Google's Allo runs on the same encryption tech that powers WhatsApp and other top stories.

• Google's Allo runs on the same encryption tech that powers WhatsApp

  

  Earlier today at the I/O conference, Google announced a new chat app called Allo, complete with an "incognito" mode that boasts full end-to-end encryption. But the technology powering that encryption is more familiar than many Google fans may realize. After the new app was announced, Open Whisper Systems revealed in a blog post that the company has been actively participating in the development of Allo's incognito mode, and the resulting feature will be built on top of the company's open Signal..

  >> view original



• Google just revealed its strategy to rule the post-search world. Will it work?

  

  Google CEO Sundar Pichai had good reason to be excited Wednesday. Pichai, who is probably most often described as "subdued," was unusually energized as he emceed his team through a host of product announcements — several genuinely impressive. He kicked things off with Google Home, the company's answer to Amazon Echo. Then came Allo and Duo, a pair of messaging apps that look well poised to compete with the likes of WhatsApp and Apple's FaceTime. And Android Instant Apps — apps that download the..

  >> view original



• Yahoo Mail is updated with new features for the Android version of the app

  

  A big update to Yahoo Mail for iOS has been followed up with a similar, but smaller update for those using the Android platform. With the update, Android users with the app will be able to create a list of everyone they have ever communicated with using it. This is called the "People Smart View." The sidebar will provide you with some options that you can use with this list.The update to Yahoo Mail will now allow Android users to sync their personal contacts with their Yahoo contacts. This proba..

  >> view original



• Google turns Firebase into its unified platform for mobile developers

  

  Google offers a plethora of cloud services that mobile developers can use to power their apps. With Firebase, which it acquired in 2014, it already offered developers a dedicated platform and SDK for building mobile apps; today it is greatly expanding this service by launching a number of new features and integrating the service deeper into the rest of its cloud tools. The new Firebase, which the company announced at its I/O developer conference today, takes the service’s existing features and..

  >> view original



• Google's new chip makes machine learning way faster

  

  Google has taken a big leap forward with the speed of its machine learning systems by creating its own custom chip that it's been using for over a year. The company was rumored to have been designing its own chip, based partly on job ads it posted in recent years. But until today it had kept the effort largely under wraps. It calls the chip a Tensor Processing Unit, or TPU, named after the TensorFlow software it uses for its machine learning programs. In a blog post, Google engineer Norm..

  >> view original



• Apple's expansion in India accelerates Maps development

  

  It seems likely Apple will very soon extend Flyover support to a range of new cities, as the company this morning announced plans to a open a new Maps development hub in Hyderabad, India.Maps to the future“Apple is focused on making the best products and services in the world and we are thrilled to open this new office in Hyderabad which will focus on Maps development,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook, promising more expansion ahead as the company deepens investment in India. “The talent here in th..

  >> view original



• Facebook's new Live Video map lets you drop in on strangers around the world

  

  Facebook continues to add new features to Live Video, on Wednesdays rolling out an interactive map to users around the world. Here you can peer into the lives of some of Facebook’s global community of 1.65 billion users. But don’t expect too much – a random look through feeds late Wednesday showed a guy staring blankly at his smartphone camera, a shaky POV of a motorcycle journey, a person buttering toast, and a guy in a youth hostel eating noodles. Oh, and there was a cat writhing around on th..

  >> view original



• Netflix launches Fast.com, a tool to measure your Internet speed

  

  The Internet connection at CNET's San Francisco offices isn't bad. Netflix Got a need for speed? Netflix feels your pain, Mav.That's why the video-streaming service on Wednesday announced the launch of Fast.com, a free website that measures how fast (or slow) your mobile or broadband connection is. Similar to other speed measurement tools available on the Internet, Fast.com uses Netflix's own servers to measure y..

  >> view original

What the 'Little Lion' galaxy could tell us about the Big Bang .	Doom review: Glorious guns, gibs, and more guns .
Apple to send out update this week to help prevent iTunes bug from deleting more music from users' libraries .	Missing 9-Year-Old Carlie Trent 'Playing and Giggling' as She's Reunited with Little Sister and Her Dog Pat .