Google and Alphabet Watch: Insights on Google's ecosystem, including Android, Gmail, Chrome, plus other bets and innovations coming from Mountain View.
Chrome has received a trio of new productivity upgrades on the desktop. The browser's new built-in split view lets you run two tabs side by side without juggling windows, while its PDF viewer can now handle highlights, notes, and even signatures. There's also a new 'Save to Google Drive' option that sends docs to the cloud into a dedicated folder.
Google has rolled out version 50.0.23 of the Play Store, continuing its steady cadence of under-the-hood updates. As usual, this release focuses on stability and performance rather than flashy new features. You can check your current version under Settings > About in the Play Store app, and if you're behind, you can download the latest build right here.
Connecting the dots: When Google's Threat Analysis Group uncovered unusual network activity rippling across millions of internet-connected devices, something didn't add up. The traffic patterns didn't match typical malware signatures. Instead, what they found looked more like a massive distributed relay system: millions of private phones, computers, and smart home devices quietly moving data for someone else. That someone, Google now says, was a Chinese company called IPIDEA.