It's been a long time coming, but Google Talk is now officially dead. Though Google has been in the process of phasing out Google Talk for years now, it wasn't until March that it actually gave us an end date for the long-running chat service. It may be sad to hear it, but the users who have hung on throughout the years will no longer be able to use Google Talk in any capacity from here on out.
It's not really a secret that Google built its massive wealth on advertising, but the measures it takes to deliver relevant ads to users haven't always gone over well. One particular data collection method that Google has used involves Gmail - up until now, Google has scanned user Gmail accounts to help it build profiles on those users. Those profiles, in turn, allow Google to deliver relevant ads that are more likely to draw in clicks.
It was just a few weeks ago that Google was on the receiving end of a fairly big phishing scam, one that targeted Google Docs users with real-looking emails. The scam was only live for a short while before Google squashed it, but the risk remains and anyone can fall victim. Here to help protect its users is Google and its security updates to Gmail. Among other things, the company is utilizing machine learning to help detect phishing attempts and, ultimately, keep users safe.
Phones have long offered preset text replies for those times you're too busy to peck out a response: something like "I'm busy, I'll call you later" or "I'm driving." Back in late 2015, Google followed that lead by introducing a Smart Reply feature in Inbox, something that offers three suggested replies based on the contents of the email the user receives. If you're too busy to type a response, selecting a Smart Reply saves precious seconds in your day. Now, Google announced today, that feature has arrived in Gmail for Android and iOS.
The folks at Unroll.Me are in hot water for selling user data to Uber this week - but as they are, I'm reminded to do a check. "Check yourself before your data gets sold to Uber" - that's as good credo for the modern digital person. While it does not appear that Unroll.Me really sold any personal data to Uber, the angry mob has spoken. If you're going to sell user data to 3rd-party companies, you need to make that clear in the user agreement nobody reads anyway!
Microsoft has gradually been updating the default mail and calendar apps in Windows 10, turning them into viable alternatives for users who prefer desktop clients to those on the web. This includes the most recent update from February, which introduced the Focused Inbox feature, automatically detecting important emails and presenting them first. Now Microsoft has announced that it's allowing users with Google and Gmail accounts to take advantage of these new features.
Google's extensive lineup of chat and messaging apps is getting shuffled once again: the company has announced it will be shutting down the Google Talk service and officially replacing it with the existing Hangouts. Talk, also known by many users as "Gchat," is the quick and simple messaging tool that has lived within Gmail since 2005. While most Google users have already migrated to Hangouts, the remaining Talk holdouts now have only a few weeks to make the switch.
Google has announced what it calls a ‘quality of life improvement’ for Gmail on desktop, one that enables users to view the contents of a video attachment without actually downloading the video itself. This is made possible using the same infrastructure behind Google Drive, YouTube, and some other products, according to Google. The feature is rolling out now.
The folks responsible for developing Gmail have teamed up with the folks behind Google Wallet to put money in email. Transferring money from one person to the other takes place within the Gmail app or in Gmail on the web. Users can send money or claim money. The best bit about this update is the lack of need for a separate app from the receiving end of the transaction.
Attaching files directly to emails is generally the fastest way to share them, assuming you're not using a messaging app. Those files generally have to be small in size, though, due to maximum file size limits of various services, requiring everything larger to be shared via a service like Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive. That has changed, to a certain extent, with Gmail.
Beginning next month, Gmail is going to be much safer to use. That's because Google is going to start blocking Javascript attachments from Gmail messages, potentially shutting down a major security risk. This isn't the first time Gmail has blocked certain types of attachments, and Javascript will be joining other types like .exe, .msc, and .bat files.
A simple but astonishingly effective Gmail scam continues to compromise even adept internet users, with phishers taking advantage of how browsers present URLs to steal emails and other information. The exploit presents users with what looks like a regular login page but, rather than being hosted by Google, is in fact running on a different server waiting to steal account details. What sets it apart in phishing terms is how well that server is hidden.
