Jaikumar Vijayan

Google has added new support for peer-to-peer connections for Google Hangouts users as part of a broader effort by the company to improve the speed and performance of the messaging and communication app. A brief message posted recently to the company’s Hangouts Help site notes that Hangout calls will use a direct peer-to-peer (P2P) connection […]

Google’s fleet of modified Lexus SUVs equipped with autonomous vehicle technologies could soon become a familiar sight in Kirkland, Wash. The company has been given the green light to test its self-driving vehicles in the state—which has now become the third in the country to do so. In addition to Washington, Google has received permission […]

Google’s Safe Browsing technology will now warn people using Google Chrome, Apple Safari or Mozilla Firefox Internet browsers of image ads and other embedded content in Web pages that the company deems as being malicious or potentially unsafe. Starting this week, when users of these browsers encounter potentially deceptive advertisements or download buttons for risky […]

YouTube is reportedly planning to enable live streaming of 360-degree videos on its platform. The video-sharing Website is in talks with manufacturers of 360-degree cameras to find out how to bring fully-immersive live broadcasts to YouTube, according to a BuzzFeed News report this week. BuzzFeed said its report is based on information from sources close […]

One year ago, Wall Street worries about a series of disappointing financial quarters by Google had some wondering if the company had lost its mojo. Some accused it of clinging on to maturing revenue pillars, others were skeptical about Google’s ability to keep up with the accelerating shift to mobile, and yet others worried if […]

Four students from the University of California at Berkeley have sued Google for allegedly scanning their Gmail emails without obtaining prior permission. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, seeks $10,000 in damages for each student. California law firm Gallo LLP, which is representing the UC Berkeley students in […]

Google is reportedly getting ready to implement a proposal it made slightly more than a year ago to include a feature in its Chrome browser that will warn Internet users when they land on an unencrypted HTTP Website. The plan apparently is to have Chrome display a red “X” over a padlock icon in the […]

Google has agreed to face UK lawmakers to answer questions about a recent tax settlement with the government there over which a growing number of people in the European Union have expressed outrage. Meanwhile, in a related development, the Guardian newspaper Thursday quoted a senior tax policy official in Europe as saying the European Commission […]

Google released a new version of its Chrome browser for Apple’s iOS operating system that it says delivers significantly better performance and reliability than the previous browser version. iPhone and iPad users accustomed to dealing with frequent Chrome crashes on their devices will now experience far fewer such disruptions while using up less of their […]

Several Google services including Gmail, Google Drive and Google Docs appear to have experienced a widespread disruption early Tuesday morning. Reports on Google’s App Status dashboard show the disruption lasted for about 90 minutes before the company was able to restore normal service levels. Google did not respond immediately to a request seeking comment on […]