Daily Archives: April 16, 2024

Google is shutting down its VPN by Google One service, according to a vague customer email seen by Android Authority, less than four years after it was rolled out in October 2020. The email doesnt specify when this will happen, only that the VPN service will be discontinued later this year.

Subscription prices for Google Ones VPN start at $1.99, with availability on Android, iOS, Mac, and Windows. The company told 9to5Google that it is killing the service because people simply werent using it. Perhaps its customers were simply spoilt for choice, given this is actually one of three VPN services provided by Google alongside the VPN offerings still available via Google Fi, and Pixel devices from the Pixel 7 on up.

VPN by Google One is the latest offering to get tossed into the infamous Google Graveyard just weeks after the Google One cloud storage service announced it had hit a 100 million subscriber milestone. Google mentioned in its shutdown email that the VPN was being phased out to focus on providing the most in-demand features and benefits, which may relate to all the Gemini AI stuff that the company is shoving into Google One.

Continued here:

The Google One VPN service is heading to the Google graveyard - The Verge

Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority

Ive been a Google One subscriber for a couple of years now. At first, I tried to avoid the subscription as long as I could because I dont like accruing monthly or yearly payments. But as my Google Photos storage started to fill up over years of traveling, attending concerts, watching sports games, and visiting interesting places around Paris, it became clear that my free Google quota wasnt going to cut it anymore.

I made the jump and thought I was getting a decent deal with my $20 100GB One storage plan. Extra space for my photos and videos so I can keep all my memories and people in one place, plus a decent Google One VPN service, all for less than $2 a month. Sure, I felt a bit sour to see Google offer One subscribers extra features in the US, but Im so used to being snuffed that I forgot about it.

101 votes

Yes, and I plan to keep my subscription.

36 %

Yes, but I'm questioning my subscription.

32 %

No, I tried it and quit.

4 %

No, I never subscribed to Google One.

29 %

Things were great for over a year. I set up automatic backups of my media and files to my own Synology NAS drive, so I wasnt solely relying on Google Drive and Photos. Thats why I kept my Photos uploads locked to the compressed quality. I also used the VPN when I needed it. And I used my One storage to keep backups of my Android phones, tablets, and Wear OS watches.

But some recent changes are starting to make me question the value of my One subscription. First, Google announced that all WhatsApp backups would start counting against One storage. Thats one feature Google had previously offered for free and was now sweeping away under our noses. I dont have an issue with companies making money from their services, but I have an issue with the bait-and-switch approach. Just tell me something will be free for a couple of years and paid later, so I can make an informed decision by committing to it.

With that decision, Google took back 3.48GB from my One storage. Its not much, but I hadnt counted on losing 3.5% of the 100GB I was paying for. And thats considering I dont back up videos. Anyone who uses WhatsApp a lot more than me and hangs on to their videos will be out a lot more than just 3-4GB. Thats why some people are receiving an email telling them theyll run out of One storage in 30 days.

Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority

Then, a couple of days ago, Google started emailing One subscribers to tell them that VPN by Google One is shutting down. One more service for the Google graveyard, but this one is something we were paying for. Unlike random free offshoots like Google Podcasts, Inbox, or even Reader (RIP), this one was part of a paid subscription. Its not the first time Google has shut down a paid service Stadia, Nest Secure, and Play Music say hi but this one did come out of the blue.

Googles VPN wasnt perfect as a standalone VPN service, but it had its fans, and it was the one nifty extra perk of Google One over other cloud storage services. When we asked you about it, over 53% of 8000+ Android Authority readers told us they use Google One, with 33% specifying they used it very often. Its rare to get this much endorsement for a Google service, and this one seems to have its fans.

But apparently, not enough to justify Googles investment. Now, those who mightve picked Google One over other cloud services because of its extra perks will be left without it. They could move to other providers soon.

For me, the death of this feature and the WhatsApp change both make Google One less appealing than it ever was. At this point, the only thing keeping me locked or even practically imprisoned in Googles cloud service is Photos. All my memories are so perfectly indexed there, thanks to Googles automatic face, place, and thing grouping and my personally curated albums. It would take me weeks to recreate this in any other photo service, no matter how much cheaper it is or how many extra features it offers.

I bet Google knows this, too. It knows it can kill every other One perk, and people would still pay for the storage because of Google Photos, wouldnt they?

See original here:

Google One is losing a lot of its appeal, but Photos has me locked in - Android Authority

Google may be shaking things up with the launch of the Pixel 9 series later this year because we could see four individual models, including a renamed Pixel 9 Pro Fold. This nugget of information comes from a Google insider who spoke to Android Authority. According to their source, the quartet consists of the base Pixel 9, the Pixel 9 Pro, a new Pixel 9 Pro XL, and the aforementioned foldable. Not much is known about the individual devices. Neither specs nor features were mentioned in the leak. However, all four together in the same lineup suggests they deliver similar performance, which will be a big deal for Pixel Fold fans in particular.

You see, the original Pixel Fold was a bit of a disappointments. It's still a solid smartphone, but the Tensor G2 chipset in the Pixel Fold and Pixel 7 series proved to be a dud. Performance is decent but not amazing, and phones with the Tensor G2 tend to have poor battery life. Plus, in our experience, those devices can run unusually hot. Remember, when it launched the Fold cost $1,800 in the US. You cant fault people for wanting more.

It was assumed up until recently that the Pixel Fold 2 would adopt the Tensor G3 chipset and address all of the previous models problems. But we're still waiting for the next foldable to be unveiled.

Its hard to say for sure what kind of the hardware will be found under the hood. To reiterate, device specs were not in the report. An earlier leak suggests the next phones will use an expected Tensor G4 chipset. That system on a chip (SoC) is slated to be on the Pixel 9 and the 9 Pro. Logic dictates itll be the same hardware on a Pixel 9 Pro Fold.

Design-wise, Android Authority claims the Pixel 9 Pro Fold will look similar to the other three models. The site says they saw renders of the smartphone, but didnt share any of them. They instead posted an image of what was then known as the Pixel Fold 2 from yet another leak from late February.

While were on the topic of names, theres a possibility "Pixel 9 Pro Fold" will not be the official name at launch. Android Authority says the name change from "Fold 2" to the current moniker was a recent development. The current branding may simply be a placeholder until a proper title has been finalized.

As always, take this leak with a grain of salt. Things could always change. We wont have to wait long to learn more as Google I/O 2024 kicks off in about a month. At the event, we expect to see the Pixel 8a plus a teaser for the new series.

Get the hottest deals available in your inbox plus news, reviews, opinion, analysis and more from the TechRadar team.

In the meantime, check out TechRadar's roundup of the best Pixel phones for 2024.

Go here to see the original:

Google's next foldable could be the Pixel 9 Pro Fold and finally get flagship specs - TechRadar

Lance Whitney/ZDNET

Google One subscribers who use the plan's VPN service will have to find another way to secure their internet connections. As spotted by Android Authority, Google sent an email to some Google One subscribers this week, and buried an announcement at the end saying that it will discontinue the plan's VPN feature. Though no specific retirement date was given, expect the VPN to be jettisoned from Google One as soon as sometime in the coming months and certainly before the end of 2024.

When asked why it's retiring the VPN service, a Google spokesperson told ZDNET: "We're refocusing our efforts to support more in-demand features with Google One. To keep our subscription service fresh, we're discontinuing the VPN feature, as we found people simply weren't using it."

Introduced in 2018,Google One is a subscription-based planthat bundles a variety of features across tiers ranging from $1.99 per month to $19.99 per month. The basic levels offer cloud storage, dark web monitoring, Google Photos editing tools, and for now, the VPN. The more expensive tiers include 10% back in the Google Store, Google Workspace premium features, Gemini Advanced, and Gemini in Gmail and Docs.

Also: What is Google One, and is it worth it?

Added in October 2020, theVPN was initially only available with certain paid plansand only on Android devices. Over time, Googleexpanded the featureto cover all paid Google One plans and kicked in support for iOS, Windows, and macOS.

Designed to protect multiple devices, the VPN is especially effective if you're using unsecured Wi-Fi networks in public places. In a white paper, Google explains exactly how the VPN works and how it secures your internet connections.

All the above reasons are why many Google One users will likely lament the loss of such a useful security tool. Unfortunately, Google has a history of killing products and services that it feels are no longer worth its time and effort. Thankfully, people who need a new VPN have other options.

Google offers a VPN through its Fi wireless subscription, which spans monthly data plans ranging from $35 to $110. The Google Fi VPN supports both Android devices and iPhones.

Recent Pixel owners can also enjoy a free Google VPN. The Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, Pixel 7a, and Pixel Fold will receive updates in June to give them the same built-in VPN found on Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro phones.

Plus, there are a host of third-party VPN tools available in the Google Play Store. For even more options, check out ZDNET's story on the best mobile VPNs.

Read the rest here:

Google is shutting down Google One VPN because 'people simply weren't using it' - ZDNet

Hardware is emerging as a key AI growth area. For Big Tech companies with the money and talent to do so, developing in-house chips helps reduce dependence on outside designers such as Nvidia and Intel while also allowing firms to tailor their hardware specifically to their own AI models, boosting performance and saving on energy costs.

These in-house AI chips that Google and Meta just announced pose one of the first real challenges to Nvidias dominant position in the AI hardware market. Nvidia controls more than 90% of the AI chips market, and demand for its industry-leading semiconductors is only increasing. But if Nvidias biggest customers start making their own chips instead, its soaring share price, up 87% since the start of the year, could suffer.

From Metas point of view it gives them a bargaining tool with Nvidia, Edward Wilford, an analyst at tech consultancy Omdia, told Fortune. It lets Nvidia know that theyre not exclusive, [and] that they have other options. Its hardware optimized for the AI that they are developing.

Why does AI need new chips?

AI models require massive amounts of computing power because of the huge amount of data required to train the large language models behind them. Conventional computer chips simply arent capable of processing the trillions of data points AI models are built upon, which has spawned a market for AI-specific computer chips, often called cutting-edge chips because theyre the most powerful devices on the market.

Semiconductor giant Nvidia has dominated this nascent market: The wait list for Nvidias $30,000 flagship AI chip is months long, and demand has pushed the firms share price up almost 90% in the past six months.

And rival chipmaker Intel is fighting to stay competitive. It just released its Gaudi 3 AI chip to compete directly with Nvidia. AI developersfrom Google and Microsoft down to small startupsare all competing for scarce AI chips, limited by manufacturing capacity.

Why are tech companies starting to make their own chips?

Both Nvidia and Intel can produce only a limited number of chips because they and the rest of the industry rely on Taiwanese manufacturer TSMC to actually assemble their chip designs. With only one manufacturer solidly in the game, the manufacturing lead time for these cutting-edge chips is multiple months. Thats a key factor that led major players in the AI space, such as Google and Meta, to resort to designing their own chips. Alvin Nguyen, a senior analyst at consulting firm Forrester, told Fortune that chips designed by the likes of Google, Meta, and Amazon wont be as powerful as Nvidias top-of-the-line offeringsbut that could benefit the companies in terms of speed. Theyll be able to produce them on less specialized assembly lines with shorter wait times, he said.

If you have something thats 10% less powerful but you can get it now, Im buying that every day, Nguyen said.

Even if the native AI chips Meta and Google are developing are less powerful than Nvidias cutting-edge AI chips, they could be better tailored to the companys specific AI platforms. Nguyen said that in-house chips designed for a companys own AI platform could be more efficient and save on costs by eliminating unnecessary functions.

Its like buying a car. Okay, you need an automatic transmission. But do you need the leather seats, or the heated massage seats? Nguyen said.

The benefit for us is that we can build a chip that can handle our specific workloads more efficiently, Melanie Roe, a Meta spokesperson, wrote in an email to Fortune.

Nvidias top-of-the-line chips sell for about $25,000 apiece. Theyre extremely powerful tools, and theyre designed to be good at a wide range of applications, from training AI chatbots to generating images to developing recommendation algorithms such as the ones on TikTok and Instagram. That means a slightly less powerful, but more tailored chip could be a better fit for a company such as Meta, for examplewhich has invested in AI primarily for its recommendation algorithms, not consumer-facing chatbots.

The Nvidia GPUs are excellent in AI data centers, but they are general purpose, Brian Colello, equity research lead at Morningstar, told Fortune. There are likely certain workloads and certain models where a custom chip might be even better.

The trillion-dollar question

Nguyen said that more specialized in-house chips could have added benefits by virtue of their ability to integrate into existing data centers. Nvidia chips consume a lot of power, and they give off a lot of heat and noiseso much so that tech companies may be forced to redesign or move their data centers to integrate soundproofing and liquid cooling. Less powerful native chips, which consume less energy and release less heat, could solve that problem.

AI chips developed by Meta and Google are long-term bets. Nguyen estimated that these chips took roughly a year and a half to develop, and itll likely be months before theyre implemented at a large scale. For the foreseeable future, the entire AI world will continue to depend heavily on Nvidia (and, to a lesser extent, Intel) for its computing hardware needs. Indeed, Mark Zuckerberg recently announced that Meta was on track to own 350,000 Nvidia chips by the end of this year (the companys set to spend around $18 billion on chips by then). But movement away from outsourcing computing power and toward native chip design could loosen Nvidias chokehold on the market.

The trillion-dollar question for Nvidias valuation is the threat of these in-house chips, Colello said. If these in-house chips significantly reduce the reliance on Nvidia, theres probably downside to Nvidias stock from here. This development is not surprising, but the execution of it over the next few years is the key valuation question in our mind.

Read more from the original source:

Meta and Google announce new in-house AI chips, creating a trillion-dollar question for Nvidia - Fortune

An ethereal immersion into the power and interconnectedness of our senses

Unless youve been following Salone del Mobile for the last few years, Google might not be the first organization to come to mind when you hear the words Milan Design Week. And yet, for attendees, years after year, the tech pioneer has continued to explore the world of design through our interconnected sensesand our abundance of feelingswith exhibitions like A Space for Being with Suchi Reddy and Shaped by Water with Lachlan Turczan. This year, at Garage 21 from 15-21 April, Googles Vice President of Hardware Design, Ivy Ross, will present Making Sense of Colorin collaboration with arts and research labChromasonic. The immersive installation, which translates light into sound is as spectacular as it is serene.

In Making Sense of Color, translucent scrims form three rows of seven partially enclosed spaces. All 21 of these nodes are enhanced with a dedicated color-shifting light source and enveloping spatialized audio. With Chromasonics refrequencing technology, the frequencies emanating from a soothing lightscape are translated into sound while guests pass from space to space, engaging with others or finding their own peace in the waves of color.

We create a condition where you can see sound or hear light

At a really fundamental level, we connect light frequencies and sound frequencies, multimedia artist Johannes Girardoni, Chromasonics cofounder, explains to COOL HUNTING on site. We map light waves to sound waves to help us all expand our perception. We use technology to do that. We create a condition where you can see sound or hear light because we are aligning all the frequencies and waves algorithmically. In person, an immediate calm descends as one steps into the experiential space.

In addition to being a sensory immersion, its also a tale of human connectionwith pleasant encounters shared in the space. Its a use of technology that allows us to move our presence into ourselves, to move into the presence of others, and to connect through community, Girardoni continues. The physical spatial expression of this installation creates an elasticization of space through the movement of light and sound so space may appear to expand and contract. When youre in the space with other participants, they may appear or disappear. You notice yourself. You notice others.

Ross explains that Chromasonics work at the intersection of art and science is what appealed to Google. They embrace both physical and virtual sensory technologies to create visceral experiences that really resonate with us and relate to how we approach design, she tells us. In the case ofMaking Sense of Color, their portion of the exhibit embodies the answer to the question, what does color sound like?'

Color gives life a pulse

At the Google Hardware Design Studio we are always considering the sensorial nature of what we design,color being an important aspect, Ross says. Each color transmits a different vibration. That vibration has a biological and psychological effect on us. Color gives life a pulse. Color resonates with vibrancy, embodying energy, evoking emotion. Right now we are going through a lot of emotion as a society so understanding the power of color and its different properties feels relevant.

As for the importance of Milan Design Week, Ross adds that, we believe that Salone is the best showcase for design, attracting folks from all over the world. It is the best place to share with the world the thought leadership of the Google Hardware Design group. Our Making Sense of Color experience culminates in a feast for the eyes that shows how color comes to life through the design of Googles hardware portfolio that will be on display. For those in Milan for Salone del Mobile, its a cant missand for those who are mesmerized from afar, the Chromasonic portion of the installation will travel to other destinations in the future.

Milan Design Week 2024: Google and Chromasonic Transform Light Into Sound for Making Sense of Color Exhibition

This placeholder is removed when the ad slot is configured.

View post:

Milan Design Week 2024: Google and Chromasonic Transform Light Into Sound for Making Sense of Color Exhibition ... - Cool Hunting