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Tag: Google

  • Google Maps adds another nifty feature for Android and iOS users

    Google Maps adds another nifty feature for Android and iOS users

    Google Maps has already become a trusty companion for many Android and iOS users as the app is no longer just helps them navigate busy traffic. Less than a week ago, Google announced that Maps will be able to monitor air quality across the United States so that you can plan your outdoor activities accordingly.

    We’re pretty sure many more new features that might not have something to do with navigation will be added to the app, but the most recent one will definitely help you fully focus on your driving without having to think about … tolls.

    Starting today, Google Maps will show toll pass prices on both Android and iOS platforms. It’s a nifty feature that will allow users to choose which road to take, either it’s going to be the shorter route needing a toll pass, or the longer road that won’t cost you a dime.

    According to Google, the new feature will display the estimated toll price to your destination before you even start driving, which is possible thanks to the company’s partnership with local tolling authorities. The algorithm that presents you with the road choices and toll prices factors different variables such as having a toll pass or not, what the day of the week it is, as well as how much the toll is expected to cost at the specific time you’ll be crossing it.

    More importantly, the new feature comes with a toggle within settings that will allow users to make it show toll prices with or without having a toll pass, since the price changes based on the payment method you use in many regions.

    Also, Google Maps users will retain the ability to avoid routes crossing toll road completely, if possible, by choosing the “Avoid tolls” option within settings.

    As far as availability goes, Google announced that Maps users on Android and iOS should start seeing toll prices for about 2,000 toll roads in the United States, India, Japan, and Indonesia. It’s probably not much, but Google said more countries will be added in the not-so-distant future.

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  • Google Tasks gains an important new feature for mobile and desktop

    Google Tasks gains an important new feature for mobile and desktop

    Google has added a new feature to its Google Tasks app. Tasks allow you to make reminders and create to-do lists and a simple but powerful new feature is being added to Tasks that frankly, should have been on the app before. This new feature will allow you to put a star on any task to highlight the importance of a particular task. For example, you can use the star to designate tasks that you consider to be a higher priority.

    Other similar apps such as Microsoft To-Do also allow users to put a star next to a particularly important task in order to help the user quickly find those that are more important than others. Google said in announcing the new feature, “We hope this update makes it easier for you to prioritize your tasks and quickly navigate to important tasks across your projects.” It will be offered to users of both the desktop and mobile versions of Google Tasks.

    On the Google Workspace blog the company wrote, “In Google Tasks, you can now mark important tasks with a star. This is similar to functionality that already exists in Drive today.
    Google started rolling out the feature on Wednesday, June 8th. Still, it might take 15 days or more to arrive to everyone so don’t start freaking out if it hasn’t landed on your phone by the time June 23rd comes around. Sometimes it takes a little bit longer for an update to arrive at its destination.
  • Tech giants pay $220 million in taxes

    Tech giants pay $220 million in taxes

    Cross-borders platforms like Facebook and Google have paid VND5.1 trillion ($220 million) in taxes for the period between 2018 and 2021, says Finance Minister Ho Duc Phoc.

    He informed lawmakers in a report that by April 2021, Facebook had been taxed VND1.97 trillion; Google, VND1.9 trillion; and Microsoft, VND651 billion.

    The figures were 15 percent higher than Phoc’s report in March.

    Vietnamese authorities also collected VND735 billion from handling violations and tax avoidance by individuals and organizations providing cross-border digital and e-commerce services, the report said.

    Last year, Vietnam earned VND1.32 trillion from taxing cross-border platforms, up 15 percent from 2020.

    The General Department of Taxation said last year that Facebook, Google, Netflix, YouTube and other cross-border platforms were not fulfilling their tax obligations in Vietnam.

    Vietnam is also looking to tax online sellers, both on e-commerce platforms and social media, as e-commerce sales have been surging by double-digits in recent years.

    Phoc called for tightening regulations and upgrading the capacity of collectors in order to tackle tax evasion more effectively.

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  • New Google TV app now available for iPhone and iPad users

    New Google TV app now available for iPhone and iPad users

    Google has just announced that one of its apps that was initially only available for Android users is finally coming to iOS. The Google TV app allows users discover what to watch with recommendations from across all apps installed, thus making it easy to start watching movies and shows.

    The Google TV app is available for iOS from the App Store, starting today. Both iPhone and iPad users who already have the Play Movies & TV app installed on their iOS devices will now be able to update it to the new Google TV app.

    Besides getting recommendations from across your apps, the Google TV app also allows you to create a Watchlist for your discoveries. Rating movies and shows within the app is also possible, so you can get even better recommendations based on your interests on both the app and your Google TV devices.

    Regardless of whether you’re using an iOS or Android devices, the Google TV app will enable you to use your phone as your remote. Of course, this feature will only work with a Google TV or other Android TV OS devices; just make sure to click the remote button in the app and connect to your TV to control it with your phone and use Google Assistant.

  • Google Assistant could soon learn to recognize your voice

    Google Assistant could soon learn to recognize your voice

    9to5Google has discovered hidden strings of code in recent iterations of the Google app that could indicate a big improvement is coming to Google Assistant. Already widely considered to be the best digital assistant offered on devices today, the code discovered by 9to5Google seems to discuss a voice recognition system that would allow Assistant to recognize your voice.
    The strings of code related to “Personalized speech recognition” could appear in the Google Assistant settings with a description that reads, “Store audio recordings on this device to help Google Assistant get better at recognizing what you say. Audio stays on this device and can be deleted any time by turning off personalized speech recognition. Learn more.”
    Google already has a support article about what is called “federated learning.” The support page says, “Federated learning is a privacy-enhancing technology that we use to improve models on device without sending users’ raw data to Google servers. Google Assistant uses federated learning to improve “Hey Google.” When you ask, “Hey Google, what’s the weather tomorrow?” an on-device model detects that you said “Hey Google,” then sends your query to Google Assistant.”

    Google notes that “this model might activate when you didn’t intend it to, for example, if there is a noise that sounds like ‘Hey Google.’ Also, it might not trigger when you did say ‘Hey Google.’ We now use federated learning to refine the ‘Hey Google’ model and try to reduce misactivations and misses.”

    Learning your voice could help Google Assistant transcribe more accurately some of the common phrases you say often and contacts you mention the most. On some of Google’s smart home devices such as the 2nd-gen Nest Hub and Mini, Google uses a machine learning chip that processes the queries and tasks you vocalize the most in order for Assistant to deliver “a much faster response time.”
    Google could be looking to expand this capability from your smart home devices to your Android-powered mobile products by asking you to opt in if interested,. The files would stay on your device until you disable the system
    You might have noticed recently that when calling your credit card companies, some are now pointing out that they are capturing samples of your voice to match with future phone calls for security purposes. Also, Google notes that “If you turn this feature off, your Assistant will be less accurate at recognizing names and other words that you say frequently. All audio used to improve speech recognition for you will be deleted from this device.”

    It’s all part of Google’s attempt to allow users to have more natural conversations with Google Assistant starting next year. During Google I/O 2022, the company revealed that the Assistant will be able keep a conversation going simply by making “eye contact” so that things can get done without having to say the “Hey Google” hotword.

    As many of you Pixel 6 series users know, certain actions called Quick Phrases can be said to Google Assistant to have the tasks done without having to say “Hey Google” first. These tasks include:
    • Set a timer or alarm
    • Ask for the time
    • Turn the lights on or off
    • Cancel a timer or alarm
    • Dim or brighten the lights
    • Ask for the weather
    This summer, Google is reportedly planning to  add Quick Phrases to the Nest Hub Max.
    While it isn’t clear how many Android phones are sold each year on the basis of Google Assistant’s overwhelming superiority over Siri, many iPhone users end up installing the iOS Google Assistant app and using it instead of Siri on their iPhone. While Google Assistant does work better on an Android phone, installing the iOS version of the app will allow you to set your iPhone’s alarm using Assistant, and call or text friends and family members.
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  • Google may soon enable Android to detect if you cough and snore while you sleep

    Google may soon enable Android to detect if you cough and snore while you sleep

    Google is allegedly working on introducing snore and cough detection into Android devices. Lines of code in the installation file of the Google Health Studies app reveal that the tech giant is currently conducting a study called “Sleep Audio Collection,” which is available only to Google employees.

    The tech giant explains, “You must be a Full Time Googler with an Android phone to participate in this study. Environmental conditions required for this study are to have no more than one adult sleeper in the same room who does not work for a competitor company.”

    With this experiment, Google is collecting the necessary data to validate, tune, and develop algorithms and an advanced suite of sensing capabilities that could then be made available on Android.

    These “Cough and Snore algorithms” will appear as a sleep tracking feature for you, the end user, and will monitor whether you cough or snore during your sleep. Google further explained that the function will work in a “privacy-preserving, on-device” manner, meaning that the collected information will be safely processed and stored locally on your phone. According to Big G, these new features will provide users with “meaningful insight into their sleep.”

    A snore detection feature has many advantages and will surely give you more information on how you sleep. For example, it can tell you if and in which cycle you snore. It can help people that are battling sleep apnea and other health issues track how diet changes and sleep schedules affect their quality of rest.

    Unfortunately, there is no word on how and when Google plans to implement the snore tracking feature or whether it will be available on all Android devices or just the Pixel phones. It is also possible for Big G to add this function to its fitness tracking app, Google Fit.

    Of course, there are apps out there like SnoreLab, SnoreClock, and Goodsomnia Lab that offer snore detection and which you can use right now.

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  • Google Chat receives another protection against phishing attacks

    Google Chat receives another protection against phishing attacks

    Phishing scams are widespread, and if you are not careful enough, you can become a victim of one. As a result, Google has embedded warning messages in its Gmail and Google Drive services, alerting users when the apps discover suspicious links or malware. And this safety feature is finally rolling out to Google Chat as well.

    In a blog post, Google announced that Google Chat users will see these warning banners when they receive suspicious links from people with personal Google Accounts. When you get one, Chats should display a big red banner saying, “This invite is suspicious,” letting you know that the conversation contains links to known phishing sites.

    The banner gives you a choice to either block the message or, if you are sure that it is safe, accept it despite the warning. Of course, these alerts are intended to make you pause for a moment and consider whether the sender of the message can be trusted, in the hope that you will be more cautious.

    Google stated that the new Chat feature will be available to Google Workspace, G Suite Basic and Business customers, and users with personal Google Accounts within the next 15 days.

  • You can now link Fitbit and Google Fit with Google Assistant

    You can now link Fitbit and Google Fit with Google Assistant

    With the recent launch of the Google Pixel Watch and the close partnership with the wellness experts at Fitbit, which Google acquired last year, it’s obvious that the search giant is looking to make a serious push into the fitness tracker market. And it only makes sense that the super-smart Google Assistant would be able to seamlessly integrate with the current and upcoming features in Google Fit and the dedicated Fitbit app, right?

    Well, it seems this time is upon us right now — many users can spot the ability to link to Google Fit and Fitbit in their Assistant Settings, and the feature seems to be rolling out to any and every contemporary Google device that supports the Assistant.

    With the small caveat that, while you can link both Google Fit and Fitbit apps, you have to make the choice of keeping only one of the two active at a time.

    Linking either of the apps and granting the necessary permissions will give Google Assistant access to:

    • Your activity metrics, such as workouts, steps, duration, pace, and burned calories
    • The distance you have covered during your training by tracking your location
    • Your heart rate data

    A “Proactive health & fitness results” toggle suggests that the Assistant may display health/activity cards on your device, letting you know of recent trends, either to congratulate you on the successful journey or remind you to pick up the pace.

    To connect Fitbit and Google Fit to Google Assistant, open your Google Assistant settings, go to the Wellness section, and choose Activity. Then select either Google Fit or Fitbit and proceed with the linking steps. Keep in mind that the feature is not yet widely available, so don’t be worried if you only see the Calm app in the Wellness section.

    Currently, even if you sync them up, voice prompts to the Assistant will call up a blank. It seems that the feature is still inactive, locked behind a server-side toggle, which Google will probably flip once the update has rolled out to more devices. If this is the case, we most likely won’t have to wait too long to ask Google Assistant to tell us how many steps we have taken during the day.

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  • Google introduces Emergency SOS feature for Wear OS

    Google introduces Emergency SOS feature for Wear OS

    Google will soon begin rolling out an Emergency SOS feature on Wear OS. It is going to work similarly to the one found on Android smartphones and will enable users to easily contact their relatives or the public authorities directly via their smartwatch in the case of an emergency.

    Amidst the slew of exciting hardware announcements that took place during the I/O 2022 keynote event, it is easy to see how some less flashy software tweaks could stay under the radar. Nevertheless, even if an Emergency SOS feature for Wear OS is not particularly thrilling, it is still no less important than that Pixel everyone is talking about.

    Emergency SOS in Android is by no means a new concept. Virtually every smartphone has their equivalent of such an option. The novelty lies in the fact that this feature will now be available for wearables with Wear OS as well. On Android phones, the user must press the power button 5 consecutive times to activate Emergency SOS. It’s not clear how the feature could be triggered in Wear OS, but a similar shortcut, with a voice command as an alternative method, sounds likely.

    Emergency SOS for Wear OS will function similarly to the one for Android. In order to enable it the user must begin by filling in the necessary contact details. Only once this has been done will they have the option to activate Emergency SOS. It is important to note that, as this is ultimately a smartwatch feature, in order for it to be used, the wearable must be linked with a smartphone with cellular connectivity, if the wearable does not support LTE.

    Turning Emergency SOS on will prompt users to select whom they would like to contact (either a particular contact or the emergency services directly). They will easily be able to cancel the call via a big red button on the main watch screen, and additional options will be provided once the call has ended.

    For the time being, it is unclear when exactly this feature will make its debut. Apple has already implemented a similar option in the Apple Watch. Based on Google’s track record, it could take a while before Emergency SOS makes its way to Wear OS. At the very least, we know it is coming.

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  • Google Translate adds 24 languages using an incredible new technology

    Google Translate adds 24 languages using an incredible new technology

    At the Google I/O 2022 stage today, CEO Sundar Pichai announced that the company is supercharging Google Translate with 24 additional languages.
    As Translate is already quite a robust product, all 24 new languages that are being added today happen to be used by demographics around the world who aren’t all that well represented in today’s tech landscape. Even then, the company argues that these languages are spoken by a combine populace of about 300 million people every day.
    This impressive model is special because it has learned to translate these new languages by only looking at the languages themselves – meaning it hasn’t been shown any actual translation examples involving any of these languages. Google says that Zero-Shot Machine Translation has only looked at “monolingual text” – so, by just looking at text in any of these 24 languages, it seems to have gotten fluent enough so as to handle translations.
    Impressive! Still, Google warns us that while this new tech is already delivering incredible results, it’s also not perfect quite yet.
    But it sure will be better than nothing. Better than paying for a Guarani translator, that’s for use. What’s more, Google promises the model will only get better with time. If interested, here you can learn more about Zero-Shot Machine Translation.
    Finally, here’s the complete list of all 24 new languages being added to Google Translate:
    • Assamese, used by about 25 million people in Northeast India
    • Aymara, used by about two million people in Bolivia, Chile and Peru
    • Bambara, used by about 14 million people in Mali
    • Bhojpuri, used by about 50 million people in northern India, Nepal and Fiji
    • Dhivehi, used by about 300,000 people in the Maldives
    • Dogri, used by about three million people in northern India
    • Ewe, used by about seven million people in Ghana and Togo
    • Guarani, used by about seven million people in Paraguay and Bolivia, Argentina and Brazil
    • Ilocano, used by about 10 million people in northern Philippines
    • Konkani, used by about two million people in Central India
    • Krio, used by about four million people in Sierra Leone
    • Kurdish (Sorani), used by about eight million people, mostly in Iraq
    • Lingala, used by about 45 million people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, Angola and the Republic of South Sudan
    • Luganda, used by about 20 million people in Uganda and Rwanda
    • Maithili, used by about 34 million people in northern India
    • Meiteilon (Manipuri), used by about two million people in Northeast India
    • Mizo, used by about 830,000 people in Northeast India
    • Oromo, used by about 37 million people in Ethiopia and Kenya
    • Quechua, used by about 10 million people in Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador and surrounding countries
    • Sanskrit, used by about 20,000 people in India
    • Sepedi, used by about 14 million people in South Africa
    • Tigrinya, used by about eight million people in Eritrea and Ethiopia
    • Tsonga, used by about seven million people in Eswatini, Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe
    • Twi, used by about 11 million people in Ghana
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  • EU could start enforcing Digital Markets Act rules on Apple, Google, Meta in Spring 2023

    EU could start enforcing Digital Markets Act rules on Apple, Google, Meta in Spring 2023

    You may have heard so far that the European Union has been preparing to have a say in how big tech companies like Apple, Google, and Meta operate. We are talking about a legislation dubbed the DMA (Digital Markets Act) which the European Commission has been rigorously preparing for a while. The European Commission’s

    executive vice president Margrethe Vestager has set her eyes on controlling (or at least, fining if uncontrollable) tech giants such as Apple, Google, Amazon, Meta, and others with the DMA. Previously, she expected the battle to begin in October, but it seems we are more likely to see some action in the Spring of next year.

    The waiting game depends on when the DMA will get implemented. The legislation is currently waiting for approval from the Council and Parliament.

    The EU is, however, gearing up for enforcement of the new laws. The legislation focuses on the so-called gatekeeper companies, that, if you’ve been attentive so far in this article, you might presume refers to those big tech companies we mentioned earlier.

    And you would be correct. If you’re curious, here’s the definition of what companies are considered gatekeepers: the company needs to have a market capitalization (a fancy way of saying the total of its stocks value) of over €75 billion ($82 billion) and own a social platform or app with at least 45 million monthly users.

    These companies could face fines of up to 10 percent of their total worldwide turnover (for the preceding year) if they fail to comply with the legislation. For the repeated offenders, the fine can grow to 20 percent, which could help the EU drive its point home.

    So, big tech companies will have three months to declare their status to the Commission, and then they’ll have to wait for up to two months to receive confirmation from the EU. Indeed, it seems like it could take quite a while for the giant mechanism to start working (you can’t expect tech giants and government commissions to fight a fierce Marvel-like battle that’s so quick it’s hard to see).

    And as you might imagine, the EU has a lot more work it needs to do beforehand. Hiring heroes (we mean, staff), preparing the hundreds of monitors and computers to analyze data (and possibly, the 007 coffee for the employees that are working there)… joking aside, it will indeed take some tremendous work to prepare such legislation to be executed. Vestager also mentions that they will need to prepare legal text on various procedures.

    However, when the DMA passes, it will possibly mark an end of an era. In case you haven’t heard of it yet, this is the legislation that could force Apple to allow users to download apps from outside the App Store (a possibility that freaks Tim Cook out and has him worried about the iPhone security), as well as require WhatsApp and iMessage to become interoperable with smaller chat apps.

    Sideloading (the process of downloading apps on iPhone from outside the App Store) is arguably the biggest change the DMA will force for Apple. Previously, Apple has raised concerns that this will weaken the iPhone’s security. By the way, Android users have been able to sideload apps for quite a while now.

    On the other hand, an even bigger cause of headache for Apple is that the DMA would make Cupertino allow App Store customers to make in-app payments through alternative payment platforms (you may have heard about the infamous Apple Tax, 30% cut, which Apple takes from developers when payments are made via the App Store).

    With all this being said, it will be quite interesting to see the DMA in action and what changes will big tech giants have to implement (and whether they will comply).

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  • Google Tasks now allows users to set up recurring tasks directly from the app

    Google Tasks now allows users to set up recurring tasks directly from the app

    The Google Tasks app is adding a feature that is such a no-brainer you have to wonder why it wasn’t added before. Oh, wait! The new feature was available through Google Calendar, but not from the app-that is until now. Let’s get down to specifics. But first, as many of you know, Google Tasks allows you to create to-do lists that integrate with Gmail and Google Calendar to help you get your chores done.
    You can create, manage, and view tasks on any device while you’re on the go. Tasks created on Gmail and Google Calendar from your desktop can be managed on your mobile phone or tablet. And to make it easier for you to finish a task, you can break down each one into sub-tasks allowing you to take smaller bites of the project, helping you finish it faster. And as your work on a task progresses, you can edit it. Tasks can be created from an email in the Gmail app and traced back to the source gmail it came from.
    Placing a due date on each task can help you quickly finish a project, says Google. However, with such pressure placed on you to complete a task by the due date, you might find yourself drenched in sweat as the pressure builds. You can also organize your tasks by date and receive notifications reminders as if you didn’t put enough pressure on yourself.
    Currently, you can set when a recurring option will come to an end by opening the task in Google Calendar. The three options you have are to keep the task recurring constantly with no end, have the recurring task end on a specific date, or have it end after X number of occurrences. To set a recurring option in Google Calendar, open the latter app and look for the yellow background that indicates a task.
    From there, press the pencil icon and the words “Does not repeat.” That will reveal a pop-up menu. Press on Custom and you’ll be sent to the Custom recurrence page that allows you to set how many times a day, week, month, or year you want this task to recur. You can even keep this task recurring without a stop-date, choose a specific stop-date, or choose for the task to end after a certain number of times that it recurs.
    After you choose the settings, hit done. Yes, that might seem like a lot of work, but there is a new shortcut you can use directly from the Google Task app. Open the app and you should see your Tasks under the “My Tasks” heading. Tap on the date next to the calendar icon. That brings up a small pop-up box with a calendar. Near the bottom of the box is an icon of a clock and right under that, there is an icon showing two arrows next to a box that says “Repeat.”
    When you tap on Repeat you get a mini-custom recurrence page that lets you choose how often you want this task to recur, the date and the time you want to start the task, and the date and time that you want it to stop. You can even add sub-tasks from this menu.
    So there you have it. You can now set your recurring tasks from Google Calendar, or directly from the Google Task app. Do it whichever way you want to, but you might find doing it from the app to be a little bit faster. And once again, Google keeps working on an older app just to make it a little easier to use, and a little bit faster to edit. While the recurring options feature in the Tasks app started rolling out on Friday, it can take up to two weeks to show up for all users.
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  • Google Maps beta allows users to preset favorite mode of transportation

    Google Maps beta allows users to preset favorite mode of transportation

    Google Maps has become a versatile app that not only helps you get from point “A” to point “B” safely, it also recommends places to stay, where to get a meal, and things to see and do once you do arrive at point “B.” The app has over 1 billion monthly active users and is by far and away the most popular mobile navigation app found on the App Store and the Google Play Store.
    Google also owns Waze which has become something of an incubator for new ideas and features that eventually make their way to Google Maps. One of the new features coming to Google Maps will make it easier to preset the mode of transportation that you prefer.
    A panel covering approximately the bottom 35-40% of the display will allow Maps users to select which mode of transportation they prefer. Options include driving, walking, train (rail), bus, bicycle, ride service (Uber, Lyft for example), and bike & Scooter share. Under Route options, you can choose to avoid tolls, highways, and ferries. You can also select fuel-efficient routes and modes of transport that are wheelchair accessible.
    These settings can already be adjusted from the Google app by opening the app and tapping the profile picture in the upper right corner. From there,  go to Settings > Google Assistant > Account > You > Transportation. From that page, you can choose which mode of transportation you prefer. Obviously, it would be much more seamless to be able to set this from the Maps app which is what this beta update attempts to do.
    So far, this beta has not been disseminated widely. Additionally. When you select a particular mode of transportation with the new setup, it will remain the default choice for the next journey. Currently, Google Maps defaults to the mode of transportation that you used the last time that you leaned on the app for directions.

    For example, let’s say that you prefer walking from place to place. If you drove the last time that you used Google Maps, that is the mode of transportation that will be selected whenever you open the app. If Google pushes out the aforementioned update, you can select walking mode and that will be the default setting every time you need Google Maps giving you some extra time to enjoy some of the fun activities that Google recommends that you partake in when you arrive at point “B.”

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  • Google now lets you remove your address and phone from Search results

    Google now lets you remove your address and phone from Search results

    Google Search can be a curse as much as it is a blessing. You can use it to find more information on various topics, such as Elon Musk’s $44 billion Twitter acquisition, or leaks about the upcoming iPhone 14, but at the same time, someone can use the same search service to find out where you live, your phone number, and other sensitive data about you. This is why Google allows users to request the removal of their personal data that appears in Search.

    In a blog post, Google announced that, from now on, in addition to bank account and credit card numbers, users will be able to request the removal of other types of information, such as phone numbers, email addresses, or physical addresses, from its search results. But Google doesn’t stop there. To protect you from identity theft, the company also enables you to remove information, such as confidential log-in credentials, if they appear in Search.

    However, don’t expect Google to erase all the data straight away. When you send a removal request, the company will first assess all the content on the web page that displays your credentials to ensure that it is not limiting the availability of other broadly useful information, such as news articles.

    Google will also check if the content you want to delete isn’t part of the public record on government or official sites. If it is, it won’t make the removal.

    It should be noted that removing content from Google’s search results doesn’t mean that it is gone from the Internet. As the company pointed out, if you want something completely gone, you should speak with the hosting site directly.

  • Google Joins Swiss Open Banking Initiative

    Google Joins Swiss Open Banking Initiative

    Switzerland’s Openwealth initiative gains momentum as one of the world’s largest cloud providers becomes a member.

    Google Cloud becomes the latest addition to the Openwealth Association, joining as an API service provider, the organization announced on Thursday.

    The application programming interface (API) allows third-party providers to dock with IT platforms, in this case, banks and wealth managers. As a leading cloud provider, Google Cloud will allow Openwealth to disseminate the API standard globally.

    Apigee, Google’s API management platform, is one of the most widely used open API publishing software solutions in the world, used by many OpenWealth members, it said.

    The Swiss industry initiative aims to standardize the interfaces of a wide range of institutions and simplify data exchange between custodian banks and portfolio management system providers and custodian banks themselves.

    Google joins UBS, Credit Suisse, Julius Baer, ZKB, and SIX, among others, in the industry initiative.

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