Android

The several dozen attorneys general investigating advertising practices at Alphabet Inc's Google are planning to expand their antitrust probe into the unit's flagship Android business, CNBC reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter. The investigation, led by the Texas attorney general's office, is known to have focused on Google's search and digital advertising businesses since it began in September. Google has said it is cooperating with the probe by U.S. states and territories and that previous investigations in several have considered similar issues without charging the company with wrongdoing. It did not have further comment on Thursday. The Alphabet unit also faces two other major inquiries - a U.S. Justice Department investigation and a probe by the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee - both of which have broad reviews of the big internet companies underway. Last year, Google was fined 4.34 billion euros by the European Commission, which said … [Read more...] about Google antitrust probe to expand into Android – Report

Researchers from ESET, a renowned antivirus and internet security solutions company, have found 42 adware apps that have bypassed Google’s app checking process and are there on Google Play Store, racking up millions of downloads. We detected a large adware campaign running for about a year, with the involved apps installed eight million times from Google Play alone,” ESET researcher Lukas Stefanko mentioned on the We Live Security (ESET) website. It has also been mentioned that at the time of discovery, 21 of these apps were still there on Google Play Store. Some other apps can be downloaded and installed via third-party app stores. ESET classifies this adware as Android/AdDisplay.Ashas. Some of these 21 apps included are Smart Gallery (by Uranium), SaveInsta (by Uranium), Heroes Jump (by JJDO TK), Flat Music Player (by Uranium), Video downloader master (by Typhu Team) and others. ESET states that all these apps work as intended in addition to working as adware. When the … [Read more...] about Researchers find 42 adware Android apps downloaded a million times from Google Play Store

Smartwatches and other wearables haven't quite eliminated the need for a smartphone yet but they're still fairly popular pieces of tech, particularly in the health and fitness community. With that in mind, it was no surprise to see Google enter the smartwatch market themselves back in 2014 with the launch of their "Android Wear" wearable OS. Though the search giant doesn't technically sell any branded devices of their own, they've partnered up with companies like Asus, LG and Samsung to bring the OS to market. On Monday, we reported Google could be considering rebranding their wearable OS to "Wear OS" in order to avoid alienating Apple customers who may not know Android Wear works with both Android and iOS devices. Those rumors have now been confirmed. As of today, Google has officially changed the name of their wearable OS from Android Wear to Wear OS, simultaneously changing the Android Wear logo to a multi-colored "W." "As our technology and partnerships have evolved, so have our … [Read more...] about Meet Wear OS: Google has officially rebranded Android Wear

NEW DELHI: Google I/O 2018 seems to have unofficially kicked off a day earlier with the first Android TV-based announcement already been made. The search giant has teamed up with JBL, a popular audio equipment maker, to launch Android TV-powered JBL Link bar. The audio company said that it is giving its fans an ‘early look’ at the audio device and that more will be heard about it at the Google I/O 2018 conference. The JBL Link soundbar is claimed to be the world’s first powered by Android TV along with Google Assistant built-in. “It’s designed to combine JBL’s audio expertise and Android TV’s plethora of content, delivering a smarter way to watch your favorite content with best-in-class sound,” says the release issued by the firm. This also means that once connected, it can turn any TV, even the non-smart ones, into a Smart TV. Users with a non-smart TV will also be able to browse through apps and other streaming options and even give … [Read more...] about JBL announces ‘world’s first’ Android TV-powered soundbar ahead of Google I/O 2018

NEW DELHI: Google IO 2018 is usually a conference where developers from around the globe gather to get a sneak peak at what the search giant has in store. However, this time the theme could be slightly different with the Sundar Pichai-led firm taking steps on lettings users manage their smartphone usage better than before. According to a report from the Washington Post, says Google will be unveiling new Android Controls to manage the usage of smartphones, which comes as a part of a broader discussion of how much of tech matters in people’s lives. This comes from Google weeks after Apple was criticised by investors over people’s addiction to technology. Google’s new Android Controls are said to help both families and individuals to take a look on how much time do they spend on their handsets and how they can manage it. It is worth adding that the search giant already has ‘Family Link’ to let parents take control of how much a particular device/app is … [Read more...] about Google IO 2018: New Android controls to help manage smartphone use expected