Following the couple of years where it was needed most, Google announced today that it is relaunching Tech News in Spain after a gap of seven years where it wasn’t available.
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Following last week’s initial tweet parade during the Pixel 6 launch event, Google today gave another look at new Material You widgets for Android 12.
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The likes of Google and Facebook are often cited as the reason for declining newspaper revenue. A research study commissioned by Google is now pushing back against that belief and pins declining newspaper revenue on the loss of classified print ads.
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Google’s $1 billion licensing program to support publishers and surface new card-based content is now coming to the desktop web. News Showcase will be available on the Tech News website after previously being limited to Android and iOS.
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The big revamp of Tech News in 2018 introduced a “Full Coverage” feature that brings together context and other perspectives for major stories in one feed, and it’s now coming to Search.
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Google today added a new Tech News performance report to Google Search Console. Google Search Console allows webmasters to track the performance of their web pages in Google Search, long offering insights into Google Search rich snippets like Top Stories, and other Google products like Discover. Now it offers extensive information about content performance in Tech News.
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Back in October, Google unveiled a $1 billion plan to pay publishers for content that appears in its “News Showcase” carousel. Tech News Showcase is expanding today with a number of updates.
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After adding a Web Stories carousel, Google Discover is making two tweaks to cards. The first sees a “heart” being used for feedback, while Discover on some articles will link to Tech News full coverage.
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Back in June, Google announced that it would license content from news publishers for a new feature that would appear across its products. The company today unveiled “Tech News Showcase” and a $1 billion investment.
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If you open up the Tech News app today and see a notice that you’re using a confidential “dogfood” build, you’re not alone.
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Back in November, Google Assistant augmented user-curated “News briefings” with a personalized “mix of top headlines and stories based on your interests.” “Your News Update” is now coming to Google Podcasts, while more natural text-to-speech is also available.
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In a nod to its “News & Weather” origins, Tech News has always included the current temperature and condition at the top of the app. A recent update sees Tech News add weather alerts.
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Back in April, Google introduced easy access to COVID-19 information across Assistant, Podcasts, and News. The latest feature for the latter app surfaces local information, including reopening timelines.
Google announced today that it will pay publishers for high-quality content. Licensed stories and articles will appear in a “new news experience launching later this year.”
Back in April, Australia set out to force Google (and Facebook) to pay local publishers for content that appears in products like Search and News. An AU$600 million to $1 billion yearly payment has recently been suggested, with Google Australia today offering a rebuttal and explaining how its business works.
Earlier this month, Google noted how coronavirus-related searches are surpassing its most common and consistent queries. For its part, the company is surfacing resources everywhere from Search to Assistant. Google Discover is now compiling COVID-19 news into one glanceable card.
The Australian government is set to force Google and Facebook to pay for local news content in the region.
With search queries about COVID-19 surpassing even those for weather and the news, Google in recent weeks has worked to compile that information together. In Tech News, there is a new COVID-19 hub, while Assistant and Podcasts have similar experiences.
Digital magazines were once touted as the future (and savior) of print media. Heralded by the iPad, Google’s solution took on many forms and moved from app-to-app. Currently in Tech News, the company announced that its removing and “discontinuing print-replica magazines” support.
Tech News last year saw a big redesign on the web and mobile apps. The latest update introduces a “Beyond the Headlines” section to surface “more in-depth content that highlights and explores key issues in our society.”
In recent years, Google has strived to make its products work better internationally. Tech News for Android and iOS now supports bilingual feeds to show stories for up to two “languages & regions of interest.”
Tech News is now set to offer enhanced coverage of the world’s premier intercontinental club soccer tournament, the UEFA Champions League.
In early 2018, Google launched a “hyperlocal” news service called Bulletin. Nextdoor-esque in nature, it remained a “pilot” throughout its entire life and is now being shut down later this year.
News publishers have historically been upset with Google and Facebook over a variety of issues related to payment and content ranking. News Corp, which owns the Wall Street Journal, is now planning a Tech News competitor called “Knewz.com” to address those concerns directly.
