Search

Google might be the most popular search engine in the world but it is hardly the only one. There are several of those around, some trying to survive in their local markets against the might of Google's resources. In Europe, the tech giant was legally forced to present Android users with a Choice Screen, letting them select the browser and search app of their choice. That choice didn't come without cost for those search engines, however, but now Google is removing the hurdle that forced those search engines to pay to be even on that Choice Screen list.

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Today we're taking a peek at what Google revealed on day 1 of Google I/O 2021. This is generally the day when Google reveals the bulk of their public-facing news for devices and software, and this year was no different in that respect. Google reminded the world that their heart is in organizing the world's information and making said data valuable to all users, starting with a conversation with a paper airplane.

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Search, next to or in conjunction with ads, is the bread and butter of Google's business. The more people use it and stay within Search for any and all their needs, the better it is for Google. Of course, that implies that Google makes Search an indispensable tool for any and all Internet needs and that is exactly what it is saying in its I/O 2021 update, powered by AI and AR, of course.

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This week Google announced their Google Translate app was being used 4x as much as last year. They suggested that their latest advances in automatic understanding of images in Google Photos allowed over 2-billion "Memories" to be viewed and enjoyed. Google Lens is being used 3-billion times a month. Basically, Google is pumped up about how their tech is being used to translate and interpret information all the time.

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Google is axing its Google Shopping app, with the iOS and Android app expected to disappear within the next few weeks. Intended as a way for Google to serve up retail-specific results - and squeeze some extra advertising revenue from retailers, of course - the Google Shopping app had increasingly been looking pointless given there's a Shopping tab in search results these days.

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Google has always been about search. And ads, of course. There was even a point in time when it almost seemed like Google wants everything on Android to be search-based too. Not only would Android, or the Google Search app to be exact, be able to take a peek into apps, it would even display the information and, if necessary, controls right within the search results. That, however, has been an exclusive feature of the Pixel launcher and the Google Search home screen widget but Android 12 might finally share that capability with third-party launchers.

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The Internet makes it almost too easy to find answers to questions. Google Search definitely has a huge responsibility in that regard, bringing information right under your fingertips, almost literally. That may be fine for some types of information that don't change, like facts and trivia, but the news doesn't exist in a vacuum. In order to give knowledge seekers a better and more correct perspective, Google is finally pushing its Full Coverage feature from Google News to Google Search to let you get an overview of a topic going back months even.

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Brave, best known for its privacy-minded browser, is getting into the search engine business with the launch of Brave Search. The new Google and Bing alternative is based on Tailcat, and existing privacy search technology Brave recently acquired, and aims to distinguish itself in several ways from the search mainstream.

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At some point, everyone has searched Google looking for information on a subject. Typically, search results bring up results from major retailer websites, national newspapers, and others that are well known. Search results also tend to bring up information from other available sites that may be new to users conducting the search. Google says that users can use the search engine itself for additional research about those unknown websites.

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It is Huawei's big day and, as expected, it announced a slew of products to show the world it can still make it big. More than just hardware, however, the company also announced apps and services that practically boast of its independence from companies that it will no longer be able to do business with as per the US' rules. It remains to be seen, however, if Petal Search, Petal Maps, and Huawei Docs will be able to gather enough traction both from users and partners to stay in service for long.

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It has finally happened. After repeatedly being investigated again and again over alleged anticompetitive business practices, Google was finally hit with a formal antitrust lawsuit by the US Justice Department, specifically over what is being described as an unfair monopolistic advantage in the Internet search market. Of course, Google didn't simply take the charges sitting down, given how high-profile and potentially disruptive it could be, and has now published a point-by-point rebuttal over what it calls a deeply flawed lawsuit.

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Today's consoles are no longer just dedicated gaming appliances. They have also become entertainment centers and, in some cases, computers in their own right. That's especially true with the Xbox, which shares a common DNA with Windows because of their Microsoft heritage. The ties between the two just got a bit closer with Xbox gaining a Microsoft Bing, formerly just Bing, app, which also brings with it Microsoft's Rewards program just for doing searches.

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