Google Products & Services: Discussions

[Nairrk]

Google Messages might soon get a WhatsApp-like edit sent messages feature

Google Messages, a popular messaging app that lets you send and receive images, videos and text messages might soon be getting a new WhatsApp-like ‘Edit’ feature. According to code spotted by TheSPAndroid in a beta version of the app, the app may soon let users edit sent messages.

It looks like the tech giant recently added four new flags to the app labelled ‘bugle.enable_edit_ui’, ‘bugle.load_edit_history’, ‘bugle.process_outgoing_edits’ and ‘bugle.process_incoming_edits’, but they seem to be placeholders since enabling them at the moment reportedly doesn’t do anything.

While message editing is not a part of the RCS standard by default, the Mountain View-based tech giant has previously added some features like end-to-end encryption in the past, so it won’t come as a surprise if Google lets you edit messages sent in the future. Currently, the ability to edit sent messages seems to be a work in progress and there is no information on when it will be available.
Also Read | Google Messages: How to schedule text messages on your phone

Moreover, it is still unclear if messages sent using Google Messages will have a time limit, as is the case with both iMessage and WhatsApp, which let you edit messages two minutes and fifteen minutes after you hit the send button.

Also, it is still not known if the receiver will be able to see edit history. Both iMessage and WhatsApp also let you delete sent messages, but there is no indication that Google is working on a similar feature.

In the last few months, Google Messages introduced several new features like Photomoji, which lets you transform any image into stickers and reaction emojis. The tech giant was also reportedly working on bringing satellite-based text messaging to its in-house app using Garmin’s emergency SOS via satellite service.

Indian Express

 

[Nairrk]

Google Maps gets new ‘Fuel Efficient Route’ feature

Google Maps is the de-facto navigation app for most people and it continues to evolve and add new features to make the app more enjoyable and user-friendly. Now, the search engine has introduced a new update to help commuters save more fuel. This latest feature is currently available across select countries and it is soon expected to be launched for Indian users too. It will help commuters pick alternative eco-friendly routes to help lower their car's fuel/energy usage and CO2 emissions.

This feature is called eco-friendly routing and it works by showing fuel or energy-efficiency estimates on some routes based on the vehicle's engine type. Once this feature is turned on, Google Maps will show the fastest route, along with the most energy-efficient one, even if they aren't the same. However, if you choose to disable this feature, Google Maps will only recommend the fastest route, ignoring the fuel/energy-efficient option.

"The Google Maps app shows fuel or energy-efficiency estimates on some routes based on your vehicle's engine type. The more fuel or energy-efficient the route, the lower your car's fuel/energy usage and CO2 emissions," a press note read.

Google explained that fuel-efficient routing uses artificial intelligence (AI) to suggest routes that have fewer hills, less traffic and constant speeds with the same or similar ETA. In India, the new update will also include fuel-efficient routes for two-wheelers in a bid to help even more people travel more sustainably.

How to activate fuel-efficient routes
Activating this latest feature is easy. If the update is available at the location of the user, one has to open the Google Maps app, tap on the profile picture or initial, go to settings, and tap on Navigation settings. Then scroll to 'Route options', tap "Prefer fuel-efficient routes" to turn on eco-friendly routing. Then select your engine type, tap 'Engine Type' and choose accordingly.

If you have a vehicle that has an internal combustion engine, choose between gas (petrol) or diesel. If you have a hybrid car, choose hybrid, or if you have an electric vehicle, choose electric. If you skip this step, the app will pick petrol as the default engine and offer alternative fuel-efficient routes.

"The most fuel-efficient route suggestion could be different based on the engine type. For example, diesel vehicles' relative fuel economy advantage is generally greatest in highway driving. Hybrid and electric vehicles tend to provide progressively greater efficiency in stop-and-go city driving and hilly driving environments where they can extensively use and benefit from regenerative braking," Google explained.

NDTV

 

[Nairrk]

AI continues to supercharge Google Maps for India

Our goal with Google Maps has always been to organize information about the real-world and make it accessible and useful for everyone. And along this journey, AI has supercharged the way we map for nearly a decade, enabling us to build a comprehensive, up-to-date, and helpful map that's at the foundation of everything we do.

In India, it's allowed us to map millions of kilometers of urban and rural roads and more than 300 million buildings. This is serving millions of users on a daily basis, on average surfacing over 50 million searches across multiple languages, and powering over 2.5 billion kms of directions every single day on Google Maps in India. Our AI technology has made commute decisions more seamless, helping people choose the most time-efficient route with traffic predictions.

Read more..

 

[Nairrk]

Chrome will now automatically run Safety Check on desktop for more security

• Google announced updates to Chrome's Safety Check feature, automatically running in the background to detect security vulnerabilities and notify users quickly.
• Memory Saver feature in Chrome gets enhancements, giving users more control over which tabs should be closed or remain open to preserve battery life.
• Users will soon have the option to save tab groups on desktop and access them on different devices for a seamless browsing experience.

Google is continuously working on new updates to improve the UI in Chrome, but not everything is about customization and design. Security updates and features are commonly developed by Google to protect Chrome users from constantly evolving vulnerabilities. Now, the company has announced a slew of new performance and safety changes, specifically to do just that.

Google has announced that Safety Check, its security and privacy measure for Chrome, is receiving updates to bolster protection for desktop users. Rather than needing to deploy the feature — which detects security vulnerabilities and protects against third-party attacks — Chrome will automatically run Safety Check in the background while using the browser on desktop. This means that if one of your passwords is compromised, for example, you’ll be notified more quickly. Site permissions will also be revoked if Chrome recognizes that you have not visited the website for an extended period of time.

If you’ve already started using Chrome’s Memory Saver feature, you’ll soon notice new enhancements as well. Introduced in 2022, Memory Saver is a relatively new feature created to free up memory on your computer while you’re browsing in Chrome. It works by discarding inactive tabs, helping to preserve your device’s battery if you happen to be unplugged. Now, Google is giving Chrome users more control over which tabs should be closed or remain open when Memory Saver is enabled.

On a smaller (but still significant) note, the company has revealed a new feature designed to create a more seamless browsing experience. Over the next few weeks, Chrome users will see a new option that allows them to save tab groups on desktop. By doing so, they will be able to access them on a different device, picking up where they left off.

Many of these changes will undoubtedly enhance the Chrome user experience, even if they aren’t immediately as noticeable as customization features. That being said, Google is still facing stiff competition from other browser developers that are keeping pace with users’ ever-changing needs. For example, Mozilla already rolled out advanced security measures for its browser earlier in 2023 in the form of Firefox Relay. Relay, which is automatically integrated into Firefox, helps users shield their email addresses and other personal information while browsing the web. In turn, they can not only reduce the risk of data exposure, but cut down on the information being used for marketing purposes.

Google continues to push the narrative that security and performance are some of its top priorities. Its hesitancy to stop supporting third-party cookies, for instance, seems to suggest otherwise. With the abundance of alternative browser options, it might be worth considering just how comfortable you are with using Chrome — even as performance enhancements and personalization features are touted by the tech giant.

Androidpolice