Google

(get it in RSS or Atom)

Gazon - the Android virus that SMSes everyone

by Paul Ducklin on March 6, 2015 | 4 Comments

The Android SMS virus "Gazon" sends itself to everyone in your contact list - including your friends, your mum...

...and your customers.

Not a good look.

Google quietly drops promised encryption by default for Android Lollipop

by Lisa Vaas on March 4, 2015 | 5 Comments

Google has confirmed reports: that sweet encryption-by-default it promised for Android Lollipop left a sour taste when it came to device performance.

Google performs U-turn on Blogger smut rule

by Lee Munson on March 2, 2015 | Leave a comment

Google has changed its mind over a new policy on sexually explicit content on its Blogger platform and will target commercial porn instead.

Craig Brittain asks Google to remove links relating to his revenge porn antics

by Lisa Vaas on March 2, 2015 | 3 Comments

The guy who ignored women's pleas to take down nude images from his IsAnybodyDown site wants to have his own photos and information expunged from Google.

Google turns Pwnium into an all-year, unlimited-rewards bug-hunting contest

by Lisa Vaas on February 26, 2015 | 2 Comments

Google's new thinking around bug hunting: get it to us ASAP, from wherever you are.

Google bans sexually explicit content on Blogger

by Lisa Vaas on February 25, 2015 | Leave a comment

Nude ban. Image courtesy of Shutterstock.

Unless the content has "public benefit," it will be bumped out of public view as of 23 March (if it's already been published) and banned outright after that date.

Forget Google Glass, here's Sony's (not quite as catchy)‏ SmartEyeglass

by Paul Ducklin on February 19, 2015 | 9 Comments

Those aren't augmented reality spectacles.

THESE are augmented reality spectacles!

But what about the privacy and security side?

SSCC 186 - Just how firm is your firmware? [PODCAST]

by Paul Ducklin on February 18, 2015 | 2 Comments

Here's the latest episode of our weekly security podcast - from firmware and Firefox to Project Zero and Lightning conductors.

Chet and Duck are in fine fettle as usual...enjoy!

Google's Project Zero backs off a bit - will now give up to 14 days' grace

by Paul Ducklin on February 16, 2015 | 9 Comments

Google's controversial "zero-day dropping machine," Project Zero, which automatically outs your bugs after 90 days, will now give up to 14 day's leeway.

Are Miami cops really flooding Waze with fake police sightings?

by Lisa Vaas on February 16, 2015 | 1 Comment

An NBC affiliate seems to think so, but others are dubious. Miami's finest would have to be lacking in tech smarts to think they could game the Google app.

Google, Amazon, Microsoft pay to get ads past Adblock Plus

by Lisa Vaas on February 4, 2015 | 23 Comments

Ad-buying big boys Google, Amazon, Microsoft and the content marketing platform Taboola have quietly ponied up the money to keep their ads from being blocked on Adblock Plus, the world's most popular software for blocking online advertising.

Google extends its all-seeing eye, invites third party apps to Google Now

by Lisa Vaas on February 3, 2015 | 10 Comments

Google. Image courtesy of Chukcha/Shutterstock.

Google's opened up its Google Now digital assistant to 40 third party apps, including Pandora, Lyft, TripAdvisor, eBay and RunKeeper.

Google redesigns security warnings after 70% of Chrome users ignore them

by Lisa Vaas on February 3, 2015 | 27 Comments

You can strip jargon, but in the end, the warnings that work best are those with visual throb: pick the right colors and hide the wrong choices!

Google to change privacy policy after settling case with ICO

by Lisa Vaas on February 2, 2015 | Leave a comment

Google and the ICO have settled a case over the company's privacy policy being too vague, with the upshot being that policy changes are now in the works.

Google asked to muzzle Waze 'police-stalking' app

by Lisa Vaas on January 27, 2015 | 20 Comments

US police are typically the ones to surveil, not the other way around, as Google's crowd-sourced, police-mapping traffic app is doing. Now sheriffs are asking Google to pull the plug on it.

How the Obamacare website healthcare.gov leaks private data

by Mark Stockley on January 23, 2015 | 10 Comments

HealthCare.gov, the US insurance exchange website that is a central component of Obamacare (the Affordable Care Act), is sending personal information on users to third parties including Facebook, Google, and web analytics companies.