Huawei drove into its post-Google era Thursday with a flagship smartphone that uses none of the Android maker's apps now that the Chinese group has been blacklisted by US authorities.

The new P40 might not be the first Google-free phone launched by Huawei, it is the first top-line phone meant to seduce early adopters and show off its technological prowess.

The United States has expressed concern that Huawei mobile phone network equipment could contain security loopholes that allow China to spy on global communications traffic, and while the company has denied the accusation, it has been effectively barred from working with US companies.

For smartphones, that means Huawei has had to forgo Google's Android operating system and the plethora of apps available to run on it.

Huawei, which was the world's second-largest smartphone maker last year behind Samsung with a 17 per cent market share, now faces the challenge of creating an alternative that is sufficiently attractive to lure both app developers and consumers.

According to the presentation broadcast on YouTube, the P40 smartphones sold in France, Germany, and Italy will use a European search engine called Qwant instead of Google.

Huawei is progressively eliminating Google software from its phones after having shipped its first Google-free model last year, but it has not given a date when it expects to complete the switch.

The P40 will be available from April 7 at a price ranging from 799 to 1,399 euros ($880-1,540), depending on the specifications.

Huawei drove into its post-Google era Thursday with a flagship smartphone that uses none of the Android maker's apps now that the Chinese group has been blacklisted by US authorities.

Huawei drove into its post-Google era Thursday with a flagship smartphone that uses none of the Android maker's apps now that the Chinese group has been blacklisted by US authorities. The new P40 might not be the first Google-free phone launched by Huawei, it is the first top-line phone meant to seduce early adopters and show off its technological prowess. The United States has expressed concern that Huawei mobile phone network equipment could contain security loopholes that allow China to spy on global communications traffic, and while the company has denied the accusation, it has been effectively barred from working with US companies. For smartphones, that means Huawei has had to forgo Google's Android operating system and the plethora of apps available to run on it. Huawei, which was the world's second-largest smartphone maker last year behind Samsung with a 17 per cent market share, now faces the challenge of creating an alternative that is sufficiently attractive to lure both app developers and consumers. According to the presentation broadcast on YouTube, the P40 smartphones sold in France, Germany, and Italy will use a European search engine called Qwant instead of Google. Huawei is progressively eliminating Google software from its phones after having shipped its first Google-free model last year, but it has not given a date when it expects to complete the switch. The P40 will be available from April 7 at a price ranging from 799 to 1,399 euros ($880-1,540), depending on the specifications.

Huawei flagship phone goes Google-free

All tech giants including Google, Amazon, Uber, etc. & some other multinational companies as well which asked their employees to work from home amid the spread of 'pandemic' COVID-19.

Tech giants makes 'work from home' mandatory for their employees amid COVID-19 outbreak

Corporate America joined the fight against the spread of coronavirus on Friday, as President Donald Trump and executives announced that Google would offer a website to help people determine whether they needed tests and retailers would set up drive-through testing in parking lots.

Also read:<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/trump-suspends-travel-from-europe-to-us-in-coronavirus-crisis-285714"> Trump suspends travel from Europe to US in coronavirus crisis</a>

Shares of Google parent Alphabet Inc, Walmart Inc, Target Corp and drugstore owner CVS Health Corp all closed up more than 9%, in line with the broad stock market, though Alphabet dropped 2% after hours.

Pressure has been rising on U.S. officials to increase and improve testing for the fast-spreading virus, which has reached almost every U.S. state and infected more than 1,660 people in the country.

Also read:<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/coronavirus-effect-after-macron-trump-does-a-namaste-285974"> Coronavirus effect: After Macron, Trump does a 'Namaste'</a>

"I want to thank Google. Google is helping to develop a website, it's gonna be very quickly done, unlike websites of the past, to determine whether a test is warranted and to facilitate testing at a nearby convenient location," Trump said.

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"Google has 1,700 engineers working on this right now, made tremendous progress."

An administration presentation showed a potential user would be asked several questions on the website and then given a recommendation as to whether they should get a coronavirus test.

Those requiring a test would be referred to a store that can provide assistance, potentially including a drive-through test, according to the administration's presentation. Results would be available online in 24 to 36 hours.

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said the website's launch date would be known by Sunday night.

Verily, a healthcare tech company also owned by Alphabet, said it was leading the effort to develop the web tool, with the help of an undisclosed number of Google employees.

"We are in the early stages of development, and planning to roll testing out in the (San Francisco) Bay Area, with the hope of expanding more broadly over time," Verily spokeswoman Kathleen Parkes said.

About 1,700 Google workers have volunteered to help with coronavirus-related efforts, according to a person familiar with the matter, but it is unclear whether all of them are involved with developing the new website.

Carolyn Wang, another Verily spokeswoman, said it initially aimed to assess testing needs for people more prone to catching the virus, such as healthcare workers. But she said Verily now plans to trial the system more broadly at several sites around the San Francisco region.

Wang added that Verily was "collaborating closely with organizations like Quest Diagnostics and LabCorp who are also working on additional approaches to making testing more accessible and expedient in other areas."

Quest Diagnostics Inc and Laboratory Corp of America Holdings did not respond to after-hours requests for comment.

The Verily spokeswomen did not respond to questions on how data submitted by website visitors would be protected and used.

Leading U.S. retailers will work with the government to assist with drive-through coronavirus testing, the Retail Industry Leaders Association said. Senior leaders of Walmart, Target, Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc and CVS stood with Trump at the announcement.

The tests will be conducted in retail store parking lots and sent to labs to complete testing in partnership with local health departments and diagnostic labs. The testing sites will not be run by the companies.

The cooperation with the Trump administration comes as Alphabet faces several antitrust investigations from state and federal agencies over its search and digital advertising businesses.

Trump has accused Google of skewing its search results to portray him negatively. The company has also attracted the administration's ire for not renewing a contract to provide its artificial intelligence technologies for a military drone program.

"Google cosying up to the government doesn't hurt," said Andre Barlow, an antitrust expert with the law firm Doyle, Barlow and Mazard. "Obviously there are a lot of factors that are weighed in the antitrust investigation, which could go either way."

Trump also is eager to increase testing after efforts were hampered by flawed kits distributed by the federal government in February, which gave some false results.

Corporate America joined the fight against the spread of coronavirus on Friday, as President Donald Trump and executives announced that Google would offer a website to help people determine whether they needed tests and retailers would set up drive-through testing in parking lots.

Corporate America joined the fight against the spread of coronavirus on Friday, as President Donald Trump and executives announced that Google would offer a website to help people determine whether they needed tests and retailers would set up drive-through testing in parking lots. Also read: Trump suspends travel from Europe to US in coronavirus crisis Shares of Google parent Alphabet Inc, Walmart Inc, Target Corp and drugstore owner CVS Health Corp all closed up more than 9%, in line with the broad stock market, though Alphabet dropped 2% after hours. Pressure has been rising on U.S. officials to increase and improve testing for the fast-spreading virus, which has reached almost every U.S. state and infected more than 1,660 people in the country. Also read: Coronavirus effect: After Macron, Trump does a 'Namaste' "I want to thank Google. Google is helping to develop a website, it's gonna be very quickly done, unlike websites of the past, to determine whether a test is warranted and to facilitate testing at a nearby convenient location," Trump said. × "Google has 1,700 engineers working on this right now, made tremendous progress." An administration presentation showed a potential user would be asked several questions on the website and then given a recommendation as to whether they should get a coronavirus test. Those requiring a test would be referred to a store that can provide assistance, potentially including a drive-through test, according to the administration's presentation. Results would be available online in 24 to 36 hours. U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said the website's launch date would be known by Sunday night. Verily, a healthcare tech company also owned by Alphabet, said it was leading the effort to develop the web tool, with the help of an undisclosed number of Google employees. "We are in the early stages of development, and planning to roll testing out in the (San Francisco) Bay Area, with the hope of expanding more broadly over time," Verily spokeswoman Kathleen Parkes said. About 1,700 Google workers have volunteered to help with coronavirus-related efforts, according to a person familiar with the matter, but it is unclear whether all of them are involved with developing the new website. Carolyn Wang, another Verily spokeswoman, said it initially aimed to assess testing needs for people more prone to catching the virus, such as healthcare workers. But she said Verily now plans to trial the system more broadly at several sites around the San Francisco region. Wang added that Verily was "collaborating closely with organizations like Quest Diagnostics and LabCorp who are also working on additional approaches to making testing more accessible and expedient in other areas." Quest Diagnostics Inc and Laboratory Corp of America Holdings did not respond to after-hours requests for comment. The Verily spokeswomen did not respond to questions on how data submitted by website visitors would be protected and used. Leading U.S. retailers will work with the government to assist with drive-through coronavirus testing, the Retail Industry Leaders Association said. Senior leaders of Walmart, Target, Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc and CVS stood with Trump at the announcement. The tests will be conducted in retail store parking lots and sent to labs to complete testing in partnership with local health departments and diagnostic labs. The testing sites will not be run by the companies. The cooperation with the Trump administration comes as Alphabet faces several antitrust investigations from state and federal agencies over its search and digital advertising businesses. Trump has accused Google of skewing its search results to portray him negatively. The company has also attracted the administration's ire for not renewing a contract to provide its artificial intelligence technologies for a military drone program. "Google cosying up to the government doesn't hurt," said Andre Barlow, an antitrust expert with the law firm Doyle, Barlow and Mazard. "Obviously there are a lot of factors that are weighed in the antitrust investigation, which could go either way." Trump also is eager to increase testing after efforts were hampered by flawed kits distributed by the federal government in February, which gave some false results.

Google, Walmart join US effort to speed up coronavirus testing

Google said Wednesday it would invest more than $10 billion in US offices and data centres in 2020, including its new campus planned for New York City and projects in 10 other states.

The pledge comes on top of some $22 billion invested by the US tech giant unit over the past two years.

"These investments will create thousands of jobs -- including roles within Google, construction jobs in data centres and renewable energy facilities, and opportunities in local businesses in surrounding towns and communities," said a blog post by Sundar Pichai, chief executive of Google parent Alphabet.

One of the big projects will be the opening of the Hudson Square campus in New York City, where Google has the capacity to double its workforce by 2028.

Google's investments are spread over all US regions and will include expanded offices in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Cambridge, Massachusetts.

The plans also call for an expanded Google Cloud campus in Seattle, Washington and new locations around San Francisco and Los Angeles.

The money includes a previously announced $1 billion committed to easing the housing crunch in the Bay Area near Google's Silicon Valley headquarters.

Google cited a study by the Progressive Policy Institute which indicated its parent Alphabet was the largest investor in the United States last year.

Alphabet reported a profit in 2019 of $34 billion on $162 billion in revenues and added some 20,000 jobs to bring its total workforce to 118,899 at the end of December.

Pichai said Google, which has a presence in 26 states, will focus the new investments on 11: Colorado, Georgia, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New York, Oklahoma, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington and California.

Google said Wednesday it would invest more than $10 billion in US offices and data centres in 2020, including its new campus planned for New York City and projects in 10 other states.

Google said Wednesday it would invest more than $10 billion in US offices and data centres in 2020, including its new campus planned for New York City and projects in 10 other states. The pledge comes on top of some $22 billion invested by the US tech giant unit over the past two years. "These investments will create thousands of jobs -- including roles within Google, construction jobs in data centres and renewable energy facilities, and opportunities in local businesses in surrounding towns and communities," said a blog post by Sundar Pichai, chief executive of Google parent Alphabet. One of the big projects will be the opening of the Hudson Square campus in New York City, where Google has the capacity to double its workforce by 2028. Google's investments are spread over all US regions and will include expanded offices in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Cambridge, Massachusetts. The plans also call for an expanded Google Cloud campus in Seattle, Washington and new locations around San Francisco and Los Angeles. The money includes a previously announced $1 billion committed to easing the housing crunch in the Bay Area near Google's Silicon Valley headquarters. Google cited a study by the Progressive Policy Institute which indicated its parent Alphabet was the largest investor in the United States last year. Alphabet reported a profit in 2019 of $34 billion on $162 billion in revenues and added some 20,000 jobs to bring its total workforce to 118,899 at the end of December. Pichai said Google, which has a presence in 26 states, will focus the new investments on 11: Colorado, Georgia, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New York, Oklahoma, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington and California.

Google pledges new $10 billion investment in US in 2020

Alphabet Inc-owned Google's $2.1 billion bid for fitness trackers company Fitbit could pose privacy risks, the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) warned on Thursday, adding its voice to other critics of the deal.

Google announced the deal in November last year, as it seeks to compete with Apple and Samsung in the crowded market for fitness trackers and smart watches.

Fitbit, whose fitness trackers and other devices monitor users' daily steps, calories burned and distance travelled, would give the U.S. tech giant access to a trove of health data gathered from Fitbit devices.

Such access is worrying, the EU privacy watchdog said.

"The possible further combination and accumulation of sensitive personal data regarding people in Europe by a major tech company could entail a high level of risk to privacy and data protection," it said.

It urged the companies to assess their data privacy requirements and privacy implications in a transparent way and mitigate possible privacy and data protection risks before seeking EU antitrust approval for the deal.

Google said it would never sell personal information to anyone and that Fitbit health and wellness data would not be used for its ads while Fitbit users would have the option to review or delete their data.

"Protecting peoples' information is core to what we do, and we will continue to work constructively with regulators to answer their questions," the company said in a statement.

European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, who will vet the deal, in November voiced her concerns about big companies targeting data-heavy rivals.

The European Commission on Thursday in an emailed comment said it had yet to be formally notified.

"It is always up to the companies to notify transactions with an EU dimension to the European Commission," it said

Alphabet Inc-owned Google's $2.1 billion bid for fitness trackers company Fitbit could pose privacy risks, the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) warned on Thursday, adding its voice to other critics of the deal.

Alphabet Inc-owned Google's $2.1 billion bid for fitness trackers company Fitbit could pose privacy risks, the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) warned on Thursday, adding its voice to other critics of the deal. Google announced the deal in November last year, as it seeks to compete with Apple and Samsung in the crowded market for fitness trackers and smart watches. Fitbit, whose fitness trackers and other devices monitor users' daily steps, calories burned and distance travelled, would give the U.S. tech giant access to a trove of health data gathered from Fitbit devices. Such access is worrying, the EU privacy watchdog said. "The possible further combination and accumulation of sensitive personal data regarding people in Europe by a major tech company could entail a high level of risk to privacy and data protection," it said. It urged the companies to assess their data privacy requirements and privacy implications in a transparent way and mitigate possible privacy and data protection risks before seeking EU antitrust approval for the deal. Google said it would never sell personal information to anyone and that Fitbit health and wellness data would not be used for its ads while Fitbit users would have the option to review or delete their data. "Protecting peoples' information is core to what we do, and we will continue to work constructively with regulators to answer their questions," the company said in a statement. European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, who will vet the deal, in November voiced her concerns about big companies targeting data-heavy rivals. The European Commission on Thursday in an emailed comment said it had yet to be formally notified. "It is always up to the companies to notify transactions with an EU dimension to the European Commission," it said

EU privacy body warns of privacy risks in Google, Fitbit deal

Google is in discussions on deals to pay media organizations for content, a move aimed at blunting criticism that it unfairly profits from copyrighted news, according to people familiar with the talks.

Negotiations between the internet giant and news outlets were said to be in the early stages, with most of the publishers located in France and other parts of Europe.

Paying for news would diverge from the Alphabet-owned internet titan's practice of freely mining the internet for material it displays in search results.

A licensing deal would likely be welcomed by news organizations that contend Google derives profits from ads alongside their news articles, including "snippets" in search results.

Contacted by AFP Friday, Google indicated it is seeking new ways to help publishers.

"We want to help people find quality journalism -- it's important to informed democracy and helps support a sustainable news industry," Google vice president of news Richard Gingras said in a statement.

"We care deeply about this and are talking with partners and looking at more ways to expand our ongoing work with publishers, building on programs like our Google News Initiative."

The Wall Street Journal reported earlier Friday Google was considering deals for a "premium" news product.

The California tech giant has remained steadfast about not paying for news article links displayed in search results and is not changing that position, people familiar with the matter told AFP.

It has argued that it drives traffic to news websites and thereby helps those publishers get ad revenues.

Google's News Initiative works with publishers to encourage readership and paid subscriptions to their offerings.

Facebook, which has been hit with similar criticism, last year launched a dedicated "news tab" with professionally-produced content -- a move by the social network to promote journalism and shed its reputation as a platform for misinformation.

Facebook was expected to pay some of the news organizations, reportedly millions of dollars in some cases.

The move by Google comes amid pressure to comply with a European copyright directive on content in search results.

Google said last year it would not pay European media outlets for using their articles, pictures and videos in its searches in France, the first country to ratify the copyright directive, raising the prospect of legal action against the internet titan.

The tech giant said it would only display content in its search engine results and on Google News from media groups who had given their permission for it to be used for free.

Google is in discussions on deals to pay media organizations for content, a move aimed at blunting criticism that it unfairly profits from copyrighted news, according to people familiar with the talks.

Google is in discussions on deals to pay media organizations for content, a move aimed at blunting criticism that it unfairly profits from copyrighted news, according to people familiar with the talks. Negotiations between the internet giant and news outlets were said to be in the early stages, with most of the publishers located in France and other parts of Europe. Paying for news would diverge from the Alphabet-owned internet titan's practice of freely mining the internet for material it displays in search results. A licensing deal would likely be welcomed by news organizations that contend Google derives profits from ads alongside their news articles, including "snippets" in search results. Contacted by AFP Friday, Google indicated it is seeking new ways to help publishers. "We want to help people find quality journalism -- it's important to informed democracy and helps support a sustainable news industry," Google vice president of news Richard Gingras said in a statement. "We care deeply about this and are talking with partners and looking at more ways to expand our ongoing work with publishers, building on programs like our Google News Initiative." The Wall Street Journal reported earlier Friday Google was considering deals for a "premium" news product. The California tech giant has remained steadfast about not paying for news article links displayed in search results and is not changing that position, people familiar with the matter told AFP. It has argued that it drives traffic to news websites and thereby helps those publishers get ad revenues. Google's News Initiative works with publishers to encourage readership and paid subscriptions to their offerings. Facebook, which has been hit with similar criticism, last year launched a dedicated "news tab" with professionally-produced content -- a move by the social network to promote journalism and shed its reputation as a platform for misinformation. Facebook was expected to pay some of the news organizations, reportedly millions of dollars in some cases. The move by Google comes amid pressure to comply with a European copyright directive on content in search results. Google said last year it would not pay European media outlets for using their articles, pictures and videos in its searches in France, the first country to ratify the copyright directive, raising the prospect of legal action against the internet titan. The tech giant said it would only display content in its search engine results and on Google News from media groups who had given their permission for it to be used for free.

Amid criticism, Google mulls licensing deals with news media: Report

The company will lay out its arguments against a 2.4-billion-euro ($2.6 billion) fine handed out by the European Commission during a three-day hearing at the General Court.

WION Wallet: EU Vs Google in court today

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) will hold a meeting with internet giants, social media platforms and other stakeholders on the issue of circulation of videos and images relating to child pornography and sexual offence, the Supreme Court was informed on Tuesday.

A Bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde posted the matter for hearing after four weeks and in the meantime, the Centre will hold a meeting with intermediaries including Google, Microsoft and Facebook and other stakeholders to deal with the issue of circulation of videos of child pornography, rape and gang rape.

The court was hearing a matter following a letter sent in 2015 to the apex court by Hyderabad-based NGO Prajwala, along with two rape videos in a pen-drive.

Advocate Aparna Bhat, appearing for one of the parties in the case, informed the court that the government had come with a portal and but since September government has not conducted any meeting with the parties and intermediaries.

The government had set up a portal for centralised lodging of complaints by citizens against child pornography and rape videos circulated on social networks.

The amicus curiae in the case, advocate NS Nappinai, submitted a status report to the Court detailing the steps taken so far since the 2018 order. In October 2018, the Supreme Court had laid down proposals and guidelines to tackle this issue.

The amicus said that there is also another issue that when pornographic content is circulated and a complaint is made, the content is removed only from one point but remaining copies which may have been circulated at some other point is not removed.&nbsp;

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) will hold a meeting with internet giants, social media platforms and other stakeholders on the issue of circulation of videos and images relating to child pornography and sexual offence, the Supreme Court was informed on Tuesday.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) will hold a meeting with internet giants, social media platforms and other stakeholders on the issue of circulation of videos and images relating to child pornography and sexual offence, the Supreme Court was informed on Tuesday. A Bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde posted the matter for hearing after four weeks and in the meantime, the Centre will hold a meeting with intermediaries including Google, Microsoft and Facebook and other stakeholders to deal with the issue of circulation of videos of child pornography, rape and gang rape. The court was hearing a matter following a letter sent in 2015 to the apex court by Hyderabad-based NGO Prajwala, along with two rape videos in a pen-drive. Advocate Aparna Bhat, appearing for one of the parties in the case, informed the court that the government had come with a portal and but since September government has not conducted any meeting with the parties and intermediaries. The government had set up a portal for centralised lodging of complaints by citizens against child pornography and rape videos circulated on social networks. The amicus curiae in the case, advocate NS Nappinai, submitted a status report to the Court detailing the steps taken so far since the 2018 order. In October 2018, the Supreme Court had laid down proposals and guidelines to tackle this issue. The amicus said that there is also another issue that when pornographic content is circulated and a complaint is made, the content is removed only from one point but remaining copies which may have been circulated at some other point is not removed.

Centre to hold meeting with Google, Microsoft, Facebook over circulation of child pornographic content

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/.../google-sparks-criticism-as-it-redesigns-it-search -page-makes-ads-look-like-organic-results-276570">Google</a> parent Alphabet missed revenue expectations in the fourth quarter despite stellar growth at YouTube and in the cloud, earnings figures released Monday showed.

Also read-&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/coronavirus-outbreak-google-joins-hands-with-who-to-provide-sos-alert-trusted-info-and-safety-tips-278181">Coronavirus outbreak: Google joins hands with WHO to provide SOS alert, trusted info and safety tips</a>

Detailing its cloud computing and YouTube revenues for the first time, Alphabet reported that profits rose 19 per cent from a year ago in the quarter to nearly $10.7 billion as revenues increased 17 per cent to $46 billion.

Alphabet and Google chief executive <a href="https://www.wionews.com/.../google-ceo-calls-for-artificial-intelligence- regulation-275642">Sundar Pichai</a> touted YouTube as a revenue star at the company, with ad revenue reaching $15 billion last year in an increase of about 36 per cent from 2018.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/.../latest-world-news-social-media-applications- tackling-false-claims-against-coronavirus-278258">YouTube</a> music and television premium services now have more than 20 million paid subscribers, according to Pichai.

Despite assurances by executives that Alphabet sees plenty of money-making potential ahead and is investing to capitalize on long-term trends, Alphabet shares slipped more than four per cent in after-market trades that followed release of the earnings figures.

The California tech giant, which dominates online search and makes the Android mobile operating system, has been working to reduce its dependence on digital advertising which delivers most of its cash.

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"Our investments in deep computer science, including artificial intelligence, ambient computing and cloud computing, provide a strong base for continued growth and new opportunities across Alphabet," said Pichai.

The company said its cloud computing services took in $2.6 billion in revenue during the last three-month period -- up more than 50 per cent -- and nearly $9 billion for the year.

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Chief financial officer Ruth Porat said Alphabet will ramp-up hiring this year. Much of that will be engineering talent for its cloud division which competes with cloud market-leaders <a href="https://www.wionews.com/.../amazons-slow-climate-action-defying-company -policy-over-300-employees-speak-out-277288">Amazon</a> and Microsoft.

"We are leaning into investing for longterm growth," Porat said.

"That has been a key principle here and continues to be."

Google advertising took in the majority of revenue at $38 billion in the quarter and more than 80 per cent of its annual revenues of $162 billion.

Colin Sebastian, an analyst at Baird, said the earnings report showed "a deceleration" in growth for Google, which may have been due to the impact of fewer holiday shopping days.

Despite that, Sebastian said he sees "no change to our positive long-term thesis" for Alphabet.

Analyst Nicole Perrin at eMarketer said the results highlight the significance of YouTube, the popular video service for which Alphabet had not up to now disclosed financial data.

"This is something investors have been looking for, but the information should also give advertisers valuable information about the importance of YouTube as a digital ad vehicle," Perrin said.

"YouTube is growing strongly according to this report, and revenues are above where eMarketer had thought they were."&nbsp;

Alphabet's "other bets" which include Waymo autonomous vehicles, life sciences and drone delivery, took in $172 million in revenue in the final three months of the year, ending the 12 months with a big operating loss.

The results come with the company facing intense pressure around the globe over its dominance of the online ecosystem.

It also has been at the centre of a dispute over tax policy for multinational firms. Global negotiators are seeking a new treaty on how to tax digital operations spanning the globe.

"It is something we always need to take a look at," Pichai said on an earnings call with investors and others when asked how regulatory or taxation moves could affect Alphabet's bottom line.

"We are engaged in these issues and we anticipate and structurally work on them early on."

Indian-born Pichai, who had been CEO of Google, was promoted last year to the same role at Alphabet.

Google parent Alphabet missed revenue expectations in the fourth quarter despite stellar growth at YouTube and in the cloud, earnings figures released Monday showed.

Google parent Alphabet missed revenue expectations in the fourth quarter despite stellar growth at YouTube and in the cloud, earnings figures released Monday showed. Also read- Coronavirus outbreak: Google joins hands with WHO to provide SOS alert, trusted info and safety tips Detailing its cloud computing and YouTube revenues for the first time, Alphabet reported that profits rose 19 per cent from a year ago in the quarter to nearly $10.7 billion as revenues increased 17 per cent to $46 billion. Alphabet and Google chief executive Sundar Pichai touted YouTube as a revenue star at the company, with ad revenue reaching $15 billion last year in an increase of about 36 per cent from 2018. YouTube music and television premium services now have more than 20 million paid subscribers, according to Pichai. Despite assurances by executives that Alphabet sees plenty of money-making potential ahead and is investing to capitalize on long-term trends, Alphabet shares slipped more than four per cent in after-market trades that followed release of the earnings figures. The California tech giant, which dominates online search and makes the Android mobile operating system, has been working to reduce its dependence on digital advertising which delivers most of its cash. × "Our investments in deep computer science, including artificial intelligence, ambient computing and cloud computing, provide a strong base for continued growth and new opportunities across Alphabet," said Pichai. The company said its cloud computing services took in $2.6 billion in revenue during the last three-month period -- up more than 50 per cent -- and nearly $9 billion for the year. × Chief financial officer Ruth Porat said Alphabet will ramp-up hiring this year. Much of that will be engineering talent for its cloud division which competes with cloud market-leaders Amazon and Microsoft. "We are leaning into investing for longterm growth," Porat said. "That has been a key principle here and continues to be." Google advertising took in the majority of revenue at $38 billion in the quarter and more than 80 per cent of its annual revenues of $162 billion. Colin Sebastian, an analyst at Baird, said the earnings report showed "a deceleration" in growth for Google, which may have been due to the impact of fewer holiday shopping days. Despite that, Sebastian said he sees "no change to our positive long-term thesis" for Alphabet. Analyst Nicole Perrin at eMarketer said the results highlight the significance of YouTube, the popular video service for which Alphabet had not up to now disclosed financial data. "This is something investors have been looking for, but the information should also give advertisers valuable information about the importance of YouTube as a digital ad vehicle," Perrin said. "YouTube is growing strongly according to this report, and revenues are above where eMarketer had thought they were." Alphabet's "other bets" which include Waymo autonomous vehicles, life sciences and drone delivery, took in $172 million in revenue in the final three months of the year, ending the 12 months with a big operating loss. The results come with the company facing intense pressure around the globe over its dominance of the online ecosystem. It also has been at the centre of a dispute over tax policy for multinational firms. Global negotiators are seeking a new treaty on how to tax digital operations spanning the globe. "It is something we always need to take a look at," Pichai said on an earnings call with investors and others when asked how regulatory or taxation moves could affect Alphabet's bottom line. "We are engaged in these issues and we anticipate and structurally work on them early on." Indian-born Pichai, who had been CEO of Google, was promoted last year to the same role at Alphabet.

Disappointing growth hits Google parent Alphabet shares

Tech giant Google on Friday sparked a row of criticism recently as it experimented with the search result design. As part of their mid-January desktop redesign, the company blurred the line between ads and search results and made paid links look like unpaid results.

Typically, the word "Ad" appears in the bold text next to the advertisements. They are listed first when a user searches something, therefore more likely to be clicked on and generate ad revenue for Google.

After the row, the company on Friday said that it is going redesign the search result change for desktops.

The latest report comes as Google was fined $167 million by France recently for unclear advertising linked to web searches and resorting to anti-competitive behaviour.

In December, &nbsp;the French authority asked Google to clarify the operating rules of its Google Ads advertising platform and the procedures for suspending the accounts of certain advertisers.

The competition body also sought clear rules from Google and said that it could not be applied in "an erratic way".

In March 2019, the European Commission had fined Google $1.7 billion for blocking rival online search advertisers. The European Commission had said that the anti-competitive practice had lasted a decade.

Tech giant Google on Friday sparked a row of criticism recently as it experimented with the search result design. As part of their mid-January desktop redesign, the company blurred the line between ads and search results and made paid links look like unpaid results.

Tech giant Google on Friday sparked a row of criticism recently as it experimented with the search result design. As part of their mid-January desktop redesign, the company blurred the line between ads and search results and made paid links look like unpaid results. Typically, the word "Ad" appears in the bold text next to the advertisements. They are listed first when a user searches something, therefore more likely to be clicked on and generate ad revenue for Google. After the row, the company on Friday said that it is going redesign the search result change for desktops. The latest report comes as Google was fined $167 million by France recently for unclear advertising linked to web searches and resorting to anti-competitive behaviour. In December, the French authority asked Google to clarify the operating rules of its Google Ads advertising platform and the procedures for suspending the accounts of certain advertisers. The competition body also sought clear rules from Google and said that it could not be applied in "an erratic way". In March 2019, the European Commission had fined Google $1.7 billion for blocking rival online search advertisers. The European Commission had said that the anti-competitive practice had lasted a decade.

Google sparks criticism as it redesigns search page; makes ads look like organic results

Google CEO Sundar Pichai spoke at the World Economic Forum in Davos about the impacts of technology and how artificial intelligence and quantum computers can change human lives. Pichai said that even though there were risks with artificial technology, the biggest risk was to not work on it and make AI better.

Google CEO speaks on artificial intelligence at WEF in Davos

Google CEO Sundar Pichai on January 20 called for a balanced approach to regulating artificial intelligence, telling a European audience that the technology brings benefits but also "negative consequences." Sundar Pichai's comments come as lawmakers and governments seriously consider putting limits on how artificial intelligence is used.

Google CEO calls for artificial intelligence regulation

Our penchant for knowledge and curiosity has helped make Google's parent company Alphabet worth one trillion dollars.&nbsp;

They are the fourth American company to break this barrier, after Apple, Microsoft and Amazon.

While the state-run oil company Saudi Aramco is worth 2 trillion.

A trillion dollars is a million dollars multiplied by a million.

To be specific, Google's parent company Alphabet's stock market value is now 1 trillion dollars.

This just six weeks after founders Larry Page and Sergei Brin gave up their top jobs and handed over the reins to Google Chief Executive Sundar Pichai.

<h6><img alt="Google" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="51a56648-f96e-4d41-b467-1446f7689bfb" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%289%29_15.jpg" /> 
Image: Google CEO Sundar Pichai 
&nbsp;</h6>

This change has worked on Wall Street. Last quarter, the company's profits were lesser than market estimates by nearly 2 billion dollars.

But that did little to dent investors' bullishness on the company.

Alphabet's stock retreated briefly, only to resume its climb.

The stock surged up by nearly 17 per cent over the last three months, better than fellow tech giants and the rest of the market.

For the calendar year 2019, Alphabet's stock was up nearly 35 per cent.

Watch:&nbsp;Google's parent company enters Trillion Dollar Club

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-googles-parent-company-enters-trillion-dollar-club-274953/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

And now as 2020 begins, some are already wondering whether it's time to cash in on the extraordinary gains.

But a lot will depend on Alphabet's fourth-quarter earnings report which is scheduled to release early in February.

With this feat, Alphabet has become only the fourth company in American history to reach the magical figure.

Apple, Amazon, and Microsoft are the only other US companies.

And among those, Amazon saw its market value hit the trillion-dollar mark, and soon fall below it.

Shares of the company are down nearly 7 per cent over the last six months.

So the trillion dollar achievement is in essence, a slippery slope.

<h6><img alt="Google" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="20cdd409-4953-4658-a9b5-5e008dfd0280" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/94845-untitled-design-2019-05-20t180449041.jpg" /> 
Image: Google logo | AFP 
&nbsp;</h6>

Apple is currently the world’s most valuable company with a market cap of $1.4 trillion, while Microsoft is valued at $1.3 trillion.

And now Google aka Alphabet has joined the club.

However, Google has stiff competition, not from tech companies, but from the world's largest oil company: Saudi Aramco. Aramco became the world's first two trillion dollar company last month.

That too within 48 hours of becoming a listed company on the Saudi Stock Exchange.

Our penchant for knowledge and curiosity has helped make Google's parent company Alphabet worth one trillion dollars. They are the fourth American company to break this barrier, after Apple, Microsoft and Amazon.

Our penchant for knowledge and curiosity has helped make Google's parent company Alphabet worth one trillion dollars. They are the fourth American company to break this barrier, after Apple, Microsoft and Amazon. While the state-run oil company Saudi Aramco is worth 2 trillion. A trillion dollars is a million dollars multiplied by a million. To be specific, Google's parent company Alphabet's stock market value is now 1 trillion dollars. This just six weeks after founders Larry Page and Sergei Brin gave up their top jobs and handed over the reins to Google Chief Executive Sundar Pichai. Image: Google CEO Sundar Pichai This change has worked on Wall Street. Last quarter, the company's profits were lesser than market estimates by nearly 2 billion dollars. But that did little to dent investors' bullishness on the company. Alphabet's stock retreated briefly, only to resume its climb. The stock surged up by nearly 17 per cent over the last three months, better than fellow tech giants and the rest of the market. For the calendar year 2019, Alphabet's stock was up nearly 35 per cent. Watch: Google's parent company enters Trillion Dollar Club And now as 2020 begins, some are already wondering whether it's time to cash in on the extraordinary gains. But a lot will depend on Alphabet's fourth-quarter earnings report which is scheduled to release early in February. With this feat, Alphabet has become only the fourth company in American history to reach the magical figure. Apple, Amazon, and Microsoft are the only other US companies. And among those, Amazon saw its market value hit the trillion-dollar mark, and soon fall below it. Shares of the company are down nearly 7 per cent over the last six months. So the trillion dollar achievement is in essence, a slippery slope. Image: Google logo | AFP Apple is currently the world’s most valuable company with a market cap of $1.4 trillion, while Microsoft is valued at $1.3 trillion. And now Google aka Alphabet has joined the club. However, Google has stiff competition, not from tech companies, but from the world's largest oil company: Saudi Aramco. Aramco became the world's first two trillion dollar company last month. That too within 48 hours of becoming a listed company on the Saudi Stock Exchange.

Alphabet: Google's parent company now a $1 trillion enterprise; fourth US company to achieve the feat

Google has started phasing out 'cookies' on its Google Chrome browser. Cookies are small pieces of data sent from a website and stored on the user's computer by their web browser while browsing.

Cookies were designed to facilitate websites to remember relevant information or to record the user's browsing activity.

Businesses track their customers using these cookies, and that's what <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/study-finds-google-system-could-improve-breast-cancer-detection-271720">Google</a> is trying to stop over the next two years. If successful, the move could re-define the consumption of user date online.

According to an official statement, Google is planning to prevent advertising software companies and other organisations from linking their browser cookies with websites they have no jurisdiction over.

<h6><img alt="Cookie" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="399d2829-57fb-4640-b56b-f39330ea8632" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%282%29_34.jpg" /> 
Image:&nbsp;Cookies were designed to facilitate websites to remember relevant information or to record the user's browsing activity | Twitter user @rustybrick&nbsp;</h6>

&nbsp;

Google's rival Apple underwent a similar change in 2017 with its browser Safari by limiting access and the use of cookies.

Currently, Google Chrome has a clear market monopoly with over 64 per cent of global users preferring the browser over others. This is almost thrice as greater as Safari's share, as reported by tracking company Statcounter.

The announcement was expected by industry insiders for months. However, the two-year goal is a fresh addition that was unheard of, until now.

After the announcement of ''cookie'' removal, shares of many advertising software companies fell. These include Criteo, which witnessed an 8 per cent decline, and Trade Desk Inc, which dropped by 1.4 per cent.

Until now, cookies were not regulated which allowed virtually any company to improve and target specific advertisements on the internet.

With cookies and the user data, it ushered in, users were kept logged into a website for multiple days. Specific target advertisements that are user-oriented are also enabled by cookies. Software vendors provide the information to advertisers who then target and sell.

Ever since the ''cookie'' came into being, and especially in contemporary times where data-breach and data privacy are becoming pertinent discourses, users and regulators have questioned the usage of this data by businesses.

Over the last three years, new privacy laws in California and Europe have triggered changes in the modus operandi of internet businesses.

<h6><img alt="Google" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e800b09f-f7f5-4fc2-8c6a-1fc14c5c404d" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%281%29_45.jpg" /> 
Image:&nbsp;The Google logo is seen January 8, 2020 at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas | AFP</h6>

&nbsp;

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University College London (UCL) and Aarhus University conducted a joint study into the use of cookies. They analysed five companies that offer consent management platforms (CMPs) for cookies used in the UK.

European Union laws demand that consent for cookies should be informed and explicit, however only 11.8 per cent of the sites met the minimal requirements of the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) law.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/france-fines-google-167-million-over-search-engine-ads-269344">France fines Google $167 million over search engine ads</a>

However, Google added that this cookie-blocker would not be enforced until more user-oriented privacy-focused alternatives are available.&nbsp;

If this cookie-elimination becomes a template pan-industry, it would require investment from website operators.

According to financial analysts, this move would have negligible to no effect on <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/google-settles-longstanding-tax-dispute-with-australia-268943">Google's</a> self-operated advertisement business, for the technology giant has multiple others inlays into user data.

(With inputs from Reuters)

Google has started phasing out 'cookies' on its Google Chrome browser. Cookies are small pieces of data sent from a website and stored on the user's computer by their web browser while browsing.

Google has started phasing out 'cookies' on its Google Chrome browser. Cookies are small pieces of data sent from a website and stored on the user's computer by their web browser while browsing. Cookies were designed to facilitate websites to remember relevant information or to record the user's browsing activity. Businesses track their customers using these cookies, and that's what Google is trying to stop over the next two years. If successful, the move could re-define the consumption of user date online. According to an official statement, Google is planning to prevent advertising software companies and other organisations from linking their browser cookies with websites they have no jurisdiction over. Image: Cookies were designed to facilitate websites to remember relevant information or to record the user's browsing activity | Twitter user @rustybrick Google's rival Apple underwent a similar change in 2017 with its browser Safari by limiting access and the use of cookies. Currently, Google Chrome has a clear market monopoly with over 64 per cent of global users preferring the browser over others. This is almost thrice as greater as Safari's share, as reported by tracking company Statcounter. The announcement was expected by industry insiders for months. However, the two-year goal is a fresh addition that was unheard of, until now. After the announcement of ''cookie'' removal, shares of many advertising software companies fell. These include Criteo, which witnessed an 8 per cent decline, and Trade Desk Inc, which dropped by 1.4 per cent. Until now, cookies were not regulated which allowed virtually any company to improve and target specific advertisements on the internet. With cookies and the user data, it ushered in, users were kept logged into a website for multiple days. Specific target advertisements that are user-oriented are also enabled by cookies. Software vendors provide the information to advertisers who then target and sell. Ever since the ''cookie'' came into being, and especially in contemporary times where data-breach and data privacy are becoming pertinent discourses, users and regulators have questioned the usage of this data by businesses. Over the last three years, new privacy laws in California and Europe have triggered changes in the modus operandi of internet businesses. Image: The Google logo is seen January 8, 2020 at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas | AFP Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University College London (UCL) and Aarhus University conducted a joint study into the use of cookies. They analysed five companies that offer consent management platforms (CMPs) for cookies used in the UK. European Union laws demand that consent for cookies should be informed and explicit, however only 11.8 per cent of the sites met the minimal requirements of the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) law. Also read: France fines Google $167 million over search engine ads However, Google added that this cookie-blocker would not be enforced until more user-oriented privacy-focused alternatives are available. If this cookie-elimination becomes a template pan-industry, it would require investment from website operators. According to financial analysts, this move would have negligible to no effect on Google's self-operated advertisement business, for the technology giant has multiple others inlays into user data. (With inputs from Reuters)

Third-party cookies on Google Chrome all set to crumble

A Google artificial intelligence system proved as good as expert radiologists at detecting which women had breast cancer based on screening mammograms and showed promise at reducing errors, researchers in the United States and Britain reported.

The study, published in the journal Nature on Wednesday, is the latest to show that artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to improve the accuracy of screening for breast cancer, which affects one in eight women globally.

Radiologists miss about 20% of breast cancers in mammograms, the American Cancer Society says, and half of all women who get the screenings over a 10-year period have a false-positive result.

The findings of the study, developed with Alphabet Inc's&nbsp;DeepMind AI unit, which merged with Google Health in September, represent a major advance in the potential for the early detection of breast cancer, Mozziyar Etemadi, one of its co-authors from Northwestern Medicine in Chicago, said.

The team, which included researchers at Imperial College London and Britain's National Health Service, trained the system to identify breast cancers on tens of thousands of mammograms.

They then compared the system's performance with the actual results from a set of 25,856 mammograms in the United Kingdom and 3,097 from the United States.

The study showed the AI system could identify cancers with a similar degree of accuracy to expert radiologists, while reducing the number of false positive results by 5.7 per cent in the US-based group and by 1.2 per cent in the British-based group.

It also cut the number of false negatives, where tests are wrongly classified as normal, by 9.4 per cent in the US&nbsp;group, and by 2.7% in the British group.

These differences reflect the ways in which mammograms are read. In the United States, only one radiologist reads the results and the tests are done every one to two years. In Britain, the tests are done every three years, and each is read by two radiologists. When they disagree, a third is consulted.

'Subtle cues'

In a separate test, the group pitted the AI system against six radiologists and found it outperformed them at accurately detecting breast cancers.

Connie Lehman, chief of the breast imaging department at Harvard's Massachusetts General Hospital, said the results are in line with findings from several groups using AI to improve cancer detection in mammograms, including her own work.

The notion of using computers to improve cancer diagnostics is decades old, and computer-aided detection (CAD) systems are commonplace in mammography clinics, yet CAD programs have not improved performance in clinical practice.

The issue, Lehman said, is that current CAD programs were trained to identify things human radiologists can see, whereas with AI, computers learn to spot cancers based on the actual results of thousands of mammograms.

This has the potential to "exceed human capacity to identify subtle cues that the human eye and brain aren't able to perceive," Lehman added.

Although computers have not been "super helpful" so far, "what we've shown at least in tens of thousands of mammograms is the tool can actually make a very well-informed decision," Etemadi said.

The study has some limitations. Most of the tests were done using the same type of imaging equipment, and the US group contained a lot of patients with confirmed breast cancers.

Crucially, the team has yet to show the tool improves patient care, said Dr Lisa Watanabe, chief medical officer of CureMetrix, whose AI mammogram program won US approval last year.

"AI software is only helpful if it actually moves the dial for the radiologist," she said.

Etemadi agreed that those studies are needed, as is regulatory approval, a process that could take several years.

A Google artificial intelligence system proved as good as expert radiologists at detecting which women had breast cancer based on screening mammograms and showed promise at reducing errors, researchers in the United States and Britain reported.

A Google artificial intelligence system proved as good as expert radiologists at detecting which women had breast cancer based on screening mammograms and showed promise at reducing errors, researchers in the United States and Britain reported. The study, published in the journal Nature on Wednesday, is the latest to show that artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to improve the accuracy of screening for breast cancer, which affects one in eight women globally. Radiologists miss about 20% of breast cancers in mammograms, the American Cancer Society says, and half of all women who get the screenings over a 10-year period have a false-positive result. The findings of the study, developed with Alphabet Inc's DeepMind AI unit, which merged with Google Health in September, represent a major advance in the potential for the early detection of breast cancer, Mozziyar Etemadi, one of its co-authors from Northwestern Medicine in Chicago, said. The team, which included researchers at Imperial College London and Britain's National Health Service, trained the system to identify breast cancers on tens of thousands of mammograms. They then compared the system's performance with the actual results from a set of 25,856 mammograms in the United Kingdom and 3,097 from the United States. The study showed the AI system could identify cancers with a similar degree of accuracy to expert radiologists, while reducing the number of false positive results by 5.7 per cent in the US-based group and by 1.2 per cent in the British-based group. It also cut the number of false negatives, where tests are wrongly classified as normal, by 9.4 per cent in the US group, and by 2.7% in the British group. These differences reflect the ways in which mammograms are read. In the United States, only one radiologist reads the results and the tests are done every one to two years. In Britain, the tests are done every three years, and each is read by two radiologists. When they disagree, a third is consulted. 'Subtle cues' In a separate test, the group pitted the AI system against six radiologists and found it outperformed them at accurately detecting breast cancers. Connie Lehman, chief of the breast imaging department at Harvard's Massachusetts General Hospital, said the results are in line with findings from several groups using AI to improve cancer detection in mammograms, including her own work. The notion of using computers to improve cancer diagnostics is decades old, and computer-aided detection (CAD) systems are commonplace in mammography clinics, yet CAD programs have not improved performance in clinical practice. The issue, Lehman said, is that current CAD programs were trained to identify things human radiologists can see, whereas with AI, computers learn to spot cancers based on the actual results of thousands of mammograms. This has the potential to "exceed human capacity to identify subtle cues that the human eye and brain aren't able to perceive," Lehman added. Although computers have not been "super helpful" so far, "what we've shown at least in tens of thousands of mammograms is the tool can actually make a very well-informed decision," Etemadi said. The study has some limitations. Most of the tests were done using the same type of imaging equipment, and the US group contained a lot of patients with confirmed breast cancers. Crucially, the team has yet to show the tool improves patient care, said Dr Lisa Watanabe, chief medical officer of CureMetrix, whose AI mammogram program won US approval last year. "AI software is only helpful if it actually moves the dial for the radiologist," she said. Etemadi agreed that those studies are needed, as is regulatory approval, a process that could take several years.

Study finds Google system could improve breast cancer detection

France's competition authority on Friday fined Google 150 million euros for anti-competitive behaviour and for having unclear advertising on the Google Ads page. #Google #France #WION

Google fined by France over power misuse during advertisements' treatment

Google&nbsp;co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin are stepping down from their roles at the helm of&nbsp;parent&nbsp;firm&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/alphabets-revenue-rebounds-easing-doubts-on-growth-and-boosting-shares-238656">Alphabet</a>&nbsp;and handing the reins to current&nbsp;Google&nbsp;CEO&nbsp;Sundar&nbsp;Pichai, the company said Tuesday.

Pichai&nbsp;will take over from Page as&nbsp;CEO&nbsp;of the holding&nbsp;firm, a Silicon Valley titan that includes&nbsp;Google&nbsp;as well as units focused on "other bets" in areas including self-driving cars and life sciences.

Page and Brin, who is currently&nbsp;Alphabet&nbsp;president, "will continue their involvement as co-founders, shareholders and members of&nbsp;Alphabet's board of directors," the company said.

In a letter to employees, the two wrote: "We've never been ones to hold on to management roles when we think there's a better way to run the company."

They added that 46-year-old&nbsp;Pichai&nbsp;"brings humility and a deep passion for technology to our users, partners and our employees every day" and that there is "no better person to lead&nbsp;Google&nbsp;and&nbsp;Alphabet&nbsp;into the future."

Alphabet&nbsp;was formed in 2015, giving separate identities to&nbsp;Google&nbsp;and newer projects such as autonomous car unit Waymo and smart cities group Sidewalk Labs.

Pichai, born in India, takes the helm at a time when Page and Brin, both 46, have been noticeably absent, and the company faces a torrent of controversies relating to its dominant position in the tech world.

"Google&nbsp;is the vast, vast majority of&nbsp;Alphabet&nbsp;in terms of revenues, profit and everything else, so why not put the guy doing a great job running all of that in charge of (the) whole company?" said Bob O'Donnell, chief analyst at Technalysis Research.

Investigations and controversies

Pichai&nbsp;is likely to fill a void at the company as it faces antitrust investigations and controversies over privacy and data practices in the United States and elsewhere.&nbsp;

The company has also faced allegations of failing to adequately address sexual harassment in the workplace and of straying from the ideals espoused by the founders in the company's early code of conduct, which included the motto "don't be evil."

"He's a technologist, but he's been a steady hand for the last few years and has proven his ability to conduct business at the highest level," said Roger Kay, an analyst at Endpoint Technologies Associates.

Kay added the move "ratifies that the (Google) founders have stepped aside almost entirely."

Pichai&nbsp;will have a new role as he faces up to claims from President Donald Trump of "bias" in internet search results, and the latest charge from Amnesty International that&nbsp;Alphabet's business model leads to human rights violations by enabling surveillance of users.

Earlier this year,&nbsp;Pichai&nbsp;met with Trump and appeared to ease the US president's concerns that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/alphabet-facebook-stocks-dive-over-reports-of-us-antitrust-move-against-tech-giants-224064">Google&nbsp;was unwilling to help the US military</a> and was boosting China and its military.

Trump tweeted after the March meeting that&nbsp;Pichai&nbsp;was "totally committed" to US security.

Last December,&nbsp;Pichai&nbsp;kept calm while testifying in Congress as he parried US lawmakers over complaints of political bias and intrusive data collection.

"We build our products in a neutral way,"&nbsp;Pichai&nbsp;said in one exchange with a lawmaker, and added later: "We approach our work without any political bias."

Chennai to Silicon Valley

Born to humble beginnings in the southern city of Chennai,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/european-union-fine-on-google-weighs-down-parent-company-alphabets-profits-214683">Pichai&nbsp;studied engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)</a> in Kharagpur before heading to the United States to further his studies and career.

After leaving India, he attended Stanford University and later studied at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

In recent years,&nbsp;Alphabet&nbsp;has become one of the world's most valuable companies, with a 2018 profit of some $30 billion on revenue of $136.8 billion.

The 2015 reorganisation appeared aimed at installing the startup mentality for new ventures, described by&nbsp;Google&nbsp;as "moonshots."

These ventures, including the life sciences group Verily and the biotech operation Calico, have been losing money.

Kay said the "other bets" have been struggling because even though they have the financial backing from&nbsp;Google's profits, "they don't have the do-or-die element" of other startups.

Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin are stepping down from their roles at the helm of parent firm Alphabet and handing the reins to current Google CEO Sundar Pichai, the company said Tuesday.

Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin are stepping down from their roles at the helm of parent firm Alphabet and handing the reins to current Google CEO Sundar Pichai, the company said Tuesday. Pichai will take over from Page as CEO of the holding firm, a Silicon Valley titan that includes Google as well as units focused on "other bets" in areas including self-driving cars and life sciences. Page and Brin, who is currently Alphabet president, "will continue their involvement as co-founders, shareholders and members of Alphabet's board of directors," the company said. In a letter to employees, the two wrote: "We've never been ones to hold on to management roles when we think there's a better way to run the company." They added that 46-year-old Pichai "brings humility and a deep passion for technology to our users, partners and our employees every day" and that there is "no better person to lead Google and Alphabet into the future." Alphabet was formed in 2015, giving separate identities to Google and newer projects such as autonomous car unit Waymo and smart cities group Sidewalk Labs. Pichai, born in India, takes the helm at a time when Page and Brin, both 46, have been noticeably absent, and the company faces a torrent of controversies relating to its dominant position in the tech world. "Google is the vast, vast majority of Alphabet in terms of revenues, profit and everything else, so why not put the guy doing a great job running all of that in charge of (the) whole company?" said Bob O'Donnell, chief analyst at Technalysis Research. Investigations and controversies Pichai is likely to fill a void at the company as it faces antitrust investigations and controversies over privacy and data practices in the United States and elsewhere. The company has also faced allegations of failing to adequately address sexual harassment in the workplace and of straying from the ideals espoused by the founders in the company's early code of conduct, which included the motto "don't be evil." "He's a technologist, but he's been a steady hand for the last few years and has proven his ability to conduct business at the highest level," said Roger Kay, an analyst at Endpoint Technologies Associates. Kay added the move "ratifies that the (Google) founders have stepped aside almost entirely." Pichai will have a new role as he faces up to claims from President Donald Trump of "bias" in internet search results, and the latest charge from Amnesty International that Alphabet's business model leads to human rights violations by enabling surveillance of users. Earlier this year, Pichai met with Trump and appeared to ease the US president's concerns that Google was unwilling to help the US military and was boosting China and its military. Trump tweeted after the March meeting that Pichai was "totally committed" to US security. Last December, Pichai kept calm while testifying in Congress as he parried US lawmakers over complaints of political bias and intrusive data collection. "We build our products in a neutral way," Pichai said in one exchange with a lawmaker, and added later: "We approach our work without any political bias." Chennai to Silicon Valley Born to humble beginnings in the southern city of Chennai, Pichai studied engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Kharagpur before heading to the United States to further his studies and career. After leaving India, he attended Stanford University and later studied at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. In recent years, Alphabet has become one of the world's most valuable companies, with a 2018 profit of some $30 billion on revenue of $136.8 billion. The 2015 reorganisation appeared aimed at installing the startup mentality for new ventures, described by Google as "moonshots." These ventures, including the life sciences group Verily and the biotech operation Calico, have been losing money. Kay said the "other bets" have been struggling because even though they have the financial backing from Google's profits, "they don't have the do-or-die element" of other startups.

Sundar Pichai named Alphabet CEO, Google co-founders step down

Sundar Pichai is now CEO of both Google and Alphabet, Pichai has replaced Larry Page. Watch this video to know more.

Major corporate restructuring at Google, Sundar Pichai becomes CEO of  Alphabet

Google on Wednesday updated how it handles political ads as <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/now-have-a-news-host-in-your-devices-google-assistant-263271">online platforms</a> remain under pressure to avoid being used to spread misleading information intended to influence voters.

The internet company said its rules already ban any advertiser, including those with political messages, from lying in ads. But it is making its policy more clear and adding examples of how that prohibits content such as doctored or manipulated images or video.

"It's against our policies for any advertiser to make a false claim,&nbsp;whether it's a claim about the price of a chair or a claim that you can vote by text message, that election day is postponed, or that a candidate has died," Google ads product management vice president Scott Spencer said in an online post.

Examples of banned ad material included ads or links to information making demonstrably false claims that could undermine voter trust or participation in elections.

"Of course, we recognize that robust political dialogue is an important part of democracy, and no one can sensibly adjudicate every political claim, counterclaim, and insinuation," Spencer said.

"So we expect that the number of political ads on which we take action will be very limited - but we will continue to do so for clear violations."

Google's main formats for political advertising are ads posted along with search query results, those shown at video viewing service YouTube, and display ads that appear on websites.

Google will also limit the targeting of political ads to general categories such as age, gender, or postal code level location.

"Political advertisers can, of course, continue to do contextual targeting, such as serving ads to people reading or watching a story about, say, the economy," Spencer said/.

"This will align our approach to election ads with long-established practices in media such as TV, radio, and print, and result in election ads being more widely seen and available for public discussion."

Google will begin enforcing the changes in Britain within a week and throughout the EU by the end of the year, then in the rest of the world starting January 6, according to Spencer.

Watch: Google claims quantum supremacy

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/google-claims-quantum-supremacy-257905/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Speech vs Truth

Snap this week confirmed that it checks political ads at Snapchat to make sure they are not deceptive or misleading and thus enforce its ban on such material.

The strategy seems to be a middle ground between Facebook's controversial tolerance of proven lies in political ads and Twitter's decision to ban them altogether.

Snap policies prohibit political ads that are deceptive or misleading, with an in-house team reviewing such paid messages to make sure they don't break the rules.

Twitter last week said its ban on political ads will exempt "cause-based" messages on topics related to social or environmental issues.

The San Francisco-based messaging platform plans to bar all paid political messages starting Friday, while addressing concerns expressed by activists for social causes.

"Ads that educate, raise awareness, and/or call for people to take action in connection with civic engagement, economic growth, environmental stewardship, or social equity causes are allowed," Twitter said in its new policy.

"However, they may not reference prohibited political advertisers or political content."

Twitter said the move was aimed at countering the spread of misinformation by politicians.

The political ban has drawn mixed reactions: some argue it puts pressure on Facebook to follow suit or take other steps to curb the spread of misinformation from politicians; others say a ban will be difficult to enforce.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/google-begins-rolling-out-rich-communication-services-to-do-more-with-messages-262225">Social media platforms</a> have been challenged by President Donald Trump's campaign and its use of ads that contain claims which critics say have been debunked by independent fact-checkers.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said political advertising is not a major source of revenue but adds that he believes it is important to allow everyone a "voice," and that banning political ads would favour incumbents.

Google on Wednesday updated how it handles political ads as online platforms remain under pressure to avoid being used to spread misleading information intended to influence voters.

Google on Wednesday updated how it handles political ads as online platforms remain under pressure to avoid being used to spread misleading information intended to influence voters. The internet company said its rules already ban any advertiser, including those with political messages, from lying in ads. But it is making its policy more clear and adding examples of how that prohibits content such as doctored or manipulated images or video. "It's against our policies for any advertiser to make a false claim, whether it's a claim about the price of a chair or a claim that you can vote by text message, that election day is postponed, or that a candidate has died," Google ads product management vice president Scott Spencer said in an online post. Examples of banned ad material included ads or links to information making demonstrably false claims that could undermine voter trust or participation in elections. "Of course, we recognize that robust political dialogue is an important part of democracy, and no one can sensibly adjudicate every political claim, counterclaim, and insinuation," Spencer said. "So we expect that the number of political ads on which we take action will be very limited - but we will continue to do so for clear violations." Google's main formats for political advertising are ads posted along with search query results, those shown at video viewing service YouTube, and display ads that appear on websites. Google will also limit the targeting of political ads to general categories such as age, gender, or postal code level location. "Political advertisers can, of course, continue to do contextual targeting, such as serving ads to people reading or watching a story about, say, the economy," Spencer said/. "This will align our approach to election ads with long-established practices in media such as TV, radio, and print, and result in election ads being more widely seen and available for public discussion." Google will begin enforcing the changes in Britain within a week and throughout the EU by the end of the year, then in the rest of the world starting January 6, according to Spencer. Watch: Google claims quantum supremacy Speech vs Truth Snap this week confirmed that it checks political ads at Snapchat to make sure they are not deceptive or misleading and thus enforce its ban on such material. The strategy seems to be a middle ground between Facebook's controversial tolerance of proven lies in political ads and Twitter's decision to ban them altogether. Snap policies prohibit political ads that are deceptive or misleading, with an in-house team reviewing such paid messages to make sure they don't break the rules. Twitter last week said its ban on political ads will exempt "cause-based" messages on topics related to social or environmental issues. The San Francisco-based messaging platform plans to bar all paid political messages starting Friday, while addressing concerns expressed by activists for social causes. "Ads that educate, raise awareness, and/or call for people to take action in connection with civic engagement, economic growth, environmental stewardship, or social equity causes are allowed," Twitter said in its new policy. "However, they may not reference prohibited political advertisers or political content." Twitter said the move was aimed at countering the spread of misinformation by politicians. The political ban has drawn mixed reactions: some argue it puts pressure on Facebook to follow suit or take other steps to curb the spread of misinformation from politicians; others say a ban will be difficult to enforce. Social media platforms have been challenged by President Donald Trump's campaign and its use of ads that contain claims which critics say have been debunked by independent fact-checkers. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said political advertising is not a major source of revenue but adds that he believes it is important to allow everyone a "voice," and that banning political ads would favour incumbents.

Google to make stricter regulatory policy for political ads to curb abuse

Google's Political Ad Policy: Company rules prevent the spread of misinformation

Google Tightens Policy on Political Ads

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/google-pay-to-offer-checking-accounts-through-citi-stanford-federal-261964">Google</a> has announced the commencement of Rich Communication Services (RCS) on the Android operating software to replace the traditional Short Messaging Service (SMS) by introducing more chat features. 
 
In a statement on Thursday, Google said, "To make your conversations more seamless, we`ve worked on upgrading traditional SMS text messaging with more useful chat features, powered by RCS (Rich Communication Services)". 
 
RCS will improve the messaging experience on Android tremendously. Alongside traditional chatting features that include seamless texting over Wi-Fi or mobile data, sending and receiving high-resolution photos and videos, seeing if people have received your messages, one will have access to a better chatting ecosystem that will be group-chat centric.

"Plus, you`ll get better group chats, with the ability to name groups, add and remove people to and from groups, and see if people haven`t seen the latest messages," informed Google.

The chat feature was tested in the United Kingdom, France, and Mexico earlier this year.&nbsp;

The rolling out process has already kicked in the United States, with wider coverage planned for later.

"If you already have Messages, you`ll also be prompted to enable chat features in the coming weeks. If you don`t have Messages, you can download it on the Play Store. We expect this service to be broadly available in the US by the end of the year," said the company. 
 
The RCS as being pitched as the ''SMS killer'', for it will enable the transfer of in-call multimedia and set the foundation for a more immersive and simple messaging interface. Just like Apple's iMessage, RCS is a communication protocol between the phone and the carrier.

To enable the feature once it begins rolling out, the user will need to click on a notification that says ''do more with messages'' following which they will be able to ''enable chat features''.

Additionally, Google reaffirmed its commitment to working with stakeholders including carriers and device makers to allow a more seamless chatting experience across Android devices.

Google has announced the commencement of Rich Communication Services (RCS) on the Android operating software to replace the traditional Short Messaging Service (SMS) by introducing more chat features.

Google has announced the commencement of Rich Communication Services (RCS) on the Android operating software to replace the traditional Short Messaging Service (SMS) by introducing more chat features. In a statement on Thursday, Google said, "To make your conversations more seamless, we`ve worked on upgrading traditional SMS text messaging with more useful chat features, powered by RCS (Rich Communication Services)". RCS will improve the messaging experience on Android tremendously. Alongside traditional chatting features that include seamless texting over Wi-Fi or mobile data, sending and receiving high-resolution photos and videos, seeing if people have received your messages, one will have access to a better chatting ecosystem that will be group-chat centric. "Plus, you`ll get better group chats, with the ability to name groups, add and remove people to and from groups, and see if people haven`t seen the latest messages," informed Google. The chat feature was tested in the United Kingdom, France, and Mexico earlier this year. The rolling out process has already kicked in the United States, with wider coverage planned for later. "If you already have Messages, you`ll also be prompted to enable chat features in the coming weeks. If you don`t have Messages, you can download it on the Play Store. We expect this service to be broadly available in the US by the end of the year," said the company. The RCS as being pitched as the ''SMS killer'', for it will enable the transfer of in-call multimedia and set the foundation for a more immersive and simple messaging interface. Just like Apple's iMessage, RCS is a communication protocol between the phone and the carrier. To enable the feature once it begins rolling out, the user will need to click on a notification that says ''do more with messages'' following which they will be able to ''enable chat features''. Additionally, Google reaffirmed its commitment to working with stakeholders including carriers and device makers to allow a more seamless chatting experience across Android devices.

Google begins rolling out Rich Communication Services to 'do more with messages'

Google used for anti-India hate campaign. Twitterverse slams google's oversight. This application was downloaded more than 1000 times so far.

Khalistani App pops up in Play Store

Telecom Italia (TIM) said it planned to spin off its&nbsp;data&nbsp;centre&nbsp;operations and look for an investor ahead of a potential market listing, after unveiling a&nbsp;partnership&nbsp;with&nbsp;Google&nbsp;to develop the cloud&nbsp;business.

The move is part of a plan by Chief Executive Luigi Gubitosi aimed at reviving the former monopoly,&nbsp;an&nbsp;underperforming&nbsp;business&nbsp;saddled with 24 billion euros of debt.

In presentation slides on its website,&nbsp;TIM&nbsp;said it would place the&nbsp;data&nbsp;centres&nbsp;under&nbsp;a newly-created legal entity.

TIM&nbsp;will then look for an infrastructure investor that could enter the capital of the new&nbsp;data&nbsp;centre&nbsp;company to finance its expansion while keeping control of it. It could also consider listing the new entity down the road.

On Thursday,&nbsp;TIM&nbsp;a strategic&nbsp;partnership&nbsp;with&nbsp;Google&nbsp;on the cloud service market.

Telecom Italia (TIM) said it planned to spin off its data centre operations and look for an investor ahead of a potential market listing, after unveiling a partnership with Google to develop the cloud business.

Telecom Italia (TIM) said it planned to spin off its data centre operations and look for an investor ahead of a potential market listing, after unveiling a partnership with Google to develop the cloud business. The move is part of a plan by Chief Executive Luigi Gubitosi aimed at reviving the former monopoly, an underperforming business saddled with 24 billion euros of debt. In presentation slides on its website, TIM said it would place the data centres under a newly-created legal entity. TIM will then look for an infrastructure investor that could enter the capital of the new data centre company to finance its expansion while keeping control of it. It could also consider listing the new entity down the road. On Thursday, TIM a strategic partnership with Google on the cloud service market.

Italy's TIM to expand data centre business under partnership with Google

Wall Street stocks surged to fresh records Friday following good US jobs data and positive comments from officials about progress on a partial trade deal with China.

The S&amp;P 500 rose 1.0 per cent to end at a new high of 3,066.91, notching its third record this week, while the Nasdaq jumped 1.1 per cent, pushing past the all-time high set in July to close at 8,386.40.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average also gained 1.1 per cent to 27,347.36, only 12 points shy of its own record.

Markets were cheered by the strong labour market after the government reported that US firms added 128,000 net new jobs last month, much better than the 80,000 projected by analysts and in spite of the hit from the lengthy General Motors strike.

Investors also greeted comments from the US and Chinese officials reporting progress in the efforts to finalise the partial trade bargain that President Donald Trump announced three weeks ago.

Adding to the positive sentiment has been a better-than-expected earnings season and the third in a series of Federal Reserve interest rate cuts.

"Interest rates have been moving in the right direction for quite a bit of time," said Tom Cahill of Ventura Wealth Management.&nbsp;

"There is a feeling that late in the year we'll start to see the benefits of interest rates decreasing (with) growth maybe reaccelerating."

Among companies reporting results, Exxon Mobil jumped 3.0 per cent after posting better-than-expected profits, while Chevron was flat on results that lagged expectations.

Fitbit, a wearable technology company, surged 15.2 per cent after it agreed to be acquired by Google for $2.1 billion.

The move advances Google's expansion into hardware while Fitbit has struggled against rivals including Apple. Google's parent Alphabet climbed by 1.1 per cent.

Meanwhile, Colgate-Palmolive shed 2.6 per cent, Pinterest dived 17.1 per cent and American International Group gained 1.5 per cent.

Wall Street stocks surged to fresh records Friday following good US jobs data and positive comments from officials about progress on a partial trade deal with China.

Wall Street stocks surged to fresh records Friday following good US jobs data and positive comments from officials about progress on a partial trade deal with China. The S&P 500 rose 1.0 per cent to end at a new high of 3,066.91, notching its third record this week, while the Nasdaq jumped 1.1 per cent, pushing past the all-time high set in July to close at 8,386.40. The Dow Jones Industrial Average also gained 1.1 per cent to 27,347.36, only 12 points shy of its own record. Markets were cheered by the strong labour market after the government reported that US firms added 128,000 net new jobs last month, much better than the 80,000 projected by analysts and in spite of the hit from the lengthy General Motors strike. Investors also greeted comments from the US and Chinese officials reporting progress in the efforts to finalise the partial trade bargain that President Donald Trump announced three weeks ago. Adding to the positive sentiment has been a better-than-expected earnings season and the third in a series of Federal Reserve interest rate cuts. "Interest rates have been moving in the right direction for quite a bit of time," said Tom Cahill of Ventura Wealth Management. "There is a feeling that late in the year we'll start to see the benefits of interest rates decreasing (with) growth maybe reaccelerating." Among companies reporting results, Exxon Mobil jumped 3.0 per cent after posting better-than-expected profits, while Chevron was flat on results that lagged expectations. Fitbit, a wearable technology company, surged 15.2 per cent after it agreed to be acquired by Google for $2.1 billion. The move advances Google's expansion into hardware while Fitbit has struggled against rivals including Apple. Google's parent Alphabet climbed by 1.1 per cent. Meanwhile, Colgate-Palmolive shed 2.6 per cent, Pinterest dived 17.1 per cent and American International Group gained 1.5 per cent.

S&P 500, Nasdaq end at records after strong US jobs data

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