Category Archives: Google

Google has agreed to buy a 6.6% stake in security-monitoring provider ADT Inc. for $450 million, as part of the search-engine company's effort to bolster its hardware business and capitalize on growth in the market for smart-home security products.

The two companies said Monday they would combine Google's Nest hardware and services with ADT's offerings. ADT sells security and automation systems to help detect intrusion and hazards such as smoke, fire and flooding, and it employs personnel to react to alarms by relaying information to first responders.

ADT expects to offer some Google devices to its customers starting this year, and the companies will debut a jointly developed product in 2021, Jim DeVries, ADT's president and chief executive, told analysts on a conference call. Each company is committing an additional $150 million, subject to certain milestones, for joint marketing and product development, among other initiatives.

The partnership will help ADT compete better in the smart-home market, the company said, adding that it will use transaction proceeds to expand its business and reduce debt. Google said its machine-learning capabilities will support ADT's smart-home offerings, aiming to provide fewer false alarms, more ways to receive notifications and better detection of potential incidents.

ADT shares rocketed nearly 57% in Monday trading, to finish the trading day at $13.48. Google parent Alphabet Inc. shares edged down 0.35% to $1,482.76

Google bought Nest, a maker of internet-connected home electronics, for $3.2 billion in 2014. It renamed the popular Google Home Mini as Nest Mini last year, and the company placed under the Nest name an upgraded mesh router that includes accessories that double as smart speakers.

Google has been investing billions of dollars in recent years to bolster its hardware unit, which had been a laggard among other business segments.

Nest competes with products such as Amazon.com Inc.'s Ring and other tech-enabled home-security devices. But acquisitions such as Nest have contributed to antitrust concerns among critics.

Leaders of Google, Amazon, Facebook Inc. and Apple Inc., grilled on Capitol Hill last week, defended their business practices before Congress, saying they face stiff competition that forces them to serve customers and innovate.

ADT said while it aims to develop products with Google, it will continue to have a relationship with Amazon, with customers being able to integrate their security systems through Amazon's Alexa voice assistant.

Google's stake in ADT will be in the form of a newly created class of stock, though it won't have voting rights to appoint or remove ADT board directors. The transaction is expected to close in the current quarter.

ADT said Monday its losses in the second quarter were roughly flat from the year-ago period, when it reported a $104.1 million loss, and that its monthly performance improved as the quarter progressed. ADT ended the June quarter with about $45 million in cash and cash equivalents, it said.

The company is due to release its full second-quarter financial report Wednesday.

--Michael Dabaie contributed to this article.

Write to Dave Sebastian at dave.sebastian@wsj.com

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Google to take $450 million stake in ADT - MarketWatch

Written by Bhaskar Chakravorti | Updated: August 8, 2020 8:43:20 am Digitising India inevitably means tackling egregious access gaps. Only 21 per cent of women are mobile internet users, while the percentage for men is twice that number. (Illustration by C R Sasikumar)

Congratulations on surviving the marathon grilling by US lawmakers. While a major complaint was about Google cosying up to China, I found it interesting that no one seemed bothered by the fact that you had just dropped $10 billion on a different foreign country India. That is a hefty sum. It is equal to Facebooks entire annual R&D budget. It is over 10 times the money set aside for 100 smart cities and almost 20 times that for Digital India in the last Indian government Budget.

You have spoken of the purpose of this munificence digitising India in the broadest of terms. The only specifics are that some of the money will find its way to Indias richest man and his brainchild, Jio. But for the rest of the country, here are eight specific digital realities you should note.

First, never forget Joan Robinsons quip about India that I shall update for these digital times: Whatever fact you uncover about India by Googling India, the opposite will also pop up in a subsequent Google search. India recognises the internet as a human right, and yet, has led the world in internet shutdowns. Its internet speeds can be slow and variable, but its uptake of smartphones is the worlds fastest. India was the worst performer on the social distance readiness index that my team created to gauge digital preparedness to operate during a pandemic and yet it is second only to China in internet users, app downloads and social media users. Turning that Google search on India into a single coherent narrative isnt for the faint of heart even for the masters of Google search.

Second, digitising India inevitably means tackling egregious access gaps. Only 21 per cent of women are mobile internet users, while the percentage for men is twice that number. Add to that the many societal factors that make it difficult for women and girls to enjoy full digital freedoms. In rural India, where two-thirds of the country lives, just about a quarter of the population has internet access. The post-COVID lockdowns will lock in these inequities across generations. Differences in digital access mean differences in the quality of education. Yes, you must work to close the access gaps but remember the gaps are both digital and societal.

Third, Indias workforce is mostly informal. The abrupt COVID lockdown put the plight of the migrant and informal workers on everyones radar. The mobile phone has been a source of empowerment for these mobile workers. When a migrant is on the move, though, the phone can be an inconsistent companion; besides losing connectivity, power sources are hard to find and electronic cash transfers are hard to make; a migrant worker must have access to a nearby bank. Only 22 per cent of recipients of migrant remittances have access to banks within one km, according to a report by the Centre for Digital Financial Inclusion. In the meantime, cash still rules. It appears that Google Pay is gaining ground, with WhatsApp Pay itching to catch up. A push from Google and its competitors could bring about a push, finally, for a real demonetisation in India and make payments and financial access more inclusive.

Fourth, you mention new products for Indias unique needs, of which there are many. Consider the needs in the agricultural sector alone. Digitising age-old agricultural practices can be transformational. My Digital Planet research team has studied the impact of introducing predictive data analytics and basic artificial intelligence into Indian agriculture using readily available technologies. Precision farming to improve the timing and quantity of seeding, irrigation and fertiliser usage, helping farmers get credit at lower costs and helping predict commodity prices can create $33 billion in new value annually in Indian agriculture. This alone can help justify the money you are pouring into India.

Editorial | Googles proposed $10 billion investment underlines global appeal of Indias digital story, unfolding shift in tech world

Fifth, as Nandan Nilekani has said, India will be data rich before it is economically rich. With 650 million internet users, there is a lot of data richness already, but it exists without a forward-looking and inclusive data governance policy in place. The experience with the contact tracing app, Aarogya Setu, provided a perfect case study on the discomfort within India because of the absence of such governance. Initially, the app was mandatory for office workers and when concerns mounted, it was made advisable, only to be mandated through the back door. Perhaps, Google can learn from its many entanglements with data governance rules elsewhere and offer data governance guidance to Indian lawmakers and avoid new entanglements down the road.

Sixth, it is essential to get a handle on the infodemic problem in India. While various forms of misinformation were already in wide circulation, the situation was made far worse by the pandemic, where many of the prejudices, fears and political skullduggery have converged. Google-owned YouTube is, of course, a critical medium for spreading information, fact and fiction. To its credit, YouTube removed over 8,20,000 videos in India in the first quarter of 2020 and has a plan to manage its recommendations algorithm that could spread misinformation and has launched Fact Check information panels to flag misinformation. This is a great start, but the bad guys will only find ways around it and Google must make deeper investments in both human and machine intelligence to stay ahead.

Seventh, your big bet on India must be viewed in the larger geopolitical context. India is edging closer to the US corner in the tech Cold War between the US and China. After the recent surge of Chinese investments in Indias tech sector, the relationship has cooled this year as a fallout from the political tensions between New Delhi and Beijing. India even pre-empted the US in banning the Chinese ByteDance-owned video streaming app TikTok, along with 59 mobile apps from China. Your role as bargaining chip against China and the partnership with Jio should help by giving Google some domestic leverage with Indian regulators who are notoriously capricious with foreign companies.

Finally, digital technologies can create jobs. In our recently released study Digital Light at the End of the COVID Tunnel for India? we make several recommendations to policymakers. Maybe you can help pass these along; they advance your objectives as well. Our recommendations include many ideas from streamlining the thicket of regulations to enhancing the countrys digital and physical foundations and developing more progressive data accessibility laws. For these changes to translate into productive work, the government must invest in skill-building and education at all levels.

Clearly, there is a lot you take on when you take on the task of digitising India. It should keep your team occupied for a while. We may all be surprised at how quickly you might exhaust the $10 billion. Its fine as long as you dont run out of patience.

Thank you for reading this and thank you for committing $10 billion. Not for me, of course. For India and 1.38 billion inhabitants of the digital planet.

Sincerely,

Bhaskar

This article first appeared in the print edition on August 8, 2020 under the title Dear Sundar Pichai. The writer is Dean of Global Business at The Fletcher School at Tufts University, founding executive director of Fletchers Institute for Business in the Global Context and a non-resident senior fellow of Brookings India.

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Dear Sundar Pichai: Theres a lot you take on when you take on the task of digitising India. Here are a few pointers - The Indian Express

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Google Assistant and Nest smart speakers (aka Google Home) make it easy to add items to shopping lists with just your voice. If you dont want to use Googles built-in list, you can connect your device to a third-party app. Heres how.

You can simply add things to a shopping list using the Assistant or your Nest speaker by saying, Okay Google, add milk to my shopping list. If you have a Google Nest speaker or display, you dont even need to pull out your phone. Selecting a preferred shopping list is the first step in getting the most out of this feature.

Open the Google Home app on your iPhone, iPad, or Android device, and tap the Settings gear icon in the top section.

Scroll down to the Services section, and tap Shopping List.

Navigate to the Select your notes & lists provider section, and you will see a few different apps to choose from. Select the app you wish to use.

After selecting an app, a pop-up message will tell you that all future notes and lists created with Google Assistant will be visible in the selected app. Tap Continue.

You will be redirected to sign in to the selected app. Follow the steps outlined by your selected app.

Once finished signing in, you will be brought back to the Notes & Lists page in the Google Home app. Now, whenever saying something like Okay Google, add milk to shopping list, the Google Assistant will add the item to your chosen shopping list app.

There are only a handful of notes and lists apps that can integrate deeply with the Google Assistant. The difference between the apps listed in the Google Home app and other apps that advertise Google Assistant support is the commands.

For apps listed in Google Home, you only need to say, Okay Google, add milk to shopping list. Apps without the deep integration require lengthier commands, such as Okay Google, ask [APP NAME] to add milk to shopping list.

As mentioned above, Google Assistant includes its own basic shopping list. This list is used by default if you dont select a different shopping list app. The shortcut to Googles shopping list is only present in the Google Home app on Android devices, not iPhone or iPad.

However, the add to shopping list commands works with Google Assistant on all devices, and the list itself can be accessed through any web browser atshoppinglist.google.com.

If you want to use Googles built-in shopping list option, open the Google Home app on your smartphone, and tap the Settings gear icon in the top section.

Scroll down to the Services section, and tap Shopping List.

Navigate to the Select your notes & lists provider section. Make sure Do not sync with other services (on iPhone and iPad its simply Dont Sync) is selected.

Now, whenever saying Okay Google, add [BLANK] to shopping list, the Google Assistant will add the item to your list atshoppinglist.google.com.

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How to Choose Your Shopping List App in the Google Home App - How-To Geek

Google has confirmed that this is what its latest smart speaker, due out later this year, will look like.

Google Home fans, get ready. You're looking at the entirely new Nest-branded smart speaker headed to you for 2020 -- likely an update to the original Google Home at long last. After being spotted at the FCC with the name GXCA6,Android Policeand others got hold of an official Google photo. Google has independently confirmed with CNET that this is indeed an upcoming Google device.

Unfortunately, the FCC filing doesn't have many details and Google didn't provide us with any specifics, so everything below is speculation from regulatory documents. The timing makes sense -- remember, we got a newNest Minilast year, with sound improvements and other incremental updates.

Now playing: Watch this: What I'd like to see from Google's next smart speaker

5:15

The speaker in question has also been documented with a Japanese regulator, spotted by Twitter account Android TV Guide, and that database offers a few more hints at just what we might be getting.

The speaker is referred to as an "interactive media streaming device," which sounds like a fancy way of saying "smart speaker." Included file photos show it has the familiar fabric covering of past speakers, but a much different profile. This fabric wraps all the way around the device, suggesting that it might stand vertically when in use -- Google's official photo corroborates that, too.

Keep on top of the latest news, how-to and reviews on Google-powered devices, apps and software.

In the tweet, a photo beside a ruler indicates that the speaker is about 8.7 inches (220mm) long, making it quite tall for the smart speaker line, and about 5.9 inches (150mm) wide.

Documentation also confirms that there will be Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities, and a 30-watt DC power supply. There's still no apparent USB-C port or auxiliary input. Other features are familiar, like the silicone base and the G logo halfway up the back of the speaker. A mute switch is also visible in the photos.

A recent report from leaker Roland Quandt claims the speaker is codenamed "J2" and will be available in chalk and charcoal, two of Google's signature speaker colors, though an earlier photo from Google showed the speaker in a blue hue.

It's been four years since the firstGoogle Home smart speaker, and we've seen several since then, including theHome Mini,Nest MiniandHome Max, as well as the emergence of smart displays such as theNest Hub andNest Hub Max. We're also expecting anAndroid TV donglefrom Google this year, reportedly code-named Sabrina.

We don't have specifics, but we can piece together some clues. In addition to the official Google photo up top, Google also offered up this sneak peek of "what the Nest team is working on from home." Check it out:

Ordinarily, we could expect to see a new speaker at Google's annual I/O developer conference, typically held in May. Since it was canceled due to the coronavirus, it's anyone's guess when Google launches the new speaker.

The fact that an official marketing photo exists suggests we could get more details soon, and Roland Quandt's August 5 tweet points to a release date by the end of the month.

According to Quandt's tweet above, the speaker is rumored to cost 100 or about $119. Our educated guess is that this could be one of the more expensive Google speakers, considering its size.

The Nest Mini retails for $49 (although Google regularly discounts the diminutive smart speaker, and companies like Spotify often give it away for free with a premium subscription), so we expect it'll cost more than that. The original Google Home speaker is no longer available at the Google Store, but when it was it retailed for $99 (although it, too, could occasionally be had at a discount).

It's probably not much of a leap to assume this new speaker is intended to replace the original, so we'd be surprised if Google set it too far off from that $99 price point but not at the level of the Nest Hub Max, which has a screen andretails for $229.

Whether you're new to the Google Home ecosystem or an early adopter, these 32 tips will help you get the most from your smart speaker. Also check out the best Google Home feature hiding in plain sight. Here's another often overlooked advantage: Google Assistant can figure out math problems for you, too.

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Google's new Nest smart speaker could arrive in August: What we know - CNET

Some Android users in Europe say they feel misled by their governments. Instructions on many of the apps direct Android users to turn on location, for instance, but make no mention of Google or that users can stop the company from determining their precise locations by turning off the accuracy feature within the location setting.

With this app, youre invited, by the government strongly appealing to your sense of responsibility and morality, to give away your live location to entities that are getting a profit out of it, in order to protect public health, said Massimo Zannoni, an electronic engineer in Zurich.

Health officials in Denmark, Germany, Latvia and Switzerland said their governments had deliberately designed their national virus alert apps for maximum privacy.

No government, no security agency has any chance to misuse the technology, Gottfried Ludewig, director general for digitalization and innovation for Germanys Ministry of Health, said of the Corona-Warn-App, which has been downloaded more than 15.5 million times. He said more than 500 people who tested positive for the virus had used the app to notify other users of possible virus exposure.

He added that if Google used location data for any other purpose than enabling the Bluetooth services in the app, it would need legal grounds to do so under European data protection law.

Others involved in the German app said it was Googles issue, not theirs.

You need to ask Google about the specs of their operating system, Marcus Winkler, a spokesman for SAP, which helped develop Germanys app, said in an email. If you turn on location tracking you get a message from the operating system this has nothing to do with the app.

Professor Dmitrienko, the software security expert, said the solution was for governments to push Google to stop requiring Android users of the virus alert apps to turn on location.

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Google Coronavirus Apps Give it Way to Access Location Data - The New York Times

The Google Nest Mini replaced the Google Home Mini last year and muddied the waters of Google's branding even further (see no. 4).

Since the originalthe original Google Home smart speaker first debuted, many have felt the search giant's foray into the smart home has been stuck playing catch-up withAmazon's Alexa assistant and Echo speakers. But that viewhas shifted considerably in recent years, as Google has addeda slew of long-awaited features -- some of whichAlexa already had, someit still doesn't. Not to mention, Google now sells some of the mostbreathtakingly vivid smart displays (the Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max) andsurprisingly full-spectrum mini speakers (the Nest Mini) available.

In other words, Google Home ($99 at Crutchfield) is no longer just a smart home contender but abona fide market leader, and --for the most part --we're fans. So think of this as more of a wish list of features we're hoping to eventually see than a laundry list ofpet peeves,gripes andcomplaints about theGoogle Home ecosystem, (though we have some of those, too).

Our newsletter sends you the best tips for your Google Home smart speaker.

No platform is flawless, but Google Home (orGoogle Nest) could edge just a little closer to perfection if it would address these nine little bugbears. (Plus, a few ways to work around some of the pitfalls.)

Google knows where you are anyway, so why not let you trigger Google Home actions based on your location?

If only there were some magical way to make your gadgets do your bidding without having to actually say anything. Well, there is, and it's whyAmazon's Alexa excels at automation in a way Google Home still falls short: Alexa supports location triggers. In other words, Amazon's digital assistant tracks your GPS location and can fire off actions (control smart home gadgets, play music, welcome you home) based on where you are.

For now, if you want Google Home to turn on the lights when you get home (or off when you leave) or perform any other action based on your location, you have to tell it to with a voice command. What's even more vexing is that theGoogle Nest Learning Thermostat has ahome/away mode that uses -- you guessed it -- location triggers to turn your heat or air conditioning up or down.

Plus,Google already knows where you are all the time anyway, so why not add this simple feature? For now, the best you can do iscobble together a location-based action using If This, Then That, aka IFTTT.

If you have multiple Google Home smart speakers and you set an alarm or timer on one of them, the only way to turn it off with a voice command is by talking to the speaker you set it on. Sure,there are a few workarounds (including shouting at it), but Alexa knows when another speaker connected to the same account is sounding off, so why doesn't Google Home?

Apple's HomePod can stream music directly from Apple Music, but so far Google Home still can't.

We get it -- Apple and Google are grudging frenemies at best, but it's time to open up more. You can use any number ofmusic streaming services on Google Home devices, and even set some non-Google options like Spotify to be your default.

But the only way to pipeApple Music to your Google Home smart speakers is by playing it on a compatible device, then connecting to Google Home with Bluetooth. That'sso 2010. If you canstream Apple Music on a Samsung TV these days, you should be able to do it with Google Home, too. For people like me who use Apple and Google products and services, being barred from my tools is an unnecessary pain.

Let's do a roll-call: There's the Google Home Max, the Nest Mini, Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max. Then there's the discontinued original Google Home speaker (fret not, it appears a replacement is on the way -- under the Nest banner), the original Google Home Mini ($30 at Best Buy) (replaced by the upgraded Nest Mini) and Google Hub (rebranded Nest Hub).

Confused? So are we.

It makes sense that Google would want to fold its Nest line of smart thermostats, security cameras and other smart home devices into its Google Home platform (or vice versa). But doing so one device at a time has fractured the lineup's branding and mixes up the naming. For example, "Nest Home" isn't a thing, but "Google Nest" is.

If you whisper to Alexa on Amazon Echo, it'll whisper back to you. We only wish Google Assistant could do the same on Google Home.

Yes, Google Home has a night mode that will reduce the speaker's volume during scheduled times of the day, but that's literally all it does -- knocks it down a couple of notches. Do you know what Alexa can do? If you whisper a command to Alexa,Alexa literally whispers back. Not only does that make Alexa seem more, well, human, a whisper is leagues less jarring when kids or a partner are sleeping or you're just trying to enjoy some quiet time.

Apple has Siri and Amazon has Alexa. Microsoft -- Cortana. Even Samsung has Bixby. But Google? Google just has... Google. We get it -- you can't make just any old word a wake word. Digital assistants accidentally dip into conversations not intended for them often enough as it is, whenever you say something close enough, like "Hey, Boo Boo," "OK, Frugal" and even "OK, Boomer."

Actually, you can use Google Home's slightly less-than-perfect ear totrick it into answering those alternatives and more ("Cocaine Poodle" anyone?), but it would be nice if Google at least offered options. Once again,Alexa can. Beyond just its name, Alexa can answer to "Computer," "Amazon" or "Echo." OK, Google?

Amazon Echos have an audio out port, but Google Home can only connect to an external speaker system using Bluetooth.

Amazon Echoes ($34 at Amazon) have physical stereo outputs ports, which let you wire them to a bigger, better, louder stereo system. The only way to connect Google Home to other speakers is with Bluetooth, which just isn't quite as high quality of a signal. But why would anyone want to connect a speaker to another speaker?

First off, as far as smart speaker technology has come, Google Homes (and Amazon Echoes and Apple HomePods ($299 at Apple)) -- even ultra-premium devices like the Google Home Max -- really can't compete with high-end gear, like CNET'sbest bookshelf speaker for 2020, the Elac Debut 2.0 B6.2. Besides, why wouldn't you want to put Google Assistant on akiller Bose system?

With a smart speaker, someone's always home. Sorta. So, if Google Assistant is going to lounge around the house all day anyway, it might as well keep an eye (err, ear) on things, too, right? Last year Amazon launched Alexa Guard, whichlistens for suspicious activity -- like a window breaking -- when you're not home. It might not be as robust as adedicated security system, but it's still better than just sitting there while burglars empty out your jewelry box.

The new Google Messages app lets Android devices send iMessage-like text messages to other Android users, but Google Home still can't even send a basic SMS.

Seriously? You can connect your phone (even if it's an iPhone!) andmake calls from Google Home, so why no text messaging? Alexa can handle SMS whether your phone is an iPhone or Android. And Apple's HomePod can send your SMS or iMessages if you use an iPhone. Google just recentlyintroduced Google Messages (think iMessage for Android), so why they didn't add the app to Google Home is a mystery. Hopefully Google gets this message, though, (and we don't get left on read) sooner rather than later.

In spite of these shortcomings, however, Google Home does get more than just a few things right. Check outthese five things Google Home can do that Alexa and Siri can't. And here's anotherfive things Google Home does better than the competition. To really tweak your Google Home for the best experience, you have to trychanging these five settings -- you won't regret it.

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Google Home: 9 simple things it still can't do, but Alexa can - CNET

Ahead of its debut on July 21st OnePlus released an Instagram video indicating its Nord phone will come with Googles Messages and Phone apps installed instead of its own SMS and dialer, 9to5Google reported. The device also will have Googles Duo video chat app pre-installed, according to the video.

Why OnePlus decided to roll with Googles apps isnt clear, but its apparently in pursuit of the smoothest-est Android experience, according to the video. As 9to5Google notes, using Google Messages provides Nord users with access to RCS messaging.

OnePlus has said the Nord, slated for an augmented reality launch event on Tuesday, will be a more affordable device. The Instagram video references a pretty great price, but doesnt offer specifics, however OnePlus said in a video last month the Nord will cost under $500.

Along with several official announcements, other details about the new phone have leaked over the past few weeks. OnePlus confirmed its name and said the Nord will be powered by a Snapdragon 765G 5G processor, 6.55-inch 90Hz OLED display, 6GB of RAM, and 128GB of internal storage. Its also expected to have a 48-megapixel main camera and a 16-megapixel wide-angle lens.

The OnePlus Nord is expected to be released first to users in Europe and India.

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OnePlus says the Nord will come with Google Messages and Phone pre-installed - The Verge

ViacomCBS is cutting ties with Nick Cannon following the actor's anti-Semitic comments on his podcast, 'Cannon's Class.' USA TODAY

When it comes to job searching, recruiting and retention,diversity has increasingly become part of the conversation.

Amid the recent Black Lives Matter protests, more companies are pledging to diversify workplaces by hiring more people of color, and CEO's canplay a vital role in making sureit happens. Chief executives can also set the stage for a safe, supportive and inclusiveenvironment for minority workers after they'rehired.

So which business leadersdo it best?

The heads of Microsoft, RingCentral and Google, according to results from a workforce surveycompleted bythe compensation, culture and career-monitoring websiteComparably.

India-born Sataya Nadella is at the helm of the software giant Microsoft. Ukraine-born Vlad Shmunis cofounded the cloud communications company RingCentral and Sundar Pichai, who was also born in India, leadsthe search giant Google.

Comparably unveiled its annual"Best CEOs for Diversity" list on Monday to underscore leaders who create inclusive work cultures based on ratings from employees of color.

"We need to point out when a company is falling and see what we can change to make better, but we also need to point to great examples of leaders of companies that are fantastic for people of color," Comparably CEO Jason Nazar told USA TODAY.

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Each CEOon the list hasa top 5% approval rating by employees of color.

Comparably asked employees of color to anonymously rate their chief executive officers over a 12-month period (June 30, 2019 and June 30, 2020). So the results include sentiments held by workers as protests for racial equality gripped the nation.

Ranked highest to lowest

(Photo: Microsoft)

1.Satya Nadella - Microsoft

2. Vlad Shmunis - RingCentral

3. Sundar Pichai - Google

4. Eric Yuan - Zoom Video Communications

5. Carlos Rodriguez - ADP

6. Steve Bilt - Smile Brands

7. Sid Sijbrandij - GitLab

8. Tim Cook - Apple

CEO Tim Cook holding the billionth iPhone.(Photo: Apple)

9. Mike Walsh - LexisNexis

10. Chris Caldwell - Concentrix

11. Doug Mack - Fanatics

12.Shantanu Narayen - Adobe

13.Vishal Garg - Better.com

14. Jim Loree - Stanley Black & Decker

Accenture (US) CEO Julie Sweet(Photo: Comparably)

15. Julie Sweet - Accenture (US)

16. Manny Medina - Outreach

17. Annette Brls - Medela

18. Charles Butt - H-E-B

19. Brian Niccol - Chipotle

20. Kenneth Frazier - Merck

21. Hirokazu Hamada - Anritsu

22. Robert Frist Jr. - HealthStream

Instacart CEO Apoorva Mehta(Photo: Comparably)

23. Apoorva Mehta - Instacart

24. Jorge Gonzalez - City National Bank of Florida

25. Mark Mader - Smartsheet

Ranked highest to lowest

Centrical CEO Gal Rimon(Photo: Comparably)

1. Gal Rimon -Centrical

2. Robert Sadow - Scoop Technologies

3. David Cancel - Drift

4. Giuseppe Incitti - Sitetracker

5. Ganesh Shankar - RFPIO

6. Paddy Spence - Zevia

7. Elizabeth Cholawsky -HG Insights

8. Mark Faggiano - TaxJar

9. Pedro Chiamulera - ClearSale

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Wonderschool CEO Chris Bennett(Photo: Comparably)

10. Chris Bennett - Wonderschool

11. Neha Sampat - Contentstack

12. Alex Austin - Branch

13. Payam Zamani - One Planet Group

14. Peter McKay - Snyk

15. Alex Goode - GoSite

16. Amit Jnagal - Infrrd

17. Rahul Kashyap - Awake Security

18. Karl Mehta - EdCast

19. Tim Chen - NerdWallet

20. Shiv Gaglani - Osmosis

21. Christian Gormsen - Eargo

22. Cesar Carvalho - Gympass

23. David Woodhouse - NGM Biopharmaceuticals

24. Brandon Rodman - Weave

Snapdocs CEO Aaron King(Photo: Comparably)

25. Aaron King -Snapdocs

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Survey says Microsoft, Google CEOs are among top CEOs for diversity, inclusion in 2020 - USA TODAY

Google CEO Sundar Pichai

Pradeep Gaur | Mint | Getty Images

Google next month will ban publishers from using its ad platform to show advertisements next to content that promotes conspiracy theories about Covid-19. It will also ban ads that promote those theories. In cases where a particular site publishes a certain threshold of material that violates these policies, it will ban the entire site from using its ad platforms.

Alphabet's Google already prohibits ads from running against content that makes harmful claims about disease prevention and unsubstantiated cures, including anti-vaccine promotions or content that encourages users to forgo treatment. The company is now taking it a step further and banning ads against content that make claims going against authoritative scientific consensus. Banned claims would include conspiracy theories like vaccines being attempts to genetically modify the population, that Bill Gates created Covid-19 or that the disease was a bioweapon made in a Chinese lab.

Google received nearly $135 billion in advertising revenue in 2019, in part through programs like AdSense and Ad Manager, in which websites that are approved can run programmatic advertising on their sites and make money using Google. About 15% of Google's revenue in the first quarter came from "Google Network Members' properties," which the company said in its annual report primarily comes from sitesparticipating in AdMob, AdSense and Google Ad Manager programs.

Google will begin enforcing the change on Aug. 18, and can remove ads from single articles or, in some cases, entire sites. When it comes to removing ads from an entire site, the company said for most of its policies it has a percentage threshold for policy violations before it will fully demonetize a website. (The violation of some policies, like one preventing child sex abuse material, is considered by the company to be so egregious that they result in immediate site-level action).

The news comes the same week as CNBC first reportedthat Google had begun running ads again on financial market website Zero Hedge.In mid-June, Google said it had taken action against Zero Hedge because of the comments section of the site, which Google said consistently violated its policy against dangerous and derogatory material.Google said Zero Hedge appealed the demonetization after deciding to remove the content and implementing comment moderation.

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Google will ban ads from running on stories spreading debunked coronavirus conspiracy theories - CNBC

Google Play Pass, the Android alternative to subscription-based game store Apple Arcade, is expanding. Launched in September 2019 with more than 350 apps and games, Play Pass today announced it has added 150 new titles, including Sonic the Hedgehog, Golf Peaks and kid-friendly content like apps from Sesame Workshop, for example. In addition, the service will be offered in a range of new non-U.S. markets for the first time and is adding an annual subscription option.

Unlike Apple Arcade, Google Play Pass at launch offered a combination of games and premium apps, like AccuWeather, Facetune and Pic Stitch, for example. (Facetune and AccuWeather have since been removed). It also included a notable list of launch titles, like Stardew Valley, Risk, Terraria, Monument Valley, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Reigns: Game of Thrones, Titan Quest and Wayward Souls.

The company has been steadily growing its lineup since its debut. Google says that over the past few months, it has added more than 150 titles and is preparing to roll out even more. A series of new titles will also premiere on Google Play Pass this year at launch, starting with the newly released The Almost Gone from Playdigious, available now. This will be followed by The Gardens Between and Kingdom Rush, then new releases like Bright Paw from Rogue and Line Weight from The Label coming later this year.

With the expansion, Google Play Pass now includes more than 500 apps and games.

The company is also offering a different way to pay for the subscription. Play Pass first offered users a $1.99 per month promotional subscription for the first year, which would increase to $4.99 per month afterwards. As early adopters are nearing the price change, Google is instead giving them a chance to save by paying for a years subscription upfront. The new annual subscription option brings the price down to $29.99 per year in the U.S., which works out to roughly $2.50 per month.

Existing subscribers will be able to make the change to an annual subscription from the Play Pass tab in the Play Store app for Android this week.

The service is also launching internationally with availability in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Spain and the United Kingdom, starting this week.

Because Play Pass didnt rely as heavily on exclusives and included non-game apps, it was able to offer a larger catalog than Apple Arcade did at launch. Today, Apple touts that Arcade offers more than 100 games, while Google has added more apps than that in just the past several months.

Google also ties its payouts to developers based on Play Pass downloads, while Apple had offered upfront funding for Arcade titles, with more for exclusives. iOS developers are also under NDA about their agreements, but a revenue share is reportedly involved here, as well.

Both services cater to a growing audience interested in subscription-based entertainment, which is no longer limited to just streaming music and video. Outside of standard mobile game revenue, app subscriptions have been driving increases in consumer spend across the app stores for some time.

The Google Play Pass expansion to new markets and the annual subscription option are both rolling out this week.

Correction: Google initially described the annual subscription as U.S.-only. It will be offered elsewhere. The company updated its own announcement on the matter to clarify this.

Original post:

Google Play Pass expands outside the US, adds more titles and annual pricing - TechCrunch