Google Cloud provides customers with cost management tools and controls to prevent unexpected costs. The company has expanded its FinOps capabilities with AI technology, introducing Cost Anomaly Detection to identify anomalies in real-time. This feature is now available to all customers in public preview, helping to ensure spend predictability.

Source: https://cloud.google.com/blog/

Google Cloud innovates and invests in stopping cyberattacks, including distributed denial-of-service attacks. Its Project Shield offering uses Cloud networking, Global Front End infrastructure, Cloud Armor, Cloud CDN, and Load Balancing services to defend against attacks. This platform helps keep key public-interest websites online.

Source: https://cloud.google.com/blog/

The September 2024 update for the Chromecast with Google TV is rolling out, bringing the Android security patch level to September 2024 and fixing other bugs and improving performance. The update is smaller than the previous one, at 83.01 MB. This is the seventh update for the device in ten months, with Google surpassing its 2023 rollout schedule.

Source: https://9to5mac.com/

Google will roll out a Recorder app for Chromebook Plus with ChromeOS 130 later this month, featuring real-time transcription that works offline, speaker identification, and summaries. The app is aligned with Material You and has a predominantly red waveform icon. Users can manually shrink the window to look like a phone app and choose their microphone and audio settings.

Source: https://9to5mac.com/

Google is rolling out the next version of Android Auto, version 13.0, which doesn't bring any user-facing changes but continues work behind the scenes. The update was decompiled by APK Insight, which allows for the analysis of possible future features.

Source: https://9to5google.com/

Google Photos has started rolling out its AI-powered feature 'Ask Photos' to some users in the US, allowing for natural-language interactions with photo libraries. The feature was previously announced and opened for sign-ups on a waitlist in early September. It enables users to ask for specific photos, such as Halloween costumes over the years or when a child learned to swim.

Source: https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence

Google Shopping has introduced a new logo, which was spotted on a redesigned website and a promo in the Discover feed on Android. The new logo features a simplified, outline-style price tag with a white/hollow center and a bag handle. The redesign also includes a new tagline, 'New ways to find the best products & prices'.

Source: https://9to5google.com/

Google Wallet has updated its purchase notifications with a new icon, replacing the company 'G' logo. The new icon is the same simplified version used by Google Wallet's Quick Settings Tile, lockscreen shortcut, and Themed icon. This change allows for more specific and recognizable notifications, especially on Wear OS devices.

Source: https://9to5mac.com/

Google has started rolling out a trio of Theft protection features for Android 10+ devices via Play services. The features include Theft Detection Lock, which locks the device's screen automatically if someone abruptly takes it and runs away, and Offline Device Lock, which triggers if the device is stolen. To enable the features, users can search for 'Theft protection' in the Settings app or go to the Google services page.

Source: https://9to5mac.com/

Google Cloud offers a way to automate password rotation, a best practice for security. The process can be eased by using Secret Manager, a fully-managed product for securely storing secrets. Passwords should be protected using additional measures, regardless of the tool chosen.

Source: https://cloud.google.com/blog/