Google's upcoming smartphone Pixel 3 XL's design, specs leaked online

Google is far from announcing its next-in-line Pixel 3 XL device, but an excited blogger from Ukraine appears to have released the photos of the upcoming flagship smartphone.

The blogger has posted the photos of the Pixel 3 XL, complete with its packaging, and wired USB-C Pixel Buds, leaving almost nothing to the imagination of Pixel fans.

As spotted by Android Police, the images hint at a big notch on the top front of the smartphone. Another image shows that the Pixel 3 XL will run Android 9.0 Pie out-of-the-box, and come powered by octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon SoC with 3.46GB of RAM. It is little surprising to see such a meagre amount of RAM in the flagship model.

What will mark a shift in Google's packaging is the inclusion of the headphones in-the-box. It appears to be the first wired version of the Pixel Buds.

US senators ask Sundar Pichai about Google's plan of censored China version

Six US senators have written to Google CEO Sundar Pichai asking about the tech giant's reported plan to create a censored Chinese version of its search engine.

"What has changed since 2010 to make Google comfortable cooperating with the rigorous censorship regime in China?" asked the senators, including Florida Republican Marco Rubio, Fortune reported on Sunday.

According to the letter, Google's project is "deeply troubling and risks making Google complicit in human rights abuses" in China.

Google in 2010 "refused to comply with Chinese government censorship requirements on ethical grounds, and essentially abandoned the market," said the report.

Media reports surfaced last week that Google is planning a censored search engine for China.

Toyota makes $1 billion ride-hailing bet in Singapore's Grab stake

Toyota Motor Corp. is making its largest bet to date on ride hailing with a $1 billion investment in Singapore’s Grab Holdings Inc. The Japanese auto manufacturer’s investment values Grab, Southeast Asia’s largest car-hailing service, at just over $10 billion, according to a person familiar with the transaction. A Toyota executive will be appointed to Grab’s board, and another Toyota employee will be seconded to Grab to as an executive officer, the carmaker said Wednesday. Automakers are taking steps toward a future where mobility services will make individual car-ownership less necessary, while trying to fend off technology giants targeting the same market. General Motors Co., Daimler AG and Honda Motor Co. are among manufacturers that are investing in ride-hailing applications and developing self-driving vehicles. “This is a good decision -- Toyota should not be late in this area,” said Tatsuo Yoshida, an equities analyst at Sawakami Asset Management Inc. in Tokyo. “Ride sharing is coming. For car companies, this is a painful reality, but it can be a business opportunity if they understand it correctly.”

FedEx, Alphabet, Uber to fly with US drone program, Amazon's wings clipped

At Memphis International Airport, drones may soon be inspecting planes and delivering airplane parts for FedEx Corp. In Reno, Nevada, they will test airlifting life-saving defibrillators to patients. And customers in Virginia could get goods they ordered from Alphabet Inc.’s flying devices.

A who’s who of technology and aviation companies won U.S. approval Wednesday to push the edge of the envelope in drone flights, from testing people’s tolerance for delivery devices hovering over their rooftops to ensuring farmers’ drones won’t hit crop dusters.

In the most far-reaching test program to date for burgeoning drone commerce, the Department of Transportation announced the selection of 10 state, local and tribal governments -- in partnership with companies that include Intel Corp., Uber Technologies Inc. and Qualcomm Inc. -- as social and scientific test areas.

"The enthusiastic response to our request for applications demonstrated the many innovative technological and operational solutions already on the horizon," Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao said.

Waymo and Uber settle trade secrets dispute, Uber CEO expresses 'regret'

Alphabet Inc's Waymo self-driving vehicle unit and ride-hailing firm Uber Technologies Inc settled a bitter legal dispute, allowing Uber's new chief executive to move past one of the company's many public controversies.
The settlement announcement was made just before the fifth day of testimony was about to begin at a jury trial in San Francisco federal court.
Uber agreed to pay equity valued at about $245 million as part of the deal between the rival technology companies, a Waymo representative said.

The settlement also includes an agreement "to ensure that any Waymo confidential information is not being incorporated inUber Advanced Technologies Group hardware and software," a Waymo representative said.

Google removes 60 gaming apps with pop-up porn malware from Play Store

Alphabet Inc’s Google said on Friday it took down 60 gaming applications after security firm Check Point said it had discovered new malicious software in the apps available to both children and adults at Google Play Store.
The malicious software displayed pornographic ads and tried to trick users into buying premium services, according to Check Point.
“We’ve removed the apps from Play, disabled the developers’ accounts, and will continue to show strong warnings to anyone that has installed them,” a Google spokesperson said.
Dubbed “AdultSwine”, the malware hides inside game apps that Google Play data says have been downloaded 3 to 7 million times, Check Point said in blog post on Friday.
The apps weren’t part of the family collection, which is based on a programme to help parents discover age-appropriate content on the Play Store.
The company clarified that the inappropriate ads within the apps were not Google ads.
The malware also sought to trick users into installing fake security apps, and could open the door for other attacks such as theft of user credentials, Check Point said.
It said games and apps intended for children were a new target for cyber criminals that targeted hospitals, businesses and governments in the past.

NRI Google techie held for molesting US woman at 5-star New Delhi hotel

A 22-year-old NRI, working as a software engineer for Google on contract basis, has been arrested for allegedly molesting a US woman in a five-star hotel in New Delhi, police said on Friday.

Police said Anmol Singh Kharbanda met and struck a conversation with the 52-year-old woman at the hotel bar around 10 p.m. on January 8.

"Kharbanda, a California-based Non-Resident Indian, met the victim in the lounge and introduced himself to her. He offered her drinks and a smoke in his hotel room," Additional Commissioner of Police B. K Singh told IANS.

"Kharbanda took her to his room and groped her.

She pushed him away and ran out," Singh said.

The shocked victim, staying in another room of the hotel, locked herself in for the entire night. The next day, she went away for a meeting in Jaipur and returned in the evening.

After her return from Jaipur, she complained against Kharbanda to the Chanakyapuri police station and hotel security.

"We registered an FIR under Sections 354 and 328 of the Indian Penal Code and got her statement recorded before the City Magistrate under Section 164 of the CrPC," the officer added.

Unaware of the legal action against him, Kharbanda was busy in his official work. He visited the Gurugram office (Google head office in India).

"When he returned to the hotel room on January 9 night, the hotel security informed the police and he was arrested," the ACP added.

He has since been sent to judicial custody.