Google is going completely renewable. The search giant said in a blog post Tuesday it expects to reach its goal of running 100 percent of its global operations, including data centers and officers, on renewable energy sources in 2017. Those data centers, in particular, gobble up enormous amounts of energy to power trillions of Google …
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Google is trying to reinvent the emergency contact form for the smartphone era. The search giant on Monday unveiled a new app called Trusted Contacts, which aims to keep you safe in dicey situations — anything from a natural disaster to a walk home on a dark street. The app, only available for now on phones running Google’s Android mobile …
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So you’re getting the latest update to Nougat — version 7.1.1. What does new Nougat have that old Nougat didn’t? According to Google, the updated operating system “showcases more ways to express yourself.” Available starting Monday, the latest version of Android software lets you use gifs and emojis in new ways. Users can find and send gifs from their keyboards …
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Google is trying to do away with CAPTCHA. Well, not quite. It’s trying to make CAPTCHA an undetectable user experience with a new system called Invisible ReCAPTCHA, which uses algorithms to determine whether you’re human or not, without any interaction required from you at all. This isn’t the tech giant’s first foray into streamlining CAPTCHA, or Completely Automated Public Turing …
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In a flurry of activity, Twitter bought a startup Thursday and immediately appointed its CEO as its new vice president of product. The startup, called Yes Inc., makes apps that let users connect immediately with friends to set plans and share videos. You could think of Yes’ focus on snappy, short-form interactions as a cousin to Twitter’s own 140-character strategy. …
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Your phone is about to die, but you need to leave the house within the next 15 minutes. You’re screwed, right? Not necessarily. A fast-charging phone like the Google Pixel, Motorola Moto Z, OnePlus 3 (and 3T), LG G5 and HTC 10 could be clutch in time-sensitive situations. To fully charge a phone normally takes 1 to 2 hours, but …
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If you’re obsessed with “Westworld” or “Ex Machina,” you might be preparing for humankind’s impending doom. You know, the dawn of artificial intelligence. Facebook has this advice: Take a deep breath. The social network on Thursday launched a campaign aimed at demystifying AI by educating people on the basics of how it works. In a handful of short videos, Facebook …
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If you’ve heard of Mozilla, it’s probably because you’ve used its Firefox browser. Now the nonprofit wants to expand out of technology into politics. Mozilla is marshaling public support for political positions, like backing net neutrality, defending encryption and keeping government surveillance from getting out of hand, says Denelle Dixon-Thayer, Mozilla’s chief legal and business officer. The organization is funding …
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YouTube launched support for for 4K live-streaming Wednesday. Google’s massive video site said the new format would let creators and partners stream “incredibly high-resolution video” and give viewers the option of watching a clearer picture if viewing a live stream on 4K-enabled device. 4K is a measurement of video resolution. It multiplies the number of pixels compared with traditional “high-definition” …
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Every year, when the air in the morning is at its crispest and all of the colorful autumn leaves have long-fallen off of the trees, Google updates its Santa-tracking app. No, really. It’s a holiday tradition. Google’s Santa Tracker app on Wednesday received it update for 2016 with a redesign and new Pokemon Go-like game. There are many fun and …
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