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Tag: gmail

  • Google Is Now Rolling Out Its New Gmail Interface

    Google Is Now Rolling Out Its New Gmail Interface

    Google is currently rolling out its updated Gmail interface, bringing together various elements in one view.

    Google has been planning a new Gmail interface for some time, in an effort to make the service a one-stop-shop for communication. The new interface brings together “Gmail, Chat, and Meet in one unified location.”

    Google began rolling out the new interface to scheduled domains on Friday, and expects to be finished by February 3. Once complete, users will not be able to roll back to the previous interface.

    Beginning today, the new Gmail user interface is rolling out for scheduled release domains, with anticipated completion by February 3, 2023. This will become the standard experience for Gmail, with no option to revert to the original UI.

  • Prepare for Less Political Ads in Your Gmail Inbox

    Prepare for Less Political Ads in Your Gmail Inbox

    Google is ending a controversial pilot program and will stop exempting political ads from automatic spam filters, a move that will delight and anger.

    Google began a pilot program to exempt political email from automatic spam filtering in an effort to appease GOP claims that its filters unfairly targeted right-wing emails. Google disputed the claims, saying the GOP’s supporting study used flawed parameters.

    According to The Washington Post, Google is now letting the pilot program end and will no longer exempt political emails.

    “The RNC is wrong,” Google argued in a motion to dismiss the GOP’s complaint. “Gmail’s spam filtering policies apply equally to emails from all senders, whether they are politically affiliated or not.”

    The news is sure to anger GOP politicians, but will be a big win for consumers who already struggle with a near-overwhelming amount of spam.

  • Google Expands Access to End-to-End Encryption in Gmail

    Google Expands Access to End-to-End Encryption in Gmail

    Google is rolling out end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for Gmail, expanding access to the beta for eligible customers.

    E2EE is an important security feature that ensures even Google can’t read a person’s email when it resides on their servers. Google announced the change in a blog post:

    We’re expanding customer access to client-side encryption in Gmail on the web. Google Workspace Enterprise Plus, Education Plus, and Education Standard customers are eligible to apply for the beta until January 20th, 2023.

    Using client-side encryption in Gmail ensures sensitive data in the email body and attachments are indecipherable to Google servers. Customers retain control over encryption keys and the identity service to access those keys.

    E2EE is the gold standard for encryption and security and its nice to see Google expanding access to it.

  • Gmail Integrated View Will Become Standard by End of November

    Gmail Integrated View Will Become Standard by End of November

    Google has announced that its “integrated view” will become the standard at the end of the month, with no option to switch back.

    Google introduced its integrated view, one that pulls together Gmail, Google Chat, Google Meet, and Spaces. Users who were not fans of the change have had the option to continue using the existing layout, but Google plans to make integrated view standard by the end of the month.

    The company announced the change in a Google Workspace blog post:

    This will become the standard experience for Gmail, with no option to revert back.

    The company makes clear its intention to continue developing integrated view and adding features:

    When enabled, the new navigation menu allows you to easily switch between your inbox, important conversations, and join meetings without having to switch between tabs or open a new window. Notification bubbles make it easy to stay on top of what immediately needs your attention. When working in Chat and Spaces, you can view a full list of conversations and Spaces within a single screen, making it easier to navigate to and engage. When working in your inbox, you’ll be able to view the full array of Mail and Label options currently available in Gmail today. In the coming months, you will also see email and chat results when using the search bar, making it easier to find what you need by eliminating the need to search within a specific product.

  • Major Gmail Update Coming Next Week

    Major Gmail Update Coming Next Week

    Google is preparing to deploy a major update to Gmail, one that will start rolling out next week and progress over the next few months.

    Gmail is the world’s most popular email platform, with some 1.8 billion users, according to TechJury. The service accounts for over a quarter of all opened email, or 27%. Needless to say, given how popular the service is, Google doesn’t take Gmail updates lightly.

    The company plans to begin deploying a new integrated view, beginning February 8.

    We’re introducing a new, integrated view for Gmail, making it easy to move between critical applications like Gmail, Chat and Meet in one unified location.

    Initially, users will be able to opt-in to the new experience. Beginning April 2022, however, the new integrated view will be the default, although users can still go back to the legacy view if they prefer. At the end of Q2 2022, the new view will be standard and the company will no longer provide an option to revert back to the previous layout.

  • Android 2.3.7 and Older Versions in the Cold

    Android 2.3.7 and Older Versions in the Cold

    Google is cutting off Android 2.3.7 and older from logging in, leaving the aging versions of the mobile OS in the cold.

    Android is currently on the 11th major version, with versions 2.3 released over a decade ago. Nonetheless, some users are still running the ancient version of the OS.

    Google is warning that it will soon block Android 2.3.7 and older from logging into Google services, effective September 27.

    As part of our ongoing efforts to keep our users safe, Google will no longer allow sign-in on Android devices that run Android 2.3.7 or lower starting September 27, 2021. If you sign into your device after September 27, you may get username or password errors when you try to use Google products and services like Gmail, YouTube, and Maps. 

    If your device has the ability to update to a newer Android version (3.0+), we advise you to do so in order to maintain access to Google apps and services on that device.

    While no on likes being left behind, Google has certainly supported the older OS far more than what would be considered a reasonable amount of time.

  • Google Flags Its Own iOS Apps As Out-of-Date

    Google Flags Its Own iOS Apps As Out-of-Date

    In an embarrassing glitch, Google’s servers flagged its own apps as out-of-date because…they are.

    Apple is requiring app updates to include a privacy label, clearly indicating what data is collected and connected to the user. Facebook drew intense criticism when it updated its apps and disclosed just how much data it collected and tracked. Meanwhile, Google has not updated the bulk of its apps in months, with many believing it’s trying to avoid the flack Facebook experienced. The company has claimed that’s not the case, but the evidence would suggest otherwise.

    The company’s apps are now so out-of-date that Google’s own servers started informing people and suggesting they upgrade to a new version. There’s just one minor issue — there are no newer versions.

    First spotted by Techmeme editor Spencer Dailey, Gmail, Google Photos and Google Maps all popped up a notification informing users they needed to upgrade (demonstrated in his video below). The issue appears to have been a server-side glitch, as users are no longer receiving the error even though the apps haven’t been updated. Google likely made a server-side change to disable the notification.

    Whatever the case, the notification is an embarrassment for Google and continues to undermine its claim that it is not trying to avoid Apple’s privacy labels. The company needs to update its apps immediately, providing clarity and transparency about what data it does and does not collect.

  • Notability Maker Releases Twobird Email Client

    Notability Maker Releases Twobird Email Client

    Ginger Labs, the makers of Notability, have released Twobird, a brand-new email client for iOS, macOS, Windows and Android.

    Notability is a well-known note-taking application for both iOS and macOS. The app receives generally good reviews and won Apple’s Editors’ Choice award. One of the reasons for Ginger Labs’ success is its focus on intuitive design, combined with powerful features.

    Now the company is taking that approach to email, with the release of Twobird. The app is designed for modern users, combining email with notes, reminders, lists and more. The app also helps streamline email, hiding things like signatures and formatting that can serve as more of a distraction than useful information.

    In what may be its most innovative addition, Twobird includes live collaboration.

    “Share a Twobird note and transform a shopping list into a party planner,” reads the app’s release notes. “Assign tasks, make edits, leave comments and discuss changes with everyone involved.

    “Shared notes are nested inside your email so you can see everyone’s ideas come together, in real time.”

    The app currently only works with Gmail-powered email, although the company plans on supporting more services in the future. Individuals concerned with privacy will appreciate Twobird’s emphasis on protecting privacy, including actively blocking pixel tracking. The company is also committed to never seeing or sharing users’ personal data.

    With the recent announcement that Newton Mail is back from the dead, and now Ginger Labs’ release of Twobird, this is an excellent time for email programs, and promises continued innovation within the market.

  • Adobe Creative Cloud and Gmail Integration Announced

    Adobe Creative Cloud and Gmail Integration Announced

    Adobe and Google Cloud have announced an integration between Adobe’s Creative Cloud and Gmail to make it easier to share and collaborate on projects.

    Adobe recognizes that, while newer methods of collaboration may be gaining in popularity, email remains one of the most popular forms of business communication, with some 1.5 billion active users worldwide. Gmail is one of the most popular email platforms, making integration between the two services a natural fit.

    “We’ve now launched the Adobe Creative Cloud for Gmail Add-on on the G Suite Marketplace,” writes Minson Chen in a company blog post. “Now you can search for your Creative Cloud Assets and attach public links to Synced files, Libraries, and Mobile creations without leaving Gmail. You can also save any attachments received in Gmail directly to Creative Cloud in a few clicks.”

    The add-on is designed to work directly within Gmail, letting users add files from their Creative Cloud to their emails.

    “The Adobe Creative Cloud for Gmail Add-on lets you bring content stored in Creative Cloud directly into your Gmail messages so you can easily share files or assets created in applications like XD, Photoshop, Illustrator, and Lightroom,” adds Chen.

    “Sharing Creative Cloud assets with your team just got much easier. The add-on is readily available from the Gmail compose window. Just look for the Creative Cloud icon at the bottom of the message. Clicking it launches the add-on’s file browser where you can search and find assets to insert into your message as thumbnails that dynamically link to your Creative Cloud files.”

    The add-on also makes it easy to save attachments received via Gmail directly to a user’s Creative Cloud. Overall, this feature should be a welcome addition for Adobe users and make collaboration considerably easier and more streamlined.

  • Google and Microsoft Reigniting Browser Wars

    Google and Microsoft Reigniting Browser Wars

    Some things are too good to last, and it appears Google and Microsoft’s BFF cooperation on the browser front is one of them, as both companies are taking swipes at the other.

    Microsoft’s current browser, Edge, uses Google’s Chromium rendering engine. Chromium is an open-source rendering engine that a number of browsers, including Chrome, are powered by. Microsoft retired its own HTML rendering engine in favor of the move to Chromium in an effort to improve compatibility and reliability. Basing Edge on Chromium also lets Microsoft focus more resources on the browser’s front-end and user experience. Microsoft has even added a number of significant features to Edge that have made, or are making, their way into Chrome.

    The cracks started to show up when Google began using user agents to warn Microsoft Edge users they should “upgrade” to Google’s Chrome. User agent strings are the method by which web browsers identify themselves. In the early days of the web, when Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator were vying for dominance, webmasters would routinely code their websites to primarily work with one or the other browser. Webmasters would check a visiting browser’s user agent, or identity, and warn users they needed to “upgrade” if they weren’t running the browser their website was designed to support. Eventually, as the web started becoming more standards-compliant, the practice largely fell out of favor, with webmasters focusing on creating websites that adhered to standards and worked for everyone.

    Now Google seems intent on going back to those dark days of the early web. According to Windows Latest, “Google services are still targeting Edge with scary warnings. In the past, Google has displayed a warning when users opened services such as Google Teams, Gmail, Google Docs and YouTube Music in Edge.”

    Interestingly, if Edge users change their user agent to Chrome, the warning goes away. Google is also not targeting other Chromium-based browsers, such as Opera.

    Microsoft, in turn, has been warning individuals who try to download extensions from the Chrome Web Store that downloaded extensions from “unverified” sources may not be safe.

    Chris Matyszczyk, with ZDNet, reached out to both companies, as well as did a bit of his own investigating.

    “My sniffings around Google suggest the company may have been taken aback by the positive public reaction to Edge,” writes Matyszczyk. “Oddly, Google doesn’t seem to be offering these scary messages to users of, say, the Opera browser.

    “My nasal probings around Redmond offer the reasoning that, well, Microsoft hasn’t tested or verified extensions that arrive from places other than they Microsoft Edge add-ons website. Why, they’re far too busy to do that. And, well, it’s the Chrome web store. Who knows what you’ll find over there? Oh, and Edge gives you more control over your data, so there.”

    Whatever the motivations of both companies, the back-and-forth, tit-for-tat needs to stop. Dragging users back to the ‘90s-style browser wars that emphasized protecting turf over supporting standards is a losing recipe for everyone involved—especially the end user.

  • iOS Gmail App Now Work With Files

    iOS Gmail App Now Work With Files

    Google has announced that its iOS Gmail app has (finally) added the ability to include attachments from the iOS Files app.

    Introduced in iOS 11, the Files app acts as a sort of file system for iOS. The app makes it possible to access files in iCloud, the local device, as well as any apps or services that store files, such as Dropbox, Box or PDF Expert.

    Unfortunately, until now, one of the most popular email clients on iOS has not supported adding attachments via Files. With today’s announcement, Google has finally addressed the omission and added the ability.

    According to the blog post, “in the Gmail iOS app, when composing or replying to an email, click the attachment icon and scroll to the ‘Attachments’ section. Then select the folder icon to select an attachment from the Files app.”

    This is a welcome addition to an email client countless people rely on.

  • Google Working on Unified Communications App

    Google Working on Unified Communications App

    The Information is reporting that Google is working on a new communications app that will pull together the company’s existing messaging apps.

    Citing sources, including two who have used the new app and three that were briefed on it, the new app will bring together the functionality of several existing ones, including Gmail, Google Drive, Hangouts Meet and Hangouts Chat. The move is thought to be an answer to Slack and Microsoft Teams.

    This is an area where Google has traditionally had little success in, as none of its past efforts have achieved the popularity of its other services, or of competitors’ messaging options. With Slack and Teams becoming indispensable parts of many companies’ workflows, however, Google likely sees this as a pivotal piece of their productivity suite, and another way to ensure they keep customers within their own ecosystem.

  • Google Bringing AI-Powered Smart Compose to Docs

    Google Bringing AI-Powered Smart Compose to Docs

    Smart Compose, one of Google’s more controversial features is making the jump from Gmail to Docs.

    Smart Compose is an AI-driven feature that Google unveiled last year. The feature was built on Smart Reply and uses machine learning to suggest words while composing an email. Many language generation models suggest words based on the preceding word. Smart Compose goes beyond that, looking at the email subject line and the preceding email, if you’re replying to one.

    Google is now beginning the process of integrating Smart Compose into Docs. Smart Compose for Docs will analyze your past writing to make suggestions that match your style.

    At the moment, the feature is only available in beta, only for business users and requires an administrator to sign up. Google has not yet said whether the feature will eventually be available for all consumers, or only G Suite users.

    Smart Compose in Gmail has been extremely popular among some users, with notable individuals like Mark Cuban swearing by it. There’s just as many, however, who hate the feature. It will be interesting to see how well it is received as it is integrated into other applications.

  • Google Reportedly Allows App Developers to Read the Private Messages of Gmail Users

    Google Reportedly Allows App Developers to Read the Private Messages of Gmail Users

    A new report from the Wall Street Journal has revealed that third-party app developers have access to the emails of millions of Gmail account holders. Two companies have reportedly even allowed employees to read said emails. While Google claims that these developers have been thoroughly vetted, there are still fears that this could end up as a data breach similar to the Cambridge Analytica fiasco.

    According to the Wall Street Journal, Gmail users that have signed up for some services, specifically travel and shopping price comparison tools, have agreed to terms and conditions that enabled the developers of this software and services to read their emails.

    Gmail’s access settings do allow app developers and data companies to see the user’s emails and the private details that go with it, like the recipient’s address and time stamps. They can actually even view the whole message. And while application does require user consent, the permission form is admittedly vague on letting humans read emails instead of just machines.

    These third-party developers claim to only use the information gathered from Gmail account holders for advertising purposes and targeted shopping suggestions. Google asserted that it has extensively vetted these developers, a process that entails checking that the company’s identity is represented by the app, that the data requested is in line with the service it offers, and that its privacy policy clearly states that it will monitor emails.

    The Wall Street Journal report mentioned two specific apps that had access to said emails – Edison Software and Return Path. The former reportedly had employees read thousands of emails to assist in the training of its “Smart Reply” feature while the latter also allowed staff to read private messages to help in the development of the company’s software. Both companies said they have permission from users and that their actions were covered in their terms and conditions.

    In a blog post, Return Path gave assurances that they “take great care to limit who has access to the data, supervise all access to the data.”

    Meanwhile, Edison Software CEO Mikael Berner clarified the context in which their engineers read “a small random sample of de-identified messages” by saying it was for R&D purposes. He also revealed that the company stopped the practice some time ago and that all the data has been expunged “in order to stay consistent with our company’s commitment to achieving the highest standards possible for ensuring privacy.”

    It’s not certain yet what kind of blowback the news that Google has allowed third-party developers access to user emails might have on the company. In all likelihood, it will be scrutinized the same way Facebook was after the Cambridge Analytica issue.

  • New Drop Box Add-On Makes it Easier to Find and Share Files in Gmail

    New Drop Box Add-On Makes it Easier to Find and Share Files in Gmail

    Dropbox took advantage of the Google Next event to reveal its new Gmail add-on. The first product of its partnership with Google, the extension will make it easier for Dropbox users to find, send, and save files from inside their Gmail inbox.

    Gmail users who install this new plug-in will be able to attach a Dropbox file to their email by linking it directly to the relevant file or folder stored in the hosting service. And since the content is attached as links, file size is not an issue. Recipients of the email will also be able to access the file or folder without having to install any extra software.

    Once installed, the add-on will appear on Gmail’s right-side rail. Clicking on the Dropbox icon will prompt it to scan the email thread for attachments. It will also show useful contextual information, like the sender’s name, the file name, and where it is located (email or Dropbox). Users can also view their whole Dropbox file system, making it easier to add and attach files.

    Dropbox describes the Gmail add-on as a convenient method to organize the workplace as it allows the user to access saved content within Gmail. This does away with the need to toggle between the two applications. The add-on also makes it possible for Gmail users to save an emailed file directly to their Dropbox account.

    Dropbox explains in a blog post that the “integration deepens our investment in the G Suite ecosystem, offering a cross-browser, cross-platform addition to our existing Dropbox for Gmail extension for Chrome.”

    This latest add-on is compatible with any browser and will also work on the official Gmail application for Android. Dropbox also has plans to bring the extension to iOS, although there’s no launch date set yet.

    The Gmail add-on is just the tip of the iceberg. Dropbox has also shared its plans to develop add-ons that would let account holders use Google Docs, Slides, and Sheets directly within the file-hosting service. There are also talks of integration with Google Hangouts. This feature will let users send links to files saved in Dropbox directly to Hangouts.

  • Gmail’s ‘Confidential Mode’ May Expose Users to Phishing Scams, Raises Red Flags at DHS

    Gmail’s ‘Confidential Mode’ May Expose Users to Phishing Scams, Raises Red Flags at DHS

    A new Google Mail feature has caused the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to raise concerns about users’ privacy and security. According to reports, Gmail’s new “Confidential Mode” can be used to instigate scams like phishing.

    In April, Google revamped Gmail’s look. Along with a sleek, new user interface, the company also introduced several new features, including auto-generated smart replies, the capacity to put a message on snooze and the Confidential Mode.

    However, the new Confidential Mode reportedly raised some red flags at the DHS prompting it to issue an alert regarding the “potential emerging threat…for nefarious activity” the new feature could introduce.

    Gmail’s Confidential Mode apparently allows the user to control how their emails can be viewed and shared. For instance, the recipient of the email won’t be able to print or forward it. Users can also set an “expiration date” so that their email will self-destruct or automatically delete itself from the recipient’s inbox. There are also other layers of protection that can be utilized, like a text message code.

    While the features provided for a Confidential email seem fool-proof, it can actually open up a can of security worms. This is because non-Gmail users who receive a Confidential email will be asked to click on a link to access it. Scammers can take advantage of this process to create and send out fake confidential emails. Once the non-Gmail users click on the link, they can be tricked into giving out their private information. This is known as phishing.

    A DHS spokesperson confirmed that they have already reached out to Google “to inform them of intelligence relevant to their services and to partner to improve our mutual interests in cybersecurity.”

    Meanwhile, Brooks Hocog, a spokesman for Google, reassured users about the company’s commitment to protecting their users’ security. He stated that Google has already developed “machine learning” algorithms that can detect phishing scams, downplaying the issue.

  • Google Adds New Features To Inbox

    Google announced the launch of three new experiences for its Inbox by Gmail product including streamlined events, “glanceable” newsletters, and saved links.

    For events, Inbox will now gather emails from a single event together and show you what has changed. When you tap on an event, you’ll see a comprehensive overview from one destination.

    The glanceable newsletters feature works similarly. You can preview the newsletters you read often, and click through to the article that interest you. After you’ve looked at the latest, newsletters will minimize.

    There’s a new Save to Inbox feature that lets you save links for later rather than sending yourself a bunch of emails. You can share the link on Android or iOS (like you would share to any other app).

    There’s also a new Chrome extension that you can use to share from he desktop. These links will appear when you check your email.

    Images via Google

  • You Can Now Use Reminders with Google Calendar on the Web

    Today in “I can’t believe this wasn’t already a thing” news, Google announced the addition of reminders to Google Calendar on the web, making it easier for users to keep track of important (and not so important for that matter) tasks

    On Android and iPhone, reminders that aren’t completed appear at the top of the calendar until they’re marked done. Reminders created in Inbox, Keep, and the Google app also appear in Google Calendar. Now, these things apply to mobile. Also, reminders created in mobile show up on the web and vice versa.

    Again, how wasn’t this already a thing? Either way, better late than never.

  • Google April Fools’ Joke ‘Gmail Mic Drop’ Goes Wrong

    Google April Fools’ Joke ‘Gmail Mic Drop’ Goes Wrong

    Every year, on this day, Google puts out a whole bunch of April Fools’ Day jokes. It’s a tradition, and is completely expected by much of the Internet. This year is no different except that one of the company’s jokes has already backfired.

    Google introduced the “Gmail Mic Drop” feature, which placed a new send button in Gmail when the user composed a message. Clicking this included in the email a GIF of a Minion dropping a mic.

    “Today, Gmail is making it easier to have the last word on any email with Mic Drop,” Google software engineer Victor-bogdan Anchidin wrote on the Gmail blog. “Simply reply to any email using the new ‘Send + Mic Drop’ button. Everyone will get your message, but that’s the last you’ll ever hear about it. Yes, even if folks try to respond, you won’t see it.”

    Unfortunately, it appeared in users’ accounts and people were clicking it inadvertently. Some claimed to have lost jobs and others shared concerns for potential job loss. Matthew Alba wrote in the Gmail Help Forum:

    SEND + MIC DROP!!?!?? So I’ve been going back with a potential employer all week and last night sent a critical follow up email and accidentally clicked “Send + Mic Drop” Not only am I mortified of the mistake, but this could potentially cost me my dream job. Who am Google may I speak to about this? This was a horrible, horrible idea with potentially irreparable damages for me. Please let me know what can be done. I’ll gladly show anyone the emails so you can see for yourself.

    Abdus Salam wrote:

    This mic drop is perhaps the most stupid thing you could possibly come up with. I have been interviewing with this company for 3 months now and mistakenly sent the email directly to guess who? The HR! Why would you do that? I so want this job; was due to start on Monday!

    Allan Pashby wrote:

    Thanks to Mic Drop I just lost my job. I am a writer and had a deadline to meet. I sent my articles to my boss and never heard back from her. I inadvertently sent the email using the “Mic Drop” send button.There were corrections that needed to be made on my articles and I never received her replies. My boss took offense to the Mic Drop animation and assumed that I didn’t reply to her because I thought her input was petty (hence the Mic Drop). I just woke up to a very angry voicemail from her which is how I found out about this “hilarious” prank.

    There are plenty of additional complaints here.

    It’s worth noting that any of these complaints could be made up, mini jokes as well, but Google has put a stop to the Mic Drop feature. In an update to its post, Google says, “Well, it looks like we pranked ourselves this year. ? Due to a bug, the Mic Drop feature inadvertently caused more headaches than laughs. We’re truly sorry. The feature has been turned off. If you are still seeing it, please reload your Gmail page.”

    Google does have some better April Fools’ announcements that are less likely to disrupt users’ jobs and businesses. These include a new “SnoopaVision” feature to let you watch 360-degree YouTube videos with Snoop Dogg…

    …and a new Google Cardboard Plastic headset:

    Have fun with the Internet today, folks.

    UPDATE: Check out Google’s parachute delivery joke video.

  • Here’s How Google Is Improving Gmail Security

    Here’s How Google Is Improving Gmail Security

    Google has made security a priority with Gmail early this year. Last month, the company announced changes to keep users safe including a broken lock icon display on messages when a user receives a message from or is about to send one to a person whose email service doesn’t support TLS encryption.

    Also part of the February update was a question mark displayed on a sender’s profile/avatar if the user gets a message that can’t be authenticated.

    Earlier this month, Google introduced improve data loss prevention features for enterprise customers using Gmail. This included optical character recognition for better scanning of attachments and the addition of new predefined content detectors.

    Google also launched two new detection parameters to give its largest Work customers better control over DLP policies, minimize false positives, and “take action commensurate with the level of perceived risk.” There is a count parameter and a confidence parameter. The former lets customers set up different DLP policies based on whether a message contains individual or bulk PII. The latter lets customers tighten or loosen detection criteria for the most commonly used detectors.

    On Thursday, Google announced partnerships with Comcast, Microsoft, and Yahoo to submit a draft IETF specification for “SMTP Strict Transport Security.” As the company describes, this is a new proposed standard that enables companies to ensure mail is only delivered through encrypted channels, and furthermore that encryption failures are reported for analysis.

    Google is also extending its “Safe Browsing” feature, which is already enabled in several of its products, to give Gmail users warnings if they click links Google has identified as potentially dangerous. This is being applied when Gmail is used in different web browsers and email apps.

    warning

    Finally, Google is launching a new full-page warning about state-sponsored attacks and how to stay safe from them.

    new warning

    Google notes that a very small percentage of users will ever see these (mainly activists, journalists, policy-makers, etc.), but those who do may see them instead of the existing warnings or in addition to them.

    Images via Google

  • Inbox By Gmail ‘Smart Reply’ Feature Hits Web

    Inbox By Gmail ‘Smart Reply’ Feature Hits Web

    Back in November, Google announced the launch of a new feature for Inbox by Gmail called Smart Reply, which uses machine learning to auto-suggest email responses. At the time, it was only available for mobile.

    Today, Google announced the launch of the feature on the web version of Inbox by Gmail.

    “Just like in the Inbox mobile app, Smart Reply saves you precious time by suggesting up to three responses based on the emails you get. Selecting an option starts a reply, ready for you to either edit or send,” says software engineer Taylor Kourim.

    “10% of all your replies on mobile already use Smart Reply, so we’re excited to bring this same convenience to the web,” Kourim adds. “It’s particularly helpful when you’re jamming through lots of emails on your laptop.”

    A few weeks ago, Google improved snooze functionality for Inbox. More on that here.

    Images via Google