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How to switch on the awesome new Gmail interface

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gmail redesign
Gmail's new super-clean interface is ready for duty.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Gmail’s sweet new interface is rolling out to users. It offers the familiar simple text-based interface from the Gmail you all know and “love,” but it manages to be both less messy, and more useful. If you want to take it for a spin, then switching it on is easy.

Google Inbox will get iPhone X support ‘soon’

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Google Inbox iPhone
We don't need two Gmail clients anymore.
Photo: Google

Google Inbox will finally be optimized for iPhone X “soon,” according to a new report.

Google has been working hard to update its most important iOS apps for Apple’s flagship smartphone since it made its debut last November — but Inbox, its nicest Gmail client, has somehow been neglected. Now that Gmail’s big redesign is out of the way, that’s set to change.

Google brings new Tasks app to iPhone and iPad

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Google Tasks iOS
Google Tasks for iOS can help you get stuff done.
Photo: Google

Google has finally decided that Tasks deserves a dedicated app on mobile.

Available now on iPhone and iPad, Tasks boasts a clean and simple interface with all the features you’ll need to stay productive. It also works closely alongside Google Calendar and Gmail to make managing your most important projects as easy as possible.

Google becomes latest company following Apple’s lead on pistol emoji

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Gun emoji from several companies
Phone and software companies are moving away from a realistic gun emoji to a harmless one.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Google today joined the movement replacing the gun emoji with a water pistol. A number of other companies already made the same move amid a growing awareness of gun violence.  

Apple started this trend several years ago when it exchanged the pistol emoji for a harmless pool toy in iOS 10.

Google Chrome silences all those annoying autoplaying videos

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Google Chrome
No one likes autoplaying videos on the web.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Google has done us all a favor by asking Chrome to block autoplaying videos with sound. No longer will our ears be sodomized unexpectedly by obnoxious ads that we’ll never look at. There are some caveats, however.

Chrome adds Windows Defender to protect your Mac

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Windows Defender Google Chrome
Windows Defender is now available inside Google Chrome.
Photo: Microsoft

Windows Defender, which protects Windows 10 PCs from malware, can now keep your Mac safe from inside Google Chrome.

Microsoft has turned its antivirus app into a Chrome extension that promises to detect phishing links in your emails and dodgy sites that distribute malicious software. It’s 99 percent effective, according to Microsoft, which makes Windows Defender better than rival browser protections.

Apple doubles down on AI in Seattle

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Siri
Siri needs all the AI talent it can get.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple’s is slowly invading the home turf of some of its biggest rivals in Seattle.

The iPhone-maker has reportedly secured more office space in one of the biggest skyscrapers in Seattle, where Amazon, Microsft and Facebook all fight for top tech talent.

Google ‘borrows’ from iPhone X for Android P design

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iPhone X Notch
How's battery life on your iPhone with iOS 11.4?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

New screenshots reveal Google took inspiration from iPhone X when designing its upcoming Android P update.

The operating system’s refreshed user interface features a multitasking interface that looks like it was pulled straight from iOS — as well as a familiar virtual Home button.

Gmail’s new ‘Confidential Mode’ locks down sensitive messages

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Gmail-confidential-mode
Gmail’s new Confidential Mode in action.
Photo: The Verge

Gmail is getting a gorgeous redesign on the web, which will include a bunch of awesome new features. One of those is a “Confidential Mode” for sensitive messages, which prevents them from being forwarded, downloaded, printed, and more.

HomePod inventories pile up after early demand dies quickly

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Apple HomePod volume controls
HomePod sales are already suffering.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple has been forced to cut HomePod orders as inventories continue to build up in its retail stores, according to a new report.

The $349 speaker enjoyed a promising start when it made its debut in February, but demand has fallen quickly as smart speaker shoppers turn to more affordable options from the likes of Amazon.

How Facebook data scandal could boost Apple

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Facebook employees
Facebook is one of many tech giants that builds is business on user data.
Photo: Facebook

Thanks to the Cambridge Analytica scandal, a backlash is brewing against the way tech giants like Facebook monetize data. This could result in government regulation, which has the potential to upend the business models of some of the world’s biggest companies.

Luckily, Apple is practically immune. Here’s why 2018’s biggest tech scandal could actually help the world’s biggest tech company.

Google’s first Chrome OS tablet arrives day before new iPad

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Chrome OS tablet
Acer’s 9.7-inch Chrome OS tablet is designed for students.
Photo: Acer

The first ever tablet to run Google’s Chrome OS has finally arrived.

Acer revealed its new Chromebook Tab 10 which is aiming to take a big slice of the education market. Chrome OS laptops have already had a lot of success in schools, but Apple is planning to launch its own cheap tablet for schools tomorrow. And it will undoubtedly steal the Chromebook Tab 10’s thunder.

Self-driving car kills pedestrian for first time

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Uber - Entry #80 by sankalp - India
Uber’s autonomous car program just recorded its first fatality.
Photo: Uber

Uber’s self driving car program in Arizona has suffered a fatal setback after one of its autonomous vehicles hit and killed a female pedestrian.

The woman was crossing the street in Tempe around 10pm last night but wasn’t using a cross walk when the accident occurred.

Your Google apps might snitch if you’re near a crime scene

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Google Maps Feb 18 update
Google location data is being used by investigators, apparently.
Photo: Google

If you find yourself within the immediate radius of a crime that’s committed, you could find your personal data seized by police, with a helping hand from Google.

That’s the takeaway from a recent report about how Raleigh police have presented Google with broad search warrants, requesting user data from all mobile devices with a certain vicinity of particular crimes. In one case, Google was reportedly asked for unique data for all homes and businesses within a 17-acre area of a gun-related incident.

Google Lens lets iPhones identify books, flowers, more

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Google Lens in action
Google Lens can pull the contact information out of a business card.
Photo: Google

The image-identification technology in Google Photos is now in the iOS version of this software. Google Lens can find objects and text in pictures and then provide more information. For example, by examining a photo of a business card, the artificial intelligence can pull out all the contact information.

France is suing Apple and Google for ‘abusive’ deal with developers

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Coronavirus could have a surprisingly positive impact on App Store revenue
France isn't happy about how Apple treats developers.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The French government plans to take both Apple and Google to court for what French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire classes as “abusive trade practices.”

This relates to the way that both companies reportedly treat startups and developers. In particular, Le Maire singles out the way that Apple and Google unilaterally impose prices and contractual terms on software devs.

Navigate the world as Mario in Google Maps

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Super Mario Google Maps
Celebrate Mario Day in Google Maps.
Photo: Google

You can navigate the world as Mario for a limited time inside Google Maps.

The awesome new feature, added to celebrate Mario Day on March 10, shows you driving along in Mario’s red kart — complete with familiar sound effects.

Google Chrome is making passwords simpler to download

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Google Chrome password download
Importing to a password manager will be easy.
Photo: Francois Beaufort

Google is making it easier to download all your saved passwords from Chrome. It has long offered the ability to export the data, but the process has been complicated and cumbersome. That’s going to change “soon” with a new export system.

Google Street View does Disneyland

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Google Street View
See the Magic Kingdom on Google Street View.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Google Street View now offers panoramic views from nearly a dozen Disney theme parks, giving users a glimpse inside.

These join thousands of other immersive images from attractions around the world already in the app.

Google is using AI to make your Drive files easier to find

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Google Drive AI
Google Drive gets an AI upgrade.
Photo: Google

Google is using artificial intelligence to make it easier for you to find the files you need inside Google Drive. Its next update will add an interface that predicts the people and files you’re most likely to want and makes them more visible, speeding up your workflow.

Google iOS app adds features Apple fans will love

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The Google iOS app adds drag-and-drop.
The Google app adds drag-and-drop.
Photo: Google

The Google iOS app just added an iMessage extension that lets users conduct searches without leaving Apple’s chat app. Google also added a couple other features that should make life easier for Apple fans: a Safari plugin that serves up related content, and iPad drag-and-drop support.

Cops will use decoy buses in hunt for Apple shuttle shooter

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Apple bus shooting
20 incidents have been reported since January.
Photo: California Highway Patrol

California cops will use decoy buses and undercover officers to try and catch the person who keeps shooting at Apple employee shuttles.

Google shuttle buses have also been targeted by pellet guns, and at least 20 incidents have been reported since January of this year. The FBI has been called in to help with the investigation.

Google just crippled image search, and people are angry

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Google image search
"View image" is gone.
Photo: Google

Google just made two big changes to image search, and you’re not going to like either of them.

In addition to killing off the “view image” button, the company has removed the ability to “search by image.”

The heartbreaking changes come after a complaint from Getty Images, which wants Google to make it harder for people to steal its photos.

Google Maps for iOS just made your commute easier

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Google Maps Feb 18 update
You can now gain one-tap access to useful commute info.
Photo: Google

Google today rolled out a new Maps update for iOS that makes accessing commute information easier than ever.

A new one-tap access bar at the bottom of the app lets you quickly view nearby restaurants and hotels, real-time traffic data, and transit information.