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If you've been holding out for Google's top-end Pixelbook Go, then here's some good news: it's now available to order. The Pixelbook Go comes in a number of configurations that have been available for a little while now, but the most powerful configuration is just launching today. Keep in mind that you'll be dropping a significant amount of cash to own one, as the Pixelbook Go tops out at $1,399.

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Google Podcasts, the company's lackluster audio app, has added another feature that brings it closer to competing with the market's existing dominant products. Users have recently noticed the arrival of a new 'Recommended' tab that shows users personalized content recommendations based on their past listening habits. Users can directly access and play specific episode recommendations from this new tab.

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Live voice translation was activated for your phone today via Google's own Google Assistant in Interpreter Mode. This system was first revealed in its current form back in January of 2019, where it appeared prepared for Google Home speakers and Smart Displays. This is what Google calls their "real-time translation feature" for Google Assistant, new in this iteration, but a long-time-percolating in the Google apps ecosystem.

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Google is bolstering Android Messages with two important features today. The first is Verified SMS, which will help you make sure that text messages you're receiving from certain companies are legitimate. The second feature is spam protection, which will warn users of suspected spam and potentially keep them safe from phishing attempts.

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System updates are unavoidable in all operating systems and almost all of those require some downtime while updates are installed and the system is reconfigured properly. We are still far from the almost completely seamless and non-disruptive goal of software updates but Google has been taking steps to at least minimize the disruption updates cause. A new upcoming feature might not exactly speed things up but will make it look that way by immediately continuing the update after the phone reboots.

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YouTube has announced a crackdown targeting harassment on its platform, building upon its existing policies related to problematic videos. Though the company already has policies related to removing content that violated its guidelines, it has announced new changes and policies that broaden the way it deals with harassment. As well, the company is rolling out a new system that squashes toxic comments as they arrive.

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Insider sources report that the Samsung Galaxy S11 is scheduled for a February event and a March release date in 2020. This is a very similar date range to previous years, where Samsung set the release of their Galaxy S11 in the early Spring, then the release of the Galaxy Note in the Fall. The wrench that may mix this schedule up a bit is the Galaxy Fold, a new sort of device that's not yet established an ideal spot in the year for release amongst the other biggest names in mobile hardware.

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The sun is quickly setting on 2019, and as it does every year, Google has shared the most popular searches for multiple categories over the past 12 months. The theme Google seems to be assigning to 2019 as a whole seems to "Heroes," and it shouldn't really be difficult to figure out why. After all, 2019 was a year that saw a lot of big superhero movies released.

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It wasn't too long ago that Google announced the availability of browsing and buying games from a website rather than just an Android phone. And as with any website, Stadia's web storefront is a tempting place to look for hidden treasures. That may indeed be the case and, in addition to the kind of lists that will let players browse games according to their interests and preferences, the website also reveals unconfirmed future features that will put the game streaming service on the same footing as almost all gaming platforms.

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Google has detailed the changes and new features that have arrived in its Chrome web browser. Most notable among the changes is a new feature that warns users when their passwords have been stolen, helping protect them from identity theft and other issues that can result from compromised credentials. In addition, Google is making it easier to see whose profile is signed in at any given moment and more.

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Today Google revealed Android 10 on Android TV, a system that'll bring Android TV up to speed with the rest of the Android universe. This update will bring Android API level 29, which in turn will bring on what Google described as "recent performance and security updates made with Android 10." Oh, they've got a brand new Android TV device too, called ADT-3 (don't call it a Nexus!)

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Huawei's troubles with the US government has indirectly resulted in Google's role in the Android ecosystem being put under a microscope. More than just being the main developer of the platform itself, its Google Play Store has become an indispensable part of the Android experience, despite being proprietary and requiring certification that may be blocked by the US government. Google has just released a report on "how" Google Play works and what it has done for the platform, which is also its indirect way of showing how important it is to Android phones.

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