Category: Google
Waymo launches trial ride-hailing service with self-driving car
Google’s self-driving car spin-off Waymo is finally ready to profit from its nearly decade-old technology with a small-scale ride-hailing service in the Phoenix area of the US. The service, which will include a human behind the wheel in case the autonomous vehicles malfunction, marks a significant milestone for Waymo, a company that began as a secretive…
Hyde Park Winter Wonderland enlists Google Assistant for immersive experience
Hyde Park Winter Wonderland visitors will be able to enjoy an immersive new experience on the Big Wheel this year thanks to Google Assistant. The tech giant is adding devices powered by the smart assistant in all 41 pods on the observation wheel, which can be used to play visitors’s favourite Christmas tunes and also…
Apple boss defends taking billions from Google to use its search engine
Apple recently added the iPhone XS, XS Max and XR to its line-up (Kirsty O’Connor/PA) Apple chief executive Tim Cook has defended the company accepting billions from Google to make its search engine the iPhone default, despite its commitment to privacy. The boss of the world’s first trillion dollar company…
How does Google Pixel’s Night Sight feature match up to rivals?
This week Google began rolling out the highly-anticipated Night Sight feature to its Pixel smartphones. The company claims the facility will enable people to take bright photos in dim-lit settings without using flash. But just how good is it? Jamie Harris reports Night Sight is said to reveal the true beauty of photos by adapting…
Google expects to have more Android 9 Pie smartphones in 2018 than Oreo in 2017
Google is hoping its latest version of Android, Android 9 Pie, will be available on more devices by the end of the year than its predecessor managed in 2017. The Android operating system is the most popular in the world, used on smartphones and tablets. However, it has a stagnation problem, as each device maker…
Google rolls out Night Sight to Pixel cameras, promises bright photos without flash
Before and after photo taken on the Google Pixel camera, improved by Night Sight (Google/PA) One of Google’s star features at the launch of its latest Pixel smartphones was its AI-powered Night Sight mode for cameras which promises to brighten photos without the need for flash. The Californian firm said that…
Privacy concerns raised as Google absorbs DeepMind’s health tech unit
(Peter Byrne/PA) Fresh concerns about patient data have been raised after Google announced plans to bring the health division of its DeepMind artificial intelligence company more closely under its control. The move means Google will manage the subsidiary’s Streams app, which processes NHS patient data to alert doctors if someone…
Most Brits have ‘trust issues’ when it comes to using voice assistants like Alexa, Google Assistant
As Argos becomes the first UK retailer to launch a 'voice shopping' service via the Google Assistant platform, a new study from Accenture has found that the majority of people using voice assistants have trust issues with their devices, especially around handling money. More than a quarter (28 per cent) shy away from using their…
Technology dominates Top 100 World’s Most Valuable Brands. Google and Apple remain top.
Bingeing on Netflix box sets, sharing stories on Facebook and downloading content from Apple’s iTunes and Alibaba’s Ali Picture have contributed to a record year for tech brands in the 2018 BrandZTM Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands ranking released today by WPP and Kantar Millward Brown. Eight out of the Top 10 are technology or tech-related brands. This category continues to dominate the rankings with Google and Apple retaining…
Vox Pop: the voice search revolution and how to make your business stand out
Tim Butler, founder of Innovation Visual, talks about how improved accuracy and convenience are ensuring massive growth for voice search and how businesses need to adapt to compete Voice Search is beginning to revolutionise search marketing. Google recently announced that 20% of searches on its mobile app and Android services are now carried out by…