News & Reviews:   Google

With the COVID-19 remaining a threat in many countries, restrictions on travel and transport are put in place by many nations to curb the infection rate. It's not as bad for Malaysia now, as we're now in the recovery movement control order (RMCO) phase that has fewer travel restrictions. For other countries, Google Maps has now been updated to provide new info that will help you better plan your travel or commute around COVID-19 restrictions.

When you use Google search all the time, it's hard to notice changes unless it's very obvious. But it seems like an upcoming update will bring a new feature that will be very noticeable. Google's next update to its search engine will see an upgrade to Featured Snippets.

If you have a habit of using third-party Android app stores or installing APKs manually, Android 11 is going to be annoying for you. Google has more or less turned a blind eye to this but is looking to make it difficult to install unofficial APKs in the new version.

Based on a statement by nytimes.com, it seems that Google was hit with a class-action lawsuit demanding more than USD 5 billion (~RM21.4 billion) in compensation. This is due to the fact that allegations were thrown at Google for tracking users, even while they are using incognito mode.

In case you missed out the news, there was a "Remove China Apps" that got popular in India's Google Play Store. As racist as it may sound, this app actually helped users to remove apps made in China and has gained over 5 million downloads. Of course, Google took note of this and has suspended the app in the Google Play Store.

The Google I/O event may have been cancelled, but Google is still expected to launch some new products within summer 2020. One of the devices to be released is a new media streaming device. It's expected to be an Android TV dongle that will replace the Chromecast Ultra and its currently code-named 'Sabrina'.

There's no news for the release of Android 11 but we will probably see it between Q3-Q4 annually, but it seems that Google have accidentally let the cat out of the bag earlier than expected. Initially, the first beta release was supposed to be 3 June but wopsie, some devices got the new Android 11 update already by mistake. 

Does the country of origin of an app that you're using matter? These days, the apps that you're using are made by the genius from all over the world and they're pretty harmless to use. However, there are also some apps that would steal your private information and use it for who knows what. Therefore, we still need to be cautious when come across certain suspicious apps. Recently, an app called Remove China Apps has suddenly made it to the top of India's Google Play Store, claiming that it helps users to remove apps made by China.

Some people are just getting used to Android 10, while others are already looking forward to the next one. Unfortunately, it seems like we won't be finding out what's new just yet. Originally set to launch on 3 June 2020, Google has decided to postpone the launch of Android 11 beta.

It looks like Ubisoft wants to flex its legal muscles. Reports say that the game publisher has sued Google and Apple for a mobile game called Area F2 that is available on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. The game has been accused of being a clone of the highly successful Rainbow Six: Siege (R6S) first-person shooter and Ubisoft is not happy.