Search

Google Search has become an almost indispensable tool in today's age, much to the chagrin of privacy-conscious Internet users. The way it has been indexing and presenting information on the Web has made it learn anything and everything, sometimes even without having to go to the associated website or service. Videos, however, are not as easy to deal with, which is why Google is presenting a compromise that helps surfers first check if they got the right one before jumping directly at that point in time in the video itself.

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Over the years, Google has been improving search results to give users less reason to navigate away from Google just to find simple answers to their questions. Those range from snippets presented in answer boxes to even video clip previews. On Android, it may even present more information or more controls that remove the need to switch an app. Now Google is doing the same for podcasts by letting users not only search for relevant podcasts but even start listening to them right then and there within the search results page.

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Android users in Europe will get to pick their search engine of choice, as Google complies with the antitrust ruling from the European Commission, though in doing so the company will be lining its own pockets. Google was found guilty last year of creating a monopoly situation in Europe, insisting that Android smartphones have the Chrome browser pre-installed, and its own search engine set as the default.

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After spending just a few minutes with Valve's new Interactive Recommender for Steam, I can already see the massive improvement. I've been using app stores and game stores since before they were digital, and I've never experienced such a smooth process. This is a positive, well-planned, thoughtful, non-intrusive way to use machine learning, and I'm glad it was a gaming company that had to be the first to make it happen.

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As the entity with the biggest influence on what we discover on the Internet, Google is seen both as custodian and also censor of the Wide Wild Web. The latter is an especially thorny subject when it comes to political topics, with the search giant accused of favoring either left or right wing agendas. One of the latest controversies involves images of former US President Bill Clinton and Jeffrey Epstein that certain parties claim have been removed by Google from its search results. The truth, however, might be too simple to be believed.

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Once the bane of the Web and proper web design, GIFs, specifically animated GIFs, have not only returned but also became the Internet’s darling. These short, looping animated clips are often used to comically express sentiments and reactions in ways emojis and even stickers could not. Unless you keep a library of such GIFs categorized by emotion or reaction, searching for the right one can be a hassle. Fortunately, Google Image Search is coming to the rescue.

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Google Search is getting a makeover, with results set to add recognizable brands and more in order to make finding your answer even quicker. The update will be showing up in mobile results first, Google says, though it coincidentally arrives in the midst of an indexing glitch that has left the search giant ignoring new content.

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Back in March, we caught wind of a small-scale Google test that surfaced individual podcast episodes in Search results. Today, that Google Podcasts functionality is rolling out to Search on both desktop and iOS. This, importantly, is a way for iOS users to tap into Google Podcasts, as the company still hasn't launched the official app for that particular platform.

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Facebook, and more recently Amazon, may be at the center of most privacy-related reports these days but there was a time not too long ago when it was Google who was always on the hot seat. Reports, regulations, and sanctions have made Google change much of its processes, at least the public ones, and is slowly turning its image around. At I/O 2019, the pervading theme, more than AI and technology, is privacy. It's not that Google is no longer interested in your data. It's just making it a lot easier for users to opt out. If they remember or know how to, that is.

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Once upon a time, home screen widget and replacements were all the rage on Android. These days, most Android users have settled on just a few app launchers and even fewer widgets, many of which seem to settle for being a "better Pixel launcher". There are a few that do try to build an identity and brand of their own, which is exactly what the latest version of Action Launcher is trying to achieve. But, in doing so, it may ironically come off as trying to out-Google Google instead.

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While it remains mostly unchallenged in the US, Google has been facing tough opposition in Europe. It has fought and lost not a few legal battles with the European Commission, forcing it to change many of its practices and business strategies just for that region. Those changes aren't done yet and the latest might be more of a nuisance rather than an inconvenience. Without going into much detail, Google says that Android users in Europe will be asked which browse and search app they'd like to use, even if the majority of them will probably answer "Google" anyway.

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Google remembers everything, especially if you’re logged into your Google account. But while it conveniently keeps track of your searches, it does so in a very “flat” way, simply a list of past queries. Sometimes, however, you may want to continue searching for a topic without having to start from scratch all over again or wasting time on sites and queries you’ve already seen. That’s where Search’s new activity cards come in, letting you quickly go back to the past and take off from there.

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