THEHACKCITY

  Google is making a big move to power its European data centers with offshore wind energy. They've signed agreements to support two new wind farms off the coast of the Netherlands. This is all part of Google's plan to use clean energy for all its data center electricity needs by 2030. To make that happen, Google is adding more renewable energy, like offshore wind, to the power grids where its data centers are located. Today, Google shared the next step of this plan for Europe, adding over 700 megawatts of clean energy capacity to the grid. Most of this new energy will come from two offshore wind farms in the Netherlands, where Google has two of its 24 data centers. They've made agreements with energy companies Shell and Eneco for these wind farms. The wind farms, Hollandse Kust Noord (HKN) and Hollandse Kust West (HKW), are expected to supply around 6 percent of the Netherlands’ annual electricity consumption. HKN is already producing electricity, while HKW is set to start...

Google has introduced its earthquake alert system for Android devices in India. This innovative system utilizes smartphone sensors like accelerators, effectively functioning as miniature seismometers to detect tremors. Developed in consultation with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the National Seismology Center (NSC), the system aims to provide early earthquake alerts to Android users in potentially affected areas. These alerts will be delivered in local Indian languages supported by Android. Google issues two types of alerts: "Be Aware" and "Take Action." "Be Aware" alerts are dispatched to users experiencing MMI 3 & 4 shaking during an earthquake of magnitude 4.5 or higher. These alerts appear on the screen without any accompanying sound, even if the phone is in Do Not Disturb or silent mode. For users facing MMI 5+ shaking during a 4.5 magnitude earthquake, Google sends alerts that bypass the device's notification settings,...

  The Justice Department's antitrust case against Google began today, setting the stage for a months-long trial that could have a major impact on the tech industry. The government alleges that Google has abused its monopoly power in the search market by paying billions of dollars to phone makers and other companies to make its search engine the default option. Google denies the allegations, arguing that it is simply offering consumers the best product. The case is being closely watched by other tech giants, who are concerned that they could be next in the government's crosshairs. If the Justice Department is successful in breaking up Google's search monopoly, it could set a precedent for other antitrust cases and lead to a more competitive tech industry. Here are some of the key arguments in the case: The government argues that Google's deals with phone makers and other companies give it an unfair advantage in the search market. By paying these companies to make its sea...

  Google is currently in the testing phase of a new approach to delivering ads on the YouTube app for TVs. Users can anticipate encountering fewer, albeit longer, ads. This shift is aimed at enhancing the viewing experience, particularly during extended content, akin to the customary commercial breaks seen in linear TV programming. Additionally, YouTube is working on refining the ad timer for TV, aiming to provide a clearer indication of the remaining time in the ad break. Currently, YouTube displays the length of a specific ad along with a placeholder indicating "Ad 1 of 2," which doesn't offer a precise estimate of the break's duration. The company has announced plans to commence testing this updated timer, focusing on the total duration of the ad break, in the near future. Earlier this year, YouTube introduced 30-second unskippable ads for TV viewers. In April, the company reported reaching 150 million viewers through connected TVs in the U.S. According to the late...

  Starting in November, YouTube is streamlining ad controls for creators. Instead of individual settings for pre-roll, post-roll, skippable, and non-skippable ads in YouTube Studio, creators will now have the option to enable or disable ads before or after a video. If ads are enabled, YouTube will determine the appropriate placement, whether it's pre-roll, post-roll, skippable, or non-skippable, according to a notice on a support document authored by "Rob," a member of the YouTube team. YouTube contends that most creators won't experience a significant impact, as many of these ad formats are already enabled by default. Rob stated, "In the last year, for long-form videos that were enabled for monetization at the time of publishing, more than 90 percent of videos had pre-roll, post-roll, skippable, and non-skippable ads turned on." However, for creators seeking finer control over the types of ads shown to their viewers, this change may be disappointing. Additi...

  Google will soon implement a policy mandating political advertisers to prominently disclose their use of AI in creating their ads, as initially reported by Bloomberg. Starting in November, Google stipulates that advertisers must include a disclosure whenever an election ad features "synthetic content" portraying "realistic-looking people or events." This encompasses political ads employing AI to make individuals appear as though they are saying or doing things they never actually did. It also covers alterations to actual event footage (or fabrication of a realistic-seeming event) to depict a scene that never transpired. Google asserts that such ads must feature a disclaimer in a clear and conspicuous location, specifying that this requirement applies to images, videos, and audio content. The labels must state things like "This audio was computer generated" or "This image does not depict real events." Minor adjustments, like enhancing an image, ...

  In October 2021, Google introduced the Pixel Pass subscription program alongside the launch of the Pixel 6 series phones. This program offered three key benefits for a single monthly payment of $45 for the Pixel 6 or $55 for the 6 Pro: access to Google's premier mobile services, device protection, and regular device upgrades. However, on a recent Tuesday, Google sent emails to Pixel Pass customers announcing that they would no longer be accepting new Pixel Pass subscriptions or renewals. Customers who had already subscribed weren't losing any special privileges since the subscription fee covered the cost of the phone and a discounted rate for bundled services over a two-year period. Nevertheless, some disappointed customers in the Google Pixel subreddit expressed concerns about losing certain perks, such as a lower rate they had previously locked in from Google Play Music to join the Play Pass and losing access to bundled services that were part of the package. The Pixel Pass...

 The antitrust case against Google by the government has been substantially reduced. A US district court judge dismissed several claims made by the Department of Justice and a group of states, which included the allegation that Google Search harms competing services. The case originated from two lawsuits filed in 2020 by the DOJ and 38 state attorneys general against Google. While they were initially filed separately, they were mostly consolidated later on. The accusations focused on various instances of anti-competitive behavior by Google, such as allegedly designing its search engine to disadvantage competitors like Yelp, Expedia, and Tripadvisor. However, Judge Amit Mehta dismissed this particular claim, stating that the government's evidence of anti-competitive harm relied heavily on the opinion and speculation of its expert, law professor Jonathan Baker, rather than concrete evidence. Additionally, Mehta dropped the DOJ's accusations related to Google's agreements with...

  Google has made it easier to remove your personal information from its search results. The company will now send out notifications when it finds your address, phone number, or email on the web, allowing you to review and request the removal of that information from Search. This is a major improvement over the previous process, which required you to search for your personal information yourself and then manually request its removal. With the new update, you can simply input your personal information into Google's "results about you" dashboard and the company will automatically pull up websites that contain any matches. You can then review each webpage and submit a request to remove it. Google also allows you to enable push notifications that will alert you to any new results that appear in the future. This is a great way to stay on top of your personal information and make sure that it's not being displayed on Google without your consent. It's important to note t...

Google Delays Privacy Sandbox Initiatives, Continues Support for 3rd Party Cookies. Google announced that support for third-party cookies would be extended until late 2023, giving marketers more than a year extension from the previous plan to block third-party cookies by 2022. The Privacy Sandbox initiatives will be delayed while more testing takes place. Google said Thursday it’s pushing back its plan to kill off third-party tracking cookies in Chrome. It now expects to phase out cookies and replace them with tech from its Privacy Sandbox by 2023. The delay comes after Google pledged to give oversight of the cookie changes to the UK’s antitrust watchdog. “While there’s considerable progress with this initiative, it’s become clear that more time is needed across the ecosystem to get this right,” Chrome’s Privacy Engineering Director, Vinay Goel,  said  Thursday. Google first announced its intentions to kill off the tracking c...

Paytm Indian payment and service provider app, owned by One97 Communications Ltd, is removed from play store for violating play store guidelines. Google said that Paytm has repeatedly violated Play Store’s policies. It believed the app was violating its new guidelines on online gambling or contests. “We have the same goals for our gambling policy. We don’t allow online casinos or support any unregulated gambling apps that facilitate sports betting. This includes if an app leads consumers to an external website that allows them to participate in paid tournaments to win real money or cash prizes, it is a violation of our policies,” Google said on a blog post. Reports claim that google is in touch with Paytm to resolve the issue and bring back paytm to playstore. Paytm informed it’s user on twitter saying it will be back soon and users should continue using Paytm as normal. Google has told several company in India to avoid these kind of advertising campaigns that promote,...