News & Reviews:   Google

Way back in March, Google confirmed that it's hard at work on the Nearby Sharing feature. As you may know, this is Google's answer to Apple's AirDrop feature. The company has now confirmed that the feature is now in beta and users who are interested can try it out.

Google has officially announced on their support page stating that the Google Photos automatic backup & sync feature on messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Messages, and more have been disabled temporarily in order to reduce bandwidth usage. While there is no news on when we can expect Google to re-enable the feature, it will most likely be available again as soon as the COVID-19 outbreak slows down.

Photographs are akin to memories, as they are often taken at places we visit or of people we know. These photos are usually stored online these days so that we can have it all in one place and reminisce from time to time. So, Google decided that redesign its Google Photos app, giving it a focus on helping users relive their memories.

When it comes to privacy, almost all the tech companies promise that they will protect yours at all costs. However, there will still be scandals regarding data exploitation surfacing somewhere. To remind you that they do value your privacy, Google will now offer the choice of deleting your entire browsing history automatically.

Android smartphones may already be looking to upgrade to Android 11 soon, but most Wear OS devices are still stuck on Android 9. While there won't be a major overhaul soon, a nice little update is now available. Specifically, Google added hardware acceleration to Wear OS recently.

Now that Android 11 beta has launched, Android users finally got access to a feature that's similar to Apple's AirDrop - the Nearby Sharing feature. But Google isn't content with just making it usable on mobile. A source has found that Google plans to make the feature available on even more platforms.

Those who frequently utilize Google Docs, Sheets and Slides on Android, will be pleased to know that Google plans to introduce dark mode to those features in the near future. While there is not much known in regards to the exact dates the dark mode will be available, we do know that it could be available most probably in a few weeks.

The rise in usage of video conferencing software has a great side effect for users overall. As more people use these services, the providers have a greater obligation to improve them. Google Meet is certainly one service that has been improving rapidly in recent weeks and can now be accessed via Gmail.

One thing that we can learn from the pandemic is technology does play a vital role in our lives, especially when it comes to education. Due to the crisis, the e-learning platform has become one of the essentials for educators and students to interact. By acknowledging that, the Ministry of Education has worked with three big tech companies including Google, Microsoft, and Apple on developing a digital learning platform.

A major reason why people use voice assistants is that it can often be tedious to type things out. It's even better when the device can recognise your voice and provide you with personalised results. That's what the Voice Match feature on Google Assistant does and it could be coming to Android TV soon.