Category Archives: Google

Facebook has served abortion reversal adverts 18.4m times since January 2020, according to a report from the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), promoting an unproven, unethical and dangerous procedure.

Google shows the adverts on more than four-fifths of searches related to abortion across a number of US cities, according to the CCDH research, targeted at search terms such as unwanted pregnancy and abortion pill.

The adverts promote an unproven theoretical use of high doses of the hormone progesterone to reverse the effects of taking mifepristone, the first of a pair of drugs used in a medical abortion.

But there is a lack of medical evidence demonstrating the safety and efficacy of the treatment, according to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine, and it can lead to dangerous haemorrhaging.

Despite that, eight US states require people seeking an abortion to be given information that claims that such a reversal is an option. These laws, the studys authors said, essentially encourage women to participate in an unmonitored research experiment.

Imran Ahmed, the chief executive of CCDH, said: It is disgusting that groups seeking to undermine fundamental sexual and reproductive rights are able to spread misinformation to vulnerable women and girls. Whats worse Facebook and Google are making money from this propaganda.

Experts have in the past deemed ads for so-called abortion pill reversals potentially lethal, unethical medical misinformation. That is why you dont see them on television or on reputable newspapers or sites.

Facebook and Google must stop these adverts, ban the groups and users involved in putting them together, and donate the tainted money they received to groups that protect fundamental sexual and reproductive rights.

On Facebook, the platforms own analytics show that as many as 1.5 million users in the UK and 3 million in the Republic of Ireland could have been targeted by adverts promoting the process, paid for by the anti-abortion groups SPUC in the UK and the Life Institute in Ireland.

Both companys policies ought to forbid the adverts. Google has rules that ban advertisers from promoting misleading information about products and non-government approved products that are marketed in a way that implies that theyre safe or effective, while Facebooks ban the adverts from being targeted to 13- to 17-year-olds despite the fact that one set of ads from the US group Live Action that was targeted at women under the age of 44 was shown to at least 3,000 children under 18 across the US.

A Facebook spokesperson said: We removed many of the ads identified in the report - most of which were inactive and months or years old - for violating our policies around offering adult products and services."

Google has been contacted for comment.

Excerpt from:

Facebook and Google condemned over ads for abortion pill reversal - The Guardian

Google is starting to roll out its new Material You design system to Gmail, Calendar, Docs, and more on Android. The new look will include changes to navigation bars, improved action buttons, and Googles Sans text for better readability. Its part of the bigger Android 12 redesign that includes big, bubbly buttons, shifting colors, smoother animations, and some overhauls to built-in apps.

The design changes mean Pixel devices with Android 12 or newer will be able to match the colors inside apps like Gmail, Google Meet, and Google Drive with their wallpapers for what Google calls a more dynamic, personalized look. Existing color schemes and color-coded file types and folders will remain unchanged within the apps, though.

The end result is subtle but colorful changes to apps like Gmail, Calendar, and Docs. Google has really leaned further into rounded corners here, and the changes are mostly aesthetic, meaning button placements and core navigation wont be changing.

The design changes are already available in Gmail, Google Drive, Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. They will also appear in Google Calendar on September 20th, and Google Meet on September 19th. All of the design changes are available to both personal Google accounts and Google Workspace customers.

Excerpt from:

Googles Material You design is coming to Gmail, Calendar, and Docs on Android - The Verge

Google has released a new teaser trailer for its upcoming Pixel 6 that includes several shots of the smartphone being used in the real world. The footage comes a little over a month after Google released its first official images of the upcoming device, which were limited to renders rather than actual photographs.

Over on its Instagram page, Google has also teased the phone in a new post which may give some hints about when its official launch might take place beyond this fall. As Android Police points out, the clock widgets in these images show the date as Tue 19th. And yes, the 19th of October falls on a Tuesday. Thats a little later than when Google announced the Pixel 5 last year (September 30th), but its definitely the right ballpark.

My colleague Dieter had the chance to try out (but not photograph) the Pixel 6 last month, when Google announced that itll be powered by a new Google-designed system on a chip (SoC) called Tensor, which features a Tensor Processing Unit to speed up AI operations. The Pixel 6 is coming in two versions. Theres a Pixel 6 Pro which will have a 6.7-inch 120Hz QHD+ curved display, and three rear cameras including an ultrawide and a 4X optical-zoom folded telephoto lens. Meanwhile the regular Pixel 6 will have a slightly smaller 6.4-inch 90Hz FHD+ flat display, and no telephoto camera.

Excerpt from:

Google Pixel 6 teaser gives first real-world look at the upcoming phone - The Verge

As an alternative, the Ethereum Foundation (EF) and the Ethereum Name Service (ENS) two of the most important bodies fueling the development of the Ethereum blockchain are looking to develop a decentralised solution. Rather than using Google, Facebook or Apple accounts to sign into other services, they want to offer a sign in with Ethereum alternative.

The Ethereum ecosystem already has tens of millions of monthly active wallet users signing with their cryptographic keys for financial transactions, community governance, and more.

Statement by Spruce

The security of these [Ethereum] wallets has been proven across billions of dollars of digital assets at stake not theoretical security, but real tests in production. These secure wallets can also be used to sign in to Web2 services.

Statement by Spruce

Shape Up Your Future 16th & 17th September 2021

To be clear, Spruce isnt really starting from scratch. The company noted that services like OpenSea and Gitcoin already allow users to sign in with their Ethereum wallets instead of using other accounts. The companys system will look to standardize this system across the web.

The company is also inviting the Ethereum community to join in on the discussions around this system. It has created a server on chat platform Discord and will be taking feedback using the same.

For a more in-depth discussion, come on over to Business Insider Cryptosphere a forum where users can deep dive into all things crypto, engage in interesting discussions and stay ahead of the curve.

SEE ALSO:Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson says the crypto world needs 'that wi-fi moment' - where users can work with any blockchain seamlessly - more than it needs a dominant network3 companies will pay a total of $539 million to settle with the SEC over charges of illegal stock and digital-asset offerings

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Google, Apple and Facebook move aside Ethereum will offer users control over their data with a new sign-in m - Business Insider India

Google is announcing even more Workspace features today, part of an increased cadence of changes to the companys office and communications software suite over the past year or so. Todays announcement is a bit of a milestone, however. Although there is still the smattering of small and coming-soon updates, the bigger change is that Gmail is getting a redesign that reveals its true nature in Googles eyes: the central hub for every Google communication app.

To begin, Google is adding the ability to ring another Google user with Google Meet but inside the Gmail mobile app, not inside the Meet app. When the feature rolls out and turns on, your Gmail app will be able to be called just like any other VOIP app (in addition to being able to join Google Meet meetings). Google says the standalone Meet app will get the same ability to place calls, not just create group meetings, at some point in the future.

That Gmail was the first place Google thought to put its calling feature reveals how important Gmail has become to the larger changes happening within Google Workspace. Google has not been shy about leveraging Gmails popularity to drive adoption of its other services.

Now, Gmail is essentially Googles equivalent to Microsofts Outlook. Its a central hub for multiple services. Outlook is Microsofts hub for email, calendar, and contacts; Gmail is Googles hub for email, one-on-one chats, group chats, videoconferencing, and now calls. The email part of Gmail is just one tab in a group of four, next to Chat, Spaces, and Meet.

Spaces is Googles rebranding of Rooms, a Slack-alike product that offers group chats. With the rename, Googles making it easier to find Spaces within a company by making them discoverable to search (as an option) and also finally adding full support for threaded messages. As with other group chat apps, threads will appear in an extra column on the right-hand side. (For those keeping count, that means a Spaces user could have up to five columns of different information on their screen at once.)

Google says users will be able to hide the tabs they dont use, as before, and that the redesign is rolling out to enterprise users first, in the coming weeks. After that, it will start to appear in Gmail for regular consumers.

As for the smaller updates, Google Calendar will now let you RSVP to a meeting invite with an indication of your location. Google will finally launch the so-called Companion mode feature this November. Its the system that has you log into a meeting on your laptop alongside the main rooms AV system, muted by default so theres not an embarrassing audio feedback loop.

Finally, Google is expanding the Series One line of Google Meet-compatible hardware. Unlike Made by Google hardware like the Pixel, Series One devices are made by other companies to look like they fit in with Googles design aesthetic and work primarily with Googles software.

To me, the more interesting device is the Series One Desk 27. Its a touchscreen display designed primarily to serve as a Google Meet videoconferencing station, but it also has a simple USB-C port and can serve as an external monitor for a laptop. When you plug in, you can use its soundbar and 5-megapixel camera with whatever video conference app you like, as well. Google says it has an Edge TPU (a custom, Google processor) for listening to Hey Google commands, but otherwise it uses a standard Intel chip for its main functions.

Its definitely a device meant more for corporate spaces than consumers homes and has a price to match: $1,999.

Theres also the Series One Panel 65, a TV thats also able to take stylus input and work a little like Googles own Jamboard. Google says both will run on Chrome OS and are all-in-one meeting devices, but beyond that, we dont have a ton of specs. The devices are made by Avocor, which makes a bunch of other custom meeting devices. It will launch in 2022. Pricing is not available yet.

Google is partnering with Cisco to ensure that hardware designed for Google Meet will be able to dial into Webex meetings and that hardware designed for Webex will be able to dial into Google Meet. As for Zoom, theres nothing to announce.

Theres been more work put into Google Workspace in the past year than seems to have gone into it in the several years before that, the vast majority of it focused on communication. Thats great news for companies and consumers who use all of Workspaces various apps. But for those of us who just want Gmail to keep being just an email app, its going to be increasingly difficult to keep it that way.

Correction, 5:25PM ET September 8th: The Gmail redesign is rolling out to enterprise customers in the coming weeks, not today as the article originally stated. We regret the error.

Excerpt from:

The Gmail app takes calls now, too, because Google wants it to do everything - The Verge

Google Photos now lets you order prints of specific photographs and get them shipped to homes in the US for as little as $0.18 plus shipping, the company has announced. Although its previously been possible to print individual photos through Google Photos, until now youve had to pick them up from a local Walmart, CVS, or Walgreens. Otherwise, getting prints shipped has required paying for Googles $6.99 a month photo subscription, which sends 10 cardstock photo prints each month.

Alongside the new shipping option, Google is also expanding the sizes available. Theres now the option of getting prints in larger 11x14, 12x18, 16x20, and 20x30-inch sizes, in addition to the previously available 4x6, 5x7 or 8x10-inch options. Canvas prints, which were already available with shipping, are also getting new 8x10, 16x16, 20x30, 24x36, 30x40, and 36x36-inch sizes, which will sit alongside the existing 8x8, 11x14, and 16x20-inch selection.

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Google Photos will now ship individual prints directly to your door - The Verge

The Google name is displayed outside the company's office in London, Britain, November 1, 2018. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo

Sept 9 (Reuters) - Alphabet Inc's (GOOGL.O) Google aims to replenish 20% more water than its offices and data centers use by 2030, the company said on Thursday, addressing concerns about water-guzzling tech facilities amid record droughts.

"We are pledging to a water stewardship target to replenish more water than we consume by 2030 and support water security in communities where we operate," Google Chief Sustainability Officer Kate Brandt wrote in a blog post. "This means Google will replenish 120% of the water we consume, on average, across our offices and data centers."

Google consumed 3.4 billion gallons of water in 2019, its most recent disclosure. The company told Reuters it had not yet started tracking replenishment rates. But it added that its 20% goal reflects what is needed to return regions with high or extremely high water scarcity to a normal level.

Google uses water to cool its data centers' stacks of computers that store and process search queries, YouTube videos and other data. Researchers have said a shift is needed as climate change worsens droughts worldwide. The Mountain View, California-based company's data centers are located around the globe.

Google plans to reach its new target by using less water at its buildings and then helping with conservation in surrounding communities, starting with those where water is especially scarce.

Google's new measures include collecting stormwater for flushing toilets and funding removal of water-hungry invasive plants. In Southern California, Google is even helping to install toilet leak detection technology in low-income housing, to cut waste and keep the water cycling through plumbing systems.

Google will continue to help vendors reduce consumption, it said.

Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) a year ago and Facebook Inc (FB.O) last month both announced goals of being water positive by 2030 without specifying a replenishment target.

Google said in September 2020 it planned to run its offices and data centers on carbon-free energy around the clock by 2030.

Reporting by Paresh Dave in Oakland, California; Editing by Richard Chang and Peter Cooney

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Google to replenish 20% more water than it uses by 2030 - Reuters

One of Google's new dedicated pieces of videoconferencing hardware that interoperates directly with ... [+] Cisco's Webex platform is the Series One Desk 27.

As the demands and realities of hybrid work start to become more apparent, companies are beginning to face new issues. In particular, theres growing recognition of the many challenges that organizations are going to face as they begin to integrate more combinations of in-house and remote workers. In short, things were much easier when virtually everyone was remote, but theyre about to get a lot harder.

A big part of the problem has to do with the existing installed base of videoconferencing equipment that companies have within their meeting and conference rooms. The vast majority of the equipment is dedicated and will only work with a single collaboration software packagein many cases, its for the quickly disappearing Skype platform.

Recognizing this challenge, Cisco and Google have come together in a major new partnership to offer interoperability for their respective conference room hardware and collaboration software tools. Specifically, as of Q4, youll be able to seamlessly join Ciscos Webex meetings directly from Google Meet hardware (including some intriguing new options that were just introduced today). Conversely, you be able to join Google Meet meetings from Ciscos line of Webex hardware.

On the one hand, its easy to argue that this type of collaboration for the sake of collaboration was absolutely essential, because using multiple videoconferencing tools has become the accepted norm. As the two companies pointed out in a pre-briefing on the announcement, even organizations that have picked one or the other as their corporate standard will almost certainly run into situations where customers and/or partners will be using a different platform. Having room-based hardware that only supports a single platform, therefore, is quickly becoming an untenable option.

The new interoperability announcement between CIsco and Google means that Cisco hardware devices ... [+] like the Webex DeskPro device will soon be able to connect directly to Google Meet meetings.

Still, it is impressive to see Google and Cisco overcome not only the technical hurdles necessary to make their systems interoperate, but the competitive challenges that these types of co-opetition arrangements inevitably raise. Of course, what we really need is hardware that can also integrate with Zoom and Microsoft Teams, but this is a very important first step towards cross-platform interoperability that Im sure (or, at least, strongly hope!) will be replicated many times over in the coming months.

Whats particularly noteworthy about this announcement is that the companies moved well beyond simple sharing of audio and video streams. Cisco and Google worked to incorporate many critical hardware-based capabilities, including things like automatically muting of extraneous audio, blurring backgrounds, leveraging automatic camera zooming tools to the current speaker, and much more. Even more interestingly, on the software side, they thought through details like overlaying Webex-style controls during Google Meet meetings if you join from a Cisco device and vice versa if you join from a Google hardware device into a Webex meeting. Theyve also made the ability to join meetings with a single touch work seamlessly across either platform. While these details may seem somewhat subtle, they reflect how the companies want to leverage the comfort that their existing users have with their method of operation, while still offering the ability to connect to other platforms. In my mind, thats a very nice touch.

On top of that, the companies were also able to integrate some of the native capabilities of one platform into another. For example, the voice-based assistants that each platform offers natively, such as Webex Voice Assistant and Hey Google, can be used while connecting to meetings on the other platform. To be sure, theres more work to be done, especially in areas like leveraging add-on whiteboarding and other collaboration software tools that extend the capabilities of these platforms. Still, its clear that the two companies are dedicated to addressing issues over time.

Another interesting implication of this collaboration has to do with the overall philosophy and approach that will be needed to guarantee interoperability in the future. For a while, many in the industry have discussed the need to coordinate or federate communications across platforms at the server or cloud level. With this announcement, however, the focus is shifting towards an endpoint-based solution that can interoperate with existing server and cloud-based tools. How this ultimately works out remains to be seen, but it certainly does appear to be a significant step in a new direction.

As mentioned earlier, alongside this announcement, Google also debuted some new Google Meet hardware devices. The Google Series One Desk 27 is Googles standalone hardware solution, incorporating a 27 high-resolution QVGA (2,560 x 1,440) touch-capable display, along with a 2,560 x 1,920 resolution webcam with a 100 field of view, built-in soundbar and adjustable stand. Priced at $1,999, the Desk 27 also features multiple USB-C ports, allowing it to also be utilized as a second monitor for a laptop or other PC. The companys new integrated display room solution is the $6,999 Series One Board 65, which incorporates a 4K resolution 65 touch-capable display, a 4K, 12 MegaPixel camera, a stereo sound bar and similar USB-C connectivity. Both devices come with styli for easier whiteboarding support with the integrated JamBoard software, and include autoframing of the video, voice-based operation with Hey Google, and automatic noise removal, among other capabilities. All told, its an impressive set of offerings that puts Google on par with some of the best videoconferencing hardware from Cisco and Microsoft.

Leveraging multiple videoconferencing tools on PCs has become second nature for virtually everyone that has worked remotely, but as more employees start to return to the office, the need to make the room-based tools equally simple to interoperate across platforms is quickly going to become critical. As a result, its great to see Cisco and Google come together to take this important first step in improving hybrid work collaboration. While there are more companies that need to be involved and more work that needs to be done, this looks to be a great first effort.

Disclosure: TECHnalysis Research is a tech industry market research and consulting firm and, like all companies in that field, works with many technology vendors as clients, some of whom may be listed in this article.

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Google And Cisco Partner To Drive Collaboration Forward - Forbes

As cool as videoconferencing hardware can look, its often exorbitantly expensive the $2,000 Series One Desk 27 for Google Meet being a perfect example. Luckily, alongside that expensive Meet machine, Google also announced its Designed for Google Meet program and a more affordable first entry, the Rayz Rally Pro. Its a $200 Nest Mini-like phone speaker that doubles as a microphone for Google Meet calls.

The Rayz Rally Pro comes in a gray-tone fabric-covered body that looks a bit like Googles smart speakers but with a phone dock carveout. The speaker dock comes in two varieties: a Lightning connector iPhone model and a Google Pixel version that should work with any USB-C phone. Both versions can work as a Bluetooth speaker, omnidirectional microphone, and 20W passthrough fast-charging dock for whatever phone you connect.

The big trick of the Rally Pro and all of the third-party devices included in Googles Designed for Google Meet program is its close integration with Google Meet. According to the Rally Pros manufacturer, Appcessori, joining a Google Meet video call is as simple as plugging in a smartphone and then tapping the Google Meet invite that is automatically launched at plug in. The device also features active noise suppression and automatic gain control and a dedicated mute button.

Its not clear if those features will work the same way on a non-Google platform like iOS or if theyre compatible with other video chat software like Zoom or Webex. The Verge has contacted Appcessori for more information and will update if we learn more.

A note on Google Meet products: The Series One line features Googles design language, but are made by Avocor and Lenovo. Designed for Google Meet is a separate program for third party manufacturers. The program identifies peripherals designed by partners specifically for and to work with Google Meet, Google writes. Basically, some companies get to almost cosplay as Google, while others just get a stamp of approval.

The use cases for a microphone and speaker for video chatting on your phone seem like they might be limited. If youre traveling and taking calls, a laptop could do the trick. But with phone selfie cameras frequently taking better video than the built-in webcams in most laptops, maybe it starts to make more sense.

You can preorder the Rayz Rally Pro for $199.99 now for an expected ship date of September 17th.

Update September 8th, 3:10PM ET: Added explanation of two Google Meet product lines.

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The Rayz Rally Pro is the first Designed for Google Meet device - The Verge

September 09, 2021

RENO,Nev. Google isproviding 10,000 Certified Educator Level 1 vouchers at no cost across the State.Throughsupport for the Nevada Department of Education, the certifications will be offered to teacherswho want to grow and demonstrate their proficiency in Google Workspace toolsfor classroom teaching.

The programconsists of a Fundamentals Course and a Level 1 Academy to help educators learnvaluable technology skills useful in both hybrid and virtual environments. Onceachieved, the certification is valid for three years.Our goalis to provide educators with opportunities to develop the digital skills theyneed in any tech-driven classroom, said Kate Franko, Googles Regional Head ofData Center Public Affairs. We hope this training will make their work easier,even more impactful, and create ripple effects across Nevada that benefit bothteachers and students."The programis available to many groups of educators working with Nevadas studentsincluding: licensed Nevada teachers and Alternative Route to Licensure (ARL)teachers, teacher preparation faculty at Nevada universities and ARL programs, contractededucational technology specialist computer teachers, pre-service teachersaccepted to a Nevada teacher preparation program, school librarians and mediaspecialists.Nevadaseducators are the key to fostering students who are globally prepared andfuture-ready, said Jhone Ebert, State Superintendent of Public Instruction. Asthe technology of our world continues to rapidly evolve, it is critical to buildour educators capacity to support our students and I thank Google for providingthis opportunity.Applicationsto join the initial cohort of 2,500 educators to receive training this year inthe Level 1 Certification are open starting today online. The remaining 7,500 certification voucherswill be available in 2022 and beyond. In addition to training teachers, acohort of educators already achieved Google Certified Trainer status. Thesenewly Certified Trainers will be able to assist with the monumental undertakingof certifying up to 10,000 educators in the Level 1 program in the future.Theeducators who will take this Level 1 course, and those who have already becometrainers, are extremely dedicated individuals who will develop their skills tobenefit themselves, their students, and their peers, says Amy Mayer, CEO andFounder of friEdTechnology, the Google for Education Professional Developmentpartner delivering the training.This dedication combined withnewly-minted tech skills will support their efficiency and effectiveness in theclassroom.###

AboutGoogle in NevadaIn July2019, Google broke ground on its first $600 million data center in Henderson,Nevada, with a second $600 million expansion following in 2020. In 2020 Googlealso announced a new $600 million investment in Storey County, bringing itstotal investment in Nevada to $1.8 billion. Once fully operational, all siteswill employ many people in a variety of fields including computer technicians,engineers, and various service, maintenance, and security roles.

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Google Offering 10,000 Free Educator Certifications to Support Nevada Teachers - Nevada Governor