Details leak of Google's censored search engine
[MUSIC]
Welcome to Alphabet City.
This is the show that covers everything related to Alphabet, Inc.
Alphabet just so happens to own lots of companies, including Google.
I'm your guide, Iyaz Akhtar, and you are the fantastic audience.
Today we're talking about some new phones, a new Google smart home device, and your comments, but first things first Let's talk about Dragonfly, to the garden of Google.
The Intercept published another report about Google's censored search engine built for China code named Dragonfly.
This time The Intercept wrote about a memo that circulated within Google.
Written by an engineer.
The memo said that users would have to log into Dragonfly in order to use Search.
Information would then be shared with the Chinese partner.
That partner would have quote unilateral access to the data.
Searches would be connected to the person's phone number.
Both Android and iOS apps were being developed.
The memo said that movements of Chinese users would be stored.
Additionally, Data would be sent to a database in Taiwan.
But wait, there's more.
The Chinese partner could add terms to blacklist, [UNKNOWN] search and, quote, selectively edit search result pages unilaterally and with few controls seemingly in place, end quote.
There were internal protests at Google about Dragonfly.
According to Intercept sources, higher-ups at Google found out about the memo and were pretty ticked off.
Since details of Dragonfly were not supposed to be shared, employees were told to delete copies of the memo immediately.
Sounds pretty rough.
Let's head on over to Uptown Updates.
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Several reports say that Google made a strange change in its browser beginning with Chrome version 69.
When a user would log into a Google site Chrome would then sign in that user to Chrome's inbrowser account system called Sync.
Guess what?
People are upset.
Google engineers published a few tweets explaining that the auto login does not sync data to Google servers.
To do that, the user would have to manually turn Sync on.
Seems kind of fishy, though, right?
Samsung just introduced the Galaxy A7 and it's got Three rear cameras.
One camera's a 25 megapixel shooter.
Another is a five megapixel one used to control depth of field.
Then there's a 24 megapixel lens.
Wondering where that fingerprint enter is?
Samsung put it on the side.
The A7 comes to Europe and Asia in the fall.
The Pixel 3 may have been listed on a Chinese site JD.com and it looks like it could cost around $729.
Also the Pixel 3 XL may have leaked again on twitter, look at the pics, I'll wait.
[MUSIC]
Okay.
YouTube Music got an update.
You can now choose from three audio quality levels.
The bitrate to top out at 256kbps per second.
Google held an AMA and explained, quote, right now we don't have any plans for quality higher than 256kbps.
Our deals would require us to more to stream FLAC, So at this point, we are focused on improving performance, rather than supporting lossless streaming, end quote.
GeekWire says that Nest will be working on digital health products.
Last year it was reported that Google purchased a health startup called Senosis back in August of 2017.
GeekWire says it was actually Nest that bought the startup.
At the time of the acquisition, Nest was one of the companies owned by Alphabet.
Nest is no longer an independent company and is now owned by Google, which is still owned by Alphabet.
On to Comment Cove.
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This is the part of the show where we shine a spotlight at the most amazing audience in the world You guys.
hockeyduck3 says, News, new phones may ship with four or even five cameras in them.
NSA, heavy breathing.
Mahesh commented on the report that Google may be working on seven phones.
Seven phones?
Can we just get the headphone jack?
Phalgun has an idea of what Samsung is working on for its October event.
It could also mean 4x optical zoom on the new device's camera, just saying.
It's a pretty cool idea.
Scott wants to know when we'll have updates on Chrome OS news, well, I'll let you know when I know.
Thanks to everyone for writing in.
If you've enjoyed your stay in Alphabet City, please like and subscribe.
Also, Android just turned ten years old.
[SOUND] I'm Iyaz Akhtar, and I'll see you online.
[MUSIC]
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