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Trudeau’s government reached a historic agreement with Google, how did they do it?

Google and the Canadian government have reached a $100 million agreement on the controversial Bill C-18, also known as the Online Information Act.

After months of negotiations, Google will continue to provide Canadian information on its various platforms, as Google has reportedly agreed to pay Canadian media companies $100 million a year to help them comply with the agreement.

Details of the application and implementation of this settlement had not yet been revealed at the time of writing, while Minister St. Onge would make the official announcement on Parliament Hill.

Google had initially expressed serious concerns about the bill, which the company described as a link tax that, according to Google, would have threatened the basis on which search engines have operated for over thirty years.

Google threatened to remove Canadian news articles from its search results in protest at the proposed regulations. This would have had a considerable impact on the accessibility of online information for Canadians, after Facebook had implemented the same threats earlier this year.

Getty Images

The announcement of this landmark agreement is a major development for Canadian information after a period of uncertainty, particularly over a future settlement with Meta, the giant behind Facebook and Instagram.

The agreement with Google was reached just before the December 19 deadline, when Bill C-18 will be implemented.

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Mobile Syrup

New Pixel Fold renders give best look yet at upcoming foldable

Google’s newest phone offering is set to be released sometime in June of 2023, and now, we have a closer look at what the Google Pixel Fold might look like through some new leaks.

The photos surfaced on Twitter through Evan Blass and gave a more detailed look at the upcoming foldable. Previously, renders and even some video footage appeared online, but this looks to be the first leak from a historically reputable source.

Blass, whose account is currently private, posted three photos showing off how the Pixel Fold looks. The images show off the front and back covers of the phone, the home screen display and what the phone could look like when folded.

These photos add up to what has been said about the upcoming phone to date. They show off the phone’s foldability, front-facing camera and how the Pixel Launcher home screen will look on the larger foldable display.

Blass included some more personal thoughts on the Pixel Fold’s bezels, saying, “Keep in mind, there’s something to be said for bezels on larger-screen devices.”

The Pixel Fold will likely be announced at the company’s annual developer conference, Google I/O, on May 10 and is set to be released sometime in June 2023. Pre-orders for the phone are slated to open on the same day as the conference. 

Want to know more? Check out the upcoming foldable’s rumoured specs.

Source: @evleaks

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Mobile Syrup

It’s time to use Android Quick Settings a little more

If you’re on Android, it’s probably time to reorganize your Quick Settings.

I’ve been using Google’s Pixel 7 Pro lately, and since it runs a slightly modified version of stock Android, it’s been fun to reorganize my Android life.

I’m a big fan of the large Quick Settings buttons that Google has implemented since Android 13, and I hope that more manufacturers follow suit. There’s something about the larger Google buttons that feel more usable and approachable compared to the small icons that Samsung and OnePlus use.

It might be annoying to some that Google only shows eight buttons next to OnePlus’ 14, but at the end of the day, I still have to have two pages of Quick Settings on both phones anyways. So when it comes down to it, I enjoy the easier-to-read buttons from Google more.

When I began reorganizing my quick Settings, I first noticed that Google finally added a quick toggle for the calculator, bringing it to feature parity with iOS. Annoyingly, the Google Calculator app is required to make this work. On OnePlus and Samsung phones, you’ll need to download the Google Calculator app and disable your phone’s default number cruncher. This sounds like a small change, but it’s great to quickly jump into the calculator when you need to do fast math.

I’ve also been experimenting with keeping a Bitwarden toggle in the Quick Settings area to remove the app icon from my home screen. I haven’t taken to this one as quickly because it’s hard to remove my previous Bitwarden muscle memory, but being able to open the app without actually exiting my current app feels seamless when I use it.

Overall, the Android Quick Toggles have gone criminally underused in my life beyond the Wifi and Bluetooth options, but I’m hoping that Google will slowly add more features there over time. One of my favourites on my Pixel 7 Pro is that you can set a button to ‘Colour correct’ your screen. This is helpful for someone like me that does a lot of mobile phone editing. I can swipe down, turn on the colour-accurate screen and edit. Samsung has a similar mode to this, but not all Android phones.

All of this is to say that if you’re on Android and you’ve forgotten about your Quick Settings, now might be the time to reorganize it.

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Mobile Syrup

Google’s Pixel 7a might launch with new ‘coral’ colourway

The upcoming Google Pixel 7a might release with a “coral” colour option, according to a new render shared by reliable leaker @evleaks.

The hue looks to be something of a mix of both orange and pink, and it’s quite vibrant.

If accurate, this would mark the first time Google releases a Pixel phone with four separate colour options to choose from.  Previous leaks indicate three other colours are coming — white, grey, and light blue.

The leak backs up a previous tweet by @jon_prosser, who also suggests coral is on the way. The option to choose coral will be a Google Store exclusive, according to Prosser.

The news comes not long after the drop of a previous set of leaks, giving us a rundown of potential device specifications.

The Pixel 7a is expected to be announced at Google I/O on May 10th.

Source: @evleaks Via: Android Police

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Mobile Syrup

Google Authenticator to get end-to-end encryption ‘down the line’

On Wednesday, April 26th, we shared how Google’s Authenticator application was discovered to not offer end-to-end encryption (E2EE). Earlier this week, Google announced that users would now be able to sync Authenticator to a Google account and use it across multiple devices.

However, when security researchers and app developers for the software company Mysk dug deeper into the change, they noticed that the underlying data wasn’t end-to-end encrypted. This opened up the possibility for Google getting a glimpse at users’ apps and data for the purpose of targeted ads.

Now, Google product manager Christiaan Brand has responded to criticism from security researchers. He said, “we have plans to offer E2EE for Google Authenticator down the line.”

With the Authenticator app synced to Google Accounts, users can easily sign into their accounts on new devices. Although this feature is a welcome addition, it raises security concerns, as hackers who breach a user’s Google account could gain access to numerous other accounts through the Authenticator app. If the new update featured E2EE, hackers and third parties, including Google, would not be able to see this sensitive information.

Brand added that while E2EE is a powerful feature, it comes at a cost. Google encrypts “data in transit, and at rest, across our products, including in Google Authenticator,” adding E2EE would come at the “cost of enabling users to get locked out of their own data without recovery.”

It is currently unknown when Google will offer E2EE for the Authenticator app.

Image credit: Shutterstock

Source: @christiaanbrand Via: The Verge

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Mobile Syrup

A flood of new Pixel 7a leaks give us the full rundown of specs

Leaks and rumours about Google’s next Pixel A phone are relentless. This time, we have a collaboration between leaker Yogesh Brar on Twitter, and 91mobiles. 

The list of specifications posted by Brar mirrors what we’ve seen in previous leaks regarding the upcoming mid-range smartphone.

The addition of wireless charging is a welcome one, though we still don’t have the exact wattage information. The 6.1-inch display size and compact footprint is paired with a fairly large 4,400 mAh battery. This is a rather impressive combination if true, and will hopefully lead to some excellent battery life.

Other key specs include a Tensor G2 SoC, 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM and a 64-megapixel primary camera.

Another separate leak from MySmartPrice suggests the same lineup of specs. The site has leaked some possible marketing material as well.

With this much Pixel 7a information already out in the open, it’ll be interesting to see how Google plans to hype up the phone at its reveal event.

The Pixel 7a is expected to be announced as early as next month.

Source: @heyitsyogesh Via: Android Police

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Mobile Syrup

Google walks back decision to axe Wi-Fi sharing via QR screenshot

Back when Google released its March Feature Drop, one of the less publicised changes was to Android 13’s Wi-Fi sharing behaviour.

The over-the-air update made it so that taking a screenshot of a Wi-Fi QR code would result in a blank screen. This change made it more difficult to share the code with friends and family.

It has now come to light that the latest Android 13 QPR3 Beta 3 update has reverted back this behaviour. As pointed out by Mishaal Rahman on Twitter, it’s possible to screenshot and send off QR codes again in the latest beta built.

The change will likely be rolled into the upcoming Android 14 Beta 2 build as well, according to Rahman. Unless Google changes its mind again, it looks like we can expect the return of the functionality in only a matter of weeks.

The stable release of QPR3 is expected to hit Pixel phones sometime in June. It will serve as the final Feature Drop before the launch of Android 14.

Source: @MishaalRahman

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Mobile Syrup

Google Authenticator doesn’t feature end-to-end encryption

Google’s new two-factor authentication tool has been discovered not to offer end-to-end encryption, which could lead to security risks.

The Authenticator app works by providing unique codes for websites required as a second layer of protection on top of user passwords. Earlier this week, Google announced that users would now be able to sync Authenticator to a Google account and use it across multiple devices. This move from the tech giant eliminates the risk of being locked out of your account via a misplaced phone.

However, when security researchers and app developers for the software company Mysk dug deeper into the change, they noticed that the underlying data wasn’t end-to-end encrypted. The company would go on to explain on Twitter that Google is able to see ‘secrets’ likely even while they’re stored on their servers. The word ‘secrets’ in the world of security is used to describe credentials that work as a key to unlock an account or a tool.

This opens up the possibility for Google to get a glimpse at users’ apps and data for the purpose of targeted ads.

The full tweet from Mysk detailing its concern can be found below:

Users can use Authenticator without connecting it to their Google account or by syncing it across other devices as a means to bypass the issue. The downside of this is that it effectively renders the newest update useless.

Google might not be the only one who can see your data. The tests conducted found that unencrypted traffic contains a seed that generates the two-factor authentication codes, and according to researcher Tommy Mysk, anyone with that seed can generate codes that can be used to breach your account.

The discovery is concerning, considering the company has taken steps with similar tools to prevent data spying.

Google has yet to comment on the issue and has not announced plans to add password protection to Authenticator.

Image credit: Google

Source: @mysk_co Via: Gizmodo

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Mobile Syrup

A location timeline might be coming directly to Android settings app

Google Maps has a nifty option that lets you track your location history data. An opt-in feature, it lets you see a timeline of where you have been while on your commutes.

A potential update from Google might allow users to view a similar location timeline directly from the settings app on Android.

The possible change was discovered by Twitter user Nail Sadykov, who is also the editor of the Google News Telegram Channel. Sadykov was able to turn on hidden flags within Google Play Services to view the new setting.

Currently, the timeline feature can only be found within the Google Maps app. It’s fairly easy to navigate to, but having the information made available in settings would help with discoverability.

It remains unclear whether a location timeline in settings would be separated from the existing one in Google Maps.

Source: Twitter Via Android Police

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Google might soon let you search Chrome tabs from Pixel home screen

New flags suggest Chrome tabs and bookmarks might soon be searchable directly from your Pixel home screen. First uncovered by LanceAdams on Telegram, the update would make finding and managing websites less of a headache.

The new search capability is likely to make its way to third party launchers and skins as well, according to Twitter user Mishaal Rahman. “AppSearch” is part of a Project Mainline module, which means it can be implemented independent of major Android OS updates.

Google’s Pixel launcher has had a search bar perched at the bottom of the screen for a number of years now. Over time, the search giant has added functionality to make Android search a more robust and useful experience.

For those of us with far too many tabs open at any given time, let’s hope this feature makes its way into a stable release in the near future.

Source: @MishaalRahman Via: Android Police