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Google makes it way easier to delete your search history

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With just a couple of taps you can erase your Google search history.
With just a couple of taps, you can erase everything Google has stored about your search history.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Your iPhone does everything it can to protect your privacy, but using Google’s services punches a gaping hole in that protection. Google took a small step toward increasing user privacy by making it much easier to delete your search history.

Google doesn’t just save the terms your looked for, but also the pages you visited as part of the search. Both collections can be erased.

Google pays $9 billion to stay the default iPhone search engine

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A group called Google You Owe Us wants $1000 each after Google invaded their privacy
The amount Google pays Apple to remain the default search engine in Safari might be higher than you expect.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Google is the default iPhone search engine in the Safari web browser, but not because Apple thinks it’s the best option. No, Google will pay $9 billion this year for the privilege, according to an analyst’s estimate.

And the amount could be much higher next year.

Google search just upped its lyrical game

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It's as easy as that!
Screenshot: Cult of Mac

Sometimes you don’t need to click on Google links to get the information you’re looking for; it’s just presented to you instantly right inside your search results. Now the same can finally be said for song lyrics — if you live in the U.S.

Google records your voice searches — and you can hear them all

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Ok Google is listening... and recording. Photo: Google
Ok Google is listening… and recording. Photo: Google

Google is incredibly accurate at understanding voice searches, which makes it super useful on mobile when you might want to find information without using your hands. But did you know that the company records every single voice search you make?

What’s more, you can listen back to each and every one.

iOS Easter egg lets you go thermonuclear on Google’s logo

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googleiOSsearcheasteregg

Google Search for iOS has got a new Easter that allows Android-hatin’ fanboys – or anyone else who just likes destroying things – to tear apart the GOOG’s childish logo, one letter at a time.

To find the Google Search easter egg just open the app to the main search screen and you’ll be able to drag, flick and drop letters from the Google logo anywhere on the screen. Titling right and left makes the letters float or fall based on your tilt, and if you want to restore order, each letter can be put back in its proper place.

If your app still has the Nelson Mandela logo you’ll have to wait for an update, but in the meantime, checkout the easter egg in action in the quick video below:

Apple distances itself from Google even more in iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite

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The new Spotlight search in Yosemite (photo: Roberto Baldwin/ The Next Web)
The new Spotlight search in Yosemite (photo: Roberto Baldwin/ The Next Web)

Apple and Google aren’t the good friends they used to be thanks to the rise of Android as the iPhone’s main competitor. Ever since Apple axed Google Maps in iOS 6, it has been clear that Google’s days in Apple’s software are numbered.

The hardest Google service for Apple to replace is undoubtedly search. Siri is slowly becoming its own search engine of sorts that draws from multiple services like Wolfram Alpha and Wikipedia, but Google has remained the standard for traditional web search.

In iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite, Google is still set as Safari’s default search engine. But with the introduction of more search partners in Apple’s new software, it’s hard to believe that Google search will enjoy its prominence for much longer.

Google Search Update Guns For Siri With Voice Commands, More

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googlenow

We’re not sure why Google just doesn’t change the name of their Google Search app for iOS, as it does pretty much everything Google Now does on Android, but this new update is pretty fantastic, whatever you want to call it.

Google Search is “now” updated to version 3.1.0, with a whole new set of features, including Notifications, Reminders, new Cards, and a Siri-like Handsfree voice. This last bit lets you command your iPhone to do stuff with the phrase, “OK Google.”

How cool is that?

Google Brings New Voice Search Features To Chrome

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Google-voice-search

Google has brought the new voice search features announced at Google I/O last week to its Google Chrome web browser for desktops. The latest version of the app (version 27) puts a little microphone icon alongside the search bar on Google.com which lets you find the things you’re looking for without touching your keyboard.

Is Google Now Heading To The Mac?

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Google has begun integrating its notification center into Chromium for Mac, paving the way for Google Now for OS X. The Chrome OS feature was first ported to Chromium and then Chrome Canary for Windows back in March, but this is the first time it has been spotted on Mac.