Google

Google says it will allow users to decide what should happen to their data after they die. It will allow users to have data deleted or passed on to somebody else. The new feature is called 'Inactive Account Manager' and is accessed through the main ... account settings page for your Google account. It's an opt-in service, so it will only take effect if you actively set it up. (Source: google.com ) The feature isn't triggered by your death, but by you failing to carry out any actions that require you to be logged into an account, such as checking emails. You can set the feature to activate after ... (view more)

A few weeks back I reported on the addition of spelling and grammar checking to Google's 26th version of Chrome, the search company's low-frills web browser. Now, it appears that Google is promising a serious speed boost with Chrome version 27. ... Specifically, Google says that Google Chrome 27 -- which is currently available in beta form for PCs and Android mobile devices -- will offer a five per cent speed boost over previous versions of the browser. Tests Show Chrome the Speed Leader Given that Chrome is already a blazing-fast browser, that's a substantial improvement in overall performance. ... (view more)

Reports suggest Google Glass, Google's futuristic spectacles with all the functions of a smartphone, will be manufactured in the United States. The news comes as one politician seeks a pre-emptive ban on people using the technology while driving. ... Google Glass hardware includes a pair of spectacles with a small display in the corner of one lens, along with a microphone and earpiece in the arms. The company recently confirmed the tech will be compatible with prescription eyewear. According to Google, you'll control the gadget with voice commands. In addition to allowing voice calls, the glasses ... (view more)

Are you a bad speller? Could your grammar skills use some work? Then you might want to download the latest version of Google's popular Chrome Internet browser. Google's latest version of Chrome includes an in-browser spell-checker that can recognize ... many different types of spelling and grammatical errors. According to reports, it can recognize grammar mistakes, distinguish between homonyms, and even make context-sensitive corrections. Enable "Ask Google for Suggestions" It's important to note that, in order for the spell checker to function, users of Chrome must enable the "ask ... (view more)

Google aroused plenty of anger on Thursday by announcing that it will be taking its popular Google Reader service offline. The decision is part of the company's "spring cleaning" campaign, which, despite the name, started in 2011 and has resulted in ... 70 services being disabled. Google Reader launched in 2005. It's a Really Simple Syndication (RSS) service, meaning it allows users to keep track of their favorite websites with a constantly-updated news feed. Declining Popularity Prompts Move In explaining the decision to kill Reader, Google says that the service just wasn't that popular anymore ... (view more)

Google has announced good news for four-eyed people like me: the company's upcoming Google Glass technology will be compatible with prescription eyewear. If you haven't heard of it, Google Glass is new, cutting-edge technology that allows wearers to ... access unique applications displayed in front of their eyes. The device looks like a cross between a set of the latest, trendy eye glasses and the special visor worn by Geordi La Forge in the popular 1990s sci-fi show "Star Trek: The Next Generation." Google Glass to Retail for $1,000 or More So, what can Google Glass do? New ... (view more)

Google has unveiled a powerful and pricy touchscreen laptop it calls 'Pixel.' The device, which offers shockingly little storage space but access to a 1 terabyte (TB) online storeroom, is being designed with cloud-connected users in mind. In some ... ways the Google Pixel is very similar to Apple's MacBook Air. For one, it's extremely thin and lightweight. Second, with the WiFi model priced at $1,299 and a LTE-connected edition going for $1,499, the high cost will be familiar to Apple users. "Brightest, Best Screen ... Ever": Google Also familiar: a super-lush display. In fact, Google ... (view more)

Google is reportedly preparing to open its very own retail stores in the United States. Such outlets would give the search giant an opportunity to show off its Android-based products, including smartphones, computers, tablets, and the upcoming ... Google Glass technology. The report comes via 9to5Google, which notes that "an extremely reliable source" recently told it that the firm "hopes to have the first flagship Google Stores open for the holidays in major metropolitan areas." Retail Locations Allow Consumers to Try Out Products 9to5Google says that the decision was made because Google worries ... (view more)

Former Google chief executive officer and current executive chairman Eric Schmidt has been given the option to sell off almost half of his shares in the search firm. The company says that's no reason to be concerned, however. Until recently, Schmidt ... owned roughly 7.6 million Google shares, representing 2.3 per cent of Google's outstanding capital stock. That gave Schmidt roughly 8 per cent of the firm's voting power. Former CEO Stands to Make $2.5 Billion from Stock Sale However, late last year he adopted a new stock trading plan that opened up the option of selling an estimated 3.2 million ... (view more)

A Harvard professor says the ads Google delivers on Internet web pages encourage racial stereotyping. But she adds that this could be related to social prejudices and may not be due to racism on the part of Google. Latanya Sweeney has investigated ... racism extensively. Her previous findings suggested that people with 'black' names were less likely to get a job interview than those with 'white' names, even when submitting an identical resume. More recently Sweeney examined the Google advertisements appearing alongside the company's search results. She also investigated Reuters' own search tool, ... (view more)