Google Pixel 3 smartphones & tablet unveiled at New York event
Google has unveiled its new flagship smartphones, the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL,
as it looks to keep pace with Apple's iPhones.
The two new phones were announced alongside a range of new products, including
the Pixel Slate tablet and a new screen-enabled smart home speaker, the Google
Home Hub.
The Pixel 3 comes with a 5.5 inch display and the XL with a 6.3 inch screen.
Google said the new devices were built around improved camera systems powered
by artificial intelligence, including the new Top Shot feature, which can
identify the best images taken in a burst.
The phones also feature improved low-light photography capabilities, and a new
Group Selfie camera capable of capturing wider angle images from the
front-facing camera, traditionally used to take selfies.
The company claimed the feature can capture 184% more of a scene than the
front-facing camera of the new iPhone XS.
The cameras also house Google Lens, which uses AI to identify objects,
landmarks and words seen through the camera.
Also announced at the event in New York, the new Google Home Hub smart speaker
responds to voice commands like other smart home devices.
But it also features a display from which users can access news and weather
information visually, as well as watch YouTube videos, use Google Maps and
control other smart home devices.
The tech giant's Diya Jolly said the company also made a conscious decision not
to include a camera to respect user privacy.
The Hub is Google's answer to the Echo Show, Amazon's smart speaker with a
built-in display which was introduced last year.
Google also announced a new tablet, the Pixel Slate, which runs on the
company's own Chrome OS and has an attachable keyboard.
The Hub and the Slate won't be available in Ireland, initially at least.
However, the Pixel 3 will be sold here and will cost â¬899 for the 64GB
version, rising to â¬959 for the 128GB model.
The Pixel 3 XL 6.3" will cost â¬999 for the 64 GB and â¬1099 for the 128GB
device.
Pre-orders for both are open now on the Google Store and from Vodafone, with
the first deliveries on November 1st.
Alphabet to shut Google+ social site after user data exposed
Alphabet's Google will shut down the consumer version of its failed social
network Google+ and tighten its data sharing policies.
This comes after it said last night that private profile data of at least
500,000 users may have been exposed to hundreds of external developers.
The issue was discovered and patched in March as part of a review of how Google
shares data with other applications, Google said in a blog post.
No developer exploited the vulnerability or misused data, the review found.
The Wall Street Journal said Google opted not to disclose the security issue
due to fears of regulatory scrutiny, citing unnamed sources and a memo prepared
by Google's legal and policy staff for senior executives.
Google feared disclosure would invite comparison to Facebook's leak of user
information to data firm Cambridge Analytica, the Journal reported, adding that
chief executive Sundar Pichai had been briefed on the issue.
Google declined to comment beyond its blog post.
The company said last night that none of the thresholds it requires to disclose
a breach were met after reviewing the type of data involved, whether it could
identify the users to inform, establish any evidence of misuse, and whether
there were any actions a developer or user could take to protect themselves.
Google+ launched in 2011 as the advertising giant grew more concerned about
competition from Facebook, which could pinpoint ads to users based on data they
had shared about their friends, likes and online activity.
Google+ copied Facebook with status updates and news feeds and let people
organise their groups of friends into what it calls "circles."
But Google+ and the company's other experiments with social media struggled to
win over users because of complicated features and privacy mishaps.
Facebook introduced a feature that allowed users to connect their accounts with
their profiles on dating, music and other apps.
Google followed suit, letting outside developers access some Google+ data with
users' permission.
The bug disclosed yesterday, introduced in a software update, exposed private
data including name, email address, occupation, gender and age, Google said.
It could not definitely say how many users were affected because it said it
keeps only two weeks of such records.
Google+ will remain an internal networking option for organisations that buy
Google's G Suite, a bundle of apps for creating documents, spreadsheets and
presentations.
Google's plan to withdraw the free version of Google+, scheduled for August,
could help strengthen its case to US policymakers and regulators that it is
different from Facebook, which has faced political heat over allegations that
data belonging to 87 million of its users was improperly shared with political
consultancy Cambridge Analytica.
Google refused to send Pichai to a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on
September 5, where Facebook's chief operating officer and Twitter's chief
executive testified.
An empty chair was left for Google after the committee rejected Googleâs top
lawyer as a witness.
Several policies Google introduced yesterday are designed to curb the data
accessible to developers offering mobile apps on the Google Play store or
add-on apps for sending and organising Gmail messages.
Play Store apps will no longer be allowed to access text message and call logs
unless they are the default calling or texting app on a user's device or have
an exception from Google.
Gmail add-ons available to consumers starting next year will be barred from
selling user data and be subject to a third-party security assessment that will
cost them about $15,000 to $75,000, Google said.
===========================================================
The fb-exchange mailing list
Manage account, subscribe or unsubscribe:
//www.freelists.org/list/fb-exchange
Archives: //www.freelists.org/archives/fb-exchange ;
Administrative contact: insight@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
===========================================================
