now under debate in Congress.

With Yang out, big changes coming to Yahoo?
Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang's departure this week from the company should put in in a better position to take drastic action to fix its long-running woes.

Google adds WebRTC to Chrome for in-browser voice, video chat
Google has built the WebRTC technology into a test version of Chrome to let the browser run voice and video chat applications within the browser interface.

Apple's iPhone narrows gap with Android among recent buyers
Apple's iPhone made major inroads among recent buyers in its battle against smartphones running Google's Android, but still lagged behind its OS rival, pollster Nielsen said today.

Microsoft opposes SOPA, declines to join blackout strike
Microsoft today said it opposes a controversial anti-piracy bill in the U.S., but did not join the widespread "Internet strike" that sites like Google and Wikipedia were conducting.

Wikipedia, Craigslist, other sites black out against SOPA at midnight
Wikipedia and other Internet companies blacked out their websites in one way or another early today in protest of controversial anti-piracy legislation in Congress.

Mozilla, Firefox join anti-SOPA strike
Mozilla, the open-source organization responsible for Firefox, joined other major technology companies today to protest anti-piracy legislation by blackening the browser's home page.

Oracle offers to drop patent charges against Google, to speed trial
Apparently fed up with delays, Oracle said it is willing to drop its claims of patent infringement against Google if the court will hear its copyright complaints soon.

Protests against SOPA, PIPA go viral
Several websites, including Google, Reddit, Wikipedia, BoingBoing, Imgur and Tucows, plan an unprecedented Internet "strike" Wednesday to protest anti-piracy legislation being considered by Congress.

Expert to IT pros: Adopt IPv6 soon or be sorry later
A dozen of the world's largest Internet companies -- including Facebook, Google and Comcast -- have committed to June 6, 2012, as the start date for their production deployments of IPv6, an upgrade to the Internet's main communications protocol.

Oracle, Google must focus on patents and people at trial
Both Oracle and Google would be well-advised to center their cases around people along with a painstaking discussion of patents once their lawsuit over the Android mobile OS goes to trial, according to experts.

When your data's in the cloud, is it still your data?
Your contract with a cloud provider should have language clearly affirming your ownership of your data.

Google's Marissa Mayer says more women needed in tech
Women may have come a long way in the high-tech field in the last 10 years, but there's still room for growth, according to a group of female tech executives who spoke at CES.

Google apologizes to Kenya startup over dirty business tactics
Google has confirmed as true allegations made on Friday by a Kenyan provider of online business listings, Mocality, that Google staffers attempted to undermine its business by lying to its customers and improperly mining its data.

Google adds virtualization queen Diane Greene to its board
Google has appointed Diane Greene, a co-founder and former CEO of VMware, to its board of directors and audit committee.

Wall Street Beat: Tech earnings season could be stormy
Get ready for a perfect storm of earnings news. With tech bellwethers including IBM, Microsoft, Intel and Google set to issue financial reports next week, earnings season will pick up in earnest and judging from recent forecasts and profit warnings, it could be a bumpy ride.

Indian court issues summons to Google, Facebook for 'objectionable' content
A Delhi court sent a summons to the headquarters of foreign Internet companies including Google, Facebook, Microsoft, and Yahoo on Friday, in a private case against objectionable content online.

Microsoft's Exchange a casualty of bank's cloud move to Google Apps
Seeking to transform the way its staff communicates and collaborates worldwide, Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA) will roll out Google Apps to its 110,000 employees, shedding along the way various legacy email systems, including Microsoft Exchange, a bank executive said in an interview.

Banking giant BBVA moves internal apps to Google cloud
BBVA, one of Spain's largest banks, is moving desktop applications to Google Apps' cloud computing systems.

Spanish bank to move 100,000+ employees to Google Apps
Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA) is adopting Google Apps for email and collaboration and expects to have its about 110,000 employees worldwide using the suite by the end of this year.

Critics accuse Google of unfairly promoting Google+ in search results
The long-standing and persistent accusation that Google unfairly uses its search engine to promote its other online services is once again in the spotlight, triggered by new social search functionality the company is rolling out this week that more tightly links its search engine with its Google+ social networking site.

Google's Schmidt says devices, apps need to be friends
Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt told an audience at CES that the future of technology revolves around connecting all of the electronic devices in our lives.

Sony to launch 'SmartWatch' that syncs with, controls Android phones
Sony plans later this year to launch a small device it is calling the SmartWatch, which links to Android phones via Bluetooth and runs a suite of custom mini-apps.

Linux takes on a bigger role at CES
The annual Consumer Electronics Show event is always a fun place to learn about the latest new gadgets coming down the pike, but--aside from Google's ubiquitous Android platform--Linux has not typically played a starring role.

Google social search adds 'personal' Picasa, Google+ results
Google will start rolling out on Tuesday a tight integration between its search engine and two of its social media sites: Google+ and Picasa Web, in the company's latest move to deepen its social search capabilities.

Cisco cranks up Internet TV volume at CES
At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week Cisco unveiled extensions to its Internet TV platform and strategy that enable "video in the cloud" services.

Sprint unveils Galaxy Nexus, tri-mode hotspot for LTE
Sprint Nextel's first three devices for its coming LTE network will be the Samsung Galaxy Nexus and LG Viper smartphones and a Sierra Wireless hotspot that will use Sprint's 3G and WiMax networks as well as LTE, the carrier announced in advance of the Consumer Electronics Show.

Google patches Chrome, beefs up malicious file blocking tech
Google last week patched Chrome 16 and improved the download warnings in the impending Chrome 17.

LAPD Drops Google Apps Plan
After more than two years of work, the city of Los Angeles has abandoned its effort to migrate its police operations to Google's hosted email and office application platform because it says the service cannot meet FBI security requirements. Insider (registration required)

How Google and Apple will control TV
The future of TV is going to be pretty awesome. The addition of compute power, apps and Internet access are inevitable for TVs over the next few years and Google and Apple will be at the forefront, writes columnist Mike Elgan.

Samsung, LG to launch Google TVs, joining Sony and Vizio
Google said Thursday that TV heavyweights Samsung and LG will launch sets that run its Google TV platform, with new models to be showcased at the International Consumer Electronics Show next week in Las Vegas.

NOAA migrates to Google Apps, but gives users options
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has moved 25,000 employees and contractors to Google Apps for Government.

With Thompson in CEO seat, Yahoo may go after Netflix
Just one day after Yahoo announced that it found a new CEO, speculation began swirling that the Internet company may be looking to scoop up Netflix.

War of the cloud services
In the beginning, it was Macintosh vs. Windows. Then it was Windows against OS/2 against the Mac. Followed by Netscape Navigator head-to-head against Internet Explorer.

Privacy 2012: I know what you did at 3:30 a.m.
For a peek into what experts expect this year and beyond when it comes to privacy, we turn to the Rebecca Herold (aka the Privacy Professor) for answers.

Can Thompson rejuvenate Yahoo?
Yahoo's choice of a new corporate head is sending the message that the company will be rebuilt instead of sold, analysts say.

Judge splits decision on evidence in Oracle-Google trial
Oracle and Google have both won and lost in a number of their efforts to keep evidence out of the upcoming trial in Oracle's lawsuit against Google over the Android mobile OS. At issue is whether Google has infringed on Oracle's intellectual property rights by using Java without properly licensing it.

Google downgrades Chrome ranking after paid-link monkey business
Google penalized its own browser's search rankings Tuesday over a marketing campaign that went bad, the company confirmed.

Oracle-Google trial over Android to begin as soon as March
Oracle's lawsuit against Google over alleged Java patent and copyright violations in the Android mobile OS will go to trial as soon as mid-March after well over a year of heated back-and-forth wrangling between the two sides.

Atom chip on Android smartphones expected at CES
LG Electronics and Samsung are expected to unveil Android smartphones next week at CES that use Intel's latest Atom chip, dubbed Medfield, analysts said.

Google acquires 200-plus more IBM patents
Google has acquired more IBM patents, adding more than 200 to approximately 2,000 patents it had previously bought from IBM.

Just in time for Iowa caucus, Google launches politics page
Just in time for Tuesday's Iowa caucus, Google launched a political hub site to help users get information, discuss issues and track candidates' popularity.

Google, Facebook were dominant websites in 2011
Online giants Google and Facebook came out as the most-visited websites of 2011, according to a Nielsen report.

What to Watch from Five Tech Giants in 2012
With 2011 behind us, what do the top tech companies have up their sleeves? Though a few have already made big announcements, most of what we think is coming is based on rumors. With that in mind, your business should watch for these potential developments from five of the top tech companies in 2012.

Mobile app developers to get their own professional organization
The Application Developers Alliance would enable collaboration and provide education, cloud access, and lobbying efforts

Chrome nears 20% share, IE resumes slide
After a one-month pause, Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE) resumed its usage share slide in December, dropping to a new low and setting the stage for a fall below 50% as early as March.

5 resolutions to change the world in 2012
Steve Jobs, who was obsessed with changing the world, died this year. But he left behind a world we can all change.

Google, Facebook rivalry to heat up in 2012
As Google works to make its Google+ social network a major competitor to market leader Facebook, the battle between the two could reach a critical point in 2012, analysts say.

Researcher: Google+ growth accelerating, passes 62M users
Google+ membership is accelerating, and the young social network is now adding 625,000 users a day with over 62 million in total, a researcher has estimated.

Our bloggers on Google Google RSS

Android Market security: An interview with Android's VP of engineering

Google has just unveiled a new malware-protection system for the Android Market. I had a chance to chat with Android's VP of engineering about the new system, the state of Android security, and the future of mobile-based threats.

read more

Google: Here's the real truth about Microsoft's privacy claims about us

Microsoft has launched an all-out public assault on Google's recent privacy changes, but Google is fighting back, claiming that Microsoft and other critics are spreading untruths about the new policy. It's a fight that's good for users.

read more

Samsung Galaxy overload: With GS III, Sammy needs to slow down

With Samsung's Galaxy S III, the company should stop focusing on incremental hardware updates and start focusing on keeping its customers happy.

read more

Microsoft slams Google hard on privacy with big-money ad campaign

Think the Newt Gingrich-Mitt Romney war of words is nasty? Then wait until you see Microsoft's big-money ad campaign slamming Google over Google's recent changes in its privacy rules.

read more

Symantec launches massive 'Android malware' scare campaign -- extreme caution advised

Security software peddler Symantec has launched what may be the largest malware scare campaign ever conducted against Android users, researchers at the Android Power Labs have discovered.

read more

Apple iPhone is top dog -- and Samsung's Google problem

iPhone is king of smartphones once again. Apple [AAPL] sold 37 million of the things in Q4 2011, dashing Samsung from its briefly-held position as world's number one smartphone vendor. Samsung, meanwhile, is watching its Android advantage become its Achilles' Heel.

read more

Customize Gmail and Google Reader with this one simple tool

Ever wished you could make Google's Gmail or Google Reader interfaces look just a little bit different? Now, there's an easy way you can.

read more

Hard-core porn in Google+ -- Google asleep at the switch

Hey! Google! Wake up! Porn spammers are running rampant over your social networking baby. Reporting them seems to have no effect. Please get a grip.

read more

Google's new privacy policy: Checking the source

If you're also trying to figure out where you stand on the issue, here are links to Google's new privacy statement -- and the marketing that Google is doing to make its users understand and accept it.

read more

Ice Cream Sandwich on Android tablets: A visual tour

Curious how Ice Cream Sandwich looks on a tablet? Here's a hands-on tour of Android 4.0 in its large-screen form.

read more