A software update introduced by Google last month has resulted in the personal data of 52.5 million users being exposed, even when it was set to not-public. As a result, Google says it will shutdown all API access to Google+ in the next 90 days and bring forward the "sunsetting" of Google+ from August next year to April.

The ACCC has released a preliminary report into the market power being exerted by major digital platforms such as Google and Facebook. And while the commission's inquiry continues, it's clear it is looking at ways to curb the influence digital platforms have given they are privately run and have operated outside the traditional regulatory regimes.

Its focus has been on search engines, social media platforms and digital content aggregators with the spotlight brightly directed at Facebook and Google given their powerful influence.

When's the last time you Googled yourself? Do you know what would show up if a prospective employer typed your name into Google, or if the person you met on a date over the weekend decided to read up on you? Here's why you need to be Googling yourself, as you never know just how much information on you is easily accessible out there.

If, like me, you use Chrome with a billion tabs open, restarting the browser can bring your PC to its knees for the minute or so it takes to restore everything. Extensions such as The Great Suspender help immensely, but with a few tweaks, you can make it even better.

Google's short-lived messaging service, Allo, is going the way of Google Reader, Google Health, and the Dodo bird. It's not a surprise — Google began porting and integrating some of the more interesting features (like Google Assistant and web support) from Allo into Messages app for Android earlier this year, signalling that Allo's time may be short. Yesterday, Google confirmed that it will soon be ceasing Allo support entirely in favour of the more widely-used Messages.

It was just a few days ago that I said Google's messaging strategy was a mess. In a statement published by Google overnight, the company has put Allo, the messaging platform they launched just a couple of years ago, on the chopping block declaring it will stop working next March. It's yet another software thought balloon floated by Google and then pricked into oblivion.

On Tuesday, Google posted patch notes for the imminent Android security update for December, which will roll out to all Android devices starting today. These monthly updates normally fix potential vulnerabilities for devices running Android 9, but this month’s update includes specific patches for Pixel phones in addition to the normal security updates. The patches include improved camera performance, fixes for screen flickering bugs and apps accidentally closing while running in the background, and several others.

Google's history with messaging services has been a mess. And just when it seemed it was kind of getting its act together, the search giant has once again invited Mr Cock-Up to visit and make life more confusing for users. Hangouts for consumers is disappearing and there doesn't seem to be a clear plan for what's next. It's like the company didn't learn anything from the time it killed Google Reader.

Some of the most exciting new features on Google’s Pixel 3 and 3 XL smartphones are their new camera features, such as Night Sight (more accurate colour and lighting-enhancements for dark photos) and Top Shot, which helps pick the best photo among a burst of shots you’ve taken.

Google has upgraded its Project Fi experiment and it is now an offical product. Google Fi is a mobile phone plan that works across 170 countries that includes calls at a fixed rate, data without roaming charges and unlimited free texts. And, while the focus is on US customers using Android handsets it also works on iPhones and can be purchased outside the US.

One of the most convenient features Pixel 2 and Pixel 3 owners enjoy, call screening, is getting an important upgrade. By the end of the year, your device will be able to save the call transcriptions it creates when dealing with suspected spam calls (or calls you choose to screen manually). And if you don’t want to wait, you can beta test the feature right now.

If you spend a lot of your day working in Google Drive, creating new documents, slides, sheets, and forms just got a lot easier. This week Google introduced a bunch of new shortcuts for Google Docs that allow you to create new files without having to go to Google Drive proper in order to do so.

If you picked up a Google Home recently, you may be wondering what it's good for besides checking the weather and playing music. Google's smart speakers may not boast as many third-party skills as Amazon's Alexa, but there's still a ton you can do.

Google Assistant got a bit of an upgrade on iOS this week with the introduction of support for Siri shortcuts. Now you can record a phrase like "OK Google" within Siri, and then have that phrase open the Google Assistant app on your phone.

Google, one of the biggest stashers of our personal data, recently updated Google Search — AKA Google.com — to make it easier for you to review and edit what search data the company stores. Here's how to clear your search history off of Google's servers using this new tool.

Earlier this year, Google demonstrated a new service called Duplex - an AI-powered program that could make calls on your behalf and talk to operators to make reservations. Since then, Google Duplex has been available to a very small and select number of Google Pixel owners and only worked in a limited number of areas. That trial is now explaining to more users and places.

One of the worst parts of trying to work with people located around the world is figuring out what time it is where they are. Coordinating meeting when everyone is in one time zone is hard enough.

I’ve been using daily routines with my smart speaker ever since Amazon rolled them out for its Echo devices. And I don’t trigger chained actions by yelling out some random phrase. Rather, I have my routines fire off at different times during the day — really, just wake-up time and bed time — so I can get a quick snapshot of important information, like the weather and upcoming calendar events.

With Google Plus being gradually shut down, following revelations of a security issue and its lack of popularity, it seems that Google now has plans to add a social element to search. Changes to the Google mobile app indicate the company's special media aspirations haven't faded - they have shifted.