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Google search knows where you were even if you disabled Location History
Earlier today, the Associated Press published a report detailing how Google can log users' locations even if they've opted out of the company's Location History feature. The report indicated that if you want to entirely opt out of Google location tracking, you'll need to access and opt out of a second feature as well, one called "Web & App History." Before getting into the details, here's a statement Google provided the AP (the company had not responded to our requests for comment as of publication time): "There are a number of different ways that Google may use location to improve people's experience, including: Location History, Web and App Activity, and through device-level Location Services. We provide clear descriptions of these tools, and robust controls so people can turn them on or off, and delete their histories at any time."
Google's latest iOS app is built for celebrity Q&A
Google is giving stars another direct line to their fans with Cameos, a Q&A app that's targeted towards public figures. They can share their video answers in the knowledge panel on their Google search result pages, so there's an incentive for celebrities to get involved and ensure information about them is accurate.
Google search showed ‘Nazism’ as a California Republican Party ideology
As California gears up for its primary, many of the state's Republicans are fuming over how Google described their party in its search results. Those searching for "California Republicans" or "California Republican Party" would have found a result that listed "Nazism" as one of the party's ideologies along with "Conservatism," "Market liberalism," "Fiscal conservatism" and "Green conservatism." Vice News spotted the listing and Google removed the label following a query from the publication.
Did you know that Google Search on Android is a podcast player?
Whether you're listening to the newest installment of a daily podcast you're subscribed to or binging the latest true crime series, being able to pause a podcast on one device and pick it back up on another is a useful feature. And according to Pacific Content, it's a feature that Google offers right now. If you start an episode on your Android phone, for example, you can finish it with your Google Home, and Zack Reneau-Wedeen, Google's podcasts product manager, says this "device interoperability" will eventually expand to everything on which you use Google. We asked Google about the feature and were told that it's "not new" but it's unclear how long the ability has been around.
Google puts movie info, reviews and showtimes all in one spot
Google announced a new feature today that will help you out when you're deciding what movie to go see. Now, when you look for movies or showtimes in Google Search on your phone, you'll be able to easily compare different films and see where and when they're playing. You can browse movies or look through offerings from particular theaters and when you tap a film title, Google will show you information about the movie, its IMDb, Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes scores as well as showtimes in nearby theaters. Then you can just swipe over to see all of that information for another movie option. Once you've made your decision, just tap on a showtime to buy the ticket.
Google adds tweet-like posts from musicians to search results
Musicians are now able to post information directly within their Google Search Knowledge Panel. The Knowledge Panel is that dedicated section that pops up when you search for celebrities, which, for musicians, has information about them, their work, links to where you can hear their music, their videos and more. Now, within that panel, musicians will also be able to post information, sort of like a tweet.
Google’s year in search finds people ready to take action
It's been a heck of a year. And as 2017 draws to a close, a bunch of web giants are on hand to remind us of what we got up to on their services. Twitter had us raging, Facebook saw us praying for victims of tragedies, and now Google (the biggest of the three) is sharing its year in search. The top spot in the US and worldwide was reserved for Hurricane Irma. The same went for Google news trends in the US, which were dominated by natural disasters, including Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Jose, and Hurricane Maria, with the looming threat of North Korea and the tragic mass shooting in Las Vegas making the top ten as well.
YouTube adds concert listings to music videos
Google announced a new YouTube feature today that will make it super easy to find and purchase concert tickets. Starting today, official music videos posted on YouTube will show upcoming concert dates for that artist and each show will have a link to where you can purchase tickets. The feature is in partnership with Ticketmaster though, so tickets sold by other companies won't be linked.
Google shows more publisher info in search amid fake news fight
Google's approach to combatting fake news divides pretty cleanly between overt tactics and less obvious methods. Today's announcement falls into the latter camp. Now when you search for a publication by name, cards will populate with all kinds of information on the publication or publisher's history. "These additions provide key pieces of information to help you understand the tone, expertise and history of the publisher," the blog post reads.
Judge rules Canada's de-indexing order won't apply to Google in the US
For the past few years, Google has been the subject of a legal debate in Canada, one aiming to determine whether Canadian court rulings regarding the internet are applicable just in Canada or should be enforceable worldwide owing to the borderless nature of the web. In June, the Canadian Supreme Court decided that they should be enforced globally, but a US federal judge has now weighed in, and at least in this particular case, the Canadian ruling won't apply in the US.
Google auto-detects your whereabouts to get local search results
The country codes in Google's top-level domain names don't mean anything anymore. The tech titan has moved away from relying on country-specific domains to serve up localized results on mobile web, the Google app for iOS, as well as Search and Maps for desktop. Now, your location dictates the kind of results you'll get -- you could go to google.com.au, for instance, but if you're in New Zealand, you'll still get search results tailored for your current whereabouts. You'll know the location Google recognizes by looking at the lower left-hand corner of the page, as you can see above.
Your local library’s e-books will now show up in Google searches
Google has made life a little easier for those who like to check out e-books from their local library. Now, when you search for a book through Google, results for libraries near you that carry that e-book will show up along with outlets where you can buy it.
Google's iOS app now shows trending searches
Earlier this year, Google added a "trending" widget in its iOS search app that shows off what people are looking for at any given moment. Now, Google's adding that info right into the main part of the app. After installing an update that's live in the App Store, you'll see trending searches when you tap on the search bar in the Google app. They show up below your recent searches, which are immediately visible when you tap the bar; they're also symbolized with a blue rising arrow icon.
Google expands its offline YouTube Go app to Indonesia
Google is rolling out a flurry of products in Indonesia. Chief among the new additions are YouTube Go and Google Assistant. The announcements (made at its second annual Google for Indonesia event) tie into the web giant's plan to get its apps to the "next billion" internet users. Until now, this strategy has mainly focused on India. But, it seemed inevitable that Google would expand its reach to more emerging (mobile-first) countries.
Google adds allergy forecast info to mobile search results
One antihistamine or two? Google is making sure hay fever sufferers can answer that question in double quick time, thanks to the new addition of pollen measurements in search results. Plug an allergy- or pollen-related query into your Android smartphone and search results will now include a simple breakdown of current and predicted pollen levels. The new type of rich card result is populated by data from The Weather Channel, and as always, you can get more detailed info by tapping on the card itself.
Google is reportedly testing a long overdue UI update for Calendar
Google Calendar might finally be getting a much needed update. The Next Web is reporting that some users' Calendars have a whole new user interface that's seemingly based on Google's Material Design language. Some of those with access to the redesigned desktop version have been posting to Reddit, providing screenshots of the UI and information about its functionality.
Google Search will help you find your next job
Finding a new job can be tough. With so many recruitment sites to keep track of, it can be difficult to know what's out there, never mind applying and getting through the interview process. Now, there's a new way to keep tabs on the work in your local area: Google. An update to Search on desktop and mobile allows you to, well, search for new employment with conversational queries like "jobs near me" and "teaching jobs." You'll then see a list of results from across the web, each of which includes the company's name, the role, the hours and when the job was posted.
Google's ‘Personal’ tab filters out everything but your own content
As people accumulate massive data troves on Gmail, Google Photos and other Google apps, the search giant wants to help people find what they're looking for among their own personal content. While Google's core search product already shows some personalized results in the mix, the main search page now includes a "Personal" tab to quickly filter out public results and see only the content you yourself stored in Google's suite of apps.
Google automatically translates local reviews when you travel
We all use user-generated reviews to figure out what points of interest are worth checking out. If you're traveling in a country where you don't speak the language, however, the reviews you rely on are usually in the local tongue. Google has a new feature to help you out. The company will now automatically translate reviews into your native language without any effort on your part.
Google's mobile app gets a streamlined news feed
Google would love for its flagship, search-focused app to be the first thing anyone tapped after unlocking their smartphone, so the company is making a few changes to the app's front page in order streamline how you get your information. Starting with today's update, Google has helpfully broken up the information cards on the main feed into two main categories: current topics and upcoming events.