Google is backpedaling on its decision to introduce new identity verification rules for all developers, stating that it will also introduce accounts for limited app distribution and will allow users to install apps from unverified devs. As announced in August, Google was planning to introduce what it called "Developer Verification" starting in 2026 to block
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F-Droid Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android
Credit: Joe Fedewa / How-To Geek Sign in to your How-To Geek account Summary Google’s developer-ID decree forces gov IDs, fees, and approval for every Android app by Sept 2026. Though Google says sideloading remains, the rule gives Google control — sideloading is effectively dead. Security rationale is weak; Play Store has malware, and F‑Droid warns...
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Google says reports of a major Gmail security issue are
Google is officially debunking a series of reports that claimed Gmail has been hit with a "major" security issue in recent days. "We want to reassure our users that Gmail’s protections are strong and effective," the company said in a somewhat unusual statement. "Several inaccurate claims surfaced recently that incorrectly stated that we issued a
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Google snuck a new smart speaker into its big Pixel
Image: YouTube Over the past several months, the question surrounding Google’s next smart devices hasn’t been when they will arrive, but if they will arrive. After all, Google’s been slowly but steadily discontinuing older smart products (the Nest Protect, the Nest x Yale Lock) while leaving their replacements to third parties. At time same time
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Google DeepMind’s Genie 3 can dynamically alter the state of
At start of December, Google DeepMind released Genie 2. The Genie family of AI systems are what are known as world models. They're capable of generating images as the user — either a human or, more likely, an automated AI agent — moves through the world the software is simulating. The resulting video of the
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Google just hiked the price of its Nest Aware security
Image: Google Google is once again raising prices on subscription plans for its Nest cameras, a little less than two years after aits last price hike. Starting immediately for new subscribers, Nest Aware will cost $10 a month, a $2-a-month increase, while a year’s worth of the plan will cost $100, a $20 annual price
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Hisense taps new Google Home APIs to expand smart home
Image: Hisense Google issued 100 announcements during its Google I/O developers conference this week, none of which involved the smart home. That apparent lack of enthusiasm for a topic close to our heart didn’t dissuade TV and smart-appliance manufacturer Hisense from announcing plans to integrate new Google Home APIs into its own ConnectLife app, so
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So long, Google Assistant. It’s Gemini’s world now
Image: Ben Patterson/Foundry The writing was already on the wall, but now it’s official: The Google Assistant era is over. In a blog post Friday, Google announced plans for Google Assistant’s final phase-out, starting on mobile and continuing with tablets, cars, and mobile-connected devices such as headphones and tablets. Finally, Google Assistant will be going
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Google issues a fix for Chromecast ‘untrusted’ bug
Image: Jared Newman / Foundry If you’re one of the unlucky Chromecast owners whose “untrusted” device stopped working earlier this week, here’s some good news: a fix is on the way. As reported by 9to5Google, Google has issued a fix that should restore service to the stymied Chromecast streamers, including the second-generation Chromecast (pictured above)
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Google tool makes AI-generated writing easily detectable
Technology Google DeepMind has been using its AI watermarking method on Gemini chatbot responses for months – and now it’s making the tool available to any AI developer By Jeremy Hsu Facebook / Meta Twitter / X icon Linkedin Reddit Email The probability that one word will follow another can be used to create a...