TL;DR Google is bringing account security alerts inside its apps. They should more quickly warn you of trouble, and are more trustworthy. Google Assistant, meanwhile, is getting  a guest mode for anonymous commands. Google’s efforts to bolster security now include clearer, more trustworthy account security alerts, greater control over location, and improved anonymity for Assistant. The internet giant is about to roll out redesigned security alerts that appear inside its various apps.

Back in 2014, Google acquired the satellite imaging company Terra Bella, then known as Skybox Imaging, for around $500 million. The company is in the business of manufacturing small satellites that are used to capture high-quality images of Earth and provide data for Google Maps, among others. Skybox/Terra Bella’s stint at Google/Alphabet just came to an end, as Alphabet announced it would be sold to Planet Labs. Planet Labs is a private satellite operator based in San Francisco and was founded by NASA scientists.

Google has slowly but surely be working over the last year or so to bring many of the voice-powered functions seen on mobile devices over to our computers as well. About two months ago Chrome finally saw full Google Now-like cards arrive to the stable channel of the browser, after first arriving in Canary, alpha and beta builds. Now hands-free “Ok, Google” voice search is following suit. While Google has had voice search for a while, previously you had to click on the microphone icon within a new tab or via Google’s main website in order for it to work.

Now Russell Holly of Geek.com claims that “multiple sources” confirmed to him that the upcoming Nexus 10 would actually be made by Asus. According to the report, the refreshed Nexus 10 will bear the same name as the original, just like the Nexus 7 (2013). The device will supposedly be available in the Google Play Store and at Best Buy in time for holidays. The 2012 Nexus 10 launched in mid-November, so Google will probably go for the same period for the 2013 edition.

You read the title right. Chrome OS has its roots in Mozilla Firefox, according to former Google employee Jeff Nelson. He has recently blogged about how the operating system came to be and shared some interesting facts, the first of which is that the then new operating system was not exactly built from scratch but was actually a barebones Linux distro. When Jeff Nelson was still working as an engineer for the search giant, the Chrome OS used to be developed under the code name, “Google OS.

Think about the last smartphone you purchased. Consider the cost. Surmise the storage. Chances are, the device was a pretty penny and yet contains only 16/32GB on-board disk space if it’s a flagship, or 8/16GB if it’s a lower-end model. While many smartphones now have expandable storage via microSD, wouldn’t it be nice to get a lot more for your dollar? Samsung might have just the ticket. Korea’s largest OEM has just announced the world’s first 128GB smartphone storage module that makes use of Universal Flash Storage (UFS) 2.

It’s easy to view Black Friday as an opportunity to upgrade your TV or computer. However, it’s also a great time to upgrade your smartphone. We’ve gathered the best Black Friday smartphone deals in the lists below. We’ll continue to gather additional deals in the coming days. Also read: Black Friday 2019: Our full guide Pre-Black Friday phone deals AmazonGoogle Pixel 3a XL Google Pixel 3 Motorola Moto G7 LG G8 ThinQ

2. After a 16-month probe, the House Judiciary Committee finds Google, Apple, Amazon, Facebook wield ‘monopoly power’ in different ways that demand changes (Android Authority). 3. Apple says it vehemently disagrees with the conclusions (MacRumors), Amazon too (Amazon blog) no official word from Facebook or Google yet. 4. What will come of this? Read all 449 pages of the report here (judiciary.house.gov). (Android Authority is a reference on page 95!) 5. Teracube 2e: This phone has a 4-year warranty, replaceable battery, and costs $99 right now (Android Authority).

WhatsApp‘s anticipated video calling functionality is now rolling out. The new free video calling feature appears to be available only in the latest WhatsApp beta version for now – I couldn’t access it until I updated my app – but this indicates wider rollout may be on its way soon. Accessing WhatsApp video calls works much the same as accessing voice calls. Tap on the call button in a conversation and a dialog box will pop up asking if you wish to place a voice call or a video call; hit ‘video call’ and you’re good to go.

Xiaomi‘s second anniversary in India is coming up and to celebrate, the company is planning a massive three-day festival of price drops, flash sales and giveaways. Between July 20-22, Xiaomi fans in the sub-continent will get to enjoy all manner of discounts, games, surprises and other things designed to make buying electronics more fun. There’s a confusing array of stuff going on (like any good birthday party), so we’ve broken it down for you below.