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How to add transparency to an image in Google Slides
Tweak image transparency on a browser or on mobile
Google Slides is an easy tool for making presentations online through Google Chrome or offline with one of the best 2-in-1 Chromebooks for productivity. It's packed with tools and features like autoplaying presentations that can turn boring slides into eye-catching presentations, but some are not easily found.
Google Safe Browsing protects you from malware and other online threats. Here's how to set it up
Turn on Safe Browsing to protect yourself online
As more of our work is done online, safeguarding our digital presence is imperative. Threats loom everywhere in the form of phishing attacks and malware. Over 353 million people in the US were affected by data compromises in 2023 through data breaches and exposure. Passkeys, authenticator apps, 2FA, and other security tools help secure our accounts and make us less vulnerable to malicious actors.
How to fix YouTube embeds in Google Slides (AKA Error 150)
Try these troubleshooting methods to iron out video-playback issues
Google Slides is a free application and a solid choice for designing professional and creative presentations for your workspace or classroom. The app works on any device, including budget Chromebooks. Creating slides is effortless with its user-friendly UI, minimalist design, and collaboration features. You can also embed YouTube videos in Slides.
Every organization has a backend administration that keeps its operations on track. For Google Workspace users, the Admin console is a one-stop shop for managing a team's work environment. Did you recently buy a premium Google Workspace plan for your organization? Do you have an administrator account for an existing one? This guide explains how to access the Google Workspace Admin console on your PC, Mac, or top-end Chromebook.
These are the major retailers in the US that accept Google Wallet
We compiled a list of the major US retailers who accept Google Wallet to take the guesswork out of it for you
Google Wallet offers a convenient way to make contactless payments using your Android device, regardless of the budget Android phone. You can store and manage payment cards, loyalty programs, tickets, and digital keys on your Android phone. While it uses near-field communication (NFC) technology for payments (similar to Apple Pay and Samsung Pay), its acceptance may vary among US retailers. However, it's supported by major stores.
Despite the PlayStation 5's popularity, you can't directly connect AirPods to the gaming console via Bluetooth. While this is inconvenient for everyone who relies on a pair of wireless earbuds or headphones, some simple workarounds let you connect your AirPods with your PS5. This guide shows you how to connect AirPods to your PS5 via Bluetooth. It works for any earbuds and headphones, including all the top wireless headphones. After syncing, you can use your AirPods to talk to other gamers via the PS5's voice chat. You can also play games on your iOS or Android device via the PS Remote Play app.
11 best Queer dating apps: our top choices for LGBTQ+ people
Find your perfect match with these LGBTQ+ dating apps for Android
First dates are nerve-wracking, with the pressure to make a good impression casting a shadow over thoughts of compatibility. Now, add an extra hurdle. And it shouldn't be perceived like that at all. Among singles of like minds, LGBTQ+ matchmaking is just more dating.
The 12 best and most useful Android widgets on the Google Play Store
Make your home screen more than just an app launcher
The best Android widgets range from productivity tools to detailed weather infographics. While Android phones ship with widgets for Google apps like Google Calendar and Drive, you'll find other useful and exciting widgets that complement the best Android apps. We rounded up our favorite widgets on the Google Play Store. These widgets are available for all Android devices, including Google Pixel phones and the latest Samsung Galaxy S24 lineup.
Every smartphone has a solid gallery app for managing your media library, but Google offers more than that. Google Photos is packed with neat media organization, editing, cloud backup, and seamless sharing features. It's preinstalled on most Android phones, like the Google Pixel 8, and works across other platforms. Whether you're looking for a beginner's guide or want to explore its best features, here's the rundown on Google Photos.
Vampire Survivors developer explores the story so far and what comes next
Vampire Survivors is a breakout hit on Android, but how did this happen?
In late 2020, Luca Galante — an unknown and unemployed programmer — began work on a new game. This wasn’t the first game he had started work on, not even the first game he’d finished, but this one would be different from the rest. This game was Vampire Survivors. But before the surprise success and the awards and the money, he was a student in Italy, just trying to make games anyway he could.
WhatsApp is bringing back the long-lost swipeable navigation bar
Hopefully, it sticks around for longer this time
WhatsApp introduced a bottom navigation bar to its Android app roughly a year ago to align with the Material Design guidelines. However, this meant that the previous swipeable tabs experience had to go away, although WhatsApp appeared to have a change of heart in June, with swipeable tabs making an appearance in a beta. It didn't take long for the feature to disappear, however, only to make a comeback again in September. WhatsApp then removed support for swipe gestures in subsequent updates, but it looks like the Meta-owned chat app hasn't fully given up on it yet, with the latest beta version marking the reappearance of the swipeable navigation bar.
YouTube Music gains another vital feature ahead of Google Podcasts shutdown
The app is getting the trim silence functionality for podcasts
YouTube Music officially started supporting podcasts in its apps almost a year ago. Although Google said at the time that its standalone Podcasts app wasn't going anywhere, we now know that it didn't pan out. Ahead of the service's expected closure in April, the YouTube Music team is busy giving the final touches to the podcast experience in the app. With this in mind, developers are working on adding a feature that's pretty common among the best podcast apps, including the soon-to-be-dead Google Podcasts.
OneDrive could get some of that Google Photos magic
The app's beta points to an upcoming Magic Erase feature
Generative AI is no longer the buzzword it was in late 2022, as tech companies, both big and small, continue to build their products with some form of generative AI in mind. Unsurprisingly, giant corporations like Google and Microsoft also want to have a significant chunk of the AI pie and have already integrated the tech into their productivity suites — Google Workspace and Microsoft 365. We've known since last year that Microsoft is readying generative AI chops for OneDrive, but its wider implementation has now been pushed to April. In a sign of things to come, a recent beta of the OneDrive app for Android contains strings mentioning a Google Photos-esque "Magic Erase" feature.
The 9 best weather apps on Android in 2024
Never get caught without your umbrella — or your sunscreen
The best maps and navigation apps are moderately fine for forecasting upcoming weather events. But, sometimes, you need some extra assurance, and that's where dedicated weather apps come in handy. Even though the Google Weather app is available on the latest Android tablets and phones, the service can sometimes be temperamental and limited. Hence, it pays to have a few detailed alternatives, especially since Dark Sky retired in 2023 and was replaced by Apple Weather. If you want to stay dry or avoid the summer heat, look at our roundup of great weather apps designed to keep your eyes on the skies and give you the most accurate weather readings while on the go.
How to cancel your Xbox Game Pass Core subscription
Simple steps to cancel your Game Pass Core subscription
Like Google Play Pass and Apple Arcade for mobile games, Microsoft requires a subscription to access a catalog of AAA and indie titles on the Xbox platform. If you don't game on your Xbox console and have ventured into other platforms like mobile gaming, the Xbox Game Pass Core may not be the best value for your money. This guide walks you through the cancellation process step-by-step while addressing common questions surrounding the Xbox Game Pass Core subscription.
The Google Play Store is a dumpster fire and AI won't save it
The addition of AI recommendations to the Play Store won't fix how Google prioritizes its whims over user satisfaction
We recently reported that the Play Store was bringing AI to help you choose which apps it thinks you might like. It won't help the situation when the Play Store is a digital landfill overflowing with low-quality apps that are awash in review fraud, all the while Google is busy prioritizing its whims over user satisfaction. Adding AI recommendations is like putting lipstick on a pig. It's time Google cleaned up this mess.
Google Wallet will soon support passes from Apple devices
Sharing passes between iOS and Android devices could get simpler
Google Wallet has come a long way since its early days, including going through a couple of rebrands. The consolidated app for passes, tickets, credit/debit cards, boarding passes, etc., on your Android phone is routinely getting better with new features while also ensuring more countries and banks start supporting the app. However, Google's offering doesn't support the .pkpass file format, which is used by Apple for passes stored in its own Wallet app. That appears to be changing now, at least for a few people around the world, who are reporting the ability to import .pkpass files onto the Google Wallet app.
The golden age of Nintendo emulators on Android is over
Nintendo emulators need to tread cautiously from now on
I have always been a big emulation aficionado, and that interest has been indulged with the great emulation apps available on the Play Store, a wonderful selection of nostalgia for your trusty Android phone. While the majority of these apps are attractive, Nintendo console emulators are definitely the most notable, given the company's colossal library of beloved classics that people are champing at the bit to relive. However, recent litigious incidents between Nintendo and certain big names on the emulator scene have cast a worrisome shadow over the future of Nintendo emulation apps on the Google Play Store.
Google’s Pixel launcher will let you change the default search engine
You are no longer limited to using Google as the search provider in Google’s launcher, at least in the EU
In September 2023, the European Union passed the Digital Markets Act (DMA), giving "gatekeepers" like Apple, Amazon, and Alphabet six months to comply with regulations to maintain competition or pay hefty fines. A few months later, Google outlined how it would comply with the DMA when it goes into effect in March 2024. Now, as a part of the changes to comply with the DMA, Google is rolling out a new "search engine" settings option in Pixel Launcher.
Google Photos finally lets you override its document auto-categorization
New categorization options are rolling out now
Last month, Google services enthusiast AssembleDebug shared on X that Google Photos was working on a way to change how the app categorizes images of what it calls "Documents." The new setup would let users manually alter the way various images — screenshots, photos of receipts or event tickets, that sort of thing — are tagged, making it easier to organize that kind of info in Photos. We're seeing those new options on our own phones now: manual categorization is finally rolling out.