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Google workers in London stage walkout over job cuts

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Following a dispute regarding layoffs, hundreds of Google workers organized a protest at the company’s London offices on Tuesday.

Google’s parent company Alphabet revealed in January that it would be laying off 12,000 workers globally, or 6% of its total workforce.

Google
Image Source: channelnewsasia.com

The decision was made in the midst of a wave of layoffs sweeping corporate America, especially in the tech industry, where companies have so far fired over 290,000 employees since the year’s beginning, according to tracking website Layoffs.fyi.

Also Read: UBS to cut up to 30% of the global workforce

The trade union Unite, which has hundreds of Google workers in the UK as members, claimed that the company had disregarded employee complaints. According to Unite regional officer Matt Whaley, “Our members are clear: Google needs to listen to its own advice of not being evil.

They and Unite will not back down until Google allows workers full union representation, engages properly with the consultation process, and treats its staff with the respect and dignity they deserve.”

Speaking anonymously out of concern for retaliation, a Google employee who was present at the walkout told Reuters that discussions with company management turned out to be “extremely frustrating.” He stated, “It has been difficult for those involved. We have a redundancy process for a reason so that employees can make their voice heard,” they said. But it feels as if our concerns have fallen on deaf ears.”

In many European countries, Google’s top management has held layoff discussions in accordance with local labor laws. Employee representatives claimed that Google had rejected their suggestions to limit job cuts, and employees at the company’s Zurich branch in Switzerland conducted a walkout akin to this one last month.

A representative for Google stated, “As we said on January 20, we’ve made the difficult decision to reduce our workforce by approximately 12,000 roles globally.

We know this is a very challenging time for our employees. In the UK, we have been constructively engaging and listening to our employees through numerous meetings, and are working hard to bring them clarity and share updates as soon as we can in adherence with all UK processes and legal requirements.”

Also Read: Google Drive now caps the number of files you can create

In the UK, Google has a workforce of over 5,000 employees. The Sundar Pichai-led corporation said it was ready for “a different economic reality” and that the CEO accepted “full responsibility” for the choices that resulted in the layoffs when it announced them in January.

In an effort to prepare for a global economic slowdown, a number of other tech firms, including Microsoft, Twitter, and Meta, among others, have fired thousands of employees. Apple Inc. reportedly cut staff within particular corporate store teams earlier this week, signaling a change in the way the company handles layoffs.

Google Now Launcher

What’s Next for Users as Google Now Launcher Shuts Down?

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A decade after its launch, the Google Now Launcher comes to an end. Google debuted the Nexus 5 in 2013 along with a brand-new launcher called the Google Now Launcher.

Prior to being made available to all Android 4.1+ devices through the Play Store in 2014, it was first known as the Google Experience Launcher.

Google Now Launcher
Image Source: technopixel.org

The main advantage was easy to access to Google Now cards, which was combined with a simple, stock-like experience that mirrored Google’s design preferences.

Also Read: Can we use nearby share between Android and Windows?

In 2017, the tech juggernaut revealed that this would no longer have access to Google Now because OEM partners already had it.

The Nexus 5X and 6P were the final mobile devices that Google launched that featured this and included the Now on Tap feature. Almost conclusively ending the Google Now experiment, Google released its final security upgrade for that hardware in 2018.

Despite receiving numerous upgrades via the Google app, the business is now concentrating on Google Assistant. It is currently displaying a message stating that Google will formally shut down the service by end of April, according to an earlier report by 9to5Google. The gadget’s launcher will then switch to the default launcher.

When most Android skins were still lacking in many areas, the Google Now Launcher was praised by Android phone users because it typically provided a smoother and more intuitive experience along with a cleaner UI.

In other words, it’s a little bit depressing news in a strangely nostalgic manner, but it’s also a loss that won’t be felt by many. The very small number of people who continue to use Google Now Launcher can only do so if they decide never to update their Google app again. However, if users continue to use the launcher, they are likely not getting updates at all.

Also Read: Finally, Arc is coming to iPhone. Will it replace Safari?

Despite this, it was unique at the time due to its dedicated home page for displaying Google Now info cards. Later, this idea developed into the Google Discover interface found on many modern Android smartphones. Along with these features, the launcher provided fast access to search features and app recommendations.

The old launcher isn’t really relevant anymore, though, because of the launch of the Pixel Launcher, the popularity of Google Assistant in place of Google Now, and a plethora of other launcher choices. But even so, Google Now Launcher had a successful tenure.

Google

Google Drive now caps the number of files you can create

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As previously disclosed by Ars Technica and CNET, Google has put a restriction on the number of files you can upload and save to Google Drive. Even though you paid for more storage, the firm announced to The Verge that the update enabled users to generate a total of 5 million items in Drive. Google, however, quickly undid the adjustment and promised to come up with an alternative.

Google
Image Source: bloglenovo.es

“We recently rolled out a system update to Drive item limits to preserve stability and optimize performance,” said Google in a tweet. “While this impacted only a small number of people, we are rolling back this change as we explore alternate approaches to ensure a great experience for all.”

Source: theverge.com

Also Read: UBS to cut up to 30% of the global workforce

There was a 5 million file limit, but it only related to the number of files you could create in Drive, not to the total number of files that could be shared with your Drive. In other words, if the files weren’t all your creation, you might have had more than 5 million of them in the system.

Ross Richendrfer, a Google representative, first claimed that the modification was made to ensure high performance and dependability and that it would assist stop misuse of the company’s systems. Richendrfer stated that if you exceed the limit, you will be notified and can approach Google customer support to resolve the situation.

While it would seem ludicrous for a single person to upload 5 million files, some people have exceeded that figure. A customer with 7 million documents in Drive claims, in a Reddit post seen by Ars Technica and CNET, that Google abruptly stopped allowing them to add new files in February, even though they had not yet reached the 2TB storage limit they had paid for.

Several additional users claim to have experienced the file restriction at approximately the same time and that they originally thought it to be a bug on Google’s problem tracker website.

An individual with 2TB of capacity and an aggregate file size of over 400KB would exceed their file cap before when they went out of storage space, as was noted in the Reddit thread. Secondly, unless they choose to reduce their documents into zip folders, some customers may be spending even more space than they utilize.

Also Read: Netflix Might Be Putting Its Video Games on TVs

User responses suggest that Google may not have informed those who would be affected by the new restriction ahead of its deployment, leaving them scrambling to transfer or reduce files once the policy took effect.

While it does indicate that shared Workspace folders can store a total of 400,000 files, it doesn’t appear that Google changed its Google One or Workspace help sites to notice the limit. Google could have at least provided those who do with a proper warning, even if the bulk of users probably don’t have 5 million data held in Drive.

Nearby Share

Can we use nearby share between android and windows?

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When a Windows PC and Android device are within 16 feet of one another, they can share photos, documents, and other files using the Nearby Share beta software.

With the release of their new Windows beta Nearby Share app, Google has made it simpler to share files across your Android phone and PC. In 2020, Google introduced Nearby Share, which enables users to share and receive content quickly between Android smartphones, tablets, and Chromebooks.

nerby share
Image Source: blog.google

The feature, which was announced during CES 2022, is now downloadable via the Android website. Your PC must be operating Windows 10 64-bit or later in order to use it.

Also Read: E3 2023 has been canceled. But Why?

For this feature to function, you must enable Bluetooth and WiFi on your computer. The device visibility option lets you control who may send you files and see your device. Additionally, you have the option of making your PC accessible to everyone at once, just your contacts, only your own devices, or nobody at all.

Drag and drop files into the Nearby Share app or right-click them and select the Nearby Share option to transfer them from your PC to an Android phone. Transfers are processed right away even if the recipient’s screen is off if both devices share a Google account. But they both need to be within 16 feet of one another.

According to Priya Samnerkar, senior product manager for Android, “Nearby Share Beta works with your Windows PC whether the app is open on the desktop or running in the background. As we continue to fine-tune the experience and receive your feedback, we’ll expand official support to share content with other Google ecosystem devices.”

Except for a few countries, Google has made Nearby Share available in the United States and most other nations. Only Android smartphones and tablets are currently compatible with the beta application. The business does, however, intend to increase compatibility throughout its ecosystem.

In addition, this feature for Windows enables you to exchange internet access between your PC and mobile device. You can thus access the internet on your desktop or laptop using the data connection on your phone without a distinct WiFi hotspot being required.

Also Read: Finally, Arc is coming to iPhone. Will it replace Safari?

When working on the computer while on the go or in an area with spotty internet connectivity, the feature comes in particularly handy. Simply enable internet sharing in the Nearby Share app on the mobile device you’re using to use this function. And link the network of your phone to your PC.

Microsoft also offers its own Phone Link app. It works best with Samsung devices, so if you want seamless file transfers across a wider range of Android phones, Google’s own Nearby Share appears as a great alternative.

Bard

Google begins opening access to its ChatGPT competitor Bard

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Google’s parent company Alphabet Inc began the official launch of its chatbot Bard on March 21 Tuesday, attempting to find users as well as reviews to make headway on Microsoft Corp in such a speedy race in the field of artificial intelligence.

The launch is an important step for Alphabet Inc as it seeks to expand its presence in the AI space. The company has been investing heavily in AI research and development and has made significant progress in developing machine learning algorithms and natural language processing technologies that can be used to power chatbots like Bard.

Bard
Image Source: finance.yahoo.com

Beginning in the United States and the United Kingdom, users can join a waitlist for English-language availability to Bard, which was formerly restricted to authorized testers. Google defines Bard as a collaborative project or experiments with generative AI, a technology that uses previous information to generate rather than recognize content.

Also Read: Amazon to Cut 9,000 More Jobs, Deepening Biggest Pullback Ever

“We’re beginning with the U.S. and the U.K., and will expand to more countries and languages over time,” the company said in a blog post-Tuesday.

Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com

The launch of ChatGPT, a chatbot from a startup OpenAI powered by Microsoft, last year sparked a race in the tech industry to put AI in the palms of more customers. The goal is to transform how people are working while also winning business.

Bard additionally had a feature that displayed three distinct versions or “draughts” of any given answer, which users could toggle between, as well as a button that said “Google it” if a user wanted web results for a request.

“Bard is designed so that you can easily visit Search to check its responses or explore sources across the web. Click “Google it” to see suggestions for queries, and Search will open in a new tab so you can find relevant results and dig deeper. We’ll also be thoughtfully integrating LLMs into Search in a deeper way — more to come,” the company added.

Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com

According to Google, Bard is not capable of producing computer code, unlike ChatGPT. Google also stated that it has restricted Bard’s recollection of previous chat interactions and that it is not currently utilizing Bard for marketing, which is central to Google’s business strategy.

During the illustration, Google pointed out a couple of errors to Reuters, such as how Bard incorrectly asserted ferns needed bright, ambient lighting in reply to one query.

Also Read: Twitch CEO Emmett Shear to step down

Google said it was focused on users and that internal and external testers have turned to Bard for “boosting their productivity, accelerating their ideas, really fueling their curiosity.”

“We’re releasing it initially with our lightweight model version of LaMDA. This much smaller model requires significantly less computing power, enabling us to scale to more users, allowing for more feedback,” Google CEO Sundar Pichai wrote in a blog post last month.

Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com
Pinduoduo

Why Google suspended China’s Pinduoduo app?

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After malware problems were discovered on versions of the Chinese e-commerce application outside Google’s app store, Google suspended the Play edition of PDD Holdings Inc.’s Pinduoduo app for security reasons, a company spokesperson said on Tuesday.

The spokesperson said in a statement that “Off-Play versions of this app that have been found to contain malware have been enforced on via Google Play Protect,” adding that the Play version of the app has been suspended for security reasons.

Pinduoduo
Image Source: wsj.com

Pinduoduo, a well-known e-commerce app in China, frequently gives users discounts when they purchase several items. Users were advised by Google on Tuesday to remove any Pinduoduo apps that hadn’t been downloaded from the Google Play Store.

Also Read: Trump returns to YouTube and Facebook after a two-year ban

Websites that enable users to download mobile apps without visiting official stores frequently have downloads of Android and even iOS apps available. According to Google’s statement, the enforcement of Google Play Protect has been configured to prevent efforts to install the aforementioned malicious apps.

Users who downloaded malicious copies of the app to their devices are notified and asked to uninstall the app. Pinduoduo was still available for download from Apple’s iOS store on Tuesday, but it was unclear whether there were any comparable security issues with the app for Apple users.

With the help of Google Play Services, Google Play Protect scans Android-based gadgets for possibly harmful apps and works to stop the downloading of malicious apps.

A Pinduoduo spokesperson told Reuters in an email that “Google Play has informed us this morning that Pinduoduo App has been temporarily suspended as the current version is not compliant with Google’s Policy, but has not shared more details.”

According to Pinduoduo, there are a number of additional apps that Google Play has temporarily suspended. He added that there are numerous causes for this.

Pinduoduo, which is primarily used in China, has been suspended amid heightened tensions between the United States and China over Chinese-owned apps like TikTok, which some American lawmakers claim pose a danger to national security.

According to their claims, these applications could be utilized to surveil American users. TikTok is at an impasse as legislators appear nearer than ever to taking the historic step of completely blocking the app.

The U.S. app’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, may be compelled to sell it to another business under duress from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), which examines transactions that might have an impact on national security.

The RESTRICT Act, a bipartisan legislation introduced in the Senate this month, empowers the US Commerce Secretary to impose sanctions against foreign technology firms and urges the intelligence community to make risk assessment information publicly available.

Also Read: Amazon to Cut 9,000 More Jobs, Deepening Biggest Pullback Ever

On Tuesday, shares of PDD Holdings decreased 1.8% in premarket trading. The development coincides with U.S. government efforts to strengthen its cyber security measures in response to a constant rise in hacking and other cybercrimes targeting the nation. China and Russia were cited as the two biggest threats to the USA in the government’s newly released cybersecurity strategy.