Google (GOOG) News

Amazon dominates global smart speaker sales as Google continues to lag behind

by Nat Levy on November 14, 2019November 14, 2019 at 7:01 amComment

Despite a growing list of challengers, Amazon remains the dominant force in the global smart speaker market, accounting for more than a third of all sales in the quarter, according… Read More

Google to acquire Fitbit for $2.1B, doubling down on digital health and wearables

by Nat Levy on November 1, 2019November 1, 2019 at 8:40 amComment

Google is buying Fitbit, bolstering the tech giant’s quiet push into digital health and setting up wearables as its next big hardware initiative. Rick Osterloh, senior vice president of devices… Read More

Judge limits role of former Amazon sales exec in AWS vs. Google Cloud non-compete lawsuit

by Nat Levy on October 29, 2019October 29, 2019 at 8:50 amComment

A lawsuit against a former Amazon Web Services sales executive who joined rival Google Cloud earlier this year took an interesting turn, with a federal judge slapping some major limitations… Read More

Video

Google Cloud hiring spree: Alphabet adds 6,450 employees in Q3, cites cloud as biggest factor

by Todd Bishop on October 28, 2019October 28, 2019 at 3:43 pmComment

Google parent company Alphabet grew by a net total of 6,450 employees in the third quarter, up nearly 6 percent from the end of the second quarter, topping 114,000 employees… Read More

Video

Everything Google announced at its Pixel hardware event

by Nat Levy on October 15, 2019October 15, 2019 at 1:02 pmComment

Google unveiled its latest hardware products today, joining fellow tech giants like Amazon, Microsoft and Apple in refreshing existing gadgets and releasing new ones ahead of the busy holiday shopping… Read More

First look: Inside Google Cloud’s new Seattle campus — right across the street from Amazon

by James Thorne on October 3, 2019October 3, 2019 at 2:02 pmComment

Google and Amazon are officially next-door neighbors in Cloud City. Google Cloud on Thursday officially opened up the first portion of its new five-building campus in South Lake Union, adding… Read More

Google Assistant can now control Xbox consoles in new voice integration between tech giants

by Nat Levy on September 26, 2019September 26, 2019 at 6:59 amComment

The Google Assistant is coming to Xbox, the latest example of Microsoft adding more voice control to its flagship gaming console outside of its digital assistant Cortana. Microsoft is kicking… Read More

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50 US states and territories launch antitrust probe into Google’s ‘potential monopolistic behavior’

by Monica Nickelsburg on September 9, 2019September 9, 2019 at 7:56 pm 22 Comments

Attorneys general from 50 U.S. states and territories launched an investigation into Google to find out whether the tech giant violates antitrust laws. A handful of them announced the probe… Read More

Ex-Google manager alleges in new complaint she was discriminated against for being pregnant

by Nat Levy on September 6, 2019September 9, 2019 at 6:10 amComment

A former Google manager filed state and federal complaints against the tech giant this week, alleging she was retaliated against for standing up for a pregnant co-worker and that higher-ups… Read More

Apple says Siri will no longer retain audio by default, one-upping Amazon and Google on privacy

by Todd Bishop on August 28, 2019August 28, 2019 at 10:25 am 2 Comments

Siri won’t be so sneaky about snooping anymore. That’s the gist of a new policy announcement and accompanying apology from Apple this morning. It’s a move that could pressure its… Read More

Google and Dell team up on new Chromebook Enterprise devices, targeting Microsoft’s bread-and-butter

by Nat Levy on August 26, 2019August 26, 2019 at 11:12 amComment

Google is taking on the enterprise institution that is Microsoft’s Windows operating system with a series of new laptops targeting business customers. Google is launching new Chromebook Enterprise devices, teaming… Read More

Baidu surges past Google in global smart speaker sales, becoming the new #2 behind Amazon Echo

by Nat Levy on August 26, 2019August 26, 2019 at 9:18 amComment

Baidu is now the No. 2 smart speaker seller in the world, roaring past Google and trailing only Amazon. According to a new study from Canalys, Baidu shipped 4.5 million… Read More

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Bill Nye swears, and Microsoft Windows is cursed, in new promotion videos for Google’s Chromebook

by Kurt Schlosser on August 13, 2019August 14, 2019 at 8:36 am 8 Comments

Bill Nye is cursing (again) in the name of climate change. But this time he’s swearing by the need to change out your laptop, specifically for Google’s Chromebook — and… Read More

Today on GeekWire: Satya and the Sounders; Cray goes nuclear; new Seattle startup fundings

by Todd Bishop on August 13, 2019August 13, 2019 at 12:00 pmComment

Highlights from today’s top stories. Subscribe here to receive this rundown daily. Satya Nadella owns a soccer team. At least, he owns a piece of one. An all-star roster of Seattle tech… Read More

Podcast

Platform Power: Amazon, Facebook, Google, and the hidden forces driving the world’s top businesses

by Todd Bishop on August 13, 2019August 13, 2019 at 8:48 amComment

Amazon, Uber, Google, Facebook, Microsoft and many other big companies have something in common. They’re all platforms, providing underlying technologies that others use to build or facilitate their own businesses.… Read More

Google’s Seattle-area footprint skyrockets to nearly 2M square feet, fueling region’s tech space race

by Nat Levy on August 7, 2019August 7, 2019 at 10:23 am1 Comment

Google’s appetite for office space across the Seattle region has intensified in recent years, and it is on the verge of a major milestone. The search giant is approaching a… Read More

Earmuffs, Alexa! Amazon to let users opt out of human review of voice recordings, amid scrutiny

by Todd Bishop on August 2, 2019August 2, 2019 at 8:48 pmComment

Amazon became the latest tech giant to let users of its voice assistant opt out of human review of their voice recordings, after similar announcements from Apple and Google. The… Read More

Hello, neighbor! How Google Cloud is making its presence known in Amazon’s backyard

by Nat Levy on July 22, 2019July 22, 2019 at 3:48 pm1 Comment

Google is planting its flag in Amazon territory. Google signage has been installed across the multiple buildings going up in Seattle’s South Lake Union neighborhood and at the street level,… Read More

Google brings YouTube back to Amazon Fire TV, as promised, but not to rival’s Echo Show

by Todd Bishop on July 9, 2019July 9, 2019 at 10:41 amComment

Google and Amazon followed through on their peace pact this morning. The official YouTube app is coming back to Amazon’s Fire TV devices as part of an agreement that also… Read More

Google halts tablet production in the face of competition from Microsoft, Apple and others

by Nat Levy on June 20, 2019June 20, 2019 at 1:26 pm1 Comment

Google will stop producing its own tablets, according to a report from Computerworld, pulling back from a competitive and stagnant market that includes more prominent players like Apple and Microsoft.… Read More

Google acquires Looker for $2.6 billion to add its business intelligence software to Google Cloud

by Tom Krazit on June 6, 2019June 6, 2019 at 10:52 amComment

Google is getting deeper into enterprise software with the $2.6 billion acquisition of Looker, which makes business-intelligence software for data analysis, the company announced Thursday. The all-cash deal will blend… Read More

Amazon and Google stocks tumble as tech world braces for increased antitrust scrutiny

by Nat Levy on June 3, 2019June 3, 2019 at 10:07 pm1 Comment

Shares in Amazon and Google are diving Monday morning on reports that U.S. regulators are gearing up to take a hard look at the tech giants. The Washington Post reported… Read More

Networking issues take down Google Cloud in parts of the U.S. and Europe, YouTube and Snapchat also affected

by Tom Krazit on June 2, 2019June 4, 2019 at 10:38 amComment

Update 6:13pm PT: Google sounded the all-clear at 5:09 pm PT, saying that all service had been restored. Our original story follows below. Six weeks after Google dubiously claimed it… Read More

Google Glass takes on Microsoft HoloLens with new augmented reality eyewear for businesses

by Nat Levy on May 20, 2019May 20, 2019 at 8:03 am 4 Comments

Google is challenging Microsoft’s HoloLens with a new version of its Glass augmented reality eyewear targeted at businesses, continuing a transition started two years ago for the device. Google today… Read More

Podcast

Which tech giant do you trust? How Google, Apple, Facebook and Microsoft are doing privacy

by Todd Bishop & Monica Nickelsburg on May 11, 2019May 11, 2019 at 9:31 am 7 Comments

There’s a common theme running through the spring season of developer conferences and tech events: trust and privacy. With the tech industry facing a backlash from consumers and regulators, tech… Read More

Podcast

Geared Up: Google Pixel 3a Thoughts, iOS 13 Leaked Features, & Google Duplex on the Web

by Andru Edwards on May 11, 2019August 14, 2019 at 1:37 pmComment

The Google I/O 2019 keynote took place this week, and I bring you a recap of the news, including my thoughts on the newly announced Google Pixel 3a and Pixel… Read More

Video

Google says its AI can spot early-stage lung cancer, in some cases better than doctors can

by James Thorne on May 7, 2019May 7, 2019 at 1:18 pmComment

What if deep learning models could detect early-stage cancer more accurately than a veteran radiologist? Google is showing that day might be close, based on the results of a study… Read More

Video

Google unveils Nest Hub Max with 10-inch display, escalating rivalry with Amazon Alexa and Echo

by Todd Bishop on May 7, 2019May 7, 2019 at 11:58 amComment

Google showed a new device called Nest Hub Max, with a 10-inch display and a built-in camera, stepping up its efforts to give Google Assistant and other services a place… Read More

Video

Does Google really run the most reliable cloud service? Even its own sources are skeptical

by Tom Krazit on May 2, 2019May 2, 2019 at 10:27 amComment

The slide whizzed by during a Google Cloud Next keynote address last month in San Francisco, perhaps a little too quickly for the more than 30,000 in attendance to process… Read More

Former Google Cloud CEO Diane Greene and longtime Google CEO Eric Schmidt leaving Alphabet’s board of directors

by Tom Krazit on April 30, 2019April 30, 2019 at 2:12 pmComment

Two long-serving members of Alphabet’s board of directors who also played prominent roles as executives at the company plan to leave its board in June, Alphabet announced Tuesday. The board… Read More

Google

Amazon dominates global smart speaker sales as Google continues to lag behind

Google to acquire Fitbit for $2.1B, doubling down on digital health and wearables

Judge limits role of former Amazon sales exec in AWS vs. Google Cloud non-compete lawsuit

Google Cloud hiring spree: Alphabet adds 6,450 employees in Q3, cites cloud as biggest factor

Everything Google announced at its Pixel hardware event

Google Assistant can now control Xbox consoles in new voice integration between tech giants

50 US states and territories launch antitrust probe into Google’s ‘potential monopolistic behavior’

Ex-Google manager alleges in new complaint she was discriminated against for being pregnant

Apple says Siri will no longer retain audio by default, one-upping Amazon and Google on privacy

Google and Dell team up on new Chromebook Enterprise devices, targeting Microsoft’s bread-and-butter

Baidu surges past Google in global smart speaker sales, becoming the new #2 behind Amazon Echo

Bill Nye swears, and Microsoft Windows is cursed, in new promotion videos for Google’s Chromebook

Today on GeekWire: Satya and the Sounders; Cray goes nuclear; new Seattle startup fundings

Platform Power: Amazon, Facebook, Google, and the hidden forces driving the world’s top businesses

Google’s Seattle-area footprint skyrockets to nearly 2M square feet, fueling region’s tech space race

Earmuffs, Alexa! Amazon to let users opt out of human review of voice recordings, amid scrutiny

Hello, neighbor! How Google Cloud is making its presence known in Amazon’s backyard

Google brings YouTube back to Amazon Fire TV, as promised, but not to rival’s Echo Show

Google halts tablet production in the face of competition from Microsoft, Apple and others

Google acquires Looker for $2.6 billion to add its business intelligence software to Google Cloud

Amazon and Google stocks tumble as tech world braces for increased antitrust scrutiny

Networking issues take down Google Cloud in parts of the U.S. and Europe, YouTube and Snapchat also affected

Google Glass takes on Microsoft HoloLens with new augmented reality eyewear for businesses

Which tech giant do you trust? How Google, Apple, Facebook and Microsoft are doing privacy

Geared Up: Google Pixel 3a Thoughts, iOS 13 Leaked Features, & Google Duplex on the Web

Google says its AI can spot early-stage lung cancer, in some cases better than doctors can

Google unveils Nest Hub Max with 10-inch display, escalating rivalry with Amazon Alexa and Echo

Does Google really run the most reliable cloud service? Even its own sources are skeptical

Former Google Cloud CEO Diane Greene and longtime Google CEO Eric Schmidt leaving Alphabet’s board of directors

Girls’ Night Out: Surgical Robotics and Science Fiction

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